As Good as Dead (27 page)

On the outskirts of town, she passed a patrol car, and moments later she saw that the car was following her, lights flashing.

The stop didn’t surprise her. Callen had probably alerted the authorities to be on the lookout for the vehicle. She pulled over.

“May I see your driver’s license and registration please?” the sheriff’s deputy said when he arrived at her window.

“I don’t have my license. I was sort of abducted and I escaped, but I couldn’t find my bag.” She leaned over and popped the button on the glove box and pulled out the rental agreement. “It’s a rental car.”

“You’re driving without a license?”

“Yes, but I just explained why.” She handed him the papers. “It’s rented to Bernard Penghetti or Dan something.” She rubbed her forehead as he looked over the forms. He wasn’t buying her story, she could tell. “Look, my name is Angel Delaney. I’m a cop. If you don’t believe me, you can call Detective Callen Riley.” She gave him Callen’s cell number. “Or call the police department in Coeur d’Alene. They’ll know who I am.”

“Step out of the car.” His voice was stern.

“Officer, please. We’re wasting valuable time here.”

“Out of the car, slowly.”

Angel complied. “Please, just call the police department.”

He had her lean against the car and quickly patted her down.

“I’m not armed. I’m just trying to get into town.”

“Save it.” He cuffed her, then ushered her into the backseat of his patrol car.

“You’re taking me in?” She didn’t especially like the idea of being hauled into jail, but at least there she’d be able to get someone to corroborate her story. “But what about the car?”

“I’ll take care of it.”

The officer didn’t believe a word she’d said, and she didn’t really blame him. If she had stopped someone without a license driving a vehicle rented to someone else, she doubted she’d believe them either. The officer needed to verify that she was who she said she was. No matter, she’d soon be in town calling Callen to come get her. She leaned back, sighing in relief.

The officer removed the keys from the limo and locked it up, leaving it at the side of the rode. Once inside his own vehicle, he called for a tow. Bernie and Dan would not be happy to discover they’d been left without a car.

The officer drove a short distance on the two-lane highway toward town, then at a pullout made a U-turn and headed back in the direction they’d just come.

“What’s going on? Where are we going?” She spotted the limo parked on the opposite side of the road. Unbelievable. He was taking her back to Penghetti.

FORTY-TWO

T
he officer eyed her in the rearview mirror. “Just cool your jets, Miss Penghetti. You’re lucky I’m taking you back to your uncle and not to jail. He said he didn’t want to press charges.”

“My uncle? You talked to him?” Angel leaned back.
Great.
This is just great. The guy doesn’t believe a word I said, and I don’t have ID to prove it.
“I suppose he told you I’d say I’d been abducted and that I’d give you a phony name.”

“Which is exactly what you did.”

“I am Angel Delaney. Please, just call the Coeur d’Alene PD.”

He smiled. “I already did, ma’am. They never heard of you.”

“How can that be?” Angel sucked in a sharp breath. “Please don’t take me back to the condo. They’ll kill me.”

He chuckled. “You sound like my daughter. I doubt you have anything to be afraid of, except maybe being grounded. Mr. Penghetti seems like a nice guy.”

“Grounded? Did he tell you how old I am?”

“Yeah. Seventeen going on thirty, which looks about right.”

She probably did look like a teenager. Her small stature and unruly curls had most people questioning her age. “How much did he pay you to bring me back?”

“I don’t accept money.” He frowned. “Just doing my job.”

“Then arrest me. I stole the car.”

He shook his head. “Why don’t you just sit back and relax?”

Relax. Right.
As if that were possible. Angel wondered who he’d talked to at the PD. How could they not have heard of her?

Probably someone on the night shift who wasn’t up to speed on the case.

Several minutes later, they pulled into the condo parking lot, and the officer escorted her to the front door and rang the bell.

Dan opened the door, gave Angel a knowing smile, and stepped aside. “Mr. Penghetti, Angel is back.”

“Thank goodness.” Bernie nudged Dan aside and pulled Angel into his arms, then, realizing she was wearing cuffs, turned to the officer. “Were these really necessary?”

“Sorry, I was afraid she might run away.”

