He smiled. “I’m totally happy being your old slippers.”
“But you deserve more than I can give you,” she argued. “You should take your freedom, Zeke. You don’t have to sacrifice yourself for me.”
“Sacrifices are what makes us God’s children, right?” He remembered how Jim had sacrificed him in order to protect Susan. Knowing the full story, Zeke was entirely at peace with it, just as he was now at peace with leaving his life behind in order to be with Goldie. “God expects us to give up important things for the sake of people we love. It shows that we care, that we’re prepared to serve others before ourselves. I know you want to do this alone, but my heart is telling me that I should be serving you.”
“It is?” The indecision appeared to be growing. “You want to serve me?”
“Always.”
Her gaze ran back and forth along the tiles of the floor as she clearly wrestled with her conscience. She wanted to give him his freedom but, in reality, he wanted to give up everything just for the chance to be with her.
“No, Zeke,” she said finally. “I have to be strong and do the right thing.” She took a deep breath and stood up. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore, okay?”
He sighed, sensing he was so close to a breakthrough, but knowing that he had to respect her boundaries. He had reached a dead end.
“Wait up, Goldie,” he said, grabbing her hand as she passed. “If that’s your final decision, I need to give you something.” He delved into the pocket of his shorts and pulled out a small black device. “Take this.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a GPS tracker.”
She shook her head, pushed his hand away. “You know I can’t take that, Zeke. Christina would flip out if she knew you were trying to track me.”
“It’s only for emergencies,” he said, continuing to hold it midair. “It’s switched off right now, but if you find yourself in trouble, turn it on and I’ll receive an alert on my cell phone. I’ll be able to pinpoint your location immediately.”
She looked at the tracker, seemingly of two minds.
“It’s for emergencies only,” he repeated. “If I can’t be with you, this is the next best thing. If everything goes well, you’ll never need it and you can destroy it.”
She tentatively touched the plastic case. “I guess it can’t hurt.”
“I’m right at the other end of this button.” He pointed to the switch. “Anytime.”
She took the tracker and slipped it into the back pocket of her jeans. “I won’t need it,” she said confidently. “Nothing will go wrong.”
“I know, but it gives me peace of mind.”
With her index finger, she traced the line of his jaw before resting the tip on his stubbly chin. “You’re a good guy, Zeke,” she said. “I wish things had turned out differently for us.”
“Me too.”
She leaned forward, rising slightly onto her toes to kiss him on the lips, soft and firm and fleeting. When she pulled away, she was smiling, yet her eyes were moist.
“I don’t have any more words left in me,” she said. “So I’m hoping that the kiss says it all.”
* * *
Goldie sat on the sofa, opposite Karl and Christina. Zeke sat by her side, occasionally rubbing her back or taking her hand, attentive to the end. He knew she was anxious and was doing his best to calm her nerves.
Her transport vehicle was late.
“I’m sorry about this, Goldie,” Christina said, entering the room, cell in hand. “Your car appears to have been involved in an accident, so a replacement has been sourced.”
Goldie stood. “An accident?” This didn’t sound good. “What kind of accident?”
“I’m not sure of the details, but these kinds of things do sometimes happen, so let’s not assume it’s a bad sign.”
Goldie exchanged a glance with Zeke, an unspoken worry passing between them. Christina clearly noticed their anxiety.
“Strange things happen in a heat wave,” she said. “People act far crazier than they usually would and it’s well-known that accidents increase along with the temperature.”
“With your permission, ma’am,” Zeke said, “I’d like to step in and transport Goldie myself. I have a bad feeling about this.”
“That won’t be necessary, Agent Miller,” Christina replied. “The replacement vehicle should be here in just a few minutes.”
Goldie tightly gripped Zeke’s hand and suddenly felt the same bad feeling that he did.
“Actually,” she said, “perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad idea if Zeke drove me to the safe house. We can trust him, right?”
