She tripped on one of the grated steps, but Nick grabbed her arm to keep her from falling farther. She swiped her vision clear. Maybe she wasn’t being fair. Events hadn’t gone the way she’d thought they should have, but she had never really been alone. Her parents had been there for her when she’d been disbarred, and maybe if she’d been humble enough and let others know, some of them would’ve been as supportive as Nick. He had been there when her car almost dove off a cliff and when a bullet had been aimed at her. Twice. And maybe God would’ve defended her if she’d laid down her fear and gone into the station when Nick had asked her to.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered to him. “You were right. I should’ve given up sooner. I should’ve listened to you.”
Nick gave her a rueful smile as they continued to descend the stairs. “Just remember that if we get out of this—” he winked and reached for her hand “—I think I’ve fallen in love with you.”
Warmth filled her chest, but she couldn’t afford even a moment to enjoy it.
Nick gave her fingers a squeeze before she pulled away. They reached the bottom of the stairs and crossed the alley. If they were going to die, at least she could face death with hope in her heart.
FOURTEEN
Nick tensed as he opened a nondescript door from within the alley. While Barry claimed he didn’t want to kill them, they had no guarantees about the motives of whoever waited on the other side of the door.
The tip of the gun pressed into Nick’s back. “Go on,” Barry urged.
The back wall was aqua with black letters in the middle spelling Barings Financial Advisors. The name seemed odd, as Barry was the only advisor at the firm. Texturized taupe wallpaper covered the rest of the walls. Two black leather couches were on opposite sides of the room. They walked toward the empty receptionist desk. Maybe if Nick was fast enough, he could dial 911 from the landline.
Barry gasped behind them. Nick spun around. Someone wearing blue surgical gloves had an arm around Barry’s throat. The man inserted a needle into the side of his neck before Barry could even struggle.
Barry’s eyes went wide before his mouth and body went slack. The man let go of his throat and grabbed the gun from his hand as Barry’s form dropped to the floor.
He calmly capped the syringe.
“You,” Alexis breathed.
Dr. Tindale smiled. “Here I am.”
Nick warred between rage and confusion. “Why? You’re a doctor!”
He smirked. “It’s a new generation. Operating a profitable drug ring that skates underneath the nose of law officials takes the same professional skills as managing a successful practice.”
Alexis shook her head. “You already make—”
“Beans.” Spittle escaped his mouth, an unattractive feature for a man who clearly spent too much time grooming his wavy hair. “A dermatologist in a small town that was supposed to have thrived and has only shrunk. Many of the operators I know have—” he shrugged “—decent paying jobs, I suppose. But if I want the lifestyle I deserve, heroin is the future. And despite living in this Podunk town, it’s slightly bigger than all the other small towns in the area. A virtual hub.”
“Your stuff is deadly,” Nick interjected.
“For those who want the bigger high, they have to accept the bigger risk. We use only microscopic amounts for my regular customers. Obviously, Barry wasn’t a regular.”
Raven took a step toward the man, and then jumped back, barking.
Tindale waved the gun, directing it at Raven. “That dog was supposed to be dead by now. As soon as Joe brought this rat with him to his appointment, I knew it had to go. It was sniffing and barking. Joe tried to lie and claim the dog was still in training, but I knew he suspected me. They both had to go.”
“You were behind the hit and run. You were the doctor at the hospital.” Alexis put a hand to her mouth as she yanked back the leash to pull Raven behind her. She stood in front of the dog, and Raven sat at attention. “Theresa spotted you there.”
“How was I to know they’d come visiting?” The doc shrugged.
“She’d have known it was you who killed Joe,” Alexis said.
Nick tried to step in front of Alexis, but the doctor pointed the gun at him. “Stay there. Gerald said he would keep her in line, but it became clear she was a liability. I’m six months away from retiring for good on a Caribbean island. I just need a few more deals. So if you don’t want to end up like your friend...” He stepped to the side and gestured for Alexis to move away from the dog.
