by Cara Putman
“He didn’t work with her either.”
“No. But watch your back. He’s on a rampage over everything and getting rid of anyone he doesn’t like. I can’t figure out why.” He took a step closer. “That’s what he was doing with that discovery mess.”
Hayden nodded, even as she wondered why he was telling her this. “Let me know if you see Angela?”
“Sure, but I don’t think we will.” He turned and headed to his office.
Hayden detoured by Angela’s small office, but it had been stripped bare of everything but the furniture. Nothing left, from books to framed diplomas. When she returned to her office she tried to reach Angela, but her calls went directly to voice mail. What was going on?
Over lunch she went to the hospital to check on Maricel. The woman had been improving, but now her doctors were concerned; a fever she was running suggested an infection. The bruises on her face looked worse, a kaleidoscope of yellow, green, and purple.
The afternoon flew with deposition prep that reinforced how much she would have to learn to have a prayer of keeping the Rodriguez case moving forward.
When she got home she was ready to put the terrible day behind her.
As she packed and readied to leave first thing in the morning, Hayden’s stomach churned. She couldn’t push aside the reality that Gerard Campbell was dead. In a city filled with political news, another anonymous murder didn’t make the cut, so she had to scan online newspapers for information.
Emilie joined Hayden in her room, plopping onto the bed as Hayden packed.
Hayden rolled a pair of jeans and set them in the suitcase. “Emilie, I can’t make heads or tails of Gerard’s notes, but I know the police are making a mistake. His death was no accident.”
Emilie’s eyes widened. “How can you know?”
“Detective Grearson didn’t answer when I asked. He left the door open for it to be murder.” Hayden sank onto the bed next to Emilie and leaned into her friend. “It’s unreal that he argued with me about traveling to Texas, and now I’m packing my suitcase, knowing he’ll never frustrate me again. Could I have done something?”
“Not if you weren’t with him on his jog, and I’ve seen you run. You’d never keep up.” Emilie tipped her head on Hayden’s shoulder. “I am sorry.”
“Me too.” Hayden sank into Emilie’s empathy for a moment. “Somehow going to Texas now feels wrong, yet making something of this case is the best way to honor him.”
Emilie straightened, and Hayden watched her shift to reporter mode. “What was he like the last time you saw him? Was there anything odd about his behavior?”
“Not any more than the rest of this month.” Hayden stood and grabbed a pair of navy heels. “I’ve told you how abrupt and unfocused some of our conversations were. The pressure he had me under on Rodriguez was unusually amped up. But that last call makes me wonder what he wanted to tell me.” And that big client with the expensive suit and dead eyes. She needed to check the calendar to see who it was, but Carmen had been out all day.
Please tell me going to Texas tomorrow is the right decision, Lord.
“I’ll keep digging too.”
“Leave it to the police, Emilie, because after that chase last night I know someone is watching the house. I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“I can take care of myself.” Emilie huffed out a breath, then brightened. “Let me tell you about the cutest five-year-old who came in today.” She chattered on, a welcome distraction, as Hayden folded another pair of pants and placed them on top of the pile of clothes. Emilie paused and glanced at the suitcase. “You said you’re gone two nights.”
“Yep.”
“Then why are you packing like you’re going to Europe for two weeks?”
Hayden eyed the suitcase. She had two suits, two workout outfits, some kick-around clothes, and shoes to match each outfit. “Looks right to me.”
Emilie rolled her eyes. “Diva.”
“Yeah, I’m so diva-ish I’m taking a cab rather than make you drive me at oh-dark-hundred.”
“We all have our kryptonite. Mine is early mornings after a deadline.” Emilie glanced at her watch. “Speaking of which, I have one tonight. Guess I’d better get at it.” She stood but didn’t leave. “Be careful, okay?”
“You sound concerned.”
“Of course. I need my roommate back in one piece. Try to keep your job while you’re at it.”
