"Don't look back," he said and I had to fight the natural urge to look over my shoulder. "They were parked in a blue sedan three houses down from yours."
"You think they were onto us?"
"Let's find out." We slid out into the quiet street and moved off. I saw Solomon glancing in the rearview mirror, and after a few minutes, and a couple of turns, he seemed to relax slightly. "No problem," he said, eyeing me as the corners of his lips turned upwards into a barely noticeable smile.
The safe house wasn't what I expected. I was thinking perhaps it would be an underground bunker, surrounded with high security fences and guard dogs; but instead, it was an average suburban house with a neat lawn, surrounded by a street full of family homes. Solomon pulled onto the driveway and used a key fob to open the automatic garage doors, parking the car inside and closing the doors after us. We entered the house through a side door into the kitchen where Maddox was waiting for us.
"I got Chinese," he said, indicating the cartons on the eat-in counter. "Figured we'd be hungry. Any problems?"
"None. They didn't notice us leaving," answered Solomon.
Maddox nodded to me. "How're you holding up?"
"Okay," I said. "Hungry."
Dinner was quiet. Maddox poked through the cabinets and pulled out plates and forks. We shared the food, forking chunks of egg fried rice, mu shu pork and chicken black bean onto our plates. Maddox took an egg roll, and deposited one on my plate. Digging into the bag, I pulled out fortune cookies and napkins.
"What does yours say?" asked Maddox as I snapped the cookie open.
I unpeeled the strip of paper. "It says, 'The one you love is closer than you think'." I screwed it into a ball and tossed it onto the counter. Stupid fortune cookie.
Maddox raised his eyebrows.
"Let's hear yours."
He snapped it open. "Patience."
"Come on," I prompted.
"No, that's it. It says, 'Patience'."
"Oh."
Maddox nodded at Solomon. "How about yours?" he asked as he slid off the stool and moved to the refrigerator.
"A thrilling time is in your immediate future." Solomon met my eyes and smiled. I think my heart skipped a beat.
"Well, how about that," said Maddox, but he didn’t sound particularly peeved as he uncapped three beers, sliding them down the counter. I swallowed my bite of egg roll and took a sip. Cool, refreshing libation washed down my throat, and for a moment, I just closed my eyes and enjoyed it. I tried to pretend I was just having dinner with friends and not hiding like a big wussy-pants.
When I opened them again, Solomon had finished eating and was washing his plate over the sink. I hadn't even heard him move. Afterward, he walked back over and tossed his keys to Maddox, who caught them in one hand, before offering his own.
"I'm parked a block down the street," said Maddox. "The Ford Focus."
"Where are you going?" I asked Solomon.
"Only one of us needs to stay," said Solomon. "I have work to do." He shrugged his jacket on and walked out of the kitchen without a backward glance.
"Adam? What now?" I asked. I picked up my plate and followed him to the sink, drying after he rinsed.
"Now we wait it out. This safe house is only known to Solomon and me, so we're not expecting any activity. The perimeter is wired for movement and sound and the house is alarmed. The house is only partially furnished, so there's not a lot to see. We can watch a DVD on my laptop if you like?"
"Sure."
I followed Maddox along a narrow corridor and he pointed out a bedroom. I ducked my head inside and saw a bed with a pillow and quilt folded on top. A bag was on the floor at the foot of the bed. He beckoned me and I followed him into the living room. Sparse wasn't the word. There were two sofas and a coffee table, with a lamp in one corner. A desk on one wall held boxes of electronic equipment and the other walls still had the faded outlines of picture frames.
Maddox's laptop sat on the coffee table and was open, showing a four corner split screen, each with a different image of the outside of the house. One quarter showed the garage door; another the front door and a patch of lawn; the third showed the rear door; while a fourth monitored the street.
"Our team is also watching these images," he told me.
"Any cameras inside the house?" I asked.
Maddox shook his head. "No, not necessary."
A thought occurred to me. "Where are you going to sleep?"
He pointed to the sofa and I noticed a second quilt and pillow folded and placed to one side. "There."
"Sorry." I didn't like the look of the bed much, and the sofa looked like it had seen better days.
"No worries. I've done it before."