She shook her head. Dr. Tindale’s eyes narrowed. “You should be able to understand, Alexis. You lose your license in one state, it makes it harder to practice in another.”
Her eyes widened.
“Yeah, I looked you up the first time you came into my office.” He pursed his lips. “If you’d taken the time to know me, you’d have found we have a lot in common.”
Bile rose in Nick’s throat. “She was trying to bring justice and healing to others. I imagine all you’ve done is help yourself.” Nick fisted his hands.
The doctor held up the syringe. “The first time you see someone die in front of you is the hardest, but—” he waved it a little “—this stuff makes it pretty easy. I sensed Barry’s gratitude was waning after I’d taken him from small-time bookkeeper to investment manager.” He sighed. “But the good news is, neither of you has to die.”
Nick and Alexis exchanged a glance. What did he mean?
“It’s simple,” Tindale continued. “Alexis writes a statement that the veterinarian was behind it all.” He shrugged and cast a smile at Nick. “You’ll have to go to prison, but you understand. It’s the only way.”
“Then what?” Alexis pressed. “You let me walk?”
“Oh, no. That wouldn’t do me any good. No, you’ll take over Barry’s job. There will be some that won’t trust you since you’re disbarred, but most people won’t bother changing a thing as long as their dividend checks come regularly. Which they will. We’ll probably even have them increase a bit to stop questions. Then, if you’d like, you can choose to come with me or stay here in this pit stop.”
Nick’s breathing grew erratic. He couldn’t be serious. What would stop Alexis from turning witness the moment he was out of sight? And forget about being disbarred, she didn’t have a background in finance. His plan didn’t make sense.
She pointed toward the sign taped to the receptionist desk. “I can’t just step into Barry’s role. What about the Securities Investor Protect—”
“Do you think people actually check to see if their brokers are members of SIPC or FINRA?” He shook his head. “Hasn’t happened yet. People believe what they want to believe.”
“Fine. I’ll do whatever you want. But you leave the dog alone.” She threw her shoulders back. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t go into detection work.”
“Give him the dog and start writing.”
She handed the leash handle to Nick and rounded the desk, her features determined. Tindale stayed right behind her, hovering over her even as she sat down in the chair. He dictated everything for her to write down.
Why would Tindale trust that she wouldn’t testify against him? The only thing making sense was that he would have something in writing blaming the two of them. There was no way Tindale would let them live. It had to be a ruse.
Alexis sighed dejectedly. She closed her eyes briefly before she signed her name at the bottom.
“Thank you, dear.” In one swift motion, Tindale flicked the cap back off the syringe and aimed it for her neck.
Raven leaped in the air before Nick could register what was happening. She tugged the leash so violently it fell from his fingertips.
Raven’s jaw snapped onto Tindale’s forearm. She whipped her head back and forth and Tindale howled, but the man
still managed to hold onto the needle. He screamed as he turned the gun in his other hand toward the dog.
Alexis leaned to the side, horror on her lips. She grabbed the stapler on the desk and smashed it upward into Tindale’s arm holding the gun. The gun shifted and went off. A bullet soared through the ceiling, and fiberglass pieces rained down on the floor.
Nick jumped onto the desk. “Hit him in the face.”
Alexis didn’t need to be told twice. She smacked the stapler hard directly into Tindale’s face as Nick wrenched the gun out of the man’s hands. Tindale tried to shake the dog off his forearm. “Get him off!”
Nick handed the gun to Alexis. “Point it at him. If he so much as moves, shoot him.”
Nick grabbed the man’s wrist and squeezed while he pulled the syringe safely out of Tindale’s hand.
“Just get it off,” Tindale screamed again.
Three men in red hats and shirts with the logo Barings Furniture embroidered on them rushed in with guns drawn. “Police,” one shouted.
Alexis did a double take but didn’t drop the gun. “Jeremy?”
