As Good as Dead

by Patricia H. Rushford

  How was he going to disguise himself now? The cops would know to be on the lookout for a man with no hair and three scratches on his left cheek and bite marks on his right arm. Maybe he could find some kind of makeup to hide the scratches. He needed to get to a pharmacy. If memory served right, he’d passed one earlier, only a block or so away from his motel. He put on a long-sleeved shirt and baggy pants and a baseball cap, wishing now he hadn’t shaved his head.

  He left his motel room and, with hands in his pocket, strolled nonchalantly down the block and into the store, always aware of the cars and the people around him. No cops. Hopefully they were all still scouring the resort.

  He’d been stupid to think Angel Delaney was just flirting with him. He should have known, with her being a cop, that she’d trip him up. If only he hadn’t said he was new when he’d talked to her. She’d taken one look at that badge and known he was lying. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

  In the pharmacy, he went back to the prescription area and told the woman working at the desk that his cat had scratched his face and was there something she could recommend.

  “Just wash it really well, use some hydrogen peroxide, and keep it clean. That should do it.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m supposed to go to a party tonight and...”

  She smiled. “You want something to cover it up?”

  “Is there something? That would be cool.”

  “Sure.” She showed him some makeup and powder. He thanked her and picked up some other makeup items as well. The cover-up had given him a great idea. He wandered the store and eventually found some wigs on a discount table. He grabbed a blond one and took his items to check out. The cashier, a woman in her twenties with multiple ear and nose piercings, looked at the items and at him. “You a transvestite or something?”

  “What if I am?”

  She shrugged. “Whatever.”

  Justin ducked out of the pharmacy and walked as fast as he dared back to the motel.

  “A stroke of genius,” he said aloud some time later as he examined his handiwork in the mirror. Maybe he should consider a sex change. He made one heck of a woman. He chuckled. The makeup had worked perfectly, and you had to look hard to see the scratches.

  “Watch out, Angel Delaney. I’m coming after you, and you’ll never recognize me this time.”

  THIRTY-THREE

  Angel dialed Callen’s cell phone number, not looking forward to the reaction he was bound to have to her being in Idaho.

  “It’s about time you called.” He sounded perturbed. Had he somehow figured out what she’d done?

  “I’m sorry. I’ve been pretty busy.”

  “So I heard.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Kath told me you were packed and heading off for somewhere. I guessed you’d gone looking for Luke. Any luck?” The annoyance in his voice had shifted to concern.

  “Yes. As a matter of fact, I’ve found him.”

  “You’ve talked to him then? He knows the police are looking for him?”

  “He knows, but I haven’t seen him yet. That’s part of the problem.” Angel told him about her talks with Nick, tracking Luke down, and meeting Kinsey. “Luke doesn’t know I’m here, and he’s gone somewhere. He hasn’t come back, and I’m afraid something has happened.” She then told him about the bug she’d found and the run-in she’d had with the would-be gardener from the funeral grounds. “He was using one of the employee badges, and that employee is missing. I don’t even want to think about what might’ve happened to him.”

  Callen sighed. “I swear, Angel. What do you do—go around looking for trouble?”

  Angel bristled at his tone. “That was uncalled for.”

  He sighed again. “You’re right, it was. I’m sorry. Do you want me to fly out there?”

  “I don’t see how your coming will change things. You don’t have jurisdiction here and—”

  “I was thinking more about moral support. I can do my training later.”

  “Oh. I would love to have you here, but you have to teach and they’re counting on you. I may still be here when you’ve finished. You can give me moral support via the phone.”

  “Have you alerted the local police?”

  “Yes. Officer Denham is here now, waiting to escort me downtown. I need to give them a statement.”

  “And you’re telling them everything?” It was more a plea than a question.

  “As much as I know.” She hesitated, but Callen didn’t say anything. “Are you mad at me?”

  “Yes, but we’ll talk about that later. Just be careful.” She heard static. “Who is the chief of police there?”

  “Sam Warren. Why?”

