by Jo Leigh
“I don’t want to lose you. You’re the only thing in my life that makes any sense. Except for this part,” he said.
“This part does, too. I’m going to do this right, Jack. You’ll just have to trust me and believe my instincts are good.”
She kissed him again. A long hard kiss that made him pray the night watchman would throw her out on her beautiful behind.
It was just after two when she slipped from his hold. He checked his watch twice. “If you’re not out of there in half an hour, I’m calling the cavalry.”
“I can’t do anything in half an hour. But I’ll be back by four-fifteen.” She got out of the car. “Put on your thingy,” she said before slamming the heavy door.
He smiled. But he knew what she meant. He slipped on the earphones and turned on the transmitter. Meanwhile she put her little earpiece in and then double-checked her wire. Then she walked down the street. “Can you hear me?”
He winced. “You don’t have to shout.”
“Is this better?”
“Yes. Just talk in a normal tone of voice.”
“Can you tell I’m shaking in my boots?”
He could tell her to come back now, to stop this before it got out of hand. But she wouldn’t. She’d go on without his support. Without his voice in her ear. “You sound fine. Like you do this for a living.”
She started across the street. “Wish me luck.”
“Come back to me,” he said right into his mike. “That’s all I ask. I don’t want to go on without you.”
“You won’t have to. I promise.”
“If anything feels weird, don’t hesitate. Just get out.”
“Jack?”
“What?”
“Shut up. I’m going inside.”
His adrenaline spiked, and he wondered if he was going to have a heart attack before she got past the watchman. Wouldn’t that be nice.
Dammit to hell, why was he so useless? He hit his hip, wincing at the very overt reminder that he wasn’t worth a damn anymore. He was letting a woman do his dirty work for him. His woman.
If there was a lower feeling in the world, he didn’t want to know about it.
Then he heard her voice. Or what he assumed was her voice. She sounded more like Crystal. Low and sexy, her voice was like slow-flowing molasses. And her story, jeez. Something about a diamond necklace and a reward and Craig Faraday’s wife.
Jack had to smile. He could hear her beguiling the night watchman. Sucking him in. She couldn’t have done this a couple of weeks ago. The woman he’d met that first day wouldn’t have had it in her. But since then, she’d saved two lives. Megan’s and his. She’d given them shelter. She’d made them forget that the world was a damn harsh place.
If anyone could get past that guard, it was her.
“Oh, thank you so much,” he heard her say.
He must have missed the denouement. The moment the guard surrendered.
But he heard her walking now, her heels clicking on the hard floor. And a heavier tread.
“Thank you so much, Darrel,” Hailey said again in his earphones. “I can’t believe how foolish I’ve been. I promise, I won’t be in there more than five minutes.”
She’d been right about the dress, hadn’t she? He’d told her to wear black. Pants, shirt, everything. She’d come out in black, all right. A black dress that fit her like a second skin.
The ding of the elevator sounded, but he didn’t hear footsteps. Carpet, that had to be why. He turned up the volume, dying to know what was happening. Nothing, and then, “No, no. Please don’t bother. I know you must have a great deal of work to do. I’ll just be a few minutes, and then I’ll come down and sign out.”
Jack couldn’t believe it. She’d gotten the guard to open the door for her.
“Jack?”
He lifted the mike to his mouth. “Yeah?”
“I’m inside.”
“I know.”
“I’m going to look in Faraday’s desk.”
“Hurry.”
“Trust me. I will. But, Jack?”
“Uh-huh?”
“I was right about the dress.”
“I’ll congratulate you properly when you get out of there.”
“Ah, incentives,” she said. “I like that.”
“Stop talking and hurry up.”
“Oh, God. I’m scared to death.”
“I’m right across from the parking lot,” he said. “I can see the front entrance, too. If anyone goes in, I’ll tell you.”
“Okay. But, Jack?”
