The Escape
Page 21
“And you didn’t follow her?”
Jonas frowned. It wasn’t the first time he’d been asked that question, but the answer was always the same. “Sometimes you have to accept it when things are over. And things were over between us.”
She looked up at him and studied his face, but he’d learned to keep certain pages of his life closed to others a long time ago. And Madison was no exception to the rule. Besides, it wasn’t as though he owed her an explanation. Felicia had been out of his life for a while now and nothing was going to change what had happened between them. What had changed was his ability to open his heart.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“Don’t be. It was a long time ago. She was my partner and I trusted her with my life. It was somehow an easy step to trust her with my heart as well. That is, until things unraveled.”
“So no one since?” she asked.
“What? Is it hard to believe someone as handsome and dedicated as I am isn’t tied down?” He let out a nervous laugh, trying to shift the conversation back to Madison, but he had a feeling she could see right through him.
“You’re really good at changing the subject.” She took a sip of her coffee and waited for him to explain before continuing, but he didn’t. “Can I ask what happened to her?”
He stared out at a large oak tree, its branches swaying in the wind beneath a streetlight, surprised she’d gotten him to say this much. Because Felicia wasn’t something he talked about. Instead it was this piece of his past he’d managed to completely bury. It just seemed . . . better that way.
“We had a confrontation with an armed suspect during a raid. She was shot in front of me.”
“Oh, Jonas, I’m so sorry. She died?”
“No, actually.” His fingers clenched in his lap. “A top-notch surgeon was able to save her life. Just not her leg.”
“Wow. That had to be devastating for her.”
“It was, but I told her it didn’t matter. That I still wanted to marry her because I loved her. I meant it, but she refused to talk with me. Couldn’t see herself with me anymore, because we wouldn’t be able to do everything we’d planned before the accident.”
“So she pushed you away because she was worried if you asked her to marry you it would only be because you felt sorry for her.”
He let out a huff of air. “It doesn’t matter anymore. It was a long time ago. Taught me firsthand the bad idea of a relationship on the job. There’s just too much combined baggage.”
“Do you ever see her?”
“No. Nothing I did or said changed her mind. Last I heard, she was living back in Texas and doing well. Or at least I hope she is.” His jaw tensed at the memories. “Back then, I thought I could help fix her. I was so sure that if I could convince her I was willing to walk that road with her we’d be okay.”
But he’d been wrong. He couldn’t fix someone who didn’t want to be fixed.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’ve talked to her grandmother a few times, but Felicia never changed her mind. And eventually . . . eventually I had to move on. Anyway, it’s nothing like what you went through.”
“It still couldn’t be easy.”
He set his coffee in the console between them. Sitting quietly forced him to think. Maybe that was why he never slowed down. “I guess you never really know how you’re going to react to a situation until you’re the one facing it head-on. Over the years working as a detective, I met dozens of families whose lives were completely turned upside down because of a crime, but when you’re the one facing the crisis, you can’t help but look at things differently.”
“It changes everything, doesn’t it?”
“In an instant.”
And for him, it had made him hesitate about falling in love again. Though maybe that was okay. He loved his career, had plenty of friends, and most days didn’t have time to feel lonely. But somehow Madison was a reminder of what he’d always assumed he’d have. A wife, kids, and a somewhat normal life.
If someone with his career choice could ever have a normal life.
Not that he was falling for her, but he was surprised at how much they had in common. He stole a glimpse of her profile in the light from the streetlamps. How her hair swept across her brow, the tiny scar on her chin that was barely visible right now, and the splash of freckles across her cheeks. In some ways, she reminded him of Felicia, though physically they were completely different. It was that inner fire and spirit that he’d loved about Felicia. Her determination to make the world a better place when sometimes it seemed like there were more questions than solutions.
“For me, there was something inside me that broke after Luke’s death,” she said. “I was convinced it would happen again and I’d lose someone else I loved. Convinced that whoever killed Luke was going to strike again. It’s like we think we’re safe, that those things only happen to other people, but when they happen to us, it makes it hard to love and trust again.”
It surprised him that talking to her seemed so . . . therapeutic. The circumstances were different, but she understood what it was like to love and lose someone.
“I can also see why you don’t want to date,” Madison continued. “I can’t tell you how many blind dates my sister has tried to set me up on. She keeps telling me that five years is plenty of time to heal, and that I’d be happier if I found someone else. How Luke wouldn’t want me to be alone.”
“Except we all have our own schedules of moving through grief,” he said. “There’s really no right answer. Have you dated since he died?”
He caught her hesitation, wondering why he was asking her such a personal question when he could hardly talk about Felicia. Wondering why her insight really mattered to him.
“Nothing serious. The first date I went on, I felt as if I was betraying Luke. I came home and told my sister that was the last time I was ever going out on a date. And it was another year before I even thought about it. Going there has been hard.”
“And now?”
