Lethal Affair (42 page)

“
We've been all over this
place.” Kylie panted. “Guess he's not a morning person. We'll try
again this afternoon.”

Leaving the park they loped across a
wide expanse of lawn where the long shadows of trees spanned
across, the rising sun at their backs. They were almost at the
roadway. Feeling jaunty now, Jolene turned and ran backward, facing
Kylie. She grinned, squinting into the sunlight...

...and saw a silhouette loom up behind
Kylie, materializing out of thin air! Her startled scream had Kylie
trying to turn but overcompensating, tripping herself up as she
tumbled to the ground.

The figure came out of the sun and
into sharp focus. It was the jogger who had passed them on the way
in. He came to a skidding stop.

“
Oh God! I'm sorry. I didn't
mean to scare you.” He reached down and offered Kylie a hand
up.

She wasn't having it. Heart hammering
in her chest, she grasped her throbbing ankle instead.

“
What the hell do you think
you're doing sneaking up on us like that?” Jolene snapped,
squatting beside Kylie.

He squatted on Kylie's other side. “I
just wanted to know if you had the time, that's all.”

Calming, Jolene glared at him. He was
good looking and if she'd been in the market she might have flirted
with him, but between Lyle and this morning's assignment, she was
all out of niceties.

Where the hell was Crane and his crew?
Weren't they concerned about who this guy was? Were they even out
here right now?

Kylie's breathing slowed as her heart
rate followed suit. Her ankle was starting to swell and her body
was cooling too fast from having stopped so suddenly.

“
Help me up,” she said, and
got two pairs of arms doing just that.

On her feet, she hobbled and then
faltered. Instantly the jogger was holding her up but she shrugged
him off and took hold of Jolene instead. It was obvious she
wouldn't be able to go further on her own.

The jogger was insistent. “I feel
responsible. At least let me help you to your car, or wherever.” He
looked genuinely upset.

“
We're okay,” said Kylie
defensively. “Just go about your business. Leave. Vamoose. Be
gone!”

With a stunned look that bordered on
disbelief, the jogger took off at a slow pace, looking back over
his shoulder and shaking his head. He disappeared down a side
street, hitting his stride once again.

Jolene had her cell phone in an
armband. She called Lyle and asked him to come and get
them.

Crane's people never made an
appearance.

*

“
We couldn't break cover!”
spouted Crane. On his cell, he took a deep breath and counted to
ten. Anger was something he didn't need right now, and Will
Delaney's ire was a thing to be admired.

“
That fucking jogger could
have been Hammond!”

“
It wasn't. We were sure of
that, but Hammond's a sneaky bastard and we didn't know if he was
somewhere nearby, watching. If we would've closed in when she fell
it would be game over right now. We've got to keep going until he
takes the bait.”

“
What about Kylie's ankle?
She's got an ice pack on it and might need crutches for God's sake.
Running in the park is no longer an option.”

“
Then she'll just have to go
about her daily routine and when the opportunity presents itself
we'll...”

“
Are you joking? Do you have
enough manpower to keep her surrounded by undercover officers all
the time?”

“
We're borrowing personnel
from other departments and they've been lining up to help since
Hammond took down Stacie Hoyle. It's Kylie he wants, but he's
taking out innocent people as collateral damage. How many more
victims must there be to make you understand how vital this
operation is?”

Will digested Crane's tirade. His bark
became a resigned growl. “Fine. I get it. So what now?”

“
We wait. Mr. Delaney, rest
assured we'll never be far from Miss Lambert no matter what she
does. We'll be watching her every move, making sure she's
safe.”

“
After all that's happened,
I sincerely hope so.”

Will clicked off his phone and went
back into his living room where Kylie was settled on the couch
watching TV, her ankle on a pillow with a bag of frozen peas over
it. He rearranged his anxious features and shot her a grin. “How
about some lunch?”

* * * *

CHAPTER TWENTY
ONE

Drew was amused.

They'd actually thought he would make
a grab for Kylie right there in the park. He knew it was all a
ploy, with Crane and his lackeys waiting to nab him. Had the jogger
been a plant, an actor in the girls' little play? He'd find out
soon enough, because their performance had inspired him and he'd
formulated the perfect way to isolate Kylie and make her his very
own captive audience.

Humming to himself, Drew raised his
binoculars and homed in on a figure as it arrived to a gate, went
through and then entered a small cottage.

He committed the address to memory,
got back on his all terrain bicycle and sped off down the pretty
cherry tree lined street.

*

Twenty four hours in her apartment and
Kylie was going mad!

Her boss Margie had insisted she stay
off work for a week while the worst of her twisted ankle healed.
She was already feeling stronger; either that or the pain killers
were really good.

She tried reading, always a favorite
pastime, but couldn't concentrate. Daytime TV left a lot to be
desired. Remembering Jay Humphrey's suggestion, she booted up
Jolene's computer and went on line to Youtube, calling up self
defense videos. Intrigued, she practiced a few basic moves with the
fervent hope she'd never have to put any of them to the test.
Countless videos later she was going cross eyed and had to stop
even that.

With the four walls closing in, what
she really needed was to get out. Will, Jolene and Lyle were all at
work. Who else might be free?

Just as she reached for the phone, it
rang. She looked at caller I.D. “Hi Mom. You're a mind reader. I
was just about to call you. What's up?”

Rita's voice was a little too cheery.
“Hello kitten. I'm wondering if you're up for a wheelchair ride. We
can take in the flea market downtown and then I'll take you for
lunch at one of those outdoor restaurants along the harbor. That
way we can enjoy the last dregs of this summer weather. How about
it?”

