by Curry, Edna
Telling them the police had determined Bart had been murdered instead of dying in a car accident only added to their grief and bitterness.
“Bart should never have gone to Vegas and gotten mixed up with that gambling crowd,” Amanda declared with tears in her voice. “I told him it would lead to no good.”
Maggie comforted Amanda in the background. With a sigh, Candi said she’d be home as soon as she could. No, she had no idea when.
She hung up and picked up a magazine. She stared at it, but her mind wandered. Would this be the last day she’d see Luke? The thought hurt far more than she thought possible. How had she gotten involved so fast? She hadn’t intended to fall in love with someone just passing through her life. Only her heroines did stupid things like that.
“Want some coffee?” Pam interrupted.
Candi shook her head. “It keeps me awake.”
Pam laughed. “That’s why I suggested it. I need to stay awake.”
“Well, I don’t. I’m going to sleep. Wake me if there’s any word from Luke.”
“Okay.” Pam picked up the phone and ordered coffee from room service. They’d used the little packets left in their room when they’d first arrived from the bank that morning.
“Time sure drags when you’re waiting for something to develop, doesn’t it?”
“Yes,” Pam said. “A lot of my time is spent sitting around and waiting. Lots of boring hours with minutes of pure terror thrown in now and then. I forget who said that.”
“Hm.” Candi chewed her lip. Maybe she hadn’t portrayed her hero correctly. She lay on the bed fully dressed, not wanting to be caught in her nightgown if Luke did return with news of some developments. Would she be free to go home tomorrow? Would it be safe? Or would one or more of the men who’d killed Jolene and attacked her and Luke in Florida still be following her? Or have hired someone to follow her to get revenge for turning them in? How could she be sure?
Someone knocked on the door and called, “Room service.” She heard Pam go to the door, then voices, then thuds. Oh, oh. Trouble.
She got to her feet and grabbed the only thing handy, the clock-radio on the nightstand. She reached down and pulled out the cord, then hurried toward the door, wishing she was trained like Pam.
A short man held Pam in front of him in a chokehold. As Candi came around the corner of the bed, Pam stomped his foot and whirled him around. Candi whapped his head with the radio and he slumped to the floor like a rag doll. Candi stared at the man and kicked the gun lying on the floor out of his reach in case he woke up. He had a mop of red curls and she remembered Jolene talking about George’s friend, Red.
“I wonder if this is the same guy Jolene thought was following her?” she said, staring at him.
Hardly even breathing hard, Pam quickly pulled his arms behind his back and handcuffed him. Pulling out her cell phone, she told the other squad members about the intruder.
The guy stirred and swore at them, then rolled over and stared at Candi. “This is all you and your sister’s fault!” he growled at her. He thrashed about on the carpet, attempting to kick at her.
“What’s our fault?” Candi asked, backing away from him.
Pam told him, “Cool it if you don’t want me to truss you up like a turkey.” Then she read him his rights.
“The whole shebang going to pot is your fault,” Red answered Candi. But he sent a cautious glance at Pam and stopped kicking. “I knew Jolene recognized me in the elevator that day she left. I should never have let her leave the building.”
“Elevator?” Candi asked. She tried to remember what Jolene had told her. “Then you are the Red she saw when she left the Top Notch Casino?”
“Don’t pretend you didn’t already know that.”
“I don’t get it. Why should you care if she saw you?”
“Don’t play dumb with me,” Red snorted. “I know she told the cops I was there. That’s how they tied us to the dead guy. And then she told you, too, didn’t she? It’s all her fault the FBI moved in on us. I should have started shooting when I opened the door just now, instead of trying to play waiter boy.”
Candi’s voice broke as she asked, “You were the one who followed Jolene and killed her, weren’t you?”
Red stared at her. “I’m not saying any more.”
“The others will be here in a few minutes,” Pam said. “Why don’t you just keep talking and tell us all about your boss and his operation?”
