by Aimée Thurlo
“Do as she says.” His voice was barely more than a whisper, but she’d never heard a deadlier sound. She felt a cold chill touch her spine.
Ken’s gaze was fixed on Burke, but he didn’t let go of her arm. “Get lost. This isn’t your turf.”
Burke’s move was surprisingly effortless. With his gaze locked on Springer’s, he took hold of Ken’s index finger and unwrapped it slowly from Laura’s arm, bending it back at an unnatural angle.
Ken’s reaction was nearly instantaneous. He released her and stumbled back a step. His eyes had narrowed with pain, but he didn’t make a sound.
Burke moved between her and Springer, his gaze never leaving his adversary.
“This isn’t over, Silentman,” Ken said, his voice low.
The room had grown still and Laura saw the others had stopped their work and were watching both men.
Ken glanced around at their faces, his hand bunched into a fist, but he found no allies. “We’ll settle this soon—on my terms.” With one last glance at Burke, then Laura, he strode past them and out of the house.
Burke watched from the front porch until Springer got back into his department vehicle and drove off. “He lost face here today. That’ll eat him up inside and make him dangerous,” he said softly, turning to look at Laura.
She was no match for Springer, but he was, and now it was personal. There were two things guaranteed to rile his temper—a man who mistreated kids, and a man who roughed up a woman. “But to get to you, he’ll have to go through me. What happened here today will never happen again. That’s a promise.”
Chapter Eight
Laura walked back into the house with Burke. The workmen, who’d all come to the door or window to watch what was going on, were oddly silent as Burke came in. They nodded and gave way—partly out of respect and partly out of common sense. Burke looked as if he was itching to break someone in half.
“Ken said he’d been asked to follow up on what had happened here because I’d had two gas-related accidents. But he was right on the heels of the gas company inspector. Did you notice that?”
“Yeah, and his timing does raise some interesting questions. Let me talk to the gas man and find out if either he or his office called Springer or the fire department.”
“And if they didn’t?”
“Then Springer may be watching your house.”
When Burke looked down at her, his eyes were bright with a fire that made her heart start pounding in her throat.
“But remember what I said, Laura. You’ll never have to worry about that guy getting close to you again.”
The strength she saw reflected in his gaze reminded her that, like the mountain lion, he knew how to fight and how to win.
The gas company man finished his inspection and came up to meet them. “Everything’s working fine now. If no one tampers with the adjustments, you shouldn’t have any more problems.”
“Did you or someone else at the gas company call the arson investigator?” Burke asked.
“I called Lieutenant Springer on my way here because you’d had problems before, and he’d asked my office to keep him updated on any new business or service calls at this address.”
“Okay, thanks,” Burke said.
As the man walked out, Laura looked up at Burke. “Well, that’s settled.” She glanced at the bookshelves. “Did you find all the books you wanted to look over?”
“I have them in my jacket. I didn’t want them just lying around with all the people coming and going.”
“Okay.” As she started to walk away, he reached out and grasped her hand.
A jolt of excitement raced up her spine and, as she looked at him, she saw that he’d felt something, too. Dangerous—that could sum up the way things were between them. She tried to make her voice sound casual, and by some miracle succeeded. “Yes?”
“Listen, I’m going to go to the furnace contractor’s office. I want to know if Springer also asked them to notify him if something went wrong here. I want to see to what extent he has engineered things so that he’ll have a reason to keep coming around. If he’s stepped over the line in any way, I want to make sure I’m in a position to put a stop to it.”
“Then I’m going with you.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay with your godmother?”
“The doctor said she’ll sleep for hours, but I’ll leave her a note, just in case. Can we also leave Wolf with her?”
“Sure.”
Back at his house, while waiting for Laura to write Elena a note, Burke changed Wolf’s collar.
“What are you doing?” Laura asked, coming back into the room.
“It’s a signal to Wolf that he’s on sentry duty,” Burke said. “No one who comes in uninvited will leave without teeth marks.”
“Are you sure Elena will be safe?”
“You can count on it. He won’t harm anyone unless it’s an intruder.”
THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE the contractor’s office was located was rougher than he’d remembered. “This area’s gone down a lot in the last few years,” he said, looking at some young street thugs standing beside a storefront awning.
As he got out of his car, Burke made it a point to stand perfectly still and make eye contact, his gaze hard and expressionless. Seconds passed as steadily as heartbeats, but the thugs finally moved away, walking in the opposite direction. Satisfied, he went around and opened the door for Laura, then walked with her into the contractor’s office.
The beefy man with an anchor tattoo on one of his hairy forearms looked out of place behind a desk, tapping on an adding machine.
“Can I help you?” Seeing Laura, he stretched out his hand. “I’m Joey LaSalle.” Then he gave Burke a nod. “I believe your tribe doesn’t like to shake hands.”
“True enough,” Burke answered.
“I sure hope you’re not here because one of my servicemen missed an appointment,” he said.
“No, we just came to ask you a few questions,” Burke said. “My lady friend has been having some problems with a guy who keeps harassing her. He’s a fireman and he’s got some official clout. Guess he thinks that make him immune.”
