“So doesn’t that also make you responsible for Rio’s life? Indirectly.” Eddie negotiated—a tactic he thought Gabe might relate to—for the information he sought.
Gabe hesitated. A look crossed his face that said he wasn’t sure if he had the prerogative to speak so freely of someone else’s lives. “I don’t know how much Rio has told you about her mother.” A new look molded Gabe’s countenance into supposition.
Why did everybody think Laraquette was an open book with him? “I’m well-aware that she left when Rio was a baby. And she was pregnant with another man’s child when she took off.” Eddie offered up what he knew. Instinct told him now was not the time for keeping a confidence. Not if he wanted to unmask the threat to Rio.
After another slight pause, Gabe said, “Rio has no natural recollection or memory of her mother. Audrey disappeared when Rio was less than two.”
“What happened?” Eddie asked, in cop mode.
“James came home, after being overseas for about six months. His daughter was about a year and a half, and his wife was three months pregnant.” Gabe summed up the story with a slight shrug. “What do you think happened? He took Rio and threw Audrey out on her ear.”
“So the courts gave him custody based on her infidelity?” Eddie drew the logical conclusion.
Gabe shook his head, sadly. “There was no court battle. Audrey pretty much disappeared into thin air.”
“The woman didn’t even put up a fight?” Eddie found that notion a little unsettling.
“Not the least bit. James hadn’t made his fortune in real estate yet. Between you and me...Audrey probably figured the new guy was a better catch. And he probably didn’t want anything to do with Rio, so she left her daughter and her failed marriage behind.”
The full impact of what her mother’s disappearance must have done to Rio became clear, with crystal clarity. Eddie hated the thought of anyone hurting Rio in any way, for any reason.
“You’re telling me, after all that?” Eddie donned his most dramatic façade, hoping to appeal to Gabe’s common sense. “You’re okay with feeding her to the wolves now?”
“You drive a hard bargain, boy.” Gabe closed the file in front of him and slid it across the desk.
Eddie picked up the manila folder and looked at the file’s label.
Case Number: SH10543. And in parentheses underneath, it read: (Rio Laraquette Stalking).
* * *
In James Laraquette’s penthouse office in the sky, he studied his daughter sitting on the couch with her back to him, staring out the window.
Large droplets of rain slapped against the west wall of windows directly behind her. A streak of lightning crackled across the sky. A thunderous roar followed, seconds later.
She didn’t flinch.
That bothered him. What had stolen her concentration so wholly that she didn’t notice the thing that had frightened her most as a child?
“Sweetie…” James approached his daughter and sat at her side. “What’s up? The storm isn’t even scaring you.”
Rio tipped her head and rested it against the couch and sighed loudly. She turned to him, bearing a slight shrug and a glimpse of indecision. “I was just trying to let him be the man.” A hint of guilt flickered in her eyes.
So that’s it? She had taken the blame and strapped it to her shoulders. Too bad he couldn’t give her a pill to alleviate that ailment. But this was an affliction that would have to run its course.
“You know...” She glanced away, fighting the sadness tugging at the corners of her mouth. “He lost everything in the fire, including his truck. The insurance company hasn’t cut him a check yet.” She rambled on with her explanation and looked back at James with guilt-filled eyes. “He’d lost so much, so I let him drive. I was just trying to give him something to feel like he was in control.” Tears glistened the edges of her eyes. “It could have easily been Eddie that sat down in the driver’s seat of my car today.” Fear muddied her tears. “If anything ever happened to him because of me...” Her words trailed off as if the thought had abandoned her. Perhaps the implication was too much to bear.
“You’re not responsible for what some maniac out there is doing.”
“True,” she said with a hint of doubt. “But that wouldn’t have helped much if Eddie had taken my fall today.” She sucked in a deep breath.
Instantly, her tough-girl persona emerged. That was a guise James didn’t relish seeing. She’d learned, early on, how to put up a wall by plastering on a poker face.
And that was James’s fault.
