The Lawman Who Loved Her

by Mallory Kane

  The bigger man shrugged. “And go where, my man?”

  Cody threw down the stick he’d been using to poke through the rubble and carefully dusted his bandaged hands together. The burns were only first-degree, with a couple of blisters, but they hurt like hell, all the time. “I don’t know. Back to the precinct, maybe. What I can’t figure out is why he hasn’t contacted me.”

  Cody pushed his hair back off his forehead with his forearm. “Am I missing something, Dev?”

  “Take a look over here,” Dev said, walking carefully toward the spot where the back door had been.

  Cody followed him, with a last glance toward the bedroom, trying to quell the memory of those endless seconds when the whole place had been engulfed in flame.

  Dana hadn’t been in there. She was safe. She had to be.

  Dev walked about a hundred yards away from the house, toward the wooded area. Cody followed him, glancing back at the place where the house was, measuring the distance with his eye. “What’s going on, Dev? What have you found?”

  Dev stopped and crouched down. “Look here.”

  Cody crouched next to Dev, searching the ground with his gaze. The grass and weeds were flattened and bruised, as if someone had walked there, sat there. And not just one person. The signs indicated that two people had been there. There were a couple of places where it was obvious a small foot had slipped on damp grass.

  Cody touched the flattened grass, then twisted around to look back at the house. Slowly, the truth dawned in his still-hazy brain. “He had her here, didn’t he, Dev? This is far enough from the house to be safe from the explosion. The bastard had her here, held her here. If he’s hurt her, Dev…”

  “Take it easy, Code. You said yourself, he needs her alive, to get to you.”

  “Yeah….” Cody wasn’t reassured. As he well knew, the human body could take a lot, and still remain alive. Bastard.

  “I swear, if he’s harmed one hair on her head…” A wave of helpless fury washed over him.

  After one more quick glance around, he stood, looking down the hill to where he and Dev had been standing when the house exploded. “They watched.”

  Dev looked up at him. “Huh?”

  “Look down there. Don’t you see? Look at this vantage point. It’s perfect. They could see us, but we’d be hard-pressed to spot them.” His fury mounted. “He made her watch while the house exploded. She saw everything.” Cody whirled and started back toward the wreckage of the house. “Come on, Dev. We’ve got to get back to New Orleans.”

  “Wait a minute.” Dev followed Cody. “Mind giving me some explanation here?”

  Cody talked as he walked. “Okay. You know most of it. But here goes. First he leaves things for me. Nice things. No threats, nothing tricky. A cup of my favorite coffee on my desk. Takes my newspaper from in front of my door and leaves it in my car.”

  As he made his way down the hill with Dev beside him, Cody outlined what Fontenot had done, and as he did, anger and determination settled cold and hard in his chest.

  Somehow, he would make Fontenot pay for what he’d done to Dana and to him. “It’s like he feeds on emotions, Dev. He put Dana’s earring on my car seat, knowing I’d understand his message. He could get to her. That’s what he was telling me. Then he rigged that gun—not to kill me. In fact he didn’t even mean for me to get shot.” Cody heard the bitterness in his voice.

  “Too slow.”

  “What?” Cody turned to look at Dev, bewildered by his words.

  “That’s what Dana said when she saw the booby trap. She said you’d been too slow.”

  Cody stared at Dev. Dana had said the same thing to him. She understood. She’d figured out what Fontenot had been doing.

  “Too slow is right. I should have sensed that the trap was there. Then he rigs the lights in Dana’s car to look like an explosion. He was watching, Dev. Just like up there.” Cody gestured back up the hill. “See? It’s exactly like I said. You can’t even see that spot from here. But they could see us. He made Dana watch. She had to watch me trying to get to her.” Cody’s voice broke.

  He shuddered as revulsion for Fontenot rose in his throat like bile. His chest hurt with anguished sympathy for what his chère had gone through. She’d had to live those same endless seconds he’d lived as he’d watched the house blow up, as he’d thought she was burning up in the explosion.

  A fierce, hot urge to kill Fontenot with his bare hands raged inside Cody. He wanted to rip the man’s heart out.

  “He deserves to die,” Dev remarked.

