“I don’t care what you do, man. Just leave Angie and the kids out of it,” was Tommy’s suggestion. Kelly didn’t offer one. She was too busy wondering where Elgin and the army were.
No sooner had the question crossed her mind than the kitchen door flew open, startling them all.
“Hellfire!” shouted Mike Branigan at the top of his lungs, racing through the bar in his T-shirt and boxers, his knobby knees moving at an incredible speed. “It’s like old times out in the street. There are cops crawling all over this neighborhood and I can’t see a damn thing from my windows.”
Del Rio exchanged glances with Kelly and Tommy Shaw, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
“You two set me up,” he muttered, poking Kelly’s ribs with the gun again.
Tommy saw the motion and said, “Not her. Me. I’m the one, to get back at you for what you did to Angie.”
“Don’t, Tommy,” Kelly said, realizing he was trying to take the blame for everything. She reached up and took a uniquely unimpressive barrette from her hair, then handed it to Del Rio. “You were supposed to find the other bug. But this is the one Elgin’s been listening to.”
“This reminds me,” her grandfather was going on, “of the times old Dewey used to cross the river looking for anything he could nail to little Jimmy Hines’s backside. The cops used to run up and down the streets, breaking down doors…It was a sight. Never came to much, but it was good to see them boys out doing their jobs.” He strained his old neck to look up and down the dark street, then asked, “Who do you suppose they’re lookin’ for tonight, huh?”
“Get away from the door, old man,” Del Rio shouted, not as calm as he had been.
Mike Branigan waved him off without turning to look at him. “They ain’t interested in me. ’Course, Bailey’s the lucky one. He can prowl around outside and never be seen. He’s the best shadow man I ever met. That’s why they had such a hard time catching him, you know. He’d rob a place, or when he was doin’ collections he’d break somebody’s legs, and then he’d disappear into the shadows. Amazin’.”
“Get away from the door.”
Mike shielded his face with his hands against the door. “Turn out them lights, Kelly girl, then come on over here and tell me if that ain’t Keith Farber over there across the street with a rifle aimed at this very window.”
“Papa, get away,” Kelly cried out.
Del Rio turned his gun on her grandfather and yelled, “Move it, old man, or I’ll move it for you.”
A dark shadow swept over the bar and landed on Del Rio’s back, at the same time Mike Branigan swung open the front door. A quarter of a second later the kitchen door banged open and it was over.
Bailey had leapt up from behind the bar and landed on Del Rio, taking him down to the floor. Six or seven armed police officers entered through the front door as Elgin raced in from the rear. All had their weapons beaded to Del Rio’s head before Bailey could draw a second breath.
Elgin bent to help Bailey up off the floor and sent an assessing glance in Mike’s direction.
“This calls for a drink,” Mike hollered back in good cheer. “I haven’t had this much fun in sixty years. I swear!”
Elgin saluted the old man and turned his attention first to Kelly, then to Tommy Shaw, who was being handcuffed by a uniformed officer.
“I’m sorry, Tommy,” Kelly was saying, offering no excuses for her part in the deception.
He looked up and tendered her a sad little smile. “We all have to do what we think is right, Kel. It’s what I’ve always admired most about you, and I wouldn’t want you to be any other way.”
“Is there anything I can do? Do you want me to call Angie?”
He shook his head. “I’ll do it. You could take the kids over to her mother’s place, though.” She agreed, then fell silent as his gaze shifted to Elgin. “Is there any way we can leave her out of this?”
Elgin knew the man was dying inside, his life shattered and crumbling down around him. He knew he was being asked to destroy the tape recording, which was the only evidence of his wife’s misdeeds. He also knew he’d make the same illegal suggestion if the tables were turned.
“I’m sorry, man. It’s not up to me anymore.” He placed an arm around Kelly’s shoulders as they watched Tommy being led from the room. “Are you okay, babe?”
