Now it was his turn to be startled. “When did that happen?”
She shrugged. “Last night. A man called I think just to scare me so I couldn’t sleep. I have to say it worked.”
“What did he say?”
“When I asked who was calling, he said it was the friend I met earlier. So it must have been Lee Tucker,” Jessica answered. “I asked him what he wanted, and he said he didn’t want anything at the present time. But he’d let me know if he changed his mind.”
Ryan pounded his fist down on his desk. “That settles it. I have to find out what’s going on.”
“How are you going to do that?” she asked.
He thought for a moment before he responded. “I think I’ll take a few days’ leave and poke around on my own to see what I can find out. Maybe I can turn up something.”
She pushed out of her chair. “Well, I wish you luck. Let me know if I can help in any way.”
He stood and faced her. “You can. How about working with me for a few days? Let’s see if we can find out what’s going on.”
She stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am. After all, Lee Tucker is a fugitive and you’re a bounty hunter. If we find him, maybe we can answer some questions we’ve always had about Cal’s and Susan Harvey’s murders. And you may get to bring in a fugitive who’s skipped bail.”
She stared into his eyes without blinking. “Ryan, I don’t know...”
He reached for her hand and clasped it in his. “Please, Jessica. It’ll be like old times. The two of us working on a case. What do you say? Want to be my partner again?”
FOUR
Jessica swallowed the last bite of her hamburger and took a sip of iced tea before glancing across the table at Ryan. She still couldn’t believe this was happening. Twenty-four hours ago no one could have convinced her that she would be having lunch today with Ryan Spencer. And yet here she was, sitting across from the man she’d told herself for four years that she hoped she would never see again.
As they had discussed the Harvey murder case and its link to the robbery and what was believed to be an attempt on Jamie’s life yesterday, she had found herself feeling comfortable in Ryan’s presence. Maybe she had been too quick to jump to conclusions four years ago. In all honesty, he had tried to explain his side back then, but she had felt so betrayed that she wouldn’t listen. Her brothers had always said she had a stubborn side to her sweet personality. No wonder Ryan had given up on trying to convince her she was wrong.
On the other hand, he’d had four years. Why had he waited until last night to try again to convince her?
“What are you thinking?” Ryan’s voice cut into her thoughts, and she sat up straighter.
Her face grew warm, and she picked up her napkin and wiped her mouth. “Oh, just lost in thought, I guess.”
A skeptical look flashed in his eyes, and he regarded her with an arched eyebrow. “Come on, Jessica. I always told you that your face was like a mirror to your soul. You never have been able to hide your emotions. Is it me? Are you still trying to make up your mind about whether or not you can be my friend?”
There was no use evading the truth. He was right. He’d always been able to read the expressions on her face. Maybe that was what had made them such great partners. The thought of their former relationship and how it had ended sent her heart plummeting to the pit of her stomach. Could she really put the past behind her and be his friend? And could she really work with him on a case?
She took a deep breath and tried to smile. “I listened to all you said last night, and I wish I had done that long ago. I didn’t, and I’ve had four years to ponder everything that was said between us.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Still the same old Jessica, huh? Once you get something in your mind, you’re like a dog with a bone. You chew on it constantly, and the longer you do, the more you take ownership of it.” He leaned forward and clasped her hand on the tabletop. “I’ve told you the truth about what was going on with me then. I’m sorry that I didn’t handle things differently, and I’m sorry I hurt you. Why don’t you quit stewing about it and bury that bone. All I’m asking is to be your friend.”
She started to pull her hand free, but he tightened his grip. A tug-of-war was the last thing she wanted in the middle of a downtown restaurant, so she relaxed. Maybe Ryan was right. Maybe her brothers had been right, too, about her stubborn streak when it came to forgiving those who she felt had hurt her. And Ryan had fit into that category...until their talk last night. Now she was beginning to think she’d jumped to conclusions before she should have.
After a moment, she smiled. “I’d like us to be friends again, Ryan. I always enjoyed working with you.”
“And I liked it, too. I was really sorry when I heard you had left the department.” He released her hand, and she picked up her iced tea again. “Maybe if I had been more forthcoming about what was going on in my life then, you might still be a police officer.”
She took a drink from her glass and shook her head. “I don’t think so. All my family has ever known is the bounty-hunter business. It was just a matter of time before I joined my brothers at the agency.”
He tilted his head to one side and studied her. “Are you happy doing that kind of work? It sounds like it would be dangerous for a woman to take down guys determined not to go to jail.”
“That doesn’t sound a lot different from what I did as a police officer. But I’m careful, and I don’t take chances. I’m on the road a lot, so the job’s not conducive to much of a personal life. And I get tired of staying in motels and eating in restaurants.”
He smiled. “That must be hard for you. I remember how you used to talk about the kind of house you wanted and what the backyard would be like. You haven’t found the right one yet?”
She shook her head and sighed. “No. Maybe someday. What about you? You said you moved into the house your dad bought before his death. Do you still live there?”
