Jake ignored our banter and turned to the melee in the courtyard. “I don’t suppose you know what happened?”
“Someone opened fire on Savage’s entourage behind the lectern,” I answered simply.
“I know that. Wait ... how can you be sure Savage’s entourage was the target?”
“Because the only people who were shot were in that group,” I replied without hesitation. “Dan Crawford was leading the protest. He and Savage appeared tight. He’s the only one dead. One of Savage’s security people was also shot, but it looked to be a flesh wound on his arm. He was taken away conscious and alert at the time. Those were the only two hit.”
“Huh.” Jake rubbed his chin as he watched his deputies question witnesses. “None of my people said Savage was the target. They didn’t mention that part.”
“Maybe they didn’t know,” Eliot suggested, his hands moving to my neck to attack the tension growing there. “It was a fluid situation. I ran out because I knew Avery was here. Otherwise I would’ve waited at least a few minutes. I had to get to her.”
“How did you even know where I was?” I asked. “I’d been inside only a few minutes before.”
“I told you I would be watching.” He carefully moved my hair away from my face and traced his fingers over my jaw. “You have a bit of a bruise here.”
I didn’t even feel it. “I’m fine. Don’t freak out. It’s just a bruise.”
“Yeah, well ... .” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the contusion. “You have some scrapes on your elbows and hands, too.”
“Also not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.”
“I’ll decide what’s a big deal.” He flicked his eyes to Jake, who was eyeing him with overt curiosity. “What? You have no idea how terrified I was when I heard the shots go off. I thought there was a legitimate chance she finally ticked off the wrong person.
“She’s a mouthy woman going up against men who believe the female persuasion should be demure,” he continued. “I was terrified. Sue me.”
“I didn’t say anything,” Jake countered, his lips twitching. “I think it’s kind of cute how you’re petting her like a dog.”
“Kitten,” I automatically corrected. “He’s making up new nicknames for me and decided on Kitten.”
“I think I’m going with Phoenix,” Eliot countered. “You’re the only person I know who can rise from the ashes regularly and come back even stronger.”
“It’s really cute how you two have found each other,” Jake deadpanned. “I have a serious situation here, though. Unless you have more information, I’m going to have to leave you to your ... whatever it is that you’re doing.”
“I do have one bit of interesting information,” I said, my mind busy as I thought through the moments right before the shooting. “Savage thought enough of himself to hire professional bodyguards. Both of the guys were big. Like, ... huge. The one closest to him covered Savage’s body with his own really quickly. I have to wonder if that means Savage was expecting an attempt on his life.”
His eyes gleaming, Jake arched an eyebrow. “You think he’s been receiving threats?”
“I think he thrives on threats. I’m guessing he keeps all the threats he gets and trots them out for attention regularly. But I was actually thinking something else.”
“Oh, yeah?” Jake is often irritated with the way my mind works, so I was surprised that he was taking the time to hear me out now. “Lay it on me.”
“What if the bodyguards were selected because this was planned from the start?” I suggested. “I’m not talking about the death, but the shooting. I heard at least five shots. Only two seemed to hit home. That’s not a great ratio. What if Crawford’s death was accidental and the shooting was meant to drum up support for Savage?”
“That seems a bit of a stretch given that we know absolutely nothing right now,” Jake replied. “Why are you contributing a conspiracy theory to something that could be relatively straightforward?”
That was a good question. “I don’t know. It simply struck me as odd the way the bodyguard was protecting him.”
“I won’t rule out the possibility, but we need more information first.” He straightened and glanced over his shoulder. “I’ll send a deputy over to get your statements as soon as possible. Then you can get out of here.”
“I appreciate that,” Eliot acknowledged. “The sooner I can take her home, the better.”
I was almost fully recovered from the shock, so I shot him a dark look. “Hey. I have things to do. You can’t stop me.”
“Wanna bet?”
IT TURNED OUT THAT ELIOT didn’t have the power to stop me. James, however, was another story.
“Fish wants you to turn over your notes to me so I can file two stories,” he announced when he found us on the lawn.
“Excuse me?” I thought my eyebrows were going to fly off my forehead. “What do you mean? You weren’t down here for the big event.”
“No, but I explained to Fish how you were almost killed and he thought it best to leave the story to me this go-around.”
I momentarily imagined Fish’s head on a pike as I waved it around while dancing next to a bonfire on a deserted island. What? I have a very active imagination when it comes to revenge. “But I was a witness.”
“I know. It must have been frightening.” James patted my head in such a manner that Eliot caught me around the waist before I could launch myself at my co-worker.
“I think it’s a great idea for you to write the stories,” Eliot offered, ignoring the way I squirmed against him. “You’ll make sure Avery gets a co-byline, right?”
James shifted from one foot to the other, uncomfortable. “Oh, well, I thought I would add that she contributed to the report at the end.”
“She interviewed the protestors and was present for the shooting. It seems to me that she did most of the work.” Eliot was firm. “You agree with that, don’t you?” His eyes flashed hot as he pinned James with a threatening look.
“Of course I agree with you,” James said hurriedly. He wasn’t an idiot and recognized Eliot would make things uncomfortable if he tried to screw me in any way, shape or form. “I see what you mean. I should’ve thought it out better.”
