Arouse Suspicion

by Maureen McKade

  The door to Marsel's room was open. The boy was hooked up to a monitor and had an IV in his left hand. His right leg was encased in a cast, and there was a purplish lump on his right temple.

  A woman sat in the chair beside his bed, her back to them.

  Danni knocked softly on the door as she and Nick entered.

  The heavyset woman came to her feet and faced them. Fear filled her dark eyes. "Who're you?"

  "I'm Danni Hawkins, and this is Nick Sirocco," Danni said.

  The woman's shoulders slumped with relief. "Marsel's talked about you," she said, looking at Nick.

  "I volunteer at the center," he said. "Are you Marsel's mother?"

  "Olivia Malone," she introduced herself.

  Nick shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Malone."

  "Call me Olivia," she said, shaking Danni's hand.

  "How's he doing?" Nick asked.

  Olivia looked at her son, and her brow furrowed in worry. "As well as can be expected. Three broken ribs, broken leg, bruises all over his body, and a bad concussion."

  "We were sorry to hear about his accident," Danni said. "Do the police have any leads as to who did this?"

  Olivia shook her head and said bitterly, "Not a one." She tucked the sheet around Marsel's still body.

  Nick glanced at Danni, asking her mutely what she wanted to do now.

  "Was Marsel into anything illegal?" Danni asked his mother.

  "No way," she replied with conviction.

  "How can you be so certain?"

  Olivia glared at Danni. "He promised me he'd stay out of trouble and get himself a basketball scholarship. He was going to get out of the neighborhood and do something with his life." She looked at Nick. "That's why he was at the center all the time. He was practicing."

  "He was at the center whenever I was there," Nick said to Danni.

  "Marsel's a good boy," Olivia said with a mixture of pride and defensiveness. Her expression grew cloudy. "And now, because of some careless driver, he probably won't get that scholarship."

  "What did the doctor say about his injuries?" Nick asked.

  "He'll heal, but he's going to need some kind of therapy for his leg. By the time he's back to normal, his chance for that scholarship will be gone." Olivia dashed a hand across her eyes.

  No one spoke as they gazed at Marsel's ashen complexion.

  "Did Marsel ever talk about a boy named Matt?" Danni asked, breaking the silence.

  Olivia nodded. "He used to have a friend named Matt, but he killed himself a few nights ago. Marsel was pretty upset about it." She tilted her head, remembering something. "The day after Matt's death, I walked to the corner store to pick up some milk. I heard Marsel arguing with another boy—I think his name was Gary—in the alley. They were talking about Matt."

  "What were they arguing about?" Danni asked.

  "I only caught a few words here and there, but I got the impression Marsel thought Gary might've been able to help Matt."

  "Did you hear any other names?" Danni asked.

  Olivia lowered herself to the chair beside the bed and laid her hand on her son's arm. "Yes. A Gilcrest or Gilyard, something like that."

  Danni squatted down beside the chair so her gaze was even with Olivia's. "Could it have been Gilsen?"

  The woman thought for a moment, then nodded. "It might've been."

  A nurse dressed in a colorful uniform entered the room. "Would you all mind stepping out into the hallway? I need to assess the patient."

  "When does the doctor expect him to regain consciousness?" Olivia asked the RN.

  The nurse, whose name tag read Kera, replied, "The doctor is hoping he'll come out of the coma in the next thirty-six hours. But even if he does wake up in the next day or so, there's a strong possibility he won't remember much leading up to the accident."

  Olivia nodded in resignation. "Thank you."

  Nick helped the woman from the chair and guided her out of the room, with Danni following. They walked down the hall to the small corner waiting room near the elevators.

  "Is there anyone who can sit with you?" Nick asked Olivia.

  "My sister's coming after she gets off work."

  "Is there anything you need?" Danni asked.

  "Just for Marsel to wake up," Olivia replied, a quaver in her voice.

  Danni touched her forearm, then dug a business card out of her backpack and handed it to her. "Call us if you need anything, or if Marsel's condition changes."

