No One Left to Tell (57 page)

Grayson sighed. ‘That’s what I was afraid of. Thanks for checking for me.’

‘Wait,’ Lucy said. ‘Don’t go yet. I need to tell you about one more.’

She did, Grayson staring at his reflection as her words sank in. ‘You’re sure?’

‘Yes. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you,’ Lucy said. ‘I thought you should know.’

‘Thank you,’ Grayson said quietly, then went to join the others.

Paige took one look at him and froze. ‘What happened?’

‘I got a call from Lucy Trask,’ he said. He sat down, heavily. ‘Bob Bond had the same barbiturate in him when he died as Sandoval, same levels.’

‘We expected that,’ Paige said. She knelt next to his chair. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘A victim was brought into the morgue this morning. She’d OD’d. The ME found barbiturate-laced chocolate in her stomach contents. The cops found a box that had held the chocolate on her nightstand.’ He swallowed. ‘Next to my business card.’

Paige sat back, her dark brows knit. ‘Not Brittany?’

‘No. Betsy Malone. She’s dead. She talked to us and now she’s dead.’

‘Oh my God,’ Paige whispered. ‘She’d just gotten clean. Fucking hell.’

‘Okay,’ Daphne said. ‘Who is Betsy Malone?’

‘She was Rex’s friend,’ Paige said. ‘They were in the video the McClouds provided as Rex’s alibi. Betsy talked to us last night. Told us she thought Rex might have done it. Reba knew that. She knew that before we came in this morning.’

For a moment they were silent. Then Clay spoke. ‘You still want to go through with this, Paige? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.’

‘She doesn’t want to,’ Grayson said and leveled her a desperate stare. ‘You don’t.’

‘Yes, I do.’ Paige lifted her chin. ‘Betsy had a privileged life and threw it away. But she did not deserve to die. I have to go.’

Thursday, April 7, 2.00
P.M
.

He dropped the duffel bag on the bed and unzipped it enough to see that Violet Dandridge still breathed. She did. ‘Leave her in the bag,’ he instructed.

‘She’s pretty.’

He looked up, saw the calculating gaze sizing up his new leverage. ‘She’s not yours. She belongs to Silas Dandridge.’

‘I thought you were going to kill Silas.’

‘I will. But I need to bring him to me before he creates a lot of trouble I’d have to clean up. Speaking of cleaning up, you were lucky. Adele Shaffer is dead.’

‘I’m not lucky. I’m thorough.’

‘Adele was alive when you left her,’ he said as patiently as he was able. ‘She died in the ambulance.’ His paramedic source had been positive. Unfortunately he no longer had a source in the morgue. He’d have to acquire another one soon.

A shrug. ‘Then it’s fine.’

‘This time. Look, I told you this before. People survive being stabbed in the torso. If you want to kill someone fast, go for the jugular or take a gun and shoot them in the head. Otherwise you leave messes that have to be fixed. By me.’

‘You’ve been paid for all the fixing you’ve had to do.’

And he’d been paid well, but even more valuable had been the access to power. His acquiescence had bought him influence and control, the likes of which he’d never have found in the hovel from which he’d been plucked.
I’m a MAC
, he thought bitterly,
loud and proud
.

‘You know I appreciate your generosity,’ he murmured.

‘Sometimes I wonder.’

He left the bag unzipped enough for the child to breathe. ‘Leave her alone. Please.’

‘But she’s so pretty. What are you going to do with her after her father’s dead?’

‘I’m not sure. She hasn’t seen my face.’ He hadn’t removed the disguise he’d worn in Toronto until after he’d drugged her. ‘I’ll kill her if I have to, but I’d rather not.’

‘Give her to me.’

He shook his head, knowing what would happen to the child.
I have my faults, but sexual deviancy isn’t one of them
. ‘She’s too young.’

‘They all grow. You just have to be patient.’

‘I’m patient,’ he said, annoyed.

‘No, you’re not. You never have been. It’s one of your more appealing qualities. You want what you want, when you want it. So you’ve taken risks. Reaped rewards. But you’ve also made yourself beholden and dependent. To me, for example.’

He bit back the sharp retort on his tongue. ‘She’s not your type.’

‘I find we get less choosy, the older we get. Don’t you agree?’

He saw the glitter of amusement and knew he was being baited. ‘I’ll be back to check on her in an hour. If she wakes up, give her another pill. No more than one.’

‘How about chocolate?’ The taunt was mockingly delivered. ‘I have some left over.’

He gritted his teeth. ‘That’s not funny.’

The amusement vanished. ‘Why should I help you hide her if I can’t have her?’

