The contents were much the same as before—but it was clearly a warning. Matt's jaw jutted out as he read. He didn't like this whole setup. Not one damn bit.
"You and the girls are coming home with me. And you're staying until we've found out who's behind all this."
His voice was quiet, but there was a steely determination in his eyes. Angie could tell he was waiting for her to explode. But she didn't. She knew he was right. It would be best if she wasn't alone. Besides, she just didn't feel up to another argument with him. She began to tell him so, but Janice cut her off before she could say a word.
"He's right, Angie. I think we'll all feel you'll be a lot safer if you're with Matt." Her look turned imploring. "And this time I'm really not trying to knock your heads together!"
"I agree," Bill put in. "You shouldn't be taking any chances, Angie."
Angie's laugh was wobbly. "Hey, don't I get a say-so here?" She held up her hands in a conciliatory gesture. "Before all of you decided to gang up against me, I was going to say that it's probably for the best if I don't stay here." Her gaze slid to Matt's. "Now can we gather a few things together and get this show on the road?"
***
It was late when Matt hung up the phone in his kitchen. He remained where he was, silently assessing the figure sitting at the table.
"Coffee?" He asked, covering his concern with sudden efficiency. Without waiting for an answer, he reached into the cupboard and brought down two cups. After filling them both from the pot on the counter, he walked back to the table and set one before her.
Angie accepted the offering, marveling that Matt was so calm, so offhand. She still felt as if her inside were no more than a mass of gelatin. It was hard to believe the girls were now safe and asleep iu the spare bedroom upstairs. She was, however, very grateful for his calm reassurance.
"Thanks." Hesitantly she smiled at him. "For everything."
He nodded. "We'll have a team out to check for fingerprints and talk to the neighbors first thing in the morning."
In spite of herself, Angie shivered. Just thinking about the havoc at her home made her feel cold inside all over again. "Think it will do any good?" she asked, trying her best not to sound glum.
"I wouldn't bank everything I owned on it, but let's hope so."
For her own peace of mind, she attributed his pessimism to caution. Tracing a finger around the rim of her cup, she smiled rather weakly. "Three women and a puppy may cramp your style, Chief Richardson."
He didn't say anything for the longest time. When she finally glanced up at him, she saw such tenderness that her heart turned over. "I'll take my chances, Ms Mayor," he murmured. "I'll take my chances." Rising, he held out a hand. "You must be exhausted. Let's get you to bed, okay?"
Angie unthinkingly placed her hand in his and let him pull her to her feet. Their eyes met and merged, melded by a force neither could deny. She wanted nothing more than to lose herself in the dark warmth of his mouth, the strength and security of his arms.
In that moment the feeble defenses she had forged against him crumpled. She was so tired of fighting—-fighting Matt, fighting the confusion in her heart. It felt so good. So right, this feeling of belonging. Perhaps someday she would succeed in sweeping him from her life. Someday... but not now.
A finger beneath her chin eased her face upward. "How are you holding up?" he asked very gently. "Truthfully, now."
She was touched at the deep concern reflected on his face. "I'm fine," she murmured.
"Really?" His eyes searched the pale curve of her cheek, then lingered on the dewy softness of her mouth.
"Really." Her body responded instinctively to his nearness. Her arms found their way around his waist. She leaned her head against his chest as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do. "But only because you're here," she whispered.
Matt smiled at the faint shyness he heard in her voice. "I'm glad you called me." His breath stirred her hair as he rested his chin on her head. "You scared the hell out of me, though. All I knew was that something was terribly wrong, and I thought something had happened to Kim or Casey." He paused. "The minute you saw what happened, all of you should have left, Angie. Whoever broke in could have still been inside the house."
"I know," she admitted sheepishly. "Janice and I were both so stunned I couldn't think straight. Especially after I found the note."
"That reminds me," Matt said with a frown. "The city hall issue is on the agenda for Monday's council meeting, isn't it?"
