Deadly Aim (24 page)

On the passenger side, Bo grabbed the man with a tire iron and spun him around. The guy turned and swung. Bo ducked and shoved a fist into his face, then brought his arm down on the man’s wrist, disarming him.

An officer yelled above the chaos, “Put down your weapons and step away from the car!” Angel recognized the voice as Nick’s.

One by one the attackers raised their hands. Angel gripped the steering wheel and leaned her forehead on her fists.

“Angel?” Detective Riley leaned in the driver’s side window, releasing the lock and opening the door.

Angel tumbled out and flew into his arms, burying her face in his chest. She wanted to thank him, but nothing came out except for the choking sobs.

“Are you hurt?”

“I... I don’t think so.”

Detective Riley led her away from her battered Corvette to his unmarked Crown Victoria and helped her into the passenger side. “Stay here. I need to help round these guys up. I’ll be right back.”

Angel had no intention of moving. She held her fist to her mouth, afraid to take it away. She tried to slow her breathing down and look at the incident objectively, as if someone other than herself had been the victim. Her fellow officers were still making arrests. Most of the crowd had backed away and stood on the sidelines.

The media, of course, had their microphones hot and their cameras rolling. For once she was almost glad to see them. Their photos would document the assault. Angel wondered if it would change the public’s opinion of her. On the other hand, the media had a way of making the police look bad. She adjusted her sunglasses and lifted her right hand to her brow to block a photographer’s shot.

She heard the driver’s side door open, and Detective Riley folded himself into the seat. Her hands shook as she ran them through her hair.

“You okay?” he asked. “Should I call an ambulance?”

“No. I’m just shook up.”
Shook up? I’m terrified
.

“Our guys will haul these creeps down to the station. I assume you’re going to press charges?”

“Of course.” She reached for her seat belt. “They were going to kill me.”

“And might have, too, if I hadn’t been there to call for backup.” The detective turned the key in the ignition and turned around to check for traffic. “You’re lucky I recognized you.”

Angel frowned. “You did?”

“You’d have to do a lot more than wrap your hair in a scarf and wear glasses to fool me.”

“Then I’m glad you were here.”

“You shouldn’t have come.” He seemed angry, and Angel couldn’t tell if his anger was directed at her, her attackers, or himself.

But she bristled at his parental tone. “You’re probably right, but I had to. I don’t expect you to understand.”

“What’s not to understand? You wanted to pay your respects. I might’ve done the same thing.”

Angel gasped as they drove past her Corvette. “My car looks like it’s been in a demolition derby.”

“Nick is calling a tow truck to haul your car into the impound lot. We’ll need it for evidence.”

A man from the crowd shouted at them as Riley started to pull out. “Racist pigs!” He came into the street and slammed his fist against the passenger side window. “Killer cop!”

Detective Riley was out of the car and on him before he could finish the sentence. He whipped the guy around, slamming him against the car. Not an easy feat, since the guy must’ve weighed close to three hundred pounds.

The man cried out as the detective yanked his wrist around and pulled it sharp against his back. “Do that again and I might forget I’m a cop!” Riley then shoved him in Bo’s direction. “You’d better take this scumbag before I do something I’ll regret.”

“I hear you, man.” Bo slapped the cuffs on the guy, mirandized him, and put him into his patrol car. “I’ll take it from here.”

Detective Riley got back into the car. His hands gripped the steering wheel as he stared straight ahead. After a few seconds and several calming breaths, he drove out onto the main road.

“You were a little rough on him,” Angel said.

“Don’t remind me.”

Callen wasn’t certain what had happened in those few minutes. Seeing those guys on Angel’s car had turned his blood hot. He very seldom got riled to the point where he’d manhandle anyone. But he’d been blindsided, and all he could think of was protecting her. He glanced at Angel, angry with himself for caring and angry with her for being there.

He’d gone to the cemetery to observe the crowd and maybe get some clue as to what was going on. He’d asked both Nick Caldwell and Mike Rawlings to come too. He’d wanted them to look around and see if they spotted any of the gang members who had hit the pharmacy. He hadn’t gotten a chance to ask them. He’d do that later. Right now his biggest problem was sitting beside him.

She was safe—at least for the time being. There was something a lot bigger than a burglary and the deadly force situation going on here. Angel’s apartment had been vandalized, and she’d just escaped being beaten to death. Callen had no doubt they would’ve killed her if they hadn’t been stopped when they were. He thanked God he and the other officers had been close by.

Angel tipped her head back against the headrest and looked at him. “Thanks.”

He nodded. “Just doing my job.”

Angel sighed. “I... I’m not sure I want to press charges. It’ll just make the situation worse. They already hate me. Maybe they have nothing to do with the gang. Maybe they’re just family members trying to get revenge.” She remembered the pastor’s sermon cautioning them against the use of violence.

“I don’t think loss is a factor. I doubt these guys were even part of the family. They’re more than likely opportunists, taking advantage of the situation.”

Angel turned to look out the window.

“You can’t let them get away with this, Angel. I’ll take you down to the station. You can give your statement and take a look at the guys who attacked you.”

The idea made her stomach ache. She changed the subject. “I have to get another car.”

“You can call a rental agency. My truck is in the shop, otherwise I’d loan it to you.”

“Thanks, but it’s my problem. I’ll take care of it.”

“You shouldn’t be alone, you know.” Callen frowned. “These guys will probably be out by tomorrow. Do you have any place you could hide out for a few days?”

“You may be right. Maybe I’ll take the twins up on their offer and stay at their resort.”

Callen raised his eyebrows. “Twins? Resort?”

Angel told him about her brothers and their new resort.

“Sounds like a nice place. Don’t suppose they’d have an extra room for a worn-out cop.”

