Cold Pursuit

by Susan Sleeman

  “Oh, right.” She glanced at her watch. “He gets ready in fifteen minutes then reads for an hour in his bed.”

  “Sam will be joining in the call, and it would be good if you could, too.” He figured it would help the team personalize this investigation and work even harder to locate the evil Percy. “Can we meet while Isaiah’s still awake or might he overhear?”

  She frowned for a moment. “We could go into the other bedroom, I suppose. My room.”

  She probably didn’t like the thought of him in her bedroom even with Sam joining them, but it was the best option, and he wasn’t going to give her a chance to rethink it.

  “That would be great.” He took out his phone. “I’ll text Sam and the team to be ready.”

  A quick nod and she turned her attention to the bread, which she bagged. He leaned against the counter to text and receive responses as they came in. He expected most everyone would join in. Team members were on call twenty-four seven on a rotating schedule, which meant they always had a minimum of four people at the ready. The others got a pass after regular business hours, but everyone was so committed to making a difference that they often responded anyway.

  He set his phone on the counter as Whitney packed away the leftover stew in the refrigerator. He grabbed a dishrag and wiped the counter, feeling incredibly comfortable simply hanging with her in the kitchen. His phone kept chiming, and he soon received a reply from everyone. Jackson was getting married in December, and he begged off to spend time with Maggie. Coop claimed he had big plans with his wife, Kiera.

  Plans. A significant other. Wedding.

  Such foreign thoughts to Alex that he almost shook his head. He had no idea what any of that was like. Sure, he’d dated in the past. Had a few relationships that could’ve gone somewhere if he’d let them, but he didn’t let it happen. He always felt like he was on when he dated. Like he had to keep up the joker role he’d established as his identity. But that was tedious and tiring, and he didn’t want it every minute of every day.

  He needed to get away from cheerful Alex. Be real. Be himself. Not spend his time worrying about the other person’s happiness and trying to cheer them up. He couldn’t do that all the time, but it was so ingrained in him that he couldn’t let it go, and that left him perpetually single.

  Problem was, he’d recently watched everyone on the team find their significant others, and he was starting to want the same thing in his life.

  “You’re going to rub a hole in my counter,” Whitney said.

  “What?” He blinked hard as he had no idea what she was talking about.

  She pointed at his hand. “You’ve been rubbing that same spot for some time now.”

  “Oh, right. I was just thinking.”

  “About the call.”

  “No,” he answered quickly before he blurted out what he’d been thinking about. “But we’re all set if we can get a clear signal with the SAT phone. If not, we’ll do a landline call. Two of the guys can’t make it, but the others will be there.”

  “Let me make sure things in my room are…well, you know. Not a mess.” Her face colored a bright red.

  Her innocent response was totally refreshing, and she was so adorably cute that he couldn’t resist and touched her hand. “No one will care.”

  “I care, though.” She slipped her hand free and almost bolted for her bedroom.

  Alex watched her go. This woman was easily getting to him. And then it hit him like the blizzard force wind outside.

  He didn’t feel a need to be on for her. He only wanted to be real. Not the joker. An odd feeling. Too odd. Now what was he going to do about that?

  10

  On the way to her bedroom, Whitney quickly ran through the state of the space as she’d left it that morning. She’d made her bed. She always did as it made her feel organized and her day seemed to go better. But what about other things?

  She pushed through the door. Spotted her robe on the back of a chair. Grabbed it. Hung it in the closet. Tossed a pair of shoes inside, too. She threw lip balm into her nightstand drawer and followed it with a book she’d been reading when she couldn’t sleep and to take her mind off Vanessa.

  She ran her gaze over the room. Fluffed her pillows.

  There. Good. It was the best she could do this quickly. She wasn’t about to start dusting or pull out the vacuum. That would be overkill. But how her fingers itched to do it.

  She went into the adjoining bathroom to run a brush through her hair and stood stock still in front of the mirror.

  Oh my gosh. Seriously.

