by Lisa Harris
He stepped up to her but said nothing. He had the feeling they were in this together, whatever this was. He lifted his chin to take in the dinosaur then dropped it again to look at Nicole.
She finally turned to him. “Don’t even say it.”
“I wasn’t going to say anything.”
“You were going to remind me I can’t go anywhere. That I’m with you in your car.”
“You’re free to go. You could call Uber. I’m not stopping you. I’ll even take you back to your vehicle. I mean, I have to do that anyway eventually, right? But someone shot at us today. I doubt it’s related to the fact my grandmother hired you. We need to share intel and figure out what is going on. I would appreciate if you explained to me the nature of my grandmother’s investigation. She could be in danger too. You realize that, don’t you?”
He glanced around them at the few families with their kids, strolling the park.
Crossing her arms, she leaned against the railing meant to protect people from the dangerous dinosaurs. Either that or protect the dinosaurs from people.
“That will depend on if the shooter was after you or if he was after me,” she said.
“Or he’s after the both of us. Now, I need to know why my grandmother had me followed.”
Nicole blew out a breath as her gaze darted around the park, never lingering long on him. “Your grandmother wasn’t completely forthcoming. When I went to the mansion, she was staring at a space where a painting had previously hung. She told me that it had been stolen. I suggested that she contact the FBI Art Crime Team.”
“That makes sense. You were in that team before. But that still doesn’t explain—”
“Let me finish. She quickly shut down my suggestion. Said she wanted a private investigator and not a federal government investigator.”
Interesting. Retired FBI agents often worked similar kinds of cases where clients preferred to avoid inviting the government into their private matters. But why Grandmother?
“And she reached out to you because she knew you would have connections and experience in the art world.”
Nicole pressed her folded arms against the rail and stared at the ground. “Maybe. I’m not sure why my experience mattered.”
She angled her head at him then.
The muscles in Reg’s shoulders tensed as realization dawned. “Wait. You’re saying my grandmother thinks I stole the painting? That’s why she hired you to follow me?”
“Not in so many words. I asked her the same question. Her exact words were, “I haven’t seen my grandson in almost seven years. My painting was stolen, and then he showed up at my door. I want you to follow him.”
A slow, painful exhale escaped, and Reg hung his head. This can’t be right. Grandmother can’t think that about me.
Nicole touched his arm. “I never would have agreed. In fact, I refused at first, but she offered me a larger than customary sum. I finally have a solid lead on my personal investigation, so . . . I took this assignment. If all I was hired to do was follow you, then . . . I’m sorry, Reg. You couldn’t have stolen the painting. It’s absurd. But to your grandmother you’re the prodigal grandson.”
“Did she actually say that?”
Nicole hung her head and nodded.
Reg spotted a bench beneath a T. rex’s jaw, foliage and giant fern fronds hedging it. He headed for it, and Nicole followed. When he sat, he let his head roll back so he stared at the underside of the big plastic dinosaur’s maw.
The prodigal grandson . . .
Is that what his grandmother truly thought of him? She had no idea how hard he’d worked. Didn’t she realize that working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation meant something good? Grandmother was too sharp, too shrewd—Reg wouldn’t believe that she was suffering from dementia.
Something else was going on here.
“Reg?” Nicole’s voice was soft. “Listen, we can go together and talk to her. Explain that you couldn’t have stolen the painting.”
“No.” Reg might do that, but first he needed to think this through. Too many questions that needed answers remained. Why wouldn’t she have reported the stolen painting to the feds, for one, instead of hiring a private investigator? Did she have something to hide? “Not yet. We need to talk. Why do you think someone would follow you?”
“Because . . . I found a clue. I found the item for which my father was killed.”
“I have the feeling there’s more.”
“I confronted the collector about the provenance, and he lied to me. I knew where he’d gotten it. I might have made a mistake, though, when I warned him I wouldn’t stop until he was arrested for murder.”
Okay, well, Nicole was right. Someone could definitely want to stop her.
Through the giant fern fronds, Reg spotted their shadow. The shooter had found them.
Tingles crawled over Nicole, and not the good kind. She sensed a subtle shift in the atmosphere around them. They were in danger. The edgy look in Reg’s eyes confirmed it. Staring over her shoulder, his brown eyes turned dark and fierce.
She twisted to see what had drawn Reg’s attention, put the intensity in his eyes, but saw nothing.
Oh, dear God, please don’t let these people, these families, be in danger because of us.
Reg tugged her under the protective rail and next to the giant reptile.
“What is it? What did you see?”
“He’s here.”
“The shooter?”
Nodding, Reg peered around a leg twice the width of them both. Nicole leaned around the other side of the leg and could just make out their pursuer through the sword ferns. She stifled her gasp. The way he held his arm, she suspected he was hiding his gun. A small measure of relief coursed through her that he wasn’t so willing to take shots at them in this family-friendly space.
“Come on,” Reg said.