I dropped onto the sofa and looked around at the blank walls and the stripped room, my heart sinking. My apartment wasn't overly cozy, but it was home and I missed it already. I missed my things and the familiarity. I missed my normal life. I missed my family. I wanted to go out with Lily and have fun, or work up a sweat at the gym. I even wanted to go to the concert with Vincent and wave my new hair around like a rocker. Suddenly, everything seemed uncertain—I didn't know when, or if, I could go home. My job was almost certainly over, which meant I would be back at the temping agency soon. Potentially anyway.
"It'll be okay, Lexi. It's not for long."
"How do you do this?" I asked as he settled next to me. "How do you wait it out? Knowing that the bad guys are looking for me? That anything could happen?"
"I just do," he said. "And this is better than leaving you alone as a target. I don't want yours to be the next dead body I see."
Well, if that didn't drive it home, I don't know what would.
"What about work tomorrow?" I asked.
"You sprained your ankle," Maddox said. "And I'm at a conference."
Maddox had thought to bring a small selection of DVDs with him, so I thumbed through them and handed him a comedy. He slid it into the laptop's disk drive and we sat there, neither of us really watching. With beers in hand, it could have been any night, but I couldn't shake the frightened, no, terrified, bit of me that knew I was hiding. In the space of a week, I'd seen more bodies than during my entire lifetime. I didn't know which was more upsetting: being chased by the SUV, having my home invaded, or losing the blonde. Before I could stop myself, my shoulders shook, and a big, gaspy sob escaped me.
"Hey," said Adam. "Hey, it'll be okay."
"No, it won't!" I wailed, pushing the heels of my hands against my eyes. Not that it stopped the tears sliding over my cheeks. "This has been the worst week ever. I loved being a blonde and you took my favorite dress because it had Dean's blood on it!"
Maddox chuckled. "I thought you were going to say the corpses creeped you out."
"That too!" I sobbed.
Maddox wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into him, stroking my hair while I soaked his shirt. He was big and warm and comforting and I relaxed against him as I sobbed the frustration and fear away. I didn't have to worry as long as Maddox stayed with me. I knew he would protect me. I just wasn't keen on the idea of what he had to protect me from.
Most of all, I wanted it to be over.
Chapter Sixteen
I jolted awake, completely disorientated. Looking around the beige, sparse room, I couldn't work out where I was. Then it all came flooding back to me. I was in a safe house, on the sofa in the living room and there was a warm, heavy arm draped over me.
For a moment, I froze, then relaxed, because, actually, being stretched out on the sofa with Adam behind me was quite nice. Better than nice. For the first time in a few days, I'd gotten a full night's sleep. I was warm and not panicking about what was going to happen because I already knew I wasn't going anywhere; and Maddox had assured me several times that no one could get to me here.
Although Maddox told me to pack for a few days, we both knew this could stretch on a lot longer than that. That depressed me slightly. It wasn't just that I missed the opportunity to ha
ve this week's timecard signed so I would get paid, but I could be missing many more days, even weeks. I closed my eyes for a minute and tried not to think about that. I tried to think about my mother saying “What will be will be,” but it wasn't all that soothing, given that there were quite a few scenarios that I didn't want to be in.
I wriggled, working the cricks out of my neck and stretched. Adam's arm tightened over me and I stopped. I could feel something pressing into my back as he pulled me against him, our bodies in full contact. Shame we were wearing yesterday's clothes.
"Morning," Maddox mumbled sleepily as he looped his leg through mine.
"Hey," I replied, pausing before adding, "I didn't mean to fall asleep here." I didn't remember much after crying my eyes out and wailing about my hair. I had a vague recollection of curling up next to him, but I didn't remember stretching out with him.
"No problem."
"Adam?"
"Hmm?"
I couldn't help it. I'd slept awkwardly and I needed to wriggle. Behind me, Maddox tensed and his arm held me still, his palm flat against my stomach. He groaned softly. "Could you move your gun?" I asked, my head still fuzzy with sleep.
"My gun's on the table."
"Then, what's..." Oh! My eyes widened.
