Beyond A Reasonable Doubt (18 page)

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

Marcus sighed heavily as he turned onto Main Street and headed out of town. Listening to the old man bitch and gripe was taking all the pleasure out of his earlier good news and was a constant reminder of still-remaining loose ends. “Damn it, William, you’re almost home. Could you shut up for ten minutes?”

“You let that judge talk to me like I was some common criminal. Me! The lousy son of a bitch. When this is over, I’ll see he gets his, just like all the rest of them.”

Michael spoke for the first time since Marcus had gotten them released. “We’ve got bigger problems.”

Marcus glared at him in the rearview mirror. “What are you talking about, Michael?”

“Why don’t you tell him, Dad? Tell him what you’ve done.”

“Done what I had to do, that’s what I done. You two gutless bastards weren’t going to do anything to protect me.”

Marcus pulled to the side of the road, cut the engine, and turned toward the backseat. “What did you do, William?”

“Took care of that little bitch, that’s what I done. She’ll be dead by nightfall. Her and her boyfriends.”

Marcus felt the stirring of fear inside his pelvic area, a deep gnawing feeling that caused bile to rise in his throat.
“If anything else happens to Jenna James, I’ll come back and kill you myself.”
Beaumont didn’t make threats lightly. He’d do it, and Marcus knew his death would be slow and painful.

He pulled out his cell phone and tossed it in the backseat. “Call it off.”

Judge Elkins glared at him but ignored the phone. “I can’t reach them, and it’s already done.”

Marcus felt his jaw set, his hands clench into fists. “What?”

“For God’s sake, Dad, just tell the man. He’s trying to help you,” Michael said.

“Planted a bomb underneath her house. It’s set to go off sometime tonight. Won’t be enough left of any of them to even put in a box.”

Marcus started the car and pulled back onto the highway, his mind turning over options. He didn’t really care about the cops, but Jenna James couldn’t die—at least not yet.

“Give me my cell phone.” Michael handed it to him, and Marcus dialed as he turned into the Elkins estate. “Change of plans. I’m dropping off the Elkinses. Meet me at the office in an hour.”

“I’ll be there.”

Marcus tossed the phone into the passenger seat, pulled up in front of the house, and parked. “Get out.”

Michael opened his door and leaned in. “Do you still want me to come by the office later?”

“No. Come by in the morning.”

He waited only long enough for them to close the back doors before speeding down the driveway. Gregory was going to be a very busy man. First, he had to save Jenna James, and then he had to finish the job he’d messed up several years before. “You’re a dead man, Drago.”

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

Marcus sorted through the photos, notes, and tapes in the package Gregory had just delivered. “Did you go through it?”

Gregory nodded. “Didn’t take too long. Three tapes and a bunch of pictures and notes. You were only on one tape.” He pulled it from his jacket pocket and handed it to Marcus. “The rest show Elkins taking bribes from criminals he let go.”

Marcus smiled. “You’re a good man, Gregory. Did you get the gun?”

Gregory reached inside his pocket and removed the Glock. “Clean as a whistle. Purchased in Michael Elkins’s name.”

Marcus sat back with a sigh of relief. He could do what he should have done a long time before. What was in the package was evidence beyond a reasonable doubt of Judge Elkins’s corruption and the bribes he’d taken over the years as well as Michael’s little escapade with the prostitute. He’d killed before, so no one would question the fact he’d kill again.

“Couple of Beaumont’s people still watching the prosecutor. Cops are chasing down the leads on Olivia’s death, and Jordan Elkins is lying low with his girlfriend. You want me to finish this?”

Marcus tapped the package. He didn’t believe in making trouble where none was warranted. “I don’t think that will be necessary. I think I’ve figured out a way to put an end to it all.” He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a bottle of pills. “I’ll need you to sneak into the Elkins residence tonight and replace Michael’s nitroglycerin with these. We’ll set everything for ten tomorrow night. Right now, I have a more pressing problem. Elkins had someone put a bomb under Jenna James’s house. It’s set to go off sometime tonight. Think you can disarm it?”

Gregory frowned. “Maybe. Do you know what kind?”

Marcus reached for a cigar. “No, and the bastard can’t call his guys and call it off. I should have realized a long time ago how inept he was. If we can’t disarm it, we’ll need to find a way to get them out of that house and keep them gone tonight.”

“I have to find a way around Beaumont’s guys. Give me an hour, and I’ll call you.”

Gregory picked up the pills for Michael. “So we do this tomorrow night. What about the maid?”

Marcus thought for a moment. He had no qualms about killing anyone who might be a threat, but the maid might come in handy should they ask questions about Olivia’s package and the beatings. “I’ll call Elkins and tell him I’m stopping by. The maid can take the night off.”

Gregory slipped the bottle inside his jacket and glanced at the clock. “I’ll get back to you before five. James shouldn’t be home before then anyway. Neither should the cops.”

~ ~ ~

Harry pulled the car into gear and glanced at his partner. “What’s first?”

“Let’s pay a call to the coroner. He may or may not know he’s on the list.”

Harry pulled into the stream of traffic. “First vacation I’ve had in two years, and I’m working.”