“You definitely should have,” Eliot agreed. “Avery, give him your notes.”
That sounded like the last thing I wanted to do. “I’m good.” I made a point of staring at the sky. “In fact, I think I’m going to conduct a few more interviews before I go. Thank you for taking care of me, but I’m fine. We can meet up for dinner in a little bit if you’re interested.”
Eliot snagged me by the back of the neck before I could wander too far. “Don’t push me, Avery,” he growled. “This is James’s story. You need to let it go ... at least for today.”
“And why would I want to do that?”
“Because you shaved ten years off my life. And, whether you want to admit it or not, you’re still shaky. You know how I can tell? You keep having to readjust the way you’re standing because your legs are like jelly.”
I hated that he had a point. “But ... I don’t want to give my story away.” I recognized how whiny I sounded but didn’t care. “This is the most exciting thing to happen to me in weeks.”
“I will make sure your night is exciting if you give me this one,” he prodded. “Come on. You’ll be back out here tomorrow. We both know it. Give me tonight. I rarely ask anything like this of you.”
I hated that he had a point. “Fine.” I retrieved my notebook and slapped it in James’s open hand. “If you screw this up I will find a way to take both stories away from you,” I warned. “That includes the court case and the protestors. Mark my words.”
James didn’t look worried. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He mock-saluted Eliot with the notebook before heading back toward the crowd. “I think I’ll get a few more quotes before I leave.”
“You do that,” I muttered under my breath.
“Thank you.”
Eliot kissed the back of my head. “I know that was difficult but it will be better over the long run.”
I didn’t believe that for a second. “You’re going to owe me a massage tonight.” I was going to get something out of this if it killed me. “Also, I want something greasy for dinner. I expect you to buy it for me.”
“Consider it done. We just need to give our statements and then we can get out of here. In fact ... well ... I think a deputy is heading in our direction now.”
I shifted to follow his gaze, scowling when I recognized the figure cutting across the lawn in our direction. It was Derrick, and he wasn’t alone. Tad trailed in his wake, and my cousin looked as frustrated as I felt.
“I almost died,” Tad snapped as Derrick did his best to ignore him. “I could’ve been killed. I’m a political figure. I think I was the target for the shooting.”
“Oh, really?” Derrick’s tone told me he thought otherwise. “Why would you be the target?”
“Because people don’t want me to win,” Tad replied simply. “There are people out there who want to take me down because they know I’m ready to fight for freedom, justice and the American way.”
“Oh, geez!” Derrick slapped his hand to his forehead. “I can’t deal with you right now. We’re pretty sure that you weren’t the target. But why were you here?”
I could answer that question. “Wherever douches go to meet, that’s where you’ll find Tad,” I supplied.
He glowered at me. “Too bad you weren’t a little taller. Perhaps one of those bullets would’ve pierced that rocklike head of yours.”
“Don’t make me come over there,” Eliot warned. He clearly didn’t even like joking about the prospect. “I’ll make you cry and then call the news cameras over to televise it if you’re not careful.”
“I think that sounds like a fabulous idea,” Derrick drawled as he came to a stop in front of us. “I hear you were up close and personal for the show.”
“She was,” Eliot responded. “I was in my shop. I raced to get to her as soon as I could, but I was not present for the big event.”
“Did you see anything?”
Eliot shook his head. “No, but the way the noise echoed makes me think that the shooter was on the roof.” He pointed toward the buildings across the street. “I could hear the shots more clearly than the screams. That seems to indicate the shooter was closer to me when it happened.”
Derrick followed his finger. “That’s a good tip. I’ll get people up there right away.” He turned to me. “Jake told me what you said, about your conspiracy theory.”
“It’s not a conspiracy theory,” I argued. “It’s simply something I was thinking about.”
“Well, we’re going to chase that angle even if I do think it’s moronic. Have you thought of anything else since he left?”
I shook my head. “No. It was too chaotic. I had trouble keeping my wits about me as it was. I don’t even know why I ducked in the first place. It was instinct.”
“Yes, we’re all sad about that,” Tad drawled.
“That did it.” Eliot moved away from me and toward him.
“I was just saying!” Tad, recognizing that Eliot meant business, scampered away from him. “You don’t always have to be such a Neanderthal. Use your words instead of your fists.”
“I’m going to pound you with both if you’re not careful,” Eliot warned, raising a fist for emphasis.
Derrick cracked a smile, shaking his head. “It’s a good thing that Tad is always predictable, eh? Otherwise he would totally derail this investigation because he’s determined to be the center of attention.”
“Yes, thankfully we pegged him as a douche years ago.” I turned my attention to Eliot. “I’m hungry. You promised me dinner.”
“And I’m going to buy it for you as soon as we stop in at the old apartment so I can clean those scrapes and bruises ... and don’t bother arguing with me about it. It’s a done deal.”
“You’re kind of a mother hen. Has anybody ever told you that?”
“I don’t care. You’re my priority.”
That was kind of sweet, even if it made me feel a little ridiculous. “Okay. You can baby me and then we’ll eat.”
