Expired Refuge

by Lisa Phillips

  Conroy said, “Probably when we look at his phone, we’ll know. Am I right?”

  Meena said nothing. Another look ghosted across her eyes.

  Mia knew that look. She grabbed her sister’s elbow and pulled her to her feet. Meena was so surprised by Mia’s actions, she reacted by straightening her legs under her. Given the heels on her boots, that put her slightly taller than Mia.

  “You’re coming to the police department. Voluntarily.” She tugged on her sister’s elbow. “I want to know everything you know about Anthony Stiles and your boyfriend’s association with him.”

  “Boyfriend?” Summers stormed over. “What are they talking about?”

  “Get out of the way.” Mia moved past him.

  Her stomach could hardly stand the sight of him. She wanted to hurl on the ground, but she might end up puking on key evidence that could nail Anthony Stiles.

  Summers turned to the body, then followed them. “Garrett? Really Meena?”

  She spun back, twisting in Mia’s hold just above her elbow. “Yes, Garrett!” Meena screamed the words at him.

  “Easy.” She tugged on her sister’s arm.

  Meena shoved Mia away, a two-handed push at her shoulders that sent her stumbling back. “Leave me alone! I’m not going anywhere with you!”

  “You’re out.”

  Both of them spun around to Summers. Meena said, “What?!”

  “You’re done, woman.” He leaned close to her face. “Not worth the trouble I always have to haul you out of.”

  Meena actually looked scared. “Don’t—”

  She stopped herself. As though she’d suddenly decided not to argue with Ed. Then Meena said, “He…”

  “Yeah.” Ed nodded, knowing and amused by whatever it was that he knew. “Done.”

  She screamed in his face. “I hate you!”

  “Newsflash, Meens. I wasn’t in it for this.” He waved at her, up and down. “And now our arrangement is over.”

  Because he was angry she’d been involved with someone who worked for him. Mia had thought her sister had power in whatever operation Summers had going on. Now, it was clear she didn’t. But apparently there was someone in charge. Someone else.

  She screamed again in his face.

  “Let’s go.” Mia tugged on her arm.

  Meena went with her, but it was obviously under protest. “Like you’re trying to help me out.”

  “Maybe I am.”

  Meena let out a pfft noise.

  “So don’t believe me.” Mia shrugged. “Your guy is still dead, and there’s another guy trying to kill me. Since we have the same build and similar enough hair, I’d think you might have a vested interest in helping me find him. Otherwise you could get picked off by mistake.”

  “Like Garrett?”

  “This wasn’t a mistake,” Mia said. “Don’t let your death be one.”

  “Like you care.”

  “You’re my sister.”

  “You and I haven’t been sisters in a long time. No point pretending otherwise when you all abandoned me.”

  “Mara is dead. I left. Dad’s still here, right? At least, he was when I left the house.”

  “Nice for you. Getting to stop by for a visit.” Meena said, “He told me to never come back.”

  “When?”

  “I haven’t seen him in years.”

  Mia said nothing. They walked down the path, toward the house. Years since she’d seen their father? At least Mia and her dad sent each other the occasional email.

  She looked at the trail in front of them and something occurred to her. “You’ve been on one path for a long time. Probably longer than I even realized.” Mia didn’t give her sister the chance to argue. She just said, “It’s time to get off that path. Find a new one that doesn’t put you in a place like this.”

  The house was in view now.

  Mia motioned to it. “Drug dealers. Thugs. And you’re what? I don’t even want to know. But it’s time to be done.”

  “Give them all up to save your life?” Meena’s painted-on eyebrows rose. “No matter that mine is worth nothing.” She leaned in, talking low right in Mia’s face. “Not without the pull I got being here. And you’ll never persuade me to trade that in.”

  “Ed already did. Our sister’s killer has tossed you out.”

  Talk about having nothing. It was like a bad breakup and the dissolution of a business partnership all in one swoop.

