Fair Game Inc (2010) (27 page)

The menace in his tone shook her from her reverie. oIAEll tell you what you did to me, Amber Sweetheart. First you took my livelihood....o He gripped her thighs, leaning heavily on her. Shudders worked their way down her spine at the contact. She tried to keep herself from shivering. oBut hey,o he said in a falsely lighthearted tone, oIAEm an understanding guy, and I always kinda had the hots for you, Amber Babe. Kinda admired your spunk. Even if it was costing me.o

In that second she did know for sure. Hindsight pointed out all the clues sheAEd missed in clarity that had escaped her the first time. With a sinking feeling Amber remembered the times heAEd come on to her, which had been practically every time their paths crossed. SheAEd assumed he enjoyed making her uncomfortable. Never had she dreamed he actually cared, albeit in a sick and twisted kind of way.

oSo, I figured, what the hell. IAEd tell you how I feel. I wore my heart on my sleeve for you, Amber Sweetheart. And whatAEd you do?o

oI didnAEt realize--o

oKinda dense for a PI, arenAEt you?o

oI really didnAEt--o

oWhatAEd you do, Amber?o

She didnAEt know how to answer. What could she say that wouldnAEt intensify the anger she could feel radiating from him, in his bodyAEs heat and the vice grip in which he held her?

oSay it Amber.o His grip tightened, bruising her.

She shook her head.

oSay it,o he ordered. oSay you wouldnAEt even look at me when you could have that lawyer boyfriend of yours instead.o oI really didnAEt realize you felt that way.o Her voice shook in spite of her vow to remain calm. oLike hell you didnAEt,o he roared, lurching away from her. She heard the scuff of his feet against the rough cement floor. oThat kind of thing,o he said in a voice full of quiet menace that chilled her heart. oKinda messes with a guyAEs head.o ****

oFiling cabinetAEs open.o RogerAEs voice was muffled as he held the phone between his neck and shoulder, making it hard for Grayson to hear against the noise from the street.

oSee anything?o

oMan, sheAEs almost as obsessively neat as Jumpy John.o

oAre there any names, Roger?o Grayson reined in his temper. He refused to fight with Roger here in a public phone booth, not while Amber was in danger.

oHereAEs SandyAEs file.o Paper rustled. oWonder what she said about me.o

oRoger!o

oOkay, okay. Some stuff on a guy named Marchand, but according to this heAEs a client, not one of her intended victims.o

oAnything else?o

More paper rustling. The clunk of a heavy file drawer closing. oWhoa! Now, hereAEs something.o

oWhat?o Grayson had to restrain himself from yelling into the phone.

oA copy of an invoice addressed to John Barlow from a guy named James Heck of Heck, Sleuth & Company. Who the hell, or I should say, who the heck is James Heck?o

How could he have been so stupid? Grayson swallowed the bile rising in his throat. HeAEd seen the evidence with his own eyes when Amber brought him the invoice as proof she wasnAEt having an affair with James Heck. SheAEd insisted John Barlow had arranged the whole charade.

oHey, Gray, you still there? Do you know this guy?o

oYeah,o Grayson found his voice. oHeAEs the jerk that showed up at the office with a bouquet of flowers for Amber.o

oThe one who caused the huge fight?o

Trust Roger to phrase it in the most indelicate terms possible. Grayson shook his head. oYeah, thatAEs the one.o

oGray, I think we might have something here.o

oYou think this Heck guy might be involved?o

oIf he was willing to pull a sleazy stunt like that at the office, who knows what else he would be willing to do.o

oAnd get paid for it by Barlow,o Grayson finished.

oI think weAEd better check this guy out. He sounds like our man.o

HeAEd called Amber paranoid. And all the time she was in danger. oIs there an address on that invoice?o

oAn office address.o He heard Roger moving around in the office, opening more cabinets. oBut I bet thereAEs a listing for his home address in the phone book.o

oGood thinking.o For once they worked together like they had when they were boys cramming late nights on a science project. Before love came between them. oIAEm at the gas station behind BarlowAEs house. Pick me up and weAEll go have a chat with Mr. Heck.o

