“Yeah. I did. But I’ll still be relieved when Tom gets here. I keep expecting to see flashing red and blue lights headed this way.”
It was a long, slow ten minutes waiting for Tom to show. As soon as his truck pulled into the parking lot, Kathleen took the first deep breath in what seemed like hours.
Tom swung out of his vehicle, flashlight in hand and hurried to Cal’s truck. “Hey, let’s check this out.” He jerked the tarp back and, using the flashlight, searched for the serial number. “It’s one of ours. Who the hell would take it and park it here in your truck?”
Was that a hint of accusation in his tone? Kathleen’s stomach cramped with anxiety.
Though calmer, Cal was still grinding his words out. “Possibly the only person I’ve had any trouble with on any of the sites.”
“Warren is on vacation, and I haven’t seen him around the site.”
“I didn’t take this welder, Tom. I’ll do whatever you need me to do to prove it. Jump through any hoop.”
“He’s been out fishing with my brother Zach and two other men all day. And we’ve just come from a barbecue where we ate their catch. There’s like twenty people who will vouch for him.”
“It’s Ms. O’Connor, isn’t it?” He extended his hand.
“Yes.” Kathleen shook it briefly.
Tom remained silent for a moment. “I believe you both.” His attention shifted to Cal. “I can’t imagine you doing anything that would threaten your job, especially since you have so much attention directed at you right now from the top brass. And if someone’s setting you up, they did a piss-poor job of planning, since you haven’t been home to take the fall. But that doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen. We need to get this back to the site ASAP.”
“I’ll get the truck keys,” Cal jogged away.
Left alone with Tom, Kathleen reiterated Cal’s defense. “My brother picked him up at six this morning to go fishing. He’s been without a vehicle all day. He really didn’t do this.” She was as close to tears as she’d ever been during the whole mess. “He’s worked so hard to get where he is, he wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that.”
“Relax. I really do believe you. But we still need to find out who did this. If the police had shown up, even if he was gone, it would have affected his entire future with the company. There’s a rush to judgment these days, and once that happens…”
Kathleen’s anxiety eased back a notch, but her heartbeat was still a little ragged when Cal appeared on the landing and descended the stairs. He jogged back to them with the strange gait she’d noticed the first day on the site.
“I’ve left the door unlocked, Kathleen. Will you wait for me?”
“Yes, I’ll wait.”
When he stepped toward the truck Tom caught his arm. “Hold on, Cal. I think it would be better if I drove it back to the site and got it unloaded. We don’t want you anywhere near this thing.”
“It weighs upwards of four hundred fifty pounds, Tom. You’ll have to have help moving it off the truck.”
“Shit!” Tom nodded.
“Maybe we should call the police and report it.” Cal sighed. “I know how it looks, but I’ve called you to let you know it’s here and, like Kathleen says, I have witnesses who were with me all day. Maybe one of my neighbors saw something.”
“Wiley doesn’t want any kind of negative publicity right now. They haven’t said anything, but they’re working on a huge deal, and if it looks like we aren’t staying on top of site security, it might affect negotiations.”
Now Kathleen understood this back and forth with the publicity issue.
“Then let’s take it back to the site and get it unloaded.” Cal’s tone had changed to one of careful patience. “I want it off my truck before the police show up and charge me with stealing the damn thing. I keep thinking someone’s trying to set me up for a big fall.”
“I’d better drive. The security people won’t think much if it’s me bringing machinery back.”
Cal nodded. “Lock yourself in, Kathleen. We’ll be right back.”
As Kathleen watched the truck disappear her stomach twisted with anxiety. Everything was going to hell at once. When Cal saw the Harper show he was going to be even more upset. Instead of the serious interview the woman led Cal to believe she was doing, she used careful editing to turn it into something very different.
And the nasty email about Cal she’d received at work was still lurking at the back of her mind. She’d been ready to bring it up with Cal several times, but each time something or someone had interrupted her. Or had she let it? She didn’t want Cal to be less than what she thought he was, because she loved him. And she needed him to love her.
But she needed to know the truth before the worry ate away at this dream just like Lee’s betrayal had gobbled up the other. She had to know the truth.
Chapter 20
‡
The closer they got to the building site, the more Cal calmed down. They’d get the damn welder off the truck, and he’d no longer be waiting for the bite of the ax hanging over his head.
“I know you’re going out on a limb for me, Tom. I really appreciate it. If any kind of backlash comes of this, it’s on me.”
“There isn’t going to be any. We’re going to get this thing back to the site and be done with it. But I want to talk to the security people. No one can come on the property, load up a unit, and drive off with it without authorization. There had to be some kind of paperwork. Since I didn’t put it through, someone else had to. The only people authorized to shift machinery and tools around are those directly involved in the project, and they’re supposed to go through me first since I’m foreman.”
Cal felt the last bit of anxiety melt away. “If there’s a paper trail, I’ll be cleared. I don’t have access to any of that.”
