I Know Lucy (The Fugitive Series)

by Pearl, Melissa

  He held the watch up to the light. “This is no cheap hand me down. I’d bet my life this little beauty is worth a pretty penny.”

  “Like how pretty?” Lucy bit her lip.

  “My dear, I’d say you were sitting on several thousand dollars here.”

  “No way.” She gripped the tray in her hand.

  He spun it over, studying the engravings on the back. “This is an antique. I can tell by the engravings. Trust me, I used to work in the industry. I was a valuer for an auction house for several years. I can tell this is a limited edition watch, made in Switzerland. This is no mere hand me down, I can assure you.”

  “Do you think the guy who owns it knows?” Lucy flicked her thumb at vacant table 18.

  “I think the boy who owns it is a rich, clueless prat who probably places no value at all in his possessions.” He gently placed the watch back in her hand. “You hang on to this, my dear. Go to the Winchester Auction House in the morning. You know it?” She shook her head. Pulling a business card and pen from his back pocket, he flipped it over and wrote down an address. “Tell them Fletcher sent you. Have it valued and placed in the next auction. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.” He grinned at her.

  She took the card hesitantly. “But what if he comes back?”

  “Might be a good time to head home sick.” The man winked. “I guess it depends on how badly you want that car.” As he slid the pen back in his jacket pocket, his phone rang. “Excuse me.” He answered it with an elegant flair and then stood from the table and left, muttering something about having to take the call.

  Lucy gazed at the card in her hand, taking her time, giving the mark an opportunity to call her over, but he wasn’t quick enough. Instead, the tall blond man was clicking his fingers at her.

  She glanced up and was forced to approach him, swallowing back her annoyance.

  His pale gaze travelled over her as she approached, nerves exploding through her system like fireworks. Her brain began to buzz as she neared him, her mind igniting with an image from years before.

  “I don’t suppose you’d mind showing me that watch.” An arrogant smile eased over his lips, his hard eyes sparkling in a way that was more menacing than anything. “If you’re interested in selling, I might be able to offer you a decent price.” His blond eyebrows rose, making his face look even longer.

  That face.

  That voice.

  Trying to ward off her growing anxiety, she reached into her pocket, deciding it’d be okay if the mark was a different person. She was just handing it over when an image crystallized in her brain. She was suddenly back in a dark stairwell, gazing through a crack in the door. Her mother was screaming and her father was begging a tall blond man with pale green eyes to leave her alone.

  Lucy’s breath hitched, her fingers clutching the watch tight.

  It was him.

  She was standing a foot away from her parents’ killer.

  Chapter 15

  LUCY

  May 2011

  “I—uh, I have to go.”

  “Excuse me?” His eyes hardened, making them look like cold emeralds.

  “I’m sorry, I have to get back to the bar.” She shoved the watch into her apron pocket and turned.

  He tried to grab her arm, but she snaked out of his way.

  “Excuse me, miss. I’d like to order something more,” he called after her, but she didn’t stop, just kept moving. Slamming her tray on the bar, she made Mark jump.

  “What’s your problem?”

  “I feel sick.” She swallowed. “I think I’m gonna be sick.” She made a beeline through the kitchen and instead of turning right towards the bathrooms, headed straight out the back door. The night air hit her and she ran straight into it, pumping her arms as fear coursed through her muscles.

  Her breaths were erratic and punchy as she raced around the corner and straight into a pair of tight arms. She screamed, trying to pull away, but the grip was relentless.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” Shorty’s pincer grip grew tighter as he pulled her down the street. Marlin was waiting in the car, looking worried. Shorty opened the back door and shoved her inside, before they squealed away from the curb.

  “How the hell could you screw that up? We were playing it perfectly. It didn’t matter that the mark had changed. I told you to go with the flow in those situations. Damn it, Cyan. You just lost us a shitload of cash. That arrogant prick would have paid big time for that watch. I could see it in his smarmy expression.”

  “I think he was a cop,” Lucy mumbled, wrapping her arms around herself. Her insides were quivering, she could feel her organs jumping to a terror-filled tune.

