That got her attention. “With you?”
“With me.” It had a duh ring to it. “You have a problem with that?”
“No.”
“You’re sure?” he questioned.
“Of course not. It’s just that people will know. They’ll talk.”
“Then let them talk.” He gave an exhausted-sounding huff and led her in the direction of his bedroom. “I want you to get some sleep.”
“But the crime scene guys—”
“I told them that we’d lock down for the night so they could secure the perimeter of the house for their investigation. I doubt the gunmen will want to make a return visit with all the activity going on.”
True. In fact, for tonight anyway, the ranch was probably the safest place for them. Unfortunately, that didn’t make her feel as certain as it should have. Absolute security probably wasn’t in the cards until the people responsible were behind bars.
He opened the door to his bedroom. It was the first time she’d seen it. Like the rest of the house, it was dark. But even if she hadn’t known it was Lucas’s room, she would have been able to tell.
It smelled like him.
Something warm, musky and masculine. Something that immediately made her feel as if this was the place she wanted to be. Ironic, what with all the bullets that’d come their way tonight.
The cover was already drawn back, but he urged her into bed, and pulled the sheet and quilt over her. The bedding smelled like him, as well.
“While I had Sgt. O’Malley on the phone,” he told her, “she said tomorrow afternoon they’re going to bring in both Kendrick Windham and Isaac Dupont for questioning.”
Finally! “I want to be there. I want to see the looks on their weaselly little faces when the cops ask them about Tiffany Smith and about what happened here tonight.”
“Figured that. I want to be there, as well. But I don’t want to take any unnecessary risks.”
Kylie nodded. “There are risks whether we take them or not, Lucas. Heck, just breathing is a risk with those kidnappers, aka gunmen, on the loose.”
“I know. That’s why I asked if we could be present during questioning. Not in the room. But we’ll be able to observe through the two-way mirror.”
Well, it wasn’t as good as being able to question them herself, but it would have to do. Besides, this was their best shot at getting some answers.
It had to work, because the alternative was unthinkable.
They couldn’t continue to live like this. All the stress wasn’t good for the baby. Nor was it good for Lucas or her. Both of them needed to get on with their lives.
“What about you?” she asked. “Aren’t you going to try to get some rest?”
“I’m resting.” He climbed onto the bed with her. Right next to her. But he stayed on top of the covers. Boots and all. That all included his shoulder holster, weapon and even extra magazines of ammunition.
“You aren’t going to get much sleep, are you?” she asked.
“No. But it’s my guess you won’t either.”
He was right. Sleep, especially a peaceful sleep, wasn’t a possibility. Not with the gunmen and kidnappers still at large. So Kylie snuggled closer to Lucas and let the silence settle in around them.
Chapter Fifteen
The cold spell had finally run its course. For the first time in days, Lucas didn’t feel the need to bundle up when he opened the truck door so he could step out into the afternoon winter air.
Kylie opened her door as well.
But Lucas didn’t let her get far.
While still within the meager protection of the truck, he took her arm before she could make her way into the SAPD headquarters building. “Here are the rules. You don’t leave my side, and you don’t take any chances.”
She paused, pursed her lips. “Why do you get to make the rules?”
Lucas couldn’t think of good reason, so he gave her the only one that came to mind. “Because I’m a cop and because I’m bigger than you.”
She made a sound of amusement. “Size matters?” she questioned.
“You bet it does.” In this case, anyway. If it came down to it, his body would make a great human shield to protect her.
“Hardly seems fair,” Kylie pointed out.
“Yeah.” Because the amusement in her tone was forced and meant to soothe him, Lucas went for some levity that would hopefully soothe her. “And I know it contradicts what men have been saying for years. Still, this is a rare instance. But it should help that I have your best interest at heart.”
Lucas didn’t make that last comment lightly, either. It was true in every sense of the word. Gone were the hurt and resentment caused by Marissa’s death. Yes, there was still grief. Always would be. But the anger was no longer there.
It was a relief to be rid of it.
He’d yet to tell Kylie that he’d forgiven her, but somewhere amid all those shots being fired at them, he realized he had done exactly that. There was nothing like a near-death experience to get a little perspective and camaraderie.
Unfortunately, near-death experiences could also get them killed.
He had to make sure the kidnappers/gunmen didn’t get another opportunity to attempt that.
Lucas got out of the truck and hurried to the passenger’s side. He pulled Kylie into the crook of his arm, sheltering her, while he kept his shoulder holster and weapon discreetly accessible. He got them moving quickly into the building. They’d barely stepped to the entry when they came face-to-face with Kendrick Windham.
No gym clothes today. He looked very much the part of the successful surrogacy clinic director. A polished tobacco-colored business suit. Pricey shoes. Equally pricey haircut. His expression was different, as well, in that it wasn’t as disinterested and detached as it had been when Lucas had seen him at the hospital. Still, Windham might well have been nicknamed the iceman at the moment.
“Are you two the reason I was summoned here?” Windham immediately asked.
So he’d put two and two together. It was exactly what Lucas had expected him to do. Yet another reason for precautions. “You’re the reason you’re here,” Lucas countered.
