by Unger, Erin;
But this was for the good of another. He needed to stop being selfish and trying to find a way to keep her at arm’s length the rest of the night.
And he’d blundered. Of course, her aunt wasn’t still living with them. He’d been part of the recovery team for the small, downed commuter plane that crashed on its descent to the airport just over a week ago. Her aunt had been on the plane along with four other passengers. And Maddie had come home for the release of her aunt’s personal affects and the funeral.
He cleared his throat and tried to turn to lighter conversation.
Storm clouds seemed to swirl on her face. “My aunt lived with us until recently.”
He studied the highway signs and softened his tone. “Sorry. That was insensitive. I don’t know why I asked. I’m aware of her passing.”
She clinched her jaw. “Yep. Sure you are. I’m sure the whole town lines up every morning to get the gory details of the latest recovery item, don’t they?”
Bitterness was her game? He glanced at her. “I’m sorry. I really am. She treated me like family when I visited, and I’d like to do the same for her, if I can.” He shouldn’t say too much. His superior hadn’t given him the OK yet. “At her service…if it’s OK.”
Her curt nod and quick blinks shut him up. Why dig a deeper hole? To bury his already sinking chance at releasing the history between them?
Now wouldn’t be a good time to tell her he knew all the details. And even some about her aunt’s last moments.
He checked the side-view mirror before getting into the left lane. He passed a slow-moving eighteen-wheeler and began to return to the right lane when he took another peek in the mirror. Several vehicles had followed them for miles.
As he exited, a beige sedan took the exit with him. He did a double take. Now he was making things up. There wasn’t anything unusual about it, so why make something out of nothing?
At the third stoplight, he turned right. His blood pressure built up in his veins and he squeezed the steering wheel. This was better than an action movie with all the adrenaline pumping in his body. Except he was responsible for a real life. Not something to take lightly.
“This road won’t take you to my house.”
Don’t start questioning me now. “I thought you might need some pain meds.” The drug store on the corner of a strip mall stayed open twenty-four hours every day. “Do you?”
“Right. I’m not sure what my mom has. I’ll run in and get something.”
He parked and jumped out. The beige car passed the strip mall and disappeared. “I’m coming in too.”
He peered around the side of the building and rubbed his hand across his chest. He needed to relax. There was nothing to get so excited about. He should be more surprised there weren’t a few more cars following him back to the center of town.
She frowned. “If you must.”
He swung around. What was that supposed to mean? Of course he had to. He couldn’t leave her alone. That was the point of taking her home and waiting for her mother to get back from work. He bit his tongue. Thrusting the keys in his pocket, Joze hurried behind her. She moved at a fast clip. Must be feeling some better.
Maddie scanned the signs until she found pain reliever on aisle eleven.
A couple guys called out a hello on their way to the cash register. He answered back. It was nice to know most of the locals, but not always so great to know their medical problems. At least he had their respect.
With two bottles in her hand, Maddie headed to the front and plunked them down on the counter.
He drew close to her ear. “Want me to get those for you?”
She blew out a breath. “No. I got it.”
Well, so much for being nice.
At the door, she slowed. “Sorry. Thanks for the thought.”
“I’m not such a bad guy, you know. People change.” But had she? When she didn’t answer, he stopped. “Really.”
She swung around and put a hand to her temple. “This whole thing has me on edge. I…apologize.”
He stopped the urge to puff out his chest and declare a victory. “Let’s get you home. That’ll make things better.” Unless the guy found them there now that he had her address.
She climbed in the passenger side of her car. He scanned the roads and then patted the roof of the car before squeezing inside.
They returned to Main Street, Joze constantly looked back through the mirror.
And there was the beige car. His heart pounded into overdrive again. Flooring the gas pedal to race up the hill, he slammed his hand against the steering wheel when the mini car refused to accelerate. It actually slowed with each passing yard. Are you kidding me?
Maddie smacked his arm. “Hey. Don’t beat my baby.” She looked around. “Wait, what’s going on?”
He didn’t want to scare her, but she’d never leave it alone. He squinted at a road sign as he passed. Just get off the road. And quick. “Don’t go nuts on me, but I think a car might be following us.”
Pulling the wheel hard, he took a quick right onto Plum Lane. Would it continue to follow? He’d have to call into dispatch if this didn’t stop. “It passed us earlier but now it’s behind us again.”
“No, no, no.” She bounced against the doorframe as the car revved on the turn. Her hands shook. “This can’t be happening. I wondered…”
Again, he made a sharp turn, and she ducked down in her seat, her breath coming out so fast it hissed.
As bad as he wanted to read every subconscious cue on her face, he kept his gaze on the road and made a quick left. This was a new level of crazy. “Wondered what? Speak quick.”
“My aunt—she wasn’t acting right before she left for Chicago on a business trip.”
He’d beat it out of her if it’d make her tell him faster. “Uh huh?” Keep going. Please. Now. “And…”
The wheels squealed as he slammed the brakes before hitting a rut in the road and then zooming back up to speed, his pulse racing as fast as the rising speedometer.
