This time it was Katie who was surprised. “Megan, open your eyes. I need you to say the name.”
“Caroline Carson, my lover. She’s the one who asked me to spy on Dr. Douglas.”
15
THE AFTERNOON TURNED into a whirlwind of activity. Much to the dean’s chagrin, Katie insisted Scotland Yard be called in so they could file formal charges. Caroline had tried to kill Mac. Justice would be served.
The investigators asked Katie to come to headquarters while they questioned Caroline. She’d expected them to ignore her once they had the facts, but she’d forgotten the power of Stonegate. Her agency had been involved in several high-profile cases over the years, and had garnered the respect of Scotland Yard.
Katie had to give it to Caroline—she held up under some rather intense interrogation. There was a moment when Katie worried they’d have nothing more than Megan’s testimony, which would be thrown out by any decent judge after her problem with the school. All Katie had was circumstantial evidence, but it was enough to warrant a search of Professor Carson’s home.
That’s when the detectives made the discovery sealing the case. A neighbor had lent the professor his car, and was still angry she’d wrecked the bumper. The paint on the bumper matched Mac’s car. The friend said Dr. Carson had borrowed the car on the nights in question, and she’d given him money to get it fixed. He just hadn’t had the time.
After that, Caroline was processed and had no chance of bail, since she’d nearly killed Mac on two occasions. When the officers asked her why she’d done it, she replied, “He didn’t deserve the funding they gave him. That money should go to my work—it’s more important. I could save the world one day.” It was the dumbest excuse for attempted murder Katie had ever heard. Mac could save the world, too, and research funding certainly wasn’t worth killing over.
The woman was obviously crazy. She had absolutely no remorse in regard to her attempted murder of Mac. If Katie hadn’t been on the other side of the glass, she might have throttled her. The idea of someone hurting Mac was more than she could handle.
Katie wished she could put the case behind her, but something niggled at her brain. She’d missed something somewhere. All the pieces didn’t quite add up, but there were two signed confessions from Caroline and Megan that proved otherwise.
You’re trying to find a reason to stay.
Back in her hotel room, Katie packed her bag for her trip home the next day. Mac had left one of his T-shirts in the bathroom and she held it close, sniffing his scent. The look on his face when she’d left the conference room would haunt her. She wished they’d parted on kinder terms, but it was better this way.
She was curious as to how he had taken the news. It was cowardly, but Katie had asked the dean to explain everything, while she went to headquarters. In truth, she’d been in a hurry to catch a ride with the officers, but part of her was relieved she didn’t have to see him again.
All she wanted to do was throw her arms around him and kiss the man senseless until he no longer remembered her harsh words from earlier in the day.
That’s not going to happen.
Taking out the few clothes she had in the closet, she folded them and placed them in her bag. It was surreal—she’d be home in twenty-four hours. So much had happened. Every time she looked at the bed her stomach tightened with need as she thought about Mac’s hands on her, and the way his touch sent shivers down her spine. The man’s tongue—
Stop it. Think about something else.
Katie wondered what he was doing. Even though she’d solved his case, she wouldn’t blame him for still being angry with her. However, she really had been doing her job when she’d asked those questions. She couldn’t go into that interview with Megan without all the facts. Although she’d lied when she said what they’d done was a mistake and she had a feeling Mac knew it.
Placing the last article of clothing on top of the pile, she closed her bag. Her plane didn’t leave until noon the next day. She planned to follow up with the investigators before she left this evening, and then she’d get to the airport early, to give herself extra time.
Katie flipped on the television and sat down. She tried to examine her feelings, something she didn’t do often. But she couldn’t get a handle on the way she felt.
“I get this way every time I solve a case,” she said out loud. “It’s the letdown after the adrenaline rush. Perfectly normal.” Pushing the off button, she stood.
A workout might help her burn off the extra energy. She unpacked and changed quickly. Just as she was about to leave, her cell phone rang.
“Ms. McClure, this is Roland. You helped me with the investigation this afternoon.”
“Hi, Roland. I was going to come down and see you in a few hours to make sure we’d tied up all the loose ends.”
“Yes, uh, I’m afraid we have a problem.”
“What’s going on?”
“There’s been another attack on Professor Douglas. A hit-and-run. I’m heading to the crime scene now. I thought you might like to meet me there.”
Katie’s breath caught in her throat.
Mac. No.
“Is he…” She cleared her throat. She couldn’t bring herself to say alive. Tears brimmed as she reached for her purse.
“The officers on scene say he’s dazed but okay. He’s being checked out now. It looks as though he was on his way to see you—he’s only two blocks from your hotel. Witnesses say the dark sedan was behind him and he never saw it coming. Luckily he was near a post and the car was moving slowly. He took a pretty nasty fall.”
“Give me the address and I’ll meet you there.”
Mac was alive. She inhaled and then blew out the breath quickly.
Someone had tried to kill him. It wasn’t over yet.
