“I’m a developer, not a manager,” Alex said. “Right now, I’m working on a Caribbean project.”
“Guys, guys, no one has to watch me,” Avery said. “Finn is an Army Ranger. I’m sure we’ll be safe.”
“Well then, you will stay with us until it’s time to get on the airplane,” Dad said in an authoritative voice. “I’m concerned there’s still a killer out there.”
“Dan, stop scaring her,” Mom protested. “No one on that elevator had any reason to hurt Avery. I wonder if the restaurant up there served fugu and somehow, one of your quills got contaminated.”
“Mom, that is a crazy series of coincidences,” Avery said. “First of all, all the headdresses, crowns, collars, and masks were left at the art institute. Why would there be a random quill?”
“Ivanna might have stuck an extra one in Saul’s camera bag.” Mom never wanted to give up on one of her way-out theories. “Saul set it down where someone dropped one of those pufferfish livers, or one of the models thought it was funny to spear one of them from the aquarium.”
“Were there pufferfish in the aquarium?” Avery asked. “I didn’t take a look.”
“There were,” Damon said. “The police took all the fish as evidence, although I don’t see the point. The manager in charge of the fish tank didn’t know how many pufferfish he had.”
“Actually, someone tried to steal pufferfish,” Chase said. “I heard they found a plastic bag with water and a fish inside.”
“All this discussion only underscores the fact that we as a family need to keep Avery safe,” Dad pronounced. “No more discussion. One of you stays in her room. We take turns.”
“Sorry, but I have a flight to catch,” Alex said.
“I’ll have to set up video conferencing and my virtual reality headset,” Damon said. “Not sure the hospital will let me on their wireless.”
“Chase?” Mom demanded. “You can skip that Secret Service meeting, can’t you?”
“They’re picking me up in twenty. I don’t think I can reschedule.”
“What about that nice police officer?” Mom asked. “The one who gave you mouth-to-mouth? He kept you alive. If it weren’t for his quick thinking.”
“How the heck did he know you were poisoned with TTX?” Dad growled.
“It’s a good thing he knew,” Mom said. “Otherwise you couldn’t have gotten the antidote in time.”
“Yes, but it’s almost like he set it up to be a hero. Chase, what’s the data dump on Jason Burnett?”
“NYPD detective. Wears a chip on his shoulder the size of Everest. Shot the shooter from last year’s show. We went over it already. His background is clean, although he tends to be trigger-happy. Killed another suspect his rookie year.”
“If he’s so clean, why don’t we ask him to protect Avery?” Mom spread her hands as if she were the first to think of it.
“Because he isn’t family,” Dad said.
“Dad, will you do it?” Avery asked. All her life, her father called her “Princess” and put her on a pedestal, but he never really understood her. It was like she played a role of pretty daughter and he was okay with it.
“I’d love to, but you’re going to have to come with me to my meetings. I’m not sure you’re up to riding in a car all day. Are you feeling nauseous?”
In other words, he would be moving too fast for her to tag along. Story of her life. Dad was always busy, and Mom was always creating.
“I’m still a bit queasy, yes,” she agreed.
The real reason her stomach was squirming was that Jason had yet to visit, call, or send her flowers or a card. Had he really said the things she thought he said? Or had she been dreaming?
Even worse, had she said or done anything that scared him away?
“We should go and let you rest.” Mom hugged her, and she let herself enjoy the mother scent of turpentine and hand wipes. “We’ll be back as soon as the doctor releases you. Do you need anything?”
Only Jason.
“I’m good. Don’t feel like I’m all here, but nothing a little sleep won’t fix.”
Actually, she was obsessed with breathing, and every few seconds, she’d poke and pinch herself to make sure her nerves still worked. Being numb and paralyzed wide awake was like being alive inside a dead body. The scariest thing was needing to gasp for air but being unable to do so.
Thank God Jason had breathed for her and kept her warm. He was the only reason she survived until the ambulance arrived with their oxygen tanks.