“Yeah. All by myself now.” He chuckled and wiped at the condensation on the outside of his iced tea glass. “Of course, as soon as Jamie got to college he wanted to move into an apartment of his own near campus. So I’m left rambling around in a big house all by myself. I’m thinking of selling it and moving back to an apartment.” He paused and bit down on his lip.
Jessica pushed her plate out of the way and crossed her arms on the table in front of her. “What’s the matter?”
“I’m sitting here talking about my housing plans when I should be trying to find out where my brother has gone.” He pushed back the hair that had fallen across his forehead. “I can’t believe he wouldn’t tell me.”
Jessica sat still for a moment and studied Ryan. When she had last known Ryan, he was working to establish a good relationship with his brother. From the way they’d seemed yesterday, she suspected they’d been able to do that. If that was so, why had Jamie left town without letting Ryan know where he was going?
She picked up her napkin again and wiped her hands. “Do you know any of the people Jamie works with at the computer store or at the school newspaper?”
“Nobody at the computer store, but I met the student editor once when I stopped by the newspaper office. Why?”
“I was just thinking,” she said. “Maybe we could talk to someone at the paper and see if they could help us.”
Ryan nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. I’ll call and see if anybody’s there.”
He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and scrolled down to a number. The muscle in his jaw flexed as he waited. After a moment, he ended the call. “Nobody answered. They may all be in class or at lunch.”
“Why don’t we go over to the campus anyway. We might find someone in the building who could tell us when they’ll be back.”
Ryan smiled and glanced down at her plate. “If you’re through, I’ll get the check so we can go.”
He picked up the tab the waitress had laid on the table and pushed to his feet. A panicked shock ricocheted through her body. No, she couldn’t allow herself to let down her guard with Ryan. She didn’t mind helping him find his brother, but they weren’t about to renew the relationship they’d had before. Jessica put out a hand to stop him. “I’ll pay for my lunch, Ryan.”
“There’s no need for that. You’re helping me. The least I can do is buy you some lunch.”
She shook her head and rose to her feet. “No. I think it would be better if we keep this new partnership as professional as possible.”
He narrowed his eyes and studied her suspiciously. “What are you getting at, Jessica?”
“I’m saying I don’t want you buying me lunch or dinner or anything else. I can take care of my own meals. Let’s just keep things on a professional basis.”
Ryan exhaled a soft breath. “Okay, Jessica, if that’s the way you want it.”
She bobbed her head in a curt nod. “That’s the way I want it.”
He gritted his teeth. “All right, then. I’ll have the cashier divide the tab. Is that agreeable?”
“That will be fine.”
Muttering under his breath, he whirled and strode toward the cashier. As she followed along, she strained to hear what he was saying but could catch only a few words. “Women...unreasonable...holding a grudge.”
She stopped halfway to the cashier and stared at Ryan’s back. Was she being unreasonable, and was she holding on to a grudge? She tried to shake the guilty thoughts from her head.
He seemed sincere about wanting her to forgive him. If so, she needed to meet him halfway and try to put past hurts out of her mind. The memory of how they’d taken turns paying for each other’s food when they were partners popped into her mind, and she hurried to catch up with him. She caught him right before he got to the cash register.
“Ryan, wait a minute.”
He turned and cocked an eyebrow. “What is it?”
“I’m sorry if I sounded too negative. I suppose I thought your offer appeared to be a bit too personal at first.”
His eyes darkened. “I’m sorry, Jessica. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I’m just so glad to be having lunch with you again after all these years that I guess I forgot you still don’t completely trust me.”
“Please, Ryan, let’s not make a big deal out of it. Why don’t we do what we used to. We take turns picking up the tab. Is that all right?”
“That sounds good.” He held out the bill and grinned. “Do you want to take the first one?”
She stared at his outstretched hand for a moment and then burst out laughing before she jerked the tab from him. “I guess I asked for that.”
He slipped his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. A teasing gleam lit his eyes. “I guess you did. I’ll get the car and bring it around front while you pay the bill. See you in a few minutes.”
Jessica shook her head as Ryan walked out of the restaurant. She’d forgotten how much she used to enjoy being with him. Was it possible they could be friends after all that had happened between them? She hadn’t thought so a few days ago, but now she wasn’t so sure.
She sighed and shook her head. There’d be time later for thoughts like that. Right now the most important thing was to find out why Lee Tucker had tried to kill Jamie yesterday and why Jamie had disappeared without letting his brother know where he was going.
When those questions were answered, she would make a decision on remaining friends with Ryan.
* * *
Ryan led the way down the hallway of the building that housed the college newspaper’s office. Jessica walked beside him, and he glanced at her every once in a while as if to assure himself that she was really there.
He’d missed her these past few years, more than he would ever admit to her. There was no telling how many times he’d wished he could talk with her about a case he was working on. It seemed she’d always had an insight that had helped unravel what had seemed a mystery to him.
