“They haven’t fired any shots, so it wouldn’t be treated as an emergency. By the time anyone responds, we’d be dead.”
“That’s reassuring,” Alli grumbled, and got in as directed.
From her position on the floor, the car seemed to roar like a jet as the ignition caught. Kevin eased the vehicle backward and then righted it. He must have kept the lights off, because Alli didn’t catch any hint of glare.
Their safety lay in his hands. His tension radiated through the seat between them. She pictured him gripping the steering wheel, his face a mask of concentration.
There was no one in the world she would sooner trust with her life than Kevin Vickers, Alli thought. The traits she’d chided him for—stodginess and control—shone like knightly virtues in a predicament like this.
He might not be around in the future if she needed him. But thank goodness he was here now.
The tires muttered over the blacktop. A pair of headlights crossed their path, making her grip the edge of the seat.
“It’s a Porsche,” Kevin told her, his tone flat.
“Can you see the van?”
“It’s off to our right. Still hunting.”
The Porsche’s lights passed out of range. In the dimness, Kevin’s car rolled into the aisle.
Alli wished she could see what was going on. She didn’t want to distract the driver by demanding a progress report, so she gritted her teeth and gauged their progress by the turns.
Surely they must be nearing the exit, where they’d have to stop to pay for parking. At that point, the van could hardly miss them.
“Almost there,” Kevin said.
“Where are they?”
“I can’t tell.”
“Is that good?” she asked.
“We won’t know till it’s over.” He sounded maddeningly calm.
How could anybody play his cards that close to his chest? she wondered. She was too excitable.
“I’m going to have to turn my lights on,” Kevin added. “We’re getting close to the exit.”
Alli held her breath as the evening whitened by several shades. A moment later, they halted and the driver’s window snicked down.
“Having a good time tonight, folks?” asked the ticket taker.
What an inane comment, she thought. No doubt the management required its employees to act friendly, but under the circumstances, the fake cheeriness grated on her nerves.
“Terrific.” Kevin didn’t engage the man in conversation; he simply handed over his money. “Keep the change.”
“Thanks!”
Alli hoped the fellow wouldn’t peer inside the car to make sure everyone was having fun. She’d need to invent some excuse for crouching here on the floor. Lost her contact lens? Too many sheets to the wind?
They pulled into the street. “Are we safe?” she asked.
“Too soon to tell. Stay down.”
Behind them, she heard the squeal of tires. The van sounded unbearably close.
“They’re on a parallel lane inside the lot,” Kevin told her as he hit the gas. “It’ll take them a minute to go through the—well, less than a minute. They took out the gate arm.”
When they swerved, Alli banged her hip on something hard but didn’t complain. She kept expecting to hear shots.
They rounded another corner. She tried to picture the area and gathered they must be heading toward the rabbit’s warren of car dealers and auto shops south of Serene High School.
During the next series of screeching turns, she lost track of their location, and Kevin was too busy driving to enlighten her. A couple of explosive sounds behind them jolted her nerves.
Gunfire. She hoped the men were lousy shots.
At last they hit a straightaway, going fast. She guessed they’d reached Little Paris Avenue, which ran north-south.
“Uh-oh,” Kevin said. “There’s an event of some kind letting out at the college.” Its campus lay beyond the high school.
Alli’s heart shifted from high gear into supersonic. “Are we trapped?”
“Maybe not. There’s a cop ahead, directing traffic.”
The car slowed. Alli’s pulse rocketed on, unabashed, as the sound of other engines surrounded them and headlights washed out the night.
They stopped, dead in the water. “Talk to me,” she said.
“We’re stuck in a line of traffic. The van’s pulling off the road, but it can’t get around.” After a pause, he added, “It looks like they’re taking a side street and leaving.”
She couldn’t believe they’d give up that easily. “Do you think they plan to lie in wait?”
“Their pattern has been to attack, then disappear. After all, they know who we are and presumably can find out where I live.”
“Don’t you keep your address a secret?”
“I try. But I can’t keep it off the water bill. If the mayor hasn’t already looked it up, he could do so tomorrow.”
She uttered a couple of profanities. “We still can’t prove he’s behind this, can we?”
“You said you had an idea,” he reminded her.
“Oh, right.” In the heat of the moment, she’d forgotten. “I still need to work out the details.”
“Care to clue me in?”
Before she could answer, the traffic opened up and they started forward. “We’ll need my laptop,” Alli replied. “That’s the important part.”
He digested this information. “We’ll have to swing by my house and pick it up. Then we should spend the night somewhere else.”
“Any suggestions?”
“I refuse to put my family or your friends at risk. That means we’re checking into a motel.”
One room or two? Since they’d be working together for hours, what was the point of incurring additional expense?
Alli decided not to mention it yet. Kevin had too many other things to think about.
And so did she.
Chapter Thirteen
Kevin parked in back by the garage and accompanied Alli inside. He was doubly grateful for the alarm system, which guaranteed they wouldn’t find any unexpected visitors.
“Don’t turn on the lights,” he warned. A low-burning bulb between the kitchen and the front room provided enough glow to find their way without bumping into the furniture. Beyond that, they’d have to rely on the flashlights he kept handy throughout the house.
