“Apparently he liked me better when I was pickpocketing his keys in Florida.”
Confusion riddled Asher’s face, but at least it was no longer anger. “Well, Sloan called in about a shooting and then recanted when I arrived,” Asher said. “I should have arrested him for making a false claim.”
“That would teach him.” I rolled my eyes. “So, tell me, Detective, how did you know about my nickname?”
“Wild guess,” he answered.
I could taste the deception in the air.
“Fine, don’t tell me,” I said and leaned my head against the window and closed my eyes. “I’ll eventually figure it out.”
My eyes had been closed only a few seconds when I connected. The killer was driving. He was in a car, watching ours.
“Is your plate ZTV452?”
“Hell if I know,” he answered. “It’s one from the precinct’s motor pool. Why?”
I let out a worried breath. “I think we’re being followed.”
“Why would you think that? Your eyes are closed.”
“It’s classified,” I said as if that would be enough. I tuned Asher out and into the killer that was about three cars back. If I settled into the killer’s skin, there was a possibility that I could fly off the handle in a fit of rage. Something the cop didn’t need to see.
I broke the connection and opened my eyes, trying to spy through the side mirror at the same time Asher’s phone rang. He answered.
“Yeah.” Asher got off at an exit that wasn’t mine. He slowed the car and veered into a parking lot while I watched to see if the killer followed us. He didn’t. Had it been a coincidence he was on the highway behind us? Not likely.
Asher glanced in my direction. His face had turned white as a ghost. “I’m only minutes away.”
He hung up and tossed the phone into the cup holder. Throwing the car into Drive, he sped out of the parking lot and had me reaching for the oh-shit handle above my seat. “What happened?”
“There was an explosion at the hotel.” Asher visibly swallowed and chanced a glance in my direction. “In the penthouse suite.”
My body turned numb. My mind raced with the implications. We hadn’t even turned into the parking lot when I saw black smoke and flames were shooting out of the penthouse window.
Before the car even rolled to a stop, I was out and jostling through the employees and guests out in the parking lot to get to the door. Asher caught me around the waist and lifted me off my feet, carrying me back through the crowd. He didn’t release me until we reached his car. “The last thing I need to worry about is you getting hurt. You stay put while I figure out what the hell happened.”
He turned to walk off and glanced over his shoulder once more to see if I’d listened.
As he disappeared into the crowd, I pulled out my phone and dialed Noah. Never had I thought I’d need the FBI agent. Until now.
He answered on the first ring. The sound of EMS vehicles and the oncoming fire trucks echoed in the phone.
“Where are you?” I asked, searching the sea of faces until I spotted Noah standing off in the distance. I hung up and closed the distance between us.
“Sloan and Susan were up there,” I said.
Noah turned his gaze to the smoke billowing out the window. “I know.”
“How? How do you know?” I don’t know if it was a cloud of desperation or deceit that I was feeling, but I needed answers. I shoved against his chest.
“Sloan and I had a meeting.”
“In the ten minutes I’ve been gone?” I asked, unable to take my gaze away from the hotel entrance, hoping this was all a big misunderstanding and that Sloan would stroll out those doors like he’d planned the whole thing.
“It was about you…and Susan,” Noah answered.
“Me?” I asked, shooting him my gaze. “What about me?”
Noah slid his hands into his pockets. “We can’t talk about it here.”
My mouth parted. “Why the hell not?”
“It’s—”
“If you say complicated, so help me God…”
“Classified.”
We were ushered out of the way as a fire truck pulled in, along with ambulances. Asher made his way back to us.
Noah leaned in to whisper in my ear. “He called in a favor.”
“I was sure you didn’t hand out favors,” I said and raised my brows and crossing my arms over my chest.
“He called my boss’s boss.”
My hands dropped to my sides. “What the hell could have been that important?”
