Shot Through the Heart

by Diane Benefiel

  “You really are insane. This isn’t your fight. You aren’t in Afghanistan anymore.”

  He turned, expression hard. “Lady, if I was in Afghanistan, that guy would be face first in the dirt with an M16 pointed at his head.” He waited a beat. “Tortillas?”

  John stood with his arms crossed as Rane raised her hands to her head as if to keep it from exploding. “I am going to get changed. I’ll think about what you said. Come on, Cooper.”

  The dog looked at him with what John thought was guy-to-guy understanding before following her out. He opened the refrigerator again, and, after some more rummaging, was rewarded by finding corn tortillas and a brick of Monterey Jack cheese in the deli drawer.

  He felt good. It wasn’t just that something was happening, it was the back and forth with Rane. He’d bet she didn’t realize how easy she was to read. Her expression had held dead-on sincerity, but her eyes had told him she was holding something back. She was scared, and yet she’d tried to kick him out. He’d give her an A for guts, but no way could he let her force him out.

  Something was off about her connection to Kyle DiNardo, and he didn’t like it. Even if he hadn’t known about the narcotics angle he would have recognized she was lying, or at least not telling the whole truth about their relationship. He also realized she wasn’t criminally involved. She might as well have the word ‘integrity’ tattooed on her forehead because there was no avoiding that it was part of her basic makeup. The other sign was the genuine grief over the drug deaths. Her worry and sadness over kids dying from heroin was evident. Trying to figure all the angles, he grabbed a cutting board and began chopping a tomato.

  Twenty minutes later, Rane came back into the kitchen. He didn’t allow himself to react to her appearance, but she sure did it for him. She wore stretchy knee-length black pants and a snug-fitting, long-sleeved T-shirt. He wondered if she knew it revealed her build, slender, with just enough curves in the right places. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail that left bangs brushing over sea-green eyes. When she leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, gaze narrowed, he had a hard time not scooping her up to see how she tasted.

  “You hungry?” The sparks in her eyes made him cautious about turning his back to her.

  “Yes.”

  “Great. Tacos are almost ready. Good thing you had chicken already cooked. Made it easy.”

  “So happy to accommodate you.”

  He ignored the sarcasm. “You want to get the plates and flatware?”

  When she continued scowling, he paused. “Look, Rane, you need to eat. I need to eat. And there’s nothing in the refrigerator upstairs. I want to be down here to keep a watch out for that guy. Next time, you can come up to my apartment, and I’ll spring for the food.”

  She tapped a fist against her forehead. “This isn’t about the food. And I can keep watch for him myself. He’s my problem. I’ll call the police if I see him again, and I’ll, for sure, call his parole officer in the morning. You don’t need to get involved.”

  He laughed. “Look, I’m already involved, and I really don’t want to have to find another place to live. Plus this could be an easy fix for you. If this guy thinks you’re with me, he might leave you alone.”

  “Or he could go off the deep end. He’s dangerous, John. You could get hurt.”

  When he simply looked at her, arms crossed, she threw her hands up in apparent exasperation. “God save me from alpha males who want to play hero.” She stalked to the drawer and pulled out utensils.

  John removed pinto beans from the microwave. Seeing that some of them had exploded, he got a sponge to wipe up. He flipped the tortillas warming in a skillet before glancing at Rane again. From the look of her, she was waging a furious mental debate over what to do about him. He needed her to tell him what she knew about the DiNardo organization, but he couldn’t push so hard she became suspicious. They carried dinner to the dining table, and he pulled out a chair across from her seat.

  He waited until she’d finished her tacos and was sipping from a glass of wine before he brought the conversation back around to Kyle DiNardo. Not that simply talking to her about whatever came up was any hardship. She was smart and had interesting observations about people, particularly celebrities and politicians.

