A Killer's Agenda (20 page)

right now.”

Carolyn wrapped an arm around Alex. “You’re ice cold.” She

grabbed the robe sitting on top of Alex’s suitcase and threw it over her shoulders.

Alex smiled her thanks as she carefully set the gun she was

still holding down on the dresser. Carolyn followed the movement.

“
You
shot him?” she asked incredulously.

Alex nodded. “I didn’t have much choice. He was armed.”

Kevin leaned over the balcony and looked from side to side.

“How did he get up this high? I can’t imagine him climbing over ten stories of balconies and I don’t see any fire escape.”

Alex slipped her arms into the robe and belted it around her slim waist. “My guess is he had a room close to ours. It’s off season and the hotel was fairly empty. If he was a professional gunman for hire, he would have made it his business to find out the easiest way to access this room. The balconies are close together. If he was athletic enough, leaping from one to the other wouldn’t have been difficult.”

“Unless you make a mistake,” Kevin said grimly, glancing

downward once again.

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“Then you’re dead,” Brad said quietly, fists clenched at his side.

Just the thought of what could have happened made the dull ache in his head sharper. His glance strayed to the bed. If it hadn’t been for Alex’s quick thinking and clear head, he could very well have been the one dead.

“You okay, Brad?” Kevin asked, eying his pale face.

“Yeah,” Brad muttered, rubbing a hand across his forehead in an attempt to ease the pounding.

Alex picked up the phone punching some numbers. “The front

desk needs to know where to send the police.”

Kevin wrapped an arm around Carolyn. “If the two of you are

sure you’re okay, we’ll head back to our room and get dressed.” He grimaced. “Looks like none of us are going to get any more sleep.”

Alex nodded, overhearing the conversation as she hung up.

“The police are securing the area below. They’ll be up to talk to us as soon as they’re done.”

“Okay, call me with an update as soon as you can. We’ll be

waiting.”

Carolyn reached over to hug Alex. “You don’t have to be so

brave, you know.”

Alex smiled. “I’m not brave, Carolyn. I’m just doing my job.”

The other woman didn’t say any more but the look in her eyes told Alex she didn’t buy it.

Brad waited until Kevin and Carolyn left and then grabbed

Alex’s arm, pulling her into the warmth of the bathroom, closing the door firmly behind them. He tugged her close, holding her without speaking. He wasn’t sure if he was reassuring her or himself and, at the moment, he didn’t give a damn.

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“It’d be nice if I could breathe,” she mumbled against his bare chest.

“Sorry.” He let her pull away slightly, gazing down at her. She met his eyes steadily but he knew her well enough now to see the shadows in her eyes and the faint hint of tension in those full lips.

Lips he covered in a brief, hard kiss.

She sighed and then looked up at him in exasperation as she

bumped into the sink. “Pretty romantic spot you picked for

necking, Norton.”

His lips lifted. “At least it’s private. The police will be here any minute. Besides, it’s cold in there with the open door and rain.” He ran his fingers along her bare arm. “You sure you’re all right?”

“As all right as I can be,” she answered honestly. “I’ve had to use my gun before, when I was on the police force. Doesn’t make it any more palatable, however.” She took a deep breath. “Brad, I’m beginning to think you should hire someone else for this job. I’ve always prided myself on my skills. My feelings for you are clouding my judgment. As you saw tonight, that can be deadly.”

“No.”

She felt a jab of irritation. “Stop being so stubborn. There are other investigators out here with just as much skill.”

“But they aren’t you.” He tipped her chin up so their eyes met.

“Alex, I’m not naïve. I know the risks. I knew them before I even approached you. A degree in criminal law served to knock the blinders from my eyes a long time ago.”

“You don’t understand, Brad. With any other client, I would

have checked the registry, scanned the parking lot, maybe even done a background check on the people occupying each side of this room.” She ran a hand through her thick curls. “I would have

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reinforced that door. For God’s sake, I
know
how easy it is to jimmy a lock if you know what you’re doing.”

He crossed his arms, leaning against the tile wall. “So if you did all of those things, you think it would have made a difference?”