  “Anthony Stiles is out there. He shot that guy, Garrett, between his eyes. Executed him.” Mia paused. “And for what?”

  Meena pressed her lips together. “Fine. I’ll tell you what I know.”

  Twenty-three

  Conroy turned back to Wilcox. “What was that?”

  She’d said something, but he’d been watching Mia and her sister so hadn’t caught it.

  “Go.” She waved towards the two women. “I got this.”

  He glanced between Summers and the two officers. She was right. “I’ll get the phone to the office.”

  Wilcox nodded. “I’ll call if we get anything here.”

  He realized what didn’t fit. “Where is Tate?”

  “Gone.”

  She turned away before he could read on her face how she felt about that. Conroy approached Summers on his way to follow Mia. “Stay back. Let them work.”

  Summers said nothing, but his face was plenty loud.

  “Don’t get in this.” Conroy said, “Unless, of course, there’s something you want to share with me about Anthony Stiles?”

  “Who?”

  Conroy wanted to sigh. Loudly. Instead, he pulled out his phone and showed Summers a picture. “Seen this guy around?”

  “That the guy who did this?” Ed motioned at the man.

  “Was Garrett really sleeping with Meena, cheating on you?”

  Ed shrugged. Summers didn’t seem too bothered by the fact his “girlfriend,” or whatever Meena was to him, hadn’t been faithful. He said, “It’s not that kind of thing. She and I.” He said nothing else.

  “I’m leaving.” He tossed his keys over to Wilcox, who caught them one-handed out of the air.

  “Later, Lieutenant.”

  Conroy walked away, wondering why that sounded like an insult. Or a threat. Ed Summers might have stolen Conroy’s girlfriend, but that was years ago. It had no bearing on what was going on now.

  He would get Summers eventually. Probably when he figured out what Ed knew about Anthony Stiles. What Tate was working on. Most of that would come when Ed decided it was in his own best interest to tell Conroy—which would be when Ed had a mess he figured Conroy should clean up.

  He’d do it to bring a criminal to justice and keep people safe. But that didn’t mean he’d try and pin any old charges on Ed Summers.

  Conroy picked up his pace to a loose jog and caught up with Mia. She stood close to her sister. Low conversation, body language pretty tense.

  Meena spotted him and said something to her sister he couldn’t hear. Mia broke off. They both turned to him.

  “You’re taking her back to the police department, right?”

  It wasn’t really a question. He needed to get whatever Meena had to say to her sister on record. Officially.

  “To do the interview I’m already conducting?”

  Mia said it, but Meena was the one who smiled. Conroy said, “I want this all done above board.”

  He didn’t mistake her look. “This is my case.”

  “That may be so,” Conroy said. “But you’re also the victim. That can’t be forgotten.”

  Meena twisted back to her sister. From the look on her face, it seemed she hadn’t realized that, even though it was, in part, because of her.

  Conroy shot her a look. “You want to help us, then this needs to be an official conversation.”

  They needed a lead to follow, something admissible in court. But there was no way she would consent to a conversation on the record.

  “You think this Anthony Stiles guy ha
s anything to do with me?”

  “I think he killed your boyfriend.” Conroy folded his arms. “Which means you have motivation to help me bring him in.”

  Meena scrunched up her nose. “Not sure that’s what I got outta that.” She motioned up the path. “That guy’s gonna pay, though. You can count on it.”

  “You wanna go off on a vendetta?” He had a serious problem with people who took the law into their own hands. Conroy was the police. He had people that were trained—and the shields to prove it—to help him bring about justice. Meena wasn’t the one who would be doing that. Nor would Ed. Not if he could help it.

  Mia turned to her sister. “A vendetta is what started all this. Don’t let it spiral out of control so that even more people get hurt. It won’t end well.”

  Two men were already dead, one of them someone Meena cared about. But Conroy still didn’t think appealing to her sister’s emotions was going to get them anywhere. Except perhaps on the sidelines while Meena tried to take out Anthony Stiles herself. An act to avenge her boyfriend’s death.