Nicole followed Reg as he edged around the back of the dinosaur along its massive tail. How sturdy were these things? Could a bullet go right through? When Reg paused, he pressed his back against the beast and palmed his gun in the holster under his rain jacket. He hadn’t had it in the alley, but she was glad he’d thought to grab it from his vehicle to keep with him.
He stretched his neck to peer around their protection. Then crouched. “He’s moving this way.” Reg’s glanced at her. “Do PI’s carry?”
“Some do. I haven’t had a need to.” Until recently.
His brows bunched together as he looked in her eyes, searching her soul again. Oh, no, you don’t. Nicole stood and peered around the dinosaur. “I don’t see him. What are we going to do?”
“I’d like to get the advantage. But that could be risky. This isn’t the place. It’s too dangerous for others.” He tipped his head her way. “And for you.”
“I was FBI too. I can take care of myself.” Unless she ended up in a gunfight.
Reg inched closer, and his muscles suddenly tensed. She could feel every sinew tightening. He pressed a finger to his lips. Nicole understood the shooter was close.
Ducking, Reg crept between the ferns and behind moss-covered branches, and Nicole followed. Through the rainforest foliage, another dinosaur stood tall. Next to the T. rex, their pursuer stood on the path.
Her heart jumped, and she yanked on Reg’s arm.
He stilled. Had he seen the man at the same time? Nicole continued to watch the shooter. The man who had pursued them into the Dinosaur Gardens tried to act like a tourist here to visit. A man, woman and two young children slowly strolled by him without taking notice. He was invisible.
She hoped he wouldn’t fire his weapon. She and Reg needed to lead him away. The shooter took slow, methodical steps forward, his shoulders up and demeanor alert.
She and Reg remained frozen in place, blending in with the giant sword fern.
The shooter moved out of their line of sight for the moment, but any movement on their part could quickly draw his attention to them.
“We have to get out of here
,” she whispered.
Reg said nothing, but he likely agreed.
She hoped that he also agreed that taking the designated path would be too risky. If they were going to get back to the exit and escape, they would have to stay in the foliage. The only problem was that some spots were devoid of greenery and provided no cover.
Nicole glanced above them and spotted the shooter on a walkway over a section of the garden. She poked Reg’s arm and pointed. “He’s up there. If we stay here, he’ll spot us.”
Reg urged her behind another dinosaur. Had the man caught their movement? He’d gotten a good vantage point.
“We should make a run for it,” she said.
“No. Just give me time to think.”
She pulled out her cell. “Let’s call the police. He’ll flee when they arrive.”
“Go ahead and call them. I’ll contact the FBI later.”
While Nicole called the police to report a man with a gun in the park, Reg held his weapon at the ready, and tugged his own cell out. He took a few pictures of the man.
Back pressed against the hard material used to create the dinosaur, Reg stared at the images he’d captured. Nicole wanted to see the images too.
She ended the call despite dispatch wanting to keep her on the line, and looked, too. “You recognize him?”
“No. You?”
She shook her head. “We need to lead him out of this place, but then I think we should try to find a way to take him down so we can find out what he wants.”
“Agreed, except for the ‘we’ part. I’ll be the one to take him down. You stay here. Do not move from this position.”
Without another word Reg pushed away from the dinosaur.
“Wait.” Nicole should chase him, but she knew Reg and that determined look on his face.
Well, this is just great.
Through the foliage, she spotted the shooter rushing forward. She hoped he hadn’t seen Reg. She edged into a position to get a better view. A security guard headed toward the shooter with purpose. The man was thick around the middle. His ball cap didn’t hide his graying temples. Retired police force?
He had no idea what he was up against, but his instincts had told him something was off.
God, please . . . an old, retired cop might be experienced, but was he prepared to face off with a would-be assassin?
Nicole suddenly regretted all her years of searching for answers regarding her father’s murder. How many people would have to die before she got them?
The police wouldn’t get there in time.
The raised voices on the walkway drew her attention again. The security guard’s tense demeanor and his threatening tone meant he was about to go for his firearm.
And then it could be all over for him. She feared he wouldn’t survive facing off with a hired assassin.
I can’t stand by and let him get killed—and that because of me!
Heart pounding, she stepped from her hiding spot and waved her arms. “Hey, you. Over here!
Chapter Four
What is she doing?
Reg’s heart might have stopped at the sight of Nicole making herself a target.
Hushed tones and mumbles erupted around him, along with a flurry of footfalls as adults ushered children out of harm’s way.
Nicole was trying to draw the shooter’s attention away from the security guard. Reg understood her intention—she couldn’t stand by and watch the security guard get hurt.
But the guard was there for a reason. He had experience, and his job was to protect those who visited Dinosaur Gardens, and that included Nicole.
Her distraction also drew the security guard’s attention, giving the shooter an opportunity to knock his gun away. Better than having him shoot the guard. The gunman slammed the guard in the head, who then dropped where he stood. At least he hadn’t fallen off the walkway.
Shock registered on Nicole’s face.
Reg couldn’t afford to wait and see if the man would shoot Nicole next. Taking aim at the gunman, Reg fired at the same moment pain jabbed through his head. The gunman stumbled back but didn’t fall. Instead, he leapt from the bridge onto the back of a Stegosaurus then scrambled down.
