“Are those from being tied up?” Skye asked from her seat next to Wally.
“Yeah.” He patted her leg. “I kept trying to get out of the zip ties, and finally figured that if I got my wrists bloody enough, I could slip them off.” When she shook her head, he said, “Hey. It worked.”
Crow paused in treating the scrapes on Wally’s face and said, “Yep. The chief here had already kicked open the basement door when we entered the house. He had the biker on the kitchen floor and was securing his hands with a bandana.”
“Impressive.” Skye kissed Wally’s cheek, then narrowed her eyes. “So you weren’t really limping because your circulation had been cut off for so long. You screwed up your back kicking open the door.”
“Possibly.” Wally shrugged. “I’ll take a couple of ibuprofen and it’ll be fine.”
Skye ignored Wally, looked at Crow, and said, “He hurt his back a few months ago. It got better after two or three days of rest. Does he need to go to the hospital for it or for any of his other injuries?”
“Keep the wounds clean. The contusions aren’t serious, but if he’s still experiencing back pain in a day or two, he should see a doctor.” Crow packed up his first aid kit. “And he should get some rest.”
“Thanks so much for all your help,” Skye said. “You and your team were awesome.”
Wally echoed Skye’s appreciation as he put on the clothes Skye handed him.
“Just doing my job. Glad it all turned out so well.” The ex-medic winked at them. “No hanky-panky for a day or two.”
“Seriously?” Skye rubbed her huge belly. She could swear it had grown in the last forty-eight hours. “I think we’re both benched for the duration.”
“Or not.” Wally shot Skye a heated look. “According to your ob-gyn, we’re green-lighted until you go into labor. We just need to be creative.”
Giggling, Skye waited as Wally pulled on socks and laced his new tennis shoes. When she heard the motor home’s outer door open and close, she got up and checked to make sure their guests were gone.
Returning to the bedroom, she put her arms around Wally and tugged him back down to sit on the edge of the bed. “Speaking of Dr. Johnson, she had some surprising news for me when I saw her on Tuesday.”
“What did she say?” Wally’s voice rose in alarm. “You texted that everything was okay. Is there something wrong with the baby?”
“Nope. The babies are great,” Skye reassured him.
“You said ‘babies’?” Wally’s eyes widened and he cleared his throat. “As in more than one?”
“Absolutely.” Skye studied his expression. “We’re having twins.”
What if he wasn’t happy at the prospect of double fatherhood? It wasn’t as if she could send one of the babies back.
“Oh. My. God!” Wally grabbed Skye in a bear hug. “That is positively, freaking wonderful. Do you know their sex? Are they identical?”
“I didn’t ask any of that.” Skye brushed a lock of hair from Wally’s forehead. “I thought we’d agreed to be surprised. Have you changed your mind?”
“No. Let’s wait.” Wally put his hand to his chest. “Although I’m not really sure how many more bombshells I can take.”
“Me either.” Skye poked him in the ribs. “No more disappearing.”
“That was the mayor’s fault.” Wally hauled Skye to her feet. “I take it you figured out the hint I sent my dad, and talked to Dante.”
“Once your father remembered it and I tracked down my uncle.” Skye allowed Wally to lead her through the motor coach and out the door. “Dante’s been home with the flu since the afternoon he sent you to look at the Hollister property. He didn’t even know you were missing until I told him.”
“Likely story,” Wally teased as he helped Skye into the SUV and slid behind the wheel. “He was probably hoping that I was gone for good.”
“Let’s pray even Dante isn’t that evil.” Skye fastened her seat belt and said, “While you drive us to the station, I’ll give you an update on the rest of what’s happened in your absence. Hizzoner has something cooked up with the city council and you won’t believe what the Dooziers tried to do.”
By the time Wally was up to speed, they’d arrived at the PD and entered the building. Skye was relieved to see that things seemed to be getting back to normal. The whiteboards for missing possessions and pets were still in place, but all the people had been located. And, always a good sign, there wasn’t anyone lined up at the counter. Plus, the phones were silent.
