Harlequin Romantic Suspense January 2021

by Marie Ferrarella, Regan Black, Karen Whiddon

  “Melissa?”

  “Did I wake you?” she asked.

  “Not even close,” he replied. “How are you doing?”

  She felt remarkably refreshed, considering she couldn’t sleep and had nearly been run over. Not that she could say any of that to her cousin. “About as well as you think,” she hedged.

  “I saw the other officers come back after they lost Orr’s trail. Everyone wants this guy off the streets.”

  “He’s clever, but unraveling. He’ll make a mistake soon,” she said with confidence.

  She just hoped it wouldn’t mean more pain or further injury to Antonio or his hotel. They needed to find the right draw to lure in Orr. Maybe it was time to use the press sticking close to the station for word about Hannah McPherson to prod Orr into acting before he was ready.

  “So why did you call me earlier?” she asked.

  “It’s Bowe.” He sighed. “The more we dig, the worse it looks for the GGPD’s forensics department.”

  Goose bumps raced up her arms. “So Ellie found something.”

  “An understatement. Now that she has recovered the files, it confirms the evidence against Everleigh was both circumstantial and falsified.”

  Melissa swore.

  “I said the same thing,” Troy agreed. “The fibers Bowe reported finding on the murder weapon were originally from the apron used at the bar where she worked. Not anywhere close to something found on the bloody paperweight used to kill Fritz Emerson.”

  That matched Jillian’s claim.

  “The real issue is some of the evidence is right,” Troy continued. “Only the pieces that tie Everleigh into the crime are not.”

  “What about the hairs they found on the paperweight?”

  “Those were originally logged as ‘potential suspect DNA.’ An unspecified number of hairs appear to have been pulled from a hairbrush in the residence.”

  “I guess I’ll get back with Jillian. She’ll be relieved to know she didn’t make a mistake.”

  “Already done,” Troy said. “The hairbrush was collected to rule out or match other material at the scene.”

  “Standard procedure,” Melissa mused, thinking out loud.

  “Everything Ellie found backs up Jillian’s work and report. Why in the hell would Bowe deliberately falsify those results? There is nothing I can find that connects him to anyone involved in this case.”

  “The same question is keeping me up at night,” she admitted, pacing in front of the hearth. Bowe had manipulated evidence from the Emerson crime scene, which only lent more support to Ian’s allegation that Bowe had smeared the fingerprint on Paxton’s body.

  “Mel,” Troy began, “what if this is only—”

  “Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” she snapped. “Yes, it’s a safe bet that Emerson and Orr weren’t the only cases Bowe tampered with, but let’s keep a lid on that can of worms for now. If we learn why he manipulated evidence in these two cases, we can narrow down our search to similar incidents.”

  It tested her confidence in her own judgment that Bowe had done this right under her nose. The entire GGPD would be dealing with the fallout, likely for years to come. Attorneys would be filing appeals left and right, and soon the lawsuits would roll in against the department. Her officers hadn’t specifically done anything wrong, but Bowe’s actions would blow back on them, anyway. Most citizens lumped all the aspects of law enforcement together…not to mention however many miscarriages of justice had been perpetrated as a result of his misconduct.

  “Do we have any leads on where he’s hiding?” It might take five minutes or five days, but she would make Bowe talk when they caught him.

  “He’s in the wind,” Troy said. “The last time he used his credit card, it was to fill up with gas just outside the city, on the south side. Not a trace of him since that transaction.

  “Assuming he’s outside the city, maybe we should put Clarke on this. I’ll give him a call in the morning. Go get some rest.”

  “Is that an order?”

  She heard the smile in his voice. “For both of us.”

  * * *

  Antonio walked out of the bedroom, thrilled to find Melissa hadn’t disappeared early on him this morning. She was sipping coffee and watching the local news. He went straight to her for a kiss, refusing to dwell on why that was more important than anything else.

  Then she smiled and his heart soared.

