“Lou, I can handle—”
“No, you can’t. If this is about facing your fears, then you need to wake up and realize that there are some people you should be afraid of.”
Casey swallowed back her frustration. Why didn’t he understand that saving people she loved from being hurt was worth the risk? She started to head out, but Lou scrambled past her and flattened himself against the door. It would have been funny, if it weren’t for the deadly intent on his face.
“Lou, please.”
His lips were pinched with determination. Casey brushed brown strands from his forehead and swept her fingertips over the light spray of freckles on his cheeks. Why hadn’t she noticed how sexy he was before? When he wrapped his arms around her, she inhaled sharply. She felt his breath in her ear and a soft, heart-melting kiss on her temple. Casey rested her head on his shoulder and turned him around until she was in front of the door.
“You really do care, don’t you,” she murmured.
“Always have, always will.”
The worry darkening his bruised face nearly broke her heart. Kissing his cheek, she reached for the handle and then slipped into the corridor, unable to look at his crestfallen face.
“I’ll follow you,” he called out.
“You don’t have to.” She checked her watch. Man, she was going to be late. Casey began to run.
Twenty-four
CASEY PULLED ONTO the shoulder of Marine Drive, four houses before Dad’s place. Not a great place to park, but the best she could do without announcing her presence to Darcy.
Five minutes to six. She’d hoped to see Lalonde’s car and at least one police cruiser at the house, but she’d already driven past the place once and no vehicles were in the driveway. Where in hell was everyone? Had Darcy hidden his vehicle to plan an ambush?
Ten minutes later, the property still looked deserted. Casey turned into the driveway, backed the car out, and parked on the shoulder. Ten more minutes dragged by. Damn it, where was Lalonde? She reached for her cell phone, but it wasn’t in her pocket. Oh, crap. Lou hadn’t given it back. Part of her wished that he had followed her, but part of her was glad he was out of danger.
Frustrated and edgy, Casey stepped out of the car, noting each passing vehicle on Marine. She needed to call Lalonde, and Rhonda, too. Make sure she and Summer were okay.
Casey studied the property. Where was Darcy hiding? She went up to the front door and checked the alarm. It was undamaged and still on. He couldn’t have entered without deactivating the system, could he? She pressed the code, stepped inside, and then reactivated the alarm. Aware of the house’s silence, Casey slowly opened the door off the entryway and peered into the garage to see if Darcy had managed to park there. He hadn’t.
After a cautious search of every room, she re-entered the living room and looked at the backyard. If Darcy was out there, he was well hidden, or had Lalonde already hauled his ass out of here?
In the den, she knelt by the phone and called Rhonda. The phone rang repeatedly until voice mail kicked in. Why wasn’t Rhonda answering? It was nearly six-thirty. Summer should have been back from Whistler by now. Casey left a quick message and hung up. Her palms were sweating. Everything felt wrong. She called Lalonde and got through this time.
“Where are you, Detective? I left a message for you to meet me and Darcy here at the Marine Drive house. Did you get him?”
“No, and I want you to leave the premises right now.”
“Fine, whatever. He’s not here anyway. And Rhonda’s supposed to be home, but she’s not answering the phone. Since Darcy threatened to hurt her and Summer, I’m really worried. Can you have the officer watching the place check on her? I’m on my way there now.” She hung up to avoid a lecture.
While Casey sped down Marine Drive, scary scenarios tortured her. What if Darcy had set her up so he could assault Rhonda? What if he’d attacked the cop watching the house?
Rounding a curve, Casey thought she saw Theo’s Saab coming from the opposite direction. In the rearview mirror, she watched the car disappear from view. If it was him, too bad. No time to talk now.
The horribly slow pace of the Georgia Street traffic frayed her nerves. When she finally reached Venables, things eased up, only to worsen again on Commercial Drive. Casey crossed Commercial and took the side streets to Violet Street, slowing at the intersection’s four-way stop. The sight of clothes scattered on the sidewalk in front of Rhonda’s house caught her off guard. This had to be Rhonda’s doing. Darcy’s bicycle had been dumped on top of the clothes.
Casey eased through the intersection, then made a right turn into the back lane. Rhonda’s station wagon was gone. No sign of any cop either. Damn. Casey pulled into her spot. Moments later, she was charging across the lawn, up the steps, and into the kitchen.
“Rhonda? Summer?”
No response. Was this good or bad news? Curious about whether Darcy’s belongings might have something incriminating tucked away, she headed outside. The police tape had been pulled down and lay abandoned by the fence.
On the sidewalk, Casey looked at Darcy’s stuff. The jerk didn’t own much: a bicycle helmet, toiletries, clock radio.
A Saab screeched to a halt across the street. Theo opened his door, while Lou jumped out from the passenger side and ran toward her.
“Lou? What are you—”
“Darcy’s here! Get inside!”
Darcy emerged from behind the hedge at the corner of Rhonda’s lot. He strutted down the sidewalk toward her, carrying a pistol.
“Run, Casey!” Theo yelled as he dived in front of the Saab.
Lou grabbed her hand and pulled her back through the gate, “Inside!”
“No! Darcy has a key!”
They started toward the back of the house when Darcy shouted, “Where’s the money, bitch?”
They kept running. Darcy fired and missed.
“Go!” Lou released her hand and spun around to face Darcy. The second shot pierced his chest.
Twenty-five
THERE WAS NO time to let the horror sink in. Lou collapsed and landed on his back. An officer appeared from the side of the house and scanned the premises, gun drawn. Blood ran down his left temple. He called for an ambulance while Casey knelt beside Lou.
“Darcy shot him!” Casey clamped her hand over the wound and turned to the cop. “Where were you?”
“I was knocked out. Which way did he go?”
“Jumped the fence into the neighbor’s yard. He could be heading for Commercial Drive.” She nodded toward the house to the west “Go get him! I have first aid training.”
As the cop took off, Rhonda hurried down the front steps. “What’s happened?”
“Get the first aid kit, now!”
Rhonda rushed back inside. Casey lifted her hand for a closer look at Lou’s injury. Blood frothed from the wound in his chest. When he inhaled, she heard a sucking sound. Not good.
“Hang in there, Lou. Ambulance’ll be here soon.”
While she checked his pulse, his fearful eyes watched her. His breathing was rapid and strained, pulse too fast. Casey applied pressure. Blood seeped out from under her hand.
Summer tiptoed toward them, her eyes wide and frightened.
Casey looked up. “I need your help; go get me the plastic wrap and duct tape from the kitchen right away.”
Summer dashed inside.
“Please, please stay with me, Lou,” she said. “You’ll be okay.”
Time had stopped. Nothing was moving fast enough. When Rhonda and Summer reappeared, Casey told Rhonda to cut a strip of tape with the scissors in the kit.