You Can't Hide (52 page)

“Do you have a picture of Swanson?” Murphy asked.

Jon thought. “No, but Tess does. On the wall in her living room. It was taken at the Lemon, at the last brunch before Jim left.”

Aidan nodded. “I’ve seen it. It’s right next to the pen-and-ink sketch of the beach her brother Tino did. But everybody’s sitting down in the picture. How tall is Swanson?”

“About my height,” Robin said. “Five eight, maybe five nine.”

Yes.
“And when did he leave? Can you remember an exact date?”

Jon frowned at Robin. “It was a few weeks before Christmas. December tenth?”

“It was the tenth,” Robin confirmed. “I’d just finished decorating the Lemon.”

Aidan glanced at Murphy, saw his partner’s small nod. Swanson had left town just days before Lawe made contact with Blaine Connell for the first time. The two were connected. He could feel it. “Dr. Carter, did you mention our conversation to anyone?”

“Robin and I discussed it at dinner, but not at the viewing. You never said not to.”

Aidan sighed. “Somebody knew we suspected Parks because he’s very dead.”

Murphy cleared his throat. “Can you bring us the clothes you wore last night?”

Jon started. “Oh, no. You think-Of course you do. I was bugged like Tess.”

When Jon returned with the garments Aidan and Murphy were standing at the door. “Did Swanson have a key to Tess’s apartment?” Murphy asked.

“I don’t think so.” Jon handed over the coats and took the receipt Aidan had prepared.

“Listen, Detectives, Jim may have been lovelorn, but he wasn’t twisted. I can’t see him doing all this.” “Well, somebody’s doing it,” Aidan said tightly. “And right now Swanson’s the best lead we’ve got. Thanks for the help, gentlemen.”

Friday, March 17, 12:15 P.M.

Tess’s cell phone woke her. Groggy, she groped for it, dislodging Bella from her butt with a swat. “Yeah?”

“Tess, it’s Amy. Wake up.”

195

Karen Rose

[Suspense 5]

You Can't Hide

The urgency in Amy’s voice got her moving. Quickly she sat up. “What’s wrong?”

“Vito called me. Your dad’s in the ER, Tess. I’m on my way to get you.”

Tess’s heart stopped. “What happened?”

“He had a heart attack, honey. A bad one. Your mom called Vito. He didn’t want to wake you if he didn’t need to, but it’s a lot worse than he thought.”

“Oh God, oh God.” Tess jumped from the bed, disoriented. “I need my shoes. Damn, where are my shoes? Where are you?”

“Just turning on to Aidan’s street. Meet me outside and I’l drive you to the hospital.”

Tess flew, her heart pounding now.
Hold on, Dad
. Amy’s car was sitting in the driveway and Tess hurriedly climbed in. “Let’s rol .” Amy drove while Tess tried to catch her breath with no success. “I can’t breathe. Dammit. I need to call Aidan.” She fumbled her cell phone, her fingers feeling thick and clumsy.

Amy pul ed to the curb. “Tess, you need to calm down.”

“Why are you stopping? Drive, dammit.”

“Give me your phone. I’l dial. You relax or you’l have a heart attack.” She reached over for the phone, her hand closing over Tess’s. “You’l upset him if you go in like this. Calm down. Here, let me help. My massage therapist hits this pressure point on me.”

Tess closed her eyes and tried to breathe, knowing Amy was right. She’d kill her father rushing to his side this upset. Amy’s fingers kneaded her neck, pressing hard on the corded tendons along her spine. “Feels good,” Tess murmured.

Then she winced at the pinch at the curve of her neck. “Ow. That hurt.”

“It’s a pressure point. Puts you right to sleep like a baby,” Amy soothed. “Sleep, Tess. When you wake up, everything will be fine. You’l see.”

Tess’s eyes grew heavy and she sank back against the car seat. The car started moving again as she slipped into warm darkness.

Friday, March 17, 2:15 P.M

“I’ve got something.” Aidan stood so he could see Murphy over the small mountain of paper covering their desks. They’d taken papers from all three of Lawe’s safe-deposit boxes. Aidan had been sorting for the last hour while Murphy tried to find some trace of Jim Swanson. Murphy crossed to his side of the desk. “Looks like his ledger.”

“It is. I see dates and in most cases, customers. He’s got the payment for each job noted, but the actual job itself is kind of a code. This guy made damn good money.”

“Yeah, but he’s snap, crackle, popped, so hell of a lot of good his money is now.”

“Thank you for the visual. You finding anything?”

