“Do the police know?” Nick spoke up behind her.
Gerald shook his head. “They can’t help. I never should’ve taken—I—” His bottom lip wavered.
The renewed sorrow of losing Theresa washed over Alexis. She fought the tears back. “She didn’t die of an overdose.” She steeled her voice.
Gerald’s head dropped. “I know.”
“You had heroin on your property,” Nick said.
Gerald raised an eyebrow but didn’t make eye contact. He closed his lips and shook his head. “You should go,” he whispered.
Fury swirled in her gut and threatened to be unleashed. This man knew Theresa hadn’t died of an overdose but admitted it in such a nonchalant way? She wouldn’t stand for it. “She was my friend. I want answers!”
“Well, you can’t have them,” Gerald shouted back.
Raven growled and appeared at her side. Nick put a hand on her arm. “Maybe we should have the police ask the questions, Alexis.”
“That’s a bad idea,” Gerald said. He leaned back into the couch cushions, staring at the teddy bear still in his hands. “We were perfect for each other. I got her this in Boise before...” His voice trailed off, but he smiled sadly at Alexis. “We felt like kids again. She loved it.”
In the distance, slamming doors could be heard. Gerald frowned. “She should’ve never died.” His eyes lifted to meet Alexis’s. “She wouldn’t want you to be hurt, too. Go,” he said.
Alexis turned to Nick in confusion. Nick’s forehead scrunched, and he rushed to the front window. “Call the police. We’ve got men with guns.”
“The cops won’t make it in time.” Gerald pointed to the left. “Go out the old back door. The one in the guest room.”
“But our car is—”
“They’ll have already seen it. Go. It opens right into the bushes. Most people don’t even know it’s there.”
The house used to be smaller before she renovated it, but Alexis didn’t remember an old back door in there. “But you—”
“They won’t hurt me, but I can’t protect you. Go. For Theresa’s sake, just go.”
“Oh, is that so? Why won’t they hurt you?” Her veins grew hot as her heart rate sped up. “Maybe because you’re the ring leader of the drug operation?”
“Where’s your truck?” Nick pressed. He had a phone pressed to his ear.
“Too far away for you to reach,” Gerald responded with an eerie calm.
Nick spoke into the phone. “There are gunmen roaming the neighborhood.” He listed the two closest cross streets and hung up.
“We don’t have enough answers to go to the police yet,” she told Nick.
“If they arrest these guys, maybe we don’t need them.” He tugged on her arm. “I have a feeling we should listen to Gerald, though, and get out of here while we have a chance. Come on.”
She heard shouts outside and through one of the windows could see men approaching the car in the neighbor’s carport, rifles in hand. The mayor didn’t even move a muscle. “Just tell me this,” she said. “If you loved her, why’d you give Theresa heroin? Even if I believed she wanted to get hit up—which I don’t—you would’ve had to have known she had asthma. You meant to kill her.” They couldn’t leave without a single answer. They’d be back to square one.
“I didn’t. It wasn’t me.” The mayor closed his eyes and leaned his head back. “Right now, keeping her friends alive is all that matters. Just leave.”
She gritted her teeth. She wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake him until he told her who was behind Theresa’s death.
Raven whined, and Nick grabbed Alexis’s hand. His touch grounded her, and she knew she had to press past the swirling emotions and just stay alive. For Theresa’s sake. Her tears threatened to escape. She focused on Nick’s hand holding hers, reminding her to stay in the present moment.
He pulled her through the hallway and ran toward the first bedroom.
“No.” She led him in the opposite direction. “That’s her room.” She couldn’t bear to see Theresa’s room without her in there. She pulled him to the guest room that she had stayed in once.
Nick ran for the first door he saw. It turned out to be a closet. “She’s moved the bed,” Alexis said. She pointed to where the bed used to be. The floral canvas that had hung above it was no longer there, either. The wall was covered with the same white vertical paneling as the rest of the room, but she realized she could see the outline of a very low door. It would have been covered by the canvas and headboard that had once been there.