Jake laughed. “You think you’ve got problems? Wait until Cara finds out I took my vacation without her. She had plans for Hawaii this year.”

“Be a shame to miss those hula girls,” Harry said with a chuckle. “Maybe the chief will take pity on us since we explained we’d be working, just not on his clock.”

Jake glanced at the building looming up in front of them as people came rushing through the front doors. “Isn’t the coroner’s office located inside that building?”

Harry followed his gaze, flipped on the sirens and lights, and swung to a stop half on the sidewalk and half on the grass. “Yeah, and this don’t look good.”

They exited the vehicle, hands on their guns as they raced toward the screaming mob. “What’s happening?”

One guy pointed back toward the building and called over his shoulder, “A bomb.”

“Call it in, Harry.”

Harry caught a fleeing pedestrian by the arm. “Call the police, and tell them to get the bomb squad here. Where’s the bomb?”

“Coroner,” the guy yelled as he pulled out his cell phone.

Harry pulled his gun and sped after Jake.

They stopped at the entrance. The office building was huge, and it would take them hours. They didn’t have time to search it. A man came stumbling from an office on the right. Blood seeped from a cut on his head, but the apparatus strapped around his chest caught and held their attention.

Harry holstered his gun, his eyes traveling toward the stairs where office workers were still pushing and pulling in an effort to evacuate the building. “We need to get him out of here. We don’t know how many are still left inside.”

He moved toward the man calling out, “Sir, I need you to stop right there.”

Confused, pain-filled eyes met Harry’s. He glanced at the timer, slowly ticking down—two minutes and dropping. Even if he did know how to disarm it, he didn’t have time. He scanned the corridor, his eyes homing in on the door marked Stairs. Rushing forward, he grabbed the guy, opened the door, and started scrambling down the stairs as quickly as he could. If he could reach the basement, he might be able to contain the blast to just that area. If he survived.

“Harry, what the hell are you doing?” Jake called out from above him.

“Finish evacuating the building as fast as you can,” Harry hollered back. “Then get the hell out of here, Jake. Take care of Jenna.”

Harry hit the last step, dragging the coroner behind him. Opening the door, he glanced in and breathed a sigh of relief as an empty room met his gaze. He pushed the man inside with only twenty seconds to spare. “Sorry, buddy,” he whispered as he slammed the door shut and dived for cover.

~ ~ ~

Jenna arranged the roast, potatoes, carrots, and onions in a pan, covered it, and slipped it inside the oven. She wouldn’t let herself call it a celebration dinner because she hadn’t won yet. The first battle was over perhaps, but the war was still raging, and Dade would come out fighting hard and dirty.

Opening the refrigerator, she scrounged around for something to make for dessert. She’d replenished only a portion of her supplies. Maybe she could talk Geno and Marko into running into town for an ice-cream cake. They could be there and back inside an hour.

Dusting off her jeans, she opened the front door and headed across the road.

“Everything okay, Miss James?” Geno asked.

She smiled at him. “Everything’s great. Except I’ve prepared a wonderful roast dinner for you and the guys and I just realized I don’t have anything for dessert. Could you please go down to DQ and pick up an ice-cream cake? Please.”

Geno glanced at Marko. “Couldn’t hurt, I don’t suppose.” He started the car. “We’ll be back in less than an hour. Promise to lock the doors and don’t be outside, or we ain’t going.”

Jenna handed him a fifty-dollar bill. “I promise. Get something really tasty.”

She watched as they drove down the road then ran back to the house and locked the front door. That night, she was going to enjoy a nice, quiet dinner with four wonderful guys. She was going to take a bubble bath and sleep like a baby. Tomorrow she’d start building her case against William Elkins.

A sound caught her attention from the washroom, and she moved in that direction. She caught a glimpse of a shadowed figure just before he moved with lightning speed. Jenna tried to scream as an arm clamped around her throat and a second hand covered her mouth.

A strange, caustic taste filled her mouth, and she struggled as the scent burned her nose. She heard a soft laugh and “Sorry, Counselor. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time” before her eyes closed and everything went dark.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

Gregory moved quickly, pulling the now-limp body of the prosecutor into the living room. He didn’t know where the bodyguards had gone or when they’d be back, but he needed to be out of there when they returned.

Going back to the washroom, he scanned the floor and found the trapdoor leading underneath the house. He opened it and quickly dropped through and turned on his flashlight. The bomb was positioned about six feet from the entrance. He didn’t need to go any closer.
Damn it.
He’d promised David he’d keep her safe. He opened his cell phone and dialed Dade’s number.

“Hello.”

“I found it. The problem is I’ve never seen anything like it. There are chemicals which make it look like a binary bomb, but not one I’ve ever seen. A red light is blinking, which I think means it’s activated. There’s no timer, so there must be some sort of detonator out there.”

“Can you disarm it?” Dade asked.

“Like I said, it’s not on a timer. This thing is way above my pay grade, Dade. Somebody is watching, and they must have activated it when she came home. They can press the button anytime and probably will if she tries to leave the house. I’d say they’re waiting for the cops to get home. I had to knock her out, but she’s probably gonna panic when she wakes up and try to run.”

