Edge of the Heat 7

by Ladew, Lisa

  The woman in front of him studied him for a few more minutes and then lightened up. A smile crossed her face, making her look all of twenty-five. She stuck out her hand. “Hi, call me Brindi. You must be Hawk Kincaid with the FBI.”

  Hawk smiled back and mentally relaxed. Now he knew why he’d been hearing so much about her. Too many men in law enforcement and security were still old-fashioned, thinking only other men could do the job well, so when a woman did the job as well as they did, it was always news to them. When an attractive woman did it, those same men fell all over themselves trying to work with her.

  Brindi led him inside and sat him down in the chair opposite her desk. Hawk stuttered for a moment, not sure how to proceed. He hadn’t spent any time thinking about how to get her to do something that was surely against her ethics and could even make her lose her license if things went bad.

  He would have to explain to her how bad things were for his family right now. How important this information was. He would appeal to her sense of decency, of rightness. Promise her he would never reveal what she said. Something important niggled in the back of Hawk’s mind and he reached for it, but he couldn’t quite get it. He let his mind work it out on its own and turned his attention back to Brindi.

  “One of your men is following someone and I need to know why.”

  Brindi blinked, but didn’t respond in any way.

  “JT—Jon Taylor. You have someone following him.”

  Brindi leaned back in her chair and put her hands behind her head. Her eyes searched the ceiling and she shook her head slowly. “You know I can’t tell you anything about that.”

  Hawk pressed his lips together. “And you know I can get a warrant. Make you open the files.”

  Brindi sat straight up and faced him openly. “Do you have grounds for a warrant?”

  Hawk stared at her, trying not to challenge her. Slowly, he shook his head no.

  Brindi opened her hands like that explained everything. “Sorry, Hawk. I wish I could help you. But I know you understand my position. I just wish you hadn’t come all the way from Westwood Harbor to hear me say no. I could’ve told you that over the phone.”

  Hawk leaned forward, not about to give up that easily. He lowered his voice. “Look, Jon Taylor is my brother-in-law. Our family has been through seven levels of hell in the last forty-eight hours and we need your help.”

  Brindi gave him a small smile. “Hawk, you seem like a nice guy and I’m really sorry about your family. But I can’t help you. You know the confidentiality rules and ethics. I take them very seriously.”

  Hawk felt his heart sink like a stone. “I get that. But let me ask you something. How would you feel if you provided information to someone that caused people to end up dead? Innocent people.”

  Brindi narrowed her eyes. “Is that the case?”

  Hawk pressed his lips together. He didn’t want to lie, but if she heard his story— what he had been through in the last two days and if she thought those events were related to this…

  Hawk exploded out of his chair as connections formed like a cement wall in his mind. He held a hand up. “Brindi, I’m sorry. I have to make a phone call. It’s a matter of life and death. Can you excuse me for just a moment? Please don’t go anywhere.”

  Confusion showed on Brindi’s face but she waved him out into the waiting area where he could make his phone call in relative privacy. Hawk dug the borrowed phone out of his pocket and dialed Vivian’s number.

  When she answered he blew out a shaky sigh. “Viv, where are you?”

  “Home,” she said. He did not like the dull note in her voice, but at least she had answered.

  “Stay there. Don’t let anybody in the house. Who is with you?”

  “Why, Hawk? What is going on now?”

  “I’ll tell you as soon as I can, babe. Is anybody there with you?”

  “JT and Dani are here.”

  “Let me talk to JT – it’s important.”

  Hawk waited impatiently until he finally heard JT pick up the line and speak a greeting. “JT, I’m in San Francisco. I can’t explain right now but I think someone might be after you, Vivian, and Emma. We thought this was all about Craig and I, but I think we were wrong. Call Craig and tell him to drive Emma home. Stay with Vivian until I get there. Don’t let anyone in the house.”

  “Got it.” JT said.

  Hawk silently blessed his brother-in-law and hung up the phone. He returned to Brindi’s office to find her waiting patiently for him. He sat down and opened his hands wide.

  “The lives of six people are depending on you.” He gripped the desk as a shudder ran through him. “Make that seven people. My wife is pregnant.”