“She might have at that.” Bernie turned to her. “Angel, what were you thinking, taking off like that in the middle of the night?”

Angel stared at him for a moment, trying to determine her next move. She should insist that the officer take her into town, but she wouldn’t. The fight had slithered right out of her, disappearing faster than a snake in a thicket. She was exhausted and almost ready to dissolve into tears. They must have known all along she’d try something like this. They’d hidden her bag and probably called the authorities the minute she left.

The officer uncuffed her and left after telling Bernie that the limo would be towed back to the condo within the hour.

“Thank you, officer.” Bernie closed the door and sighed.

Angel slogged over to the chair and dropped into it. “Why did you let me go? Why let me go to all this trouble just to have the cops stop me?”

“We didn’t realize you’d gone until Dan heard the car honk when you unlocked the door. He noticed the keys were missing and went to check. You were gone and so was the car.” Bernie shook his head. “I’m disappointed in you, Angel. We had an agreement.”

Bernie looked tired too, and Angel felt a smattering of guilt, though she had no idea why. “So what are you going to do now, shoot me?”

“Oh, Angel.” Bernie sat in the chair across from her. “I’m hurt you would think that. Haven’t you heard a word I’ve said? We’re not killers. What do I have to do to prove we’re on your side?”

“Releasing me might help. How can you expect me to believe you’re on my side when you’re holding me prisoner? You want to find Luke and apparently will go to any means to get him.”

“To talk with him, yes.” Bernie ran a hand down his face. “Did you read the papers I printed off for you?”

“Most of them.”

“And?”

“What?” She shrugged. “I see you have reason to suspect the DA, but I have just as much reason to suspect you.”

“Hmm. The media painted a rather negative picture of us, didn’t they? We’re hoping Luke will be able to help us clear everything up.”

Angel looked from him to Dan. Neither seemed particularly ready to kill her for leaving. Still, she didn’t trust them. “Why are you keeping me here against my will?”

“I suppose it must seem like that.”

“Yes, it kind of does,” Angel said sarcastically. “I need to contact Detective Riley. He was going to show Justin the photo of the DA. If the DA is the one who hired him, maybe I’ll believe you.”

Dan gestured toward the computer. “Wasn’t he going to email you a message?”

“That was the plan.”

“Why don’t you check?”

“I will.” Angel made her way over to the laptop and turned it on. “I would’ve sent the limo back, you know.”

“I’m sure you would have, Angel, but we really would like you to stay.”

“In other words, ‘Forget it, sister, you’re staying put.’”

“You did agree to help us.”

“Yeah. Under duress.”

Angel opened the inbox. No letter from Callen. “I don’t understand it. He said he’d get back to me.”

“Perhaps something’s come up. You can check again in the morning—or I should say later this morning. In the meantime, I’d suggest we all go back to bed and try to get some sleep.”

Dan yawned, saying he’d wait up until the limo arrived.

Angel, having given up on her escape plans, headed to her room. This time around, she put on the flannel pajamas with a Winnie the Pooh pattern and, after using the bathroom, fell into bed.

She awoke to someone ringing the doorbell. Angel looked out the window but didn’t see anyone. She hurriedly dressed and brushed her teeth and hair, then headed to the stairs. Callen was standing in the entry, keys dangling from his hand.

“Detective.” Bernie greeted him like a long-lost friend. “We were just talking about you. Won’t you have a seat? I’ll see if Angel is awake. We had a rather late night.”

“So I heard.”

“I take it the officer who found her stealing my car told you what happened?”

“Right. I heard via the grapevine and called him. He was kind enough to give me details on how to get here.”

Angel took the stairs two at a time. “I hope he’s in hot water. I tried to tell him who I was.”

“And how the PD didn’t know who you were?” Callen pursed his lips. “A misunderstanding. There was a lot going on at the jail last night.”

Something in his features sounded an inner alarm. “What happened? Did Justin recognize the DA?”

“I never got the chance to show the picture to him. Justin Moore is dead.”

FORTY-THREE

J
ustin is dead?” Angel couldn’t assimilate the words. “But how is that possible? Did he get out? Did one of the inmates...?”

