Operation: Midnight Rendezvous

by Linda Castillo

  “Only if we go in together.”

  “Damn it, Jess.” Sighing, he scraped a hand over his jaw. Jess heard the chafe of his heavy beard, realized that he hadn’t shaved. That his hair smelled of pine needles. That his muscles were like steel…

  “Th-there’s a cellar door on the north side of the house.”

  “I noticed it.”

  “Then you know there’s a hedge that runs from the back fence to the door. The lock is broken on the cellar door.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because Angela and I were doing some yard work one day and she was complaining about having to fix it.”

  “Can you get into the house through the basement?”

  Jess nodded. “There’s no lock on the basement door.”

  She could tell she had his attention now, so she kept going. “Angela kept a home office in a downstairs bedroom. There’s a file cabinet there she kept locked.”

  “Do you know what’s inside?”

  “All I know is that one night I went in to say goodnight to her and she seemed…secretive about it.”

  He didn’t look surprised and Jess got the feeling that there was more going on than she was being told. What was he hiding from her?

  “I get the feeling none of this comes as a surprise to you,” she said.

  “I didn’t know about the cellar door.”

  But you know why Angela kept a hidden file, a suspicious little voice added. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “A lot.”

  She hadn’t expected him to say that. She stared at him, her pulse ratcheting, her mind beginning to run through possibilities. “What?”

  He motioned toward the chair. “Sit down.”

  Jess took the chair again, wondering what he was going to hit her with next.

  “Angela was not a police officer,” he said.

  “What?”

  “She was posing as a cop, but it was only an assignment.”

  “What are you talking about? What kind of assignment?”

  “She was working undercover for the same agency I work for. It’s called the MIDNIGHT Agency. We’re federal. Part of the CIA.”

  “Angela was a federal agent?” She couldn’t quite get her mind around the notion. “What was she doing in Lighthouse Point?”

  “I don’t know. Her mission was covert. But I think she was working on something big.”

  Jess’s head reeled with the information. “Why can’t you call the agency you work for and ask for their help?”

  His gaze dropped to the tabletop. “When I found out about her death, I went to my superior and asked to be assigned the case. He refused, citing the fact that I was too personally involved.”

  Another surprise tossed at her like a glass of ice water. “Are you?” she asked, wondering not for the first time about his relationship with Angela.

  “No.” He grimaced. “But my superior argued the point. Things got heated. I lost my temper.”

  “You quit?”

  “I caught the first flight west to find her killer. No holds barred.”

  The way he said it made Jess shiver. She stared at him, the knowledge that two days ago he’d thought she was Angela’s killer churning inside her.

  He looked at her as if he’d read her thoughts. “I know you didn’t kill her.”

  Relief swept through her with such power that for an instant she couldn’t speak.

  He continued. “You were at the wrong place at the wrong time. A corrupt police department used that to their advantage.”

  “To cover up a murder.”

  He nodded. “You’re nothing more than a scapegoat.”

  “Do you think someone figured out Angela was a federal agent?”

  Madrid shook his head. “I think someone realized she was on to their secret.”

  “What secret?”

  “That’s what we’re going to find out.”

  Chapter Five

  Madrid hadn’t wanted to involve his brother, but he needed a safe haven for Nicolas while he and Jess returned to Lighthouse Point. Father Matthew wasn’t happy about the arrangement, but he was too good a man to refuse Madrid help, and he would never turn a child away from his church.

  “How long will you be?” he asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  Father Matthew motioned with his eyes toward Jess. “What about her?”

  Madrid risked a look at Jess. Sitting on the floor, she had her arm around Nicolas’s thin shoulders and was holding a little purple hippo. Nicolas had gone into his own little world, but it didn’t deter Jess from talking to him, from reaching out to him.

  “She’s coming with me.”

  Father Matthew’s usually serene expression turned incredulous. “I don’t have to tell you that’s a bad idea, do I?”