Before Noah could answer, Asher appeared out of the crowd. “Looks like it was contained to the penthouse. Firemen will go in first to make sure the structure is still sound, and then I’ll go in.” He glanced at Noah. “Can you take her home? I’ll call with an update.”
“I’m not going home. Not until I know,” I growled. Those around us turned in my direction. I didn’t care that some were Sloan’s confused employees, one of who was the kidnap victim that started me on this path.
Noah tried to get me to leave, but I refused to move until he pulled me into a hug and whispered in my ear. “You don’t need to see this. You need to go home, Lucy.”
Unshed tears welled in my eyes as I watched the fireman and Asher talking across the lot. Instantly I knew my world had changed.
I swallowed hard and cupped my face as I crumpled to my knees. The breath I’d been holding burned my lungs. My last words said to him were those of anger. I thought we’d have time to fix things, to figure things out. Sloan wasn’t supposed to die, not like this, and not because I was too busy being jealous to press Sloan about the bigger things he’d said were at play. If I’d only pressed, he might still be alive.
I spotted Asher in the distance walking toward the ambulance. I jogged up to him and grabbed his arm. “Is it Sloan and Susan?”
Asher’s brows dipped. “The bodies were burnt beyond recognition. The sprinklers on that floor malfunctioned.”
My hand dropped by my side, and my gaze landed on the bodies being taken in the ambulance. As it pulled out, there were no lights or sirens. Nothing to indicate urgency.
My heart shattered into tiny pieces as realization struck me hard.
Sloan was dead.
Chapter 13
I couldn’t go back home. Not with so many people at my house. Not with a potential hitman hunting me. Not with so many unanswered questions.
I started walking away from the scene. Away from Noah who was talking to the other police officers and away from Asher who’d been a distraction from Sloan.
I should have been able to see that coming. Hell, I was the queen of crazy, and blowing up a hotel was beyond the cusp of crazy. How had I missed it?
My heart continued to clench as lead filled my stomach. Putting one foot in front of the other in a tunnel vision state, I stopped and lifted my gaze to the building in front of me. Not just any building. My home away from home.
Camp Cupcake.
The psych ward was exactly how I remembered it. Walls and guards and people walking the premises in white lab coats as if anything in that place stayed clean. For once, I longed for structure, for things that made sense. Me being locked up made sense. Nothing else in my life was making sense.
A car pulled up beside me. “Lucy?”
I turned to find my old psychiatrist staring at me. “Doctor Marsh.”
“Is everything okay?” he asked.
Another tear slipped down my cheek, and I shook my head. Nothing was okay, and I had no idea how to make it okay.
He turned off the ignition and stepped out of the car. “Would you like to talk about it?”
I swiped hard at my damp cheeks. “I lost someone today.”
“How did that make you feel?” Doctor Marsh asked.
“Like a failure. I should have protected them.”
“Did you kill them?” the doctor asked.
I tsked. “No, Doctor. They were in an explosion. One that I didn�
��t set.”
“Okay.” He reached into his car to pull out a paper and pen. “Why don’t I give you the name of another one of my colleagues. I’m sure she’ll be happy to help you deal with this.”
I shook my head. “Everything was so much simpler when I was behind those walls.”
“When the choices were being made for you?” he asked. “Do you know what I’ve always admired about you?”
“No, what?” I asked, unsure I wanted to know.
“Your ability to take charge of every problem just like when you dealt with the pudding thief.”
“Someone had to stop Margo.”
Margo had been a patient when I had been behind those walls. She’d stolen everyone’s dessert. She was a bully, and she didn’t discriminate. I’d done more than stop her. I’d had the FBI transfer her out of this loony bin and into another. It was the only way to make sure she didn’t return to her bullying ways when I left. And I’d had every intention of leaving, either legally or not. Lucky for me, the FBI showed up and offered me the way out.
“You’re smart, Lucy. You’ll find a way to adapt and overcome, preferably without leaving dead bodies or people in comas.”
