Playing With Fire (17 page)

~~~

“You don’t understand, Blake. You don’t know how important
it was for Simon to talk to Nate. You heard Nate today. He assumed I was paying
Simon to help me build a divorce case against Dylan. Oh God, Blake, don’t you
see? I’ll never be able to prove why I sent that money. Nate will never believe
me. Oh, and poor Simon….” She rested her phone on the pillow as her voice
trailed off into a muffled sob.

“Dammit, Erin. I’m so sorry. I hate that you’re crying. I
wish I could be there to comfort you. You’re right. This is bad news. But,
Erin, as much as I hate to say it, it’s unlikely Stryker would have believed
Bergner, even if he supported your story. Stryker has made up his mind, and
evidence to the contrary is not going to change him. As for Simon Bergner, the
fact that he appears to have been killed by a professional hit man only means
that he would have been a challenging witness.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Erin, I hate to say this. But we are going to have to start
thinking that this case may go to trial.”

“Oh, God.”

“Well, unless Stryker is willing to come up with another suspect
— which at least at the moment he seems unwilling to do, he is going to
continue to build his case against you. It’s imperative Erin that you don’t
speak with him. And even though I know you trust him, I also don’t think it is
wise for you to confide in Connor Lang.”

“But, Blake, Connor is my friend. He’s the best friend I’ve
ever had….”

“I know that, Erin. That’s what makes this challenging.
Connor is also Stryker’s cousin.

His loyalties have to be conflicted. And being a member of
the Fire Department, like Stryker, he is a first responder. Those ties go deep,
Erin.”

Erin couldn’t hold back a sob. She had nowhere to turn.

Blake must have heard the desperation in her voice.

Erin, please listen to me. We aren’t without resources. I
have an excellent team back in Seattle with connections in Southern California.
I hope you don’t mind but I’ve already brought a couple of my best
investigators into the case. If Nathan Stryker isn’t willing to try to find out
who really murdered your husband and his girlfriend, I am!”

Erin cried harder. Finally managing to get her emotions
under control, she cautioned Blake.

“Blake, I can’t ask you to do that. It isn’t fair. I have no
money. Nothing. There is no way that you can do all the things that need to be
done if I can’t pay you.”

“Erin, please. You are my friend. And I’ll be honest.
Someday I hope you will be more than a friend.”

“Oh, Blake. Please. You mustn’t think that. I can’t imagine
being in another relationship — ever!”

“Then I will just have to be satisfied being the best friend
you ever had. And in the meantime, finding the real killer and breaking that
fucking Nathan Stryker’s perfect record. You heard me today, Erin. I’m going to
have that asshole’s badge if it is the last thing I do. And I’m going to hang
his balls on the top of a flagpole in the center of town. For a guy with as big
a set of balls as he has, the best way to hurt him in his pride. When I’m
finished with Nathan Stryker the town hero will be a washed-up has-been. Trust
me, Erin, that victory is worth more money than you could ever pay me.”

“Hi, Erin. Are you back? I know you’ve been sick. Hope you
are feeling better.”

Mark Levy, one of the other rookies, had been a good friend
and confidant. She liked him and appreciated him. He was a couple of months
ahead of her and had always been willing to explain a maneuver or task. He was
at least fifteen years older than she was, and had pre-teen daughters. Two of
them had already decided they were going to become firefighters like Erin. Mark
teased her that soon the force would be overrun with women, all wanting to be
like the beautiful Erin.

Erin smiled at him.

“Thanks, Mark. I’m almost better. I hope to be back
full-force in a couple of weeks. Say hi to the girls for me.”

“I will. They ask about you all the time. Take care of
yourself, Erin. We miss you around here.”

Madge, Chief Halloran’s secretary, looked up and smiled when
Erin came into the Chief’s outer office.

“Hi there, Erin. It’s good to see you. I’ve missed you,
girl. I know you say you are getting better, but honey you sure do look peaked.
I’ll bet you’ve lost five pounds. That flu virus can be vicious. Now me, when I
get sick, the only thing that helps is Chunky Monkey ice cream. Pints of it! So
I pack on the weight instead of losing it. I hope you take the Chief’s advice
and take at least another week off. You deserve it.”