He shook his head, but then he heard a drawer open. So she wasn’t just standing at the door talking to him. Good girl. “Yes?”
“There’s something I forgot to tell you.”
“What?”
“I’m in love with you.”
Chapter Seventeen
Hailey was shaking so hard it was difficult to use her hands. She had lucked out so far, but with every second that went by she felt more and more afraid. What if the guard had just acted nice, but then called Faraday? Or the police?
“Jack?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t you have anything you want to say to me?”
“I do, but I don’t want to say it over a microphone.”
“This desk drawer is locked,” she said.
He closed his eyes, debating whether to lie to her and tell her Faraday was entering the building. No. She was already inside. If she could get the proof they needed, it would change everything for her and Megan. And for him. But dammit to hell, he never wanted to feel this helpless again. “Use the lock pick I showed you how to use.”
“On the desk?”
“It’s the same principle.”
“Okay, hold on.”
He listened more intently than ever before in his life. Every scrape, click and bang felt like a physical blow. Her breathing was louder now, too, telling him she was struggling. If he’d been up there, that drawer would have been open in seconds. But he’d never have gotten past the guard.
A light from behind startled him. Headlights from a slow-moving car. He lowered the volume on the transmitter in case it was the police. Sure enough, the blue car was a Houston PD vehicle, and any second now they were going to find him behind the wheel. That wasn’t so bad, except that it was Crystal’s car. If they were on the ball, they’d do some checking. And if they did some checking, they might find Megan.
The police pulled up right next to him and shone a bright beam of light at him. He put his hand up to shade his eyes. “Hey, knock it off,” he said. “I’m a cop.”
The light moved down and out of his eyes. “Oh, yeah?” came a deep voice.
“Yeah. I’m Detective Jack McCabe. I’ve got my ID right here.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve seen you before,” came a higher voice, the driver’s. “You’re that officer who got shot a few months ago.”
“That’s me,” he said, his vision slowly coming back so he could make out the two men in the car. He didn’t recognize either of them.
“So what are you doing out here so late?” the second cop asked.
“A favor for a dizzy dame friend of mine. She left something important up in her office. And she won’t go to bed until she gets it.”
The cop chuckled. “Dames, huh?”
“Yeah. Can’t live with ’em—” Jack began.
“Can’t lock ’em up without a warrant,” the young cop finished.
Jack laughed, hoping the car and its occupants would move on, willing it with all his power.
“You take care, Detective.”
It worked. Or maybe they’d just finished with him. “’Night,” he said, nodding. He didn’t give a damn why they were leaving, just that they were. And that they weren’t on Faraday’s payroll. He’d know that soon enough.
When they were all the way down the block and turning the corner, Jack increased the volume on the transmitter.
“Where are you! Jack!”
“I’m he
re. It’s okay.”
She sighed, her voice so shaky he thought she might be crying. “What happened?”
“A police car came by. But they’ve already left, none the wiser.” He made it sound easy, as if he didn’t have any worries about them coming back. Coming back with friends.
“Oh, my God, you nearly gave me a heart attack. Did you hear anything I said?”
“No.”
“I got the drawer open. There’s a bunch of numbered computer disks in here. Which might be something. But there’s also a couple of telephone logs, you know, the pink ones that are used to record calls?”
“Yeah, I know what they are.”
“Well, guess what. I see a whole bunch of initials. Initials we’ve both seen before.”
“So take them and get the hell out.”
“What about the disks?”
“Take those, too. But hurry. Hailey, get out of there.” He heard the sound of disks rubbing together and a soft curse, which surprised him. Then the sound of a drawer closing.
“Okay,” she said.
“Now!”
“I’m coming,” she said. “We did—Oh!”
“What is it?” he yelled, his blood growing cold at the sound of her gasp. “Hailey! Hailey!”
“Why don’t you put the purse down, miss.”
It was a male voice. Not the voice of the guard, either.
“You don’t have to point that gun at me,” Hailey said. “I’m not going to argue.”