She nodded. Pulling back, she looked up at him worriedly. "Do you think we should postpone the vote again?"
"No... No, I think you should go ahead with it."
Something in his voice made her curious. "You know who it is, don't you? Who, Matt?" she demanded urgently. "John Curtis?"
"We don't know," he said cautiously. "But whoever it is, he's been pretty damn careful so far."
A prickly unease ran down her spine. "Then why do you think we should go ahead with the vote?"
He shook his head. "Angie, please, no more."
Her eyes remained locked on his face. His closed expression revealed nothing, but suddenly something clicked. "Wait a minute," she said slowly. "Whoever is behind this...you're trying to smoke him—or her— out of hiding."
Before he had a chance to respond, one of her hands, which had been resting lightly on his waistline, eased around toward his back.
"Your gun. You're wearing it again." Her breath fluttered unevenly. Since the night she'd told him how Evan had died, Matt hadn't been carrying it—at least when he was with her.
But tonight he was. She tried not to be alarmed, but her attempt at a smile fell flat. "I'd like to say you're not scaring me, but I think I'd be lying."
"Dammit, Angie." Muttering roughly, Matt hauled her tightly against his chest. "After what you've been through, that's the last thing I want."
Held so tightly against him, his heart drumming steadily under her ear, she felt as if some of his strength radiated into her. "I'm okay. Honestly," she assured him and managed a tremulous but honest-to-goodness smile. "Only between all the excitement and coffee, I probably won't be able to sleep a wink tonight."
His thumb traced the fragile line of her cheekbone. "Are you propositioning me again, Ms Mayor?"
"I'm not sure," she responded quietly, a vaguely troubled light appearing in her eyes. "But I do know I don't want to be alone tonight."
His warm lips touched her forehead, closed her eyes with wispy, feathery brushes, before settling fully on her mouth. It was a kiss filled with tenderness, meant to comfort, and Angie felt a storm of emotion fill her heart near to bursting. She was dimly aware that she was handing control over to Matt, but at this moment she trusted him every bit as much as she trusted herself.
She clung to him wordlessly as he scooped her into his arms and carried her up the stairs to a room swallowed by darkness. She felt the softness of a mattress beneath her, the touch of his hands on her body, his whispering voice instructing her to slide over.
"Hold me," she pleaded.
She was instantly cocooned in warmth, blanketed in security. The only thing she could think of was how right—and how good—it felt here in Matt's arms. And somehow she had never been more grateful for this man who gave everything and demanded so little.
He kissed her eyelids closed, drew the covers up over her bare shoulders. "Go to sleep, babe."
Even though Angie was convinced it would be hours before she could relax, she fell asleep almost immediately.
Instead, it was Matt who lay awake long into the night.
Angie discovered she didn't particularly care for the feeling of being a hunted animal. It was hard not to read ominous signs into anything the least bit unexpected—the sound of a car door slamming, the phone ringing, a floorboard creaking. But for the girls' sake, she managed to act fairly normally.
Kim and Casey stayed at the Crawfords' place most of Sunday afternoon, and she and Matt went back to her hous
e to begin cleaning up. While the damage wasn't as bad as it had appeared at first sight, it was nonetheless a tedious chore. She was both angry and frightened that someone had invaded the privacy of her home and rifled through her personal belongings. By the time the day ended her nerves were shot.
Monday was a little better. The city council meeting was set for seven that night, and she was anxious to have the vote on the city hall issue over and done with.
Perhaps then she could get back to normal. Still, if the vote didn't turn out as she hoped, she knew she would be very, very disappointed. Her tormentor, whoever he was, would have gained exactly what he wanted.
Which only brought her around to why. Why was someone so set on building a new city hall that he would slash tires, abduct her cat, vandalize her yard and ransack her home? What was in it for him? Matt thought it was for money. But perhaps that wasn't it at all. Maybe she had been the intended target all along, the city hall issue only a ruse.