* * *
The man closest to her nodded and signaled the other two men to go around the desk and surround Tindale. She held out the gun for Jeremy to take. “You guys were there all along?”
“Alexis, can you call Raven?” Nick asked, a smile on his face. “She’s not listening to me.”
Raven’s hind legs were on the desk, but she still whipped her head side to side, her mouth firmly embedded in Tindale’s arm. “Here, girl.”
Raven’s ears perked. She dropped fully onto the desk and vaulted to Alexis’s side. Nick joined Alexis and put a hand on her back. “Are you okay?”
“The moment I started writing, I knew he was never going to let us go. He was setting it up so it looked like a murder-suicide so he could go on with business as usual. If it weren’t for you, Raven and the police...” Her throat closed so she couldn’t say any more. She’d never been so thankful.
Jeremy holstered his weapon once the other two officers had Tindale in hand. “We pulled the furniture truck over on a traffic stop. The two drivers had rap sheets longer than my arm. So we took over and helped the dealers in the store unload the furniture. They started pulling out packages of drugs. Must’ve been hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth.” He smirked. “We arrested ten dealers without so much as a bullet fired, and that was my first undercover assignment.”
“Good work. Check the doc for more syringes,” Nick called out to the other officers as they escorted him out the door. “Carefully.”
Jeremy nodded at Nick. “Thanks.”
Chief Spencer walked in at that moment and headed straight for Alexis. He reached his hand out and shook his finger at her. “You have caused me more grief...” He pulled her into a surprising bear hug. “I’m thankful you’re safe. If anything had happened to you, your dad would’ve had my hide.”
Tears stung her eyes at the unexpected display of affection. She blinked them back. “Gerald and Barry were both working for Dr. Tindale. I think they got in over their heads, but they were still involved.”
The chief nodded. “I imagine Gerald will want to make sure the doc pays for killing his brother. He’ll come clean.” He reached out to Nick for a hearty handshake. “And I have a feeling you’ll make a good mayor.”
“You think he still has a chance?” Alexis asked. “After the news?”
“You two have been proven innocent.” The chief frowned. “You mean because you were disbarred? Pfft. Most of the town knew a year ago.”
“What?” She gazed at Nick in disbelief. He flashed what looked like a happy I told you so grin.
Jeremy crossed his arms over his chest. “Old news. I think I heard a good ten months ago.”
Her mouth fell open. “You all knew? No one said anything!”
“What was there to say?” The chief shrugged. “Did you make a mistake? I don’t know. Some say yes. Maybe there was a better way or maybe there wasn’t. None of us could say. No one can fault your motivation, though. We just wanted to give you your space.”
The whole town talked about and debated her situation?
Jeremy nodded. “Yeah, we figured you’d snap out of it when you were ready. It was none of our business.”
She waited to see if he saw the irony of his statement, but he said nothing. A new thought struck her. “Did—did Theresa know, you think?”
Jeremy nodded. “Absolutely.”
She gripped Nick’s hand for support, to anchor her and keep the tears at bay. Theresa had been the one who offered her a job that proved to be a lifeline in her darkest hours. In fact, there had been plenty of support all around if she’d only seen it. The past year had been a prison of shame entirely of her own making. While the road ahead wasn’t necessarily going to be smooth or without consequences, she would shift her focus where it belonged. She would keep looking up for guidance and hope.
Nick dropped down to check Raven’s teeth and stitches.
The chief addressed him. “We haven’t found a next of kin for Joe. While you were at his house, did you figure out who the dog’s owner would be?”
“You knew where we were?” Alexis asked.
Chief raised an eyebrow. “My cousin lives next door to Joe. She saw a dog in his backyard at eight in the morning and let me know.” He looked slightly bashful admitting it next to a wide-eyed Jeremy. “Since you’d already called me, I chose to give you a few more hours. Face it, Alexis, there are no secrets in this town.”
