by Laura Scott
Declan carried his dirty dishes over to the sink, glancing at Caleb over his shoulder. “Tonight, second shift, which means I have to leave a couple of hours. The three of you will need to keep a low profile.”
“Understood. We’ll make sure that we don’t use any lights while you’re gone and will keep our movements to a minimum.” After the past few days, he couldn’t deny the fact they could all use some decent sleep.
Declan scrubbed his chin. “I was thinking about that. There’s only one small window in the basement, and we could board that up if you wanted to keep working on the computer. We could even move the dollhouse and the television down there, too. You could do whatever you want without anybody knowing that you’re here.”
“That would be great,” he agreed. “We could even bring the mattress down from one of the beds.”
“Let’s do it,” Declan said, setting his glass down with a thud. “Before I leave.”
Eager to have something constructive to do, Noelle and Kaitlin carried the dolls and other toys that Declan had upstairs in the spare bedroom down to the basement while he and Deck hauled the heavy stuff. Once they had the mattresses and television strategically set up next to an old card table he planned to use as a desk, he stepped back and surveyed their work with satisfaction.
The television was small, but it was better to use the old one than to take the big screen from the living room, just in case the absence was noticed. Declan brought a few more chairs out for them to use, and Noelle dusted them off while Caleb looked around for something to use to black out the small window.
Duct tape and cardboard should do the trick. Although he was a little worried the light might shine through the cardboard. He dug around until he found a can of black spray paint. Perfect. He used the edge of the can to break a corner of the window, so that having it covered up looked reasonable, and within minutes had the window effectively blacked out.
“Nice,” Deck said. “Now you guys should be totally safe down here.”
“I hope so.” Caleb didn’t want to take any chances, especially not with Noelle or Kaitlin.
But he wanted very much to get outside the confines of Declan’s house, to do a little research of his own, once Noelle and Kaitlin were asleep.
* * *
Noelle kept herself busy cleaning dust off the card table and chairs the guys had dragged out for them to use. She told herself that staying in a dark basement with only a few lights on was better than being on the run, but so far she was having trouble believing it. She kept feeling as if there were spiders crawling up her arms.
Maybe because she’d killed at least a half dozen so far.
Ridiculous to get worked up over a few spiders, but everyone had a weakness and creepy-crawlies just happened to be hers.
The time seemed to move by with excruciating slowness once Declan had left for work. She played a game of Go Fish with Kaitlin while Caleb surfed the internet on Declan’s computer.
At six, she slipped back upstairs to rummage for something they could eat for dinner. She decided to make a frozen pizza, since that would be easy to carry downstairs. While the oven was preheating she found paper plates and napkins and took those back down to the basement.
Caleb had put aside the computer to play a card game with Kaitlin. She was pleased at how comfortable the little girl was around him now, compared to their first meeting outside her house.
Before the bullets started flying.
She shivered at the memory. Hard to believe that just a few days had passed since then when it seemed like a lifetime.
They ate the pepperoni pizza in the basement, and both Caleb and his daughter prayed with her before digging into the meal. Afterward, they played several more card games, which only served to make Noelle wonder what it would be like if the three of them really were a family.
Don’t go there, she warned herself. They wouldn’t be together for very long, just until they cleared Caleb’s name.
She pushed the depressing thought aside to concentrate on the game. After they’d each won several rounds, Caleb announced it was bedtime.
Kaitlin protested, but Noelle understood what Caleb was thinking. They needed to take advantage of the ability to get some rest while they had it. Even though they were safe for now, she couldn’t shake the feeling that their peace was short-lived.
Caleb turned out the two small lamps they were using and instantly the basement was plunged into total darkness.
“I don’t like it so dark,” Kaitlin whined.
“Is this better?” Caleb turned on the smaller of the lamps and carried it off to the farthest corner of the basement, tucking it behind some boxes to help dim the light.
“Much better, Daddy.”
Sleep didn’t come easy, despite the comfy mattress she shared with Kaitlin. She prayed for guidance and safety, which helped her relax. She was just beginning to doze off when she heard the soft brush of fabric and the almost imperceptible thud of a footstep.
Her eyes shot open and she turned her head in time to see Caleb heading upstairs. She almost called out to him, but held back so that she wouldn’t wake up Kaitlin.
Where was he going? She rolled off the edge of the mattress, moving as silently as possible. They’d been sleeping fully dressed so all she needed to do was to pull on her running shoes before following Caleb up the stairs.
She didn’t know how Caleb managed to be so silent, because the wood stairs creaked as she climbed them. She wasn’t surprised to find Caleb waiting for her in the kitchen.
“Go back downstairs,” he whispered when she reached the doorway.
“Not until you tell me where you’re going.” She heard him sigh.
“I’m just going to look around for a bit, that’s all. Nothing for you to worry about.”
“Why would you take that risk?” she asked, trying not to show her frustration. “Especially when there’s a warrant out for your arrest? All it would take is for one person to recognize you.”
