by Karen Rose
Joshua’s eyes narrowed. ‘He doesn’t eat when he cooks at home. Only I do.’
Coach Diesel turned in his chair so that he could see both Joshua and Michael. ‘Why, Joshua?’
‘Because there isn’t enough.’ Joshua gave him what Michael thought of as his ‘old man’ look. It hurt that Joshua knew that look. He’s just a kid. He shouldn’t have to worry about stuff like that.
Michael sighed. ‘I eat at school.’
Diesel frowned. ‘Your mother doesn’t buy you food?’
Michael lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. ‘She doesn’t eat much.’
‘Because she’s high?’ Dr Dani asked, compassion in her eyes.
Michael’s gaze darted to Joshua. He would give anything to keep this conversation from his little brother. But Joshua knew the truth about their mother’s drug use. They’d both seen her high. Dammit all.
‘Yes,’ Michael acknowledged. ‘Brewer never ate at home. He went out a lot. Business meetings, he said. There wasn’t a lot in the pantry. So . . .’ He trailed off, looking at his hands, shame heating his face. He hated that they pitied him.
After a few seconds, he looked up through his lashes to see Dr Dani and Coach Diesel silently communicating across the table with their eyes. Both of them cut to look at Michael when they realized he was watching them.
Coach Diesel looked serious. ‘How long has it been since you went to school?’
Michael glanced at Joshua. ‘A week.’ Since Brewer was killed and that big bald man came into Joshua’s room. He guessed he’d be able to go back, now that Joshua had Coach and Dr Dani to watch over him.
Coach’s lips pressed in a tight line. ‘So . . . no real meals all last week?’
Joshua’s eyes grew big. ‘Michael!’
Michael was about to look away again when Dr Dani turned to him with a smile. ‘Well, you’ll eat well from now on. Send me a text with your favorite meals. I’m going to the grocery store tomorrow.’
Joshua tugged her sleeve. ‘And me? My favorites too?’
‘Of course.’ She ruffled Joshua’s curls. ‘I already know you like mac-a-chee. And I’m betting you’ll like what I have for you next.’ She waggled her brows. ‘Chocolate brownies.’
Joshua bounced in his chair. ‘Can I help make them?’
‘Of course,’ she said. ‘Michael, do you want to help?’
Michael shook his head. ‘I just like to lick the bowl.’
‘Same,’ Coach said, his expression relaxing again. ‘So . . . are you going to school on Monday?’
Michael looked at Dr Dani. ‘Am I?’
She bit at her lip. ‘I don’t want you to fall further behind, but I also don’t want to risk reporters bothering you.’
Or the big bald man, Michael thought, grateful they hadn’t mentioned him in front of Joshua. ‘I can stay out a little longer. I won’t be any trouble. I promise.’
Dr Dani’s eyes were kind. ‘I know you won’t. I have to go into the clinic on Monday for at least a few hours, but maybe Coach Diesel can stay here. Just in case anyone pesters you.’
‘I sure will.’ Coach shot him a challenging look. ‘Did I hear Dr Dani mention Xbox?’
Michael grinned in spite of himself. ‘You did. She’s got Cuphead.’
Dr Dani tilted her head. ‘That’s the cute one with cartoon cups? It looks fun.’
Michael wanted to laugh, but held it back. When he’d logged on, he’d found that she’d been playing the game last and was up to the final level, ‘Inkwell Hell’. She was good. But she didn’t want Coach to know.
Coach was smiling at her the way guys did when they were going to tell girls how things worked. ‘I’ll show you how to play.’
‘I’d like that,’ she said, her mismatched eyes twinkling. ‘Now let’s clean up the dinner dishes so we can make brownies, because Joshua needs a bath and it’s way past both your bedtimes. Luckily we can sleep in tomorrow. Normally we eat at six thirty and bedtime would be eight for Joshua and nine thirty for you, Michael, but this whole day has been a little peculiar.’
You can say that again, Michael thought.
Joshua snuggled into her side. ‘I saw the Spider-Man PJs. Can I wear them?’
