By the time Rafe made it to the top of the steps and shoved on the overhead door, Elsa stood directly behind him. He pushed against the door several times before it burst open. A cloud of heavy dark smoke rushed in on them, burning their eyes and temporarily stunning them. After wiping her eyes, Elsa looked up to see a wall of flames overhead.
They were trapped!
Chapter 14
Doing his best to ignore the hot pain searing through his hands, Rafe pulled the overhead doors closed, shutting out the deadly flames and voluminous smoke. He shoved Elsa down the steps and dragged her across the dank, semidark basement.
"There's a water supply down here, isn't here? A washing machine and sink, if I recall when I checked out the house the first day I was here."
She stared at him trying to comprehend his question, then nodded. "The washer and dryer are down here and there's a scrub sink, too. To your right, straight ahead. There's a light switch on the wall."
"Where's that afghan?"
"Over there." She nodded to the floor where she'd tossed the knitted throw. "Get it."
Without question she rushed to get the afghan, then met Rafe at the scrub sink. He grabbed the afghan away from her, dumped it in the sink and turned on the water. After he'd soaked the throw thoroughly, he turned to Elsa and that's when she noticed his red hands.
"What happened to your hands? Oh, Rafe, did you burn them closing the doors?"
"Just minor burns. First degree." He squeezed some of the excess water from the afghan, the cool liquid soothing on his burns. "By now the upstairs is probably filled with smoke, so our best bet of getting out of here is through that basement door over there. Once we reach the top of the steps, I'll put the wet afghan over us and we'll break through. Whatever you do, don't stop. Jump through the flames if you have to. Understand?"
"Yes, I understand."
"Good girl."
With the afghan draped over his arm, Rafe led Elsa across the basement, up the unsteady wooden steps and to their only possible exit. Not a safe exit, but safer than going back upstairs to a house that was probably by now engulfed in flames. The person who'd set the fire had no doubt doused the entire exterior with kerosene before lighting a match.
Rafe draped the afghan over Elsa and shared part of the protection with her, leaving his hands and arms free to ram open the door. The minute the door burst free of the rusty hinges, smoke and flames surrounded them. With his hand on her back, he shoved Elsa up and straight into the mouth of a fiery hell. He didn't give her time to balk or allow fear to halt her. The flames licked at his exposed arm and the hand he'd used to force open the door and to hold the afghan protectively over Elsa. The fire burned through his shirt and singed the hair on his arm. But within seconds they cleared the flames and Rafe dragged Elsa down to the ground and together they crawled through the smoke and across the backyard to safety.
The cry of sirens rent the predawn stillness, and the rumble of neighbors congregating on the street out front reassured Rafe that help was on the way.
Elsa Leone and her bodyguard were still alive. His hired assassin had failed—twice! As much as he hated to get his hands dirty, he realized it was now up to him to do the job. But the trick would be to find a way to get Elsa out from under Devlin's watchful eye. While sipping his morning coffee, he dialed Van Fleming's cell number. If anyone could give him an update on the situation, surely the chief of police could.
Van answered on the fourth ring. "Chief Fleming."
"Where are you?''
"At Maysville Memorial. Outside the E.R., waiting to speak to Elsa and Mr. Devlin. There was a terrible fire at Elsa's house and the two of them barely made it out alive. Elsa seems to be all right. Just suffering from a bit of smoke inhalation. But Mr. Devlin was burned saving Elsa."
"Burned but still alive."
"Yes, quite alive. From what I understand he received first- and second-degree burns on his hands and one arm," Van explained.
"Will these burns put him out of commission?"
"Probably. At least temporarily."
"Before Devlin has a chance to assign Elsa another bodyguard, step in and offer for the Maysville Police Department to keep her guarded twenty-four/seven."
"I can offer," Van said, "but Devlin doesn't trust me. I think maybe the Dundee agents have found out about Anthony and—"
"Okay, okay. I'll work fast." Think, man, think. Come up with an instant plan. Something that will lure Elsa away from the Dundee agents and bring her directly into a trap. Suddenly a brilliant idea hit him. That's it, he thought. Of course. What does Elsa want more than anything right about now? Proof against whoever has been trying to kill her. Proof that will put Honey Town's number-one villain behind bars.
