Looking Behind the Mask: Second Chance Series - Book 2

by Joan Davis

  “Why would he do that, Honor?” Gabriel probed her.

  A single tear fell down Honor’s cheek, but she ignored it. “Because he wanted to make sure I understood that if I said anything about what I knew, I would end up just like her.”

  “But he was a cop, Honor,” Gabriel said and kept watching Honor’s face. He knew there had been something off about Detective Lane and now Honor was reinforcing those suspicions.

  “So what does that have to do with anything? Cops are just assholes with guns, just like the criminals. The only difference between them is that the cops can get away with what they do since they are protected by their badges,” Honor said with bitter cynicism.

  “Not all cops are bad, Honor.”

  “Maybe not, but I know that a lot of them are, and I also know that Detective Lane is one of them.”

  Not able to dispute that, Gabriel switched directions. “You told me that Dunn has been keeping tabs on you. How do you know for sure?”

  Uncomfortable, Honor shrugged. “I just do.”

  “Honor . . .”

  “Fine, I know it doesn’t make sense, but I just know. It’s like when you walk into a house and it seems empty but you know someone’s there. I just get this feeling that someone is there who wasn’t there before.”

  Gabriel frowned and asked, “Has Dunn ever made direct contact with you?”

  Honor grimaced and shook her head. “I don’t think it’s actually Dunn who watches me. At least I don’t think so. I’ve only caught glimpses of men or vehicles that seem out of place or just wrong. It’s never the same. All I know is that I don’t wait around to find out. It’s why I moved around so much. My job made it possible for me to relocate whenever I want,” she said, frowning. “Now that I am saying this out loud, it sort of sounds crazy. Maybe I have just been imagining it. Maybe I have just been paranoid.”

  Linking his fingers through hers, Gabriel said, “Honey, what you’re describing is basic instinct. Most people ignore that little voice in their head that tells them to run. You didn’t, and that has probably saved you more than once.”

  Nodding, Honor said, “That’s why all of this has been so hard. I thought when I moved here I was finally safe. I met you and next thing I know we have this bizarre connection through Maximus Dunn. I couldn’t handle it at first, and it’s part of the reason I ran back to Atlanta.”

  Confused, Gabriel asked, “What made being here so different? Why did you think you’d be safe?”

  “Because it had been more than three years since I last felt like anyone was watching me. I thought it was finally over and that he decided to leave me alone. That’s why I decided to take Buck up on his offer. He’s been after me to come and work for him again for a while. Before this I was afraid to settle in one place for too long, and I didn’t want to expose anyone I cared about to my past.” Worry furrowed her brow. “Gabriel, if Dunn sends someone here . . .”

  “Then we’ll deal with it. That bastard won’t hurt anyone I care about again,” Gabriel’s tone was emphatic.

  Honor stared solemnly into Gabriel’s eyes and hoped it was the truth. She started to tell him about her suspicion of Fergus Sinclair, but then changed her mind. The man was strange, but he hadn’t done anything overt.

  *****

  CHAPTER 9

  Gabriel felt like he and Conner had been over the same ground a thousand times. Who could they contact in San Francisco to find out if Detective Joseph Lane was working for Maximus Dunn? Who could they trust? It would have to be someone who could gather information without tipping off the detective.

  A lot of questions would be answered if it turned out that Detective Lane was on the take. It would explain how Dunn had stayed one step ahead of the authorities for the last three years. The question of how that animal had gotten away from them when they rescued Lela would be answered. If what Honor had said was correct, the detective had been in Dunn’s pocket for years.

  Fury simmered just below the surface. Gabriel should have acted on his instincts that night in San Francisco. He had sat across from the detective at that restaurant and listened to his lies. Known they were lies. He was so close he could have snapped the bastard’s neck. But then Gabriel realized that the detective would have known he was lying about his motive for asking about Honor. Fear lanced through him.

  “Come down off the ceiling, brother. Anger isn’t going to get us any answers. We need to figure out who we can trust. I say we contact Peter Hughes. He still has contacts in the S.F.P.D., and we can know we can count on his discretion,” Conner said, indicating the detective who had assisted Gabriel three years ago when he rescued Lela.

