Bride On the Run

by Leann Harris

  “What is it?” Captain York asked from the open door.

  “I was talking to my old apartment manager and the line went dead.”

  “So?”

  “I asked Marv to call me if anyone came around asking about me. I’ve got a bad feeling about this, Al.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Al said, following Luke down the hall.

  “You don’t need to do that, Captain.”

  Al caught Luke’s arm. “I want to. Let me grab my coat and I’ll meet you downstairs.”

  Luke nodded and dashed down the hall. He hoped his fears were groundless and Marv was okay.

  * * *

  Luke looked down at his old friend, sprawled facedown on the floor. A bullet to the base of his skull had killed him. Exactly the same as Gwen Kennedy. Luke glanced at the phone. It had been ripped out from the wall.

  “The evidence guys are on their way over.” Al squatted down by the body and studied the wound. “We probably won’t get a decent bullet out of this one. That is, unless the killer decided two shots were needed.”

  Luke walked outside and leaned against the building. Guilt swamped him. He got what he wanted. The killer was after him. Now all he had to do was catch him before he got to J.D. Al joined him and waited.

  “This guy’s a bastard, Al,” he muttered. “I want him. Bad.”

  * * *

  It was ten, the late-night news blaring on the television, when Luke arrived home. J.D. was sitting on the couch, her legs drawn to her chest, her arms wound tightly around her calves.

  He knew immediately she was angry and he was in trouble. With a capital T.

  His mind raced and, with a sinking sensation, he remembered their appointment this afternoon to go office hunting. The major error he’d committed was failing to call her and tell her of the murder.

  He settled into the chair across from the sofa. Sitting next to her would be a mistake. “I’m sorry about this afternoon, J.D., but something came up.”

  Her brow arched. She obviously thought he was covering for his blunder.

  “There was a murder.”

  Her gaze remained stony. The woman was unconvinced.

  He ran his hand through his hair several times. “J.D., it was my case. The man was talking to me on the phone when he was killed.”

  She unfolded and her eyes softened. “Who was it, Luke?”

  He shook his head.

  With a slow grace, she stood, walked to him, then sank to her knees at his feet. “Did it have something to do with Gwen’s murder?”

  The woman had ESP, that was the only explanation. Or she knew him so well that she could read things no one else could.

  “Yes.” He proceeded to explain to her what had happened.

  * * *

  J.D. toyed with the rim of her coffee cup. Luke put down his spoon filled with shredded wheat and looked at her. “Spill it, Counselor.”

  She gave him an assessing look which made his neck itch. “This probably isn’t a good time, but—”

  Luke groaned, his chin dropping to his chest.

  “—when can I go looking for a new office?”

  His head jerked up and his eyes zeroed in on hers. “You can’t. The danger’s greater now, so it’s doubly important that you stay hidden. I’m going to call in a few favors and get you a guard.”

  “McGill.”

  He held up his hands to stave off her further protests. “Sorry, J.D., but your safety is my utmost concern, and that overrules any previous agreement.”

  “No.” She said it calmly, but Luke knew she had reached her limit. No more pushing. “I think you’re right and there is a certain amount of danger, so I won’t press for going out to look for an office. But I’m going to hold you to our agreement, which means you have until the end of the month, then I’m out of here.”

  Her statement hit him like a slug in the chest, taking his breath away and leaving him to feel like he was bleeding inside.

  * * *

  The commotion in Captain York’s office drew Luke’s attention from the report he was reading. He stopped walking and listened.

  “Where the hell is she? I want to see Luke McGill. Now.” The last word was roared.

  A panicked David Sanders darted out of York’s office into the hall nearly colliding with Luke. “There’s a crazy man in there who’s accusing you of kidnaping his daughter,” said the officer in charge of missing persons.

  So the captain had met J.D.’s dad. This should be interesting. Folding the report under his arm, Luke strode into the office.

  The instant George Anderson saw Luke he jumped from his chair. “Where’s J.D.? And what the hell’s going on here? I got to her house, only to find a burned-out shell. Then I go to the police and they claim to know nothing.”

