Deadly Rumors

by Cheris Hodges

  “Of course. You boys in the Bureau always have your secrets, but this attempted murder did happen in my jurisdiction.”

  “I don’t care who tries that son of a bitch. I want the motherfucker who hired him. Like I’ve said before, this isn’t about where the crime took place. I have bigger fish that I’m looking to get on the hook.”

  Shanult rocked back on his heels. “You seem to be taking this case rather personally. Now, if I give you clearance to talk to this man, do I have to worry about hearing that he was abused in Santa Fe?”

  “No, and you have my word on that.”

  Shanult nodded. “Follow me, I’ll take you to interrogation.”

  * * *

  Zoe banged on the door that separated her room from Carver’s. “Open this damned door!” One more knock and she realized he was probably at the police department. She needed answers. Why would an armed man be knocking on her door? Was he looking for her, or was she just a random victim? Did Santa Fe have some kind of hotel serial killer roaming the hallways of the city?

  Tony! Zoe rummaged through the pockets of her discarded jeans until she found his card. She was about to reach for her cell phone when she remembered that Carver had broken it.

  “Glad hotels haven’t taken these landlines out of the rooms yet.” Dialing his number, she hoped he would answer.

  “This is Officer Carroll.”

  “Tony, how are you? It’s Zoe from earlier.”

  “Aww, yeah, Ms. Sexy PI Lady.”

  She rolled her eyes, but realized that she was going to have to be a really great actress to get information from him. “I’m glad you remembered me. Something happened at the hotel where I’m staying, and it’s gotten me a little shaken.”

  “Don’t tell me that it was your room the fake room service guy came to.”

  “Word travels fast around here, huh?”

  “Yeah, especially when some FBI agent walks in all huffy about it. Damn, lady, do trouble and federal agents just follow you?”

  “No. Do you know if that FBI agent is still at headquarters?”

  “Couldn’t tell ya, babe. I’m out on patrol. I just keep hearing chatter about it. If you want, I can come and pick you up.”

  “And leave the citizens of Santa Fe in danger? I couldn’t ask you to do that. Besides, it’s a short walk from the hotel.”

  “I hope I get to see you before you leave town, and remember, tomorrow is my day off, beautiful.”

  “Goodbye, Tony.” Hanging up, Zoe slipped her feet into her shoes and headed for the police station. Someone was going to give her some answers.

  * * *

  Singletary watched Wendy as she walked out the front door of his Brooklyn apartment. She’d come straight to his place when she returned from Los Angeles and told him what the FBI had been planning, including the raid on his safe house outside of Virginia.

  Though she’d been good at getting him that critical information, she still failed him. Zoe Harrington was still alive.

  He knew if he wanted Zoe dead, he was going to have to take the lead in getting the bitch. Wendy was a good little mole. But when she became useless to him, she was going to have to die as well. Too many loose ends would unravel his network. He felt bad for the drug dealers these days. People were getting highs from prescription drugs and making shit in their bathrooms, but sex was the moneymaker. Zoe Harrington had cost him too much money. Natalie had had everything he needed: access to millionaires who didn’t want a soul to know they liked little girls and boys. Not only did they pay a pretty penny for the sex, when the blackmail attempts came, they paid even more. That bitch cut off his pipeline. Natalie was sitting in prison and had the nerve to try and cut a deal with Smallwood. Well, that motherfucker was dead, and in a few days, Natalie and Zoe would join him.

  Picking up his burner cell phone, he called his contact at the Bedford Hills Correction Facility. “Today is the day. I want that bitch dead.” He hung up without allowing his contact to say a word. He might be weakened financially, but people still feared him. Joe was pure evil and didn’t care about hurting people’s loved ones in order to get his way. That’s why anyone who challenged him or went against him in any way had to learn a painful lesson.

  Zoe would learn that lesson sooner rather than later.

  Chapter 11

  Zoe walked into the Santa Fe Police Department and realized she didn’t have a game plan. She knew how police dealt with victims and how they always made folks feel as if the rights of the accused were more important than the victim’s.

  Time to play the PI card, she thought as she approached the desk sergeant.

  “Can I help you, ma’am?”

  Zoe smiled. “Yes. My name is Zoe Harrington and I’m a private investigator.”

  “Here we go.” The man sighed and slammed his hand on the desk. “What’s this about? The mess at the hotel?”

  “Must be a slow day.” She offered him another smile. “I think my client was involved in the attempted murder. I’m just doing my due diligence to keep him safe.”

  “I thought it was a woman in the room.” He stroked his chin. “And what did you say your name was?”

  “Zoe Harrington.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out her wallet to show him her license.

  “Can you even work in this state?”

  “Yes, I can. Otherwise it would be stupid for me to be in the police department announcing that I’m here.” She offered him a bright smile. The man seemed unfazed by her, unlike Tony.

  He rose to his feet. “Wait here.”

  Zoe missed the days of paper reports. There was no way that she could sneak behind the desk and get into the computer files without getting caught. Tapping her foot on the tile floor, she wondered if Carver was still inside. Was he being questioned or doing the questioning?

  “Ma’am,” the desk sergeant said, breaking into her thoughts, “I can’t help you.”