“No promises, Doc. The man who did this robbed me of a potential future. I think it’s only fair that I do the same,” I said as I started to walk away.
“Potential is the key word, Lucy. You never know how that future would have played out. All you can do is think about what your future holds now.”
His words sank into my soul no matter how hard I tried to block them. I pulled out my phone and called a cab. This cab stuff was getting old. I needed my car, even if it meant breaking the rules or stealing Gigi’s license.
****
I paid the cabbie and was digging my house key out of my pocket as I walked up the driveway. All of the lights were off but one. It was quiet. Desolate even. Not even the birds were chirping under the moonlight. It was quiet, too quiet considering four people were staying under my roof.
I shoved the key into the lock and eased the door open with one foot outside and the other on the threshold. Ready to run should something pop out. I turned my head, listening harder. Nothing.
I stepped inside, quietly easing the door shut before tiptoeing through the foyer and into the living room.
Nothing. Not even Sam’s computer setup remained. It was like I was in the twilight zone.
I stepped into the kitchen to find a note on the bar. I flipped it open.
Heard about Sloan. Thought you might need your space. I took everyone to the windmill (your sister was not happy about leaving you), but I left my gun for you under your pillow, just in case. Love, Grant.
My home was eerily silent. I poured a glass of wine and turned the TV on for background noise as I sat on the couch. The news was on. The video was of the hotel explosion. The newscaster was interviewing the hotel workers and people in the crowd.
I’d grabbed the remote to change the channel when my heart froze, and I paused the picture. Heath Tenure, the hitman, was standing in the background, looking off into the distance and not at the building.
I took a picture with my phone and sent it to Detective Asher and Noah.
Neither replied.
“Pan in that direction…come on, you can do it.” I waited patiently trying to see if the cameraman would pick up whatever Tenure was so interested in. I’d just about given up, and the news was about to cut to a commercial, when the camera spun in the direction of Tenure’s gaze and landed right on me as I was walking away.
“Well, crap,” I whispered and continued to search the crowd. I had my finger over the off button when the camera panned again, this time landing right on a man climbing into the back of Town Car. I’d know that backside anywhere. A purple suitcase was being shoved into the trunk.
“Fuck me!” My heart kicked in again, pumping hard against my ribs.
Sloan was still alive, and the killer was watching me. Fear and dread slithered down my throat like an oyster.
“Why did Sloan fake his death?” I’d been so upset that I hadn’t even noticed that the killer could have possibly followed me home.
Chapter 14
My phone rang, making me jump. I glanced at the caller ID.
“Did you see the picture? That’s him,” I said as way of hello.
“I saw him, Lucy.” Noah grunted on the other end. “Listen I’ve been doing some digging into Tenure’s past, and I’m not liking what I’ve found. He did time for rape and has a rap sheet a mile long, and then everything stopped because he fell off the grid. He’s a ghost, Lucy.”
He wasn’t a ghost; he’d just switched his crime of choice. Instead of his dirty deeds, he’s handling the dirty deeds of others. This I was sure of.
I worried my bottom lip between my teeth after I took a sip of wine. I’d wanted to blurt out that I’d spotted the back of Sloan’s head on the news, but there must be a reason he wanted everyone to believe he was dead. Was that Noah’s favor? I kept the secret to myself. “Why show up now? What is so important about Georgina?”
“Whatever his motive, Lucy, I think it might be best if you let us chase him. He’s seen your face.”
I paced across my living room. “There’s nothing to chase. He’s not out killing people. There is no anger. It’s an emotionless void.”
“But you can still tap into him, right? See what he’s up to and report back. Maybe you’ll catch him somewhere we can find him and arrest him.”
Arresting Tenure was the last thing on my mind. Stopping him by any means necessary was at the top. “I’ll try and connect and see what details I can find.”
“Lucy…” Noah paused as if debating his word choice. “We should talk about Sloan. I know he’s important to you.”
