Captured Innocence (CSA Case Files) (14 page)

“I’m sorry about that,” Connor said, and he truly meant that.  Jax had no right to do what he did.  “Getting back to this SUV, had you seen it before?”

The slight hesitation of Lauren’s shaking head clued him right in.  He finished his wine and set the glass on the table, not taking his eyes off of hers.  She shifted uncomfortably, but eventually spoke.

“No, but when I was talking to my sister on the phone yesterday, I looked out the window of the building and thought I saw a similar vehicle.”  Lauren pushed her chair back and started gathering plates.  “It pulled away.  I think it was a coincidence.
  Being around you seems to make me paranoid.”

“I don’t believe in coincidence
s,” Connor said, standing as well.  He helped clear the table, all the while trying to formulate his thoughts.  His gut was telling him she was a central key to this case and he didn’t like that one bit.  He’d told Crest that his relationship wouldn’t interfere with the investigation, but if push came to shove, he knew that protecting her would come first. 
Fuck
.  “Has anything else out of the ordinary happened?”

“No.”  Lauren stacked the dishes in the sink and although he tried to rinse them off, she shooed him away.  “I’ll take care of them later.  Would you like some coffee?”

Connor couldn’t tell if she was nervous and trying to delay the inevitable or if she truly wanted coffee, so he chose the second route.  He fully intended to end this evening in her bed.  His cock had been semi-hard since he’d walked in and kissed her, but there was something said for getting to know her a little better.  He found he wanted to, although he knew the signs of when things became too serious.  It was then that he would walk away.

“Sure,” Connor said, “coffee sounds great.”

Lauren busied herself with preparing the pot and getting out two coffee mugs.  Connor didn’t immediately go into the living room, but instead leaned against the island to watch her move about.  The way her hips flared and how her ass was perfectly shaped in those jeans, Connor had a hard time allowing her to finish.  She’d kept her hair down, so her curls hung naturally low to the middle of her back.  She wore a cream sweater where the material ruffled at the wrist, giving it a feminine appearance.

“Why shy away from a lifestyle that you obviously desire?”

Lauren’s hands stilled mid-reach for the sugar.  He knew he’d taken her unaware, but that wasn’t such a bad thing.  People tended to answer honestly when taken by surprise.

“Why would you think I
want
to be involved with BDSM?  Because I enhance the implements and toys that go along with the lifestyle?”

Well, that shot his theory down.  She’d made a quick recover
y and placed the conversation back into his hands.  He could work with that.

“
I guess you could say that,” Connor responded.  She still had her back to him, waiting for the coffee to stop brewing.  “You have to admit, the field that you’re in is vast.  Why choose the items you do?”

“My sister got her degree in art,” Lauren said, turning around and leaning
against the opposite counter.  She brought her elbows up behind her, resting her palms on the granite.  “We’re both creative and one weekend… I think I was twenty-one… she took me to an art gallery.  The artist had the most sensuous pictures I’d ever seen, and with each of his models had these simplistic yet elegant jewels incorporated within the implements.”

“And just like that, you decided you wanted to make them?” Connor asked, not understanding her thought process.  “I mean, I assume a twenty-one year old girl would be wary of such a lifestyle, even on the outskirts.”

“Let’s just say my business mind went into a tailspin.”  Lauren shrugged and then smiled.  “Sex sells.  Jewelry sells.  They always will.  Blend them together, and chances are a person will be successful.”

“And there is the calculating mind I knew to be in there,” Connor said, smiling back at her.  “So now I understand the business aspect of it.  But you can’t stand there and tell me that the nature of the lifestyle doesn’t draw you in.  You’ve never been
curious?”

Connor knew he’d lost her the minute he’d asked the question. 
Fuck
.  She turned, and since the coffee pot had beeped while she was relaying her story, Lauren poured each of them a mug.  She doctored hers while leaving his black.  Turning, she surprised the hell out of him when she handed him his coffee and answered.

“Yes, but it didn’t work out.” 