“Am I supposed to know what that means?”
Since Windham was looking directly at Kylie, or rather staring at her, she was the one who responded. “Tiffany Smith is dead. Someone tried to kill us. The police want answers, and they’re looking to get those answers from you. Hence, the summons.”
“Then both you and the police are going to be disappointed. But then you obviously must know that, or you wouldn’t have requested Isaac Dupont to come here this afternoon, as well. Hedging your bets, I assume. If you can’t get me to confess, you’ll try to browbeat him.” He turned that acid gaze on Lucas and hissed out a breath. “I didn’t mind your courtesy call to tell me about Tiffany being hospitalized, but I won’t tolerate you trying to frame me for crimes I didn’t commit.”
Lucas shrugged, trying to appear calm. But there was no way he could remain calm with this man so close to Kylie. It didn’t matter that there were two armed officers less than ten feet away. It also didn’t matter that they were inside a building crammed full of surveillance cameras and cops who could respond at the first sign of trouble. Lucas still felt as if Kylie were being threatened.
“If you didn’t do anything wrong,” Lucas informed Windham, “then you don’t have anything to worry about.”
“You’re right, of course. But you and Ms. Monroe apparently do have something to worry about. Oh, and let’s not forget Isaac Dupont. I’m sure he has a ton of worries right now, what with the allegations of his wrongdoing. Those allegations could destroy his career, and he won’t care for that,” he said, his tone placating. Definitely not a good sign. “I, too, have friends in law enforcement.”
“And these friends told you about Dupont being called in for an interview?” Lucas asked.
“That, and I also heard about the shooting last night at your place.”
Sitting ducks was the term that came to mind.
When the interviews were finished, he’d have to come up with other arrangements to keep Kylie safe.
Since this conversation had already taken a bad turn, Lucas decided it was time to go for Windham’s jugular. “Did you hire the people who fired those shots at us last night?”
Windham laughed. The sound was smoky and thick. Not placating. He’d moved on to blatant mockery. “I’m not in the habit of hiring hit men.”
“That wasn’t what I asked,” Lucas pointed out.
“I know.” Windham coupled that remark with one last icy glance, and turned, calmly put his trim leather briefcase on the conveyor belt and stepped through the metal detector. He breezed right through and disappeared down one of the corridors, apparently headed for the interview room.
Because Lucas was armed, it took Kylie and him longer to get through security. Then they had to wait for Sgt. Katelyn O’Malley to come down to the lobby so she could escort them to the observation area.
“We have a glitch,” Sgt. O’Malley immediately informed them. The tall, athletic-looking redhead motioned for them to follow her.
“Does it have anything to do with the info leaked to Windham?” Lucas wanted to know.
That caused the sergeant to slow a bit so she could make eye contact. “What kind of info?”
“He knew about the shooting at my ranch.”
“Ah, that. Windham could have gotten it from a variety of sources. Maybe even here,” she admitted. Huffing, she plowed her fingers through the side of her hair and briefly tipped her eyes to the ceiling. “People talk, and they aren’t always careful about anyone who might be listening.”
Well, that did it. The safe house was definitely out.
“The glitch I was referring to is Isaac Dupont,” O’Malley continued. “He showed up about a half hour ago and demanded we start the interview earlier than we’d planned. Said he has an appointment that he can’t reschedule.”
Yet more bad news. Lucas hoped this wasn’t a trend. There were already enough strikes against them without adding more.
“So we missed the interview?” Kylie asked.
“Just about.” Sgt. O’Malley checked her watch. “I’m sure the detective will be wrapping things up soon. Dupont isn’t exactly the poster child for patience. I suspect he’ll be whining to get out of there as quickly as possible. But we’re taping the session so you’ll be able to see it.”
Lucas knew it wasn’t as good as witnessing the actual session, but it would have to do.
Sgt. O’Malley glanced over her shoulder at them again. “Oh, and get this. Dupont didn’t arrive alone. He lawyered up.”
“A lawyer who lawyers up,” Lucas mumbled. Maybe it was a weird kind of show of power or just a simple attempt to cover his butt. Either way, it meant Dupont likely wasn’t going to say anything of any value.
Hell.
Lucas really needed a break soon. Kylie’s and their child’s safety depended on it.
He stopped when he realized the thought that had just passed through his head.
Their child.
Not his.
Theirs.
When the devil had that happened?
Was the shooting and the camaraderie responsible for that, as well? Of course, it could have been that whole making-out session against the door. That certainly had a way of breaking down old issues. He couldn’t pinpoint the timing, but he couldn’t deny what he felt.
“Are you okay?” he heard Kylie ask.
Lucas pulled himself away from his musings to realize that both women had stopped, as well, and they were staring at him.
“I’m fine,” he insisted.
And he started walking again so that neither Sgt. O’Malley nor Kylie would ask any more questions. Instead, he needed to focus on the remaining interview with Isaac Dupont and then with Kendrick Windham. After all, Kylie and he were literally under the same roof as two potential killers. That had to take priority over any turmoil he was feeling about his relationship, or lack thereof, with Kylie.