“It could have.”

“And it as easily couldn’t have. Just cut the blame me stuff, Alex.”

As he expected her green eyes darkened, began to smolder.

“Listen, Bradley Norton, don’t you be telling me how to do my job or how I should feel.”

He flicked a curl from her forehead. “Then don’t treat me like an idiot. We do this together. Agreed?”

She stared him down but finally nodded. “Okay, but we do

things my way.” She put a hand up when he began to speak.

“That’s not open to negotiation. I’d like to keep both of us alive and I’m going to need all my skills to do that. Yours as well. Agreed?”

she mimicked.

He nodded, putting a hand out. When she took it, he pulled her against him again and thoroughly kissed her.

“Very clever,” she murmured. “Just what I need, a sneaky

partner.”

They both jumped at the loud knock on the outside door.

Alex tightened the belt on her robe. “It looks like the law has arrived.”

When she opened the hall door, an extremely harried-looking

night clerk stepped in followed by several police officers.

Roy Clark came down the hall moments later accompanied by a

man with a camera and what appeared to be someone from

forensics according to the shirt he wore.

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Something about Roy Clark reminded Alex of her uncle and

that made her feel just slightly better.

The clerk’s eyes widened at the scene that greeted him, the

damage to the room along with the spattering of blood appearing to render him speechless.

Roy Clark edged past him. “Everyone okay in here?”

Brad wrapped an arm around Alex. “We’re not injured if that’s what you’re asking.”

“I kind of figured when we got the call that you were involved, Miss Leahy, after what happened earlier.” He eyed Brad’s bandaged forehead. “Looks like our man wasn’t happy about not finishing what he started.”

“Is he dead?”

“As a doornail. The fall looks like it killed him, although we won’t be sure until the autopsy.” He moved to the side to allow more people in. “How about we let the detectives do their job and vacate the room? I’ve got some questions that need answers.”

Alex nodded, rubbing a hand across her suddenly tired eyes.

“As long as wherever we go has a pot of strong coffee.”

“I think that can be arranged,” Roy said dryly. “I could use a cup myself.”

“I’d also like to meet in something other than my bathrobe.”

She grimaced, shivering as another blast of cool air wafted into the room.

“No problem. We’ll meet downstairs in the lobby in, say, fifteen minutes.” He motioned toward the other officer. “Pete, you

supervise here.” His glance strayed to the dresser and Alex’s revolver. “Got a permit for that?”

“I do. And the skill to use it.”

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Anita Whiting

He tossed a look toward the broken glass. “It appears so.”

“I don’t make a habit of shooting people, Lieutenant Clark,” she said sharply. “The rules change when someone enters my room

uninvited and armed.”

“Listen, can’t the twenty questions wait until we get dressed and wake up?” Brad said, a slow burn starting in his gut.

“They can,” Roy said evenly. He waved to his team, urging the still speechless desk clerk toward the door. “Gentlemen, let’s step outside for just a moment.” He turned back to the two of them.

“I’m sure you know the rules, Miss Leahy. Please be quick and don’t touch anything. We’ll be outside waiting.”

“We will,” Alex said, interpreting Brad’s simmering glare. After she closed the door she turned to him. “He’s only doing his job, Brad.”

“Yeah. That doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

Alex reached for a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt and began dressing. She looked up as Brad was buttoning his shirt. “I know who our intruder was.”

His fingers stilled. “What?”

“Renee White’s brother. The uncle who took her to the hospital after her son was shot. Ironic, considering he was the one who shot him.”

Even after she explained, Brad still stood there frowning.

“Instead of things becoming clearer, they’re muddier than before.

Why would this guy set himself up as a hired gun and then blow his nephew away? Doesn’t make sense.”

Alex expertly tucked her long curls in a quick pony tail. “No, but I’m sure he’s the one that was responsible. So it looks like you and I have a lot of investigating left to do, partner.”

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“I hate the idea of breaking this news to Renee White. The

woman has been tortured enough. Can you imagine how you

would feel if you found out your own brother killed your son?”

