Finding the Edge

by Debra Webb

  “This murder will draw a lot of press to the department,” Marsh confessed.

  Todd nodded. “Have the evidence techs found anything in the vic’s apartment that ties Robles’s people to what happened?”

  For whatever reason, the usual gang markings hadn’t been left behind in the vic’s apartment or on Eva’s car. It was possible that Robles considered this personal rather than gang business. Either way, he was behind the threats and now at least one murder related to Eva.

  “Not yet,” Marsh said with a weary sigh. “These guys might be thugs but the ones in charge aren’t stupid. They know how to cover their tracks. Even if we’re lucky enough to have witnesses we know for a fact were right there watching, they rarely talk. Too afraid, and who can blame them?”

  Todd understood that the I-didn’t-see-anything mentality in situations like this happened all too often. Fear was the primary motive. “I spoke with my boss. We’re taking Ms. Bowman to a safe house. You have a problem with that?”

  Marsh shrugged. “I think Carter is making that offer as we speak. Yours, ours, wherever she is protected works for me.”

  Todd was glad to hear it. “We prefer our own place. No offense.”

  Marsh held up his hands. “None taken. Just keep us advised.”

  “Will do.” Todd intended to leave that part in Victoria’s more-than-capable hands. She had her own high-level sources inside Chicago PD. Todd had no reason to doubt Marsh’s integrity or Carter’s, for that matter. Still, he wasn’t willing to take the risk that there could be a leak. Frankly, CPD had its share of problems, and he didn’t intend for Eva to become a casualty of the department’s recent highly publicized internal issues.

  The interview room door opened once more and Eva walked out, followed by Sergeant Carter. The senior detective thrust his hand toward Todd. “We appreciate your cooperation, Christian. We’ll have other questions, I’m certain. So keep us apprised of your location.”

  Evidently Eva had already told him the Colby Agency planned to take her to a private safe house. “You got it, Sergeant.”

  Eva only glanced at Todd as he spoke. Her eyes were red from crying. She kept her slender arms tight around herself. The mere idea that her life was in jeopardy was a painful reminder of just how fleeting life could be. He reached for her, placed his hand at the small of her back, hoping to convey reassurance as he guided her out of this place. The sooner they were as far as possible from the streets Robles influenced, the happier he would be.

  When they had reached the lobby, he waylaid her at the main exit door and leaned in close. “Ian Michaels is picking us up. He’ll drop us at the safe house. A new car will be waiting for us there. I guarantee Robles won’t find us where we’re going. You will be safe there.”

  She nodded.

  Outside, Michaels waited at the curb in front of the main entrance. He glanced in the rearview mirror as they settled in the back seat.

  Todd made the introductions.

  “I’m aware this is a terrifying situation,” Michaels said to Eva with another quick glance in the rearview mirror as he eased out onto the street, “but, rest assured, we will take care of the situation.”

  “Thank you.”

  Todd resisted the urge to scoot across the seat and put his arm around her. He was fairly confident she wouldn’t appreciate the gesture however well he meant it. It would be in his best interest to stay out of her personal space for now. Keeping a couple of feet between them would be the smartest thing to do. His instincts went a little haywire when they were too close for too long.

  He’d thought of her often over the years. Never expected to see her again. Even after he moved back to the Windy City, he hadn’t worried. Chicago was a big place. No reason they should run into each other and be forced to deal with the lingering awkwardness. Not that he hadn’t looked her up. He had. He’d checked up on her from time to time over the years before he returned to Chicago. He’d felt immensely proud when she graduated nursing school. Mostly he’d watched for an engagement announcement. Not that Eva was big on social media, but her sister, Lena, was. He’d admired the birthday pics Lena had posted each year since the last time Todd had seen Eva. He closely scrutinized the occasional vacation shot or night out on the town he ferreted out on social media. He’d scoured each one looking for the man who had taken his place.

