Nora Roberts Land (26 page)

“I got my oil changed today.” He took the bread basket from Meredith. “At Dare Auto Care.”

“That was ballsy,” Arthur said, cutting off a piece of steak.

Meredith looked up at him, her eyes wide. “Are you nuts?”

He patted her hand. “No. I wanted them to know I won’t back down. I stared that fucker—sorry—asshole Kenny down.”

“So you went there for a pissing contest?”

His glance told her what he thought about her accusation. “I wanted to case it out. See if there was anything unusual there.”

“Was there?” Arthur asked.

“Nothing obvious. I’m going to plant some listening devices later. See what we can pick up from Kenny. It’s the place to start since we know he’s involved. He won’t expect it after I showed up in plain sight today.” He flung his hand out, his impatience surging. “We need a lead. Or we need to pressure them into doing something stupid.”

Meredith set her fork down slowly. “You’re planning on breaking and entering his garage? Are you crazy?”

“Honey, you’re repeating yourself. I’ve done this before.”

“Of course, he has, Meredith. He’s an ambitious reporter. Do you think he’s the only one?”

She choked on a bite of salad. “Grandpa, are you saying you’ve done it too?”

His wicked grin lifted the wrinkled grooves around his mouth. “Of course, girlie. Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty.”

“I can’t believe this.”

“We can’t all write for the Style section.”

“Funny.”

Tanner looked down at his plate. Christ, Arthur could get anyone’s goat up.

“Seems like it’s time for you to get your hands dirty, Mermaid. Tanner will need a lookout. I think you should go with him.”

His head shot up. “Absolutely not.”

“You said they won’t expect it,” Arthur reasoned. “Besides, there’s an even better reason for you to go there tonight.”

Tanner stilled. “What?”

Arthur chewed his steak and held up a finger. The man had a flair for the dramatic. “They took Ray’s car there around closing time—or so a source told me. Seems strange since it’s totaled, don’t you think? Usually cars in that condition go straight to the junkyard once the police release them.”

Tanner wouldn’t even ask for his source. “Who released it?”

“Our deputy sheriff. That confirms your thinking about Barlow, but it doesn’t prove anything. It’s another thread to pull as we build our case. When does your sister arrive?”

“Wednesday night.”

They’d argued about her and Keith’s plans to visit for Thanksgiving. Peggy didn’t care about his concerns for their safety. She assured him they would be fine. Besides, she needed to pick the drugs up for testing. No one knew she was a cop, so there was no need to worry. They’d be careful. Like the Hales, Peggy was stubborn.

Arthur made a humming noise when he tasted the mashed potatoes. “I found out something else. Kenny and Barlow went to college together. University of Colorado.”

“How’d you find that out?” Meredith broke her bread roll in half.

“I have my ways. They’ve held jobs in two places over the past seven years. Started in Boulder after school. Met up again in Loveland three years later. And now they’re here in Dare. Oh, and Kenny received a dishonorable discharge in Afghanistan. I’m waiting on the file.”

“Why would they keep going to smaller towns?” Meredith asked.

Tanner gave up eating. “Perhaps they wanted to keep a low profile. A small town is a good place to operate, especially if you have a corrupt cop in the mix.”

“Or maybe their operations fell apart in the other towns.” Meredith pushed her food around her plate. “Do I even want to know where you got your listening devices?”

Tanner shook his head. “I don’t like the idea of you coming.”

“You don’t have a choice,” she said in a flat voice. “I’ll only follow you.”

He cursed under his breath.

Arthur chuckled. “Good to see your spirit back, girl. You always were a firecracker, but I was afraid your time in New York might have sucked it out of you. Does anyone want coffee with dessert?”

Tanner declined. He would be jittery enough doing a B&E with Meredith along for the ride.

“Trying to think of a way out, son?” Arthur pushed back from his chair.

In response, Tanner just folded his hands and glared.

“You’re stuck with us. Bring your plate to the kitchen. Everyone works in this house.”

Tanner picked up the gold-edged china. “Aren’t you worried something could happen to your granddaughter?”

“You’ll protect her.”

“Don’t talk about me like I’m not here,” Meredith said. “I can take care of myself.”

“Glad you remembered that.” Arthur bent to kiss her cheek.