Her father kissed her cheek, followed by all three brothers. They wanted her to move into The Manor for good. No more apartment on her own. Work remotely from home and hold appointments and consultations by computer. Buy everything online, sight unseen.
She couldn’t do that. She needed the vibe of The City, shopping at the various fabric stores and warehouses full of bling where she never knew what she’d find. Her creativity was stimulated by the sights, sounds, and even smells. She needed to run her fingers over a particular fabric, hang it up and look through it, feel it against her face.
Fashion was a tactile, up-close, and three-dimensional art. The canvas was a living, breathing, and sweaty human body. Every detail mattered, from the way the fabric draped, how the lighting affected it, the texture and sounds it made while in motion, and most importantly, how it made the wearer and the beholder feel.
She couldn’t do all of this hiding at home!
Besides, now that she and Ivanna agreed to work together, she was looking forward to designing costumes for the many theaters, maybe even getting into the Broadway shows.
She closed her eyes after her family departed, but the door soon opened with a commotion.
“Sir, sir, you can’t go in there,” a nurse shouted.
“I need a doctor’s opinion.” Jason barged in looking as hot and sexy as if he’d stepped from the pages of a hunting magazine.
His hair was tousled, and he hadn’t shaved. His biceps bulged from his black silk T-shirt, and his jeans were ripped in the right places.
“Jason, what’s going on?” Her heart leaped at seeing him, but the anxiety on his face frightened her.
“We need to get out of here, stat. Can we get the IV out?” He examined her arms and hands.
“Sir, the patient is supposed to rest. She’s not ready to go.”
“She has to come with me. It’s urgent,” Jason said. “Avery, tell them you want to check out. They can’t hold you against your will. It’s the law.”
“Won’t I be safer here?” she asked. “The police set a guard.”
“You didn’t hear it from me,” he whispered. “But the police might be in on this. If Ernesto didn’t shoot Brando, someone did.”
“Doesn’t mean it would be a cop,” Avery said.
“I don’t remember reading anything about Ernesto’s fingerprints on the gun. I don’t think his hands were tested for gunpowder residue. Everything was swept out of the way, and Ernesto’s body was cremated and the ashes were sent home.”
Avery swallowed as fear rose in her throat. “Kerry told me Trent’s going around saying the same thing. That the cops covered up for Ernesto.”
“Did she name anyone in particular?”
Avery shook her head. “He says Blade told him to be careful when he asked about Ernesto’s toy gun.”
“Are you afraid to go with me?”
She shook her head adamantly. “No. You care too much, and you won’t stop until you nab these assholes.”
“Then tell the doctor you want to leave.” Jason turned as the doctor rushed into the room followed by the nurse.
“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” the doctor said. “Patient privacy.”
Jason gave Avery a meaningful look and retreated. “I’ll be right outside waiting.”
Avery swung her legs off the bed and waved her arms. “I’m ready to go. Can we get the IV out?”
“We wanted to observe you for twenty-four hours,” the doct
or said. “This is highly unadvised.”
“Thanks, I know. But since I’m conscious and in sound mind, I think I can take care of myself.” Avery laid her arm out on the tray-table. “I won’t hold you responsible.”
“You’ll have to sign, of course,” the doctor said. “Let me check your vitals and you can be on your way. Do you want to notify your parents?”
“No, but do us a favor.” Her gaze took in both the doctor and the nurse. “Please don’t let the cops know we’re leaving. Tell them I’m being taken for X-rays or something and let me change in the bathroom.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t lie to the police.” The doctor gestured to the nurse. “However, if they don’t ask, we won’t tell.”
After Avery signed for her discharge, she put her overnighter bag on the back of the wheelchair. Still wearing her hospital gown, she asked the nurse to wheel her toward the elevator.
One of the police officers nodded and asked if she was okay.
“Just getting some tests,” she chirped. “See you in a bit.”
Chapter Fifty-Two
Avery left her cell phone off, and once again, she was riding in Jason’s rental car toward his hunting cabin. This time, however, she had proper clothes. Kerry had packed an overnight bag with toiletries, makeup, underwear, casual clothes, shoes, and even a swimsuit.