Zeke gave her fingers a squeeze and smiled. This short delay had chipped away at her resolve and allowed Zeke’s kindness to infiltrate her psyche. She had been imagining how happy they might be together if she took a chance. She was on the verge of cracking.
“Are you saying that you’d like Zeke to be assigned to your protection team?” Karl asked. “Because you were pretty certain that you didn’t want him with you.”
Her mind was torn. “I’m not sure. I think...” She glanced at him. “I think it might work, if Zeke is still open to the idea.”
“Of course I am,” he said, his eyes opening wide. “I’m always open to the idea of being with you.”
Christina stood up as car headlights illuminated the darkened room and her radio crackled to life. “The car’s here, and I think it’s a little late to be changing the arrangements for the safe house.”
Zeke held up a hand in protest. “I appreciate that we’re asking you to break with formal procedures, but Goldie’s life is about to be turned upside down. Surely you can make an allowance this one time?”
Christina unclipped her radio and spoke into it, confirming that an agent was ready for transportation. Then she looked between Goldie and Zeke and sighed.
“I don’t know,” she said finally. “I like to do things by the book, and we’ve made no arrangements for Zeke to be assigned to the case.”
“Please,” Zeke said. “Goldie has no one.”
A shout rose from the hallway. It was Garth.
“I can’t find Mrs. Volto,” he called. “She’s gone. Willy too.”
Goldie’s heart lurched. Had they been kidnapped? Or come to harm? “Have you searched the house?” she asked. “Everywhere?”
Garth came into the room, breathless and red cheeked. “There’s a ladder propped up against the security fence out back,” he said. “And the barbed wire has been cut. They must’ve climbed over.”
“But why?” Christina asked. “Mrs. Volto isn’t under house arrest. If she wanted to go out, we’d have sent an agent to accompany her.” She looked at the four faces in the room in confusion. “What’s going on? Why would a heavily pregnant woman climb a ladder instead of leaving via the front door?”
“I don’t know,” Karl said, taking Goldie by the upper arm and leading her to the door. “But let’s get Goldie out of here right now. This house definitely isn’t safe anymore.”
Goldie found herself being hustled toward the door, Karl’s and Christina’s radios springing to life. The atmosphere in the house, already dark, had turned sinister.
“Zeke,” she called. “Can he come too?”
“I’m sorry, Goldie, but it’s too late to make a change,” Christina said. “You need to go right now.”
“Can I say goodbye?” She held out her hand, just managing to graze Zeke’s fingers as he followed her along the hall. “I just need a minute.”
“We don’t have a minute.” Christina opened the door to reveal Officer Diaz waiting on the doorstep. “The officers will take good care of you, Goldie.”
“I’m sorry for the delay, Agent Simmons,” Officer Diaz said. “After your first car got into a traffic accident, Officer Moss and I stepped up to provide
the transport instead.”
“Let’s get you in the car, Goldie,” Christina said, leading her out into the still and balmy evening. “Officer Diaz will take you to an unmarked vehicle that’s waiting for you at a highway rest stop. We’re making sure you can’t be tracked.”
“Hold on!” Zeke was right behind them. “Can’t you give us some time to say goodbye?”
Christina was in no mood to delay the proceedings any longer. “Mrs. Volto and Willy have vanished, the first transport vehicle got into an accident and there’s no power in the house. Pardon me for being a little spooked, but I’d like to get this done quickly.” She opened the door of a patrol car in the driveway and Goldie found herself being manhandled inside. “There’s another police vehicle following behind for extra reassurance, so you’re well protected.”
Christina closed the door and gave a tense smile.
“Wait!” Goldie placed her hand flat on the window, through which she could see Zeke standing on the pavement. “We just need a minute.”
Christina tapped her hand on the roof of the car and Officer Diaz started up the engine, turning slowly on the large driveway.
“Don’t worry, Agent Simmons,” Officer Moss said from the passenger seat. “We’ll take good care of you.”
