by Starling,Amy
“Victor's guilt will be apparent during the trial. When he goes down, he'll take Harvey and his other corrupt officers with him.”
Brett raised a hand. “You know how I feel about this. I think Charlie's right,” he said. “Maddie, you've always put such faith in the law before, but how's that working out for us now? What if Victor doesn't go down in court? You have no idea what tricks he's got. Hell, he could have the judge in his pocket too.”
A food-court janitor pushed past our table with a bucket and mop, shooting us curious glances as he wiped down the tables. I took the opportunity to shut my mouth and think.
“So what do you want to do?” I snapped after the janitor passed. “Kill him?”
Brett shook his head in protest, but Charlie was obviously thinking about it.
“That man ruined our lives. He destroyed our home, took everything from us. I say it's time to do the same to him.”
“You're not killing anyone.”
“What, don't you believe it was him?” He laughed. “I'll prove it. Let me act as bait. Once he sees I'm back, check his reaction. That should tell you the truth.”
I wanted no part of this. It would be far easier, and saner, to let James' case go to trial and hope for the best.
But there was a chance it could go wrong. If Victor and Harvey knew I was on to them, I was putting myself – and everyone I loved – at risk.
“I think it's a good plan,” Brett mused. “We needn't do anything risky yet. Just show Harvey your brother is here and see what he does.”
Provoking a possible madman struck me as a horrible idea. Still, I had to know the truth. If baiting Harvey got it out of him...
“There's that dinner this evening,” Brett added. “He'll be there. You can attend with us as your guests. I mean, what's Harvey going to do to us surrounded by all those people – plus the folks from the FBI?”
I didn't want to admit it, but he was right. There was no safer way I could think of do this. If I wanted to keep Charlie out of danger, this had to be done tonight.
Once Charlie was in the car, Brett walked me back to my cruiser. When he put his hands on my hips, I tensed. Deep inside, part of me still didn't trust him fully.
“You still mad at me for what I did the other day?” He frowned. “So you know, that house was already up in flames by the time I got there.”
“I can't just excuse the fact you tried to kill someone.”
“Even a murdering piece of shit like Freddy? You really feel safe with someone like him roaming free? When I found out he was living there, all I could think of was him doing it again. Of him coming after you.”
I hated to admit it, but the thought of making Freddy pay for his crimes was appealing on some primal level. All of us had dark thoughts like that sometimes, except Brett acted on them.
“When this is over, Maddie, I want to be with you.”
I laughed to cover up the sudden surge of nervousness. He stroked my cheek.
“I'm tired of being alone. There's only so many drunken one-night encounters a man can take before it gets old.”
“You're lonely, so you want to be with me? That's not a real good reason for dating someone.”
“It ain't just that. No other woman's made me feel the way you do. You're clever. Tough. I respect you. That's a big one for me: I want a woman I can look up to.”
His desire for me was almost overwhelming, and I didn't know how to respond. Brett was fun and I felt so alive being with him, but was that really enough to sustain a relationship?
“I know we have our differences, but I feel that's what makes us a match. You keep me balanced and sane. I help you open up and live a little, show you life need not be so serious all the time.”
I couldn't ignore one simple fact – that imagining my days without Brett in them made me sad.
“So, what do you say? How about we give it a go?”
“I... I don't know, Brett. I've obviously got a ton of other things on my mind at the moment.”
Charlie yelled to us from the car. Probably against my better judgment, I let Brett kiss me goodbye. His lips were so warm and sweet, I never wanted to leave his embrace.
Maybe we were wrong for each other, but did it matter when he could make me feel like this?
“I'll see you tonight, then.”
“Yeah. I still think this is a bad idea.”
“If you really want to end this nightmare, it's the best we got.”
I hated to admit he might be right.
Chapter 20 - Brett
“I think my sister really likes you.”
Charlie stumbled under the heft of the truck's bulky hose. He was a strong guy, but its weight had surprised him.