  “No.”

  “You don’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to women and decision making.”

  Because Madrid couldn’t dispute that, he said nothing.

  As if realizing he’d overstepped, Father Matthew sighed. “What can I do to help?”

  “I could use a vehicle.”

  “I have one. It’s not much, but it runs.”

  “That’ll do.”

  “Anything else?”

  Setting his hand on his brother’s shoulder, Madrid smiled. “You might say a prayer.”

  MADRID WAITED UNTIL midnight before entering the Lighthouse Point city limits. His brother’s car was a nondescript compact, but Madrid stuck to the back streets anyway. On the outside chance some cop would notice it and run the plates, he’d switched plates with a wrecked car he’d found parked at a service station. The last thing he wanted was for some killer to discover his brother was involved.

  In the passenger seat beside him Jess sat quietly, watching the waterlogged landscape speed by. She’d been quiet since leaving the church an hour earlier. He could tell she hadn’t wanted to leave Nicolas behind. She wouldn’t admit it, but he knew from the way her hands were knotted in her lap that she was nervous. Maybe even scared. He couldn’t blame her; he was, too.

  He wished he hadn’t brought her along. He enjoyed her company, and in all honesty she would probably be some help once they got into the police station. His biggest fear was that the situation would become dangerous. It was his responsibility to make sure that didn’t happen.

  He glanced away from the road. “You okay?”

  She started at the sound of his voice, tried to mask her jumpiness with a too quick smile. “I was just thinking about Nicolas.”

  “He’ll be all right,” Madrid said. “My brother is a natural with kids.”

  “It’s just that he’s been through so much.”

  “Matt will take good care of him, Jess.”

  She shot him a grateful smile. “I guess I should be thinking about how we’re going to pull this off.”

  “I thought we’d check out Angela’s house first. See what we can find. We can park down from the alley and go in the back way, behind the hedge.”

  She nodded, all business now.

  When they neared Angela’s house, he circled the block three times looking for cop cars, but there weren’t any in sight.

  “Doesn’t look like they posted a sentry,” Jess said.

  “That doesn’t mean some beefed up kid armed with a .45 isn’t going to show up once we get inside.”

  “We’ll just have to be on the lookout. Be careful.”

  “To say the least.” Madrid punched out the headlights, turned into the mouth of the alley down the block from Angela’s house and parked behind a small garage, out of sight from the street. “We walk the rest of the way.”

  Jess reached for the door handle.

  “Wait.” Before Madrid even realized he was going to move, he reached out and grasped her arm.

  She turned to him. Even in the semidarkness of the car, her beauty moved him in a way he hadn’t been moved for a very long time. She’d pulled her hair back and her face
was a pale oval. Her eyes searched his. He could see moisture on her lips.

  “I’ve got to douse this overhead light,” he said, his tongue suddenly thick.

  “Oh.”

  But for the span of several tense seconds neither of them moved. His hand was still on her arm. Through the material he could feel her trembling. She was scared, he thought, and felt a sharp swipe of guilt for putting her in this situation.

  “You’re shaking,” he whispered.

  “It’s not like I do stuff like this every day.”

  “Probably a good thing.”

  It was a silly moment, but they smiled at each other. Madrid felt something go soft in his chest when she licked her lips. He knew he was about to make a mistake. But with the adrenaline humming and an attraction he could no longer deny heating his blood, he didn’t care.

  Tightening his grip on her arm, he leaned close and claimed her mouth with his. Her lips were incredibly soft and warm and moist. Madrid had kissed plenty of women in his time, but no kiss had ever affected him like this one. He could feel the need tugging at him, desire pooling low and burning hot. The urge to put his arms around her and pull her close taunted him. But he knew if he wasn’t careful he was going to fall headlong into this and lose focus.

  Her eyes were wide and surprised when he pulled away. Her breathing had quickened, her nostrils flaring with each breath. “Why did you do that?” she asked.

