by W L Knightly
“I guess now that you’re free, he’s getting his information straight from you. Good luck getting paid.” Dannie ran past her, not looking back.
Kyle was glad she wasn’t the sharpest knife in the room, but given time to think, things could get ugly, and he knew he couldn’t let her get too far ahead of him. “Dannie! Get back here!” He had to catch up and take her out before she had a chance to go to her cop friends.
But when he started after her, Kendra stood in the way. “What’s the matter with you? Have you gone insane?”
“Me? Gone insane?” She didn’t know the half of it. Had she ever known him at all? Certainly not this dark half. But she would. “I think the whole fucking world is going crazy without you, Kendra. See what you’ve done to me?” He wanted to twist the knife one more time.
“Stop saying that. It’s over. I didn’t come to make up.”
“Then get the hell out of my way,” he said, moving forward. “I’ll deal with you later.”
But she stood in his way, pushing against him. “Dammit, Kyle! I came to tell you that I know Tate was murdered by someone else. It’s not the same killer as it was before. If you had anything to do with it, I’ll find out, and I’ll make sure you pay for it.”
Kyle shook his head. “I’d never hurt you like that. I love you, Kendra. You’re the only person I care about.”
“You’re lying. Look me in the eyes and promise me, Kyle.”
He screamed in her face. “I didn’t do it!”
He couldn’t stand there any longer and hurried out of the room, chasing after Dannie. But then, Kendra called after him. “I gave the surveillance to the cops, Kyle. They came and got them earlier.”
He stopped in his tracks. “You did what?” He turned and ran back, knowing his clock was ticking.
“They came and took it. I had no choice. They’ll see the day you came to my house, and they might want to question you.”
“My father is going to be livid if I get wrapped up in another case here.” He had to be careful he didn’t say too much, but it was too late. She backed away from him, putting herself back in the hallway.
“What do you mean another case?” She narrowed her eyes. “Were you in a case here before?”
“Stop fucking talking,” he said. “I’ll be back in touch.”
“No!” she shouted. “Don’t come around me again. If I have to get a restraining order, I will. I only wanted to warn you so you can’t say I didn’t. But now, I’m not so sure you’re not the one.”
“Believe what you want, Kendra. You never loved me.”
“You’re wrong,” she said, her voice breaking. “Unfortunately, I used to.”
Used to. Those words sealed her fate. But he couldn’t deal with her just then. He had to go, and he had to catch up with Dannie.
He took the service elevator and hit the ground floor in under two minutes. Then he took the exit and ended up seeing her at her car. She got in, and even though he ran after her, she had her car started and was pulling away before he caught up. Luckily, she hadn’t seen him.
He went to his rental and opened the door. He would follow her home.
The real fight was just beginning.
Chapter 22
Jake
After a long week, Jake had looked forward to the weekend. He had already told Jo not to expect him on the case and that he was going to take it easy. But after he got out of the shower, that didn’t stop him from calling in and checking on the roadblocks.
“How’s it going?” he asked Sam.
“Milner pulled the plug on the checkpoints. She said with the weekend, she just couldn’t spare the manpower. But we still have that APB out on Kellen Madden, and I briefed the men on what we know so far at the morning meeting.”
“Thanks for the update. How’d you get suckered into working today?” Sam usually wanted all the time off he could get.
“I volunteered actually. Can you believe it? I didn’t have any plans. I guess I’m getting old.”
“Yeah, actually, I can believe it, and you’re not old. If you’re old, I’m old.”
“We’re both old.” The shared a laugh, and Sam continued. “Hey, in my defense, I needed the money, and if I were off, I’d be spending. This way, I earn and save at the same time.”
“That’s a good strategy.”
Sam chuckled. “What are you going to do with your time off?”
“Probably nothing,” said Jake. “I thought about going on the lake, but I might be lazy.” He had a lot of work to do around the house, but he didn’t want Sam to think he would spend his time scrubbing toilets and doing laundry.
“Well, enjoy. I’ll talk to you later, and I’ll call you if I hear anything.” The line went dead before he could thank Sam, and then he put down the phone, wondering where Madden could be hiding out.
“Nope,” he said, stopping himself. “I’m not going to do it. I refuse to think about work.” He took a deep breath, and then there came a noise from outside. A car door. He hadn’t even heard anyone drive up.
Jake looked outside to see Jo walking up with a Speed’s bag in her hand. As she stepped up on his porch, he opened the front door, giving her a start.
“Hey,” she said, taking a step back. “Sorry I showed up unannounced.”
“It’s cool. I’m dressed. But I would have thought you’d learned your lesson about that.” He gave her a teasing grin.
Her eyes widened. “Is this a bad time? Are you not alone? I could come back.” She turned and started for the steps.
“I’m alone and glad to see you. What’s in the bag?” It smelled delicious.
She stopped and turned back around, handing him the bag. “I went to Speed’s hoping I’d see you, but Ruth Anne said you hadn’t been by, so I thought I’d grab us each something and take a chance that you were sleeping in.”
“Sleeping? Not a chance. Remind me never to take you gambling. Those are some big odds.”
