Run to You

by Lynne King

  “Can I have my cell phone back so I can contact my sister?”

  “You can call her from my phone in the morning. She’ll be tucked up in bed by now seeing they’re about five hours ahead.”

  Her hand was shaking slightly as she felt the frustration increasing with his tone. “You still don’t trust me, do you? I was the one who told you about the phone call Shaun received.” She finished her coffee and placed the cup down.

  “I don’t know you well enough to answer that.”

  “Did you take my laptop from my case?”

  He leaned forward. “No, there was no laptop in the trunk. What was on it?”

  “The plans of the bank, Shaun’s associates. You know all the kind of details us mastermind criminals like to store away.” She didn’t know why, but she wanted to gibe him.

  “It’s answers like that which make me think you either don’t want my help or you like playing silly games.”

  “You think this is a game to me.” She could feel her voice rising. “I didn’t ask for any of this. I’ve been threatened, terrorized and listened while a man was being murdered and heard my name spoken as being the next on their list. Those men who killed Shaun knew all about me and they also said a cop was on to him. So how come they know so much?”

  Jack leaned forward. “What are you saying? Did they mention me by name?”

  “No, but unless you’re lying to me and I’m already on the most wanted list, you’re the only cop who knew about Shaun and me.”

  “What else haven’t you told me?”

  “You haven’t answered my question—am I under arrest here? If so, shouldn’t you have read my rights by now?”

  “Nothing as yet has been found in O’Riley’s apartment linking him to the heist and I’ve yet to speak with my captain about my findings so no, a warrant hasn’t been issued for your arrest. I do, however, have to take you in Monday morning. Then you will be read your rights and then I advise you to get a lawyer or one will be appointed to you.”

  He got up and went over to the window, his back now to her. “I’m sorry, Liz, but you wanted me to be honest with you and it’s no good pretending this is all going to go away. You’re looking at least to being an accessory before the fact. Meaning though you didn’t actually take part in the crime, you abetted the act, but your cooperation and the fact you did it under duress should go in your favor.”

  Liz had been stunned into silence and now she felt herself drowning—her life raft had just sprung a leak. It was as she feared—Jack had no more use for her now that he realized she had nothing more to tell.

  “You bastard,” she hissed under her breath. “You brought me here because you said I would be safe and I thought by telling you everything, I was clearing my name. Instead I’ve provided you everything to convict me with. Before, you had nothing on me. I could have got on a flight to England and been gone from this hell.” Her arm struck out, sending the coffee cups flying.

  Suddenly Jack had her forearms and was pulling her up from the armchair. “You’ve got one hell of a temper, sweetheart. His fingers were digging into her skin as he held her still from the struggling to free herself.

  “Now listen here, damn it. I’ve risked everything by bringing you here and could be looking at being an accessory after the fact, a criminal act of comforting and assisting a person that has committed a felony. Whatever way you look at it, you switched off those cameras knowing a crime was about to take place and you witnessed a murder. I want to help you and despite what you think I do care, but I alone can’t solve this. You need 24-hour protection, which I can’t provide. I take you in and you’ll get it. That’s the truth. You’re safer in police custody right now.”

  “Do you care, Jack, really care or am I being used.” Her gaze met his, searching for that reassurance.

  “Hell, Elizabeth, I care too much.” He released her arms and stepped away from her as his confession had struck a blow and he was recoiling from it. “I think it’s time we called it a night before we cross a boundary we both know wouldn’t be good for either of us.”

  Liz knew he was right, but she couldn’t help the desire within that his touch, his presence, brought out in her. She knew he felt it as well, the current that passed between them when he held her, the way his eyes devoured her and how quickly he tried to mask it by leaving the room.

  Liz bent down and started gathering up the broken pieces of the cups. Simon had always said she had the looks of an angel and the temper of a demon, and perhaps he was right with the possessed part. Not that it ever got physically violent between them, but she certainly smashed anything that came to hand when they argued. She shuddered at the memory of their last and final fight.

  “Leave it, I’ll clear it up.”

  It was a spoken like a command, her eyes shooting up to see Jack standing in the doorway chewing gum, his face unreadable. Her hand hovered uncertainly as she held half a coffee cup in her fingers. He strolled over, took the piece from her, and with his other hand helped her to her feet.

  “I said I’ll finish up here. Good night, Liz.”

  She knew by that look he wanted her gone and out of his life—that he didn’t want what they both knew their bodies craved. It should have happened the moment they locked glances on that balcony when both were unaware of whom the other was. Now he knew too much about her and she knew so little about him and maybe it was best that way.

  Shutting the bedroom door, she went over to the bed and retrieved her purse where she had placed it out of sight earlier, under the quilt cover. Opening it up, she withdrew the cell phone Shaun had told her to hide. It was locked and despite pressing a few codes, she couldn’t get past the security block. Looking back at her opened purse, the glint of metal caught her eye. Slowly her fingers wrapped around the cold metal and slowly withdrew the object. On seeing it and what the thing represented, her fingers released their grip. She jumped back off the bed and stood staring at Shaun’s handgun. The last time she had seen it, the gun was lying in Shaun’s lifeless hand. What had possessed her to remove it from his open palm? She couldn’t even remember doing it. She had a murder victim’s weapon in her possession which for all she knew, could have been used to kill others like Mark, for instance. What would Jack think? He would never believe she had a complete blank from finding Shaun’s body to when he entered the apartment. A key and a gun, there couldn’t be a worse indication of her complicity.