  Strands of her hair stuck out at all angles. Likely from when she pushed it out of her face in the muggy bathroom. Her face was beet red from the steamy bath water. She was a hot mess. Literally. And Alex hadn’t said a word.

  She grabbed the brush and tamed the strands with a hard yank of frustration. Frustrated because she looked so disheveled in front of Alex, but even more frustrated that she felt a need to look her best for him. She didn’t want anything from him but his protection, and it didn’t matter how she looked for that.

  She tossed down the brush. Planted her hands on the edge of the counter and stared.

  Okay, fine. She needed some lip gloss, too. It was for meeting the team. Not for Alex.

  Right. Tell yourself that.

  By the time she got back into the living room, Sam had returned. Alex had the dishwasher loaded and running, and Sam was wiping off the rest of the counters that Alex hadn’t scoured. Whitney felt invaded, and yet, oddly touched by their caring.

  The two of them seemed to get along so well, but it was perfectly clear there wasn’t any romantic interest there. Still, they had a connection just the same. Whitney supposed when your job was life-or-death a lot of the time, you had to have a strong bond with your fellow teammates.

  She watched Alex for a moment. She didn’t like the thought of him risking his life like that. Didn’t like it at all. Sam, too, but it was different.

  He looked up and caught her watching. That flirty half smile tipped his lips up. Was this a smile he gave every woman when she wished it was hers alone?

  Oh, knock it off already.

  She turned her attention to Isaiah who was playing Tetris on Vanessa’s old Game Boy. “Time for bed, buddy.”

  He didn’t complain. Didn’t ask to save his game. Just nodded.

  “You can finish that level if you want.”

  “It’s okay. I wasn’t doing very well anyway.” He clicked it off.

  Whitney had to wonder if he’d also clicked off his heart forever. She made a mental note to talk to Alex to see how their talk had gone and to ask if he felt like Isaiah might survive. Sure it was too soon to tell anything, but she needed some reassurance that she wasn’t making things worse for her nephew. She loved the kid more than she thought possible and would do anything to help right his world for him again.

  She bent down and kissed the top of his head. “Good night. I love you.”

  “Me too.” He got up and trudged to his room like a ninety-year-old man, and her heart cried out for him.

  Sam came over and put an arm around Whitney’s shoulders. “Seeing him like that has got to be breaking your heart.”

  Whitney’s throat clogged with tears, and she couldn’t speak.

  Sam hugged Whitney closer. “I can tell how much you love him and want to help him.”

  Alex joined them. “It’s gonna take time, but don’t quit trying. He needs your caring and love. He just doesn’t realize how much yet. But he’ll figure it out and be glad you’re there for him.”

  Whitney appreciated the opening to ask about his earlier conversation. “Did your talk go well with him?”

  Alex cocked his head. “It was about like I expected. I could relate to his emotions, and I know it helped him to talk. I told him I’d give you my phone number so he could call me if he wanted. Not just while we’re here, but any time after that, too. If it’s okay with you, that is.”

  “Thank yo
u, Alex.” She squeezed his arm. “I’m very thankful for your kindness.”

  A rush of red started at the base of his neck and flushed over his face. This intense, physically powerful man who seemed fearless blushed when she thanked him, and his humility knocked a large chunk of ice off her heart frozen by Percy’s lethal actions.

  “We should get set up,” he said quickly. “I thought we could take the dining chairs in if there’s room instead of sitting on the bed.”

  She hadn’t even thought about seating. “There’s room.”

  They picked up chairs and were soon set up. Sam put her iPad on Whitney’s low dresser, then attached her SAT phone to it for their Internet connection.

  “Now cross your fingers that we can get through.” She made the connection. The screen was fuzzy, but the camera captured a group of men and women clustered around a table in a small conference room.

  Alex greeted his teammates, his tone flat and businesslike. Whitney had no idea why he was relaxed with Sam but tense now. It was such a change that Whitney didn’t know what to think. He almost seemed cold and untouchable. Not the guy she thought she was getting to know. But then, Percy proved that there were far more sides to a person than you could ever know, and Alex’s change in behavior shouldn’t surprise her.

