Hot Water

by Maggie Toussaint

  “You may be a tough cop, but you’re still my baby girl. Keep your head up. Lester gets downright obsessive about things, and he wants you dead. Rely on your instincts. Don’t lower your guard.”

  She gripped the phone tighter, the cold of the floor tiles seeping into her bare feet. “What good are my instincts? Lester had me fooled. I had no inkling he would do anything wrong. He’s stolen from people. He’s started fires all over the state. And he’s killed. I didn’t see any of that coming, and he was in and out of my house that whole time.”

  A chill swept through her as a piece of information fell into place. “Oh, my God. He was making sure the cops didn’t know about him. He knew about my scrap metal task force. He must have known he was living on borrowed time.”

  “I didn’t know any of that either. I trusted Lester. He’s my sister’s boy, for Christ’s sake. Why did he do it? How’d we miss the signs?”

  “I’ve been over it in my mind too, but without much success. He set a few backyard fires as a kid, but I didn’t know he continued to do it. I thought serial killers had a history of fires and cruelty to animals. Lester loves his hunting dogs.”

  “He never liked cats.”

  “True, but a lot of guys aren’t cat people.” She sighed into the phone and shoved her wet hair back from her face. “I can’t figure out how I could’ve been so blind.”

  “He fooled all of us. That’s for sure.” Silence played out on the line before her father cleared his throat. “We’ve never had an arsonist or a serial killer in Tidewater County, not in all my years on the planet. My God. My sister. How is Bessie taking this?”

  “She cussed me out for putting out the APB on Lester yesterday, but she isn’t well. Lester hasn’t been taking good care of her or her place. I asked Social Services to pay Aunt Bessie a visit. Odds are they’ve already moved her to a nursing home.”

  “Lester won’t like that.”

  “Doesn’t matter what Lester wants anymore, does it? He’s a wanted man, and if he doesn’t get shot being captured, he’ll spend the rest of his life behind bars. He’ll never live with his mama again.”

  “Poor Bessie. All she ever wanted in life was to take care of Lester, and look at how he repaid her. When I think of all I’ve done for that kid, I could hit something.”

  If her dad remembered he’d taught Lester how to build a fire, he would eat his gun. “None of this is your fault. It’s all on Lester. He had every advantage, but he chose a dark path. Enough about him. I don’t want to think about Lester or Aunt Bessie. I need to feel normal again. What’s with all the music on your end of the phone?”

  “Some friends of the bodyguards have a band. They’re practicing here while the rest of us play poker.”

  “How are the cards falling?”

  “Not my way, that’s for sure, but these fellas are so friendly I can’t complain. Look. You show ’em what a Dinterman is made of. I know you have that grit in you. I’ve seen you take on sparring partners twice your size and win. You can beat this. I’m solidly in your corner. You know that, right?”

  “I do.”

  “Lester can’t beat you unless you let him. You trap that rat bastard, and I’m coming home and ripping him a new one.”

  Her father’s growled threat made her laugh. He sounded fine. He was handling this. She didn’t have to worry about him. A weight lifted from her heart.

  After she hung up, she picked up her necklace and slipped it around her neck. If there was ever a time to need a surplus of luck, this was it. She knotted the plush bathrobe securely around her and stepped out into the suite.

  The table was set with crystal and china, an elegant, filigreed cart of heavenly smelling food sat nearby. Shopping bags lined the sofa.

  “What’s all this?” she asked Wyatt.

  “This is what happens when you have sisters and a nosy Mom. They’d already arranged dinner so when I called down to order room service, it was ready. And the clothes they ordered from local shops are hit or miss but maybe something will fit.”

  She made a beeline for the shopping bags and started pulling things out. “I don’t understand. How did they know my size?”

  “The females in my family know everything. A word of warning. Never tell them anything remotely resembling a secret. They will take out an ad in the New York Times to publicize it.”

