“And all this time he’s never found you?”
“Twice he tracked me down. Both times I was lucky enough to get away. But I was running out of money, and places to hide. Then I learned about W.I.N.—Women In Need.”
“I’ve heard of it. It’s like an underground railroad for abused women.”
“They got me my new identity, helped me relocate. I don’t doubt for a second that they saved my life. Since then I’ve devoted myself to helping other women like me.”
“That’s what started this whole mess. You’re hiding someone.” The way someone had hidden her. He’d suspected—everything had pointed to that—but he hadn’t wanted to believe it.
“The diapers, the baby food, they were for her kids.”
“You know that what you’re doing is illegal.”
“What I do is necessary. These are women who have no other options.”
Mitch glanced up at her. She looked weary and defeated, as if the weight of the world rested on her shoulders. “Where do I fit into all of this?”
“The woman that called the shelter where I work, she was hiding from her husband. She gave me your name, asked me to call you and set up a meeting.”
“Is it someone I know?”
“She wouldn’t tell us her name. She just said that she needed to see you, but she couldn’t risk calling herself. She said she and her kids were in danger.”
“What did she look like? How old were her kids?”
“I never actually saw her. We only talked on the phone long enough for her to give me your number.”
“How many kids does she have?”
Ellen shrugged. “She wouldn’t tell me. She only said that she would need diapers and baby food. Maybe we can figure out who it is. Is there anyone you know with kids? Someone that you would suspect of abuse. She had your home number, Mitch. That blocked call we got the other night was my assistant trying to get ahold of you. It would have to be someone you’re friends with, right?”
Mitch scrubbed a hand across his jaw. “I know lots of people with kids. Darren has kids, Greene has a couple of kids. But would I suspect them of abusing their wives? Hell, no. Darren is like a brother to me. I would know if he was beating his wife. And Greene, well, he’s a great guy. A good cop.” But how well did Mitch really know him? Sometimes he was almost too nice.
“It’d be real easy to find out. Just call their houses and see if their wives are home.”
“I can call the station and get Greene’s number.” He pulled out his cell phone, dialed the station, and within a few minutes was dialing Greene’s home number. His wife answered. Mitch feigned an excuse for calling, then hung up. “It’s definitely not her. She sounded fine, if not a little overwrought. I could hear a baby screaming in the background.”
“What about Darren’s wife.”
“Diane? She’s out of town.”
Ellen sat straighter, eyes widening.
“It’s not what you think. Her mother had a heart attack. Diane went to Washington to help her out until she gets back on her feet. She’s had heart problems for years.”
“How can you be sure?”
“I’m telling you, I know these people like family. I’ve never seen so much as a scratch on Diane. As far as I know she’s never had a broken bone.”
“Does she ever dress out of season? You know, long-sleeve shirts or turtlenecks on a hot summer day?”
“Never.”
“She never seems afraid of him?”
Mitch laughed. “Are you kidding? I’ve seen her really lay into him. If anything, I’d say he’s more afraid of her than she’s ever been of him. Though he likes to pretend otherwise, she wears the pants in that family.”
Jane—Ellen, would he never get used to that?—chewed on her thumbnail. “Then you’re right, it’s probably not her.”
“What I really want to know is why you were following me that night.”
“I called the station a couple of times that day but they kept telling me you were unavailable.”
“I was interrogating Robbie. It went on most of the day and part of the night before.”
“The officer at the desk said you’d just left, so I wrote down my number, said it was urgent that you get in touch with me. But when I went outside, I saw you walking to your car.”
“How did you know it was me?”
“Someone yelled, ‘Nice arrest, Thompson.’ You turned and waved. I put two and two together.”
“Why didn’t you approach me right there?”
“Honestly, I didn’t know if I could trust you. What I do isn’t legal. Since I knew what you looked like, I could watch you from a distance. I wanted to follow you for a little while. Maybe strike up a casual conversation, get to know you first.”
“So you followed me to the store.”
“And someone was following me.”
He heard a waver in her voice. She was scared, and trying like hell not to let it show. “We’ll get him.”
“We. There’s a term you use rather loosely.” She stared at the ground. “You promised me we would solve my case together. You said I wasn’t alone.”
“I also promised to keep you safe. I couldn’t do that anymore.”
“You mean you didn’t want to.”
“I was too close. If I had to do it all over again, I would do the same thing. I would rather have you alive and hating my guts than even think about someone hurting you.” Mitch reached over and slipped his hand over hers.
She looked down at their hands twined together, filled with an emptiness so deep, so encompassing, she ached clear through to her bones. For the first time in three years she’d let someone close. She’d let him in, only to have him push her away. “I really thought we had a chance.”
“Now you don’t?”
“We stand on opposite sides of the law.”
“If you wanted to, you could change that. You could start by telling me your name.” When she didn’t answer, Mitch dropped her hand. “But, I guess that’s not a sacrifice you’re willing to make.”
