Killer Love (15 page)

“Look, I’m not sure. The old man’s got Alzheimer’s. Doubt if he even knows his own name half the time, let alone remembers anything factual about Jade DiMarco.”

“Why do you refuse to consider the possibility that she might be involved with her husband?”

“I’m not refusing to consider anything. For one thing, she’s in the Witness Protection program and she’s going to be a key wit once we bring in her husband. For another, are you forgetting he almost cut her head off? Doesn’t sound to me like they’re exactly tight.”

“Maybe she was going to double cross him so he decided to take her out. I don’t know. Maybe she
is
as innocent as she seems. But, bottom line, it wouldn’t hurt to interview her one more time, right? With all the new info we have, could be she’d tell us something that might help us find DiMarco.”

“You know, you have a point there.”

Luke let out a long sigh and dropped back in his chair. “Great. You’ll set it up then?”

“I’ll have to review all the facts and decide if an interview is warranted. But no matter what, you’re off the case. As a matter of fact, you really ought to take some time off. Use up some of those vacation days you’ve accumulated.”

Luke stood again and slapped his palms on the desk. He leaned forward, trying to maintain his calm. “I don’t want time off. I need to stay on this case. Keeping me in makes the most sense. I’ve got the momentum going now and I can find the sonofabitch. I know I can.”

Madsen stood too. “I’m not interested in what you want. You’re off the case, there’s no debate. You can either take some vacation time or I can put you on administrative leave. Right now, you’ve got a choice. If you’re still in my office sixty seconds from now, you won’t.”

Luke started to say more but vacation time was better than administrative leave. He held his anger, stared at Madsen for a few more seconds...fifty-five to be exact...then slammed out of the office.

He was almost to his car when his cell phone rang. For a moment, he had the ridiculous hope that it was Madsen and he’d changed his mind. He looked at the display. It was an unknown number.

“Butler,” Luke answered the call.

“Hello, Agent Butler.” A man’s voice said. “How are you?”

“Who is this?” The voice sounded familiar but Luke couldn’t quite place it.

“Now, now. You’ve gone and hurt my feelings. I thought since I’d occupied your every thought over the past several weeks, you’d surely recognize my voice.”

Fucking DiMarco.
Luke stopped in the middle of the parking lot, rage bubbling like a volcano inside him. “You motherfucker. Your ass is mine, you know that?”

“Take a deep breath, agent, calm down. You’ve seen what that impulsive nature of yours can get you, right? I was within six feet of you a few nights ago and you ran screeching off after my associate without thinking things through. I would think the outcome of that little incident would have taught you something.”

The day was cool, yet Luke could feel a rush of sweat on his skin...hot beneath the jacket. There were a few people milling around in the parking lot but they seemed far away. He felt isolated from the world. He took deep breaths through his nose and slowly exhaled.
Don’t screw this up. Maybe he’ll slip and tell you something you can use.
“Why are you calling me, DiMarco? What do you want?”

“I just want to chat.”

“Ok then, how about I tell you a story? Ever heard of what inmates do to guys like you in prison? They’re fond of pretty boys, but its kind of a two edged sword. As attractive as I’m sure they’ll find you, they have a tendency to do some violent things to perverts that prey on children. I don’t think they’ll be pleased with your penchant for forcing innocent young girls into prostitution.”

There was a pause and Luke could hear the man breathing over the line. DiMarco’s voice was a pitch higher when he finally spoke. “You know, Jade and Delia kind of remind me of each other. Have you ever noticed the resemblance?” When Luke didn’t respond he went on. “Sure, Delia was a redhead and Jade’s a blonde. But they sort of had the same innocence about them. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Will Jade scream louder than the cop? She’s probably not nearly as tough as your partner was. What do you think?”

“Fuck you, DiMarco.”

DiMarco chuckled. The sound made Luke’s skin crawl. “What’s the matter, Butler? Don’t tell me you have a thing for my wife like you did for the cop? I’ll admit she’s a hot little number but after the bitch betrayed me, she has to pay. I’d hate for you to get attached to another woman and then lose her.”