  Jeans. Tops. Undies. Lacy bras. Shoes. A new purse. A swimsuit. She shoved one of the empty bags aside and sat on the soft leather sofa. “This is too much. I need to pay them for these things.”

  “Please, do us both a favor and accept the gift with grace.”

  She shook her head to clear it, but the fog remained. Who was Wyatt North? Why would his relatives go to so much trouble for her? “What did you tell your family about me?”

  He stabbed his fingers through his disheveled hair and groaned. “The worst thing possible.”

  Her hand crept to her heart. Did he tell them she was related to a serial killer? Did they pity her naiveté? She had to know. “What?”

  “That I like you.” He stared into her eyes. “That I more than like you.”

  Chapter 44

  Last night, she’d kissed him all the way to the bedroom after his admission of affection. He’d hoped to hear her say something similar, but his cop was more interested in showing him how much she liked him.

  That was okay with him, for now.

  The attraction wasn’t one-sided. It was mutual, and he’d darn well get her to admit it before the week was over. She was everything he’d ever wanted and then some. Sexy. Strong. Independent. Self-starting. Gorgeous.

  He wished every morning would start off with her in his arms.

  “This has to end,” Laurie Ann said as she ate their room service breakfast. She sat across from him in the hotel suite wearing nothing but a plush hotel robe and her St. Christopher’s medal.

  Wyatt’s emotions pulsed. Last night had been the best night of his life. Surely, she wasn’t talking about their personal relationship. God. He’d nearly lost her in the fire. He didn’t know when he’d be able to let her out of his sight without hyperventilating.

  “Come again?” he asked to gain time.

  “I won’t live my life in a bubble. I’m a cop, and a darned good one. I can’t think of Lester as my cousin anymore. He’s a murder suspect. Given that I know him, well some of him anyway, I know how he operates when he’s in Tidewater County. I know his watering holes. I know his duck blinds. I know his deer stands. Know what that means?”

  Relief sighed out of him. She wasn’t leaving him. He hadn’t missed any of those invisible relationship cues. He hadn’t messed up the best thing that ever happened to him.

  He reached out and smoothed a lock of hair away from her face. “What?”

  “It means I’m our best chance of finding Lester. The longer we stay in lockdown mode, the more time he has to start another fire, hurt someone else, or get away.”

  “Trust me, we’ve got an extensive manhunt going on for Lester Church. He will not get away this time.”

  “It’s not a question of trust. Lester has survival skills. He could live for weeks or months out in the swamp, and it wouldn’t bother him one bit. But we can beat him at this chess game because we’ve got something he wants. Me.”

  Wyatt worked to unlock his clenched jaw. “We’re not using you as bait. I won’t allow that.”

  Laurie Ann laughed. “Allow? I’ll wear a vest, if you want, but after we finish this delicious breakfast, we’re leaving this hotel and catching a killer.”

  “A serial arsonist,” he corrected.

  She waved her hand dismissively. “Let the lawyers figure out the prosecution strategy. We’re going after Lester. This morning.”

  “You’ll do it my way?”

  “What way is that?”

  “With protection.”

  She grinned. “You’ll need more than a condom to catch Lester.”

  He drew her into his arms, delighted at her joke. “
I won’t be using those on anyone but you.”

  “Seriously?”

  He kissed her. “Seriously.”

  “We should talk about this. You said you like me. I definitely like you. Where’s this going?”

  He stiffened. Every woman he’d ever dated wanted to put their relationship in a box. Every time that happened was the beginning of the end. He didn’t want this to end. But how could he discourage her inquiry without hurting her feelings?

  “I’ve been honest with you, Laurie Ann. I’m not good with relationships. I’m not looking to be reformed or rehabbed or reinvented. I want to keep seeing you. I want to be with you. Is that enough for you?”

  A storm of emotions played across her face. She was angry. She was relieved. She was pensive. She was unhappy. It was the scowl that plunged a knife in his heart. She didn’t like what he’d said. If she walked out that door right now, he would be a broken man.

