Bad Habit (21 page)

“
I got to let the FBI in on it.”
Tolliver scratched his head. “They may have more information on
Ludwig.”

#

Teri walked to the end of the
block, Colin’s empty carry-on bag clutched to her chest. She
stepped into the waiting taxi and gave the driver the name of the
bank close to the convent.

When the cab deposited her in front
of the bank, she paid the driver and got out. She felt as though
everyone was staring at her.

Teri entered the bank and gained
access to her safe deposit box. Carrying it to a waist-high table
in the vault, she lifted the lid. The sight of the neatly stacked
rows of hundred dollar bills brought a strangled sob to her throat.
So much misery had come from this money.

She had one opportunity to make things right.

Carefully stacking the cash in the
brown paper bag, she secured it by wrapping adhesive tape around it
several times. She stowed it in the carry-on bag and closed the
zipper.

Only one item remained in the safe deposit box: the
hand written list of numbers. Teri gazed at it for a moment and
tucked it inside her pink lace bra.

As she left the bank she glanced
around nervously. She walked as rapidly as possible without calling
attention to herself. She went to the only place she’d felt
entirely safe.

Teri pushed open the door of the
chapel. The alter cloth glowed white in the subdued lighting.
Touches of gilding on statues glimmered in the glimmering candle
light. Teri dropped the bag on the front pew and lit a candle for
Sister Clement. She said a prayer for her own intentions before
sinking onto the pew. She sat silently, feeling almost numb as she
gazed into the shimmering reflection from the ruby glass candle
holders.

Teri started as a hand squeezed her
shoulder. Turning quickly she found herself staring into Father
Conlyn’s kind eyes. A wave of relief washed over her as she
followed him into the confessional.

When she exited the chapel, Teri
felt as though a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
She sat for a while in the rose garden on the bench she’d shared
with Angel. Smiling, she thought of how he’d tormented her, knowing
her real identity.

Her cell phone rang. Teri glanced at the caller ID
and was relieved to discover the call was from Bernie and not Angel
or the kidnapper.

“
Bernie,” she crowed.

“
Hey, Sis.” Bernie sounded
odd.

“
What’s the matter?” Teri sat up
straight.

“
I’m fine. This is my conference
period. I didn’t have any students so I’m checking up on
you.”

Teri took a deep breath. How could
she tell her sister that she was up to her neck in murderers and
kidnappers? “I’m doing okay,” she said. “What’s going on in the
great state of Maine?”

“
I’m not sure,” Bernie said. “I
think I’m being watched.”

A wave of fear roiled up from her
stomach. “Watched? By whom?”

“
There’s a man who started working
here as a janitor and our old janitor just disappeared. No one
knows what happened to him.”

“
That doesn’t sound right. What’s
the new guy doing to make you suspicious?”

Bernie made a sound in the back of
her throat. “He’s not the kind of person to be working as a janitor
in a convent. I know we don’t pay well. Our former janitor was
retired from the local public school system. We paid him so little
he could still draw his full retirement check.”

“
And the new man shows up in Armani
suits?” Teri tried to laugh, but it came out as a croak.

“
No. That’s not it.” Bernie was
silent for a moment. “He’s young and, I think you would call it
buffed.”

“
Buff? He’s a muscle man?” Teri’s
spine tingled from the nape of her neck all the way down to her
tail bone. “Bernie, I’m worried. Is there anywhere you can go on
short notice?”

“
Not since school started. This is a
small convent. There’s no one to cover my classes.”

“
If you tell the Mother Superior
that your life may be in danger I think she’d find you a
substitute.”

“
Am I
in danger, Teri?”
Bernie suddenly sounded
breathless. “Are you?”

Teri drew in another deep breath
and let it out slowly.
Truth
time
. “We’re both in danger, Bernie. It’s
entirely my fault. There are some men looking for me.”

“
I knew that,” Bernie said. “We’re
talking about the men who killed Colin?”

“
Yes, but it gets worse.”

There was a long silence. “Tell me.”

Teri outlined the death of Marcel Farmer and the
kidnapping of Sister Clement. She told Bernie about the money and
her plan to trade it for Clem.

“
Holy Mother of God!”

“
Bernie...”

“
Are you out of your mind? Where is
this Detective Angel in all this?”

“
Detective Angel Garcia doesn’t
know I have the money. When I met him, I lied to him. I said I
didn’t know about it. I didn’t trust him at first and I didn’t know
if I’d have to use it to run again.”

“
So now it’s a sin of
omission?”

Teri smiled, in spite of her fear. “Even I can’t
sell that one.”

“
What are you going to do now?”
Bernie asked.

“
I’m going to call the kidnapper and
try to get Clem back. What about the janitor?”

“
I’ll try to avoid him. I don’t
think he’ll enter the convent. I can hang around until my classes
start and run like a chicken when the students leave.”

“
Atta girl.”

“
Teri, please don’t try to take on
the kidnappers by yourself. You can tell your Angel about the lie.
He’ll understand and protect you.”

“
That’s what I’m afraid of,” Teri
said. “I made a deal with his mother that I wouldn’t get him
killed.”

“
He’s got a gun and you don’t.”
Bernie let out a soft whimper. “Teri?”

“
I’m here.”

“
Just this once, you have my
permission to be a complete bystander. Let someone else be a super
hero. You have to make a deal with me not to get yourself
killed.”

“
I’ll do my best, Bernie. I can’t
bear it if anyone else dies because of me...I’ve gotta go now. Pray
for me.”

She hung up abruptly and tucked her
cell in her pocket.

Time to save the day or die trying.

