by Leigh, Jo
It had only been a few months since she’d seen the depths to which Omicron would go to stop her and her friends. They’d terrorized Christie, an innocent woman whose only crime was being Nate’s sister. It had come to a bloody end, and if things hadn’t worked out, they could have all been killed.
Despite everything she’d seen, it was still hard for her to grasp that it was the U.S. government after them. The public didn’t know about this side of their government, and wouldn’t, unless she and the others could put together enough hard evidence to prove what they knew beyond doubt was true.
If it had just been Omicron, it would have been easier, but someone—someone very powerful—was making sure the group was funded. It wasn’t enough to lay out the paper trail of deceit and murder. Kate and her friends had to dig deep into the black heart of the organization and find out who was pulling the strings.
One thing at a time. She had to get a job. She needed a place to live. But first, she needed her new name, a new ID, a new license plate for her car.
Nate was handling that. Right now she had to find the job and the apartment. And she had to figure out how to do it damn fast, because her money situation was more dire than she’d imagined.
If only she could use her savings. She had over sixty-thousand dollars in a bank account in Washington, D.C., but she couldn’t touch it. Well, maybe she didn’t have it anymore—now that her family thought she was dead.
So, she had seventy-four dollars to her name. That was it. And one night in this motel was going to eat up half of that. How was she going to get an apartment with no security or first month’s rent? Which meant she was probably going to end up sleeping in her car for a while.
She felt vulnerable enough behind locked doors, but to be on the street? In a rusty old heap of a car? She thought about asking Nate or Harper to take her in, but that could put them in danger, what with the police likely searching for her. There had to be a way to get her check from the hotel. She didn’t want any favors, just what she was owed.
She put her pen down and picked up her cell. There was no way she could go get the check herself. Perhaps there was something she could do.
She had Ellen’s number listed in her phone. Kate had taken the housekeeper to work a few times when her husband hadn’t come home in time for her to get the car. It was six-forty, so the shift was over. It would be safe now to call.
The phone rang so many times that Kate almost hung up, but finally an out-of-breath Ellen answered.
“I’m interrupting,” Kate said.
“No, I was just doing laundry, and I couldn’t get to the phone. Kate?”
“Yeah.”
“Where did you go? I heard you were up in that guy’s room when he was shot.”
“No. I wasn’t. I was down the hall.”
“Oh. The cops think you were there.”
“They’re wrong. I was close enough though to hear the gunfire.”
“Is that why you left like that, in the middle of a shift?”
“Yep. I was scared. I’m sorry to do that to Mr. Tyson, but I couldn’t help it.”
“You should probably call and tell them you didn’t see anything.”
“I will. I promise.” Kate squeezed her eyes shut and crossed her fingers. “Uh, could you do me a favor?”
“If I can.”
“Could you pick up my check for me tomorrow? We could meet for coffee after work. At the Copper Skillet.”
“Oh, sure. No sweat. You’ll have to be there right at six because I have to get the car back to Rick.”
“Absolutely. I’ll be there before six. Thanks, Ell. You’re a doll.”
“It’s nothing. Just don’t forget to tell the boss, you know? And the cops.”
“Right. I’ll do that. Thanks.”
“Sure. See you tomorrow.”
Kate disconnected the phone and closed her eyes, though this time it was with relief. Two weeks pay would get her into an apartment. It was going to be in a lousy part of town, but it beat sleeping in the car. She blessed Ellen in all kinds of ways, mostly for just being nice.
The warm fuzzy feeling lasted about ten seconds, then she turned back to the ads. If she got a job first, she’d know where to find the apartment. No reason she couldn’t get an interview tomorrow afternoon. If Nate came through with her new identity.
She circled every menial job she could find, from the San Fernando Valley to Torrance. With that done and the promise of cash tomorrow, she went to get some dinner. There was a place she knew where they sold burritos, big ones, for a couple of bucks. That would do.
* * * * *
THE APARTMENT WAS completely empty. Not a matchbook, a hairpin or a paper cup. Kate Rydell traveled light and fast. What was she running from? An abusive husband? A criminal warrant? Whatever it was, her behavior told Vince she wasn’t going to answer questions willingly. He’d have to find out more about her so that he could apply pressure. He didn’t give a damn about her reasons, she was going to help him put Tim’s killers behind bars. How hard it was going to be was up to her.
He turned to the super who’d let him in. “She was here last night?”
“I told ya. She was here this morning, too.”
“You didn’t see her leave?”
The man shook his head, which made his jowls quiver. “No. I musta been showing an apartment.”
“She didn’t leave a forwarding address? A note? A number?”
“Nah, nothing. Too bad. She always paid in cash, on time, and she never made any trouble.”
Vince thanked the man, and as he went back to his car he realized the only option he had left was to find Kate’s friend Ellen. No way in hell he was letting his only witness get away.
* * * * *
Kate sat in the last booth against the back wall at the Copper Skillet. She kept her eyes on the door, even though it would be at least five more minutes before Ellen could conceivably get there.
