Deadly Double

by Byrd, Adrianne

  Apparently, the sight of the officers dismantling her husband’s office proved too much for Trisha, as she turned and walked away.

  Hesitant, Ming drew a deep breath and followed her. “Are you all right, Mrs. Turner?”

  “Trisha. Please call me Trisha or by my maiden name Strauss.”

  The correction told Ming a great deal about the widow’s state of mind. It also warned her to proceed with caution. “I hate to have to ask you…”

  “You want the file.” Trisha made a beeline to a bar in another spacious room decorated completely in white.

  “Yes, ma’am. If it’s not too much trouble.” Rich people lived on a whole other level, Ming thought as she absorbed her surroundings.

  “No trouble at all.” Trisha slapped a thick manila folder onto the bar’s counter, and then promptly mixed herself a drink. “Can I get you anything?”

  “Sorry. I’m on duty.” Ming joined her at the counter and then slid onto a wrought-iron barstool.

  “Well, I need this.” Trisha saluted her.

  Ming nodded and opened the folder. The first thing to greet her were bold black-and-white photos of Andrews straddling Dr. Turner in the driver’s seat of a shiny, silver Mercedes.

  “I’m assuming they were parked,” Trisha said, with a deep measure of disgust.

  There were several more shots of the uninhibited lovers in the car, but those were soon replaced with ones of them making out by a pool.

  “If you’re wondering, that’s our pool.”

  “He brought her here?” Ming asked before she could stop herself.

  “A bold bastard, wasn’t he?” Trisha took another sip of her drink. “And I stayed with him. How pathetic is that?”

  Ming reached across the bar and gave the distraught woman’s hand an affectionate squeeze. “Life isn’t over. You’ll get through this.”

  Trisha met Ming’s stare as a new wave of tears brimmed her eyes. “Are you married, Detective Delaney?”

  Lifting her hand, Ming flashed her modest wedding ring. “Three years this December.”

  “Hell, you’re still newlyweds.” A sardonic smile hugged Trisha’s lips. “You’re probably still having sex in every room of the house.”

  Ming nearly choked on her laughter. “I wouldn’t say that, exactly.”

  One of Trisha’s neatly manicured eyebrows rose. “Well, let me impart one thing I’ve learned in my disastrous marriage. Men are like houseplants.”

  Caught off guard, Ming’s expression of interest collapsed into a frown. “A houseplant?”

  Trisha allowed herself another smile. “They need constant attention, sunshine, water, and nurturing. You neglect any of those things, and they’ll plant themselves in someone else’s pot, if you know what I mean.”

  Ming’s thoughts instantly flew to her often-busy schedule and her dwindling sex drive. Hadn’t she just fallen asleep on Conan the other night? “I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

  Their conversation ended at the sound of approaching footsteps.

  Det. Jorge Hernandez filled the room’s entryway. “Det. Delaney, may I speak with you for a minute?”

  “Certainly.” Ming hopped off the barstool and gathered everything back into the folder.

  “Take it. I don’t want it anymore,” Trisha said, and continued to nurse her drink.

  “Thanks.” Ming left the bar and walked across a white plush carpet to join her colleague at the door. “Do we have something?”

  Hernandez escorted her away from the door. “We found a .45 Para CCW hidden in a hollowed-out book.”

  “Bancroft was shot with the same type of weapon.”

  Hernandez nodded. “Figured you might want to take a look at it.”

  Ming dug her cell out of her pants pocket. “I better get the crime lab up here. We may have just found our murderer.”

  #

  Michelle left D’Angelo more than satisfied; and by the time it was all said and done, she’d also bargained to have a few of his men for security. Two large, black males trailed behind her. Their presence elevated her confidence; not that it needed it, but she felt that she was back on track.

  In retrospect, she should’ve contacted D’Angelo.

  Who knows? Maybe you could think of a way to get rid of him before you leave town.

  Michelle smiled at the thought as she glided out of the back office and maneuvered through a busy boutique at Underground Atlanta. Minutes later, she slid behind the wheel of a red Jaguar and waited for her new security to show up before she pulled out.

  From across the parkway, Det. Simmons returned to his own car and watched everything with keen interest.

  “What are you up to, Andrews?” He grabbed his cell phone and quickly punched in Ming’s number as he started up his car.

  “You were my next call,” Ming said, before Tyrese had the chance to speak.

  “Well, you’re always on my mind, too.” Tyrese chuckled, but quickly grew serious again. “I think I have something.”

  “Same here. You first.”

  “Castellan’s.”

  “What, the boutique store?”

  “Yeah. You know who runs it, don’t you?”

  “A pain in the neck, D’Angelo.”

  “Bingo. Andrews just left his place and came out with a matching pair of goons.”

  Ming sighed. “We already interviewed him about the Thornton case. Him being Daniel’s friend and all.”

  “Maybe we didn’t ask the right questions.”