“I wasn’t fair to you when I forced your mother out of your life.” Overwhelmed by his folly, James looked away. He still carried the baggage cram-packed with culpability. It had weighed heavily on his heart for years.
“Well, it’s not like she put up a fight, refusing to leave me behind!” Rio scoffed at the notion that was her mother.
It was just like Rio to let him off the hook. Maybe she was afraid that he too would desert her.
“I’m going to try, right now, to make up for a tiny fraction of the injury I’ve caused you.” He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and dried her tears. “Eddie’s the kind of guy that needs to play the part of the man. And you’re the kind of girl that needs a guy like Eddie.” He drew a breath, the tears she cried wrenching at his heart. “He worships the ground you walk on...and I have a sneaking suspicion the feelings are mutual.” A jovial laughter carried his words away.
“It’s that obvious, huh?” She made a feeble attempt at laughing and a cackle got caught in her throat.
“He’s your match, Rio. He complements you in every way.” Although happy for his daughter, James felt a twinge of envy because he’d never experienced reciprocal love. “Get through this anyway you can. And above all else...hold on to him.” He refused to let his own shortcomings get in the way of Rio’s happiness.
“He’s so hell-bent on protecting me.” Her tears subsided. “How do I keep him safe?”
“Just be you, Rio,” James said. “You’ve got some damned good instincts. The best, I’m told,” he added with a chuckle. “Just let the detective in you remain front and center and you’ll do fine.” Nodding, James stood and crossed the room, heading back to his desk.
“Thanks for the pep talk, Daddy.” She took a deep breath, as if his words of wisdom were encouraging her. “But actually, that’s not really why I’m here.”
“There’s more?” His curiosity soared as he settled back at his desk.
“A bit.” She nodded. “I’ve got a project I’m looking into, and I’m going to need your help getting it off the ground.” Her tone was strong, yet a hint of pleading resided in her words.
“Does my help involve money?” James’s question was meant as a joke. In all her twenty-five years, Rio had never asked him to fund frivolous endeavors. In fact, she rarely came to him for anything monetary.
He’d funded her college education and showered her with a vintage Corvette as a graduation present. There was a time when he used to give her a monthly allowance, but she’d stopped cashing the checks long ago. While he did own the building she lived in—furnishing her with a safe place to stay—the other tenant rents he collected easily covered the cost of her apartment. In the end, it didn’t feel like he’d given her anything in years.
“Yes, Daddy. I need money,” she said. “Lots of it.”
CHAPTER 17
THERE were no telltale clues or signs indicating suspicion or guilt for Turner Atkins—or anyone else for that matter—in the file Eddie had obtained from Gabe. Still, he decided he’d better pay a visit to the most obvious suspect, at least in Gabe’s eyes.
Atkins’s current home was the Clark County jail where he was destined to reside while awaiting trial. Not quite the same caliber as the five-thousand square foot home the federal government had confiscated at the time of Atkins’s arrest.
The fact that he’d been displaced from the lap of luxury with the promise of a bleak futur
e in the Nevada State Prison System, in itself, could be construed as ample reason to target Rio. After all, had it not been for her, Turner Atkins would still be in business.
Then again, Rio was so sure that stalking was not Atkins’s style. She wholeheartedly believed he’d never come after her like this. Eddie had to wonder if a mob boss would ever consider killing someone with a snakebite. Typically, guys like Atkins weren’t that creative.
Even so, Eddie waited patiently for the guards to bring the mob boss into a private office at the Clark County Jail. Whether or not Turner Atkins was behind Rio’s stalking remained to be seen. But one thing was certain—Eddie intended to find out.
The door opened and Eddie stood, anxiously anticipating getting to the bottom of this mess once and for all. He didn’t know what he’d expected, but it wasn’t the gauche little man with balding hair that approached him now.
Atkins pulled the chair out and took a seat. He laced his fingers together and rested his cuffed hands on the table. His gaze traveled up to meet Eddie’s, who was still standing over him. Atkins’s cold, empty stare cut through Eddie, giving him a glimpse of the monster Rio had taken down.
