Harlequin Intrigue, Box Set 1 of 2

by Delores Fossen

  He grabbed her arms, steadying her. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

  She blinked, her shock at seeing him overriding the shock of whatever she’d just seen. Her brow wrinkled in confusion. “Jake? What are you doing here?”

  He lightly shook her. “Are you hurt? You screamed.”

  Her eyes widened. “Oh my God. Eddie. Someone...someone killed Eddie.”

  He grabbed her wrist and pulled her behind him toward the door.

  “No, I’m not going back in there.” She tugged, trying to free herself.

  “And I’m not leaving you alone out here. We’re sticking together. I won’t let anything happen to you. Come on.”

  She swallowed hard and allowed him to pull her inside. He quickly cleared the main room, checking behind the couch and chair, the only places big enough for anyone to hide. The tiny kitchen to the left was completely open. There weren’t any doors on the cabinets. He shut the front door and locked it before shoving her down on the floor beneath the window.

  “Don’t move. I mean it, Faye. Don’t go outside, and don’t move from this spot. Promise me. And for once, mean what you say.”

  Her shoulders stiffened, just as he’d intended. He’d insulted her to get her angry, to snap her out of the shock she was sliding into.

  “I won’t go anywhere,” she bit out. “Promise.”

  Hoping she really was telling the truth, he swung his pistol out in front of him and headed into the tiny hallway. To his left was a bathroom, empty. He steeled himself for what he was about to find in the only other room. He crouched down, and kicked the door open. It slammed against the wall as he ran inside, sweeping his pistol back and forth.

  Ignoring the gory scene on the bed since the man there posed no threat, he checked the closet and beneath the bed before holstering his gun. There wasn’t any point in checking the man’s pulse. He didn’t have one. His throat was slit from ear to ear.

  Jake pressed his finger against one of the man’s wrists just because it was one of the few places not covered in blood. Warm. Which meant the killer might still be close by. He tried his phone again as he headed back into the main room. Still no service. He put it away and knelt down in front of Faye.

  “Did you see anyone else when you arrived?” He gently swept her hair out of her eyes.

  “No. No one. Just you. After.” She shuddered and pressed her hand to her throat as if struggling not to gag.

  He nudged her chin up to get her to look at him. “You didn’t kill Genovese.”

  Her eyes widened. “You believe me now?”

  “Yes. You would have thrown up all over the crime scene. You don’t have it in you to kill anyone.”

  “You picked a great time to start believing me.”

  He smiled sadly. “Sorry about that. Sometimes we city slickers can be a little slow. Who was Eddie?”

  She gagged again and clapped her hands over her mouth.

  Jake grabbed her and ran with her to the kitchen, reaching the sink just in time. He held her hair back from her face as she retched over and over, until there was nothing left in her stomach to throw up.

  “Deep breaths, baby,” he said. “Slow, deep breaths.”

  She gave him a startled look. He realized what he’d just said. Calling her “baby” wasn’t exactly keeping his professional distance.

  He sighed and grabbed the towel hanging from the stove handle. He wet it beneath the faucet and handed it to her. While she washed her face and rinsed her mouth, he made another quick circuit around the room, hoping to find a landline so he could call the police. There wasn’t one.

  Faye met up with him in the middle of the main room. “You followed me here?”

  “Yes.” There was no point in denying it.

  “I should have expected that.” She looked toward the bedroom and shuddered again. “I won’t fight you anymore. I’ll go with you into town, tell the police everything I know.”

  “Why? Why now? Because of Eddie?”

  “Yes, because of Eddie. He didn’t have any enemies, nothing of value to steal. He’s dead because of me, because I thought I could outrun my past. But obviously I can’t. And I can’t risk anyone else getting hurt. I’ll turn myself in.”

  If she’d told him that a few days ago, he’d have jumped at her offer. But suddenly he was the one who was hesitant. He wanted nothing more than to grab her in his arms and carry her somewhere far, far away. Where she wouldn’t have to face the ugliness of being arrested and going through a trial. Where he wouldn’t have to worry about whether she was adequately protected if Rossi came looking for her.