She smiled as though she might not mind his company. “We could ask.”

The thought of staying at the same resort with her was far too appealing. And far too impossible. He had to change the subject, and fast. “How did things go with Joe yesterday?”

She turned slightly in her seat. “Not good. They want me up on man one.”

“No way.” Callen couldn’t believe they’d actually go that far.

Angel leaned back and stared out the window.

“Guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” he said. “The public has been leaning pretty hard on us lately. Every time we have to use deadly force, they turn against us. Look at the incident last month when that psycho kidnapped his son and threatened to kill him. Officers shot the guy, and his family threw a fit. He wasn’t armed, but our guys didn’t know that.”

“Yeah, we do our job and then have to take the criticism. It’s not fair.” Angel sighed then looked over at him again. “I should’ve waited—with Billy, I mean. I should’ve tried to talk to him first. Maybe then I would’ve seen that his gun wasn’t real.”

“You indicated that he was a threat. The gun could have been real. Then it would’ve been your funeral. I can’t say what I would’ve done in the same situation, but from what you said in your testimony, I doubt that any police officer would’ve acted differently.”

“I appreciate that, Detective.”

Callen pulled up in front of the police station. “Good, now do the right thing and file charges against the hoods who messed up that great car of yours.”

He waited until she stepped inside before driving off. He was beginning to feel like a hooked fish on a line. The more he fought, the more securely the hook embedded itself. Angel
was reeling him in bit by bit, and Callen was willing to bet that she had no idea she was holding the pole.

At the station, Angel gave her account of the attack. By the time she’d finished, anger had replaced the fear. How dare they ruin her car? She loved that car. And what would Luke say? It would cost a fortune to have it fixed. People could be mad at her, but they had no business breaking into her home or destroying her property—and they had no business threatening her life. She wasn’t certain what had prompted her to consider not taking action against the men who’d attacked her. Nerves, maybe. Or fear that they’d come after her again.

Well, let them. She’d go after them until they either killed her or were put away for a long time. Callen had been right in advising her to press charges. He had been right about a lot of things. She thought back to his remark about coming to the resort with her and wondered what it would be like to spend some time with him without the pressures of the criminal investigation.

Since Eric was on his way out when Angel left, she asked him to drop her off at the hospital. Her father was doing well. His color looked good, in spite of all the tubes and wires. Still, her mother insisted on spending the night and insisted Angel go home and get a good night’s rest.

For once she obeyed her mother.

Brandon dropped by Angel’s apartment at 6:00 that night, bringing another bouquet of roses.

“What’s this, a peace offering?” Angel asked.

“I figured you needed some new ones.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek as though nothing had changed between them. “How are you?”

“Things could be better.” She stepped aside to let him in.

“I heard about your run-in at the cemetery today.” His brow furrowed and worry lit his blue eyes. “When I saw that footage I couldn’t believe it. I... I should have been there with you.”

Angel went to him, and they held each other for a long time. It felt good to be held and comforted, but her mother’s words drifted around in her head.
You don’t love him
.
You’re using him
.

Brandon took a step back. “Does this mean I’m forgiven?”

She looked at him and raised up on her toes to kiss his cheek. “You haven’t done anything wrong, and I don’t blame you for your father’s decision.” She was feeling magnanimous in light of the fact that she now had a terrific lawyer.

“I just wish there was something I could do.” Brandon sighed.

“You can. Just be a friend.”

“I can handle that.” He settled on the couch. “Where did all this furniture come from? I thought your stuff got trashed.”

“It did. I have no clue who did this. I came home the other day, and it was all here. There was no note or anything. My family denies having anything to do with it. Was it you?”

A blush crept up Brandon’s neck. “I wish it had been. I’m sorry, I didn’t even think about you having to replace everything.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Angel stood with her hands on her hips, looking around the room again. There were things she hadn’t noticed before, like the blue marbled glass ball that sat on the end table. “I’ll figure it out.”

“What are you going to do about a car?” Brandon asked.

“Rent one, I guess.”

“You can borrow one of ours. Or I can lend you our limo driver. Dad and I never use him unless it’s to impress some wealthy client. Mom uses him a lot, but I’m sure she won’t mind.”

“I don’t want a limo driver.” Angel shook her head. “I can see it now. I’m shopping at Goodwill and telling him to wait outside.” She chuckled at the thought. “But thanks. I’ll get a rental. My insurance will cover it—I hope.”

“Then use my car.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll figure out something.”

Brandon sighed. “Okay, you don’t want to talk about it. I can take a hint.”

Angel sat down beside him. “Tell me about the Kelsey case. How’s it going?”

“Not good. Kelsey’s body turned up today.”

“Really? Where?”

“A tourist spotted him at the bottom of a ravine up toward Cannon Beach. Saw the body through binoculars.” Brandon
settled an arm on the back of the sofa, his hand touching Angel’s hair.

Angel moved forward slightly, and Brandon’s arm dropped to his side.

“He’d been shot, and he either fell over the cliff or someone pushed him.”

“Michelle?”

“I don’t know. She still claims she didn’t kill him. The guys from the crime lab are going over the area, so we should have some answers before long.”

“Are you still going to represent her?” Angel asked.

“Yeah. I just hope she’s leveling with me.”

The phone rang, and Angel got up to answer it. Big mistake. The caller issued forth an assortment of vile names, some of which she had never heard before. As a police officer, she was used to hearing vulgarities, and at times even had them directed at her, but it wasn’t his words that twisted her stomach. It was the threats that went with them. Her hand shook as she slammed the receiver down.

Brandon stood up and came toward her. “What’s wrong?”

She could almost feel the blood drain out of her face. “It was an obscene caller,” she managed to say. “He threatened to kill me.”