Mountain Secrets by Elizabeth Goddard (good books to read for teens txt) 📕

Jason took the phone and stepped outside.

His contact at the Bureau would be the best choice. That way he could run the idea of going undercover past them. They’d been through a lot tonight, but maybe he could turn it around for the best.

The biggest concern was Isabel. She didn’t need to be caught up in the middle of this, but the thieves had seen her. Even now he felt himself drawn to her. She was a hard person to read. That kind of complexity intrigued him. More than anything, he wanted to protect her.

His contact picked up on the third ring. “Michael?”

“Hey, Jason, we were starting to worry about you.”

Jason gave the edited version of what had happened and his approximate location. Michael agreed to send an agent to pick them up and decided on a location to meet them when they got to town. He and Isabel would probably have to hike out to the road to be seen. He’d have to make arrangements for his van to be towed from the location.

When he clicked off the phone, he was surprised to see Isabel standing in front of him. Her arms crossed over her chest.

“My friend will come and get us.”

“You owe me an explanation for what happened here tonight. I could lose my job for the mess that house was left in.”

Yes, things might work out for the best with the investigation. But then there was the problem of Isabel’s safety and her demand to know more.

SEVEN

It was still dark when Jason’s friend picked them up. The echo of the snowplows clearing the roads seemed to be everywhere. From the vantage point on the mountain where they stood waiting, Isabel could see three sets of headlights clearing different roads of the snow.

A truck approached them and slowed.

Jason waved and the truck came to a stop. He opened the door for her to get into the front seat and then climbed in beside her.

“Thanks for coming to get us, Larry,” Jason said.

“No problem.” Larry had graying temples and a beak-like nose. Though he wore a ski jacket, something about him seemed very formal or official in some way.

Back at the trailer, Jason had still not offered her an explanation that made sense. He’d been evasive.

She didn’t think he was a criminal or up to no good anymore. He’d kept her alive at the risk of his own safety and stayed with her through everything. Why, then, was he keeping secrets from her?

They were squeezed like sardines in the cab of the truck.

She let out a heavy breath, relaxing for the first time since she’d had a knife put to her throat at the Wilsons’ house.

“I can’t wait to go home, take a hot shower and get some sleep.” A few hours, anyway. She had some explaining to do to her boss about the condition the Wilsons’ home had been left in. The broken vase in the entryway, the shattered window in the studio... The groceries she was supposed to stock were still in her car, which was wedged against a tree. Her stomach clenched. Would she even have a job after all this? She couldn’t tell Mary the truth. It sounded too outrageous. Always there was the fear that because she had a record, she would be suspected if any crime took place in her proximity. Mary had been nothing but supportive of her, but other people hadn’t been so kind.

“Actually, Isabel, I need you to come with me.” Jason’s gaze darted to Larry. “Can you drop us off at Ralph’s Café? I’ll borrow your phone and have Michael meet us there.”

Larry nodded and handed over his phone. Really, their interactions didn’t seem like they were friends, more like coworkers. And who was this Michael person and what was Jason up to? Her stomach tightened. “Wait a minute. I need to get home. I have to be at work in four hours. And I don’t have access to a car anymore.”

Jason gripped her hand. “This is important for both our sakes.”

Something in the force of his voice told her protest would be futile.

She pressed her back against the seat. “Just for the record, I need to keep this job and I need a car that runs.”

They drove toward town in silence as a dozen anxious thoughts whirled through Isabel’s head. She’d been so focused on staying alive, she hadn’t had time to process what all that had happened meant for her future. By this afternoon, the Wilsons would be arriving to a home that was in disarray—or worse, where the thieves were hiding out. She needed to make sure the Wilsons weren’t going into an unsafe situation.

“I’ll go with you, but you have to let me call my boss in a little bit.” Mary wouldn’t be waking up for at least another hour, well before the Wilsons were set to arrive.

“We can do that.” Jason nodded and then pressed the numbers on the phone and spoke to the man he called Michael.

Anxious thoughts pounded through her mind. What would she tell Mary? That thieves had been in the house, and she’d had to flee. The short version would be the best. Still nervous, she laced her gloved hands together.

They pulled up to an all-night café on the edge of town. Jason opened the passenger-side door, thanked Larry and held out a hand for Isabel to step down from the big truck.

He locked onto her with his blue eyes, watching her. “I’m sorry about all of this,” he said.

The soft features of his face, the warmth of his voice. He seemed so sincere.

“Please, my job is very important to me.”

He took her hand and led her toward the café. “I’m going to try to get this straightened out.”

They went inside the café. Only a waitress and the cook were inside. Jason chose a corner booth.

“Are you hungry?”

“Starving.” Her stomach rumbled on cue.

The waitress, who had orange hair, sauntered toward them.