A Stranger She Can Trust

by Regan Black

  “It was the man from the museum.” She rolled the glass between her palms, wondering if she should have another drink.

  “Yes,” Carson agreed. “Grant called Werner. Patrols are already searching for them.”

  “He tortured Noelle.” There. She’d said it, maybe just to Carson, but she’d said it. Tears filled her eyes again, but the memories marched with dreadful clarity through her mind. “You were right,” she whispered. “Amnesia is a blessing.”

  “You’re strong enough now,” he assured her in that steady voice. “You can do this.”

  Was she? She felt as weak as a kitten, knowing the dreadful events she would soon be telling the detective. Not just about the team who’d set all this in motion, but the way Noelle was connected to the whole damn mess. Her stomach lurched at the flashes of the torture, the shocking truth and Lissa’s narrow escape.

  “They left me for dead,” she whispered. “Noelle made sure of that.”

  It was the last gift her friend had offered, and now, to save herself, to see justice done, she’d have to destroy her friend’s reputation posthumously. Dr. and Mrs. Anson would soon learn terrible truths about their beloved daughter. Lissa hated adding to their grief, even if it meant getting a killer off the streets. She would lose them, the people who’d shown her how love, acceptance and stability could enrich a family. Curling into herself, she gave in to a fresh wave of tears.

  * * *

  Carson sat in the chair next to Lissa’s, quietly willing it to be over, though they weren’t even close. Grant stayed, as well, at her request, and that gave Carson an anchor of his own.

  With more patience than he’d previously shown, Detective Werner asked question after question, taking careful notes. Carson shifted his evaluation of the man as the detective handled Lissa’s answers with a clinical reserve that only a man who’d seen worse could muster.

  Even in Carson’s ambulance experience it was hard to imagine a scene worse than Lissa had survived. She and Noelle had planned to go out on Friday night, but Noelle had changed the plan to work a double shift. Lissa had stopped by to chat during Noelle’s meal break, and they’d gone up to the parking garage because Noelle needed the walk and claimed she had something for Lissa in the car.

  “Three men approached us from the other end of the row where Noelle was parked.” Lissa explained. “Two men and a woman,” she corrected herself. “I didn’t realize one of them was a woman until they were closer.”

  Lissa gave Werner full descriptions, and Carson made preliminary sketches as he listened. “We have the two who attacked her tonight on camera,” Grant reminded him. “And the license plate Carson and Lissa noted when they spotted him at the service this morning. My team is getting that video ready for you now.”

  Carson pushed a hand through his hair. Had the funeral been only this morning? It felt as if they’d packed a lifetime into the last exhausting twelve hours.

  “The man and woman tonight were the same as Friday,” Lissa said. “Where was the second man?” she wondered aloud, her gaze darting between Grant and the detective.

  “He was probably the one waiting outside in the car,” Grant told her.

  She nodded absently. “The woman took cues from the man,” Lissa said as Werner took her through the events of Friday night for a second time. “She had a vicious streak as she confronted Noelle about a supply delivery.”

  While Lissa had been dumbfounded by the accusations, it wasn’t Carson’s first experience with the street trafficking of controlled substances. Thugs working for dealers had killed Sarah, as well. To Lissa’s credit, it was obvious she tried to intervene for her friend. And in her eyes he could see she wanted to believe the best of Noelle, despite the evidence to the contrary.

  Lissa had been drugged and roused and beaten as part of Noelle’s torture. She remembered a stale industrial space with tools and lifts, and the smells of oil and the river, but she’d woken in a public bathroom near the Penn Campus and Noelle had been found in the river. With the sedative cocktail in her bloodstream and the terrible revelations about her friend in addition to the excessive violence, it was no wonder Lissa’s mind had blocked everything.

  To save Lissa, Noelle had caved, claiming she’d shorted the dealers and planned to go to the police. She’d wanted out and told their attackers she had hidden money and product from the dealers.

  “They hurt her,” Lissa said. “She was bleeding badly and trying to tell me something. An apology and something more, but I couldn’t make out the words. It’s not that I forgot. I couldn’t hear her.”

  “This is what we needed,” Werner assured her. “We can build a real case now.”

  Everyone in the room went silent for a time. Carson couldn’t speak for the other men, but he was overwhelmed by Lissa’s fortitude and all too aware that this wouldn’t be the last time she told the story.

  “Where was my purse?” she asked.

  “In the trunk of Noelle’s car,” he replied. “The evidence suggests you were locked in there at some point, as well.”

  “Noelle’s parents will hate me,” she whispered. “Who wants to hear their daughter was a criminal?”

  Carson ached for her as another wave of grief swept across her face.

  “They’ll be relieved when we put her killer behind bars,” Werner said. “I’ll make arrangements to move you to a safe house tonight.”

  “No.” Carson sat up. She’d moved around enough in the past few days. Safe or not, uprooting her again wouldn’t help at all. “She can stay with me until you have the crew in custody.”

  “You’re hardly qualified to protect her,” Werner pointed out.

  “So keep a protective detail on your star witness,” he shot back.