Seemed safe enough. Late summer
tourists still packed the causeway along the harbor front, safety
in numbers and all. If Rita had suggested a place less populated
she wouldn't have gone for it; not with her mother anyway. She'd
insisted that her parents be kept in the dark about what she
bemusedly referred to as operation bait and snag. Rita's plan
seemed benign enough to keep them both out of harm's
way.

“
Sounds good, Mom. But let's
nix the wheelchair. I'll wait for you at street level.”

As instructed, Kylie called in her
intentions to Crane, then headed out utilizing the cane Crane had
brought her in lieu of crutches. It took a while but Kylie managed
to navigate the stairs down to the street just as Rita pulled up in
her nifty late model Volkswagen Beetle.

“
Oh sweetie,” Rita crooned
through the open window, “are you up for this? Let's skip the
strolling part and go straight to the restaurant.”

Kylie climbed into the passenger seat.
“Are you kidding? I'm going bonkers lolling around the apartment.
All my other body parts have taken up a petition against my ankle.
They're not used to all this sitting around; they need to
move.”

“
That's one of the things I
love about you, your constant pep. Got that from me I think. Your
father's turning into a couch potato and I refuse to follow
suit.”

“
Well then, let's get this
fine chariot of yours rolling.”

They lucked out and found a parking
spot along the waterfront just off of Bastion Square. Nestled
between Government and Wharf streets with historical buildings
rising on either side, the square was more of a long rectangle
where vendors set up their stalls flea market style, attracting
throngs of tourists throughout the summer months. At the harbor end
were several sidewalk restaurants. A busy thoroughfare, today was
no exception as both tourists and locals alike were out in full
force, taking in the last warm summer weather.

Arm in arm the two women made their
way, stopping to snoop, to marvel, to admire. All manner of artisan
stalls held their interest: jewelry, carvings, hand woven
materials, dream catchers, hand made pottery and blown glass. Who
better to drool over it with than her mother, thought Kylie. It was
something they both enjoyed immensely.

One of the stalls caught Kylie's
discerning eye with its collection of intricately carved soapstone
animals. Small enough to fit into the palm of her hand, a seal with
huge eyes and actual whiskers embedded into its bluish stone face
reminded her of Max. Hadn't he said he wanted to be a marine
biologist?

She smiled at the First Nations
vendor. “How much?”

He named his price. “If you take
three, I'll give them to you for half.”

Kylie knew how hard these artisans
worked to produce their treasures and didn't bother
haggling.

“
Deal! Give me that whale,
this seal and that starfish, the one with the little curling
fingertips. Can you wrap them as a gift?”

“
You got it.” While the
vendor placed the trio in a bed of tissue paper in a small
decorative box, Rita asked, “I take it they're for Max?”

“
Yes. I'll courier them over
to Vancouver. It'll be a nice surprise, don't you
think?”

Rita gazed at her approvingly. “I want
to hear all about Will Delaney's son. Ready for lunch?”

Kylie paid the vendor. “My ankle says
yes. It's starting to throb again.”

With Rita supporting Kylie, they moved
through the now denser crowd toward the waterfront.

Someone jostled her and she dropped
the box containing the soapstone figures. The package never made it
to the ground as a hand snaked out and caught it in mid fall.
Turning, she looked into the face of the good Samaritan jogger from
Beacon Hill Park. His handsome features were distorted, his eyes
bulging with panic as he held her package in a death
grip.

Kylie's smile of gratitude faded. This
couldn't be good. Knowing nothing of operation bait and snag, Rita
looked on neutrally.

“
You!” Kylie uttered. “Are
you part of this?”

He could barely speak. “I've been
given instructions. Please, it's imperative that you come with
me.”

Rita pulled Kylie close. “Who is this
man?” she growled, a tigress protecting her young.

His focus included Rita now. “This
crowd... can we find a place to talk?”

Kylie spotted a niche where the noise
level might be less intrusive. Taking back her package and hobbling
over, Kylie asked, “What's your name?”

“
It's Paul. Paul Stokes. I
know who you are.” He paused, under duress. “Boy do I know who you
are!”

Rita held out her hand. “I'm Rita,
Kylie's mother.”

“
Okay Rita, Kylie's mother,
I need you to go away now and for Kylie to come with
me.”

“
You're not making sense,”
snapped Kylie, her own panic level rising. Paul Stokes's agitation
was contagious.

“
He's got my wife and baby
girl!”

Kylie's stomach dropped as she filled
with dread. “Go on.”

It poured out of him in a waterfall of
words. “He said you'll know how important it is that you do what he
says. He must have followed me home from the park yesterday after I
ran into you and your friend.”

Kylie gripped his arm. “Where does he
have your family?”

Paul's desperation was acute. “He
stayed with us all day yesterday. He had a knife. He tied me and
Sela up.” A sob broke free before he contained it. “Ruby's only
three months old. He took them away this morning, said they'd be
okay as long as I persuade you to come with me. Oh God! Is he going
to kill them?”

Rita tried to speak but Kylie stopped
her. “Paul! Stay focused. Tell me what he wants me to do.” Out of
the corner of her eye Kylie saw a couple edging closer. They both
wore earpieces.

Paul gulped in air. “He wants you to
come with me, no fuss, no drawing attention to ourselves. He said
that since you like acting so much, you need to pretend that we're
old friends who have just run into one another. He said if you
don't do it right, he'll dump Ruby down a sewer drain someplace and
we'll never find her and that Sela won't be as lucky as that! What
the hell does that mean?”

He was shaking now. Kylie felt
overwhelmed while Rita stared at her in alarm. “Listen to me, both
of you. I'm working with a police team and they're monitoring us.
See that couple right behind me? They're undercover cops and I'm
the bait. It looks like Drew has taken it, only not quite the way
we thought he might.”