“I don’t know if I can, with Gerard gone. I can’t tell if he was a buffer or the source of the threats. Randolph’s already conveyed he wants the Rodriguez case gone.” Hayden’s heart roller-coastered at the thought that she might be out of a job because she was representing her client well. She shut the suitcase and rolled it to the doorway. “I’m flying down, getting my information, and coming straight back to file that complaint. I’ll see you Thursday night.”
“All right.” Emilie gave her a quick hug that lasted a second longer than normal. “Wish me luck on this article. I’ve got the guts, but they ain’t pretty.” Emilie said something similar with each article, yet the end result sang with prose that led the reader so easily through a 2,000-word article they didn’t realize how much time they’d invested.
“What’s the topic this week?”
“Something.” Emilie shrugged with a wink. “You’ll have to find out with everyone else.”
Hayden pulled out her phone and started entering a note.
Emilie crowded close, trying to read over her shoulder. “What are you doing?”
“Setting a reminder to look for the article Thursday.”
“It’ll wait until Friday.” Emilie’s laugh held a nervous edge. “See you then.” She sashayed out of Hayden’s bedroom and down the stairs.
Hayden flopped on her bed and sighed. The floral comforter embraced her as she tried to relax each vertebra into the softness. One of these days she’d start an exercise regimen—hence the clothes in the suitcase—but right now she just wished this trip was over.
Gerard’s service was scheduled for Saturday, after she returned.
She wanted to win the case he’d given her and prove to the partners he hadn’t made a mistake. That meant she had to stop thinking about his murder and focus on the deposition. She also needed to find the guards who’d worked the night Miguel died. See what they remembered before memories were tainted by witness preparation.
She’d jotted down the information she needed with accompanying questions, but she wasn’t satisfied. It would take luck and divine guidance to find everyone in the few hours she’d have in Texas.
She fired up her laptop and did one last search. The International Juvenile Detention Center located outside Waco didn’t have much published about it. In fact, she’d dug for more than an hour before she found a hint on anything other than a watch-dog website.
The lack of information meant she’d go in blind. Was this a homelike foster care facility? It could be that, or it could be an industrial facility a half step removed from jail.
As she closed her laptop and brushed her teeth, her thoughts turned to Miguel. Had he understood what was happening, or had his English skills limited comprehension?
Her alarm blared before Hayden realized she’d fallen asleep. She hit snooze and snuggled under the covers. It was much too early for her alarm. Seven minutes later, it blasted her again and she jolted.
Airplane. Texas. This morning.
In record time she was ready and placing her suitcase in a cab’s trunk. After the cabbie dropped her at the main terminal at Reagan National Airport, she worked her way through security. She made it to her gate with time to spare, so she grabbed a hot tea and a chocolate croissant.
The gate area was busy, people crowding into each seat, tipping into each other’s space as they stacked carry-ons in a precarious array. Hayden kept a close watch on hers to make sure no one grabbed her red Husker case by mistake. One flight deplaned and in minutes the bulk of the crowd jockeyed for a place in line. The faces were a
mishmash of dejected, bored, intent, and honeymoon love. One man in a three-piece suit looked like he was about to have a heart attack as he yelled into his phone.
The public address system announced a gate change for her flight, and she collected her bag then worked her way to the new gate. When she reached it she glanced around, but all seats were taken. She pulled her bag to the wall and leaned against it.
As she settled in, Hayden noticed a man watching her. She straightened and met his gaze. He was roughly six feet tall, solid like a linebacker, and dressed in jeans and a pullover. He had a baseball cap pulled low on his face and grinned at her with a smarmy leer. He looked familiar in a vague way. Had he chased her through Old Town Monday or been at the Cherry Blossom Festival? She raised her eyebrows and tipped her chin in defiance. When he didn’t waiver, she decided to grab a bottle of water and escape the unwanted attention.
She snagged her suitcase and, after she’d gone a few feet, she glanced back. The man had disappeared. She stopped and scanned the waiting area, then the crowd.