#

CHAPTER NINETEEN

“
She’s gone?” Angel stared at his
parents in disbelief. “How did she leave? She doesn’t have a car
and she doesn’t know the city. Where would she go?”

“
Calm down, Angel,” Arturo said.
“She was gone when I got home from taking the kids to
school.”

A deep furrow formed between
Isabel’s brows. “Teri was sitting in our bedroom looking at the
Christmas album. I took Abuelita to her room for a nap. Then I went
down to start preparing the meal. I didn’t miss her until you came
home.”

“
So she’s been out of pocket for at
least two hours?”

“
I guess.” Isabel wrapped her arms
around herself.

Angel stepped into the hall and
called Teri’s cell.

“
Hello, Angel,” she said.

A wave of relief washed over him. “Teri, where are
you?”

“
I,… I can’t tell you.”

He fought down the choking
sensation. “Teri, you’re in serious danger. Just tell me where you
are and I’ll come get you.”

“
I’m sorry, Angel. I can’t tell
you. Please don’t be mad at me.”

“
I’m not mad at you, baby. I’m
afraid for you.”

Teri laughed softly. “Me too.”

“
What is it you think you’re
doing?”

Her voice broke and she spoke in a
throaty whisper. “I’ve been the cause of so much trouble, for you
and your family and to the nuns here. The Private Investigator is
dead because of me. Sister Clem is in danger because of me. I’ve
had the money all along. I have to make things right.”

“
Teri, please—” He wanted to reach
out to her, hold her.

“
Angel,” her voice faltered. “I love
you.”

The phone disconnected.

Angel ran his fingers through his
hair. A muscle in his jaw twitched and he took a deep breath before
he could trust himself to speak. “She’s in danger. Do you all
understand me? Her life is in danger.”

His parents nodded at
him.

“
If she comes back, call me
immediately and do not let her leave.” He headed for the back door,
slamming his hand against the door frame as he passed through it.
“If you have to use duct tape, don’t let her out of this
house.”

Angel got into the rental car and Arturo slid in on
the passenger side.

“
Pop?” He didn’t have patience for
any delays.

“
Son, I’m going with
you.”

Angel met his father’s calm but
unyielding gaze. “Okay.” He started the ignition.

“
Where are we going?”

Angel opened the glove compartment
and removed a flat device. He opened the lid and punched some
buttons. He smiled as he gazed at the grid.

“
What’s that, son?” Arturo
asked.

“
I planted a tracking device on her
cell phone.” He ground the idling motor into reverse and roared out
of the driveway. “Everything starts at the convent.”

#

After she disconnected from Angel,
Teri sat staring into space for a few minutes. He called back but
she didn’t answer.

She told him she loved him and she
did. She didn’t want to lose him.

The concrete bench was smooth, worn
by decades of use. She rubbed her finger across the roses carved
into the arm rest. The smell of antique roses intoxicated her. Bees
buzzed as they poked into flowers. Birds chirped and twittered. A
group of pigeons cooed from a niche under the eaves of the chapel.
From the street, the sound of a car horn brought her back to the
all too real world.

She suppressed a shudder as she
visualized Colin’s face with a bullet hole in his forehead. She’d
rather be dead than see Angel in that same state.

Sbe forced her thoughts in a
different direction. Where was the kidnapper holding Clem? He had
to know she wouldn’t deal with him if Clem was harmed.

She shook herself into action. She
searched her phone memory and redialed the kidnapper’s number she’d
lifted from Angel.

Angel...It wouldn’t do to think of
him now. She had to be clear and focused. Her call was answered on
the first ring.

“
I’d nearly given up on you.” The
voice almost caressed her. “Do you have my money?”

“
Yes. Do you have my
nun?”

“
Right here, being quiet like a
little mouse.”

“
She’d better be able to talk to me
or the deal is off.” Teri winced as she heard Clem cry
out.

“
Hello?” Clem sounded
scared.

“
Hi, Clem. Are you
alright?”

“
I guess. Are you?”

“
Absolutely!” Teri had to smile,
hoping her old self assurance had returned. “I’m going to get you
back, Clem. Father Conlyn sends his prayers.”

“
Oh!” Clem expended a long sigh of
relief, as though Father Conlyn’s prayers resolved
everything.

“
Enough chit-chat,” the man said.
“Where do you propose to make this exchange?”

“
In a crowded public place. Believe
me when I tell you, all I want is the nun. You can have the money.”
Teri tried to stand, but thought her knees might buckle.

“
Believe me when I tell you that all
I want is my money. I don’t give a rat’s ass about you or your
little nun here. But if you cross me, you both die. I’m tired of
all the crap you’ve put me through.”

“
Meet me in Brackenridge Park at
the train station by the Sunken Gardens in thirty minutes. I see
you with the nun and I’ll hand you the bag of cash in
exchange.”

“
What is Bracken Park?” The man
sounded exasperated. “I don’t want any tricks out of
you.”

“
Brackenridge Park. Sister Clement
knows how to get there. I’m not going to try any tricks. It’s a
simple exchange.” Teri cleared her throat. “It looks like a lot of
money in trade for one little nun.”

“
You don’t know how much cash you’re
holding?”

“
I didn’t count it. Should
I?”

“
No. Just hand it over. I’ll find
the park and I’ll see you at the train station by the Sunken
Gardens.” He hung up abruptly.

Teri took several deep breaths and
tried to slow the hammer beating against her ribcage.

#

Bernie stared at the telephone. For
the first time since she’d taken her vows, she wondered if she’d
made the right choice. Would Teri be in trouble if she’d had her
big sister to rely on? If Bernie had been closer to her, perhaps
they could have worked out the problems together.