Bullseye

by Virginia Smith

  “Don’t you dare!” Mason’s shout made her jump. “If it turns out he’s on Maddox’s payroll, you’ll be giving it straight to the man himself. You might as well lie down in the middle of I-40 during rush hour.”

  “You have no reason to think Hector is on Maddox’s payroll.” She moved closer, her face inches from his, and forced him to look her in the eye. “What happened to you, Mason? You never used to be like this. You used to trust people.”

  His reply was bitter, even poisonous. “Yeah, and look what it got me. A dead wife.”

  If she hadn’t been so close, she would have missed the almost silent intake of breath and the pain that darkened his eyes as the words hung, raw and naked, between them. He turned away, toward the parking lot, his gaze growing distant as he watched the cars driving by on the busy street beyond.

  Her irritation with him vanished in an instant, replaced with an aching tenderness. So that’s it. He feels responsible.

  “Mason.” She said his name softly, but he didn’t turn to face her. “Margie’s death was not your fault.”

  A long silence, during which she watched his eyes move back and forth tracing the line of traffic. When he did speak, he didn’t look at her.

  “What if it was?”

  Beneath the words lay a hint at such pain as she couldn’t even imagine. She’d finally uncovered the root of his sarcastic, bitter attitude. But how could he possibly feel responsible for his wife’s murder? Her heart ached as though someone had slipped a knife inside her rib cage. What a heavy burden to bear alone.

  She laid a hand on his arm. “You loved her, Mason. How could you ever be responsible for her death?”

  Funny, but saying the words didn’t hurt like she thought they would. All she could see was the pain etched in the lines on his face. She watched his profile, saw his throat move with a swallow before he whispered an answer.

  “A week before she was killed, a man held up a liquor store. When Parker and I arrested him, he still had the weapon on him, a hunting knife. Got a positive ID on the guy and the knife from the clerk. We thought the conviction was a done-deal. But then out of the blue the district attorney dropped the charges because of—get this—lack of evidence. The clerk had changed his mind and wasn’t sure about the guy after all.” He shook his head. “We couldn’t understand it. Parker wanted to move on, said we were trying to juggle too many live wires to go chasing a dead one. But it bugged me, you know? I couldn’t let it go. I paid a visit to the clerk, pushed on him trying to find out why he reversed his story. All the guy would say was he couldn’t be sure. But I knew he was lying.”

  The word flow stopped. His gaze grew even more distant, fixed somewhere in a painful past. Karina held her tongue, and after a minute, he continued.

  “I should have listened to Parker and dropped it. But I kept pushing, looking for a reason. And then I found it. The liquor store clerk showed up at work one day driving a brand new Mustang.”

  Karina couldn’t stop herself. “Somebody paid him off?”

  “Yeah. But why? Why would someone want to protect a common thief?” He shook his head, obviously still disturbed by the question. “I poked around, asking questions, doing research. But I never figured it out, because that’s when…”

  He stopped. Karina waited, but when it became apparent that he wasn’t going to finish the sentence, she did.

  “That’s when Margie was killed.”

  A nod.

  “And you think whoever was responsible for paying off the clerk killed her and blamed you to distract you from investigating further.”

  “I tried to tell Grierson that, but he didn’t buy it.” Anger flashed onto his face. “The idea that I killed Margie for the life insurance money was ridiculous. No amount of money would ever be worth losing my wife.” His voice broke on the last word, and Karina watched tears fill his eyes. “When I got the check, I didn’t even cash it. Just signed it over to charity. What could I buy with money that had come to me because of her death? I loved her so much.”

  In the silence that followed, he seemed to become aware of Karina’s presence again. She realized that her hand still rested on his arm, and his skin had grown warm beneath her fingers. Hastily she removed it, and he cleared his throat.

  “I’m sorry. You, of all people, shouldn’t have to listen to me talk about how much I loved my wife.”

