The English Detective and the Rookie Agent

by Pat White

  It was the only way to figure out what the hell was going on, Jeremy thought as he snuck across the room. He glanced over his shoulder. Mercedes was sound asleep in a chair, Eddie was still working on Mr. Weddle’s computer, the FBI agent was watching the telly without the sound.

  “I’ve got to run out,” Jeremy whispered. “Need some air.”

  Eddie didn’t respond.

  Jeremy touched his shoulder and Eddie looked up. “Huh?”

  “I can’t sleep. I’m going to get some air.”

  “Sure, okay.” He snapped his attention back to the computer screen.

  Jeremy closed the door softly, not wanting to wake Mercedes. She needed her sleep. And he needed to take care of this alone.

  You owe me, Barnes.

  The computerized voice haunted him. What haunted him even more was that the call came in on Mercedes’s mobile, not Jeremy’s. Jeremy hadn’t meant to put her at risk; he’d tried to tell Max he couldn’t be paired with her, for her own good.

  No, that wasn’t his only motivation. She was starting to sense things about him, things better left alone—like his secret ache to feel a child’s love.

  Walking down Main Street, Jeremy headed for the beach. He’d done his research earlier, when he’d convinced Mercedes to pick up dinner for them. That hadn’t been easy. He could see that she didn’t want to be perceived as a low-level assistant, but when he’d made up an excuse about being sore from the car incident, she willingly volunteered.

  He’d played upon her nurturing instinct and it had worked. Sneaking a few minutes on Eddie’s computer, Jeremy had discovered that Carver’s Cove was only blocks from the lodge, off the main beach.

  He flipped up his collar against the chill. A lot like back home, he admitted, blowing into his hands. Fall could be a dark and unforgiving season, especially to people like the Weddles, who ached for their kidnapped son.

  Kidnapped by whom?

  The big question topping the list and Jeremy couldn’t focus with his personal issue distracting him.

  Someone was out to get him.

  And he hadn’t a clue why.

  He wracked his brain for potential enemies, for mer criminals he’d put away for life. None stood out more than another and he’d never grown intimate enough with a woman to warrant this kind of anger.

  Sure, he’d been intimate with Nancy, but she had no right to hold a grudge. She’d been the one who’d left him. He’d tried to find her, pressed her roommate and friends, but no one knew where she’d gone. They just knew she was safe…and happy.

  Without Jeremy.

  He reached Third Street and turned left, heading for the ocean. Not sure what tonight would bring, he’d carried his service revolver for protection. He fingered the cool steel clipped to his belt. Maybe he should have notified Templeton of his troubles.

  No, Jeremy would resolve this on his own.

  Stepping onto the unstable sand, Jeremy wished he’d changed into his trainers. It would have made this hike to the cove a bit easier.

  He spotted a few bonfires on the beach, teenagers, no doubt, still partying. He wished they’d move on. He didn’t want to put innocents in harm’s way.

  Like Mercedes. She was an innocent in this confusing mess and he didn’t want to see her hurt. But it was more than that. She intrigued him, challenged his calm nature like no other woman—or man—ever had. Even Templeton couldn’t set Jeremy’s temper off like his sexy partner.

  Bugger, she was sexy as hell. Good thing he wasn’t in the market for romance.

  No. He was only capable of having casual affairs. He couldn’t risk anything deeper, couldn’t risk anyone finding out that he was missing something inside. Why else would Nancy have abandoned him?

  The sound of a child whimpering made him stop short. He glanced toward the ocean, then back toward the cove, trying to get an idea of where it was coming from but it was nearly impossible to pinpoint the source.

  “Hello?” he called.

  More whimpering echoed from the cove.

  He picked up his pace, ignoring the soreness lingering in his knee from the car accident.

  “Help me,” a voice cried.

  He raced toward the sound, the tide rushing onto the sand, slowing his feet, feeling like he was running in mud, mud that seemed to weigh down his shoes.

