The Lawman Who Loved Her

by Mallory Kane

  Her eyes began to fill with tears, and he nodded slightly. He knew what she was thinking. Not safe. Never safe. Unless he could keep his cool. He had to act like a husband who’s just found out his wife was alive. He couldn’t just grab her and hold her so close they’d meld into one person the way he wanted to do.

  His job was to perform in front of Fontenot and a large number of NOPD detectives, the assistant district attorney and a couple of U.S. marshals.

  He let go of her hands and held out his arms. She hesitated. It couldn’t have been more than a split second, but he saw it and felt it. His heart pounded in apprehension. Come on chère, perform for them.

  He grinned at her. “Come here,” he said. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

  Relief flooded her face and she flung herself into his arms. She knew what his words meant. She knew he was telling her he’d understood her cryptic message.

  Cody hoped Fontenot was positioned behind her, hoped he hadn’t seen the joy and relief on her face. It took every last ounce of his strength to keep his own face from showing what he was thinking right now.

  Touching her, Cody gave himself up for an instant to the overwhelming relief and love that engulfed him as he held her.

  He’d watched her die, and yet she was alive. Holding her moved him more than anything that had ever happened to him in his entire life. He couldn’t help it. He had to speak, Fontenot and his evil intent be damned.

  “Dana, my chère. You are my foundation. You’re my reason for living. When I thought you were dead, I thought I would die.” He pulled her tighter.

  He was awed by the depth of his love for her, humbled by the gratitude he felt toward God for keeping her safe. She was warm, whole, alive. And she was in his arms. “Whatever happens,” he whispered in her ear, “I got to hold you again.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  I got to hold you again.

  Cody’s words made Dana want to cry. “Hold me tight,” she breathed, burrowing her face into Cody’s shoulder. For an instant, she gave into her weakness and pretended they were safe. She knew she was being foolish, but she’d just had to hold him, touch him, just this one more time. “Tighter. You’re here. You came for me.”

  He pushed her back and looked at her face. “Chère? You okay?” Gently, he touched the cut on her cheek and a frown marred his features.

  She smiled at him shakily. “Now I am,” she said. “Now that you’re here. Oh, Cody, I’m so scared.”

  “Isn’t this special,” Fontenot said from behind her. She stiffened, and felt Cody go rigid in her arms. For an instant, despite his mention of the surprise, she was terrified that Cody hadn’t understood her message, that he wasn’t ready for Fontenot. Before he pushed her away, he covered her hand with his and brushed it across his chest.

  A wire. He was wearing a wire.

  She’d seen him wired for sound before. How many times had she rubbed ointment into the tape burns on his chest from wearing a wire so the police could hear incriminating conversations?

  He was wired. The police were outside listening. Dana’s knees felt watery from relief. But they weren’t out of the woods yet.

  The good guys were outside. She and Cody were inside with a monster.

  Cody gently set her aside, and she let him.

  “Fontenot.” Cody’s voice was icy.

  “Detective Maxwell, how kind of you to join us.”

  Dana clenched her teeth at the irritating sound of the man’s voice. She’d lived with that voice droning in her head for the past twenty-four hours. It frightened her to realize how easily, and without regret, she could rip out his throat.

  “Your wife and I have had a lovely time.”

  Cody glanced at Dana, looked her up and down. She saw his eyes go dark and dangerous as they lit on the finger-shaped bruises on her wrists and arms. She nodded, and smiled shakily, hoping to assure him she was all right.

  Relief mixed with cold fury on his face. It still awed her how much he cared. Her eyes burned. He loved her.

  Cody Maxwell loved her.

  Fontenot spoke conversationally. “I had a little trouble convincing her to call you. She had some ridiculous notion of sacrificing herself to save you, but I…twisted her arm, so to speak.” Fontenot smiled his eerie smile, and Dana resisted the urge to rub her aching arm where he had indeed twisted it. She saw Cody’s hands clench into fists.

  “I assured her that it would be a waste of her lovely young life,” Fontenot continued, “since I would certainly track you down, anyway, for putting me in prison and ruining my life.”