Although she’d actually replied, she didn’t look him in the eye.  Connor couldn’t stand to see her brows furrowed so deep, knowing that he was the one to obviously bring up something painful, so he stopped her by taking her cup from her and placing both on the counter. 

“Look at me,” Connor murmured, moving in close to her.  She lifted her head, giving him access to her beautiful green eyes so clouded over with torment. 
“I’m sorry.  I seem to be saying that a lot tonight.  It’s obviously too much of a personal issue to share with someone you just met.”

“We’ve had sex,” Lauren said,
tentatively resting her hands on his chest.  “I think that’s as personal as it gets.”

“Sex is superficial,” Connor said, in total disagreement.  He slowly shook his head.  “It’s the underlying e
motions that we keep hidden when we are at our most vulnerable.  Sharing them just makes it more so.”

“Do you share?”

Connor slowly shook his head again, realizing that he’d just gotten caught in his own trap.  He leaned down and captured her lips, still tinted from the wine and tasting just as sweet as before.  Wanting to learn more about her, he’d inadvertently opened himself up.  He needed to tip the scales again, but Lauren pulled away before he could do so.  When she bit her lip, he would have brought her back against his body so that he could take over, but she leaned around him for her coffee and headed into the living room.

“I suffer from claustrophobia
.   It stems after an event that happened when I was younger,” Lauren stated matter-of-factly. “Being bound in any way isn’t good for my mental health.”

Connor grabbed
his coffee, needing to see her face and wanting to know more.  He was just about to join her on the couch when his cell phone rang.  The sound did get her to look up at him, giving him full view of her beautiful face.  He studied her for a few seconds, before giving in and placing his mug on the coffee table.  She gave him little clue as to what she was truly feeling and that in itself said a lot.  Lauren was expressive in every subject, except this one.  There was something more to it, but unfortunately he couldn’t ignore his call. 

“I have to take this,” Connor said regretfully, digging his cell out of his front pocket. 

“Please, go right ahead,” Lauren said, her words coming out a little too formal for his liking. 

“Yeah, speak to me,” Connor said, seeing that it was Kevin. 

“Need your help down on Park near the Metrodome.”  Sounds from the passing traffic and honking horns could be heard over the phone.  “How far away are you?”

“Close.”  Connor rubbed the back of his neck, knowing he had no choice.  If Kevin called, it was for a damn good reason.  “I’ll be there in ten.”

It fucking killed him to see the obvious relief cross Lauren’s face.  They’d both learned a little about each other this evening, and though he would have given anything to know more about her, maybe leaving this as is for a while was a good idea. 

“Thanks for staying in for dinner this evening,” Lauren said, leaning forward to place her coffee next to his.  She stood and faced him, crossing her arms as if she didn’t know what to do with them.  “If I remember anything else, I’ll give you a call.”

Connor closed the distance, but instead of claiming her lips like he wanted to, he tilted her chin and gently kissed her forehead.  Looking down at her, he wanted nothing more than to stay and hear those inner emotions he spoke of earlier, but knew that now wasn’t the time.  He hoped like hell that it was in the foreseeable future.  She was becoming an enigma that he’d like to solve before things ended.

“Thank you for a wonderful dinner,
Red.”  Connor released her and stepped back.  “I’ll be in touch, but if something
coincidental
happens that makes you feel uneasy, I want to know about it ASAP.”

Lauren’s lips curved into the smile she’d obviously been fighting at his attempt at humor and it alleviated his frustration at having to leave.  However, he was dead serious about his request.  Connor didn’t believe in coincidences, which
was why he was going to have Taryn check the traffic cameras in the area first thing in the morning once again.  The angle into the alleyway hadn’t been good for what they’d needed, but if the SUV was on the main street, they should hit paydirt.  If someone was watching and keeping tabs on Lauren, he wanted to know who.

Chapter Fifteen

Connor instantly awoke at the sound of his front door opening.  Leaning over and putting his hand on the
biometric gun safe he kept on his nightstand, the cover popped open to reveal his Sig P220.  In under three seconds he had his weapon in his hand.  What kind of suicidal moron would break into a former Marine’s house on a Wednesday night?