“Yeah, guys like that can be a real pain.” He looked at Laura, then back at Burke. “But what’s this got to do with me?”
“Do you know an arson investigator named Ken Springer?” Burke asked.
The man scowled and nodded. “Yeah. He was here earlier and came on real strong for someone without a warrant—like he was the fire marshal or something.” He paused for a second, as if trying to get a better handle on things. “Hey, are you the lady who had the furnace that some lowlife tampered with? Laura Santos?”
She nodded, but before she could say anything else, he continued.
“Look, for the record, my installer is a pro. He swears everything was adjusted properly the first time.” LaSalle rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. “But when our man went back out the second time, things were way off. We had to notify Springer and the gas company inspector. We were in a tough position legally, you understand? When a mishap like that happens, we have to cover all the bases. Then Springer came by earlier today and told us that he was already investigating a case of attempted arson at that address. At his request, we agreed to notify him immediately if we were called out to your home again.”
“There was no attempted arson—or at least no evidence to indicate that,” Laura said, her voice quiet. “Springer is just using that to get to me. He wants me to depend on him for protection, I guess.”
“That sorry son of a gun.” LaSalle’s jaw clenched and a muscle jumped in his cheek. “I’ll tell my employees not to give out any information about you unless there’s a court order involved. You shouldn’t have to put up with any guy pushing himself on you just ’cause he wears a badge.”
“Thank you,” Laura said. “That’s very kind of you and I appreciate it.”
As they walked out, Burke looked down at her. “Springer has overstep
ped his authority. You could get him fired—or at least in a heap of trouble. But getting people to testify can be tricky.”
“I’d rather not go that route. I really don’t want to ruin his life. I just want him to leave me alone. But if he keeps pushing it, I’ll talk to his bosses. I think one or two guys at the house will come forward as witnesses if I ask them.”
She slipped into the passenger’s seat, then waited until they were under way. “Not to brag or anything, but I hope you realize that the reason we got answers back there so quickly and without any fuss was because I was with you. My talking to Mr. LaSalle and explaining what was going on made him want to help us even more, because I wasn’t just a name or a statistic then. All in all, I’d say I did very well.”
“No, the proper term is ‘I done good.’ You need to learn to speak good-ole-boy if you’re going to work the case with me,” he teased.
“Of course. I’ll be sure to remember,” she said, trying, like him, not to crack a smile. “And don’t worry. I’m a very quick study.”
“Somehow I figured that.”
It was difficult sitting in the car with him. As much as she wanted to treat him as just another guy, everything about Burke marked him as one of a kind. He was rugged, and dangerous, and if he was rough at times, that just heightened his appeal.
She stole a furtive glance at the way his powerful hands gripped the wheel. For a moment, she pictured those hands on her body and, to her horror, she almost sighed.
“You okay?”
No, she was losing it. Just being around Burke made her heart beat so fast it was hard to breathe—and the lack of oxygen was killing her brain cells. Clinging to that bit of logic, she stared out the window. “I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be? I done good today.”
He burst out laughing.
AFTER THEY ARRIVED BACK at her home, Laura went through the house taking note of the progress. The back door worked and the heater was installed. Workmen were now busy patching the holes in the living room wall, created when the original intruder had toppled a large armoire during his search of the house. There was similar damage in Elena’s bedroom and throughout—everything ranging from scuff marks to gouges in the plaster.
At the moment, the damp odor of curing plaster and drywall, coupled with the sealer coat on the back door and the trim, was almost overpowering.
Eager to get some fresh air and wanting to check on Elena, they left her home and walked across the way to Burke’s house. “It won’t be long now before Elena and I can move back home,” she said. “And as soon as she’s ready and the final coat of paint has had time to dry, we’re leaving—just so you know.”
“Okay, but until then, let’s take it a day at a time.”
As Burke opened his front door, Wolf came to greet them, licking his chops. “Hey, Wolf,” Laura said, crouching down and scratching him behind the ears. “Whatcha got in your mouth?”
“That’s bread,” Burke said, crouching in front of the dog. “Wolf, if you grabbed anything off of the counter, you’re in serious trouble,” he said, and hurried toward the kitchen.
Just then Elena came through the open doorway. “No, Wolf’s been a very good dog. I made myself some toast and, since he looked hungry, I made him a piece, too.”
Seeing her, Burke grew concerned. “The doctor said you’d sleep for hours! What happened? Aren’t you feeling well?”
She smiled. “I napped for as long as I needed to, but then I woke up hungry. I was never that sick, you know. I just needed to relax and calm down after that scary ride home.”
“We haven’t had a chance to talk to that idiot driver yet, but we will,” Laura assured her.
“Now that you’re both here, I can cook supper,” Elena said.
“Absolutely not,” Burke said.
“I second that. Hey, wow, a miracle—we agree on something.” Laura reached for the phone. “I’m calling Pizza Pizzazz. A day like today calls for fine dining on the best paper plates money can buy.”