  Chapter 9

  Hawk sat silently as the silence filled the room. He had spilled his story and now all he could do was wait for Brindi’s verdict.

  Brindi leaned back in her chair again and sighed long and slow. Finally she faced him. “I don’t know who the guy is who hired me to follow Jon Taylor. I’ve only talked to him on the phone.”

  Hawk felt relief spread through him like some calming drug. “What name did he give?”

  Brindi pulled a file out of a drawer on her desk and opened it up. “Kevin Hall.”

  Hawk wrote it down quickly, knowing it would be a dead end. “How did he pay?”

  “In cash. He placed it in our drop box in the entryway in the middle of the night.”

  “Are there cameras out there?”

  Brindi nodded but her face was grim. “Sure, but I already checked them. He’s got a cap pulled down low over his face and you can’t see anything but his chin.”

  Hawk pressed on. He already knew the guy was smart and careful. He could have expected all of this. “How are you updating him?”

  “By email. But it’s a throwaway email. I’m sure his name is not associated with it.”

  Hawk nodded. “But it’s the best we have for now. Give it to me and I’ll track down his IP address.”

  Brindi slid a piece of paper across the desk to him. “Are you going to get a search warrant?”

  Hawk shrugged. “It looks like I’ll have to. I’ve got a guy who could peek into those files for me, but he’s in Hawaii. His sister just beat cancer and he took her on a long vacation to celebrate.”

  Brindi fiddled with the paper on her desk. “I’ve got a guy too, but he’s in Vietnam on assignment. It might take me a day or two to get him on it but I’ll ask him if you need me to.”

  Hawk thought for a moment and almost gave her the go-ahead, but could they really wait for a day or two?

  His hand snuck to the phone in his pocket. “Wait. I know someone who can access those files.” He yanked out the phone and turned it on, then shoved it back into his pocket in frustration. “My phone blew up in the explosion. I don’t have his number in this one.”

  Hawk wracked his brain trying to remember the number, but he knew it was hopeless. Then he realized he had another way to get ahold of Knox Rosesson. “I’ll bet he’s on his computer. I know his Skype name. Any chance I can use your computer?”

  “Of course.” Brindi pushed the laptop across the desk so he could reach it.

  Hawk spun the laptop around and found Skype in the program files. It was already logged in with Brindi’s Skype name, Bbattainisecurity. Hawk hoped Knox would answer. He typed in Knox’s Skype name, alphaprivatesecurity, and sent a friend request and message. Knox, pick up, I need to talk to you. He bent over the keyboard again to add his name when the program chimed acceptance and then a call began ringing through.

  Knox’s face filled the screen and his voice sounded out of the speakers. “Hi darlin, what can I help you with?” he drawled in a bedroom voice.

  Hawk clicked the tiny video icon so Knox could see him. Knox’s smile faded immediately. “Oh, it’s just you, Hawk.”

  Hawk quirked a smile. “It’s good to see you too, Knox.”

  “Sorry, man. I thought I was going to get to talk to the lovely lady in the pic
ture.”

  Brindi popped up from her chair and came around the desk to get in the frame, peeking over Hawk’s shoulder. “Here I am,” she breathed.

  Knox’s smile reappeared and Hawk shook his head. They didn’t have time for this.

  Hawk put his hands up in front of the screen. “I hate to break this party up but I’m calling for a reason.”

  After a beat, Knox pulled his eyes away from Brindi and gave Hawk his full attention.

  That was more like it. “I need to know the IP address for a throwaway email account. This is personal and important. Life and death.”

  Knox made a give it gesture and Hawk recited the email address. He knew Knox would help him.

  “Give me five minutes,” Knox said and his Skype screen blanked.

  Brindi returned to her chair. “Who is that? He’s hot.”

  Hawk pressed the mute button on the video chatting software and turned to Brindi, a sour look on his face. “That’s Knox Rosesson.”

  Brindi’s eyes widened. “Of Rosesson Home Security?”

  Hawk shook his head. “That’s his father. Knox started his own company. He does panic rooms like his dad, but he also does personal security for the wealthy.”

  Brindi’s eyes shone. “Hook me up,” she said.

