by Laura Scott
She’d almost been stabbed the same way Matthew had been eighteen months ago.
Worse, this attempt was mostly her fault, for allowing Robby to get his hands on her letter opener. She should have known better than to turn her back on a drug-and-gun dealer.
“What happened?” Noah asked. “How did he get the weapon?”
“My fault. I never should have had it on my desk.” She looked at Robby, seeing the frank fear in his eyes for the first time. “Why did you do it, Robby?”
The eighteen-year-old’s hazel eyes filled with tears. “Pietro threatened to kill my mother. He told me to kill you.” Tears rolled down his cheeks, making him look twelve. “I had to do it, don’t you see? He’ll kill my mother! She’s taking care of my younger brother and sister. What will happen to them if she dies? I had to do it, I had to!”
Maddy closed her eyes and pressed her fingertips against her forehead. The anguish in Robby’s tone was all too real. And she could identify with his fear.
After all, hadn’t Pietro’s goon said the same thing to her? Drop the case or everyone you care about will die, including the two old ladies living in the house on the hill.
Jennifer’s voice through the intercom interrupted her thoughts. “I’ve called the deputies. They’re coming back ASAP.”
Maddy dropped her hand from her head and nodded. “Thanks, Jennifer.” She knew her assistant had noticed Noah leaping into the office to save her life.
Again.
“Robby Stanford, you’re under arrest for assault with a deadly weapon,” Noah said. “You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law...”
“Stop it, Noah,” she interrupted. “I’m not pressing charges.”
“What?” Noah drilled her with a furious glare. “Why not? He tried to kill you, Maddy.”
“Because he’s afraid of Pietro. Because someone got to him even while he was in jail.” She shifted her gaze to Robby and tried to hide her trembling hands from Noah’s eagle gaze. “Didn’t they?”
The tears continued rolling down his cheeks. “Y-yes.”
She sighed, struggling to remain calm. She was losing her witnesses faster than a dried-out Christmas tree lost its pine needles.
And she had no idea how to stop the destruction surrounding her case.
FOURTEEN
“I still think you should press charges.” Noah’s heart thundered in his chest, the impact of Maddy’s close call hitting him hard. So close. If she hadn’t jumped back in time, if he hadn’t busted through her door when he had... He swallowed hard.
Unbelievable that she was nearly stabbed, just like Matthew. There was actually a small tear in her blouse from the letter-opener blade.
Robby squirmed beneath his heavy grasp. He could tell that Maddy was buying Robby’s story about his mother being threatened by Pietro’s men, so Noah forced himself to relax his hold on the kid’s shoulders. But he didn’t let go.
Maddy sighed, her expression full of regret. “Robby, will you testify against Pietro if we send your mother and siblings away from here to keep them safe?”
“I think he should testify in exchange for you not pressing charges against him for assault with a deadly weapon,” Noah said, his tone harsh. “Just because he’s scared doesn’t mean he can try to kill you.”
Unfortunately she ignored him, her attention riveted on Robby Stanford. “Well?” she pressed. “Will you do it?”
Robby swiped his face against the orange jumpsuit covering his upper arm. “What about me?” he asked. “If I testify, Pietro will kill me, too.”
“After the trial, we’ll move you to a facility out of state,” Maddy said. “You’ll remain in isolation, without contact with the other prisoners until then.” When Robby started to shake his head—no one liked being left alone, even for their own protection—Maddy’s voice hardened. “That’s the best I can do, Robby. The trial starts on Monday, and I’ll move you up on the schedule so that you’re not in the jail here for very long.”
Robby’s expression was indecisive.
“You better take her offer,” Noah warned. “The fact that you failed to take Maddy out means your mother is still in danger. How will you feel if Pietro seeks revenge on her for your failure?”
The logic of Noah’s statement must have gotten through to Robby because the kid finally nodded in agreement. As if on cue, the two deputies from the jail arrived.
“What happened?” the deputy named Olson asked.
“Nothing happened. False alarm,” Maddy said with a weary smile. “Although I think we’re finished for the day. Please instruct the warden to keep my witness protected and isolated from the other prisoners until he testifies. I don’t want anything untoward to happen to him before the trial.”
The deputies exchanged a questioning glance, then Olson shrugged. “Sure. Anything else?”
“I may need to work with Mr. Stanford again tomorrow. I’ll let you know what time.”
“Okay,” Deputy Olson said. He and his partner each grabbed one of Robby Stanford’s arms and hauled him to his feet. The kid didn’t resist and for a brief moment, the resigned expression in the boy’s eyes gave Noah a sense of hope that the kid would actually follow through with his promise to testify against Pietro.
Thanks to Maddy.
Watching her in action was something. Noah couldn’t deny that Maddy had been able to turn a potentially catastrophic situation into something that worked out in her favor. And he didn’t doubt for one moment that she’d attempt to make good on her part of their bargain.
Although, ensuring Robby’s and his family’s safety from the long reach of Pietro wouldn’t be easy, but he knew she’d do everything possible to make that happen.
If only he could be as certain of her safety. First Pietro’s girlfriend, Rachel, then this.
What next? He wished he knew.
