by Harris, Lisa
“Mason?”
He turned around and looked back at her.
“Be careful, and find Tess for me.”
24
Emily watched Mason pull away from the curb and head toward the precinct. The neighborhood was quiet other than the wind blowing through the tree-lined street. She hated the fact that she’d panicked. Hated that she’d let fear overwhelm her. Because a part of her—a very big part of her—wanted him to kiss her. It was a vulnerable part of her that needed to run as far away as she could from everything that had happened today. And that included Mason Taylor. Which made no sense.
This morning, she’d confessed to Grace she was embracing the fact that she was single. Until Mason walked back into her life. He’d managed to step into her life, dig up a bunch of old emotions, and revive them like a breath of fresh air blowing across a dying fire. But even she wasn’t sure what had happened between those moments when she’d first caught him looking into her eyes, realized he wanted to kiss her, felt herself respond …
She’d already made one exception to not getting involved with a police officer when she’d started dating Charlie. And everyone knew how that one had ended. On the other hand, when it came to Mason there was definitely that unqualified spark between them.
Either way, she’d been right about one thing. The one thing that had stopped her from kissing him. That fragile string of emotions she was feeling was close to pushing her over the edge. Fear over Tess’s disappearance. Fear over the fact that Avery had been shot. Even fear over the fact that her life could still be in danger.
She stepped back into the safe house, locked the door behind her, and started digging up every memory verse she could remember about trusting and not being afraid. But even that didn’t slow down the rapid beating of her heart. It was easy to trust when things were going okay. Today, she felt as if she were walking on a tightrope with no safety net to catch her.
Emily pressed her fingernails into her palms and let her gaze wander. There were no homey touches in this room. A couch, two chairs, and a couple of end tables. A framed print of a cluster of dogwood flowers probably picked up at a garage sale hung crooked on the wall. A stack of outdated magazines on the coffee table. A set of “Made in Atlanta” coasters lay beside them.
Emily glanced up at Rafael, who stood in the living room, pacing like a caged animal. Whatever feelings she needed to figure out would have to be dealt with later. Mason was right. Rafael looked lost. Confused.
The two FBI agents behind him in the living room reminded her of a scene out of prime-time television. This wasn’t her world. But like it or not it was a reality she was going to have to face head-on today.
She stepped in front of Rafael. “This is all going to be over soon. Eduardo’s been found. Your mother’s safe. And they will find Tess.”
“You’re wrong.” Rafael shook his head, his hands fisted beside him. “This will never be over. If my brother lives, he’s going to prison. Which means my mother’s lost another child … And as for me? Tell me how I’m supposed to walk back into that school after holding a class at gunpoint … And that’s assuming that I don’t end up in prison with my brother.”
Emily’s shoulders drooped. That feeling of vulnerability was back. He was right, and she had no idea what to say. No idea how to fix things. No idea how to fit what had happened today into her normally orderly world where rote facts didn’t change and two plus two always equaled four.
“You’re right. I don’t have all the answers, and I’m just as scared as you are right now. My sister is in the hospital, and they can’t find my niece … But Mason was right. We need to talk. To see if you can remember something that will help them find Tess, and the man who is behind this.”
He pressed his lips together, his hands shaking at his sides. “I’ve gone over everything again and again. Whoever they are, they’re smart.”
His chest heaved with a raspy breath. He needed a distraction.
“Let’s forget all of this for a while and go get some hot chocolate. I think I saw some packets with tiny marshmallows in the kitchen. I don’t know about you, but I love those.”
Agent Pierce looked up from his computer. “There’s also some sandwich fixings in the fridge if you’re hungry.”
“Can I fix something for either of you?”
Both agents shook their heads. “We ate before coming here, but thanks.”
“What do you say?” Emily turned back to Rafael. “We need to keep up our strength. And I don’t know about you, but breakfast was a long, long time ago.”
Rafael’s eyes narrowed, then he nodded.
Inside the kitchen, Emily set her cell phone on the counter, dug into the fridge, pulling out a package of ham, cheese slices, and a small, unopened jar of mayonnaise. She found a loaf of white bread on the counter. Ingredients were sparse, but they’d do. At least until she was able to sit down for a meal of Mama’s homemade stew and biscuits.
“Why don’t you heat up some water for the cocoa, while I make the sandwiches. Ham on white with mayo okay?”
“Sure.” Rafael stared at matching yellow coffee mugs she’d placed in front of him. “I don’t think I’ll ever get past the thought that all of this is my fault.”
“The way I look at it, if it wasn’t for you, this situation could have ended a whole lot worse.” She started covering the bread slices with mayonnaise. “You found a way to let me know what was going on, enabling us to get you out alive. Your brother and mother are alive, not to mention every student in that classroom … You’re a hero, Rafael.”
“A hero?” He knocked the mug he was holding under the faucet against the sink, cracking its side. “I’m sorry.”
“Forget it.” She dropped the mug into the trash can and let the lid swish closed.