“You think so?” I rubbed wax into the red body and got to polishing. “To her, I'm nothing but bad news. When she found out what I did at the Ventura place...”
“Man, I'm sorry I spilled the beans. When I got back in town, I saw you hanging around Madison a lot and wondered about you. Our family's made some enemies, as you see, so I was just looking out for her and Jenna.”
“I shouldn't have done it. Wasn't thinking. But that asshole killed those women, and finding that out lit some bonfire of pure rage in me.”
Charlie climbed into the truck and sprawled across the seats. “For what it's worth, I'd have done the same thing. I got two sisters; the thought of someone laying a finger on them infuriates me. 'Course, the doctors always said I had anger problems, so...”
Yet my actions almost killed two people. Noble though it might have been to wipe a murderer off the streets, I couldn't do anything so awful again. Had to stop letting my emotions and impulsiveness control me.
Thank God it was a quiet day at the station. My head was elsewhere; couldn't possibly focus on putting out any fires.
“I can see you're a good guy,” Charlie continued. “When I was in Mexico, I worried about Madison so much. Always thought I'd be there to protect her from asshole guys once she got old enough to date.”
“But what if I'm an asshole? I beat people up for fun and profit. I disregard laws and have run from the cops more times than I can count.” I threw my rag aside. “I want to keep Maddie safe, but I'm more likely to drag her down with me.”
She asked me if I'd ever give my ways up, but I couldn't see that happening. If it came down to her or my hobbies, though, which would I choose?
Jayce and Carter came by, laughing together about some dirty joke one of them had told. Though they were both family men now, they hadn't changed all that much.
“Hey, man.” Jayce nodded. “Slow day, huh? We're starting up a game of cards in ten minutes if you wanna join.”
Charlie peeked out at him. “Oh, I'm in. I was the best poker player in my block.”
The two guys stared at him, puzzled, then at me.
“Uh, so this is Charlie. Madison's brother,” I explained. “He's... moving to town, I guess.”
Carter shook his hand. “You looking for work? We just had a guy leave, and you look like you can handle yourself.”
“Work,” he repeated. “Yeah, I suppose I will need a job now that I'm here. Can't expect other folks to support me. Thanks, y'all. I'll look into it.”
I briefly wondered how a fugitive, freshly escaped from a Mexican prison, would get hired anywhere. Then again, our station employed a bunch of bad boys who were usually up to no good, so I guess it wasn't that far-fetched.
Charlie wandered off with Carter to get the game set up. Jayce wiped a smudge off the truck with his coat.
“You missed a spot.”
“Aw, whatever. You wanna trade places, help yourself.”
“No thanks. Hey, Max is inviting all of us to his place for the Fourth of July weekend. Says there's an excellent spot on the hill for firework watching. You coming? Madison's welcome to come too.”
Normally, I'd have said no. I felt out of place at their family gatherings. All my friends had wives and kids, while I had nobody. It was just another pai
nful reminder of the emptiness in my life.
But the idea of bringing Madison along to meet my buddies made me happy. I wanted them to see how awesome she was.
“I'd love to,” I said, “but I'm not so sure she'll agree to come along. We've had a few disagreements.”
“What did you do?”
“Nothing. She just takes offense to my choice of leisure activities.”
He wandered off when the boys started arguing about bets. Charlie came back to me, a somber expression on his face.
“About tonight,” he said quietly. “You believe me that Harvey is responsible for ruining our family's life, don't you?”
“Sure.”
“This could be my only chance to get close to him, to take him by surprise.” He slammed his hand into the truck and winced. “Madison wants to bring him to court and have him tried the fair way. To me, that's not good enough. He needs to be punished.”
Oh, boy. How did I get dragged into this again?
“Well, I agree, but it'll be hard to do much punishing with all those cops around.”