  She pushed her plate back, her restless gaze on the street outside. It was time. Without disclosing what he knew, he had to learn if she had any information that could lead him and his team to evidence they could use to prosecute the DiNardos. He fought the temptation to explain himself, to tell her he was a cop and what he was investigating. She was holding something back, but she might come clean if she knew he was Seattle PD. Or she might be pissed enough to shut him out. Regardless, he’d have to clear it with his boss before he revealed anything. For the time being, he’d find out what he could.

  “Rane, tell me about the ex. What’s his name?”

  She worried her bottom lip then sighed. “Kyle. His name is Kyle.”

  “Last name?”

  “Nope. I don’t want you to Google him.”

  Smart girl. “Why are you afraid of him?”

  She shrugged. “I really don’t think he’d hurt me, but since he was out there this evening I have to assume he’s up to something. Like I said, he just got out of prison.”

  “What was he in for?”

  Her expression didn’t make sense. She almost looked guilty. John took a mental step back. Something wasn’t adding up here. Or maybe she’d really been in love with the guy. She leaned forward to pick up her plate, and he reached for her hand. “The dishes can wait. What was he in for?”

  She tugged her hand free and went back to looking out the window, gaze searching. “Possession with intent to distribute. He’s been in for three years.”

  “What drug?”

  “Heroin.”

  “How did you get mixed up with the guy?”

  She picked up her wine glass, but didn’t drink, instead twirling it by the stem. “I knew him in high school. He was different then. Fun, easygoing. He told me his family made money from illegal drugs but swore he wasn’t getting sucked into that. The summer after graduation, we started dating. I went away to college that fall, but saw him when I came back home.”

  “Was he ever violent?”

  “Yeah. During the summer after my sophomore year, I broke up with him. He went crazy, broke some things. But he didn’t hurt me.”

  “Were the police involved?”

  “No, just my dad. He got in Kyle’s face, told him to stay away from me. I went back to school and tried to forget about him.”

  John considered whether there was a link between Rane and DiNardo’s drug conviction. Something seemed off there. “Were you involved with him at the time he was sent to prison?”

  She shrugged. “Not really. After I graduated, he wanted to get back together. But I knew he’d gotten involved in the drug business. He had money, lots of money, but didn’t have a job.”

  “Seems like a pretty good tip-off. What happened?”

  “He got caught.” She broke eye contact, looking down at her wine and then back up. “Now he’s on parole and was outside my house an hour ago.”

  Her body language indicated she was nervous. “Tell me about him. Does he still have family in Seattle? How would he get a car? Where would he stay?”

  Rane shook her head. “What are you going to do? Go find him and beat him up?”

  He looked at her thoughtfully. “No. But the more I know, the better prepared I’ll be. And since that was probably him the other night, as well, I think being prepared is a good idea.”

  “Prepared for what, John? Kyle isn’t your problem.”

  “I don’t like that he knocked you down the other night. It shows he’s willing to use physical force.”

  She lifted her shoulders and then let them droop. “That might not have been him.”

  He didn’t bother to respond, and when she blew out a breath that fluttered her bangs, he figured she didn’t be
lieve it either.

  “Look, when I came home after I graduated from college, my boyfriend came with me. Kyle showed up at my apartment and saw Jordan. That evening, when Jordan left to go to his car, he was attacked and had the crap beaten out of him. It was Kyle.”

  “Was he arrested?”

  She shook her head, expression troubled. “He knocked him down from behind. Jordan never got a good look at him. He ended up with a broken nose and a couple of cracked ribs. But I know it was Kyle.” Her expression clouded. “You see? That’s why you need to leave. Kyle won’t hurt me, but he could very well go after you.”

  “I can handle myself, Rane. And I wouldn’t bet that he won’t hurt you.”

  They rose from the table and worked together to clean up the dinner dishes. Rane acted subdued, and he knew she was worried. When it became obvious she was waiting for him to leave, he decided to meet the opposition head on.

  “I want to sleep on your couch tonight.”

  “What? Why?” He’d flustered her.

  “Rane, this guy could be stalking you. He was trying your windows the other night and parked outside your house today. I’ll sleep on the couch just to be sure he doesn’t try anything more.”

