"Who?"
"That's what we want to find out," Danni spoke up.
Nick sent her a glare, which she ignored.
"Tell me what he was into," she said to Marsel.
The kid stared at her and shook his head. "Don't know."
Nick scowled at Danni. Like it or not, she was an outsider, and these boys, either a short step away from delinquency or already there, weren't going to give her squat.
"C'mon, Marsel, you were his friend," Nick said. "We're not talking about lifting some televisions or computers. We're talking murder."
Marsel glanced around, his agitation clear. "I don't know nothin' 'bout murder. Matt and me hung out together, but we weren't joined at the hip or nothin'. He did his thing. I did mine." He turned back to the game. "I gotta go. We're leadin'."
Marsel jogged back onto the court, his long, baggy shorts barely held in place by his slim hips.
"He knows something," Danni said.
"Probably, but how do we get him to trust us?"
"I thought you said they'd talk to you."
Nick leveled a glare at her. "He might've told me more if you hadn't jumped in. Didn't I ask you to let me handle it?"
Danni folded her arms across her chest, and her eyes flashed. "Just like you let me handle Mrs. Warner and Sergeant Rodgers."
"That's different."
"How?"
Nick fumbled around for a reason but could only come up with, "Because." He laid his hands on Danni's taut shoulders. "I think Marsel will tell me more, but it'll have to be in his own time."
"We don't have time, Nick. We have two deaths ruled as suicides. If we don't come up with something soon—"
The distinctive sound of gunfire outside startled them. The rapid staccato told Nick whoever it was had an automatic weapon.
"Get down," he yelled, then grabbed Danni and yanked her down onto the floor, covering her body with his as more shots rang out.
Chapter Nine
Danni lay still beneath Nick's protective cover as her mind raced, already sorting out what was happening. Windows shattered under the rapid-fire barrage, and bullets pinged against the metal bleachers. She tried to draw out her revolver, but Nick's pressing weight gave her little freedom to move.
"Stay down," he said, sounding impatient and pissed off.
She wanted to argue, but she could barely breathe, much less mount a verbal dispute.
Abruptly, the firing from outside ceased, and tires squealed on asphalt. Eerie silence followed. Danni became aware of the grit beneath her cheek and Nick's hot breath against the back of her neck. She smelled sweat but wasn't certain if it was hers or his.
Nick eased off her, and Danni rolled onto her side, sucking in a big gulp of air. Her gaze met Nick's dark, anxious eyes.
"You all right?" he whispered hoarsely.
She nodded, surprised at the concern in his voice and features. Shoving her hair out of her face, she scrutinized him. "You?"
"Fine." He sat up, and his gaze surveyed the huddled bodies. "The kids."
Assured that Nick was unhurt, Danni quickly switched her attention to the teenagers who were milling around cautiously. Unsure if the shooting was actually over or if this was only a lull, Danni didn't rise but rolled onto her hands and knees. With Nick beside her, she hurried over to the group of girls who'd been watching the game. They were shifting slowly, and Danni could hear some panicked whimpers.
"Was anybody hit?" she asked the shell-shocked young women.
They shook their heads. Danni exchanged a relieved look with Nick, then turned back to the girls. "Move over there and keep down until we know for certain that the shooters are gone." She pointed to a corner of the gym shielded by bleachers folded against the wall.
The girls obeyed, helping one another crawl to the somewhat protected spot.
The man who'd been refereeing the game scuttled over to the basketball players to check on them. Danni and Nick joined him. They all remained doubled over, hoping they'd be less of a target.
"Everyone all right?" Nick asked, his hand moving across the boys' shoulders and arms to reassure them.
The teenagers nodded, their expressions filled with a mixture of fear, anger, and shock.
"I called it in as soon as the shooting started," the referee said to Nick.
"Fast thinking, Tony," Nick said. "Let's get over by the girls."
The boys bellied across the floor to join the cluster in the corner. Keeping low, Danni and Nick brought up the rear.
"Who the hell would open fire on the center?" Nick muttered as they followed the kids.