“Nothing so far. If Jim Swanson’s in this country, he’s not using credit cards and he hasn’t filed a tax return this year. His parents died when he was in col ege and none of his extended family’s heard from him in years. Seems like he was a loner.”

“Well, I’ll keep plugging through this ledger and-” His phone rang. “Reagan.”

“Hello?” It was a whisper. Female. Scared. “Are you looking for Dan Morris?”

Aidan cupped the phone. “It’s about Danny Morris’s father.” He cleared his throat. “Yes, ma’am. Do you know where he is?”

“He’s here. In my apartment. If he knew I was calling.” There was a loud crash in the background. “Oh, no. I have to go. Don’t. Please.” The last two words were a shrill cry and the line went dead. Aidan pul ed up the reverse lookup registry and typed in the number on the caller ID.

“It’s in South Side.” He looked at the pile of paperwork, then at Murphy who nodded.

“Let’s go get Morris so we can get back to this.”

Friday, March 17, 2:45 P.M

The apartment was empty. Not a stick of furniture. Not a soul in sight.

196

Karen Rose

[Suspense 5]

You Can't Hide

“What the hell?” Aidan muttered.

“You’re sure about the address, Detective?” the SWAT leader asked.

“I double-checked it,” Murphy said. “The call came from this apartment.”

A uniform in body armor came back from the bedroom. “There’s a phone back there, plugged into the wall. Nothing else in the room.”

“That’s because they just moved out.” The manager stepped inside, frowning.

“We’ve been duped,” Aidan said grimly. “This is a wild goose chase.”

“Then we must be getting close,” Murphy said.

Aidan’s cell phone rang and his heart skipped a beat when he saw Rachel’s cell phone ID.

“Aidan.” Her voice was high and thin. “Please come home.”

“Rachel, honey, calm down. What’s wrong?”

“Tess was supposed to pick me up to get my hair done. She didn’t come, so we called her cel but she didn’t answer.” Dread began to claw its way through his belly.

“She’s probably with Vito.”
Please, let her be with Vito.
“Did you cal him?”

Murphy whipped around, alarm on his face. “Tess?”

“Vito’s here. At your house.” Rachel’s breath was hitching and suddenly, so was his own.

“Aidan, we found him at the bottom of the basement stairs outside. He’s hurt. Bad. Mom’s with him now. I cal ed 911, but please…” Her voice broke. “Please come home. We’ve searched everywhere. Tess is gone.”

Aidan was running, hearing Murphy calling Spinnelli. “We’re on our way to Aidan’s house,”

Murphy said. “Have Jack Unger meet us there.”

Friday, March 17, 3:00 P.M

It was pitch dark.
I can’t see.
Panicked, Tess tried to move but her limbs refused to respond.
Sleep, Tess
. Amy was tel ing her to sleep. Now, or before? She tried to focus. She’d been sleeping.
Am I still sleeping?
She didn’t think so. It hurt too much. She hurt. Her head. Her throat. Her back…
Something’s wrong with my back. I can’t move. Car
accident? Was that it? Where am I? Where is Amy?

Aidan
. She’d been trying to call Aidan.
Why?
It was important. She knew it was important.
Focus. Think.
She tried to grab on to reality. But clarity hovered just beyond reach as her mind began sliding back toward the warm nothing. She fought, but it was like strong hands, pul ing her down. Dragging her under.
No, please, not again.

Friday, March 17, 3:15 P.M.

Vito was sitting at Aidan’s kitchen table when he and Murphy burst in the door. Spinnel i stood by the stove looking grim and Dol y barked frantically from somewhere in back of the house. Flanked by Rachel and his mother, Vito’s face was white as a sheet. An EMT tended to a gash on the back of his head. Bruises on his forehead and cheek lent the only color to his face. Vito lifted his eyes to Aidan, terrified and helpless. “She’s gone,” he said, his voice a toneless whisper that turned Aidan’s gut to water.

Spinnelli cleared his throat. “We’ve got an all-points out for her. There’s no evidence of forced entry. She either let somebody in, or she left on her own.”

“Dol y wouldn’t have let anybody in the house,” Aidan said, his lungs unable to take in enough air. “For God’s sake, Vito, what happened?”

“Your dog was growling.” He winced when the EMT began to bandage his head. “I went outside to investigate. Had my gun out and went around back. The next thing I knew I was at the bottom of the stairs to the basement. My gun was gone and your mother was there.” He closed his eyes. “And Tess was gone. I cal ed Jon and Amy and Robin while Rachel cal ed 911. Nobody has seen her.”

