The Chase

by Lisa Harris

  Madison shook her head. “You would have to go there.”

  “You’re the one that brought up the ‘I felt safer when my sister was in the same room as I was.’”

  “I was trying to help, and there were nights—one or two—when I woke up from a bad dream and I was glad you were there. Honest.”

  Danielle picked up her tea and cupped it between her hands. “While I’m happy to see you, I get the feeling that you’re not here because you were feeling social.”

  “Not really. I guess all these years later I still need my big sister when I’m having a rough day.”

  “So what’s going on? I thought about you a lot today with this being your first day back on the job. You look exhausted.”

  “It has nothing to do with my first day back.” Madison’s breath caught. “There was a shooting at a clinic today.”

  “Wait . . .” Danielle leaned forward. “I heard about that on the news, but I didn’t know you were involved. I’m so sorry.”

  “Me too.”

  “What happened?”

  Madison took another sip of her drink, still trying to process everything that had happened, but the day’s events just continued to swirl around her like one big nightmare. “It was connected to a bank robbery this morning. Long story short, two innocent people are dead.”

  “It sounds personal.”

  Madison’s breath caught. “One of the people who died was a friend of Jonas.”

  Danielle blinked slowly. “Wow . . . I’m sorry.”

  Madison ran her finger around the rim of the mug. “Felicia was shot in the cross fire. There were complications after she got out of surgery, and she didn’t make it.”

  “Wait a minute.” Danielle set down her drink. “I remember you mentioning a woman named Felicia. Wasn’t she an old girlfriend of his?”

  “He was planning to propose to her, but things have been over between them for a very long time.” Madison looked up at her sister. “She saved my life, Danielle. If she hadn’t, I’d be the one lying in that morgue today. And now . . . I just didn’t think it could shake me up so badly.”

  “I don’t know what to say. It’s why I hate your job, and yet I know how much good you do at the same time. I don’t know. Sometimes I’m not sure it’s worth it.”

  Madison sipped her drink, trying to find a way to put her feelings into words. “Most days I can handle it, but today was hard.”

  “And it reminds you about Luke.”

  “Yeah.”

  Her sister always had been able to express what she was feeling so clearly. Luke’s death had pushed her into a place she’d never wish on anyone. One where she’d barely been able to get through each day. Not that she was fully finished grieving, but the days where the pain reared its ugly head were fewer and farther between. She’d come to the conclusion that those days would always be a part of the fabric of who she was, and that was okay. But watching someone else deal with fresh grief always managed to dig up her own reservoir of pain.

  “How is Jonas?” Danielle asked, breaking Madison out of her haze.

  “I’m not sure. Still in shock, I guess. Angry.”

  “I don’t blame him.”

  “I know.” She took another sip of tea. “Or at least my head knows. This just hit him really hard.”

  “Have you talked to him?”

  “Not really.” Madison wiped away an uninvited tear, hating how emotional she felt. She’d learned to keep her emotions separate from her job, but today, all her defenses had broken down. “He’s not answering my calls, and I have no idea how to help him.”

  “You really care for him.”

  “Of course. He’s my partner.”

  “I mean on a personal level. The two of you have spent a lot of time together over the past few months. It would be normal for feelings to develop.”

  Madison pushed back the familiar irritation. “Don’t go there again, Danielle. Please. There’s nothing between us. I respect him highly as a marshal and we’re friends, but that’s all.”

  “So you haven’t noticed that he’s drop-dead gorgeous with those dreamy eyes of his, or that he happens to be single and available?”

  “Danielle,” Madison drew out her sister’s name, rolling her eyes.

  “I’m sorry. I know that now isn’t the time to push that narrative, but I just want to see you happy. And from what I’ve seen, he makes you happy.”

  “We’re just friends. I’m not interested in something complicated that could interfere with my job. And becoming romantically involved with Jonas would definitely interfere with my job.”

  And my heart.

  She shook off the thought. Danielle was wrong.

  “All I know is that Luke’s been gone over five years,” Danielle said. “I know there is no time frame for grief, but maybe it’s time you let go and see what’s out there. If not with Jonas, then with someone else.”

  Madison clenched her jaw. She should have known that coming here held the risk of her sister playing matchmaker, but there were no romantic feelings between her and Jonas. She cared about him. Respected him as a partner, but beyond that she felt nothing. Besides, she’d fortified the wall around her heart after Luke died, and letting someone else in—especially her partner—wasn’t going to happen.

  She sipped at her tea as a revelation swept through her. Maybe she was doing the same thing she was upset at Jonas for doing today. Pushing him away because she was terrified of losing someone again. Because if she was honest with herself, she’d seen the shift in the way he looked at her, but instead of exploring the possibility, she’d fought against opening her heart. Because she knew what it was like to love and to lose, and exposing her heart again fought against every instinct inside her.

  “Sometimes I forget you studied psychology until you wow me with your insight,” Madison said, grinning. But the smile quickly faded. “The bottom line is that I don’t know how to help him through this.”

  “Actually, I think you, more than anyone I know, can understand what he’s feeling. Just remember people deal with grief in different ways. Give him space when he needs it, and if he needs you, be there for him. Just like I know you will be.”