Around and around her mind roiled. Her temples were throbbing when she pulled a small bottle from her desk, dumped a couple of aspirin into her palm and swallowed them with a glass of cool water.
She had just eased her head back tiredly when a knock sounded at the door. Todd Austin walked in.
"All set for the big meeting tonight?"
"I'd better be." She smiled wanly. "Besides, I don't have much choice, do I? Much as I hate to admit it, though, I hope we don't have another stalemate on our hands."
Todd wandered over to glance idly out the window, his hands in his pockets. "It'll be close, all right," he agreed. "I did a little unofficial checking and it looks like it could go either way. So--" he turned and lifted his brows "--looks like everything's riding on you."
Angie didn't say anything. The last time she'd spoken with Steve Jackson, he'd indicated he would support the renovations, but there was always the outside chance he had changed his mind. If the council was indeed split down the middle once more, she would have no choice but to cast the tie-breaking vote.
"Well," she said quietly, "we'll just have to wait and see, I guess." She looked across at him. "You'll be there, won't you?"
Todd nodded. "I do need to pick up a few reports I forgot at home this morning, though." He paused. "I don't suppose you could give me a lift? My car's in the shop till tomorrow afternoon. We could grab some dinner on the way back."
Angie checked her watch. It was nearly four-thirty. "I can give you a ride home and back, if you like. But I'll have to say no to dinner." She hesitated. "I'm meeting Matt Richardson here in about forty-five minutes."
"I see." His expression seemed to tighten. "He's staying for the meeting?"
"Yes." There was an awkward silence while Angie scanned his face anxiously. Then he seemed to relax.
"No problem," he told her. "We'll be back in plenty of time."
Angie collected her jacket and satchel, then stopped briefly by Georgia's desk to tell her she was leaving. When she and Todd neared her car, he asked, "Mind if I drive?"
With a shrug she handed over her keys. She'd been a passenger often enough in Todd's car to know that he was a capable driver.
The car was hot and stuffy from sitting in the sun all day. Rolling down the window, she enjoyed the feeling of the breeze cooling her face as Todd pulled out into the flow of traffic.
She frowned, though, when she happened to observe that his grip on the steering wheel was so tight his knuckles showed white. Beads of perspiration dotted the grim line of his lips.
"Todd?" Her voice was sharp. "Are you all right?"
He didn't seem to have heard her. "You're going to vote for restoring city hall, aren't you, Angie?"
"If it comes to that, yes." Her tone was puzzled. "But you already know that, Todd."
"I wouldn't if I were you." His eyes narrowed to pale slits. "No, Angie, I think you're going to have a change of heart. You'll vote for a new building... with the right incentive."
At first Angie found his words incomprehensible. Then, in spite of the heat of the day, she suddenly felt as if the temperature had plunged below zero.
There was a feral gleam in Todd's eyes, a harshness in his voice she'd never heard before.
"You," she whispered, stunned. "You're the one who slashed my tires, who broke into my house—it was you!" A burning rage replaced the icy numbness in her veins. She balled her hands into fists on her lap. It was all she could do to stop from hurtling herself at Todd's throat.
"Don't forget about the cat. You'll never find her, you know. I dumped her halfway to Seattle." His laugh was bitter. "I had to do something, didn't I? I had you right where I wanted you till you got it in your head you wanted to renovate that damned old building. But I wasn't worried. I could have talked you into anything— anything—until he came along!"
"Who? Matt Richardson?" The car veered around a corner. She gasped when her shoulder bounced painfully against the door.
Todd's lips curled. "Damn him, anyway!" he swore, viciously.
Angie stared at him, her mind reeling. Surely he wasn't saying he was jealous. There was more to it--much more. "I don't understand, Todd. Why... why did you do all those terrible things? What difference does it make to you whether or not city hall is renovated?"
"A hell of a lot! Money, Angie. It all boils down to money. Me and Jerry—we got it all worked out."
"Jerry?"
"Jerry McKinley. McKinley Construction." He shot her an impatient glance. "He planned to submit a bid for the new building..."