“But I just needed a minute.” She began to cry. “I didn’t even get to say goodbye.”
Officer Diaz drove quickly through the open gates, and Goldie shifted in her seat to see Zeke standing by the front door, an expression of anguish on his face. He had wanted to come with her, had tried to persuade her that it was the right choice. And now that she finally felt ready to accept his love, she found she had left it too late.
She was well and truly on her own.
TEN
Zeke watched Goldie’s car roll through the ornate driveway gates and turn onto the road. He continued to track her until the taillights were just a blur in the distance while he rubbed at his chest where a pain was building. Goldie had been on the verge of allowing him to go with her, but the sudden and unexpected disappearance of Mrs. Volto and Willy Murphy had spooked Christina and caused her to panic. Now she was searching the house once more with Garth, determined to find a clue to their whereabouts or why they vanished.
“Who’s that?” Karl began walking down the driveway to where an officer stood guard at the gate. “A vehicle is trying to get inside.”
A gleaming SUV had stopped at the gate and the officer drew his gun, warning the occupants to exit the vehicle. Both Zeke and Karl also drew their weapons, Zeke doubly concerned that this might be a distraction from an attempt to pursue Goldie’s car.
“Don’t shoot. Please don’t shoot.” A middle-aged man was exiting the vehicle, holding his arms aloft. “My wife is in the car. We’re the new owners of this house.”
Karl turned and looked at Zeke, his eyebrows dancing quizzically. “Did he say what I think he said?”
“Yes, sir.” Zeke had to try to push all thoughts of Goldie aside, no matter how overwhelming they might be. “Apparently they think they own this house.”
“Pat them down and let them through,” Karl called to the officer. “The car stays out on the street.” He kept his gun in hand while the officer searched the couple for weapons. “What on earth is gonna go wrong next?”
The officer gave the all-clear signal and Karl holstered his weapon, standing next to Zeke while the couple made their way along the driveway. Both dressed in casual summer clothes, they had an air of wealth about them, from the Rolex on the wrist of the man to the expensive honey-colored highlights on the woman. They were definitely Gladwyne style folks but almost certainly had made a mistake in believing they owned this particular home.
“Hi there.” The man approached with a nervous wave of the hand. “Pardon the intrusion, but we’re a little worried about the explosion that happened inside this house earlier this evening.”
Karl narrowed his eyes. “How did you know it was an explosion?”
“We heard it clear as a bell,” the woman interjected, wringing her hands while she scanned every part of the house. “And then we saw the smoke and the fire department and the mayhem.” She pointed toward the end of the street. “We’re staying with a friend just a block away while we wait for Mrs. Volto to vacate the house.”
Karl shook his head. “What are you talking about?”
“This is ours,” the woman said, pointing to the house. “Our new home.”
Karl was struck dumb for a moment. “You own this house?”
“Of course,” the woman replied. “We brought everything from our home in Lancaster and it’s sitting in three moving trucks, just waiting to be taken inside tomorrow.” She took a tentative step forward. “Is there much damage inside? Please tell me it’s not too bad.”
“Can you explain to me exactly what’s going on?” Karl asked. “Because I must be missing something.”
“We bought this house,” the man said, speaking slowly as if Karl were an imbecile. “We saw it advertised a few weeks ago and made an offer without even viewing it. These properties don’t come available very often, so we knew we’d have to get in quick. And our friends tell us it’s a beautiful period home, one of the best in Gladwyne.”
“You purchased this house?” Karl repeated, seemingly unable to get his head around it. “From Mrs. Volto?”
“Yes,” the woman replied a little impatiently. “She explained her situation and told us about the trial and the security around the house, so we agreed to wait until she was able to leave before completing the purchase. The cash payment went through this morning, and we signed the papers so we’re now officially the new owners. Mrs. Volto said we could move in tomorrow, but after hearing the explosion, we wanted to come check everything was all right. After all, we paid a lot of money for this place.”
Karl and Zeke stared at each other in disbelief.