“You’re prepared for anything, aren’t you?” Alli said as he handed her one.
“It’s a sensible earthquake precaution.”
“Don’t tell me you have a week’s supply of canned food in the garage!” she sputtered.
“And a gas camp stove,” he said. “Did I mention the thirty gallons of bottled water?”
“Please don’t.”
During the chase, he noticed, her hair had tumbled from its perch and that tantalizing pink dress had plastered even more tightly to her curves. Her body radiated an excitement that was almost tangible.
He suspected it would quickly become tangible if he touched her. So he didn’t.
“Keep it quick,” Kevin warned. “Grab the laptop and let’s head out of here.”
“You think I’m running around town like this for who knows how long?” She indicated her disheveled state.
By now, he knew better than to argue. “Throw a few things into a bag and bring them with you. Don’t try to change here.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll gather the information we’ve found. We wouldn’t want it falling into the wrong hands.”
Although the alarm company would summon the police if someone broke in, that might take fifteen minutes. In the meanwhile, LeMott’s men could clean out his desk.
“Right,” Alli said, and took off.
They worked quickly and silently. Kevin picked out a change of clothing, as well as toiletries. No sense in being any more uncomfortable than necessary.
As he worked, he replayed the chaotic scene at the hotel. Policemen were trained to control a situa
tion, not provoke their opponent to see how hot the fireworks burned, so it had felt odd to him.
The weird part was that he’d enjoyed it. He liked seeing the arrogant LeMott go ballistic. Alli’s chutzpah had tempted him to lead a couple of cheers.
They’d unquestionably stirred things up. One way or the other, push would come to shove tomorrow.
After that, with Alli gone and the blackmail deadline past, things ought to settle back to normal. Kevin should have relished the prospect, assuming they both survived unharmed, but instead it made him feel let down.
His own gear collected, he kept watch through the window until Alli finished packing. A pair of powerful headlights cruising down the street sent his adrenaline pumping, but as it rolled by, the vehicle turned out to be an SUV.
At last Alli appeared. Ignoring his orders, she’d changed into jeans and a tank top, with her hair falling provocatively about her shoulders. He decided not to bother complaining.
Kevin activated the alarm, locked the door after them and led the way to the car. He didn’t speak until they were on their way.
“Now let’s hear your idea,” he said.
“Remember when I first moved in? You suggested we might use the spyware to play a trick on Payne. Much as I hate tipping my hand about this story, I don’t see any choice.”
“You’re going to write down the truth?”
“Well, not all of it,” she murmured.
A practical problem reared its head. “What are the odds he’ll be working at this hour?”
“I don’t know the odds, but I don’t need to. At this very moment, Payne’s sitting at his desk wearing an expression of sheer despair,” she said gleefully. “He hasn’t been able to produce sources for his quotes or come up with a new angle for a follow-up, either. Larry says J.J.’s losing his patience.”
Kevin scowled as he realized what she’d implied. “You called Larry while I was waiting?”
“I can talk and pack at the same time,” she responded blithely. “I figured he’d be on duty tonight, so I decided to pick his brain.”
“You didn’t tell him what you’re planning, did you?” Heading west across town, he kept watch for suspicious vehicles.
“He asked what was up. I told him it was better if he didn’t know.”
“Good, because you might want to rethink the whole plan.” Much as Kevin disliked LeMott, going to the press could have all sorts of repercussions if they were wrong. “We don’t know for sure that the blackmailer isn’t some crook from Costa Buena, or one of Graybar’s employees.”
“Don’t worry.” Alli shot him a conspiratorial grin. “I’m going to make sure even Ned Jacobson wouldn’t be daft enough to print this story.”
“How?” Kevin had begun to doubt that the loose cannons at the Outlook would hesitate at anything.
“I’ll cite unnamed police sources. After the way Payne screwed up with his speculations about LeMott, Ned will insist on learning the names in advance.”
“And when he can’t provide them?”
“He’ll have to phone the PD, ask about the blackmail investigation and find a name he can quote,” Alli explained.
Kevin began to follow the logic. “When the police learn that the newspaper’s looking into this and that the payoffs are due tomorrow, it will either tip them off if they didn’t already know about the case or light a fire under them if they’ve been dawdling.”
“I just hope we’re not too late to keep our people from losing their life’s savings,” Alli said.
He considered what she’d suggested. Not a bad idea, although it risked giving away her story to that creep Payne. Still, it avoided entangling either of them with the police, but was that entirely honest?
Kevin shook his head. “We can’t do this.”
“Why not?”
“I promised my client not to tell the cops,” he reminded her. “I know it will be you—indirectly—rather than me, but this has become a joint investigation. I’m responsible for whatever happens.”
Alli weighed his comment for a moment. “She made that request last week, right?”
“So?”
“Maybe she’s changed her mind. The least you can do is call and give her the option.” She wriggled sideways on the passenger seat so she could face him. “You might point out that we won’t use her name. The police will never even find out you and I are involved, so they can’t quiz us about our sources.”