Both of us were the type to let our fists do the talking, I figured. Much as I'd love to punch in the face of a corrupt cop or two, I wasn't about to get arrested for it.
“How about we do to him the same as he did to me?” There was a wicked twinkle in his eyes. “Plant something on him. With the FBI there, it'll get his ass thrown in federal prison for years.”
An appealing idea, to be sure. I got the feeling Madison wouldn't approve.
“Plant what?”
He thought for a moment. “I may still have some contacts here. I can buy a load of something highly illegal from 'em, then load his car with it. Tip off the FBI and he's done for.”
“I've seen movies about that, but this is real life. You realize how much trouble you could get in? You ought to lie low after what you did.”
“But it would work,” he said excitedly. “Trouble is, I don't have the kind of cash a stunt like this would require. Maybe if you generously loaned me some...”
I didn't have it, either – but then the money in my safe came to mind.
I'd promised Madison I wouldn't spend it. Breaking that promise to her would make me sick.
But if we had a real shot at putting Harvey away, wouldn't she want us to take it? I couldn't float the idea to her, of course. She would instantly shoot it down.
“Brett, please.” Charlie squeezed my arm. “That man tore my family apart. He stole everything from us. So long as he walks these streets, we're not safe. Hell, no one is.”
Madison wanted to do the right thing. She didn't understand that the right thing didn't often yield proper results. Even if Victor crashed and burned in court, there was a chance Harvey would escape unharmed.
I didn't want to take that chance.
“I'm going on break,” I told my friends, who were too busy arguing over cards to notice. “C'mon, Charlie. I think I can help you out.”
Chapter 21 - Madison
Jenna twirled her hair around her fingers, chewed her lip, and pressed her forehead against the window. That's how she telegraphed her anxiety to the world.
“I just don't believe it's him,” she murmured as we pulled into the banquet hall parking lot. “All these years we spent wondering who did it. Who could have possibly been so sick and evil that he'd...”
I patted her hand as I put the car in park. “You didn't have to come.”
“I did too. I wanted to know the truth more than anything. It's making my stomach sick, but I gotta know.”
When Jenna found out what we were up to, she insisted I bring her along to dinner. I didn't want to put her in harm's way, but I couldn't leave her alone either.
The lot was full of cars and lots of police cruisers. Probably every cop in Waco and Kingston was attending this event, all of them here to see Victor crow about his accomplishments in fighting crime.
“Where do you think the guys are? Charlie's been hanging out with Brett all day.”
“They sure do seem to have taken to each other,” I said, surveying the lot for his car.
Had to admit, that made me feel kind of better. Charlie was so protective of us, I figured that if he didn't like Brett, he would have let me know in no uncertain terms.
“What's the deal with you and Brett, anyway?” She studied me as we walked toward the lobby. “He clearly likes you a lot, but it seems like you're pushing him away.”
“Maybe I'm not ready for another boyfriend after what Victor did to me. I looked up to him, believed he was a good guy, and see how wrong I turned out to be? Brett shows me his sweet side, but how do I know what he's hiding under that?”
Jenna smiled at the cute waiter who held the door for us. “There's no harm in trying. If he turns out to be a dick, just dump him.”
“Maybe if he makes some changes in his life,” I mused. “No more racing, or fighting, or any of that dangerous stuff. If he agrees to settle down for once, I might consider it.”
Inside, it was clear the city was going all out for this dinner. The lights were down low; decorations and signs hung everywhere, and a live band played smooth jazz on center stage.
“Look; there.”
Jenna discreetly pointed to the table closest to the podium. At it sat Victor, a few other high-ranking officers, and a trio of men in black suits. I wagered they were the FBI people.
“Makes me ill,” I muttered. “They have the power to arrest him, only they have no idea the things he's done.”
Harvey was nowhere to be found, though, and I still couldn't see the guys. We took our seats at an empty table. I gratefully accepted when a waiter came by offering wine.
