Except that sounded so boring it would be exhausting. Sitting around with nothing to do was more tiring than having a busy schedule.
Allyson shut her eyes. It was pretty pointless thinking about marriage and family when she didn’t have a man in her life. At least not one who had told her how he felt.
The car stopped.
Allyson blinked, realizing she’d fallen asleep. Sal put the car in park and glanced at her. She said, “How long was I out?”
“Almost an hour.”
So basically the whole drive here. Sal had a soft look on his face.
“Do I have those creases on my cheek from sleeping?”
He chuckled. “You’re presentable enough, considering you were kidnapped earlier and we stopped at a medical center on the way here so you could get your head glued.”
“I’m not a nursery rhyme character who needs to be put back together again.”
He didn’t respond to that. “We’re only here because Daulton and the rest of the boys want to see for themselves that you’re okay. Then I’m dropping you home so you can get more sleep.”
“Copy that.” She shoved the door open, but he put a hand on her arm.
“Hold up. I’ll come around.”
So he could help her out of the car? As if she’d let “Daulton and the rest of the boys” see that. Allyson climbed out. Carefully. When she could be sure she wasn’t going to topple over or collapse, she shut the door.
Sal frowned but said nothing. They walked side by side to the gathered crowd. Two detectives, a uniformed Seattle PD Sergeant, her boss and the boys.
“Whadda we got?”
They all just stared at her. Someone muttered a curse under their breath.
Allyson planted a hand on her hip. “Do I really look that bad?”
Carl said, “Yes.”
“If I had something to throw, I would throw it at you.”
He chuckled, walked to her, and pulled her to him in a loose hug. He’d never done that before. None of the guys had, for that matter. Now they all wandered over one by one to give her a squeeze. Daulton held out his hand, and she shook it. “Good to see you, Sanchez.”
She squeezed his hand, then let it go. “Good to be seen.”
He nodded.
“What’s going on here?”
“Same old,” Carl said. “Rental van. Getaway vehicle. Too many similarities to the other robberies, clearly the same people.”
“So it’s a crew, and they’ve found a method they think will keep working.”
The police sergeant said, “Until it doesn’t, and someone gets seriously hurt.”
Basically everyone nodded.
“By now they have a pretty big stash,” she said. “Are we thinking they’ll offload them in one big sale, or in a bunch of single-item cash transactions?”
“Sir!”
Everyone turned to see a uniformed officer trot over with a plastic evidence bag hanging from his grip. Inside the bag was a cell phone. “This was found in the rental van.”
Daulton said, “We’ll get that back to our lab, find out who—”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Sanchez?”
She gritted her teeth for a second. “That’s my phone.”
. . .
Sal hauled a folding chair out from the gun store so Allyson could sit down. “This better not take long.”
Daulton shot him a look but didn’t argue. He also didn’t agree with Sal’s assessment.
The detectives and their Sergeant crowded around, asking a whole lot of questions about why an ATF agent’s phone was in the rental truck that had rammed into the side of this gun store. Daulton started at the beginning and told them about Vanessa showing up.
Sal flashed his badge and finished the tale, updating them all on Vanessa’s death at the house. “We got the flash drive back, but we could be back to square one.”
Not to mention the FBI’s interest now, and the fact Allyson—along with the rest of them—could very well be in danger.
The Sergeant folded his arms across his expansive chest. “This guy’s plan isn’t the point right now. The point is that we have a bunch of stolen guns, not to mention the fact that Allyson is somehow caught up in it.”
Sal said, “It makes a connection between the kidnapping—which we know Kennowich was behind—and the gun store robberies.”
“Discounting the fact the only common denominator is this agent.” The detective gestured towards Allyson.
She said, “This agent has a name. It’s Sanchez.”
“Well then, Sanchez. You’ll need to explain how you’re suddenly all caught up in this.”
Sal watched as Allyson elaborated on Vanessa’s disappearance and the life she’d lived since then—and her betrayal.
“That’s one crazy story.”
“It’s not a story.” She shot the guy a scathing look. Past the end of her energy, even with the nap she’d taken in the car. He was glad he’d stopped for food and pain meds. He figured if he’d asked her then, she probably would’ve told him she’d rather do this first. His way was better, especially considering how she looked now. No doubt she’d still swear she’s improved.
The ATF guys shifted, ready to jump to her defense. They’d have to get in line behind him. Everyone was on edge.
“This does more to expose your severe lack of judgment.”
Sal took a step toward the detective. “Now, wait a moment—”
Allyson touched his chest, gently moved him back and stepped in front of him. “Thank you for your time.” Like she’d been the one asking for a statement, or explanation. “I need to be going now.”
“Good idea.” Sal grabbed her hand, not caring how it looked. “Let’s go.”
They both turned, ignoring the local cops’ expressions. Daulton held up a hand. “Tomorrow morning I want you at the FBI office. You’ll need to make a statement and explain everything you just told these fine officers.”
Allyson started to object.
Daulton continued before she could. “This isn’t our case anymore. It’s being given to the FBI.”