It was a calculated risk, but Mary might go for it. “It’s worth a try.” Having reached the west side of town, Kevin turned north into a modest section of Serene Beach that held several motels. “So you’re really okay with giving up your exclusive?”
She rested her head against the seat. “It kills me. After all this work, I’m handing the whole thing over to my worst enemy. I won’t even have anything special to dangle in front of another paper. Don’t you hate having to do the right thing when it deprives you of something you really want?”
He nearly chuckled at her rueful tone, but was too busy watching for a place to hole up. “Are you going to mention LeMott by name?”
“I’ll have to.”
“But if he isn’t the culprit, whoever’s doing this won’t back down,” he pointed out.
“Let’s hope the cops can move faster than we’ve been able to. Otherwise the parents are going to be shafted,” Alli concluded. “I’ll have given away my exposé for nothing and Payne Jacobson will once again come out smelling like a rose.”
“That’s rotten,” he said. “But…”
“But what?”
“It’s the…” When he paused, she joined him for the rest of the line: “…right thing to do.”
Alli smacked her hands against the dashboard in a drum-roll. Kevin picked up the beat on the steering wheel.
He remembered what she’d said earlier, that before long they’d be finishing each other’s sentences. They seemed to be doing it already, and more.
He couldn’t for the life of him see what was wrong with that.
THE FIRST THREE PLACES had posted No Vacancy signs. “That’s the problem with June,” Kevin said. “Too many people in town for weddings and graduations.”
“Why don’t they all stay home?” Alli joked. “How inconsiderate.” She was in a surprisingly jolly mood, considering the circumstances.
“Darn right.” He pushed northward into a seedy area close to the freeway. “Hey look, it says Vacancy.” The aging neon sign advertised the Slumber Well Motel, whose name had been shortened by nonfunctioning light bulbs to the Slum We Motel.
“The word No is probably burned out,” Alli grumbled.
Kevin halted in front of the office. “I’ll find out.”
He emerged shortly afterward. “They had one room left, and we got it.” As he strapped on his seat belt, he added, “Hope you don’t mind.”
“Sharing with you?” She shrugged. “Not a problem. You can protect me from the cockroaches.”
“Are you dissing our lovely accommodations?”
“I hear the rats around here have bodyguards.”
Kevin drove along the side of the building. “They provide cable TV. What more could you ask?”
“In this location? Bulletproof windows.”
They unloaded the car quickly a few units away from theirs. “Is it safe to leave it here?” she asked.
“It would be hard to spot from the street,” Kevin noted. “Besides, if we leave the car too far away, we wouldn’t be able to escape in a hurry.”
“There’s a cheery thought,” she muttered.
“Besides, if LeMott’s men see it, they could stake it out no matter where we park,” he said.
“Cheerier and cheerier.”
Inside, the place smelled of stale cigarette smoke and spices, a giveaway that a previous tenant had cooked on an illicit burner. When Alli thumped the worn bedspread, she half expected dust to rise into the air.
She took out her phone. “I’ll call Rita to see if she’s heard fr
om the blackmailer again.”
“And I need to call Mary—I mean, my client—about alerting the police.” After taking out a change of clothing, he vanished into the bathroom with his cell.
The Hernandez phone gave five rings before a machine picked up. Alli left a message. “I need to update you about what I’m doing,” she said. “Please call as soon as you receive this, no matter how late.”
Her partner must have reached his client, because she heard the deep rumble of his voice from the bathroom. She didn’t need to make out the words to catch the concern with which he spoke.
Alli sat on the bed next to his open suitcase. How had he managed to roll his underwear so smoothly and fold a spare shirt with precision while packing by flashlight? The man needed a woman to muss his hair and unbutton his collar, she thought.
The realization that she’d checked into a motel with Kevin Vickers sent a tingle through Alli. Here on neutral territory, who made the rules? Were there any?
Yanking her thoughts away from temptation, she opened the laptop and set it on a small table. The only chair available rocked a bit on its uneven legs as she began typing, but soon she was concentrating so hard she forgot the inconvenience.
She’d never intentionally created an irresponsible story before. It was a challenge to write a lead so awkward it might convince someone that Payne Jacobson had penned it.
To figure out what to include, Alli reviewed the information they’d gathered during the past few days. There were Costa Buena’s investigation into the orphanage, threatening phone calls, terrified parents and a shortened deadline. She also included the connection to Dr. Graybar’s orphanage service and his loan from Mayor LeMott.
Much of the information she would never have used in a real story because it was speculative. But her name wasn’t going on this one. She nearly goofed and wrote Payne Jacobson at the top before remembering that he was supposed to think she’d transmitted this by accident.
Instead, she left it without a byline. She didn’t always put one on her rough drafts, anyway.
Inventing quotes from unnamed police sources proved to be fun. Alli gave one of the officers a tendency to use malapropisms and another a habit of speaking in exclamation points.
She’d felt certain Ned would recognize that the quotes had been invented. Maybe he’d finally wake up and see his nephew for a fraud, but she wouldn’t be foolish enough to bet on it.
The Baby Scheme Page 16