  “You belong in prison, you piece of—”

  “Now, Detective Maxwell. Why don’t you just sit over there in that chair. You know I don’t belong in prison. Why should I be in prison? Surely you jest. I’ve done nothing wrong.”

  “You killed your wife, and you tried to kill me, and now you’ve added kidnapping.”

  Fontenot shook his head and gestured toward the chair with his gun. “Please have a seat, Detective Maxwell. Make yourself comfortable.”

  Dana watched the scene with ever-deepening horror. Every word he spoke, every gesture he made, convinced her more and more that Fontenot was certifiably insane.

  He had a sick obsession with Cody. She could see it in his glittering eyes. She could hear it in the self-satisfied tone of his voice.

  How could the police possibly get in here before he killed Cody? She glanced at the front door. He hadn’t locked it!

  Fontenot laughed. “Oh, thank you for the reminder, Mrs. Maxwell. But I assure you I haven’t forgotten about the door.” He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the remote control. He pressed the button and Dana heard the ominous thud that indicated that the door had locked. “Detective Maxwell, you might be interested to know that the door is now electronically locked with a magnet, which exerts two thousand pounds of force. Clever?”

  Dana frowned. He’d made the door practically impenetrable, but what about the windows?

  Fontenot smiled at her. “You’re wondering about the windows, aren’t you, Mrs. Maxwell? See those little wires on each of them? I can assure you, if anyone tries to open or break them, they’ll be in for quite an explosive surprise.”

  Dismay flooded her. What would Cody do? How could they win against this maniac?

  “Mrs. Maxwell, would you be kind enough to take these distasteful devices and cuff your husband’s hands behind his back?”

  “No, I will not,” she said, but when she glanced at Cody he nodded, a dark intensity shining in his blue eyes.

  With trembling hands, Dana took the handcuffs and did as she was told.

  “Cody, I can’t do this,” she said, her eyes blurry with tears. “He’s going to kill you.”

  “Mrs. Maxwell, I’d advise you to, and quickly.” The silky voice had an edge to it, an edge of something—maybe hysteria?

  “Go ahead, Dana. It’s okay,” Cody said, his voice soothing her. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “I’m glad you’re seeing reason, Detective Maxwell. After all, I’ve never done anything, isn’t that right?”

  Dana looked at Fontenot, hearing the note of triumph in his voice as he spoke each word carefully and clearly. Did he know about the wire? Was their last possible chance for freedom gone?

  She saw in the man’s eyes that he knew. He gestured toward her with the gun.

  “Move away, Mrs. Maxwell. I need to check on something.”

  He pushed Cody against the wall, and Dana winced as Cody almost lost his footing. She reached out for him, but checked herself when she saw the warning look in his eyes.

  “Aha,” Fontenot said, “Just as I thought.” He smiled at Cody. “As I said, Detective Maxwell, you know I’m an innocent man, don’t you? I served my time for my regrettable lapse of reason in shooting you. It was an act of desperation I was forced to because of your demented pursuit of me.”

  With no change of expression, Fontenot flipped open his switchblade and slit Cody’s shirt
and T-shirt. Dana couldn’t contain a moan as the tip of the knife nicked his beautiful, golden skin and a drop of blood welled up.

  “Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Fontenot clucked. “Really, Detective. Did you think I wouldn’t check?”

  Cody glared at him and cursed under his breath.

  Dana almost lost her last precarious hold on her own sanity. Oh, Cody.

  Piece by piece, Fontenot jerked each strip of tape off Cody’s chest.

  Dana blinked, and two fat tears fell over her cheeks.

  Cody kicked out and hit Fontenot in the knees. Fontenot crumpled and the gun went flying.

  Dana dived for the gun as Fontenot grabbed Cody’s legs and knocked him to the floor. Fontenot struggled to get up, while Cody lay ominously still.

  “Stop it, Fontenot,” Dana said, pointing the gun at him. “Get over there.” She was amazed at her voice. She sounded calm, cold…mean.

  That wasn’t at all the way she felt. Her hands shook and her heart pounded. Sweat ran down her temples, while tears spilled down her cheeks.

