Deadly Rumors

by Cheris Hodges

  About an hour later, Lewis looked like any other guy taking the subway before dawn. With his headphones in his ears and a white T-shirt and jeans on, he blended in with the natives. As much as he wanted to smile, he tempered his excitement until he saw news of the explosion.

  * * *

  “Why are flights to New York always overcrowded?” Zoe muttered as she tried to stuff her carry-on bag in the overhead compartment.

  “Hold up, Zoe. Let me get that for you.” As he reached for the bag, another passenger bumped into Carver, crushing him into Zoe. Gasping, she closed her eyes because his heat was overwhelming.

  “Sorry,” he said.

  “No problem.” She turned around and sighed. “Hopefully that’s the most turbulence that we’re going to experience this morning.”

  Taking their seats, Carver touched her knee. “My shoulder is here for you if things get choppy in the sky.”

  She shook her head, but kept silent. She knew that he wanted to offer more than just his shoulder. But as the plane took off, Zoe did take him up on that shoulder offer. She even held his hand.

  With his free hand, Carver stroked her knee. “Takeoff is always the worst.”

  Zoe nodded and held her breath until the plane leveled off. Then she exhaled and unfurled herself from Carver. “I’m going to tell you a secret,” she said.

  “What’s that?”

  “This is the reason why eighty percent of my cases are local.”

  “So, your doing this for me means I’m going to be forever in your debt, right?”

  She nodded. “Glad you know this.”

  Carver wanted to kiss her again, but he was going to keep his promise to her and keep his lips to himself. For now, anyway.

  She made it real hard for him to keep that promise when she leaned on his shoulder and drifted off to sleep. Her face looked angelic, and those lips. Those lips were temptation personified. He ran his index finger gently across them. She stirred but didn’t wake up. A flight attendant walked by their seats and smiled at Carver.

  “Sir, would you and your wife like some orange juice or anything?”

  “Some juice would be great. And she prefers apple juice.”

  “And I’m not his wife,” Zoe said groggily.

  “Oh, okay.” The flight attendant poured the drinks and moved over to the next set of passengers.

  “I thought you were sleeping.”

  “I was until someone started playing with my lips.” Zoe drank her juice. “Why would you let that woman think we’re married?”

  Carver shrugged and downed his orange juice. “I’d rather she believe that than that you are my mistress.”

  “Oh, hush. And don’t forget that you need to head to a phone store and get me a new one.”

  “I know. I’m surprised that it took you this long to remind me—again.”

  She yawned, then smirked at him. “It came to me in a dream. You were trying to weasel out of getting me a smartphone and wanted to give me a classic flip phone like yours. And just FYI, that’s not going to happen.”

  The flight was smooth and gave Carver a chance to banter back and forth with Zoe. It felt so comfortable talking to each other. He wished they could be like that all the time. No tension, no accusations, no lies. Then he remembered there was nothing but a big lie between them.

  Zoe noticed when Carver fell silent. “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Just thought about something. What happens if we find Jessica’s body and pull the scabs off the wounds of her parents when we find her?” he said. The lie caught in his throat and he took another sip of his juice. He hated not being able to tell her everything. But it was the best thing for Zoe. She wouldn’t take his advice if he told her a killer was on her heels and she needed to lay low. He could see her strapping on every one of her weapons, like Lara Croft, and daring Singletary to come get her.

  “If you feel that way, then why did you take this case?”

  “Because when you get an assignment, you take it.”

  She snorted. “That’s why I’m glad I’m my own boss.”

  “Why do you think you don’t need anybody?”

  She leaned away from him. “You have a savior complex, don’t you? You do realize this isn’t a fairy tale and women can take care of themselves. I never said I didn’t need anyone. But what I definitely don’t need is some man riding in on the proverbial white horse to save me.”

  “Excuse me for giving a damn about you, Zoe. I know that you don’t need me or anyone else to protect you. You’re Superwoman.”