  She’d seen him.

  It was him!

  “You don’t know he was cop.”

  “I just…I could feel it. He was onto me. I had to back away.”

  “We were killing that con. He was the perfect mark — arrogant and greedy. He was eating out of your hand until you screwed it up.” Shorty slammed the dashboard as Marlin accelerated through the green light. “Sputtering like a school girl amateur! You might as well have written conman on your forehead, you stupid, stupid girl!”

  They drove the rest of the way in silence, Lucy fighting off waves of nausea as memories assaulted her, while also trying to combat the growing dread of dealing with Shorty.

  He stomped up the stairs and slammed the door of their apartment once they were all through.

  “I’m sorry, Shorty.” Lucy untied her apron, too afraid to look at him. “But something was off.”

  “Even if he was a cop. It was obvious he was a dirty one and we could have pulled if off anyway.”

  She looked at him incredulously. “As soon as he figured out the con, he’d be all over us!”

  “We wouldn’t be around to be caught!” He threw his hands in the air and looked at her like she was dumb. “Why are you so scared of cops anyway? They’re some of the easiest people to bribe.”

  “Duh,” Marlin scoffed. “Not all of them can be, Shorty.” He moved to stand by Lucy, his protective instincts there for all to see.

  Lucy felt a touch better, knowing he wasn’t going to let Shorty completely demolish her.

  “No.” Shorty shook his finger, stabbing Lucy with a dangerous gaze. “It’s more than that. She’s running from the law for more than one reason. It ain’t just the conning that’s got you spooked, is it Cyan?”

  She kept her head still, refusing to shake it in front of him. “I just don’t trust them. Like you said, some are crooked, some aren’t. We won’t always be able to tell the difference.”

  “And that’s where you underestimate me, little girl. I know you’re lying.” His face was mottled with rage, making Lucy shrink back behind Marlin. With a disgusted scoff, Shorty stormed from the room.

  As soon as he was gone, Lucy sank to the couch, her shaking limbs no longer able to hold her.

  Marlin eased down beside her and gathered up her fingers. “You want to tell me?”

  She shook her head, but her lips moved anyway. “I can’t get caught by them, Marlin. It’ll be the death of me.”

  His face bunched with concern. “You seem pretty certain.”

  “Come on.” Her chuckle was shaky “We both know I’m the girl from the news that night.”

  Marlin swallowed, shifting closer to her, wrapping his arm tightly around her shoulders. “You were only a suspect. The case would have gone cold by now. You’ve been forgotten. You don’t have to worry.”

  Lucy shook her head, her eyes large and unfocussed. Her surroundings turned blurry as tears welled in her eyes. “I was there, Marlin,” she whispered.

  He went still. “You saw who murdered your parents?”

  She nodded, fear coiling in her stomach as her mother’s scream ricocheted through her brain again. “I was hiding in the basement stairwell. I saw everything.”

  “And that guy tonight. It was him?”

  Her head bobbed, tears threatening to t
urn her insides to mush. She sniffed, sliding her detached defenses into place.

  “Why? Why did he kill your parents?”

  She licked her bottom lip, dredging up memories she swore she’d never talk about. But now seemed the right time. Marlin had never pressured her before, but now the need to spill was overwhelming. She gripped his skinny fingers.

  “I can’t remember all the details.” She swallowed. “I just remember that my dad was really scared and he told me to go and hide. This man…the guy from tonight…he turned up at our house. He tortured my mother and then killed her in front of my dad.” She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the image of her father’s floppy body away. “He wanted me too and started calling my name, but Dad fought back…” Her breath hitched. “He fought back and was shot.”

  “Who was this guy?”

  “I don’t know his name. I don’t know anything about him, except…”

  “Except what?”

  Lucy licked her bottom lip, her body trembling as she glanced up at Marlin. “He called himself an officer of the law.”

  The shocked silence didn’t just ascend into the room, it dropped like a nuclear bomb. Lucy turned away from Marlin’s pale face.

