by Mel Comley
“I’m not going anywhere, Miss Candy, and as long as I’m around, you won’t have to worry about nobody hurting you again.”
Interesting. Why did you let him hurt me this time? “I’d better eat now and get dressed. Mr. Adams’s appointment is at ten, and I’d like to be there at nine thirty.”
Rico stepped into the foyer. “I’ll take care of MacIntyre and pick you up at nine.”
Candy lifted the lid to the breakfast tray. Steamed eggs with prosciutto. “Yuck.” The rich knew how to eat fancy, but what she wanted was something with taste. A nice Egg McMuffin, or country ham and a biscuit would have been better. As soon as Val was gone, Candy would fire Henrietta and get a decent cook. Candy poured a cup of coffee, opened the drawer to the nightstand, and removed a honey bun. Not healthy, but delicious.
~
Candy took one last look in the mirror, finally satisfied with the outfit she’d chosen. She was supposedly visiting her ailing brother, so dressing up was out of the question. Besides, the old geezer had treated her like a daughter, so she wasn’t going to seduce him. The khakis and light blue blouse were perfect.
“Ready, Miss Candy?”
Candy turned and assessed the outfit Rico was wearing. As big as he was, he looked like a med tech. “Yes, but I’ve changed my mind. I called a cab. I’ll be seen on video, and I don’t want anyone associating me with the van should it be seen. You park the van near the entrance but out of the way. I’ll bring Mr. Adams out to the sidewalk in a wheelchair, and you can load him. Once you leave in the van, I’ll take a cab back here and meet you at the lab.”
~
Reefer parked in the hospital lot. He scanned the area, noting the individuals he suspected were the undercover officers Derek had assigned. A change of plans at the last minute had the chief and Derek across the street in another building. Both had wanted to be in on the action, but their faces were too well known not to be recognized. “White van coming in.”
“Damn, Reefer, I’m glad you got these earbuds.” Derek’s voice boomed in his ear. “Looks like one of those medical transport vans picking up a patient for the nursing home.”
“We’re not taking anything for granted today,” Chief Brown spoke up. “Tamara, are you close?”
“Getting ready to pull into the parking lot, Chief. Nobby is right behind me.”
“Good. See if you can get a look at the guy driving the van when you pass him.”
“Will do.”
Reefer kept his eyes trained on the van, but he saw Tamara park out of his peripheral vision. Nobby pulled in beside her, and the two exited their vehicles at the same time and walked toward the hospital. “Hang back a little, Tamara, and let Nobby go in. Then act like you twisted your ankle and fall. Let’s see if we can get this guy out of the van. If he’s legit, he’ll get out to help you. He may be armed, so be careful.”
Tamara didn’t answer, but Reefer noted her falling back a little and letting Nobby get ahead of her. She waited until he disappeared through the entrance, walked closer to the van, and let out a little scream as she fell.
The van door opened, and Reefer held his breath as a huge man exited. “It’s him.”
“Wait until Tamara confirms it,” Derek replied.
Reefer jerked open his door and drew his gun. “Dammit, I know it’s him.”
Tamara rolled over and pulled her gun as the guy knelt beside her. “Police, freeze!”
Reefer’s breath caught in his throat as a huge hand reached for the gun, twisted it from her hand, and turned it on her.
“We need him alive,” the chief called out.
Seconds seemed like hours as he watched the finger pull on the trigger. He leaped as the gun went off, catching Kaur beneath the arm and knocking him to the ground. They were immediately surrounded by five armed officers.
“Tamara!” Reefer rolled over.
“I’m okay, Reefer. Just embarrassed as hell the big lug managed to disarm me.”
Reefer closed his eyes and sat up with a groan as Tamara knelt beside him. “I thought he shot you.”
“I knew you’d save me, so I waited until the last minute and rolled when he squeezed the trigger.”
“Don’t ever do that again.”
She sat down beside him as the chief and Derek arrived. “Are you okay?”
“Feel like I hit a brick wall doing ninety miles an hour.”