“Connor, let’s ride,” Jax yelled from the bottom of the stairs.  “There’s been a break in the case.” 

“Fuck,” Connor murmured, having his answer on who was in the house.  His heart still pounded in his chest at the rush of adrenaline.  Louder, he called out, “Give me five.”

He walked over to his dresser
and pulled out a fresh pair of jeans.  Gathering the rest of his clothes, he went into the bathroom.  After having used the toilet, washed his hands and threw some water on his face, he dressed and slung his shoulder harness on and holstered his weapon.  Collecting two spare magazines, he was reminded of what an old grizzled marksmanship instructor had once told him.  Always carry more ammo than you think you’ll need.  You don’t want to die in a gunfight for lack of shooting back.  He was downstairs in four. 

“Took you long enough,”
Jax said, waiting by the front door.

“
What the hell time is it anyway?” Connor asked, grabbing his keys off of the side table in the entryway.  He could really use a cup of coffee, but he knew that it would have to wait.  “And where are we headed?  A break could mean anything from a witness statement to an all out confession.”

“It’s two-thirty in the morning and we’re headed to the suspect’s residence.”

Connor had already snagged his jacket and was halfway out the door when Jax’s words hit home.  He looked over his shoulder.  “No shit.  Who?”

“
You know those two names I gave Taryn to run through the database in connection with shibari?” Jax asked, closing the door behind him and following Connor to the curb where the Jeep was parked.  Damn, it was cold.  It had to only be in the mid-twenties out here. “One of the men came up as a hit for a convicted rapist.”

“We know ’
em?”  Connor used the key fob to open the doors.

“Not really,” Jax replied.  He opened his door as Connor walked around to the driver’s side.  “His name is Gabriel Lucas.  He’s got a house in Edina, which is where we’re meeting Crest and Kevin, along with Detective Morrison
, who’s in charge of Terry’s case.”

“I bet Morrison is shitting bricks
,” Connor said.  Once they were both inside with the engine started, he turned the heat on full blast.  The front window had yet to ice over due to the fact that he’d only been home from the club for an hour.  Just enough time to fall asleep.  “How did Crest even pull that off?  Detective Morrison is convinced Terry did it.”

“We both know that Crest
always gets what he wants.  It doesn’t hurt that Taryn pulled in evidence from traffic cams the night of Marilyn’s murder.  Our resident squid was smart enough to get video footage on Marilyn’s vehicle and the surrounding traffic as she headed home that night.”  Jax pulled his cell phone out of his pocket.  Looking at the screen, he gathered the information they needed and cut into his debriefing with directions.  “Take I-394 W to MN100.  It’ll get us there faster since no one is out at this fucking hour.”

“
Are you telling me that Gabriel Lucas followed Marilyn home?” Connor asked, shifting in gear and pulling away from the curb.  “I’ll be honest with you.  I don’t know the guy.  Did he play at Masters?”

“He came in a few times here and there, but mostly on weeknights.  Taryn was able to follow the traffic cams all the way through until the exit for Maplewo
od.  Want to take a guess as to the make of his vehicle?”

Connor felt his blood turn as cold as the wind that was hitting the Jeep.  He glanced over at his friend, who was looking his way.  Had Gabriel Lucas been targeting Lauren next?

“Black SUV?”

“More like dark blue, but Lauren could have easily mistaken the color i
f she hadn’t been too focused on it.”

“Maybe,” Connor said, forcing his attention back on the road.  “Saying it’s true…a convicted rapist, who’s well versed in shibari, follows Marilyn Sweeney home from the club and kills her.  Why?  The autopsy showed she wasn’t raped.”

“No, but his previous victim had red hair.”

Connor tightened his grip on his steering wheel.  Is that why he’d been going after Lauren?  Because her features resembled
those of past targets?  He resisted the urge to call her, knowing full well that Crest would have verified that Lucas was at home if they were apprehending him. 