  He introduced her to each person. Gage, the boss, was dark-haired and serious looking. No smile when he said hello. The woman, Eryn, had even darker hair and a big smile. Sharing the screen with her was a redheaded man named Trey, her fiancé who had recently joined Blackwell. The last guy, Riley was blond and had a kind smile.

  All of them comfortably wore a fierce warrior look, even Eryn. Whitney wished they could hop a helicopter right now and come stand guard over her precious niece and nephew.

  Alex gave a concise overview of the situation, telling them that Whitney was their main witness, which drew raised eyebrows and their stares intensified—if that was possible. But the attention didn’t seem to bother Alex, he continued reciting point after point about his and Sam’s findings.

  He paused for a moment to take a long breath. “We lucked up. There are three Portland police officers vacationing here. They approached Sam just before dinnertime and offered to help in the investigation. An officer Umbel, Everett, and Yablonsky.”

  That was welcome news to Whitney’s ears, and she wondered why Alex hadn’t mentioned it.

  “I wish I could tell you more about them, but they’re all relatively new recruits,” Sam said. “I didn’t meet them before moving to forensics.”

  “You know any of these guys, Riley?” Alex glanced at Whitney. “Riley’s a former PPB sniper.”

  “Sniper. Wow.”

  “No biggie,” Riley said looking a bit embarrassed at her reaction. “I don’t recognize the names.”

  “I was hoping you’d be able to vouch for them.” Alex frowned, the downturn of his lips so severe it was looking more like a scowl.

  “What’s wrong, Alex?” Gage asked, his dark eyes piercing on the screen, and she could easily see him leading the team of tough men and women.

  Alex tipped his head. “What do you mean?”

  “The jokes. We’ve been talking for five minutes and you haven’t cracked a single one.”

  “Exactly.” Sam eyed him.

  He poked her knee with his and gave her a pointed look. Whitney had no idea what was going on, so she kept her mouth shut.

  Eryn snorted. “Our connection might be hideous, but there’s no way we missed that look to silence Sam.”

  Gage pursed his lips. “Something I need to know?”

  “No.” One word from Alex, but it was firm and resolute. “And we should move on before we lose this signal. Whitney’s here because she wants to hire us, and I’m not sure how we can accomplish that.” He glanced at her. “Do you want to tell them your story or should I?”

  “Go ahead.” It was a bit intimidating to have all the faces staring at her, and she was already emotional. If she had to talk about Vanessa, she’d likely end up blubbering like a baby by the end.

  Alex explained her dilemma concisely, but when he mentioned Isaiah and Zoey, his voice cracked, and she knew that he cared about the kids. That Percy killing Vanessa was now personal to him, too. That he would do whatever it would take to protect them.

  What a guy. A sigh wanted to slip out, but she swallowed hard to stop it.

  He finished the story and glanced at her. “Did I get that all right?”

  She nodded and smiled her thanks.

  He gave a quick nod of acknowledgement and held her gaze longer than she expected with everyone watching them.

  “Sam and Alex,” Gage said. “You’re both there. Have evaluated the scene. Is this a case of the shooter missing his mark?”

  “I’d be leaning that way except the deceased has no ID,” Sam said. “Nothing, and we know he’s not a registered guest because Tomio has confirmed they’re all safe and accounted for. That’s raising red flags for me.”

  “Could he have been visiting a guest and left his ID in a room to go out skiing?” Trey asked.

  “He wasn’t dressed in ski attire,” Whitney said and all gazes moved to her. She ignored the pressure she felt and continued, “He was wearing jeans and a parka. No boots. Street shoes. And there’s a blizzard going on.”