But most of all, he’d missed the quiet times they’d spent together, talking about their families and sharing their hopes for the future. He’d always envied her close relationship with her brothers. Perhaps that was what had made his with Jamie so difficult. He hadn’t known how to cope with a teenager’s problems, and he’d missed Jessica’s advice during those years.
When he looked back on what had happened between them, he realized he’d handled it all wrong. She had been the perfect person who could have helped him through what he now recognized as a period of depression in his life. But instead of leaning on her, he’d turned his back on her.
It had come as a complete surprise when she’d been transferred instead of him. No matter how much he’d tried to explain, she wouldn’t listen. And he had missed their times together ever since. Maybe they’d never share what they had once had, but at least she was talking to him now. And she was helping him.
“I see the Panther’s office ahead.”
Her voice jerked him from his thoughts, and he stared at the sign identifying the offices of the school’s student newspaper above a door down the hall. When they arrived at the spot, he was surprised to find the door open. Inside, a young woman sat at a desk, a computer in front of her.
She looked up when they walked in and darted a glance at each of them before she rose to her feet. “Hello. Can I help you with something?”
“I hope so,” Ryan said. “I’m Ryan Spencer, Jamie’s brother.”
Her eyes lit up and she came around the desk toward them. “It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Ellie Howington, one of the staff reporters. Jamie and I work together, and I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s nice to meet you at last.”
“You, too. I wonder if you could help me out.”
Her eyes widened with what he thought was fear, and she glanced from him to Jessica. Her lips quivered. “Is it Jamie? Has something happened?”
“Oh, no,” he said. “I just have a few questions to ask.”
She breathed an audible sigh of relief and closed her eyes for a moment. “Oh, good. You scared me for a moment there.”
The girl’s reaction wasn’t what Ryan would have expected from someone who just worked with his brother. And then there had been her statement she was glad to meet him at last. Perhaps there was more to Jamie and Ellie’s relationship than merely colleagues on the newspaper. Ryan cocked his head to one side and stared at her.
“Why would you think something might have happened to Jamie?”
Ellie’s face flushed, and she pointed at a dilapidated sofa across the room. “Why don’t we sit down. We have a few minutes before anyone will be back from class.”
Ryan and Jessica walked over to the couch, sat down and waited for Ellie to drag over a chair from the other side of the room. When she was settled across from them, Ryan scooted to the edge of his seat and rested his elbows on his knees. “Is there something I need to know?”
Ellie bit down on her lip and nodded. “Jamie and I have worked together for about a year on the newspaper. We got on so well together that about six months ago we began to go out. At first it was maybe a night a week, but as time went by, we spent more and more time together. Now we’re together every spare minute.”
Ryan’s body stiffened, and a stab of disappointment jabbed at his heart. Jamie had never said a word to him about a special girl in his life. Ryan rubbed his hand across his forehead and frowned. “Why hasn’t Jamie told me about this?”
Ellie shrugged. “This feeling between us is so new that we didn’t want to share it with anyone yet. We’d decided, though, that this weekend Jamie would ask you out to dinner so that you and I could meet.” Her eyes f
illed with tears. “Now I don’t think we’ll be able to do that. Jamie’s gone, and I don’t know where he is.”
Those weren’t the words he’d hoped to hear at the newspaper office. “Yes, I know,” Ryan said. “I’d hoped someone here would be able to tell me where he’s gone.”
Ellie shook her head. “I wish I knew. He came by my apartment last night and told me what happened in the convenience store yesterday. He said he knew the robber had meant to kill him, and he knew why.”
Ryan shot a glance at Jessica. “Did he tell you what that reason was?”
“He said it was about the story he was working on.”
Ryan repressed the groan that he felt rising in his throat. So Jamie had gotten into some news story that had placed him in jeopardy. “What is the story about?”
Ellie held up her hands in a gesture of helplessness. “It was just supposed to be about the candidates running for office. That’s all. But it turned into something more.”
“What candidates? What office?”
Ellie started to speak, but before she did, she looked over her shoulder at the open door and rose from her chair. She hurried across the room and closed the door then returned to them. When she was seated again, she clasped her hands in her lap and glanced from Jessica to him.
“I suppose you’ve been following the US Senate race?”
Jessica and Ryan both nodded. Then Jessica leaned forward a bit. “You said Jamie was working on a story about the candidates. Who was he supposed to interview? Chip Holder or Senator Mitchum?”
“Actually, it wasn’t an interview, although he hoped it would turn into one. His first step was to attend the debate they had. You know that Chip Holder is a decorated war hero, and he’s been running some ads that accuse Senator Mitchum of having lots of skeletons in his closet.”
“I’ve seen some of them,” Ryan said. “Holder seems to have a slight edge over Senator Mitchum at the moment. His experiences as a POW of a terrorist group in the Middle East and his rescue six years ago by a Special Ops group have given him a lot of material to wow the American voters with. The media have painted him as a real patriot who served his country in the worst of circumstances, and the public seems to like that.”
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