Danni didn't even try to formulate an answer. She wondered the same thing herself. There had been too damned many coincidences in the past week: her father and Matt's mysterious deaths, the attempted hit-and-run, the ransack of Nick's place, and now this drive-by shooting at the youth center. If she hadn't been convinced her father's death was murder before, she was certain now.
Danni glanced at Nick, who was speaking to the referee. Nick was the common denominator. But of what? Had he and her father seen or heard something they shouldn't have? And if so, why didn't Nick remember it? Or maybe they hadn't realized the significance at the time, and then Dad had figured it out the night he'd called Nick.
Her head pounded with even more intensity than earlier at the office. It hadn't graduated into a migraine then as she'd feared, but she suspected she wouldn't be so fortunate this time. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, hoping she could hang on long enough to get through the question-and-answer session with the police.
Diverting her thoughts, she turned to Marsel, who was at the edge of the group. His complexion was ashen, and his gaze darted about, as if he expected a gunman to jump out of the walls. He wiped his brow with his hand, and sweat dripped onto the wooden floor.
Danni's instincts tingled, and she crawled over to the kid. "Are you all right?" she asked Marsel. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
Marsel snorted and avoided her eyes. "I ain't been shot at before."
Something more than flying bullets was bothering him. In this neighborhood, gunfire wasn't all that uncommon, and Marsel didn't strike her as a blushing virgin in the juvie game. She shifted a little closer to him and confided, "I'll tell you a secret. The first time somebody shot at me, I damn near peed my pants. And I was a trained cop."
Marsel lifted his startled gaze to her, his brown eyes wide.
Danni followed up, now that she had an opening. "Do you have any idea who might want to shoot up this place? From what I understand, it's neutral territory."
A droplet of sweat rolled down the side of Marsel's dark face and dripped onto his Chicago Bulls jersey. "How should I know? The only thing I shoot is hoops."
Danni stifled her impatience and managed a cajoling tone. "Come on, Marsel. Are you telling me that you don't know who the badasses are in the neighborhood?"
Marsel laughed, but it lacked strength or amusement. "You been watchin' too many hood movies. Round here, everybody minds their own business or—" He broke off and glanced around anxiously. He obviously knew more than he was saying.
"Or what, Marsel?"
The teenager shot her a glare, but a tic twitched in his jaw. "Or nothin'."
Danni grasped his sweaty arm. "If you know something about Matt's death, you could be in danger."
Marsel's lips twisted into a scowl. "Look, I don't know nothin'. Find yourself someone else to harass."
Before Danni could continue, the metal doors burst open, and four cops charged in, their guns drawn.
The volunteer raised his hands and called out, "Officer Tony Mullen here. We were all inside when the shooting started."
Danni turned back to Marsel, but the teenager had joined the other basketball players. She curled her hands into fists. Marsel knew something, and it could be vital to uncovering the truth, but she didn't have any leverage to use against him. She hoped Nick's confidence in the kid wasn't misplaced.
One of th
e patrol cops stepped toward them, and Danni recognized Sergeant Rodgers. The department must've sent out all but the administrative types to the center, since the supervisor rarely answered calls.
"Is anyone hurt?" he asked.
"No," Mullen replied. He wiped his brow and stood. "Did you find anyone?"
Rodgers holstered his service revolver and shook his head in disgust. "Whoever it was is long gone."
The teenagers pushed themselves to their feet. Danni began to rise and found Nick's extended hand in front of her. She grasped it and he pulled her up effortlessly. Their gazes locked, and Danni felt the subtle awareness between them shift up a notch. She recalled with sudden lucidity how Nick's body had covered hers and how safe she'd felt. She'd always insisted she could take care of herself—and she could—but she had to admit she was coming to like Nick's protective streak.
Realizing they still held hands, she released him and stepped back. "Thanks," she murmured.
"Nick, Danni, what are you two doing here?" a woman asked.
Danni turned to see Karen Crandle. Dressed in her patrol uniform, her father's former partner still managed to look fashionable with her shoulder-length, stylish blond hair and just enough makeup to enhance her attractive features. Now, however, her expression was filled with concern.