She giggled and looked toward the door. “I hope you’re hungry. It’s a couple of tall stacks. Ruth Anne packed three kinds of syrup. Said you like to mix them up.” She made a face.
“Come on in,” he said. “I’ll mix it up for you.”
He led her inside, and they went to the kitchen. Jake took some plates from the cabinet and brought them to the table. Ruth Anne always packed plastic forks and napkins, so they were all set.
“What’s on your mind?” he asked as he opened the first stack of pancakes and passed them to Jo. Then he took the second pack out for himself and found the syrups.
“It’s kind of silly. I’m sure he’s still just pissed off at me.”
“Whoa,” said Jake. “Slow down. Who is still pissed off at you?”
“I think my father is. He’s avoiding my calls, and I haven’t heard from him in days.”
“Do you think it’s serious? Should we call Sam and see if we should put an APB out on him?”
“He’d kill us,” said Jo without a sound of doubt in her voice. “If word got out and he was really shacked up with some other woman, I could ruin his whole political career. With my douchebag brother in town, I can only hope that he’d let us know if anything crazy happened.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing, but why don’t you let me call the Rockford and ask the front desk if he’s still around? I’m sure they’re bound to know if he’s been in or out.”
“I guess it can’t hurt. I’m just hoping I don’t have to call my brother.”
“Give him a little time. He’ll turn up.” Jake had a bad feeling but didn’t want to tell Jo about it. And worst of all, if it was true, there wasn’t anything they could do to stop what had already been put into motion. Unless someone told them where to look, it was like a needle in a haystack with all the woods, lakes, and rivers nearby.
“I know it’s silly for me to be so concerned. I haven’t been concerned for him before.”
“That’s not silly. You’re his daughter, Jo. And as fucked up as he is and the way he’s treated you
and your mother over the years, you still care about him.”
“Yes, I do. He’s so horrible, but I wish he wasn’t, you know? I always had high hopes for him; what he’d be like. Even though my mother would always warn me about him. When I told her he was coming back in my life, she wasn’t angry. She was worried. She said to be careful, that he might hurt me. I had no idea what she meant until I found out everything he’s done.” She covered her mouth. “What if the Hangman has him?”
Jake moved his chair closer and leaned in, taking her into his arms with a friendly embrace. “It’s going to be okay, Jo. I’ll call now.”
He took out his phone and called the Rockford’s front desk, hoping that Rowan would answer. Instead, he got the manager.
“Yeah,” he said with a loud voice. “This is the Rockford. What can I help you with?”
“This is Detective Thomas. Could I speak with Rowan?” He hoped he didn’t put her in a suspicious way by asking for her.
The man grumbled. “She’s doesn’t come in until later. Is this a personal matter? Or did you need to book a room?”
“I’m investigating a case. Could you tell me if Senator Young is still registered?” He held his breath and hoped the man would be able to help him.
After hearing his fingers pecking the keys on the computer, he cleared his throat and spoke. “He is. And so is his son, I can’t tell you the room, though. It’s private. I can say they come and go a lot.”
“Thanks,” said Jake. “Have you happened to see him around today?” If he had, that would ease Jo’s mind and go a long way toward clearing things up.
“I saw the son a half an hour ago. The senator, not for several days. He was supposed to be leaving.”
Jake wondered if the man kept his room for Kyle too. “Can you tell me if they’re staying in the same room?”
“No, they each have their own. His car hasn’t been around either. I figured he was on business. You know how it is at the Rockford.” He gave a wicked laugh.
Jake knew all too well. “Yeah, I get it. Really, I do, but it doesn’t make me feel any better about your reputation.”
“That’s a hard knock coming from one of our latest customers,” said the man with humor in his voice. “But don’t you worry, my friend. If I hear anything, I’ll call you. Top of my list.”
“Fine.” Jake barely got the word out when the man hung up the phone. “Well, so much for that. He said he hasn’t seen him, but he knows his car is still there.” The man’s obsession with discretion was irritating.
“Could you have him go check on him?” asked Jo. “Couldn’t he at least put eyes on him for me so I don’t have to wonder?”
“I would have asked, but he hung up.” Jake shrugged. “I’ll go by there if you like. I don’t mind.”
Jo took a deep breath. “I think he’s just teaching me a lesson.” She looked toward her lap, her hair curtaining her face as she wiped her eyes.
Jake pinched her chin and lifted her head until their eyes met. Then he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and brushed her cheek with his thumb. “Keep your head up. It’s okay.”
Their eyes met, and she took a deep breath and nodded. “I know you’re right. I didn’t mean to spoil your morning with my family drama.” She wiped her face with one of the napkins, drying her eyes and cheeks where the tears had fallen.
“It’s fine. I’m here for you, Jo.”
She looked up at him and moved in to kiss him, taking him by surprise. Their lips crushed together, mingling languidly, and then the kiss deepened.
Jake wasn’t going to stop if she didn’t, but moments later, she pulled away breathless. “I’m sorry.” She covered her mouth. “I guess I’ve been wanting to do that, and I let the moment get away from me, along with my emotions.”
“I’m not sorry, Jo. And don’t try to talk it away. I’m glad it finally happened again. I’ve been waiting too damned long for us.”