“Go to hell,” Red said, and curled up on the carpet.
“Where’s George and how does he fit into this?” Candi asked curiously.
Red snorted. “Georgie Porgie is already in custody. I saw him get arrested down in the casino and warned the boss. Then I came up here.”
“Who’s your boss?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know, bitch?”
“We’ll get him, don’t you worry,” Pam assured him. “He can keep you company in jail.”
“Ha. You’ve got nothing on us. Our lawyer will have us out again in a few hours.”
“Not this time.” Pam smiled at him and suddenly he looked worried.
Then Red sent her a cruel smile. “George ordered Harvey to kill me, you know. I’m gonna get George for that, even though Harvey let me go. He just told me to lay low for a while.”
“Who’s Harvey?” Pam asked.
“Wouldn’t you like to know, bitch?”
Pam laughed. “You’re repeating yourself. Your vocabulary is pretty limited, isn’t it?”
Red snorted and closed his eyes.
Candi sank into the chair by the small table. The thermos pot of coffee Red had delivered as his ruse to get into the room still sat there. Pam came over and poured them each a cup.
“Have some coffee, Candi,” she said. “You probably won’t get any sleep for a while now, anyway.”
“You’re right. But at least you weren’t left out of wrapping up this one after all, were you?”
Pam laughed. “True.”
By the time they’d finished their coffee, Bill and several other agents had arrived and taken Red away. “Stay here with Candi. You can file your report in the office later. We need to help the rest of the team finish rounding this up,” Bill told Pam. “We’re still missing a couple of the guys in this gang.”
“Okay.” Pam locked the door behind Bill and settled back down on the bed.
A minute later the phone rang. Pam answered it and handed Candi the phone, raising an eyebrow. “It’s for you. It’s Luke Mazinger.”
Candi blushed and took the call.
Luke’s voice was stressed out. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Pam disarmed the guy as he came in the door. Several agents picked up the guy and we’re safely locked in again.”
“What happened?”
She explained the incident in detail for Luke and added, “I think this guy was the one following Jolene. He admitted he was the one she saw in the elevator, but wouldn’t say if he’d killed her. He has curly red hair and she called him ‘Red.’”
“I think you may be right. He’s a very dangerous man. You could have been killed.” Luke’s voice was shaking. He didn’t sound a bit like his usual, calm self.
“Luke, it’s over and we’re fine. Pam was here.”
“One agent is hardly adequate protection.”
Candi laughed. “You were the only one with me in Minneapolis.”
“Yeah, but the situation hadn’t gotten so critical yet, then.” He hesitated, then said, “I love you, Candi. I should have told you before. I need you to know, in case something else happens and I don’t get another chance.”
She sucked in a sharp breath. “Now you’re scaring me, Luke. What’s going on? Are you in danger right now?”
“No. I’m just realizing I don’t like having you taking chances. I want you safe.”
“We’ll all be safer when you put all these guys behind bars.”
“Yeah, that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Luke hesitated. “I’m afraid it may be. They have some high priced lawyers.”
“How can this be after all your work to catch them?”
Luke sighed heavily. “It’s up to a judge to set bail. That’s how the system works, Candi. Or doesn’t work, a good deal of the time.”
“That’s awful. What’s to stop them from killing again if they go free until a trial?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all, sweetheart. I’ll see you when this is over. Better call your mom and see if she can stay to take care of Jessie for a couple more days. I’ll have a ton of paperwork to do before I can leave.”
“I can fly back alone, Luke. No problem.”
“Oh, no you don’t. You stay put until I tell you it’s safe to leave.”
Did he mean he wanted to return to Minneapolis with her? Or only to stay put until he gave her the all clear? Or was he only being an overprotective male?
She wished she knew.
Chapter 15
In the end, Luke didn’t appear the next day either. Candi and Pam watched TV and scoured the newspapers for any word of the roundup of the jewelry thieves.
