She did have to admit, though, he’d come to her rescue several times tonight. Maybe he did have some good qualities she’d ignored. The question still remained whether or not she could forgive him. Only the future would tell.
Claire sighed and hobbled on her crutches to the window to close the curtains. As she reached for the cord to close them, the lights of a car in the parking lot behind Jessica’s apartment caught her eye. She stopped and stared as a car drove slowly past the parked cars of the residents. It didn’t stop but moved to the exit and disappeared around the corner of the building.
Claire tightened her fingers around the cord to draw the curtains, but her body seemed frozen in place. The car that had just passed by looked exactly like the car that had zoomed past their hiding place on Poplar Avenue a short time ago. Had the driver waited for them to lead him where Claire was going to stay that night?
“What are you looking at?” Jessica’s voice startled her, and she turned to see her friend standing in the doorway.
Claire glanced down at the robe Jessica held and smiled. “I was just closing the curtains.”
Jessica stepped into the room and laid the garment on the bed. “I hope you sleep well.”
Claire yawned. “I’m sure I will. I don’t know when I’ve ever been so tired.”
“Then I’ll say good-night.”
“Good night, Jessica.”
Claire waited until Jessica had left the room before she turned back to the window and stared outside. After a moment she closed the curtain, inched back to the bed and pulled her gun from her purse. She laid it on the bedside table, changed into the nightgown Jessica had left for her and then crawled into bed. No matter what she’d told Jessica, she knew sleep wouldn’t come.
She pulled the covers up to her chin and waited to see what would happen next.
* * *
Claire jolted awake and glanced at the bedside clock with its face glowing in the darkened room—2:00 a.m. Despite her good intentions, she’d fallen asleep. She pushed up in bed and raked her hair out of her face.
Her thoughts drifted back to the events of the night, and she shivered. She’d never been so scared in her life, but at least she was alive. Now she needed to get a grip on her emotions. Nothing else was going to happen tonight, so there was no need for her to try to stay awake. She had a busy day ahead of her tomorrow, and she needed some rest if she was going to make it through.
She plumped up her pillow and was about to lie back down when a noise from the direction of the kitchen startled her. It sounded as though a door had opened. She sat up again and strained to hear any other sounds in the apartment. Nothing. Then the creak of footsteps on the floor sent her heart racing.
Someone had entered the apartment.
Claire eased from the bed, slipped into her robe, and grabbed the gun from the bedside table. She stared at the crutches for a moment before she propped one under her left arm. With the gun in her right hand, she limped toward the bedroom door. Once there she propped the crutch against the wall and balanced on her good foot. Then she eased the door open and slid into the hallway.
She stopped and held her breath when the beam of a flashlight pierced the darkness. Now she had no doubt a prowler had entered the apartment.
She slid along the hallway wall until she reached the living room and then reached for the switch to turn on the overhead light. The man was facing away from her, and he pulled something from her purse. He whirled around just as the room lit up. Her bag tumbled to the floor.
“What...?” he snarled.
Claire’s heart jumped into her throat at the sight of James Lester with Peter Willis’s phone in one hand and a flashlight in the other. She tightened her grip on the gun. “Put it down, Lester.”
His gaze dropped to the gun in her hand, and he smirked. “Still trying to play the tough girl, huh? Well, you don’t seem too tough to me.”
He took a step toward her, and she swallowed. “I’m warning you. Don’t come any closer. Put the phone on the coffee table.”
He cocked his head to one side and grinned. “And what are you going to do? Shoot me? I don’t think you have it in you.”
Perspiration beaded her forehead. “Are you willing to chance it?”
He smiled. “I think I am.”
Before she could respond, he hurled the flashlight at her. It hit her in the chest, knocking the wind out of her. He rushed forward, grabbed her wrist and tried to twist the gun from her hand.
“No!” she screamed as she struggled against him. The gun jerked in her hand and fired.
James Lester screamed out in pain, and the gun and the cell phone he had held clattered to the floor. “You’ve shot me!” he yelled and staggered backward. “You shouldn’t have done that!”
She tried to reach her gun, but he lunged again, grabbed it before she could and pointed it in her face. She closed her eyes and waited for him to fire. Before he could pull the trigger, a voice thundered out. “Get away from her!”
His fingers loosened on her arm, and Claire glanced around to see Jessica with her gun aimed at James Lester. “Jessica, thank goodness...”
He growled, grabbed Claire’s other arm and pulled her in front of him. His left arm encircled her waist, and his right one, which held the gun, pressed across her chest. She realized she had just become James Lester’s shield. “Put your gun down unless you want your friend here to get hurt.”
Jessica didn’t back off but inched forward. “Let her go.”
“No way.” James pulled Claire backward toward the kitchen. She glanced down at the floor and noticed the trail of blood he left behind. She tried to claw at his face, but his arm across her chest held her so tightly she could barely move. “I’m leaving, and I’m taking her with me. If I see any cops following me, I’ll dump her body out of the car. Do you understand?”