She decided to wear a summery sundress and strap on a pair of flat sandals. Adding a sunhat and a pair of sunglasses made her feel like she was on her way to the beach.
Except she kept raising her fingernails to her teeth and lowering them unbitten. Every time she did that, Jason would give her a close-mouthed smile. He was waiting for her to talk first, quite unlike the usual barrage of questions and theories.
She wanted to know, and yet, she grabbed at this tiny moment of tranquility, of normalcy, as if being poisoned by a porcupine quill was normal, but deep inside, the dread was beginning to gel.
Her actions had caused Brando’s death, and now they were coming for her—possibly with the assistance of crooked cops.
“Okay, spill what you know,” she said to Jason. “Which guys in the police are you worried about?”
“My chief, primarily,” Jason said. “He’s determined not to investigate Brando’s case and those of Garm and Hugh. I think he’s protecting a much bigger fish.”
“Those are heavy charges.”
“Right, but someone tried to kill you inside that elevator. It had to be someone with knowledge of Brando’s case or was directed by someone who knew. I know you trust Saul and Ivanna, but they are high on the list of suspects. So is Trent. I’m going to put Mrs. Bonet as unlikely and also lower Kerry’s possibility since she arrived recently.”
“Are you suspecting your partner, Blade?” Avery’s breath caught in her throat. “Wasn’t he on the phone with you when it happened?”
“I can’t eliminate Blade, but I can’t imagine he would have known about the porcupine quills or the pufferfish poison,” Jason said. “He only found out about the poison on the quill headdress a few minutes before you guys got on the elevator.”
“That was what I wanted to ask,” Avery said. “How did you know about the poison?”
It was the one place she refused to visit—that Jason was evil enough to befriend her, pretend that he cared about her, maybe even said he loved her, and then be working with the people who wanted to not only bring her down, but her entire family.
Her heart resisted that sentiment and lurched inside her chest. Was she so weak that she wanted Jason even if he turned out bad?
“There were quills stuck in Garm’s body,” Jason explained, oblivious to her consternation. He was in his element now, a true investigator with his nose on the ground. “Saul told me he took them out while waiting for the police to arrive. He didn’t get them all. I saw at least one threaded through Garm’s skin at his neckline. I have the photos if you want to look at them.”
“I do want to look,” Avery replied, relieved he had a reasonable explanation. “When we get to your place, I want to look at every photo to see if Ivanna was involved somehow.”
“I know you don’t want to suspect Ivanna, but she’s definitely a link. That’s why I commandeered all the accessories and had them shipped to the crime scene lab. I have a friend there who does me a few favors.”
“You were the one who derailed my animalistic effects?” She pointed an accusing finger at him, although inside, she admired his ability to be a step ahead. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“No time. You were busy having dinner with Matt and Mrs. Bonet. I simply told the Secret Service that the accessories could pose a danger to Diamante Steele. They went through all the boxes backstage before you arrived and confiscated everything that looked dangerous. I asked them to leave Matt’s feathers and Svetlana’s butterfly wings. They were soft and unlikely to cause harm.”
“I could be very angry with you.” She pouted to show her displeasure and keep him off-balance. “I could even spank you for being so bad.”
“Please do, but not while I’m driving.” He smirked and turned from city streets onto the Henry Hudson Parkway. “I didn’t want to wear the porcupine Mohawk anyway.”
“It would have been dangerous. You could have bumped into people or got stuck yourself.”
He took his eyes off the road and fixed a meaningful stare at her. “Exactly. This is getting personal, and I think the killer made a mistake. He or she is not only gunning for you, but wants to frame me for it, or if that doesn’t work, take me out in the process.”
“How would they get away with framing you? You’re a police officer.” Avery blinked and pointed at the windshield. “Watch where you’re going.”
Jason corrected just in time to avoid hitting a guardrail. “Thanks. I’m not being paranoid, but the gun Ernesto supposedly used is the same make and model as the one I carry.”