“That’s right, you’re not. Go on, get over there.”
Jack whipped out Hailey’s cellular phone and dialed 911. He reported a heart attack at Faraday’s office. He gave a phony name. Then he called Bob. Even though it was a risk, it was a risk he’d have to take. Bob answered groggily. “Yeah?”
“It’s me,” he said. “I need help.”
“What?”
“Get over to Faraday’s office. It’s the building on Fourteenth and Alabama. Fourth floor. I’m in trouble.”
“I’m on my way.”
“And, Bob!”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t tell Frank.”
There were a few seconds of silence. “I won’t.”
Jack clicked the off button and turned his entire attention to Hailey. He didn’t know what he’d missed during his phone calls, but at least she was still talking. There hadn’t been any gunshots.
“I do know you,” she said. “You’re the detective I met at Roy Chandler’s apartment.”
Damn. She was in so much trouble. Jack brought the microphone close to his lips. “Hang on, baby. Help is on the way. You just stall him. Don’t do anything funny. I’m right here with you every step of the way.”
“What’s this? What were you planning to do with these?” the man asked roughly. “Huh? That’s breaking and entering, larceny. Hell, little gal, I’ve got you on so much you aren’t ever gonna get out of prison.”
“Don’t listen to him, Hailey. He’s not a cop. He’s a phony. Just cooperate with him. Help is coming.”
“Or maybe I should just shoot you right here. Save the taxpayers some money.”
Jack pushed open the car door and got out his gun. The problem was the transmitter. If he took that, he couldn’t use his cane. Or he’d have to put his gun away. The only thing he could do was forget the friggin’ cane.
He shut the door behind him and started across the street. Each step felt like a hot knife sinking into his flesh. He concentrated on Hailey. On listening to the conversation upstairs.
“You just sit right down, honey,” the man said. “And don’t let me see your hands move from the top of your head.”
“All right,” she said, so calmly, God bless her, that she could have convinced a bonfire to go out on its own.
“Hailey,” he said, “honey, listen to me. I’m coming, baby. I’m coming to get you. You just stay cool for a little while longer.”
He heard a soft whimper, as if she was holding back a cry.
“And, honey? I love you, too. I do. I don’t need any more time to figure it out. I know it. I’ve known it for days.” He got to the front of the office building and tried to move faster so he could get inside. He took a wrong step and he almost fell, but he didn’t. He just gritted his teeth and kept on moving.
“You’re the only thing that matters to me, Hailey, so you can’t do anything wrong. I never should have let you go up there. I don’t want to live without you.”
Again he heard the whimper.
“When I get up there, what we’re going to do is make an offer. We’re going to give them the damn ledger, okay? We’ll give them anything they want, as long as they let you go. As long as they leave Megan alone. Nothing is more important than you, do you hear me?”
“Hey!” The phony cop’s voice cut in. “What the—”
Silence. Nothing, not a sigh, not a breath, not a whimper. “Hailey!” he yelled into the microphone. “Hailey!” But she didn’t answer.
The bastard had seen her wire. Now he knew she had an accomplice. And that she’d probably signaled for help. Which meant he might just kill her and leave. Or take her with him. Or, oh, God, he didn’t know, but he had to get to her. If he had to climb the building by himself, he’d get to her.
He pulled open the glass door, scaring the night watchman so badly he almost fell off his stool.
“Hey!”
Jack headed right for the elevator. “I’m a cop. More cops are coming. Tell them I’m in Faraday’s office.” Then he pushed the button again and again, wishing he could take the stairs. Wishing he’d never let her go.
“I’m calling the police!” the guard shouted.
“I already did, but be my guest,” Jack said. And then the elevator arrived. He lurched inside and pushed the button for the fourth floor. The elevator seemed to take forever. Jack got ready to go, clicking the safety off his gun, leaning on his good leg, taking calming breaths just as Hailey had taught him.
