Love Story (13 page)

Nick jumped in. “Staff contact information is confidential. I’m sure she’s all right.”

The older man’s features hardened. “How can you be sure? I need to hear for myself.”

All Nick’s police instincts went on alert. “If you have a problem, you can take it up with Ms. Martin, the head curator for her division.”

The man raised his chin, and for a minute, the expression in his eyes was anything but old and confused. “I’m not happy about this,” he said and wheeled out.

Jay scowled. “That was weird.”

“The old guy has a crush on her.” Marianne glanced at Jay. “Seems to be going around.”

Nick shook his head. The guy’s behavior
was
weird.

She was in Ana’s OB-GYN office, surrounded by pictures of babies. Ana was nowhere in sight. The same nurse as the last time came out, but now she said, “Ms. Ludzecky, the doctor will see you.”

Elizabeita
went into the exam room and lay down on the table. But why? Ana was pregnant, not her. She’d ask the doctor when he came in.

Which was soon. And he was smiling. “I have wonderful news for you. You’re pregnant. Not far along, but the little one is there. Congratulations.”

Elizabeita awoke with a start. She was at the lake house, on the couch, accompanied by only the sound of the waves.
Not in a doctor’s office. Not pregnant. The first emotion that surged through her was disappointment. It had been such joyous news. But hell, she couldn’t handle that now, too. And besides, she and Nick had used birth control every single time they’d made love. Of course she didn’t want his baby. Of course not.

Feeling groggy, she stood. And the room spun. She’d gotten up too fast. Holding
on to the arm of the couch, she waited for everything to settle down, then headed to the kitchen for a glass of water. Or coffee, maybe she’d make coffee to wake herself up.

She fixed some hazelnut in the Keurig and, standing by the sink, she sipped it. Yuck. She spit it out.

It was then that awareness came. She flew into the bedroom and got out her phone. Called up her calendar. She swallowed
hard. Her cycle, never exact, was twenty-four to thirty days. She and Nick had made love for the first time two weeks ago. So no need to panic. No symptoms would manifest this soon.

Still…she’d thrown up Sunday at the pub. But hell, who wouldn’t have when she’d gotten such disturbing news? Yet, Lizzie had a cast-iron stomach. And there had been the dizziness just now, and on the roller coaster.
Her heart started to beat fast. After Ana conceived, she could no longer tolerate the taste of coffee.

And then there was the dream.

She remembered telling Sofia about them last summer…

I have feelings, like Matka’s dreams. And sometimes I have those, too. Not as often, or intense, but when I was little, I knew Matka was sick that time she had to go to the hospital. When Luke was in
that gym with the kid and the bomb, I woke up that day sick to my stomach. The time Caterina got shot, I sensed she was hurt. And I was awake when the guys got killed, and I knew something was wrong.

Dear Lord in heaven, please…

Problem was, Elizabeita didn’t know what she was praying for.

Nia looked over at Paulina in the front seat of her car. She was trying not
to panic. “What do you think it is?”

“Something serious to make her come home early. And to ask us to drive into the city.”

“It’s probably about Nick Caseman or Casella I guess. They both were genuinely distraught on Sunday. But this feels like something different, or more, at least. I’m worried about her.”

Paulina nodded. “Me, too.”

“I’m, um, worried about us, too.” Nia’s expression
turned dark. “Because life has taken such wonderful turns for us both, that this might be another dark period for our family.”

“It always enters my mind, too, when someone calls late at night, or is upset and we don’t know why. I don’t want to be sad again, Nia. I don’t want you to be, either.”

They found a parking spot easily. And were at the front door in minutes. Elizabeita called down,
“Come on up.”

Paulina blew out a heavy breath. “She sounds awful.”

When the buzzer rang, Nia opened the door and saw a concierge behind the desk. He grinned. “More beautiful Ludzecky sisters.”

They’d been here a lot to see Mags and Lizzie. Nia read his tag. “Hey, Eddie. Yeah, we came to see Elizabeita.”

“I’m glad she’s back.”

In the elevator on the way up, Nia sighed. “That
means she did go away. I thought she was home, hunkering down.”

Her sister flushed. And Nia knew.