  A smile dawned on her face. “Relax, North. I’m not trying to muscle my way into your family. Relationships aren’t my strength either. But know this. I’m very direct about what I want. You don’t have to read between the lines with me. If I do or say something that bothers you, ask me about it. Deal?”

  “Deal.”

  She couldn’t be any more perfect for him. This was the kind of relationship he’d longed to have for years. Laurie Ann was the perfect date. She enjoyed his company. The sex was great. And she didn’t want to put him in a glass box and penalize him for being caught up in his work.

  She was like him in that regard. Dedicated to her work.

  “Tell me about your necklace,” he said, hoping it wasn’t a gift from a former boyfriend. “Sometimes you carry it in your pocket. Lately, you’ve been wearing it.”

  Laurie Ann rubbed the shiny metal between her thumb and forefinger. “St. Chris is very important to me.”

  “I didn’t know you were Catholic.”

  “I’m not, though St. Christopher is the patron saint of travelers. My mom gave this necklace to my dad when he became a cop. He carried it every day he was on the force, and it brought him home safely each night. When I joined the force, he gave it to me. I never go anywhere without it.”

  “I’m glad you have it,” he said.

  “It means the world to me. I don’t have much that was my mom’s. It was actually my granddad’s first, so I have more than one reason to treasure it.”

  He noticed she was blinking back tears. Her story touched him and darned if tears weren’t threatening his own vision. Time to steer away from the personal and get back to the business at hand. Tracking down her cousin. “It certainly is a special talisman. We’ll need all the luck we can get to catch Lester.”

  She nodded. “Breakfast and then a quick stop at the Outdoor Store. Tell your goons we’re going off road. We’ll need vehicles with four-wheel drive, rifles, and tick repellent.”

  “Tick repellent.” A grin spread across his face. “Seems like a common theme with you.”

  “You’ll thank me later. Trust me, you don’t want to get eaten up with ticks.”

  He trusted her and more. They were a good fit. A good team. Her attitude toward a relationship was what he’d always wanted.

  So why did he feel disappointed?

  Chapter 45

  The campfire ashes were warm. “He was here,” Laurie Ann crowed. She dropped the stick she’d used to stir the ashes, excitement pulsing in her veins. “Lester spent the night here.”

  “We should have brought scent dogs,” Wyatt said.

  “He’s long gone. Probably left this blind at dawn.”

  “Why would he leave?”

  “He had to know I’d come after him at some point.” She watched the cadre of heavily armed men Wyatt had hired as they set up high tech sensors around the perimeter. “He won’t be back. You’re wasting time and money setting up surveillance out here.”

  She adjusted the crutches under her arms. Wyatt had insisted on those, too. She didn’t want them, but they’d make a good weapon if she needed backup. Funny how he seemed so laid back about the parameters of their relationship, and yet when he put his foot down about her health and wellbeing, there was no budging him. He cared for her, that much was obvious.

  This was the third spot they’d checked for Lester this morning. The previous two locations had been a bust, which was why it felt so great to be right about this place.

  Lester was still holed up in the county. But where?

  Her phone rang. Chief Tyler. After assuring her boss she was fine and giving him an update on their status, she asked about her scrap metal task force. “Did Harlow follow up on the email photo of Lester I sent?”

  “Harlow turned in his badge and gun this morning. Said he didn’t like police work as much as he thought he would.”

  She’d known Harlow was a quitter, but she’d thought he had a bit more staying power. What had pushed him over the edge? A domestic violence case? A doped up whack job? A heavily armed speeder?

  It didn’t matter. He was gone now. Not her problem. “I should come in. You’re short staffed.”

  “We’re fine. If something comes up, we can pull in outside help. Easy to do with the place crawling with state and federal LEOs. Don’t you worry about us. The city can handle its calls.”

  She mentally ran through their staff list. “What about Calucci? Did he follow Harlow out the door?”

  “He’s sticking for now. I gave him the task force file, and he’s contacting the scrap yard dealers. We’ll have answers for you soon.”