  “I’ll get him back in for more questioning. Are you still following Andrews?”

  “I’m on her like white on rice.”

  “Good. Now, it’s my turn to tell you what I’ve found.”

  #

  William only had a few seconds to make a decision. With wood burning in the fireplace and the Lincoln Navigator parked in the cul-de-sac, there was no point in pretending that no one was home.

  One of the men pounded on the door and rang the bell simultaneously. From behind him, William heard footsteps on the stairs. He turned and met Josie’s scared stare.

  “It’s okay,” he mouthed quietly, and then directed her to get out of sight with a curt nod.

  She hesitated, and then quickly rushed back up the stairs.

  Another loud knock rattle the door and William, angrily, jerked the door open. “Yes, can I help you?” he barked at the two men.

  The men stepped back as their gazes lowered to the ax clutched in Williams’s hand.

  William’s brow rose higher when neither man spoke. “Yes?” he asked again.

  At last, one of the men stuttered out an explanation. “We’re, uh, out looking for a friend of ours.”

  The other goon, who was by then well past being afraid of the ax-wielding William, looked as though he was considering a quick quarrel to prove who was the better man.

  William’s gaze focused on the large patch against the side of the man’s face. He hadn’t killed him after all.

  “Chuck,” goon number one, elbowed his glaring partner.

  Finally, Chuck held out a photograph. “We’re looking for this woman. Have you seen her?”

  William kept his face light, his grip on the ax’s handle firm, while he allowed his gaze to fall to Josephine’s smiling image. He frowned and hoped that he wasn’t overplaying his part. “Never seen her before,” he said, glancing back at the two men.

  Chuck’s gaze narrowed. “Are you sure?”

  Despite his heart hammering in his chest, William cocked his head, and refused to be intimidated. “I’m positive.”

  After a few more seconds of warring glares, the unwanted visitors finally thanked him for his time and ambled off his porch.

  However, William waited until the strangers climbed into their black Escalade and drove off before he closed the door. His entire body slumped in relief as he rested his head against the door; but, once again, his attention was drawn to the footsteps on the stairs.

  “Pack your things,” William instruct
ed curtly. “We’re getting the hell out of here.”

  Chapter 28

  “False alarm,” Detective Hernandez said, entering Ming’s office.

  “Honey, let me call you back,” Ming told Conan over the phone. “Uh, huh. I love you, too. All right. Bye.” Once she disconnected the call, she gave Jorge her full attention. “Now run that by me again.”

  He handed her a report. “We just received the ballistics back on the Para CCW we confiscated from the Turner residence.”

  “That was fast.” She flipped open the report.

  Jorge straightened his tie. “Let’s just say that I have connections down at the lab.”

  “A girlfriend?”

  “Something like that.” He flashed her a brief smile.

  Ming’s gaze lowered back to the ballistics report. Her temples pulse with disappointment. The lab had run a test with bullet recovered from Bancroft’s body. The markings on the spent bullet versus the ones fired in the lab are different.

  “Okay. That was a waste of time.” She tossed the report onto the desk.

  “Not really. Usually these setbacks can contribute to the process of elimination. If you look at the back, there’s another report.”

  Ming picked it up again.

  “Bullets from Bancroft, Turner, and Thornton are a match. Of course, I don’t know why someone would shoot Thornton after he was already dead.”

  “So we’re looking for one killer.” Ming rolled her eyes. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I have a problem with being wrong.”

  “Yeah. Simmons may have mentioned that to me once or twice.”

  “Has he now? Did he also mention that it rarely happens?”

  “He said you would say that, yes.”

  Ming rolled her eyes and made a mental not to get Tyrese back for that comment. “Well,” she said drawing a deep breath, “I guess that means we move on to plan B.”

  Jorge’s brows rose with surprise. “There’s a backup plan?”

  “Tyrese didn’t tell you?” She reached for the phone. “There’s always a backup plan.”

  #

  In record time, William and Josie crammed what few belongings they had into the Lincoln Navigator and high-tailed it out of Pine Mountain. To be safe, William instructed Josie to lie low in the back of the large SUV just in case the two goons were still in the area.

  Neither spoke while he whipped around the curvy, back roads. There was no need to. Each already knew what the other was thinking.

  Josie battled guilt while William mused on what was the right thing to do. In this situation, there was no black and white answer.

  Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t hear Josephine climb from the backseat and into the passenger seat; but when her hand settled on his shoulder, he gaze shifted to meet hers.

  “Thank you,” she said softly.

  “For what?” His attention returned to the highway.

  “Everything,” she added in the same gentle tone. “I can’t help but feel that if you didn’t save me when you did, I might not be here.”

  Once again, William’s gaze returned to hers.

  “Maybe the night your Dr. Bancroft died, they were actually coming for me.”

  He shook his head. “Don’t say that.”

  “C’mon. You mean to tell me that you haven’t thought about it?” She strapped the seat belt across her shoulder. “Don’t tell me that you’re the kind that believes in coincidence.”