DINNER WAS A SIMPLE affair, but it felt good to have both of the women safe under his roof. There was something about Laura that exasperated Burke and got under his skin. He didn’t want to like her, but he couldn’t seem to have one clear thought that wasn’t somehow wrapped up in her. The worst part was that the whole experience made him feel so good, he didn’t want to run for cover.
“Tell me what’s happening at the senior center,” he asked Elena, forcing himself to focus on business.
“There’s a lot more going on at the center than people realize,” she said pensively. “For instance, have you heard of John Foster and what happened with him?”
Laura nodded. Everyone knew the town’s leading real estate developer. “Didn’t he promise to make a generous donation to the center? I think I read something like that in the papers.”
“Yes, the offer was made, but it came with strings attached—ones that no one was eager to make public.”
“Like what?” Burke asked, his curiosity piqued.
“The center would get the money only if we didn’t interfere with his plans to build a four-story apartment complex on the land adjacent to the center—a parcel that Foster had originally promised to sell to the city for a nominal price so they could turn it into a much needed recreational park.”
“How did you find out about this?” Laura asked.
“I overheard a conversation one afternoon when I was in the office,” Elena answered, then with a glance at Burke, added, “I work at the center part-time.” She took a deep breath, then continued. “When I realized what was really going on, I knew that everyone who would be affected by the apartment complex had a right to know what was being done behind their backs. The other seniors felt the same way I did, so we decided to fight Foster’s plans.
“I got everyone organized, and we fought the development on the grounds that an apartment complex would mean an increase in traffic and noise, not to mention take away a much needed neighborhood park. We got the support of parents who lived in adjacent areas, we circulated petitions, and the end result was a lot of bad publicity for Mr. Foster.”
“When did all this happen?” Laura asked, stunned.
“While you were busy finishing your last book. I never said anything because I knew you were really fighting to make your deadline,” Elena said. Then she looked at Burke. “When she’s going over the last draft of a book, she’s totally lost in her own world. Before I moved in, she would run out of everything from milk to toilet paper and not even notice.”
Burke’s eyebrows arched and he looked about ready to laugh. “How do you not notice you’re out of toilet paper?”
“I’m creative,” Laura snapped.
Burke burst out laughing at that.
“Okay, so I’m not exactly domestic goddess material,” she muttered. “Go back to your story, Elena.”
“Well, once Mr. Foster was forced to abandon his plans for the complex because of public pressure, he also reneged on his donation to the senior center. Karl Maurer, the director, blamed me for the whole thing and fired me from my job. He even tried to bar me from using the center’s facilities, but I fought back. Once everyone learned that I’d been fired, all the seniors protested and threatened to stop using the center and paying their membership fees. Needless to say, I got my job back.”
Laura shook her head. “How long was all that going on?” Her last draft often took weeks, and it was inconceivable to her that Elena had handled this for that long without her noticing.
“The whole thing happened in a matter of days—two weeks at most. Then it was over,” Elena said. “Of course, Karl has continued pressuring me to apologize to Mr. Foster in the hopes that he’ll change his mind about making a donation.”
“And have you apologized?” Burke asked.
“No, of course not. I did nothing wrong. If anyone should apologize, it’s Mr. Foster. He tried to pull a fast one on all of us in the community.”
Laura sat back in her chair, totally du
mbfounded. “Is there anything else you haven’t told us?”
“Now I’ve hurt your feelings,” Elena said remorsefully. “But when something upsets you, sometimes it takes you days to get back into your writing. That’s why I didn’t say anything.”
“How are things between you and Karl now?” Burke asked.
“In a word? Tense. The fact that I stood up to him is like a thorn in his side.”
Laura glanced at Burke. “What do you think? Could he be the person behind the break-ins?”
“Whoever broke in was looking for something specific.” He turned to Elena. “Can you think of anything you have that Karl Maurer might want?”
She considered for a moment. “Well, now that you mention it, awhile back he really wanted me to return a nasty memo he’d written me. But he wouldn’t break in to get it now. It’s not worth that much to him anymore.”
“What memo?” Laura pressed.
“Once he found out I was organizing the protest against Foster’s development project, Karl was furious. He tried to talk to me several times, but one of us was always getting called away. Finally, one day, right before leaving on a business trip, he scribbled a hurried memo and left it on my desk. In it, he told me that if I didn’t stop interfering with Foster’s plans, he’d fire me and make sure no one in this town ever hired me again. He threatened to tell people I was growing senile—can you believe it? I’m sure he figured that memo would stop me in my tracks, but of course, it didn’t. Eventually, he fired me. That’s when I told him that I still had the memo and if he gave me a bad reference or tried to keep me from getting hired elsewhere, I’d show it to the first newspaper reporter I could find, and declare that Karl had been in a conspiracy with Foster.”
“Where’s that memo now?” Burke asked quickly.
“I threw it out after he hired me back,” Elena said with a shrug. “I’m sorry I didn’t remember this when we had the first break-in. My memory sometimes plays tricks on me.”
Laura sat back in her chair, trying to make sense out of everything. “We have to find out if Karl’s implicated in what’s been happening to us.”