by Rose Pressey
Russ’ eyes widened. “What? Who told you about that?”
“I read it in the newspaper and I know that man lived here. What did you do with him?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Now shut up.”
Russ swiveled in the chair and faced the painting above the desk. He studied the abstract horse drawing hanging on the wall. Now he was turned to Dangerfield again.
My heart thumped harder as Dangerfield eased open the door. There was no way he would be able to make it over to me without the other man noticing him. What did Dangerfield have in mind anyway? Did he think he would be able to get us out of there? The chances of that were very slim.
Once the door was open, Dangerfield crawled through and along the floor toward the sofa where I sat.
Russ still had his back facing me as he stared at the painting and twirled a paperclip between his fingers. Dangerfield inched over to me. It was as if time was in slow motion. Dangerfield had made it to my feet now. He was dangerously close. At a time like this I shouldn’t wonder what kind of cologne Dangerfield was wearing or why he smelled so good, but I couldn’t help myself. He made my stomach flip and my knees weak.
Dangerfield stared into my eyes the whole time as he eased up from the floor. He leaned in close to me, reached around behind my back, and then untied the rope. My hands were now free, but what would we do now? Dangerfield motioned for me to get up. My legs shook so bad that I wasn’t sure that was possible. However, I had to try.
Russ’ cell rang and we froze. My heartbeat was loud in my ears as I waited for Russ to turn around and catch us. “Yeah,” he said into the phone. He still hadn’t turned around.
We had to continue our mission. I eased up from the sofa, never taking my eyes off Russ. He was still chatting away on the phone and twirling the paperclip. I held my breath, hoping that he wouldn’t turn around. Dangerfield and I maneuvered over to the door. Russ still hadn’t turned around to see that we were almost out the door. We might actually be able to get out of there. If we did it would be a miracle. A miracle was needed right about now.
Dangerfield practically shoved me out the door. We ran across the courtyard. Dangerfield was only slightly in front of me. I had never run this fast in my life. If this situation hadn’t been so scary I’d laugh at myself. My side hurt, but I continued toward the gate. I hoped that we would be able to get it open this time. If it was locked when I’d tried it, then how had Dangerfield gotten in?
We’d almost made it to the finish line when Doug and Ross yelled out to us. I didn’t have to turn around to know that the men were in the courtyard now. They yelled out to us, but they had to be crazy to think I would stop at their command. And that they would actually yell out for me to stop was utterly absurd. There was no time to debate it now though. In a matter of seconds the men would catch up with us.
When I neared the gate, I made a giant leap. This time I would get a running start and I wouldn’t fall flat on my butt. However, I hadn’t counted on the gate being unlocked and Dangerfield opening it for me. So instead of falling on my rear, I fell forward. I did catch myself with my arms and hands before landing face first on the pavement. Thank goodness for small favors.
After Dangerfield helped me up and through the gate, I ran down the sidewalk. Even though it would slow me down, I had to glance back. Doug and Russ were running after us.
“That was a close one,” I said through my panting.
Dangerfield looked over his shoulder. “Looks like they aren’t giving up just yet. Aren’t you going to thank me for saving you?”
I refused to look at him. I supposed thanking him was the right thing to do, even if he wasn’t sincere about it.
“Thanks,” I mumbled.
“You’re welcome, although that wasn’t exactly a heartfelt display of gratitude.”
“Take it or leave it,” I said.
I had no idea where we were headed since I’d now left my car parked back near the house. I hoped they wouldn’t notice my Porsche and get rid of it. I wouldn’t even be able to report it missing. Maybe I could have someone else go back later and get my car. But I wouldn’t want to put anyone else in danger. The men would probably go through all my belongings. As long as they didn’t take the bags from the trunk with my latest Bath and Body Works purchase.
“You know, Dangerfield, I figured you would show up,” I panted between breaths as we ran down the sidewalk. “But I know it wasn’t because of me. You were there for the same reason I was there.”
“And why were you there?” he asked.
“Why were you there?” I countered.
“I asked you first.”
“I knew it had to be for the same reason,” I said with a click of my tongue.
“You are avoiding my question,” he said.
“Yeah, you’re avoiding mine. Okay, I saw the news today that the man was missing. I suppose you saw it too.”
He frowned. “What man is missing?”
“You mean you didn’t hear?” A smile spread across my face at the thought that I had scooped him.
“No. What man is missing?”
“The man who owns the home hasn’t been seen. I don’t know who Doug and Russ are, but they’re not the person who should be in that house.” I hoped I didn’t sound too pleased with my revelation.
“How do you know this for sure?”
I knew he would ask that question. “I don’t know for sure, per se, but I have it on good authority.”
His eyebrow tilted up. “That is certainly an interesting tidbit.”
After a couple blocks, Dangerfield and I made it back to his car. The men weren’t behind us. I wasn’t sure why they hadn’t followed us the entire way, but I knew there had to be a reason. We’d probably find out the reason soon, and I was sure we wouldn’t like it.
“Why did you have to park so far away?” I asked. “My feet are angry with you right now.”