  “If you give me a minute, Mr. Anderson, I’ll explain everything to you.” He motioned for George to be seated. Luke carefully explained the events that had led up to J.D.’s house being blown up. Reluctantly, he included the part about the marriage. If George ran into Allen, Luke wanted the older man to be prepared for any comment Allen might make.

  “Is my girl all right?”

  “Yes. She only sustained a few cuts and bruises. But I think J.D. is still in danger. She’s at my house right now. Only Captain York and I know where that is. And, of course, the guy who’s watching her, Mike Fraser.”

  A broad grin crossed George’s face. “You and J.D. got married?”

  Of all the reactions Luke had anticipated, this wasn’t one of them. “Yes, but it’s not the real thing. We plan to get a divorce as soon as J.D. can file the papers.”

  George leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin. “A divorce, you say. Not an annulment?”

  The old bird was just as observant as his daughter. No wonder J.D. had to be on her toes all the time, if she was going to match wits with her father. “Would you like to see her?”

  “That’s why I came to Dallas, boy, to see her.” George picked up his Stetson and a large padded envelope from the desk. “Lead the way.”

  On the ride to Luke’s house, George fired numerous questions about the investigation. When Luke exited the expressway, he noticed a late-model blue car following them onto the service road. He kept a constant watch on the car as he made his way through the neighborhood.

  “Is something wrong?” George asked. “You keep looking in your rearview mirror like someone’s tailing us.”

  Before Luke could answer, the car turned left onto a cross street. He breathed a sigh of relief. “No, nothing’s wrong. I was just keeping tabs on who was behind us. Can’t be too careful. Not after everything that’s happened.”

  George fell silent until they reached Luke’s house. Luke cut the motor and reached for his the door, but George laid a restraining hand on his arm. “I’ve got something to say to you before we go inside. Don’t be in such an all-fired hurry to divorce J.D. You’re a good man, McGill. I like that. And I think you’re the right man for my little girl. She might be a bit prickly on the outside, but the girl’s got a heart of gold and a sense of honor and loyalty that surpasses anyone I’ve ever known, including me. Give her a fair chance.”

  “You might tell J.D. how you feel about her,” Luke replied. “I think she’d like to know.”

  George’s stunned expression quickly turned to delight. “By damn, I knew I was right about you, boy. You must be a good West Texas boy.”

  “End of the World.”

  Laughing, George threw open his door. “You come from that sod-busting town? Only good thing I can say about the place is it’s in Texas.”

  Mike Frazer greeted them at the front door.

  “Everyone okay here?” Luke asked his friend.

  “Fine. J.D. and I traded courtroom stories. She’s got some funny ones.”

  “Speaking of the counselor, where is she?”

  With his thumb, Mike motioned over his shoulder. “In the kitchen, on the phone.”

  Luke patted Mike on the shoulder. “T
hank’s for coming. I’ll stay with her now.”

  “Anytime you need me, call.”

  Mike let himself out while Luke and George walked to the kitchen. J.D. was wrapped in the phone cord, pacing as far as the cord would allow. When she saw her father, her eyes widened and she stopped talking midstream.

  “Emma, I’ve got to go. I’ll meet you at Luke’s office tomorrow at ten.” Her eyes never left her father as she hung up the phone. “Hi, Dad.”

  George studied every inch of her. “Looks like you had a mighty fine shiner, girl.”

  She shrugged. “I strive for excellence in all I do.”

  George guffawed. “Now I know you’re all right. Come here and give your pa a hug.”

  Once she complied, she stepped back. “What are you doing here, Dad?”

  He wagged his finger at her. “Why didn’t you tell me what happened? I nearly had a heart attack when I went to your office. I ripped up half the Dallas Police Department trying to find you.”

  Sighing, she leaned her hips against the edge of the kitchen table. “That’s one of the reasons, Dad. I knew you’d make a big deal out of it.”

  “A big deal. My daughter’s house is blown up. Why shouldn’t I make a big deal out of it?”