During the short ten-minute drive, they played devil’s advocate, going through the evidence pi
ece by piece.  After Connor got off of on the exit, Jax steered him to the correct address and they parked down the street.  Exiting the Jeep, they made their way to where Crest and Kevin were situated behind an unmarked police car.  Morrison was with them, along with four uniformed officers. 

“Glad you could join us,” Crest said, shooting them a look.  That just meant that he’d been here for a while and didn’t like freezing his ass off. 
Connor didn’t bother to remind him that he’d had to drive from downtown, because he knew excuses didn’t matter.  “SITREP is this…suspect is inside with his wife, presumably in bed.  No children involved.  Morrison will take two uniformed officers and try to take him into custody in a civilized manner.  The other two will cover the sides and you two will take the back.  He doesn’t know we’re coming for him, so we have no idea how he’ll react.”

Connor and Jax nodded their agreement.  It was obvious that Crest didn’t think this would go down easy, as he had shed his suit in favor of denim and a suede jacket
, which he had left unzipped for easy access to his holster.  He’d met Detective Morrison before and his sour disposition hadn’t changed. 

“Take these,” Crest said, giving them radios.  Connor took his and attached it to the waistband of his jeans, letting his jacket lay behind it.
  He intuitively turned on the power setting to the lowest volume level and adjusted the squelch.  “If Lucas comes out willingly, we’ll signal Code Four.”

“Anything else?” Morrison asked wryly.  “This is still my investigation, regardless that the Lieutenant signed off on this.  Lucas
served his time and was probably just heading home that night.”

“In the opposite direction?” Crest asked.  “I’m doing my best to remain cordial, Morrison.  Don’t give me reason to believe you’re that ill-advised.”

“Let’s just get this over with,” Morrison said, his face red.  Whether or not it was from the cold or Crest’s rebuke was anyone’s guess.

“I’ll cover the garage, in case he decides to exit that way,
” Crest said, pulling his gloves off and slipping them into his coat pocket.  Connor did the same, ensuring his hands were free and drew his pistol.  He checked to ensure he had chambered a round.  “Positions, gentlemen.”

Each
headed to their assigned post.   Connor and Jax had to use the back gate, although they took their time confirming there wasn’t a dog behind the privacy fence.  He glanced down at his watch, knowing that Morrison would be ringing the doorbell at any moment.

Connor made an oblique
movement with his hand, alerting Jax that he should cover the back door near the side of the house.  The square footage was above average and Lucas’s residence also had patio doors.  It was dark enough that Connor used the coverage afforded by the table on the deck. 

He was still studying the exterior when a
dog’s barking alerted them that Morrison had indeed rung the doorbell.  A few minutes passed and there was still nothing but silence.  Connor didn’t take his eyes off of the patio door.

“
Movement,” Jax whispered, his voice carrying enough to inform Connor of the potential flight of their suspect.  “To your right.”

Connor squinted, trying to see through the window and the drape that covered it.  He was guessing it was the kitchen, but he was finally able to vaguely make out the shadow that passed by. 
Within seconds, the patio door swung open and presumably, Gabriel Lucas tried to make a run for it.  The idiot was wearing pajama pants.  How far did he really think he would get?

“Stop!”  Connor stepped
up and aimed his weapon at his chest.  Lucas froze midstride.  He was average height and weight and not what one would think looked like a rapist.  “You’re wanted for questioning in the murder of Marilyn Sweeney.  Turn around slowly and place your hands on the back of your head.”

“You won’t shoot
an unarmed man,” Lucas said, clearly panicked. 

Connor gritted his teeth, knowing people like
Lucas always chose the wrong path.  He instinctively knew that Jax was making his way to the patio.  Sure enough, Lucas decided to try and run for it.  The patio had two sides that were open and he opted for the one on the left. 

“Got ’
em,” Connor yelled, forewarning Jax that he would physically subdue the subject and for Jax to shoot only if necessary. 

