Desperate Measures

by Carla Cassidy

  Their mission to catch a killer

  may make them his next victims

  Jake Lamont needs evidence to finally catch his twin sister’s killer, and blog reporter Monica Wright is the only person who can help him. Monica’s motive for justice may be different than Jake’s, but they both want the serial killer off the streets. As the stakes grow higher, Jake knows he needs to stay focused. Because letting down his guard may cost him the life of another woman he loves.

  “The only reason I told you all this is that I want somebody else to know in case something happens to me.”

  “Why would something happen to you?”

  “If he catches wind that I’m hunting him, then there’s no question he’ll come after me.”

  “I still want to be a part of this.” Her chin shot up a notch and her eyes held a definite challenge.

  “Don’t make me regret I told you everything,” Jake said. Damn, he should have never told her the names of the two men he suspected. That had been careless of him.

  She reached out and covered his hand with hers, the unexpected pleasant touch sparking an electric jolt in him. “Please, Jake. Don’t try to shut me out.”

  DESPERATE MEASURES

  New York Times Bestselling Author

  Carla Cassidy

  Carla Cassidy is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author who has written more than 120 novels for Harlequin. In 1995, she won Best Silhouette Romance from RT Book Reviews for Anything for Danny. In 1998, she won a Career Achievement Award for Best Innovative Series from RT Book Reviews. Carla believes the only thing better than curling up with a good book to read is sitting down at the computer with a good story to write.

  Books by Carla Cassidy

  Harlequin Intrigue

  Desperate Strangers

  Desperate Intentions

  Desperate Measures

  Scene of the Crime

  Scene of the Crime: Bridgewater, Texas

  Scene of the Crime: Bachelor Moon

  Scene of the Crime: Widow Creek

  Scene of the Crime: Mystic Lake

  Scene of the Crime: Black Creek

  Scene of the Crime: Deadman’s Bluff

  Scene of the Crime: Return to Bachelor Moon

  Scene of the Crime: Return to Mystic Lake

  Scene of the Crime: Baton Rouge

  Scene of the Crime: Killer Cove

  Scene of the Crime: Who Killed Shelly Sinclair?

  Scene of the Crime: Means and Motive

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com.

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  CAST OF CHARACTERS

  Jake Lamont—He believes his guilt and rage over his sister’s murder unleashed a monster on the community.

  Monica Wright—A blog reporter who wants to break the Vigilante Killer case wide open.

  Clay Rogers—One of six men who entered into a murder pact gone wrong.

  Matt Harrison—Are Jake and Monica his loose ends that need to be taken care of?

  Larry Albright—How angry is he with Monica and what might be his revenge?

  Adam Kincaid—The creator of the murder pact. Is he the Vigilante Killer?

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Excerpt from Wyoming Cowboy Ranger by Nicole Helm

  Chapter One

  “And the winner of this year’s most innovative design in the Kansas City area goes to Jake Lamont of Lamont and Star Architects Incorporated,” the emcee for the night announced.

  Jake rose as the people in the ballroom stood and clapped. He pasted on a fake smile, the same one he’d been wearing for the past couple of years, and made his way to the podium to retrieve the large shiny trophy.

  He wove through the white-draped tables holding the remnants of a dinner that had consisted of a piece of dry chicken with a strange, mysterious green sauce over the top and potatoes and purple cauliflower on the side.

  The meal had been horrible. The night already seemed endless, and he knew after the official itinerary was over there was still a cocktail party that would be filled with congratulations and glad-handing.

  He should be thrilled with the recognition he’d just received, but it was an empty victory without Suzanna standing by his side. Unfortunately, she couldn’t stand beside him because she was dead. He shoved these painful thoughts away as he accepted his award with a short speech.

  Twenty minutes later he stood in a circle of other architects talking about the huge renewal projects taking place in the Kansas City downtown district.

  “I’ve got to admit it, your building at Tenth and Main is a real visual beauty,” John Davis said. “And you’re working on another one, aren’t you?”

  Jake nodded. “Third and Main is also mine.”

  “That’s going to be some addition to the skyline,” Richard Burke said. “What is it? Eighteen...twenty stories high?”

  “Actually, it’s twenty-two stories,” Jake replied.

  He stiffened slightly as Tim Lathrop joined the group. Jake and the dark-haired man with his cold blue eyes were often in competition for a job, and Tim had a reputation for not always playing nice.

  “You know that award should have gone to me,” he said.

  “You can take it up with the members of the committee if you think a mistake was made,” Jake replied.

  Suddenly he was exhausted. He was tired of the fake smile he’d sported all night long. He wanted to rip off his gray-and-black tie and get out of his black suit and into something casual. The polite social chatter was wearing on him. He had so many other important things on his mind...things like murder.