After a brief stop in the dispatchers’ office for May to hug Wally and talk excitedly about the twins, he and Skye headed into the back of the station. Quirk met them in the hallway and told them he’d notified all the proper authorities that Wally had been found.
Wally thanked Roy and then Skye watched as the two men exchanged a man hug—one arm and a lot of back thumping. She was surprised to see both guys blink away some moisture before the usual neutral cop expressions returned to their faces.
Roy cleared his throat and said, “The guy called Jackal was ready to tear the place apart, so I stashed him in the basement holding cell to cool off. Boo-Boo’s with Zelda in the interrogation room. Tuck and Mr. Boyd are babysitting Tin in your office.” The sergeant rubbed his neck. “None of them would give up their real names, so we’ll have to wait until we have their fingerprints to identify them.”
“Good job.” Wally glanced at Skye. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to stay with your mother?” When she narrowed her eyes, he bargained, “You can be with me while we interview Tin and Boo-Boo, but not Jackal.”
“Agreed.” Skye smirked and headed to the stairs. “I would have settled for Tin.”
When Skye entered Wally’s office, she saw that a chair had been placed against the back wall and the biker was handcuffed to it. Tin was a big guy, well over six foot, heavily muscled. His long, dark hair was clean and the look on his handsome face was thoughtful rather than angry or mean. She didn’t buy him as a hardened outlaw biker.
“I need to talk to you alone, Chief.” Tin directed his statement to Wally.
Wally nodded. “Dad, Tuck, please give us the room.” He looked at Tin. “My wife is the department psych consult and is staying.”
“Can she keep her mouth shut?” Tin’s intense gaze swept over Skye.
“She can speak for herself.” Skye suppressed a shiver and met his penetrating stare with her own. “And one of the most important obligations of a psychologist is to maintain confidentiality.”
“But you’re not my therapist,” Tin drawled, lifting an eyebrow.
“Good point.” Skye inclined her head. “Instead, I’ll give you my word.”
“People break promises all the time.” Tin gazed into her eyes. “The chief’s father tells me you led the investigation to find your husband.” He glanced at her pregnant belly. “And even physically hindered, you insisted on being present for his rescue.”
“Of course.” Skye twined her fingers with Wally’s. “He is the love of my life and the most important person in the world to me. If the situation had been reversed, he would have come for me near death and wearing a full-body cast.”
“I certainly would have, sugar.” Wally’s voice was husky. “My desire to get back to you was the reason I was finally able to break free and smash down that door. Nothing could stop me from returning to you and the baby.” He grinned. “I mean you and the babies.”
“That’s what I thought.” Tin nodded, a wishful expression in his eyes.
“Why are my wife’s feelings for me important?” Wally asked.
“Because I’m going to trust you two with my life.” Tin exhaled noisily. “And I needed to be sure that you are both capable of true loyalty.”
“We are.” Skye allowed Wally to ease her into one of the empty visitor chairs, then smiled at Tin. “And now I�
��m dying of curiosity. What’s your big secret?”
“He’s an undercover cop,” Wally said slowly, his face lighting up with recognition. “I knew there was something odd about him. He was too concerned with my welfare, and his language patterns when he spoke to me and when he was with the gang changed significantly.”
“I figured you’d picked up on that.” Tin chuckled. “I kept forgetting we weren’t fellow cops when we talked.” He winced. “Sorry I punched you in the face. I had to make it look real.”
“No worries.” Wally shrugged. “I’m betting you saved me from far worse.”
“Yeah.” Tin twitched his shoulders. “Too bad Boo-Boo slipped past me.”
“You did your best.” Wally leaned a hip on his desk. “Which agency are you with?”
“It’s better if you don’t know.” Tin met Wally’s eyes without blinking.
“I’m guessing your prints won’t pop,” Wally said thoughtfully.
Tin shook his head. “Nope. But you running them might cause a problem, so if you haven’t already put them in the system, you should lose them.”
“You know I can’t release you without some verification,” Wally said.
