Sizzle (34 page)

“Yes, ma’am, we’re here.”

“Did you record all that? Did you get every word Mahler said?”

“Yes, ma’am, we sure did.” Lyra could hear a smile in her voice.

Detective O’Malley arrived on the scene, and Sam was filling him in on the details. She waited for Sam to say something to her, but he was preoccupied, acting as though he didn’t even see her. The door was blocked by people, so she went through the classroom and into the hall. She wondered why Sam had kept her in the office instead of running in this direction. She looked down the hallway and had her answer. If they had turned one way, they would have met a dead end. If they had turned the other, they would have run past the office, and the gunmen would have had an easy shot at them. She and Sam would never have made it to the exit. He had made a good call, she thought. By pushing her into that corner and then placing himself in front of her, Sam had kept her alive.

Lyra thought she would have to give her account of what had happened at least two or three times, but only one policeman had any questions. He explained that the 911 operator had heard and recorded every word, so they knew exactly what had taken place. She was free to go home.

Sam was still talking to O’Malley, and she felt foolish waiting around. He had obviously put the pieces of the puzzle together and realized that Mahler was behind the horrible things that had been happening. If she stood there waiting for him, and he didn’t say anything more than, “Nice to see you again,” then what?

She wasn’t waiting. She didn’t even try to get her memory cards or her backpack. They were now part of the investigation. She tucked her phone in her pocket, turned around, and walked away.

She didn’t get far. She had just turned the corner in the hallway when she felt strong hands on her shoulders.

FORTY-ONE

SAM DIDN’T GIVE HER A CHANCE TO THANK HIM FOR SAVING HER LIFE.

“You scared the hell out of me, lass.” His voice shook with emotion, and his grip on her shoulders tightened. His brogue was so thick, he sounded as though he’d never left Scotland. Did he just call her “lass”?

Before she could say a word, he jerked her into his arms and hugged her fiercely. “Don’t you ever do that to me again.” She could barely understand a word he said. He was speaking English, wasn’t he?

The side of her face was pressed against his chest, and she heard his heart pounding.

Lyra was still shaken from the ordeal she’d gone through, but in Sam’s strong arms, she was comforted.

“Promise me,” he demanded.

“Yes, whatever it is, I promise.”

He tilted her chin up and kissed her almost savagely. His tongue swept inside, and there was such passion in his kiss, such desperation.

Lyra didn’t resist. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and her fingers spread through his hair as she kissed him with equal fervor.

When he finally released her from his arms, he took her hand and began walking. “Let’s get out of here.” Calmer now, his brogue wasn’t as thick.

Outside, a crowd had gathered. Spotting the TV news vans parked across the quad, Sam muttered an expletive.

O’Malley rushed up behind them and said, “You need an escort out of here?”

“No,” Sam answered. “But you deal with them.” He motioned to the cameramen.

“Yeah, sure,” O’Malley said, and headed to intercept the reporters.

They had almost crossed the quad without being mobbed, but Carl spotted them and shouted Lyra’s name. Everyone who heard him ran toward Lyra and Sam.

“Is it true? Is Mahler dead?” Carl asked.

Lyra nodded, and Carl turned to Sam. “I know Mahler was a jerk, but we only had two more classes with him. Now what happens? You don’t think we’ll have to retake the entire class, do you?”

Before Lyra could answer, Eli said, “You couldn’t have waited until—” The look Sam shot him stopped him cold, and he hurried to get out of the way.

Sam didn’t say another word to Lyra until they reached her apartment.

“Pack something, and let’s get out of here.”

“No.”

“No?”

Sidney opened the door, shouted, “Oh my God,” and hugged Lyra. “You’re okay? Oh my God,” she repeated, but this time she threw herself into Sam’s arms. “I heard there was a shooting,” she said as she backed into the tiny living room so they could come inside.

“I’ve gotten at least twenty texts, and I prayed it was you doing the shooting, Sam.”

“Lyra,” Sam said, “why don’t you pack a bag while I tell Sidney what happened.”

“No,” Lyra said again.