Pam occasionally checked in and told her a little, but Candi suspected she wasn’t telling her much. Probably Pam couldn’t, Candi realized, but she resented being kept in the dark all the same.
Once Bill appeared and she and Pam answered questions for a report on the ‘incident with Red’ as they called it. Still no sign of Luke.
Finally, a call came and after talking a minute, Pam hung up and grinned at her. “Pack up. You’re going home. I’ll download your boarding pass for you.” She turned to her laptop.
Candi’s breath caught. Oh, no. She was leaving? Without seeing Luke? “But Luke said—”
Pam glanced up at her. “I think Luke arranged your flight, so don’t worry, okay?”
“Okay.” Her stomach churned. Luke was sending her home? What did it mean? Didn’t he even want to say goodbye?
She turned away to hide her tears and began gathering the few things she’d brought with her. Would she ever see him again?
She bit her lip to stop her tears. It was time to get back to her normal routine. Take care of little Jessie. See the lawyer to make sure the court let her keep the baby. Finish the damn book.
She bit back a hysterical laugh. That book had been her whole life for months. Now she was cursing at it?
Then little Jessie had arrived, closely followed by Luke. And her sister had died. Candi’s life had turned upside down. Would it ever feel the same again?
Pam called a taxi and rode to the airport with Candi. Once Pam glanced at Candi and commented, “You’re pretty stuck on Luke, aren’t you?”
“Wha-at?”
Pam laughed and patted her hand. “Don’t bother to deny it. Your face says so every time I mention his name.”
Candi blushed and looked away. Ye gods, was she so transparent? She’d better watch herself.
At the airport luggage check in desk, Luke appeared, the handle of his suitcase and laptop in one hand and a boarding pass in the other.
He parked his suitcase, wrapped his arms around her, kissed her soundly and turned to Pam. “Thanks. I’ll take over now. I’m supposed to tell you the office is waiting for your reports.”
“Gee thanks,” Pam said. “Reports are my favorite activity.” They said goodbye and Pam disappeared.
Candi’s heart pounded in excitement. She didn’t have to say goodbye to Luke, yet. She turned to him. “You’re going to Minneapolis with me?”
He handed over his suitcase and nodded. “I’ll explain later.”
Candi checked her luggage. They went through security and started down the concourse to her gate. Most chairs were already taken, but they found a couple against a wall.
“Isn’t it over yet, then?” she whispered, glancing around for any suspicious person.
He looped his arm around her shoulders. “Yes, it’s pretty much wrapped up, we think.”
She swallowed, her pulse speeding up as she noticed his eyes constantly roamed the area. That was Luke. Vigilant, always on guard for trouble. Would trouble find them again? “But you’re not sure it’s over?”
His brow dipped. “Not entirely, no.”
Finally, they heard their boarding call. They hurried down the ramp to the plane, stowed their carry-on luggage and found their seats. Luke motioned Candi to the window seat and took the one beside her.
“So, you’re still guarding me?” Candi asked softly. “How long is this going to continue?”
Luke shrugged. “I’m officially on vacation,” he told her. “But if you don’t mind, I’d like to stay close to you for a few days, until I’m sure these guys are all behind bars and will stay there for a while.”
“I don’t mind,” Candi said, her heart tripping over. Did his wish to use his vacation to protect her mean he cared about her? Had he meant it when he’d told her on the phone he loved her? Or had he said that in the panic of the moment, after hearing about Red’s attack on them?
She glanced at him as the plane taxied down the runway and took off. She knew fear could make people react in strange ways. Did his fear have something to do with the ‘mistake’ he’d said he’d made once before and didn’t want to repeat? Would he ever trust her enough to explain that?
She turned to ask more questions but he shook his head. “We can’t talk here. I’ll explain later,” he assured her. He took her hand in his and said, “I promise, I will. When we get a bit more privacy. I’ve been really busy. I need a couple of winks of sleep. Do you mind?”