  Hawk groaned. “Just professionally. From what I’ve heard his personal life is kind of… convoluted.”

  Now Brindi just looked fascinated. “Like three ex-wives and a crazy mistress convoluted?”

  “No… more like … ah, just trust me. He’s more trouble than he’s worth. Unless you’re into that kind of thing.”

  “I’d be willing to try anything once,” Brindi said. “Especially with a guy who looks like that. He’s got dark and handsome down. Tell me he’s tall and I won’t be able to handle it.”

  Hawk shrugged. “He’s about my height.”

  Brindi’s eyes rolled back in her head and she fanned herself with a piece of paper from her desk.

  Hawk watched her bemusedly. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  The laptop in front of him lightened and Knox’s face came back on the screen.

  “Ready?”

  Hawk un-muted them, grabbed a piece of paper and nodded.

  “I got the IP address and I already traced it for you. It comes back to a Canon Country Industries. PO Box 4547 Tetam County, California.”

  Hawk copied the information down, his mind whirling. Tetam County was just outside of Westwood Harbor.

  A knock sounded behind Hawk as he was writing, someone at the main entrance. Brindi shot up from her chair and excused herself, leaving Hawk alone in her office.

  Hawk looked up to see Knox watching her go. When the door closed behind her Knox said, “What’s her story?”

  “That’s Brindi Battaini. She’s a private investigator here in San Francisco.”

  “Single?”

  Hawk shrugged. “Seems like it.”

  “I’ve heard of her,” Knox said. “I didn’t know she was so gorgeous though.”

  “I don’t think she’s your type,” Hawk said, remembering the kind of women he’d seen Knox involved with before.

  Knox threw back his head and laughed. “Come on Kincaid, all women are my type.”

  Hawk shook his head, then prepared to ask one more favor and sign off. Knox’s preferences in women was something he had no time or desire to think about. He had to get home and make sure his family was still safe.

  Chapter 10

  Emma stomped in her front door, Craig on her heels. “I just don’t understand why you had to come to the fire station,” she said over her shoulder.

  JT stood in the dining area, setting the table. “Uh-oh,” he said, throwing a glance their way. “Lover’s quarrel?”

  Emma didn’t wait for a reply from Craig. She addressed JT. “I had to do four hours of overtime at station eighteen for one of the captains and Craig sat there in the station the entire time, in the radio room, glowering at anyone who dared to step off the sidewalk or come too close to the building.”

  JT shrugged. “Hawk thinks you could be in danger. Craig is just trying to protect you.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I heard. What else is new?” Emma grumped, then disappeared into her bedroom to change her clothes.

  When she returned to the dining room she felt better, some of the day’s headaches already shed along with her uniform. She found her husband standing against the dining room wall, listening to JT. She pressed herself against him and twined her hands around his waist. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be grumpy.”

  Craig squeezed her tight and planted a chaste kiss on her forehead. “I even love you when you’re grumpy, you know that. JT was about to tell me about their day.”

  JT shrugged. “Hawk will be home soon. We don’t really know anything else yet. We’ve just been hanging out since we got his phone call. He says not to wait for him to eat dinner.”

  Dani came into the room from down the hallway, pulling Vivian after her. Emma looked over her sister, concern on her face. Vivian seemed worse than she had yesterday. Her hair had not been brushed or washed and she was still wearing the same clothes Emma had given her the night before. Vivian pulled away from Dani and sat at the table, not looking at anyone. Emma rushed over and kissed her sister on the cheek. “Hi Viv, how are you doing?”

  “Good,” Vivian mumbled into her empty plate.

  Emma squeezed Vivian’s shoulder and looked at Dani, heartbreak for her sister in her eyes. Dani motioned for her to come into the kitchen.

  Emma followed Dani into the far corner of the kitchen where Dani crowded close and whispered into her ear. “She wouldn’t buy anything today. I had to bring her home early. She wouldn’t even look at the baby clothes. I think she’s still in some sort of shock.”

  Emma looked over her shoulder, through the open doorway between the kitchen and dining area where Vivian sat quietly at the dining room table. Emma’s heart sank. She knew what to do for physical shock but emotional shock? How did you help someone get over the fact that their house had been blown up and someone was trying to kill them?