  “And Tomio also said none of the guests admit to having a visitor,” Alex added. “Fortunately, most people left when the blizzard forecast came out, and we only have thirty-five guests on site with a hundred rooms. We searched every one of them, plus the staff quarters. Twenty staff remained here on duty. We also searched the outbuildings for the shooter but didn’t find anyone or evidence that a person was staying there. So wherever Percy—or the shooter if they’re different people—is hiding out, we haven’t located it.”

  Whitney had no idea they’d done all of that. It must have been while she was holed up here trying to decide if she should tell Alex about Percy.

  “Could he have gotten away from the resort?” Trey asked.

  “Not via the parking lot,” Alex replied. “He could’ve hoofed it cross-country I suppose. But if he did, with the way this storm ramped up, he’s likely dead by now.”

  “It’s that bad up there?” Riley asked.

  Alex nodded. “Unless the shooter’s prepared to withstand this blizzard out in the open, he’s a goner. Even with prep and proper equipment, it would be a challenge even for us.”

  “I think he’s hunkered down somewhere on the resort,” Sam said. “And we just haven’t found him. He’s likely waiting for the storm to abate. And if John Doe wasn’t his mark, he’ll try again.”

  “I agree,” Alex said. “His prints didn’t return a match in AFIS, but I still think the odds are good that John Doe was here to do business with our target.”

  Target. Had to be the gun runner whose name Alex wouldn’t mention.

  “Why’s that?” Gage asked.

  “He’s the most likely guest to deny having a visitor where the other guests most likely wouldn’t have a reason to. And so far, we haven’t found a reason for the staff to lie about knowing this guy.”

  “Unless they’re into something illegal,” Gage said.

  “True, and when we sit down tomorrow for formal interviews of the staff and guests, I hope we can ferret that out,” Sam said. “And even if the deceased was working with our target, it might not be related to the gun running. John Doe could’ve happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Would also be true if he was visiting a staff member up to no good. In both cases, the bullet could still have been meant for Whitney.”

  “Which is why I want to hire you all to protect me until Percy can be found.” Whitney held her breath as she waited for Gage to say it wasn’t possible and shut her right down.

  Instead, he shifted his gaze to Alex. “Is that feasible while looking for the killer and keeping the other guests and staff safe?”

  “If the PPB officers check out, I think it is,” Alex said. “We ca
n move Whitney and the kids to our suite under cover of darkness. If Percy is at the resort, he won’t know where to find them. I’ll post one of these officers at the door at all times when I have to be out of the room.” He shot a look at Whitney. “Assuming you’re okay with that. You and the kids can have my room, and I’ll bunk on the couch.”

  Essentially, he was asking her to spend as many of the next waking hours as possible together. In that amount of time, she would surely learn more about him, and it scared her that it would bring her closer to him, when she was already drawn to him like a magnetic force field pulling at her. But she had the children to think about, and his plan seemed solid.

  “It sounds good,” she said. “Thank you.”

  He faced the screen. “Eryn, how long will it take for you to confirm that these officers are legit?”

  “An hour tops.”

  Alex looked at Whitney again. “Eryn’s our cyber guru, and she can find out most anything about anybody.”

  “Good thing I don’t have any secrets then,” Whitney chuckled and the others laughed with her. She did have a secret though. A big one. She was falling for Alex Hamilton. Falling big time, and at this moment when he was smiling at her, she didn’t care a bit that it was happening.

  “What else can we do?” Gage asked.

  “I have an idea,” Sam said. “If this storm lets up enough to get the drone up, but not the helo, I can send blood and hair samples out if someone can meet it. I’ve mapped out a drop point and will need someone on standby.”

  Trey leaned forward. “I’m not teaching any classes right now and am on maintenance detail so I’m free.” He sounded like he was dying of boredom.

  Eryn wrinkled her nose at her fiancé. “You just want to get your excitement quota in for the week.”

  “You know it.” Trey laughed.

  Eryn joined in, and Whitney admired their ease with each other. She made a mental note to ask Alex how long they’d been together.

  “We’ll also get started on finding Percy,” Gage said. “We’ll formulate a plan tonight and should have an update for you in the morning.”