When the Smoke Clears (Deadly Reunions)

by Lynette Eason

  She knew they wouldn’t.

  Serena had offered to let Alexia stay with her until the crime scene cleanup crew could get out to the house and take care of the basement. Alexia appreciated the offer and decided to take her friend up on it. Only she had one stop to make first.

  The hospital.

  She had to or the guilt would consume her.

  Glancing at the time on her cell phone, she saw that it was pushing 9:00. And still her mother’s neighbors watched the action from across the street. Some even stood just beyond the nearest cruiser. She wanted to holler at them to go home.

  The need to escape made her nerves jump and her palms itch. She wanted to go straight to Serena’s and crawl under the covers. Instead, she called the nurses’ station and found she could come see her mother, even stay the night with her if she chose to do so.

  She didn’t. She couldn’t. At least not yet.

  But she did need to break the news to her about Devin.

  And to avoid giving her mother a heart attack, she told the nursing staff to let the woman know Alexia was on her way to see her.

  She wondered if her mom would believe them. She wondered if her mother would be awake. Alexia hesitated. Maybe she should wait until morning. But the guilt pressed in on her. Even if her mother was asleep, someone would pass the word on that Alexia had been there. She’d tried. Right?

  Hunter watched her from the front steps, his eyes intense. He’d told her she could leave, go to the hospital, but . . .

  Emergency vehicles still loitered at her mother’s curb, and she felt weird leaving, even though she was no longer needed. She reached to open the door to her car.

  “Alexia? Is that you?”

  Spinning, she spotted the owner of the question. A fit young woman with a ponytail, in jogging shorts and a tank top, stood at the edge of her mother’s yard. “Yes, who’re you?”

  A smile crossed the woman’s mouth as she approached. “I’m Lori Tabor. I graduated with you—we only had a couple of classes together.”

  Vaguely, Alexia was able to dredge up a memory. “Really shy? The photographer for the yearbook committee?”

  Lori let out a small laugh. “Yes, that’s me. I suppose I figured as long as I was taking pictures I wouldn’t have to talk to people except to tell them to stand still and smile. Fortunately, I’ve matured a little since then.” She nodded to the house where the children played. “My brother, Avery, lives there. I keep his kids for him sometimes when he has to work late at the hospital. He’s a doctor.”

  “Ah.” She really wanted to get going. “Well, it was nice seeing you. Maybe we’ll run into each other again soon.”

  “Sure.” She glanced at the still-active house. “Is everything all right? The officer who came to question me said someone was killed. I’m so sorry.”

  “I am too. It was Devin Wickham.”

  Shock lifted the woman’s brow. “You’re kidding! Devin? That’s horrible. I knew your mother was letting him live there.”

  “Yes, just until he could get back on his feet.”

  Lori nodded. “When I heard she let him move in, I wasn’t surprised. She’s always helping someone. When do you think they’ll release her from the hospital?”

  “I . . . uh . . . I’m not sure.” The need to hurry bit at her while the desire to question Lori about Devin had her pausing. But she had to see her mother. “In fact that’s where I’m heading now. And while I hate to rush off, it’s already late and I really need to try and see her tonight.”

  “Oh! Sure, I didn’t mean to keep you. Tell her I’ll be by to see her tomorrow sometime.”

  That stopped Alexia. “You’re good friends with my mom?”

  Lori smiled, her even white teeth flashing. “Yes. She makes the best pot roast. I think she feeds my brother and his kids at least twice a week. Since I’m the kids’ nanny, I generally benefit from her generosity. And I drive her to church sometimes. The kids just love her and she dotes on them like a grandmother.”

  Really? Her mother did that? Keeping her shock from showing wasn’t easy, but she did her best. “Wow, that’s really sweet of her.”

  “I know. We just love her. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do for her.”

  Alexia offered a reassuring smile. “Well, thank you. I’ll be sure to let you know. If you plan to visit Mom, I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

  “Probably.” The right corner of Lori’s lips quirked up. “I’m on the reunion committee, so I might be knocking on your door asking you to volunteer some time. If you have it.”