Grayson imagined Roger frowning at the phone. oItAEs nearly three in the morning. Do you think we should really go knocking on his door?o oYou donAEt have to come with me,o Grayson said. oThereAEs no reason Mom should have to bail both of us out of jail.o oNo, IAEm coming with you, Gray. That way I wonAEt have to explain to Mom how you got yourself killed.o ****

James Heck owned a ramshackle bungalow on the outskirts of town. Even in the darkness Grayson could make out the paint peeling from the sides of the house. The rickety fence looked like strong wind might blow it over.

oNice place,o Roger remarked. oLooks like he started with an outhouse and just kept building rooms.o

oThe guy doesnAEt have a lot of class. I met him, remember.o Grayson took another look at the darkened house. The chain of municipal streetlights ran out about a block earlier. Apparently Mr. Heck didnAEt see the need to install his own.

oWell?o Roger asked. oShall we?o

They were about six feet from the fence when a black missile bolted out of the shadows, barking furiously. Roger gripped his shoulder and hauled Grayson backward. oOn second thought, maybe not.o

oIf heAEs in there, we just triggered his alarm system.o

Grayson looked skeptically at the square-headed black dog throwing itself against the fence in an attempt to break through. One of his arms would fit comfortably within those powerful jaws, he thought.

oThat a pit bull?o Roger asked.

oItAEs nasty, whatever it is.o They stepped back onto the road, which only marginally quieted the pit bull. No one appeared in the darkened windows. No lights came on inside.

oDoesnAEt seem like heAEs too concerned,o Roger remarked.

Grayson squinted into the darkness. The house faced away from the street so that the front door was around the side. oLetAEs try the door.o

The pathway to the door ran in a narrow strip between a patch of overgrown grass and the two sides of the fence. It took about two seconds for the pit bull to see through their plan. The fence swayed, bulged as the heavy dog battered his body against it.

He could only think of Amber trapped inside a place like that. Judging from the exterior, the inside couldnAEt be any more inviting. Fervently he wished for the millionth time that they hadnAEt argued, that he hadnAEt contrived to be absent when she arrived at Barlow & Charles. Most of all that theyAEd gone home together and were now lying in his loft bed, snuggled beneath his down comforter.

oTell me youAEre not thinking of breaking in,o Roger said as GraysonAEs hand closed on the doorknob. He gave the door a rattle, but the heavy door barely shook on its hinges. Predictably, he found it locked.

Finding neither a doorbell nor a knocker, he raised his fist and pounded on the door.

oI have a bad feeling about this.o Roger muttered.

GraysonAEs pounding echoed through the rambling house. The pit bull threw itself against the fence. Puffs of its hot breath blew through the wooden slats in tiny clouds.

He had to get into that house to be sure Amber wasnAEt in there being subjected to God knew what. Grayson eyed the heavy hinges on the door. It would take more than his strength to break through it. And what if he found Mr. Heck sound asleep in his bed with no idea to AmberAEs whereabouts? He could imagine the headlines: LAWYER GOES ON BREAK AND ENTER SPREE! He doubted the police would understand about his gut feeling that Amber was in danger. Not when he couldnAEt even convince his twin.

Another resounding boom echoed through the house. Grayson felt his hand bruise under the impact.

oHeAEs not home, Gray.o Roger gripped his shoulder. oThat or heAEs a very sound sleeper. Or packing a really large gun,o he finished. In answer Grayson threw his weight against the door.

Which didnAEt give so much as an inch.

Wood splintered. As one they turned toward the sound.

To find the pit bullAEs head sticking through the fence behind them.

oBefore we break into his house and get ourselves arrested, letAEs try his office,o Roger suggested quickly.

Another tearing sound from the fence. The pit bull had his head and shoulders through.

oHe wouldnAEt be holding her in somewhere so obvious as his own home,o Roger suggested. The grip on GraysonAEs shoulder intensified as Roger slowly pulled him away from the door.

