L.A.P.D. Special Investigations Series, Boxed Set: The Deceived, The Taken & The Silent (62 page)

As she climbed the stairs, he said, “I’ll be leaving in the morning.”

***

For Jordan, morning came too soon. And too often. Once at 2:00 a.m., again at 3:00 a.m. and now at 6:00 a.m. And each time he woke up, all he could think about was Laura. She was an admirable person, someone who cared more about others than herself. He liked her sense of humor, her forthright personality. No wondering where you stood with her. Then there were her eyes, and her soft lips, and how perfectly she fit into his arms.

He probably shouldn’t have kissed her, but he was glad he had. He liked her; she obviously liked him. What could be the harm?

Yeah, right. No harm at all. If he wasn’t deceiving her. If he wasn’t trying to get information from her about Kolnikov and DeMatta.

He hadn’t actually lied to her, but he hadn’t been fully truthful, either. His motives for solving a murder and taking down a mob boss were one thing. His reasons for helping her, another. He cared about her. Cared about her and her daughter. Knowing they were in danger—and not knowing why—made him feel helpless. A feeling that burned like acid in his gut.

Finally he got up, went to the kitchen, made some coffee and flipped on the small TV on the counter.

“Unrelenting rains in the Valley are causing major backups on Highway 10, at the El Toro Y at 5 and 405. Mud slides in the Malibu Hills and farther north may make it necessary for residents to evacuate their homes. There are reports of heavy snow in the mountains above six thousand feet. Roads are closed on Highway 330 at Redlands and on 18 through Lucerne Valley. Don’t travel if you don’t have to.”

Damn. He walked to the window and peered out. Snow blanketed everything, the white so bright it hurt his eyes. The pines were so heavy with snow, he couldn’t see the green. He couldn’t even see the snowman they’d made.

Grabbing a jacket, he headed for the garage, then opened the side door. Snowdrifts. Five feet tall. One stab at the button to open the garage door told him either the mechanism was frozen, or there was too much snow against the door. He picked up a shovel, intending to cut a path from the side door, but after a couple of swipes, he realized it was futile.

Great. His only option was to call for a snowplow, but if he couldn’t get one, he wasn’t going anywhere for a while. He pulled out his cell phone and surprisingly got a signal. After contacting headquarters to let them know he was tied up, he left a message for Mary Beth to call him if she’d had any luck getting a name for the head of the Belzar Corporation. He went back inside to look up the number for someone with a snowplow to come out.

“Good morning,” Laura greeted him as he walked into the kitchen.

“Good morning. How did you sleep?”

“Like a baby. Caitlin is still asleep.”

“Understandable. It’s early.” He indicated the coffeepot. “Would you like some?”

“Thank you.”

“We had a snow dump last night. The road is closed and the drifts are covering the doors.”

Her eyes went wide. “What will you do?”

He handed her a mug as well as a half-gallon milk carton from the refrigerator. “I contacted the captain, said I’ll be gone another day. If I can get a snowplow out here, or the sun melts some of the drifts so I can use the snowblower, I can get out.”

“But if the roads are closed…”

He shrugged. “We’ll see.”

Taking her mug, Laura walked to the table in the breakfast nook. “That means your cell phone works.”

“So far so good.” He punched in the number for the plowing company and left a message. “I guess I’m not going anywhere for a while.”

She glanced out the bank of windows. “Well, last night you said you wanted to talk. I guess this gives us the opportunity, doesn’t it?”

He sat next to her. “About last night…”

She looked directly at him. “I’m fine with last night. Forget about it.”

Okay. The forget-about-it part was good. Especially since he’d come to the same conclusion. A relationship between them would only hurt her in the end. Apparently she felt the same. Good. Except for the twinge of disappointment he was suddenly feeling said he wasn’t so sure he wanted her to blow it off so easily.

“Anything else?”