“You came over here, didn’t you?”

“I was worried. And I met Adam yesterday for lunch. I couldn’t help myself. The same guy at the desk said that she was gone.”

“I wish I’d thought to do that.”

The door was ajar to the condo and the twins walked in. They found Elizabeita on the
couch in the living room. Wearing a baby-pink shirt, with her hair in a ponytail, she looked exceptionally vulnerable. Both rushed over, flanked her and took a hand.

Paulina decided to take control. “Tell us outright what it is. Don’t try to prepare us.”

From beneath the cover she had over her lap, she drew out a pen. No, wait. It was a thermometer. No, it was…

“Is that what I think
it is?” Nia asked.

Elizabeita nodded.

Nia gasped. “How far along?”

“Believe it or not, a little over two weeks.”

“Can you find out that early?”

A nervous giggle. “Apparently so. Besides, I had a dream yesterday. I have them, like
Matka
.”

“Is it the cop?” Paulina asked, none too happy with what had happened with Casella.

“It has to be about him.” Elizabeita’s voice was
raw.

Nia squeezed her hand. “Honey, no matter what, new life is something to be celebrated.”

Paulina frowned. “Don’t jump the gun here, either of you. You have choices, Lizzie.”

“I’m not sure, even knowing this, if I can ever be with Nick. Trust him.”

She sighed. “That’s not what I meant. It’s early in the pregnancy. You don’t have to…have the child.” Paulina saw Nia bite her lip.
Their views were different, she knew.

Shaking her head, Elizabeita gave a sad smile. “Of course I do, Paulie. Nia’s right. No matter what happens, this is something to be celebrated. I wanted you here to…I don’t know, be with me. It’s scary and wonderful at the same time. I needed you.”

Both sisters hugged her tight. “We’re here, honey,” Nia said. “We always will be, now and after that
little darling you’re carrying is born.”

“She’s right about that, kiddo.” Paulina put her hand on Elizabeita’s stomach. “You aren’t in this alone.”

Not expecting Elizabeita back at work until tomorrow, Nick decided the best thing he could do while she was away was to work hard at finding the emailer. He entered the security office to find that Will had already arrived.
After greetings, Nick said, “I think we should check out Ellen Pratt as a possible perpetrator, and Jay Lewis, too.”

“Ellen?” Will’s brows rose. “Cyber Crimes Threat Assessment says she has a high probability of being a target.”

“I know. But I got a gut feeling about her this morning. Her and the kid, who has a big-time crush on Elizabeita.”

“What’d be the motivation?”

“If it’s
Pratt, she might be trying to make Elizabeita quit. I think Pratt’s fallen behind her in advancement in the department.”

“What about the intern?”

“I can take a guess. The kid makes her a target. Maybe he thinks he can play hero, be there for her, save her somehow? Kooks aren’t rational, Will.”

“You’re right.”

“What do you want to do?”

“I’m not sure yet. Let me think about it.”

Off in the bowels of the old building, the employee crept to the small room behind the boiler. No one even knew the space was here, since the cellar was so big and there were a lot of walled-off areas.

The door shut, secreting everything in. The room was small but big enough for what hung on the wall over a desk—probably fifty pictures, gathered over the course of the last
few months. With a blonde in every single one.

Elizabeita went to work on Thursday morning, oddly calm. And oddly happy. Talking with Paulina and Nia yesterday had clarified one thing: the life inside her
was
something to be celebrated. And this was probably going to be her only chance at having a child. A baby.

I don’t have a nuclear family. I probably never will. My gang of sisters, brother, nieces and
nephews are enough.

She thought about how she’d decided not to take risks anymore. And she’d heeded something Nick had said to her:
Maybe you should get therapy
. So she planned to call Ana today to get the name of the psychologist her sister and Jared had seen together.

And she concentrated on all of that until ten o’clock when there was a knock on her open door. Nick.

Her heart leapt
at the sight of him standing there in the jeans he favored and a loose striped shirt—to hide his gun, maybe—his hair wonderfully tousled, as always.

“Hi,” he said simply. “Can I come in?”

“Of course you can.”

Closing the door, he dropped down in a chair in front of her desk. “You seem rested. Three days off must have been what you needed.”