Tamara stood. “No wonder. Did you see the size of that bastard? I’m surprised you didn’t break every bone in your body. What were you thinking, diving at him like that?”
Reefer struggled to his feet as Derek’s men placed Rico in the backseat of a cruiser. “I was thinking if he shot you, I was gonna kill him.”
“Good work, guys.” Chief Brown waved to Nobby. “We’ll give Alex a call and have her and Crimshaw meet us at the station. I’m sure she’s gonna want to question this guy.”
“What about Nobby? Should we hang around until his tests are finished and follow him home?” Reefer asked. “I doubt there’s anyone else involved, but just to be safe.”
“He said it might take a while. I’ll step inside and tell him to call you when he’s finished and ready to leave.”
Reefer watched as the chief walked into the hospital, spoke with Nobby, then turned, and waved them off. “I could use a good stiff drink.”
Tamara wrapped an arm around his waist and walked to his car with him. “You’re on duty. Best I can do is a latte. I’ll run out and pick up two.”
“How long has it been since we had a vacation?”
Tamara kissed him softly on the lips. “Too long.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
“Looks like we’ve got something going on today.”
Candy cursed silently as she watched the officers place Rico in the back of the cruiser. She needed to think fast. “It’s terrifying the things people do today.”
The cabbie nodded. “Look at the size of that guy. I’m surprised they got him at all. He looks like he could take out an army.”
She met the driver’s eyes in the rear-view mirror and gave him a sexy smile. “Could I ask a big favor?”
“What do you need, honey?”
“My grandfather is having some minor surgery. Do you know where the outpatient pickup area is?”
“Yeah, sure. Go there all the time.”
Candy handed him a fifty. “Would you mind waiting there for me? I’ll have another fifty for you when we get home.”
He stopped the car in front of the entrance. “How long you gonna be?”
“A few minutes if all goes well.”
“I’ll wait thirty minutes. After that, I’ll have to go.”
Candy glanced at the clock as she hurried through the entrance. It was ten minutes before Mr. Adams’s appointment. If she had to wait until he was seen, the cab would be gone. Damn Rico for putting her in this situation. She didn’t have a clue what had happened to him, but whatever it was, it must have been serious. Candy turned the corner, spied a wheelchair, and grabbed it, still moving swiftly along the corridor. She removed the needle guard and held the syringe at her side. If her plan worked, she would have only seconds. She turned another corner and slowed. Mr. Adams was standing in the hallway, reading a plaque on the wall, and the corridor was empty.
“Mr. Adams?”
He turned toward her. “How are you doing this morning? Candy, isn’t it?”
“Yes, sir.” She pushed the chair up next to him. “I’m picking my brother up; he gets to go home today.”
Nobby pointed to the wheelchair. “You know they’ll take those things to the room for you. Push your brother downstairs, too.”
Candy moved the wheelchair a fraction and pointed to the wall. “What were you reading?”
He turned his back to her, looking at the plaque again. “Dedication to some big shot.”
She moved quickly, shoved the wheelchair into the back of his knees, stuck the needle in his arm, and pushed the plunger. He fell into the seat, his head
immediately lolling to the side. Candy stored the needle in her pocket, hummed a little tune, and pushed the wheelchair to the outpatient surgery department. The pretty older lady at the desk smiled at her. “Someone having surgery today?”
“My grandfather, and he’s already had it. I left my car out back. Would you mind if I went through the outpatient pickup port?”
“I guess it would be okay. See that door over there?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Go through it, and the nurse will tell you how to get there.”
“Thank you so much. I’m such a dimwit at times. There’s no way I could have pushed him all the way around the hospital.”
“Well, you take care, honey. It’s nice to see young people care about their grandparents.”
Candy stroked Mr. Adams’s hair. “Oh, I couldn’t stand it if something happened to Papaw. Since my mother died, he’s all I have left.”
“Oh, you poor thing.” She pointed to the double doors. “Go in that direction, and they’ll take care of you.”