  “Mason, it’s okay.” As she said the words, Karina realized with a sense of wonder that she meant them. An unbidden smile curved her lips. For the first time ever, she was able to think of Mason and Margie’s marriage without anger and hurt. Hearing him talk about his pain had worked as a healing balm. If for no other reason than this, having him come to New Mexico was worth the peace she now felt where Margie was concerned.

  Thank You, Lord. I didn’t know how much I needed to get rid of that bitterness. But You did.

  “So anyway,” Mason said, “that’s why I’m not leaving.”

  His logic escaped her. “I don’t understand.”

  He shifted his feet on the sidewalk to face her head-on. “Look, whoever killed Margie is still out there. And I know what they’re capable of. Have you forgotten the size of that big goon who was watching you?”

  A shudder shook her body. “No.”

  “Me neither. And since he showed up at your place before I even got here, that means he wasn’t set on your tail because of me, so there’s no reason to think he’ll go away when I do. But I also think I might have stirred up some trouble since I arrived, and if that’s the case, I’ll be responsible if anything happens to you. I’m sticking around to make sure you’re safe and Alex gets out of this mess in the clear. Grierson obviously holds some sort of grudge against me, and I’m sure that’s why he didn’t assign a full-time protective order for you. I’m all you’ve got.” Something glimmered in his eyes. “And if I can prove that Maddox is somehow involved, so much the better.”

  The determination in his expression told Karina she’d never get him out of Albuquerque until this thing was over. And she was disturbed to discover that the idea of having Mason hanging around wasn’t as repugnant as it had been a few moments before. In fact, something had seeped in to replace the bitterness that was now gone. Looking at him, warmth settled inside her, familiar and faintly exciting. With an effort, she pushed the feeling away. She could be his friend, but she would not let herself fall for him. Not again.

  FOURTEEN

  Sitting in the waiting room of a hair salon was, without exception, the most boring thing Mason had ever done. What was with all those women’s magazines? Who cared about umpteen ways to tie a scarf? And did women really read articles about streamlining their beauty routines? Seriously? The chairs had been comfortable for the first hour or so. After that his backside grew numb and no amount of fidgeting or scooching helped. He paced every square inch of the small salon, examined every bottle on the shelves and learned more about controlling static hair than he ever wanted to know.

  When he saw two police cruisers roll to a stop in the parking lot, he almost shouted with relief.

  “I’m going to step outside,” he hollered over his shoulder as he hightailed it through the doorway.

  The officer who stepped out of the first car was a welcome sight.

  “Parker. Hey, buddy. I was hoping you’d call, but this is even better.”

  His former partner returned his enthusiastic handshake. “I was going to, but then Grierson assigned us to extra patrol here, so I figured you’d be nearby. Thought I’d drop by and introduce you to my partner. This is Frank Graham. Frank, Mason Sinclair.”

  The man extended a hand and studied him with a calculating gaze. Mason resisted the urge to squirm. What tales had he heard about the ex-cop who’d been suspected of murdering his wife? Nothing bad from Parker, of that Mason was sure. But if he was Parker’s part
ner, that meant he worked closely with Grierson.

  Mason forced a cautious smile. “Good to meet you.”

  The man nodded, but said nothing. Just watched him with eyes that looked like they didn’t miss much.

  “So Grierson assigned you to keep an eye out for Karina?” he asked.

  “Yeah. We’ve been told to step up our presence in this area, and keep an eye out for any unusual activity around her apartment, too. And if we see a black Impala sedan, we’re to run the plates.” Parker gave a snort. “I think he wanted to see my reaction when he told me you were in town.”

  “Well, whatever the reason, I’m glad you’re on it. I can breathe easier.” Mason glanced at Graham. Could he speak freely in front of the guy? “So, what’s the scoop on the car fire yesterday?”

  Graham didn’t bat an eyelid when Parker answered without hesitating. Good. That meant he didn’t mind Parker talking about the case. And apparently Parker trusted the guy, or he wouldn’t talk in front of him.

