Reunion Mission. Virginia Vaughan

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СКАЧАТЬ love of his life.

      The woman whose life he’d almost ended ten years ago.

      * * *

      In all the years she’d imagined bumping into Matt Ross again, Claire had never once imagined it would be over the body of one of her students. She stared up at him. He looked so different and yet so much like the Matt she remembered. He’d always been tall, but he seemed to have added a few inches since high school. The long arms and legs that had once been gangly were now solid and muscular and his chest and shoulders broad, a man instead of the boy she’d known ten years ago. His blond hair was cut shorter than she’d ever seen it, but she supposed it was longer now than it had been during his time in the army. His face was fuller, but his hazel eyes were still intense and his features sharp and handsome.

      He knelt beside her. “Claire, what are you doing here? How do you know Luke Thompson?”

      She was shocked that he knew Luke. “I’m a teacher at this school. This is my classroom. Luke is one of my students. How do you know him?” She recognized that troubled look on Matt’s face and grew worried. “How do you know Luke?” she asked him again.

      He helped her to her feet. “There’s blood on your clothes.”

      She glanced down and saw dark stains smeared on her jeans and blouse. Her hands were also covered in blood. Luke’s blood. “It’s not mine.”

      “You’re shaking.” He took off his jacket and slipped it across her shoulders. “Let’s get you out of here.”

      She went willingly with him, thankful for the support and for the jacket. She was trembling, although not from the cold. Shivers of fear and worry lit through her. She could still feel the clammy touch of that man’s hand against her face and smell the rancid smell of his hot breath as he whispered to her. You did this. You killed Luke with your meddling.

      What had he meant by that? All she’d done was try to help Luke. He’d wanted out of the drug business and she’d encouraged him. Had he heeded her advice and told his dealers that he didn’t want to peddle their drugs anymore? Had they killed him because of it?

      She stumbled as Matt led her toward the office. Her hip was stiff and sore after her ordeal, and she wished it didn’t bother her so much. Other people might not even notice the residual slight limp, but Matt would notice. Matt was not just any other person. Thankfully, he said nothing as he led her to the office and Claire fell onto the couch, not certain her legs would carry her any farther. Matt walked out, then returned a moment later with a bottle of water. Her hands shook as she tried to lift it to her lips. Finally, he poured some into a paper cup and gave it to her.

      The cool liquid felt soothing over her raw throat. She’d hardly been able to scream but still her throat was raw as if she had. She’d struggled against the force of that man’s hand against her face, struggled for air to breathe. She didn’t think he’d been trying to smother her, but his hand had essentially cut off her air supply.

      Matt pulled up a chair and straddled it, his hazel eyes probing hers. “I need you to tell me exactly what happened.”

      “Shouldn’t we call the police? I dialed 9-1-1 before that man grabbed me, but I don’t know if the call went through.”

      “I am the police.”

      He pulled out his badge and she saw he now worked for the Drug Enforcement Administration. She knew he’d left the army, but she hadn’t heard about this new position. Now his presence at the school made more sense. Luke was involved in drugs. Had Matt been here to arrest him?

      “Tell me everything you remember. Why were you here at the school on a Sunday?”

      Her hands shook as she outlined her morning, trying to remember every detail. “I received a text message from Luke an hour ago asking me to meet him at the school, so I came. The lights were out and even my classroom overhead light didn’t work, but I had the flashlight on my phone. I found him lying on the floor. Before I could call for help, someone grabbed me.”

      “Did you see the man who grabbed you?”

      “No. It was dark and he was behind me.”

      “Did you recognize his voice? Was there anything about him that was familiar?”

      She shook her head. “It all happened so fast. He kept his hand over my mouth so I couldn’t scream. I struggled, but I couldn’t break free. When he heard you coming, he dragged me to the corner. The next thing I knew, he had shoved me toward you and we were on the floor.”

      “Did you let Luke into the building?”

      “No. But everyone knows the door by the cafeteria doesn’t latch well. He probably got in that way.”

      “Why did Luke ask to meet you today?”

      His message hadn’t said, but she’d hoped for some good news from him. “His message only said he had something important he needed to tell me.”

      “Were you aware he was selling drugs?”

      “Yes. Luke came to me a few weeks ago and told me he’d been selling drugs, but that he wanted out. He gave his life to the Lord and didn’t want to do it anymore, but he was afraid to tell his supplier. He said he was trying to find a safe way out of the business. When I saw his text, I thought he was going to tell me he’d finally done it.”

      “Did he ever tell you the name of his supplier or let something slip that could lead us to him?”

      “No, he thought if I knew it would put me in danger.” It seemed that had happened anyway. “I need to call his parents and tell them what happened.”

      “We’ll have someone take care of that.”

      She looked at him. “He was a good kid. He was trying to get his life together.”

      She heard the sound of sirens growing closer. Matt stood and peeked out the window. “I guess the police did receive your call.”

      A moment later, the doors opened and the school was flooded with uniformed police officers.

      She spotted her friend Preston, a detective with the Lakeshore Police Department, directing several of the officers to secure the school. When he spotted her through the window separating the office from the foyer, his face paled and he rushed to her.

      “Claire! We received an emergency call from this location. What are you doing here?” He grabbed her and pulled her into a hug.

      “Preston, it’s Luke Thompson. He’s dead.”

      “The kid you’ve been ministering to? What happened?”

      “He sent me a text message asking me to meet him, but when I arrived, he was on the floor and someone else was in the room. He grabbed me. If Matt hadn’t arrived when he did...” She turned to look at him, suddenly realizing she owed her life to Matt. She also realized she hadn’t introduced the two men. “Matt, this is my friend Detective Preston Ware. He’s with the Lakeshore PD. Preston, this is Matt Ross. He’s with the DEA.”

      Preston’s look of surprise was obvious. “Matt Ross? As in...”

      She СКАЧАТЬ