Hudson put on his hat, pushed his shoulders back and walked up the concrete driveway, looking like a man on a mission. His resolve to get to the bottom of this mystery was obvious.
She admired the handsome constable even though he annoyed her at times. He’d mellowed since the last case they’d worked on. His bossy attitude was almost nonexistent now. They had earlier butted heads more times than she could count. It had gotten to the point where they almost didn’t catch Jake because they couldn’t work together. She shoved her thoughts away and followed Hudson up the front steps.
He rang the bell.
The double oak doors opened and a butler smiled. “May I help you, Officers?”
Hudson tipped his hat. “Yes, we’re looking for Benji Rossiter. Is he in?”
The butler glanced over his shoulder and back again. “I’m not sure.”
Kaylin stepped forward. “Can you check? It’s of vital importance we speak with him.”
“I’ll see—”
“Rupert, who is it?” David Rossiter pushed the butler aside and stepped into the doorway. His expression tightened. “You two again? What do you want? Haven’t you already caused enough damage?”
Hudson’s arms stiffened at his side. “Our investigation is ongoing and we have more questions for Benji.”
“Hasn’t he already sacrificed enough?”
Kaylin sensed more had gone on between this father and son after the takedown. But what? “Sir, we only need a few moments of his time. Is your wife home? Perhaps we could speak to all of you at once.”
“It’s just the two of us. She’s deceased.” The man crossed his arms, his body language clearly depicting he was done with this conversation. He eased the door shut.
Hudson stuck his foot in the way. “You have two options. Let us question him here or we’ll have to take him into the station.”
“Do you have a warrant?”
“We can get one, but do you really want to go over this again?”
Mr. Rossiter swore and opened the door. “Fine, but you only have five minutes.” He went to the stairs. “Benji, get your butt down here. Now.” His voice roared throughout the massive home.
Their footsteps echoed in the Victorian-style foyer. The tile floor sparkled in the sunlight beaming in from the window at the end of the hall. The kitchen stood off to the right, but Mr. Rossiter led them to the living room. The modern room lay spotless, leaving Kaylin to surmise that this residence also housed a full-time housekeeper. Nothing but the best for the Rossiter family.
Benji bounded down the circular stairs, headphones blaring out music.
“Turn that off and get in here,” Mr. Rossiter said as he sat in an oversize cushioned chair. “Benji, what did you do now that warrants a visit from our city’s finest?”
Kaylin noticed Hudson’s raised brow at Mr. Rossiter’s sarcasm.
Benji’s eyes widened and he plunked himself onto the sofa. “Don’t know.”
Hudson sat in a wingback chair. “I think you probably do.” He leaned forward. “What were you doing at Blaine Ridley’s apartment?”
“I wasn’t there.”
Kaylin paced. “Then why were your fingerprints all over it? What were you looking for?”
Benji played with his headphones. “I don’t need to tell you anything. I know my rights.”
Like father, like son. These two were impossible. Trying to get information out of this young lad was like paddling against the current. They were getting nowhere. She’d try a different tactic. “Do you want your sentence lengthened? Tell us what we need to know, and we may not add this to your list of offenses.”
Benji eyed his father.
Mr. Rossiter scowled and twirled his university ring on his finger. “Son, tell them the truth. What were you doing there, and who is Blaine Ridley?”
Benji stood and walked to the window. “He’s someone...someone I met during a drug exchange. One of my suppliers.”
Kaylin sensed the kid’s fear in his shaky voice. He was scared of something. “Why didn’t you tell us about him before?”
“Because he told me he’d kill me and I believed him.”
Hudson walked to the window and placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “We’ll keep you safe, Benji. What were you looking for at his apartment? Why trash it?”
Benji spun around. “What? I did no such thing. He confiscated a journal I had of my drug sales. I just wanted it back, but I swear I only looked in his drawers. That’s all.”
If he didn’t ransack Blaine’s apartment, then who did? Kaylin glanced at Hudson.
He raised his brow. Seems like he had the same question. Instead, he asked, “How did you meet Blaine?”
“He took over from another seller. That was when he wanted my journal.”
So there was more to the kid’s business than he’d shared yesterday. “Why did he do that?” Kaylin sat on the other end of the plush sofa.
“He was angry I wrote down all my buys. Names, dates, everything. Said they wouldn’t like it.”
“They?”
Benji shrugged. “That’s all I know. I promise.”
Hudson stared out the window. The sun’s rays shone through and he squinted. “Did you find the journal?”
“Yes.”
“We’re gonna need that,” Hudson said.
“Why?” Benji rubbed the back of his neck.
Kaylin noticed his body language shift. What would be revealed from this journal that he didn’t want them to find? “There could be valuable information in it for us. Names and dates that could coincide with drug busts or cross-border shipments.”
Benji glanced at his father. Was he looking for his approval?
Mr. Rossiter stood. “Get it for them, Benji. You’re done with all that drug nonsense, so you don’t need it. Okay, Officers, you got what you wanted. Time to go.”
