by Pat Warren
“Has he heard of adoption?” Sean wanted to know.
Tate’s eyes were downcast. “You have to know Adam. He wants what he considers his and, apparently, he’ll stop at nothing to get his way.”
“This Rafe Collins,” Molly began, looking at Nick, “can’t you have the police pick him up for stalking?”
“Yeah, we could, provided there are witnesses. And, if he’s got priors, the charge goes up to menacing, which is a serious felony. The reason we haven’t picked him up is that we’re after the big fish and we’re hoping this guy leads us to him. If we lock up Rafe, Adam can replace him easily enough. Money talks.”
Devin had an idea, one he decided to run by the others. “Nick, as a detective, I know you have to follow certain rules. But what if you left your badge home one day?” He glanced over at Sean, hoping he’d go along. “What if the three of us paid a little visit to the senator? Maybe we could persuade him to back off permanently.”
“I’d like nothing better,” Nick answered, and saw that Sean was in agreement, too. “If I thought that would work, I’d be the first to go confront him. Unfortunately, when you’re dealing with a U.S. senator, you have to walk a fine line. He’s got a list of privileges longer than my arm. And he’s got automatic credibility because of his position. Up against that, we’re whistling in the wind.”
“So, you’re saying it’s hopeless?” Laura asked, more than ever afraid for her friend.
“Hell, no,” Nick answered quickly. “What I am saying is that we need to stay within the law, if possible.” He looked at both men, studying their faces. “Of course, if that fails…” He let the thought hang in the air. “Let me say this much. I’ve promised Tate I’d get this guy and I intend to do just that. I appreciate your offer, both of you, and if it comes to that, believe me, I’ll call on you.” He allowed himself a small smile. “Tate’s fortunate to have such good friends.”
Seated next to him, Tate blinked rapidly, then slipped her hand in his. “Aren’t I just,” she answered, looking into his eyes.
Handing her fidgety son to his father, Molly caught the look that passed between Tate and Nick. So that’s how it was, she thought. It’s about time Tate fell for one of the good guys. And from where she sat, Nick Bennett more than fit the bill.
Across the table, Laura slid her gaze from Tate and Nick to glance at Molly. The two friends smiled, each thinking the same thought, pleased for a friend who’d had way too much trouble in her life so far.
Maggie hadn’t said much all evening, pleased to listen to the young people, but seeing Tate take Nick’s hand in a gesture that spoke more than words ever could, she had to join in. “I believe in Nick, that he’ll make those two terrible men pay for what they’ve done to Tate.”
“And to you,” Tate reminded her, giving her a quick hug. “Let’s not forget that Rafe broke in here, too.”
“The bastard likes to beat up women,” Sean muttered. “I’d like a few minutes alone with him.”
“Get in line,” Devin added, rising with his son. “Listen, I hate to end this, but this young man’s ready for some shut-eye and we’ve got a two-hour drive ahead of us.”
The goodbyes, the hugs and promises to keep in touch, took a while, but by eight o’clock, the Scottsdale visitors were gone, Josh was upstairs showering and Maggie was in her room, putting her feet up and watching one of her favorite programs. In the kitchen, Tate loaded the dishwasher while Nick helped clear the table.
“I like your friends, Tate. They seem like good people.”
“I knew you would,” she said, rinsing dinner plates. “I knew if you met them, you’d realize they wouldn’t harm us in any way.”
“I never really suspected them, but I wanted to know what kind of brushes they’d had with Rafe.” He dropped silverware into the dishwasher tray.
“Twice, he could have killed Laura,” Tate mused. “Why? I wonder. Okay, so she wouldn’t tell him where we were. How would killing her accomplish anything?”
“Sometimes a guy like Rafe just gets frustrated with getting nowhere, unable to come up with answers, reporting failure to the guy paying him. Or, it could be he just meant to scare her into revealing your whereabouts and he went too far, forcing Laura’s car off the road.”
Tate added soap and closed the dishwasher before turning it on. A heartfelt sigh drifted from between her parted lips as she leaned wearily against the counter. “When is this ever going to be over?”