She nodded. “I still want to take it slow, Jake.” She gave him an apologetic look. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. As long as you still want it, I’ll go as slow and as fast as you want. You set the pace, and I’m there.”
She moved in and cupped his face as she kissed him again, this time not as hot and heavy. “Let’s eat. We’ll worry about everything else when we’re done.”
“I’ll check on your dad. We could do our own surveillance if you want?”
She shook her head, giving him a sweet smile. “No, I think I’m just feeding into his silent treatment and letting my imagination get the best of me. I just get these weird feelings at times. Like something is wrong. I’ve always done that, even when I was a kid. He probably wants me to worry.” She took a deep breath and picked up her fork. “Let’s eat before these get any colder.”
“Okay, if that’s what you want.” He wasn’t sure it was a good idea to let the issue with her father go. So he decided that when he had a moment to himself, he’d get Sam on it. Today, his mission was going to be distracting Jo any way he could from the pain her father was inflicting.
“So, what do you want to do?” she asked, taking the syrup and swirling it on her pancake stack. She took a big bite and closed her eyes as if it were the best thing in the world.
“How about we go fishing again?”
“I’m not sure the water loves us.” They’d had a bad time on the water before.
Jake wasn’t going to give up too easily. “Come on, Jo. Let’s get in a little fishing therapy. You never know. It might be fun.”
He waited for her response, and when she nodded with a mouthful of pancake, he smiled.
Maybe he’d be able to pull her out of her funk after all.
Chapter 23
Kyle
Kyle headed out of his room on his way to Dannie’s, and Rowan stepped out of the elevator on his floor.
“Hey, you’re just the man I wanted to see. Do you know any reason the cops would call my boss and ask about your father?”
The question took him off guard. He didn’t want the cops to be onto anything he was doing, and if they were looking into his father for something, it was quite possible he could be next on their list. “No, he was supposed to be taking care of some business. I’m sure he’s fine.”
He continued to the elevator and stepped inside, with Rowan on his heels.
“Wait up,” she said. “Have you talked to him?”
He didn’t want to cause any alarm. “No, but I’m sure it’s fine. Look, I thought you were pissed at him and wanted to fuck me? Now you’re acting like he’s all that matters. Do yourself a favor and forget about my old man. He’s just not that into you.”
“That’s bullshit. He was into me, and don’t think for a minute that I didn’t understand what our relationship was all about. As for sleeping with you, I’ve come to my senses.”
“Good, it would have never worked out.” He didn’t care either way and had more important things to take care of. When the elevator hit the ground floor and the doors opened, he turned and gave her a grin. “I guess I’ll see you around.” There wasn’t anything else left to say to the girl.
Rowan stood there pouting, her arms crossed in front of her. “You’re an asshole, Kyle. I helped you, remember?”
He wanted to stop and tell her that the advice to move on with her life was the only way he could repay her. It was best not to get mixed up in his or his father’s drama.
But he couldn’t help wonder if the cops calling had to do with his sister. Had she heard from their dad? The last he’d talked to his old man, he was supposed to be meeting up with Stan and one of his hitmen. Then, if things went well, they’d be onto Kellen Madden and hopefully taking him out before he could do anything to him.
But that meant he had to work even harder than his father. He had to stay one step ahead with his plans or risk not having the Hangman to pin his crimes on.
The cops, especially his fucking sister, were already onto the fact that it wasn’t Madden. But th
at meant he had to make it all look even more like Madden’s work.
But first, he still had to find Dannie before she blabbed. When he’d gone after her, she’d gone straight to a friend’s house. And even though he followed her there and waited, she didn’t leave for hours.
Since then, he’d been worried about who she told, and he’d driven by her house several times to see if he could find her. Luckily for her, he hadn’t. But now, it was time to put on the charm and to make her think that everything could still be okay between them. One final act for her final act.
He got in his car and headed across town to her neighborhood, and luckily for him, she appeared to be home, her car sitting in her drive alone.
He decided to park on the street, just in case he needed to make a quick getaway. Then he held his breath as he walked toward the house. Was she going to ruin him, or would he ruin her first? He loved the way his heart pounded, not knowing but knowing what he had to do.
As he raised his hand to knock, the door opened. “What are you doing here?” asked Dannie. She was still wearing a dress and heels, looking beautiful. He almost hated that he had to kill her. Almost.
“Dannie, darling. I had to see you.”
“Don’t ‘Dannie darling’ me. I don’t know what kind of games you’re playing, but I’m not interested, senator’s son or not.”
“My father hasn’t got anything to do with this. This is about you and me. Unless that’s the only reason you loved me.” He looked down at his feet. “It wouldn’t be the first time that happened to me.”
“No, that’s not it,” she said. “I wanted us to have something, but I can’t do broken promises, and I will not be in another dishonest relationship.”
“Let me in, and we can talk about it.”
“I’m not sure I should.” She put her hand up to clasp her robe and gave him a pouty look.
He gave her a lovelorn look. “God, you’re beautiful. I love you, Dannie. Let me come in and explain everything.” He cupped her cheek.
“Answer me one thing.”