  Love was the reason.

  He’d known his feelings for her were growing deeper than the remarkable physical intimacy between them. And he’d already decided he wanted to find a way to keep her in his life. But love? He didn’t expect it to feel so wonderful.

  More than a little bewildered, he poured coffee, considering how he wanted to proceed now that he knew for sure. Should he tell her? No, he should wait. He knew his reputation and it would take time to overcome it. Besides, there was too much going on. When he told her, he wanted it to be special. Memorable. That was it. He wanted to start creating new memories with Melissa that they would cherish for years to come.

  She made an incomprehensible sound. “If I see one more ‘free Granny’ hashtag I might start writing citations.”

  He glanced at the television and winced. Sure enough, they were reporting on the protests all over the city on behalf of Hannah. “You can do that?”

  “No,” she admitted. “But it’s a nice fantasy.”

  “At least they’re showing the crowd in front of city hall, too, instead of just the police station.”

  “True.” She carried her empty coffee to the sink. “Given the choice, I’d let her go,” she said, rinsing the mug and loading it into the dishwasher.

  He wondered how long it would take her to get used to Housekeeping handling those chores. Then again, Melissa likely wouldn’t drop a good habit.

  “You can’t recommend that to the DA?”

  “I have.” She turned to look at him and her red ponytail spilled over her shoulder.

  The sunlight from the French doors caught that fiery silk, striking some strands gold, others deep copper. He wished he could just take her right back to bed.

  “You don’t have to look so surprised.” Her scolding brought him back to the moment. “I know the woman only did the unthinkable under duress. And it worked,” she said with another grumble.

  Her gaze clouded over and he wondered what else was on her mind. “She kidnapped a toddler. Sent the entire town into a panic,” he said. “There should be consequences.”

  “And we got him back right away, thanks in part to you.” She smiled and walked to his side of the counter and hugged his shoulders.

  “Most people are stuck on the image of you arresting her,” he said, wishing he could erase all her distress. “It’ll pass eventually.”

  She checked her phone and dropped it into her purse, pulling out her keys. “I have to hope the story that blots out ‘Free Granny’ is good news, but the odds aren’t in my favor. It seems the city is suddenly rife with killers.”

  “Rife?” he echoed.

  “Orr is at large. Whoever really killed Fritz Emerson is out there, too. Bowe’s actions have eroded the public’s trust and I’m not sure how long it will take to pull things back together.” She wrinkled her nose. “Sorry to dump on you first thing in the morning.”

  “I don’t mind.” Another sweet wave of emotion toward her coursed through his system. For all the times he’d been frustrated with her and her department, he understood now just how hard she’d tried to find justice for Wendy last summer.

  Antonio topped off his coffee, smiling to himself. He could see mornings like this tomorrow, a week from now, next year, setting up for the day in the familiar peace of each other. After avoiding this kind of intimacy for so many years, he wanted it all. With her.

  “I have a hotel in Chicago tha
t I need to visit soon,” he said. “Why not come with me?” It would be the perfect place for romancing her, and over champagne and strawberries he could tell her how he felt. “A few days away might be the break that reveals the solution.” And he’d consider it a happy coincidence that the trip would take her out of Orr’s reach for a little while.

  “The department is already working on a solution,” she said absently, lacing up her boots. “This morning we’re officially reopening the Paxton case and moving Drew Orr to the top of the most wanted list.”

  “You are?”

  Her auburn eyebrows knitted and she frowned. “I promised you I would.”

  “Well, yes, but you’ve had your hands full.” And she’d nearly been run over. It had been six months since Orr had killed Wendy; surely a few more days wouldn’t matter now.

  “The department is in agreement that we have to be deliberate and provoke a reaction to put an end to his harassment. I can’t be effective if he’s taking shots at me at will.”

  Antonio’s pulse stuttered. “Deliberate how?” She couldn’t mean to make herself a target. He couldn’t let her even think about it. To lose her now, after realizing what she meant to him—life couldn’t be that cruel.