“I understand you’re going nowhere but to jail,” Jessica said.
“Not today, sweetheart,” he replied. “So back off.”
They were almost to the back door now, and Claire knew she had to do something. He released the arm around her waist and reached behind him to open the door, and the pressure of his other arm lessened.
In that split second Claire ducked her head and clamped her teeth into his hand. He yelled in agony and hurled her away from him as the gun clattered to the floor. She stumbled forward and fell against one of the kitchen chairs. She looked up in fear as he took a step toward her. “You’ll pay for that!”
Jessica appeared in the doorway, her gun pointed at James. “Hands up, Lester.”
The look that washed over his face reminded Claire of a cornered animal. He glanced from side to side, then reached for the coffeepot on the counter next to him and hurled it at Jessica. When she ducked, he opened the door and stumbled out.
Before Jessica reached Claire, he had disappeared, and the sound of a car roaring away split the night air. Jessica dropped to her knees next to Claire. “Are you all right?”
She nodded. “I’m fine.”
“Then I’m going to see if I can catch him.”
“I don’t think you will. I heard a car drive off. Peter Willis must have been waiting for him outside.”
Jessica rushed out the back door, and Claire lay there for a moment thinking about what had just happened. This was the second time tonight that someone she’d known since childhood had been put in danger because of her. How could they ever forgive her for that?
Claire tightened her grip on the back of the kitchen chair she’d landed against and pulled herself to her full height just as Jessica walked back into the apartment. “He got away, but at least we know who he was. I’ve called the police, and I’ve also called Adam. Everybody should be here in a few minutes.”
“Why did you call Adam?”
“He would h
ave been angry with me if I hadn’t.”
Claire groaned. “Now I get to listen to him lecture me again.”
Jessica frowned and shook her head. “You need to get over this idea that Adam doesn’t like you. He’s really quite fond of you.”
“I’m sure he is. About as fond as he his of a headache. But anyway, I’m sorry I put both of you in danger tonight. I didn’t intend for that to happen.”
“We know that, Claire. It’s just that we’ve been doing this kind of work for a long time. You’re new to it.”
“I may be new, but I’m learning fast. For instance, I know James Lester broke in here to get Peter Willis’s cell phone, but he didn’t. Those phone numbers must be more important than we thought at first.” Claire took a deep breath and hobbled toward the living room door.
“Be careful of your foot, Claire,” Jessica called out.
Claire gritted her teeth and took another step. “James Lester was right about one thing. I have to toughen up. I put my best friend and her brother in danger tonight, and I don’t want to do it again.”
Jessica followed her into the living room and watched as Claire staggered to the couch and took a seat. Claire reached down and picked up the cell phone James had dropped in the struggle.
“At least he didn’t get what he came for. Back at the cabin Peter let it slip that James was also involved in my father’s death, and I’m determined they’re not going to get away with it. There must be something in this phone that’s so important they’d risk breaking in here to get it. Now all I have to do is find out what it is.”
Jessica dropped down beside her. “How do you expect to do that?”
Claire shook her head. “I don’t know yet, but one thing is for sure. The next time I meet up with those two I intend to be ready for them.”
FOUR
Jessica opened the door as soon as Adam knocked. Her look of relief at seeing him and the sight of four grim-faced police officers, two uniformed ones and two he knew to be detectives, let him know the break-in Jessica had told him about on the phone had been much worse than she’d let on.
He stepped into the apartment, and Jessica closed the door behind him. His gaze went straight to Claire, who sat on the couch. One of the detectives sat beside her, and the other stood in front of them. The second detective glanced up at Adam, gave a curt nod and directed his attention back to what his partner was saying to Claire.
Adam turned back to Jessica. “On the phone you made it sound like you’d had a prowler. Now I suspect it was something more serious.”
She nodded and pulled him to the side of the room. “I’m sorry. I guess it was foolish of me to think I could downplay the whole thing. To be honest, I was scared. Especially when I had my gun cocked to fire, and he pulled Claire in front of him as a shield.”
Adam’s mouth dropped open, and he stared in disbelief at his sister. “Used her as a shield? I think you’d better tell me the whole story.”
Adam listened as Jessica relayed what had happened in her apartment. When she’d finished, he rubbed his hand across his eyes and groaned. “I shouldn’t have brought her here.”
Jessica gasped. “Why not?”
“Because it put you in danger. I would never have forgiven myself if something had happened to you.”
“And what about Claire? Could you have forgiven yourself if something happened to her?”
“Of course I don’t want her to get hurt, but you’re my sister. I’m supposed to protect you.”
Jessica chuckled and shook her head. “You’re forgetting I was a police officer. I think I can take care of myself.”
“I know you’re good at your job, but that doesn’t mean I don’t worry about you.”
Jessica arched an eyebrow. “There’s no need to do that.”