  “I’m coming!” he called out, racing between two huge rocks toward the ocean.

  But his foot caught on something and he fell flat to the sand, the wind knocked from his lungs.

  He struggled to catch his breath and started to push up with his hands. Someone jumped on top of him, ripped off his glasses and shoved his cheek into the sand.

  “Don’t move, you wanker,” a voice said.

  A voice with a British accent.

  “What the bloody hell is this about?” Jeremy demanded, struggling to get his advantage back.

  “It’s about vengeance, mate. Eighteen years’ worth.”

  A cord wrapped around Jeremy’s neck and pinched his windpipe. Slipping his fingers between the rope and his skin, he struggled to breathe.

  “I had a surprise waiting, but you ran off the wrong way,” his attacker said. “Idiot inspector.”

  “Can’t we talk about this like civilized men?”

  “That would be assuming I’m civilized.” He leaned closer. “I’m not.”

  He yanked on the cord and Jeremy yanked back, refusing to be bested by this twit.

  “Barnes!” Mercedes’s voice called from a distance.

  “Bugger,” the attacker said. “Next time you won’t be saved by a woman.” He ripped the cord from Jeremy’s throat, burning his skin.

  Jeremy coughed and felt for his glasses, as the blurred form of his assailant disappeared toward the larger of the two rocks.

  “Barnes, what the hell?” Mercedes fell to her knees beside him.

  “Forget about me, go get him.” She started to get up. “No, don’t.” He grabbed her wrist. He didn’t want her going off alone, putting herself in danger because of him. “My glasses, do you see them?”

  “Here.” She handed them to him.

  He stood, blew on his specs and started after his attacker.

  “You want to tell me what the hell is going on?” she demanded.

  “I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know?” she said, jogging beside him. “You don’t know who called earlier, or why a car would almost hit you on the street or why a truck would nearly run us off the road?”

  She grabbed his arm to get his attention. He glanced at her, but kept a quick pace.

  “What are we dealing with here?” she demanded.

  “Vengeance.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “That’s what he’s calling it.”

  “You know him?” Her voice squeaked.

  “No. Yes. I don’t know.”

  “How long has this been going on?”

  “I’m not sure. A day. Maybe longer.”

  “And you didn’t say anything, but I get the lecture about being a team player?”

  “I thought I could handle it alone.”

  “I can’t believe this.” She pointed down the beach. “Look, a campfire. Is that a man sitting there? What, is he waiting for us?”

  “Do you have your firearm?”

  “Yes.”

  He slipped his from his belt and they closed in on the campfire. Jeremy sneaked up behind him, motioning for her to stay behind cover. She narrowed her eyes and approached from the man’s side.

  Jeremy couldn’t protect her if she walked into the man’s line of fire.

  Four feet away. Three. Two…

  “Don’t move.” Jeremy pressed the barrel of his gun against the back of the man’s head.

  The man toppled over, a skull staring up at him from the sand.

  He holstered his firearm.

  “What kind of a sick joke is that?” she asked.

  Then he noticed a name tag on the skeleton’s coat. It read, Jeremy
Barnes. He snapped it off and slipped it into his trouser pocket.

  “Look at this. A tape recorder.” She pressed a button with her knuckle and it played sounds of a child whimpering and calling out for help.

  “Sick, sick.” She snapped it off.

  Jeremy glanced up the bluff to a few hotels, then back to the ocean. “Did you see which way he went? I thought he headed toward the water.”

  “I didn’t notice. I was worried about you.”

  He glanced at her; her eyes blazed fire at him.

  “What’s your problem?” she said. “I’m your partner and you don’t tell me some man is terrorizing you and wants to kill you?”

  “We don’t know that for sure.”

  She grabbed him by the shoulders. “Stop acting like this is another investigation. It’s not, it’s your life. Someone wants to kill you.”

  “If that were true, I’d be dead by now.”

  “How can you be so detached about this?”