“Because of me?”
“It’s a conflict of interest, regardless of the why or how your phone ended up here.”
Allyson pressed her lips together.
Daulton had made the right call, though. They both knew it. He couldn’t have one of his agents caught up in all this and keep working it.
Even though his team did that all the time.
This guy was by the book, something which had the tendency to rub off on his agents. Allyson had pushed against that before, which had led to that one-in-a-million scenario where he’d been hurt. She had as well, something everyone seemed to have forgotten.
But that was years ago now. Despite the fact they’d gotten the suspects back under control and had even concluded it had been no one’s fault, she seemed to still be hung up on the fact his team blamed her.
Sal wasn’t sure she knew she’d been muttering in the car, with her eyes closed.
Now she was more like her boss. By the book, a stickler for the rules. Probably in large part the reason why Victoria continued to dislike her. Or at least was rubbed the wrong way by Allyson and her convictions and attention to procedure.
This was going to be a blow, even being looked at as possibly part of this. Allyson had a good explanation. Any accusation wasn’t going to hold water. But it would still linger.
He tugged on her hand, and she walked with him to the car. Sal glanced over at her. “Okay?”
“During any other week you wouldn’t need to ask me that.”
“Maybe.” He pulled the door open for her. “But I’d want to.”
She climbed in, frowning at him as she did so. Sal rounded the car. His phone rang, so he climbed in and put it on speaker.
“Alvarez.”
“Don’t come back to the office.”
“Talia?”
“Who did you think it was?” She sighed
, exasperated. “Listen, you need to lay low for a few hours until I figure something out. Don’t log onto your computer and definitely don’t access any work files from your phones. I’m also alerting Daulton and his agents who were with us.”
Sal felt like he’d arrived late to a party. “What are you talking about?”
“The drone that opened fire on our office—”
Allyson shifted in her seat. “The one that didn’t even break the windows?”
He’d told her the story before she’d fallen asleep.
“Hey. Sanchez. Good to hear your voice.” Talia paused for a second. “But yes. While the drone was firing on us, it also hacked our network.”
“The hacker is dead.” Sal frowned. “You told me that.”
Talia’s sigh blew against the speaker. “There are other hackers in the world, Sal. Kennowich has obviously hired another one to get into our system. I told Victoria, and she’s working out the plan.”
“You think she’ll do it?”
“The fourth day protocol is kind of nuclear. I’d rather not if we can avoid it.”
Allyson said, “The fourth what?”
Sal explained, “It’s all based on the story of Lazarus.” He paused. “Jesus wept, right? He knew He was going to resurrect his friend, but He still grieved anyway. The heart of God was moved.”
Talia said, “This is different, but we’re playing off that and have designed a backup plan where we basically pretend we’re down for the count. Destroyed. Boo-hoo, Kennowich has won. It’s all very sad. But it should throw off his attempts to take us out should we go dark. Then we get the chance to regroup, so we can focus on catching him in the act.”
“Huh.”
“Which we just might be able to do,” Talia said. “Because Kennowich is at a hotel in downtown Seattle.”
Sal shook his head. “There’s no way that is a coincidence.”
“Right?” Talia said, “I’ll keep you posted.”
“Copy that.” Sal hung up and tossed the phone in the cup holder.
As he turned on the engine, he took a minute to let all the pieces settle. Vanessa. Kennowich. Allyson. The gun stores. Weapons sales. All of it was tied together, and Kennowich held all the strings.
Sal didn’t like this at all. He was tempted to go dark and hunt this guy himself. He could go undercover, get Kennowich to trust him. Or sit the guy down and force him to explain what he was up to. Would going rogue be the only way to uncover what was really going on?
He had to make sure no one got hurt.
Allyson squeezed his knee as he drove. “Talia will figure it out.”
“Sure.” But would it be in time?
Chapter 17
“Keys?”
Allyson dug them out of the front pocket. She handed them over, still astounded that her backpack had been in Sal’s car the whole time she’d been held captive.
Then she realized what she’d done. “I can open my own front door.”
He glanced at her. “I know.” Then stepped inside. “Stay here.” He even held out a hand, like she’d seen Josh and Dakota do to get Neema to “stay.”
Allyson stepped in her apartment after him, glad she’d actually tidied up yesterday. She didn’t want to know what Sal would have thought if she’d had clothing draped over the furniture, junk mail on the counter, and dirty cereal bowls in the sink.
Sal emerged from her bedroom a second later.
She set her hand on her hip. “Find anything interesting?”
He didn’t react to that. “It’s clear.”
Oh. That was what he’d been doing. “Thanks.”
Sal shook his head, a slight smile on his face. “You’re welcome.” Then he just stood there.
“Uh… Do you want a drink, or a sandwich or something?”
“I’ll get it.” He wandered to the refrigerator, but she saw him glance at his watch.
“You don’t have to stay if you have somewhere to be.”
“It’ll keep.”