Nick twisted the knob and had to push with some force before the door shoved open directly into hedges. No wonder Theresa kept it covered up. It wasn’t a very practical place to have a door. Gerald had probably used it to visit Theresa while keeping their relationship a secret.
Nick couldn’t open the door all the way, but Gerald had been right. It left them about one foot of space to squeeze outside. Nick took a step down onto the ground. Raven and Alexis quickly followed. She heard men running but could see no one. The foliage was too thick for them to hide inside the bushes, but if they were willing to endure some prickly branches, they could slide in between a set of them into the neighbor’s yard. It was their only chance.
A man rounded the corner holding a rifle. Nick launched himself at the man, shoving the barrel up into the air. Raven’s leash fell from his hand, but the dog stayed put.
The sound of a gunshot filled the air. A screech wrenched from her throat as she flinched, her hands over her head. Nick punched the man in the chin. The guy swung the barrel toward Nick’s head. He evaded just enough that the rifle swished through the air half an inch over his forehead. Nick used the advantage to jab a fist into the guy’s stomach and shove him backward.
Alexis didn’t stand around and wait for the gunman to get back up. She dove through the bushes with Nick and Raven on her heels as the sound of another gunshot filled the air.
The sting from the scratching branches was hard to ignore, but she pumped her arms harder as she ran through the next backyard. Another gunshot sent her ducking. So far the only thing they’d accomplished was letting the rest of the drug ring know their location.
Within seconds, more gunmen would be on their way. Her first instinct was to hide behind the gas grill on the neighbor’s patio and wait, but she knew if they did that, they would be dead meat. On either side of the yard was a hedge, but a five-foot-high cedar fence outlined the back border.
The men shouted at each other to surround the area.
Her breathing escalated. They were trapped.
NINE
Nick grabbed her hand and pulled her around the corner of the house and into a tight space between the wall and a freestanding shed. Raven stayed close to Alexis, despite the leash dragging on the ground. He picked it up and they all hid in the tiny, dim spot.
“So, what’s the plan?” she whispered.
“What do you mean?” He spoke into her hair. It smelled like the hotel shampoo, with the faint scent of vanilla and sugar cookies. It was enough to make his stomach roil with hunger again. “This is the only idea I’ve got. I’m hoping they think we went through the other hedge and kept running.”
“How is this any different than when we started? At this rate they can find us in ten seconds.”
“We’re outnumbered with nowhere to go,” Nick said. “Do you have any better ideas?” Raven sat on her haunches and stuck her nose in the air. Her ears twitched and her hackles rose. “See that? It means help is on the way.”
She squinted. “What?”
A half second later, sirens could be heard. Alexis looked momentarily impressed until she saw the smug grin Nick knew he sported. “Let’s hope the gunmen hear it, too, and start running before you get all smug.”
The sound of pant
ing and quick footsteps approached. Whoever they were, they had to be on the other side of the bushes. He held up a finger for a moment until he felt certain they’d kept running.
“Attack,” Alexis whispered to Raven.
Raven tilted her head.
“Go get ’em, girl.” She shoved her finger in the direction they’d come.
The dog scratched her ear with her back paw.
Alexis huffed. “Shouldn’t she attack?”
He shrugged. “It’s possible she hasn’t or won’t be trained to do that. I only knew about her health.” Their shoulders touched as they leaned against the side of the house. Tight spaces made his skin crawl. Raven sat on his shoes and leaned her body into his legs as if she was prepared to take a nap. He gave her leash a small tug to keep her upright in case they needed to run. The sirens grew closer.
Alexis shook her head. “I’m not ready to go into police custody. I’ll talk to them on the phone, but once I step into the station, I won’t get a chance to find out who killed Theresa. Besides, Gerald is clearly involved in this. Who’s to say we won’t be in more danger once we’re at the station?”