“Look, you sonofabitch,” Luke ground out, his jaws so tight his teeth ached. “No matter what, you’re a dead man for what you did to Delia. You have my solemn promise on that. But if you so much as touch one hair on Jade’s head, if you come within fifty feet of her, I’ll kill you so slow you’ll beg me to make it stop. You got that, DiMarco?”

Even as the words tumbled from his lips, Luke wondered where they’d come from. Five minutes ago, he’d been ready to crucify Jade DiMarco and now he was ready to kill for her? The only way he could justify his reaction was that he knew Jade wasn’t evil like Bryce. Even if she had been a part of her husband’s operation, Luke truly believed she wouldn’t have been involved in trafficking those young girls. Her grief and shock over that had been genuine. And she probably wasn’t a part of Delia’s murder either. Whatever the truth was about Jade, Luke knew he didn’t want DiMarco to get his hands on her.

“You don’t scare me, Butler,” DiMarco replied silkily. “I eat guys like you for breakfast.”

“Trust me, princess.” Luke growled into the receiver. “You’ve never met anyone like me.”

****

Jade inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of the Colorado morning and along with it, the smell of gunpowder. In the distance, the Rocky Mountains stood sentinel around the Blue Hills Gun Club. Large evergreens lined the fence that enclosed the pistol range.

She felt oddly at peace each time she came to shoot. Cal’s gym and the range seemed more like home than her own apartment.

She planted her feet and aimed at the target. A lock of hair escaped her ponytail, a cool breeze blowing the errant strands into her eyes just as she squeezed off a shot. Missed badly on that one. She pushed the hair out of her face and took aim once more. This one came much closer to the bull’s eye. In spite of the ear protectors she wore, the report of the weapon sounded loud in the stillness of the fall morning.

She and the Rangemaster were the only ones out this early. She liked having the range to herself. These days, being around other people made her uneasy. Even the tenuous friendship she’d formed with Ashley made her uncomfortable. It was amazing how moving to a strange place and living under an assumed identity had tarnished her social skills. Go figure.

She fired a few more rounds, then pushed the button to slide the target toward her. Not bad. Well, except for the few shots that had missed the shaded figure completely and imbedded in the white paper background. One round had come dangerously close to the heart. For a moment, her mind superimposed Bryce’s face over the silhouette.

She replaced the target with a new one and slid it back out. She steadied and took aim, firing into the head of the silhouette.

“You’re not following through.”

“Jesus.” Startled, she whirled and came face to face with Agent Luke Butler. “What the hell?” she gasped as the air left her body. She couldn’t decide if she were more surprised or angry at his sudden appearance.

“You need to keep everything the same even after the shot breaks. Just pretend you’re continuing to fire after the shot’s gone.”

“I’m not talking about the freaking lesson. What the hell are you doing here?” Her heart rate kicked up a notch and she blamed it on his scaring the hell out of her. “You know, it’s not the smartest thing in the world, sneaking up on someone with a gun in their hand.”

His eyebrows lifted in mock horror. “Were you going to shoot me?”

“I could have. How did you get back here?”

“FBI credentials can get you anywhere.” He nodded toward the Ruger. “Wanna put that down?”

She placed the gun on the table and wiped her damp palms on her khaki cargo pants.

“What are you doing here? Did you find Bryce?”

“No, not yet.” He shook his head but he said it with confidence. Like he knew it was only a matter of time. “Is there somewhere we can go to talk? Maybe get something to drink?”

“I don’t drink,” she blurted. “Well, not alcohol anyway.” She felt her face flush, certain he hadn’t meant alcohol. It was barely eight a.m.

He grinned. “Coffee then?”

“There’s a coffee shop inside. Will that work?”

“Sure.”

She slid the safety in place on her Ruger and slipped it back into the holster. Removing her protective glasses, she led him inside. They ordered coffee at the counter and settled into a booth.

She looked at him across the table, noticing for the first time that he’d lost weight. The skin on his face seemed tight and his eyes held a haunted look. But they were the same intense amber she remembered from their first meeting. His dark hair was longer and a hint of whiskers covered his cheeks and upper lip. She’d always found scruff sexy. Damn. She didn’t want to find anything about him sexy.