The day had been long and tense. Nate had arranged a new identity for her, but he couldn’t get his hands on the paperwork until tomorrow morning. Her new name would be Kate Hogan. She was glad he’d remembered to use Kate again. She’d used it now for four different identities. It was simply too difficult for her to change her first name over and over. She needed to react quickly, seamlessly, and always being a Kate helped.
She had to get through tonight, then go to Gino’s tomorrow to pick up her new ID. She’d only been to the pizza parlor once. It wasn’t only a pizzeria. It was also an emergency meeting place. The phone there was always monitored, via a nifty computer program Seth had written, and Gino, an ex-Delta Force sharpshooter, had given them a safe place to hide. There, she’d change the license plates on her car, then she’d start in on the interviews. That part wouldn’t be too bad. Nate, bless his heart, had provided references for Kate Hogan, and she had several places lined up. Of course, she couldn’t do much of anything until she cashed her check.
It was almost six, and she sipped her coffee, watching every person who walked into the restaurant. Four minutes later, she sighed with relief when Ellen entered, still wearing her uniform. Ellen had a rough life, especially with her four kids to feed. Her husband was an undocumented worker in the garment district, and they had to pay for childcare, as well as all the other expenses. Kate had no idea how they got by.
“Hey,” Ellen said as she slipped into the booth. “You didn’t call Tyson.”
“I know. I will.”
“The cops came to see me.”
Kate’s heart froze. “What did you tell them?”
“Nothing. Except that you didn’t see the murder.”
“Did you tell them you were meeting me here?”
“Hell, no. I don’t tell cops my business. I figured you’d call them when you were ready, but jeez, Kate. Give me a break. I don’t need that.”
“I know. You’re right. I’ll have it straightened out by tomorrow. I promise.”
“You better. Shit, can you imagine if
they come to the house?”
“No, no, they won’t. I’ll call. They won’t bother you again.”
Ellen pushed her brittle blond hair behind her ears, then she opened her purse. It was all Kate could do not to snatch the pay envelope from her hand. “Mr. Tyson was pissed you quit without telling him. I said it was a personal thing.”
“What did he say?”
Ellen smiled. “That you were ungrateful and downright rude.”
Kate grinned. That was Mr. Tyson all right.
“I have to go or Ricky’s gonna kill me. He’s got a job tonight.”
“Okay, thanks, Ellen. You have no idea how much this helped.”
“Hey, we’re friends, right? Let me know when this whole cop thing is over with, huh?”
“You bet,” Kate said, knowing it was a lie. She hated so much about her life now, but this…This was hell. She’d never betrayed a friend before Kosovo. Not ever. And now, it was becoming second nature.
* * * * *
Vince watched Ellen leave the parking lot, and his gaze turned back to the Copper Skillet entrance. He knew Kate was inside, but he wasn’t going to approach her in such a public place.
He sipped his cold coffee, waiting. He was good at that. God knew he’d had enough practice. The longer he sat, the more he thought about Tim and the pricks who’d killed him.
He’d gone to see Tim’s wife that afternoon, and for a man who’d been involved with death for more years than he cared to remember, it had ripped his heart out to see her, weeping like a child at the loss of her husband. Vince had tried to find the right words, but Tim’s death was so wrong there was nothing at all that he could say. Except that he wouldn’t rest until justice was served.
There she was. Kate Rydell, walking out of the restaurant, her head low, almost hidden in her big coat. When she got to her car, she looked in the back seat, then all around her before she slipped the key in the door.
He waited until she drove past him to start his pursuit. This was something else he was good at. Following without being seen.
She drove carefully, never over the speed limit. All surface streets, with a hell of a lot of turns. Finally, she got to a dive motel in Reseda, and he waited and watched as she walked up the stairs to the far unit on the second floor.
It was showtime.
Chapter 3
Kate’s hand shook AS she took the check out of her purse once again, praying she’d misread the amount. But no, it was half of what it should have been, not even three hundred dollars. She wanted to call Tyson and scream at him, but she couldn’t, could she? The deductions, of course. For the uniform she’d not returned, for her locker—which were in addition to tax deductions.
Altogether, more had been taken out than paid, putting her in an incredible bind. She’d never get an apartment and money for gas, food or much else, with this. Until Nate could come up with more cash, she was stuck here. In this dingy room, with the noise from the street keeping her up at night.
It wasn’t fair, but that had become the central theme of her life: Not Fair. Should Have Been Different. If Only.
She sat on the edge of the bed, the springs squeaking as if she weighed a ton. At least she had enough money to get to her interviews. It would have to do.
It took all her will, but she got up, put her coat in the measly closet and figured she’d make herself some tea, then start work on the ledgers. The tea, one of the essentials in her life along with her good soap, daily showers and a warm bed, would be made with her little heat coil. She’d picked it up in a travel shop four years ago and had taken it everywhere. She could survive on packaged soup, instant oatmeal and tea if she had to. Just add water.
From the closet floor, she got her box with the ledger pages and her laptop and put it next to the small table. But before she could get her cup, there was a knock on the door. Panic made her freeze and foolishness made her hope it was a mistake.
“Kate Rydell? It’s the police. Open up, please.”