  Olivia tucked the card in her shirt pocket, then clasped Nick's hand in her right hand and Danni's in her left. "Thank you. Both of you."

  "You're welcome," Danni said.

  "When Marsel wakes up, tell him we'll stop by to see him," Nick said.

  "I will," Olivia promised.

  Nick and Danni left the woman alone in the waiting area and rode down to the main floor. The elevator doors opened, and they stepped out to see Karen Crandle, in uniform, walking toward them.

  "Hello, Karen," Nick said.

  The slender, blond cop glanced up, startled. "Hi. What're you doing here?"

  "We came to see Marsel."

  "That's where I'm headed. Sarge wanted us to stop by to see if he woke up yet. I'm supposed to get his statement."

  "He's still unconscious," Nick said.

  "Is anybody with him?"

  "His mother."

  Karen nodded, her expression pinched. "I've seen Marsel at the center. He's a good kid."

  "Yeah, he is," Nick said.

  The cop glanced at the elevators. "I think I'll go up and introduce myself to his mother. Maybe she knows something."

  "Where's your new partner?" Danni asked.

  Karen rolled her eyes. "He wanted some coffee. He said I could handle Marsel alone. Knowing him, he bought half a dozen donuts to go with his coffee."

  "Kinda takes the stereotype seriously, huh?" Danni said.

  "Tell me about it. But at least I don't have to put up with him too much longer—less than a day." Karen brightened.

  "Are you coming to Hennessy's tonight?"

  With everything that had happened, Nick had totally forgotten about the get-together. "We're going to Sam Richmond's for dinner."

  "What's going on at Hennessy's?" Danni asked.

  "Farewell party," Karen answered. "Two weeks ago I put in my notice. I got a lateral transfer to Denver. My sister, her husband, and kids live there, so I thought it'd be nice to be close to family." She paused. "The party starts at four-thirty. Why don't you stop by before you go to dinner?"

  "We'll try to do that," Nick said. "When do you leave for Denver?"

  "Two days." She glanced at the watch on her slim wrist. "I have to get going." An elevator dinged open, and Karen stepped into it. "I expect to see you both at Hennessy's later."

  Nick lifted his hand in farewell, and the elevator doors closed. He started walking toward the main door with Danni beside him.

  "I didn't know she was leaving," Danni said thoughtfully.

  "I remember Paddy saying something about it. She even talked to him before she actually put in her notice, asked him what he thought she should do," Nick said.

  "And Dad told her to move closer to her family?"

  Nick heard her lingering bitterness. "No matter what you thought, he always believed family was the most important thing in the world." He took a deep breath, hoping he wasn't overstepping his bounds. "Your father used to tuck you in bed. He took you to baseball games. He brought you to the center until your adolescent hormones got you in trouble. He always kept your latest school picture in his patrol car and talked off anyone's ear if they asked about you. Does that sounds like a man who didn't want anything to do with his daughter?"

  Danni stared straight ahead as they walked across the damp asphalt to the Jeep. "No." Her voice was so low Nick had to strain to hear her.

  Nick waited until they were in the SUV to speak. He traced her somber profile with his gaze and resisted the impulse to touch her. "I know it's going to tak
e longer than a few days to believe it, but he was damned proud of you, Danni."

  She didn't answer, but he thought he noticed a hitch in her breathing when she turned away from him. Stifling a sigh, he started his Jeep. "Where to now?"

  She remained silent for so long he began to wonder if she'd heard him. Finally, she faced him again. There was no sign of the earlier anguish in her features, only cool determination. "If Gary ran from us, maybe he had something else going on last night."

  Nick didn't need a map to follow her line of thinking. "Maybe steal a car? Who can you trust in the department?"

  "Nobody." Her lips curled as she opened her cell phone. "But I happen to have an administrative assistant who can check public records for auto thefts committed last night."

  She punched in some numbers, and Nick listened to her ask Cathy for the information.

  "She'll have the list printed by the time we get there," Danni said after punching off the phone.

  "What're we looking for?"

  Danni smiled crookedly. "We'll know it when we see it."