“I’m just going to see if Brickner’s home, that’s all. I’ll be back in an hour or so.”
“You were the one who said that following Brickner wasn’t going to do any good. So why go out now?”
Caleb’s expression wasn’t easy to read in the dark. “Stay here with Kaitlin, okay? I promise I’ll be back soon.”
“Wait,” she said, grasping his arm. “What kind of car does Brickner drive?”
“I’m not sure. I never paid attention since we didn’t hang out together.”
“If you’re going to head over there, see if he’s driving a black extended cab pickup truck.”
Caleb paused for a moment and then scowled. “Just like the one that was following you in the days prior to my release.”
“Yes.” She didn’t want him to go, but sensed there was nothing she could say or do to make him change his mind. “That might give us a hint of something to go on.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Before she could say anything more, Caleb slipped out the garage door, closing it softly behind him.
She stayed in the kitchen, looking out the window at the backyard, where she assumed he’d go rather than heading out front. But even though she watched intently, she never saw any sign of Caleb.
Which should have reassured her. But she couldn’t suppress a shiver and rubbed her hands over her arms for warmth.
Please, Lord, watch over Caleb. Keep him safe.
TEN
Caleb slipped through Deck’s backyard, taking care to stay hidden in the shadows. He didn’t rush, but chose his path carefully. As much as he’d tried to reassure Noelle that he would be fine, the last thing he wanted to do was to be identified by some nosy neighbor and sent back to jail.
If that happened, he felt certain he’d never get out. Ever.
He headed for the running/biking trail and increased his pace to an easy jog for roughly two miles before veering off onto the side street that would take him past Brickner’s house.
Caleb had only been there once about two and a half years ago, shortly after Brickner’s divorce was final. Marc had thrown a huge Super Bowl party to celebrate his new single status. All the guys from the SWAT team were invited, so Caleb had tagged along with Declan and another buddy, Isaac Morrison. Caleb remembered the night clearly because Brickner had been a bit of a jerk, bragging about how he’d taken the house from his ex-wife. Caleb remembered thinking at the time it was a good thing Brickner didn’t have any kids. The game had been boring, and Brickner had started drinking heavily, so he, Deck and Isaac ended up leaving at halftime. Now that Caleb thought about that night, he couldn’t help wondering if Brickner had been having an affair with Heather even back then? And if so, what on earth had his wife seen in the guy?
Steering away from those thoughts, because really what difference did any of that make now, Caleb concentrated instead on walking past Brickner’s house, trying to appear casual and not overly interested in his surroundings. From the corner of his eye, he could see there were no obvious lights on, at least none that were visible from the street.
At the next intersection, he purposefully turned the corner in the opposite direction and headed down several streets before he backtracked to the row of houses that were located directly behind Brickner’s place. From this side, he could make out a small light that was on over what appeared to be the kitchen area.
One small light didn’t mean much. Brickner could easily be home or out somewhere, so Caleb checked over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching before he slipped between two houses with dark windows and no sign of anyone being home to sneak up to Brickner’s place.
He prayed he wouldn’t be arrested for being a Peeping Tom as he flattened himself against Brickner’s house and peered in through the lighted window.
He didn’t see anyone, so he made his way around to a couple of the other darkened windows, hiding behind trees or bushes if any cars came down the street. When he rounded the corner of the garage, he glanced in the window and verified the garage was empty.
He hunkered down to wait a bit, even though logically he knew that if Brickner was working, the guy wouldn’t be home for a good hour yet, since the second-shift guys worked until eleven-thirty at night. And if Brickner wasn’t working, he likely would be out even later.
After about thirty minutes, Caleb decided to head back to Declan’s place when headlights pierced the darkness. He kept hidden as the vehicle came closer, slowed down and then turned into the driveway. The garage door opened and with the light on, he could easily identify the make and model of Brickner’s vehicle.
Noelle’s guess had been dead-on. Marc Brickner drove a black extended cab pickup truck. He memorized the license plate, even though he vaguely remembered Noelle stating she’d never gotten the tag number.
He waited for what seemed like a long time but was only thirty minutes, when Brickner came back out, dressed in a very sharp suit, a white shirt and a tie. Not at all the usual garb worn by the guys on the SWAT team. Where was Brickner headed? Who was he meeting with? The questions barely formed in his mind when Brickner backed down the driveway and left, heading east.
Leaving Caleb to wish he had a set of wheels to follow him.
* * *
Caleb returned to Declan’s house a while later, not a bit surprised to find Noelle up and waiting for him.
“You were gone a long time,” she accused, meeting him once again in the kitchen. She hadn’t turned any lights on, but his eyes were so accustomed to the darkness he could see her fairly well.
“I’m sorry, but Brickner came home so I hung around longer than I intended.” He reached into the cupboard for a glass and poured a large glass of water to soothe his parched throat. “You were right, though. Brickner drives a black extended cab pickup truck.”
Noelle’s sour mood evaporated. “That’s great news. Surely that helps our case.”