He moved, and a moment later, a CD container landed on the coffee table. Ahh. Not quite what I expected. I giggled and rolled my shoulders, working out the kinks. Something still prodded me.
“If the next thing you remove is a bunny rabbit, I’m outta here,” I told him.
Maddox's breath was soft against my neck, and, if I weren't mistaken, his lips brushed my skin. "It's morning," he said, by way of explanation for the continued prodding. "I'm warm. I don't want to move, but you need to stop wriggling or it's not going to go away."
Oh.
Did I want it to go away? I wasn't sure. Truth was, it was nice being snuggled up to Maddox. There was a heat spiraling through me that suggested less clothing might make it even nicer. A bed would make the moment fantastic, but I couldn't work miracles. Also, he smelled really nice. Warm, masculine, and a little citrusy. Being this close to him made my breath quicken and other parts of me dance a jig.
Like he could read my mind, I felt a tug at my t-shirt, before Maddox's hand slid underneath, caressing my stomach, while his lips settled on my neck. I was pretty certain now that Maddox's morning condition had as much to do with me as it did with waking up, but it struck me as rude to point that out. Without thinking, I pressed against him, rubbing slightly. His lips slid from my neck to nibble my shoulders, while his hand slid further upwards, over my stomach, then softly over my bra. I knew he felt my breath quicken.
"Lexi," he murmured.
I twisted next to him, finding his mouth and kissing him hard, my hands running over his morning stubble to his muscular shoulders. Then we were moving, shuffling, and somehow I ended up under Maddox. I had one knee drawn up against the back of the couch, while the other foot dropped to the floor as he lay between my legs and returned the kiss eagerly. He fumbled the zipper on my sweatshirt, tugging it down and pushing it apart while my shirt rode up at his hands.
I moaned when he pushed himself against me, sending a spark of fire through me that shot south, his kisses becoming more urgent. I wrapped my arms around him, a moan escaping me when his lips left mine. He slid down my body, his lips returning to the soft swell of my breasts as he kissed them through my bra. Then on the skin, then back to my mouth as my hands fumbled with his fly.
I'd only just tugged it open, my hand sliding inside his jeans, when I heard the front door open. Maddox looked up, his body suddenly tense. I caught the brief register of annoyance as it flashed across his face.
"Breakfast," called a man's voice. Solomon's. The door banged shut and his footsteps sounded in the hall.
"Shit," said Maddox, scrambling off me and falling to his knees on the floor. I rolled onto my side, pulled down my shirt and leaned over.
When Solomon came through the door, I pretended to be tying my laces. When I looked up, running fingers through my hair to smooth it, Maddox was on the other side of the room, his shirt untucked and his jeans zippered. At least, I thought they were.
"I brought bagels," said Solomon, looking from me to Maddox, his face blank. "Anything happen?"
"Not a thing," said Maddox, glancing at me, and I thought I heard a hint of regret. I knew how he felt, though I couldn’t help feeling a little relieved that our first time hadn’t taken place on a crusty couch in a stark, safe house, rather than in, say, my lovely bed.
On the plus side, I was really hungry and Solomon had fresh bagels, so I couldn't be too miffed.
I finished my bagel in record time and reached for another, washing it down with a glass of orange juice, already curious what we were having for lunch. It may have been a good thing for my waistline that I couldn't invade the kitchen for a snack, seeing as we had, literally, nothing in the cupboards, but I was starting to think like a prisoner... or a puppy. I wanted to know where my next meal was coming from, something I never had to think about before. Being in the same room with Maddox and Solomon was uncomfortable enough, body heat-wise, but being solely reliant on them was intolerable.
"What's wrong?" asked Maddox.
"Nothing," I said thinking about my mother's roast chicken. "What's happening today?"
"Nothing." Maddox and Solomon exchanged glances.
"I know that look. What's going on?"
"Someone left a gift at your house last night," said Solomon.
"What kind of gift?"
"Chocolate."
"I like chocolate."
"These had tire marks across the box."
"Someone ran over chocolates and left them for me?” I frowned. “That's nutso."
"Dead flowers, creepy screensaver, flowers in your living room... the chocolates look like another warning to me. I'm glad we got you out of there," said Maddox.
"I don't suppose..."