It was as though he’d disappeared with a snap of his fingers.
The hair on the back of her neck stood at attention, and she scanned everyone as she walked to the bookstore and glanced at magazines. Time to rein in her overactive imagination. No one could follow her through security nor be here without a valid ticket.
She picked up a bottle of water and moved into the crowd around the cashier.
“Are you buying that?” The man behind her in line nodded at the water she held and the empty space between her and the counter.
The cashier looked at her with studied indifference, and Hayden felt heat climb her cheeks. “Yes, thank you.”
Once they had boarded she pulled out the file of Gerard’s notes and settled in to spend the flight deciphering his shorthand. Her phone rang, and she reached down to turn it to airplane mode but stopped when she saw Gerard’s number on the screen. Reluctantly she swiped a finger across the screen to take the call. “Hello?”
“Hayden, you have to get off that plane posthaste.” Carmen’s voice sounded ragged.
“They just closed the door. I’ll be back Friday by early afternoon. Can it wait until then?” Hayden leaned against the small window and watched the airline’s employees on the ground chucking suitcases on the conveyor belt. A flight attendant came toward her and motioned to turn off the phone. “I’ve got to go. The plane’s about to push back.”
“I don’t think this can wait. The partners are on the rampage, and you’re next. Call me the minute you land.”
“I’ll try. Before I go, can you tell me who Gerard had an appointment with the day he died?”
“Rodriguez.”
The flight attendant frowned at Hayden as the word settled in her mind. Rodriguez. That must have been Miguel’s dad, the drug lord. “I have to go before the flight attendant grabs my phone. I’m sorry about Gerard.” Hayden hung up and tucked her phone in her carry-on as a lump filled her throat. She looked at the attendant. “Sorry about that.”
“Keep it off during the flight.” She moved to the next row.
Hayden settled back and closed her eyes. The flight would take about two hours, and then she had a drive to reach the facility. Her thoughts were spinning like an unbalanced load of laundry. Why had Carmen called to warn her about her job? And why had Rodriguez met with Gerard?
CHAPTER 30
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12
Andrew arrived at New Beginnings a couple hours before the kids. Zeus lumbered beside him, a content grin on his doggy face as he settled into the dog bed next to Andrew’s desk.
His office was sparse, but nice. Andrew liked the way the kids scrawled their names across the desk’s battered surface. As he read each name, he prayed God would watch over and protect them wherever they were now.
Andrew settled at his desk and kicked off his loafers. If he was lucky he’d find his anonymous tormenter before the kids arrived.
His cell phone buzzed, and he answered without glancing at the screen. “This is Andrew.”
“Hey, handsome.” Lilith’s voice honeyed into his ear, and he wished the voice belonged to a dark-haired beauty named Hayden McCarthy instead. Lilith only talked like that when she needed something, especially since he’d made it clear he wasn’t interested in a relationship.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and sank farther into his office chair. “What’s up, Lilith?”
She huffed, then turned it into a giggle. “Your dad wants you to join an oversight.”
“I don’t go on trips at taxpayer expense.”
“This isn’t a junket. We’re headed to a juvenile detention facility in Texas, and he wants you since you work with immigrants.”
Andrew kept his eyes closed as he considered what his dad really wanted. “Is this another photo op for the congressman? He wouldn’t go for any other reason during the campaign cycle.”
“You haven’t heard? The governor appointed him to the vacancy over lunch. He’ll be a senator in days. And he has always been an advocate for refugees and legal immigrants. This is a trip to make sure Congress’s rules for the kids who come alone are followed.” She paused, and he could almost see her sweetness factor increase. “You could be a big help on this trip.”
He didn’t like the pressure. It felt forced, with another reason hidden behind the request. “When’s the swearing-in?”
“Not scheduled yet, but soon. You’ll need to be there.”
Of course. “Will you still have the fund-raiser?” Part of him wanted the answer to be yes so he still had the excuse to see Hayden.
