Christmas Amnesia

by Laura Scott

  Relief had her slumping in her seat. “Yes, please.”

  “One moment.” There was a click and then more ringing. Her body tensed as the ringing continued without an answer. After ten rings, the receptionist picked up the call again. “I’m sorry, your party isn’t answering the call. Would you like to leave a message?”

  “No, thanks, I’ll try again later.” Maddy dropped the receiver back in the handset and lifted her gaze to Noah’s. “Something’s wrong. Rachel should have answered. And if she was in the bathroom or something, the officer stationed in her room should have picked up the phone.”

  Noah’s mouth thinned. “Call my lieutenant. Tell him he needs to send a patrol car to check things out.”

  She reached out to pick up the phone just as it started to ring. The abrupt sound startled her and she fumbled a bit with the receiver before managing to bring it to her ear. “Callahan,” she answered in a curt tone.

  “Maddy? This is Detective Keith Lowenbaum. I’m sorry to tell you that Rachel Graber is dead.”

  “Dead? How? When? What happened?” Maddy tightened her grip on the phone, staring at Noah in horror.

  “I’m still trying to piece together what happened, but it looks like some sort of drive-by shooting as they were leaving the motel to come see you. One officer was wounded and is currently being treated at Trinity Medical Center, but unfortunately Rachel was declared dead at the scene.”

  Dead. One of her key witnesses in the case against Pietro had been murdered in cold blood. First the explosion at her condo, not knowing if her friend and roommate was dead or alive, and now this.

  Pietro was getting desperate. She wanted to believe that he’d also be careless enough to make mistakes.

  But how many more innocent lives would he take before she could figure out who was lashing out on his behalf?

  How long before she found a way to lock Alexander Pietro away for the rest of his life?

  THIRTEEN

  Noah reached across the desk to take Maddy’s hand. This case was spiraling way out of control, yet he didn’t know how to rein it back in. He hated feeling so helpless.

  “I’ll be right there,” Maddy said. She hung up the receiver, gave his hand a quick squeeze, then pulled away and rose to her feet. “Let’s go. I want to see the scene of the crime for myself.”

  “Maddy, wait.” He leaped up and planted his body between her and the office doorway, blocking her ability to leave. “What if this is nothing more than a trap? Pietro’s thugs could be lying in wait for you to do just that, head right over to the crime scene.”

  Her fingers curled into fists. “One of my primary witnesses is dead! How can I just sit here, moving on with my trial prep, knowing that Pietro had her murdered to prevent her from testifying against him? Don’t you understand? She died because of me!”

  “Because of Pietro,” Noah corrected. He stepped forward and gently clasped her shoulders. “You can’t blame yourself for everything that’s going wrong with this case.”

  For a moment, tears welled in her eyes, but then she raised her chin and blinked them back. “Logically I know you’re right, but it’s not easy to let go of the fact that a young woman has died.”

  His mind flashed to his sister’s pale, still features, her body collapsed in a heap on the bathroom floor, the needle hanging out of her arm. Yeah, he understood that kind of guilt only too well. Was he being a hypocrite? Telling Maddy she wasn’t to blame for Rachel’s death when he still felt responsible for both Rose’s and Gina’s deaths?

  He gave himself a mental shake. The two situations were different. He’d ignored the signs of his sister’s addiction and he’d been the one to abruptly break things off with Gina. He was the common link there, but this wasn’t the time to get lost in his past mistakes.

  “Please don’t go to the crime scene,” he pleaded in a low voice. “I know it’s hard not to, but think about the fact that you’ve already lost a day of prep. And you have another session scheduled for this afternoon. Robby Stanford’s testimony is just as important for your case, isn’t it? Especially now?”

  A flash of indecision in her eyes caused him to press his point.

  “What kind of evidence do you expect to find that the police won’t?” Then it hit him. “You don’t trust the police, is that it? Do you think someone on the force leaked her location to Pietro’s men?”