Tom signaled a turn into the building site, the trucks headlights outlining the chain link gate. A security guard came to the fence, and Tom got out to talk to him, showed him his ID, and the guy unlocked the gates and opened them. At Tom’s gesture, Cal got out and jogged around to get into the driver’s seat and pull the truck in. Tom hopped in on the passenger side. “After we unload this thing, I’ll go into my office to look through some of the paperwork that came through yesterday. Pull your truck around close to the service elevator, and we’ll unload it and push it onto the elevator platform. The first load of guys to show up for work can take it back up to the top floor.”
“Roger that,” Cal said with a nod.
Because it was the weekend, the lights on each floor of the structure were minimal. The security lights in the yard were a little better, but not by much. Cal drove slowly over the rough terrain churned up by the large supply trucks used to deliver materials. He backed the truck in toward the docking area where the freight elevator sat only feet away.
“I’ll get the lights,” Tom said and opened the door.
“Hey wait.” Cal reached into the glove box and pulled out a short metal flashlight and handed it to him.
“Thanks.”
Cal got out of the cab and leaned back against the side of the truck to wait. The muggy heat of a long day settled over him, misting his skin with sweat. One minute passed, then two.
“Tom?”
No answer. It shouldn’t have taken that long to find the breaker box. It was right behind and to one side of the elevator. By memory rather than the dim glow of a security light, Cal navigated the path from the truck to the steps. “Tom?” He mounted the steps and walked along the side of the freight elevator. “Tom?”
The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he froze. Adrenaline rushed his system and instinct kicked in.
There was someone else here. He strained to hear any noise over the sound of traffic on the street. Something had happened to Tom. He had to do something.
Cal eased forward and rounded the steel frame of the elevator. Where the emergency lights should have burned, total darkness met him. He sensed rather than s
aw movement and ducked. Something whizzed by his head and struck the steel support with a dull clang.
Cal dove toward the movement, falling to one knee and catching the next downward swing with his shoulder. The weapon was metal, and he grunted as pain from the blow resonated down his back and arm. He raised the other hand to fend off the next blow and by sheer luck caught the downward swing. He gripped the metal pipe and wrestled it away.
He got a weak grip on the guy’s jacket with the hand partially numbed by the blow to his shoulder. The attacker spun away, wrenched the fabric from his grasp, and sprinted down the platform.
Using an awkward backhand, Cal threw the pipe at his attacker and heard a satisfying thud. The guy staggered, but found his feet and kept going.
Cal pushed up from his knee to his feet. Pain ran up his neck and down his arm. He hadn’t a hope of catching the guy in the dark on the uneven ground across the site. He’d flounder around on his prosthetic and probably obscure any evidence of the guy’s escape. Fuck!
He had to find Tom. Where was the nearest emergency button? He shuffled through the dark to the right and stumbled on something cylindrical and nearly fell. He bent to feel for it and discovered the flashlight he’d given Tom. He flicked the button and its weak light illuminated Tom’s prone figure crumpled in front of the breaker box. Cal sidled around him, flipped the switch on the box, and turned on the lights. The dark red emergency alarm button was positioned right beside it. He hit the button, setting off the blaring alarm while he knelt to touch Tom’s neck. There was a steady pulse, but a huge bump was forming on the side of his head and his hair was matted with blood. Thank God he was still alive.
The two security guards he’d seen at the gate came running fifteen seconds later, guns drawn. Cal hugged his arm close to his body. Adrenaline had held the pain at bay, but now it ached like a son-of-a-bitch. He hit the switch with his left hand, turning off the alarm. “Did you see anyone in the yard?”
“No.” They answered in unison.
“We were both attacked. The guy ran down that way.” One of the guards tore off in that direction.
Cal pointed out the obvious when the other guard continued to stand there with the gun in his hand. “We need an ambulance and the police.”
*
Half an hour passed, and Kathleen went to the door to look out. Her nerves stretched like bungee cords down the back of her neck, and the low hum of the television did nothing to sooth her. The news had long since played, but a fresh wave of anger on Cal’s behalf rose. Nora Harper had turned the report from a tribute to survival to injured beefcake, something Cal never would have agreed to. The woman had done everything she could think of to rob the segment of dignity.
Kathleen called Cal, but a message informed her the customer wasn’t available. Why did he have his phone turned off?
When someone knocked, she sighed with relief and rushed to the door.
But Cal wouldn’t knock, he’d just unlock the door with his key.
She looked through the peephole. Two uniformed police officers stood there, one young and blond, the other dark-haired and muscular.
Oh, God, something had happened to him. Her heart was in her throat as she opened the door.
“Is Mr. Callahan Crowes at home?” the muscular cop asked.
If they were asking for him, he was okay. Her mouth was dry with the residue of fear and she had to swallow before she could answer. “No, he left about an hour ago with his boss.”
“Who might that be?”
“Mr. Tom Hill. Has something happened?”
“We need to speak to Mr. Crowes, ma’am. Do you know when he’ll be back?”
“No.”
“And who might you be ma’am?”
“I’m Kathleen O’Connor, his girlfriend.”
“Do you live here, Ms. O’Connor?”
“No, I’m just visiting.”