Anger burned in her cheeks. “Don’t talk to me about sacrifices, Mitch. You have no idea what I’ve given up. For more than three years I wasn’t allowed to think for myself, I couldn’t say what I was feeling. That ended the night I walked out of that hospital. I swore I would never let anyone control me again. If I feel something, damn it, I’m going to express it. If I want to do something, I do it.”
“So what? I should give up being a cop for you. I should hand over my badge and throw all my principles out the window—”
“No. I would never ask you to do that. You already rank a close second to me in the sacrifices department.”
Now he sounded angry. “You have some sort of problem with my family?”
“No, I think your family is great. I think you’re the one with the problem.”
“Loving my family, wanting to take care of them—you think that’s a problem? That’s pretty good coming from someone who’s spent the last three years running away from hers.”
“I don’t have a choice—”
“Everyone has a choice.” He stood, towering over her—an intimidating gesture, yet she knew deep down he would never hurt her. Not physically. He could break her heart though, but only if she let him.
“You can’t run forever, Ellen. Some day, you’re going to have to face your husband. No matter how far and how fast you go, eventually your past will catch up with you.”
“Now you’re talking like a cop.”
Every bit of emotion disappeared from his voice. “I am a cop.”
Ellen rose to her feet, meeting his challenging glare. “Then why don’t we get this over with, Detective. Do what you came here to do.”
Mitch reached behind him, grabbing his cuffs from the back of his belt. “Ellen Phillips, you’re under arrest.”
Chapter 15
Mitch sat at his desk, staring at the computer screen, seeing nothing. He had reports to type, work to do, and he co
uldn’t concentrate on a damned thing.
“Uncle Mitch!”
He swiveled toward the voice to see a streak of blond headed his way. Jessica, Darren’s daughter, vaulted into his arms. Talk about a mood lifter. “Hey kiddo, what are you doin’ here. You looking for a job?”
Jessica giggled and wrapped two skinny arms around his neck, planting a big, sloppy kiss on his cheek. “I’m too little to work, silly.”
“Don’t you have a birthday coming up?”
She gave him an exasperated look. “I’m only gonna be five.”
He feigned a serious look. “You look more like eight or nine to me.”
“And she acts twenty-five.” Darren walked in, his youngest, Lauren, balanced on his hip. She had the same wispy blond hair as her sister, and enormous blue eyes. Both girls were the spitting image of Darren.
Jessica bounded off Mitch’s lap, hopping excitedly at her father’s feet. A little blond ball of energy. “Daddy, can I play the game on your computer? Pleeeze. Pretty pleeeze.”
“For a few minutes. Take your sister with you. I need to talk to Uncle Mitch for a minute.” He handed the baby over and like an expert, Jessica propped her on her hip and bounded off for her father’s desk.
“How’s it goin’?” Darren swung into the chair next to Mitch’s desk, straddling the back. “From the looks of it when you brought Ellen in today, maybe things didn’t go so well?”
And now Darren had come to say I-told-you-so. As if Mitch didn’t feel rotten enough already. “She didn’t resist arrest, if that’s what you mean.”
“I heard she wouldn’t give you her real name.”
“Nope.” All that talk about trusting him had been exactly that. Talk. When it came right down to it, she didn’t trust him at all. And could he blame her?
“I heard that place she works for hired some bigwig lawyer from Detroit to represent her. He’s posting bail as we speak. He argued that giving her real name would put her in mortal danger. She’ll probably walk on all charges.”
“What about police protection?”
“She doesn’t want it,” Darren said. “She thinks the guy after her has probably given up by now since his wife is long gone.”
“What do you think?”
“I think she’s probably right. But I’m going to take her home, check her place out first, make sure no one is waiting for her.”
“You’re going to take her home?”
“Look, I feel guilty for the way I handled things.” He scrubbed a hand across his cheek. Mitch realized suddenly that Darren hadn’t shaved. In fact, his best friend looked like hell.
“What’s going on, Darren?”
“The truth? I was jealous. I was jealous that you were happy when my life is falling apart. The fact is, Diane is leaving me.”
“Leaving you? Darren, what are you talking about? You guys have a great marriage.”
“I thought so, too, but she lied to me about her mother. She didn’t go to Washington.”
Mitch was stunned to see a deep blush burn a path up Darren’s throat and into his cheeks. Darren who was always in control, always cool. “Then, where is she?”
“She left me for another man. She dropped the kids back home yesterday and took off. I have no idea how I’m going to explain it to them.”
Mitch sat back, stunned. “That’s, wow…I never would have expected this.”
“Neither did I. At first she gave me some crap about needing to find herself, but when I pushed her a little, she admitted there was someone else. I came by yesterday to talk to you about it, but when I saw you and Jane together, looking so happy, I couldn’t do it.”
Looking happy?
And he had been, he realized. Being with her the past couple of days made him feel alive again.
“I slept with her.” The words fell out of his mouth unexpectedly, but Darren didn’t look surprised. “I swore I wouldn’t, but I just couldn’t stop myself.”
“Are you in love with her?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I am.”
“Did you tell her?”