They’d been by each other’s side in combat too many times to count, but that gave them the advantage
of knowing how each other operated.  It took him two seconds to holster his weapon and follow Lucas’s lead.  Connor calculated his options and knew that he’d have easier access by jumping over the rail.

Lucas had gotten down the two wooden steps.  Connor placed his hand on the wooden rail and jumped over the bannister.  He’d timed it just right and landed
directly behind Lucas.  Before their subject had a chance to really gather momentum, Connor had him collared within seconds. 

“
Wrong choice, Lucas,” Connor said, pushing his knee into Lucas’s lower back.  A zip restraint appeared over his shoulder and he took it from Jax.  Placing Lucas’s hands through the loops, he yanked it tight.  “On your feet.”

“Listen to me,” Lucas pleaded, finding his balance and trying to look over his shoulder.  “I don’t know anything about any murder.”

“Then why run?” Jax asked dryly, going around them and leading their way out of the backyard.  He reached for his radio and brought it to his lips.  “Echo Eight Charlie, Echo Five Oscar, Code Four.”

* * * *

“I’m heading home for a couple hours shut eye,” Connor said, walking out of the precinct.  It was only six-fifteen in the morning and the sun had yet to fully rise.  “You doing the same or do you want me to drop you off at the office?”

“I’ll ride home with you,” Jax replied, adjusting his skullcap.  “
If we’re hitting the clubs tonight, we need sleep.”

Connor was exhausted, but what he would have really liked to do was head over to Lauren’s apartment.  She probably wasn’t even up for the day yet, and it wasn’t like anything had changed with the case.  Nah, it was best if he went home and slept. 

“That was a bust,” Jax said as they walked around the corner of the police station to where Connor had parked the Jeep.  “By the time Lucas’s lawyer got there, I think he’d ended up spilling his whereabouts for the entire last year.  His attorney certainly has his work cut out for him.”

“How the hell did he get a membership at Masters
?” Connor asked, wondering exactly how good of a job Joel had been doing on the background checks he’d promised the members.  “Lucas is a convicted rapist.  He doesn’t even dispute that, and yet Joel allows him into what is supposedly an exclusive club?”

“If that leaks out, there are going to be some pissed off people,” Jax said, shoving his hands in his jeans as they walked.  Connor slid his gloves on, and then reached in
to his coat pocket for the keys.  “Lucas is lucky that the waitress at the restaurant where he picked his wife up that night confirmed his whereabouts.”

“Everything fit, though, didn’t it?” Connor pressed the button to unlock the doors.  Unfortunately, ice had accumulated on his windshield this time and he reached into the back seat for the scraper.  He threw the keys to Jax so that he could turn over the engine, but kept the door open so they could still talk.  “Lucas raping that redhead three years ago in St. Paul, him knowing shibari and leaving the club the exact time that Marilyn did, and he even owned a fucking SUV.  Shit, he even tried to run.  If that doesn’t smack of guilt, I don’t know what does.”

Jax rubbed his hands together, blowing on them.  “Coincidence.  His wife was at the Applebee’s in Maplewood.  Her car broke down and she called him to get her.  That lead is now bust and we’re back to square one.”

“Lauren’s big on coincidence, too, but you don’t see me buying into it,” Connor said.  He finished scraping the windshield, figuring the amount he’d gotten off was enough.  Tossing it into the backseat, he climbed into the driver’s seat and closed the door.  Cranking up the heat, he then clicked his seatbelt into place.  “Not that
I can find a hole in his alibi.  Taryn was able to confirm it, too, once she had his destination.  Can’t argue with the squid.”

“At least Crest
was able to make an agreement with Lucas through his lawyer to remain quiet regarding our interest in the case.  Although, did you see the way Crest looked at Morrison?  Nothing ever seems to get under Crest’s skin, but I swear if he’d been able to legally take Morrison out, he would have.”  Jax moved a vent his way, leaving his fingers in front of the lukewarm air.  “At least Lucas agreed to stay away from the clubs.”