“Wait, let me get this straight. Alex Weston is with you?”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t have been able to get away if it hadn’t been for him.”
“Hmm.” Liz could tell Mason was deep in thought.
“What?”
“Nothing. Never mind.” He sighed. “I can’t say I’m too surprised about Josh. That guy is a wrecking ball in uniform. He’s been trying to make detective for the last year and had no qualms letting me know he resented me coming into the department and taking lead. The problem is he’s not even our biggest concern at the moment.”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s an MDEA agent named Matt Hagen coming in later this morning. He’s been working the increase in heroin drug incidents throughout the region. He is highly motivated, and eager to make a name for himself. Rumor has it he’s looking to make commander before forty. It’s hard to say if he’s just looking for an easy way to climb up the ranks or if he’ll be open to hearing your side of things. Right now, because of the heroin found and previous incidents, Matt’s under the impression that you may be the head of the drug ring in Maine.”
Liz felt the tension in her stomach tighten. “I don’t know what to do. Alex doesn’t think we should come in until we know whether any other officers are involved.”
“I hate to say it, but that may be the best course of action for now. I haven’t been in this department long enough to get a sense of where everybody stands. I’ll start investigating from this end, but until we know how deep the corruption goes, I can’t guarantee you’ll be safe if you come in to the station. How much cash do you have on you?”
“Nothing. I was in my pajamas when this all happened.” She placed a hand on the receiver and turned. “Hey, how much cash do you have?”
Alex pulled his wallet out. “About a hundred bucks, including what I got off Josh.”
Mason exhaled. “Damn, not as much as I’d like. You’re going to need to stay under the radar. Remind Alex not to use any of his credit cards. Keep off the main road as long as you can and do your best to avoid any cameras. Do you have your phones?”
“Josh smashed Alex’s last night. Mine is still on the workbench in the garage. I grabbed a phone number off of Josh’s before I turned it off. Whoever he was on the phone with last night was definitely the one calling the shots. It’s our best lead to finding out who’s behind all of this.”
“Give me the number and I’ll try to track it. It may be difficult since my every move will be watched. Afterwards, you need to get rid of that phone. Better yet, take the sim card and battery out, then hide it. We may be able to use it for evidence later.”
Liz gave Mason the number.
“Okay, got it. Listen, Liz. There’s one more thing I have to tell you. Can Alex hear us?”
She looked up at Alex leaning against the office doorway. “Go ahead.”
“Alex hasn’t been officially implicated in this mess, and I’m not sure why. I was surprised to hear he’s with you. Officer Carver didn’t mention his name when he made it in this morning. Added to the fact that it’s a fairly large coincidence he wound up being there right when everything started to go down. I’m just saying it seems a bit suspicious.”
Liz chewed her lip. He was voicing every doubt she’d already had. She wasn’t sure if she should feel more or less relieved by that fact. Mason continued. “What do you think? Could he be a part of the drug ring?”
She looked down at her hands. Liz felt Alex watching her, but couldn’t bring herself to make eye contact. Could he tell they were talking about him? “Um, it’s hard to say.”
She could hear stress bleed into Mason’s voice. “Watch your back and trust no one, Liz. For the time being, that includes Alex, ok?”
“It’s going to be difficult.”
“I know, especially since it looks like you’ll be stuck with each other for the time being. I just don’t want you to let your guard down. It won’t be safe for you to contact me again. They’re already watching us closely, and I wouldn’t put it past them to tap our phone lines later today. Get a cheap burner phone, just in case you have to call again. You can find them at most convenience stores.”
“Thanks, Mason.”
“Just keep your head down.”
Liz shuddered at the way those ominous words echoed in her mind as she hung up the phone and looked at the man standing in front of her.
Chapter Twelve
Mason tucked the phone into his back pocket. He could feel Olivia hovering in the doorway.
“Is she okay?”
Nothing about the situation was okay. “For now. It’s a miracle, considering what she just told me.”
“What do you mean?”
“Josh was at the garage last night. He’s a part of the drug ring, although I have no idea in what capacity. Regardless, it’s enough that he didn’t want Liz to be able to testify against him. We’re lucky she’s alive.”
“What?!”
Mason wrapped his arms around her. “That’s not all. Alex was there last night, but I couldn’t tell you why. She said if it wasn’t for him, she wouldn’t have been able to get away.”
“Holy shit. We have to do something.”
“We don’t have to do anything. The department already knows of my connection to her and will be watching all of us closely to see if we make contact with each other. The best thing you can do is just sit tight.”
“Mason…”
“I know. I know, it sucks. But if you find a way to talk to Liz, you could be leading them – either the legitimate cops, or the dirty one – directly to her.”
Olivia bit her lip and pulled away from him to pace the room. “Well, what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to go down to the department and try to figure out who I can trust.” Mason ran a hand through his hair. He could feel the weight of the situation bearing down on his shoulders. “Dammit! I wish I weren’t so new in the department. I’m still trying to build some rapport with the Chief, and I don’t know the story with half the guys I’m working with. We’re just lucky Brad was working the early morning shift and could give us a heads-up on what’s going on. He said the Chief had to call the MDEA in on the case. Some guy named Matt Hagen.”