Guilt assaulted her. She should have listened to her gut and followed her instincts. He could have been killed tonight.
She ran the two blocks to the crime scene. Roland was there already and he motioned her under the tape. She saw Mac sitting in an ambulance and wanted to go to him. He was pretty banged up, with a cut above his eyebrow and several cuts on his gorgeous mug.
But Roland guided her to the skid marks. “It looks as though the driver didn’t see the post until it was too late. From what we understand Mac had just stepped past it when the car hit the post and then grazed him. As you can see, the skid marks are quite short, which means the vehicle wasn’t going very fast.”
Katie forced herself to focus on Roland’s words, but more than anything she wanted to wrap her arms around Mac. He could have died.
That was something she wouldn’t have been able to handle. It had nothing to do with him being a client, and everything to do with how much she cared about him.
“That doesn’t make sense. If it were a hit-and-run, surely the car would have been moving much faster,” she reasoned.
“Yes, it is a puzzle. The witnesses say the car was definitely headed toward the professor, and at the last minute it swerved, hit him and then sped away.”
“What about the cameras?” London was known for having most of the streets covered.
“We’ll have to check that, but two of the witnesses have given us the license. We’re tracking it now.”
“It hit from behind, but did Mac see anything?”
“I haven’t had a chance to interview him yet. I wanted to wait until you arrived.”
She glanced over at Mac. He was watching her with a wary look. He had to be disappointed in her. She’d almost gotten him killed. She’d failed to do her job.
“I’d like to speak with him now,” she said, “before they take him to the hospital.”
The investigator nodded.
As they moved closer Mac continued to watch her. She could feel her cheeks reddening.
“Mac, are you all right?” She put a hand on his shoulder. When he didn’t shrug away she felt relief.
“I’m fine. I’d like to go home now.”
The em
ergency tech shook his head. “We need to take you to the hospital, sir, for scans.”
“You told me I didn’t have a concussion and I told you, it was nothing more than falling to the sidewalk. My face and hands took the brunt of the fall.”
“Mac, we should be cautious. You were hit by a car,” Katie said, forcing herself not to take him into her arms.
“I’ve been through worse and I know my body.” He pushed away from the medical team. “I’m fine, gentlemen. I appreciate your looking out for me.”
He turned to face Roland. “You had some questions for me?”
Roland ticked off a list of questions and Katie listened to Mac’s answers carefully. He hadn’t seen the driver or much of anything, since he’d been hit from behind. When Roland finished his questions he turned to Katie.
“Are you going to resume his protection?”
“Yes. If that’s all right with him?”
Mac shrugged as if he was indifferent, but she saw the look of anger in his eyes. He wasn’t happy with her, and she couldn’t blame him.
“If you need anything else from him, you can contact me on my cell,” she said. “Mac, are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital?”
“Yes,” he growled.
She gave him a tight smile. “Roland, do you think one of your men could take us back to my hotel?”
The investigator waved over one of the other officers. “Take Ms. McClure and Professor Douglas where they need to go. Do not tell anyone where you are going and watch for anyone who might follow,” Roland ordered. “In fact, take a roundabout way, so you can make sure no one is behind you. Understood?”
The officer gave a quick nod and ushered them to his vehicle.
In the backseat they sat in silence as Katie watched out the windows to make sure they hadn’t been followed. “Don’t drop us off in front—take us to the parking-garage elevator,” she instructed once they’d reached the hotel.
The garage would be a safe place for the drop, and then they could take the service elevator up to her floor.
As soon as they were in her room, Katie dumped her purse on the desk.
“Would you like some tea or coffee? Are you hungry?”
“I’m fine.” Mac sat down on the couch.
There was more silence.
Katie sighed. “The investigators are following up on the license. Hopefully, we’ll have a lead soon. Do you know if Caroline was dating anyone in particular?”
He shrugged. “I spend most of my time in the lab, so I don’t pay much attention to that sort of thing. To be honest, before that party the other night, the last time I’d even seen her was a few months ago in the faculty lounge. If I remember correctly she was dining alone, as was I.” He didn’t bother to look at her, only stared straight ahead.
Katie bit the inside of her lip. The situation was intolerable. She’d messed up, but she couldn’t stand the idea of him being mad at her.
“Mac, I screwed up. You could have been killed. Just say it.”
He glanced up at her with an incredulous look on his face. “You think what happened tonight is why I’m mad?”
“Why else—Oh, this afternoon.”
“Yes, Katie, this afternoon.” He stood.
She motioned him back to the couch. “You were hit by a car an hour ago—you really should sit down. In fact, I’m worried about you—”
“I told you I’m fine and you’re avoiding the truth. I’m furious that you think I’m the kind of man who could sleep with one of his students. You have to know the very idea is so abhorrent to me I can barely stomach it.”
She did know it. Now. “Look, you’re right about part of that. I could have handled it better. I jumped to some conclusions before I had all the facts. If I’d talked to the girl first, we would never have had that conversation.”