She had a point. “You’re the one that thought the mayor wasn’t in the pocket of the police. I agree with you now.”
“After it’s clear he’s involved? What’s your proof they’re not?”
He shrugged. “No proof, just a feeling.”
“Feelings are misleading.”
That was also true, but he didn’t want to dissect or think about it any longer. They needed a plan. In his mind, it was more important to focus on proving their innocence. “Do you know how long it takes them to run things for fingerprints?”
“I’m a lawyer, not a cop.”
Someone yelled over a megaphone, “Put your hands up or you risk being shot.” A gunshot sounded and Alexis flinched. It seemed to have come from the opposite direction of the police car. “I hope Jeremy is okay.”
An unbidden spark of jealousy flew through Nick at the caring tone she used for the officer. He wouldn’t let himself think about it now.
“We have to get out of here.” She scooted past him and chanced a look around the corner of the shed. “How high do you think that back fence is?”
Gunshots in the distance accompanied her question.
He grimaced. Scaling fences wasn’t exactly on his wish list for the day. Every muscle in his body still hurt from yesterday’s events. He fought against rolling his eyes or arguing and peeked around the shed to see for himself. “Guessing five feet. At least it’s cedar. Won’t be as slippery or flimsy as vinyl.”
She nodded. “If you can help me and Raven get over that back fence, I think I can get us somewhere safe.”
Getting Raven over could be a problem. It would take all of his strength to lift the dog to that height to help her clear the fence. “It’ll work only if you go over the fence first, and you’ll have to get the dog down on the other side.”
He was a grown man, a professional and a potential mayor who had been driven into hiding behind sheds and jumping fences. If he could have convinced Alexis to turn herself in to the police and trust God to be their defender, then he would have. But it was obvious she’d made up her mind, and he wouldn’t let her go off on her own when he knew the drug trafficking ring was out to kill her. And the current mayor was...well, Nick wasn’t sure what the man was doing, but he couldn’t deny the possibility that Gerald was the one who had tried to frame them.
Gunshots sounded again. Obviously the gunmen weren’t going to surrender to the police without a fight. Unless there were more police officers in the vicinity than usual, he felt certain that the gunmen would outnumber them.
The sky had turned a dark blue-gray and the stars were just starting to become visible. Day was turning into evening before his eyes. How could that be possible? Alexis’s stomach growled as if in proof.
Alexis eyed him. “What? It’s past my dinnertime, too.” She blew out a breath.
A loud bang erupted, and sparks of blue and red filled the dark sky in the distance. It must be the practice set of fireworks before the End of Summer show that would start in a few minutes. He hoped the entire town was there and safe from the gunfight erupting behind them.
“When you hit the fence, jump vertically. Grab the top, but use your legs to climb the fence. All you need is one heel or knee to get over. Then you can twist and roll the rest of the way.”
She blinked. “Okay.” She pointed at Raven. “Do that ‘stay’ command thing with her.” She noticed the hesitation that must’ve been evident on his face. “When I make it over, run. I promise I’ll be waiting to catch her on the other side. Let’s go.”
He nodded. He didn’t feel ready. He held his hand out and firmly spoke. “Stay.”
Alexis peeked around the shed and took off running. Raven’s foot shoved off Nick’s shoe as she launched after Alexis like a rocket. Nick groaned and charged after them both.
A gunman stepped out of the shadows on the other side of the house and aimed what looked like a sawed-off shotgun at her. The moon reflected off something near the grill. Nick grabbed what turned out to be the grill brush and flung it at the gunman. The metal edge hit the man’s temple, but the gun still went off.
A bullet splintered the top of the fence right next to where Alexis had been half a second ago. She shrieked but managed to fling herself over the fence. Raven jumped over in a beautiful arc, the leash sailing behind her, proving she didn’t need anyone to hoist her up.
Nick sucked in a sharp breath. That had been too close. They couldn’t back down now.