  Lissa’s gaze, filled with gratitude, locked with his. “If I have a vote, I’d rather stay with Carson and attempt to get back to some semblance of my routine.”

  Although Werner and Grant exchanged a long look, neither argued the point further.

  “You’ve been a tremendous help, Miss Baxter.” The detective stood up and slipped his notebook into a pocket.

  She twisted her thumb ring. “When will you tell the Ansons?”

  “It may be a few days yet.”

  “They’re burying her tomorrow in Allentown.”

  “I know,” Werner replied. “We’ll be respectful.”

  Grant stood up and followed the detective out of the office, leaving Carson and Lissa alone.

  He crossed the room and pulled her into his arms, wishing he could whisk her away from all of this. But that would never suit her. Despite her slender build, she was so strong and capable. Still, when he closed his eyes, he saw how close that needle had come to her flesh. “What do you need?” he asked.

  “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I can’t believe Noelle hid so much from me.”

  “You never suspected anything?”

  “No,” Lissa said, her voice flat. “You must think I’m an idiot.”

  “Not even close.” He was thinking other things, comparing her description of the violence to his own memories of Sarah’s murder. Signature bullets or not, he couldn’t make the descriptions line up. It seemed only one of them would have justice.

  “There were moments when she was stressed out,” Lissa said, “but that was her job. I wish I’d heard those final words.”

  “She loved you,” he said.

  “Thanks for that.” She leaned into him. “You didn’t have to stay.”

  “Leave you? Not a chance.” He remembered the sharp loneliness of giving a statement without his best friend nearby for moral support. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “Are you sure you want to stay on duty with me?”

  He caught her face in his hands, waited for her eyes to focus on him. “You’re no burden to me, an
d the threat, if not contained yet, will be shortly.”

  He kissed her, harder than he intended, but he’d come so close to losing her tonight. “Do you understand?”

  “No,” she admitted. “Can you explain it to me in the morning?”

  “Absolutely.”

  He returned her cell phone and confirmed Grant would keep his team close, despite Werner’s promise of protection. Then he ushered Lissa outside to his truck. On the ride back to his place, she rested her head against the window and watched the city go by. He knew she was thinking of their first trip together along this route.

  This time last week, he’d been sulking, no other word for it. He’d been puttering through his days, furious at the world over his losses. Lissa’s startling arrival had upended everything and given him a new clarity all at once.

  He could practically hear Sarah cackling at the curveball life had thrown him. “Sarah would’ve liked you,” he said. She would definitely have approved of the way Lissa turned him inside out.

  “Noelle would’ve liked you.” Her soft smile faded. “That might not be a compliment, based on her criminal associates.”

  “No one’s perfect,” he reminded her. “Whatever happened to tie her to the drug ring, she was your friend first. That’s what you should focus on.”

  “I’m glad we met, even if your first impression of me sucked.”

  The statement surprised a bark of laughter out of him. “Me, too.” He brought her hand to his lips and then just hung on until they were back to his house.

  They held hands as they walked across the yard. “You never mentioned how you got the Escape Club matchbook.”

  “It was just there,” she said. “I’d borrowed Noelle’s jacket for the night.” In the dim light, he caught her pensive frown. “Why do you ask?”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  Her cool fingertips cruised over his jaw. “I think it does.”

  “You’re chilled, and we’ve spent enough time on those bastards for tonight.” He unlocked and opened the back door for her, locking it behind them. He left the lights off, wanting to get her upstairs where she could rest.

  “Talk to me, Carson. I can see something brewing in there.” She circled a finger in the air, gesturing to his face.

  “There’s too much brewing,” he confessed. Hands on her hips, he guided her toward the stairs. There were more than a few theories running through his head, and all of them could wait until morning.

  The drug dealers knew too much about her for his comfort. They’d lured her out of her office at the museum, attacked her home twice, and nearly succeeded in dragging her out of the club. He wasn’t a cop, but his instincts were humming. What had Noelle told the dealers while Lissa was unconscious?

  At the top of the stairs, he paused. “Pick a room and we’ll share it.”

  “Is this your answer to me jumping you earlier?” Her eyes darted to the side as if she could see his truck through the walls and the dark.

  Yes. “No,” he lied. “There’s a better way, better words to handle this, but I’m tired.” He gestured to the security-system panel on the wall near the door. The lights showed the system was armed. “Windows and doors are wired into the system, but I’m not taking any chances. We’re sleeping in the same room tonight. Your choice if we’re in the same bed.”

  For a moment, she stared at him, her lips slightly parted. Then she just stepped close and wrapped her arms tight around his waist, her hands splayed over his back.

  Her response made him feel as if he’d conquered world hunger or something equally impressive. He held her close, his hand running up and down her spine, wishing a simple touch would alleviate all her pain.

  “Your room,” she said.

  He wanted to cheer that the first part of discussion was over and they could rest. As much as he wanted her again, they were both wiped out from the ridiculously long day. He told himself sleeping beside her would be enough as they moved down the hall to his bedroom. At the hall bathroom, she retrieved her tote.