"Elsa's going to receive a phone call very soon," he told Fleming. "When she does, she'll need to get away discreetly without the Dundee agents knowing. I want you to offer to take her to her destination. Promise her you'll protect her and help her bring her worst enemy to justice."
"What have you got planned? I don't want any part of—"
"All you have to do is lead the lamb to the slaughter. I'll take care of the rest."
Cassie Dover wondered how such a wonderful night had ended with such a terrible morning. Ellison had stayed all night, sleeping beside her, his arm draped over her when she awoke at six. She'd fixed coffee, scrambled eggs, made toast and served him breakfast in bed. That's when everything went wrong. She should have known better than to believe things would work out the way she wanted them to for her and Ellison. He'd promised her he would support her financially, that she could be his mistress—his alone— and she'd never have to service another client.
All your dreams can still come true, she told herself. Just do as you're told and everything can still work out for you and you '11 have enough money so that you '11 never have to work again. Just make one phone call. That's it. Just one phone call. What difference does it make to you that he's going to kill Elsa Leone? She barely knew the woman and she sure as hell didn't owe her anything. Besides that, it all boiled down to her life or Ms. Leone's. No real choice there. Cassie wasn't in to self-sacrifice.
While Frank, Leenie, Kate, Geoff, Troy and Van Fleming stayed outside in the waiting area, Elsa refused to leave Rafe's side while the doctor examined him, issued orders to the nurses in attendance and told Elsa that he was going to admit Rafe to the hospital.
The nurses had assisted Rafe in keeping his burned arm under cool running water for over five minutes before they removed his seared shirt. After patting his arm and both hands dry with a sterile towel, the doctor evaluated him for any signs of shock and, finding none, proceeded to clean the burns to prevent infection. Elsa knew Rafe was in pain, but not because he uttered so much as a grunt, but because she could see beyond his he-man facade, could read the expression in his eyes.
Dr. Bolland examined Rafe's red, blotchy arm and the blisters that had formed on one hand. ' 'First-degree burns on your right arm and left hand. Second-degree burns on your right hand." The doctor motioned to one of the two nurses, who immediately provided him with a tray filled with white gauze. "I want Mr. Devlin hooked up to an IV immediately." The other nurse rushed out of the E.R. cubicle.
Once his hand was properly bandaged with the sterile gauze, Rafe slid off the examining table. ' 'You said yourself that there are no third-degree burns. I'm okay. I don't need an IV and I don't need to hang around here taking up any more of your time, Doc."
"Mr. Devlin, the second-degree burns on your hand aren't life threatening, but you're in pain and your body has lost some fluids due to the burns. And there is a chance of infection."
"Stop arguing with the doctor and do as he says," Elsa told Rafe.
His gaze met hers. "I tell you, I'm okay."
"Humor me," she said. "You've saved my life twice in less than twenty-four hours. I owe you so much. Please, Rafe, don't be a stubborn mule. Do what the doctor says."
He frowned.
"For me?" she asked.
He grimaced. "You don't play fair, honey. You know I'd do anything for you."
Elsa's mouth curved into a fragile smile, one that showed plainly she could easily start crying at any minute.
"If you cry, so help me, I'll. . ." Rafe huffed loudly, then got back on the examining table. "I'll be a model patient, if that's what you want. But you have to promise me something."
"Name it."
"Don't even think about going anywhere without an escort."
"I don't plan on going anywhere," she told him. "I'm going to stay around here until they release you. Somebody has to make sure you behave yourself."
"Why don't you go outside and issue a bulletin to the troops," Rafe said. "Let them know I'm not dying."
Elsa looked at Dr. Bolland. "If he gives you any more trouble, come get me."
Grinning, the doctor nodded.
Elsa went into the waiting area and gave her brother, Leenie and the Dundee agents a complete report on Rafe's condition. They all let out a collective sigh of relief and Frank said, "It'd take more than a house burning down around him to put Rafe out of commission."
"I'll need to question you and Rafe whenever it's convenient," Van Fleming said. "And I'm sure the fire inspector will need a report, also. But all that can wait for now."