“Who are you and what do you want?” Atkins put forth in a chilled tone to match his glare.
Time to take control. “I could be your worst nightmare.” Eddie sat in the chair opposite Atkins. “It really depends on what you say from here on out.”
Atkins gestured his concession with silence and a devil-may-care expression.
“What do you know about rattlesnakes?” Eddie said with an off-the-wall kind of attitude.
Atkins’s brow crinkled, as if he had no idea what the man before him was getting at. That didn’t mean much to Eddie. He’d had plenty of perps try to fake him out. None ever had, and he didn’t plan to monkey with tradition now.
“Are you into scaring people with anonymous, threatening letters?” Eddie hardened his tone.
Atkins blinked for a lingering second or two and then glanced back at Eddie with an I-know-you’re-a-cop look.
“I don’t hear a denial,” Eddie said. “Does that mean I can consider you guilty?”
Atkins didn’t speak immediately. Not until the smirk touched the corners of his mouth. “You must be new around here.”
The guy baited Eddie. It elicited aggravation but he found a way to wrangle it into submission. Tucking his frustration away, Eddie used Atkins’s own tactic against him—a stare down.
“All the local cops know me well enough to know that’s not my style.” Atkins paused and leaned closer to Eddie. “Now, since you’re obviously new, I’m going to give you a nickel’s worth of free advice. Only scorned lovers send anonymous letters.” Briefly, he scanned the room before plastering on a menacing grin. “And I haven’t scorned anyone in a long time.”
Eddie stood and loomed over his perp. “If I find out you put that snake in her car—” He struggled to keep calm. “—I’m going to make sure you get a little time in the hole with a snake of your very own.”
Confusion flashed across Atkins’s face. It faded quickly though, replaced by a cynical smile. “Guard!” Atkins rose and headed toward the exit. He waited for the door to open and then said to the officer, “We’re done here.” He glanced over his shoulder at Eddie. “Tell Red I said, hey.”
Eddie watched Atkins sashay out of the room, as if dancing to some imaginary music playing only inside his head.
If Eddie learned anything from his conversation with Atkins, he felt confident now that Rio was right about this guy. He was not her stalker.
Atkins’s words echoed through Eddie’s mind. Only scorned lovers send anonymous letters.
Thoughts of Switzer’s recent displays of jealousy wouldn’t let Eddie’s sanity alone. Even if no one else saw it, he knew Switzer’s anger burned a little deeper every time he witnessed Eddie and Rio together.
Yeah, but...he’s not a scorned lover. Eddie tried to discount his growing suspicions of Switzer, but he had little luck. He’d be the first to admit that criminals didn’t think logically—if they did, they wouldn’t commit the crime.
Usually, Eddie was well-aware of who was on which side of the fence. Sometimes though, he found himself in this gray area, where things tended to get muddled when the crook was posing as one of the good guys. If that was the case, he’d better figure it out quickly.
“Martin,” Eddie called out to the driver.
“Yes sir, Mr. LaCall.”
“Eddie. My name’s Eddie.” He wished Martin would get that through his head. “Take me back to the cop shop.”
“Yes sir.” The driver laughed softly.
The mood lightened instantly and Eddie chuckled, glad he could amuse Martin with his slang verbiage.
* * *
A troublesome wave of torment whipped through Eddie as he made his way through the maze of desks, heading for Gabe Dalton’s office. He stopped at the door and filed through the options he’d come up with for dropping his bombshell. Once he identified the best choice, he rapped firmly on the open door’s glass pane, announcing his presence.
“Proceed.” Gabe’s tired voice echoed from inside.
Taxing thoughts swirled inside Eddie’s head. He ventured in and approached Gabe’s desk.
“What’s on your mind, LaCall?” Gabe asked in a gruff tone that Eddie was coming to learn meant his boss’s temper had long since run thin. Gabe looked up from his mountain of paperwork; his pale eyes supporting Eddie’s conjecture. But there was something in his demeanor that suggested Gabe welcomed the interruption.