An expert marksman, Reg never missed. Until now. He would save processing that for another time. Reg had the man on the run instead of the other way around. Better, but the man was still armed and wounded—even more dangerous.
A few people hesitantly gathered outside the cafe, overcome by curiosity to see where the gunshots came from.
“Get away. Get out of here!” He waved them toward the building and sprinted after the shooter.
Sirens echoed through the peaceful rainforest. Relief surged. He hoped law enforcement officers would arrive in time to arrest the man. In a few moments Reg would also be shut down by the police, prevented from interrogating the man himself. That was, if he could find him.
He followed the blood trail away from the Stegosaurus, taking in the fact that most people, families and children had fled the park or taken cover. Footfalls rushed up behind him, and he whipped his weapon around.
“Nicole! Get out of here. Get somewhere safe.”
“He’s gone.”
“What?”
“I saw him get into a vehicle and drive away. I got his license plate, though. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to stop him.”
Reg holstered his weapon. “I wouldn’t want you to try. He could have shot you.”
“If I’d had a gun, it would have been a different story.”
“You could still have been shot.” He took in the quiet park. Caught a glimpse of police cruisers parking. “Looks like help has finally arrived.”
“We need to check on the security guard,” she said.
People stood in the café and watched them through the windows, their cell phones lifted as if recording. Oh, no . . .
His enemies could see his picture on the internet. Except, had they sent the shooter? Maybe he hadn’t been the target. Either way, he didn’t need his image blasted everywhere.
They climbed the steps to the hanging bridge and approached the security guard. The man stirred and sat up, gripping his head.
Reg offered his hand to assist him.
The security guard’s name badge read Hans Griffin. Hans got to his feet. A purple knot was rising at his temple. The guy was lucky to be alive.
“You okay?”
He eyed Reg. “I’m not sure. My head is killing me.”
“It could have been worse,” Reg said, “That guy could have killed you.”
He shook his head, as if shaking off the fuzziness. “What happened?”
“He got away,” Nicole said.
“Full disclosure here,” Reg said. “I shot the guy, but I only wounded him.”
The security guard’s eyes widened. He felt around his body for his weapon, then realized he’d dropped it. The gun rested on a trail below. “I could lose my job over this.”
“Let’s hope not.” Reg assisted him. “Come on, let’s go talk to the police and give our statements.”
Reg understood the man’s concerns and hoped this incident would not prevent him from returning to his job with the FBI. He might not work undercover again, but being an agent had been his life. He assisted the security guard down the steps and faced off with police officers aiming their weapons.
Reg identified himself, and the security guard stepped forward and explained that Reg saved the day, although the man hadn’t witnessed anything after being knocked unconscious.
The man couldn’t know that Reg and Nicole had also caused the day. He shared a look with Nicole. They hadn’t discussed what they would tell the police. Between the two of them, they had varying theories of who the shooter was and whom he was after. Either way, the backstory was more involved than the local police would want to process, especially in his case with his sensitive past operation. Still, he and Nicole would avoid theories and stick to the facts as they had unfolded that day.
A cou
ple of hours later, Nicole and Reg were dismissed. Reg’s credentials as an FBI Special Agent, even though he was currently on medical leave, went a long way. Witnesses had videoed him taking aim at an armed man who’d taken out the security guard, so police had what they needed and thanked him for saving lives. Guilt built up in his chest since Reg had brought the danger to Dinosaur Gardens.
He and Nicole stood at his vehicle. The downturned corners of her pretty mouth reflected his own grim expression, he was sure. Pain ignited in his temples.
Not now. Just not now.
He unlocked the vehicle, and they both climbed in, then he pulled out his cell. An ambulance had taken the security guard to the hospital, and law enforcement vehicles remained at the temporarily-closed park.
This was on him since he’d been the one to stop here. How had the guy followed them?
“What now?” Nicole asked.
“While there’s a police presence here, we should be safe enough. We’re going to sit in the vehicle, and I’m going to make a call, and then I’m going to crush the SIM card in my phone. You need to get rid of yours too. That guy followed us somehow. Neither of us can be sure if we’re the target. No matter how this started, it would seem we’re in this together.”
Nicole opened her cell and took out the SIM card. She broke it in half. “Who are you going to call?”
“The FBI.”
The sense of helplessness pressed in on Nicole from all sides.
That and guilt for agreeing to come here with Reg. Neither of them had thought this through. But neither of them had expected the guy to track them here.
Innocent people could have been killed today. Families with their children. Whoever their shadow with a gun was, she and Reg both understood his deadly intention.
But neither of them knew why. Who was he working for? Where could they go to be safe while they figured this out? At this moment, she almost wished she was still with the feds. Almost. Rain droplets clung to the windows as she stared out into the dense greenery.
Where had the gunman gone?
Reg spoke to someone, detailing what had happened, and explained about an image he was sending. He ended the call and, closing his eyes, leaned back against the seat.