  For that matter, Rossi could be outside right now, waiting for her to come back out.

  Jake tugged her over to the couch and pressed her down on the cushion. He sat beside her and took her hands in his.

  “How does Eddie figure into this? What’s his connection to you and Gillette?”

  “This morning, when Calvin and I got away from you, I brought him here. I asked Eddie for a favor, to take Calvin to a bus station. Calvin insisted on going to his apartment first. He said he had to grab some of his things. After that he’d go to the station by himself, go somewhere far away and lie low for a while. But Eddie can’t...couldn’t...afford the gas for a trip like that. He doesn’t have much money. So I told him I’d stop here tonight and reimburse him for a tank. That’s all. There’s no other connection.”

  “Calvin went back to his apartment? Didn’t he say that he saw one of Rossi’s thugs prowling around Naples days ago? That’s why he left in the first place, right?”

  Her eyes widened in dismay. “Yes. He’d left in a hurry, though. So he didn’t have many of his belongings with him. I didn’t think about him being in danger going back. He was just supposed to run in and out, a fast trip. Do you think someone might have been watching his apartment?”

  “I think it’s a real possibility.”

  She jumped up from the couch. Jake stood in front of her, in case she tried to go out the door.

  “We have to get out of here,” she said. “We have to warn him. There’s a good spot for cell service about three miles north of here. If you can...get Eddie’s keys, we can drive there. We can call the police from there, too.”

  “All right. Wait here and I’ll check Eddie’s pockets for the keys.”

  “Faye,” a voice called from outside. “Get out here.”

  “That’s Calvin!” She stepped around Jake.

  He grabbed her before she could run to the door. “Wait. Let me talk to him first.”

  Her brows creased. “Why?”

  “Because we’re in a secluded area, with one dead body and three live ones. And since neither you nor I killed Eddie, do the math.”

  She glared up at him. “Calvin didn’t do this.”

  “Humor me. Let me check out the situation first.”

  She crossed her arms and plopped back down on the couch. “Go ahead.”

  He flattened himself against the wall and peeked out through the blinds. Relief shot through him as he viewed the scene outside. For once, one of his plans was working out. Not exactly the way he’d planned, but he’d take it. Unfortunately, Faye wasn’t going to be happy when she realized what had happened.

  He crossed to the door and pulled it open. “Come on. Let’s go.”

  “I thought you wanted to talk to him first.”

  “I’ve seen what I need to see. It’s safe.”

  Confusion warred with relief on her face as she hurried out the door with him. Guilt reared its ugly head again as Jake watched her eyes widen in shock. He hated that she was upset. But at least the worst was over. She was safe now. That was what mattered.

  Calvin stood ten feet away, his hands tied in front of him with a white nylon rope. Another length of rope circled his w
aist, like a long leash. And behind him, holding the other end of that leash, with a rifle pointed at Gillette’s back, was Quinn Fugate.

  “It’s good to see you, Quinn,” Jake said. “Dex called you?”

  “Yes, he did. Early this afternoon. I got into Naples just a little while ago. I was going to go straight to that Mystic Glades place Dex told me about. But I stopped by Gillette’s apartment first. Guess who showed up? I followed him out here and, well, you can see what happened.” He flicked the end of the rope.

  Gillette stumbled but righted himself. He swore beneath his breath.

  “Oh my God, oh no, oh no,” Faye whispered, from behind Jake. She tugged on his shirt.

  He turned back to look at her. She was shaking, pale, even worse than when she’d seen Eddie.

  He was shocked at how terrified she looked. Then it dawned on him why she was so scared. Regret shot through him. “Honey, it’s okay. I’m sorry. I know how bad this must look. But it’s okay. The man who has Calvin tied up is an FBI agent. That’s Quinn Fugate. Everything’s okay. Calvin isn’t in any danger.”

