In the Arms of the Law

by Peggy Moreland

  To his left was the living room window and he leaned closer, trying to see through the gap where the drapes met. Nothing. They were closed too tightly. But as he started to turn back to the door, he noticed a wider gap at the bottom.

  Dropping to his knees, he crawled closer to peer through the space. His heart seemed to stop a moment when he saw a woman lying on the floor. Blood pooled beneath a swirl of blond hair. Deirdre. Not Andi. Shamed by the sense of relief he felt, he crawled back to stand by the door, mentally plotting his moves. Kick in the door and leap inside. Feint to the left, in case whoever was in there with Andi had a gun.

  Beyond that he’d have to rely on his gut.

  Taking a deep breath, he rammed his boot hard against the door. The jam gave with a splintering of wood. He ducked inside and feinted to the left, holding his gun in both hands out in front of him. He quickly scanned the room, but it was empty, except for Deirdre, who remained on the floor, still as death.

  He quickly moved to the hallway, then flattened his back against the wall, peering intently into the dark bedroom. Hearing no sound, he eased closer to the door. Keeping the gun aimed at the center of the room, he released one hand to flip on the light and quickly stepped to the left.

  As the light blazed on, he saw Andi standing in front of him, her eyes wide, her mouth clamped by the hand of the man who held her as a shield in front of him. The long blade of the hunting knife he held at her throat caught the light and gleamed wickedly.

  “Well, hello, Detective Thunderhawk. So glad you could join us.”

  The man’s voice was deceptively calm, but Gabe heard the madness beneath it.

  He kept the gun pointed between the man’s eyes and slowly eased around the room, trying to get a clear shot. “I’m afraid you have the advantage. You know my name, but I don’t know yours.”

  “Wesley Gardner. Professor Wesley Gardner.” He lifted a brow. “Perhaps Andrea told you about me?”

  Though Andi had confessed to having an affair with a professor, she hadn’t offered a name. But even if she had, Gabe wouldn’t have given the man the pleasure of knowing he’d left any kind of impression on Andi at all. “Sorry. I don’t recall her ever mentioning you.”

  Wesley stroked the blade along Andi’s neck. “Why, Andrea,” he scolded. “Surely you didn’t try to make Detective Thunderhawk believe you were a virgin? Not when I had the pleasure of removing that particular stigma.”

  Gabe had heard about all he was willing to listen to. “Let her go,” he ordered.

  Smiling, Wesley turned the blade at her throat, pricking the skin and drawing a thin line of blood. “I don’t think so. Not yet, anyway.”

  “If you don’t let her go, I’ll blow your brains out.”

  The professor chuckled. “You won’t chance a shot. Not when you might hit our darling Andrea.” He skimmed the blade through the blood, smearing it down her neck. “Unless you want me to slice her pretty little throat, I suggest you drop the gun.”

  Gabe caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye. Deirdre. She was alive and coming down the hallway, a gun in her hand.

  It was a chance, a big one, but he didn’t believe Deirdre was in on this with Wesley. He released his grip on his gun and let it dangle loosely from his index finger. He saw the panic that widened Andi’s eyes, but refused to respond to it.

  “You’re right, Wesley,” he said in defeat and dropped the gun to the floor. “I won’t take a chance on Andi getting hurt. I love her too much for that.”

  He dropped his gaze to Andi. “Partners. Right, Andi? Partner’s always cover each other’s backs.”

  He saw her eyes sharpen and knew that she understood what he was trying to telling her.

  “Now!” he cried and Andi rammed her foot down on Wesley’s instep, then broke free and dived to the floor.

  A split second later, a shot ripped the air.

  Gabe hit the floor, scooped up his gun, then rolled, covering Andi’s body with his own as the shot echoed around and around the room like a volley.

  He lifted his head, his gun poised, and saw Wesley crumple to the floor, exposing Deirdre. She stood in the doorway behind him, her hair matted with blood, tears streaming down her face, the gun hanging limp at her side.

  Gabe lowered his head to Andi’s. “Thank God,” he murmured. “Thank God, you’re safe.”