She kissed the top of his head. ‘You may have them.’
Joshua hugged her neck, his smile bright and free of worry. ‘Thank you!’
Michael closed his eyes and wished they could stay here forever.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Saturday, 16 March, 11.50 P.M.
Slouching in the driver’s seat, Cade watched the taillights of the cruiser pause at George Garrett’s house before continuing down the street.
Cade checked the time. The police drive-bys were spaced approximately an hour apart. The two closest had been forty-five minutes apart, so he had at least that much time before the next cruiser came by.
Finding the right George Garrett hadn’t been terribly difficult. There had been several listed in the white pages, but only one had a vanity plate containing the letters ‘DRFISH’. Dr Garrett was a pediatrician, lived alone, and had no dog, his Lab having died of old age during the holidays.
Facebook was such an asset. Garrett’s page confirmed that he spent all his free time in the boat currently parked in his driveway, and that he’d planned to fish the Ohio this morning. He was supposed to have been joined by a friend, but the man had begged off at the last minute, citing a spring cold.
Lucky bastard, the friend. He’d missed out on the gore and . . . what was to come.
Cade didn’t think Dr Garrett would come to the door if he knocked. It was too late for legitimate visitors. But the doctor was still awake. Cade could see his shadow passing back and forth behind the thin shade covering what was probably a bedroom window. The man was pacing.
He couldn’t blame him. Not an easy sight to unsee, a disembodied head being pulled from the water. And if the good doctor was unfortunate enough to see my face as well? He might have. Cade had been dumping the bodies of the two men he’d killed after last night’s poker game after dawn. The fishermen had usually started out by then.
Cade would find out soon enough. He patted the pockets of his jacket, making doubly sure he had his gun in one pocket and his lockpick set in the other. Starting his SUV, he drove around the block and parked on the street behind Garrett’s house, just in case he needed a quick getaway. The fences were four-footers, and he could jump those with no problem.
Pulling a ski mask over his face, he got out of his SUV and, keeping to the dark side of Garrett’s house, headed to the back door. Even if the man had the place alarmed, Cade would have at least thirty seconds to make the shot and get out. He’d done it far faster in the past.
The deadbolt was tricky, but the lock on the door handle was no problem. Glancing at his watch, he noted the time and pushed the door open. Sure enough, there was a red light on an alarm panel just inside the door, so he needed to hurry.
Heading straight for the room where Garrett was pacing, he opened the door – and blinked at the barrel of the gun in Garrett’s shaking hand. That was unexpected.
‘You don’t have a license for that,’ Cade said. He’d checked.
Garrett’s laugh held a note of hysteria. ‘Really?’ He showed his cell phone’s screen, where a call to 911 was active, then pointed at the wall behind Cade. ‘I was afraid you’d come. I have an alarm panel in here. I saw it flash red. The cops are on their way.’
Fuck. Then I suppose I have nothing to lose. Betting that the doctor couldn’t make a shot with his hand shaking like that, Cade pulled out his own gun and shot him in the head in a fluid motion that left Garrett only enough time to gape in shock. He fired again, aiming at the fallen doctor’s head to be sure it was a kill shot, then turned and ran like hell. He exited the way he’d entered just as the alarm began to shriek.
He’d jum
ped the fences and gotten his SUV down the street, about to turn at the stop sign, when the cops sped past, headed toward Garrett’s house. Cade carefully turned the opposite direction, making sure he broke no laws.
Shit. That had been close. Too close.
But worth it. I was afraid you’d come. Garrett had seen him. So now I’ve tied off all the loose ends. All he needed to do was get home without attracting any attention. And sleep. God, he needed to sleep.
It might be time to pull up roots and move to another location. He didn’t even have to get a new ID. It was a natural thing, right? His boss would be found dead sooner or later – of natural causes, thank you very much. Who knew what would become of the casino? Of course employees would search for other opportunities.
That was what he’d do. He’d get some sleep and then he’d figure out where to start over.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Sunday, 17 March, 1.00 A.M.