  He didn’t answer.

  She turned to gaze out her passenger window. “Well, I’m glad you showed up when you did. I never had a knight in shining armor before.”

  William laughed. “That’s pouring it on a little thick, don’t you think?”

  She shrugged and slid on an easy smile. “If everything happens for a reason, then maybe Paris wasn’t a mistake after all.”

  Another awkward silence filled the space between them before William pulled over to the side of the road.

  “What are you doing?” she asked. “What’s wrong?”

  Though they had stopped, William didn’t pull his gaze from the road in front of him. “Paris was many things…but it was not a mistake.”

  Josie drew a deep breath as she stared at his profile. One thing she couldn’t miss were the shadows of emotions that danced across his features. They pulled at her and destroyed the wall she kept trying to build between them. The wall was supposed to protect her.

  “No,” she said, finally. “It wasn’t a mistake.”

  “Just lousy timing,” he added. “You were, after all, an engaged woman—already spoken for.”

  “And you wouldn’t take ‘no’ for answer.”

  His cheeks darkened with his smile. “I was young.”

  “We both were.”

  Gazes locked, both sensed that the other wanted to say more. However, the words never came.

  An hour later, William arrived at his two-story, red brick home in the center of Peachtree City. It was a nice subdivision where most of the houses were exact replica of the next. The moment William pulled into the driveway, the garage door opened.

  He parked next to a back, Mercedes, and the garage door closed behind them.

  “Do you think it’s safe for us to come here?” she asked, climbing out of the vehicle. “I mean with the neighbors and all.”

  “I don’t see where we have much of a choice. It’s either here or a hotel. Frankly, I think we would draw more attention to ourselves at a hotel. The great thing about my neighbors is they tend to keep to themselves.” He headed toward the garage’s side door and entered the house through the kitchen.

  Josie followed close behind him. Her gaze quickly darted around. She was given a quick tour of the place before William noticed the time.

  “I’m going to be late,” he said. “I’m supposed to be at the hospital at noon.”

  “You’re working today?”

  “I have to.” He opened a closet door and grabbed a clean shirt. “There should be plenty of food in the refrigerator.” Next, he scrambled for a pen and paper. “I’m going to write down my pager number. If you need anything, just punch in code 9-1-1. Oh, I’ll write down the address so you can have your medical records mailed here now. Wait, maybe that’s not wise. Maybe we should get a P.O. box to have them mailed.

  “Isn’t that going to take more time? Or do you already have one?”

  “No.” He ran a nervous hand through his hair. The fact that he was losing control of the whole situation was sinking in fast. “Okay. We’ll have them mailed here. I’ll write down the address; but once they get here, we’re going to the police. Agreed?”

  She blinked.

  “Josie?”

  Belatedly, she flashed him a reassuring smile. “Agreed.”

  “All right.” He nodded; his dilemma of whether to believe her was evident on his face. In the end, he made a quick change, jotted down the address, and brushed a rather awkward kiss against her cheek. “All of this will be over soon,” he assured her.

  His sudden closeness was all it took to short-circuit her senses, while she tried no to bask in the protectiveness his arms offered.

  “You believe me, don’t you?” he asked.

  Josie’s tearful gaze met his calm blue eyes, and in that instant, she would’ve believe they could live the rest of their lives on the moon. “Of course I do.”

  When William’s gaze lowered to her lips, she couldn’t help being drawn to his. Slowly, they leaned toward one another, each uncertain of what was happening to them and both unwilling to stop it.

  The moment their lips connected, time ceased to exist. This was the second life had thrown them together, and just like before it would eventually pull them apart. It was a sad fact that caused tears to trickle down her face.

  “Hey, what are these for?” William gently wiped the tracks of her tears.

  “It’s nothing,” she lied, and backed out of his embrace. “I’m fine. You better get going, or you’re really going to be late.”
<
br />   He nodded but continued to watch her.

  “Go. I’ll be here when you get back,” she promised.

  After another nod, William reluctantly turned and left the house. “I’ll call and check on you, but don’t hesitate to page me if you need anything.

  Josie followed him back to the garage. As he climbed back into the Navigator, her eyes darted over to the parked Mercedes, and she instantly wondered where he kept the keys.

  After closing the door, she immediately launched into a mad search. However, her disappointment mounted as she went though one drawer after another. They weren’t in the kitchen, living room, or any other room for that matter.

  Frustrated, she slumped into one of the leather chairs in the living room. Hell, she didn’t even know where she was trying to go. Where could she go?

  A loud ringing filled the house, and Josie nearly jumped out of her skin. Once she realized that it was the phone, she pressed a hand over her heart and willed herself to calm down. She leaned toward the end table to read the caller ID, but the caller hung up before the answer machine clicked on.

  As she stared at the phone, she was hit with an idea. Call her. Josie’s anxiety kicked up another notch. What would she say if Michelle answered?