  She briefly closed her eyes, then shook her head. “I’m not sure what to think. They must have some sort of inside help. For one thing, they’ve been on our heels since Monday, finding us at every turn. And secondly, how else would Pietro’s thugs know to look for her at the safe house at the exact moment they were leaving to see me?”

  “Good question.” He raked his hand over his sandy blond hair. “Could be that someone accidentally told Arvani her location.”

  “And what if it wasn’t an accidental leak? What if someone on the force is working with Arvani?”

  He could feel himself wavering, Maddy’s blue eyes sucking him in. Steeling his heart, he looked her straight in the eye. “Even if that was the case, there would be a group of officers and detectives working the scene. Don’t forget, one of our own was injured by the drive-by. Trust me, MPD will leave no stone unturned as they seek to find those responsible for the shooting.”

  Her shoulders slumped in defeat beneath his hands and he couldn’t stop himself from drawing her close for a warm hug. She didn’t resist, tucking her head into the hollow of his shoulder and allowing him to hold her close.

  Maddy felt so right in his arms, and he reveled in the way she rested against him. He was humbled by her trust, her faith in him. He wished she’d confide in him about what had happened to her, but he didn’t want to push, either. Regardless, he told himself not to get too attached. Their relationship couldn’t go beyond friendship.

  Why didn’t that knowledge make it easier to let her go?

  “Okay, you win. I’ll stay here.” She moved away, raising her head to smile at him. “It’s better for me to keep moving forward on this trial.”

  He reluctantly let her go, missing her the moment she stepped away. “You could ask Judge Dugan for a continuance,” he pointed out.

  Before the words left his mouth, she was already shaking her head. “No. For one thing, that’s exactly what Pietro’s lawyer would like. The last thing I want to do is to give them more time to threaten my family and possibly find a way to eliminate more witnesses. No way. The sooner we get into the courtroom, the better.”

  Deep down, he agreed with her assessment of their precarious situation. He was glad she wasn’t heading out to the crime scene, putting herself in danger. Still, the thought of Maddy standing in the courtroom, facing Pietro, made him break out in a cold sweat. Especially since he couldn’t sit at her side, offering his protection.

  “Well, then.” Maddy cleared her throat and went back to take a seat behind her desk. “How about we get a quick sandwich before the deputies at the jail bring Robby over?”

  “Sure.” He stayed where he was, crossing his arms over his chest. “But send your assistant down for the food, because I’m not leaving you alone.”

  She sighed and picked up her phone. He listened as she gave Jennifer their orders. She ended the conversation with “I’ll have Officer Sinclair give you the cash for our food.”

  A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and he dutifully dug a twenty-dollar bill from his pocket. When Jennifer opened the office door, he handed her the money, then resumed his seat across from Maddy.

  “What other witnesses are you planning to prep over the next few days?” he asked.

  She tipped her head to the side. “I’m not sure I should give you all their names.”

  He scowled and straightened in the seat. “I thought we’d agreed that I’d be here as your bodyguard.”


  “Yes, we did agree on that. But I still have to worry about the integrity of the trial.” When he opened his mouth to argue, she lifted a hand to stop him. “I have to review my list anyway, so just leave it alone for now, okay?”

  He didn’t like being in the dark about critical details but gave her a curt nod. She shuffled through the papers on her desk, reviewing her notes and organizing her thoughts.

  The knock at the door indicating their food had arrived was a welcome distraction. He bowed his head to pray. “Dear Lord, bless this food and please continue to keep us safe in Your care. Amen.”

  “Amen,” Maddy echoed. She smiled at him but then turned her attention back to her work, setting down her veggie sandwich on occasion to make notes in the margin.

  He finished his meal, realizing he had no idea how it had tasted. When Maddy frowned in concentration, he could see a small furrow in her brow, above the bridge of her nose. The fact that he found that dent adorable made him silently admit just how far gone he was.