  Gabriel frowned and shifted in his seat in front of Conner’s desk. “He’s been out of the loop for several years. What if he trusts the wrong people? We don’t have any idea if Detective Lane is the only traitor. We could be looking at a fucking nightmare out there in San Francisco. There is no telling who Maximus Dunn has compromised. He could have people high up in the food chain of the police department, and maybe even the F.B.I. How in the hell can we know?”

  Seeing his friend’s frustration, Conner said, “Well, after what Honor told you, we can’t just do nothing. We need to be on the offensive. If that detective is working for Dunn and we can lock him down, it will give us the advantage,” Conner said. He pushed back his chair and stood up, but a look of agony spread across his face before he dropped to the floor. His chair crashed back against the credenza.

  “Conner!” Gabriel shouted. He lunged out of his chair and found Conner laying on his side, clutching his right leg near his hip. His breathing was erratic and his eyes were closed tightly in pain. “Hold on, brother. I’m gonna get help. Just hold on,” Gabriel said before turning to the phone on Conner’s desk.

  “No! Don’t! . . . Just give me . . . wait,” Conner gasped. Slowly, his breathing evened out and the tension in his face relaxed. He rolled onto his back and gingerly stretched out his right leg.

  Gabriel heart raced as he watched his friend lay in an almost comatose state. A light coating of sweat coated his pasty complexion. Gabriel’s need to help warred with Conner’s directive to wait. “What the hell, brother?” he asked.

  “I’m fine. Just give me a minute,” Conner said. He opened his eyes and looked at his friend. “This stays between us.”

  “What stays between us? What the hell just happened? One minute you’re fine and the next you’re on the floor looking like you’re about to die.”

  Sitting up, Conner leaned back against with credenza with a slight wince. “Look, this is no big deal. It’s just some nerve damage that’s leftover from my run in with Jethro McCreary. It doesn’t happen very often. I would prefer that you keep this to yourself.”

  “Nerve damage? How bad? That wasn’t some small twinge. You fucking collapsed. How bad is it? Can anything be done? Does Sam know? Jesus, why the hell didn’t you say something before now?” Gabriel demanded. His anger was more fear for his friend. Conner had been dealing with this on his own for months. Guilt rolled over him. He had let his friend down. He should have known something was wrong.

  “Oh Jesus, stop right there. I can see you lobbing a guilt bomb at yourself from here. Just knock it off. It is what it is. No, Sam doesn’t know, and I don’t want him to know. He and Risa have been through more than enough drama to last a lifetime. They don’t need worry about me on top of everything else. The doctors have basically said there isn’t anything more they can do. My condition is either going to get better or it won’t. I go to therapy and try to be careful. Life goes on and I’m living with it. End of story,” Conner said. “Now help me up and let’s get back to work.”

  Remembering the hell that Jethro McCreary had put Risa and Sam through, Gabriel couldn’t blame Conner for wanting to keep his condition quiet. McCreary had terrorized Risa for years in captivity and hunted her even after she had been rescued. Sam and Conner had almost given their lives trying to protect her. Sam had finally killed the bastard,
but they were still living with the fall out.

  Silently, Gabriel helped his friend up and back into his chair. “Conner, look . . .”

  “I know, let’s just get back to work. I think I know a guy in the F.B.I. we can contact,” Conner said, clearing his throat. He turned back to his notes and he waited for Gabriel to return to his seat. A flash of memory intruded. Bright light, red hair and an ethereal face. The vision of his angel never failed to relax him. Taking a deep breath, he looked up at his friend, and they got back to trying to figure out how to resolve the issue with Detective Lane.

  *****

  A few days later Honor lay slouched on her couch in her bathrobe with the TV remote in one hand and a bag of chips in her lap. Bored was too small a word for how she felt. She had tried begging and pleading to go back to work, but Sam and Buck were adamant that she get approval from her doctor before coming back to her job. Her doctor’s appointment wasn’t for another week.