She stammered, “I don’t know. She was troubled about something. She didn’t say what.”
He took another right when the lights of a car bounced from a dip in the road and shined in his eyes through the mirror. If this was the same guy, he was good. “Get down more. I don’t know what’s going on, but I want you safe.”
She slumped further, grasping the door handle with one hand and her head with the other. It’d be bad to injure her even more with his sudden turns. But what choice did he have?
Another harried right turn followed by one more, and they were at a large intersection with a park and a road that encircled the whole place.
Had he lost the guy? He hadn’t seen him make the last two turns. He should call in this situation, but would his buddies believe he wasn’t pulling a joke on them? Now Joze regretted all his pranks on his PD friends.
He wheeled partway around the circle and parked between a cluster of cars—far enough away not to be seen by the driver but close enough to see if the car continued to follow. Only a couple street lamps lit the parking lot. Good—unless the car pulled in. His pulse thrummed at his neck as he scooted down a hair and held tight to his phone with his finger ready to push speed-dial to dispatch.
Maddie sat up an inch.
He put his hand on her arm. “Don’t.”
She slid back down. At least her car wasn’t so unusual it couldn’t blend in with the others. Should he find a parking garage to hide in?
There wouldn’t be one open this late at night. Not in this small town.
Ten minutes passed before he loosened his tight hold on the steering wheel. It seemed like a hundred. He breathed hard, checking both entryways and every vehicle that went by. “I can take back roads to get to your house, but it’s going to take a while.”
She fidgeted. “Get me home safe, and I don’t care.” Maddie seemed to melt even more into her seat. “If he has my wallet with my address, why’s he chasing us?”
“To sc
are you? I don’t know.” He wanted to believe it wasn’t really the same guy. And practical sense said it had to be an unrelated driver just headed in the same direction, so maybe Joze had overreacted…
He eased back onto the road and went in the opposite direction, crisscrossing the highway and crawling down back roads.
Maddie kept quiet. He thanked God. Why add to the stress by fighting?
When they pulled into her drive, they both took a big breath and released it slowly.
She pointed to the back of the house. “Hurry. Head to the rear. There’s a garage back there.”
He did as she asked, and she pressed the button for the door to open. When the door closed behind them, Joze turned to her, the dark hiding her expression. “I need all the details on your aunt’s situation.”
Maddie patted the dashboard with motherly strokes. “Boy, you were rough on my baby.”
Couldn’t she enjoy his race car instincts for even a second, not to mention he may’ve saved her life? “How’d you afford this thing anyway?”
“I took a few years off to raise money for college and get this car. Not that it’s any of your business.”
Must’ve been after they’d parted ways, at the end of their sophomore year. Odd that it coincided with the supposed attack on her.
He pushed out of the driver seat to look out the high windows of the garage. No one. But the view was very limited. “Now start talking.”
7
Maddie stopped the swing of her arm from slamming the door of the car. Joze’s authoritative manner got under her skin. He was no hero to her. But hadn’t he kept her safe on the ride home? It counted for something. The thought took the steam out of her next words. “Take it down a notch, Joze.”
She rounded the car and reached for the garage’s side door that led to the backyard of lush flowerbeds.
He yanked her close to his side and lifted himself up on his tiptoes to see again through the window.
“Stop,” she said sharply.
“I thought I saw someone. Be quiet.” His own voice lowered to an urgent whisper.
There was no way she was tall enough to take a look. She stiffened her body. “Let go of me. I won’t go anywhere, you can be sure.”
He never looked away but released her. “Got any weapons, shovels, hammer, anything like that in here?”
This was getting out of hand. Did he really need something deadly to defend them? She rubbed the goose pimples climbing up her arms. What had her aunt been involved in? And what did it have to do with her? “No. Auntie Lonna keeps those things in her gardening shed by her office.” Her eyes stung. “I mean kept.”
“Figures,” he said under his breath. “Get your key out. I want to get you in the house as quick as possible.”
He took one last look and then pressed against her as they rushed through the door and ran to the back of the house. Maddie forced her body not to react to his closeness. She thrust the key into the lock and twisted it open. They hurried in and slammed it. Joze pulled down the blind and put his head against it for a moment. “This is not how I thought I’d spend my night.”
“Me either.” Coming home shouldn’t have to be a death defying act. And it never had been before. The strain of the day built up in her chest. No tears. Maddie repeated the mantra over and over until the threat of them dissipated. “What now? I don’t want to scare my mom.” Ha, would her mom even believe her? “But she has to know.”
He moved into the spacious kitchen. New granite countertops accented the white cabinets. Bright blue paint kept the room from being too girly. “Call Mrs. Clare and ask when she’ll be home. I want to be able to see her pull in.”
“She told me earlier she’d be back by eleven.” Running through the house, Maddie checked the front door to make sure it was locked. It hadn’t been common practice in their household to lock doors when she lived at home. Had it changed? Nope. The door was unlocked. She threw the deadbolt into place also.