Hearing the gunman behind him reloading, he vaulted across the yard before the man could take aim again. He launched himself sideways through the other bordering bushes. The branches slashed against his face and arms, much more painful than the first set of hedges, but he managed to get through. The yard resembled Theresa’s except there was more furniture.
“Nick!” Alexis screamed from somewhere over the fence.
Nick didn’t take time to answer. He didn’t want the gunman to be able to zero in on his voice. Another gunshot and a scream told him the man had tried to aim at the sound of Alexis’s voice instead.
Nick jumped, placed his hands on top of the fence, swung himself over and barely missed landing on Raven.
Alexis stood next to her. “Follow me.”
Nick pumped his arms, careful not to pass her because she seemed to know where she was going. He leaned down and scooped up the middle of Raven’s leash, picking up a handful of gravel with it. The grit stung underneath his fingernails, but he couldn’t afford to slow down.
Alexis glanced down at Raven. “So she didn’t want to obey and stay. I can see why she’s still in training.”
“Or maybe she just figured out who was really the boss,” he said. Alexis might not want to admit it, but Raven acted as if she’d decided Alexis was her owner.
Fireworks hit the night sky, causing Alexis to flinch and shriek a little each time. Raven lifted her head up with each gallop but didn’t bark or shake at the blasts and booms. It was becoming hard to recognize which booms came from guns and which from pyrotechnics. “Try not to make noise,” he said, huffing his words.
Her eyes seemed to light up, reflecting another set of bursts in the sky. “I’m not doing it on purpose.” She pointed to the left. “I know that home. I used to babysit for them. They never miss a fireworks show. It’ll be empty.” They ran to the porch, and she kicked back the mat to reveal a key. He looked over his shoulder to make sure the coast was clear as she opened the door and they slipped into the darkened house.
A hiss sounded and Raven responded with a bark. “Shh,” Alexis responded. “It’s just their cat. It’s old. It won’t hurt you, dog. We’ll be right out of your hair, Snookums. Just passing through.” She spoke in suc
h soft, soothing tones, Nick felt his own spine relax a little.
He remained still until his eyes adjusted. Her footsteps echoed throughout the house, but he worried that if he tried to follow, he’d smash into something valuable. A moment later he could see her form down the hallway. She stood next to the back door, where a sliver of light came through the curtain.
“I don’t know about you,” she said, “but I’d rather avoid jumping a fence again. Follow me, but don’t let the cat out.”
He reached her at the door. “You sure it wouldn’t be better to stay indoors for a bit?”
“Trust me. Come on.” They slipped back outside as the fireworks increased in frequency in the fully darkened sky. In the distance, they could hear whoops and hollers.
Alexis closed the door behind him. He couldn’t see details, but judging by the trellises and inverted cone shapes in long rectangular boxes in front of him, he imagined the owners gardened a lot. Alexis walked down a set of cement stairs to what looked like a cellar door.
“They told me I could come by anytime to pick up some of their produce.” She used the same key from the front and shoved the heavy door open. “I never intended to take them up on it until today.”
She waited until they were inside before she pulled a string. A lone lightbulb illuminated the shelves filled with glass jars. In the middle, a long countertop held baskets of fresh veggies awaiting a rinse from the industrial-sized sink sticking out of the right wall.
Alexis took a lone sugar snap pea out of a basket and shoved it toward him. “Am I wrong or did you think that Gerald was telling the truth about Theresa?” She put one hand on her hip as she waved the vegetable at him. “Because it seemed to me that you could’ve helped me press him until he told us what we needed. It’s obvious that he’s behind the entire thing. The drugs on his property had to be his.”
Nick shrugged. “I’m not so sure.”
“Why is that?” Her eyes narrowed.
He searched through the basket for snap peas without any indentions. “I didn’t think we were going to get any more out of him. He seemed truly sorrowful.” Nick strode to the sink to rinse the veggies, and Alexis followed close behind him.
Tracking Secrets Page 11