Nick hung up the dish towel, turned and took her in his arms. “Soon. I promise you. I don’t want to take the law into our own hands, not as things stand. He’s going to make a move, a mistake. Then we’ll get him and put him away for a long while. Confronting him now might just make matters worse. I hope you trust me on this.”
“I do.” She snuggled closer, very aware that only here, in his arms, did she feel safe. However, all evening, she’d sensed something bothering Nick. Easing back, she looked up at him. “Did you have a really bad day? Is that why you were late?”
Nick let out a frustrated sigh. “You could say that.” He told her about the Espinoza case, leaving out the details about the carnage he and Lou had found in that small apartment.
“Oh, Nick. That poor woman. And those two children, having to grow up knowing their father killed their mother. Who’s going to care for them?”
“Mrs. Espinoza has a sister in Phoenix. She’s on her way down to take the baby temporarily until the courts can decide what to do. The boy’s still in the hospital.” He shook his head. “Such a waste.”
All the violent things he’d seen and done were there behind his serious gray eyes, Tate thought, reaching up to stroke his dear face. But he managed to keep his demons at bay most of the time. She wished she could help him more. “Did you eat anything? I can fix you a ham sandwich or…”
Nick shook his head. “I’m not hungry. Let’s just go sit on the couch so I can hold you. Just hold you.” He stroked the backs of his fingers along her silken cheek. “You’re all I need right now.”
Arms around each other, they strolled into the living room.
Nick grabbed the bag of Kentucky Fried Chicken from the passenger seat and got out of his car that he’d parked in front of Maggie’s. He was glad this day was over, though it hadn’t been as bad as yesterday. He and Tate had sat on the couch until nearly midnight last night, taking comfort from each other, until he’d fallen asleep. He vaguely remembered she’d fixed his bed and taken herself upstairs. He’d left before she’d come down this morning, driving off early since he’d had to go home to shower and change before an eight o’clock meeting.
Frowning at the empty driveway, he wondered why Tate wasn’t home since she usually was by six. He gave two quick knocks on the door and heard Maggie invite him in. “Dinner in a bucket,” he called out as he entered the living room.
“Oh, bless you, Nick. I’m sure Tate won’t feel like cooking tonight.” Nervously Maggie ran a hand through her white curls. “Her car broke down so she’s going to be late.”
Just what they needed, Nick thought, setting down the food. “I’ll call and tell her I’ll pick her up. Is she still at Brennan’s?” he asked, walking toward the phone.
“I think so. She called about ten minutes ago and said she was waiting for the tow truck to arrive.” Seemingly agitated, Maggie wrung her hands repeatedly.
He got ahold of Tate quickly and told her he’d be right there, all the while watching Maggie squirm and fidget. He hung up, his curiosity aroused. Walking over, he toyed with his keys. “Is something else wrong here, Maggie? You seem a little…frazzled.”
Maggie glanced out the front window almost furtively, then up the stairs. “I don’t want Josh to hear. We saw the black limo out front a while ago.”
Nick went on alert. “How long ago? Was it there long?”
“Oh, about an hour ago. I let Josh go out on the front porch. I feel sorry for him, cooped up in here all day, you know. I was sitting right here watching him play with
his toy cars. Suddenly the black car drove up and stopped right across there.” She pointed a trembling finger.
“Did the driver get out?”
“No, I don’t think so. I hurried to the door and got Josh inside. Just to be sure, I sent him up to his room to watch TV. Then I drew the drapes over the window. I kept peeking out and about twenty minutes later, the car was gone.” Flus tered, she looked ready to cry. “Oh, dear. I shouldn’t have let him outside. Tate’s going to be upset.”
Nick sat down and patted her shoulder. “Yes, she’s going to be upset that the car was here, but not because you let Josh on the porch. You did nothing wrong. Don’t worry.” He got up, walked to the door. “You didn’t tell Tate?”
“No. She had enough to worry about with her car and all.”
“It’s okay. I’ll tell her. Now come lock the door after me, Maggie, and neither one of you go outside. We’ll be back shortly. Don’t worry, okay?”