  It was crazy to even consider seeing Maddy again once the trial was over. Their family backgrounds were so different; hers a well-knit cohesive group whereas his was scattered across the globe with barely any contact between them at all. Hers was full of faith, kindness and love; his was filled with guilt, anger and resentment.

  The phone on Maddy’s desk rang. She picked it up. “Yes? Oh, thanks, please bring him up.”

  “Robby Stanford?” he asked when she’d replaced the receiver.

  “Yes.” She took one last bite of her veggie sandwich and then wrapped up what was left and tucked it in her desk drawer. “He’s being brought up now.”

  “Okay.” He glanced around her office, thinking it would be a tight fit for the three of them. Tight, but not impossible. “Where do you want me to sit?”

  “Outside my office.” Maddy barely glanced at him as she gathered her notes in a pile and pulled out a fresh legal pad.

  He blinked, then swallowed a burst of anger, fighting to keep his voice even. “I can’t protect you from behind a closed door.”

  “I’m not in danger. Robby won’t be armed.” She raised her chin in that familiar stubborn way she had. “So yes, you’ll need to sit outside.”

  He didn’t like it, not one bit. But before he could continue arguing with her, there was a light rap on the door. He opened it up to see two deputies escorting a skinny kid dressed in prison orange, his wrists cuffed and his ankles chained together. Robby Stanford looked young, barely legal voting age, but there was an aura about him that bespoke of hard living.

  “Thanks,” Maddy said, bestowing a wide smile on the two deputies. “Appreciate your help. Robby, please take a seat.”

  Noah didn’t like the kid, maybe because he was vying for a reduced sentence for crimes that he should pay for. Considering the cuffs and chains, Noah was forced to admit that the kid was well confined and not likely to be much of a threat. Regardless, leaving the office and closing the door behind him was the hardest thing he’d ever done.

  The deputies left and he pulled an uncomfortable-looking hardback chair over to Maddy’s closed office door. As he sat down, he could hear the muffled voices inside. Not the specific words but the different cadence to their voices, Maddy’s soft melodic voice a stark comparison to Robby’s rough, sullen baritone.

  Noah let out a heavy sigh and attempted to mentally prepare himself for a long, tedious day. Not easy considering what he really wanted to do was to continue investigating Arvani’s potential link to Pietro.

  Eliminating the threat to Maddy once and for all.

  * * *

  Maddy took her time with Robby, asking him to repeat what he’d told her during their first meeting. Hopefully his testimony would remain consistent. Certainly something had to go her way in this case, right?

  Wrong.

  “I don’t remember,” Robby muttered when she asked him when he first met Alexander Pietro.

  Her stomach twisted painfully, and she leveled him with her best no-nonsense glare. “Sure you do. You told me before in great detail how you first met.”

  Robby avoided her gaze, his shifty eyes moving from his cuffed wrists to the items on her desk to the colorful fall trees in the painting she had hanging on her wall. “Then why are you askin’?”

  She strove for patience. “Tell me about the first time you met Alexander Pietro,” she repeated.

  Robby curled his shoulders in, as if attempting to make himself look smaller. “I told you, I don’t remember.”

  “Fine. Then there’s no point in wasting my time.” Maddy picked up her phone and pressed the intercom button to reach Jennifer. “I need you to call the two deputies. Stanford is ready to return to his cell.”

  “Wait!” Robby leaned forward, his expression panicked. “Just wait, okay? I’ll tell you!”

  “Hang on for a minute, Jennifer.” Maddy put her hand over the speaker. “Last chance, Robby. You either take this seriously or I’ll send you back to your cell and your deal for a lighter sentence is off the table. Your choice. I’m finished messing around.”

  “Fine, yeah, okay. I get it.” Robby shifted in his seat. “Relax, will ya? Can’t you take a joke?”

  “No.” Maddy removed her hand. “Never mind, Jennifer, don’t call the deputies just yet. I’ll let you know when we’re finished.”