“Was it yours?” Avery’s heart rate sped up, and suddenly, she wasn’t sure she’d been smart to run off with Jason. The nagging what-ifs flittered in her mind like gnats around a bug zapper light.
Ivanna suggested that Jason could have snuffed out Ernesto to cover up his role in hiring him. But Jason had said he’d gone to the fashion show because he was investigating the deaths of the male models who’d attended parties with prominent donors.
Jason had no motive to kill Brando or anyone else at the show. He was hoping to meet the models at the after-party and find clues to their deaths—or so he said.
“You’ve gone quiet,” Jason said, no doubt aware of her suspicions. “To answer your question. No, none of my guns have gone missing. It’s the same make and model, and the serial number was filed clean. At the time, no one suspected Ernesto wasn’t the shooter. All we know is from Saul and Ivanna’s story. Saul claims Ernesto and Joselito wanted to disrupt Alida’s events, and Ivanna says she saw an orange tip.”
“When you shot Ernesto, what did you see?”
Jason squeezed his eyes shut a moment and shook his head as if shaking off water. “Frankly, I was staring at you, and Alida was talking to me. I’d noticed the sweaty guy earlier, and he must have jumped up and pointed something. I couldn’t say I saw him with the gun. I caught a glint of light, and the shooting started, so I shot back.”
Avery bolted up alert in her seat. “You mean, you didn’t know if he was the one doing the shooting?”
Jason seemed to hang his head. His jaw worked, and he swallowed several times, keeping his eyes on the road. His lips flattened, and he inhaled through his nostrils, then nodded slowly. “It’s why they say I’m trigger-happy.”
“You did save my life,” Avery pointed out. “You stopped him from taking another shot.”
“If he was the one doing the shooting,” Jason said. “Which was what everyone assumed. The gun was found next to him where he’d dropped it. DeBrassos was on the scene to bag it as evidence, and ballistics checked out. Besides, no one found a toy gun.”
“I didn’t see anything in the pi
ctures from last year’s show,” Avery said. “There is a picture of Ernesto standing near the photographers.”
“Wait a sec.” Jason snapped his fingers. “Didn’t Saul lie about not being at the show?”
Avery nodded and sat up straighter. “That’s it. If Saul was there, he might have taken pictures. Since he lied and said he wasn’t there, he’s never shown the pictures to anyone. Didn’t the police impound his camera? Have they reviewed his memory card?”
“There’s a problem.” Jason’s voice was flat. “Blade says the memory card was missing.”
“It can’t be. He was showing us pictures while in the elevator.”
“When you and Mrs. Bonet both went down, everyone’s attention was on you two. Saul and Ivanna tried to run off. He had time to remove the card.”
“The police nabbed them quickly.”
“True, and they strip-searched him. They also searched the elevator and the floor where he got off. Nothing.”
Avery put her hand on her forehead and knocked her head back on the headrest. “What do we do now?”
“Try another tack.” Jason suddenly pulled off the parkway. He drove several city blocks and cut over to Interstate 95 toward The Bronx.
“Where are you going?” Avery asked.
They double-parked in front of a gun shop in a sketchy-looking area of The Bronx where graffiti and concertina wire predominated over spindly trees and pothole-peppered roads.
Twenty minutes later, Jason had a brand-new Glock 26 semiautomatic handgun used for concealed carry. He’d traded in his Smith & Wesson. Since the store catered to law enforcement, he was already on file and registered.
“This time, if they try to frame me, they’ll have the wrong type of gun,” Jason explained once they got back into the car.
Avery gulped and tried to calm her wildly beating heart. “Are you saying someone’s going to be shooting at me?”
He patted his new Glock which was fully loaded. “Not if I can stop them dead.”
They had dinner at Gino’s, and it was fairly late when Jason drove Avery to the hunting cabin. He checked that they hadn’t been followed, and he also turned off his cell phone just in case.
Triggered by Love Page 38