Watch Your Back

by Rose, Karen

  ‘Peace offering. I was impolite last night when you arrived. My wife would not have approved of my behavior.’

  ‘It’s all right. I understand about protecting your child.’

  ‘Clay’s no child and I was wrong to treat you harshly. You’d had a hell of a day and I didn’t make it any better. I hope you’ll stay as long as you need to.’

  ‘That’s very nice of you. But I think Cordelia needs to be . . .’ She drew a bolstering breath. ‘Away from me. Bad guys want me out of the picture. I don’t want her getting hurt because I’m too stubborn to admit someone else can protect her better than I can at the moment.’

  ‘Not because you want her away from Clay?’ Tanner asked carefully and her gaze shot up, locking with the older man’s.

  ‘No. That might have been true twenty-four hours ago, but it’s not true now. Your son has helped my daughter more in a day . . .’ Another bolstering breath. ‘Than I have in the past year.’

  ‘I don’t know about that. But he does seem to put her at ease. He was always like that as a boy. Always trying to put everyone at ease.’

  ‘Except himself?’

  ‘Yep,’ he said brusquely.

  She had so many questions, but his expression said he’d tell no tales. ‘He makes my baby laugh. I haven’t heard her laugh in months. I guess I haven’t given her much to laugh about.’

  ‘You like to beat yourself up, don’t you?’

  The question startled her. ‘Yep,’ she said, echoing his tone, making him chuckle.

  ‘You ought not do that.’ He took a sip of the coffee, staring out at the Bay. ‘I used to beat myself up, when I was your age.’

  ‘What made you stop?’

  ‘Something I learned a long time ago. Children watch and they emulate. You beat yourself up for everything that happens around you, to you, and that little girl will do the same.’

  ‘She already does,’ Stevie whispered. ‘I have to make some serious changes. For her.’

  ‘No. For you. You have to do it for you. You do it for her and you’ll grow to resent the changes and her for forcing you to make them. Do what’s right because it helps you be a better person and, in turn, a better parent. She’ll see and she’ll know it’s real.’

  Stevie had to swallow hard. ‘Thank you. For the coffee and the wisdom.’

  ‘Not my wisdom,’ he said gruffly. ‘My wife spent the best years of her life drumming that into my head. But I was a cop, too. I saw things on the job . . . so many things I couldn’t fix, so many things I wished I could change. I brought the pressure home, even though I didn’t mean to. Then I saw Clay doing what I did, beating himself up. By then it was too late. I’d taught him to be the man he is – a damn good man. There isn’t a better one on God’s green earth.’

  His tone dared her to disagree. ‘I know he’s a good man, Tanner. I told him so last night. My wanting him away from Cordelia wasn’t because of him, of the man he is. It was to protect Cordelia’s heart. She gets attached to people. I don’t want her hurt.’

  He sighed. ‘My wife said as much to me long ago.’

  Stevie heard the echoes of pain in his voice. She’d heard those echoes before in her own voice when she spoke of Paul. After eight years she still did and this man’s loss was even more recent. ‘Clay told me she was a single mom. He also said that you were his father, in every way that mattered,’ she added softly and immediately saw it had been the right thing to say.

  ‘Thank you.’ He cleared his throat. ‘I knew my Nancy had a son before I asked her out, but it took more than a month of dating before she let me meet Clay, and even then it was only because I’d manipulated her into it.’ His lips twitched at the memory. ‘We were supposed to go to the movies, but she cancelled because her sitter got sick. I showed up at her door with three tickets to that night’s Orioles game. When Clay saw those tickets, his eyes lit up like it was Christmas. Nancy was so angry with me, but she agreed to go because she couldn’t disappoint Clay. They didn’t have anything back then. She was waiting tables, barely making ends meet. But she was proud. Never accepted help. Unless it was for her boy.’

  ‘How old was Clay?’

  ‘Five. And what a mind that boy had. He knew every player on both teams, their stats, all of it. We had the best evening ever. But when I took them home and she’d put Clay to bed, oh boy, did the sparks fly. She told me that until she knew I was husband material she didn’t want her son to get to know me. She didn’t want him to get attached, only to have me walk away.’ He glanced at her pointedly. ‘Like his father had done.’

  Stevie bristled. ‘My husband didn’t walk away. He was murdered.’