“She’s not wearing black,” Tanner observed even though he knew it was a lame excuse. “You need to wear black for recon.”

“You can swing by my place. Let me change.”

“Do you have an answer for everything?”

“Yes. Isn’t it maddening?”

Arthur put his arm around Meredith. “Come slice the pastry, dear.”

Tanner followed them into the kitchen. He’d never had a partner before, he realized.

It was overrated.

Chapter 33

N
erves and excitement had Meredith’s feet bouncing in Tanner’s SUV as they drove to Dare Auto Care. And, well, a healthy dose of fear, if she were being completely honest. She and Tanner kept glancing over their shoulders to make sure they weren’t being followed. He’d been driving around for a while. So far they were in the clear.

Now she
really
felt like she was in a Nora suspense book. She needed to channel Jack Burdett, the security expert adept at breaking and entering in
The Three Fates.
What did it matter if he was the hero and not the heroine?

“You should go home,” Tanner snarled. “I don’t need you here.”

His insistence only made her dig in deeper. “Stop being mad. You know we’re right. Besides, this is a small town. People look twice at a guy who’s walking alone in the cold after dark. I’m good cover. And thank God the snow stopped, because otherwise they’d really think we’re nuts. Now a walk seems romantic.”

Even in the dim light from the console, Meredith could see his clenched jaw. His eyes were predatory as they scanned the street. She wanted to shiver. Part of her still couldn’t believe they were on their way to break into Dare Auto Care. She reminded herself two kids were dead.

“I’ll park the car a few blocks over. Keep your cap on. Your red hair shines like fire.” He shot a glance at her. “And you need to do whatever I say if something happens. I want your promise.”

Suppressing the desire to gulp, she lifted her chin. “Why are you in charge?”

“Because I’ve been in hot spots, and you haven’t.” He took her gloved hand, squeezing it. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

She stared at his thumb rubbing circles on the leather. Her body crackled with lust like wrapping paper being opened. “Okay, but not if what you tell me is stupid.”

“I don’t do stupid.”

“How are you planning on getting inside?”

“You’ll see.”

She didn’t like surprises, but since she’d pushed him, she let his cryptic answer slide. This outing was about trust.

After parking the car under a low-hanging tree near Washington Elementary, he took her hand. Snow-coated swings rocked gently in the wind, giving her the heebie-jeebies. Their breaths puffed white in the cold air. Oak Street was quiet, and most houses had their lights off. Since it was after midnight, Meredith wasn’t surprised.

A dog barked to the right, and her body coiled with tension. Tanner kept right on walking, scanning the street. He brought them through an alley to the back of the garage. Even with the cold, the metallic smell of trash tickled her nose.

“Stay in the shadows,” Tanner whispered.

He headed for the door. Thankfully, Kenny’s place didn’t have any flood lights. Most people didn’t in Dare since animals set them off all the time. Besides, Dare didn’t have any crime, right?

At the door, Tanner drew out a key and a small hammer from his bulky fleece. Her mouth dropped as he inserted it into the lock and whacked the hammer against it. The dull pinging sound made her want to scream. He opened the door with ease.

Well hello, Roarke
, Divorcée Woman suddenly intoned in a sultry voice.

Meredith fought the urge to press her hands to her temples. She didn’t need a reference to J.D. Robb’s famous male hero.
Can’t you see we’re breaking and entering?
she saucily replied. Unfortunately, she didn’t feel much like Roarke’s fearless wife, Eve Dallas, right now.

They wiped their boots with the rag he’d brought before walking inside. Tanner dug out a pen light and scanned the garage.

“Fuck,” he hissed, when they caught sight of the twisted and dented metal of Ray’s totaled car. Tanner craned his neck like he was listening for something, and then walked forward. She followed.

The windows were all shattered except for the one in the back, which was intact, but resembled a spider web. Two wheels were torn, the rubber shredded to bits. The car’s body looked like an accordion. She tried not to think of the kid who had died inside it, but she couldn’t stop the images. She only knew what Ray had looked like from the photo in the layout for tomorrow’s paper. Tanner was right. He hadn’t looked like a drug dealer. Just a short, pimply college kid.

