Snowfall (27 page)

“Fine,” Mac said, and hung up, knowing he was going to have to break the news to Caitlin and scared to death of how she would receive it.

He sat down with a thump, gazing around the room in disbelief and trying to remember if anyone had been present when they were talking who could have leaked the name. To his knowledge, no one had been in this apartment since his arrival but Aaron, the detectives and a couple of takeout delivery boys. And Juanita Delarosa’s name had never been mentioned in front of any of them, of that he was certain.

It was frightening to realize that the killer was inching his way toward his ultimate goal—Caitlin herself—and Mac didn’t know how to make him stop.

Shoving his fingers through his hair, he kicked back in the seat and put his feet up on the edge of the table. This didn’t make sense. He’d been a cop. He knew how criminals thought. So if he was so damned good at his job, why couldn’t he see what they were missing?

“God help me,” he whispered, his gaze wandering from the pale, celery-green walls to the ornate wainscoting above.

He stared blankly, his thoughts jumping from one scenario to another, but the longer he looked, the less he thought about Amato and the more he stared at the room.

Within seconds he was on his feet and reaching for the phone. Moments later, Mike Mazurka, the security guard downstairs, answered.

“This is Mike. Is there something you need, Miss Bennett?”

“Mike, it’s me, Mac, and yes, there’s something we need.”

“You name it,” Mike said.

“I need a stepladder. One that will get me to the ceiling.”

“Give me a few and it’ll be right there,” Mike said.

Mac hung up the phone, adrenaline racing through his system. It was something Amato had said about who Mac and Caitlin might have told that had gotten him thinking. Granted, they’d only talked about it between themselves, but in this day and age, that didn’t guarantee privacy. If her home had been bugged, it was his fault it hadn’t been found. He was in the security business, and she was being stalked. When he installed her alarm system, he should have checked the whole place as a matter of course, but he hadn’t, and his omission might have gotten a woman killed.

Fifteen minutes later, Mac had the ladder in hand. He turned his attention to the room and all the places a listening device might be concealed. While waiting for the ladder to be delivered, he’d checked everything that was within his reach except the room where Caitlin was sleeping. He called himself a coward for hesitating to wake her, but he knew what would result when he did. The longer he could put it off, the better.

“Okay. If I was a bug, where would I be?”

Heating and air-conditioning vents were the most obvious places, so he started with them first. Dragging the ladder across the floor, he set it up and then started to climb. Halfway there, he realized he was going to need tools to take off the vent covers. He climbed down, cursing himself for not mentioning it to Mike when he asked for the ladder.

He was on his way into the kitchen to see what he could find when Caitlin came out of her bedroom. He stopped, waiting for the moment when she would realize he was watching her, and wondering why it had taken him so long to admit that he was in such total love. Then she saw him and smiled, and his heart skipped a beat. After he told her the latest, that smile would be gone.

“Hey there,” Caitlin said. “You look like you’re on a mission. What are you doing?”

“Looking for a screwdriver.”

Caitlin frowned. “There are several in the drawer to the right of the sink.”

“Hot damn,” he muttered, and hurried into the kitchen.

Caitlin followed, her curiosity piqued. “Why do you need a screwdriver?”

He palmed a flathead screwdriver as well as a Phillips.

“I’ve got some bad news.”

The color drained from her face as she grabbed the back of a chair. “Aaron! He didn’t—”

“No, no, Aaron’s fine,” Mac said. “I talked to him right after you went to sleep.”

“Then what?” Caitlin asked.

Mac sighed. There was no easy way to say it. “The police located your father’s old secretary.”

“Juanita? Wasn’t she able to help?”

Mac crossed the room, laid the screwdrivers down and then took her by the shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze before he continued. “I’m afraid not, baby. She was dead.”

Caitlin immediately assumed what Mac had first thought, that she had passed away from old age.

“Oh dear. I’m sorry I didn’t know. I would have gone to her services.”

“You probably still can,” Mac said. “But she didn’t die of natural causes. She was murdered…and Amato is guessing less than forty-eight hours before they found her.”

Caitlin stilled. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Mac slumped. He would give anything not to have to tell her the rest, but it was her life that was on the line. She deserved to know everything.