  “No wonder you’re so afraid of cops.”

  “How can you be so sure he was telling the truth?” Shorty’s soft voice made them both jump. He was standing on the edge of the room. Lucy didn’t even hear him come back in.

  “I guess I can’t, but it felt like the truth. My dad worked for the FBI. He wasn’t an agent or anything…just an analyst. But even though he didn’t do field work, he still had reason to be scared of this man.”

  “Do you think it was his boss or something?”

  Lucy pressed her bottom lip into a tight line and shrugged. “I don’t know. I’d never seen him before, but Dad kept me away from his work. I just assumed he was a cop…a really powerful one, but I don’t actually know and I don’t want to. I just want to lay low and stay out of law enforcement’s way. I don’t care if he’s FBI, LAPD or a freaking US Marshall. I don’t want him to find me.”

  “Do you think he recognized you?”

  She flinched, looking up at Shorty. His hard expression had softened, his dark eyes swimming with a look she’d never seen before. Sympathy maybe?

  With a slow swallow, Lucy shrugged. “I don’t think so. His eyes didn’t flicker with any kind of recognition.”

  “Your swift exit may have made him suspicious.”

  Closing her eyes, Lucy dropped her head into her hands. Tears were swarming to break free, but she held them tight. Marlin rubbing slow circles over her back wasn’t helping. She lurched off the couch. “So what do we do now?”

  Shorty sighed, sliding his hands into his pocket. He looked from Marlin then back to Lucy. “It’s time for a change of scenery. It’s too risky staying here now.” He rubbed his long fingers across his bottom lip. “I’ve been doing some research in the San Francisco area. They have some pretty wealthy schools across that bridge.”

  “Schools?” Lucy frowned.

  He stepped towards her with a grin. “I think it’s time, Miss Cyan, that you start acting your age.”

  She swallowed. “And what would I do while acting my age?”

  “Oh, I’m sure we can come up with something.” He chuckled. “Those gullible rich kids and their mummies and daddies have plenty to give away to lovely souls like us. Don’t you agree?” His black eyebrows lifted and his white teeth shone. “I have a few cons I’ve been researching. I think we can pull off a trick or two that will score us some decent cash.”

  The gleam in his dark eyes made her stomach swirl with dread.

  Lucy looked away from him and caught Marlin’s grin. “Don’t worry, Cy. I’ll take care of ya.”

  She nodded, forcing a smile. San Francisco. Yes, good. If it meant she wasn’t in the same city as that blond man, then that was exactly what she needed.

  “San Francisco it is,” she whispered.

  Chapter 16

  ZACH

  May 2014

  “Hey.” Dani’s voice was sweet and chipper as she greeted me.

  I closed my locker with a grin. She looked adorable, standing next to me with a test paper in her hand. I saw the 98%, circled in red and I thought she was going to bust out of her skin. Her smile was so huge, her blue eyes dancing.

  “Congratulations.” I took the Sociology test from her and scanned the pages to see where she might have beaten me. Miss Berry’s comments on her essay section were glowing.

  “So how’d you go?” She bit her lip and I was struck by the fact that I was looking at Dani. Not - I can’t tell you where I live, Dani - or - I have deep dark secrets you’re not allowed to know about, Dani - but the real deal. Her face was flushed with triumph, her smile open and free.

  “I got a 91.”

  “Yay.” She squeezed my shoulder, bouncing on her feet.

  “You seem pretty excited. Don’t you get marks like this all the time?”

  She drew in a breath, reality suddenly catching up with her. At that moment, I hated myself. Whatever I’d just said had closed off the valve. Her smile was still there, but her reserved field flew back into place as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

  “Yeah, I mean I do, okay.” She shrugged. “I just don’t normally study with others and I guess I’m grateful that you helped me get such a high score.”

  It didn’t feel like the truth somehow, but I took it. Reaching for her hand, I gave it a squeeze. “Well, maybe we should study together more often.”