“Yes, I’d like to make sure you have everything you need to stay here. And…I’d like it if you could give me more information so I can do further investigation while I’m gone. I really do want to help you resolve whatever it is that’s hanging over your head.”

She stiffened.

He placed a hand on hers. “This is a great place, Laura. It’s safe and secure, but you know you can’t stay here indefinitely. There’s Cait’s school…and the shelter. The reality is that you probably can’t stay anywhere long enough to make this stalker go away. Stalkers aren’t like other criminals. They keep coming back.”

Her expression hardened. “I know. I’ve dealt with stalkers before at the shelter. But once you find out who the car belongs to, you can do something about it. Right?”

“That’s the problem. I haven’t found out anything. The license number you gave me wasn’t traceable. We’re still working on it, but there’s no guarantee we’ll get anything. I want to help you, and to do that, I really need to know what’s going on.”

Her face paled. Slowly, she rose to her feet, and in a low, firm voice, she said, “I can’t. I can’t tell you anything more.”

“You can tell me who threatened you.”

She didn’t answer.

“I brought you here because it’s a place I knew no one would ever think to find you. But no place is safe forever. You can’t run forever, either. Think of Cait.”

She whirled around, anger flaring in her eyes. “I always think of Cait. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t thinking of her.” Her hands on the counter, she bowed her head in frustration. Her voice cracked when she said, “She’s my life.”

“W-what’s wrong, Mommy?”

Both Laura and Jordan turned.

Cait stood in the doorway in her jammies, clearly terrified.

“Nothing’s wrong, honey. Nothing at all,” Laura said, hurrying to her daughter. “Jordan and I were simply having a discussion, and sometimes adults get loud when they discuss things.”

“Good morning,” Jordan said with a salute. He hoped the kid hadn’t heard too much. “How’d you sleep?”

Laura knelt down and hugged her.

“Good. I’m hungry.”

Jordan walked to the fridge and peered inside. Then he went to the pantry and looked inside. “Okay…we’ve got Cocoa Puffs, Cheerios, oatmeal and eggs.”

“Cocoa Puffs. They’re my favorite.”

He glanced at Laura for her okay. She nodded.

“Cocoa Puffs it is.”

“Can we make another snowman today?”

“It snowed a whole bunch last night,” Laura told Cait.

The child’s eyes lit up. “Then we can make lots of snowmen.”

Jordan laughed. “If we can shovel ourselves out the door, we’ll make a whole family.”

“And an igloo. Eskimos live in igloos, so snowmen must live there, too, because they like the cold.”

“Makes sense.” Jordan nodded. “Whatever you want.”

“Oh, boy,” Laura said. “You’ll regret you ever said that. She’ll hold you to it.”

Glad to see Laura had lightened up, he poured a bowl of cereal for himself. “Not bad,” he said after his first bite. “I may have to put Cocoa Puffs on my grocery list in the future.”

Cait giggled. “Cocoa Puffs aren’t as good for you as oatmeal. My mom says so.”

“You’ve got a very smart mom,” he said, eyeing Laura. “She knows what’s best for you.”

She just didn’t know how to let someone help her.

But before he left, he was going to find out exactly how to do that.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

LAURA SIPPED HER cocoa as she watched Jordan and Cait play Monopoly on the floor in front of the fire. She’d been the first one out of the game and wasn’t too proud of it. But her heart warmed seeing Cait have so much fun. It was obvious Cait idolized Jordan. She couldn’t help thinking how much fuller life would be for Cait if she had a real family. If they were a real family. For her, too.

They’d spent most of the morning watching DVDs and playing games. Cait was impatient to go outside, but Jordan hadn’t been able to make a dent in the snow-drift outside the door.

But the sun was out now, and it looked as if he’d be able to try again soon.

“I won! I won!” Cait jumped up. Then she added, “But you did really good, Jordan.”

Cait’s expression was so serious, Laura had to laugh. “Well, he certainly did better than me.”

Jordan got up, too. “I think it’s time to work off some energy. Get your coats on and we’ll tackle the snow again.”