  Zoe rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’m not going to argue with you, because it’s pointless. And you’re right, I don’t need you to take care of me.” She turned her back to him and eased closer to the edge of her seat.

  “Can we not fight?”

  “If you stop saying sexist things, then of course we can. Just keep in mind that I made it through the police academy and onto the police force without someone helping me do it. And according to you, I’m one of the best investigators you know, so miss me with your bullshit.”

  “You think it’s bullshit that I care about you?”

  “Yes.”

  He gritted his teeth but didn’t say a word to her. Of course she told herself that he didn’t care, because it made her feel better. Carver ached for this woman, but he was tired of beating his head against a brick wall to prove himself. Nodding, Carver pressed the button for the flight attendant. “Yes, sir?” she asked, seeming to appear out of nowhere.

  “I need a double vodka and orange juice and two pillows, please.”

  She glanced at her watch, then nodded as she made his drink. Zoe gave him a sidelong glance.

  “Why do you need two pillows?”

  “Because if you keep talking, I’m going to smother myself.”

  The flight attendant handed Carver his drink. “Ma’am, would you like anything to drink?”

  “Just another apple juice, thank you.”

  The woman nodded and poured Zoe her juice. As she walked down the aisle, she whispered to another flight attendant, “I think we better watch them. I think they’re having a fight.”

  Carver nudged Zoe. “Now look what you’ve done. They think we’re going to cause a scene.”

  “Whatever. I’m going to drink my juice and go to sleep. You try to stay sober, lush.”

  He took a big gulp of his drink. “It’s five o’clock somewhere.”

  Chapter 14

  Zoe and Carver had drifted off to sleep, and when the flight attendant came by to wake them up, the plane was making its descent into New York.

  “This is probably the best flight I’ve ever taken,” Zoe said as she fastened her seat belt and shifted her seat into the upright position.

  “Yeah, and all of the snoring didn’t keep the rest of us up at all.”

  “Too bad you aren’t funny, you could have a second career.” Zoe hadn’t noticed the landing until the plane jerked. Carver pulled her into his arms.

  “We’re on the ground, it’s okay.”

  “You’re loving this, aren’t you?”

  He shook his head. “We all have our weaknesses. You don’t like to fly. I get it.”

  “And what’s your weakness, Superman?”

  Smirking at her, Carver nodded toward her. “Zoe Harrington.”

  She pursed her lips and kept her caustic comment to herself as everyone began to deplane.

  “You don’t believe me, do you?”

  “Nope.”

  “I guess I’ll have to prove it to you.”

  “You really don’t.” She grabbed her bag and started for the exit. Carver caught up to her and grabbed her elbow.

  “Zoe, when you finally believe in me, it’s going to knock your socks off.”

  She didn’t want to tell him that she wanted nothing more than to believe in him. She wanted to believe that they could share real love. But she wasn’t going to get wrapped up in a fantasy world. It may have worked out that way for Zach
and Chante, but she wasn’t under the illusion that she was going to have that kind of future with Carver Banks.

  Besides, what would Zach say if she came home with the man who tried to put him in prison? She knew her twin. He held a grudge like a baby held a bottle. And she already knew how he felt about Carver. She wasn’t even going to try and explain how she’d fallen for him.

  “What?” Carver asked when he looked at Zoe.

  “Nothing.” She looked down at her watch. “We’d better get moving because I have to get my guns, and you never said what time we’re scheduled to leave for Vegas. Have you booked the flight yet?”

  “Good thing about this flight is that we’re taking a private jet.”

  Zoe raised her right eyebrow. “Are you on the take or something? How can you afford a private jet?”

  “Because I had a roommate in college who became a millionaire. Ever heard of Steve Mitts?”

  “You know that creep?” Zoe laughed. “Two of his ex-wives hired me to find out if he was cheating or not. He was.”

  “Well, he’s a good guy deep inside. He just can’t keep it in his pants.”

  Zoe rolled her eyes. “Of course you’d defend him. Typical male. Anyway, I’m going to head home and get my guns, then stop by my office for my meeting. I should be ready about two thirty. Where are we catching this jet?”