  Mia motioned toward the car. “Let’s go. I’m sure Conroy has work to do. He can…catch up, or something.”

  “I’m coming with you.” She had to realize that. If he was to ever prove she could trust him—and if she was ever to put aside her grief over her sister’s death in order to forgive his part in it—then they would have to be around each other to work on things.

  “Besides,” he said. “I left Wilcox the car, so I need a ride.”

  She spun back to him, not in the least bit fooled. “I don’t need your help. I’m a federal agent, remember? I know how to interview a witness. And if you want that done officially, then fine. Your jurisdiction—”

  “Good you know that.”

  “—but I don’t need a babysitter. This is my case, and I’m investigating it.”

  “Victim.”

  He said that one word, low and close to her face. He’d rather be talking softly this close to her face for an entirely different reason. But apparently he wasn’t going to have the chance to do that anytime soon.

  Guess that meant it was just work between them.

  For now.

  She wanted to play it that way? Fine by him. Not that he thought this was a game to her. But he did think she was still pushing him away, using her job right now as an excuse to protect herself from all the ways Conroy made her feel vulnerable.

  “Why are you smiling?”

  “No reason.” He let his lips part, thoroughly amused now. She was off-kilter. He threw her, challenged her, probably infuriated her, and definitely attracted her.

  “Whatever. I’m taking my sister.” She set off. “See you later.”

  Conroy just stood there smiling. “I don’t imagine you’ll get very far.”

  “Don’t doubt me. I’m good at what I do.”

  “Mmm.”

  She glanced back at him, serious irritation on her face.

  Conroy said, “I need a ride back to the police department. That’s you.” He rocked forward, then back, on his heels. She knew this. Now the ball was in her court for what happened next.

  “I should just leave you here. Or make you walk to town.”

  “But you wouldn’t do that. Because you’re a professional.”

  If he wanted to play dirty, he could. Conroy had the ability to make things difficult for her if he said anything to the ATF. Mia was technically supposed to have reported to them what was happening. She hadn’t called in even once, for whatever personal reasons she had.

  That made him all the more determined to see this through with her. Make sure Stiles was caught, and she wasn’t hurt. At least, not more than she had already been.

  “Fine.”

  The ride into town was as frosty as her tone. Meena smirking. Mia not saying anything, determined to do what she’d set her mind already to do.

  They walked into the police department with Conroy feeling pretty pleased with himself. “Kaylee, if you could find us a room, I’d be grateful.”

  “Lieutenant.” She hit the buzzer and admitted them to the bull pen. “Room two is open.”

  He led the way, and Mia walked her sister into room two after him. “Have a seat please, Meena. Coffee?”

  He took their orders—both women looking at him like he’d grown an additional head—and turned on the surveillance camera on the way out, so they’d have it on file if Meena said anything while he was out of the room. Conroy found their tech in his office, a room no bigger than a storage closet, and asked to have access to everything he could get downloaded from the phone.

  The sisters broke off their conversation again the second he re-entered the room holding three mugs with two hands.

  He set them on the table.

  Meena tugged hers over and took a sip.

  Conroy set his phone on the table between them so she could see the photo of Stiles. “Tell me what you know about this guy.”

  “I’ve seen him around.” She shrugged one shoulder. She was more slender than her sister, but only in a way that told a story about who she was and the substances she’d allowed into her body.

  “With Garrett?”

  “Yeah…maybe.”

  “You either did, or you didn’t.” Mia leaned against the table, her coffee untouched. “Either you know this guy and you can help us, or you can’t and this was a waste of time.”

  Meena glanced up at her sister. “This guy really the one who killed Garrett?”

  “And poisoned a dog that bit me.”

  “Yeah, but…he killed Garrett?”

  “That’s what we think,” Conroy said. “We just don’t know why. Can you tell me who was driving that red car, the one that pulled in right before we got to Summers’s place?”