“We’ll need more money to keep this seat, so that hasn’t changed. I need an answer on the trip.”
“When is it?”
“You know how these things go. Can you leave in the morning? Six o’clock?”
Andrew glanced down at his calendar. It was empty. “A standard one-day trip?”
“The congressman, I mean senator, plans to visit several facilities. You can come to Texas and catch a separate flight back. We’ve heard from a guard at one of the detention centers. If there’s any truth to his allegations, heads will roll.”
“Anything more?”
“Nope. Don’t want to skew your perspective. You’re the unbiased observer.”
He snorted. Like anyone would consider him unbiased when he worked with kids similar to the detained. The crucial difference was the route they had taken to the US.
Not many had the opportunity to check the kids’ welfare. See how they were treated while in US custody. He’d be a fool not to rearrange his schedule, when a couple calls was all it would take to locate volunteers to cover the day. “All right. I’ll be there. Private hangar at Reagan?”
“Yes. Bring an overnight bag in case you extend the trip.”
“Not a chance.” Twenty-four hours of togetherness would be plenty, based on past trips. He and his dad could only handle so much, especially with staff. “See you tomorrow.”
Andrew hung up and turned back to his original project of finding his stalker. He’d give it an hour, then make some calls so he could join tomorrow’s trip. Lilith had succeeded in stoking his curiosity. Whatever the guard had mentioned must be serious or his dad would stay in DC.
His thoughts returned to who could have revealed his real identity. The list was too small. His editor insisted the list at the paper hadn’t grown. That left a couple college buddies who knew he doodled, and the small staff of the campus paper—he hadn’t been too concerned about his privacy back then, when it had been a few cartoons for the college daily. Other than that, Andrew drew a blank. He groaned and ran his hands through his hair. Someone knew—and that someone was enjoying keeping him on edge.
Zeus nudged his knee as if sensing his stress. Andrew rubbed behind the dog’s ears, but his thoughts stayed on the puzzle.
Maybe he should focus on his dad’s enemies. Problem was, that list could be quite long. You couldn’t build a meaningful career in Washington
without ticking people off. He might not appreciate his parents’ priorities, but he couldn’t fault his dad’s work ethic. If anything, the man was über committed to his constituents.
Andrew did a bit of online research and built a list of party hopefuls who might want to force his dad out. Then he added some serious detractors to the list. During the flight to Texas, he’d feel his dad out about anyone he might have missed—though how to do that without alerting Dad would be tricky.
The door to New Beginnings opened, and an intern be-bopped in.
“Hello, Mr. Wesley. I’ve got today’s activity like you requested.” The bubbly brunette patted her backpack. “It’ll be a great way to get the kids talking.”
Andrew followed her into the main room and pushed tables into the configuration she requested. “Remember, they might not share much. They tend to like active games.” The kind that involved balls, mud, and a few bruises. Many didn’t have the language skills, and those who did weren’t apt to share them in a crowd.
“They’ll love this one. My prof assured me it would work. And if not, we’ll play Twister and work on colors and body parts.”
She continued to talk, but Andrew’s thoughts strayed.
Could getting out of town even for a day throw off whoever was threatening him?
CHAPTER 31
Hayden wrestled with her phone’s GPS as she drove across the area outside Waco. If she didn’t hurry, she’d be late for the deposition. Thanks to a flight delay, her extra time had evaporated, until she wondered if the trip would be a waste of money she didn’t have. She rubbed the back of her neck and prayed for time to stand still as she pushed the car as fast as she dared. She should call Carmen back, too, but she couldn’t spare the time or the distraction. She had to get her game face on for this deposition.
The Texas expanse could swallow her whole and no one would ever see her again. The pocket-sized car she had rented didn’t help the feeling the world was eating her. A haze discolored the road where it met the horizon, the shimmer of heat distorting the scrub trees. The trench coat she’d brought would stay unneeded in the trunk.