  Her back straightened and she locked eyes with George. “It’s being handled, Dad. Besides, you were out of the country and there was nothing you could do.”

  George opened his mouth and closed it again. He thrust the padded envelope at J.D. “Here, this came for you while I was gone. I had a funny feeling about it.”

  Her brows wrinkled into a frown as she read the handwriting on the outside. It was addressed to her, care of her father’s Midland office. The postmark told her it was mailed from Dallas. Flipping it over, she ripped it open and pulled out a diary, a small red cardboard envelope and a single sheet of paper.

  “Who’s it from?” George asked.

  J.D. skimmed the single sheet of paper. “Gwen Kennedy.”

  “What?” both Luke and George said simultaneously.

  “Let me read it,” J.D. said, batting their hands away. “‘J.D., I’m mailing this to you because I have a bad feeling that something might happen to me. The key enclosed is to the safe-deposit box at Dallas National Bank. The evidence you’ll need to verify the things listed in the diary is there. I hope I can tell you this in person and this extra precaution is not necessary. Gwen.’”

  Luke picked up the battered diary and opened it. He silently read the entry. He flipped through several more pages.

  “Well, what’s in there?” J.D. asked. “What did Gwen write about?”

  “Our guess was right. It was a blackmail ring. Gwen names names, dates, amounts of money they extorted from different individuals. Allen and Gail are mentioned.”

  “Allen Danford, J.D.’s ex?” George asked.

  Luke nodded.

  J.D. snatched the book from his hand. She scanned several pages.

  “From what I read,” Luke continued, “they were as interested in controlling different senators’ and representatives’ votes as they were in cash.”

  “Influence peddling.” J.D. shook her head. “No wonder Gwen wanted an attorney. She was in deep trouble.”

  George kicked the chair next to J.D. “That good for nothing Allen Danford. When I see him, I’m gonna beat him to a pulp.”

  J.D. jumped off the table and grabbed her father’s arm. “No, you’re not going to do anything. You do and you’ll tip him off and he’ll leave the country. Let me and Luke handle this legally, Dad. That way we can get all the guilty parties.”

  “I don’t like it. Don’t like it at all.”

  “But—” J.D. held her breath.

  “But you’ve got my word I’ll let you handle it.”

  “Good.”

  It was astounding to see J.D. manipulate her father. It took real talent to divert George Anderson, and his daughter had it.

  J.D. turned to Luke. “We’ll need to get a court order to get into that safe-deposit box. Judge Matthews would be our best bet.” She glanced down at her shorts and knit top. “Give me five minutes to change, then we can go to the courthouse.”

  “I don’t think—”

  J.D. cut Luke off. “That’s right. Don’t think I’m going to stay here while you get this evidence. Judge Matthews has a soft spot for me, and with this black eye he’ll give me that order in two seconds. With your charm—” she shrugged “—you might get it today, and then again you might not.”

  The lady was damn good at manipulating him as well as she did her dad.

  “Get dressed,” Luke snapped.

  Her smile sparkled. “See, Dad, how gracious he is in defeat.”

  An hour later, the court order tucked in her purse, her father safely on his plane back to Midland, J.D. and Luke went to the bank. Gwen had rented the largest box possible, and it was crammed with pictures and tapes. Luke scrounged a cardboard box from a bank employee to cart off their find.

  On the drive back to his house, Luke couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched, but he never saw anyone tailing their car.

  Still, his sixth sense told him the killer knew they had Gwen’s evidence and would act soon.

  CHAPTER 15

  They spent that night and most of the next day piecing together the exploits of the blackmail ring. According to Gwen’s diary there were only the four people in the ring: Gwen herself, Gail Williams, Hal Weston and Allen Danford.

  J.D. pointed the remote at the television and turned off the VCR. “It’s staggering what our four eager beavers did.” She glanced at the video tapes and pictures scattered across the sofa and coffee table. “They blackmailed four senators, five representatives, got twenty bills passed in their favor. They even have the heads of several state agencies jumping to their tune. No wonder everyone said how good Gwen was.”