  ‘I know. Clay told me. But the end is the same, right? He’s gone, leaving a hole where a parent should be. You want to protect Cordelia, just like Nancy protected Clay.’

  She didn’t think it was the same at all, but saw what he was trying to say and appreciated the attempt. ‘So you understand why I told Clay I didn’t want him to have contact with Cordelia. My wishes had nothing to do with Clay himself. He is a good man. I’ve always known that.’

  ‘Good. Now, because he is my son and I’ll protect him to my dying breath, I need you to know one more thing. You’re not the only one with a tragic past. Clay’s got scars too, mostly inside where he doesn’t let anyone see. Nancy and I waited for years for him to find someone to heal him, to unlock that heart we knew was there. For whatever reason, it was you.’

  She sucked in a breath, not knowing what to say.

  Tanner stared her down. ‘I don’t understand your reasons for not wanting him, because any woman should be proud to have him. You hurt him when you turned him away. Cut him deep.’

  She felt a pain in her heart. Guilt. Remorse. Regret. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said softly.

  ‘I’m sure you are. Yet here you are.’

  Anger sparked. ‘For Cordelia. To keep her safe.’ Something Tanner had said clicked in her brain and she narrowed her eyes. ‘Clay used my daughter’s fear of losing me to manipulate me into agreeing to accept his help. Now I know where he learned the fine art of manipulation.’

  Tanner’s eyes flashed, his mouth tightening. Then, unexpectedly, his lips quirked. ‘I can see Clay doing that and I can’t deny that he learned it from me. Please, just be careful with him. When you walk away, try not to hurt him again.’ He took another sip of coffee, then turned on his heel. ‘I believe I smell waffles. Let’s eat before they’re all gone.’

  Baltimore, Maryland, Sunday, March 16, 8.30 A.M.

  ‘You’re sure?’ Robinette asked, keeping his voice icy calm. Inside, his fury roiled. Of all his people, Fletcher was the last person he’d expected to betray him. ‘There’s no doubt?’

  ‘None,’ Westmoreland said. ‘I got a positive ID on both Henderson and Fletcher from the hotel clerk. I can email you a clip from the hotel’s security video if you want proof.’

  ‘No, don’t email it.’ Robinette didn’t want any connections the cops could trace back to him. Cell phone conversations were dangerous enough. Even the ‘disposable’ cells they used could be traced if a cop was smart. And Stevie Mazzetti was too damn smart for her own good. And mine. ‘Put it on a flash drive and bring it to me. Where is Henderson now?’

  ‘Gone,’ Westmoreland said disgustedly. ‘The coffee in the cup next to the bed was still hot. The desk clerk admitted to being paid to look out for me and had called the room.’

  ‘Where’s the clerk?’

  ‘Dead. I made him open the safe and the register first, so it’ll look like a robbery. Surveillance system was closed loop, nothing uploaded to a server. I took the recorder with me.’

  ‘What about Henderson’s car?’

  ‘The clerk admitted that Henderson arrived in a white Camry, so I sliced its tires on my way to Henderson’s room. When I found it empty, I chec
ked the security footage of the parking lot. Henderson stole a rusted old Dodge. Had it hotwired in five seconds flat.’

  ‘Yay,’ Robinette deadpanned sarcastically. ‘Henderson still has some skills.’

  ‘I found the Dodge abandoned a mile away. Lots of cops surrounding it. I got nervous that they’d ID’d Henderson, but they were there because a delivery guy reported his van stolen. The owner was holding the magnetic sign he kept on the door, so Henderson’s out there in an unmarked white van. I’ll keep looking. I do have good news, though – a lead on Mazzetti.’

  ‘Do tell,’ Robinette bit out.

  ‘Right before I dealt with your BPD source, he ID’d the two men who were with Mazzetti when Henderson did the drive-by. They were Clay Maynard and Alec Vaughn.’

  ‘Maynard?’ Frowning, Robinette tapped a few keys on his laptop, then stared at a still taken on the courthouse steps the day Mazzetti was shot by the psycho teenager. In the photo, Mazzetti lay bleeding while a shirtless man crouched over her. Clay Maynard. ‘He was there when she got shot back in December, too. Sonofabitch saved her life.’