  “I’m going to call him and put him in touch with our guy. Looks like we have some jurisdiction issues to iron out. I want to make sure we’re all on the same page.”

  “Good luck.” Angel eyed Officer Denham, who had a bewildered look on his face, probably wondering what he’d gotten himself into.

  After promising again that she’d be careful, she hung up, then called to check in with Rachael and with her mother, but no one answered at Gabby’s place. Turning to the officer, she said, “I’m ready.”

  He didn’t have much to say other than to remind her to take a jacket. “Nights can get pretty cool up here.”

  “Thanks.” She took her Windbreaker from the hanger and folded it over her arm, then grabbed her purse. She checked to make sure she had her key card and closed the door.

  “Better have them give you a new room,” he said. “In case that guy comes back.”

  There was that tone again—as if he thought she might’ve made the whole thing up. Angel couldn’t blame him for being skeptical, especially after he overheard her one-way conversation with Callen.

  Angel spent the better part of an hour bringing the police up to date on the entire situation, starting with Luke’s disappearance. She felt like a traitor telling them that Thomas Sinclair not only looked like the man in the computer-generated photo but that he was indeed Luke Delaney. “From what we can determine, Luke discovered the murders in that hotel room and was forced to disappear. The hit man threatened to kill his family if he told anyone. We’re certain Luke had nothing to do with the murder of those two men.”

  “We, meaning you and who else?” Chief Warren himself was questioning Angel. He’d already put out the word to have Thomas Sinclair brought in.

  “Nick Caldwell, who is Luke’s best friend and a police officer with the Sunset Cove police. And Kinsey. At any rate, Luke came out of hiding long enough to visit our father after learning he’d had a heart attack, and then later he came to the funeral. I didn’t recognize him, but Nick did. Luke asked Nick to keep his confidence, saying that if the hit man in the Florida incident knew he’d talked to anyone from his past, I’d likely be the first to be killed. What none of us knew at the time was that a man posing as a groundskeeper must have recognized Luke as well.”

  “Is this true?” The chief turned to Kinsey, who’d met Angel there.

  Kinsey nodded. “I was the only one Thomas confided in. He wanted me to know the whole story. He’s struggled for all this time, wondering if he’d done the right thing. Then as soon as he showed up for the funeral in Sunset Cove, the trouble started. His best friend was shot and left for dead.” She leaned forward, head hung low. “I’m afraid Thomas is next. Please find him.”

  “We’ll do our best.” Compassion shone in Warren’s eyes. “I just wish Thomas had come to me.”

  “We talked about it. Especially after what happened to Nick. We were hoping there was no connection, but...” She glanced over at Angel. “There has to be.”

  “Nick survived and identified the bogus gardener as the one who shot him,” Angel said. “I’m sure that same guy is the one who was wearing Matt Turlock’s badge and the same guy who attacked me at the resort. I took a couple of pictures of him.”

  Kinsey pulled a package out of her purse. “They’re right here.”

&nb
sp; The chief took them and removed the two photos.

  “I was going to fax them to Nick for a positive ID,” Angel said.

  “We can do that.” The chief made a note and looked over at Angel. “I got a call from a Detective Callen Riley, who told me he’d been working on the case until a couple days ago when he handed it over to Detective Downs. I’ll be calling Downs when we’re finished here. Is there anything else?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. I think the ‘gardener’ also killed a reporter who was taking pictures at the funeral that day. The crime scene investigators are still trying to sort out the mess. I think the killer was looking for incriminating evidence.”

  “Like a photo placing him at the funeral.”

  “Exactly. He’s good at changing his appearance, but he has this thin, angular face. That’s what alerted me to him at the resort.”

  “You think he may have found Thomas?”

  Angel rubbed her forehead. “I don’t know. All I know is that Officer Denham and I found a listening device in my purse. I’m assuming it was placed in there before I left Sunset Cove. Just before I came, Nick and I were talking. From some things Luke had told him, Nick suspected he’d be here.”

  Chief Warren sighed. “Some good detective work on your part. By the way, I heard about your encounter with the bald guy. Sounds like you know how to handle yourself. I’m just sorry he got away from us.”