  “Luck.” Reaching up, he opened the overhead light cover and popped out the tiny bulb. “Ready?”

  “Uh…yeah.”

  He opened the door. “Slide out this side.”

  Then they were standing next to the car. Drizzle made the night cold and damp and caused halos to form around the sodium-vapor street lamp.

  “Stay low and follow me.” Taking her hand, he ducked and ran toward the gate that would take them into Angela’s yard.

  JESS’S HEART WAS POUNDING hard as she watched Madrid fumble with the latch. The gate squeaked open and a moment later they were sprinting alongside the hedge toward the rear of the house. He paused at the cellar door and for the span of several heartbeats they listened.

  “So far, so good,” he whispered, and reached for the cellar door handle.

  The hinges creaked as the door opened. Narrow stairs before they descended into total darkness. A shiver swept through her at the thought of going down there. Back at the church, it had seemed like a good idea. The best way to find Angela’s killers and bring them to justice. Now staring down into the cold darkness of the cellar, Jess suddenly wasn’t so sure.

  She jolted when Madrid touched her hand. “I’ll go first,” he said.

  “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  The steps creaked like old bones as he descended into the inky-black abyss. Closing her eyes briefly, she took a fortifying breath and followed. The smell of must and wet dirt filled her nose. She could hear their shoes against old wood and feel the hard thrust of adrenaline-rich blood through her veins.

  She jumped when Madrid closed the cellar door overhead, plunging them into total darkness. “I can’t see a thing,” she whispered.

  “That’s the idea.”

  Relief swept through her when the tiny beam of a flashlight cut through the black. “You’re not scared of the dark, are you?” he asked.

  “Only when I’m expecting someone with a gun to jump out.”

  He took her hand, and they crossed the damp floor and headed toward the steps that would take them to the utility room off the kitchen. “Let’s make this quick.”

  He released her hand at the top of the stairs and pulled an ugly-looking pistol from his waistband before stepping into the utility room. Dim light from the kitchen window beyond made it possible to see. On familiar ground now, Jess started toward the door, but Madrid hooked his finger in the collar of her shirt and pulled her back.

  “Let’s make sure we don’t have company before we start prancing around.”

  “I was just going to suggest that.”

  “Right.” With the gun leading the way, he moved into the kitchen.

  Jess followed. The familiar homeyness struck her as they moved through the house, clearing each room as they went. She thought of Angela, reminded herself why they were there, and the sense of purpose bolstered her. Within just a few minutes, they had established that they were alone.

  “You mentioned an office,” Madrid said. “That might be a good place to start.”

  Jess took him to the office Angela had set up in one of the extra bedrooms. A two-drawer file cabinet squatted in the corner, and a desk sat adjacent the single window, facing the door.

  “You take the desk,” Madrid said. “I’ll take the file cabinet.”

  Jess went to the desk and sat in the chair. “What are we looking for?”

  “Anything even remotely interesting or suspicious,” he said. “Notes. Documentation. Photos. Anything that looks like code.”

  Jess tried the first drawer, but it was locked. Madrid must have noticed, because before she could speak he nudged her aside. In less than a minute he picked the lock.

  “You’re good at that,” she said, amazed.

  His dark gaze met hers. “I’m good at a lot of things.”

  You’re certainly good at kissing. The errant thought came out of nowhere. She banked it quickly, but not before she felt a hot blush creep into her cheeks.

  “Good at getting into trouble,” she said.

  “That, too.” He went back to the file cabinet and began picking the lock.

  Jess’s pulse was racing when she looked down at the opened desk drawer. Only this time it didn’t have anything to do with the fear of discovery and had everything to do with the dark-eyed man who’d kissed her as she’d never been kissed before.

  Trying to get her focus back, she pulled out the first file and paged through it. Credit card bills. Utility bills. Bank statements. She closed the folder, shoved it back into the drawer and went to the next. Vaguely she was aware of Madrid doing the same thing in the file cabinet, and of rain pounding against the roof and the windows on the west side of the house.