Marcus leaned back in his desk chair. Gregory was the best there was. If he couldn’t do it, no one could. Except Drago.

“Get out of there as quick as you can, and take care of Elkins. I’ve got another idea.”

Marcus lit a cigar and puffed slowly. If his plan backfired, Drago would kill him, but if Jenna James died, Clifford Beaumont would certainly kill him. At least Drago would be quick.

He reached into his desk and pulled out one of the nontraceable cells he kept for situations like this. He dialed Beaumont’s number.

“Hello.”

“Hello, Clifford. I need to talk to Drago.”

He heard whispering before Drago’s voice came over the line. “Never thought you’d have the guts to call me, Dade. What do you want?”

“Drago, let’s let bygones be bygones. We were good for each other once. We could be again. Right now, I find myself in need of your talents.”

“You’re full of shit, Dade. The only way I would help you is by slitting your throat.”

“Even if it meant saving Jenna James’s life?”

Marcus smiled. The silence on the phone told him he had his attention now.

“I’m listening.”

“I’m sure you remember Gregory. He just called to tell me there’s some sort of binary bomb under Miss James’s house—not a regular binary bomb, something he’s never seen before. It’s been activated. If she tries to leave, it will probably blow. If the cops come home, it will probably blow. You’re the only chance she’s got, buddy. Either you find the guy holding the detonator or you defuse the bomb. Otherwise, Miss James is dead.”

“You son of a bitch.”

Marcus took a long draw on the cigar and blew out the smoke. “It’s not my bomb. I’m only trying to save her life. If you don’t care, let her die.” He hit the End button, pulled the SIM card from the phone, and flicked the lighter. He held it over the flames until it melted then dropped it into the ashtray. It was always better to be safe than sorry.

~ ~ ~

Jake pushed his way down the staircase, shoving aside debris. “Harry?” He coughed and pulled his shirt over his mouth to filter out some of the dust. If Harry wasn’t dead, he was gonna kill him. “Harry!” he called out again, nearing the bottom of the stairs. “Holy shit,” he muttered, glancing at the basement door now embedded in the concrete wall.

“Over here.”

Jake stumbled and reached down to push debris aside. “Where?”

“Keep coming.”

Harry’s voice was weak, and Jake moved to the wall, making his way forward slowly, inch by inch. The dust was making it impossible to see. He was nearing the end of the wall when he connected with something solid.

“Behind the file cabinets,” Harry mumbled. “Seemed like a good idea at the time. Not so much now.”

Jake knelt and felt his way around the cabinets. Harry was lying against the wall, one leg crushed under the last cabinet. Jake studied the layout. He might be able to move the cabinet, but if any arteries had been severed, Harry would bleed to death before medics could reach him. “Can you hang in here a little longer, partner? I need to get the medics down here before I move this thing.”

“Get out of here and find Jenna. Put everyone else on alert. I think Elkins has just got started.”

Jake could hear the strain in Harry’s voice. He was going into shock. “I’ll do that, partner, just as soon as we get you out of here.”

Harry struggled to sit up, grabbing his arm. “No time for that. The medics are on their way. Go.”

Jake stood as the sound of voices reached him from the top of the stairs. “Down here. We need medics and an evac team.”

“How many you got down there?” a voice called out.

“We’ve got an officer down, so move your asses,” Jake yelled back. Footsteps descended the stairs, and the welcome face of a white-coated medic appeared through the dust.

Jake stepped aside but stayed close enough to watch the examination. Right then, everyone was a suspect.

Five minutes later, the medic stood and addressed him. Harry had long since passed out. “I’ve tied off his leg just in case any arteries have been damaged. There’s no way we can get an evac team in here—not enough room. If you can help me move the cabinet, the two of us might be able to carry him out. We need to be quick.”

Jake gazed down at the still figure of his partner. Harry had saved his life more than once. “Just tell me what to do.”

“Help me clear this section. Then, if you can lift it, I’ll pull him out.”

They quickly cleared a small space, and Jake moved in, stepping over Harry’s body as he put his hands underneath the file cabinet. “I probably can’t hold this long.”

The medic moved in close to Harry’s legs. “All I need is a few seconds.”

Taking a deep breath, Jake bent his knees and shoved upward, his arms straining, biceps bulging. “What the hell have they got in these things?”

The medic moved quickly, pulling the left leg out of the way and gently taking hold of the right. “A little higher.”

Jake closed his eyes and pushed.

“I got him; let it go.”

Jake stepped backward and let go of the file cabinet, which hit the floor, raising another cloud of dust. He ached all over but didn’t have time to dwell on it. “Get out of the way.”

The medic stepped aside, and Jake reached down, lifted Harry to a seated position, grabbed his belt, and struggled to his feet with the dead weight now resting on his shoulders. The medic walked in front of him, pushing blocks and wood out of the way until they reached the stairs. Jake felt as though his lungs were going to burst as he took the first step. A group was waiting at the top with a stretcher. All he had to do was put one foot in front of the other.