“You, too. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” He pulled away and hurried from the room.
After a moment, she went back to the table and stared at the half-eaten food on the plates. When Stormy whined, she managed a smile. “I guess this is your lucky day. You, too, Watson.”
“Finish your breakfast.” Jaimee returned to the table carrying a cup of coffee. “They can share what’s left of Patch’s breakfast. I’ll drink my coffee and keep you company while you eat.”
“I don’t think I can.” The sight of the eggs made her slightly nauseous.
“If you’re serious about Patch, you need to get used to seeing him leave on missions like this. It isn’t easy.” Jaimee’s gray eyes clouded. “I know because I watched a man I cared about die on one. If you can’t deal with the possibility, walk away now. Don’t hurt yourself and him by getting more involved before you bail on the relationship.”
“The work you do here is important. I get that . . . maybe more than most since I’m a direct beneficiary of Counterstrike’s expertise. I understand how passionate Noah is about his work. I don’t intend to try to sway him to leave the team.”
“If it eats you alive, he’ll know.”
“True.” Riley dropped onto her chair and stared at Jaimee. “Military spouses deal with it. So do the husbands and wives of cops.”
“Yes, they do, but divorce rates are high.”
Her shoulders slumped. “Are you trying to talk me out of loving him.”
“Nope. I just want you to think about the negatives. When Coffee was killed, I quit Counterstrike. I couldn’t deal with the pain of losing someone else on the team.”
“But you came back.”
Jaimee nodded. “I guess I realized there are no guarantees in life. I was nearly killed while I was walking dogs for a living. Dogs. Bad things happen when you aren’t expecting trouble. At least the team is highly trained and fully prepared for what they face.”
“You make a good point. Someone came after me, and I’m a professor. Another safe career path.”
“You also developed a cure for dementia. You had to know people would want to get their hands on your work.”
“At this stage, it’s far from a cure, but it’s a start.” She set both plates on the floor and smiled as the dogs dove in, gobbling the eggs. “I’d like to go visit my grandfather.”
“Too risky. Noah would kill me if I let you go.”
Riley thrummed her fingers on the table and frowned. “I guess I can call him instead.” When her cell rang, she pulled it from her pocket and glanced at the screen, almost expecting to see her grandfather’s name appear. Not Harbor House. Detective Brasher again. After a moment, she swiped to connect.
“What can I do for you, Detective?”
“Are you safe, Riley? I heard someone came after you last night up on Wachusett Mountain.”
“I’m fine.”
“Why did you hang up on me?”
“If my location was compromised, I didn’t want to waste time arguing when you wouldn’t have been able to reach me. I heeded your warning and tried to get to safety.” She grimaced. “That didn’t work out so well.”
“Where are you now?”
“Back in Boston at Counterstrike headquarters. I’m well-protected here.”
He was silent for several seconds. “Stay in a secure location. We arrested Andrew Murdock for the kidnapping of Garth Kimball, and we have evidence he was behind your abduction from the lab, enough now to charge him. However, there are more players involved. You aren’t safe.”
A chill shivered through her. “I know that. Do the police have any leads on the man who chased me last night?”
“It’s an ongoing investigation. We’re looking into a few individuals with connections to Vortex and Murdock.”
“I hope you’ll keep me informed of any new developments.”
“I’ll definitely be in touch.”
“Thank you.” Riley set her phone on the table and looked at Jaimee. “I should have asked how he knew someone was coming after me last night.”
“He probably wouldn’t have told you. Cops are pretty tight-lipped about their sources.”
“The detective said I’m still in danger. Not exactly a newsflash, but it still gave me the willies.” She let out a deep breath. “God, this sucks.”
“I’ll keep you safe.” Jaimee reached over and covered her clenched fist where it rested on the table. “No one will hurt you on my watch. You can count on that.”
* * * *
Charles stared at his ringing phone the same way he’d sized up the huge spider he’d found in the shower that morning. Equal parts respect, fear, and disgust had made him a little nauseous when he’d squashed it. Finally, he turned off his cell without answering the call. At the moment, avoidance seemed like the best course of action.
A knock at the door to the office he shared with two other teaching assistants made him nearly pee himself.
Probably just a student looking for help.
And if it wasn’t, the simple lock wouldn’t slow down anyone intent on entering. The burning knot in his stomach tightened as he approached the door and opened it.
Riley’s friend, Becca, stood in the hallway. Her eyes were pink and puffy, and her lips trembled.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Charles, but do you know where Riley is? She hasn’t returned my calls, and I need to talk to her.”
“I think she’s out of town. I can give her a message if I hear from her.”
“No message. I—” She pressed a hand to her mouth as tears ran down her cheeks. “I didn’t think there was any harm in making a little extra money. Honestly, I had no idea he wanted to hurt Riley. Now the police say I could be charged as an accessory to attempted murder.” Her voice rose on a sob.
He pulled her into the cramped office and pressed her down onto one of the chairs facing the desk. “What did you do?”
“My boss . . . well, not my direct boss. The CEO of the company where I got a sales job took a personal interest in me. He said I was very bright, just the type of young person who would go far at Vortex.”