  She glanced at Cody, but he looked as though he was unconscious. He must have hit his head. Please be okay, Cody. Please.

  Then she turned her full attention on the madman. “Get over there!” she ground out between clenched teeth, as she nodded toward the other side of the room.

  Fontenot rose, delicately rolling up the strips of tape and tossing them to the floor. Then he pulled each tiny wire out of the microphone, dropped it to the floor and stepped on it. A metallic crushing sound rent the air.

  Fontenot seemed totally unconcerned that she was pointing a loaded weapon at him.

  “There, now,” he said softly. “That’s taken care of.” He turned around to look at Dana.

  “Excuse me, Mrs. Maxwell? You were saying?”

  Dana aimed the gun at his right eye, dismayed at the quiver in the barrel. Guns were much heavier than she’d realized. “I—if you don’t move I’ll shoot you in the eye.”

  He started to walk toward her.

  “No!” she shouted. “I am serious. Do not give me any reason to pull this trigger, because I’m incredibly nervous right now.” She gestured with the gun barrel. “Put your hands up. Do it or I’ll shoot you right now.”

  “Mrs. Maxwell, if you shoot me it will be cold-blooded murder,” Fontenot said serenely.

  “I don’t care,” she said, licking dry lips and shaking her head.

  Fontenot gave her an assessing look, as if he were judging the advisability of lunging at her and grabbing the gun, but she spread her legs apart and held the gun out in front of her with both hands, just as she’d seen cops on television do.

  “Mrs. Maxwell, you’re obviously under a lot of stress,” Fontenot said, his voice sounding strained, but he did move a few feet away from Cody.

  “You bet your life I’m under a lot of stress. You made me watch, made Cody think I’d been killed. You deserve to die.” She shuddered.

  “I understand now, why Cody became a cop. I can see why he gets so much satisfaction out of bringing criminals to justice. Killing you will be a service to all mankind, and it will be my pleasure to do it.”

  Fontenot nodded, humming softly.

  “You’re a sociopath, a sick man who doesn’t belong in society.”

  “Go ahead, Mrs. Maxwell. Kill me. Then you will spend the rest of your life in prison and your dear husband will have to live with that.” Fontenot smiled that eerie smile. “That just might be revenge enough for me.”

  “Dana.”

  Dana nearly dropped the gun in surprise and relief. “Cody?” she said, turning her head toward him but never taking her eyes off Fontenot.

  “You know, he’s right.”

  “Are you okay, Cody?”

  “I’ve got a major headache from hitting the edge of that table, but yeah, I’m okay. Why don’t you get these handcuffs off me and give me the gun.”

  She shook her head, watching Fontenot, who had taken a step toward her. “No. He tried to kill you, and he’s put both of us through hell. He can’t live. He’s got to die. I can see now why you are so dedicated. Why you believe in your job so much. These people have to be stopped.”

  Dana heard Cody struggling to stand. He came over to her. “Chère, we still don’t have anything to go on.”

  “Nothing to go on? He rigged that gun. He blew up the lake house. He k-kidnapped me.” Her strength was wavering. The gun shook. What was Cody doing? It was as if he were taking Fontenot’s side.

  “We can’t prove anything but the kidnapping. He’ll be back out in no time.”

  “That’s right, Mrs. Maxwell. You see, I am more intelligent, more devious, than you or your clever husband can possibly imagine. The most they could do is try me for kidnapping, and I really don’t think I would have a hard time beating that one.”

  Dana felt like crying. She felt like emptying the gun into Fontenot’s worthless body and damn the consequences. Had he really beaten them after all? “But what are we going to do?”

  “You undo these handcuffs and give me the gun and we’ll call the police.”

  Dana wavered, looking at Cody. His gaze was intense, as if he were willing her to read his mind.

  Fontenot began to move forward again.

  “No!” Dana turned her full attention back to him. “You can’t get away with it. I’ll shoot you right now. You murdered your wife with those stupid snakes….”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Mrs. Maxwell.”

  “Chère, it’s over,” Cody coaxed. “Come on. I need you, and I sure don’t want to have to visit you in prison. He’s outsmarted me.” He sighed and his shoulders slumped.