“No, of course not. I have a book I haven’t finished reading.” She pulled her hand away, dug the novel out of her purse and settled back. A minute later, he was snoring softly. She watched him sleep. He had a couple of day’s growth of beard and dark circles under his eyes. She’d never learned to sleep on command. Obviously, he could. Her dad used to do that, too, she remembered. Must be a man thing.
***
Four hours later, Candi and Luke sat in a quiet corner of a restaurant in Minneapolis. She’d called her mother who’d assured her all was fine at Grandma’s house. Little Jessie had been an angel and they were in no hurry for her to return home.
They ordered dinner and then Luke said, “Before I update you on this case, I want to explain why I got so upset when Red attacked you and Pam.”
Her heartbeat jumped. “Yes?”
“Remember at the Chicago hotel, I told you someone got killed when I was working undercover and trying to get info from a gang.”
“After your nightmare?”
“Yes. What I didn’t tell you was that the gal who was killed liked me and I got more involved with her than I should have. She promised to point out a drug dealer and then leave the area. She didn’t do what she was supposed to and one of the gang saw her, realized she’d talked and shot her.”
Candi closed her eyes against the pain. How awful for him to feel he’d contributed to an innocent death. She opened them and put her hand on his arm. “Luke, you can’t control everything, you know. That might have happened even if she hadn’t liked you.”
He gave a short laugh. “That’s what Curt says. And yes, the investigation absolved me of blame. I still feel I should have done a better job that time, though. Anyway, that’s why I panicked at the thought you might have been hurt.”
“It left you gun shy of relationships?”
He shrugged. “Only when they’re connected to my work.”
As she was, he meant. Candi’s stomach turned over. He was saying he didn’t want to get involved with her. She drew a deep breath and forced her voice to sound normal. “Thanks for telling me. I’m sure such an incident would color my view of things, too.”
“I also need to tell you what I know about what happened in Las Vegas and with your dad before we tell your mom and grandmother.”
Candi eyed him warily
. “Tell them about what?”
“Between the info your father left and what we learned from interviews with various members of this jewelry gang, we’re pretty sure we have them all in custody.”
“Will they stay there very long?”
Luke smiled. “I think so. The judge was pretty impressed with the amount of detail we’ve got. In view of their connection to at least three murders, he’s not allowing bail.”
The waiter delivered their meals and disappeared again.
Candi frowned. “Three murders? There’s Jolene and the man in the Top Notch Casino. Who’s the third?”
“Your dad.” Luke reached across the table and took her hand. “Jolene was right. Your dad’s death wasn’t an accident. One of the gang, Harvey, has admitted to cutting the brake line to cause your dad’s accident. He claims George ordered him to do it. So it’s been ruled a murder. Harvey followed your dad’s car and searched him and his car after the accident. That’s how George got his address book. But Harvey left Bart’s ID and some of his money in his billfold to try to make it look like an accident.”
Candi shuddered and sipped her coffee. “How could Jolene have gotten mixed up with a man who had our father killed?”
“She didn’t know, Candi.” Luke cut into his steak. “George can be quite a charming man.”
“I don’t understand why George would get involved with her? Jolene said he sought her out when she was a waitress.”
“George is telling the agents lots of stuff, which will give us some answers, provided we can sort out what’s true and what isn’t. He claims Jolene asked him for help, saying she wanted the same friendly deal he’d given her father. I’m sure she only meant she needed financial assistance, but he took it as meaning she knew about his operation like her dad did and she’d tell the police what she knew if he didn’t help her.”
“So that’s why he called her a blackmailer,” Candi said, finishing off her salad. “Because Jolene was young, pretty and willing, he used her for sex as well.”
Luke nodded. “After she moved in with George, Charles Minell followed her and tried to get money from George. George gave him a job instead, helping the gang set up robbery victims in several other hotels. George rented him a room in each hotel and Charles charmed the young female clerks who worked at the desks.”