  Cody glanced at his partner, a realization dawning inside him. “No. That’s where you’re wrong. A man like Fontenot, who lives on other people’s pain, deserves worse than death.” Cody brushed the tips of his fingers over the cold steel of his revolver. “Much as I’d like to blow him away, he doesn’t deserve that kind of clean, quick death. What that bastard hates more than anything is that he wasn’t smart enough to stay out of prison. That’s why he’s so obsessed with me, because I put him in prison. I locked him up.”

  They reached the car, and Cody turned to Dev. “And that’s what I’m going to do again. If it’s the last thing I ever do, I’ll lock Fontenot away.” Cody took a long breath. “I’ll get that maniac off the street, so Dana can be safe again.”

  Cody’s cell phone rang. “That’s probably Hamilton, wondering where we are. I’ll tell you something else, Dev,” he said, pointing the phone at his partner. “I’m not letting Dana go again, either. I’ve wasted too much time already. I’ll take a desk job first.”

  Dev grinned and gave Cody a double thumbs-up as he pressed the button on the cell phone.

  “Maxwell,” he said.

  “Cody?”

  His heart leapt in his chest, sending adrenaline pumping through him. “Dana? Chère?” His voice broke and he grabbed the phone with both hands. He’d known she was alive, somewhere. He’d prayed she was safe, but the low, sweet sound of her voice made him realize how afraid he’d been that he would never hear her say his name again. That he would never hold her again. That he’d never have the chance to make up to her for not keeping her safe.

  His pulse hammered like a piston, and his throat grew tight. He felt tears pricking his eyes as he took a long breath and tried to make his voice sound calm. If Fontenot had her, she wasn’t safe yet. “Where are you chère? I’ve been worried.”

  “Cody, are you all right?”

  He closed his eyes. “Sure. I’m fine. What about you?” Such mundane words to convey such intense relief.

  “Cody, come home, please.”

  There was a slight tremor in her voice, like she got when she was pleading a case. Cody was sure nobody had ever noticed it but him. But then he knew her so well. He knew every nuance, every tiny breath she took and what it meant.

  Cody’s heart was full to overflowing with helpless love for his brave wife.

  He forced a cheerfulness into his voice. “Hey, chère, I’m on my way. You at home? Are you okay? What happened?”

  She took a shaky breath. He waited, wondering if Fontenot was listening, wondering what he should say. He probably should act as naturally as possible, ask the questions any man would ask under the circumstances. He gripped the phone tighter, afraid of saying the wrong thing, afraid any wrong word or sound would put her in more danger.

  “Chère, has Fontenot got you? Did he hurt you?”

  “No, I’m okay,” she murmured, then she gasped again quietly. “I just want to see you.”

  “Me, too, chère, me, too.” For a moment, Cody’s love and fear overrode his cop’s judgment. “I thought you were dead, chère,” he said, not caring if Fontenot was listening, not caring if the man heard the tears in his voice.

  “Oh, Cody, I know. I’m so sorry.”

  “No, chère, don’t be sorry. What happened? Come on, talk to me.”

  “He dragged me out of the house, Cody,” she said, her voice sounding tinny over the phone. She sounded like she was about to cr
y. Cody clenched his jaw and changed his mind about locking Fontenot away. Maybe he would kill him with his bare hands.

  “He made me watch the house blow up. Oh, Cody, you thought I was in there. I’m so sorry.” Her voice was getting a hysterical edge to it. She sounded as if she was about to break down. If Fontenot was there, he was certainly enjoying this.

  “It’s okay. Everything’s okay. I’m just glad to hear your voice.” Cody swallowed hard, trying to stop the emotions clogging his throat. “Tell me what happened.”

  “He just…just threw me in a car and drove and drove and drove, then he s-said he was going after you and he tossed me out of the car.”

  Cody frowned. That didn’t sound like the diabolical maniac he knew. What was going on? He was more convinced than ever that Fontenot was there with Dana, making her say these things.

  “So I caught a cab home. Cody, I’m scared. Will you come home?”

  Cody’s heart twisted painfully in his chest. He felt so helpless, so impotent. Fontenot had his wife, and he was powerless to save her. “I’ll be there. But you promise me you’re okay? Is Fontenot there?”