  ‘Well, he was her guardian angel last night, too,’ Westmoreland said. ‘Or her bodyguard.’

  ‘Possible. He runs a security service. That’s why he was at the courthouse that day. One of his employees had been killed the night before while guarding ASA Montgomery’s son, who’d been kidnapped. Maynard was there to inform her. So, Stevie hired a bodyguard. Smart.’

  ‘She got her money’s worth. Maynard took two of Henderson’s bullets in the back for her last night. Saved her life again, and the little girl’s, too. I’ve checked all the other friends you named and she doesn’t appear to be with any of them. Chances are good that Maynard’s got her holed up somewhere.’

  ‘What about the other man? Vaughn?’

  ‘He’s just a kid. Maynard’s the main player. I’ll go to his home and check it out.’

  ‘You won’t find Maynard’s address easily,’ Robinette said. ‘He bought his house through a corporation, hidden in a tangle of other corporations. The guy’s no beginner.’ He looked up Maynard’s home address in his old-fashioned pen-and-paper address book. There wasn’t a hacker in the world who could break into his contact list. ‘Write this down,’ he said, and read out Maynard’s address.

  ‘How did you get it?’ Westmoreland asked.

  ‘I have my ways.’ Actually, he’d waited outside Maynard’s office one night and followed him home. Guy nearly lost him three times. ‘Be careful. He’ll have top-notch security and he’s well-armed. Take backup.’ Westmoreland maintained a security team who guarded the plant round the clock. Allowing Fletcher’s special formulas to leave the plant in the wrong hands could get them arrested. Or worse.

  ‘I can’t right now. I’ve got my team looking for Henderson, who’s running around loose right now in a pissed off mood. That worries me.’

  The censure in Wes’s voice scraped at Robinette’s patience. ‘You think I made a mistake.’

  ‘Well . . . it might have been a hasty decision. I wasn’t there, so I don’t know what went down, but according to what little I could find about Maynard, he’s a pro. His clientele are some of the richest businessmen on the East Coast – and they trust Maynard with their security. Knowing he’s Mazzetti’s bodyguard changes the game. If Henderson didn’t have that intel . . .’

  ‘You’re saying I judged Henderson too harshly.’

  Another hesitation. ‘Hell, Robbie. I don’t know that I would have expected anyone to leap in front of a stream of bullets. But now we have to deal with a pissed off Henderson. My team is watching airports and hospitals. From the bandage I found in that hotel room, Henderson’s still bleeding pretty bad.’

  ‘Fine. Just keep me informed.’

  ‘Robbie, wait. What about Fletcher?’

  ‘I’ll take care of Fletcher.’

  Westmoreland sighed. ‘Hell. Just when things were gettin’ good. We could’ve been rich.’

  It was true. Without Fletcher, they’d have no product. Without product, no business, and no money. ‘I didn’t say I would kill Fletch. I’ll just make sure this doesn’t happen again.’

  Westmoreland sighed again, this time in relief. ‘Good to know. I always liked Fletch. But just as a friend,’ he added quickly and Robinette found his lips twitching.

  ‘Keep me informed.’ Robinette hung up and immediately dialed the guard shack. ‘Is Dr Fletcher in the lab?’ It was Sunday, but Fletch often worked weekends.

  ‘No, Dr Fletcher hasn’t arrived yet. Should I take a message?’

  ‘Yes, please. Tell Dr Fletcher to report to my office as soon as possible.’

  Chapter Ten

  Baltimore, Maryland, Sunday, March 16, 9.00 A.M.

  Henderson was pissed off. He fired me. He burned down my apartment. Now Robinette had ordered a hit. Does he think I’m gonna go to the cops? He thinks I’m that petty? That stupid?

  And to top it all off, Robinette had sent Westmoreland to do the job. That was just plain insulting. Westmoreland couldn’t shoot his way out of a church full of Quakers.

  I’d like to see him take a shot at Detective Stevie Mazzetti, Henderson thought with a sneer. Mazzetti. The woman’s very name tasted foul.

  Or perhaps that would be the odor of the dirty diapers in the back of the delivery van. Trust me to hijack a diaper delivery van. Goddamn, I wish I’d never heard of Stevie Mazzetti.

  Mazzetti, however, was at the bottom of the priority list at the moment. First was finding a place to hide. Second was finding medical attention. Food would also be good.

