Merry Wrath Mysteries Boxed Set Volume III (Books 7-9) Page 55

  "Well, we do have similar tastes in women." He grinned.

  "You and I dated for, like, a minute. Focus!"

  He shook his head. "I don't think it was a girl. Rex is more serious about relationships than I am. I dated a lot of, shall we say, less serious girls in college."

  I sighed. "What does it mean anyway? Maybe nothing. Coincidences happen all the time."

  He held up one finger. "It might explain how I became involved. If this is about you and Rex, why leave the body at my house?"

  "Because you and the victim worked at the CIA? Because you're related to Vy Todd?"

  "Both good points," he agreed.

  "Besides," I grumbled. "This might be only about one of us. They might be throwing stuff about the unrelated party just to get us on the wrong track."

  "Or go in circles…" Riley said.

  We were spinning our wheels. And getting nowhere fast. Our only hope was in a bunch of numbers.

  I picked up my cell and punched the keypad.

  "Who are you calling at this hour?" Riley asked.

  "Officer Weir," I said through the ringing. "I need his help, and I think it's time I turned myself in."

  Ted met us at the station. Linda assured us that she'd keep working the puzzle but thought it would take a while.

  The young policeman rubbed his eyes. He looked like he'd just gotten out of bed.

  "I'm sorry about running," I said quickly. "I just thought…"

  He held his hands up. "It's okay. We think the evidence that casts suspicion on you is worthless. Sorry about that. We have to follow every lead…"

  I finished, "…and you were just doing your job. I get it."

  Even though he'd accused me, this young man had potential. I was sure that with Rex's guidance, he'd become an excellent detective and a credit to the force.

  "Can we start again?" he asked earnestly.

  I shook my head. "Let's just move on like it never happened."

  Daylight broke through the windows. I'd been up all night. My body was feeling the pains from the car accident. At least I'd eaten. Still, we went over all of the clues so far. I just left out the part about the zoo. No one needed to know about that.

  "I can bring you up to speed too," Ted said. "We got a wiretap for Vy Todd. And she's been talking about some mystery thing that's going to make her crew, aka Oak and Winters, very happy."

  I rubbed my eyes. "You did? Did she say anything about where they're keeping Rex?"

  "Not yet. But Des Moines is on it, and they've promised to keep me updated if it applies to our case."

  "Do you think it might not?" That would bring Lana's and Riley's and Rex's connection theories back into play.

  Ted's eyes shone with empathy. "I'm not sure, but I have a good feeling about this. Remember, it was Vy Todd's fingerprints at your house." He pointed at Riley. "And we have a witness who remembers seeing her at Marlowe's grocery store the day of your wedding."

  I perked up. "So she was in town the day Spitz was murdered—that puts her near the scene of the crime." Could it really be this easy? I hoped so.

  "Is she connected to any buildings in the area?" Riley asked. "Any place where she could keep a hostage?"

  Ted scratched his head. "Let me ask. Hold on." He stepped away from his desk and called somebody. It could be the Des Moines police department or the state police. I didn't care as long as there were results.

  "This could be it!" Riley said. "We might find Rex today!"

  I would've been jumping for joy, but suddenly, with the case almost over, I was crashing. Hard. Riley noticed. He knew from experience that I did not do overnights well. He ran from the room and returned with an energy drink. I gulped it.

  "The whole thing about the connection was a red herring, I guess," I said when done.

  He nodded. "I guess so. But it kept us busy. That's good."

  I could feel my energy level growing a little. When this was over, I was going to pass out for a few days. I hoped no one would mind. But I wanted to get married right away, once we got Rex back. Would the pastor mind marrying Rex to an unconscious woman in a three-thousand-dollar dress?

  I wondered, "Do you think we might find Rex before Linda finishes the puzzle?"

  "We might." Riley shrugged. "But don't call her off of it just yet."

  "Great news!" Ted beamed as he joined us. "It just so happens that Vy Todd's cousin rents a little shop here in town."

  "Really?" I jumped up and hugged him. "Where?"

  He laughed. "You're not going to believe it."