  Madison took the last couple sips of her tea, knowing the advice was spot-on. She just needed to be patient. “I need to go. I promised my boss I’d get some sleep. Plus, I know you’re tired and have to get up early.”

  Danielle waved away the concern. “At this point, I’m convinced I’ll never have another good night’s sleep. In about an hour, the baby will wake up starving, then if I’m lucky, I won’t be disturbed until morning. That is, unless he decides he needs a middle-of-the-night snack that only his mama can provide, or if Sophie has a bad dream or needs help to flush the toilet at three in the morning.”

  Madison laughed. “You’re a great mom.”

  “I try, and I love every minute of it, except when I feel like I’m losing my mind from lack of sleep.” Danielle yawned as if to emphasize the point.

  “Perfectly normal, I’m sure.”

  “Listen, we don’t have to solve the world’s—or our—problems tonight. Why don’t you stay here? The guest bedroom is ready, with an extra toothbrush and pajamas in the drawer.”

  “I don’t want to impose.”

  “You’re my sister. Since when are you an imposition? Plus, Ethan’s making blueberry pancakes in the morning, and I promise you don’t want to miss those.”

  “Now that’s tempting.” As was the thought of company and the security of family after this hectic day.

  “He goes in late tomorrow, so we might even be able to catch a run together if you don’t have to go in too early.”

  “I might be able to handle that.”

  Danielle squeezed Madison’s hand. “I know this is hard on so many levels, but Jonas will be okay. He’ll come to you when he’s ready.”

  Madison nodded, feeling a thin layer of peace settle over her. “Thank you.”

  “What are big s
isters for? And on top of that, you know I’m praying for you.”

  “It’s probably what kept me alive today.”

  “Just get a good night’s sleep and promise me you’ll try to stay out of the path of any stray bullets. I almost lost you once. I don’t want to come that close again. Ever.”

  Madison nodded.

  Danielle got up from the couch and gathered their mugs. “I’ll go get you a towel. Let me know if there’s anything else you need.”

  Madison pulled out her phone as she stood up. She sighed. There were no messages from Jonas.

  FOURTEEN

  Local law enforcement is asking the public for help in identifying two suspects—one male and one female—in connection with a recent rash of bank robberies across the state. Another bank was robbed today, leading to a string of events that left two people dead and a chase—”

  Jonas hit mute on the office TV as a freeze-frame of a security footage shot appeared on the screen in the corner of the room. While the photo was grainy, it had been decided that involving the public in the search for the two suspects was worth any risks. But he didn’t need to hear the news to be reminded that two people were dead.

  That Felicia was dead.

  He still felt numb but giving in to that numbness wouldn’t help him find their other two fugitives. He’d deal with the grief later. Right now he had a job to do. Tips had already begun to come in. Most of them would come from people simply hoping for the reward money, but that didn’t mean that one of their tips wouldn’t pan out. With Kira still not talking, they were going to have to broaden their circle. Piper had screened the calls, so he could follow up on any that seemed promising. All they needed was one hit in the right direction.

  Michaels stepped into the room, breaking his train of thought. “Did Madison go home?”

  “Far as I know.” Jonas shrugged. “I haven’t seen her.”

  He frowned at the guilt that surfaced over the way he’d pushed her away. He needed to call her back, but he just wasn’t in the headspace to answer the questions he knew she was going to ask him.

  “She had the right idea. It’s late,” Michaels said. “I want you to go home, eat something, and get some sleep. We’ve got every officer in the state looking for them right now, which means they have nowhere to go. We will find them.”

  “With only a vague description pulled off a grainy photo?” Jonas arched his brows. “That isn’t enough, and you know it. I’m just going through the tip list and following up on calls.”

  Michaels crossed his arms over his chest. “In case you missed it, that wasn’t a suggestion. It’s an order. It’s that, or I will pull you off this case completely, which is probably what I should do anyway.”

  “Michaels—”

  “Try me. You know I can, and I will.” The older man sat down on the edge of the desk. “Listen, I know this has been a rough day for you, and I’m sorry.”

  “I promise I’m only going to make one more call, and then I’ll be out the door.”

  “Good, because as I recall, you were the one who came to me worried about Madison coming back to work too soon because of emotional entanglements.”

  “Felicia was a friend, that is true, but anything that was between us was over a long time ago.”

  “Maybe, but that doesn’t change the fact that someone you cared about was shot in front of you. I’ve scheduled you to see the grief counselor once this is wrapped up, but if I don’t feel like you’re able to handle things, I will pull you off this case.”

  “Fine.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Jonas rubbed the back of his neck as Michaels walked away. His boss was right. He needed to get out of here and clear his head. From the back of his neck up to his temples was throbbing. But a bite to eat and a good night’s sleep wouldn’t change the fact that Felicia was dead.

  And then there was Madison.