  That feeling—dread—he always experienced when he thought of her with someone else filled his chest now. Idiot. He’d left her because he couldn’t handle where he felt the relationship was headed, and yet, he still couldn’t bear the idea of her with anyone else.

  He was worse than an idiot. He was a jerk.

  Finding Michaels watching him in the rearview mirror warned his brooding hadn’t escaped the older man’s scrutiny. Ian Michaels had been with Victoria at the Colby Agency since she and her first husband started the agency. A former US Marshal, Michaels was particularly good at reading people. Todd figured the man likely already had a firm handle on how he was feeling right now.

  Great.

  Nothing like the world knowing how badly you’d screwed up whether it was yesterday or ten years ago.

  He glanced at Eva and immediately turned his attention back to the street. He’d been a selfish bastard and he’d walked away from the only woman who had ever made him want more than right now.

  Nothing he could do about the past. But he could make sure her future was free of thugs like Robles.

  Bastard.

  “Brace yourselves,” Michaels announced. “We have a tail to lose.”

  * * *

  THE CAR ROCKETED forward and fear trapped deep in Eva’s chest.

  Todd’s hand was suddenly against her back, ushering her down onto the seat. He used his own body like a shield, hovering over her as the car swung from lane to lane. When he pressed more firmly against her, she started to demand what the hell he was doing, but the sound of glass shattering and metal popping silenced her.

  “Hang on!”

  The driver shouted the words and then slammed on the brakes. The car slid sideways. For an instant Todd’s body crushed against hers, every rigid muscle cradling her. Eva’s stomach lurched as much from his nearness as from the wild ride. Before she could catch her breath, the car was rocketing forward once more.

  Another of those crazy sliding turns was followed by a roar of the car’s engine as they zoomed through the city streets. Eva was grateful she couldn’t see. No doubt pedestrians and other vehicles were scattered all around them. One wrong move and the crash would be horrific.

  A moment passed with no abrupt moves and her respiration leveled out to some degree. She realized then that her fingers were clutched in the fabric of Todd’s shirt. One muscled thigh had burrowed between hers, his knee anchored to the seat, holding her firmly in place. His other knee was planted in the floorboard and his upper torso shielded hers. The scent of his strong body, clean and vaguely sweet, filled her lungs and made her dizzy.

  Pull yourself together, girl.

  Eva took a breath and ordered her fingers to unclench. She was still working on the move when Ian Michaels announced, “All clear.”

  Todd’s face turned down toward hers, making her breath catch all over again. “You okay?”

  She nodded. Her fingers finally relaxed their death grip. Todd helped her upright once more and she struggled to right her clothes and her hair. She forced herself to breathe slowly and deeply until her heart stopped racing. She kept her gaze on the street. The rear windshield was shattered but, thankfully, remained in place.

  Eva closed her eyes and told herself over and over that everything would be okay. Forty-five minutes later she still wasn’t completely convinced as Mr. Michaels took an exit from I-94 toward Central Avenue in Highland Park. From there he drove to Egandale Road. Eva stared out the window at nothing at all until finally the car slowed and then stopped at a
keypad outside an enormous gate. A high fence was almost completely camouflaged by mature trees and shrubbery. Michaels entered the code for the gate, rolling on through as it opened.

  Todd glanced at her and smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ve been here a couple of times before. It’s not as uninviting as it looks from here. The security wall only makes it look like a prison.”

  As they rounded a deep bend in the long drive, Eva spotted the house. It sat in the middle of thick woods.

  “Beyond all those trees,” Todd said as if he’d read her mind, “is Lake Michigan. The property includes a helipad as well as a boat dock. There are plenty of ways to escape trouble if the need arises. But it would prove extremely difficult for trouble to get into the compound. The walls around the property are lined with cameras. Anyone gets close, we’ll know it. A state-of-the-art security system keeps the home secure. Robles’s men won’t be able to get to you here.”