  She walked over and kissed him. “We’re still working on the details,” she said. “I’ll check in with you later, okay? Have a good day.”

  He trailed her to the door, pulling her in for one more kiss. “Be safe,” he said, too shocked by his roiling emotions to add anything more.

  “Don’t worry.” She squeezed his shoulders. “The GGPD isn’t nearly as inept as recent events suggest.”

  “I wasn’t thinking that,” he began.

  The small huff of skepticism was followed by a quick laugh. “That wasn’t aimed at you,” she said. “Bowe’s actions have put a spotlight on the GGPD. It hasn’t been our finest hour. We need to close a case, the right way, and soon.”

  He couldn’t argue with the logic of starting with Orr. The man was a clear and present threat to her. “Use me,” he said as she opened the door to leave. “I can lure him out, lure him here.” It was the perfect plan and it kept her out of danger. “Then your officers can haul him away.”

  She paused in the foyer, her blue eyes full of affection. “Antonio, you’ve done more than your share already.” She rested a hand on his chest for just a moment. “There’s no way I’m using you or any other civilian for this. Leave it to the GGPD.”

  If only he could. Leaving it to her meant relinquishing control and sitting on the sidelines while she took all the risks. Not happening. He squeezed her hand, feeling the strength, yes, but also the fragility. To lose her would destroy him. Orr was a liar, a cheat and a killer. He’d nearly succeeded in killing Melissa twice already. Antonio would not give his former associate another chance.

  “I can’t do that,” he murmured.

  Her body stiffened and her hand fell away. There was a sudden chill in the foyer.

  “Of course, that’s too much to ask.” Melissa’s voice was as brittle as the winter ice edging the lake. “I’m sorry, Antonio. For all of it.” She punched the button for the elevator. “If I could, I would fix the past.”

  “What?” He’d made a misstep, but wasn’t sure just where he’d gone wrong.

  “And I can’t rewrite procedure to suit you,” she snapped. The elevator arrived and she stepped farther away from him.

  “Melissa, wait.” He stuck out his hand, keeping the doors open. “Talk to me.”

  She shook her head. “I’m already late. I’ll stay at the station tonight. It’s safe enough.”

  “Like hell it is.”

  Her face went pale, her eyes full of a pain that he couldn’t put into context. He would suffer if something went wrong, too, not just her.

  “Safe enough,” she repeated. “I’m the chief of police. An entire community counts on me.”

  “I know that.” What did that have to do with anything? “People count on me, too. I understand obligations. I’m trying to help you with yours.”

  “No need.” Her mouth set into a flat line. “That’s outside your scope now, but the GGPD appreciates your offer.”

  What was he missing?

  The elevator chimed, an alert that the door had been open too long. “Thank you for your hospitality. Please have my things delivered to the station.” Her voice cracked as she pushed his hand out of the way. “Someone will be in touch if we need the hotel for the Orr capture.”

  The doors closed between them and he struggled to make sense of it. She’d left him. No, it didn’t make sense. What had set her off? He replayed the conversation in his head, struggling to identify his mistake so he could fix things.

  He would not accept that he’d lost her just when he’d figured out she was the woman he wanted with him forever.

  CHAPTER 15

  Melissa was almost grateful for Drew Orr. With her heart caught in an ever-tightening vise after walking away from Antonio, setting a trap for a criminal was the perfect distraction.

  She wasn’t looking forward to spending another awful, lonely night on a cot in her office, even if it was the right move. The station was the safest place in town with Orr on the loose. Second safest, she amended. But she couldn’t have stayed in that suite a minute longer, loving a man who doubted her work. She’d thought he had started to come around, that at the very least she’d earned some respect. Her heart felt pinched and she ached from the inside out. Even focused on her work, she knew loving Antonio had changed her.