  He never should have pushed her away, but the events of the day had reminded him just how high the stakes were. He’d lost Felicia long before she’d died. And now, he had no idea how to deal with how he felt toward Madison on top of everything that had happened today. Which was why he’d ended up bungling everything again. But whatever he was feeling didn’t matter. He’d made the rule to never get involved with a coworker after Felicia broke things off between them, and after today, he was determined not to cross that line again. Feelings or not.

  He grabbed a couple pain pills out of the top drawer of his desk and swallowed them dry. He would call Madison, but right now, he couldn’t worry about her. He’d have time to fix things later. What mattered was finding the people behind Felicia’s death. Ben Galvan might have been the one who pulled the trigger, but as far as he was concerned, all four of them were responsible. And even if this was the only thing he could do, he owed it to Felicia to put all of them behind bars.

  He glanced at the clock as he picked up his phone. So far, every call he’d made from the tip line had ended up as nothing more than a wild-goose chase. People who thought they might have seen someone or something. No details. No way to really follow up. He’d make one more call like he’d promised Michaels, then leave.

  “This is Deputy US Marshal Jonas Quinn,” he said as soon as someone picked up the line. “I’m calling about a tip Sam Spade phoned in this evening. Is this him?”

  There was a long pause on the line.

  “Hello?” Jonas said. “Sam?”

  “I . . . yeah . . . I called, but I don’t think—”

  “Sam, wait. Please . . . don’t hang up.” Jonas gentled his tone. “I have a note here that you believe you know the man in the photo from a bank robbery this morning. If that is true, I really need your help.”

  “Listen, I want to help, but the photo’s a bit grainy, and the more I think about it, I just can’t be sure.”

  “Can you at least give me a name for us to follow up on?” There was another long pause. Jonas decided to take another route. “Can you tell me how you know him?”

  “If it’s him, we used to go to school together. It also looked like the guy in the photo has a tattoo. The guy I’m thinking of has a tattoo of a compass and forest on his wrist and forearm.”

  Jonas’s heart skipped a beat as he zoomed in closer on the photo. Bart Wells had mentioned something about a tattoo on one of the fugitives.

  For the first time in hours, Jonas felt a thread of hope run through him. He decided to push his luck. “What about the woman?”

  “It’s hard to tell, but I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen her.”

  “Listen . . . Sam,” Jonas said. “I’d like to meet with you. Ask a few more questions. I really need to find the man in this photo. Two people are dead because of what happened today—”

  “I know, but I think this was a mistake.”

  “Sam, wait . . . Please . . .” He couldn’t lose the most promising lead he’d had all night. “It sounds like you were friends with him, which can make it hard, but it’s very important that we find the man in the photo.”

  “The news said he robbed some banks.”

  “Does that fit your friend’s character?”

  “I don’t know.” Another pause. “Maybe.”

  “We can meet somewhere neutral,” Jonas said. “You choose.”

  “If I’m wrong, I don’t want to drag in the wrong person.”

  Sam was nervous. Jonas could hear it in his voice. It wasn’t the first time he’d encountered a scared witness. And yet he couldn’t let the guy go without getting at least a name. It would be even better if he could help him figure out where the suspect might be.

  “Listen, Sam. Here’s what I can promise you. Your friend will be brought in as a person of interest. Nothing more unless we can verify it’s him. But we need to talk with him.”

  “Fine. There’s this place I hang out at sometimes. I’ll text the address to the tip line.”

  Jonas waited for the ding that verified Sam’s message, then blew out a breath of air.
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Jonas slipped out of the car. The glowing sign across the street marked a karaoke and sports bar. Michaels had been right about one thing—he needed to eat. Maybe he’d combine the interview with a late dinner.

  The lamppost above his car was broken, leaving dark shadows from the lights across the street that seemed to swallow the empty road. His phone went off and he checked his messages. Madison. He hesitated, dropped the phone back into his pocket, and crossed the street. Someone whistled behind him, and he turned around. Four punks wearing hoodies had formed a half circle behind him.

  You’ve got to be kidding.

  “You’re making a mistake,” Jonas said. “I’m—”

  One of them took a step forward, pulling a gun out and pointing it at him. “We don’t care who you are unless you want to try and take on all four of us. Just hand over your wallet and keys, and we’ll be on our way.”

  “You know, I have to say that it really isn’t a good time to question my thoughts on humanity.” Jonas didn’t even try to press down the wave of anger. “I’ve already had a gun pointed in my face twice, and watched a friend die, so I’ve had enough for one day.”

  “Don’t really care about your day, man.” The stranger turned the barrel of his gun sideways while the others snickered. “Just hand over your stuff.”

  Jonas pulled out his own weapon and aimed it back at the speaker before any of them could react. “Either you put the weapon on the ground now, and all four of you get on your knees, or I’ll blast a bullet in your kneecaps.” Shock kept the men in place, so Jonas repeated himself. “All four of you! And I promise I know what I’m doing. I train cops. I can shoot four rounds faster than you can get off one.”

  He studied their surprised expressions. It might have been a slight exaggeration on his abilities, but he was too tired to quibble over details. He had no doubt he could take down at least three.

  The guy on the far left looked at his buddy with the gun, worry crossing his face. “He’s a cop, Baxter.”