by Laura Scott
“I’m not a fan of this truck. It’s a pain to get in and out of,” she muttered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
“It wouldn’t be so bad if your ankle wasn’t hurt,” he said with a smile.
“I’m pretty sure that I wouldn’t be able to get inside once I’m a few weeks further along, even with a good ankle.”
His gaze dropped to her belly, then jerked back up to meet hers. “You’re right. I hadn’t thought of that.” He shut the door and walked around to the driver’s side.
It bothered Kari the way Marc seemed to retreat a bit every time she reminded him of her pregnancy and she wondered again about the kiss they’d shared. Why had he kissed her if her condition bothered him? Was it possible he’d completely forgotten she was expecting?
Now that the immediate threat of danger was over, she couldn’t help reliving their brief but sizzling kiss.
Marc’s embrace made a mockery of the intimacy she’d shared with Vince. Making her wish all over again that she hadn’t allowed him to sway her from her beliefs.
Then again, she couldn’t regret the end result of being pregnant.
“Something wrong?” Marc asked, breaking in to her thoughts. “Are you feeling all right?”
“I’m feeling fine,” she assured him.
“Rest up a bit,” he suggested. “The address I’m looking for is a good twenty minutes from here.”
She nodded and closed her eyes, but unfortunately she could still see a clear image of Marc in her mind. The intensity of his gaze moments before he captured her mouth with his.
The fluttering in her abdomen returned, making her smile. She slid her hand beneath her coat and pressed it against her stomach, enjoying the experience of feeling the baby move.
Her son or daughter was what was important, not pining over a devastatingly handsome FBI agent. A man who she knew full well wouldn’t have looked twice at her under normal circumstances.
He was aware of her only because of their forced proximity. And the same was true for her.
Four more days till the trial. Surely, she could find a way to hold on to what little remained of her common sense for that long?
* * *
Marc wondered what Kari was thinking, but forced himself to concentrate on finding the place Tomas Lee called home. Unfortunately, the address was located in a rough part of town, and he didn’t like exposing Kari to that environment.
Once he’d pinpointed the place, he could always come back later on his own. Hopefully, one of his brother’s wouldn’t mind sitting with her for a while.
It took longer than he’d anticipated to find the house, and when he finally identified the structure that corresponded to the address listed on the parole sheet, he frowned when he saw several broken windows, a giant hole in the front porch and a yellow notice taped to the door.
Condemned.
Tomas Lee might have lived there once, but clearly no one was living there now. At least, not legally.
Marc drove slowly past the house, then swung around the block to make another pass. There was a slim possibility that Tomas was still inside, but considering the frigid temperatures and the ramshackle building, he didn’t think that was a likely scenario.
“Is that the place we’re looking for?” Kari asked.
“Yeah, that’s it.” He glanced over and gestured to the manila folder between them. “Check to see if there’s a number for his parole officer.”
She flipped open the file. He made another circle around the block, then drove back toward the highway.
“There is a number listed here. Do you want me to call it?”
“Yeah, if you wouldn’t mind. Just plug in the numbers and then give me the phone.”
She did as he asked, handing the phone to him the moment there was ringing on the other end of the line. Someone picked up on the fifth ring. “Officer Clayton Hughes.”
“Officer Hughes, my name is Marc Callahan and I’m with the FBI. I’m looking for some information on a former parole of yours, a guy by the name of Tomas Lee.”
“Lee, Lee...” Hughes muttered. “Oh yeah, I remember him. Did a short stint for armed robbery. Why do the Feds want him? Is he in trouble again?”
“Do you remember him having a samurai tattoo on his chest?” Marc asked, avoiding the parole officer’s question. “A rather large design with a warrior, a sword and mask.”
“Nah, I don’t pay attention to that stuff. As long as he follows the rules of his probation, he can do what he likes.”
“What’s the last known address you have on file for him?” Marc asked. “The one on Central Street?”
“Just a minute.” There was a thunk as Hughes put down the phone, then the sound of shuffling papers. Almost a full minute later, Hughes picked up the phone. “Nah, that’s not what we have. We have the one listed on Appletree. Twenty-Third and Appletree, the number on the building is 2358.”
Marc glanced at Kari, repeating the address out loud. “Twenty-Third and Appletree, building number 2358. Is there an apartment number, too?”
“Apartment 204. What has Lee done, anyway? Must be bad if the Feds want him.”
“I appreciate your assistance,” Marc said. “I’m afraid I can’t go into details about the case I’m investigating.”
“Wait a minute, I have a right to know what’s going on,” Officer Hughes protested. “What if this jerk comes back here with a gun or something?”
“You should absolutely consider him to be armed and dangerous,” Marc responded in a calm voice. The parole officer was putting on a big act, but the truth was, all parole officers dealt with dangerous ex-cons every day. Many of whom had been convicted of worse crimes than armed robbery. “If you see him call for backup.”
“Hrmph.”
“Thanks again, Officer Hughes.” Marc disconnected from the call then handed the phone back to Kari, repeating the address he’d been given.