  “I’ll be fine. I’ll call the cops if he shows up again.”

  John was already shaking his head. “Not good enough. This guy could cause a lot of trouble before the police ever show up. If you could just get me a blanket and a pillow, you’ll never even notice I’m here.”

  “What about tomorrow night? Or the night after? You can’t sleep on my couch every night.”

  He bit back the comment he wanted to make. Something about how he’d be much happier sleeping in her bed. With her. “We’ll deal with tonight first.”

  She looked like she was going to say something more, but instead climbed the stairs. Minutes later, she returned with arms full. Pushing the bedding at him, she turned back to the stairs like she was going to leave without comment, but checked herself, facing him instead. “Look, I appreciate you looking out for me, but I don’t want you to feel like I’m your responsibility. I’m not helpless. I have thought through what I’d do if Kyle came back and threatened me.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “Shoot him.”

  ***

  Rane lay under the covers, waiting for sleep. She could finally admit to herself that having John downstairs on the couch made her feel safe. Warm. Protected. If he hadn’t been there, she would have spent the night listening to the old house settling, wondering at every small sound. Cooper yawned from his bed by the wall, and Rane turned onto her side, letting her eyelids drift shut.

  Early the next morning, she sat at the little breakfast table in the kitchen, toast and coffee in front of her as she swiped through the news on her iPad. John had left sometime before she’d gotten up, his bedding neatly folded at the end of the couch with the pillow on top. She wondered if he suspected there was more to what had happened with Kyle than she’d told him. There were things she’d never told anyone, and they all centered on one person. Douglas Smith. Her father. The cop who had set Kyle up for a crime he hadn’t committed to get him out of his daughter’s life. And she would do whatever was necessary to protect her dad.

  Chapter Four

  “So you think she knows more than she’s letting on?”

  John looked at his brother. They shared the Garretson family black hair and strong features, but instead of blue, his brother had inherited their mother’s dark-green eyes. “Yeah, definitely. She knew him for several years, right about the time his family muscled control of the pipeline into Canada.”

  “Maybe she’s dirty. She could have dealt for them. Made a little extra on the side.”

  “No way, Nate.”

  Black brow raised, Nathan considered him. “Seem pretty sure of that, Johnny. You’ve spent, what? A week or so with her? Think you’ve got her figured out?”

  “She’s clean. I’m not telling you she told me all she knows. But she’s never been involved with the drug operation.”

  Nathan considered. “Okay. We’ll assume you’re right. For now. What else you got?”

  John reached for his coffee. “You remember Kyle DiNardo’s arresting officer?”

  “Yeah, wasn’t it Smith?” John could see his brother do a mental check. “Rane Smith. Connection?”

  “I saw a photo of Doug Smith in her house. He’s her dad.”

  “Shit. How did we not know that?”

  “You tell me, Detective.”

  Nathan bit into a slice of bacon. “Smith is a common name, and since we didn’t know about Rane’s link to DiNardo until about three weeks ago, I didn’t put it together.” He grinned. “Neither did you, bro.”

  “Yeah. She’d told me her dad was a cop, but I didn’t realize who he was.”

  The men had met for breakfast at the diner a block from the police station. John knew that, as brothers, they were lucky to be on the narcotics task force together. They had the DiNardo family square in their sights, but what they hadn’t told the rest of the team was the personal element of their mission.

  “He did the world a favor, putting Kyle in prison.” Nathan’s expression turned grim. “Too bad he couldn’t have nailed Simon DiNardo. Funny how the leader is always able to protect himself.”

  “I didn’t expect Kyle to actually show up last night, especially after I chased him off a few days ago.”

  Nathan’s jaw tensed. “You could have put a bullet through his head. It would have saved everyone a lot of grief.”

  “And revenge would be sweet.”

  “Yeah.” Nathan looked at his brother. “He deserves it.”

  “We’ll get him, Nate. And he’ll pay for what he did to Savannah. But we’ll do it right.”