  Bowe was a bad apple—he’d deceived everyone around him—but that didn’t make the entire department irredeemable. She couldn’t go around arresting people without evidence, even if the witness was the man she loved. There were rules, laws, procedures that kept the entire community safe.

  Melissa looked at the others gathered around the table helping her plan an operation to take down Orr. Yesterday, she’d given another press conference to announce the reopening of the Paxton case. Everyone had been on their toes, but Orr hadn’t yet responded. As much as she’d like to hope he’d left town, she couldn’t count on it.

  “What else can we do to get him to make a move on me?” she asked the room at large.

  The easiest path was to offer herself as bait. A year ago, even a month ago, she might’ve done it, taking the chance to minimize any risk to her officers. But after refusing to allow Antonio to pull the same stunt, she couldn’t expose herself on purpose. They might not have a future, but he’d suffered enough. She wouldn’t pile on.

  “Why not leak the detail about the fingerprint?” Troy asked.

  “I think the victim’s family would be impossible for Orr to resist,” Officer Coleman said. He and Bear were taking more walks around the station and the hotel, under the guise of training, while searching for any sign of Orr. “We could float the news that they’re coming to meet with you and discuss new evidence found in their daughter’s effects.”

  Melissa nodded, turning that over in her mind. “Yes. That has potential.” And it meant less risk to the community. She tapped her pen against her palm. She looked at the others one by one. “I want eyes at the hotel and regular updates. I’m aware Mr. Ruiz has his own security team, but I want to know if Orr goes directly at him again.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “All right, let’s get the word out. Who wants to pose as the parents?” She thanked the volunteers with a nod as soon as the hands shot up. With the right outerwear for the winter weather, the officers would be able to pass as the Paxtons from a distance. “The rest of us need to eliminate the places he can lie in wait.” It bothered her to no end that they hadn’t yet found Orr’s hideout.

  Troy arched an eyebrow. “We can put officers in place posing as repairmen over in city hall, up on rooftops, that kind of thing.”

  She walked closer to the city map projected on th
e screen at one end of the room. Using the remote, she zoomed in on the blocks around the station, pointing out where she wanted undercover officers stationed in anticipation of Orr’s response. When she was confident they had every possible approach covered, she sent a statement to the local networks and instructed the GGPD social-media liaison to post an update online.

  “Chief—” Officer Warren came skidding into the room “—we just got a silent alarm from the hotel. Orr forced Mr. Ruiz out at gunpoint.”

  The words hung in the air, an incomprehensible shock to her system. Her heart stalled out and she couldn’t get a full breath. “Which direction—”

  But there was no time to finish the question as screams erupted from the ever-present protestors out front. She swore and stormed to the front of the station, assessing the scene from just inside the bulletproof glass doors.

  Heedless of pedestrians, Orr had driven right up onto the sidewalk and was shouting for the chief of police. The bastard was using Antonio as a shield. Fear and fury lashed at her. She couldn’t give in to the emotions, couldn’t look at Antonio as the man she loved. Yes, loved, despite all her best attempts to resist it. All of that had to wait until they were clear.

  “Get an ambulance over here,” she ordered. “No sirens. Tell them to hold back out of sight.” Someone got on the radio and was speaking in hushed tones.

  “Warren, I want the street blocked.”

  “On it,” he said, rushing off.

  She faced her department, steel in her voice. “I want everyone out of harm’s way. One hostage is all he gets today.” On the street, Orr fired into the air and bellowed for her again. She ignored him. “Troy, get someone on a roof with a clear shot. I want teams of two, but no one moves without my order. I’ll keep him distracted.”

  Everyone leaped into motion as she stepped outside, hand resting casually on her gun. For the first time in days the steps were clear of protestors and she resented Orr for ruining the moment.

  She desperately wanted to give Antonio some kind of reassurance, but she couldn’t. If she looked at him, at the danger he was in, she might break. That would put them all in jeopardy and no doubt raise the body count.