Sidney looked from one to the other, then scooped up her purse and keys. “I’ve got to run an errand. See you later.” And she was gone.

“Look what you’ve done,” Lyra said accusingly. “You made her leave her own home.” Sam turned her toward him. “What’s the matter with you?”

“I’m not going anywhere with you, and let you leave me again. I won’t do it.”

“But I’m not leaving you. Not ever.”

The tenderness in his eyes made her believe him. Almost.

“Until when? Sam, I know you can’t let yourself be hurt again, and I understand. You loved your wife and you lost her. I wouldn’t want to go through that again either, but I—” His kiss stopped her. He held her tighter still as he whispered in her ear. “I never want to be scared like I was today. I knew you were with Mahler, and I swear my heart stopped beating. Damn it, Lyra, I don’t want to live without you.” His hands cupped the sides of her face. “I love you, lass.”

The brogue was back full force. His voice was low, but she got the gist of what he was telling her.

“I can’t move in with you, Sam. Gigi would—”

“I guess I’ll have to marry you,” he said offhandedly.

“What?”

“You heard me.”

She pushed his hands away. “Have to marry me?”

He grabbed her before she could walk away. “When I have the ring, I’ll drop on one knee and propose officially, but know this, love: you are going to marry me.”

“My family … I won’t put that burden on you. I have responsibilities….”

“I know … to protect Gigi from her son. I can help with that.”

“And my parents … they’re always going to cause trouble. I can’t change them. I used to think I could, but—”

“Your brothers and I will help you with them.”

“Oh, God, my brothers. You won’t be good enough for me. That’s what they’ll say.”

“I’m not good enough for you, love, but I’m still marrying you.”

“Your parents are diplomats. Mine are con artists.”

Sam was slowly unbuttoning her blouse. She was nibbling on her lower lip while she was thinking about the differences between their families.

“I have money,” she said, a point in her favor.

Sam lifted her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom. He lowered her to her feet and slowly undressed her, pausing only long enough to shed his own clothes.

Lyra was breathless when she said, “If I have to, I’ll use all my money to fight those people. Honestly, my parents keep finding new lawyers….” Sam was kissing her neck.

He loved the way she smelled, the way she felt, everything about her.

“Lawyers are expensive….” she continued

“I know. I’m a lawyer,” he said as his kisses moved down her breasts.

Sam was driving her to distraction, and she couldn’t remember what she was trying to tell him.

They fell into bed and made love. Sam tried to take his time, but she became so demanding, he couldn’t hold back. When they had both climaxed and were content, she told him that she loved him, too.

Later, after they were dressed, Sam told her to expect to be hounded by reporters.

“Mahler’s class would have been my only one tomorrow. Since I won’t have that, I think I’d like to go home.”

“To San Diego?”

“Yes. Do you think the police need me to stay here?”

“No, I’ll talk to O’Malley.”

After writing a note for Sidney and packing a little bag, they were on their way. No traffic to speak of, and only after they had passed the exit that would have taken them to Paraiso Park did Lyra remember the camera that was still taking pictures.

“O’Malley will have a crew out there digging for Mahler’s wife’s body. I’m sure they’ll have to dig up that little garden, too.”

“My camera—”

“I told him where it was. He’ll get it for you.” He reached across the console and took hold of her hand. “I imagine Flynn’s been picked up for a nice long conversation,” he said.

“Will I get those yard sale books back?”

“Eventually. What are you going to do with them?”

“I think I’ll have them auctioned for Father Henry’s church. They’re desperate for money. Bingo doesn’t pay the bills.”

He smiled. “You’ve got a good heart, Lyra Prescott.”

A few minutes passed in comfortable silence, and then she said, “I can’t believe it wasn’t the yard sale that started this. I was so sure people were trying to kill me because I’d taken something. I never would have suspected Mahler.”

“Look at it this way, if Merriam had known for sure you had the DVD, I’m sure he would have tried to kill you.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” She laughed.

“I should have homed in on Mahler sooner. I almost lost you, and I—”

“You got there in time,” she reminded him.