Diesel looked up from his laptop when Dani came down the stairs and flopped onto the other end of the sofa. She’d changed into a pair of soft sweats that hugged every one of her curves. With an effort, he lifted his gaze from her curves to her face. And smiled. He was here, in her house. He’d kissed her and she’d kissed him back. He couldn’t wait to see if she’d kiss him back again. ‘You okay?’
She blew a hank of white hair off her face. ‘I had to mop the floor and change my clothes after I gave Joshua a bath. He’s quite enthusiastic. I was soaked.’
Diesel was happy his laptop covered him sufficiently, because most of the blood in his brain had rushed south at the thought of her wet. And changing her clothes. He cleared his throat. ‘It was the sugar from all those brownies.’
She laughed softly. ‘Probably. But he was so happy, I couldn’t say no. And Michael is so . . . content when Joshua is happy.’
‘They’re both asleep?’
‘Joshua is. Michael asked that he be able to leave his light on to read. But I think he just doesn’t like the dark. I showed him that his lamp has a night-light setting. He was grateful.’ Her eyes, so strikingly different, filled with tears. ‘I hate that these kids are so damn grateful. I hate that Michael hadn’t had food in a week because he was caring for Joshua.’
‘But we can respect that, right?’ Diesel asked softly, because he did. ‘Michael did the best he could.’
She sighed. ‘Of course. I know you’re right.’ She shifted so that her legs stretched out in the space between them. ‘Is this okay? My feet are killing me.’
Her feet were mere inches from his thigh and his hand moved of its own volition, cupping one foot and tugging her closer until he could reach both feet. She made a startled sound that turned into a quiet moan as he began rubbing her soles.
‘That feels too good,’ she murmured, her eyes sliding closed.
I can make you feel even better, he wanted to say, but held the words back. Not yet. ‘How long were you on shift before we got there today?’
‘I got there at seven, clinic opened at eight. Busy morning. Mmm.’ She shivered when his thumb dug deep into her heel. ‘Right there. Don’t stop.’
Diesel closed his eyes and drew a deep breath, knowing he’d hear those words in his dreams tonight, but in a different context. ‘You have to go in tomorrow?’ he asked, his voice going gruff.
‘I’m scheduled for a few hours, but I’m going to call in a few favors. Hopefully I can get coverage through the first part of the week.’
‘I can stay with the boys,’ he countered, feeling a little defensive.
Her eyes, one blue, one brown, opened and locked on his. ‘I know you can. I trust you to do so. But I want to be here, too, just for the first few days. They all break my heart, all the kids who come through here as fosters, but these two . . .’
‘Yeah,’ Diesel agreed. ‘They need you.’
‘They need you, too. Both as a male role model and for the investigation that I interrupted.’ Gently, she tapped her toe against his laptop. ‘What did you find while I was becoming a mermaid up there?’
He shifted again, even more grateful that his laptop covered him so well. ‘I found the parent shell corporation.’
She beamed at him. ‘I knew you would.’ Sliding back to sit up straighter, she pulled her feet from his grasp. ‘Tell me.’
Feeling brave, he patted the cushion closest to him. ‘Come and see.’
She studied him for a long moment, then scooted over until their hips almost touched. ‘Show me, then.’
He filled his head with her scent, then focused on his screen, which displayed the end of his search. ‘I had to dig.’ Which was a gross understatement. ‘Whoever put this setup together did not want to be found out. I still don’t know who or where the true owner is. There are too many layers and proxies.’ He glanced over at her, to find her staring at his screen. ‘You know what a proxy is?’
‘I do. They’re servers that connect other servers, usually to keep the users’ identity hidden. My brother Greg was doing a little extracurricular work on his computer a few years back. Managed to hack into the school’s email system.’
Diesel knew about this. He also knew that Greg was a much better hacker than he’d been a few years ago. Because Diesel had taught the kid himself, at Greg’s request. Greg had heard about Diesel’s hacking from his older brother, Deacon, and had approached Diesel independently. It was why Diesel had learned sign language. Not that Dani needed to know that right now. He had the feeling that she wouldn’t be too happy to know her brother had such mad skills.