  Chapter Twelve

  Out on the balcony, Jack watched the city that never sleeps—apartment lights switching on and off, sirens sounding in the distance, and musical tones of varying degrees drifting on the breeze. Voices, some raised, others simply a chorus of sounds that carried through the walls and streets separating them. Jack’s jaw ached from chewing gum continuously and if he had another cup of coffee, he would be climbing the walls. He had gone to bed twice, laid there for what seemed like hours when in fact it was only minutes, and was now staring at the stars hoping for deliverance of some kind. Liz Saunders was in his thoughts, under his skin, and driving him crazy.

  What had Christina accused him of—that his world was only big enough for him and he pushed away anyone who dared to want a part. Well, Christina was right, and it had served him well when she walked out on him—he hadn’t been a broken man like his father. He was intact because she hadn’t taken a piece of him with her like his mother had done to his father. That was why he had to contact his captain in the morning and start thinking like a detective and put a stop to this now.

  Romeo appeared from the fire escape and rushed past him as he walked back inside. He stood in the hallway and watched as the cat started scratching at the guest room door trying to gain entry. Walking up to him, Jack picked him up and rubbed the feline’s head. “You and I both know it’s not going to happen, so make do with the sofa.”

  Shutting the living room door behind him, Jack retired to bed again and tried to sleep.

  At first light he was up, showered and dressed and
pacing the living room floor yet again. He glanced at his watch—it was time to place the call, the hour decent enough now for a Sunday morning. His captain didn’t see it that way though by his tone.

  “Willis, it’s fuck—” he stopped abruptly, his voice now talking to someone in the background. “It’s okay, dear, I’ll be with you in a moment.”

  Jack guessed the captain’s wife had just appeared by the muffled voice he could hear.

  Finally his boss came back on the phone. “What’s this all about that it can’t wait until Monday morning, Willis?”

  “That stiff Reid and me attended yesterday, well, there was a witness and it was Gandini’s men that carried it out.” Jack spoke slowly.

  “Yeah, well, you don’t need me to do your friggin’ job so why aren’t you calling from the station?”

  “The witness also links the stiff to the bank raid and is at the moment in my apartment.” Jack guessed the captain’s wife was well out of earshot now by the expletives that followed.

  “Hang on there, Captain. The reason she’s here is because the station won’t be the best place for her at the moment. She needs protective custody and the Feds might be her best chance right now.”

  “You’re crossing the line again, Jack. Now listen here, we work as a team and solve our own cases. We admit witnesses aren’t safe in our precinct and you might as well offer an open invite to IAD. Is that what you want, Detective?”

  “Look, we both know Gandini has his hooks in everywhere. He’ll find a way to get to her.” Jack slammed his palm against the wall in frustration, his other hand holding the receiver pressed tight against his ear.

  “We’ll meet at the station in two hours. My family is in the car, waiting for me to take them to church. You should try it sometime—it might give you faith in your fellow officers. Jack, make sure you bring the witness, otherwise you’re finished, understand.”

  Jack slammed the receiver down in its cradle and looked up to see Liz standing there. She was wearing the red silk kimono and russet ringlets framed a face devoid of makeup. He lowered his gaze for fear of transmitting his thoughts, though there was no mistaking the reaction taking place in his groin. “How much did you hear?”

  “Enough to know you can’t wait to be rid of me. What happened to Monday?” She folded her arms and leaned up against the door frame.

  “I can’t afford to baby-sit you. The sooner I take you in, the safer you’ll be and I can concentrate on doing my job.” His wording could have been better, he guessed, especially with the glare she now threw at him.

  “I’m sorry. Diplomacy was never my strong point. How about breakfast as a peace offering?” Jack tried to smile, but it lacked sincerity and faded fast.

  “My last taste of freedom food before it’s served to me on plastic trays within four walls. No thanks, I’m not hungry.”

  He ran his fingers through his hair feeling the frustration build up. “Don’t dramatize, Liz. There’s coffee freshly brewed and juice in the fridge.”

  She didn’t reply, but instead turned and walked back to the guest room. Twenty minutes later she reappeared, dressed in jeans and T-shirt, makeup applied, and her hair gathered up in a chignon. Jack watched as she approached. Her hands, he noticed, were behind her back and seemed to be holding something.

  “Here, Shaun gave this to me when those men came for him. It’s a safety deposit key. He had it fastened on a chain around his neck along with my mother’s locket, taken from my niece, and here’s his cell phone.”

  Jack was stunned as he accepted the items placed in his hand. “Why now, when you could have told me about this last night. Is there anything else you care to tell me?”

  Her hesitation and the way she avoided his glare—a guilty indication that there was.

  “Liz, I asked you a question.”

  “No, that’s everything and I didn’t mention this last night because I forgot all about it.” She went to stand over by the open patio doors, her gaze cast in the direction of Central Park.