The sergeant led them into the observation room, and on the other side of the two-way mirror, Lucas saw Isaac Dupont, another guy in a navy suit who had lawyer written all over him and the officer who was doing the interview. Dupont was in the middle of what appeared to be an explanation as to his whereabouts the prior evening. Specifically, the time of the shooting at the ranch.
“My alibi will check out,” Dupont declared. He said it with too much confidence for Lucas to believe it was anything other than the truth. No surprise there. If Dupont had indeed hired the gunmen, then he would have insured he had an airtight alibi so that no one could trace the crime to him.
“Talk to me about Tiffany Smith,” the detective insisted.
Dupont and his lawyer exchanged glances, and it was his attorney who answered. “My client has no personal or professional connection to Ms. Smith.”
“Sheesh. It took a sidebar with his lawyer to come up with that puny answer?” Kylie mumbled.
Lucas made a sound of agreement. “He didn’t exclude an illegal connection with Tiffany, though.” And that was the only one that mattered. Something that would connect Dupont to the illegal surrogacy activity and therefore to Kylie’s article and the attempts on their lives.
But Dupont obviously wasn’t just going to hand them that information.
Lucas watched as the detective wrapped up the interview. Dupont and his lawyer stood. They even exchanged friendly handshakes with the detective, and Dupont promised if he thought of any additional information to help the police, then he would call them right away.
Hell would freeze over first.
“You’re just going to let him go?” Kylie asked Sgt. O’Malley. Because it was asked out of sheer frustration, she waved off her own question. Since Kylie was a former cop, she knew SAPD had no legal reason to hold either Dupont or even Windham. These interviews were basically fishing expeditions, and so far they hadn’t caught anything. Lucas didn’t think Windham would slip up either.
Kylie reached for the doorknob, but Lucas stopped her. “Going somewhere?” he asked.
“I want to talk to Dupont.”
That’s exactly what he thought she had in mind, and it was exactly what wasn’t going to happen. “Remember our size and rules discussion?”
Her hands went on her hips. “You think Dupont will pull out a gun and try to kill me here? I wish. If he did something totally brainless like that, then Sgt. O’Malley could arrest him, and this would all be over.”
Kylie didn’t wait for him to agree. Ignoring the rules and Lucas’s glare—which he knew was a top-notch expression—she opened the door and stepped into the hall. Sgt. O’Malley and Lucas were right behind her. The only person missing was Dupont. He was still in the interview room.
“As you requested, we’re also looking into the financials on your former sister-in-law, Cordelia Landrum,” Sgt. O’Malley told Lucas.
“And?” He was very much interested in what the sergeant had to say, but he also started jockeying for position with Kylie. So that he was between her and the interview room.
“I haven’t found anything on Ms. Landrum so far,” Sgt. O’Malley explained. “But she has a lot of money and money trails to sort through, including an offshore account. Even a warrant won’t get me into that. Don’t worry, though. I’ll keep at it, and something might turn up.”
So Cordelia wasn’t in the clear. Though she wouldn’t have gotten her hands dirty with the actual kidnapping and shooting, she could have hired someone to do those things.
Just like Dupont.
Just like Windham.
Lucas left Finn’s name off that list because, thankfully,
he hadn’t been able to come up with a solid motive. So far, the only thing he could accuse Finn of was being badgered into helping Cordelia find out about the surrogacy. Hardly a crime. Well, maybe Finn could be disciplined for breaching a patient’s confidentiality, but he likely wasn’t involved in a felony.
The door of the interview room opened, and Lucas did a little sidestepping to stop Kylie from violating Dupont’s personal space. Judging from the man’s unpleasant expression, it wouldn’t be a good time to provoke him.
“Sheriff Creed,” Dupont said, smiling a smile that no one on Earth would have mistaken as genuine. “And your trusty sidekick, Kylie Monroe. Always turning up at the oddest places, aren’t you?”
“I’m a cop. This is cop headquarters,” Lucas pointed out. “This isn’t that odd of a place for me to be. Besides, I heard you were in the building.” Lucas intentionally used the same cocky phrasing Dupont had when he had made his appearance at the hospital.
“And you just couldn’t wait to see me.” Dupont’s gaze slipped past Lucas and went to Kylie. “How is the little mom-to-be?”
“Peachy,” Kylie let him know in her best sarcastic tone. “Well, except for someone shooting at us. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” Oh, butter wouldn’t melt in that mouth.
However, Kylie’s cool talking had no effect on Dupont. “No. Why don’t you ask Kendrick Windham?”
“Because he would only point the finger at you.”
“Yes.” Now, there was a genuine smile. A smug one. “The finger-pointing creates reasonable doubt, doesn’t it? A sort of he said, he said.”
“Reasonable doubt can be eliminated with a little proof.” Lucas put his hand on Kylie’s arm to get them moving. He didn’t want her near Dupont any longer.
Fortunately, Kylie cooperated, and they turned to follow Sgt. O’Malley back into the observation room so they’d be in place for Windham’s interview.
“What—no Wild West threats about getting me no matter what it takes?” Dupont called out. “Personally, I think both of you are a threat of the worst kind.”
Secret Surrogate Page 14