  Uniformed officers moved through the rooms of Deirdre’s apartment, dealing with the details associated with any crime scene. But this wasn’t any crime scene. This involved one of their own. Three of their own, in fact.

  As the ambulance attendants pushed the gurney carrying Deirdre through the living room, a tremble shook Andi as she obviously recognized the sound of the wheels rolling across the floor.

  Gabe knew he had to get her out of there. She hadn’t spoken a word since he’d picked her up from the floor. Hadn’t even cried. When the ambulance attendants had attempted to examine her, she’d buried her face against Gabe’s neck and clung tighter to him, refusing to let anyone near her.

  He caught Chief Prater’s eye, then rose, shifting Andi in his arms, and crossed to the door. “We’re going to take you to the hospital,” he told her, and she clung tighter. “It’s okay,” he soothed. “I’m not letting you go. Chief Prater will drive us.”

  Alone in a cubicle of the emergency room, Andi lay on a gurney and stared at the ceiling. Trembles shook her body. The shock was beginning to wear off, and images hurtled through her mind like meteors through a night sky. Wesley’s eyes, the evil in them, the madness. Deirdre lying sprawled on the floor, unconscious, blood pooling beneath her head. Andi could feel the knife at her neck, taste the fear that had coated her throat.

  Marcy, she thought, and gulped back a sob, remembering. All these years she had despised Marcy for what she’d done to her, to Wesley. She’d blamed her, much the same as Wesley had blamed Marcy, for destroying her life, for robbing her of Wesley. But now she saw that Marcy hadn’t been trying to hurt her when she’d informed the university of Andi and Wesley’s affair. She’d been trying to protect her. She’d already been used by Wesley, then discarded like a toy a child had grown bored with. She’d only wanted to save Andi from the same treatment, the same heartbreak.

  Oh, God, she thought and squeezed her eyes shut to block the shame. She’d loved him. Like a fool, she’d loved Wesley, grieved for him. Even when he’d left without telling her, she hadn’t blamed him.

  Instead, she’d placed all the blame on Marcy.

  She realized that, even then, Wesley had been evil. He’d used her, much as he had Deirdre. He’d discovered her needs, her pleasures, then used them to get what he’d wanted from her. From Andi, he’d only wanted sex, a stroke for his ego. From Marcy, he’d probably wanted the same thing. But by the time he’d gotten to Deirdre, his needs had changed, had taken on a violent slant. From Deirdre he’d wanted information, access to Andi’s life, her habits, her phone number, her address. And once he had those things, when he was sure he had Andi where he wanted her, he probably would’ve killed Deirdre, just as Andi was sure he’d killed Marcy. Just as he would’ve eventually killed her, if not for Deirdre and Gabe.

  Tears welled in her eyes as she thought of Gabe. She’d put his life in danger, the same as she had Deirdre’s. The same as she had Marcy’s. Gabe had said he loved her. When Wesley had taunted him, saying Gabe wouldn’t shoot because he wouldn’t take a chance on hitting Andi, Gabe had lowered his gun and offered his life in exchange for hers. And all because he loved her.

  One person was dead because of her, another critically injured. Could she live with herself if Gabe had been killed, too? Could she bear to live without him?

  Suddenly panic-stricken, she sat up, her hand going instinctively to the bandage at her throat. She had to get out of here. Gabe would be coming back soon. He’d want to take her home, care for her. She couldn’t let him love her. She couldn’t allow herself to love him. The pain was simply too much. More than she could bear.

>   She slid off the gurney and ripped the hospital gown over her head. Grabbing her clothes, she jerked them on, then peeked out the curtains that formed the cubicle. With no one in sight to stop her, she slipped out and began to run.

  Ten

  “How does it feel to be back at work?”

  Leo took a sip of the coffee Andi had poured for him and lifted a shoulder. “Like putting on an old shoe. Comfortable. Familiar. The bonus is getting away from Myrna’s yapping for a while.”

  Andi sputtered a laugh. “Yeah. Like Myrna yaps.”

  “The woman’s a walking megaphone. By the end of the day, my ears are all but bleeding.”