“A hero would have known what was going on in the life of his brother. Gone to Mason and let him handle things. A hero wouldn’t have given in to fear and walked into that classroom with a gun.”
Emily ripped open the package of ham, praying for the right words. “I can’t say what I would have done if I was in your place, which means I can’t even begin to judge what you did. It’s easy to think I would have simply gone to the police and let them handle everything, but with my family’s lives on the line … I don’t know. You weren’t left with an easy choice. They had the leverage they needed and used it.”
“Do they know yet who’s behind this?” he asked.
She pressed her palms against the counter. “Mason believes it’s tied to a case my sister’s working on. Ransom kidnappings, just like your brother’s, except at least four of the victims have been found murdered. We know that the men arrested at the funeral home were part of a local gang, and there is a good chance that not only is the cartel involved but also a possible mole within the police department. Specifically who’s behind it, though, I don’t know. I don’t think anyone knows at this point.”
“So there’s no doubt anymore?” Rafael looked up and caught her gaze. “No doubt that Eduardo was selling.”
“No.”
“I just can’t believe he could deceive me like that, and I believed him. I wanted to believe him.”
“Mason and his team will find out who was behind this.”
Rafael grabbed another mug from the cupboard, filled them up with water, then set them in the microwave. “But I should have known what Eduardo was involved in. Should have found a way to stop him.”
“Rafael.” Emily turned to him, hands on her hips, and softened her expression. “We can go through this all day, wondering a multitude of what-ifs, but going there won’t change anything. Let’s focus instead on finding the men behind this.”
He pulled two paper plates from the package while the microwave timer continued counting down for the hot chocolate. “Okay.”
“Think about everything that has happened since the night Eduardo was abducted. Anything that stands out, from your apartment that night, what you might have seen in the park.�
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He shook his head. “Reliving things over and over isn’t working. I don’t know who was behind this.”
Emily dropped pieces of cheese onto the sandwiches, then put the tops on them. “This is no different than taking a test. Think about the test-taking skills we’ve worked on together. The information is there, in your mind, Rafael. When you’re stressed, the information is harder to recall. But you’re safe now.”
His jaw tensed as he shook his head. “I can’t see it.”
“I want you to close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Remember how we’ve talked about making mental pictures about what you’ve read or heard?”
Rafael nodded.
“I want you to think of why this is important. For you … your mother … your brother. You can do this.”
Rafael nodded.
Emily leaned back against the counter, the sandwiches forgotten for the moment. “I want you to picture the friends your brother hangs out with. Do any of them stand out? Strike you as someone who could be involved with one of the local gangs?”
“No.”
“Okay. Good.”
She continued going slowly through the past two days with him. What he might have seen when the masked men broke into the house. Their mannerisms, voices, anything that would set them apart.
“Tell me what you saw at the park when you went to pick up the backpack.”
Rafael squeezed his eyes shut. “A couple cars passed on the side street. There was a runner coming toward me. A woman. I … I picked up the pack, shaking …”
“Did the runner follow you?”
He shook his head. “She ran past. I don’t think she really looked at me.”
“Was anyone else there?”
“No … Wait.” He looked up at her. “There was this man. He was leaning against a car across the street. I remember feeling like he was watching me, but I thought I was just being paranoid.”
Emily felt her heart pound. Maybe it was nothing, but it fit. There was a department mole. Weapons had been stolen. Avery’s office and house bugged. If he—or she—were involved, they might have been at that park making sure Rafael picked up the pack.
“Could you recognize him?”
Rafael shrugged a shoulder. “I could try.”
“It might not be anything more than a coincidence that he was there, but we need to let the agents know.” She turned and picked up the knife to cut the sandwiches.
A crash sounded from the front of the house. Wood splintered. The knife slipped from her fingers and onto the tile as fear ripped through her. A shot rang out. Someone shouted. Two … three shots.
It took Emily a second to react. Mason had been right. Someone had come after them and found them. Heart pounding, she shoved Rafael toward the back door.
Emily fumbled with the lock. Where were the FBI agents? If they were alive, they would have been in here already. If they were dead, she and Rafael were on their own. She was still trying to open the door when a man walked into the kitchen, wearing a hoodie, baggy jeans, and a ski mask.
The back door finally swung open.
“Run, Rafael!”
He was right behind them. Limping. Had the agents shot him? She pulled the door shut, praying that the extra seconds would be enough.
They ran past a pile of firewood and a shovel, through the side gate into the front yard. She glanced down the street. It was quiet … cold without her coat. The row of driveways in either direction sat empty, which meant she had no idea where to go. All she knew was that they couldn’t stop running.
A light snow was falling. She slipped on the grass, then struggled to catch her balance. He was gaining on them. She could hear him behind them. Rafael yelled at him to stop. Fingers gripped her shoulder as he slammed her into the ground. Warm, moist breath tickled her skin. She could feel the gun pressed against her temple.
He was going to kill her.
His voice was raspy as he whispered into her ear. “Good night, sunshine.”