  It took another half an hour before he finally took his leave. He stepped out of the building where the celebration had been held and into the oppressively hot late-August night air. He made his way to his car parked down the block and as he walked he yanked to loosen the tie around his neck.

  He couldn’t wait to get home in his own space. All he wanted at the moment was a drink and his recliner, where he didn’t have to smile or interact with anyone.

  This was the first real social event he’d attended in the past two years and he’d found it beyond exhausting. He wouldn’t have attended at all if it hadn’t been for him receiving an award.

  He’d only gone a short distance when a female voice called out from behind him. He turned and saw a petite, dark-haired woman hurrying toward him.

  He frowned. She looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t quite place her and in any case had no idea what she wanted with him. She wasn’t one of the attendees of the night’s festivities, for instead of wearing a cocktail dress she was clad in tight blue jeans and a royal blue tank top.

  Despite her casual dress, she was quite attractive, but when she drew closer to where he stood beneath a streetlamp, recognition slammed into his gut.

  Monica Wright. Oh, hell no. What was she doing here? The last person he wanted anywhere in his life was the investigative reporter with her popular podcast. And why did she want to speak to him?

  “Mr. Lamo
nt, could I just have a moment of your time?” She finally reached where he stood.

  Despite his initial impulse to turn and hurry away, he smiled at her and played dumb. “And you are...?” He looked at her quizzically.

  “Monica Wright of The Wright News podcast.” She offered him a bright smile.

  He’d found her attractive when he occasionally tuned in to her podcast, but in person she was even prettier. She was petite and shapely. Her eyes appeared more blue, a startling and beautiful contrast to her long dark hair. She had a heart-shaped face and full lips that were more than a little bit appealing.

  “I see you brought home the big prize,” she said with a gesture to the large trophy he held.

  He relaxed. Maybe that’s why she wanted to speak to him. “Yes, I’m very honored.”

  “The building you won for is a real beauty.”

  “Thank you. It’s always nice when people recognize your hard work.”

  “And how did you feel when Max Clinton was murdered two nights ago?”

  He stiffened, gut-punched by the unexpected question. “No comment.” He turned on his heel and once again headed in the direction of his car.

  “Mr. Lamont, I’d really like you to come on my podcast. I’m sure you have an interesting story to share.”

  She followed him like an annoying, yappy Chihuahua. “You must have some thoughts and feelings about Max Clinton being murdered by the Vigilante Killer.”

  Thankfully by that time he’d reached his car. He opened the door. He then turned back to face her. “I told you no comment and that’s all I have to say on the matter.” He got into the car and slammed the door.

  He ignored her presence as he started his engine and then roared out of the parking lot. He headed north and tried to keep his mind empty.

  But of course, that was impossible. With a single question, Monica Wright had stirred up a lot of thoughts...all of them bad. Why had she singled him out? Had she talked to some of the other men who had found their personal justice through a pact forged in hell? How had she possibly learned about them...about him? The last thing he wanted was to get tangled up in any discussion concerning the Vigilante Killer.

  Home was a four-bedroom brick house on an acre of land. He’d had it built three years ago. At that time, he’d believed the bedrooms would eventually be filled with children. He didn’t believe that anymore. He hadn’t believed in anything like happiness or family since he’d lost his sister.

  He pulled into his garage and then entered the kitchen, where he placed the trophy on the countertop. Eventually it would find its way into his downtown office, but not right now.

  The first thing he did was head to his bedroom, where he changed out of the suit and into a pair of jogging pants and a T-shirt. He went into the family room and to the minibar in the back corner. He poured himself two fingers of Scotch over ice, and collapsed in his black leather recliner.

  He took a sip of the drink, leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Instantly, a vision of Suzanna filled his head. Whenever he thought of her, it was with her head thrown back and her eyes twinkling with laughter.

  She’d been so beautiful, with her short dark hair and sparkling green eyes. She’d had an exuberance, a love of life that had been intoxicating to the people around her. She’d been the star in Lamont and Star. She’d been Jake’s inspiration, his partner and his twin sister. And since her murder two years ago, Jake had been utterly lost.

  He took another drink as his thoughts shifted to Max Clinton, the man who had killed Suzanna. He’d been Suzanna’s boyfriend. He should have been her champion, the man who had her back, and instead he had beaten and strangled her in a fit of jealous rage. Unfortunately, his lawyer had managed to put enough doubt in the minds of the jury that he’d walked away a free man.

  How did he feel when he’d learned that Max was the latest victim of the person the news had labeled the Vigilante Killer? He’d felt so many emotions that it had been difficult to sort them all out.

  There had been the intense relief that Max Clinton would never again be in a position to hurt another woman. There had also been a renewed grief as Max’s murder had caused a rush of memories to torment him...memories of his beautiful sister’s life and torturous memories of the brutality of her death.

  Two nights ago, Max had been killed by the Vigilante Killer, who liked slitting his victim’s throats and then carving a deep V into their foreheads. Some would call Max’s death karma, but Jake knew better.