"What?"
"Did you bring any chocolate with you?" I asked Solomon and his chest did a fast rise and fall like he was trying not to laugh.
Maddox’s face clouded. "Someone threatens you, but you're more concerned about the chocolate?"
"It's part of my five-a-day diet."
"That's fruit and vegetables."
"Chocolate comes from the cocoa bean and a bean is a vegetable," I justified. Maddox and Solomon just stared at me. "Ask any woman," I told them. "It's true."
Maddox just shook his head and turned to Solomon. "Did the ballistics report on the Finklesteins come in?"
"No traces in the system. The gun was probably a throwaway. The bullets in the Finklesteins didn't match the bullets in Martin Dean."
"The Finklesteins shot Dean. They couldn't shoot themselves," I pointed out, just in case no one spotted the obvious.
"She's smart," said Solomon. He winked at me.
I suspected he was being sarcastic, but I thanked him sweetly anyway. Two could play at that game.
"She's got a point,” said Maddox and I smiled at him. “Our perp hasn't left any prints, his gun isn't in the system, and we have no idea who he is."
"And no one saw him leave the chocolates?" I asked.
Maddox shook his head. "The car watching your apartment left an hour after us. We had someone do a tail, but they lost it. No one was watching." Now he sounded annoyed.
"What about Tanya Henderson?" I asked.
"What about her?"
"Did anyone cross reference the bullet in her during the autopsy?"
Maddox looked over at Solomon. "Did they?" he asked.
"I'll check," said Solomon. "No one mentioned anything."
"So what now? We wait for another body to show up?" I didn't need an answer. I just sighed. This majorly sucked.
"We have some leads to work on," said Maddox, right before he and Solomon sloped off to the kitchen. Alone, the only thing I could do was turn on the television. I flicked through the channels, finall
y selecting car racing. Not my cup of tea, but there was something soothing about watching the cars whiz around the track, one after another, time and time again, knowing exactly where they were going.
There was something else about the cars that niggled at me all morning. At last, I was sure that I knew something else, something creeping on the periphery of my mind, but the thought stayed half-baked, just like the idea I was formulating about the policies I felt sure were fraudulent.
Finally, like a little light bulb going off in my head, I knew the answer. "I've got it!" I exclaimed, racing through to the kitchen where Maddox and Solomon looked up at me in surprise as I burst in. "I've got it," I repeated.
Maddox looked at me expectantly. "Got what?"
As soon as I realized, all the pieces clicked into place. I knew who was involved in the Green Hand Insurance scam and how the whole scheme had come about. I knew who was after me and I knew why. And it was all down to one casual little photograph in the files I'd innocently given to Martin Dean, the same files that had been stolen, the same files that I imagined the task force perused repeatedly, but came up with nothing. I knew the perpetrator had put it together too.
"Everything," I said. "Adam, do you have copies of the files I worked on for Dean?"
"Yes. I have them on my laptop in the living room."
"Pull them up," I told him. We huddled around the laptop while the files whirred into view, with me wedged between the men on the couch. I tried not to savor it.
"Which one?" he asked, the pointer hovering over the window.
I pointed to the file in the top right. "This one here." Maddox double-clicked and we waited for it to open. "Scroll to the second page," I told him. The page moved down and then the photograph appeared. Below that was the photograph that explained everything.
"It wasn't anything to do with legislature, or research or all those surveys Green Hand does. It was this silly puff piece for the feature-style, ad Green Hand wanted to place in the Montgomery Gazette. The one where Martin Dean wanted to look like every householder's best friend."
"Keep going," urged Maddox.
"Green Hand wanted Dean to look like your average Joe," I explained. "He was supposed to be the guy next door, your friend, your brother, the man you trusted to look after you. The guy you wanted to buy insurance from. The idea was to show a montage of pictures that portrayed that, alongside the slogan of how Green Hand insurance would make you feel secure. Here's one where he's playing basketball with underprivileged kids. Scroll down. And here's one where he's planting a new tree in the park at the corner of the kids' playground Green Hand helped fund. But it's this picture that tells us everything."
Armed and Fabulous (Lexi Graves Mysteries) Page 23