  Seeing it, he couldn’t help smiling that she’d packed condoms. He saw the color come into her cheeks when she caught him grinning. “Stop it,” she scolded.

  It was a challenge, but he managed not to tease her, or torment himself over the last man she’d chosen to stock condoms for.

  He shrugged out of his button-down shirt, peeled the T-shirt off over his head and stepped into the bathroom. When he returned, wearing only his boxers, she was perched on the side of the bed in the sweet camisole and shorts she’d slept in at her place.

  “Am I on the bed or the floor?” he asked.

  With a slow smile, she pulled back the covers and invited him to bed.

  Chapter 9

  Lissa blinked against the morning light slipping through the blinds on the window. It took her a moment to realize she wasn’t at home in her bed and that her legs weren’t tangled in sheets, but with Carson’s long limbs.

  Who knew it could feel this nice to share a bed? His arm was a warm weight across her midriff, holding her back snug against his chest. She could feel the rise and fall of his even breathing and had never felt safer.

  The man was a paradox. Able to be steady in her crisis, though it was clear he was fighting his own demons. Carson demonstrated vast knowledge as well as a wealth of kindness. She knew those two traits didn’t always go together.

  She’d seen him rattled only once, when the bullets had shredded a beautiful day. Though he counted it a weakness, his panic hadn’t set in until the worst of the danger had passed. He didn’t seem to have a grasp on how valuable he was to his community or to her.

  If she could give him anything in the world, she’d give him that perspective, that confidence that he’d done everything right for his partner. She caressed his arm, smiled as he nestled her closer still. When he relaxed again, she slipped from the bed to get ready for work. Trouble or not, she couldn’t leave her team carrying the extra load when she was perfectly safe behind the museum walls.

  He shifted as she tucked the covers close to him. That square jaw, talented mouth and sleep-rumpled hair tempted her to climb back into the bed and wake him with a kiss. To let that kiss lead to more. She decided to wait until she understood where they were on the sex issue. Although he didn’t seem to mind the way she’d used him yesterday, she was less and less okay with it.

  Less than an hour later, in the kitchen over breakfast, they had a short, heated debate about her decision to go into work. Finally Carson relented. Filling a travel mug with coffee, he escorted her to his truck. She soaked up the sunlight, hoping to carry the happy glow with her today, to let today be a fresh start.

  “I won’t be done until close to six,” she said as they neared the museum. “I want to put in some extra time and effort.”

  “Okay. You call me when you’re ready, and I’ll park and come meet you at the door.”

  “That makes you a target,” she said.

  “No one is trying to snatch me,” he countered. “I’m not going to give these thugs an inch of space.”

  His statement put a crazy flutter in her pulse that she tried to rein in while he found a parking space. She gathered her wits and her purse and let him walk her to the door. He gave her a chaste kiss on the lips and told her to have a good day.

  It was so perfectly normal, she wanted to skip like a little girl into the lobby. She managed to maintain her dignity, standing quietly while she made sure he got back to his truck without any trouble. No matter which of them wore the target, they were in this together, and she was entitled to watch out for him, too.

  * * *

  Carson gulped his coffee while he waited for a traffic light to change. His phone rang and his heart skipped until his Bluetooth announced a call from PFD. He clicked the button on the steering wheel to answer
and heard Evelyn’s voice asking him to fill a swing shift tonight.

  “Sorry, Evelyn,” he replied. “I’m committed to another project tonight.” Carson would not trust Lissa’s safety to people on the periphery. The team last night had come far too close to succeeding.

  “We need you, Carson. You’re one of the best paramedics in the city.”

  “Come on, Evelyn. It’s me. The flattery isn’t necessary.”

  “I want you back full-time.” The statement was followed by silence. The woman had mastered the art of the pregnant pause.

  He wasn’t about to make a commitment to Evelyn or any partner she had in mind for him on a rig. “Thank you,” he said into the silence. “I am thinking about it.” He just wasn’t leaning toward a decision that would make Evelyn happy.

  “I need a decision soon. Make some time to come by the office.”

  “Evelyn, you know—”

  “Make the time, Carson.” The line went dead before he could argue or explain that there wasn’t room in his schedule for a visit to PFD headquarters right now. Unless he took Lissa with him, and he wasn’t ready to invite her across that line.

  What was he ready to do?

  The question niggled at the back of his head all day as he worked on Daniel’s latest flip in progress. He was halfway through the hardwood flooring install in the master bedroom when Daniel appeared in the doorway. With his height, black hair and startling blue eyes, the man made a lasting impression whether he was in turnout gear or work clothes on a construction site.

  “Hey,” he said to Carson. “Is your phone off?”

  Panic for Lissa shot through him as he reached for the device tucked into his back pocket. No calls from her, but there were three from Grant and one more from Evelyn. “Wow. Sorry. I must have bumped it to Silent.”

  “Not like you would’ve heard it anyway up here.” He waved Carson over. “Grant got impatient and tracked you down. Doesn’t look good, man.”

  Carson hustled down the stairs, mindful of the lack of walls or rails on either side. Dodging workmen, he maneuvered to where Grant waited near the front door.