  “Not as sorry as I am,” Angel said. “The man is dangerous.”

  “You’re still on leave from the police department?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you have a PI license?”

  “Yes.”

  “Hmm. As competent as you seem, I think you need to step aside and let the police handle this investigation.”

  Angel wasn’t certain she could trust the police once they brought Luke in. Would they extradite him to Florida? Would he end up being arrested and brought to trial?

  Officer Denham came into the room and in a low voice said something about Sinclair’s car.

  The chief frowned and looked at the two women. “Thomas’s car has been found at the parking lot near the golf course. He was seen leaving with a heavyset man about two hours ago.”

  Kinsey uttered a sharp cry.

  “There’s no evidence of foul play at this point,” Denham said. “The witness said they seemed friendly.”

  Heavyset? Angel frowned. “The bald guy who attacked me was definitely not heavyset. Maybe Luke is okay after all.”

  “But it’s not like Thomas to be gone for this long without calling me.” Kinsey checked her watch. “I need to pick up Marie. Can I go?”

  “Of course.” Sam Warren’s eyebrows knit in a deep frown. “Ms. Delaney, you’re free to leave as well. If either of you hear from Thomas, please let us know.”

  “You’ll keep us posted?” Kinsey asked.

  “We’ll let you know as soon as we learn anything.”

  Angel had ridden with Officer Denham to the courthouse and now rode with her sister-in-law to the day care center.

  “I’m late. I hope Jennifer won’t mind.” Kinsey’s tone seemed harsh.

  “I’m so sorry about all of this.” Angel pulled down the visor and dug her sunglasses out of her bag as they drove directly toward the setting sun.

  “It’s not your fault. Thomas shouldn’t have gone to see his father. He shouldn’t have gone to the funeral. He knew how dangerous that man was.”

  “Getting it out into the open may not be such a bad thing,” Angel said. “Luke’s been running for years, and leaving us like he did caused more heartache to my family than you can imagine. I’m glad Pop knew Luke was alive when he died.”

  “I suppose you’re right. I’m being selfish, but...” Tears gathered in her eyes and dribbled down her cheek before she could reach for the tissues behind her seat. “I’m scared.” Kinsey dabbed at her eyes.

  “I am too, but I’m not sure there’s anything we can do other than pray that the police find the killer before he tries again.”

  “If he hasn’t already.” Kinsey took a deep breath, regaining her composure.

  “Do you have any idea who Luke might have left the golf course with?” Angel asked. “It doesn’t sound like he’s in any danger. The guy we’re looking for is thin, and Luke left with a heavyset man.”

  Kinsey shook her head. “I don’t know who that could be. Half of the male population is heavyset.” She clutched at the tissue in her hand. “I hope you’re right about Thomas not being in any danger. But even if you are, what happens to us now? Thomas has no choice but to surrender. We both know what’s ahead. He’s a suspect in a murder case, and there was talk that he sold out to the Penghetti brothers. No matter what happens, our lives are never going to be the same.”

  Angel didn’t respond. What could she say? They lived in a country where people were supposedly innocent until proven guilty. But the press could have Luke tried and convicted before he even made an appearance in court. Negative publicity like that caused people to lose their jobs and their reputations. Angel knew that firsthand.

  Kinsey pulled into a small parking lot and started to get out. “Please don’t say anything to Marie about Thomas. I’ll just tell her he had to work late. Who knows? Maybe that’s true.”

  Angel nodded. “I’ll wait here.” With the adrenaline rush long past, she felt exhausted. Had she done the right thing telling the police about Luke?

  What’s going on, Luke? Where are you? Did you go into hiding again? Who did you leave the golf course with?

  Now that she’d found her brother, there were more questions than ever.

  Kinsey came out of the house with an adorable little girl at her side. Marie skipped beside Kinsey, smiling as though everything was right with the world. She had Kinsey’s eyes, but she reminded Angel of Tim’s daughters. No doubt as to their parentage. Kinsey opened the back door, and Marie scrambled in, climbed up into her seat, and fastened her seat belt. “I’m a big girl,” she announced to Angel. “Mommy says you’re Angel. Are you a real angel or a pretend one?”