“Vortex!” Footsteps echoed in the hallway, and he turned toward the doorway. When no one appeared in the opening, he directed his attention back to Becca.
“Looking back, I think I only got the job because I know Riley.” She dashed a hand across her damp face. “I was so stupid. Mr. Murdock was very flattering, but not in a creepy way. He asked questions about my interests and friends, and I must have mentioned Riley. He said he’d heard about her dementia research and that Vortex was very interested in her findings.”
“You weren’t suspicious?”
“Not at first. He said he wanted to make a personal pitch to her and asked if I could set up a casual meeting but keep his name out of it. He said I’d get a nice bonus in my paycheck.” She dug a tissue from her pocket to blow her nose. “I needed the money, and I didn’t see how it would hurt Riley to simply talk to him.”
“Did you set up the meeting?”
“I tried, but Riley kept putting me off. Mr. Murdock wasn’t very happy about that. Finally, he said if I’d go pick up a computer case and deliver it to a coffee house, he’d still give me the bonus. By then, I wanted to tell him no, but the look in his eyes scared me a little.”
“You did what he asked?”
She nodded. “After I dropped off the laptop, I went home. In the middle of the night, two cops woke me up and took me to the police station for questioning. They said Mr. Murdock was under arrest and I could be charged as an accessory if I didn’t cooperate.” She balled the tissue in her shaking hand. “I told them everything, but I still need to talk to Riley. I want to tell her I’m sorry. I went to her house first, but she wasn’t home. Then I came here.”
“I’m not sure where she is, Becca. Maybe if you call her again—” He broke off when the man he’d been hoping to avoid stepped into the office and smiled. The show of teeth made him grip
the edge of the desk a little harder.
“It seems a lot of people are avoiding phone calls today. Not to worry since I know exactly where Riley is.” His voice hardened. “Don’t just sit there, Charles. This young lady is much too upset to drive. For once, you can make yourself useful.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“I’m positive I’m okay, Yvonne. Thank you again for trying to help me, and I’m so sorry about the damage to your car.” Riley listened patiently as the woman talked on and on. “My insurance company will be in contact about paying for the repairs. Oops, I have another call. I’d better go. Have a nice day.” She disconnected and gave Jaimee a weak grin. “Wow, that woman likes to talk.”
“I’ll say. Do you need to call anyone else?”
“My friend, Becca. She tried to reach me this morning. I should also schedule another appointment with Dr. Ernst, my department chair at the university. But the only person I really want to talk to is my grandpa, and he isn’t answering his phone.”
“You can try him again later. He’s probably eating lunch right now. The other calls can wait. You look wiped out.”
“I only got about four hours of sleep last night.” Riley rested her chin on her cupped palm, knowing her exhaustion only exacerbated her tension.
“Go take a nap. Or a bath. Read a book. Do something to relax. You’re a bundle of nerves.”
“I can’t help it. When grandpa didn’t pick up, it freaked me out. Stupid, I know, but maybe I’ll check in with the front desk.”
“Do that if it’ll ease your mind.”
When the doorbell chimed, both dogs jumped up and barked, their nails skidding on the tile.
Jaimee frowned and pulled out her phone. After tapping the screen a few times, she held up her cell. “I recognize the man. Do you know the woman with him?”
The camera trained on the front stoop captured two people, their images slightly distorted. When Charles reached out and rang the bell a second time, Watson ran out of the kitchen, barking his head off, and Stormy followed.
“The friend I mentioned, Becca Swain, is with my lab assistant.”
“You weren’t expecting them?”
Riley shook her head. “I don’t even know how they found me.”
“Charles has been here before.” Jaimee’s frown deepened. “Do you want to speak to them?”
“I probably should. Something must have happened, or they wouldn’t be out there together since they barely know each other.”
“I’ll go talk to them first and bring them inside if I feel comfortable with the situation. You can wait in the living room.”
“Okay.” Riley followed the other woman down the hall and went into the front room.
“Lock the door.” Jaimee raised her voice to be heard over Watson, who was still baying and scratching the door.
“I don’t think—”
“I do.” Her tone brooked no argument.
Riley followed orders then hurried over to the window. She craned her neck to see what was happening outside. A moment later, the dogs stopped barking. Jaimee stepped out onto the stoop and shut the door behind her. A conversation ensued before she finally let Charles and Becca into the house.
After unlocking the door, Riley held it open. “What’s going on? You both look awfully serious.”
“I feel like I’m seeking an audience with the Queen.” Charles rolled his eyes as he walked into the room.
“At this point, we aren’t taking any chances with Riley’s safety.” Jaimee gave her a direct look. “I’ll be in the downstairs office if you need me.”
“Thank you.” Riley smiled at Becca, who looked ready to either run or cry, she wasn’t sure which. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you back. It’s been a hectic morning after an even worse night.”
“I know, and it’s all my fault.” Becca sank onto the end of the couch as tears pooled in her eyes. “That’s why I was trying to call you.”
“I don’t understand.” Riley dropped down next to her friend. Memories of the two of them sitting across from each other, eating popcorn, and studying flashed through her mind.
Leaning forward, she grabbed a tissue from the box on the coffee table and handed it over.
