My God. „Um, thank you, Dr. Porter. I’m sorry, this is just a bit of a shock.“ A bit? She struggled not to hyperventilate. „Thank you.“
„I made a copy of his photo ID,“ Porter said. „I can fax you a copy if you like.“
„Yes, thank you.“ She gave Porter her fax number. „Thank you for calling me.“
Her heart now pounding frantically, Kristen closed her phone. I have to think. Think.
Owen. How could it be true?
At this point, how could it not?
„I have to call Abe,“ she murmured and flipped her phone open with shaking hands.
„Maybe later,“ a gravelly voice said from behind her and before she could scream, one large hand had covered her mouth while another grabbed her cell phone and pulled her back against a rock-hard body. „For now, just shut up and do as I say.“
Kristen struggled, but the man was big and strong. She thought of Vincent and Kyle and knew she would be next. Where was Mclntyre?
„Stop struggling,“ he bit out, „or you’ll be sorry.“
She thought of her new gun, safely stored in her desk drawer. She might as well not have it at all. She wrenched, trying to kick backward and the hand lifted from her mouth and cuffed the side of her head.
Blinking, she saw stars. Still, she drew a breath and screamed as loud as she could. Miraculously, the front door opened and there stood Aidan, key in hand. His face registered shock, then he leaped, pulling the man to the floor and setting her free. Kristen backed away, stopping when the edge of her desk bit into her back. Horrified she watched the men fight.
Police. Call the police. The man had her cell phone so she grabbed the land line. It was dead, the cord cut, so she grabbed her gun instead. The two men rolled across the floor, grappling for control, then Aidan gave a mighty shove and pushed the intruder into a wall. Not thinking, she acted. She squeezed the trigger, again and again and again and the man slumped to the floor. Aidan raised up on all fours and stared, breathing hard. She seemed frozen in place, her arms still extended, the gun still pointing at the wall where a line of blood now streaked her blue-striped wallpaper.
„My God.“ Aidan pushed himself to his feet and came to her, gently taking the gun from her hands. He pulled her into his arms and together they took great shuddering breaths. Then his body jerked and Aidan crumpled to the floor. As if disconnected from her body, she watched him fall, then looked up, taking in shoes, trousers, an overcoat. A hand holding a small club. And the annoyed face of Drake Edwards.
„If you want something done right,“ he muttered. Bending, he scooped her gun from the floor, pulled Aidan’s from its holster, then rolled the dead body and took the intruder’s gun from the waistband at his back. „Miss Mayhew, you’re coming with me.“
„No.“
He looked amused. „No? And how do you propose to stop me?“
Her heart hammering like a wild thing, she took a step back, then cried out when he grabbed her arm. The phone rang, the double ring of her fax machine, and they both turned. The first man had disabled her phone, but not her fax. Fascinated, Edwards watched as the printer spit out the page.
Kristen’s stomach turned over. It was Owen’s driver’s license. Edwards’s brows shot up in surprise and his mouth curved in a wicked smile. „Working overtime, Miss Mayhew? Is this someone special?“
Her mouth dry, Kristen couldn’t think of a reply.
„I knew you were close, but is this the cigar? The grand prize?“ He folded the paper and slid it in his pocket. „Come. I make a practice never to kill cops. A dead cop makes me a lot of enemies and cops never forget. However, if you make so much as a peep, I’ll make an exception for him.“ With a last desperate look at Aidan’s unconscious form, she helplessly walked out of her house to the cruiser parked at the curb. Behind the wheel sat a stranger in uniform. The stranger saluted her with a mocking smile. Where was Mclntyre?
Drake Edwards was kidnapping her in broad daylight in a police cruiser. Her eyes shot up to his face in disbelief, finding his mouth curved in genuine amusement. „So many comings and goings at your house lately, Miss Mayhew. So many bodyguards. Nobody will notice one more.“ He was right. Nobody noticed anything. Edwards opened the rear driver’s side door, and she saw the slumped form of Mclntyre in the front passenger seat, blood trickling from one ear. But his chest rose and fell, so at least he was still alive. Edwards bent down, his mouth next to her ear. „Don’t try anything or those two little boys riding bicycles down the street will die.“ She watched the children ride by and knew Edwards would do as he promised. He was Conti’s main henchman, rumored to be a sick bastard. But the authorities had never been able to find evidence to make a charge stick. She wondered if they would now, or if she herself would become just one of the rumors.
„Where are you taking me?“ she asked when he climbed in.
„You have an appointment, Miss Mayhew. I’m sure you don’t want to be late.“
Saturday, February 28,
2:15 p.m.
Mia returned to the church hall, Miss Keene’s high school annual under her arm, seeking Spinnelli. „Abe’s not back from talking to that man at the hospital?“
Spinnelli shook his head. „Not yet. He said he called you and gave you the update on the latest.“ He shook his head. „Poor Kristen.“
Yeah, after everything else, and now a shock like this. She looked around with a frown. „Where is Kristen?“
„Back at her house resting. Abe’s brother went over there to sit with her.“
„Well, at least she’s not alone.“
„What did you find out at the hat lady’s? You were gone forever.“
Mia sighed, opening the annual to the page she’d marked. „This is him. Robert Barnett. I stopped by the art department and got them to mock up a picture of what he might look like forty years older.“ She showed him the sketch. „I’ve never seen him.“
„Neither have I,“ Spinnelli frowned. „I was hoping it would be the big ah-ha.“
„Me, too. We know he’s Genny O’Reilly’s son and the nephew of Paul Worth, the old guy in the nursing home, but other than that, I’m still stymied on the connection.“
„Hi.“ A young girl bounded up to them, a social smile on her face. „I’m supposed to mingle and make sure everyone has enough to eat. I’m Rachel.“ She scrutinized them. „And I bet you’re Mia and you’re Lieutenant Spinnelli.“
Mia needed no introduction to recognize Abe’s little sister. They had the same eyes. „It’s nice to meet you, Rachel. This is a nice party your family’s put on.“
„It’s okay. It would have been better with pizza.“ She looked curiously at the annual, then bent closer, her expression intent on the sketch. „Is that Kristen’s?“
Startled, Mia glanced up at Spinnelli, then back at Rachel. „Why would you ask that?“
She shrugged. „That looks like her friend.“
„You’ve seen this man?“ Mia exploded and Rachel’s eyes widened in alarm.
„I think so. Why?“
„Where did you meet him, honey?“ Spinnelli asked soothingly.
„He brought her a sandwich last week. I’d gone to see her at work and he was just leaving. His name was Owen something.“ She looked anxious. „Why?“
Mia grabbed her phone. „I need to call Abe.“ She grimaced when it went right to his voice mail. „He’s still in the ICU ward talking to Kristen’s friend Vincent. His phone’s off.“
„Call Kristen.“ Spinnelli was gesturing for Todd Murphy.
Kyle Reagan approached, frowning. „What’s wrong?“ He was a retired cop. He knew when something was up.
Mia clenched her teeth. „It’s just ringing. Dammit. Kristen’s not answering.“
Kyle grabbed the phone. „I’ll call Aidan.“ A few moments later, he paled. „He’s not answering either.“