“There’s no point. I’m a cop and what she does for a living is illegal. Being with me would mean having to give that up. She won’t make that sort of sacrifice for anyone.” Damn, he sounded like a lovesick kid. Three days he’d known her. Three short days, yet it felt like a lifetime.
“Detective Waite, are you ready to take me home?”
Mitch’s head snapped up while his heart simultaneously sank straight down to his toes. Jane—Ellen—was standing behind him. And she’d probably just heard every word he’d said. Christ, could he make himself look a little more pathetic? But instead of feeling humiliation, anger coursed through him.
Jane was right. He spent too damned much time and energy taking care of other people, sacrificing himself at his own expense. Now, when he finally wanted something for himself, he was denied that, too.
Apparently Darren hadn’t noticed Jane either because he looked just as startled by her presence. He pushed himself up from the chair, clearing his throat. “Uh, yeah, sure. I just have to drop the girls at my mother’s house. You’re sure this is what you want to do.”
“I’m sure.” Her chin lifted a defiant notch. “I can take care of myself.”
Darren backed away. “I’m just going to grab the girls and wait outside while you two tie things up.”
“There’s nothing to tie up.” Mitch turned away from Jane, away from everything that was good in his miserable life. “We’ve said everything there is to say.”
His cell phone rang and he used it as an excuse to dismiss them both, to not turn around and watch her walk out of his life. And when he finally did turn to look, they were gone.
“Brother dear,” Lisa said sweetly, when he answered. “I need you to run to the store for me.”
Great, just what he needed. As if his day wasn’t bad enough, he’d have to spend his afternoon running errands for his sister. He grabbed a pen and a pad of paper. “What do you need?”
“Mom’s running low on painkillers. I called the pharmacy for a refill.”
“Lisa, the pharmacy is three blocks away. Can’t you walk there and pick them up?”
“And leave Mom? I disappear for two minutes and she’s up moving around. Suppose she falls.”
“Fine,” he grumbled. “I’ll get the pills.”
“Oh, and I need a few things from the grocery store.”
She rattled off a list, but somewhere between the peanut butter and the toilet paper, Mitch’s mind began to wander. He started to think about the long recovery his mother had ahead of her, and all the trips to the store he would be making. And the weekly trips to her house to cut the grass. And Lisa—Christ, he was getting sick of worrying about when she was going to grow up and take charge of her own life.
Jane’s voice echoed in his head. Technically, the only thing stopping Lisa from the career of her choice is you.
Maybe he was holding her back, but he was doing it because he loved her. If he gave her the money, he would constantly be worried about her choices. About seeing her fail. Because he knew she’d had so much bad luck in her life, one more failure might be the blow that finally did her in.
But honestly, by holding onto her money, by holding her back, was he worrying any less now? Was she any happier?
Then he thought about Jane’s husband. What had she told Mitch? She wasn’t allowed to think for herself, she couldn’t say what she was feeling. Was what Mitch had done to Lisa any less reprehensible? Though he’d like to believe otherwise, he was controlling her, just as Jane’s husband had controlled her.
“Mitch!” Lisa shouted in his ear and Mitch jumped in his seat. “Hello. Have you heard a single thing I’ve said?”
“Sorry, no. I wasn’t listening.”
“Are you going to the store for me or not?”
“Not.”
There was a silence, then, “What do you mean, not? Need I remind you that you’re the one that wanted th
is little arrangement in the first—”
“Lisa, shut up. Do me a favor and call the doctor’s office. Ask them if they could recommend a good service to find Mom someone to come and sit with her a couple of days a week.”
“Not that I don’t think that’s a great idea, but I’m not sure if her insurance will cover it. It could cost a fortune.”
“Don’t worry about that. We’ll find a way to pay for it. If you can find someone to stay with her during the day Monday through Friday, I’ll take a couple of nights a week and one full weekend day.”
“But, what about work? You can’t commit yourself to this then back out—”
“Don’t worry. I’ll schedule around it. Also, the kid that lives across the street, he’s what, twelve or thirteen?”
“Something like that.”
“Ask him if he’d be interested in making a little cash every week. We need someone to do the lawn.”
There was another long silence then Lisa said, “Mitch, you’re scaring me.”
“And, Lisa, one more thing.”
“Why stop at one, you’re on a roll.”
“That guy, the one who owns the resort, tell him you’ll have the money for the dog-grooming deal by the end of the month.” There was no response this time, just a barely audible squeak on the other end of the line. “You’re welcome.”
For the first time in his life, he’d stunned his sister into silence. Hot damn.
He hung up the phone, feeling weightless, as if a tremendous load had been lifted from his shoulders. Then the gravity of what he’d just done hit full force.
By doing this, he was assuring himself time to sit back and dwell on how lonely and pathetic his life had become. Time to spend alone—without Jane.
Then he had a revelation, one that nearly knocked him back in his chair. Had he unconsciously kept himself in a state of chaos with work and family to fill some void in his life? Is that what Jane had been trying to make him see? Without smacking him upside the head and saying look, idiot. Look what you’ve done to yourself. Instead she’d dropped little hints, pushed him into figuring it out for himself.
Running on Empty Page 16