Erin nodded, sticking to the story that Connor and the Chief
had given her. They were concerned about the publicity and were trying to
protect her. Erin felt a rush of gratitude when she thought of everything the
two men had done for her. She swallowed back her tears. That’s all she’d need
was to get all “weepy,” as the Chief called it. They’d never let her come back
on duty if she couldn’t control her emotions.

Madge gestured to the Chief’s office door.

“You can go in, honey. They’re expecting you.”

“Thanks, Madge.”

Erin’s heart fluttered as she walked to the door. She hadn’t
seen Connor since their conversation at the park. Even though she knew Connor
wouldn’t judge her, she was embarrassed that he knew all those awful things
about her. She knocked lightly on the door and heard the Chief’s loud bellow
telling her to come in. She prayed he hadn’t heard the news about Simon. But
something told her he might. From some of the things Connor had said yesterday,
he seemed to talk to Officer Coulter frequently.

She opened the door and smiled at the Chief who was sitting
behind his desk, and stood as she entered. Connor met her at the door and
ushered her in, giving her elbow a friendly squeeze. She looked up at him and
smiled. He really was a great friend. Before she completed the thought, she
froze. Her smile died on her face. Sitting at the small conference table by the
Chief’s desk she saw Officer Coulter and beside him was Nate. He met her gaze
and nodded.

Erin jumped back, wrenching away from Connor. She looked up
at him disbelieving.

How could he have done this to her? How could the Chief?
They’d tricked her.

Connor reached out and tried to take her hand but she jerked
away from him and backed over to the door.

Connor’s voice was soft, reassuring.

“Erin, it’s okay. Please come in. Everything is going to be
okay.”

She glared at him.

“No. No, Connor. I won’t.”

She got as far as the door, when he touched her shoulder.

“C’mon in, Erin. I promise you. This isn’t what you think,
not a trap. It will be okay.”

Erin felt a rush of anger so intense it almost knocked her
to her knees. How could Connor have betrayed her like this? Ambushed her? She’d
thought he was her friend. And the Chief? She was shaking both from fear and
anger.

Her voice was sharp.

“No. I will not. I’m sorry. I will not be in the same room
with that man. If you want to talk with me, arrange a time when he is not
present. Let go of me, Connor. Now.”

Connor flushed and dropped his hand.

“Erin, listen to me. This is about an issue at the house. We
need to talk to you.”

“Fine. And you can. But not if he is here.”

The Chief spoke, his gruff voice was softer than usual.

“I don’t like to throw my weight around, Erin. Especially
when you’re as vulnerable as you are. But Connor is right. We asked you to come
today to talk about an issue at the firehouse. It’s important that we speak
with you.”

Erin tipped up her chin.

“That is fine, Sir. You know I will talk to you anytime you
ask me to. But NOT if he is here.”

The Chief’s demeanor was kind but firm.

“I invited Detective Stryker to attend, Erin. When you hear
what we have to say, I think you will understand.”

Stunned that she was confronting the Chief in this way, Erin
felt tears approaching. God, now even Connor and the Chief were siding with
Nate. Her desperation made her brave.

“I’m sorry, Chief Halloran. I’m available at your
convenience. But not if Detective Stryker is present. Forgive me for being
rude. But I’m leaving.”

Her hand was on the doorknob when Nate’s voice stopped her.
It was low, silky, cloaked in danger.

“Erin.”

She hesitated.

“Come here, Erin.”

She whirled to refuse, but stopped when she saw his face. He
was looking at her from half-closed eyes. His gaze was as commanding as his
soft voice. As powerful as if he held her in his arms.

Nate nodded to the chair across from him.

“Here. Now. Please.”

She bit down on her lip trying to come up with the words to
refuse, but they stuck in her throat. There was something in his gaze that
compelled her. She was furious but glancing from the Chief to Connor, and then
back to Nate, she knew she had no choice. The two men she’d thought were her
friends ultimately were on his side. Blake was right: She couldn’t trust any of
them.