  She shook her head violently back and forth. “That’s not Quinn. That’s Kevin Rossi, the man I saw shoot Genovese.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “Toss the pistol,” Quinn ordered.

  Jake reluctantly pitched his gun into a group of palmetto bushes a few feet away. Faye started around him as if to run to Gillette. He grabbed her, forcing her behind him.

  “Don’t move,” he ordered.

  “I have to do something,” she whispered. “He’s going to kill Calvin.”

  “Making yourself a target isn’t the answer.” He looked over his shoulder at her, waiting until she gave him a reluctant nod before facing Quinn again. “What’s this all about? You hired me to find these two. Job done. All we have to do now is go into town and work on that extradition order.”

  Quinn laughed harshly. “Did you think I didn’t hear Miss Decker tell you I was Kevin Rossi? You can drop the act. We all know I’m the one who killed Genovese. He and I had a professional disagreement that unfortunately couldn’t be settled any other way.”

  “Professional disagreement?” Jake asked, stalling for time as he tried to think of a way to end this without anyone getting killed. Unfortunately, nothing was coming to mind.

  “Playing dumb isn’t your forte, Mr. Young. Obviously I was playing both sides of the fence, undercover for the FBI supposedly trying to get the goods on Genovese, while at the same time forcing Genovese to sock away money in a special account for my retirement. It was working beautifully until my boss started demanding results. I had to end the arrangement and cover my tracks. Still, even then, everything would have been fine except that Miss Decker was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and she and Mr. Gillette stuck their noses where they didn’t belong. Now I’m forced to remedy the situation.”

  Stuck their noses where they didn’t belong? Obviously there was still more to the Genovese story that Faye hadn’t told him. Which put him at a disadvantage. It was tough to bluff or negotiate his way out of the situation if he didn’t know the facts. He curled his fists in frustration. “Why now? You got away clean.”

  “Clean? Not exactly. These two took something that belonged to me the day they ran away. It’s a ticking time bomb. I’ve been agonizing over it ever since, worrying it would surface some day and destroy me. Thanks to Mr. Gillette’s stupidity, using an old credit card of his in Naples, I finally got a lead. But my boss is already suspicious of me, so I couldn’t follow up on my own. Thanks to you, Mr. Young, I can be in and out of here and log just a couple of sick days back at the office. No one will be the wiser and I can finally retire without worrying.” He flicked the rope in his hand like a whip.

  Calvin grimaced when the rope snapped against his back. He stumbled forward a few steps. “He wants the journal, Faye. You have to give it to him or he’s going to kill me.”

  Her fingers curled into the top of Jake’s pants.

  “What journal?” Jake asked. “What makes you think either of them have it?”

  Quinn pointed his rifle at Jake again. “While I appreciate that you found these two for me, that’s where your usefulness ends. Did you think it was a coincidence that I hired an investigator new to the area, with no family ties? If something happens to you, no one’s going to be crying over it and pushing for an in-depth investigation. So if I were you, I’d shut up.” He swung his rifle back toward Calvin. “The journal, Miss Decker. Where is it?”

  “It’s not here. But I can get it for you,” she called out.

  “Where, exactly, is it? In that little town of yours, Mystic something or other?”

  “It’s hidden in the swamp, a full day’s hike from here,” she said.

  “Step out where I can see you.” Quinn’s voice was calm, cold. His gun hand was just as steady as his voice.

  “No,” Jake said.

  The rifle jerked back toward him. Jake swore and grabbed Faye, diving to cover her just as the rifle boomed through the clearing. The shot kicked up dirt just inches from where they’d been standing. He glared at Quinn.

  “That wasn’t necessary,” Jake growled.

  “I disagree. Help her up and push her over here beside her cohort or I’ll shoot again. And this time I won’t miss.”

  “Get ready to run,” Jake whispered to Faye. “When I stand up, run to the trees as fast as you can. I’ll draw his fire.”

  “No! He’ll kill you. And I can’t leave Calvin.”

  He helped her to her feet. “Just do it. Trust me.”