  Damned if Nick didn't believe her.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Danni was disappointed when she and Nick didn't spot Southpaw on their circular route to her office. He must have been catching a nap in a vacant building or on a park bench. Not that she expected him to tie the case up in a pretty bow, but he often surprised her with his extensive but jumbled knowledge of the goings-on in the neighborhood.

  As soon as Danni and Nick walked into the office, Cathy—true to her word—handed Danni a printout of the auto thefts reported that morning. There were only fourteen vehicles on the list, which gave Danni a decent shot of finding that arcane something that might solidify their theories.

  Danni carried the list into her office, and she and Nick both sat on the client side of the desk to scan the sheet.

  "A 2001 Honda Accord, 1996 Ford Expedition, 1998 Toyota Camry," Nick read aloud.

  "Probably all stolen for their parts," Danni mused aloud. "There's an amazingly large market for parts for the most common vehicles."

  "Chop shops," Nick said absently as he continued to peruse the listing. "A 1999 Ford Taurus." He glanced up with startled comprehension.

  Danni gritted her teeth. "The one that hit Marsel." She took over reading aloud. "A 2003 Dodge Ram, 1999 Jeep Wrangler, 2003 BMW 530i." Her breath caught, and the back of her neck tingled. "Matt stole the laptop from a Jaguar, right?"

  "That's right." Nick appeared bewildered. "Why?"

  She held up a stalling hand and scanned the remaining stolen automobiles. Nothing else came close to the BMW in terms of price and luxury. Her mind racing, Danni stabbed the intercom button.

  "Yes?" came Cathy's tinny voice.

  "I want a list of all the stolen vehicles over the last six months."

  "It's a good thing we ordered extra reams of paper this week."

  Even through the speakerphone, Danni could hear her friend's dry tone. "How long will it take?"

  "Give me an hour."

  Although Danni wanted the information yesterday, she knew better than to snipe at Cathy. Her friend would only snipe back. "You got it. Thanks." She flicked off the intercom.

  "What?" Nick asked, his brows drawn downward. Only he could make quizzical look sexy.

  "If you were operating an auto theft ring, what kind of cars would you go for?"

  He thought for a moment, then his eyebrows lifted in comprehension. "Expensive ones to make the risks worthwhile."

  "Bingo." She pointed to the BMW on the list. "A BMW was stolen last night. Maybe that was why Gary ran from us. The laptop was lifted from a Jaguar, which means Matt could've stolen the Jaguar."

  Nick slouched in his chair, obviously pondering her words. "If it's an auto theft ring, where does the computer fit in?"

  "The kids are probably paid a certain fee for the cars they lift. When Matt saw the laptop, he figured it'd be a nice bonus."

  "In other words, Matt got greedy."

  Danni leaned forward and placed her elbows on her thighs. "And when the boss found out what Matt had done and that the boy had gone to my dad to save his own skin—"

  "The boss ordered Matt killed," Nick finished, straightening excitedly.

  "Or the boss did it himself. We don't know how many people are involved. When we get the new list, I want to record the dates each luxury car was stolen and where it was stolen from. Then we'll have to get into a computer at the department to look up each of the case files."

  "And how do we intend to do that?"

  "Alex Levin."

  Nick's eyes widened. "He could be involved."

  Danni nodded reluctantly. "I know, but if he isn't, it'd be a good idea to have him on our side."

  "And if he is involved?"

  "Then maybe he'll get desperate, and we can take him down."

  Nick scowled. "Or he'll take us down."

  "Either way, I think the risk is worth it." Danni reached for the phone, then drew her hand back as her conscience slapped her. This involved Nick, too, and he deserved to have a say in the matter. "What about you, partner? Do you think the risk is worth it?"

  Nick wrinkled his brow as if it were a trick question. "What if I said it's not?"

  She took a deep breath. "Then we don't ask Alex for help." Although she thought Alex was innocent, it wasn't about only her anymore. Nick's life was on the line, too.

  He studied her, his features neutral. Danni tried to match his expression, but it was difficult with his intense blue eyes leveled at her. She managed not to fidget as he considered her question.