  Chuckling, Andi started to refill Leo’s cup, but he placed a hand over it. “One’s my limit. Doctor’s orders.”

  She winced. “Sorry. I forgot.”

  He waved away the apology. “If you want to be sorry about something, try the fifteen-hundred-calorie-a-day diet he’s got me on. Hell, a bird couldn’t live on that amount of food.”

  “You look like you’re surviving.”

  “A lot you know.” Grimacing, he took another swig of his coffee. “So when are you coming back to work?”

  Andi picked up her emery board and began to saw on her thumbnail, avoiding his gaze. “I don’t know. Soon. I just need some time.”

  “Can’t argue that. Have you been to see Deirdre yet?”

  She kept her head down. “No.”

  “They were going to try to stick her with accessory.”

  She snapped up her head. “They can’t do that! She saved my life.”

  “Yeah. That’s what Gabe told ’em. Went to bat for her, which is what you should’ve done.”

  She dropped her gaze again, her cheeks heating in shame. “I would’ve if I’d known.”

  “You’d’ve known if you ever answered your damn phone.”

  When she didn’t say anything, he heaved a sigh. “Gabe asked about you.”

  She sawed harder at her nail. “Tell him I’m fine.”

  “Said you won’t return his calls, either.”

  She dropped the emery board and snatched up the coffee carafe, crossed to the sink and dumped the coffee down the drain. “If I answered the phone every time it rings, I might as well be at work. The whole point in taking some time off is to get away from it all for a while.”

  “It being Gabe, I assume.”

  She slammed down the carafe on the counter and whirled. “I didn’t say that.”

  “Didn’t have to. Reynolds told me that when backup arrived at Deirdre’s apartment you were holding on to Gabe like you were never going to let go. Said Gabe finally had to pick you up and carry you out, just so the lab guys could do their job.”

  “I was in shock. People in shock display erratic behavior.”

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Just trying to pacify you. When a person’s in denial, I’m told it’s best to just agree with them. Saves setting ’em off.”

  “I’m not in denial about anything.”

  “Come on, Andi. This is Leo you’re talking to. You might fool everybody else, but you can’t fool me. You’re in love with the guy! Why won’t you admit that?”

  “I’m not in love with him!”

  “You damn sure are, and you’re breaking the poor guy’s heart. You held on to him like he was your last hold on life, then, while he’s in the waiting room, wringing his hands, you split, leaving him hanging. He’s worried sick about you and you won’t even talk to him.”

  “I told you to tell him I’m fine. I just need some time.”

  “Time for what? To build up those defenses again? To come up with some more of those get-lost-sucker lines you’re famous for delivering? Grow up, Andi. You can’t run from your feelings anymore.” Scowling, he pushed out a hand. “Hell, I know that professor did a number on you. But so what? Lots of people get dumped on before they find the perfect match.”

  She racked her brain for an argument. “I’m older than Gabe.”

  “And you consider that a problem? Hell, Myrna threatens to trade me in for a younger model every other day.”

  “I think you’re forgetting department policy. Gabe’s a detective now. Officers in the same unit aren’t allowed to date or marry.”

  “Screw department policy.”

  “Are you suggesting that I ignore the rules?”

  “I’m not suggesting you ignore anything. Hell, if you love the guy, get another job! Better yet, stay home and make babies. I’ve been wanting a grandbaby to bounce on my knee.”

  Andi clapped her hands over her ears. “I’m not listening to you anymore. Please leave.”

  Leo heaved himself to his feet. “Hell, I need to go home anyway. Myrna’s liable to set the hounds on me if I’m late for dinner on my first day back at work.”

  He stooped and bussed a kiss on her cheek. “Think about it, kid,” he said, and ruffled her hair. “You’re not getting any younger.”

  Andi flipped open her eyes, instantly awake. She strained to listen, sure that it was a noise that had awakened her.

  You’re being paranoid, she told herself, and closed her eyes. Wesley’s dead. There’s no one to bother you anymore. But even with her eyes closed, she continued to listen.