“Well, sir, I’d like to run a theory by you,” Eddie said with a shot of confidence as he sat down in the chair directly on the other side of Gabe’s desk.
Gabe tossed him a sharp look that said, Oh, great...another theory. “Does anyone have any solid evidence?”
“Well, no sir.” Somehow, Eddie managed to stay calm. “Not yet.”
“Am I going to regret this conversation, LaCall?” Gabe’s voice tested Eddie. Like a nervous tic, Gabe tapped his pen against the stack of files on his desk.
“You will if I’m right.” Eddie swallowed his insecurities and let his head fill with thoughts of keeping Rio safe.
Gabe’s hardened gaze softened. He glossed Eddie with his full, animated curiosity.
Good, now that I’ve got your attention. Eddie’s satisfaction spilled out in a smile.
“Why do I get the feeling I’m not going to like this?” Gabe said, as if he’d already filled with regret.
“I’ve got a feeling you’re going to hate it.” Eddie tried to tamp down the frankness fueling his response.
“Are you telling me that you think someone in this office is Rio’s stalker?” Gabe’s tone hardened, spewing out his words just above a whisper.
“Yes, I am.” Eddie’s nerve had begun to wane but he held his ground.
“Who?” Gabe’s sharp tone bit at Eddie’s poise.
“Blake Switzer.” Eddie covered his anxiety with conviction.
“What! Are you insane?” Gabe discounted Eddie’s charge. “Switzer?”
“Sir, I know it might seem like a stretch.” Eddie conceded that much himself. Like a freaking rubber band.
As if he’d heard Eddie’s thoughts, Gabe gave him a sharp, cutting laugh.
Eddie leaned against the desk and propped an arm up on the edge. “But you’ve got to know how obsessed he is with her.” The gravity of the situation forced him to plead his case. “She rejects him months ago, saying she doesn’t date guys from work. Then I enter the picture, and believe me, Switzer does not like what he thinks is going on between us.” Eddie leaned back into his chair. If he couldn’t make Gabe see what he saw, he feared that Rio would end up paying the price. “He’s pissed off.”
“You telling me you’re dating Laraquette?”
Eddie gave him one of those looks that was supposed to help him reel his boss back in and keep him on track.
Gabe shook his head, as if he’d decided he need
ed more to go on. “Jealousy is not enough to accuse someone of attempted murder.”
“Maybe not. But you know what they say...” Eddie paused, recalling Turner Atkins’s nickel’s worth of free advice. “Only scorned lovers send anonymous letters.”
* * *
“What?” It was all Gabe could do to keep from laughing. LaCall had lost his mind.
“If you’d seen the look on his face when I showed up in the parking garage and she literally ran into my arms because he freaks her out so much.” Eddie’s voice had filled with desperation. He believed what he was saying. “Switzer was livid. I thought he was mad because I was touching her. But that wasn’t it at all.” His eyes brightened, as if he’d made some watershed discovery. “He was pissed off because he wanted to be the one to save her. I blew it for him.”
Gabe considered Eddie’s theory—for about two seconds. He dismissed it just as quickly, shaking his head and saying, “Why doesn’t he just kill you and be done with it? Then he could have her all to himself.” He laughed, hoping to show LaCall the ridiculousness of his accusation.
“He wants her to choose between us.” Summing up the logic of what he saw as a disturbed mind, Eddie leaned back in his chair and donned a triumphant smile. “He wants her to choose him.”
Gabe stared at him. Eddie’s guesswork was an implausibly far-fetched idea—a hard one to swallow. “You can’t just accuse a man of something so serious without solid evidence.” Gabe shook his head. He wasn’t going there without proof.
Maybe this was some kind of joke. Yes, that’s it. Laughter rumbled up his gut. This was all a big elaborate hoax.
One he was sure Laraquette was most certainly behind. Yes. They were all in on it. They’d all come running in any second now, but he was one step ahead of them. Little did they know, the joke would be on them.
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