“Were you not aware of this transaction?” the man asked. “You seem rather surprised.”
“Yeah,” Zeke said, with a scratch of his head. “We had no idea that Mrs. Volto was intending to sell. How could she sell the place without her husband’s permission? Half of it belongs to him.”
“Her husband’s signature is on the paperwork too,” the woman said, still scanning the house for signs of damage. “So it looks like he gave his permission.” She laughed nervously. “Unless Mrs. Volto forged his signature on the papers.”
Zeke considered this possibility. Just what was Mrs. Volto up to? “Do you know where she is?”
“No idea,” the man said. “We’ve been trying to call her since the explosion, but her cell is switched off and her lawyer isn’t picking up either. Is she not here?”
A seed of fear began to grow, watered by the words of this couple, who were now apparently the brand-new owners of Mrs. Volto’s palatial home.
“Mrs. Volto has vanished,” Zeke said. “And her house still contains all her furniture. I suggest you get yourself a lawyer and return in the morning with all your legal paperwork to show the FBI.” He took Karl by the arm and led him a few feet away. “I don’t like this, sir. Something’s wrong. I mean really wrong. We need to check on Goldie.”
“I agree,” Karl said, unclipping his radio. “It seems too much of a coincidence that Louisa and Willy vanish right at the same time as Goldie goes into hiding.”
Zeke heard Karl’s radio crackle with voices, and he strained to hear what was being said. Meanwhile, the anxious couple in the driveway gave him facts and figures about their house purchase that he didn’t care about at all. The only thing on his mind at that moment was Goldie. Was she safe? Could he reach her in time if she wasn’t?
“The support car has lost the lead vehicle,” Karl shouted, running toward the house, radio in hand. “And the first car didn’t get into an accident. The tires were tampered with and it veered off the freeway into the woods. You’r
e right, Zeke, something’s gone wrong. I think Diaz might be our mole.”
Zeke’s stomach dropped away as he followed his boss to the front door. “Diaz? The officer who captured Marty Foster?”
“Yeah, but I also think he might have been the one who murdered him in his cell.”
“We have to find Goldie.” Zeke grabbed his keys from the hook in the hallway. “We’ll take my car.”
“We don’t know where she is.” Karl’s voice was loud and panicked. “The GPS in the patrol car has been disabled. They’ve gone off-grid.”
“No problem,” Zeke said, tearing toward the garage, ignoring the shocked faces of the couple watching the drama unfold. “I gave her a tracker.” Pulling out his cell phone, he was overjoyed to see that she had activated it only moments ago. “She’ll be waiting for me to come for her.”
* * *
Goldie slipped the black GPS tracker into the crack of the seat in the patrol car, praying that Zeke would find her, that he would be able to save her from the dramatic situation she had found herself in. Officer Diaz had suddenly sped up, taking sharp twists and turns on the streets, ignoring the protests of Officer Moss in the passenger seat.
He was clearly trying to lose the support vehicle on their rear. And one minute ago, he had succeeded. Now they were on a quiet road, which Goldie knew led to a disused warehouse a few miles outside the city.
“I told you to stop the car, Diaz,” Officer Moss shouted for the umpteenth time. “I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but if you don’t desist, I’ll be placing you under arrest.”
Officer Diaz slowed, pulled to the side of the road and turned to his colleague with a smile. Officer Moss realized too late that he was in danger, reaching for his weapon just a moment after Diaz reached for his. Calmly, and without word, Officer Diaz shot his colleague twice in the chest, causing him to cry out in shock and pain. Then Diaz leaned across the slumped body to open the door. Goldie screamed as the body of Officer Moss fell with a thud onto the sun-parched scrubland. She yanked at the handle of her door and pushed her shoulder against it, knowing it was futile. Her weapon had been destroyed by the bomb explosion, and she had not been issued a new one. She was at the mercy of the officer assigned to protect her.
Hunted by the Mob Page 16