"We just came to talk to the kids," Nick replied.
"About what?" Karen asked.
"A boy who killed himself last night," Danni answered.
Karen nodded somberly. "Matt Arbor. He wasn't a bad kid." She shook her head. "Hard to believe he committed suicide."
"We're not sure he did," Nick said. "Do you know if Matt was into anything more than lifting computers?"
Karen's brow furrowed in concentration. "No. Paddy might've known something, but I think he was as surprised as me when Matt got picked up on the stolen goods charge."
"That happened only a couple of days before Dad died," Danni said.
"That's right." Karen frowned, and her gaze traveled from Danni to Nick and back. "Am I missing something here?"
Danni grimaced, partly from her headache and partly from the mystery. "I wish I knew."
Sergeant Rodgers joined them. "Have you gotten their statements, Crandle?"
Karen reached into her breast pocket and pulled out a small notebook and pencil. "I was just working up to that, Sarge."
Rodgers cast her a disgruntled look, then glanced at Danni. "You and Sirocco keep turning up like a couple of bad pennies."
"You can't blame a drive-by shooting on us," Nick fired back, his antagonism obvious. "We were in here."
Her head throbbing, Danni didn't have the time or the patience for any male posturing. "Let's just answer their questions and get out of here."
"Levin and Tygard are outside," Sarge added. "After Crandle gets your statements, you can grab a couple of minutes with them."
With all the excitement, Danni had forgotten she'd planned to talk to them this evening. Although she preferred to go home and collapse in her bed, she might as well take advantage of Sarge's olive branch. "Thanks."
The sergeant moved on, leaving Karen to take Danni's and Nick's statements. Once they were done with the routine interview, Karen laid a hand on Danni's forearm. "I'm sorry about your father. I'm really going to miss him." Her eyes glimmered with moisture, then she hurried away to question the remaining witnesses.
Danni sighed and rubbed her pounding temples. "What a mess."
Nick rested a hand on her shoulder. "Did the headache come back?"
Danni's belly fluttered under his scrutiny, and deja vu washed through her. She'd experienced the same feeling in this gym fifteen years ago after she'd been knocked down during a basketball game, and Nick had helped her up. Although her father liked the youthful Rocky, he hadn't approved of his daughter's crush on him. She'd met her dad's order to stay away with rebellious anger, but now Danni could recall her underlying hurt with painful clarity.
"I'm fine," she lied, keeping her gaze averted. "Let's go find Alex."
Once outside, Danni found the area lit up like a carnival midway with almost as many bystanders milling around. Half a dozen patrol cars surrounded the center with their strobes revolving. She squinted against the rotating red and blue that turned the night into a nauseating miasma of purple. Her throbbing head broadcast queasiness to her stomach, and she swallowed to allay the sickness. This was definitely turning into a migraine, but she had to hold on just a little longer.
She spotted Alex Levin finishing up with a witness and made a beeline toward him. The policeman glanced up. Recognition brought surprise, then a fond smile to his face.
"Danni," he said in greeting.
Despite her headache, she grinned. "Hi, Alex. Been a long time."
"And whose fault is that?"
Danni's grin faded. As much as she wished she could deny his good-natured accusation, she recognized the truth behind it. Once she left the department, it had been too awkward to stay in touch. "I'm sorry. It was just..."
Alex hugged her and said close to her ear, "Hey, it's okay. I understand how tough it was losing Scott."
The lump in Danni's throat threatened to choke her as she clung to him. Scott, Alex, Joe, and she had gone through the Police Academy together and became close friends. After their break-in time with seasoned veterans, Scott and Danni had been paired together, and later Alex and Joe. The four had maintained their friendship until Scott had been killed.
"I'm sorry about your dad," Alex said.
Danni gathered her composure and released him, stepping away to give herself some space. "Me, too."
Alex's cool, assessing gaze flicked to Nick. "You used to come by the station with Paddy. Sirocco, right?"
Nick nodded, but there was wariness in the gesture. "That's right."
Danni shifted to draw Alex's attention. "Did anybody see the shooters?"