Diesel knew that Greg had managed to hack into his school’s email system and sent a message, supposedly from the school nurse, that a student in their classes was HIV positive. The kid in question was not, but that kid had been the one to expose Dani’s status. By spreading the word that the other boy was also positive, Greg had hoped to discredit any information the boy spread about his sister.
Greg had come to Diesel, asking for his help in figuring out how the kid had learned Dani’s secret to begin with. It hadn’t taken much effort to get into the kid’s email, where they found he’d been in the ER one day for a sports injury and had seen Dani taking her pills. Recognizing her because of the identical white streaks she and Greg shared, the kid had become curious enough to take a photo of the pill bottle in her hand, and a short Google session later, he’d figured out her status. He’d emailed a friend to discuss blackmailing her, but word had spread before they could do so, and Dani’s career at County’s ER had been destroyed.
Unfortunately, that kid was now dead. In the wrong place at the wrong time, he’d crossed paths with a killer. Which meant both Diesel and Greg had been forced to swallow their rage at the discovery and move on.
But the memory still made Diesel want to hit something.
‘Greg was trying to protect me,’ Dani continued. ‘Got him a five-day suspension. Deacon’s relationship with the principal was the only thing that kept Greg from getting expelled. I made him promise that he wouldn’t hack anymore.’
‘I bet Deacon was a goody two-shoes in school,’ Diesel said, trying to change the subject, because he hadn’t known that Greg had made that promise. Although I would have still helped him. Because Diesel had also needed to know who’d ruined Dani’s career. He’d have to get Greg to come clean with his sister, or he himself would have to at some point. Diesel couldn’t lie to Dani, not about something so important as this, even if she never changed her mind about wanting him.
Dani laughed at his assumption about Deacon’s good behavior. ‘Not so much. That’s why he had a good relationship with the principal.’
Diesel was genuinely surprised. ‘He was in her office a lot?’
‘Oh yeah. Adam even more. But Deacon was charming even then. Made things easier for me when I started high school, because I was a goody two-shoes.’
‘But not anymore,’ Diesel said slyly. ‘Al
l that recording of major league baseball without permission . . . You badass, you.’
She grinned at him, startling him into a smile of his own. ‘Tell me about the shells and proxies.’
Right. He tore his eyes away from her grinning face. ‘Lots of proxies.’
‘You said that already.’
She was laughing at him, but he couldn’t be offended. It was a knowing laugh, like she was aware of what she did to him – and liked it. It was a nice change. And a good start toward her wanting to want him.
‘So I did. Anyway, I found this operation at the core.’ He turned his laptop.
She leaned in to see, then leaned in further, squinting. ‘What am I looking at? It’s just . . . boxes with arrows connecting to more boxes with arrows.’
‘That was the problem. There are over eighty businesses interconnected with LJM Industries, the company that bought the Brewers’ house. Some of them are connected to two, some three, and some even four other businesses, which are in turn connected to other businesses.’
She glanced up at him. ‘It’s like a snarled ball of string.’
Diesel nodded. ‘That someone snarled on purpose, which is why it took me so long to figure it out. And now that I’ve untangled it, I still don’t understand it. It’s like a maze, but all the threads lead to this one company.’ He highlighted a separated thread connecting LJM Industries to a single entity.
‘Raguel Management Services?’ she asked. ‘What does it do?’
‘Nothing, from what I can see. It’s the name that’s interesting. Have you heard of Raguel?’
She looked up at him. ‘Should I?’
‘Not unless you’ve studied religion.’
She looked surprised. ‘You have, I take it?’
‘I’ve dabbled.’ He’d more than dabbled, minoring in religious studies in college. ‘According to the book of Enoch, Raguel was an archangel. A watcher.’
Her eyes widened. ‘Oh.’ Then she frowned. ‘Book of what?’
‘Enoch. In the Bible, he gets one line – Enoch walked with God and then he “was not”, because he was taken straight to heaven. But there’s a whole book of Enoch – two of them, actually – that aren’t considered canon. What you really need to know is that Raguel was tasked with delivering justice and vengeance.’