She pushed the wheelchair through the doors and stopped in front of the nurse sitting at the station. “Hi, the sweet little lady out front told me you’d show me the way to the outpatient exit.”
A buzzer went off, and the nurse glanced at the light. “Turn left at the end of the hall. You’ll see the exit door.”
“Thank you.”
Candy fought the urge to run, instead pushing the chair at what she hoped was a normal speed. She pressed the wall button to open the doors, breathed, and mentally gave herself a high five. She’d done it, and all on her own too. The cabbie must have been watching for her because he appeared in seconds. “Can you help me get him in the backseat?”
The two together loaded him in, and Candy pushed the wheelchair inside the doors. “Looks like you’ll have to sit up front with me. Against the rules, but you’re pretty enough to make me want to break them.” He leered at her as he climbed behind the wheel.
Candy grinned, opened the passenger door, and climbed in. “You know, I don’t have another fifty dollars.” She placed a hand on his leg and squeezed. “Is there some other way I could pay you?”
“Let me find a place to park.”
Candy slipped the second needle from her pocket, carefully removed the guard, and hid it beneath her thigh. The cab driver was eyeing the parking lot, licking his lips. He drove all the way to the bottom of the lot and parked next to a garbage bin. “Since it’s daylight, I guess it’ll have to be a blowjob. Won’t nobody see us here.”
She giggled softly as he fiddled with his belt and rushed to unzip his pants. What a disgusting example of the human species. I wouldn’t spit on him, let alone allow him to touch me. Candy leaned across the seat, moved close to his ear, and breathed softly as her right hand came up, shoved the needle into his thigh, and pushed the plunger. Like Mr. Adams he was out in seconds. “I’ll have to remember to ask Val what’s in this. Fabulous stuff.” She opened her door, walked around to the driver’s side and yanked him out. She giggled, reached down and pulled his pants and underwear to his knees. “Explain that one to your boss, you dirty bastard.”
Stage one was done; all she had to do now was get the old man to the lab before he woke up. Candy started the car and drove around past the entrance before joining the main highway. Samael would see now that she could finish a job against the odds.
~
“Hurry up, Crimshaw.”
“Keep your shirt on, Alex. He ain’t going anywhere. Blake, you sure you don’t want in on this?”
Blake shook his head. “Keep your earbuds in, and I’ll hear it. If I need to ask anything, I’ll text Alexandra. Somebody needs to be here with the pets and wait on Nobby, in case Samael decides to strike back.”
Alex walked to the entertainment center, opened a drawer, and pulled out a Glock. “Nobby always keeps a loaded gun here.” She handed it to Blake along with a box of shells. “Set the alarm system when we leave.”
~
Thirty minutes later, they stood looking through the two-way glass into the interrogation room. Alex glanced at Derek. “Has he said anything?”
“Not a word to anyone. Figured he’d lawyer up, but he hasn’t.”
Alex unhooked her holster from the belt and gave it to Derek. “I’d like a few minutes alone with him, if that’s okay.”
Crimshaw handed her the files with the girls’ pictures. “Go ahead, honey, you’ve earned it.”
She took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked in. Rico mumbled something under his breath but refused to look at her. Alex pulled out a chair and sat across from him. “Do you know why you’re here, Mr. Kaur?”
He shook his head.
“Has anyone read you your rights?”
He grinned at her this time. “This is America. I know my rights.”
“That may be so, but they still have to be read to you. You have the right to remain silent. If you choose not to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, and to have your attorney present during questioning. If you can’t afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you by the court. Do you understand these rights, Mr. Kaur?”
“I understand.”
“Good. If at any time you wish to stop the questioning, you can do so by asking for an attorney. Do you wish to have an attorney present during questioning at this time?”
“I’ve done nothing, so I don’t need a damn attorney.”
She opened the file and spread the photos of the five girls in front of him. “Do you recognize any of these girls?”
“No.”
“You didn’t even look at them, Mr. Kaur. Please look at the photos, just to be sure.”