Was Benji telling them everything this time or would they find out he was lying? Kaylin wasn’t sure. He seemed to be truthful but she still got a bad vibe from him and his father. Could it just be a bad relationship?
Kaylin, not every father is like yours.
Benji left and returned moments later, handing the journal to Hudson. The frown on his face told Kaylin that he didn’t want to part with it. That he still planned on selling drugs even after they’d busted him. Why wouldn’t he learn?
They exited the mansion and she opened the cruiser’s door.
A black F-150 swerved up the driveway, blocking their path. The truck’s doors opened. Two masked men emerged and pointed an MP5 submachine gun in their direction.
Her heartbeat quickened.
Hudson and Kaylin reached for their weapons but a voice called out, “Don’t move.” The taller of the two men stepped forward. “We only want her.” He pointed the barrel of his gun in Kaylin’s direction.
She raised her arms, her shallow breath catching in her throat. How did they find her?
* * *
Hudson’s head pounded not only from his migraine, but from the perilous situation at hand. How did these men know where to find them? They hadn’t been followed to the Rossiter residence. He kept his hand on the Smith & Wesson still holstered at his hip. “Who are you and what do you want with Kaylin?”
“None of your concern, Constable. Take your hand off that gun of yours.” He stepped closer, raising his rifle higher. “Or she and your nephew die.”
Wait. What? How did they know about Matthew? Hudson obeyed while he racked his mind for a solution that wouldn’t get anyone hurt. He lifted his hands in surrender but inched closer to one of the assailants. “Tell us what you want.”
A sneer peeked out from behind the man’s mask. “I told you. He wants her.”
“He?”
Kaylin’s gaze met his, her eyes clouded.
“The boss.”
<
br /> Could he mean Valentino? “Look, you don’t have to do this. Surrender and we’ll take that into—”
The mansion’s front door opened and David stepped out. “Hey, what’s going on here? Get off my property.”
The masked man jerked his weapon in David’s direction.
David halted at the sight of drawn machine guns, raising his hands. “Whoa.”
It was enough of a distraction to act. Both Kaylin and Hudson whipped out their weapons, crouching behind the back of the cruiser.
“Get back in the house, Mr. Rossiter,” Hudson said, then he turned back to the gunman. “Give it up, man. You won’t get away with this.”
The silent masked man fired in their direction, bullets spraying the area.
Kaylin and Hudson shot back.
A bullet tore into the first man’s leg. He yelled and gripped his thigh, stumbling backward.
“It’s over,” Hudson said.
The other man fired. “Come on, Blaine. It’s not worth it.”
Blaine?
The men scrambled into the truck and screeched out of the driveway, racing down the street.
Hudson jumped into the cruiser. “Get in!”
She obeyed and he pulled out after them. He radioed for backup and supplied their location.
The F-150 turned right into the noon rush hour traffic and cut off other cars. Horns blared as vehicles swerved to get out of the truck’s path.
Hudson followed with his siren blaring and lights flashing. “You okay?” he asked Kaylin, keeping his eyes on the road.
“I don’t understand how they found me.”
His hands tightened on the wheel. “I don’t know.” An overwhelming urgency to protect her punched him in the gut, catching him off guard. “Turn off your cell phone. Just in case.”
She pressed the power button.
The truck barreled through a stoplight, barely missing a car. The driver slammed on the brakes and swerved in front of a CRV. Metal screeched as other vehicles rammed into the Honda, effectively blocking their pursuit.
Hudson braked, and Kaylin lurched forward from the motion.
He banged the steering wheel. Another lead lost. He grabbed his radio and reported their position and the direction the F-150 had fled. Other officers would continue with the chase. He requested EMS to the scene.
Two hours later, Hudson sat across from Kaylin at a local Tim Horton’s coffee shop. He entered a report on the masked men and pursuit into his company laptop. Paperwork. Part of the job he hated. Took too much time. Time he didn’t have right now. How did the masked men know about his nephew? Were they watching him, too?
He took a sip of his dark roast coffee and studied Kaylin. Her slender fingers shook as she traced an entry in Benji’s journal. He reached over and placed his hand on top of hers, liking how it felt.
He jolted. No, he couldn’t go there. He drew back. “You okay?”
She eyed his reaction and pinched her brows together. “I’m fine.” She tapped her thumb on the book. “I had a thought. What if someone else knew about this journal and they also broke into Blaine’s apartment to look for it? Benji said he didn’t ransack it. What if the next person did? Did the Ident team find any other prints?”
“Bianca only told me about Benji’s. Let me check.” He pulled out his phone and selected her number. Anything to distract him from this beautiful woman before him.
“What can I do for you, Hudson?” Bianca’s voice held an irritation to it.
“Sorry to bother you. Can you tell me if the team found any other prints in the apartment apart from Benji’s?” He held his breath in anticipation of some good news.
“There was another full print, but we haven’t been able to find a match for it on CPIC.”
Figured. Another dead end. “Anything from the van?”
“We scoured the back of it but came up empty.”
“What about who it was registered to?” Hudson took a bite of his apple fritter. The freshness melted in his mouth.