  Five minutes later we were standing outside of a florist shop. My florist shop. The one where Lewis Spitz had worked.

  "She's connected to this shop?" I asked. "Well, that explains why my flowers were ridiculously expensive…"

  "The cousin rented the place when Vy was still in prison, so she worked through a proxy." Ted looked around.

  The officer pulled his gun from his holster. That was when I noticed that Riley had a gun too. My bag was still in Rex's car at Linda's.

  "Give me your gun," I said to Riley.

  He gave me a look. "No. Just get behind me."

  I gave him a look that beat out his look. "Give. Me. The. Gun. I'm going in first."

  "Are you serious? You've been in a car accident, been doped, and haven't slept in at least twenty-four hours."

  I turned my full glare on him. "I'm the bride. That's my groom in there. The first person he's going to see is me. And the first person who's going to shoot Vy Todd is me!"

  Riley looked at Ted. Ted looked at Riley. Riley handed me his gun.

  I tried the door. Locked. I motioned for Riley and Ted to sweep around each side of the building. Riley took the right. Ted disappeared on the left. The idea was to cover all bases and look for other exits. Then they'd come and join me. I didn't wait for them as I kicked in the door.

  I'd sent them off to get them out of the way. Kicking in the door was basically breaking and entering, but so was using lockpicks. This method was faster. Ted might've stopped me from barreling in like that, so I sent him away. I only had seconds though. They'd have heard the crash and would be joining me soon.

  The building was dark, probably because it was early in the morning. I slipped in, gun blazing. I wasn't taking any chances, but I wasn't going to let them get to Rex before I did.

  "What are you doing?" Riley hissed in my ear. They found me sooner than I'd thought.

  "We have to do things by the book," Ted whispered.

  I ignored both of them and swept the small shop from right to left. The door behind the counter caught my attention, and I hurdled the counter and opened it. A basement. Perfect. Riley and Ted chose not to jump over the counter, but it didn't look as cool. To tell you the truth, I was surprised I'd made it over.

  "I haven't heard anything," Ted said. "There's no one here."

  "Great," I said grimly.

  His arm came out in front of me. "I'm going first, Ms. Wrath. This is my job. And it's nonnegotiable. I can't allow a civilian to take the risk."

  I opened my mouth to argue, but Riley cut me off. "He's right. Let him do his job."

  I couldn't fight both of them, so I stepped aside and allowed the officer to pass me. In my rational mind, I knew he was right. Besides, he was wearing body armor.

  Riley got between us, which I didn't like. He had a flashlight, and he aimed it into the darkness below. The stairs were wooden and rickety. The basement floor was cement. The rest was dark with a strong odor of mildew.

  We descended carefully, Riley illuminating Ted's steps. The rookie's form was very good. This case was certainly a trial by fire for him. Being last, I made sure to look behind me every now and then. At long last, we touched the floor and fanned out.

  We were in a large cement room with shelves covered with boxes of floral things. If we had time, I'd check those boxes. But Rex could be a few feet away, and that was my priority. My heart skipped a beat in anticipation.

  The first thing I'
d do was crush him in an embrace. Then I'd go on a killing spree, taking down everyone who had him. I probably wouldn't tell Ted or Rex about that part though.

  Ahead of us was a long, dark hallway. Which meant rooms on either side. And one of those rooms might have my fiancé in it. I surged ahead, only to have Riley grab my arm and pull me back.

  "What are you doing?" I whispered furiously.

  "You're leading with emotions, not reason," he explained. "What's the first thing we need to do?"

  I sighed. "Check for booby traps."

  He was right. Charging into the unknown was dangerous, and I wanted to be at my own wedding, whenever that would be.

  Riley crouched down, skimming his flashlight along the surface of the floor. I glanced at the top of the stairs as my former handler examined every inch of the doorway to the hall. It was a good thing he was thorough because the light glinted off a piece of piano wire strung across the doorframe.

  He followed the wire, which was connected to a loaded crossbow. I'd be a shish kebab right now if he hadn't pulled me back. I took a couple of deep breaths, trying to steady my thoughts as Riley disarmed the crossbow and cut the wire with a pocketknife. He stood up and nodded to Ted and me.