She wandered to the breakfast bar and sat at one of the stools, elbows on the counter, chin in her hands. She exhaled, actually feeling the stress of the last few days bleed off. Not to mention wondering whether she’d left piles of laundry on the bed when she went to work…however many days ago that was.
He turned from the fridge then. Sausage. Bell peppers. Tomatoes that were in desperate need of being put to use. Half an onion she’d put in a storage bag, and a small container of crumbly cheese. “Omelet?”
“How do you feel about Italian?”
“Sure.”
She hopped off the stool and came around to retrieve a packet of pasta shells from the cupboard. She set him up with a cutting board and knife. Better to face the fact he’d be a distraction, and she’d end up cutting her finger, and just let him do it.
She set the water to boil for the pasta and got a skillet. Herbs.
“Do you need the cheese?” He shook the container.
She grabbed it. “Always.”
Sal barked a laugh. One that made her smile. She stirred. He chopped. When the water boiled, she dropped the pasta shells in.
“From memory, from scratch?”
She glanced at him and shrugged one shoulder. “I like what I like, and I make this regularly. I guess I remember how to do it. Plus, I don’t make anything that takes longer than twenty minutes to cook, unless I’m putting it in the oven.”
Despite that being a smile-worthy statement, the humor that had been there in his gaze a moment ago was now gone. Allyson turned and leaned the outside of her hip against the counter. “What is it?”
“Kennowich is in town.”
Her whole body flinched.
Sal closed the gap between them and touched her cheeks. “He’s not going to take you again. He’s not even going to touch you.”
“Why am I so scared of someone who probably doesn’t even know who I am? And he definitely doesn’t care enough to target me.”
The skin around Sal’s eyes flexed. She wondered if he agreed with her, because it seemed like he wasn’t sure that was true. “I want to walk up and put a bullet in him for what he did to you.”
“You don’t catch a guy like this by going in fast and hard; you need finesse.”
It went without saying that he wasn’t actually going to kill the guy.
“Are you saying I don’t have finesse?” He lowered his hands to her shoulders, chuckling.
“Of all the task force members, you’re probably the only one who could do something quietly and effectively. The rest of them are more about brute force.” Allyson made a face. “Except maybe Victoria.” That woman honestly scared her. And that was before she even considered what Victoria might be capable of.
“Are you really okay about Vanessa being dead?”
Allyson touched his sides so he would stay close for longer. “If I wasn’t, it’s not like I could change what is.”
“So you just need to accept reality?”
“I want more answers than I have.” She glanced to the side for a moment. “Why did they take me? Why did she call me? Why taunt us with the flash drive, why leave my phone at the robbery?”
“You think he tipped his hand.”
“Didn’t he?” She shrugged one shoulder. “I mean, we had no idea the gun store robberies were connected to Kennowich until my phone was left there. The phone that the kidnappers took.”
His jaw worked side to side. “Maybe I’ll ask him instead of shooting him.”
Fear ran through her. Like swallowing cold liquid and feeling the sensation all the way to her stomach. “Please don’t do anything reckless.”
She understood his need to move forward. She didn’t like feeling powerless, or helpless. They were cops. That wasn’t their natural state.
He grinned and gave her a squeeze before he pulled away and moved to the food. Probably all stuck to the pans by now. “As opposed to what?”
She stirred the skillet. “I think when we wrap up this case, I
’m going to take a vacation.”
“Anywhere nice?”
“I think I’m going to rent a motor home and drive to Wyoming. I’ve heard it’s nice.” She didn’t look at him.
“It is.”
They settled in to eat, Sal beside her at the breakfast bar. After a few minutes of quiet, he said, “What else do you want, apart from fantastic sausage pasta?”
He thought it was fantastic? She didn’t want to damper that, but had to respond to his question, “To catch Kennowich.”
“After that.”
“A vacation.”
“You’ve already said that.” He leaned back in his chair. “What about farther out than that.”
“A family.” She shrugged. “Though, I can’t seem to make something work long term with anyone. If I knew why maybe I’d be able to figure that out.”
“The DEA agent?”
How did he know about her ex? “He’s back in his hometown now, retired. I seem to have that effect on male federal agents I’m close to. They all seem to want to quit and go home.”
His gaze softened.
“Vanessa’s father was the closest thing I’ve had to family in years.” Since her father had died when she was a teen. Her mom had passed away not long after she was born. “What about your mom?” She knew all about his father.
“Soon as I left for college, she just…dropped off the map. Didn’t call me. I went by a few times, but we just…grew apart I guess? She ended up moving to California.” His voice had a layer of gravel to it.
“But you had your dad.”
He nodded.
They’d both been blessed with invested, spiritually-strong fathers. “That’s what I want for my kids. The kind of father I had, plus a mom who is there.” She picked at a piece of pasta with her fork. “Not that you can plan to not die, but…”
He squeezed her hand. “I know what you mean.” There was so much promise in his gaze, but she didn’t know what to say about it. Possibilities hung in the air, unspoken. She had a good life here, but Allyson wondered if she couldn’t move toward something better.
Him.
Fourth Day Page 14