Nick laughed and reached down to ruffle Raven’s ears. “Unless you find a will, there’s no plan set in place for Raven’s ownership. But I have someone in mind who would be a good fit.”
Alexis’s stomach plummeted at the thought. The dog had just saved her life, and they were already talking about sending her off somewhere else? “You aren’t going to adopt her? Continue her training?”
Nick’s eyes softened as he regarded her. “I hadn’t planned to. Joe actually thought she might be better suited to something else. Though if we ever find that silver car, I would like to take a crack at it with her.”
The chief stuck his lower lip out in thought. “Are you talking about the one involved in a shootout last night? We found it around the corner in a dark spot in the alley.”
“Do you have cause to search it?”
“Yes, but we didn’t find anything.”
Nick grinned. “Let us try.”
* * *
Nick knew his brother would’ve been happy that he’d paid so close attention to all the DEA stories he had told. As soon as Raven sniffed the car, she barked again at the spot underneath the passenger seat.
“We already looked there,” Jeremy said.
Nick sat in the driver’s seat and began pressing buttons in random order. The chief stood at the window, an amused grin on his face until Nick pressed the AC button and pushed the cigarette lighter in at the same time. A trapdoor underneath the floorboard popped open. Inside were several prefilled syringes, a fake passport with Dr. Tindale’s photograph, cash and a bag presumably filled with heroin.
Nick strode over to meet Alexis. She grinned. “You sure you don’t want to continue training her for detection?” She took a knee and wrapped her arms around Raven. “You two made an impressive team.” Her eyes looked so hopeful, he couldn’t wait to broach the subject any longer.
Nick reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out the folded therapy brochure. She opened it and stared at it in confusion. “Apparently Joe thought she would be a good fit for this. There are tons of practical benefits in taking a therapy dog with you when you work with or visit the elderly.”
Her mouth dropped open and she stood up. “Me? You had me in mind for Raven?”
In that moment he knew he had made the right
decision, but he tried to act nonchalant. “I couldn’t adopt her. This girl I’ve fallen for made it pretty clear that owning a dog would be a deal breaker.”
Her eyes lit up. “Did she? Well maybe she might be willing to reconsider.”
A motor revved and screeched to a stop in front of them. Nick tried not to groan in frustration at the interruption.
“Mr. Kendrick!” A man leaned out the window. “Barings Herald. According to police, you played a part in helping take down the drug ring in town. How do you think this will affect your campaign?”
Alexis stepped in front of Nick. “Hello, Tommy. This incident only proves that Nick Kendrick challenges the status quo and will make this town better for it.” She leaned forward. “That’s Alexis Thompson, campaign manager.”
Nick’s mouth dropped. “Tommy, is it? Will you excuse us?”
He led Alexis away from peering eyes. “Campaign manager, huh?”
Her cheeks and neck turned a rosy blush. “If the job is still available.” She held up a hand. “I’ll do it only on a volunteer basis. I refuse to be paid. And I’ll have to work around my other responsibilities like getting certified for dog therapy, applying to the Idaho Bar...”
His neck tingled with the spark of hope. He picked up her hand gently. “Are you sure? It’ll probably involve a lot of lunches, late-night dinners, lots and lots of discussions.”
She grinned. “You’ve already convinced me. There’s something you should know, though.”
“Oh?” His stomach churned with anxiety, knowing he’d already made it clear how he felt about her. If she insisted they’d never be more than friends, he’d respect her decision. He’d hate it, but he’d honor it.
She stared directly into his eyes. “Nick, I’ve fallen in love with you, too.”
EPILOGUE
Three months later
Alexis drove her new-to-her all-wheel-drive Honda CR-V up the hill. After months of driving back and forth to Nick’s house to take horse riding lessons—her new favorite exercise—the curves no longer scared her. She could appreciate the beauty of the road, even in the winter. She pulled over to the viewing point.
Tracking Secrets Page 17