  He ignored her and glanced at the campfire. “We should gather forensic evidence. I see a few cigarette butts.” He knelt down and plucked one from the sand with his handkerchief.

  The warmth of her hand set his cheek aflame. She turned his face to look into her eyes. “We’re partners. You have to trust me.”

  “I can’t.” He had trusted deeply once and was betrayed.

  She slipped her hand from his cheek and turned to walk away.

  “Wait.” He touched her shoulder.

  She hesitated, planting her hands to her hips.

  “It’s not you. I haven’t had a lot of luck trusting people.”

  She turned and stared him down, the wind blowing her long, dark hair across her face. “I’m not just people. I’m your partner.”

  A partner he wanted to kiss at this moment. Good God, he was losing his mind.

  He snatched his hand back and shoved it into his pocket. “We’d better head back.”

  “I’ll talk to Max in the morning,” she said. “I can’t work with a partner who doesn’t take me into his confidence.”

  “I was trying to protect you.”

  “You were protecting yourself. You don’t want people to know your secrets. Well, whatever secrets are after you, we can help. We’re all a team.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t want to involve you in this.”

  “Which is what?”

  “I don’t know.”

  She narrowed her eyes.

  “On my honor, I truly don’t know,” he said.

  He looked troubled, Mercedes thought, searching his eyes. Troubled and vulnerable. Jeremy Barnes was not the type to feel vulnerable.

  You’re fooling yourself. He doesn’t need you.

  The lost expression in his eyes spoke otherwise.

  “Let’s try and get some sleep.” She reached out and squeezed his arm to comfort him. “It will be okay.”

  “I almost believe you.”

  “You should believe me.” She started walking. “I never lie.”

  Holding on to his arm, they left the beach and headed down Main Street. It felt right to support him this way and not because Max had ordered her to watch over him. Her heart told her that this man needed a little compassion.

  She remembered Curtis Sykes offering that same compassion when she thought her career ruined by the rumors swirling around her, rumors that she was having an affair with her partner, Will Crane.

  It was all a lie, but it also had been easy to believe, especially since he’d put himself in harm’s way for her. When on earth were men going to treat her as their equal and stop trying to protect her?

  “You should have included me in your midnight walk,” she said. “I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

  As they approached the lodge, he slowed and said, “Why did you come looking for me tonight?”

  She could tell him direct orders from Max sent her chasing after him.

  But that would be a lie.

  “It doesn’t matter,” he said, before she could answer. “Thank-you.”

  He leaned forward. God, he was going to kiss her. No, she didn’t want to blow it again, ruin her chances at being taken seriously. She turned her face, but he must have been aiming for her cheek because his lips brushed against hers, so soft, warm and gentle.

  Part of her welcomed the connection.

  Not again. Don’t ruin your career over a man.

  She broke the kiss and stepped back. “I’m sorry, I mean you’re welcome, I mean—”

  “Shh.” He placed his fingers to her lips.

  She couldn’t breathe.

  “We’d both better get some sleep,” he said.

  “Right.” She marched ahead of him.

  She’d probably fall asleep and dream about seducing the sexy Brit with the wounded expression and hard body.

  “Dios mio!” she muttered.

  “Excuse me?” he said, coming up beside her as they waited for the elevator.

  She smiled at him. “Nothing.”

  One thing was certain—she needed out of this partnership and she needed out yesterday.

  WORK BEGAN IN THE COMMAND Center at nine the next morning. Everyone looked tired, Max thought, especially Barnes and Ramos. Were they up fighting all night?

  Spinelli and Finn reported that they had come up empty. None of the locals saw anything outside of the ordinary the day Lucas Weddle went missing. Max moved on to Eddie.

  “Nothing significant on the father’s computer, no threatening e-mails in his incoming mail. Next, I’ll check the spam history, then I’m going to work on the list of rejects from foundation requests.”

  “And what about the boy’s computer?” Barnes asked.

  “His recent Web searches were about camp grounds in the state of Oregon, how to start a fire, survival stuff mostly.”