“His throat was slit, and we have no idea who is responsible, and no one is talking,” Callen told her. “They’re questioning everyone in the jail now. They brought in the CSI team. Hopefully we’ll get some answers.”

“Someone got to him before he could ID the photo?” Angel felt a repressive heaviness in her chest.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Bernie’s voice infiltrated her reeling thoughts. “I was hoping he’d be able to help us.”

“Have you heard anything about Luke?” Angel asked. Justin’s death magnified the danger for her brother.

“No, nothing, I’m sorry.” Turning to Bernie, Callen said, “I think you and your friend have some explaining to do. Would you like to tell me why you’re holding my girlfriend hostage?”

“Hostage?” His congenial smile was back. “As Angel will tell you, she agreed to come with us.”

Angel brushed her hair out of her face. “That’s because I thought I had no choice at the time. I thought it was either me or Kinsey and Marie. You admitted you could be pretty intimidating.”

Callen caught her gaze. “Do we arrest them or not?”

“Not. He’s right. I promised to go with them to help them find Luke. They’ve actually helped—I think. They’re the ones who put me on to the DA. Rachael and I had talked about the possibility, but Bernie seems to think he’s our guy and feels certain that Luke can help us prove it.”

Angel made the belated introductions, and the four of them sat down to coffee and breakfast, which Dan prepared while Bernie explained his situation and Angel gave Callen the files she’d printed off the computer.

While Callen read through them, Angel thought about poor Justin. Whoever had hired him must have somehow found out he’d been arrested. Angel again thought back to the night before, when Penghetti had retired to his room to make phone calls. Had one of those calls been to order someone to kill Justin? The thought sent chills up her spine, and she shivered. The night before she had told Bernie about Justin being in jail. She’d also talked about wanting Justin to look at the DA’s photo. What she hadn’t told Bernie was that she had wanted to show Justin a photo of Bernie as well. Had Bernie somehow known that? Had he seen his family portraits in her bag?

Whatever help Justin might have provided was now lost to them forever.

Bernie didn’t seem concerned when Angel and Callen left, other than asking Angel to keep him informed and reassuring her that all he wanted to do was talk to Luke. Everyone seemed to want Luke, and Angel refused to believe that he might already be dead.

Callen glanced over at her as he waited for several cars to pass before turning out onto the main highway. “You sure you’re all right?”

“I’m fine.” She tipped her head back and released a long sigh. “Strange as it may seem, I actually like those two.”

“But?”

“I don’t trust them. I doubt they had anything to do with Luke’s disappearance; otherwise why would they be looking for him? I’m not sure I believe all this stuff about just wanting to talk to him, though. Bernie made some phone calls last night in private. He said he was calling his family. I’m afraid he may have made arrangements to have Justin killed.”

“Why would he do that if he wanted Justin to see the DA’s photo?”

“I don’t know. I’m totally confused and frustrated and...” She folded her arms. “How are Kinsey and Marie?”

“Holding up. I talked to Kinsey this morning and told her I was on my way to rescue you.”

“Some rescue. I’m not sure I was ever in any real danger—and you didn’t even bring backup.”

“Actually, I did. The officer who picked you up last night was standing by in case I needed him.”

“Hmm. So what do we do now?” Angel turned sideways in her seat.

“You are going to the resort. I’m running through rental car agencies, trying to find out who rented a white Lexus.”

“Like the car Marty said he saw Luke get into?”

Callen nodded. “I’m not sure it’ll do any good. I’m just trying to come up with some leads.”

“I could do that for you,” Angel said. “I need to do something.”

He made a left onto the main road. “You could,” he said finally. “Yesterday, you asked Joe for your old job back. Were you serious?”

“I’m not sure.” She hadn’t had time to think about her decision, but it had seemed right at the time. “I think I’m ready. Over the past few weeks, I’ve found myself wanting to be back in the fray. I can’t stand being an outsider, and I’m not cut out to be a civilian.”

He chuckled at that. “No kidding. Rachael will be disappointed in losing her ace detective.”

Angel chewed on her lower lip. “True, but she’ll understand. Besides, I’ll need more work than what she’s had for me if I’m going to survive financially.”

Pop will be pleased.
The thought hit her hard and brought a lump to her throat.