  Alexia paused. That might actually be a good idea. It would give her access to people who knew Devin. If she was on the committee, she could ask questions without being too obvious. “I’d love to.” Digging in her purse, she pulled out a loose grocery receipt and a pen. “Here’s my cell number. Give me a call before the next meeting and I’ll try to be there.”

  “Great!” Lori snatched the slip of paper like she expected Alexia to renege on her offer. “I’ll call you.”

  Climbing into her car, Alexia waved goodbye and headed down the short road that would lead her out of the subdivision. She thought about Lori and wondered how the woman stayed in such great shape. Whatever it was, it kept her toned and fit. Which reminded her that she needed to make time to stay in shape. She planned to get back to work as soon as she was allowed. Because the more she thought about it, the more she realized she couldn’t just let it go. She hadn’t been negligent in her duties—but someone had wanted to make it look that way. As soon as she had things wrapped up here with her mother and the reunion, she’d go back and fight to clear her name.

  With that resolved in her mind, she focused on her surroundings. Turning left, Alexia noticed the dark streets, the area of town that even ten years ago had been the one to avoid. Now, it looked much worse.

  Her phone rang and she frowned as she looked at the number.

  Hunter. Make that Detective Graham, she reminded herself. She pressed the button to take the call. “Hello?”

  “Hi, Alexia, this is Hunter. I was wondering if we could meet. I have a couple more questions for you.”

  “What kind of questions?”

  She looked around. Two young men stood on the corner under a streetlamp making an exchange. Money for drugs? Probably. When her headlights framed them, they jumped and turned cold, suspicious eyes in her direction.

  She checked the locks. Heard their reassuring click. Why had she come this way? She hadn’t been thinking. But truly, there was no easy way to get to the hospital from her side of town. And she’d been in a hurry, so she’d gone the shortest way.

  Telling herself she’d take a different route back, she eased her way through the streets. Rolled up to the stop sign.

  Wham!

  Two fists slammed against her driver’s window, and she let out a scream as the face leered at her with a wicked grin. Her phone flew across the car and bounced off the passenger window. Greasy hair slapped alongside the gap-tooth mouth. The door shook as the man grabbed the handle and yanked. Alexia pressed the gas pedal, pulse thumping, heart pounding.

  Her breath came in panicked pants as she left the vagrant behind screaming curses at her.

  “Hey! Alexia, answer me. Are you okay?”

  His voice sounded far away. Keeping her eyes on the road, she leaned over and snatched the phone from the seat. “Yes, yeah, I’m sorry. Some guy came up and pounded my window and then tried to get in my car while I was at the stop sign.”

  She nearly choked while trying to slow her jackhammer heartbeat. Almost through with the bad part of town, she reassured herself. Almost. Hang in there.

  Headlights came up behind her and reflected back at her from the rearview mirror. Flipping it so the lights didn’t hit her eyes, she pressed the brake. The headlights eased off even as her stomach turned a flip.

  Keeping one eye on the car behind her and one on the road before her, she finally breathed a sigh of relief as she left the n
eighborhood behind.

  “Where are you?”

  “Just pulled out of Crosstown.”

  “Crosstown!” Disbelief echoed in her ear. “Are you crazy? Most cops don’t even want to go there during the day.”

  She shivered. “Yeah, it was a little worse than I remembered.”

  Hunter muttered something she missed and she thought she might be better off not knowing what he said. Back to the reason he called. “What kind of questions?”

  “Just routine ones. Ones I’d like answers to so I can get some sleep tonight.”

  Biting her lip, she scanned the street again. “I’m on the way to the hospital to see my mother. I don’t know how long I’ll be.”

  A pause. “Do you mind if I meet you there?”

  The questions were that urgent? She frowned. “I guess not. Where are you now?”