“Good plan.”
5 Five
“Take your shirt off.”
Eliot wasn’t playing around when we entered the office above his pawnshop. It used to be his apartment before we moved in together – most of the furniture remained from that time – and I was comfortable in the space. I wasn’t, however, comfortable with his demand.
“That’s real romantic, Eliot,” I said dryly. “Maybe you should try to warm me up first.” When he didn’t immediately respond, I turned to find him watching me with unreadable eyes. “What?”
“Take off your shirt … please.”
He didn’t sound remotely flirtatious, and there was an edge to his voice that made me wonder if I’d somehow missed something.
“Sure,” I said finally, sighing. “I’d love to remove my shirt.”
I kicked my shoes off first, taking extra time to untuck my top and slowly dragging it over my head. Instead of reacting as he normally would – a lewd comment and promises of cake if I was a good girl – Eliot carefully approached me and ran his hand over my elbow. It was more shredded than I’d realized, and the second I saw the wound I realized it hurt.
“It’s not so bad,” I lied.
Anger, quick as a bullet, flashed across his face before he caught himself. “You’re going to be okay.”
“Of course I am. I was never really in any danger.”
This time the fury coursing through him was directed at me. “You could’ve easily died. Had you poked your head up at the wrong time … or moved forward … or simply been standing someplace else, you might not be here.”
He was clearly struggling with some deep feelings. “Eliot … .”
“Shh.” He pressed his finger to my lips to quiet me. “I get that you need to talk big because you’re … you. You’re unable to stop yourself. Generally I can tolerate that. Right now, away from prying eyes and people who might think your rep is somehow tarnished, I need you to let me take care of you.”
He almost sounded as if he was going to cry, which truly frightened me. “Okay.”
“Great.” He heaved out a sigh. “Sit at the kitchen table. I’ll get some peroxide and bandages, and we’ll go from there.”
While the scrape hurt, it was hardly a serious injury. I wanted to brush it off as I did everything else – I was only a hypochondriac when I caught a cold or the flu – but Eliot obviously had other plans. Before we became involved, I would’ve put my needs before his. But because I was trying to be a better person, I decided to give him what he needed and ignore my inner urges.
I was trying to grow … but it wasn’t always easy.
When he exited the bathroom he seemed more together. I didn’t ask the obvious question – mostly because I was afraid of the answer – so I decided to focus on something else. “How do you think the shooter knew how to get on the roof?”
Eliot shrugged, noncommittal. “I don’t know. I don’t think it’s too hard. There are fire escapes on every side of the building.”
“Yeah, but … do you know how hard those things are to pull down? It’s easy if you’re a few floors up and need to get down. There are release clamps on each level. From the ground, you can’t reach them … so how did someone manage to get up there?”
Eliot stopped what he was doing long enough to study my face. “How do you know about the fire escapes?”
“I’ve used the roof to spy on people from time to time,” I admitted. “Usually politicians … occasionally judges … and once I spied on Tad when he was supposed to be having a divorce mediation appointment. I had a great idea to pelt him with water balloons. Judging distance from up there isn’t as easy as it sounds.”
Eliot pressed his lips together as I tried to decide if he was going to hug or throttle me. When he fina
lly let loose a chuckle I realized I was in no danger of delving into a serious fight. “You’re industrious. I don’t know what else to say about your mind. Sometimes I wish you would take some time off, but you wouldn’t be you if you gave in to my whims.”
“Yeah, well, I’m guessing right now that you wish I would be anyone but myself.”
“That’s not true.” Eliot sobered. “I love who you are. I just … you have no idea the fear I felt when I heard those shots today.”
“I was afraid, too.”
“I wasn’t watching.” He took on a distant expression. “I should’ve been watching, but I wasn’t. I knew you went inside. I thought there was a chance you were still in there, but when I heard the shots all I could think was that you mouthed off to the wrong person and you were in danger.”
I cleared my throat to buy time. Finally, I stilled his hand before he could dab the peroxide on my elbow. “I know it’s hard for you to grasp this sometimes because it seems like I’m always in trouble, but I know how to take care of myself.” I meant it. “I survived a long time without you. I’m not going to forget how to take care of myself now that we’re sharing the same bed every night.”
“I know that.” He cracked a grin. “I was still terrified. This was different than the normal sort of trouble you manage to find. You had no control over it.
“Usually you have a chance to talk yourself out of trouble because you manage to tick off someone personally,” he continued. “Whoever did the shooting today had no idea who you were. There was no talking anyone out of anything. You could’ve simply been wiped off the Earth in a split second. That’s what scared me.”
“Oh.” I hadn’t really considered that. I released his hand so he could dab my elbow, hissing at the burning sensation. “Ow.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I think I’ll survive.”
“Yeah? I would really appreciate it if you would make that a priority. I’ve become rather attached to you.”
“Right back at you.”
He finally cracked a grin. “I’m going to fix you up. Then I’m going to make you sit on my lap for ten minutes and not say a single word. Then we’ll go to dinner and you can be as loud as you want. How does that sound?”
Above the Fold & Below the Belt (An Avery Shaw Mystery Book 14) Page 5