“Take off my belt,” Tin instructed. “Cut the stitches in the center and you’ll find a card between the two pieces of leather. Use the station’s landline to call that number on it, identify yourself as law enforcement, and read off the code on the back. They’ll vouch for me.”
After retrieving the card, Wally took a seat behind his desk, grabbed the phone, and dialed. He studied the pasteboard square, then as he waited, tapped it against his fingernail.
“If you are what you say you are”—Skye glared at Tin—“why didn’t you release Wally?”
“If I hadn’t been able to find a reason for the gang to keep him alive, I would have let him go.” Tin twisted his lips. “But I’ve been undercover for a long time and I’ve only recently gotten into a position where I’m trusted with sensitive intel. Freeing the chief would have resulted in all that work being flushed down the toilet. I would have had to start all over with another gang.”
Skye scowled. “Is the information worth more than my husband’s life?”
“No,” Tin growled. “But I was walking a thin line attempting to keep him safe and not blow my cover.” When Skye narrowed her eyes, he explained, “These gangs have branched out from the city and are infiltrating the countryside. They entice kids with drugs and whores to join up. And they won’t let them leave once they’re in. The gang starts out robbing empty houses, but they soon escalate to occupied homes where they often rape and beat their victims. They move from location to location, making it hard for local law enforcement to spot their patterns.”
“Oh.” Skye rubbed her belly and thought of all the mothers who had lost their babies to these monsters. “I had no idea any of that was happening.”
“Few people do.” Tin lifted one side of his mouth in a sardonic smile. “That’s what makes catching them so tricky.”
They fell silent until Wally returned the receiver to its base, took a set of keys from his top drawer, stood, and walked over to Tin. Unlocking the undercover officer’s handcuffs, he helped him to his feet.
“Thanks, man.” Tin rubbed his wrists and asked, “Am I free to go?”
“Yep.” Wally smiled and held out his hand. “Thanks for saving my ass.”
“Glad it worked out.” Tin gripped Wally’s hand. “You need to make sure Jackal and Boo-Boo overhear that due to outstanding warrants, I’ve been shipped to another county. Then I can claim I escaped during transport.”
“Will do.”
Skye struggled to her feet and put her fingers on Tin’s bicep. “Thank you for protecting my husband. If I can ever repay you, all you have to do is ask.” She tilted her head. “Can we know your real name?”
“Spencer, ma’am.” He squeezed her hand and started for the door.
Just as he gripped the knob, Wally yelled, “Wait.”
Tin turned and raised a questioning eyebrow. “Forget something?”
“The first night I was held in the basement, your gang was talking about looting,” Wally said. “Boo-Boo mentioned a man with a German shepherd and said something about his old lady. Were you with them when they ran into that guy?”
“No. But Veep told me about it.” Tin scratched his jaw. “We had heard the people in one of the big houses in that neighborhood were on vacation, so we were only a few blocks away when the tornado went through. Veep decided that would be a perfect time to do some pillaging and we started looking inside the wrecked houses.
“We split into two groups. Veep and his crew were the ones to see the guy with the dog. Evidently, Veep spotted a flat-screen television he wanted, so they were making their way through the debris to get it when they saw the guy lying unconscious on the floor and a woman zapping him with some kind of old-fashioned cattle prod. The shepherd was biting her arm, but she never stopped. Veep’s posse waited out of sight until she left, then ran in, grabbed the TV, and vamoosed.”
Skye shook her head. How had a couple as in love as Bartolommeo Capuchini described Billie and Zeke Lyons ended up with the wife killing the husband? Had the huge life insurance policy been too much of a temptation? Or had Billie just been an incredible actress?
Chapter 23
“Surely no wild beast could wish a pleasanter home.”
—Cowardly Lion
When Quentin and the rest of the security team arrived at the police station, Skye and Wally thanked them all for their help, then waved goodbye as Tuck and his men marched out to the parking lot. Quentin stayed behind, and after an awkward hug between the cousins, he and Wally spent a few minutes rehashing the kidnapping and rescue.