He heard papers rustling. “DJ’s Florist on Walker Road.”
He grabbed his notebook and wrote it down. “Thanks. We’ll check it out.”
Kaylin dunked her tea bag in her cup. “Nothing?” she asked when he ended the call.
“Nope, just the name of the florist that owned the van. Ident found another print, but no matches.”
His phone dinged, announcing an email. He hit a key and forwarded it to Bianca. “Got the nurse’s picture from the security guard. I sent it to Bianca. Maybe she can get a hit.”
“Hopefully.”
An employee turned on the TV above the fireplace. The news appeared on the screen. Images of a recent fire flashed in the background with a female reporter on location.
“Let’s look at this journal,” Kaylin told him, diverting her attention from the muted TV. “What do you see?” She leaned forward at the same time he did. They bumped heads and held each other’s gaze.
Hudson smiled.
She pulled away, glanced at the TV and then back to him.
He cleared his throat and drew his attention away from her, reminding himself that he had a case to solve. He flipped through the pages of the journal. “Names, dates and amounts of Benji’s exchanges with these dealers. Plus the type of drug.”
“Anything stick out to you?”
He ran his finger down the entries. “I see Blaine’s name in here a few times. Many others but no Valentino or Percy. Yesterday could have been their first meet.”
“Do you recognize any of the names?” Kaylin leaned closer again and peered at the journal. A strand of hair escaped her ponytail.
He reached out and tucked it behind her ear.
A small gasp escaped her lips.
Did he really just do that?
He brushed it off and pointed to an entry. “Some from past drug arrests.”
“How far back do the dates go?”
He turned more pages. “Couple years. Seems Benji has been selling for a while.”
“I thought doda was only on the rise now?”
“It’s been out there for years, but it just recently became more prevalent.” He checked the entries. “Looks like he’s been dealing it for a year. Before that it was heroin.”
Kaylin finished her tea. “I sure hope Benji gets out of selling and doing drugs. He’s a smart kid. His father—” She eyed the TV and he noticed her face blanch.
Hudson grabbed her arm. “What is it?”
Tears welled in her eyes as she pointed to the news report on the TV. “My father is in danger. That’s his station.”
SEVEN
Kaylin focused on the news broadcast. The hairs on her arms stood at attention. A police report flashed on the screen along with her father’s picture in the corner. Yellow caution tape flapped in the breeze outside the Windsor police station as the female reporter spoke into her microphone. Kaylin bolted out of her chair. Its crash echoed in the small coffee shop, causing other patrons to turn in her direction.
She ignored them and read the caption running across the screen.
WINDSOR POLICE CHIEF MARSHALL POIRIER ATTEMPTED ABDUCTION FOILED.
What?
Hudson stood, eyes peeled to the TV.
Sweat beaded on Kaylin’s forehead and a wave of nausea rose in her throat. She swallowed to ward it off and went to raise the volume on the TV in order to hear the blonde reporter.
“Sources tell us that the police chief barely escaped as two masked men tried to abduct him when he pulled in front of the station thirty minutes ago.”
Could it be the same men who had tried to snatch her?
She didn’t know Hudson had approached her till he grazed her fingers. “He’s okay.”
She snatched her hand away. “I have to call him.” She rushed to the washroom
and into a stall. Tears spilled down her cheeks. Why the sudden emotion over the father she barely tolerated?
He’s the only family you have left.
Thoughts raced through her mind as her head spun. She placed a hand on each wall to steady herself. Her breath came in rapid bursts as her pulse raced. Fast. Faster. She couldn’t stop it. The memories rolled in like tumbleweed through a deserted town. Her lip quivered as a scene flashed before her.
“Daddy, I got a B-minus, not an F. Why are you mad at me?” Her ten-year-old fingers crunched the test paper in her hands.
Her father’s eyes narrowed. “You can do better.”
“But, Daddy, I did my best.” Tears threatened to spill from her eyes.
His face reddened. “Are you disagreeing with me, little girl?”
She bit her lip but stayed silent.
“No daughter of mine will be so worthless as to get a B-minus.”
She raised her chin. “Don’t you love me, Daddy?”
“Why, you ungrateful—” He grabbed the paper and tore it in two.
Why did she have to ask that question? She knew better than to get him mad. Lately, it seemed like it didn’t take much. Nothing she did was good enough.
After that episode, she never asked her father again if he loved her. Oh, he had tried to make amends for his verbal abuse, but she found it hard to forgive him. Even after he finally acknowledged her success in the CBSA.
Despite memories like that one, she still needed to find out if he was okay. She turned her cell phone back on and punched in his number.
“Hey, Pumpkin. Don’t worry, I’m all right.”
Kaylin pulled her shoulders back and lifted her head. “Did you catch them?”
“No. I couldn’t ID them, either, but one had a bandaged leg.”
The masked man Hudson had shot. “They tried to grab me earlier, too.”
“What? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Kaylin wiped her eyes and stepped out of the stall. Why hadn’t she? “I got too busy.” Not a good excuse. “Why are they targeting us?”
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