  “What?”

  “All I can do is refer you to the public information officer once the reports are released. No one has been arrested at this time.” He shrugged his massive shoulders. “Nothing I can do.”

  “Who can do something? Is there a supervisor I can speak with? This is kind of important. We’re talking life and death.”

  He wiggled his finger at her so that she’d come closer. “Listen, you seem like a nice person, and from the way you talk, you’ve been around the block a little bit. The FBI is here, so we’re being watched. If I could help you, I would.”

  “Is the FBI questioning that guy?”

  He nodded. “And I can’t tell you anything else because I don’t know anything else.”

  Zoe nodded and decided to cut her losses. “You’ve been very helpful. Thank you.”

  “No problem, but you didn’t get any information from me, right?”

  Zoe did a zipping motion across her lips. “Not a word.” Winking at him, she headed for the exit. So Carver had pulled out his FBI badge. But why? Zoe turned around and walked over to the desk again.

  “Hey,” she said. “Can I ask another question?”

  “All right, now you’re starting to push it.”

  “This is a general question that you can answer with a yes or no.”

  The man rolled his eyes. “Go ahead.”

  “Is there a killer running around Santa Fe with his MO? Fake room service, then bang?”

  “We have had an uptick in violent crime, but this is new. Your client might want to watch his back.”

  “Thanks.” Zoe headed out the door, wondering if she really had been the target. But who would want to kill her, and how did anyone know where she was? She hadn’t even told Zach that she was in Santa Fe.

  Carver has to be the target, she thought as she walked back to the hotel. Now she had to do the thing she hated the most: wait. Instead of heading back to her room, Zoe went to the bar and ordered a glass of Chardonnay, which she planned to nurse until Carver walked through the door.

  * * *


  “Who hired you?” Carver asked as he locked eyes with the man who’d tried to kill Zoe.

  He leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. “Lawyer.”

  “This is how you want to play this? You’re not facing state charges, asshole. We’re talking federal time. No parole. You want to go down alone, or do you want to tell me where I can find Singletary?”

  “Don’t know what you’re talking about and I want a lawyer.”

  Carver leaned in and glared at him. “Look, David, I can help you now. But when that lawyer walks in and Singletary finds out that you didn’t get the job done, you’re on your own.”

  David’s eyes widened. “Are you the guy?”

  “What?”

  “Joe got . . . Nah, I’m not saying nothing, but that bitch better watch her back. I’m not the only one after her. And just know this, Joe got people and eyes everywhere. You can’t save her, Captain.”

  Carver wanted to put his fist through that man’s face. But his little slip-up gave him the signal he needed to know that someone inside had been working with Singletary. And he thought it was Smallwood. Did this mean that Wendy was in danger, too, because she worked with Smallwood? Was that why Singletary shot him?

  Carver was about to grab David by the throat when the door opened and a detective walked in. “Agent Banks, are you done?”

  “Nope.”

  “Well, you are now. I’m Detective Planko, and as far as I know, this guy is facing state charges. We’re going to take over from here.”

  “Federal charges are pending, so it doesn’t matter. He’s already asked for a lawyer.” Carver walked toward Planko and shook his hand. “He’s all yours.”

  As much as he wanted to choke the hell out of David, Carver knew that the best thing he could do right now would be to get Zoe out of New Mexico. But how was he going to explain the attempt on Zoe’s life? He knew she was going to have questions, and if he didn’t have an answer, that was going to be a problem.

  Leaving the interrogation room, Carver knew he had to come up with a good story to convince Zoe to leave without asking too many questions. He headed to the hotel and made a beeline for Zoe’s room. Before he made it to her room, Zoe seemed to appear out of nowhere in the lobby and started questioning him.

  “What is going on?” She slapped her hands on her hips. “And don’t tell me nothing, because I know you went over to the police department flashing your FBI badge.”

  “The MO of this guy looked like a case that the Bureau was working last year. I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t the same guy.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Why do I feel like you just fed me a line of bull?”

  “Believe what you want, but we need to go ahead to Vegas. I’ve talked to one of my contacts with the Las Vegas Police Department and they may have found Jessica’s body.”

  “Really? That’s all well and good, but what was that commotion outside of my room all about?”

  “I don’t know,” he lied.

  Zoe narrowed her eyes at him. “And in all that time you spent at the police department, you didn’t find out anything?”

  “Like most cowards do, he lawyered up. I have to respect the Constitution,” Carver said.

  Zoe shook her head and started for the elevator. Carver followed her and touched her elbow. “Will you calm down?” he said.

  “No, I won’t calm down! You got me out here unarmed, some crazed man tried to kick my door in, and I’m supposed to be okay with it?”

  “Listen,” he said as the doors to the elevator opened, “as long as we’re out here together, nothing is going to happen to you.”

  “You’re damned right, because I’m not going to Vegas without at least one of my guns.”

  A tense silence fell over them as the elevator car rose to the third floor.

  “Zoe, we need to talk about this gun thing,” he said as she stalked off the elevator and headed for her room.