  “About five minutes from the hospital. I dropped Chad off at his house and I’m on my way back to the station to finish up the paperwork, but that can wait. Where are you going to park?”

  “In the garage on the fourth floor if I can find a spot.”

  “I’ll look for your car.”

  “Fine. I’ll wait for you at the elevator.”

  She hung up and tossed the phone onto the seat beside her, his voice still echoing in her ears. Memories of her high school attraction to him flooded her. She was still drawn to the man in spite of the fact that he believed she had something to do with Devin’s death.

  Great. Just one more complication in her life she really didn’t need.

  Clutching the steering wheel, she suddenly wished she prayed. Wished she felt like she could talk to God about everything, spill it onto his shoulder and let him take care of it. She’d heard of people who did that. She’d even tried church a few times, but it just didn’t seem to work for her.

  Alexia simply couldn’t wrap her mind around the concept of a loving God. A father who loved her.

  But Serena was right. Alexia wanted to.

  With a sigh, she pulled into the hospital parking deck and started for the fourth floor, circling up. A car turned in behind her and headlights tracked her progress. Squinting against the brightness reflected in her rearview mirror, she finally reached the fourth floor.

  Pulling in to the nearest vacant space, she cut the engine and chewed on her bottom lip. Staring at the building, she took a fortifying breath and opened her door.

  As she headed for the exit door, her senses tuned to her surroundings. Although the deck itself was well-lit, the darkness pressed in from the outside, the emptiness surrounding her.

  Footsteps followed her.

  She stopped walking. Glancing over her shoulder, she let her eyes probe the shadows.

  Her stomach twisted. Was that someone hiding behind the post?

  An engine sputtered to life, startling her. She spun and gave a relieved half-laugh as a car pulled out from the space about three yards in front of her. The driver lifted a hand in greeting, and Alexia resumed her trek toward the elevator as silence echoed around her again.

  Footsteps sounded a steady rhythm on the concrete, and again she jumped, spun, and looked. They stopped. A car door opened. Shut.

  Chill, she told herself. Someone was here to visit a patient, just like she was. Or was getting in the car to leave.

  She picked up the pace.

  The steps behind her resumed too—at a faster clip, drawing closer.

  Her heartbeat thudded and she darted behind the nearest post, pressing her hands to her stomach. She shivered in spite of the heat. Fear clumped in her gut and she took a deep breath.

  The footsteps stopped.

  Alexia held her breath, waiting to hear a car door open.

  Nothing.

  No doubt about it. Someone was following her. Adrenaline rushed through her, her hands shook and her knees felt weak.

  Pushing the fear aside, she searched for an emergency button.

  She spotted one about twenty feet away.

  Alexia beelined for it, hand outstretched.

  Almost there.

  A wicked laugh echoed just behind her.

  She whirled.

  Blinding white pain streaked through her as something clipped her on the side of the head. Before she had a chance to scream, she found herself facedown on the floor of the parking garage. Terror pounded through her, shortening her breath, making her head spin. “Wh-what do you want?”

  No answer. Just breath against her cheek.

  Then she felt the cold barrel of a gun kiss her already-aching temple.

  10

  Monday, 9:24 p.m.

  Hunter took a left instead of the right that would take him home. It was late, very late. And he’d taken a chance on catching Alexia. Katie had already taken herself off the clock to grab a few hours of sleep before they would be back at it in the morning. While Devin’s murder had moved to the top of the stack, he and Katie still had other cases they were working on. He should have followed Katie’s example and gone home.

  But he felt restless and couldn’t put Alexia Allen from his mind. So, he’d called her. On the pretext of asking her more questions about the murder. That was a new low for him.

  His conscience bothered him only slightly. He’d apologize later. Maybe.

  Approaching the parking garage, he glanced upward toward the higher levels. From their conversation, he’d gathered that he was only a minute or so behind her. As he swung into the fourth level, his headlights captured a person in a mask standing over something. The masked head snapped up, and for a moment, narrowed eyes locked with Hunter’s.