  “I talked to the investigating officers. They questioned everybody they could find up and down the street. Nobody saw a thing.”

  Mason shoved his hands in his pockets, digesting that information. “I find that hard to believe. The school bus had just come through. There were kids all over the place.”

  Parker agreed. “Apparently there were a couple of teenagers hanging around, and they were evasive the minute the officers approached. Insisted they’d been out in the yard a few doors down and didn’t see anybody. Not a dark sedan, not a stranger, nothing.”

  Mason drew the obvious conclusion. “Covering for somebody.”

  “Yeah, that’s what they figured. And one of them checked with the folks out at the auto yard. They haven’t had time to go over the car thoroughly yet, but they said it was pretty obvious the gas line was cut, and that it could have been done from beneath.”

  “I figured that. Way too obvious to raise the hood of a car parked on the curb out in the open.”

  “It may even have been one of those teenagers. Nobody would give a second thought to someone from that neighborhood hanging around.” An image of the street where the Garcias lived rose in Mason’s mind. “The street was lined with cars. It’s probably pretty common to see people working on them.”

  “That’s what I figure, too,” said Parker.

  Graham said nothing. He sure was quiet. Mason glanced at his face, a feeling of unease settling over him. Didn’t the guy ever talk? Or was he keeping his mouth shut because he disapproved of Parker talking to him about an open investigation? If so, would he report back to Grierson? Nah, probably not. Parker wouldn’t speak so freely in front of him if he didn’t trust him.

  “What about this place?” Mason jerked a head toward the hair salon behind him. “You hear anything about that?”

  “Just that there were scratches on the lock.” A gruesome grin crept over Parker’s face. “And that somebody rigged a head in a chair to look like a corpse. Pretty creepy.”

  “It was a wig stand,” Mason told him. “But that wasn’t as creepy as the scissors stabbed right through Karina’s name on her license.”

  The grin faded, and Parker’s expression became serious. “Yeah. I’m sure that freaked her out. So, buddy, what’s your next move?”

  Mason hesitated. Should he share Brent’s findings about Maddox? Parker might trust Graham, but Mason didn’t have any reason to. In fact, he still wasn’t sure he wanted to bring up Maddox’s name to Parker. Not until he had something more to go on.

  He shrugged. “At this point I’m just hanging out and keeping my eyes open. We met Alex’s freebie lawyer this morning. Guy named Hector Navarro. Ever heard of him?”

  His former partner squinted as he thought, then shook his head. “Can’t say I have. Why?”

  “I don’t like him,” Mason replied instantly. “Young. No experience, as far as I can tell. Has the personality of a river rock.”

  Even Graham smiled at that comment. Parker put back his head and laughed. “Now, Mason. We were young and inexperienced once. We outgrew it, and so will he.”

  “Yeah, but I wish he’d earn his stripes on someone besides Alex.”

  Parker laughed again and clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. We’ve got to get back on the street. You staying at my place tonight?”

  Mason had fully intended to do that. He’d even checked out of the motel and stashed his stuff in the trunk of the rental car. But after this latest threat he was determined not to leave Karina alone in that apartment for the night.

  “I appreciate the offer, but I think I’ll hang around Karina’s tonight.”

  A knowing smile settled over Parker’s face. “I thought so.”

  Mason rushed to correct him. “It’s not like that. Really. I just don’t think she should be alone.”

  Parker slapped him on the back before moving toward his cruiser. “Whatever you say, buddy.”

  Graham, as stone-faced as ever, nodded a silent farewell and headed for his own car. Mason stood on the sidewalk and watched them leave. Trying to convince Parker that there was nothing between him and Karina would be a complete waste of breath. His old partner had always been a ladies’ man, and obviously that hadn’t changed. He couldn’t imagine being in the company of a beautiful woman and not trying his luck with her. Even though their past was stormy, Mason had too much respect for Karina to treat her so casually.