  “There’s nothing to discuss. I’m not getting caught out here unarmed again,” she snapped as she unlocked the door. Zoe walked in her room and plopped down on the bed. Looking at her, Carver wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and make love to her. He wanted to assure her that she was safe and that no harm would come her way. Carver knew beneath that anger she was scared. And she had reason to be, she just didn’t know it.

  “Why are you standing there looking at me like that?” she snapped, breaking into his thoughts.

  He focused on her face. “What?”

  “Do I even want to know where your mind went?”

  He sat down beside her on the bed. “Depends on when you want to get back to New York. And why do you need multiple guns again?”

  “Because I won’t be caught off guard again.”

  “That wouldn’t have happened if we shared a room. I could’ve protected you.”

  Zoe pushed him off the bed. “I don’t need your protection, Banks. And let’s remember that you came to me. I’m not some rose blowing in the wind.”

  Carver propped up on his elbows on the floor. “Zoe, I know you’re quite capable, but you can’t carry your firearms on a plane. I can. That’s all I meant. So, if you want to go and get your guns, Annie Oakley, we can do that. But as a federal officer, I’m not going to be able to help you break the law if you’re not licensed to carry in certain states.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Get out of my room.”

  “Let me check under the bed first, make sure there aren’t any strangers lurking around.” He pulled the edge of the blanket up, then rose to his feet.

  She shook her head and crossed the room. Zoe snatched the door open. “Go book my flight.”

  Carver gave her a fleeting look as he walked to the door. She was so damned beautiful. Why couldn’t they just be on vacation together, making love and eating great food?

  “Why are you still here?” They locked eyes and Carver could’ve sworn that he saw her tremble.

  “Because I’m waiting for you to take off your clothes and tell me you want me to make love to you.”

  “Is that so?” Smiling, she placed both hands on his chest and just as he leaned in, expecting a kiss, Zoe pushed him out of the open door.

  “Keep waiting.” She slammed the door in his face and Carver heard her laughing on the other side. He’d have the last laugh, though. Zoe could have round one because he was going to win this war of hearts.

  * * *

  Zoe leaned against the door and willed her heartbeat to return to its normal pace. Could that man see through her? Did he know she wanted everything he’d said? Was it showing in her eyes as she hungrily drank in his image? Had he heard the thumping of her heart when she pushed him off the bed? Another couple of seconds near his heat-radiating body and she would’ve taken her clothes off and made love to him. But that was not why they were in New Mexico. They needed to solve this case so that she could leave Carver Banks alone.

  It had been easy to pretend she had forgotten about Carver when he was out of sight. She assumed he worked in DC, had a nice townhouse in Georgetown, dated pretty women who liked the strong hero type. They probably went out for tapas and expensive wine. She hated tapas. She tolerated wine, but preferred vodka and cranberry with a side of hot wings and extra blue cheese.

  Carver was the kind of man who needed that bougie pretty girl, and that was not Zoe. It was Zach’s fault for making her play the role of a tomboy growing up so his friends wouldn’t want to date her. If she had her phone, she’d call him and have one of those irrational twin conversations that they hadn’t had in a long time. At this point, she would do anything to take her mind off Carver Banks.

  Chapter 12

  Carver booked the flight to New York as Zoe wanted and sighed. Instead of sitting in the business center of the hotel, he’d rather be making love to Zoe. But lust and longing would have to take a back seat to keeping her safe. He needed to know what Singletary’s next move was and who he’d sent after Zoe. He knew that man was smart eno
ugh not to post a listing on Craigslist for a hit man. Carver figured that it was someone within the organization that he’d probably put on Zoe’s tail.

  That made things worse. Singletary’s thugs were like ghosts. Just like that fool sitting across the way in jail. Carver wished he could log on to the FBI’s secure server and run that guy’s face through the facial recognition system. But he didn’t want to give anyone direct access to their location, since he didn’t know who he could trust anymore.

  Wendy was his only contact right now, and he wasn’t sure if he could trust her. “Maybe I’m just being paranoid,” he muttered as he pulled out his cell phone. Dialing her number, he hoped that she had some information about Singletary’s location.

  “Agent Covington.”

  “Wendy, it’s Carver.”

  “I was wondering what was going on with you. Are you and Zoe still in New Mexico?”

  “Yeah, for now. I need some help. I’m going to email you a mug shot. Run this guy’s background and let me know if he has any ties to Singletary.”

  “Why don’t you use your tablet?”

  “It’s dead and I don’t have my charger,” he lied. “Text me what you find out.”

  “Got it.”

  “How’s Smallwood?”

  “I’m sorry, he didn’t survive.”

  Carver muttered under his breath. “We have to take Singletary down.”

  “I’m working on it. We’re building a new team.”

  “Who’s in charge?”

  “I don’t know yet, but I’ll keep you posted.”

  “All right. Are you back in DC?”

  “For now. We’re trying to trace Singletary’s girls, so I’m back to monitoring Backpage. I want to get back out there in the field and take him down. But it seems as if I’m being punished for the ambush.”

  Carver sighed. He’d heard this song and dance from Wendy for years. She wanted to be in the field. She wanted more responsibilities, but when she got it, something always happened to undermine cases. Carver often wondered how she’d even gotten a job with the Bureau.