Becca wiped her eyes. “I didn’t know. I swear I didn’t know.”
“Do you mind if I use your bathroom.” Charles gave her an enquiring glance. “I heard the whole story when Becca came looking for you at the university.”
“Of course not. Down the hall on the right.”
He paused in the doorway. “Where’s Noah? He’s usually glued to your side.”
“Not here at the moment.” She turned to face the other woman. “Okay, let’s hear what happened.”
Charles returned sometime during the recounting, but Riley barely noticed. By the time Becca finished, she’d gone through three more tissues.
“I hope you can forgive me.”
“Andrew Murdock didn’t get to me, not this time. Someone else was responsible for tracking me down last night, so you can stop blaming yourself.”
“That doesn’t make me feel much better. I was stupid to believe the CEO of a huge company would have a legitimate interest in me.”
“He’s the villain here, Becca. Not you.” Riley glanced over at Charles, who was staring out the window. “Did your uncle tell you where to find me?”
He responded with a jerky nod. “I should get back to the university. I have class in forty minutes, and there may be traffic.”
When Becca rose to her feet, Riley touched her arm. “Once this is over, I’ll call you. We’ll have lunch and talk since I actually remember a lot from my college years now.”
Her friend gave her a tremulous smile. “You’ve been incredibly understanding.”
“We all make mistakes, and I’m not immune from bad judgement.” She followed the pair to the door. “I’ll be in touch, Charles, just as soon as I’m able to return to work. This can’t go on much longer.”
“I hope not. Bye, Riley.” Shoving his hands into his pockets, he bent his head and hurried down the sidewalk.
With a final smile, Becca followed him, running a few steps to catch up. Riley shut the door and locked it. A few seconds later, Jaimee emerged from the office with the dogs following her.
“How’d it go?”
“Not what I was expecting, that’s for sure. Becca needed to unload her guilty conscience. Apparently, Murdock was using her to try to get to me. When I kept putting her off, he must have decided to go after Garth instead. She was the courier last night.”
“She didn’t know what was going on? I find that hard to believe.” Scarlet walked beside her back to the living room.
“I honestly think her only crime is being naïve.” Riley sat on the couch and frowned when Stormy jumped up beside her. “Hey!”
“She’s worried about you. Or maybe she’s just tired of Watson. He can be a little pushy. Let her stay.”
Riley rested her hand on the dog’s warm back. “If you want to go for a run or something, I’ll be fine on my own.”
“Not a chance. I do need to make a call. Half my job is talking the parents of victims out of doing something stupid before the team arrives. They’re freaking out right now, which is understandable. Sometimes the family can be the biggest obstacle in these situations.”
“Go. Maybe I’ll try to take a nap after I talk to my grandpa. If I can reach him this time.”
“Sounds like a plan. You’ll feel better if you get some rest.” She clicked her tongue at her dog. “Let’s go, Watson.”
Alone with Stormy, Riley pulled out her cell and tapped to call her grandfather. When a generic recorded voice told her to leave a message, she disconnected and called the front desk.
“Harbor House. This is Tanis. How may I help you?”
“Hi, Tanis. It’s Riley Adair. I’ve been trying to call my grandfather for a couple of hours, but he isn’t answering his phone.”
“That’s strange. He should have finish
ed his lunch some time ago. Although now that you mention it, I don’t remember seeing him in the dining room earlier.”
Riley sat forward and clutched the phone a little tighter. “Can you go check on him?”
“Of course. I’ll see that he calls you right back.”
“Thank you.” She hung up and tried not to panic. “Maybe he misplaced his phone.”
Stormy blinked a couple of times in response.
Except her gut was telling her the answer wasn’t that simple. She rose to her feet and headed out of the room. She’d go put on shoes and grab her purse and a jacket—just in case. There was no reason to disturb Jaimee until she was certain a problem existed. Behind her, Stormy hit the floor with a thump and followed her across the foyer. Hoping like hell she was imagining trouble where none existed, she ran up the stairs and was halfway down the hall when her phone rang.
Snatching it from her pocket, she stared at the screen. Tanis, not her grandpa. With a shaking finger, she swiped to connect. “Is he okay, Tanis?”
“He’s not in his room. Maybe one of the outer doors was left open, and he wandered outside and couldn’t get back in. Several of the aides are looking for him right now.”
Riley pressed a hand to her chest. “Did anyone visit him earlier?”
“Of course not. I would have told you. We’ve only had a few of our regular visitors to other residents today, and we’ve been very careful about screening guests.”
“Yet, a door was possibly left ajar?”
“I don’t know what else to think.” Tanis’s voice sounded strained. “If we don’t find him right away, we’ll notify the authorities.”
“Call me as soon as you know anything.” Riley frowned when Stormy ran past her to the room they’d used the night before and barked at the closed door.
“I definitely will.”
Stomach churning, she disconnected and pushed her dog out of the way. “Stop that.” As she stepped into the room, an arm covered by a wool sleeve clamped around her neck and dragged her backward. Something hard poked into her ribs.
Baring her teeth, Stormy crouched low to the ground and barked.
Lethal Memory (A Counterstrike Novel Book 2) Page 26