  Jack watched her for a moment and then returned to the cell phone. It was security locked and there was no way he could break into the address book or phone log without the pin number. He would have to pass it on to the tech boys down at the lab. His attention turned to the key. There was no number on it with which to identify the box it fitted. Scrutinizing it within the palm of his hand, he glanced over at Liz. “We have a key. Now all we have to do is find the box it fits.”

  “Great, that should keep you busy, seeing there are hundreds of them. Excuse me for not sharing your enthusiasm. I doubt whatever you find will help me much, though it’s bound to do your career a power of good.”

  She walked over to him and he found himself avoiding eye contact, her words striking him like a blow. “You can now get your hands on whatever Shaun thought was worth killing for and have all those responsible for taking part in the robbery. Unfortunately they are all dead except one, me. How long do you think before I become a statistic?”

  Running his hand over his jawline, he tried to think of something to say to contradict her words. “Look, I’m taking you in and together we’ll sort this out. You’re no good as a witness identifying O’Riley’s killers since you only heard voices and didn’t actually see his killers. As for your part in the robbery, I told you, it won’t go to trial, trust me.”

  “Then why did you tell your boss I needed protective custody, that Gandini will come after me,” she retorted.

  He stood up and now faced her. “Because at the moment Gandini thinks you know far more than you do and there is also the question of who O’Riley was answering to. That person or persons are far more dangerous and until we find out what we are dealing with, you need protecting. Do I make myself clear now?”

  “Perfectly.” Liz marched off and returned minutes later with her suitcase. “Shall we go?”

  Jack stepped out of the elevator first with her case in his hand while Liz trailed behind. They hadn’t spoken since he had insisted on taking her suitcase for her. Within, thoughts were whirling, a jumbled mess of regret and dread.

  A vice-like grip snapped around her waist while at the same time a leather-gloved hand smothered her mouth. Her eyes stared in terror as time stood still and in the same moment, a shadowy figure had come out behind Jack and struck him with a baseball bat across the nape. He hit the ground in silence.

  Struggling in vain, she felt herself being dragged backward. The large hand was so tight that she was finding it difficult to breathe. The underground parking lot was deserted and her only possible savior still lay where he had fallen. On hearing the ticking of a car engine drawing nearer, sheer panic set in as her legs started kicking out furiously. Splaying arms went back, fingers desperate to claw, gouge, if only she could find her mark. Her legs were off the ground now, but her sneakers were having little effect until she took one final swing back and her heel struck flesh and bone.

  “Bitch.” The arm around her waist tightened with such force that it snatched the breath from her. She was swung back, the pressure off as she was flung across the floor of a limousine, her head hitting the other side with a thud.

  At first, Liz felt dazed and sick. Her legs were crumpled up beneath her and she could feel the movement of the car, making her force her eyelids open. The throbbing grew worse and she was tempted to shut them again, hoping the pain and reality would fade away. A foot clad in a highly polished black shoe prevented her from doing this as it dug into her thigh causing her to gasp. Her gaze bolted to look beyond the floor space to see who had inflicted such pain. It was hard to judge his age, late fifties or early sixties she guessed. Grey flecks interspersed with black hair, but it was fashionably layered and his moustache was all grey and did little to hide thin lips. The lips displayed a cold impassive smile matching the piercing black orbs. Tearing away from his hypnotic glare, she looked to the left of him and saw a man who looked older purely down to the excesses on his body. His arms were folded over a large stomach and jo
wls of flesh hung from the scarred face. He wasn’t as smartly attired as the one sitting nearest to her, especially as his jacket gaped badly around his barrel chest revealing the shoulder holster complete with gun.

  Straightening her twisted body up, Liz brought her knees to beneath her chin as if doing so would make her somehow less visible. They had not spoken a word yet, and the deathly silence accompanied by the scrutiny of the one nearest, who she now guessed must be Gandini, was tearing her nerves to shreds. He could be none other. Even dressed to look like your average New York businessman, he conveyed the cold silent message simply by his presence and the power and dominance you couldn’t fail to feel. She wanted to scream and plead for mercy, but her mouth was so dry that to form the slightest syllable was an impossible task. Where were they taking her, some deserted place where her screams would go unheard as they tortured her for answers she didn’t have? Then when they finally came to that conclusion, would they put an end to her life quickly or make her suffer a slow lingering death. She felt hysteria rising and tried to focus on the glimpses of external life passing her by through the windows.

  At last he spoke, the piercing crow eyes bearing down on her. “You’ve been pretty evasive, Miss Saunders, gave my men a hard time tracking you down after it occurred to their damn asses you were in O’Riley’s apartment the whole time. Listening to his untimely departure from this world leaves me with a greater problem of what to do with such a dangerous eavesdropper.” He paused as if savoring the fear she felt must be radiating from her body.

  “I could give you to Paula here to dispose of your abused body after his bit of sadistic fun and, of course being of a generous nature, he will allow others to join in. Unfortunately for you, I like to make sure those who have done wrong by me suffer beforehand. Death is too quick a release. Your lover got off lightly.” He leaned forward and gripped her cheeks within his forefingers and pulled her face up toward his.