  Ted went first again, with Riley shining the flashlight over the officer's shoulder and me bringing up the rear. There were two rooms total, one on each side. After a quick scan for traps, Ted reached out and turned the knob. The two men ran into the room, sweeping his gun from left to right, while I stayed in the corridor and covered them.

  Ted reappeared with Riley behind him, shaking his head. No Rex there. We repeated the procedure with the next room with the same result. I was disappointed. I thought for sure Rex was in this basement.

  "Aaaaaaaargh!" A man came screaming at us from the end of the hall, holding a large knife.

  It was Harvey Oak. He was closing in on us when Ted fired two shots, center mass. The man dropped like a stone. Riley disarmed him and felt for a pulse. He turned to us and shook his head. Harvey Oak was dead.

  Ted was stunned into what looked like a state of shock. Riley gently took the rookie's gun and led him back up the stairs, clearing the way. I again brought up the rear.

  "No Rex." I sighed once we were at the top of the stairs.

  Riley shook his head. "Sorry, Merry. I'd hoped he was there too."

  Ted was walking around looking at things but seemed to be in a daze.

  "Are you alright?" I asked.

  He shook his head. "I've never shot anyone before…let alone killed anyone."

  Riley brought him a chair, and the kid sat.

  "If it helps," I said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "it gets easier."

  Yes, that was a morbid thing to say. But when I shot someone for the first time, my first handler, Frank, had said that to me, and it'd helped. Frank was a good guy, but after the Marco incident in Turkey, he'd retired early and as far as I knew was still drinking his way around the DC Metro area.

  That was one good thing about Riley—he had no qualms about the job. And someday Ted Weir would be okay with it too. He just needed a little time.

  I called Dr. Body and the station. Kevin Dooley arrived with a box of half-eaten donuts. To my complete shock, he offered Ted one.

  "Go ahead." I nodded. "The sugar helps."

  The rookie chewed slowly. Color had started to return to his face by the time the coroner arrived. I walked her through the scene as Riley gave Officer Dooley a statement. We both made it look like Ted was the hero, which he was.

  Soo Jin knelt beside the body and ran her hands over it. "Looks like two shots to the heart did him in. I'll take him back to the morgue to make sure, but it's pretty cut and dry."

  By the time I got back upstairs, Officer Weir seemed a bit more normal. He was talking to the forensics team and giving them orders. Riley and I went outside.

  "So, Harvey Oak is involved," I said.

  Riley agreed. "Looks that way. One down, two more to go."

  "Do you think she kept Rex here at one time?"

  He shook his head. "The rooms were full of boxes. There's no room for a person."

  My shoulders slumped. "Then this was a bust."

  He looked back at the shop. "Not necessarily. We know that Vy and Oak were up to something. And Ted shot his first criminal."

  "I don't think he's too happy about that."

  We waited on the sidewalk until the forensic team and Dr. Body left. Officers Weir and Dooley locked up the building. Ted called the Des Moines police, asking them to pick Vy Todd up.

  "I'm taking you home," Riley said. "You're totally beat."

  "But Linda…Rex…" I protested weakly.

  He was right. I was wiped out. The last of my adrenaline gave out in the basement, and I was running on fumes. I fell asleep in Riley's SUV before we even pulled out of the lot.

  * * *

  I awoke in a strange room. I'd been so tired I hadn't even dreamt. Darkness filled the curtains of a bedroom that was decorated in neutral tones. An overstuffed chintz chair sat by the window, next to a small table with a dimly lit lamp.

  This wasn't my house. Riley said he was taking me home. Oh. Maybe he meant his home. This must be his guest room. It was very tasteful. The kind of room you could sleep comfortably in.

  I'd wanted to be in my house, just in case something came up. But I couldn't be angry with Riley. My guess was he wanted to watch over me and knew I'd be safe here. That was nice. Annoying, but nice.

  I got out of bed and realized I was wearing men's pajamas. I was still wearing my bra and panties, or Riley would be getting a black eye for his trouble. I opened the door and walked into the kitchen.