But the poor little soul looked as if she couldn’t help worrying, Nick thought as he drove to Brennan’s. He got there just as Tate was signing the tow truck slip. She saw his car and walked over, looking hot and tired.
“Of all days for that silly car to break down,” Tate said, getting in and sitting down.
Nick drove out of the lot, his suspicious mind at work. “What’s wrong with it, did the man say?”
“The battery. Totally dead. He’s taking it to the station and putting in a new one. It should be ready in a couple of hours. They’re a little backed up.”
Okay, so at least it didn’t sound like a tampering. “I’ll take you over after dinner. I picked up a bucket from the Colonel with all the trimmings. It’s too hot to cook tonight.”
Leaning her head on the seat back, she smiled at him. “You’re wonderfully thoughtful. Thank you.”
Nick hated to take the smile from her, but she had to know. “Maggie had a little problem today,” he began.
Tate frowned. “What kind of problem? Is Josh…”
“He’s fine. The black limo came by, stopped in front of the house and just sat there. Josh was on the front porch.”
Tate sat up. “Oh, no. What was he doing on the porch? I told Maggie that he’s not to go outside and…”
“Don’t blame her. She already feels bad enough. Josh was getting cabin fever so she let him out, just on the porch, watching from the couch by the window. Damn, but wouldn’t you know that’s just when that jerk came by.”
“How long was he there?”
“Not long.”
His radio crackled once and he heard his call letters. Nick turned up the volume and grabbed the mike. “Bennett here. What’s up?”
The dispatcher came on. “We got a call, Nick, about an explosion of some sort, near your friend’s house.”
Nick’s instincts went on alert. Della, one of the dispatchers, was a neat gal, one he often kibitzed with. “Give it to me,” he told her, knowing she was doing him a favor by calling him on this.
“Squad car’s on the way plus fire department. Thought you’d want to know…401 Mesquite Drive.”
“What?” Tate said, startled. “That’s Berta Stone’s place next door to Maggie’s.”
Tight-lipped, Nick spoke into the mike. “I’m on it. Thanks, Della.” He hung up, stuck his red light onto the roof and turned on the siren as he stepped on the gas.
Tate’s heart was in her throat. “It’s him. I know it’s him. We’re never going to be free of Adam. Oh, God.”
Chapter 9
Yellow crime scene tape was once more stretched across the yard on Mesquite Drive, only this time it encompassed two houses, Berta’s and Maggie’s. Seeing that, Tate sucked in a fearful breath, her fist going to her mouth to keep from crying out as Nick pulled in behind the white police car with its red light still flashing. She opened the door before he’d come to a full stop, glanced at the fire truck and several curious neighbors who’d come out to watch, jumped over the wide hose leading to the backyard and rushed into Maggie’s house.
Right behind her, Nick hurried to catch up, hoping to prevent her from walking in on a bad scene if there was one. He heard her frantically calling for Josh and Maggie, but no one answered. Wild now, Tate ran upstairs to check, praying she’d find her son playing in his room, oblivious to the danger.
Nick went to the back door and saw Maggie with her arm around Josh seated on the swing while a tiny woman with salt-and-pepper hair paced the patio. His leash tied to a tree, Ralph barked his annoyance at being restrained. “They’re out back,” Nick called to Tate, then stepped outside. He saw the fire truck hose, turned off now, lying on the grass, in a puddle of water. The stucco fence between the two houses was in ruin, large and small chunks scattered all over, singed with black soot. A couple of firemen stood talking with the officer who was taking notes.
“Maggie, what happened?” Nick asked, wanting her version before he talked with the officials.
“Oh, Nick, I’m so glad you’re here.” Her voice trembled as her arm tightened around Josh whose big eyes stared up at him. “I honestly don’t know what happened. One minute I was watching TV and the next, there was this terrible sound, like an explosion, and the house shook. Josh came running downstairs and we huddled together, not knowing what was going on until we heard Berta here calling for us.” She turned to include the little lady. “Berta Stone, this is Detective Nick Bennett. Berta lives next door.”