  The initial excitement had past and the constant stream of visitors and well-wishers had stopped. Everyone had eventually gotten back to their daily lives. Risa was busy with a work project and though Gabriel and Lela still visited almost every day, they could only stay a few hours before Lela needed to get home to bed. Honor sighed and groaned at the same time as she shifted restlessly. I’m in a pathetic state of mind. I’ve read everything I want to read, and watched all the TV I can stand. I could be working on a project around the house, but I don’t feel like it. I’m a slug, eating slug food on my slug couch in my slug house, Honor thought with a big bored yawn as she clicked the remote to another channel.

  After another hour of indecision Honor decided she couldn’t stand her own company one second more. She made herself get up, and take a shower, then got dressed in comfortable pair of sweatpants and a hoody. With her sunglasses propped on her nose, she headed out for a walk. She had gotten about 6 blocks from her house when she saw a tiny little redheaded woman walking up and down her front porch and yelling into her cell phone.

  “How can you charge a hundred and eighty dollars for a diagnosis of the problem when I just told you what the problem is? I just dropped my ring down my kitchen sink and I need someone to get it out,” the lady paused to listen and then started yelling again. “You are insane! I don’t have that kind of money, you moron. Can’t you just be . . . Hello? Hello? Asshole!”

  Honor hid her laughter and called out to the lady. “Excuse me, I don’t mean to intrude, but I couldn’t help overhearing. Maybe I can help.”

  “Yeah? Know any good hit men?” the lady grumbled. Her outfit was so contrary to her words that Honor had a hard time keeping a straight face. The woman wore a prim little gray skirt that ended well below her knees and a white blouse with ruffles at the neck. A powder blue sweater, buttoned at the top, allowed the ruffles to hang over. Sensible black loafers adorned her feet. With her hair in a severe bun, her entire ensemble painted a distinct picture. Wow, who taught this woman how to dress, the Spinsters of America? Honor thought, amused.

  “I don’t know any hit men, but I do know how to get your ring back for you,” Honor said and propped her sunglasses on her forehead as the woman stepped off the porch to meet her.

  “Really, you know how to get it out of my sink?” she asked eagerly, but stopped and gaped at Honor for a moment, and then smiled. She dropped her phone in her sweater pocket and stuck out her hand. “You’re Honor Weston, right? It’s so good to finally meet you. Lela talks about you all the time,” she said. At Honor’s confused look she rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry. Let me introduce myself. My name is Ellie Lassiter. I teach second grade over at the Elementary School. Lela Timmons is my student.”

  It was Honor’s turn to smile. “Oh, Lela loves you. She says you’re the best teacher in the whole school,” Honor grinned, trying to imitate Lela’s voice. “Like I said, maybe I can help. I have worked on a sink or two in my time.” Oh God, please let me help. I need something to do. I’m willing to beg if necessary, lady, Honor thought.

  Relief swept over Ellie Lassiter’s face. “I wish I could say, ‘Oh, no I couldn’t ask that of you,’ but I am desperate. I was washing my hands and my grandmother’s antique ruby ring came off my finger and dropped right down the kitchen drain. I have no idea what that stupid plumber was talking about. He kept talking about a trap or something. I don’t even own a tool box, much less anything that would go into it. That sounds bad doesn’t it?” Ellie asked, embarrassed.

  “No problem. We may not need any, but if we do, I keep a tool box in my truck and I can easily go get it. I should be able to get that ring out without any problem,” Honor said.

  “Oh, you have no idea what a relief it is to have met you. I called five plumbers, but they wanted to charge me a huge amount just to come out and take a look. Just to look, not to do anything, mind you. I’m a teacher. I can’t afford that kind of expense unless it’s really necessary. Please come inside,” Ellie said.

  Honor followed Ellie into her house. It was a Spanish-style bungalow with rounded arches and thick walls.

  As she opened the front door, Ellie said, “I had just gotten home from work when this happened. I’m going to change my clothes, if you don’t mind waiting. I want to see what you do so that if this ever happens again I’ll know how to handle it.”

  Honor nodded and Ellie disappeared down a hallway. “You have a nice home. I just bought a house that’s just a few blocks over,” Honor called out as she looked around at the comfy, plush furnishings.