  Savannah’s death had propelled Nathan into joining the police force. Hell, it was probably what had set John on that path, too. Savannah Montague, brainy, athletic, full of life. She and Nathan had begun dating in college, and Nathan had fallen hard. What he hadn’t known was that Savannah was trying to offset the stresses of school by using street drugs. And two weeks before her college graduation, she’d overdosed. Nathan had found her body.

  Once through the police academy, Nathan had focused on joining the narcotics team. His investigations had revealed that Simon DiNardo and his extended family had been responsible for the heroin that had led to Savannah’s death. And Kyle DiNardo had been her supplier.

  Simon was very careful in managing his family and the illegal drug business, in making sure his hands always stayed clean, but Nathan was tireless. When he’d joined the force, John had worked with him to carefully craft a case against the DiNardo family. What they needed now was the evidence that would tie Simon directly to the heroin overdoses plaguing the city.

  Nathan leaned back in his seat. “So Kyle DiNardo showed up at Rane Smith’s house just days after getting out of prison. You chase him off, and then he’s sitting in a car outside her house last night. How’d you know it was him?”

  John stretched his legs under the table. “I used my great detecting powers. Those great powers have also allowed me to avoid getting pepper sprayed by Rane.”

  Nathan chuckled. “She tried to pepper spray you?”

  “Just about. I was sitting on the porch waiting for her just after I moved in. She walked up and, next thing I knew, she had the little canister in her hand and a finger on the pump.”

  Nathan chuckled. “You’ve always had the smoothest moves with the ladies.”

  He shrugged. “She’s jumpy. After Kyle’s visit last evening, she was even jumpier. I spent the evening with her, kept watch.” He told him what he’d seen and learned. “I didn’t want the bastard breaking in and getting to her during the night, so I slept on the couch.”

  Nathan eyed him speculatively. “Don’t get a thing for her, little brother. You’re on the job.”

  John took a forkful of pancake, chewing thoughtfully before replying. “Too late for that.” />
  Nathan sat back in his chair, his expression incredulous. “What? Wait. This woman could be involved in illegal crap.”

  He shook his head. “I told you, she’s not. She doesn’t want me to get involved. In fact, she tried to kick me out of the apartment.” He paused, his mood dampening. “Don’t worry. Even if I have a thing for her, it doesn’t mean shit. I’ll do my job.”

  “Johnny, we’ve got to get you out of there. To hell with the cover. You get emotionally involved and you lose your objectivity. Then you’ll both be in danger.”

  “No. You’re talking like my brother, not like a cop. We went to all the trouble of establishing me as John Davidson, so we keep the cover for now. And I’m not leaving her to deal with this guy on her own. I won’t mess up the operation.”

  Nathan leaned back, pinching the bridge of his nose like he felt a headache coming on. He looked across the table. “Okay. But watch yourself.”

  “Yeah.”

  The men paid for their breakfast and strolled out into the sunny morning. The nice weather was holding, and puffy white clouds contrasted with a sky of endless blue.

  “I’ll follow up on the plate you gave me. See whose car DiNardo is driving. Keep working on Rane; see if she’ll tell you more about what our boy was doing when she was dating him.”

  John nodded and started toward the parking lot where he’d left his truck. Nathan turned toward the station then called out, “Johnny, you’d better get the little hearts out of your eyes, man. It’s embarrassing.”

  John flipped up his middle finger and kept walking, his brother’s laughter echoing in his ears.

  ***

  Rane let herself in through the kitchen door, giving an ecstatic Cooper a quick pet. She’d ended up working overtime, and now it was late, she was hungry, and so was Cooper. John’s truck was gone from the driveway. Probably a good thing. She’d managed to avoid him for the better part of a week, all the while waiting for Kyle to do something. But there’d been nothing. No late-night visits. No phone calls. Nothing. She’d phoned his parole officer, so maybe the woman had rattled his cage. Or maybe it hadn’t been Kyle who’d knocked her down that night. Who’d been sitting in that car. She’d been so sure, but she hadn’t really seen his face. It could have been anyone.