Deadly Exposure by Cara Putman

Author:Cara Putman [Putman, Cara]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Fiction, Romance, General, Religious
ISBN: 9781426817281
Google: G_WJOjViOcgC
Amazon: 0373442920
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2008-05-01T18:20:45.261000+00:00

113

“I’m not going to sleep well until I know this case is wrapped up and you’re safe.”

Dani grabbed the Runza and took a bite. Runzas were a completely Nebraskan experience she’d loved from the first bite. She sipped the smoothie. “You know I’ve identified the usher.

Probably. We haven’t found Michael Stevens yet through DMV.”

“We winnowed through the bunch of them and found his address. We haven’t tracked him down yet.”

“How hard is that?”

“He hasn’t been home. His neighbors don’t know when he’ll be back. It takes information to generate leads.”

“That’s the oldest excuse in the book.” She shook her now-empty onion-ring bag and stole one of Caleb’s. “I talked to Dr. Bartholomew, one of her professors. Renee’s adviser, Marcy Irvine, is out of the country.”

“Yep. Talked to the professor, too,” Caleb said. “And we talked to the man who funded Renee’s fellowship today.

There’s something there, but I don’t think he killed her. We’ll check his alibi all the same.”

“Caleb, she was beautiful. She surrounded herself with men. It doesn’t take much to imagine their relationship.”

“Not everyone is like that.”

Dani stared at him. “That’s exactly what our relationship was.”

“Only because I pushed. I’m sorry, Dani. That was the worst mistake of my life. If I could redo it, I would.”

She stood so fast the stool fell to the ground. “I was a mistake?” Hot tears slipped from her eyes, and she swatted them away.

“That’s not what I meant.” Caleb groaned and hung his head. “I took what wasn’t mine. You deserved better. When I

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Deadly Exposure

went to college that fall, I hooked up with a couple guys on my dorm floor who were Christians, real Christians. After watching them a semester, I realized they had something I never did. A relationship with Christ that transformed how they acted. That’s what I wanted. I came back that next summer and looked for you. But you’d disappeared.”

“Do you have any idea what happened?” Sobs shook her.

She wrapped her arms around her stomach. “Caleb, I was pregnant. You left and never looked back. I had to make all the decisions. Alone. Sixteen. Nobody caring about me.”

His face drained of color. He took a hesitant step toward her. “You never told me.”

“My parents were so horrified, they swore they’d never let me come back. Dad wanted me to get an abortion, but I couldn’t do that.” Caleb took another step toward her, and Dani backed into the wall. She slid to the floor. “Aunt Jayne was the only one who supported me. The only one who cared.”

“But you knew where my family lived. Why didn’t you call or let them know?” He eased down in front of her.

“You left me!” she screamed. “You took what you wanted and abandoned me to live with the consequences.”

“What…what did you decide?”

“I placed the baby for adoption.” Dani lowered her head to her knees and wept.

Caleb scooted next to her. “I am so sorry, Dani. I had no idea.” She looked up to find tears trailing down his face. “If I’d known…”

“Nothing would have changed.

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