197

Karen Rose

[Suspense 5]

You Can't Hide

Aidan’s basement was a walk-up, the back door leading to a concrete stairwell that started five feet below ground level. “It’s soggy outside. Did he leave any footprints?”

“He did.” Jack came up from the basement. “We’re taking an impression. The shoe looks like it could be the same one you saw on the person leaving Parks’s place.”

Vito’s head swung from Aidan to Jack and back again. “Phillip Parks?”

“He’s dead.” Aidan pul ed out a chair and sank into it, suddenly so weary. “He was shot to death last night. When did this happen, Vito?”

“About noon. Tess had gone to sleep… She was so upset by that damn picture in the paper… I told her everything would be better when she woke up.”

A thought struck and Aidan frowned at Vito. “Why aren’t you dead?” He waved away his mother’s outraged gasp. “I mean all the other people that cross him end up dead. Why did he spare you?”

Vito covered his face. “I don’t know. God, how am I going to tell my parents? I was supposed to keep her safe. This is going to kill my father.”

Aidan rubbed his forehead. “I can’t think.” His mother rose to stand behind his chair, her hands firm on his shoulders. He leaned his head back against her, grateful for her quiet strength.

“I just can’t think.”

“Aidan, why don’t you stay here?” Murphy said gently. “I’l go back to the office and pick up where we left off before we were sidetracked by that wild goose chase.”

Aidan pushed himself to his feet. “I’l go, too. I’l go crazy sitting here.”

Vito rose as well, unsteady on his feet, but his dark eyes were clear. “Let me help. I haven’t asked, you know I’ve stayed out of your way. But goddammit, you have to let me help.” He glared at the EMT. “I’m not going to a hospital.”

The EMT backed up, palms out. “Okay.”

“Your parents are going to need you, Vito,” Aidan said.

“I’l get them and bring them to our house,” his mother said. Aidan kissed her forehead. “Thanks, Mom. Vito, if you’re coming, come.”

A cell phone jangled and all hands went to their pockets.

“It’s me,” Vito said. He listened and sank back into the chair. “When?… Stay where you are. I’l be right there.” He closed his phone, his body still. “That was my mother,” he said, again so tonelessly Aidan’s hair stood on end. “She went to do some shopping because my father was asleep. When she came back, he was gone.”

Chapter 22

Friday, March 17, 5:00 P.M.

It was dark. And she stil couldn’t move.
I’m paralyzed.
But if she was paralyzed she shouldn’t feel pain. She shouldn’t feel anything and she did. Her body hurt, head to toe. Gradually her senses adjusted. It wasn’t dark, her eyes were covered with a blindfold.
And I’m not paralyzed
. Her hands and feet were tied, her mouth gagged.

Tied. Gagged.
He has me.
She was terrified.
And alone.
Her back ached from the cramped position in which she was forced. She heard a weak groan to her right.
I’m not alone
. But she was still terrified. Her head throbbed and her heart beat so hard it hurt. She drew a breath through her nose and smelled wet rotting earth.
Was she outside?
No, it wasn’t cold enough.
What happened?
The last thing she remembered was being in the car with Amy. Where was Amy? Did she hurt, too?

Was that Amy’s moan she’d heard?

A door opened and Tess stiffened. Waiting. Footsteps padded across the hard floor. Again she heard the low moan to her right and above her a tsking sound.

198

Karen Rose

[Suspense 5]

You Can't Hide

“So you’re awake, old man.”

At the sound of the familiar voice Tess’s racing heart stopped, shock sending her body convulsing on a shudder. Disbelief surged. No. It wasn’t possible. It was another voice imitation. Or a nightmare.
Please, let this be a nightmare.
A terrible nightmare. But a very real toe kicked her aching back, drawing a very real moan from her throat.

“You’re awake, too. Looks like our little family reunion is about to begin.”

The blindfold cut into her skin as it tightened, then abruptly loosened and Tess found herself staring up into the eyes she’d trusted for so many years. Now they sparkled brilliantly. Wickedly. Insanely. Horror gripped her and she simply couldn’t look away.
Dear God.
Amy’s smile turned her blood to ice. “I told you when you woke up everything would be fine. See? Daddy is here.”

Numbly, Tess rol ed her head sideways. Her father lay curled next to her, his eyes closed, his head less than a foot away. Her eyes skittered up, around. This room was a closet. A tiny little closet. A cold sweat shivered down her body and nausea built. What felt like a groan in her throat came out a whimper and once again Amy smiled.