An hour later they had a small path from the back door to the middle of the yard. The first thing Cait did was to shovel out the snowman from the day before. And then they created the rest of the snowman family. By the time they finished everything, including a makeshift igloo, the sun had dropped behind the mountain and, even though it was only four o’clock, it seemed much later.

“We should have a place like this,” Cait said as she packed another snowball. “We could have this much fun all the time.”

Laura nearly choked. “That would be great, sweetie. But it takes a lot of money to buy a place like this,” she said, lowering her voice so Jordan didn’t hear. “Lots of money.”

Cait kept patting the snowball. “We have money. The money in the brown package.”

Laura’s heart stalled. DeMatta had given the package to her three years ago at Eddie’s funeral. How could Cait remember? She glanced furtively at Jordan, hoping he wasn’t paying attention.

“No, we don’t.” She turned, grabbed some more snow and tried to look busy.

“But I saw it in your room. I…I opened it just a little. It must be ours if it was in your room.”

“It’s not ours, and that’s that.” Laura gritted her teeth. “And I don’t want you to talk about it ever again.”

Tears welled in Cait’s eyes. Immediately, she wanted to take back the words. She never talked to her daughter that harshly. She reached to hug Cait. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.” She kept her voice to a whisper. “I just meant the money isn’t ours to spend. You know, like the money I get in grants to pay for the shelter.” It wasn’t exactly the truth, but it wasn’t a lie, either. The money wasn’t theirs to spend. She was aghast that Cait had ever come across it.

When she looked up, Jordan was watching them. Had he heard what she’d said? Would it matter if he did? He wouldn’t have a clue what they were talking about. She could have gotten money for the shelter from a benefactor, or she could’ve saved it. She put an arm around Cait’s shoulder. “Come on. I think it’s time to go in and have dinner.” She waved at Jordan and called out, “We’re going inside now.”

Jordan didn’t follow. Instead she watched him get out the snowblower and start clearing the driveway. After a few minutes, Laura poked her head out and asked, “Shall I make something for dinner?”

At first he didn’t seem to hear her, but finally he stopped and turned off the motor. “There are frozen dinners in the freezer and plenty of food in the fridge. Make something for yourselves. I’ll catch a bite later.”

“Are you sure? I can make something and save you a plate.”

“I’m sure.” He started the motor again, the growling roar made louder as it echoed off the mountains.

His tone had seemed sharp. Maybe he was simply frustrated about not getting back to L.A., to his job. Lord knew he’d wasted enough time getting her settled. And then the snowstorm prevented him from leaving. If it snowed again tonight, all his work would be wasted. She’d be frustrated, too.

When Jordan came in two hours later covered in snow, Laura couldn’t help but laugh. “You look like one of the snowmen.”

“I bet.” He shrugged off his jacket. “Where’s Cait?”

“In bed. She practically fell asleep in the tub.” She took his boots and set them in the mudroom. “I made spaghetti, there’s some left in the fridge. I can warm it up when you’re ready.”

He looked surprised. “Spaghetti?”

“I found some Ragú sauce and a box of angel-hair pasta. Would you like some? I warm it up for you?”

“Thanks, but I can do it after I shower. I need to warm myself up first.”

“Okay, when you’re done, then.”

He gave her a half smile. “You can’t quit mothering, can you.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

His smile widened, and not for the first time, she marveled at how even his teeth were…like a toothpaste commercial. Unlike hers with that one bottom tooth overlapping the other a little. He’d probably had braces as a kid.

“Not at all. I’m just not used to it.”

She eased onto one of the rustic pine stools at the counter. “How about something hot to drink? Cocoa? That’ll warm you.”

He came over and took her by the arms. “I’m fine. I’m used to taking care of myself. You should stop worrying about everyone else and enjoy having a break from catering to others all the time.”