Grayson looked at the narrow strip of wood between them and the pit bullAEs teeth. oOkay, letAEs try the office.o

The sound of splintering wood followed them down the narrow path. Grayson heard the scrape of nails against concrete. A black shape bolted out of the shadows.

He slammed the car door just as the pit bullAEs teeth closed on the handle. ****

DidnAEt matter what she said, her captor would find a way to turn it against her, Amber realized. Blaming her for his broken heart, he wanted revenge.

In agitation, he walked back and forth, his shoes scuffing against the floor in a rough staccato beat. He cursed, hotly and harshly under his breath. A pop bottle ricocheted off the wall, narrowly missing her head. A shower of glass rained down over the burlap bag on her head, settling in the creases of the cloth. Amber cringed, unable to see whether another projectile was headed her way.

oKinda messes with a guyAEs head,o he muttered again to himself. oIt wouldnAEt have killed you to say yes, Amber.o

Recognition hit her. His words tumbled into her memory. IAEd forgive you if youAEd go out with me.

In that second she did know him. James Heck, who insisted sheAEd stolen the aborted Roberts case from him. James Heck whoAEd been paid by Barlow to discredit her in front of Grayson.

James Heck, who held her prisoner.

oIAEm really sorry, James!o Amber blurted out his name before she could call the words back.

Footsteps stopped. His harsh breath died into silence. She heard the rustle of his clothing as he turned in her direction.

oFigured it out, did you, Amber Babe? Took you long enough.o

Glass crunched beneath his feet.

oThatAEs too bad, Amber.o His hair rasped against his collar as he shook his head. oReally too bad. Because, you see, now that you know who I am, IAEll have to kill you.o

Chapter
SIXTEEN

The offices of Heck, Sleuth & Company were as dismal as HeckAEs residence, Grayson mused as Roger pulled the Porsche up to the curb. No night guard in this office building, although several signs posted numbers to call in the case of break and enter. Like anyone would, he scoffed mentally. Except for the offices of Heck, Sleuth & Company, the building seemed abandoned. For Rent signs covered broken windows. Re-zoning notices plastered the front door. Whoever owned the building was hedging their bets.

Roger looked up at the remains of what must have been an impressive skyscraper and groaned. oGuy sure knows how to pick a place.o

oMust have been a spectacular building at one time.o Grayson peered through the notices that covered most of the glass on the front door.

oSure,o Roger agreed. oIn the twenties. Looks like the place has been rotting ever since.o

What Grayson could see of the lobby lay in darkness, but a light shone from a nearby hallway. HeckAEs invoice specified Suite 401. He couldnAEt imagine the owner filling even four floors of such a dismal building. Perhaps Heck was one of the last tenants left on the lease. oI doubt thereAEs a guard,o he murmured. Why guard a building you were trying to evict people from?

oNot a human one anyway,o Roger said.

Grayson shook his head. oI doubt heAEs paying for an electronic alarm system, either.o

oNo, but I wouldnAEt put it past a guy like Heck to have son of Cujo sleeping in his office.o

Grayson tried the door and found it quite securely locked.

Backing up, he debated throwing his bruised shoulder against it, when Roger stepped between him and his intended target. oIAEm not going to let you put your foot through that door, Gray.o Against the lightening sky he could see RogerAEs stricken expression. Dawn approached, meaning Amber had been missing since just after dusk. oItAEs not like you to resort to brute force like that,o Roger admonished him. oIAEm the one who always goes rushing headlong into things, remember?o

But was that really true? Grayson wondered, scanning the building for another route of entry even as he pretended to give Roger his attention. Or did they just act out the roles their parents had reinforced? RogerAEs just not responsible enough to run the firm, Grayson remembered his father saying when he had balked at the idea of law school. And Roger had lived up to that notion. But tonight it was Roger thinking with his head while Grayson would have run recklessly into disaster.

oThereAEs got to be another way in. A loading bay, electrical access. Something!o