  "You said you went to the Academy with him?" he finally asked.

  "That's right."

  "And he's never given you a reason not to trust him?"

  "Never," she replied honestly.

  "All right. Call him."

  Danni's throat tightened, although she would've been hard-pressed to explain why. Or maybe the why was as simple as discovering Nick trusted her judgment.

  She gave him a quick nod, then called the department and left a message for Alex to call her.

  Danni stood. "Would you like a cup of coffee or a soda?"

  "Coffee, please."

  "Two coffees coming up."

  Danni slipped past Cathy, who was on the phone, and retrieved two steaming cups from the break room. She returned to her office and handed Nick one. Her heart quickened as their fingers brushed.

  Danni chastised herself as she moved to her chair on the other side of the desk. Sweating hands and a palpitating heart were for hormone-driven adolescents, not a twenty-eight-year-old woman who'd dated enough boys during high school and college to staff a luxury hotel.

  "So now we wait?" Nick asked.

  "Now we wait."

  For an entire five minutes, Nick remained silent, drinking his coffee and keeping his gaze aimed at the toes of his hiking boots. Danni wasn't certain if she wanted him to talk or not. In fact, when it came to Nick, she wasn't certain about much of anything, which was a condition she rarely found in herself.

  "So—"

  "What—"

  Danni and Nick spoke at the same time.

  "You first."

  "Go ahead."

  Their voices overlapped again.

  Danni pressed her lips together and saw that Nick did the same thing. They laughed.

  "I was just wondering when you need to have your book written," Danni said.

  Nick grinned wryly. "Since I haven't sold it yet, never. However, I told my agent I'd have the first few chapters to him by the end of the month."

  "That's only two weeks away."

  "Yep." He sighed. "But I've decided not to write it."

  "Why? Because Dad isn't here to help you?"

  Nick rubbed his eyes. "Partly. But mostly because it's the reason Paddy's dead. If I hadn't—"

  Danni leaned across the desk. "Your book isn't the reason Dad is dead. He's dead because some son of a bitch killed him. Period."

  "But i
f I hadn't—"

  "You didn't squeeze the trigger. Besides, how could you have known that your idea was more fact than fiction?" Danni gentled her voice. "If Dad were here, you know what he'd say."

  Nick quirked a smile. "He'd tell me to quit feeling sorry for myself."

  "I was thinking more along the lines of, 'Quit acting like a jackass.'"

  Amusement glimmered in his eyes. "That, too."

  Their gazes locked, and warmth flowed through Danni. She'd always scoffed at talk show guests who spoke of soul mates, but the connection she felt with Nick made her reexamine her cynicism. They'd spent over seventy-two hours in each other's company and had yet to kill one another. Of course, there had been a few instances...

  Just for kicks, she imagined spending more time—a few days, weeks, months... the next fifty or so years— with him. Amazingly, the thought didn't make her want to check herself into a psych ward.

  A knock brought Danni back to the present. "Yes?"

  Cathy opened the door and stuck her head in. A lecherous smile lit her face. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

  Nick ducked his head and rubbed his brow. "For crying out loud."

  Danni hid a smile behind her hand. "What is it, Cathy?"

  The assistant turned serious and crossed to the desk. She held out a sheaf of papers to Danni. "Here's the first month of car thefts. The second month is printing now. I'll bring them in as they come off the printer."

  Excitement surged through Danni as she took them. "That'd be great. Thanks."

  Cathy's gaze deliberately moved from Danni to Nick and back. "Well, I'd hate for you two to get bored in this little tiny office all by yourselves where no one can see what—"

  "I hear a printer calling your name," Danni interrupted deliberately.

  The petite blond wrinkled her nose. "No rest for the weary."

  "Or the wicked," Nick muttered.

  "I didn't realize you'd noticed." Cathy winked at him. "Let me know if you need anything else." She exited like a stripper leaving a stage.

  Danni held up a hand. "Don't say it. She's a good friend and the most efficient administrative assistant I've ever seen."

  Nick sighed but his eyes twinkled. "I have to admit she does kind of grow on a person."