Finally, Quentin said, “Well, I’d better get going. I’ve got a date for brunch tomorrow morning with a former Miss Texas and I surely don’t want to stand her up.”
Skye teased, “It certainly must be nice not to have to hang around until there’s a scheduled flight home.”
“I see you’re beginning to understand the advantages of having money.” Quentin pecked her on the cheek and said, “Take care of yourselves.”
“You too.” Wally grinned. “Watch out for those beauty queens. I hear they can be feisty.”
Carson embraced his nephew and said, “Have a good trip. I’m going to stay in Scumble River a while to help out with the tornado relief efforts, so unless it’s an emergency, I want you to handle anything that comes up with the company.”
“Will do.” Quentin touched two fingers to his forehead and walked out the station’s front door.
After Quentin and the security team left, Wally and Quirk grilled the bikers. Boo-Boo’s nearly hysterical ramblings didn’t shed any light on either Wally’s kidnapping or the Lyons murder, and Jackal demanded a lawyer, then clammed up. Once the interrogation was finished, both men were transported to the county jail to be booked and wait for their public defense attorneys.
By that time, it was nearly two a.m. and everyone was exhausted. Despite Wally’s attempts to persuade his father and Skye to go home and get some rest, they had refused and waited for him. Now, as they trudged out to the parking lot, Skye felt as if she were sleepwalking.
Getting into the Hummer, Carson said, “Drop me off at the motel. Before he left for the airport, I had Quentin pick up my stuff at the motor home and leave it at the motel room I reserved for Quentin and the team.”
“You didn’t have to do that, Dad,” Skye protested.
He winked. “I’m sure you two would like a little time alone.”
“We’d be happy to have you stay with us.” She glanced at Wally. “Right?”
“Thanks, Dad. We appreciate the privacy,” Wally said, ignoring Skye. “It would be kind of tight with the three of us in the motor coach.” He reached over and patted Skye’s belly. “
Or maybe I should say with the five of us. Did she tell you we’re having twins?”
“Not in so many words.” Carson chuckled. “But congratulations.”
“It was Skye and the baby that kept me going when I was being held in that basement. No way in hell was Reid raising my child.” Wally grinned. “I mean children.”
“As if,” Skye snorted.
Once they’d dropped Carson at Up A Lazy River, Wally and Skye drove home in silence. They dragged themselves inside, and while Skye took a shower, Wally ate the leftovers from one of May’s casseroles. Then they crawled into bed and, with a sweet kiss, drifted off.
Six hours later, Skye woke with her back nestled against Wally’s front. One of his arms cradled her stomach while the fingers of his free hand stroked around her belly button. And something hard was pressed against her rear end.
Blinking the sleep from her eyes, Skye purred, “Good morning to you, too, sweetheart.”
“It sure is, darlin’,” Wally rumbled in her ear. “How do you feel?”
“Me?” Skye pushed her hair out of her face. “I’m not the one who was beaten up and held prisoner by an outlaw biker gang.”
“But you are the one who, despite hauling around two little humans inside of you, figured out where I was and saved me and the macho, ex-military guys using nothing but a laser-gun sight.” Wally pressed his lips to her throat and trailed kisses down her cleavage.
“But I didn’t solve the murder.” She giggled when he hit a ticklish spot, then added, “Heck, I couldn’t even locate the prime suspect.”
“We’ll find Billie Lyons today.” Wally’s mouth continued its journey southward. “It’s just a shame our only witnesses are on the lam.”
“Not to mention criminals.” Skye’s voice was breathy as Wally’s lips and fingers persisted in their exploration. “A jury would love that.”
“Which means we’ll have to convict Billie the old-fashioned way.” Wally shoved off his boxer briefs. “Once we get her into the police station, we make her confess.”
“How are we going to figure out where she is?” Skye watched her underwear float over the side of the bed. Considering her maternity panties were the size of a topsail, once they caught air, they soared for several feet. “The tornado has really messed things up.”
Dead in the Water Page 22