“Yes.” Her mind was on the past: A time when friendship between her and Tommy was taken for granted, as something that simply was and would always be. Then her thoughts flashed back to the present. “What took you so long?” she asked, only mildly annoyed now that the danger had passed. “Del Rio had a gun in my ribs.”
“I know,” he said, quickly placing a gentle kiss of love and relief to her furrowed brow. “And I had a sharpshooter on the roof across the street who couldn’t get a clear shot at him because you were in the way. I had to create a diversion to draw him away from you.”
“That’s something else I want to talk to you about. What’s the big idea of using my grandfather as a decoy? You shouldn’t have dragged him in on all this. He could have been hurt.”
“Are you kidding me? Those two old coots can smell a good fight brewing thirty miles away. From the moment Del Rio entered the bar, I was on the other side of the door holding the two of them off.”
“Ah. It was exciting, Kelly girl,” Mike said from the serving side of the bar. He plunked a glass of whiskey down in front of each of them, then held up a glass of his own brand of bourbon. “Here’s to the force…even though it ain’t what it used to be.” He downed his tea in one gulp and continued talking. “Hell, in my day we’da shot the bugger comin’ through the window. There’s always time later to figure out answers to all the questions.”
“Is that how he got in then? Through a window?” Kelly asked.
“Your bedroom window,” Elgin said, sipping on his whiskey, hoping it would settle his nerves. Coming so close to losing her a third time had him frazzled. “My guess is that he came back to finish what he started in the stairwell, heard the recording, and came down here. We saw him go in. I thought you’d be safe enough with Shaw, even if he did discover the first wire, but Del Rio was a whole other story.”
“Shoulda shot him,” Mike grumbled, moving down the bar to toast the night with Bailey. “Bet you never thought to see the day when you’d be helpin’ cops instead of runnin’ from ’em.”
Bailey displayed a rare toothy grin and lowered his eyes in mock chagrin.
Elgin smiled at the two old men, but there was a sober, concerned expression in his eyes when he turned to look at Kelly.
“Del Rio tried to kill me?” she asked, as if she were finding it hard to believe, even of Del Rio.
“He was identified as the same man seen running from here the other night.”
She shook her head dazedly, overwhelmed by the night’s events and revelations.
“I have to go,” he said, knowing it wasn’t necessary to tell her why. “Will you be able to get some sleep? There’s a paramedic on standby outside. He might have something you can take.”
“No, I’m okay, really. I want to do whatever I can for Angie and the kids, but once they’re settled…” Her voice trailed off as she thought of the Shaw family, split up and in pain.
“You were right about Tommy,” Elgin said.
“That’s small consolation considering that he’ll have to go to jail, anyway, for concealing evidence. And Angie…” She couldn’t speak aloud her fears for Angie.
“I’m sorry, babe,” he said, a comforting arm around her shoulders. He kissed her lightly and gave her a small, encouraging smile. Then he followed Del Rio and the other officers out of the bar.
Twelve
A COOL ATLANTIC breeze disguised the ninety-degree reading on the thermometer and blew away the haze that had hovered over the city. The balmy weather and blue skies had a way of convincing the general populace that summer in the city was one of the things that made life grand.
It was the sort of rar
e summer day reserved for making memories. A sunny Saturday when people walked slower, not in any hurry to get wherever they were going. They would stop and talk to neighbors, loiter in front of window displays, and in general give the impression they thought the day would last forever.
It was early evening before Elgin returned to the bar. He was scowling, so Kelly hurriedly found something to keep her busy and acted as if she hadn’t noticed he’d come in.
For several minutes he stood on the other side of the bar with his hands on his hips, watching her pretend not to see him.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he finally asked, in a manner that was generally employed with naughty little girls.
She scrutinized her present activity, then looked at him and grinned. “Slicing limes?”
“I thought you said you were going to try to get some rest today.”
“I tried. But working is more relaxing than trying to rest. I was going nuts up there.”