  “Far Rockaway. It’s about an hour from the Bronx.”

  She frowned at him. “Don’t you think I know that? I’m the native New Yorker.” Her words were wrapped with sarcasm.

  He threw his hands up. “Sorry, I forgot who I was dealing with. I have to stop by the FBI satellite office and check in. But I can meet you at your office in a couple of hours.”

  “What if my meeting isn’t over?”

  “Then I’ll wait. I know I’m not your only client, but we’re going to have to get to Las Vegas sooner rather than later.”

  “Aye, aye, Captain.” She rolled her eyes and headed for the exit.

  * * *

  Carver followed Zoe as she walked down the concourse and blended in with the crowd. He knew he had to keep his distance for a while. He watched the people around her, making sure no one was following her. His heart beat overtime thinking that one of these thousands of people could be the hit man or woman trying to kill her. So far, he hadn’t noticed anything suspicious. She headed for the taxi stand and Carver stood a few feet behind her. When he saw her hop into a cab, he pushed through the crowd and got into a waiting cab behind hers.

  “Hey, buddy, where ya heading?” the driver asked.

  “Just follow that yellow cab that just left,” he said. “I’ll pay you double the fare.” Carver pulled out his FBI badge. “That woman is a witness and I need to make sure she doesn’t get away.”

  “I’m on it! I can’t believe I’m part of an FBI sting.”

  “Yeah, you’re really important right now, so don’t lose sight of that car.”

  * * *

  Wendy had just received an alert that Zoe Harrington had landed in New York. She was about to call Singletary, but she knew if she wanted her money, she was going to have to take care of Zoe herself. Pulling out her burner cell phone, she called her guy.

  “She’s back in town.”

  “All right. Where is she?”

  “I’d head to her office if I were you. I want her dead.”

  “What about the man who has been with her?”

  “Kill him, too. No witnesses and no mistakes. I’m tired of waiting for something to happen when I need results.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Wendy hung up the phone with a smile on her face. She couldn’t wait to get the news of Carver’s and Zoe’s deaths. She would celebrate, get her money from Singletary, and disappear. It would serve that bastard right for underestimating her all these years. Her only regret was that she wouldn’t see the shock in his eyes like she did when she shot Smallwood. She knew he’d been the one who’d blocked her promotion two years ago. She wanted to be a field agent, not chained to a desk—only going out on occasion. Wendy had been lucky to get to Los Angeles, and she found that girl before she talked to the FBI about Singletary’s organization. Then there was the little snitch who’d approached her before the team left LA and Wendy shot her.

  So far, her body hadn’t been found, and that was a good thing. She hadn’t told Joe, but she’d shot the girl with her service weapon. If anyone found that out, she might be the prime suspect. Wendy had tried to hide as much evidence as she could. Though Zoe and Carver were in New York, Wendy was in DC, and she hoped that she could get back to New York before Carver had a chance to get into the satellite office. She figured that he was going to continue his surveillance of Zoe. Though if he did go to the office, there wasn’t much that he’d find. Still, she wasn’t sure if there was a video of Smallwood and Natalie, hidden on a server. She hadn’t been able to find one, but she knew it existed. Smallwood was a by-the-book kind of guy, and Natalie had basically spilled her guts to him that night she’d been arrested. Wendy had deleted the video with the confession on it and now that Smallwood and Natalie were dead, no one would know what Natalie said. That’s why Wendy wanted to be sure there wasn’t a copy of that video anywhere.

  Stupid bitch. All she had to do was keep her mouth shut and she’d still be breathing today. Wendy rose to her feet and looked out of the window. She hated her job. And didn’t regret going rogue at all. All she wanted was for Carver to die.

  * * *

  Carver wasn’t surprised that Zoe went straight to her office. Workaholic.

  “Hey, buddy, you want me to wait here? The meter is still running.”

  “Pull in to the lot across the street.”

  “Am I waiting or what? And I still get double, right?”