“I’ve never seen them before.”
“How about Candy Granger?”
His face blanched for a moment. “Who?”
“You know who, Mr. Kaur. We found your DNA, along with hers, in a bed. Either you raped and killed her, or you had sex with her. Either way, she’s underage, and you’ll be tried for rape.”
Rico eyed her suspiciously. “How can you try someone for rape if they didn’t rape the person?”
“Ms. Granger is under the age of consent, so even if she wanted to have sex with you, in the eyes of the law, it’s statutory rape. Did you kill her after you had sex with her?”
“No.”
“Do you know the whereabouts of Duke MacIntyre and Drucilla Granger?”
“No.”
“Where’s your brother, Samael?”
Rico grinned and spat on her. “I haven’t seen my brother in ten years, bitch. I’ll take that lawyer now.”
Alex wiped the spittle off her face and glanced at the door as Crimshaw pushed his way in. “Hey, tough guy, spit on the lady again, and I’ll break your neck.”
“It’s all right.” She looked straight into Rico’s eyes and smiled. “Mr. Kaur has asked for a lawyer, and he’s confirmed Samael is his brother. At the moment, that’s all we need.”
Rico’s face flushed red, and he jerked on the chains holding him to the table. He knew he’d been duped, but he wasn’t exactly sure how. Alex pushed back her chair and stood. “Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Kaur. We’ll talk again once you have your lawyer.”
Alex closed the door behind her and leaned against it.
“You okay, Alex?” Crimshaw asked.
“Better than I’ve been in a long time. We had to have the verification Samael was his brother in order to use a DNA match when we catch him, or if we ever find any of Samael’s DNA at a crime scene.”
“You did good.” Crimshaw patted her on the back as they walked to the observation room.
“It’s almost noon; has Nobby called? He should be done by now.”
“Chief said he was to call Reefer when he was finished. Want me to give Reefer a call?”
“No, I’ll do it. Mondays are always bad for tests at a hospital. I bet he’s having to wait and mad as hell.
” Alex pulled out her cell phone and dialed Reefer’s number.
“Hello.”
“It’s Alex. Have you heard from Nobby?”
“Tamara went inside to check on him. He said it could take up to two hours.”
“Give me a call as soon as you know something.”
“How did the interrogation go?” Reefer asked.
“He lawyered up, but only after confirming Samael was his brother.”
“That’s good news, Alex. I’ll call you as soon as we’re on our way.”
Alex ended the call and sighed. “No news yet. Let’s go talk to Derek and the chief.”
“Isn’t it lunchtime? I’m starving.”
“You’re always hungry, Crimshaw. Maybe we can talk Derek into going to Bucky’s for one of those pulled-pork sandwiches you two like so much.”
Crimshaw licked his lips. “They got a great chocolate pie, too.”
Alex’s phone rang, and she scowled at the number. “It’s the hospital. Hello?”
“Is this Detective Alexandra Fox?”
“Yes, this is Detective Fox.”
“I was trying to locate Matt Adams. He listed you as next of kin. This is Dr. Miranda Shah. He didn’t keep his appointment this morning, and he isn’t answering his cell phone.”
Alex swallowed hard. “Dr. Shah, are you at the hospital now?”
“Yes, I’ve been here all morning. Matt never checked in for his bloodwork or his appointment with me at eleven. Would you please tell him he needs to reschedule immediately?”
“I’ll tell him. Thank you, Dr. Shah.”
Alex ended the call and rushed for the observation room, calling over her shoulder, “Call Reefer. Nobby never showed up for his bloodwork or his appointment. He’s missing.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Candy parked in front of the lab, opened her door, and sprinted to the entrance. She’d heard him groan a moment ago, and if they didn’t hurry, he was going to wake up. She pounded on the door until Val answered it. “Where’s Rico, and why didn’t you use a key?”
“Rico’s been arrested.” Candy pushed past her and ran to the lab. She grabbed a metal table and pushed it out of the room and toward the front door. “You need to give me a hand. He’s waking up.”