  But instead of running, she moved away from him just as Quinn had ordered, flashing Jake an apologetic look.

  Damn it. He knew she meant well, that she thought she was protecting both him and her brother. But she’d just made everything that much harder. Now Quinn had three clear targets instead of two.

  “Thank you, Miss Decker,” Quinn said. “Your cooperation is noted and appreciated. I assume you have a cell phone, Mr. Young. Toss it to me.”

  He pulled his phone out and pitched it squarely at Quinn’s chest, hoping he’d lose his grip on the rifle trying to catch or deflect it. But the phone hit him and dropped to the ground. The rifle didn’t move. His mouth twitched with amusement.

  “Good try.” He stomped his heel on the phone, crushing the display.

  “A day’s walk to the journal. Is that correct, Miss Decker? Or are you making up stories?”

  “I’m telling the truth. I hid it in a hunting cabin deep in the swamp.”

  “Hmm. Not the most ideal of situations, considering I don’t know this area. And I certainly don’t want to trek through a filthy swamp to find the thing. But then again, that’s why I have leverage.” He flicked the rope again. Calvin grimaced.

  “I’ll be generous. I’ll give you twenty-four hours to retrieve it and meet us back here. If you aren’t back by this time tomorrow night, with the journal, Calvin dies. If I see any signs of law enforcement poking around, or hear any chatter on the police channels—about me, the journal or anything remotely suspicious in the area—Calvin dies. If you do anything to alert anyone or try to get help, he dies. Understood?”

  She nodded and held her hands up in a conciliatory gesture. “I understand. Please, don’t hurt him. We’ll get the journal.”

  Quinn’s brows quirked up. “We? You said you know where the journal is. Did anyone else help you hide it?”

  “No, I buried it, months ago when I first got here.”

  “Then you can unbury it by yourself.” The rifle boomed. The bullet slammed into Jake, sweeping him off his feet. White-hot pain flashed through his body. His lungs seized in his chest. He crashed to the ground, his head cracking against the hard earth. The last sound he heard was Faye screaming.

  * * *

  JAK
E RESTED ON the floor in Eddie’s main room. He didn’t know which was worse—his throbbing headache, the sharp jabs of pain every time Faye pressed her wet cloth against the lump on the side of his head, or the weight and chill of an ice pack sitting on top of his bruised ribs.

  “Quinn?” he asked.

  “Gone.” She pressed the cloth against a particularly sensitive spot, making him wince.

  “I’m okay. You can stop now.” He pulled her hand away from his head.

  “Thank God you were wearing a bulletproof vest.” She feathered her hands over his bare skin as if still searching for a bullet hole between his ribs.

  “Bullet-resistant. Not bulletproof. But it still packs a punch.”

  “Do you think your ribs are cracked?”

  “All I know is they hurt like hell.”

  She repositioned the ice pack against his side. He sucked in a sharp breath.

  “Sorry, sorry.” She dropped the ice pack to the floor and pressed the wet cloth against his head again, sending another sharp jab of pain shooting through his skull. “You’ve lost a lot of blood. Do you feel light-headed? Can you breathe okay? If you have a broken rib and it punctured a lung—”

  He winced and grabbed her hands. “Stop worrying. I’m breathing fine and the bleeding has mostly stopped. I never would have given much credence to your woo-woo science before, but I have new respect for the pouch of medicine you carry on your necklace.”

  She frowned at him. “Woo-woo science? Maybe I shouldn’t have wasted my very scientific powder on you after all.” She tugged her hands away and plopped the cloth on the floor beside the ice pack.

  He pulled her hand back to his mouth and pressed a quick kiss on it. “I didn’t mean to criticize your woo-woo science. Thank you for helping me.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re welcome.”

  “How did you manage to get me into the house?”

  “Leverage and physics. I rolled you onto a blanket and used it to drag you inside. It wasn’t that hard really, except for getting you over the threshold. I think I may have bumped your head a few extra times doing that. Sorry.” She bit her bottom lip in sympathy.