They talked about Mahler and his attempts to manipulate her away from photographing the park by steering her toward the children’s film competition.

“I guess I don’t have to rush to do the film now,” she said.

“Why not?”

“You shoot your professor, and it pretty much dooms your chances of his endorsing your film.”

“I’m sure as hell not sorry I shot him.”

“I’m not sorry either. You had no choice.”

When they were pulling into the garage at Gigi’s house, Lyra said, “Wait until you see the panic room.”

“It’s a real panic room?”

“One wall has metal reinforcement, so a bullet couldn’t get through, but only one wall.

No reason to do any other. It works.”

Sam was impressed with the construction when he saw it. “You ever want to hide from relatives, this is the place.”

“I love this house. It’s comfortable.”

“We can keep it,” he promised her. “I might be able to transfer out here for a little while.”

“Then what?”

“We’ll get everything tied up, and then we’ll go home.”

Lyra liked the idea of keeping Gigi’s house. Her brothers would have a place to get away, and Gigi might want to come back for a vacation away from the Texas heat.

Gigi would be happy about the marriage. She had immediately taken to Sam, and she wouldn’t have to worry about her granddaughter any longer.

“I’m exhausted,” Sam said, breaking into her thoughts. And with that, he picked her up and carried her to bed. They slept with their legs entwined.

The next afternoon, O’Malley called. Sam was on the phone for a long time, and when he hung up, he grinned at Lyra and said, “Cat.”

“Excuse me?”

“They found the bones of a cat in the garden. Apparently all those pretty flowers were part of a memorial for someone’s dead kitty.”

Lyra had been certain the story behind the garden was something more romantic. She took a bottle of water from the refrigerator and went out to the porch swing. Sam followed her.

“A cat, huh?” Lyra shook her head.

“Well, there was a woman’s body buried nearby, too—apparently the late Mrs. Mahler.”

“D.C. isn’t anything like this, is it? Living there will take some getting used to for me.”

“We won’t be living in D.C.,” he told her.

She sat up to face him. “But you said—”

“I said we’re going home.” He smiled as he put his arm around her and pulled her close.

“You’ll love the Highlands.”

FORTY-TWO

MILO SAT AT THE BAR SIPPING A COLD BEER WHILE HE STARED intently at the television. The eleven o’clock news was on, and he was watching Lyra Prescott being led out of a building by a man the reporter identified as an FBI agent.

“See that beautiful woman on the television?” he asked the man sitting next to him.

When the man didn’t respond, Milo nudged him and said, “I had to break up with her. It was the only way to keep her safe.”

The stranger, bleary-eyed and drunk, patted Milo’s shoulder. “You did the right thing, buddy,” he slurred.

“I don’t watch the news regularly,” he told his new friend, “but I’m sure glad I watched tonight. You know, I gave up everything for her. I don’t regret it because, like you said, I had to do the right thing. Now I’m out of a job. I’m thinking about getting into another line of business, something less stressful.”

He couldn’t believe Merrian was in jail, and Charlie and Stack, too. All this time he had thought they were behind the break-in and the shooting. Oh well, can’t be right about everything.

“In other news,” the newscaster continued as Milo ordered his second beer, “Councilman Bill Jackson has resigned effective immediately so that he can mount a defense against the charges pending. The councilman was indicted on …”

Milo stopped listening. “There’s going to be a job opening if that councilman resigned.” He scratched his jaw. “That’s what I can do. Politics. I’ll go into politics.” His friend patted him again. “You’re a natural, buddy. A natural.” EPILOGUE

SAM AND LYRA WERE MARRIED AT ST. AGNES’S CHURCH. FATHER Henry happily officiated. Lyra had thought it would be a small affair, but by the time the guest list was complete, the San Diego church was packed with family, friends, and, according to Sidney, a veritable who’s who of the political and diplomatic arena, including ambassadors and other dignitaries.

Both the ceremony and the reception at the Coronado Hotel went off perfectly. Lyra thought it was probably because her mother and father had declined to attend. When Lyra told her mother that Sam had asked her to marry him and that she had accepted, her mother’s reaction wasn’t surprising.