He took a breath, forced himself to smile. ‘Because you love me?’ he asked lightly.

After a long pause, a chuckle filled the room. ‘You’re lucky that that’s still true.’

Thursday, April 7, 2.00
P.M
.

Dammit
. Silas gritted his teeth as another person went into Smith’s house. Smith and Holden had still not come out. They hadn’t even come close to the window by the door.

And I’m running out of time
. A woman had gone in the hour before and just now a third man. There were now five people in the house.

And that bastard still has my baby
. His mind was torturing him with all the ways Violet could be hurt.
I will kill him. If he touches a hair on her head I will gut him
.

Violet . . . Oh God
. His heart was pounding, his hands trembling.
Stop it. Stop thinking about him and pay attention to that damn front door
.

Through which no one emerged. He drew a shaky breath, made the decision.
I’ll shoot the next person who goes in or comes out
. Then when the others rushed out to help, he’d shoot them all. Then he’d run like hell.

A car drove up, stopped on Smith’s side of the street. A big guy got out.

He was a cop, Silas could tell. The man moved like a cop.

Silas leaned forward, keeping the man in his sight, his finger on the trigger. He put pressure on the trigger, aiming at the base of the man’s head.

Squeeze, dammit. Squeeze the fucking trigger. For Violet
.

His hands were shaking. Shaking. A car door slammed, but he kept his eye on the sight. On the cop walking up to Smith’s front door.

He squeezed the trigger just as a petite brunette moved into his sight. His hand jerked and the window shattered.
Stevie. Oh my God
. It was Stevie.

The man on the front porch dropped to his stomach and rolled, sitting up against a slender tree. That would be JD Fitzpatrick, Stevie’s new partner. Fitzpatrick pressed his hand to his shoulder. When he brought his palm away, it was red.

Stevie ran to her vehicle, weapon drawn. Pointed up at the roof.
Toward me. Move
. He left the rifle behind, running in a crouch to the edge of the roof. He jumped, landing on the fire escape. He took the stairs, five at a time.

‘Stop! Police!’ Stevie was behind him. He drew the revolver from his shoulder holster and turned, firing at the ground between them.

‘Silas!’ She was crying. Stevie was crying. ‘Dammit. Stop!’

He got to the car he’d parked on the next street and hunkered. He trained his revolver on Stevie, who was only steps behind. ‘Drop your gun,’ he said.

She came to a skidding halt. ‘Why, Silas?’ She didn’t put down her gun.

‘Don’t make me take
your
child’s mother. Drop your gun and back away or I swear to God I’ll fire.’ His voice was desperate. ‘Please don’t make me hurt you.’

She stared, shocked. Devastated. Betrayed. Slowly she laid her gun on the ground.

‘Hands where I can see them,’ he said. ‘Kick the gun over here.’ She kicked the gun, hands still raised. He picked it up, got in the car. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said.

He only dared to drive three blocks. She probably had already reported his license-plate number.
Ditch the car. Steal another
. Methodically he worked, finding a car, hotwiring the ignition. Driving away again. He’d failed. Smith and Holden still lived.

And that bastard still has my child
.

Clay threw open the door, covering Joseph and Grayson as they dragged JD inside. The window was shattered. Peabody was barking and JD was bleeding.

Paige sent Peabody to a corner, away from the broken glass, then dragged a chair into the dining room, away from the windows. ‘Sit him here.’

Daphne had already called 911. ‘The ambulance is on its way.’

‘I’m all right,’ JD said. ‘Stevie went after him.’ He started for the door, staggered.

Grayson grabbed his arm and forced him into the chair. ‘Where are you hit?’

‘My partner is out there,’ JD said viciously. ‘I’ve had worse. Let. Me. Go.’

‘I’ll cover her.’ With that Clay took off at a run.

‘What are we talking about here?’ Joseph demanded. ‘Is this Silas? The cop?’

‘He’s a sharpshooter,’ Grayson said, taking his gun from the holster at his back. ‘But Silas has gone out of his way not to kill me. It doesn’t make sense that he’d try to kill me now. I’ll take the street to the left. Joseph, you go right.’

Paige bit her tongue as the brothers hit the street. She wanted to beg Grayson to stay put. But she knew he needed to go. She turned her attention to JD. He was bleeding. A hell of a lot. She ran to the kitchen for towels.

When she got back, Daphne had taken JD’s jacket off. He was sweating, his face pale. His shirt was already soaked with blood. Daphne had unbuttoned it, exposing the wound, an inch from where his Kevlar ended.

‘It’s not so bad,’ Daphne said, forcing a strong note into her voice. ‘Just a graze.’