  “I know, Lela told me all about it. By the way, I hope your arm is doing better. I heard about the accident,” Ellie said from somewhere down the hall.

  Honor laughed in amusement. “Wow, I guess you weren’t kidding about Lela telling you about me. My arm is good. My boss won’t let me come back to work until my doctor clears me. I’m just about ready to climb the walls,” Honor said in annoyance.

  Ellie came walking back out to the living room. “I can’t say that I blame you. I always dream about taking vacations and getting away but three days away from work and I start wandering around in circles looking for things to do,” Ellie said laughing.

  Honor stared at Ellie in shock. She had changed into a pair of faded jeans with frayed patches sewn in various places and an old Def Leopard T-shirt that had seen better days. Her hair was down and was a in a loose braid that fell almost to her behind. Small loose curls framed her face. He big blue eyes, pink lips and peaches and cream complexion made her look somewhat angelic. “Wow, what a difference,” Honor said before she could stop herself.

  Laughing, Ellie didn’t take offense. “I know. I look like I’m about fourteen, don’t I?” she said with humorous frustration. “I learned very early in my teaching career that because of my size, if I don’t dress the way you first saw me today, my students try to walk all over me. I call it my school uniform.”

  Honor nodded, thinking that with the type of curvaceous figure Ellie had, there was no way anyone would mistake her for a kid. Unable to resist, Honor said, “Men must love you.”

  Sighing Ellie said, “You’d be surprised. I have had my head patted by men in the past.” At Honor’s raised eyebrow, Ellie laughed, “I wish it weren’t true. It seems that even with a rack and a nice ass I don’t measure up on the sexy meter in this town. My own students will sometimes pass me in a store without even recognizing me if I’m dressed like I am now.”

  “Well, you do look very different but the men in this town must be blind,” Honor said. “Anyway, let’s look at your sink and see what we can do.” Honor followed Ellie into her kitchen and watched her open the cabinet doors and remove the few items from below the kitchen sink. Honor got down on the floor and leaned inside the cabinet. “First I’m going to turn off the water,” Honor said, as she turned the two knobs for the hot and cold water until they were completely off. “Now I need something to catch any residual water that will be in the P-trap,” Honor said, looking expectantly at Ellie.

  Ellie promptly f
ound a large plastic bin and handed it to Honor. “Is this okay?” she asked.

  “Perfect,” Honor said, and after placing the bin underneath the P-trap she reached up to loosen the locknuts. “I’m loosening these two locknuts so I can remove the P-trap. The U-shape of the P-trap makes it easy for debris to settle in it. Hopefully, your ring will be in there,” Honor said, gritting her teeth, as she forced the hard plastic compression fittings loose. “Since these pipes are plastic, I don’t want to use a pipe wrench. It might crack the plastic.”

  “I guess that would be bad,” Ellie said, eyeing the locknuts that Honor was trying to loosen.

  Grimacing, Honor said, “Well, it would mean a trip to the hardware store for new parts. But it seems like these locknuts are hand-tightened, and that’s what you want to see.” Once both locknuts came loose, Honor gently removed the P-trap and up-ended it over the plastic bin. Immediately, a ring fell out and landed in the bottom of the bin. “There we go,” Honor smiled with satisfaction, as she reached in, retrieved the ring and handed it to Ellie.

  Gasping in relief Ellie said, “Oh thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me. My grandmother took me in after my parents died in a car crash when I was just a teenager. She gave this ring to me when I graduated college and got my first teaching job.” Ellie clutched the ring in relief.

  Honor grinned and said, “No problem, I’m just going to get this put back together.” Honor placed the P-trap back in place and began tightening the locknuts.

  “Don’t you need a tool for that?” Ellie asked, watching as Honor hand tightened the locknuts.

  “I don’t think I’ll need one. I’m going to turn the water back on. Could you turn on the faucet so I can check for leaks?” Honor asked.

  Ellie quickly stood and turned on the kitchen faucet. She ducked back down and saw Honor checking the pipes for water.