  “Did you get any other useful leads on Ray Spivey and Frankie Miles?”

  “No one’s seen them since James Brown died.”

  “I’ve been thinking about them. They are the exact kind of under-the-radar men that Lester would favor for accomplices. I still want to search for them on the offshore islands.”

  “We don’t have the manpower to spare for that.”

  “Wyatt and I will do it, and I’ll use my dad’s boat, like we talked about before.”

  “I wish you’d take a few days off.”

  “Lester’s gone to ground. I’m our best shot at finding him. I will find him.”

  “You be careful.”

  “Count on it.”

  She ended the call to find Wyatt waiting at her elbow. “Ready?”

  “How’s your ankle? Can I carry you to the car?”

  “Do it and you’re dead. I can manage.”

  He leaned in close, his breath feathering her neck as he whispered, “You don’t have to prove how tough you are to me.”

  A decadent image flashed in her head. An image of what came next in his lovemaking. She couldn’t suppress the shiver of anticipation, but she had to maintain her professional decorum in public. That was hard to do with Wyatt because her feelings for him grew stronger with each breath.

  But if people knew you could be manipulated, you became vulnerable.

  She couldn’t afford to show weakness on the job.

  She had to stay sharp.

  She had to insist on boundaries, starting now.

  “I appreciate your concern, but I’m fine. Really, I am. However, I’d like to stay at my dad’s house tonight instead of the hotel. I’m planning to take his boat out tomorrow and scout for Spivey and Miles.”

  He shook his head. Disapproval snapped in the air like electricity. “I don’t like it. What if Lester’s out there?”

  “We’ll see him coming. There’s nowhere to hide on the open water. We’ll spot him from a mile away. A quick call to the hill, and we’ll have a chopper on him.” Which was why Lester wouldn’t approach them on open water. He would be much more insidious.

  “A lot could go wrong with your plan.”

  “Have your guys check out Dad’s boat. It’s safe. They can do a test run over to the marina and back.”

  He studied her face, his sharp eyes surely seeing her steadfast resolve. “Good idea, Dinterman. I’m liking the idea of a boat ride with you very much. But y
ou have to compromise too. We stay in the hotel tonight. The security is tighter there.”

  She didn’t hesitate. “Deal.”

  Staying at the hotel would allow her a better night’s sleep, and it would force Lester to make his move tomorrow. She was looking forward to getting her hands on her father’s weapons cache. Lester would come for her, and when he did, she’d be ready for him.

  Armed to the teeth.

  Chapter 46

  Laurie Ann shot an apologetic smile at the bodyguard. “Sorry to inconvenience everyone by having to go to the bathroom again. It’s a girl thing.”

  Tank held the door to her father’s creekside house open. “No problem, ma’am. I’ve cleared the house.”

  She moved her crutches forward and swung into the house. When he moved to follow her inside, she shot him a crooked smile. “Would you mind waiting outside? The walls are thin, and I’d prefer my privacy.”

  These were desperate times. She’d lost all but one of her weapons in her house fire; now she’d borrow some of her father’s. But she had to do it on the sly or these guys wouldn’t like it.

  Tank seemed to debate for a long moment. Then he shrugged. “I have to leave this door open so that I can listen for trouble.”

  “If you have to.” Her dad’s stash was in the bedroom, just past the bathroom, and conveniently out of sight from the front door. Once she hobbled to the bathroom, she propped the crutches in the hall, shut the bathroom door loudly, and tiptoed to her dad’s bedroom.

  Rifling through the bedside table, she found what she was looking for. She strapped the knife sheath to her leg, adjusted the Glock in her waistband, and loaded her pants pockets with ammo.

  Another idea occurred to her. These bodyguards were all about protection. She could ask them to carry her dad’s shotgun along as a preventive measure, and they wouldn’t blanch. Back at the door, she asked Tank about carrying the shotgun to the boat for her. “I’m not expecting trouble. Think of the gun as a preventative, like a flu shot.”