“I’m still making excuses to my sister.” She laughed. “I don’t let myself slow down enough to get lonely. I figure if I’m working, then I don’t have time to think about it.”
“I understand.”
She took a deep breath. “My sister is right about one thing. I know Luke would want me to move on. It’s just that there’s more involved than simply taking a step forward. You have to find that right person. The one who understands who you are. I’d rather be alone than settle for someone that wasn’t right for me.”
He understood the need for resolution. For closure. Always had wondered what would have happened if he’d asked Felicia to marry him before the accident. Maybe Madison was right. Maybe Felicia would never have been able to believe he truly wanted to marry her.
It was something he’d never know.
He let his mind wander back to Madison. She understood what motivated him. But he couldn’t shake the idea that the whole mixing work with pleasure and falling for a coworker thing would end poorly. Not to mention his fear of getting another broken heart.
“So you don’t ever think about getting married . . . starting a family?” she asked.
“Sometimes.” He grabbed for his coffee, suddenly feeling caught by the shift in the conversation. The back of his hand brushed against hers. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine, I . . .”
His thoughts paused as she looked up at him. Her light brown eyes were barely visible in the darkness of the car, but he could hear her breathing, feel his own heart beating . . . He set down his coffee, caught up in the sudden intensity of the moment.
His body leaned forward automatically as his gaze shifted from her eyes to her lips. They were slightly parted as if she wanted the same thing he did.
She blinked, then turned at the sound of a vehicle.
“Jonas, wait a minute . . . someone just pulled up.”
In an instant, the moment was lost.
A car pulled into Yuri’s driveway. “It’s a piz
za delivery.”
Jonas radioed the marshal who was helping coordinate the stakeout. “Patterson, I need you to check out the following license plate.” He read off the numbers. “See if the car’s stolen.”
“Give me a minute. I’m on it.”
Jonas drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. He wasn’t sure they had a minute. If this really was a pizza delivery guy, marching up to the house now would blow their cover. But if they didn’t check it out, and this guy was here to pick up Barrick’s passport, they could end up missing him.
He was at the front door now. Another fifteen seconds and they’d miss their chance.
“Patterson, I need something now.” Jonas glanced questioningly at Madison.
She matched his gaze. “I agree.”
He pulled the keys out of the ignition and spoke into his radio. “Have the other team follow the delivery car. We’re going in.”
They ran across the street, Madison running around back while he stopped at the front and banged on the door.
The sound of rustling came from inside as Jonas continued hitting the door.
“Yuri’s car is gone.” Madison radioed. “I’m coming around front.”
A man opened the door, but Jonas had seen Yuri’s mug shot and this definitely wasn’t him.
“Where’s Yuri?” Jonas asked.
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean?”
Madison hustled over from the side yard. “He’s the pizza delivery man. They switched places.”
“How do you know that?” the man asked.
“It’s the only thing that makes sense.”
“And Yuri took the passport,” Jonas said.
The man shrugged, holding up his hands. “All I know is that Yuri asked me to do him a favor. He had a client who was worried about being followed and Yuri decided to placate him.”
“Where is he now?” Jonas asked.
“I don’t know. He said the less I knew, the better.”
Jonas watched as Madison began questioning the decoy. He touched his earpiece. “Patterson, we need that delivery vehicle.”
His radio crackled. “I know, but they just called in. They lost it.”
Jonas turned around, his agitation growing. “You can’t be serious.”
“I wish I wasn’t. But I do have some news. I’ve been going through flight lists like you said, and something just popped up.”
“It better be some good news.”
“It is. Bianca Carleton just booked a flight for Houston for eight o’clock tomorrow morning.”
Thirty
Early the next morning, Madison sat in a row of chairs against the back wall of the gate in Terminal A, eating a sausage biscuit and studying each passenger as they entered the area. Bianca had taken a chair by the window overlooking the runway and was reading a novel. It was tempting to walk up to her right now, drag her into an interrogation room, and demand answers, but if they did that, the chances of her leading them to Barrick would more than likely evaporate.
Jonas tapped on the armrest between them while scanning the passengers. She enclosed her fingers around his hand to stop him, before realizing what she’d done, then quickly pulled away.
“Sorry.” He tugged his ball cap lower on his forehead, then pulled his hands into his lap.
“It’s just that you’re usually the calm and collected one,” Madison said. She turned her attention back to the growing crowd, finding it harder than normal to focus. Something had passed between them during the stakeout last night, and she’d yet to completely figure it out. Not only had he shared about his ex-fiancée but for a moment, she’d actually thought he was going to kiss her. She took the last bite of her biscuit. That, though, was ridiculous. He’d made it quite clear that he had no desire to get involved with someone he worked with, and she had as well.
He rested his elbows against his thighs. “I don’t think he’s coming.”
She took a sip of her orange juice. “She doesn’t look like she’s waiting for anyone.”
“I agree.”