Noah and Maddy remained silent until Robby and the deputies had disappeared from the office suite. He regarded her warily, trying to gauge her mood. “Are you ready to call it quits for the day?” he asked.
She grimaced. “I shouldn’t. There’s still so much to do. And it’s bothering me that we haven’t heard anything from Gretchen, either.”
He hated to admit that the lack of news related to her roommate didn’t bode well. “We need to head back to the safety of our motel. Gather up what you’ll need to keep working from there and I’ll check with my boss about what we know so far about the explosion in your building.”
She didn’t look thrilled with the plan, but didn’t argue. While she gathered up her things, he used her desk phone to call Lieutenant O’Grady, placing the call on speaker.
“What?” O’Grady snarled in lieu of a greeting.
“This is Sinclair,” Noah identified himself. “I’m looking for an update on the explosion at ADA Callahan’s condo.”
“The smoke eaters have the fire under control,” his boss said. “That’s as much as I know.”
“Has there been any mention of casualties?” Noah pressed. “They must have some idea by now if anyone was near the blast.”
“Hey, you want answers? Call the ADA’s brother. Mitch Callahan is the arson specialist assigned to investigate the fire.”
“Thanks.” Noah disconnected and looked at Maddy. “Do you know Mitch’s number off the top of your head?”
“Yes. Here, I’ll dial.” She punched in the numbers and then hit the speaker button on her phone so they could both talk.
“Callahan.”
“Mitch? It’s Maddy. I need to know if anyone has gotten in touch with Gretchen.”
“Maddy, I’m so glad you’re all right.” The relief in Mitch’s tone was evident. “So far we haven’t identified any casualties from the blast, although the so
urce appears to be on the third floor, near the elevator.”
Her gaze clashed with Noah’s. Noah remembered the door to her condo wasn’t far from the elevator. “I haven’t heard from Gretchen and I’m worried about her,” Maddy confessed. “I’m fairly certain that bomb was meant for me.”
“Yeah, that’s the primary theory at the moment,” Mitch said in a flat tone. “I assume this is related to your upcoming trial, same as the threat against Mom and Nan?”
“I’m afraid so.” Maddy’s expression was full of contrition, a fact that made Noah angry. Maddy and her family shouldn’t have to live in fear just because she was doing her job.
“It’s not Maddy’s fault,” Noah spoke up defensively. “Pietro is getting desperate. Once the trial is over, things will get back to normal.”
“Who’s that with you?” Mitch demanded.
“Noah Sinclair,” Maddy answered. “He’s my self-proclaimed bodyguard.”
“Hrmph.” Mitch didn’t seem impressed. There were voices in the background, then Mitch said, “Listen, I have to go. I’ll let you know if I find out anything about Gretchen, okay?”
“Thanks, Mitch, take care.” Maddy hung up. “I’m going to call Gretchen’s cell phone one more time.”
Noah nodded, understanding her concern. As the phone rang and rang, she finished shoving her paperwork into a large accordion file. She left her roommate another message, her expression grim. “Let’s go.”
He nodded, more than ready to return to the relative anonymity of the motel. He guarded Maddy closely, keeping himself between her and any potential threat as they made their way back down through the back entrance to the parking garage.
Robby’s attempt on Maddy replayed itself over and over in his mind as they wove between stationary vehicles, taking a circuitous route to the borrowed truck. Even after he’d helped Maddy inside, Noah couldn’t relax, not until they’d reached the street level without incident, leaving the courthouse and her office behind.
Daylight was beginning to fade thanks to the clouds gathering overhead and the upcoming winter solstice. Noah hoped they weren’t in for a snowstorm. He and Maddy hadn’t had time to listen to the news; for all he knew, a blizzard could be on the way.
Although he couldn’t deny the idea of being snowed in with Maddy held a certain appeal. At least as far as keeping her safe.
“I forgot to thank you,” Maddy said, breaking into his thoughts. “For rushing to my rescue.”
He shrugged. “Not necessary. That’s my job.”
She wrinkled her nose. “No, it’s not. I still can’t believe he grabbed my letter opener. It all happened so fast...” Her voice trailed off.
“I know.” And he did. Hadn’t his split-second hesitation caused her twin brother to be stabbed eighteen months ago?
Her small cold fingers closed over his in an unexpected gesture of comfort. “I’m sorry, Noah. I know I mentioned this before, but Robby’s attempt to hurt me made me realize even more just how unfair it was of me to blame you for Matt’s injury.”
She was being far too kind. “I hesitated that night,” he said abruptly. “The second I waited to act was enough for that girl to stab your brother.”
“Don’t, Noah. Stop taking the blame, all right?” Her tone was testy now. “I understand why Matt told me to forgive you, so you need to do the same.”
“Did Matt mention my younger sister, Rose, who died of a heroin overdose?”
She sucked in a harsh breath. “What? No! Oh, Noah, I’m so sorry. What happened?”
He kept one eye on the road, the other watching his rearview mirror to make sure they weren’t being followed. “I was in my first year of college and had come home for spring break. Rose was a senior in high school. I knew that she’d been looking bad recently, and I was determined to confront her about it. But I never got the chance. The following morning, I found her lying on the bathroom floor, a needle stuck in her arm. The syringe contained remnants of heroin.”