"Thanks, Van. I don't think I'm up to playing twenty questions and I know Rafe isn't."
"Anybody want coffee?" Leenie asked. "I'm taking orders."
The pay phone in the waiting room rang. Everyone ignored it, except a middle-aged woman who was waiting for her mother to be released from the E.R.
"Is there a Ms. Leone here?" the woman asked as she held her hand over the telephone's mouthpiece.
"I'm Ms. Leone," Elsa said.
"Phone call for you."
"Want me to get it?" Kate asked.
Elsa shook her head. "No, it's probably just someone wanting to know how I am after the fire. The whole town probably knows my house burned to the ground this morning." Elsa thanked the woman who handed her the receiver. "Hello, this is Ms. Leone."
"Don't say my name. I don't want anybody to know that I've called you."
"Who is this?"
"Is everything all right?" Frank asked. Elsa nodded.
"I'm Cassie Dover. You remember me, don't you? I'm one of the working girls down in Honey Town. I. . .I'm a special friend of Ellison Mays."
Elsa heard genuine fear in the woman's voice. "Yes, I remember you."
"Look, I got some proof you might be interested in, but it's got to stay between the two of us for right now. You come down here to see me. Come alone or I'm not talking."
Elsa turned her back to the others across the room and lowered her voice. "What proof do you have? And how do I know I can trust you?"
"You don't know and there's no way I can prove it to you. You gotta take my word. I got proof—" her voice cracked. "I can give you the proof you need against Ellison. He owns half the buildings here in Honey Town and he's got an interest in all kinds of illegal activities. He's behind everything. Do you hear me?"
"What do you mean by everything?"
"He. . .he's the one who hired a hit man to kill you."
Elsa's blood ran cold. So, it had been Ellison Mays all along. "What sort of proof do you have?"
"I'll show it to you when you get here, and if you want it, then it'll cost you. I want enough cash to get out of town and away from here."
"How much?"
"Fifty thousand. But you don't have to bring it with you. Once I've shown you what I have, then we'll make arrangements to meet to exchange the evidence for the money."
"I'm not coming to see you without a bodyguard," Elsa said.
"Nobody else. Just you."
"I can't trust you. For all I know I could be walking into a trap."
' 'Okay, okay, bring somebody with you, then. But hurry before I change my mind. And whoever you bring with you, stays outside."
Elsa hung up the telephone, and when she turned around, Van Fleming stood behind her. She gasped.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. I've been waiting to tell you that as police chief I'm assigning a police guard for you twenty-four/seven. I've got a man outside right now, ready to take over for Mr. Devlin."
A police guard? That certainly solved her immediate problem.
"Van, would you mind staying for a few minutes. I need a favor."
"Sure."
She turned to the others. "Why don't y'all go to the cafeteria for breakfast. I'm going to stay here and go back in to see Rafe in a few minutes. There's no need for all of us to stay since they'll only let one of us in there with him."
"Better you than one of us," Kate said. "He won't bite your head off."
"That's what you think," Elsa replied.
"Maybe I should stay out here and wait with you," Frank said.
"Look, instead of doing that, why don't you bring me back a cup of coffee and maybe a sausage biscuit."
"Tell you what, I'll bring back coffee and biscuits for both of us. I'll be back in five minutes." Frank looked over at Van Fleming. "You don't mind waiting around with her until I get back to you, Chief?"
"Be glad to." Van offered Frank a phony smile.
Once she and Van were alone, she pulled him off to a corner and said, "I'm going to trust you and I hope I'm not making a huge mistake. I need the policeman you've assigned to guard me to drive me to Honey Town to see Cassie Dover. She's one of the prostitutes down there and she just called me to tell me she's willing to hand over proof against Ellison Mays."
"Perhaps you should tell the Dundee agents where you're going. One of them will probably want to go along, too."
"No, they'll try to stop me. Rafe would think meeting Cassie is too dangerous and he'd veto my going." Van had suggested she tell one of the agents where she wanted to go. Didn't that mean she could trust him? Maybe.
"I think I should go along with you, too. That way, you'll have two police escorts to Honey Town."