  “Mercedes,” Max said. “Check with the mother and see if his school curriculum included writing a report on survival in the wilderness.”

  “His mother mentioned something about the boy camping with the father,” she said.

  “He also joined a young scientists club, online,” Eddie offered. “I found transcripts of chats. They host experts twice a month who talk about careers and scientific breakthroughs.”

  “Who attends these chats?” Max inquired.

  “They’re open to anyone who wants to join the club.”

  “Are you thinking pedophiles, sir?” Barnes asked.

  “Possibly. Smart kids are easy targets. They tend to be book smart, but not people smart. Eddie, get screen names and see if you can match anything to a pedophile database.”

  “On it, sir.”

  Barnes seemed off in his own world. He’d come in this morning looking troubled. Maybe the Ramos match was more than he could handle.

  “Right, well, let’s try to find a lead before the money drop tonight. Barnes and I sense something odd about the ransom request and the fact the kidnapper is only asking for a hundred thousand dollars.”

  “I don’t know, guv,” Bobby said. “I could buy my ladies some fine presents with a hundred thousand.”

  “So that’s how you get them to sleep with you?” Spinelli shot back.

  Bobby flung his pen at his new partner.

  “That’s it, then.” Max eyed Barnes. “Unless… Agent Barnes? Did you want to add something?”

  “Actually, I do.”

  He walked to a more visible spot, very unlike him. Barnes liked to observe from the perimeter, take it all in and make assessments.

  “Something happened last night,” he started. “Actually, it’s been happening for a few days. Odd things, really, but last night it became violent.”

  His gaze drifted to Agent Ramos, who was studying her notebook. She knew what he was about to say. Interesting. Had Barnes actually confided in his partner?

  “It seems that someone is after me,” Barnes said. “I don’t know who. Now that I think about it, it may have started in Chicago. I remember waking up in the
hospital to someone standing over my bed. More recently, things have been happening. I’ve received written threats and last night I was assaulted on the beach.”

  “And you didn’t mention this sooner because?” Max pushed.

  Barnes raised his chin a notch, but didn’t answer.

  “He thought he could handle it on his own,” Mercedes offered.

  “You knew about this?” Max said.

  “No, she didn’t,” Jeremy interrupted.

  Max found it interesting that he was trying to protect her.

  “She didn’t know until early this morning. She,” Jeremy hesitated, “saved me on the beach.”

  “Saved you?” Max said, his temper flaring.

  “I was lured to the beach and attacked from behind. He’d wrapped a cord around my throat when Agent Ramos showed up.”

  That’s when Max noticed the redness around his neck.

  “Good God, man, and you’re just telling us this now?”

  “I wasn’t sure it was anything to be concerned about.”

  Agent Ramos shook her head.

  “I was wrong.” He glanced at the team, one by one. “I apologize for putting any of you in danger. I’ll take my leave.”

  Barnes started for the door.

  “Where in the bloody hell do you think you’re going?” Max demanded.

  Barnes turned to him.

  “You’ve got a stalker and you’ve got some of the best detectives ready and willing to help you find him. I’d call you one lucky man.”

  “I don’t want to distract us from the Weddle case and I didn’t want to assume…”

  “That we’d want to help you?” Max said. “Okay, team, who wants to help Agent Barnes find his tormentor?”

  Mercedes was the first to raise her hand, followed by the rest of the group—Bobby, Joe, Eddie and Cassie.

  “I don’t want to put the Weddle case in jeopardy, guv.”

  “And I don’t want to see your life in jeopardy, Barnes.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “So, two cases at once, then. Should be no problem for a group of brilliant detectives,” Max said. “What has your stalker said or done so far, in the way of clues?”

  Just like that, Jeremy had a roomful of people who wanted to help him find his way out of this hell.

  “Barnes?” Max said. “Don’t look so surprised. We’re a team.”

  Jeremy glanced at Mercedes and she smiled.