Dragging what dignity she had left, she straightened her
shoulders and moved toward the table. With the slightest movement of his wrist,
Nate indicated that she was to sit. Officer Coulter stood and pulled out a
chair for her. She sat down, staring at her hands, refusing to look at any of
them.

Nate was stunned when she’d entered the room. He hadn’t
allowed himself to really look at her yesterday. He knew if he did, he would
never be able to question her. And then that fucker Richards had been there.
But now he saw her clearly. She was astonishingly pale, fragile. She’d lost
weight. Her eyes, always startling beautiful, now seemed to take up half of her
face. He saw the tentative smile she gave Connor and he was grateful his bear
of a cousin had gained her trust. He knew from experience that having Connor
Lang as a friend was a gift. He’d missed it these last couple of days. He
hadn’t known how much he depended on it. He saw the Chief’s rough edges soften
when he saw her. Yeah, Erin affected every man around her, young and old.

He snapped out of his reverie when she focused on him. He
hadn’t thought she could get any paler but the color literally drained from her
face when she saw him. Impossibly, her eyes widened more. He saw both Connor and
the Chief frown, dismayed at her reaction.

When she refused to come in because he was there, Nate took
a chance. He knew how easily she could have refused and run. But there was
something between them that was as powerful as any bond he’d known. He should
be ashamed to take advantage of it and use it to command her, but he wasn’t
much for shame.

Nate was gratified when she responded to him and kept her in
his vision until she was sitting across from him. He ignored Connor’s
questioning frown and the one mirrored on the Chief’s face. Fine, let them
think that he’d scared her into coming to him. The truth was worse. She’d come
to him because she wanted to.

He wasn’t an idiot. He knew what they had was as brittle as
it was overpowering. But he’d used what power he had to get her in the chair.
He didn’t look forward to what was going to happen when she made him pay for
it.

“Erin, I apologize. I didn’t intend to frighten you. It’s
important that we speak to you and in my judgment, it is essential that
Detective Stryker be present. I hope you know that I have your best interests
at heart.”

Erin glanced up at the Chief. He’d moved to the head of the
table. The fact that he was running the meeting instead of Connor sent shivers
of fear down her back. Feeling Nate’s omnipresence, anger toppled her fear.
Clearly they were going to fire her — and Nate had managed to snag a front row
seat for her humiliation. She couldn’t keep the bitterness out of her voice.

“I’m confident you think you do. Chief Halloran.”

The Chief’s jaw tightened at her insubordination but his
words were conciliatory.

“Perhaps over time, Erin, I can convince you of that.”

He nodded to Connor.

Connor pulled his chair closer to hers and turned to face
her.

“Erin, we had a house fire on Staple Lane this morning.
There was an accident.”

Erin was startled. The seriousness on Connor’s face
frightened her.

“What… what happened? Was someone hurt?”

“Yes, Dave Timmors was injured.”

Erin’s hand flew to her mouth. The expression on Connor’s
face indicated it was serious.

“Oh my God. Is… is he alright? Will he be okay?”

“We think he will recover just fine. They are keeping him
overnight in ICU to be sure.”

Erin was horrified. She knew that Dave and his wife had just
had a baby, their first.

“How awful. Wendy must be so frightened. What happened,
Connor? Was he burned badly?”

Connor shook his head.

“He wasn’t burned, Erin. His SCBA alarm didn’t sound.”

Erin was confused. The SCBA rig was a firefighter’s most
important piece of equipment. The mask supplied critical oxygen to the
firefighter regardless of the air situation at the site of the fire. The rig
had an alarm that blew if the tank was close to losing oxygen. The only way
that could have happened was if the hose wasn’t connected properly. Erin didn’t
understand. Checking their SCBA rig before a fire was required procedure. Dave
was a five-year veteran. He wouldn’t have missed that critical step. She
stammered.

“How horrible, But, I don’t understand how it happened,
Connor.”

The Chief interrupted.

“Yes, Erin. It could have been a tragedy. Fortunately Connor
saw him go down and had the presence of mind to get him out of the fire and
immediately resuscitated him. He saved his life.”

Erin was horrified.

“Oh my God. How awful. Connor, are… are you okay?”

Connor gave her a weak smile.