“The stalker did it.”

Caitlin flinched, but her gaze never wavered. “How do you know? Did he slash her face like he—”

“No, baby.”

“Thank God,” Caitlin said, and then realized that still didn’t explain how they knew who had killed her. “What made them think the same man killed her? This is an ugly world, Mac. Maybe she was being robbed and walked in on the thief. Maybe—”

“No.”

Her voice broke. “Then how? How do they know?”

“He cut out her tongue.”

Caitlin paled, then sat with a thump, trembling too much to stand. “So she wouldn’t talk.”

“That was the inference the cops got. I agree with the theory.”

Caitlin’s eyes narrowed again, her mind jumping to the same conclusion Mac had drawn.

“Who told? Someone in the department had to leak that information.”

“I already challenged Amato on that. He swears it didn’t come from them, which got me to thinking, which is why there’s a ladder in your living room and why I need a screwdriver.”

“I don’t follow you.” She blinked and stood abruptly. “There’s a ladder in my living room?”

“We talked about her…about Juanita Delarosa,” Mac said.

“Yes, but no one was here.”

“But someone could have been listening.”

“I don’t—” Waves of color flushed her cheeks as her eyes sparked in anger. “Do you think my home has been bugged?”

“I don’t know,” Mac said. “But considering what’s been happening to you, it’s something I should have checked when your security system was installed.”

“Oh my God,” Caitlin muttered, then snatched up the screwdrivers. “Show me!”

Mac was encouraged by her behavior. Mad was healthy, and Caitie was one of the best he’d seen at venting fury.

“Lead the way,” he said, pointing to the living room. “I’m starting with the heat and air vents. And while we’re looking, talk about anything…the snow…your book…Anything except what we’re really doing.”

They found it in the chandelier, lying inside a small glass globe beside a pair of dead flies and a spider that had long since fried from the heat of twenty-four candelabra bulbs.

Mac dropped it into her hand and then put a finger to his lips. She nodded, holding it carefully as he climbed down from the ladder.

More?
she mouthed.

He shrugged, then took it out of her hand and dropped it into his cup of cold coffee.

“Do you think there are more?” she whispered.

“We’ll soon find out,” he muttered, and headed for the next room, dragging the ladder.

But after a thorough search that lasted another two hours, Mac was convinced that the place was clean.

“Looks like that was the only one,” he said. “Would you please call Mike and tell him I’m going to set the ladder out in the hall? They can come get it at their convenience.”

Caitlin hurried to do as he asked, glad there was something positive she could do. When she came back, Mac was on his cell phone, talking to Sal Amato.

“Yes, I owe you an apology,” Mac said.

“Where did you say you found it?” Amato asked.

“Living room, in a light fixture. It was the only one.”

“It was enough, wasn’t it?” Amato said. “And thanks for letting us know.”

“Amato…I know this is asking a lot, but would you do something for me?”

“Depends,” Amato said. “What’s on your mind?”

“For now, don’t tell anyone what I found. Let this be just between you and us.”

“Now look here,” Amato began, “you’re—”

“Just for a couple of days,” Mac said. “We don’t know where we’re going with this, and the tighter the coil, the less likely it is to come unwound.”

He heard Amato sigh.

“Yeah, all right,” Amato said, and then added, “Have you seen the evening paper?”

“No.”

“Be prepared,” Amato said. “There’s a big story linking the letter bomb to what’s happening to Miss Bennett.”

“I’m surprised the phone hasn’t been ringing off the wall,” Mac said. “Thanks for the heads-up.”

“Yeah, don’t mention it,” Amato said. “Take care.”

With that, he hung up, leaving Mac to face Caitlin once again.

“Now what?” she asked.

“The evening papers…they’ve connected the explosion at Aaron’s office to what’s happening to you.”

“Oh, great,” Caitlin said. “I’d better call Kenny.”

She disappeared into her office, leaving Mac with growing concern. This standoff couldn’t last forever. Eventually the killer would tire of killing substitutes and reach for her instead.