  “Garrett came back to the house in that. But I have no idea where he got it from.” Meena spread her fingers on the table. “Never even seen it before.”

  “Then he ran off into the woods.”

  “No idea about that either, until I saw you guys walk in. Tried to call him, but he didn’t answer.”

  That would be easy enough for Conroy to confirm, since they had the dead man’s phone in their possession.

  “How did you meet Stiles?”

  “Ed. They were in his office. I went in to ask him something, saw them talking.”

  Mia barked. “About what?”

  Conroy kept his composure. She didn’t know how to conduct an interview with a partner, where two officers of the law played off each other in order to tease the information out of the person. Seemed like, in her world, the person across the table either gave up what they knew, or they didn’t.

  Conroy said, “It seem amicable? A fight, or a bargain?”

  “Like an arrangement.” Meena nodded. “Like that.”

  “Did you see him after that?”

  Meena shook her head. “Not at the house.”

  “How about Ed, after his first man was killed?”

  “He didn’t care about Tyler. The guy was completely expendable. No muss, no fuss.” Meena shrugged. Didn’t mean anything to her, either. “Garrett…” Her voice broke. “He was good with computers, you know? Probably hacked your house, or something.”

  There it was, an answer. Of sorts.

  “I’m sorry about your friend.” He knew what it felt like to have a friend pass. But the friend Conroy had lost was Mara. Even if she had just dumped him right before she was killed.

  Now he needed to look more closely into Tyler Lane, Stiles’s first victim—and accomplice—in town. Had Garrett or Tyler been the one to wire the explosive device in Conroy’s car and set up the Bluetooth speakers in Mia’s house?

  Mia said, “What would Garrett have been doing with Anthony Stiles?”

  “Helping him, probably.” Her sister shrugged. “Loaned out by Ed to do whatever Stiles wanted.”

  Whatever their agreement had been.

  The new guy in town paid a visit to the established bad guy, who considered
Last Chance County his turf. Struck a bargain. Respect, and cooperation.

  Mia said, “Why would Stiles kill him if it was an arrangement?”

  A business agreement gone wrong, maybe.

  When Meena said nothing, Conroy offered up an idea. “Betrayal. Either on Garrett’s part or on Stiles’s. Which means recompense will need to be brought. Because one side was wronged and gave payback, the other is going to want retaliation.”

  “That’s the last thing we need.” Mia paced the interview room. “More blood.”

  “Hang here for a bit, okay? Finish your coffee.”

  Meena shrugged.

  Conroy ushered Mia into the hall with him. “Look, we’re going to do what we can to prevent more blood being shed. Okay?”

  “And if it’s Ed who goes after Stiles?”

  “What if it is?”

  Mia said, “Surely you aren’t going to look away because it serves your purpose? Wait until the smoke clears and then move in?”

  “Not when they’ll have no consideration for collateral damage. No.” He touched her elbow. “I’m going to head out and see Summers. I want you to stay here and see what we get from the phone.”

  She would be where she was protected. Added bonus, he’d hear her take on whatever they got from the phone as soon as they got it.

  “I know what you’re doing.”

  “Yeah,” he said, getting close again. Making sure she was getting used to him being near, enough to become more comfortable with it. “But are you going to let me?”

  Her face softened in a way he liked a whole lot. Once she got past her need to be stubbornly independent and her refusal to forgive him, Conroy figured the promise was there. This could be good.

  Sure, it might be weird after dating her sister. Some people might talk even though that was years ago. Conroy still wanted to see if it would be worth all that. Because he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

  Before she could say anything, her phone rang. She dug it out. “My dad.” Swiped the screen. “Hey, what are—”

  Her face paled.

  Her voice tremored. “Dad?”

  Twenty-four

  She felt Conroy shift closer to her. The strength and warmth of his hands on her shoulders. Too bad she couldn’t enjoy it.