He didn’t want to burst her bubble but he also didn’t want to give her false hope, either. “He’s not the only guy driving a black extended cab pickup truck. We’ll need more than that coincidence to convince the authorities that I’m not the killer.”
“I know, but he’s the same guy I saw with Heather the night of her murder. All we need to know is a little more about what was going on between them. It has to be drugs. Nothing else makes sense.”
He wasn’t convinced, but filled her in on the way Marc was dressed when he’d left the house. “Brickner was either meeting a woman or a boss of some sort. No one dresses like that without a good reason.”
“Too bad you couldn’t follow him,” she murmured.
“Maybe next time,” he said. He caught sight of the flash of headlights outside, so he drew Noelle into an alcove so they couldn’t be seen. The peach scent of her shampoo was distracting, although he tried to keep his gaze focused on the living room window.
The vehicle outside slowed and very nearly stopped directly in front of Declan’s house before it picked up speed and drove away.
“I thought for sure the car meant Declan was home,” Noelle whispered close to his ear.
“No, but it was another dark-colored pickup truck,” he said grimly. He released her and took a step away to put some badly needed distance between them.
She sucked in a harsh breath. “Brickner?”
“Maybe.” He wished he could have gotten a good look at the driver, but that was impossible with the glare of the headlights. His gut knotted with tension at the realization. “Or there’s some other guy with a dark pickup truck involved in this case. The same guy who was following you. Someone that isn’t Brickner.”
He didn’t even want to consider the possibility that they were on the wrong track. That Brickner wasn’t the one who’d murdered Heather after all.
Because without a hint of a clue, the case of his wife’s murder was dead in the water.
* * *
Noelle huddled next to Kaitlin on the mattress, her mind too busy to sleep. What if Caleb was right about the black extended cab pickup truck? What if they couldn’t figure out who was behind these murders?
They couldn’t hide out in Declan’s basement forever. She knew they were already putting Declan in a bad situation by staying here in the first place. If anyone found out he was hiding a fugitive, he’d lose his job and face being arrested, too.
She imagined Marc Brickner dressed in a suit and tie, heading off to—where? A date? Or an illegal business meeting? She supposed there was a chance he was headed to a legal business meeting, but somehow she didn’t think that was likely.
The garage door opened, signaling that Declan was home. She heard Caleb get up and head up the stairs to meet his friend. Unwilling to be left out, she followed.
“We had a hostage situation,” Declan was saying as she reached the top of the stairs. “I stayed late to help cover because we were a man short.”
“How did it end?” Caleb asked.
“Our perp surrendered without harming his wife and kids,” Declan said. “But it was touch and go there for a bit.”
“Who was the negotiator?” Caleb asked.
“Isaac Morrison,” Declan said, glancing over at her as she entered the room. “You’ll be interested to know that Brickner was originally supposed to work tonight, but he called in sick.”
“Sick?” Caleb echoed. “Well, that’s funny, since I saw him leaving his house about ninety minutes ago, dressed in a suit and tie. He certainly didn’t look sick to me.”
Noelle was relieved at the news. “We are on the right track. I knew he was the one who was following me.”
“We still don’t know that for sure,” Caleb protested and she understo
od he was trying to keep an open mind. From spending just these few days with Caleb, she was already getting a sense of the type of cop he’d been before this happened. Good cops always kept their minds open to other possibilities, a trait she couldn’t fault him for. Too bad the guys who’d arrested him hadn’t given him the benefit of the doubt. “Besides, it doesn’t make sense that Brickner would drive past Deck’s house on a night he knew Deck was likely working.”
Declan straightened away from where he’d been leaning against the counter. “Brickner came here?” he asked in shock.
“A black extended cab pickup truck slowed down in front of the house and then drove away,” Caleb corrected. “And really it wasn’t easy to see in the darkness, for all I know it could have been dark gray or a dark blue in color rather than black.”
Declan was silent for a moment. “Brickner may not have looked at the schedule, or he knew I was working and was making sure there was no one here.”
“Like us,” Noelle said softly.
“Yeah,” Declan admitted slowly. “Maybe. Brickner knew Caleb and I were friends.”
“Do you think he’s been swinging by here on a regular basis?” Caleb asked.
“I don’t know,” Declan said in a frustrated tone. “I haven’t been paying that much attention to the traffic on my street. This is a normal, safe neighborhood. The only thing I know for sure is no one has been following me.”
“Did you happen to notice when Brickner is scheduled to be off again?” Noelle asked.
“Yeah, he’s off the next two days in a row.”
“Good,” Caleb said with satisfaction. “That means we can follow him tomorrow night.”
“If he goes someplace,” Declan agreed.
Noelle sighed, knowing that she would be expected to stay here with Kaitlin while they followed Brickner. Not that she minded taking care of Kaitlin, but the thought of being left here in the basement without any way of knowing if they were okay filled her with dread.
She’d just have to put Caleb’s and Declan’s fates in God’s hands.