“Is he any good?”
“I don’t know yet.” Mason stuffed his wallet in his back pocket and grabbed his keys from the basket by the door. “I need to get going. It’ll look bad if I show up late, especially today. I’ll let you know more when I find out.”
“Promise me.” Olivia joined him at the door. “I heard you tell Liz they’ve been investigating her garage for a while now.”
“Livvy, about that…”
“No. Mason, I understand that you can’t always tell me what’s going on with your job, but you have to promise me that you’re going to keep me informed about this.”
Mason bent down and gave Olivia a gentle kiss. He still couldn’t believe how perfect these last few months had been with her. “I promise. No secrets on this one.”
“Thank you. Now, go save my sister.”
Chapter Thirteen
Alex stood in the doorway and watched as Liz hung up the office phone. She then promptly started to dismantle Josh’s cell. “So, what did Mason have to say?”
Liz’s gaze never shifted away from the phone in her hand, “Well, he’s just as confused as us. You were right, there’s not much he can do for us at the moment.”
“But he knew about what happened last night, right? That must mean they’ve found Josh.”
She nodded, but didn’t say anything further. With the phone disassembled, she began looking for places to stash the parts. She tucked a piece into one of the drawers in the file cabinet, then stashed another behind some books. He moved to stand beside her. “Liz?”
“Yeah, Josh managed to get away, and walked in to the station this morning to file a report. I’m now wanted for drug trafficking and dealing, as well as assaulting a police officer.”
&nbs
p; Alex let out a low whistle. “Shit. What are we going to do?”
With that, Liz pierced him with her gaze. “Well, Alex. That’s the funny thing. Apparently, your high school buddy Josh never mentioned you. So, you can pretty much get out of here and no one would be the wiser. Any idea why he might have omitted your presence from the report?”
He raised his hands in defense. “What are you talking about?”
“You and Josh! For all I know, you two could be working together and this is all some big – I don’t know – complicated plan. It wouldn’t be the first time you guys have messed with me.”
Her anger and distrust instantly put his hackles up. Indignation welled inside of him. “Hey, we’re talking about life and death here. I think this is a far cry from a little high school teasing.”
He took a step closer. “In case you’ve forgotten, I was handcuffed in the backseat of that car just the same as you. I stared down the barrel of a gun just the same as you. And when it came down to it, my life was on the line, just the same as you. Don’t tell me I’m not as involved in this.” He stopped and stood directly in front of her. “I’m right here, Liz.”
Her eyes widened in shock at the ferocity of his response. Alex ached to reach for her, to show her how much he regretted the past between them, but stopped himself. She still didn’t fully trust him. He could see the flicker of doubt in the depths of her gaze, but it was the fear in her voice that had him softening his tone.
He sighed. “I don’t know why Josh didn’t report me. Maybe he kept it back in an effort to draw me out. Or maybe he thinks he can tail me and I’ll lead him back to you. Regardless of whether or not the legitimate cops know about me, the fact is the dirty cops do know I’m involved. There’s nothing to prevent the drug ring from coming around and killing me. And what’s worse is that no one would be the wiser.”
Liz looked down and had the grace to blush. “I hadn’t thought about that.” She took a step around Alex, putting some distance between them, and tapped her chin. “You’re right. We don’t know why Josh has omitted your name…”
Alex noticed she didn’t apologize for her earlier assumptions, but decided to let the matter drop. Instead, he leaned against the desk and waited for her to finish her thought.
“…but we may as well use his omission to our advantage. Mason suggested we get what supplies we can without using our credit cards and go to ground. Since your face won’t be plastered all over the news, it may be best for you to be the one to pick things up. I’ll stay hidden in the trees, back away from the road.”
“That works. I think our first priority should be getting you something for your feet. Your slippers aren’t doing much good.”
Liz looked down at her feet. “You didn’t happen to see a spare pair of shoes around here, did you?”
“I didn’t see any,” Alex admitted.
She straightened her shoulders. “Well, then, I’ll just have to make it work until we find an alternative.”
He wished there were something else he could do for her. He’d seen the damage to her feet caused by their run through the woods last night. They had to be causing her a lot of pain. He was about to suggest they try wrapping her feet in duct tape, when he heard the faint wail of sirens. “Liz…”
Fear filled her eyes as her head shot up. “They must have tapped Mason’s cell phone.”
He grabbed her hand as they ran out of the office and sprinted across the open warehouse. “There’s a trail behind the building that cuts through the woods. We may stand a chance if we reach it before they get within view!”
They burst out of the back door and into the early morning light, racing towards the shelter of the trees. Alex could hear Liz breathing heavily beside him. Even after they breached the shadow of the forest, it was a long time before either one of them felt comfortable enough to stop.
Chapter Fourteen
Liz winced as another twig caught her instep. After the initial flight from the warehouse, they’d had to slow down because of the rough terrain and her slipper-clad feet. Now, over an hour later, she was limping and wasn’t sure how much longer she’d be able to go on.