“Which wouldn’t be a bad idea. If it were me, I’d either meet him in Houston and take a flight together from there or, even better, meet him at my final destination. By then, they’d be out of the country, where it will be a lot easier to disappear.”
Jonas nodded. “He’s going to need to stay a step ahead of us, and he can now that he has a passport.”
A passport meant he was freer to move around. Especially since they still didn’t know what name he was using. But if he was here, getting ready to fly with Bianca, they were going to catch him.
“Here’s my question,” Madison said, leaning back in her chair. “We asked the same thing about Mary Margaret, but what is it about Damon Barrick that would make a woman—and now two women—decide to go on the lam?”
“I keep asking myself the same thing. Randall said Bianca was married to a banker for twenty years.”
“So she’s looking for adventure?”
“It makes sense,” Jonas said. “Her husband worked long hours, spent most of his time at the office. She’s traveled some, but without children her days are most likely spent working with nonprofit organizations and sitting on their boards. She’s lonely and wanting something more with her life but doesn’t know what to do.”
Madison could see it. “Barrick sweeps in, he’s charming and charismatic. And even with a bit of a temper, she brushes it off and finds herself in love.”
“But to just walk away from all her friends and her life here . . .” Jonas shook his head. It still didn’t really seem to add up. “That would have taken a lot of convincing on his part.”
“Maybe not. Maybe the only thing she’s giving up is a bunch of superficial relationships. She has a fat bank account, he’s her true love, and it’s an adventure. They can spend the rest of their lives on some idyllic beach or island. He changes his identity, no one is looking for him . . .”
“And you think she really believes he’s innocent?” Jonas asked.
“She believes what she wants to believe.”
Jonas gathered their trash from breakfast and dropped it into the paper bag. “I can see the attraction, especially if you’re looking for something more. My aunt and uncle retired to Panama and never looked back. They have this ocean-view condo, uncrowded beaches, golf, tennis . . . They keep begging me to visit. Say it’s the best decision they’ve ever made.”
“Sounds like a Caribbean paradise.”
“I might have to consider it one day.”
Madison shot him a smile. “Above selling worms?”
“I love the Northwest, but year-round sun might beat out putting up with half a year of rain in the forecast.”
“I don’t know. I can’t see myself trading it in even for the Caribbean sunshine.”
A flight announcement came over the loudspeaker.
“We’re up,” Madison said.
The usual announcements for families with small children and any active military personnel followed, but there was still no sign of Barrick.
Jonas nodded. “It’s getting crowded. Why don’t we split up and keep searching? He could show up at the last minute.”
She made her way to the back of the line, scanning the crowd of passengers with their rolling carry-ons and backpacks. A little girl screamed on the floor over one of her toys. A couple teens sat absorbed in their phones. Slowly the line of passengers grew until it snaked outside the gate.
Bianca made her way to the priority line. There was still no sign of Barrick. Bianca handed her ticket to the gate agent, then headed to the plane. Patterson had pulled some strings and managed to change her seat, so she was by the requested window but in the last row of first class. Their tickets were for the first row, guaranteeing, they hoped, that she didn’t notice their presence on board. If she figured out they were after her, they risked the chance of her signaling Barrick, which they couldn’t afford to happen. They needed her to lead them to him. But when
they finally boarded the plane and took their seats, there was still no sign of the man.
She clicked on her seat belt, and Jonas nudged her with his elbow. “I don’t think I told you, but you’re cute as a redhead.”
She felt her cheeks flush at the compliment. Not that it really mattered what Jonas thought. “As a child I secretly wanted to be a redhead with freckles. I might have to try something that doesn’t just wash out.”
“I think this is the first time I’ve been able to relax.”
Madison let out a low laugh. “I never thought about an airplane ride as a time to relax, but you’re right.”
“You might as well close your eyes,” he said. “She’s not going anywhere.”
“As long as history doesn’t repeat itself and we take an unexpected landing.”
“Let’s not even joke about that.”
An in-flight announcement pulled her out of her sleep. Maybe she’d been more tired than she’d thought.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we have just been cleared to land at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Please make sure your seat belt is securely fastened . . .”
Madison pretended to stretch out her back to turn around without suspicion. She caught sight of Bianca’s blue sleeve as she reached to adjust the air flow above her. Their plan seemed to be working so far. Not that she should be surprised. There was nowhere for the woman to go.
She and Jonas were the first to depart the plane as planned. Their strategy depended on keeping tabs on Bianca without the woman recognizing them. The passengers of flight 1184 slowly filed off the jetway and into the gate with their hand luggage.
But there was no sign of Bianca.
“Where is she?” Madison asked.
“I don’t know. She should have already deplaned.”
Madison searched her mind for probable scenarios. It was always possible that Bianca had waited in her seat for some reason, but why?
A siren wailed as an announcement came over the loudspeaker. “Ladies and gentlemen, we need all passengers to leave the terminal as quickly and calmly as possible. I repeat, all passengers to leave the terminal as quickly and calmly as possible.”