“We don’t have any proof of that yet, Brad. Only my intuition and that doesn’t count for much with the law.”

“It sure as hell counts with me,” he muttered, glancing at the broken glass. His eyes found hers, the look intense. “I owe you, Alex. How do I repay someone who’s saved my life?”

She slung her purse over a shoulder, a hint of devilment in her green eyes. “I’ll let you know when the time is right.”

He caught her arm, his dark eyes boring into hers. “I mean it, Alex.”

She nodded, opening the door. “So do I, Brad.”

Roy Clark was waiting as they stepped into the hall.

“The hotel has arranged for us to sit in the restaurant and to get you that pot of coffee you wanted, Miss Leahy. Please follow me.”

“Is it permissible to call my family?” Brad asked grimly.

Roy nodded. “It is.”

Brad flipped open his cell phone calling his father while they made their way toward the dining room. They were on their second cup of coffee before Andrew and Maggie arrived.

From the dark frown on Andrew’s face it was obvious he wasn’t in the best of humor. He held his temper long enough to pull a chair out for Maggie and then, still standing, ran his gaze over both Brad and Alex.

“Are you two all right?”

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Anita Whiting

Brad nodded, knowing that look. It was a look that used to

bring fear into a young boy’s heart. However this time it wasn’t directed at him but at the lieutenant instead.

“I’d like to know why it is, officer, that one of your policeman wasn’t stationed at this hotel. My son could have been killed because of your incompetence!”

Anger flitted across the other man’s face for a brief second. “I’m sorry you feel that way, sir,” he said evenly.

Again it was Maggie who put a hand on Andrew’s, gently urging him down into the chair next to her. “Hush. You need to be giving the man a chance to explain.”

“Or accuse one of us,” Brad said tightly, glancing at Alex.

Roy Clark shook his head. “That is not my intention at all, Mr.

Norton. It’s obvious this was a break-in. What I need to know is the why. Miss Leahy gave me some particulars earlier, but I’ve got a hunch there’s a whole lot more I don’t know.” He stopped speaking when one of his men walked in, handing him a wallet.

“Found this on the victim, sir. Man’s name is Matt Fowler and he’s got a record. Fingerprints are on file. Address is bogus however. We just checked.”

“Let me know if you find the next of kin. They’ll have to be notified.”

“His sister lives in town,” Alex said, taking a long sip of the coffee in front of her. “Her name is Renee White.”

“What?” Andrew snapped, his gaze shooting to her.

Roy Clark’s eyes sharpened. “Care to tell me how you know

this?”

“I have my own way of obtaining information,” she said

carefully. “I recognized his face. I’m fairly certain he is the one who

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shot those two boys at the high school here in town last year. One of them was his nephew.”

“He shot his own nephew!” Maggie repeated, eyes wide.

Alex nodded. “There’s your why, Lieutenant. Brad and I were at his sister’s home yesterday afternoon. He obviously thought we were getting too close and decided he wasn’t going to run the risk of being discovered.”

Roy Clark leaned back in his chair and eyes narrowed for a few minutes. “You realize we’ll have to check all this out.”

“Of course. For the record, I awoke to the sound of him picking the lock on the balcony door. He was in the room before I could do anything and when he aimed at Brad, I shot him. The wound

wasn’t lethal but he lost his balance and you know the rest.”

“Then you believe he was the one who was responsible for

those drive-by shootings you’ve been investigating?” Carolyn asked, beginning to connect the dots.

“I think he was the hired gun.” Her glance swiveled back to the man sitting across from her. “I’d like to see the body.”

His expression showed his surprise. “Why?”

“Because we still don’t have the answers we need and I might be able to find them.”

“By viewing a corpse?”

“Perhaps.”

He met her gaze steadily, silent for a few moments, and then nodded. “He’ll have been transported to the coroner’s by now. Give me an hour to pull all the pieces together, Miss Leahy, and then I’ll drive you down there. By then I might have a few more questions.”

He pushed back his chair and stood, taking a last sip of his coffee.