He wasn’t happy with her decision, but he understood it. Lifting himself onto a bar stool, he said, “I suppose Bailey can take over again when it finally catches up with you.”
“Hey. We Branigans are made of tough stuff. We always carry our own weight.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll remind you of that when all the iron in your blood turns to lead in your backside in a couple of hours.”
“Ha!” She set a special bourbon and ice down in front of him. “This from the man who lost to me at racquetball.”
“I let you win. So you’d feel sorry for me and be nice to me.”
“That’s a lie,” she said, outraged, but unable to hide her smile. “When I got through with you, you were sweating like a pig. No pun intended, officer.”
“I had to make it look real, didn’t I?”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re begging for another beating, aren’t you, Elgin?”
“Hey, babe,” he said, grinning his grin and holding his hands out in open candor. “Let the best man win.”
“She will,” she said over her shoulder, walking away to answer a summons farther down the bar.
Elgin sipped his iced tea and watched her as she smiled and laughed and carefully flirted with a couple of customers. There was no way of telling the experiences she’d lived through in the past few days. Even the bruise on her temple had been carefully covered and couldn’t be seen. But he knew it was there. And he knew that her external bruises were far less painful and would heal faster than those inside.
Strange girl this Kelly Branigan, he thought, aware of a swelling sensation in his chest. He’d never met anyone who loved as hard and true as she did. Shaw was lucky to have her as a friend. But he…Well, he knew he was even luckier than Shaw.
“Aren’t you going to ask me about the Shaws?” he asked as she worked her way back along the bar in his direction.
“I’m afraid to,” she said, turning to the cash register to make change. When she looked back at him, though, the question was in her eyes.
“They’re out on their own recognizance. Picked up the kids and went home.”
“No bail?”
“They turned state’s evidence. All they have to do is show up at the trial.”
“That’s it? That’s all? They won’t have to go to jail?” she asked, her face lighting up with hope.
“The prosecutor thought it would be a waste of tax money to put two people on trial for being stupid and loyal…and for loving each other. Shaw’s career is over, but at least he won’t be going to prison with his pals.”
She smiled at him. He was speaking lightly of the outcome, but Kelly knew better. It took power and persuasion to make happily-ever-after happen in the justice department.
“Thank you, Elgin,” she said, tears of comfort gathering in the corners of her eyes.
He shrugged and looked away, disconcerted by her gratitude. Didn’t she know that he’d do anything for her? Didn’t she know he’d vouched for Shaw for her happiness, not her gratitude? Didn’t she know how much he loved her?
He cleared his throat. “So, what happens now?”
She chewed her lower lip for a moment or two, then said, “I suppose he’ll have to move out of town. Just about everyone he knows is a cop, and once the rumors start, they won’t know if he’s clean or dirty. And they’ll know he testified against the others. It won’t be the same for him.”
“No. That’s been taken care of. What I meant was—”
“Taken care of? How do you mean?” she broke in.
At first he seemed reluctant to answer, but then he said, “Shaw and I had a little talk. There’s an ex-cop I know, in Chicago, who runs a private security company…”
“That’s wonderful.” She leaned across the bar and squeezed both of his hands. “How can I ever thank you?”
“You can shut up long enough for me to ask you a question,” he said, touchy about the subject uppermost in his mind.
Without protest she clamped her lips together and mumbled, “Okay.”
“What happens now, to us? The case is over.”
She pulled her hands slowly away from his while she studied his face. “I’d say that was up to you, Elgin.”
“Me. Why me? It takes two to tango, you know.”
“Yes, but you already know that I love dancing with you. You need to let me know if you want to keep me as a permanent partner or not.”
Didn’t she know that either? he wondered, amazed at her sudden capacity for being extremely obtuse. She took a step backward, away from him, as if she didn’t want her closeness to influence his decision. Her hands behind her back, she stood perfectly still, waiting.