“I’ve written it down,” she answered.
Marc nodded and headed to the opposite side of the city, closer, he noted, to the area where Mikio’s tattoo shop was located.
He felt certain he was on the right track. Tomas Lee must have been one of the men who’d accompanied Jamison to get their samurai tattoos. And if that was the case, then it wasn’t much of a stretch to believe the two men had worked together on the series of bank robberies.
Of course, actual proof would be nice. Something other than similar tattoos obtained several months before the first bank was hit.
“I’m not sure you should approach Tomas Lee alone,” Kari said. “It would be better for you to have one of your brothers go with you, since he’s considered armed and dangerous.”
“Right now, I just want to drive by the apartment building, get an idea of where it’s situated and what else might be around.” Marc thought it was sweet the way she worried about him. Unnecessary, but sweet. “And don’t forget I’m armed, too.”
“I know, but still...” Her voice trailed off.
He kept his attention on the traffic as he navigated the truck toward Appletree, making sure to keep an eye out for any sign of the black SUV. He couldn’t afford to let his guard down, and forced himself to consider all the possibilities.
If there were a link between the gunmen and someone within the task force, they could easily run the license plates of the truck. Garrett Rolland’s name wouldn’t be readily associated with the Callahans, but if they cared enough to dig into Garrett’s background, they’d learn that Mitch’s buddy happened to be stationed in the military overseas in Afghanistan. Which in turn would raise some red flags about who was driving his truck.
He drummed his fingers on the edge of the steering wheel. He didn’t like it. Not one bit. Maybe he should think about picking up some other vehicle.
On th
e other hand, how many black SUVs were there in the city? Lots. So he might be worrying over nothing.
He kept track of the street signs, going down to Twenty-Third Street. Then he headed south to Appletree Lane. The apartment building wasn’t in great shape, although not nearly as bad as the condemned house Lee had lived in previously. There was only a single window that was lined with Christmas lights, and he didn’t see any Christmas trees through any of the windows, either. Maybe because it was daytime.
He drove past the building, trying to think of a way to get inside without tipping off Tomas Lee that he was coming. There was an intercom system, but as he drove by he watched someone walk into the building without using a key.
The lack of security would work in Marc’s favor. But as much as he wanted to go inside now, he didn’t particularly want to risk exposing Kari to danger.
He swung his gaze around, taking note of the businesses located around the apartment building. A small Mexican restaurant, a tavern, an old video store that was boarded up and a liquor store.
“I really wish you’d call your brothers,” Kari said again.
“I’ll try, but they have work to do, too. I can’t drag them away from their own cases. But for now, we’ll find a place to stop for lunch, then look for another motel to spend the night.”
Her expression mirrored her relief. “Good, I’m glad you’re going to wait until later.”
Not that much later, but no need to bring up that point now. If he was working alone, he wouldn’t bother stopping for lunch, but Kari needed to eat, for her sake as well as for the baby’s.
“What are you in the mood for?” he asked, heading back toward the west side of the city.
“Doesn’t have to be anything big and fancy. Soup and a sandwich works well enough.”
He pulled into a small sandwich place that he liked, knowing there would be plenty to choose from on the menu. They headed inside and ordered their meal.
Kari chose a booth along the far wall, and he set down the tray then claimed the seat facing the door. He reached over again to take her hand, then bowed his head in deference to her heartfelt prayer.
It was strange the way he fell back into the habit of praying before meals, much the way his parents had taught him. Jessica had gone through the motions, but she hadn’t really believed in the power of faith, not the way Kari clearly did.
“Your turn next time,” Kari said with a grin, releasing his hand.
He was tempted to take her hand back, missing the warmth and softness of her skin, but managed to refrain. “Sure.”
For several moments they ate in silence, enjoying the simple meal. The tomato soup was excellent, warming him from the inside out.
“Have you ever considered going to art school?” he asked. “Your talent is wasted at the bank.”
Her smile evaporated. “I took some graphic-design classes at the technical school, but that’s all. As much as I’d love to make money from drawing or painting, I really need a regular paycheck coming in, especially now.”
He nodded; he could certainly understand where she was coming from. Soon she’d have another mouth to feed. “I’m sure saving up money for tuition isn’t easy.”
“No, it’s not. I had some money set aside, but after my mom died, I used it to pay for her funeral.”
Her matter-of-fact statement hit him square in the solar plexus. Obviously, her mother didn’t have any life insurance and the thought of Kari planning and paying for her mom’s funeral all by herself made him feel terrible. “I’m sorry you were put in that position.”
“Yeah, well the waitresses at the diner where she worked took up a little collection, too. It wasn’t much, but every little bit helped. I was just starting to rebuild my nest egg when I met Vince.” She wrinkled her nose. “You know how that ended.”
Marc wanted to punch Vince Ackerman in the gut for knocking Kari down after she’d just gotten herself back on track. A surge of protectiveness caught him off guard and he knew he was getting too personally involved in Kari’s well-being. She was smart, pretty, talented, and deserved so much more.