Maddie called out to Joze over her shoulder. “We need to make sure all the windows are secured.
They went room by room, checking and locking all possible entries.
This was a nightmare. How could she convince Mom that the house now had to be locked up like Fort Knox?
They stopped in the foyer. “Oh.” Maddie scrunched her shoulders. “The basement has a rickety old door. And some windows. But I think I can get it locked if you push it hard for me.”
Why did old houses always have to be so outdated when it came to basements?
As they moved down the steps, musty basement odor met Maddie’s nostrils. She held the splintered railing and crouched low to see into the space below, almost bumping Joze as he stood in front of her. The low basement ceiling meant fewer stairs to descend. Wouldn’t want him to stumble because he expected more. “There are only eleven steps. Be careful,” she whispered.
“Thanks for the warning.”
There wasn’t a light switch to illuminate the area. They’d have to go to the center of the room and pull the cord.
She reached for the back of Joze’s shirt in case she needed a shield, but she didn’t touch him. He turned as if he knew. Man, her tough woman act was suffering tonight.
She shrugged. “What?”
A smile played on the corners of his lips as though he was trying to hold it in.
“Shut up.” She scowled.
“I didn’t say a thing.”
Their steps weren’t slow enough. Joze doubled over, falling onto something. “Umph.”
Maddie had been hovering too close and tumbled beside him, managing to avoid contact. On her way down, she bumped the side of an old, burnt-orange couch.
Note to self—strangle Mom for changing the furniture around all the time.
His spicy cologne wrapped around her. A macho mix of goodness. She stopped the thought before it could ruminate.
Pulling herself up as fast as she could, Maddie tripped on Joze’s leg.
“Ouch.” He scrunched into a ball, grabbing his leg.
“Sorry. Give me a minute.” She reached up and waved her arm around until the silky pull string fell into her palm. Light filled the room when she yanked.
Joze balanced on his knees, pushing himself upright. He strode to the back door, put his weight against it and locked it. “This door needs to be replaced.”
It was a burglar’s dream come true for sure. “I know. Mom hasn’t stepped into the twenty-first century on the whole danger thing. It isn’t like it was when she was young.”
Maddie checked the windows.
Joze looked out the one side window closest to the front of the house. He shot his hand up, pointing at the light. “Quick, turn it out.”
“What’d you see?” Her heart rate skyrocketed and she jumped for the string, cloaking them in darkness. She dared not move from the spot. No need to fall again.
“Someone’s walking along the road.”
What if it were only the neighbors? They were always outside with their dog. “But I thought you lost the guy with your super driving. Do you see a dog with them? Could be one of my neighbors.”
“No.”
Maddie ran her hands along a chair and took light steps until she passed it and a few boxes. The low light from a street lamp fell across Joze’s face. She reached his side.
“They paused and looked this way a second ago. We should call the police.”
He didn’t have to tell her twice. “Come on. There’s no phone down here.”
Once their eyes adjusted, they moved a little better.
In the kitchen, Maddie grabbed the phone and dialed 9-1-1. How should she explain to the lady on the other end that they thought they’d been followed and now the perp was possibly walking around outside her home? She sputtered.
Joze took the phone from her. “Hey, Karen. It’s Joze.” He paused as the dispatcher spoke. “I’m with a friend.” Maddie crossed her arms and stared him down. He put a hand up and shrugged. “We had some trouble at the
carnival earlier, and then someone may’ve followed us home. I think he might be outside the house.” Pause. He motioned for her. “House number…”
“Three-four-three-six,” she spit the numbers out. Of course he would know the lady on the other end—and get to play hero again. Didn’t he have that persona down?
When he hung up, Maddie pressed against the far side of the island. “What’d she say?”
“They’re sending out a patrol officer.”
“And we have to sit and wait? How long?”
“Don’t know. I assume that, because of the carnival, it could take a bit for them to get out here. Those events suck resources.”
Maddie fought the urge to rampage. “What if the person breaks in while we’re waiting?”
His hand went to the EMT emblem on his uniform. “You’ve got me.”
She smirked.
He took in the room. “Seriously, stay close.”
Great. To be close to him was one of the biggest self-betrayals she could think of.
He leaned back, resting against the counter. “Please tell me there’s a gun in this house, or an axe—”
“Ha ha. So you can play ‘axe murderer’?” She made air quotes with her fingers. “Of course there isn’t.”
He left her in the kitchen.
“Wait up. Where are you going?”
“To keep an eye out at the window. Come on.”
Was she like a lost puppy following him like he commanded or what? It rankled. But what choice did she have?
Her hand trailed the chocolate-brown-stained wood paneling as they moved through the hall to the front of the house. Her mother hadn’t opened the curtains that morning. At least the perp couldn’t watch their movements.
Joze pulled the edge aside as she flipped the light on. “Please, leave it off.”
She stood frozen in the doorway. “Are they still there?”
“No.” He motioned for her to move to the other room. “Go across the way and check out those windows on the side of the house.”