“It was. I had to get away to…settle down,
I guess.”

“I promised myself I wouldn’t pressure you about any of this.”

“I appreciate that.”

“Did you think about me?”

“So much for no pressure.” He held her gaze. She almost couldn’t tolerate the expression in those blue eyes, so full of feeling. “Of course I did. I understand you needed to go undercover to do your job. I’m just sorry we got involved while you did it.”

“I
think that took on a life of its own, don’t you?”

“I do. And I was more at fault than you were. It’s all right, Nick. No hard feelings.”

His hands fisted on his knees. “Is that it?”

“Yes.”

“And you expect me to accept your unilateral decision?”

She arched a brow. “Yes. It’s my life.”

“It’s mine, too.”

“Is it?”

“Of course.” He looked away. Seemed to gather himself.
“But I didn’t come to see you to argue. Let’s table this discussion, for now anyway. We have something pressing to discuss.”

“What does that mean?”

He blew out a heavy breath. “I believe you’re the target of the emails.”

“What?”

“Cyber Crimes called in a threat-assessment team and they analyzed the emails everybody got. They decode texts and pinpoint when a threat is dangerous.
Language, diction and phrasing can create a psychological profile of the perpetrator and who he’s after.”

“Why on earth would I be at the center of this?”

“Three people were pinpointed. Delores, Ellen and you came out as the most at risk.”

“Do you have an idea who is after us?”

“I haven’t ruled out Ellen as a suspect. Nothing on her computer indicates she sent anything to anyone
here, but she would have used another device. I think Jay Lewis is also in question.”

“He’s a kid.”

“He’s got a man-sized crush on you. Also, the emails started in February. He’d been here long enough and could have developed some kind of obsession with you by then. It’s possible he thinks he can appear to save you from harm somehow.”

“Nick, that’s crazy.”

“Yeah, Davidson thinks
so. He also doesn’t suspect Ellen, but they’re investigating her anyway.”

“So you think the emailer is someone here at work.”

“Not necessarily. It could be an outside person.”

She rubbed her eyes with her thumb and forefinger. “I don’t believe it.”

“We do. So you’ll have to take precautions.”

“How?”

“I want to escort you in and out of the building every day until this is
cleared up. In truth,” he said leaning over and linking his hands between his knees. “I’d like to move in with you until we catch the guy. Or woman.”

She tried not to jump to conclusions, but it was hard. “Is this a ploy to be with me, Nick?”

“I wish it were that simple. No, I’m worried about you.”

“I guess you could accompany me in and out, but you can’t stay at my place.”

“Why?”

“You know why.”

“Listen, I talked to Caterina when you were gone. She sent some Secret Service people to wherever you were to keep an eye out for you.”

“Seriously? Cat would never interfere unless she was worried. I trust her implicitly.” She put her hand on her stomach. And thought about the baby. “I’ll talk to her first then, about what I need.”

“Do it today.” He stood. “And don’t
go out to lunch without me, either.”

Just then her computer pinged. A feeling of doom settled in her stomach. She read the message.

And gasped.

Bolting up, Nick circled the desk. The emailer’s note read:
I could get rid of the modern art people with a big boom. But not you. I’d save you.

Elizabeita began to tremble. He put his hands on her shoulders. “That’s it. I’m moving in tonight.”

Caterina walked through the door of Lizzie’s office an hour later. Inside were Will Davidson and Mae Michaels, the Cyber Crimes agent, who’d been told Nick’s real identity. Nick watched her big sister go to Elizabeita, hug her and say, “I promise it’s going to be all right.”

They sat at the conference table. Davidson began. “We think that Elizabeita is the focus of these
emails, after the arrival of the last one. Not necessarily to hurt her, but making the Met, the division she loves, the target and then somehow saving her from harm. It’s crazy.”

“No it isn’t,” Caterina put in, professional now. “I’ve handled more than one case where that’s the exact reason for a threat. Lizzie’s in danger.”

Nick nodded. “That’s why we called you.”

Caterina held up
her hand. One finger. “First, she shouldn’t come into or leave work alone. Second, someone should stay with her at home.”