  Dani plucked at her sleeve. “Help me with dinner. Maybe we can talk to her after.”

  Emma nodded and headed to the countertop, carrying bowls of soup and bread to the table.

  When they all sat down to their meal, Emma watched Vivian closely, anxious to see that she was only caressing her spoon and not actually picking it up and using it to eat. Emma wondered how long it had been since Vivian had eaten anything. The baby needed food.

  Vivian stopped caressing her spoon and reached forward to do the same thing to her bread plate.

  Dani leaned forward suddenly, a fierce look in her eyes. “Are you thinking about all your wedding china, Vivian? That was a lovely set you got.”

  A single tear fell from Vivian’s eye into her soup.

  Emma stared hard at Dani, hoping she would take the hint and stop talking.

  But Dani took no hint. “Are you thinking about how all your plates are gone? How they were destroyed in the fire?”

  Emma looked around at JT and Craig who were both staring at Dani openly. Emma caught Dani’s eye. What are you doing? she mouthed.

  Trust me, Dani mouthed back.

  “Your pictures, Vivian. They’re all gone too. And the crib your dad made for the baby. It’s gone. Burnt up in the fire.”

  JT reached across the table and grasped Dani’s hand. “Dani,” he whispered. “Hawk isn’t going to like—”

  “The baby’s nursery,” Dani exclaimed, ignoring JT. “It’s gone. Completely destroyed.”

  Understanding dawned in Emma’s brain. She looked closely at Vivian. Tears dripped down her face now, but her expression still showed no emotion.

  Dani’s got it wrong though, she’s trying to make Vivian be sad. Vivian’s already sad enough. She needs to get angry!

  Emma took a moment to wonder if she had ever seen her sister get angry and then pushed the thought away. It didn�
�t matter, because she was about to. “That guy took everything you had. It’s okay to be upset. Angry even. I would be livid if someone blew up my house and tried to kill me.”

  Still no reaction from Vivian. Emma opened her mouth to try again but Vivian arched suddenly, like a cat. She slammed her hand on the table and let out a scream then stood up, knocking her chair to the floor. Out of the corner of her eye, Emma saw JT drop his silverware and stare openly at Viv in surprise.

  Vivian’s hands clenched open and closed like she wasn’t sure what to do with them. Emma stood up too, thrilled to finally see Vivian responding. Vivian looked around the table, her eyes flashing in anger. Emma acted without thinking, snatching Hawk’s empty bowl off of the table and thrusting it into Vivian’s hands.

  Vivian looked at the bowl like she’d never seen one before and then heaved it across the room at the wall, where it shattered with a flat, unimportant sound, the pieces falling to the floor. Emma grabbed a plate and gave it to her sister. Vivian threw this one on the floor, an agonized, hurting sound coming from her throat.

  “That … that … MOTHERFUCKER!” Vivian screamed. Craig stood up and took a step backwards, his face showing his disbelief and uncertainty. Vivian snatched up her fork and knife and threw them into the corner of the room, another anguished cry coming from her.

  The front door slammed open and everyone jumped but Vivian. Hawk took a powerful step into the room. “What in the hell is going on here?” he thundered, his eyes on his trembling wife.

  Hawk rushed to Vivian’s side and she collapsed into his arms. “Hawk, he took everything we had. He blew up our house. He robbed us of everything we owned in the world.”

  Hawk held Vivian close, caressing her hair and kissing her cheeks. “He did baby, he did. But he didn’t take you and he didn’t take me. And he didn’t take the most precious thing we have.”

  Hawk dropped to his knees and kissed Vivian’s rounded belly with incredible tenderness. The gesture was so intimate, Emma had to look away. “He didn’t take this baby that you’re providing such a safe and perfect home for.”

  A wracking, tormented sob built up in Vivian’s throat, spilling over into the room. Her body shook as the tears poured out of her, her hands clenching Hawk’s shoulders. Hawk held her around her waist until she quieted as everyone in the room stayed silent, feeling Vivian’s pain. Hawk stood and picked her up. “I’m taking you to bed.”