“I didn’t want them to see my car.” He glanced over at me.
“Okay, point taken. I should have parked my car away from the house.” I knew that now.
I was full of plenty of mistakes though, what was one more?
We finally reached his black Mercedes. He opened the door for me and I slid onto the leather seat.
“I know the perfect place to go. We can discuss what happened.” Dangerfield started the car.
“Okay, I guess I trust you. Just don’t get us into any more trouble.”
He pulled out onto the road. “I think you’re pretty good at that on your own.”
The evening was beautiful, with a sky full of twinkling stars and warm temperatures. That should have been enough to help me relax, but it wasn’t. I wanted to enjoy it and not think about what had happened. A walk along the river might just be what I needed to ease my mind.
We navigated the streets and finally reached the river. Dangerfield parked the car and turned off the ignition.
“Well, should we go for a walk?” He motioned toward the sidewalk.
“That would be nice, I suppose. As long as no one chases us.” I opened the car door.
Still on alert, I scanned our surroundings to make sure we hadn’t been followed. Dangerfield and I made it to the water and strolled along. Silence hung between us for a couple seconds. A million thoughts raced through my mind, but I didn’t know where to begin the conversation. Maybe if I waited long enough he would speak first. How long would I have to wait though? I wasn’t a very patient person. My mind scanned possible conversation topics, but nothing seemed right.
“The weather is beautiful,” I said.
So that was all I came up with?
He glanced up at the sky. “Yes, it is.”
“I really am thankful that you came to the house tonight. Even if I didn’t sound that way earlier.”
“That’s okay, I knew you were glad. You should have seen your face when you looked over and saw me. Your eyes were all bugged out like this.” He displayed my expression.
“I suppose that is a good excuse,” he said.
I laughed. “Yes, as good as any. Do you come here for walks often?”
That sounded like a line some creep would use at a bar. Nonetheless, I did want to know because I came here for walks often. I’d never seen Dangerfield here though.
“I just started. I figured why not enjoy the scenery.”
“So what do you think is going on at that house? What are the men up to?”
“I suppose they work for someone.”
“But who? Is it the cop?”
The sly look on Dangerfield’s face let me know he was thinking the same thing as me. Which one of us would find out the truth first? “I intend on finding out,” he said.
As we continued to walk, my sandal slipped. I bent down to pick it up. Dangerfield leaned down at the same time and reached for my shoe. When I looked up at him, my face was an inch from his. His gaze moved down to my lips and my body tingled all the way to my toes. Was he going to kiss me? I couldn’t let that happen. I moved away quickly. It seemed to startle him slightly.
“We should go back to the car now.” I rushed my words.
He ran his hand through his hair. “Yes, we should probably get going.”
Dangerfield gestured for me to go first, so I moved away from the sidewalk. We walked beside each other as we moved across to the parking lot. Was he thinking about our possible kiss? He’d probably already forgotten about it. Dangerfield opened the car door for me and I climbed in.
I didn’t know if I should talk to him now or continue our drive in awkward silence. Finally he made that decision for me. “What do you think we should do now?” he asked.
“Well, it’s obvious that the cop is bad, but he’s not the main one doing the work. Frank Powers is and I think he got rid of Michael Hook.”
Dangerfield started the car. “I’m sorry, but I have no idea what you just said. You are going to have to translate that for me.”
I waved my hand. “You are a funny guy, huh? You know what I am talking about.”
He laughed. “Yes, I guess I know what you are saying.”
After doubling back to the house, we drove a little way down the street. My car was still parked in the same spot. So far I didn’t see the men, but they probably had someone watching the car. That was assuming that they knew that it was my car. The only light came from the streetlights down the way. There were slightly fewer people walking up and down the sidewalks now. Any one of them could be involved with the people in this crime ring. I scanned the faces as they passed by to see if they watched us. So far nobody looked our way.
“Well, thanks for the ride back to my car.” I opened the door.
“Not so fast,” he said. “I’m not letting you go out there alone.”
I hurried out of the car. “I’ll be fine.”
Without giving him a chance to object again, I took off down the sidewalk. His car door closed behind me. When I peeked over my shoulder I spotted Dangerfield walking behind me.
“I said I am fine.”
“Humor me,” he said.
When I reached the car, I said, “See, I made it okay.”
“You’re not home yet,” he said.
What was that supposed to mean? Was he trying to scare me? Probably so that I would give up on trying to figure out this crime.
“I’ll follow you home,” he said.
I unlocked the Porsche’s door and slipped behind the wheel. Once inside I hurried to lock the door behind me. I shoved the key into the ignition. When I glanced up, Dangerfield was already back in his car. Apparently he was serious when he said he was going to follow me home.
I pulled out onto the street and Dangerfield followed behind me. I sped by the house, but I couldn’t help but look over as I passed. It sent a shiver down my spine to think about what had happened.