"Can you two change out of your uniforms?" Elsa asked. "And we don't need to show up at Cassie's house in a police car."
"Leave it to me," Van said, then walked to the door leading to the parking lot, opened it and motioned for someone. A tall, lanky young officer came rushing into the waiting room. "I believe you know Andy Bridges."
Elsa smiled, then shook hands with Andy, whose sister, Janie Bridges, was one of the news producers at WJMM.
"Hi, Ms. Leone."
"Hi, Andy."
"Ready to go?" Van asked.
Elsa hesitated for a moment. She didn't completely trust Van, knowing that he was on their suspects list, albeit far from the top. She'd never have gone alone with him, but since he was bringing Andy along, he could hardly be up to no good, could he? And he had mentioned her telling the Dundee agents about Cassie's call, hadn't he?
Okay, so she would go to Cassie Dover's house, with two policemen as escorts, and if the woman actually possessed some sort of proof that Ellison was the person who'd hired the hit man to kill her, she'd come back to the hospital and tell Rafe. Then they'd call Grace Tyree to ask her to provide the payoff money.
Picking up the coat and gloves a neighbor had loaned her before they'd left her burning house to the firefighters, Elsa turned to Van and said, "I'm ready. Let's go."
When Rafe finds out what you've done, he'll skin you alive, she told herself. But if you tell him before you leave, he'll try to stop you. No, he will stop you. he'll tell you it's too dangerous.
"What do you mean you don't know where she is?" Rafe demanded.
"I left her in the waiting room with Chief Fleming not more than five minutes ago," Frank said as he set two cups of coffee and a couple of biscuits on one of the vinyl seats.
"Then where the hell is she?"
"She said she was going back in to stay with you."
"I don't like this." Bare-chested and barefoot, Rafe tromped across the room and up to the recep
tionist's desk. "Ms. Leone didn't happen to leave me a message, did she?"
"No, sir," the plump, young brunette said. "Damn!" Rafe turned to Frank. "Find me some clothes. And go get Kate."
"Mr. Devlin?" the receptionist called to him. "Yeah?"
"Ms. Leone didn't leave a message, but I'm sure she's all right. She left here with Chief Fleming and a uniformed policeman."
Rafe's muscles tensed. Elsa left with Fleming? Why would she do something so stupid? She knew he was on their list of suspects! "You didn't happen to hear them say where they were going, did you?"
"Not really, but I think Chief Fleming mentioned something about Honey Town."
"You said there was a uniformed policeman with them?" Frank asked.
"Yes. A young guy. Auburn hair."
"Why the hell would Elsa go with Fleming to Honey Town?" Rafe glared at Frank.
"I don't know, but. . . Damn! She got a phone call right before she sent us off to breakfast." Frank growled. "I should have suspected something. She deliberately got rid of us so she could leave the hospital."
"We have to find her." Rafe's gut instincts told him that Elsa was in trouble. Big trouble. If anything happened to her— No, don't even think it. "Dammit, will you get me some clothes! And tell Kate to call the police station and see if she can find out where the hell Fleming is and what police officer is with him." When he grabbed Frank's arm, pain screamed through his burned hand. "Tell Kate to call you on your cell phone. You and I are going to Honey Town to find Elsa."
Chapter 15
As Chief Fleming drove them through the desolate streets of Honey Town, Elsa noted, as she had countless times before, that only at night did this part of town come alive. During the day, with kids in school and those who had honest jobs at work, the underbelly of society slept until noon or later. Light snow had been falling ever since they left Maysville Memorial, but the streets remained clear, the snow melting as it hit the pavement. Elsa shivered, partly from the cold and partly from fear. She was going into the unknown, taking a chance that Cassie Dover actually had the proof she said she did. The closer they got to Cassie's house, the more Elsa had second thoughts. It wasn't like her to act irrationally, to leap before looking, but wasn't that what she'd done? No, it wasn't, she told herself. She had thought this through and reasoned that she was safe as long as Andy came along with Van. Was she taking a risk? Yes, of course she was. But if Cassie had evidence that could nail Ellison Mays, wouldn't that be worth any risk?
Downright Dangerous Page 18