  The central air unit came on and she flinched, then forced herself to settle. She wouldn’t allow herself to be frightened to stay in her own house alone. That would be ridiculous. Childish. No one was going to hurt her.

  There was a loud thump, a grunt, then a crash.

  She sat up straight, her eyes wide, her heart thumping wildly in her chest. She eased her legs over the side of the bed, tiptoed to her dresser and slid her gun out of its holster. Moving as quietly as possible, she crossed to the doorway. She drew in a deep breath, then lunged into the hallway.

  “Freeze! I’ve got a gun. I’ll use it.”

  “Please do,” a voice begged. “Put me out of my misery.”

  She frowned into the darkness. “Gabe?”

  There was a heavy sigh. “Yeah, it’s me. I think I broke my foot.”

  She patted the wall for the light switch, flipped it on. Gabe lay on the floor at the entrance to the hallway, his legs tangled with the ladder she’d left there when she’d changed the lightbulb earlier that day.

  “What are you doing here?”

  He lifted his head to scowl at her. “Would you mind putting the gun away? I was kidding about wanting you to use it.”

  Unaware that she’d still been pointing the gun at him, she lowered it to her side. “Is your foot really broken?”

  “Hell if I know. It hurts like it is.”

  “You should take your boot off before your foot starts swelling.”

  He dragged himself to a sitting position and, wincing, brought his leg up to grip his boot. He tugged, then fell back against the floor, panting, his brow beaded in sweat. “Too late.”

  Andi didn’t want to go to him, but she forced herself forward. “Do you want me to get some scissors and cut it off?”

  “If you mean the boot, yeah, please.”

  She hurried to the kitchen and returned with the scissors. “I’m going to move the ladder first, okay?”

  He closed his eyes and nodded.

  Working quickly, she moved the ladder, propped it against the wall, then dropped to her knees. “I’m going to need to push your pant leg up. If it hurts, just tell me and I’ll stop.”

  He nodded again, but kept his eyes closed. His face was pale and creased with pain. Keeping her touch gentle, she eased his pant leg up over the top of his boot.

  “You okay?” she asked hesitantly.

  “Hurry up and cut. It’s getting tighter. I can feel it.”

  Steeling herself for the task, she opened the scissors and slipped a blade between his sock and the leather. She began to cut in slow, even strokes.

  “Does it hurt?”

  “It’s killing me. These are my favorite pair of boots.”

&
nbsp; She shot him a frown. “If you can joke about it, it mustn’t hurt too badly.”

  She made the final snip, then eased the boot over his heel. Wincing at the size of his swollen ankle, she said, “Maybe I should call an ambulance.”

  “Get me some ice. Then we’ll see.”

  She returned to the kitchen and came back with a plastic bag filled with ice. “This is going to be cold,” she warned.

  He sucked in a breath, tensing as she laid the bag across his upper foot.

  “Sorry,” she murmured.

  He caught her hand and tugged her back to sit at his side. “Me, too.”

  She looked at him in puzzlement. “You’re the one who’s hurt. Not me.”

  He opened his eyes and looked at her. “You’re hurting, too, Andi. Maybe not your foot. But you’re hurting.”

  She gulped back tears at the compassion in his eyes, knowing he was referring to what had happened at Deirdre’s. “I’m okay. I just needed a few days.”

  “You’ve had a few days. Every one of ’em felt like a damn year.”

  She blinked hard to see him through the moisture that filled her eyes. “For me, too.”

  “You wouldn’t talk to me.”

  “I couldn’t. Not then.”

  “Can you now?”

  She nodded, gulped again. “I think so.”

  He laced his fingers through hers. “Doesn’t look like I’m going to be going anywhere for a while, so take your time.”

  Smiling tearfully, she squeezed his hand. “It had nothing to do with you, Gabe. It was me.” She dropped her gaze and swiped a hand across her cheek. “It took me some time to figure that out. With a little help from Leo,” she added wryly.

  “I knew I liked that guy.”

  She grimaced. “He knows what buttons to push, that’s for sure. He asked me if I’d been to see Deirdre and why I wouldn’t return your phone calls.”

  “Did you tell him?”