  And yet last night while she was cutting his hair, he’d felt the stirrings of something. Not exactly a return of the old feelings. Something new and more than a little alarming. He’d felt it again this morning, when they’d talked about Margie.

  What is going on between us?

  One aspect of their former relationship had definitely revived. Friendship. In the Karina of today, Mason glimpsed more and more of his former friend. All the things that had attracted him to her initially—her quick mind, her easy acceptance of those she met, even her sharp tongue—were all still there. But there were differences. Now she had matured into a lovely woman.

  If I hadn’t met Margie…

  He scrubbed at his scalp, trying to dislodge the disturbing thought. Yet the question had haunted him for so long. When he met Margie, he had been swept away in the excitement of new love. And he had loved her, truly, though their relationship had been different from his with Karina. Exciting and new and full of passion. They had been lovers, yes, but they had jumped so quickly into marriage they hadn’t truly taken the time to become friends. What would have happened if he had resisted the pull of attraction for Margie, and instead married his friend?

  I’m not going there. Water under the bridge, and all that. Deep, muddy, churning water.

  Besides, he didn’t have the stomach for romance. To use Caleb’s terminology, there were still too many ghosts haunting him.

  That settled in his mind, he turned back toward the salon. Biting back a sigh, he headed inside, resigned to spending the next few hours reading the boring articles he’d avoided so far. And who knew? Maybe one day he’d be glad he’d found out all about the benefits of mineral-based makeup.

  Sigh.

  * * *

  “You are not staying here.”

  Tired from hours on her feet after four days off, Karina barely had the strength to raise her fork from her plate to her mouth. But she managed a stern expression as she looked across the kitchen table loaded with take-out food.

  Mason expertly picked up a piece of broccoli with his chopsticks and held it in front of his mouth before he answered. “I’m not leaving you alone, and that’s final. Get over it.”

  The broccoli went into his mouth. If anyone could chew stubbornly, it was Mason.

  Karina set her fork, loaded with a bite of fried rice, on the rim of her plate. “We discussed this last—”

 
The ringing of his cell phone interrupted her argument. He snatched it up, glanced at the screen and gave her a look before pressing the button to answer.

  “Hey, Brent. I wondered what happened to you today.” He listened for a second. “Yeah, I tend to forget that some people have real jobs. What did you find out?”

  A man’s voice sounded through the phone, but since Mason made no move to turn on the speaker, she couldn’t make out his words. She picked up her fork and continued to eat while listening to half of the conversation.

  “I didn’t think so. He’s too young to have left much of a trail. But were you able to check his college records, or maybe his law school records?”

  Karina looked up from her plate. Law school? They had to be talking about Hector, which meant Mason had asked his friend to investigate Alex’s attorney. For some reason that news irritated her. What did he have against the young lawyer? From the very beginning he’d disliked Hector, even before they’d met. He hadn’t given him a chance. She arranged her features into a disapproving scowl and aimed it across the table.

  Mason ignored her. He shoved the food around on his plate with his chopsticks while listening. “Mm-hm. What about summer jobs?” He fell silent, listening, and his eyes widened. “Really?”

  In spite of herself, her interest flared. She leaned forward, straining to distinguish words in the voice she heard.

  The smile that widened Mason’s lips held a touch of satisfaction. “Well, it’s not much. A judge would laugh us out of the courtroom, but it tells me we’re on the right track. Thanks, buddy. Talk to you soon.”

  He disconnected the call, set the phone on the table and returned to his meal without saying anything further.

  “Well?” Karina turned the word into a demand.

  That got an innocent stare. “Well what?”

  Honestly! How could any one man express such concern for her one minute and be so incredibly annoying in the next?

  “What did your friend say about Hector?”

  “Oh, that.” He plucked a piece of beef from his plate. “He doesn’t have a record, not even a speeding ticket. Got decent grades in law school, and graduated dead center of his class.”