Roll the Dice (12 page)

“Yeah, didn’t make any sense. Unless they meant a fancy place where
people take showers. I don’t even know if it had anything to do with Rhondo.
Just a gut feeling.”

“Can you find out?”

Luke emptied his mug and slammed it down on the table. Then he shook his
head and groaned. “You want me to go back to work tonight.”

“I want you to go back, yes. Then I want you to find out anything you
can and call me. I’ve got to help this kid, Luke.”

“Okay, fine. For the kid, but it’ll cost ya!”

“Doesn’t it always.”

***

While Aurora drove back to headquarters, she lightly banged the palm of
her hand against her ear to stop the noise. The second time it happened, she
became aware of what she was doing and wondered if other people had to put up
with the tinnitus as much as she did. Like her brain needing to depressurize,
set the warning bells ringing.

Most times it happened in moments of stress and she’d started using the
phenomena as an indication to prepare herself. Crazy though it seemed, up to
now it hadn’t let her down. But this time the sounds were different, like a hum
rather than a ringing. As if she’d overlooked something and her brain wouldn’t
let it rest.

What did she miss? She rewound her day up to the present and frustration
peaked. Nothing! Pealing around the corner, the tires screeching in reproach,
she swung into the detective’s parking lot. Braking hard then throwing the
gearshift into park, she stopped the car.

Deep breathing settled her stomach somewhat although hunger pains
wouldn’t be assuaged so easily. Food! She hadn’t eaten all day. Must be why her
nerves wouldn’t settle down.

She relaxed against the headrest, and her eyes closed. So much had
happened in the last few days. Flashbacks of being with Debbie when the
Ashton’s baby was born stood out and ranked as a memory she’d always cherish.
The tiny human being had affected her deeply. His little fingers and toes and
the searching stare he sent her way. As if he recognized her voice. So precious!
So Perfect!

Then the remembrance of the time spent in the pub surfaced and she knew
she was smiling like an idiot. She glanced around quickly to see if anyone had
witnessed her goofy behaviour and saw that she was alone. She relaxed again.
 

Up to now, she’d shied away from remembering the hot and heavy episode
with Kai, but for a few minutes, she allowed herself to relive the sensations.
Instantly her breasts tightened and the multitude of little pests in her
stomach started up again—hammering and flipping around.
 

What is wrong with me? I can’t get hooked up on a guy who has a death
wish to fulfill. Either by getting killed himself or ending up on death row for
killing someone else.

The man was a total enigma.
 
She’d seen his gentle handling of the victims and his coddling of the
few moms he’d interviewed.
 
Then later,
Darlene had trusted him immediately and he didn’t take advantage of that trust.
He’d been supportive and kind.

Not until he’d gotten her into the hallway had he lost his cool. Showed
some of the anger she'd sensed that flowed in his body and fed his hunger for
revenge.

Rubbing her head against the leather, she recognized that the ringing
had returned with a vengeance.
What the
hell
? Something about them being in the hallway…something.

Shit! She slammed her hand on the steering wheel over and over. How
could have missed it? Wrenching her phone from her pocket, fumbling with the
dam thing, she finally had it to her ears and rang through to the boys
upstairs.

“Hey Ham. Is Kai there? Tell him I’m downstairs waiting in the car. Tell
him to get the lead out—I know where Wayne is.”

Kai didn’t like being left behind. He’d rather be the ‘leaver’. And for
a bossy kinda guy like him, that’s usually how it worked.
 

While sorting through files, his mind again went back to his partner.
The doll drove him crazy. So far, there wasn’t a second while in her company
that his body didn’t announce its satisfaction or lack of satisfaction by being
in a perpetual semi-hard position.

Not comfortable and not gonna happen. The saints, or whoever looks after
the misguided souls in the world, had stopped him from taking her to bed.
 
From tasting all the best places on her body
and finding the hidden places in her heart that he knew he’d want to visit.

Except that once he made that trip, he’d never be satisfied with anyone
else. Or with being alone. That kind of woman would become his new home and
he’d be lost. His goal aborted and his future changed forever.
 

Couldn’t happen. He’d never know peace. Always be looking back instead
of ahead. No future for a guy whose soul lived in darkness. How could he make
anyone happy?

Ham appeared into the doorway and put paid to Kai’s musings. “Morelli’s
downstairs and wants you to join her. She says she knows where Wayne is. We’ll
get a team together and be right behind you.”

Before he could question the man further, the space in the doorway was
empty and he heard footsteps racing in the hallway. He whipped up his gun and
lifted his shirt to put it away and then hit the off button on his computer.

Racing from the building he heard a car approach and looked up just in
time. She’d pulled up in front of him and yelled through the window. “Get in.
We’re going to get Wayne.”

Kai entered first and saw that the poor kid curled on the floor was
barely alive. From the looks of it, he’d fought hard and long but it hadn’t
stopped the beating or the rest of his torture.

Eyes barely able to open, Wayne still tried to smile when he realized
that Kai and Aurora had found him,

“I knew you’d come.” Breathing harshly, he tried to grin but the torn
lips started bleeding and he stopped.

“I wish it had been sooner. Man, I’m really sorry.” Kai held the
youngster’s hand and his begging look towards Aurora had her using her phone to
find out where the ambulance had gotten.

“They just hit a traffic jam from a three car pile-up; they’ll go around
and be here shortly.” She whispered the words but Wayne still heard her.

“Hey, I’m okay. Just can’t move. Then it hurts. Don’t let Darlene in. I
don’t want her to see me like this. She’ll worry all over me.”