  Luke rested his arm on the back of the couch. “Are you surprised?”

  Rubbing her shoulders, J.D. replied, “I shouldn’t be.” As much as she’d seen in her law practice, she shouldn’t have been surprised at the corruption, but she had this fatal flaw. She believed people were basically good and operated with a code of honor. It disappointed her every time she was proven wrong.

  “But you are.” He scooted across the cushions and grasped her shoulders, turning her away from him. He began to massage her sore muscles.

  “That feels wonderful. You’re good.”

  He leaned close. “You said that to me once before and I had all sorts of fantasies about what you meant.”

  She glanced over her shoulder. “Are you fishing for a compliment?” He looked like a little boy waiting for a treat from the cookie jar. “Well, my experience isn’t broad and the sample is very small—”

  He pinched her.

  “Ouch. All right, all right. You’re good, Luke. Very, v-e-r-y good.” She made the last word sizzle.

  He nuzzled her ear.

  “Stop that,” she said, pushing him away.

  “Why?”

  “Because, Detective, we need to determine which one of our remaining three was the killer.”

  “Or, my dear innocent, it could’ve been any of the people the ring was blackmailing. Maybe one of them discovered Gwen was going to come clean and didn’t want his job and reputation shot to hell, so he shut her up.”

  J.D. picked up a set of pictures on the coffee table. “There’s something odd about these pictures,” she murmured, studying the roll of film they’d obtained from Gwen’s apartment.

  Luke looked over her shoulder at the photo in her hand. “I don’t see anything unusual. Allen and Hal sitting in a bar with some man. They look like three good old Texas boys. Why, from the angle of the shot you can even see Allen’s boots.”

  “That’s it,” J.D. shouted. She turned to Luke. “That’s what was bothering me about these pictures.” She searched the set, pulling out two more that showed Allen wearing cowboy boots. “Look, Luke. Allen is wearing boots.”

&
nbsp; “So?”

  “So when I was married to him, Allen hated Western boots. He claimed he was too sophisticated to wear them. Every time he saw a man in them, he would rage about how wearing Western boots was the mark of a backwater, uneducated person.”

  “What do you think accounts for his switch in opinions?”

  “He did it because he wanted to make a favorable impression with someone. Maybe the boots were given to him as a gift by a powerful person.”

  “And I’ll bet the boots have a unique heel with the outline of the state of Texas etched into them.” Luke stood and began to pace. “Anyone else in those pictures wearing boots?”

  She flipped through the photos. “No.”

  “I’ll need to clear it with my captain, but I’ll call Craig Winston with Austin P.D. and have him obtain a search warrant for Allen’s residence.”

  “If you arrest only Allen, the rest will run for cover, giving you guys no end of trouble. It will save you all some grief if you take them all in at the same time.”

  Luke froze and gave J.D. a surprised look. “Why, Counselor, it sounds like you’re taking up for the police.”

  She walked to him and jabbed her finger into his chest. “Detective, I’ve always wanted to see right prevail. In this case, we know which side is right.”

  He captured her hand, then pressed a warm, sensuous kiss into the palm. “You mean that if your ex-husband asks you to defend him, you’ll turn him down?”

  She tried to punch him, but Luke refused to release her hand. Instead he placed it behind his back and slid his arms around her waist. “You’re dangerous, Counselor, when aroused.” He grinned wickedly.

  She took a small bow. “Why, thank you, Detective. It’s always nice to be respected.” She raised up on her toes and her mouth met his. The kiss was consuming, shutting out the world, leaving only the two lovers.

  Finally, Luke lifted his head. Regret showed in his eyes. “I wish we had time to finish this, but the sooner Allen and his friends are behind bars, the easier I’ll rest.” He glanced at his watch. It was a little after nine, and he knew Al York was home. Since Al lived in Oak Cliff, ten miles southwest of downtown, it was quicker and easier for the two men to meet at the captain’s office. After the arrangements had been made, Luke picked up his address book and searched for Mike Frazer’s number.