As I drove toward my place, I glanced in the rear-view mirror several times to look at Dangerfield. The streetlights highlighted his handsome face as we drove along. It was sweet of him to follow me home. And he had risked his life to get me out of that house. So that was kind of a nice thing to do. Maybe I would give him an easier time. Not on the investigation front, but with everything else. That was if he gave me an easier time.
He pulled up in front of my building behind me. After parking and jumping out, I went straight for my building. When I made it to the top of the steps, I turned to look at him. He was watching me from his car. He smiled and I couldn’t stop myself from smiling back. He waved goodbye and I waved too.
He slowly pulled away from the curb. I knew that I should go inside my apartment now, but I watched his car instead. Once he had driven away, I walked inside my building. I hurried to my door before my neighbor had a chance to come out and confront me. I was just glad that nothing new had been left in front of my door.
Chapter Twenty-One
The next morning, Courtney and I were driving down the street trying to figure out where to eat when I spotted a car I recognized.
“Hey, do you see that green car up ahead?” I pointed.
She stared straight ahead. “Yes, I see it. What about it?”
Once we were up closer, I recognized the men. Thank goodness they didn’t look over and see us. Doug and Russ were out and about again. I didn’t think it was a coincidence that I kept running into them.
“I think we should follow them,” I said.
She glanced over at me. “Are you sure that is a good idea?”
“No.” I gestured toward the road. “But we should do it anyway.”
We followed them through the streets, trying not to stay too close or get too far behind. I wasn’t sure where they were taking us, but I had to find out. As long as they didn’t figure out that we were back there we would be okay.
Doug pulled over the green sedan in front of a three-story brick building.
Courtney pulled the car beside the curb. “I’ll find a place to park, you should get out now and keep an eye on them.”
I opened the door. “Okay, don’t leave me too long.”
“Just be careful. If they see you then run away. Call me if you have to run.”
I got out of the car and walked over to a nearby parked car. So far they hadn’t noticed me. I peeked around the side and watched the men. They must have sensed my presence though because they kept looking over their shoulders as if they expected someone to be following them. Doug and Russ marched up the steps of the building and disappeared inside.
Once Courtney was back, I motioned for her to follow me up the stairs.
“If we hurry maybe we can see which apartment they went into.”
We rushed over to the building and climbed the front steps. I opened the door and Courtney stepped inside the foyer. I followed her, letting the door close on its own. It looked as if there were four apartments on the main floor. Doug and Russ were nowhere in sight.
I motioned for Courtney to hurry. We climbed the staircase. I prayed that we didn’t run into Doug and Russ. Once on the second floor, we paused. There was still no sign of them. Voices caught my attention and that was when I spotted them.
When Doug and Russ went into an apartment, Courtney and I hurried over to the door.
“I’ll try to listen to see if I can hear anything,” I whispered.
Careful to be extra quiet, I eased over to the door and pressed my ear up close. If they opened the door I would be in serious trouble.
“We came to tell you about the activity of a few people. That cop you were watching is involved too,” Doug said.
“Why are you telling me this?” Dangerfield asked.
“I think I hear Dangerfield’s voice in there,” I whispered. I leaned against the door and strained to listen. I hoped they didn’t try to hurt Dangerfield.
“Can you hear what they’re saying?” Courtney asked.
I nodded, but didn’t speak so
that I wouldn’t miss a word.
“We’re trying to help you out,” Doug said.
“What kind of activity?” Dangerfield asked in a suspicious voice.
“That cop is involved in drugs. We can’t say anything because he’ll arrest us,” Russ said.
This did match with the experience that Dangerfield and I had had with the cop.
“Again why are you giving me this information?” Dangerfield asked.
That would have been my question too. At least we would agree on that.
“Like he said, we can’t go to the police. So we need your help. The cop is involved with a man named Keith Howard,” Doug said. “He’s staying at the Hotel Bourbon. Room 304.”
The room fell silent as I knew Dangerfield thought about what the men had said.
After I relayed the message to Courtney, she asked, “Do you believe what they told him?”
“I don’t know what to think. I don’t trust these guys. I think they’re trying to set Dangerfield up. I’ve been known to be wrong though.”
She flashed me a pitying smile. I had my moments when I was wrong, but on occasion I was right. I just needed this to be one of those times.
Courtney swatted at a fly and tumbled backward, hitting the railing.
“Are you okay?” I whispered.
She let out a groan. I helped her to her feet and examined her for any injuries. Then we heard movement from inside the apartment. How had Doug and Russ found Dangerfield’s apartment? Probably the same why that they’d found mine.
“They heard us,” I mouthed. “Let’s go.”
Thank goodness Courtney had recovered enough so that she could run. We flew down the stairs. My feet slipped on each tread. I was going to fall head first and kill myself. Once inside the car, I looked back at the building’s door and spotted the men. They stood on the sidewalk looking up and down the street. I wondered if they’d gotten a look at us on our way out. Did they know it was me who had been in the building?
We pulled away from the curb, but it was hard to speed away with all of the traffic. When I looked at them again, they were staring straight at me. Now I was sure that they knew I was the one inside the building. It wouldn’t have been a coincidence for me to be there.