  “No,” she said quickly. “I told you, he dumped me out of the car. But I’m fine. I just want to see you. I really need you to come home, safe and sound.”

  “Me, too, chère. You’re at your apartment? I’ll be there within two hours, okay?” He looked around and caught Dev’s eye and motioned for him. “Where did he dump you out?”

  “In uh—Algiers.”

  Cody’s anger began to flare again. Had Fontenot really done that, dumped her out in Algiers, where some of the roughest neighborhoods in New Orleans were? Cody didn’t buy it. Fontenot wouldn’t let Dana out of his sight. She was his trump card.

  “But you’re okay?”

  “I’m fine,” she said shakily. “I promise. But one thing, Cody.”

  “Yeah?” he said, his heart thumping harder in his chest.

  “Bring me a surprise, okay? Like you always do?” Dana’s voice became a little stronger, a trace more determined. “Don’t forget.”

  “Dana—” he started, but the line went dead. “Damn!” What the hell was that last about? Dana hated surprises. Don’t forget.

  Dev walked up. “What is it, my man? You look sick.”

  Cody shook his head, staring at the phone for a moment before he put it back in its case. “Dana.” He realized he was shaking when he had trouble getting the phone into its belt holder.

  Don’t forget. He hadn’t forgotten her words in the pirogue. I don’t like surprises. Promise me you’ll never surprise me.

  “That was Dana? Is she okay?”

  Cody shook his head. “No, she’s not. She’s at her apartment, and Fontenot’s there. He’s got her, and he’s using her as bait to lure me to him.”

  “She told you all that?”

  Cody nodded, and smiled, pride and admiration for his wife swelling in his chest. “Yeah. She sure did.”

  DANA COULDN’T LET GO of the phone. Fontenot had cut the connection, but she still gripped it as if it were Cody’s hands.

  “What was that about a surprise?” he said harshly, wrenching the phone out of her numbed hands.

  She looked at him in distaste, touching the cut on her cheek where his pinkie ring had scratched her. She lifted her chin. “I always ask Cody to bring me a surprise. You warned me not to make him suspicious. He’d be suspicious if I hadn’t mentioned that.” She swallowed. “He should be here within two hours.”

  “Well, you did sound very natural and fairly calm. I hope you managed to convince him. If he doesn’t come alone, things could get very messy. It would be a shame to have to kill more people than necessary.”

  Dana glared at Fontenot, hoping the mixture of terror and relief washing through her didn’t show on her face. Had her pitiful attempt at warning Cody worked? Would Cody remember her saying she hated surprises? At the time, Cody had been irritated at her. He’d fired back at her that she didn’t like to have fun. If he didn’t remember, if he failed to understand her vague message…It was hard for her to even formulate the thought, although it lay there in her brain like a rock balanced precariously over a town, ominous, hovering, ever-present. Fontenot would kill Cody.

  “Now, Mrs. Maxwell,” he said, consulting his watch. “If it takes your dear husband two hours or so to get here, we have a bit of a wait ahead of us. Why don’t you make us some coffee?”

  “Why don’t you drop dead?”

  “COME ON. CAN’T YOU MOVE any faster?” Cody stood motionless, waiting for the technical guys to finish taping the wires to his chest.

  “Stay cool, Code.”

  If Cody hadn’t been so worried about Dana, he’d be enjoying the heck out of Dev’s unease. The big, black-haired detective paced up and down, up and down, his hands shoved in the back pockets of his jeans, his bearded face dark with worry.

  But as it was, Dev’s concern only emphasized the gravity of the situation.

  “Ouch!” he exclaimed as one of the technicians ripped off a piece of tape.

  Captain Hamilton came in and clasped him on the shoulder. “You sure about this, Maxwell?”

  He nodded. “Absolutely. Fontenot is capable of anything. I’ve got to go in there alone. You guys can’t make a move until I’m sure he’s totally focused on me. He’ll kill her, Captain.” His heart felt as though it was tearing in two as he spoke those words.

  “He’ll kill you.”

  Cody shook his head. “I can take care of myself. But if he gets a whiff of police, she’s dead.” He cleared his throat. “Please wait, captain. Wait until the last possible minute. And remember, the bastard loves booby traps. He’ll have something on the door.”