  The car came to a stop in front of an enormous house that looked more like a castle than a home. Eva stared at the stone façade that might have looked cold if not for the lush border of flowering plants, climbing vines and shrubs. “Oh my God.”

  Michaels looked over the seat. “Call if you need anything else.”

  “Will do,” Todd responded as he climbed out.

  He was around the vehicle and opening her door before she had the presence of mind to grab her bag and prepare to exit the car.

  Ian Michaels drove away in the car with its broken glass and bullet holes. Eva turned to the massive house, clinging to her leather bag as if it was the only thing left grounding her. At the moment she was pretty sure it was. This insane situation had taken her from her home, had kept her from work, and cost her neighbor her life. On cue, her head started to spin.

  Todd’s steady hand was suddenly at her back, ushering her up the stone steps. “All the windows are bulletproof,” he explained. “A voice command can close the steel shutters over them.” At the door, he placed his hand against a large pad. As soon as the system had identified him, the locks on the door released. He opened the door and waited for her to enter ahead of him.

  Inside, the home was large but warmly decorated. The layout appeared user-friendly. The floors were a smooth, rich wood that flowed forward in a welcoming path. The walls were coated in an inviting beige bordered by gorgeous ornate trim drenched in a gloss white.

  “There’s a six-car garage with a nice selection of vehicles, all well equipped for speed and safety if we need to take a drive. Whenever the house is not in use, the agency investigators take turns, on a rotating basis, spending weekends here for the sole purpose of driving the vehicles. I was here two weekends ago. The solitude is incredibly relaxing.”

  As imposing as everything about the house was, there was no denying its infinite beauty. Someone had gone to a great deal of trouble to create a luxurious getaway. “Has anyone ever lived here?”

  Todd shook his head. “Victoria had it built to replace the agency’s former safe house.”

  Eva took her gaze from the stunning view out the towering windows. “Former safe house?”

  “She and her first husband built a lake house shortly after starting the Colby Agency,” Todd explained, “but their seven-year-old son was abducted from there, so Victoria couldn’t bring herself to live in that house again.”

  Eva’s hand went to her throat. “How awful. Did they find him?”

  Todd shook his head. “No. Twenty years later, he found her. Her first husband had died years before. But Jim, the son, found his way home. He and his family live in the old lake house now. And Victoria and Lucas, her second husband, live in a gated community near there.”

  Eva was glad the story had a happy ending. It was too bad that Victoria’s first husband hadn’t lived to see his son return.

  “The kitchen is stocked with anything you could want.” He turned to Eva. “If you’d like to eat.”

  “I’m not really hungry.” How could she eat? Poor Mrs. Cackowski was dead. She squeezed her eyes shut. Murdered. It didn’t seem real...except she knew it was.

  “Understandable,” he said, drawing her attention back to him. He gestured to the staircase that wound around the far wall and up to the second floor. “Your room is the second on the left. Anything you might need during your stay has been provided.”

  Eva nodded. She needed some time to gather her composure. “I think I’ll lie down for a while.”

  “I’ll be close if you need me.”

  She nodded before moving to the stairs.

  “Eva.”

  She turned back to him.

  “I wish there was something I could say to make this crappy day better. You’re hurting, I know. Feeling guilty. Blaming yourself for Mrs. Cackowski’s death. But this isn’t your fault. You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and got caught up in a gang war. But this will all get better. I promise.”

  Eva wanted to cry but she felt all cried out. She nodded and trudged up the stairs.

  How would she ever face her neighbor’s daughter? What words could she say to explain that the woman’s death was her fault? No matter what Todd said, it was true. If Eva hadn’t moved in across the hall from the sweet lady...if she hadn’t killed a gang leader’s brother...