Angie went numb. "And in your job, you would have had access to all the bids."
"Now you're catching on. In exchange for a sizable fee, Jerry gets a little freebie." Todd laughed maliciously. "There's no way anyone else could turn in a lower bid, right? Bingo, Jerry gets the contract—"
"And you get your pockets padded." Her stomach began to churn. Now she understood Todd's reasons for wanting to deepen their relationship. He hadn't wanted her for herself; he'd only wanted to use her. Greed had been his only motivation.
"My God, Todd," she muttered. "I can't believe you tried to terrorize me into changing my stand. Don't you know me any better than that?"
"I know you, all right," he snarled. "And you'll do anything to protect those brats of yours! Do you know where they are right now, Angie? Who they're with?"
She stared at him dumbly. She couldn't believe that Todd would really... But he'd already kidnapped Spooky, a terrible voice reminded her. And he was tense, so tense. She could feel his desperation.
The tires squealed as the car screeched to a halt. Angie focused dimly on the traffic signal before them, the long stream of cars.
She lifted her chin defiantly, wondering if her lips were trembling as much as she thought they were. "You won't find them," she said clearly. "They're not at home."
"They're at the Crawfords. I know it—and so does my friend."
Pure panic clawed its way up to her throat. Her head swam dizzily, and for a sickening moment she thought she might pass out. "They're fine," she said jerkily. "If something had happened, Janice would have called...."
Her voice trailed away. There was no way of knowing if Janice had called. And she couldn't watch Kim and Casey every second. If either one happened to be near the street... They were so young. It would be so easy to pull a small, unsuspecting child into a car.
The light turned green. Her head jerked back as Todd accelerated. "Todd, be reasonable," she pleaded. "You can't expect to get away with this."
His hands gripped the steering wheel fiercely. "I can and I will!" he shouted. "As long as you do what I tell you!"
"Even if I did, sooner or later someone would find out." Angie braced her hands on the dashboard. Fear sharpened her voice. "Todd, listen to me!" They careered around a corner, and she cracked her head on the window. If he was trying to scare her, he was doing one hell of a job.
The Mercedes sped forward, darting and weaving through the traffic. Horns blared, brakes squealed. And still they moved,
faster and faster.
"Todd, please!" Angie grabbed for the emergency brake, knowing her effort was hopeless even as she lunged across the seat.
She heard the sickening sound of metal on metal. A sharp cry filled the wildly spinning void around her.
Then everything was dark.
***
Matt stepped into the mayor's office at precisely five- fifteen. Georgia was standing at her desk in the process of clearing the day's clutter.
Without breaking his stride, he started across the room. "Hi, Georgia. Angie still holed up inside?"
Georgia's voice stopped him halfway.
"She's not in there, Chief." She squinted up at the clock on the wall. "Left here about four-thirty."
Matt turned with a frown. He was a little surprised she hadn't let him know she was leaving. "Did she go home?" he asked. "She was supposed to meet me here."
"She said she'd be back. Todd Austin's car is in the repair shop, so she gave him a ride home," Georgia shrugged. "She must have got caught in traffic."
"The repair shop?" There was a distinct edge to his voice. "I saw him drive up and park over on Oak Street less than two hours ago." He hadn't given it a second thought at the time. But most of the city's employees parked in the lot adjacent to the building or on the street directly in front of it. Now chilling needles of apprehension raced up his spine.
"Maroon sports car, some kind of foreign make?"
He nodded, a tense look on his face.
"That's his, all right," Georgia confirmed.
Matt felt as if he'd been struck between the eyes with a hammer. "It's him!" He banged a fist on the desktop, suddenly furious with himself—and with Todd Austin. "Dammit, it's him!"
He had just slammed his car door shut and was shoving the gearshift into reverse when he heard the crackle and buzz of the police radio. Matt gunned the motor. He was scarcely listening as a call sputtered through, dispatching a unit to the scene of a traffic accident.
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