Shit, shit, shit. Should she keep quiet and hope the cops hadn’t seen her come in? How in hell had they found her? Ellen. It had to be Ellen. Kate cursed again, knowing her friend hadn’t purposely betrayed her.
“I know you’re in there. Open the door.”
Kate shoved the box under the table, then went to obey. “Please hold your badge up to the peephole.”
He did, and she memorized the number, knowing all the while Omicron wouldn’t have a bit of trouble getting a fake badge. Or hiring a cop to do their dirty work.
“Open the door, Kate.”
She bristled at the use of her first name, but she managed not to shake as she turned the deadbolt. “Yes?”
The man on the other side looked as if he’d had a rough day. He was taller than her by a good five inches, wearing a brown overcoat. His tie was loosened and he hadn’t shaved in a day or two. His dark hair was messy, as if he’d run his hands through it and not looked in a mirror after. It was his eyes that really gave him away. They were oddly blue and filled with anger. “I’m here about the murder at the hotel.”
She thought about telling him he had the wrong person but dismissed that approach immediately. “What do you want to know?”
He looked past her into her room. “May I come in?”
“I don’t suppose it would do me any good to say no.”
“We could always do this at the precinct.”
She opened the door. Only after he was inside did it occur to her that he was alone. Her eyes narrowed. “Where’s your partner?”
“He’ll be here shortly. I’m Detective Yarrow, and I know you witnessed Tim Purchase’s murder.”
“And how do you know that?”
“Your cart was there. Open. And you hadn’t even finished restocking the refrigerator. I also have you on tape ten minutes after the murder, leaving the hotel.”
“I was there, but I didn’t see anything.”
“You were behind the bar.”
“That’s right. Where I hid.”
“You could see everything from there. In the mirror.”
“I suppose that would be true,” she said, “if I’d been looking up. I wasn’t.”
“You mean to tell me you didn’t see any part of it? Not even when he opened the door?”
“That’s what I’m telling you.”
“But you heard it.”
“Gunfire. That’s all. I’m sorry. I wish I could help, but I can’t.”
The anger in his eyes had turned to fury. His neck had darkened and his hands were fisted by his side. She’d faced a lot of angry men in her life and she knew this cop would stop at nothing. “You’re lying.”
“Excuse me?”
He stepped closer to her. “If you didn’t see anything, why did you run?”
“Gunshots. A dead guy.”
“A dead guy? Do you have any idea who it was lying up there in a pool of blood?”
“No.”
He turned briefly, running his hand through that tangle of hair. When he turned back, he seemed the tiniest bit calmer. “He was important. He was also a friend.”
“As I said, I wish I could help. But I can’t.”
“I can protect you.”
She laughed. She shouldn’t have, because he was so very serious. And because it told him more than she wanted him to know.
He almost smiled at her slip. “Did you recognize the gang? Were they wearing colors? Tattoos?”
“I didn’t see them.”
“Don’t. I just want to know—”
“Detective Yarrow, I appreciate that you’re trying to find whoever killed this man, but you’d be wise to look elsewhere. I can’t help you.”
“You can. And you will.”
She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, he was studying her so closely she had to step away. “You’re mistaken.”
“No, I’m not. Listen to me, Kate. I need these punks. I need them like you wouldn’t believe. I’m willing to do whateve
r it takes to get them.” He took a step closer, bridging the gap. “Whatever it takes.”
“I applaud your determination,” she said, standing her ground. “You’re asking for something I can’t give.”
He didn’t say anything as he continued to stare. Those strange blue eyes looked deeply, and she touched her throat. Then he broke away and walked over to the small table.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She was terrified that he’d look in the box underneath, that somehow he would understand what she had in her possession. The toe of his brown shoe touched the side of the box, and he turned his head so he could see.
Kate wanted to stop him, but she knew if she responded at all it would just increase his curiosity. The best thing she could do was act nonchalant. As if his questions weren’t making her feel guilty as hell, as if her very life and the lives of her friends didn’t depend on her lies.
If only her heart wouldn’t beat so hard. She felt sure he could hear it, that if he stayed one more minute he’d uncover the truth.
“Listen up, Kate,” he said, his voice very low, a whisper that made everything worse. “I know you saw who killed my friend. I know you ran because you think the gangs will come after you if you testify. Well, here’s the deal. I don’t care. I don’t like being lied to, and believe me, I’ve been lied to by the best, so you don’t fool me for a second.”
“I think you should leave,” she said, but this time her bravado slipped and her voice quavered like a child’s.
“I’m not leaving until I get what I want. I’m going to be on you twenty-four-seven. And to make things even more interesting, I’m going to let the press know what I’m doing. You hear me? If you think you’re afraid now, just wait.”
Vince watched her face grow pale, her eyes widen with his threats. She’d seen everything, all right. He’d wager his life on it. And he wasn’t about to let her walk away without testifying.
“That’s illegal. It’s harassment.”
“Sue me.”
“Don’t you even care that you’ll be wasting your time on me when you could be looking for the killers?”
“We’ve got a whole department of cops doing just that. My only assignment is you.”