“How did you learn to do that?” she whispered.

Tanner walked around the car, running his hand over its ruined frame. “What?”

“Break into a building.” She angled closer carefully. There were jugs of various auto care products scattered across the floor.

“I got involved with a bad crowd in my youth. We liked to break into buildings. I didn’t like the stealing, but I liked getting into forbidden places and looking around.” He focused the light on the tire. “It’s come in handy.”

She ran her hand over a single, sharp piece of glass protruding from the passenger window. “I still can’t believe you’ve done this as a journalist.”

Tanner leaned into the driver’s side, sweeping the light around. “Honey, the places I’ve posted don’t have much law and order. Trust me, I’ve only done it when there was no other choice.”

He rifled through some papers in the glove compartment while she stood there mute. She was learning a hell of a lot about him on this outing. And she wasn’t sure how she felt about it.

“Think less of me?” he asked, shining the light near her face.

Raising a hand to ward off the glare, she said, “Ah…I’m not sure.”

He snorted. “Well, at least you’re honest.”

The light faded as he shifted it to the bumper. He squatted down and ran his hands along the dented metal. His sigh filtered out into the quiet, cold garage.

“There’s some red paint and scratches on the bumper. Any idea what car Kenny drives?”

“No, why?”

“Because I’m pretty sure someone helped Ray off the road.” He produced a Swiss Army knife and a Ziploc bag.

She realized she was really in over her head when he scraped the bumper with the blade. “Are those paint shavings?”

“Yep. More evidence. Match the car with the paint, and you have more than circumstantial evidence. Too bad his car isn’t here.”

“If Kenny’s ride has dents, he won’t drive it. Plus, he can fix his own car.”

“We’ll check with the DMV. Tie up another thread for the authorities.”

“We still don’t have much.”

He unzipped his fleece and drew out his phone. The camera’s flash made her blink. He took a few more pictures.

“Tomorrow, I’ll see if I can find a second set of tire tracks where they found Ray’s car and take some pictures. Those fuckers.” He pocketed the phone. “Sorry, but I’m pissed.”

She rubbed her arms. “Me too. Besides, I’ve heard that word before.”

A door slammed.

Her head turned sharply, and her whole body locked in place. “Someone’s coming.”

“Shit,” he hissed, scanning the garage with the light.

He grabbed her arm and darted to the next car over, opening the driver’s side door. The car’s overhead light turned on as he reached down and popped the trunk. He shut the door and dragged her to the back. Lifting the lid, he pushed her toward it. She caught sight of a bag of ice melt, jumper cables, and a blanket.

“Get in.”

She hesitated, but when she heard the sound of muffled voices approaching, she threw her leg over, squeezing inside, her spine against the back of the trunk. Tanner plowed into her, arranging his body against hers in spoon fashion before closing the lid. The trunk went dark.

Oh, God, he’d better have a plan to get them out of here! Her heart pounded like a drummer on speed. She knew she was breathing hard, but she couldn’t stop.

“Close your eyes,” Tanner whispered. “Take deep breaths.”

Right. Having a panic attack in a closed trunk with potential killers outside would be a bad idea. Closing her eyes didn’t help much since it was dark anyway. She wiggled, the jumper cables pressing into her thigh.

“Be still,” he ordered in a whisper.

Another door slammed. The voices grew louder. They were male, Meredith recognized, and they were coming closer.

“When’s the car going to the junk yard, Kenny?”

Was that Barlow?

“The truck’s taking it out tomorrow before I open. The compactor only works on Tuesdays. We don’t want any evidence.”

“Shit, this whole thing’s a fucking mess. You were supposed to make sure he left town, not run him off the road.”

“I told you it was an accident!”

“Well, lucky for you, I was the first to arrive at the scene. I didn’t see any evidence, but dammit, Kenny, two bodies is a lot to explain.”

Meredith squeezed her eyes shut. Suddenly it occurred to her that she and Tanner might have left something to give them away—a footprint in the grease on the floor. Anything. Her breathing shattered. She bit her lip hard enough to taste blood.

“Let’s get the stash and go. We can’t keep any drugs here now.”

“I’ll hide them in my truck until we decide what to do,” Kenny responded.

“Things were going great until that stupid girl died.”