  The room was cheery and brightly lit. Riley was wearing an actual apron, standing at the stove, stirring something that smelled like it came from heaven.

  "What's that?" I said.

  He turned and grinned. "I like you in my pajamas."

  "Don't start," I warned. "I'd punch you for changing me, except that I'm still kind of tired."

  I sat at a small table. "What are you making?"

  "Stew." He ladled some into a bowl and set it before me.

  I inhaled the scent of beef, carrots, and potatoes. Riley set a freshly warmed baguette and butter dish next to me, and I dug in. It was magical. Maybe it was because I was hungry. Maybe it was the best stew in the world. It didn't matter, because I ate two bowls and half the baguette.

  "Want some more?" Riley grinned. He'd had only one bowl and a salad. Ridiculous!

  "No." I waved him off. "That was amazing. And I needed that."

  "Good. Glad to help." He carried the dishes to the sink and began washing up.

  Through the kitchen window I noticed it was dark. "What time is it?"

  "Seven. You didn't sleep too long."

  "Where's my cell?" I started to panic when I realized I didn't have it.

  He handed it to me. That was the second time in a couple of days where he'd confiscated my phone. Between that and Kelly's drugging spree, I felt more like an invalid teenager than a grown-up woman.

  "Any news?" I asked as I turned on the phone. No messages.

  Riley shook his head. "Sorry."

  I fiddled with a loose thread on my sleeve and asked a question I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer to.

  "It's been nine days. What if Rex is…is…" I couldn't finish. "It's just been so long. I'm not feeling very hopeful."

  Riley poured me a glass of wine. "Here. Drink this."

  I did.

  "You want to know what I think? I think Rex is still alive. The kidnapper is keeping him alive because they want you to solve the puzzle. I think it's going to come to a showdown."

  I took another drink. "One that I'm going to win." Something else bothered me, but less so. "What about Juliette Dowd?"

  He frowned. "Either she's the villain or victim. I don't know which."

  "We don't know anything about this whole mess," I grumbled, polishing off the wine.

&nb
sp; "Do you have any idea why she was in Rex's house?"

  I thought for a second or two. "She said she was looking for proof that I took him or killed him."

  "Do you believe her?"

  I thought about it. Juliette had been infatuated with Rex for most of her life. She didn't have it in her to kill him. Kidnap him maybe, but kill him?

  "Yes. I don't want to. Frankly, I'd love to see her go to jail for kidnapping and murder. But I don't think she's involved."

  Wow. I really did think that. Huh.

  "What about Lana?" I pressed.

  He sat down across from me. "I don't think she's part of this. We'd have seen her by now."

  "I did see her," I insisted.

  "But that's the only thing we have on her," Riley said. "And I'm still not convinced it's her."

  "So it's Vy Todd and her gang… Why involve me? Why kill Bobby Ray, and how would she know about him?"

  "Red herring?" he suggested.

  It was kind of like when you were almost done with a puzzle. Only the last piece didn't fit. You crammed it in and considered cutting it to size, but in the end, you were left with a piece that didn't belong in that puzzle.

  My cell buzzed. "Hey, Bart. Everything good?"

  "Yeah," he monotoned. "We're low on food."

  "I'll take care of it." I hung up and called Kelly, begging her to pick up and deliver some food to Betty's brother.

  "Why do I have to do it?" she asked.

  "Because you've drugged me three times, and I'm sure that breaks some sort of ethics thingy."

  Her voice was measured. "Are you threatening me?"

  "Yes." I hung up. She'd do it.

  My cell buzzed again. I answered without looking. "Yes, Bart?"

  "It's Linda. You'd better come over." She hung up.

  * * *

  Riley didn't like it, and he told me so about four times on the drive over there. "It sounds like a trap," he said. "She didn't say she'd solved the puzzle. Maybe the kidnapper is using her to lure you over."

  "That's why I have this." I racked the slide on a .45 I'd borrowed from Riley's gun safe. He stared at the gun and opened his mouth to speak.

  "It's your own fault! You're still using the same password you used the whole time we worked together."