And then the doors opened—at the third floor. He hit the fourth-floor button again, but now it wouldn’t stay lit.
The guard! The guard had stopped the elevator, and Hailey was up there alone.
He banged his fist on the wall. Hard. And then he got moving. He needed to find the staircase, and fast.
HAILEY STUDIED THE MAN with the gun as if her life depended on it. He wasn’t bright, but then she’d known that when she’d seen him at Roy’s apartment. But that just made him more likely to shoot first and ask questions later.
Her best bet was to keep on playing the innocent miss. A smarter man would have made the connection that a person who’s just broken into an office and taken private disks from a locked drawer probably didn’t get there by mistake.
But her biggest worry wasn’t the hulking man going through her purse. It was Jack. He was sure to be thinking the worst now that their communication was cut off. And knowing Jack, she was positive he was coming after her.
Which made it twice as hard to be still, to act calm. She’d never meant to put Jack’s life in danger. She’d actually never thought her own life would be in danger. What would Megan do without either of them? She blinked back tears. This was no time to fall apart.
JACK LOOKED UP the long staircase. It seemed like Everest to him. A torturous journey that would go on forever. Even with his cane, it would have been too much for him.
But the thought of Hailey gave him the courage to take the first step. He gasped with the pain, clutching his hip. Hailey. He took another step. And another. By the time he was halfway up, he was sweating. His legs were shaking, the muscles in his thighs trembling with the effort of carrying him. He wouldn’t let the pain win. Hailey.
Finally he made it to the landing. He turned and moaned. There was yet another set of stairs, this one not as long as the one he’d just climbed, but even a curb would hurt him now. But he had to keep going. Putting one foot up a stair, holding on to the rail, then dragging the other foot up to the same stair. Then doing it again and again
, until he thought his hip would give out.
It didn’t. He made it to the fourth-floor door. He needed a moment to catch his breath, and as he gulped in oxygen, he thought about before. Before, he would have climbed this stupid staircase in two seconds, three steps at a time. No. Before, he wouldn’t have had to go after Hailey, because he’d have gone himself.
Which is what he should have done, anyway. He should have gone, despite his injury. Despite everything. He’d been a fool. He’d let Frank’s betrayal get to him. He’d felt sorry for himself, and now look what had happened. He’d put her in harm’s way. The one person who mattered. The woman he loved, and he’d put her in danger.
The agony of his thoughts was worse than the pain in his hip. He opened the door slowly, listening. He didn’t hear anything at all.
Holding his breath, he stepped into the corridor. It was empty. A sign on the wall told him Faraday’s office was to his right. He headed that way, holding his pistol steady. Fighting the urge to cry out as he supported himself on his bad leg.
Just as he reached the men’s-room door, he heard the elevator ding. Someone was here. Either it was Bob or the fire department or one of Faraday’s men.
He pushed himself into the men’s room, grateful it wasn’t locked. It was very dark, and he didn’t turn on the light. Instead, he opened the door a sliver. He couldn’t see the corridor, but he could hear.
Footsteps. It sounded like one person. Whoever it was passed the washroom, then Jack couldn’t hear anything more. He must have gone inside. There might be someone else stationed at the elevator door. Jack would have to risk it.
He stepped out slowly, leading with his gun. But there was no one by the elevator. Moving as quickly as he could, he continued down the hall to Faraday’s office. Just as he reached the door, he heard Bob Dorran’s voice. Thank God.
But the words, they weren’t right.
“He’s sitting in a Cadillac, around the corner. He’s crippled, but he can still use his gun. Keep quiet—don’t tip him off. Then kill him.”
Jack lurched backward, almost falling. Bob? His best friend? The betrayal rocked him. He wanted to march into the room and confront Bob, but now wasn’t the time. He had to be invisible while Bob’s partner went out. The reception desk! He dived straight for it, praying his gun wouldn’t go off. That he’d be able to hide before he made the gunman’s job that much easier.