He glanced at the front door, certain that he’d locked it after he’d put the ladder in the hall, and then went to check it again. It was locked safe and sound, and the alarm system was set. His shoulders slumped. This wasn’t good. Now he was second-guessing himself. With Mike in the lobby and limited access to the penthouse through the special elevator, she should be safe enough here. But he couldn’t take that for granted. He’d done that before, and it had cost an old woman her life.

As he waited for Caitlin to return, another fear surfaced. Had he and Caitlin talked about moving Aaron to David’s? He couldn’t remember, and he couldn’t take the chance that they had. At that point, Caitlin came back.

“Kenny is on the job,” Caitlin said. “He’s the reason I haven’t been bugged by a bunch of reporters. All the inquires have been going through him, and nothing has gone out except what is basically public record.”

“Good for him,” Mac said, then opened his arms. “I don’t know about you, but I could use a hug.”

“Always,” she said, and went into his arms. “Mac?”

“Hmm?”

“Thank you.”

“For what, baby?”

“For being here. You didn’t have to, and yet you came.”

“Aaron is a hard man to refuse,” he said, nuzzling his chin on the top of her head.

“Is Aaron the only reason you came?”

“I told myself so in the beginning, but you and I both know it’s not the truth. When he told me you’d been hit by a truck, I couldn’t think past the last time I’d seen you, laughing at something Aaron had said and then making a face at me.”

“I didn’t.”

He smiled. “Yeah, actually, you did. It was on the balcony of Aaron’s apartment. Remember? It was last Fourth of July, and we were watching the fireworks going off over the river.”

“I remember being at Aaron’s. I do
not
remember making a face. What had you done to me?”

He laughed. “So, we’re assuming it was something
I
did?”

“Wasn’t it always?”

He shrugged. “Probably. Looking back, I must have been like some little six-year-old boy, in love for the first time and not knowing what to do with all those emotions except insult you.”

“You’re forgiven.”

“Thank you, my love.”

There was a moment of silence, and then Caitlin looked up.

“Am I, Mac? Am I your love?”

“Yes.” Then he cupped her face in his hands. “What about me, Caitie? Am I yours?”

A quick shimmer of tears came into her eyes, but she quickly blinked them back.

“Yes, Connor McKee, you are my love. More than you know. More than I can say. Even if my money appalls you. Even if someone wants me dead.”

Mac’s stomach turned at the thought of her picture winding up on the wall of Amato’s office along with the other victims. He couldn’t bear to lose her. And then it hit him. If he didn’t change his attitude, he would lose her anyway—when this was over. Was his pride worth more than their love? He felt shame for even considering the thought.

“Nothing about you appalls me except what you’re going through. I’m sorry for what I said about that. Forgive me?”

Caitlin’s heart lifted. “Does this mean what I think it means?”

“If you are referring to the fact that I refuse to live without you in my life, then yes.”

Caitlin smiled while Mac’s fear increased. Please God, help me keep her safe.

Too moved to say more, he hugged her then, satisfied for now that she was safe in his arms.

“Mac?”

“What, baby?”

“I’m getting really hungry, and there’s not a lot of food in the place. Do you want to order in or go out?”

“Order in, I think, if it’s all right with you.”

“Sure. Do you want to do it, or shall I?”

“Let me,” he said. “I need to make another call, as well. It also occurred to me that we might have given away the fact that Aaron’s going to David’s when he’s released from the hospital. He and David need to know so they can take precautions. I don’t want to put either one of them in jeopardy again.”

“Oh, no…you’re right,” Caitlin said. “Go call now! Aaron is going home today, remember? Tell David to take the guys from the security firm with him. They can stay on the payroll until…until the problem is solved.”

“Will do,” he said. “But about the food. What do you want to eat?”

She smiled. “I don’t care. Surprise me.”

He grinned. “Don’t I always?”

She laughed. “Whatever,” she said. “I’m going to take that piece of cheesecake out of the freezer. It will be our dessert.”

“Honey, you’re the dessert. But go ahead and thaw the thing out, just in case you run out of steam.”

He could still hear her laughing as he closed the office door.

Buddy poured himself a fresh cup of coffee and then went back to his desk. Several calls had come in while he was out and he needed to return them before the end of the day.