JD stared at her, his eyes starting to haze. ‘It really
is
you. I didn’t believe Stevie.’

‘Tomorrow I’m back to loud clothes and big hair.’

‘Like you better that way,’ JD mumbled. ‘Hell, I’ve had worse than this.’

‘I’ll take care of it,’ Paige said to Daphne. ‘You’re dressed for Reba.’

‘This is why I like simpler clothes,’ Daphne snapped. ‘I’m useless this way.’

‘You won’t be once we get to Reba’s office,’ Paige said. She pressed a towel against JD’s wound. ‘Why do I feel like I’ve done this before?’ she muttered.

‘Because he’s your third bleeder this week,’ Daphne said dryly. But Paige wasn’t fooled. The woman’s voice trembled.

‘Daphne’s rattled, so it must be bad. How much blood have I lost?’ JD murmured.

‘A lot,’ Paige said bluntly. ‘Looks like the bullet may have nicked an artery. Lie down on the floor.’ She eased him to the carpet, kneeling at his side, keeping the pressure steady with one hand while she grabbed a cushion off the chair with the other. She handed the cushion to Daphne. ‘Elevate his feet.’

‘You do medic work?’ he asked. His voice was thickening.

‘No. But I had a hole like this one in my shoulder. You’ll have a pretty scar.’

‘It’ll go with all my others,’ he said.

‘I’ll call Lucy,’ Daphne said. ‘Have her meet you at the ER.’

‘Hell no,’ he insisted, but his voice was weaker. He was still bleeding. A lot. Paige pressed harder against the wound. ‘Not in her condition,’ he added, then closed his eyes. ‘I didn’t say that out loud, did I? I wasn’t supposed to tell.’

‘I didn’t hear anything,’ Daphne said, forcing a smile. ‘Did you, Paige?’

‘Not a word.’

Daphne peeked out the door. ‘Stevie’s coming back. Clay’s with her.’

‘Is she okay?’ JD asked.

‘Not a scratch,’ Daphne said. ‘You’re the one who’s bleeding buckets, sugar.’

Stevie and Clay walked into the house, stepping over the glass. Stevie looked devastated, the little color she had left in her face fading when she saw JD. ‘Oh God.’

‘I’ve got him,’ Paige said tersely. ‘He’s not dying. Sit her down before she faints.’

‘I don’t faint,’ Stevie snarled. But she sank to her knees next to JD. ‘It was Silas.’

Paige’s head jerked up in surprise. ‘What? Are you sure?’

‘Damn sure. I chased him. He . . . pointed his gun at my head.’

JD patted her leg clumsily. ‘I don’t like your old partner so much,’ he said.

Stevie hiccuped a startled laugh that sounded more like a sob. ‘Me either.’

‘Where is Silas?’ Paige asked, thinking of Grayson still out there, looking for him.

‘He got away,’ Clay said.

‘I radioed his license plate in but he’s probably found another car already,’ Stevie said. She’d regained a bit of color in her face. ‘How much blood loss?’

‘It’s slowing down,’ Paige said. ‘A little. He’s not dying.’

‘I’m not dying,’ JD repeated forcefully.

‘Grayson and Joseph are back,’ Daphne announced.

The brothers were grim-faced. ‘No sign of him,’ Grayson said.

‘He was shaking,’ Stevie said. ‘Silas, I mean. It’s why he missed.’

Grayson frowned. ‘It was Silas? What did he say?’

Stevie sat back on her heels. ‘He said he didn’t want to have to kill “
your
daughter’s mother”. Rose never answered her phone. This is not good. Silas was desperate. He begged me not to make him hurt me.’

‘He said the same thing to me when he had Logan. What if they have his kid?’

‘Possible,’ Stevie said. ‘But Violet was at school yesterday.’

‘Leaving no explanation for the other kills,’ Grayson said.

‘He could have come to me. Asked for help.’ Stevie swallowed. ‘But he didn’t.’

‘The paramedics are here,’ Joseph said. ‘Give them room.’

‘I’m going to the ER with you,’ Stevie told JD.

‘No, you’re not,’ JD said wearily, his eyes closed. ‘You’re going to cover Grayson. I’m not dying. Paige says so. Besides, Lucy will come to the ER and she’ll probably cry. She hates for anyone to see her cry. So go, do your job. All of you.’

‘All right,’ Stevie agreed. ‘I’ll handle everything here. As soon as I get the scene secured, I’ll join you at the restaurant. I’ve already briefed Hyatt and he’ll be waiting for you there. Paige, you and Daphne go to Reba.’