  Max’s murder had come out of a meeting of Jake and five other grieving, angry men who had entered an agreement that assured them each a place in hell.

  Finally, Max’s murder had evoked a chilling, confirming fear as Jake recognized that he and those men had unleashed a monster on the community.

  * * *

  MONICA CURSED BENEATH her breath as she slit the tip of her finger on a piece of paper. So far, she was having a horrible morning and it was only nine o’clock.

  She’d been up far too late the night before, waiting for her police department source to return her call. She wanted anything new he might have on the Vigilante Killer. Unfortunately, he hadn’t returned her call.

  Then first thing this morning her single-serve coffee machine had gasped and sputtered and refused to give up a cup of coffee. Her shower had spurted out only a trickle and had reminded her she’d been meaning to buy a new shower head. And when she walked outside to retrieve her morning paper, she stepped squarely in a pile of fresh dog poo.

  And now this...a tiny cut that hurt like hell and refused to stop bleeding. She grabbed a tissue from the box on her desk and wrapped it around her finger, then leaned back in her chair and released a sigh of frustration.

  And the source of her frustration wasn’t the events of the morning, but rather that she hadn’t been able to get Jake Lamont to be on her podcast that evening.

  He would have made a compelling guest. He was the only surviving member of his family after his twin sister had been brutally murdered. The alleged perpetrator had walked scot-free and then two years later was murdered by a killer who seemed to be on a bloody journey of justice denied in the Kansas City area.

  So far the police had admitted this particular killer had murdered four men, each of whom had been suspects in heinous crimes and each of whom had walked free due to glitches in the judicial process. And the killer seemed to be on a fairly fast track—four kills in less than two months and with no end in sight. So far he’d left no clues behind for the authorities to follow.

  Monica wanted to be the one to break the case wide open. It was a lofty aspiration for a woman who had a nightly news podcast with just over twenty thousand subscribers and news that focused on the Kansas City and surrounding areas.

  She wanted to break the case not only in hopes of expanding her visibility, but also to quiet the self-doubt that had driven her for most of her life. She needed to prove to her father that...

  She jumped as her landline rang. She never answered this phone. It was a tips line of sorts that she advertised each evening when she ended her show.

  So far, she’d received eleven marriage proposals, countless invitations to be a baby mama and several phone calls that had offered her the chance to be involved in strange sexual situations.

  Lately she’d also been getting calls from Larry Albright, a local contractor. Monica had done an exposé on him three days ago when it came to light that he was scamming people out of thousands of dollars.

  In the past two days he’d left dozens of nasty and threatening messages for her. She now chewed on the nail of the index finger that didn’t have the paper cut on it as she waited to see who was calling this time.

  “Hi, Monica. My name is Janet McCall. You don’t know me, but I’m a huge fan of yours. Uh...but that’s not why I’m calling. I know you’ve been asking for any information anyone might have concerning
the Vigilante Killer.”

  The woman paused and Monica leaned forward, the paper cut on her finger forgotten. “This might be nothing at all and I could be wasting your time. I run the Northland Survivor Group and I just thought it was an odd coincidence that the Vigilante Killer has killed four men who perpetrated crimes against four of the men who attended my group for a short period of time.”

  Monica picked up the phone. “Janet, it’s Monica Wright.”

  “Oh... I didn’t expect to speak to you in person.” She released a nervous laugh. “I’m a huge fan of yours.”

  “Thank you, I appreciate it, but I want to make sure I understand what you’re telling me.”

  “Okay...hmm...according to the reports, the Vigilante Killer’s first victim was Brian McDowell, who beat Matt Harrison’s mother to death. The second victim was Steven Winthrop, who raped and killed Nick Simon’s wife. The third kill was of Dwight Weatherby, who killed Troy Anderson’s daughter, and now this fourth victim was Max Clinton, who beat and strangled Jake Lamont’s sister. Matt Harrison, Troy Anderson, Nick Simon and Jake Lamont all belonged to the Northland Survivor Group for several months and then they all stopped coming to the meetings about the same time.”

  There was a long pause as Monica slowly digested the information. Janet gave another small, nervous laugh. “That was clear as mud, right?”

  “Not at all, I’m just trying to wrap my mind around it,” Monica replied. “Have you spoken to the police or any of the authorities about this?”

  “No. I didn’t really know if the information meant anything or not.”

  “Right now I don’t know, either, but I’d like a little time to check into it before you give it to the police,” Monica said.

  “Of course,” Janet replied slightly breathlessly. “So you think this might mean something?”

  “To be honest, I don’t know, but I really appreciate you bringing this to me.”

  Minutes later, Monica reared back in her chair, her mind racing with the information she’d just been given. Was it just a coincidence that the Vigilante Killer had murdered the bad guys of four men who attended a small survivors’ group?