  Her white teeth appeared as she bit her lip again, trying to contain her grin. “Maybe we should.” She glanced down. Looking shy, she held her breath then just let it out. “Want to go out and celebrate?”

  This was the first time she’d initiated any kind of hanging out with me…just me. I could tell it was a big step for her and I could also tell she was thinking of it as a date.

  I wanted to say yes so badly, I was practically choking on my no.

  With a wince, I shook my head. “I’d really love to, but I have to go to this family dinner in San Fran tonight. It’s a thing I do with my cousins, like every month, and everyone has to be there.”

  “Oh, okay.” She tried to step back, but I held her hand, keeping her in place. She grinned. “Maybe some other time?”

  “Definitely some other time.” I threaded my fingers into hers and started pulling her down the corridor. A few of my friends noticed our linked hands, but I didn’t care. I liked that I was walking Dani out to my car, I liked that she was letting me hold her hand all the way.

  Her slim fingers fit between mine nicely, the pressure between us even. I rubbed my thumb over her forefinger, feeling a sweet contentment. For a second she felt like mine and that felt right.

  When we reached my car, her grip loosened. She wanted me to let her go and I would, in a sec. I knew what was coming and I played for a delay.

  “Elliot’s having us all over to his place tomorrow night. We’ll probably just eat lots of food and watch a movie…or if Jaeda can convince us, play some type of board game. You wanna come?”

  “Yeah.” She nodded. “Yeah, that sounds like fun. They won’t mind me coming, right?”

  “Nah, of course not. You’ve been hanging out with us a ton. They like you.”

  She didn’t seem as convinced as I was trying to sound. Her lips pushed to the side as she nodded.

  I squeezed her hand. “They’re getting to know you. That takes time.”

  “I’m not sure Elliot will ever fully warm to me.”

  “He has mother abandonment trust issues going on and he can be a very protective friend.” I ran my free hand through my hair, wincing at what I was about to tell her. “I dated a girl in 9th grade who turned into a full blown stalker and it didn’t go well.”

  Her lips formed a sweet little O, but then broke into a smile, which she had to bite back.

  “Shut up.” I chuckled. “I was young.”

/>   “Wow.” She giggled. “That’s wow…quite impressive.”

  I shook my head, feeling like the idiot I was. “Elliot was really awesome through it all. He’s a good guy. It takes a while for him to trust people, but once he does, he’ll do anything for you.”

  “Including eradicating stalker chicks, it seems.”

  I laughed.

  “Does he think I’ll turn into one too?”

  “No.” I shrugged, desperate to appear casual. “He just doesn’t know you yet.”

  “I know.” She wrinkled her nose and opened her mouth as if she wanted to give me a little nugget, something to dissipate the cloud of unanswered questions between us, but she changed her mind. Her mouth closed and I hid my disappointment behind a gentle smile.

  “So what time should I meet you? I mean, where should I meet you?”

  My eyebrows rose, all innocent like. “I could come collect you from your place?”

  Her eyes narrowed.

  I sighed. “Okay, fine. Elliot lives in Presidio Court. It’s near the Country Club. We’ll probably meet for dinner, say six-thirty.”

  “Okay, I can find that. What number?”

  “Four.”

  She nodded, storing the information away. “Alright, I’ll see you then.” She tried to wriggle her hand free, but I held fast.

  “Can I at least give you a ride home?” I said it with a smile, already knowing the answer.

  “I thought my narrowed glare just covered that.”

  “I can be pretty stupid sometimes. You might have to clarify.”

  “Okay.” She fought with a chuckle as she nodded her head. “Zach, you can’t come to my house. You know the answer’s not going to change, right?”

  “Yeah.” I nodded with a half shrug.

  Her head tipped to the side. “But you’re not going to stop asking, are you?”

  I played thoughtful for a second, then shook my head. “Nope.”

  She gave into her laughter, looking to the ground for a second then back to me. She pulled her hand from mine and placed it on my shoulder. Leaning forward with a whisper of a grin, she said, “Good. I kind of like that you do.”