“You think so, huh? For your information, I do.” He glanced toward the detective standing in front of Claire. “That detective keeps looking this way at you, like he’s trying to send you some secret message. What’s that all about?”
Jessica shrugged and diverted her gaze away from him. “That’s Ryan Spencer, my former partner, but I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”
Adam studied her for a moment. “Did something happen between the two of you? Something I don’t know about?”
She shook her head. “There’s nothing for you to concern yourself with.”
“Look, Jessica, I know how hard it is for you to let things go, and I can tell you’re hiding something from me. Why won’t you tell me what it is about this guy that upsets you so? I want to help you if I can.”
Her face paled, and she took a deep breath. “It’s ancient history. Just like whatever happened between you and Claire.”
“Now wait a minute, we’re not talking about me.”
“Maybe we should be,” she said. “You want to make me happy? Then take care of my friend while I’m gone to pick up our latest bail jumper. Since her father was killed, she’s kept her distance from me, and I don’t like it. If she’s avoiding me because of you, I want you to fix it.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s not that simple, Jessica.”
She directed a somber stare at him. “It doesn’t matter. You’re my brother, and I’m asking you to protect my friend. She’s in danger, Adam, and you may be the only one to help. She practically grew up at our house. If you don’t feel like you owe her something, then do it for me.”
He looked at Claire, who was still giving her story to the detectives, and noticed how vulnerable she looked sitting beside the seasoned detective. She had almost been killed twice tonight. Those had to have been the worst experiences of her life. And like his sister said, Claire had been a fixture in their home when she was growing up. Even if she hated him now, he owed it to her to see that she stayed safe.
He nodded. “Okay, Jessica. I’ll watch out for her. I don’t want anything to happen to her, either.”
She put her arm around his waist and hugged him. “I know you don’t. You’re a good guy, Adam. I just hope Claire can come to see that.”
“I do, too.”
The detective sitting next to Claire stood at that moment, pulled his business card from his pocket and handed it to her. “I think that about does it, Miss Walker. We’ll check with the hospitals to see if anyone has treated a gunshot wound, and there’s already a BOLO out on Lester and Willis. If you think of anything else, give me a call.”
Claire glanced down at the card. “I will, Detective Barnes. There is one thing, though. I’ll feel safer when James Lester and Peter Willis are in custody. Would you let me know if you find them?”
“Sure. Give me your cell phone number.”
He wrote her number in a small notepad and put it in his pocket before he motioned for the uniformed officers to follow. They trailed him to the door where Jessica met them. She opened it and smiled at Detective Barnes. “Thank you for coming, Mac,” she said as the men exited.
“Good to see you again, Jessica,” he said. “We still miss you around the station. How’s the bounty hunter business?”
She smiled. “It keeps me busy,” she replied.
Detective Barnes allowed the uniformed officers to step into the hall before him, but Ryan Spencer stopped beside Jessica. He looked as if he was about to say something, but she bit down on her lip and glanced down at the floor. After a moment he frowned and followed his partner into the hall. Jessica watched them go before she closed the door and came back to where Adam stood.
“Are you okay?” Adam asked. “You seemed a bit aloof with Ryan. Were you uncomfortable seeing officers you used to work with?”
Jessica waved her hand in dismissal. “Didn’t bother me at all. I’m glad to be out of the department and working at the Knight Agency now. Which reminds me, you work there, too, and you
have a job to do to help Claire find Peter Willis.”
He took a deep breath and directed his attention back to Claire, who still sat on the couch. “Yeah, I guess I do.”
When he didn’t move, Jessica grabbed his arm and led him over to the couch. Claire looked up at them when they stopped. “Adam wants to talk to you,” Jessica said. “Since I have to leave so early in the morning, I think I’ll try to get some sleep.” She glanced at Adam. “You can let yourself out when you and Claire get through talking.”
He shook his head. “After what’s happened here tonight, I don’t feel good leaving you two alone. I’ll get a blanket and a pillow out of the hall closet and sleep on the couch for the rest of the night.”
Claire shook her head. “There’s no need for you to do that.”
“I think there is,” he said. “Besides, we need to get your car in the morning.”
Jessica nodded. “I think your staying here is a good idea.”
Claire shrugged. “Whatever you two say. I don’t want to cause you any more trouble than I already have tonight. But, Jessica, I want to see you before you leave in the morning.”
“You will, and you haven’t caused us any trouble. We only want to see that you’re safe.” Jessica put her hand over her mouth and yawned. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to bed.”
Claire’s gaze followed Jessica until she disappeared into her bedroom. Then she turned to Adam. “What do you want to talk to me about?”
“First of all, I want you to know how glad I am that James Lester didn’t hurt you tonight.”
“Me, too.” She blinked from the tears that filled her eyes. “I have to confess I was really scared for a few minutes there.”
“I know you must have been, but that’s to be expected. After all, you’d nearly been killed earlier. I’ve had narrow escapes that made me wonder why I wasn’t killed.”
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