Which reminded him, he hadn’t heard anything about the sketch of Vince he’d given to Miles. “Yeah. I hope when we find him, he still has some of the cash he stole from you.”
She lifted her hand palm up in a whatever gesture, as if she didn’t hold out much hope for that. “What about you? When did you go to the academy?”
“As soon as I finished my four-year criminal-justice degree. The timing was perfect—they’d just opened up several positions and I was glad to be chosen. I guess I’ve been with them for almost four years now.”
“You mentioned Miles works as a police detective and that Michael is a private investigator. Is everyone in your family involved in law enforcement in some way or another?”
“Yeah, Mitch is an arson investigator and Matthew is training to be a K9 cop with his new partner, Duke. My sister, Madison, is a lawyer with the DA’s office.”
“Your parents must have been so proud of all their children receiving college degrees.” Her voice held a hint of longing, but he couldn’t tell if it was because of his family, their college educations or both.
“We’re very blessed,” he agreed. He finished his sandwich and crumpled up the wrapper, waiting for Kari to finish.
Since she was still eating, he decided to try his brothers, starting with Miles. When he got his brother’s voice mail, he left a message asking if he’d gotten any leads on Vince, before disconnecting from the call.
Kari’s eyes never left his face as he worked his way through his brother’s numbers, leaving brief messages with each one. He didn’t bother bugging his sister and dragging Maddy into danger wasn’t an option, either.
“Now what?” Kari asked, dropping her napkin on the tray and pushing it away. “Do we go find a motel?”
“That would be the logical thing to do,” he admitted.
“Do I hear a but on the end of that?” she asked wryly.
“You could drop me off at the apartment building, and drive around while I have a chat with Tomas. We both have phones, so I’d be able to call you when I’m ready to be picked up.”
She regarded him with a steady gaze. “Don’t you think it would be better to wait for one of your brothers to call back?”
“Maybe, but I haven’t heard back yet, and don’t want to wait. I’m armed and I doubt Tomas will try to shoot me in broad daylight.”
“I’m not sure about this,” she said, biting her lower lip nervously. “I don’t like the thought of you going in alone.”
“Kari, I need to do this. I promise I’m trained for these types of situations. For all we know, Tomas might not even be home.”
“Okay,” she reluctantly agreed.
He tossed out their garbage and set the tray on top of the others already stacked above the trash can. Kari put her hand in the crook of his arm, still favoring her left ankle. At least her injury wouldn’t prevent her from driving the truck.
The ride back to Appletree Lane didn’t take long. When they were a few blocks away, he parked the truck and switched spots with Kari. She had to adjust the driver’s seat up as far as it could go in order to reach the gas pedal.
“This thing is ridiculous,” she muttered.
“You’ll be fine.” At least, he hoped so. Leaving Kari in the truck didn’t sit well, but it was better than leaving her all alone. “If anything happens, take the cash I gave you, find a hotel and call my brothers. They’ll take care of you.”
She shot him a withering glare. “But nothing is going to happen to you, right?”
“Right. See that opening in front of the boarded-up video store? Drop me off there.”
Kari pulled over as he asked. He tucked his phone in his pocket and slid out of the truck. “Don’t go t
oo far. I’ll be in touch.”
“Be careful.”
He nodded and slammed the passenger-side door behind him. He waited until Kari pulled away from the curb to head down the street toward the apartment building.
The lock on the main door was broken, so he was able to get inside easily enough. He bypassed the tiny elevator in favor of the stairs. When he reached the second floor, he headed down toward number 204, which happened to be right next to the stairwell.
He listened at the door, trying to gauge if anyone was home. There wasn’t any sound coming from inside. Either Tomas was sleeping or he was gone.
Marc lifted his fist and rapped sharply on the door. He waited, listening intently, but still nothing. For kicks, he tried the door handle and to his surprise it wasn’t locked.
“Hello?” He pushed the door open, but kept his back against the wall. He held his weapon ready as he edged farther into the room.
The apartment had been tossed like a pro. Everything had been thoroughly searched, sofa cushions slit open and drawers dumped on the floor.
It didn’t take long to ascertain the apartment was empty. But as Marc looked around the interior, he couldn’t help wondering what they’d been searching for.
And if they’d found it.
ELEVEN
Gripping the steering wheel, Kari drove slowly, navigating the seemingly too-narrow city streets. She’d never driven a vehicle this massive and found it difficult to judge where she was on the road. She actually winced as she went past some areas where there were cars parked on either side of the road.
Amazingly, she didn’t hit anything.
Two blocks west of the apartment building, she found a large open area alongside the road that was a perfect place for her to park. She made a circle, going past the apartment building one more time in case Tomas Lee wasn’t home and Marc happened to be outside waiting for her.
When there was no sign of him. Her pulse kicked up a notch. Obviously, Tomas was home and she had no idea how their conversation would go. Marc was armed and trained as an FBI agent, but that didn’t mean he was infallible.