"Nothing we can use." The patrolman flipped open his notebook. "Dark sedan, ranging from an eighty-one Ford to a ninety-eight Chevy."
"More than likely gang related," Danni said in frustration.
"Probably. We'll have to see what the physical evidence folks come up with." He studied her. "What're you doing here?"
Danni gave him the abbreviated version about Matt Arbor, then asked, "Were you and Joe first on the scene of his alleged suicide?"
Alex crossed his arms, and in the succession of red, blue, and white lights, his expression appeared almost sinister. "Yes. We looked for signs of foul play but didn't find any. Nothing on the door or windows suggested a forced entry." He shrugged. "There was nothing but the body and a razor blade in the tub."
Although Danni had seen her share of suicides, the picture Alex painted made her head pound even harder, and she almost succumbed to the nausea.
"Was he dressed?" Nick asked.
Any other time Danni would've been upset by his butting in, but now she was grateful. Besides, more often than not, his questions were relevant.
Alex nodded.
"Were the slashes consistent with someone who slit his own wrists?"
"As far as I could tell."
"What about the angle of the slashes? Did they look like Matt made them?"
Alex scowled and looked at Danni. "What's this about?"
"We don't think Matt killed himself," Nick answered, drawing another glare from Alex.
"We think Dad's and Matt's so-called suicides are related," Danni said. If there was anybody she trusted in the department, it was Alex.
The patrolman deliberately looked at Nick. "I heard you were asking a lot of questions about Paddy a few days ago."
"You heard right," Nick said, his mouth set in a stubborn line.
"Did you find anything?"
A tic appeared in Nick's jaw. "No."
Alex's expression relaxed. "Everybody liked Paddy."
"Not everybody," Danni said, siding with Nick against her old friend. "He didn't kill himself, Alex."
Her friend appeared troubled. "You didn't
know him that well, Danni. You said yourself that Paddy had better things to do than be your father."
Moisture burned in Danni's eyes. She blinked it back and crossed her arms, hoping no one noticed her weakness. "Maybe, but he was still my father, and I have to learn the truth."
Alex grasped her upper arms and gazed at her intently. "He's gone, Danni. Doing this won't change anything. You still won't get his approval."
She jerked away from him, letting anger cover the slicing grief. "I want the person who murdered him. I don't care about anything else." She took a deep breath to dispel the betrayal she felt. "Will you call me if you hear something about Matt Arbor's death?"
Alex stared at her a long moment before nodding. "You know I will. Hey, Helen and I'll have you over for dinner soon."
The invitation was thrown out almost as an afterthought, but Danni managed a smile. "I'd like that. Say hi to her for me."
Alex nodded, and Danni turned away, not even stopping to say hello to Joe, who was taking statements. Nick matched her pace as they walked back into the center, where there were no strobes to aggravate Danni's headache.
Nick stopped Danni just inside the gym. "Wait here, and I'll ask Karen if we need to stick around."
Danni, unable to generate any irritation, nodded slightly. It hurt too much to do anything more.
She leaned against the wall and watched Nick approach the female cop. Karen smiled, and Nick returned it. He stepped close to her—so close their bodies almost touched—and spoke to her. Karen nodded and leaned nearer, her breasts brushing his chest. Then he hugged her. Tightly.
Jealousy caught Danni unaware, and she gasped at its sharp edge. Were Karen and Nick dating? She recalled the damned diamond ring. Was it for—She cut off the thought, telling herself it wasn't any of her business. Still, if Nick was seeing Karen, why had he slept with her?
Danni's head felt like it was being used as a drum, and she closed her eyes to the people in the gym. The voices, distorted by the gym's size, made her stomach dip and glide. She needed to get home, to someplace dark and quiet.
A touch startled her, and her eyes flew open, only to have the movement and lights overcome her tentative control. She stumbled away from Nick and down the hallway into the nearest bathroom. The vomit rose caustic and bitter in her throat. She flushed once, then again. Finally, she sank back on her heels in the bathroom stall and ran a shaking hand across her clammy face.
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