Maybe, but this was different. He’d helped her and Cait so much, she could never repay him. It wasn’t even just that. She wanted to do things for him. It felt good. “Actually, except for Cait, I don’t get to wait on others too much. Mostly I teach people how to do things for themselves. So, it’s kind of fun to switch it up.”

He touched her cheek. Was he going to kiss her again? She wanted him to. A lot.

Her palms suddenly felt moist, her heart lodged in her throat. She wanted him to kiss her like he did last night—only this time, she didn’t want it to end there.

“I’ll eat later,” he said, casual, nonchalant—and obviously oblivious of what was running through her mind—then left to take his shower.

And she needed one, too. An icy one.

***

Jordan toweled off, still thinking about what he’d overheard outside. Money in a brown package. The mention of it had significantly upset Laura. What was that all about?

Had someone given her the money? Was it her ex-husband’s? Was it payment for something? Why had she reacted so harshly when her daughter asked about it? He’d never seen her even talk loudly to Cait, much less raise her voice in anger.

But the more he thought about it, the more he felt like an ass. This was Laura, a woman he respected. The woman seemed to have everything together, a strong work ethic, gritty determination and a solid sense of who she was. So many women he’d been involved with were only interested in a meal ticket, a guy who could support them in the manner to which they wanted to be, or stay, accustomed.

He lathered his face with shaving lotion and scraped off yesterday’s growth. Realist that he was, he couldn’t blame everything on the women he’d been involved with. He’d always been drawn to women he could protect, women who needed him. He had to take the rap for some bad choices there. Had to examine his own motives.

Pulling on a heavy sweater and a clean pair of jeans, he realized he might’ve hit on the reason he was drawn to Laura. She was nothing like the women in his past. Protection wasn’t something she wanted. And she didn’t seem to have a needy bone in her body. Not even when she should.

Well, there was a fine line between independence and bullheadedness, and this was one of them. When he went back to L.A. he’d get all the information he could to cement his case. The name of the guy in the black car would be a good start.

His stomach growled. Spaghetti was sounding better and better.

As he walked into the living room, the scent of cedar wafted through the room. A fire was just starting to flame in the fireplace. He grinned. She certainly wasn’t afraid to make herself at home.

“Hi. You’re just in time,” she said when he came into the kitchen.

“Something smells good.”

“The spaghetti’s in the microwave.” She went to the refrigerator. “I made a salad, too, using some of the stuff you bought for sandwiches. Nothing fancy. Just some lettuce, tomatoes and onions. And I found some vinegar and oil.”

“Sounds too healthy.”

She brought a plate of spaghetti to the table where she’d already laid out the flatware, a napkin and a glass of water. “I guess it’s healthy enough except for the carbs.”

As he sat, she dropped into the chair next to him and leaned forward on an elbow, her chin resting on her palm.

He narrowed his gaze. “You’re not one of those diet health freaks, are you?”

She tipped her head back and laughed. “Not a chance. I’m the quintessential junk-food junkie. But I have to do the healthy thing for Cait and the girls. At home, I have to keep my stash hidden.”

She never failed to surprise him. He twirled the spaghetti on his fork and took a bite. “It’s good.” He kept eating as she continued to watch him.

“Do you think you’ll be able to get back to L.A. tomorrow?”

“I’m counting on it. But I’ll be back here as soon as I can.”

She tapped her fingernails against the tabletop. “We’ll be fine.”

“I have no doubt.”

“Do you think you’ve run into a dead end on the black car?”

He caught her gaze. “Maybe. Maybe not. Can you think of anything you didn’t tell me before? Anything that might identify the car or the driver? Any clue about the passenger—how tall, what she was wearing, her hair color, a bumper sticker…anything.”

She looked away—guiltily, he thought.

He nudged harder. “It’s common for witnesses to remember things later when they’ve had a chance to think about what happened.”

Her back went rigid. She looked straight at him, eyes narrowing. “When did I become a witness?”

Wrong choice of words. “You know what I mean.”

“I’m afraid I do.”