“As soon as you’re on the way, we’ll get her and bring her to the
hospital.” Aurora countered with a gentle note in her voice.

“I know you’re dying to ask what happened….”

“Hey, if you’re not up to telling us now, we can wait.”

Wayne’s hand rose to wave away Kai’s suggestion. “Earl laughed when I
woke up and realized where we were. He bragged about having the key and knowing
that no one would ever be smart enough to look in his old place. Hell, right
under the cop’s eyes he kept saying, right where—”

A cough choked off the rest of his words. Aurora’s careful touch, wiping
the blood from his eyes seemed to soothe and the hacking sounds diminished.

The boy reached for Kai’s hand. “I’m scared, man. Can you stay with me?”

“Absolutely. I’ll be right here. Just hold on.”

The distant siren grew louder as it approached the building. Running
footsteps heralded newcomers. Ham and his partner Roy showed up in time to stop
the lookie-loos from being a nuisance.

Ham organized the team while uniformed officers pushed people back and
opened a path for the stretcher to get into the room unimpeded. The voices of
angry tenant’s could be heard in the background. “What is it with this
building? I’m moving. This the second time in less than a week.” Many used loud
tones, fear lacing their voices.

Crime scene investigators showed up and the picture taking, finger
printing and analyzing of trace evidence started. The yellow tape appeared and
so did Darlene.

Surprised to see her, Aurora stood and approached. Why the hell hadn't
they made her go for treatment?

Screaming, the girl had to be held back by two cops who had a fight on
their hands. It wasn’t until Aurora stepped in to take over that she calmed
down.

“He’s alive, Darlene. They’re getting him ready to take to the hospital.
He talked to us.”

“I want to see him.” Darlene slapped at the hands holding her back.

“No time, they need to take him now. Kai will go with him. He seems to
relate to him somehow, and he’s stronger when they’re together. I’ll take you
with me. We’ll get there just as quickly with the siren on. Go, get dressed.”

“I refused to leave the house earlier. I’ve been waiting for word about
Wayne. Sitting and praying. I took the pills the ambulance guys recommended for
my headache. They must have put me to sleep. Then the noise woke me up.” She
rambled and couldn't seem to stop. Her hands pulled on Aurora's sleeves as if
her agitation needed a physical outlet.

“It’s not your fault, Darlene. No-one thought he’d try something like
this right under our noses.”

“How did you know? Did someone call?”

“No. I just followed up on a suspicion. I was right.”

“Thank the Lord, he’s still alive. If you hadn’t of found him, he might
have died all alone.”

"He's not alone now, and he isn't going to die

***

Once the nurse allowed that Darlene, and only Darlene could see her
brother, Aurora decided, since she was in the hospital anyway, she’d check out
her new godson in the nursery. She took the elevator to the right floor and
stepped towards the area where walls of murals depicted it to be the baby ward.

The swing door opened soundlessly, and she was just in time to see a
large man wearing a sweatshirt, hood up over his head, swagger up to the wall
of glass, only to bang his arms against it.
 
Trained to read another’s body language, this guy’s behaviour screamed
of suffering. Being near him, she could almost smell his pain.

The disparaging sound she'd made over his reckless behaviour had come automatically;
she hadn’t stop to think. Then felt sorry in case the man had lost a baby or
something terrible. From the way her stomach behaved, the waves radiating from
him made her believe something bad had happened.

The small noise caught his attention. He turned slightly without showing
his face then started to walk away, almost running. At first, she didn’t think
anything of it, figured he didn’t want to be disturbed. A father who’d suffered
a loss would want to be alone, wouldn’t he?

A peek through the glass proved there were only two female babies in
cots and that the Ashton baby must be in his Mom’s room. Maybe she'd visit. All
of a sudden she had a need to lean against the wall for support.

Her nerves exploded, heralding a crisis. From the moment she'd entered
the area, her ears had started doing their thing. Trying to stop the blasted
clanging, she breathed deeply and forced herself to relax—except her body
revved up even more. Something about that dude’s size and manner made her
re-evaluate.

Shit!
 
It couldn’t be. But it
was…Rhondo. She took off at a run, gun pulled out and down by her side.

She stopped at the junction in the hallway in time to see the gray
sweatshirt disappear around the corner at the far end. Her conscience reminded
her to call in for assistance. It irritated the hell of her because even those
few seconds would slow her down.

A quick glance told her that no one had noticed anything unusual. Being
late, there wasn’t much activity in the wards.
 
Therefore, to yell for someone to call 911 would electrify everyone and
ramp up the situation, not something she wanted to do.

She hurried to the next corner in time to see the elevator doors close
with her suspect smiling evilly her from inside. Now it was time to get help.

Slowing down near the information center, she demanded. “Call security.”
Her no-nonsense voice told the woman in a nurse's uniform sitting behind the
desk she was serious. When suspicion made her hesitate, Aurora pulled her
jacket aside to show off her badge. Fumbling with the receiver, the nurse
nodded and finally picked up the phone.

‘Tell them to check this elevator and detain anyone wearing a gray
sweatshirt. He’s a felon and he’s dangerous, so warn them to be careful.”

“Aurora hit the stairs at a dead run, hoping that her impression of him
wanting to exit would be correct. That he would choose the parking area as the
safest way to leave the building.

Out of breath, side sore and body heaving, she slowed when she got to
the first parking garage. Slowly she stepped out and swung her gun in both
directions praying to see Rhondo making his way to a vehicle.