  Then the attacker raced to a nearby car, hopped in, and squealed from the garage. Hunter started to gun his own vehicle and go after the rapidly disappearing taillights when he spied a body lying on the ground, still, unmoving.

  A body he recognized.

  Slamming on the brakes, he pushed against a surge of panic as his shoulder harness locked into place. He ripped his seat belt off, bolted from the car, and raced toward Alexia.

  Alexia reached up to touch her head as she took a mental inventory and double-checked to make sure she was still alive. Her heart pounded in her throat and she swallowed a wave of nausea.

  “Alexia!”

  Warm hands wrapped around her upper arm and relief flooded her. Hunter.

  Tears flooded her eyes, shocking her. Blinking hard, she forced her emotions into a corner of her mind and let Hunter help her to her feet.

  His arms went around her and she caved in to her need for comfort. His voice sounded in her ear. “I’ve called for backup and gave a description of the guy and the car.”

  “You saw him?” Her tongue felt too heavy for speech, but she managed to get the words out.

  “Yeah. He had a mask on, but I was able to give some height and weight details. He’s tall, with a light, athletic build. I got the make and model of the car, but the plate had been removed.”

  Pulling out of his arms, she gave herself a shake. His fingers grazed her temple and she winced. “That’s where he hit me before jamming the gun into it.”

  “You’ll have a bruise and a headache.”

  Two police cruisers pulled onto the fourth floor, lights flashing.

  “No kidding.” Alexia grimaced. “It’ll heal.” Her hands still shook. She clenched her fingers into fists to gain control.

  One of the officers approached and Alexia recognized him. It was Officer Mays from her mother’s house just a few hours earlier.

  He nodded at her and Hunter. “So we meet again.”

  Hunter gave the man the rundown on what had happened. Officer Mays took notes in his little book, and Alexia said, “I thought I heard him following me. When I turned around, he knocked me in the head.”

  “Did he say anything?”

  Did he? “I think he whispered something before Hunter pulled in and scared him off.”

  “What was it?”

  Alexia closed her eyes and concentrated, but all her stressed mind could
come up with was the terror she’d felt. “I don’t know.”

  Hunter kept a hand on her back and was rubbing little circles in a spot just below her shoulder blade. His touch set off sparks even in this situation.

  Clearing her throat, she ignored the throbbing in her head and said, “I guess I still need to go see my mother. Are we done here?”

  “Do you need medical attention?” Hunter asked.

  Alexia considered the pain level. “No, I’ll have a few bruises, but I’ll be all right.”

  “Okay then.” He looked around. “I see cameras in here.” He pointed to one on the column directly in front of them and another two rows over. “We’ll see what we can see, but even if the cameras caught everything, I’m not sure they’ll tell us anything since he had a mask on.” He ran a hand through his hair, then pinched the bridge of his nose. “But yeah, I would say we’re done here.” He looked at Alexia. “I know you said you didn’t need anyone to look at your head, but I’d feel better if we got it checked.” Without waiting for her to answer, he placed a hand beneath her elbow. “Let’s go get that done, then visit your mother.”

  Surprise zinged through her. “You’re coming with me?”

  “Is that all right?”

  Was it? She shrugged. “I—yes, sure. I guess.”

  Hunter signaled the lead officer that they were leaving.

  Officer Mays caught her eye. “I’ll be in touch.”

  “Thanks.”

  Together, Hunter and Alexia headed to the parking garage elevator. Once inside and moving toward the bottom floor, Hunter pushed the first-floor button, then gave her a measured look. “Trouble seems to follow you everywhere, doesn’t it?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “First your mother’s house, then this personal attack. Looks like you’ve made someone pretty mad. Any ideas who?”

  Alexia frowned. “Not that I can think of.” At least not here in Columbia. She sighed. “I just got home, Hunter. As in today, a few hours ago. The only person who knew I was coming was Serena.”

  “Would she have told anyone?”