“He is…was. I don’t think it’s hit me yet,” I answered. I had to play my part of grieving girlfriend until I could find the answers. Answers that might never come. He hadn’t even told me he was going to die. Damn him. How was I supposed to get answers for Trinity from a supposed dead man. “How are Gigi and Trinity?”
“Gigi is a pistol, but I’m not surprised; she is your sister. She wasn’t happy about leaving you alone. Trinity wasn’t happy about it either. They have that in common and are bonding over how to break out of here.”
I smiled for the first time in hours. I could just imagine the two of them plotting on how to overthrow the guards and escape. My sister was a force to be reckoned with. “We need to figure out who Trinity’s birth father is so we can find her family.”
“We’re working on it, Lucy. DNA has already been sent to the lab. Maybe by tomorrow, we’ll have an answer if those were a match.”
“Thanks, Noah.” My heart clenched. What would I do without these guys in my life? I didn’t want to know. “Tell Gigi and Trinity I’ll see them tomorrow.”
“Lucy, one more thing,” Noah said before I hung up. “I’m calling in the team to deal with this guy. You’re connected, and he’s a killer.”
The team I’d been working with wasn’t just good; they were efficient. Sam, the IT guy, already knew what was going on, along with Grant, but Carson was on a vacation. A much-needed vacation after catching his dad’s killer, and well, Ford Rain hadn’t been interested in helping us during our last case. If I had to guess, the thief was probably holed up with a woman while plotting to steal Van Gogh paintings or something just as significant.
“Good luck with that,” I teased.
“They’ll show up not because I asked but because you’re in danger.”
Carson, I could see dropping everything. We’d formed a friendship in the last couple months, but not Ford. He was there one minute and gone the next. If the mission didn’t serve him in some way and wasn’t required, then he wasn’t in for the action.
“If you say so. Have a good night.”
I was too antsy to go to sleep, so I drank a second glass of wine, hoping it would calm the emotional roller coast I’d been on since the explosion.
I walked into my bedroom and sighed. Sleep wouldn’t come easy. I didn’t expect it to. I changed out of my clothes and stepped into the bathroom.
I froze as my gaze landed on Sloan’s toothbrush, which I’d played tug a war with earlier. It was sitting on the edge of my sink in a baggie.
The barriers around my heart burst open. He was reaching out and letting me know that he was alive.
I clutched the baggie to my chest and smiled. “Your secret’s safe with me.” I had a new reason to end this. I was going to bring Sloan home.
I lay on my bed and closed my eyes. Taking a deep breath, I held it and concentrated on my connection with Tenure. Noah was right. I could find him if I put in the time to watch him and look for the clues to pinpoint his location, and I had nothing but time.
Like grabbing a lifeline, or in this case a bloodstained rope, I tugged and connected to Tenure. Within seconds, I was feeling his calmness. It was like a drug that held him anchored. What would it take to really piss him off?
He was on a street corner. A small red glow lit the darkness as he drew in a hit from a cigarette. Plumes of white smoke drifted into the air. His arm pressed hard against the concrete pole of the street lamp. Broken glass littered the street. The calmness I’d begun to associate with him was like a diver in the sea. Calculating and observant of the dangers that lingered nearby.
Tenure was waiting.
I just wasn’t sure for what. If I stepped out of the connection to view the surroundings, chances were strong I’d lose our unique bond. There was no emotion to tether me in place. I was stuck looking through his eyes and seeing what he saw.
I was only getting a glimpse of the bushes and trees until he lifted his gaze to a house. With only one light on in a window. No car in the driveway, white shutters. My heart skipped a beat as I tried not to break the connection.
“Give me more,” I whispered into the darkness.
As if hearing my words, Tenure turned his direction from my neighbor’s house to mine. Verifying what I already knew. He was out there now, patiently watching and waiting. Dread slithered like a spilled drink, crawling down my spine, making my skin cold.
Hunting Justice (Fractured Minds Series Book 3) Page 6