25
Mason made his way to the interrogation room where Carlos was waiting for him and glanced at his watch. Two and a half hours had passed since they’d received the first text that Tess had been taken. Two and a half hours with no progress in finding her. Which meant that Ben Jacobs better be ready to talk. And he better have the answers they needed.
His stomach growled as he passed the row of vending machines. Breakfast had consisted of leftover Chinese takeout from the night before. Lunch was long forgotten. He stopped in front of one of the machines, dug out a crisp bill from his wallet, and punched the buttons for a Snickers. Chocolate might not be at the top of the food pyramid, but it should help keep him focused.
Lack of food, though, wasn’t the only thing messing with his focus. Emily Hunt had managed to do that without even trying. He’d watched the way she related to her students earlier today, refusing to panic in a difficult situation, and putting their needs above her own. Now, every feeling toward her he thought he’d long since buried had resurrected full force and was trying to completely throw off his equilibrium.
He ripped off the end of the wrapper and took a bite. He still wasn’t sure what he’d been thinking when he’d almost kissed her. All he knew was that she’d managed to work her way straight into his heart. That wasn’t supposed to happen to this undercover cop who tended to put his job before anything—or anyone—else, and was used to the long hours with no one to come home to.
She made him want to change all of that. Made him wonder what it would be like to come home after a tiring stakeout to a woman who loved him.
He took another bite and headed down the hallway to the interrogation room. Whatever he was feeling toward her would have to be analyzed another day. For now, he’d made a promise to her, and he intended to keep it. They needed to find Tess.
Carlos was waiting for him in the hallway.
“Any updates on Avery?” Mason asked.
“The last update we received was that they’d had a few issues again with her blood pressure dropping, but she should be okay.”
“Does she know about Tess yet?”
“I don’t think so.”
Mason let out a low whistle. “I’d hate to be the one to tell her.”
“You and me both.”
Mason nodded toward the room where Jacobs sat waiting for them. “I’ve looked through his file. Are you sure he has something worth our time?”
“It’s the best lead we’ve got at the moment. If someone was behind his breaking into both Avery’s house and the Cerdas’ apartment today, we need to know who.”
“Then let’s do this.”
Mason stepped into the room behind Carlos and tossed his empty candy wrapper into the trash can before sliding into a chair. He studied the wiry man across the table from him. He looked older than his forty-seven years. Fingers drummed against the table. His foot tapped against the floor. The last interview had pretty much amounted to nothing more than a demand to see his lawyer. Something had changed his mind. At least that’s what they were hoping.
Mason folded his arms. “We understand you’ve decided to talk?”
“Yes, but before I say anything, I’m going to need protection.” Jacobs’s eyes pleaded with them as he leaned forward, elbows on the table. Something—or someone—had him terrified. “And you have to promise me no jail time.”
Mason’s brow rose at the man’s last demand. He looked at Carlos and let out a low chuckle. “Let’s see. He’s just been arrested for a burglary that included a stash of drug money that can be tied to kidnapping and ransom demands. But he wants us to promise him no jail time. Am I missing something here?”
“Wait a minute, you need the information I have. I just need guarantees.”
Carlos stood up, bracing his arms against the table. “What kind of guarantees? We don’t even know if the information you have is worth a get-out-of-jail-free card.”
“First of all, I didn’t have anything to do with any kidnapping o
r ransom demands.”
Carlos laughed. “And you expect us to believe that? You don’t exactly have a pristine past.” He tapped on the Jacobs file sitting on the table. “In fact, you’re a repeat offender looking at prison time. With this arrest, I can ensure you go away for a very, very long time.”
Jacobs looked panicked. “No.”
“So you think if you cooperate with us today, all of this will, what? Simply disappear?” Mason asked.
“That’s the deal.”
“What do you think, Mason? We’ve already got him for drug possession, robbery, intent to distribute.” Carlos glanced back at Jacobs. “Do you want me to continue?”
The man turned away, jaw tight, lips pinched.
“I’m not sure you really understand the seriousness of your situation, Jacobs. You’re looking at serving the maximum sentence without the possibility of parole. And I haven’t talked to the DA yet, but I’m pretty sure that if convicted of another felony, you’re facing a very, very long time in prison.”
“That’s why I’m agreeing to make a deal.” Jacobs slammed his palms against the table. “I won’t go back there.”
Mason folded his arms and leaned back. “Start at the beginning then. Why did you break into the Cerda home?”
“I had an arrangement with someone.”
“What kind of arrangement?”
Jacobs’s gaze dropped. “Do we have a deal?”
“You give me something I can use, and I’ll do what I can to influence the DA in your favor. What kind of arrangement?”
“I started doing odd jobs on the side for someone.”
Mason frowned. They were going to have to take things one step at a time. “What kind of odd jobs?”
“I received a call the first time about … four months ago. He told me to search that other cop’s house and leave a bug.”
“What were you looking for?”
“He told me he needed a file and that I could find it in the basement on a desk.”
“What was in the file?”
“It was a case file on … I think his name was Michael. Michael Hunt.”