The dark haired cop’s deadpan expression set her nerves off. He pulled a business card out of his pocket and handed it to her. “When Mr. Crowes returns, tell him we’d like him to contact us as soon as possible.”
“What is this about, officer?”
“I’m not at liberty to say, ma’am, but he needs to contact us right away.”
She knew exactly what this might be about. “I’ll tell him to call you when he gets back.”
They left and she closed the door, but waited for a few minutes before sneaking a peek out of one of the front windows. The police cruiser sat in the parking lot, the two officers inside.
Kathleen settled back on the couch and clenched her folded hands between her knees as worry knotted her stomach. When her cell phone rang she jerked and reached for it in a panic.
“Kathleen.” Cal’s voice sounded stressed but calm. “There’s been an accident. Tom and I were both attacked at the site, and they’re taking us to the hospital. I’m okay, but Tom’s in pretty bad shape.”
Tears flooded her eyes, but she knew Cal needed her to hold it together right now. “What hospital?”
He asked someone in the background. “Sharp Memorial on Frost Street.”
“I’ll meet you there.” She grabbed her bag and her phone. “I’ve got Lolita to get me there. I’m leaving now.”
“Thanks, honey. Be careful and take your time.”
Kathleen locked the door and rushed to her car. Once inside, she used her phone to look up the hospital address and plugged it into her GPS. When the police car pulled out behind her, she ignored it and concentrated on just getting there without being stopped.
After parking, she called Zach and explained what had happened.
“Do you need me to come over there?”
“No, but the cops showed up looking for Cal around eleven.” She explained about the welder in his truck and the call to his boss. “Was his truck empty when you picked him up this morning?”
“Yes. I’d have noticed if there’d been anything in it. What do you think is going on?”
“Cal was worked up. He kept insisting he didn’t know how the unit got in his truck. If it wasn’t in there this morning and he was gone all day, someone had to have brought it there and put it in his truck. He called his boss, and they left to take it back to the site. Then they were both attacked.”
“It sounds like a deal gone bad, or someone’s setting him up for a fall,” Zach said.
Just the idea of Zach’s instant loss of faith in the man she was dating, the man she was falling in love with, snatched at her heart and made her tear up.
He continued. “I’d bet on the setup. He comes across as too straight an arrow to steal. And besides, I did a thorough background check on him, and he’s clean.”
“Zach!”
“Did you really think I was going to let my baby sister date some guy without checking him out first? Call me if you need me.” He hung up before she could give him the reaming he deserved. Or did he? If he’d done a check on Cal and hadn’t found anything…
She was winded by the time she found the emergency room entrance. An ambulance sat in the portico, lights blinking. She moved around the vehicle and saw an EMT grasp Cal’s arm to help him climb out of the back. Cal’s other arm was wrapped securely against his body, a nurse stood waiting with a wheelchair, and the EMT urged him into it.
Kathleen rushed forward on a wave of relief. Cal glanced up, and at the relief in his expression, she couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. He raised his free hand and caught hers. “It looks worse than it is. I got hit across the shoulder by a pipe or something. It hurt like hell, but I think it’s just bruised.”
The tight band of fear loosened. “How’s Tom?”
“He woke up in the ambulance, but drifted back out. I don’t know. I called his wife and she’s on her way.”
Kathleen walked alongside the wheelchair through the waiting room and back into the examination rooms. Since he’d been transported by ambulance, they bypassed the waiting room.
A nurse wheeled Cal into one bay and drew
the gold curtains closed around them. Tom was in the bay next to him.
“I think whoever put the welder in my truck was waiting for us.”
Chapter 21
‡
Cal smothered a yawn. The pain meds the nurse gave him were making him drowsy. He eyed the two police officers who sat in chairs inside the examination room with a wry wariness.
“We arrived at my apartment about ten-fifteen or ten-twenty. We were with some friends earlier,” he answered Officer Walker’s.
“We’d like a list of those friends.”
“If you’ll call Kathleen’s brother Ensign Zach O’Connor, he can give you everyone’s contact information.” Cal opened his cell and ran through the list of contacts and gave them the number.
“You said you’d been gone all day.”
He went through every change in location he made all day and who’d he’d been with. Repeating the information was getting tedious. “So you were not here at all today?” Walker asked.
“No.”
The younger of the two, Officer Loche, stepped out of the room, presumably to dial Zach’s number. Since it was nearly one in the morning, he’d like to be a fly on the wall for that conversation.
“When did Mr. Hill come over?”
“I called him when we arrived at the apartment, and he came right over. I guess it was about ten-thirty, a quarter till eleven. I left Kathleen, my girlfriend, there, because I thought I’d be right back. We drove the welder to the site to unload.”
“That’s the large machine in the bed of your truck?”
“Yes.”
“Did you realize the welder was reported stolen earlier in the day?”
Cal raised his brows in feigned surprise. “No. I was out on the ocean all day. No cell service, and no one called me after I came in from fishing.” And why would they call him anyway, since he had nothing to do with it?
Breaking Boundaries (SEAL Team Heartbreakers Book 5) Page 20