“You really don’t get it, do you?”
“What? That I should have known someone else was after you? That Caroline had another accomplice? That I should have listened to my instincts and followed up when all the pieces fell too neatly together?”
“Katie, I care about you, and why you wouldn’t trust me.”
“You should care that someone is still trying to kill you. I could have protected you tonight if I’d been smart enough to follow up. As for earlier today, well, I might have mentioned I haven’t had the best luck with men. We’ve also had the conversation about my trust issues. I’ve never hidden the fact that I don’t trust anyone.”
“That’s a ridiculous way to live your life, Katie. You can’t spend the rest of your days worrying how someone is going to hurt or betray you. You’ll end up bitter, never happy.”
That stung.
“Let’s face facts. I am always going to second-guess motives, be curious about what is going on around me and thinking the worst about humanity. I’ve been out there. I’ve seen what happens in the real world. You’re so isolated and protected in your lab that you don’t have a clue. And, Mac, you’re gorgeous, intelligent and quite possibly saving the world. You aren’t exactly Katie McClure dating material.”
Mac frowned. “What does that mean?”
“It means you’re too good to be true. So I was looking hard for an imperfection. I jumped to a conclusion I shouldn’t have earlier. How many times do I have to apologize for that?”
“Katie, I don’t want your apology. I want you to trust me. To know that I would never do anything like that, or anything to harm you.”
She rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Mac, this will be easier if we—I…” She wasn’t sure exactly what it was she wanted to say. “I need to stay objective, and I can’t do that if we continue our, um, relationship. I fully admit that I care about you, but I still have a job to do. I have to keep my distance.”
Mac scoffed. “You’re impossible. I’m going to bed.” He grabbed his backpack and headed for the guest room.
“Mac, it’s only seven,” she said softly.
“Yes, and it’s been one long, awful day. Hopefully, the police will find out who was trying to kill me tonight, and you’ll be rid of me for good.”
Katie watched, speechless. Why couldn’t he understand this was for his own good? She didn’t want to be rid of him. In fact, it took every bit of strength she had to keep from running after him and begging him to forgive her.
She leaned back against the desk and stared out the window onto the terrace.
The police shouldn’t be the only ones looking for his killer. Katie needed to find him or her before it was too late. Gathering up her files and notes from the investigation, along with the copies of the confessions and details from the police, she sat down at the desk.
The killer was somewhere in the files. She was sure of it.
16
MAC FOUND IT DIFFICULT to stay angry as he peeked in on Katie, who was asleep on the couch. She looked angelic lying there with her hair fluffed out on a pillow. The files she’d been reading long into the night were scattered around her.
Last night he’d had every intention of making things right with her, of showing her that he was someone she could trust. But his temper had gotten the better of him. The crazy thing was, he didn’t even have a temper. Sure, he was frustrated when he couldn’t work out a formula, but he couldn’t remember the last time he’d even raised his voice.
You’ve never cared enough to fight for someone in the past.
That was true. Katie was worth fighting for, and he’d do almost anything to win her trust. But he understood that when it came to the tough private investigator, her trust was something earned. She wouldn’t be manipulated or cajoled. He understood that now.
At least they had more time together. The circumstances surrounding the situation weren’t the best, though. He couldn’t imagine who was trying to kill him now. The past few days had seemed like some kind of surreal television episode. Nothing made sense anymore, except for Katie.
He’d known just by the look on her face that she’d felt responsible f
or the accident the night before, but she shouldn’t have. Even the police had been fooled into believing the case had been solved.
Mac had a feeling she’d be anxious to get on the case right away, and he wouldn’t keep her from it. But he also had to check on his greenhouses after the blizzard. Everything was temperature controlled, but one couldn’t be too careful. He knew she wouldn’t allow him to go off on his own, which meant he’d have to convince her to take at least half a day to run out to the country with him.
Katie’s phone jangled and he stepped back into his room and shut the door before she could see him.
His body was stiff. Maybe a hot shower would loosen him up and give him time to think about how he could persuade Katie to believe that what had happened to him wasn’t her fault. They’d never be able to move forward if she didn’t stop blaming herself.
He’d help her with the investigation. In his line of work he was known for finding solutions to the toughest problems.
It’s another type of equation, and when we have all the variables we plug in the facts. I can do this.
KATIE PULLED HER HAIR BACK in a short ponytail as she answered the door. Room service had arrived with coffee and the warm scent was so delicious she couldn’t get to it fast enough. She signed the check and poured a cup for herself and one for Mac.
She stared at his door for a full minute before deciding she should knock. She’d never been a coward about anything in her life and she wasn’t going to start now. She’d made some big mistakes the day before, and she’d owned up to them.
She tapped lightly on his door.
He didn’t answer.
Great. Now what?
Maybe he was still sleeping. Or he might have a concussion.
She Who Dares, Wins Page 11