  “Sounds good,” Jennifer agreed.

  Maddy replaced the handset in the cradle, battling a wave of exhaustion. The nagging headache had returned, too, but she did her best to ignore it.

  Her witness list was getting smaller, so she couldn’t afford to lose Robby’s testimony. But she’d learned over the past few years to always keep the upper hand, especially when it came to those criminals who were testifying in exchange for a lighter sentence.

  “One more time. When did you first meet Alexander Pietro?”

  “We’d just gotten our biggest shipment of high-grade junk delivered to the warehouse when he suddenly showed up, demanding to see it for himself.” Robby’s lips curled in a sneer. “It was like he didn’t trust us or something. I knew Alex was the big boss, but I didn’t expect him to show up that day out of the blue.”

  Finally a statement consistent with what he’d originally told her. “Where was the warehouse?”

  “On the south side of Milwaukee. The building is about half a block down from the intersection of Birch Street and Carson.”

  “And what name was on the warehouse?”

  “Carson Electronics.” Robby smirked. “We kept guns in there, too, along with the drugs.”

  “What happened next?” she asked, barely looking at her notes. She knew this part of the trial well enough to recite it herself by memory.

  She paused for a moment, silently thanking God once again for restoring her memory.

  “Well?” she prodded, when Robby didn’t answer.

  “He made us count out every bag of heroin, making sure each gram was accounted for. Once that was done, he looked us over as if he suspected someone of cheating him.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “That’s different from what you told me last time, Robby. You claimed you didn’t have time to count the entire shipment.”

  Robby averted his gaze once again, lifting one skinny shoulder in a helpless shrug. “So what? Maybe we counted the entire shipment or maybe we didn’t. What does it matter?”

  She jumped to her feet, the sudden movement causing Robby to shrink further into the chair. She turned her back for a moment, struggling to regain her composure.

  What if Robby was lying about that night? What if he fell apart on the witness stand? The deal she’d made with him for a lighter sentence would be all for nothing.

  And worse, Pietro could walk away from the trial with an innocent verdict rather than being found guilty.

  For
a moment, she longed for Noah’s reassuring presence. Should she break her own rules by asking him to join her? No, that would only hurt her case in the long term.

  Masking her expression to one of indifference, she turned to face Robby. “We’re done here. I’m calling off our deal,” she said in a blunt tone. “You’re not a reliable witness.”

  Robby’s expression turned to outrage. “You can’t do that. My lawyer says you can’t do that!”

  “Your lawyer is wrong,” Maddy said. “You haven’t held up your side of the deal, which makes the entire agreement null and void.” At his blank expression, she inwardly sighed. “In other words, since you won’t be testifying against Pietro, there is no deal.”

  Robby glowered at her for a long moment, then shrugged again. “Whatever.”

  Whatever? She stared at him, wondering what had changed in the week since she’d last met with him. The only explanation she could come up with was that one of Pietro’s men must have gotten to him even in jail.

  Serving time must look better than whatever they’d threatened him with.

  The tightness returned to her belly and for a moment she remembered reading something about Robby’s background. What was it again? She leaned over, shuffling through the messy paperwork scattered about her desk.

  Robby suddenly lunged to his feet, his cuffed wrists coming up toward her. She saw a flash of silver and let out a screech, jumping backward in order to avoid the blade.

  The tip of the letter opener went through her thin blouse, scratching her abdomen. Her office door flew open and she saw Noah grab hold of Robby, yanking him away from her with enough force to make the younger man’s head snap backward.

  “Are you all right?” Noah asked harshly, leaning heavily on Robby to keep him pinned to the chair. He wrestled the opener away and tossed it far out of the criminal’s reach. “Did he hurt you?”

  “I—I’m fine,” she managed, looking down at the slit the letter opener had made in her blouse. The scratch was barely bleeding, yet the realization of how much worse this could have been made her feel dizzy.