  Tears burning down her cheeks, she opened the second door on the left and walked into the room. The sheer size of the space distracted her for a moment, but it was another of those towering windows that drew her across the lush carpeting to the other side of the room. The view over the courtyard made her smile even as more of those tears spilled from her eyes. A pool with a gorgeous waterfall surrounded by lush shrubs and flowers. Rock paths bordered by dense greenery circled and cut across the rear property, creating a maze. If she were on vacation, this would be the perfect place to get lost.

  But she wasn’t on vacation. She was hiding from a murderer. Her bodyguard was a few steps away. If only Mrs. Cackowski had had a bodyguard.

  Eva scrubbed the tears from her cheeks and turned her back to the window. She walked to the first of two doors. She couldn’t think about that awful truth anymore. She had to be strong. Had to do whatever necessary to make this right.

  So she focused on the mundane. Her room for the next few days had a generous walk-in closet. Several outfits—jeans, sweaters, slacks, blouses with matching shoes—had been hung at eye level. An ottoman sat in the center of the room. On top were a couple of nightshirts and a selection of lacy panties and bras.

  Eva shook her head as she touched the tags on the items. She would have been certain they’d raided her closet if not for the product tags. The agency had gone to the trouble to purchase a mini wardrobe just like one she would have bought for herself based on what she had in her own closet. Why hadn’t they just grabbed some of her stuff?

  Didn’t matter.

  The next door led to a bathroom that would wow the most discriminating of tastes. From the hairbrush to the beauty products, she could be in her own bathroom except her entire space would fit into the tub of this one. This was very nice of Victoria. She hoped the arrangement wasn’t costing Dr. Pierce a fortune.

  Eva stared at her reflection. An elegant hiding place. And that was what she was doing. Hiding.

  Unless the police caught Miguel Robles—and they hadn’t been able to do so in more than a dozen years—or Robles killed her as he intended, this would never be over. More people could be hurt or murdered...like her sister.

  How could she possibly hide like this?

  She couldn’t.

  She owed it to Mrs. Cackowski and to herself to make sure Miguel Robles paid for his crimes. He shouldn’t be allowed to get away with murdering a helpless elderly woman or anyone else. Since the police hadn’t been able to get him, maybe she could. After all, she had the right kind of bait.

  She was the woman who’d killed his little brother.


  Miguel Robles wanted to kill her, too.

  Sticking to her routine, staying out there where Robles could find her was the only way to lure him. The realization settled onto her like a massive stone crushing her chest. It was true. All this time the police had been unable to find enough evidence against him, but she could draw him out, make him careless—because he wanted so badly to avenge his brother.

  All she had to do was convince her bodyguard to go along with her plan.

  Eva trembled at the thought of Todd. That part might prove the most difficult. She had noticed the look of guilt in his eyes more than once. He felt bad for having left her all those years ago. She’d gotten that message loud and clear. If he was looking to make up and to be friends, he could forget it. She could never be friends with him.

  She couldn’t trust herself.

  Better to stay at odds with someone so dangerous to her sanity.

  A pang of hunger vied for her attention. She should eat and figure out how to convince Todd that her plan was the right one. It was the least she could do for her sweet neighbor. Dr. Pierce had ordered her not to come to work today. That was okay. The truth was she needed to pull herself back together before she dared set foot out of this safe zone.

  Not to mention she had her work cut out for her right here. As much as she would love to pretend she could do what needed to be done on her own, she was smarter than that. She needed Todd’s full cooperation.

  She smoothed a hand over her clothes, tugged the loosening clip from her hair and finger combed it. Steadying herself, she took a big breath and exited the luxurious bedroom. Downstairs she wandered from room to room until she found Todd. To her surprise, he was scooping vanilla ice cream into a bowl.

  “I seem to recall you were a chocolate man.” She moved to the massive island in the center of the room and propped herself there.

  “Don’t worry.” He licked the scoop and set it aside. “That’s coming.” He reached for a jar and spooned chocolate onto the mound of creamy vanilla ice cream. “Join me.”

  “I think I’ll see what else is available.”