  “Not if you don’t shut up!”

  “No need for the attitude. And you guys wonder why people hate the government. What if I start blowing the horn and—”

  “I will arrest you for interfering with an FBI investigation and have you on the no-fly list so fast, you won’t even be able to take the subway.” Carver watched as Zoe talked to someone who was about to walk into an adjacent office. He tensed up until he saw her and the older man laughing and smiling.

  So, that old man is one of the business tenants. Cool.

  Zoe was about to open her door; then the old man stopped her again. This time, Zoe frowned and the guy shrugged his shoulder.

  Carver didn’t like the way this looked. The old man headed to the back of the building and Zoe followed him. Reaching into his bag, Carver grabbed his gun.

  “Wait here.” He hopped out of the car and ran across the street. When he stepped into the parking lot, he heard a muted explosion. Rushing to the back of the building, he found Zoe on top of the old man. Bits of debris covered her body; there was a rip in her dress and a few spots of blood.

  “Zoe! You all right?” Fear coursed through his body. Had he failed? She rose to her feet and reached to help the old man up.

  “Call 9-1-1.”

  “Damn developers, I know they did this. People act like the Mafia is gone.” The old man snarled and wiped debris from his pants legs. “Baby girl, you good?”

  “Mr. Healy, I’m fine. Carver, have you called 9-1-1?”

  A group of people ran out of the building as alarms blared. “Zoe, Zoe!” a tall woman with fire-red hair yelled. “I called 9-1-1, are you and Healy okay?”

  Zoe waved her hand. “We’re fine.”

  Carver crossed over to her as he pulled out his phone to call the local ATF office. “What happened?”

  “Mr. Healy said someone had been back here tampering with doors and he wanted to show me some of the marks. We came over and turned the doorknob and boom.” Zoe looked inside and gasped. “Someone was in there.” She ran inside, despite Carver and Mr. Healy yelling for her to stop. Underneath a toppled bookcase, she found the cleaning lady lying motionless. Blood pooled around her head. Kneeling down beside her, Zoe pushed the ca
se off her broken body and checked for a pulse.

  Carver walked over to the caved-in door and glanced at what looked like an alarm sensor. But he recognized the smell of C-4. A chill ran through Carver. This wasn’t a developer trying to run people away. This had to be Singletary’s attempt to kill Zoe. Carver would bet his life on it.

  “Who is this chump?” Mr. Healy threw his thumb in Carver’s direction. “You with the developers?”

  “No, I’m an FBI agent.” Carver headed inside and placed his hand on Zoe’s shoulder. “We should leave the scene as it is. There’s nothing we can do for her.”

  Zoe sighed and rose to her feet. “Who would do this?” she bemoaned.

  Carver ushered her outside and kept silent. Now would’ve been the time to tell her the truth. Mr. Healy crossed over to them and folded his arms across his chest.

  “How did the FBI get here so quick?” the old man asked.

  Zoe shook her head. “Mr. Healy, we’re working on a case together.” Then she furrowed her brows and turned to Carver. “How did you get here so fast?”

  Carver figured there was no need to lie about this. He’d been telling her enough lies as it was. “I followed you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I wanted to talk to you before we left. I’m going to call the ATF and see if they can come and take a look at this scene.”

  “That’s right! Get the Feds involved since NYPD won’t take me seriously.”

  Zoe motioned for Carver to follow her. Once they were in a quiet corner of the parking lot, she placed her hand on her hip and shook her head. “Please, don’t stir Mr. Healy up. There have been a few developers looking to buy this property, but I don’t think anyone is stupid enough to try and blow the place up so that they can buy it.”

  “Then how do you explain this?”

  She sighed. “I get threats all the time. Maybe somebody finally decided to try something. I was barely scratched.” She looked at the rip in her dress and scrapes on her arms. “That happened getting Mr. Healy out of the way. We need to find the cleaning lady’s family. I know that she’s new and we hadn’t even met yet. I can’t believe there is a dead woman in my office.”