  “You just make sure that wire stays in place, because if we lose touch, we’ll have no choice but to use force.”

  “Excuse me, Captain Hamilton. Detective Maxwell, can you turn around? I need to attach the transmitter to your side, under your arm.” The young man held up the apparatus.

  Cody looked down, where strips of tape ran down his chest and belly like lines painted on a highway. He touched a couple of the strips of tape to be sure they were secure. He knew wearing a wire was necessary, but something nagged at him. Fontenot was sure to suspect a wire. The man wouldn’t miss something as simple as that. Dana’s safety depended on Cody getting a confession out of Fontenot quickly. He knew a simple kidnapping charge wouldn’t stop the man. He’d be out of prison again in no time, if they even got a conviction. No, if he couldn’t put Fontenot away for his wife’s murder, they’d never be safe.

  God, please help me. I can’t lose her again.

  “This microphone is supersensitive.” Captain Hamilton gestured toward the wires. “It’s state of the art, and very expensive. So try not to break it.”

  Cody smiled wryly at the captain’s lame attempt at humor. “Do my best, sir.”

  Hamilton cleared his throat. “Well, I’m sure you will.”

  “Sir?” The technician needed Cody’s attention. “The transmitter needs to go up high under your arm. Would you like me to shave your armpit?”

  A snort from behind him told Cody that Dev was confident enough to laugh at his situation. Cody half turned and sent Dev a well-known and unmistakable gesture, before he shook his head shortly at the technician.

  Dev chuckled, clasped Cody around the back of his neck and gave him a quick, awkward hug. “We’ll be ready, Code. Just say the word and we’ll be in there in two seconds.”

  “Thanks, Dev.”

  “She’ll be okay, my man. You two belong together.”

  Cody nodded, then blinked to rid his eyes of hazy tears.

  “That’s it, sir.”

  Cody winced as the tape pulled at the hair under his arm. “Thanks,” he said wryly as he dressed.

  “Okay, men, let’s get out there and get that son of a bitch,” the captain said.

  Cody started out the door, still worried about Fontenot finding the wire. “Hold it.”


  “What’s the matter, Code?” Dev said. “Change your mind about that shave?”

  Cody shot Dev a look, then gestured to the technician. “Captain, give me a minute. I’ve got an idea.”

  CODY TRIED THE APARTMENT DOOR. Sure enough it was unlocked. He shook his head. Fontenot was so sure of himself. He’d gotten either real cocky or real desperate. Cody profoundly hoped Fontenot was desperate, because if he didn’t hold all the cards, he certainly held the trump. He had Dana.

  They still had no concrete evidence that Fontenot was behind anything that had happened, except Dana’s kidnapping, and that wasn’t enough. Cody wanted to get him for the murder of his wife, so he’d have to goad him into confessing.

  He rubbed his chest, where the wire was taped as he stepped into Dana’s living room. The tape itched like hell and pulled at his chest hairs.

  The first thing Cody saw was his wife, sitting on the couch, curled up with her feet under her, holding a magazine with white-knuckled fingers. When he stepped into the room, she looked up, abject terror on her face.

  Cody’s throat tightened with emotion.

  “Dana,” he whispered. The relief that coursed through him when he saw her almost undid him. She was pale, and terrified, and there was a bruise and a scratch on her cheek, but she was here, in front of him, alive.

  “Cody.” Her voice was uncertain and small. She stood up, clutching the magazine, wrinkling its pages in her hands.

  Come on chère, play out the charade. Don’t quit on me now. He tried to send her reassuring signals without letting any emotion show on his face.

  “Oh, Cody,” she breathed, but she didn’t move.

  “It’s okay, chère,” he soothed. He hated the bastard for setting them up like this, for watching as he saw Dana for the first time since those awful moments when the house had blown up.

  “I thought you were dead. My God, let me look at you.” He took her hands, which were icy cold, and held them tightly as he looked at her. Cody forced himself not to look around, to keep his gaze riveted on Dana. He stepped toward her, the hairs on the back of his neck prickling, knowing Fontenot was watching them, feeding on their emotions. The ghoul must be satiated by now, he thought. He squeezed her hands. “I’m glad you’re safe.”