I'd just barely taken my first sip when someone's hands on my shoulders made me jump out of my chair.
“Maddie, you sure do look lovely in that black dress.”
Brett stood behind me looking pretty damn handsome himself. He'd actually bothered to shave the stubble which seemed to perpetually cover his cheeks, and he wore a nice suit with a cobalt tie.
Not to mention that sexy-smelling cologne which, if we had been alone, probably would've been enough to get me naked for him.
I was helpless to fight against my need for him, now as I was the moment we met.
Jenna giggled and blushed. “What a gentleman he is, sis. Well, go on. Aren't you going to invite him to sit?”
“A gentleman, huh? More like a wolf in sheep's clothing,” I teased, pulling out a chair for him. For a moment, I almost forgot what we'd come here to do.
“Where's Charlie?” Jenna asked, peering over his shoulder at the door.
Brett sat down and cleared his throat. Right away, I got that funny feeling that something wasn't kosher. Would he ever stop hiding things from me? How was I meant to trust him if he couldn't?
“He, ah, made a pit stop to the restroom. He's not used to wearing dressy clothes, and when we stopped at Sonic for some milkshakes, he spilled his on his shirt.”
I folded my arms and frowned. “Where is he really?”
“He'll be here soon.” Brett returned my stare.
Of course, I didn't believe him. Without any clues as to where Charlie could be, though, I had no choice but to sit tight and wait.
Must remind myself to have a very serious chat with Brett once this was over...
Jenna, sensing the tension, excused herself from the table to get some appetizers from the buffet. Brett tried to reach for my hand, but I jerked away.
“What did I do this time?”
“What haven't you done?” I swigged my wine. “I think you forget who you're lying to. I'm not one of your dumb blonde bimbos from the club, Silver.”
His jaw clenched. “That's not fair. How can you say –”
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us this evening,” said a man on stage. “On behalf of the Kingston Police Department, we're here to honor chief Victor Patterson for the good he has done our wonderful city.”
I kept my eye on Jenna
as she piled food on her plate. But then, just to the right of the buffet and almost hidden in the shadows, was a familiar face.
“Harvey,” I hissed.
Brett's attention snapped from me to him. Why did he look so worried?
“Now I'm starting to wonder what's taking Charlie so long.”
Harvey stood by himself, a strange, blank expression on his face. He looked as if ready to cry.
Earlier, when I was hiding in the archives, he mentioned that three days from now was when he'd lost his son. For anyone else, I would have been sympathetic.
He was probably on the verge of snapping. The loss of a family member, especially a child, would put anyone on the edge of insanity.
I knew well how dangerous people in his shoes could be. They didn't care anymore because they had nothing else to lose.
The crowd applauded as Victor went to the stage, looking even more smug than usual.
“When I first took the reins as chief of police back in two thousand six, this city had a serious problem with violence, gangs, drugs – and it was only getting worse,” he began.
Brett's phone vibrated in his pocket. He quickly pulled it out and checked it with a frown. To my surprise, he got up and patted my shoulder.
“I'll be back. Charlie wants my help getting the stain out of his suit.”
Before I could reply, he darted off – in the direction opposite the restrooms!
In my head, I called him a whole bunch of names. I was still fuming when Jenna returned, her plate piled high with snacks.
“Where did he go? Looked to be in a real hurry.”
I followed Brett with my eyes as he passed by Harvey. The two exchanged challenging stares for a long while before Brett shuffled past him.
“Something's not right. I've got to follow him.”
Jenna grabbed my arm. “Whoa, Mad. We agreed to stick with the plan. Don't do anything dangerous or stupid.”
On stage, Victor kept prattling.
“Though crime rates have fallen, they remain at levels we deem unacceptable. No longer will we tolerate gangs in our schools and drugs on the playground.” He lowered his head as if he gave a damn for real. “That's why, starting this September, we'll be partnering with select members of the FBI and ATF to get this problem under control.”