Waiting for what? He looked deep into her eyes for the answer and found it. It was a challenge, a dare to declare himself in front of God and…He glanced at Mike and Bailey seated at the end of the bar, and hit on a way of demonstrating his intentions.
Kelly wished she had a camera to record the look on his face when he decided what he was going to do. She tingled with excitement as she realized her fabrication regarding her two protectors was finally going to pay off.
Fearlessly, deliberately, and with all the self-confidence in the world, he walked to the end of the bar and slung an arm across the shoulders of each man.
“Howdy, boys,” he said, like Matt Dillon in Miss Kitty’s bar. “May I have your attention please?”
With no further ado, he stepped behind the bar and walked straight to Kelly. He took her in his arms and, leaning over her as if they were the prototype for the cover of a romance novel, he kissed her.
He kissed her hard and long, declaring his love and devotion for her before God, the world, and the two old men at the end of the bar. Gradually, the intensity abated. He looked at her and kissed her once more, the declaration becoming a gentle promise to her. It was his pledge to be hers and hers alone. An oath that his love belonged only to her, and that it would always be there to support and comfort her, to encourage her to live her dreams.
Kelly opened her eyes as he set her upright and saw the sincerity in his face. They shared a fleeting moment of total harmony and solidarity before his eyes began to shine with humor and he turned to stare defiantly at the old men.
Mike and Bailey were baffled. It was obvious the young man expected them to react, but they weren’t sure how. They looked at Elgin, glanced at each other, gazed behind them at the other onlookers. Finally, they returned their attention back to Elgin and shrugged in unison.
Slow to catch on, but not dense, Elgin stared at Kelly.
“You tricked me. You set me up, and I just made a fool of myself kissing you in front of all these strangers,” he said in a low voice meant only for her, the tone hinting at the grave consequences she would pay for her deception.
“I guess that means I’m in big trouble, huh?” she asked, not the least bit threatened.
“Big trouble.”
She took him by the collar of his shirt and drew his face closer to hers, saying, “Kiss me, Elgin. Kiss me and the
n tell me you didn’t love it. Kiss me and then make me sorry I did it.”
Well, he kissed her. But she was never sorry.
A Biography of Mary Kay McComas
Mary Kay McComas is an acclaimed romance novelist and the author of twenty-one short contemporary romances, five novellas, and three novels. McComas has received several honors and awards for her work, including the Washington Romance Writers’ Outstanding Achievement Award and two Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times (one for Best New Author and another for Innovative Series Romance).
Born in Spokane, Washington, the third child of six siblings, McComas graduated with a bachelor of science degree in nursing. She worked for ten years as an intensive care nurse. After marrying her husband and having their first child, the family moved to the Shenandoah Valley in northern Virginia, and McComas soon retired from nursing to raise her family, which included three more children.
Throughout her childhood and into college, McComas battled undiagnosed dyslexia. As a result, she was an infrequent reader in her youth and early adulthood. It wasn’t until after the birth of her youngest son that McComas began reading for pleasure—books hand-picked by her older sister for their humor. Gradually, she branched out with her own choices, reading widely, until one book changed her life. “Eventually I bought IT. You know … that one novel that even a dyslexic amateur can tell is poorly written, with no plot and horrible characters,” she explains. “I told my voracious-reader husband, ‘I can do better than this!’ And he said, ‘Then do it.’”
McComas’s first book landed her an agent, who helped sell four of McComas’s stories and secured the author a four-book contract within a year. McComas published her first book, Divine Design, in 1988, and followed it with seven more paperback novels.
A favorite of both fans and reviewers, McComas has been nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award eight times and has been a Romance Writers of America RITA Award finalist twice, once for Best Short Contemporary Fiction and once for Best Novella. Over the course of her “third career,” as McComas refers to it, she has expanded her scope beyond contemporary romances. She frequently contributes to Nora Robert’s J. D. Robb anthologies and her paranormal novellas have garnered continuous praise.
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