  Fontenot’s smile turned into a grin.

  “There’s just one thing I don’t understand.”

  Fontenot’s grin faded a bit as he stared at Cody. “What do you mean?”

  Dana couldn’t believe it. He was giving up. Worse, he was talking with this madman as if they were standing together around the water cooler.

  As she watched, Cody shrugged, and his mouth quirked in a wry grin. “It just seems to me you could have done a better job of…well. It doesn’t matter now.”

  Fontenot frowned. “A better job of what, Detective?”

  Cody shook his head as if bewildered. “If you’re so smart, how could you get such a simple booby trap wrong?”

  Fontenot looked surprised, then angry. “Wrong?”

  Cody nodded. “Yeah. And the car bomb. That was a pretty dumb mistake. And then of course there’s your footprint at the scene of the explosion. I don’t think they’ll have too much trouble placing you there.”

  Fontenot’s face turned splotchy red and he curled his fingers like claws. With teeth bared, he growled at Cody. “You pathetic moron. You didn’t get it, did you? You never, ever figured it out. You’re just as stupid as the rest of them. I thought you were at least a marginally worthy adversary. God help me, I’m surrounded by idiots.” Fontenot advanced, but Dana brandished her gun.

  He waved a hand at her as if she were a particularly irritating fly.

  “The booby trap, as you so eloquently put it, was never meant to kill you. It wasn’t even supposed to wound you. But then I overestimated your intelligence, didn’t I, Detective? Not to mention your reaction time. Obviously you were too stupid to notice the blatant warning signs. Any fool would have felt the resistance in the door and heard the hammer click. And the ‘car bomb.’ Ha! That worked perfectly. It was supposed to be just lights. In fact everything worked perfectly.”

  “Just like with your wife?”

  Fontenot laughed. “Of course just like with my wife. The woman was a fool. She was having an affair. Cheating on me. So the solution was obvious. Poor Edie had a heart condition. Congenital.”

  “So you rigged the cat above the bed, with blood dripping onto her pillow.”

  “It was her cat,” Fontenot said serenely, with a wave of his hand. “Perfect.”

  “Then you filled the refrigerato
r with snakes? Didn’t you realize the cold would slow the snakes’ metabolism to practically zero?”

  Fontenot snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course I did. That’s why I turned the refrigerator off. And the snakes were harmless, but the point is, Edie was terrified of snakes. I had other ideas cooked up, in case her heart was too strong for the snake trick, but yes, you imbecile. I killed her. I was on the other side of town, and I killed her. And you couldn’t prove it. You’ll never prove it!”

  “No,” Cody said, “you’re right. You destroyed the wire. But what were you going to do with us? Why didn’t you just kill me and get it over with?”

  “Why, Detective, that wouldn’t be fun at all. Now, your wife understands me. I do enjoy the pain. It’s so—shall we say satisfying? I was playing with you, like a cat with a mouse. And then I was going to let you watch your dear wife die one more time, only this time it would be for real. Then, for my pièce de résistance, I was going to let you kill yourself with your own gun. It would be my greatest achievement.”

  Dana felt adrenaline coursing through her. “You miserable subhuman piece of garbage. You don’t deserve to ever see light again. I feel like blowing you straight to hell, right now.”

  He laughed. “Your language is straight out of police television dramas. Let me say this, in a language you will understand. You don’t have the guts, Mrs. Maxwell.”

  “You have no idea. I’ve watched Cody, and now I understand. There’s a satisfaction in taking scumbags like you off the street.”

  “Dana,” Cody pleaded, “you’d have to live with his blood on your hands for the rest of your life. Believe me, it’s not worth it.”

  “Of course it’s worth it. You’ve devoted your life to police work. You know it’s worth it.” She dashed tears away with the back of one hand, then curled it around the gun again. Her arms were shaking with fatigue from holding the heavy pistol up. “It’s why you do what you do.”

  “I’ve never killed anybody, Dana.”

  She almost dropped the gun in shock. She’d never, ever, in the entire time they’d been married, realized that. She’d just assumed, because he kept getting shot that he also shot other people.