“How did you find me?” she asked. “I thought the US Marshals were the only ones that knew my location. For that matter, how did you know I was here at the range?”

“I followed you from your apartment.” He admitted without a hint of shame. “And as far as locating you, let’s just say that I have friends that owed me favors.”

“So you’re not here officially?”

He didn’t answer. He stared at her for a moment and she noticed something in his eyes she didn’t like. Suspicion.

“How much do you know about your husband’s past?” he asked.

She shrugged and took a sip of coffee. “Not a lot. Both his parents died. He was an only child. His father passed away about a year before I met him. He left the floundering family business to Bryce. Bryce moved the business to St. Louis and made it a mega million-dollar empire. I met him when I worked for his accounting firm.”

“Did he ever mention someone named Tracy?”

Tracy. The name Sal called her from time to time. “What is this about?”

Luke studied her closely. “Did he ever tell you he was married?”

“Bryce was married before I met him?”

“He was still married
when
you met him.”

“I don’t understand.”

He took a drink of his coffee. Once again, he didn’t reply. He regarded her skeptically. Did he think she was lying to him? What reason would she have to lie?

“I don’t understand,” she repeated with an edge to her voice.

“DiMarco was already married when he married you. He never divorced his first wife.”

Stunned but not hurt, she shook her head. There was even more she hadn’t known about her husband. Then the true implication sank in. That meant that Bryce
wasn’t
her husband. She was never legally married to him.

“That’s actually good news.” She smiled in relief. “Wonderful news, in fact.”

“I’m not sure the first Mrs. DiMarco would agree.”

“Where is she now?”

“Dead,” Luke replied bluntly. “She was found murdered a few days ago.”

“Oh, my God.” Jade’s hands shook. She gripped the coffee mug tightly between her fingers. “Bryce?”

“We’re pretty certain it was. Take comfort in the fact that she was far from innocent. Not that I’m saying she deserved what happened to her, but she had a criminal record a mile long.” His eyes narrowed and his mouth turned down at the corners. “DiMarco seemed to have a way with women. A way to convince them to go along with his schemes.”

Again, he gave her that eagle eyed look. As if he were trying to discover her secrets.

“Are you accusing me of something, Agent Butler?”

“Are you aware that there’s an account in the Cayman Islands in your name with a balance of five million?”

She sat in stunned silence for a moment. Five million dollars? Why would Bryce do that? He hadn’t told her about it, so obviously it was for his own benefit. She shook her head and looked at Luke.

She hadn’t missed the sarcasm in his tone. His habit of ignoring her questions and asking his own was starting to wear on her nerves. “No, I wasn’t. But I don’t think it really matters what I tell you. You’ve already made up your mind about me.”

“You seem pretty defensive for someone with nothing to hide.”

She sat up and balled her fists on the tabletop. “That’s enough,” she exploded. “If you suspect me of something, just say it. Ask your damned questions, make your accusations and get it over with. I’m not going to sit here and play your sick little game of cat and mouse.”

“Right now, I don’t know what to believe. My main concern is finding your husband. No matter what it takes.”

“Well, harassing me is probably not the best way to go about it.” Tears clogged her throat. Damn the man. She wanted to be angry, not hurt. “You seem to forget that I was a victim too.”

He leaned back in the booth and draped his arm along the rear of the seat. His eyes dropped to the scar on her neck, visible above the ribbed tank top she wore. His features seemed to soften a little. “You’re right. I’m not accusing you of anything. I’m just trying to get to the truth.”

Not exactly an apology, but at least a change of attitude. She’d settle for that at the moment. “I’d like the truth too. And I’d damn sure like for you to find Bryce.”

“Why didn’t you tell us about Sal Giamatti?”

Another accusation? To hell with him if he didn’t trust her. Trust was overrated anyway. “I didn’t think it was important. I never thought to say anything.”

“It never occurred to you that we should watch him? See if DiMarco tried to visit him?”

She shook her head. “I guess I assumed you’d know about his family. Sal’s his uncle. What kind of investigators wouldn’t know that?”

“Sal’s not his uncle. He’s a crime figure who took DiMarco in and gave him a job. DiMarco did his dirty work until he proved himself and Giamatti made him his right hand man.”