As if sensing her pain, Alex stopped in front of her and turned. “We’re nearly there. Do you want me to give you a piggy back ride?”
Liz couldn’t help but smile at the image that entered her mind, but she knew there was no way he’d be able to carry her after the beating he’d taken the night before. “No. I can manage. Maybe I’ll take you up on it if we’re still out here in another hour, though.”
He sent her a little smile of encouragement, but she could see he was worried. It would have been heart-warming under any other circumstance. As it was, all she could think about was getting her feet warm and dry.
Alex turned and started breaking the trail again. “For the most part, we’ve been running close to parallel to the road. Now we’re going to need to cross Highway 1 and cut south.”
Liz stopped and tried to get her bearings. “Isn’t it more populated down there?”
“Yeah. Things are going to get tricky.”
“Should we wait until it gets darker?”
He shook his head. “We need to keep moving. It’s just a matter of time before my name gets out there, and then any movement we make in public is going to be twice as hard. We’d be better off being holed up by the time that happens.”
Liz gestured ahead of them. “Lead the way.”
Following Alex gave her a chance to think over what Mason had told her earlier. Liz tried to figure out how her garage could possibly have a history of being involved in a drug ring. Other than whatever Josh had left the night before, what evidence could they have?
Regardless of what the cops thought, she knew she wasn’t involved, which only left Paul and Jimmy. But Jimmy was such a new employee, there was no way it could be him. Which left Paul.
She shook her head at the thought. No, that couldn’t be right, either. Paul knew how much that garage meant to her. How many afternoons had she spent with him and her dad, fixing up cars? Hell, he was the one who had taught her how to take apart a transmission.
Her mind drifted back to that terrible night six years ago when her life had changed forever. It had been a quiet, rainy evening. Her parents had gone out to dinner for their anniversary and she hadn’t expected them home until later. Fiona had gone to her room hours before, most likely to read in bed for a while before falling asleep.
Liz had been watching TV, but was feeling restless. She’d just gotten up to make herself a snack when the doorbell rang. She remembered wondering why someone would be coming by the house so late at night. Some deep-rooted instinct had her worried. When she opened the door and found Paul standing on her front step with a police officer, it was obvious something was wrong. His eyes were sorrowful and she remembered noticing that his hair was soaked and plastered to his head.
“Paul? What’s wrong?” She stepped back to let the two men in and followed them into the living room. They both stood in the middle of the room as if lost.
After a brief moment of hesitation, the officer took his hat off. Liz watched as a drop of water slowly made its way from his hairline and slid down the side of his face. He cleared his throat nervously, his voice deep and rough with emotion. “Are you the only one in the house right now, miss?” She wrapped her arms around her stomach, as if her arms could be enough armor for what came next.
“My sister is asleep upstairs, but it’s just the two of us until my parents get home.”
Paul made a slight choking sound from where he stood by the mantle. “Liz, I…” He turned and gestured to the couch. “Why don’t you sit down for a minute?”
She stepped closer to him and forced herself to stand up straight. “Just tell me what’s going on.”
“I’m so sorry to have to tell you this.” Paul’s voice caught. That’s when she knew that whatever he had to say was truly bad. He wasn’t exactly what you’d call an emotional guy.
Her gaze leapt back and forth between the two men who were obviously having a hard time with whatever they had to tell her.
Paul shook his head slightly at the officer and then paused to collect himself, searching her face as if he was trying to memorize how she looked in the last moments before he spoke. “Liz, there’s been an accident…”
“An accident?”
“Your parents…” His voice cracked. “Liz, they didn’t make it.”
A great chasm opened under Liz’s feet. It felt like the entire world was shifting on its axis. “What do you mean they didn’t make it?” She didn’t remember sinking to the floor. “Didn’t make it? You mean, they’re…”
Paul crouched before her, tears streaming down his roughened cheeks. “Dead. I’m so sorry, Liz. Your parents are dead.”
He tried to put an arm around her, but she shoved him away, causing him to fall backwards in a sodden heap on the carpet. “NO!”
Jumping up, she paced the room, grabbing her hair as if trying to pull the words out of her mind. “No, no… there has to be some mistake. Paul, tell me you made some mistake!”
He stood and took her by the shoulders, forcing her to look at him. Her eyes pleaded with his, but she saw the truth in their depths. “Oh, Eliza girl. I wish I had. I wish it was.”
That was the moment she knew it was true. He only ever called her Eliza when he was very serious about something. Usually when he was giving her a safety talk in the garage and he wanted her to pay special attention. He never called her by her full name otherwise. Her face crumpled in agony as the entire foundation of her existence crumbled in her mind.
“Liz? What’s going on?” Fiona’s sleepy voice cut through the fog of her grief. She stood on the stairs looking young and innocent in her polka-dot pajama pants, her hair messy from sleep. “Paul, what are you doing here?”
Liz wondered how she could possibly break such devastating news to her sister. She couldn’t bear to be the one to deal the blow. Once again, Paul was the one who bore the heavy weight of responsibility and told Fiona what had happened.
Secret Need (The Harper Sisters Book 2) Page 8