Her fingers tightened on his. “How terrible for you.”
For a moment, he glanced at their clasped hands, wishing things could be different. “That girl who stabbed Matt... I saw Rose in her eyes. The desperate need for drugs. That’s why I was so determined to bring Pietro to justice. I only wish I’d have confronted Rose much sooner.”
“Oh, Noah,” Maddy said with a sigh. “Do you know how many times I played the what-if game? What if my dad hadn’t gone to the crime scene that day? What if he’d retired the year before when he’d been offered the chance? Don’t you see? This is all part of God’s plan. We have to put our faith and our trust in Him.”
God’s plan? Taking Rose at eighteen? Taking Maddy’s father? Gina? Those were hard pills to swallow, yet maybe she was right. Maybe each of those events had brought him and Maddy together now.
God was trusting Noah to keep her safe. And that was one mission in which he was determined to succeed.
No matter what.
* * *
Maddy wasn’t sure if she’d gotten through to Noah or not. She was touched that he’d told her about his past, and she could understand why he was so determined to do whatever was necessary to keep Pietro behind bars. Alexander Pietro wasn’t the only source of heroin in the city, but he was one of the largest suppliers. Getting him off the streets had put a nice dent in the illegal drug business.
Thinking about all the adversity Noah had faced, his sister’s overdose, then his girlfriend’s death in college, humbled her. In retrospect, she’d been extremely fortunate to have her family and her faith to lean on in times of stress and adversity. Her family had come together after her father’s murder, supporting one another and keeping on with the family traditions.
Who had helped and supported Noah?
She debated telling him about what had happened with Blake, the secret shame she hadn’t shared with anyone else, but then the moment was gone. Noah pulled into the parking lot of the motel, driving around the building to park out of sight from the road.
A few minutes later, they were safe inside their connecting rooms. She set her file folder on the small table next to her computer and wondered where to start.
“Will you allow me to help?” Noah asked, his deep baritone voice causing her to flush with awareness. “Please?”
How could she deny him after what he’d told her about his sister’s death? Very simply, she couldn’t. There had to be something she could give him that wouldn’t compromise her case.
She rifled through her notes and found the description of the warehouse where Noah and his fellow officers had taken down Pietro.
“Will you look at this and see if you can find any other spots where Pietro’s men could have a secret stash of either drugs or weapons? The stuff you found that day of his arrest was impressive, but I heard from you and several others that you always suspected there was more than one spot Pietro used.”
“Absolutely.” Noah took the paperwork from her hand. “It’s good for me to review this again, now that we know Arvani is a suspect.”
“Great. I’m going to review my trial notes, see if anything else jumps out at me.”
“Shall I make a small pot of coffee?” Noah asked.
She smiled. “I’d like that.”
The table was cramped with both of them seated there, but she didn’t mind. In fact, being here with Noah, working toward the same goal, was nice.
Better than nice. Amazing. She’d never experienced this level of camaraderie before. Not with a man.
Especially not since the incident with Blake.
Enough, she inwardly chided. This wasn’t the time to think about her personal life. She had the biggest trial of her career to prepare for. Witnesses to prep.
Yet all she could think about was Noah’s strength. His kindness. His kiss.
; “What?” He raised his gaze to meet hers.
She blushed, belatedly realizing she’d been staring at him. “Um, nothing. I was just thinking.” About throwing myself into your arms.
His smile lit up his entire face. “I like working with you, too.”
For a moment, she wondered if she’d spoken her wistful thoughts out loud, but then he went back to reviewing the paperwork in front of him.
She took a deep breath and followed suit. Thankfully, her notes were extensive. She’d been smart enough to complete a lot of work before the night of her attack.
There were still three officers on her list that she hadn’t spoken to in several weeks, so she made a note of their names, determined to complete those prep meetings tomorrow. She took her time going through the list of accomplices Noah’s team had arrested that night, wondering if she could lean on any of them to turn on Pietro. According to her notes, they’d all refused to talk, but that had been almost three weeks ago.
Maybe now they’d reconsider. Although truly, it wasn’t likely. Still, she needed to ask, so she began to make a list of everyone she needed to talk to before Monday.
There were a lot of things to do before Monday. What if she couldn’t get them all completed? A wave of helplessness hit, but she shoved it back.
Failure was not an option.
“Maddy?” Noah’s voice was a welcome distraction.
“Did you find something?” She leaned forward, eager for good news.
“I think so.” His tone was thoughtful. He tugged his chair closer and showed her the map of the city he’d brought up on her computer. “There are two buildings, one here and here.” He pointed to the spots on the screen. “They’re both owned by Chicago businessmen.”
“Chicago.” Her eyes widened. “You think they may be linked to Arvani?”
“It’s possible. They’re both within ten miles of the arrest site.” He shrugged good-naturedly. “Or it could be nothing.”
“You don’t really believe that, or you wouldn’t have pointed them out.” She stared at the places he’d identified. “Those are both located in sketchy parts of the city. I’m not sure we should head over yet tonight, maybe it’s better to wait until morning?”