“I don’t know what happened, either,” Berta said, “except our fence is ruined.”
Just then, Tate came running out, paused long enough to see that both Maggie and Josh were alive and unharmed, then ran over to the swing and hugged both of them, squeezing hard. “Oh, thank God, you’re both okay.”
“Mom, I was so scared,” Josh admitted, his voice shaky.
“Oh, honey, I don’t blame you.” Her heart still pounding, Tate held him close.
Needing some answers, Nick walked over to where the officer was talking with the firemen. He listened a moment, then stepped in and flashed his badge since he didn’t recognize the men. “Can someone tell me what happened?”
The taller fireman spoke up. “Some kind of amateur incendiary device exploded. Someone apparently stuck it on top of this fence. A prankster, probably a kid.”
Nick didn’t think so. He’d had his suspicions on the drive over. Just today, the black limo had been seen out front. Maggie had said she’d drawn the drapes and the little widow next door may not have been around. It wouldn’t have taken long to jump the fence, plant the device and take off.
The officer closed his notebook. “At least, no one was hurt.”
“The bomb, if you can call it that, was homemade, not highly powered, inexpensive, unsophisticated. That’s why I think some kid did this,” the fireman went on. “You know, these kids get on the Internet and learn how to make these bombs. Might even be someone in the neighborhood who lives nearby and could watch all the excitement he caused. They get off on that.”
Or it could have been a warning, Nick decided. It had to be. With Weston’s connections, Rafe could have gotten ahold of a deadly bomb if he’d wanted one. No one had gotten hurt because they hadn’t wanted that, had intended to warn them, to let them know they meant business. Even if Berta Stone had been working in her little garden or if Maggie had let Josh play in the backyard instead of the front porch, the most that could have happened was that they’d have been hit by flying debris.
Watching the fireman drag his hose back to the truck, Nick struggled with a rush of anger. Something had to be done. The next time, it might be more than a mere warning.
“Thanks,” he told the uniformed officer. “Turn in your report on this, will you?”
“Will do.” He followed the firemen out of the yard.
Erasing his glum look, Nick walked back to the little group on the patio. “Mrs. Stone, you can report this to your insurance company and they’ll probably help with the fence repairs. Maggie, if you’ll do the same, they’ll work togeth
er.”
“My garden was looking so good,” Berta said sadly as she walked back to her yard, gingerly stepping over the rubble.
“No one was hurt,” Nick said, stating the obvious. “That’s the important thing. Maggie, if you and Josh go inside and get dinner on the table, Tate and I will be right in.”
Maggie made her way to the door. “Josh, you set the table while I dish the chicken and fixings, okay?”
When the door closed behind them, Nick sat down on the swing next to Tate and looked at her ravaged face. “I have a suggestion,” he said quietly.
She let out a tremulous sigh, fighting the urge to scream out her frustration and fear. “What would that be?”
“I think we both know who set that device on the fence. We need to get Josh someplace safe for the time being until we can round up the bad guys. Can you get in touch with your aunt and uncle up north? We need to get him out of here tonight.”
The roomy white Crown Victoria wound its way along the highway heading north with Nick behind the wheel, Tate on the passenger side and Josh buckled in in the back seat as he lay sleeping, his dog curled up at his feet. It was just past eleven and the sky was clear under a half moon.
Nick had made some quick arrangements, asking Lou to drive over so they could take his car, leaving his Taurus in Maggie’s driveway, hoping to throw off anyone driving by into thinking he was in the house. Lou’s wife had followed in her car and driven his partner home after Lou assured Nick he’d handle things at the precinct until he returned, even though Nick had talked with the lieutenant and brought him up to date. Harris wasn’t happy, but he’d reluctantly given his okay.
After dinner, Nick had sat down with Maggie and Josh, explaining the situation without overemphasizing the fear factor. Maggie could readily see the need to get Josh to safety. Nick had called in a favor from a female police officer, Sally Cummings, and had gotten her to agree to stay the night with Maggie just in case. After all, Rafe had broken into the house and beaten the older woman, so he couldn’t in all good conscience leave her unprotected.