  Angel twisted more in her seat so she could look at her niece. “My name is Angel. I was born on Christmas Eve and a choir at the hospital where I was born was singing ‘Angels We Have Heard on High.’ My mother thought that would be a good name for me.”

  “My mommy says you’re my auntie.”

  Angel glanced at Kinsey and smiled. “That’s right. I am.”

  “I didn’t know I had another aunt. Just Auntie Barbara, my mommy’s sister.”

  “Well, I’m your daddy’s sister.”

  “I’m glad.” She leaned down, reaching for something in her backpack, and lifted up a work of art. “Want to see what I made for my daddy in art class today?”

  “Sure.” Angel smiled at the haphazard jumble of colors on a curling piece of paper. “It’s beautiful.”

  “Yes, it is.” She tossed it on the floor on top of her pink bag. “I’m an artist, and when I get big, Mommy’s going to sell my pictures in the gallery.”

  Kinsey backed out of the lot and headed down the street, away from the resort. “I thought you might like to have dinner with us,” she explained.

  “I would. Thank you.” Angel suspected that the invitation went beyond dinner. Kinsey didn’t want to be alone, which was fine. Angel wanted to be with her new family and, of course, wanted to be at the house if and when Luke came home.

  When Luke hadn’t shown up by 9:00, Angel thought it might be best to go back to the resort. She still needed to change rooms and wanted to be settled in before she got too tired to stand up. Kinsey put a drowsy Marie into the car seat and drove the short distance to the resort. She dug into her purse and brought out an envelope. “It’s a VIP packet. There’s a card inside that allows you to stay in one of our suites at no cost. There’s a card for meals too. I’ve written a note explaining that you’re our guest.”

  Angel thanked her, and thirty minutes later, with the help of a bellman who in no way resembl
ed her attacker, she was wandering through one of the elegant suites on the top floor. “It pays to have brothers in the resort business,” she mused.

  She clicked on the television set while getting ready for bed. The news came on at 10:00, and she turned up the volume, wondering if anything new had developed. The anchor said nothing about Luke. Nor did they show his photo. Which meant Chief Warren was keeping that part of the case under wraps. They did, however, let their audience know that Matt Turlock, a worker at the resort, was missing. They included a description of the thin bald man who was wanted for questioning in that investigation.

  Angel shut off the set and turned out the lights, then sat in a chair beside the window looking out over the lake, wondering how her family could have ended up in such a mess. Regardless of what happened, Angel would have to tell her mother about Luke. She was surprised Ma hadn’t seen his picture in the paper or on the news, but then her mother hadn’t been all that interested in the news since Frank’s death. By the time Luke’s picture had hit the paper, Anna was already planning her trip to California. To be on the safe side, Angel had removed that portion of the paper before leaving it on the counter.

  Anna Delaney was a strong woman. Even with Frank’s illness and eventual death, she’d held on to her faith, knowing God would see her through. Ma would be okay, but how would she take the news that Luke had been alive all these years? She wouldn’t be surprised. Ma had often talked about Luke coming home. Angel had no doubt that Anna prayed for Luke every night, as she did for all of her children.

  It wasn’t right to keep this from her mother, but it didn’t seem fair to burden her either. How much could one person take? And what would she say? “Hi, Ma, I found Luke. He’s living in Idaho with his wife and their little girl. Only he’s missing again, and there’s a killer on the loose.”

  Angel sighed and closed her eyes. She did feel good about one thing, though—telling Callen. She hoped that she hadn’t hurt their relationship by not telling him she was coming here. He needed to know he could trust her. Not that she’d lied, she’d just withheld some information.

  Angel reached for the phone, needing to bring Nick and Rachael up to date. Figuring Nick would no longer be at the hospital, she called him at home. He picked up on the second ring, and without waiting for more than a hello, Angel told him everything that had transpired.