  I have to get outta town. Canada wouldn’t be bad. Australia would be better. I have friends that don’t work for Todd Robinette. I’ll start over somewhere new. For now, being any place other than Baltimore seemed smart. Cops hated cop-killers and hunted them down like dogs.

  That Henderson hadn’t been successful wouldn’t buy much compassion, especially since Mazzetti was such a media darling. Who’d apparently hired a fucking bodyguard.

  I should have Googled her before the restaurant hit. Should have gathered my own fucking intel. Because an Internet search the night before yielded dozens of Stevie Mazzetti news stories and photos, most about the day in December when she got shot. And with her on the courthouse steps? The man who stopped two bullets for her yesterday – a guy who provided bodyguards.

  Shit. If I’d had that little piece of information I’d have set up the hit a lot differently. To be fair, the guy hadn’t been at the restaurant. So that miss was on me. He’d been guarding the little girl. Mazzetti must’ve thought she could take care of herself.

  But Robinette had to have known about the bodyguard. And he didn’t tell me, that sonofabitch. And then had the nerve to send Westmoreland to . . .

  Wait. Henderson frowned. How did Westmoreland know where to find me?

  Fletcher. But Henderson had known the chemist for a long time. Had never been aware of a single lie, a single betrayal. Eyes narrowed, Henderson dialed Fletcher’s cell.

  ‘I told you not to call me anymore,’ Fletcher hissed. ‘You want to get me fired, too?’

  ‘Did you drive one of Robinette’s cars last night?’ Henderson asked.

  ‘What? Of course not. All those cars have tracking devices.’

  ‘Then did you tell Robinette where I was?’

  ‘No. I said I wouldn’t. I haven’t even seen him since yesterday. He had that . . . thing last night, that black tie event. With Lisa.’

  ‘Well, somehow he knew. I just escaped Westmoreland by the skin of my damn teeth. And he didn’t come to bring me flowers.’

  A beat of silence. ‘He sicced Westmoreland on you? To kill you? Really?’

  ‘I’m driving a diaper delivery van, Fletch. I had to get creative to stay alive. Yes, really.’

 
‘Shit. That’s . . . Well, I didn’t tell. You can believe me or not.’

  ‘I do believe you, actually. You helped me last night when you didn’t have to. So here’s a tip – if Westmoreland knew I was there and you didn’t tell anyone, then either Robbie’s following you or he has a tracker on your personal vehicle. Which means he knows you helped me. I wouldn’t go into the office today if I were you.’

  Fletcher sucked in a breath. ‘Too late. I just signed in at the gate. Well, that explains why he wants me to come to his office, ASAP.’

  ‘What are you going to do?’

  ‘Fess up, play dumb, and pray. And if none of those work, I’ll tell him I have my lab books locked away somewhere safe. If he wants his product, he’ll keep me alive. Thanks, Henderson.’

  ‘Like I said, you helped me. Speaking of, do you have any idea where I can go for more bandages and some antibiotics? Someplace that won’t ask questions? Please, Fletch.’

  Fletcher hesitated. ‘Dammit. Yeah. There’s a clinic in Largo, on Church Road, about two miles from the cemetery. Ask for Sean. Tell him I sent you. He’ll fix you up.’

  ‘Why didn’t you tell me this last night?’

  ‘Because last night I didn’t know that Robinette had a tracker on my car. And you didn’t have to call and warn me. But this is it, Henderson. No more calls.’

  ‘No more, I promise. Thanks, Fletch. Be careful, okay?’

  ‘I’ll do my best. You, too.’

  Henderson hung up. Largo wasn’t too far away. Just have to stay alert a little longer.

  ‘Goddamn that Mazzetti,’ Henderson muttered. ‘If she’d just died like she was supposed to, none of this would be happening. I’d still have a cushy job with good insurance. Dental, even. That woman is not worth all the trouble she’s put me through. Robinette can kill her himself.’

  Robinette probably would. Mazzetti had killed Levi, Robinette’s only son. He really wanted that woman dead. She was worth something to him.

  ‘How much is she worth to you, Robbie?’ Henderson murmured. ‘A plane ticket to Australia? Releasing Westmoreland from his assignment? My freedom? Maybe even Fletcher’s twenty percent of the profits from the new formula?’