  She found a file marked “Nicolas” and opened it. Grief struck her hard at the sight of his progress reports, letters from teachers and psychologists. At the rear of the folder she found several crude drawings the little boy had done in crayon. One depicted a mother and child walking through a forest, hand in hand. Jess’s throat tightened.

  Oh, Angela…

  “Find something?”

  She started at the sound of Madrid’s voice and looked up to see him standing over her shoulder, gazing at the drawing. “Just this,” she said.

  He grimaced, looking away. “That’s a good reminder as to why we’re here.”

  “I thought so, too.” Sliding the drawing back into the drawer, she went to the next file. “I’ve got one more drawer to go through.”

  He motioned to the file cabinet. “I didn’t find anything, but we still have the rest of the house.” He started toward the door, but hesitated, then turned to her. “Will you be all right here?”

  “Just don’t get out of screaming distance.”

  Never taking his eyes from hers, he crossed to her and handed her the flashlight. “Keep the beam down in case someone drives by.”

  “Thanks.” She took the flashlight.

  “I’m going to poke around. I’ll meet you back here in five minutes.”

  “Be careful,” she said.

  He gave her a reckless smile and then he was gone.

  Jess was thinking about the kiss again as she opened the last drawer. She knew they were dangerous thoughts floating through her head; there was no way the spark that had been ignited between them could go anywhere.

  “Except away,” she muttered, pulling out another file.

  Setting the flashlight on the desktop, she began paging through the folder. She found car insurance documents, warranties for the washing machine. A repair bill for the furnace. She was about to slide the
folder back into the drawer when she came to a second one tucked inside the first. She opened it to find a small leather-bound notebook. She saw handwritten notes detailing events, dates and names.

  Thursday, January 20. Finks left house a few minutes before midnight. Tried to follow—took off. Did he recognize the car? Not sure what he’s up to. Suspicious. Run a background check.

  Tuesday, January 25. Followed Finks. Pulled over by LPPD. Officer Styles. They know I’m up to something. Talk to Cutter tomorrow.

  Sunday, January 30. Working a double shift. Watched house. Finks left at midnight. Shipyard on Luna Bay. Gate locked. Smuggling drugs? Guns? Tried to feel out Mummert. He’s ready to retire. Doesn’t have a clue.

  Wednesday, February 2. Got in s.y. Got pics. Young women. Poor conditions. They know I know. Need proof. Gotta call Cutter and get out.

  Jess knew immediately she’d discovered something important. The notes implied the Lighthouse Point PD was into something illegal, but what? Had Angela been spying on her fellow cops? Had they found out about it?

  Jess paged through the folder with renewed enthusiasm. She found more notes. Photographs. A photocopy of a newspaper story. She was so involved in her work she didn’t notice the play of headlights over the window until it was too late.

  Chapter Six

  Jess’s gaze flew to the window, her heart hammering. Light flashed on the wall above her and she could see the glare of headlights through the sheer curtains. A car had pulled into the driveway. Adrenaline and fear jolted her so hard she nearly dropped the file.

  “Madrid!” she whispered. “Someone’s—”

  She nearly yelped when his voice sounded directly behind her. “I’m right here.”

  She swung around to see him already darting to the window. “What do we do?” she asked.

  “The official term for it is hide.” Spinning away from the window, he took her hand and hauled her toward the door. “You know the house better than I do. Any suggestions?”

  Possibilities spun through her mind, but fear was jumbling her thoughts. How many times had she played hide-and-seek with Nicolas? Where did he like to hide? “Th-the staircase. There’s an alcove beneath it.”

  He took her in that direction just as keys rattled in the front door. As the door squeaked open they ducked behind an old desk Angela had been refinishing. For a terrible moment Jess thought they had been spotted.