Two loud groans filled the house shortly before six the next morning. Aaron sent a palm to the nightstand, growling when he remembered his phone was on the desk downstairs.
“That’s not mine,” he murmured, sleep filled eyes coming alert as he stretched and watched her drag a pillow over her head. He laughed and brought a palm down on the behind at his side. “It’s yours, lieutenant. And I bet it’s downstairs, too…”
“It’s Bobby…that’s the tone I set up for work…crap…” she threw the blankets back and sat perched on the edge of the bed, wobbling unsteadily when she thrust her feet to the floor. Completely forgetting the slice in her leg until it almost buckled her to the floor. “Damn it…”
“Slow down…I’ll get it for you,” Aaron hastily pulled his slacks on from the pile on the floor and ran limberly down the stairs, tossing the phone to the bed before going into the bathroom.
“Thanks!” She called out, checking her messages. She read through the text and pushed herself up at the same time he came out of the bathroom, going into the large closet and dropping his slacks to the floor. She just sighed and hobbled, snatching up her jeans and shirt. Ten minutes later, a quick shower, shiny teeth and she was grinding her feet into her boots, hastily pulling the zipper up on each one.
“You’re off already?”
Catherine looked up from the desk, leaning against the edge and stuffing things into her pack. She turned and put a large X over one of the names. “Got a dead body.”
Aaron offered her a tall, cold glass of juice, his features grim but unreadable.
“Be careful, Catherine.”
“Always…” she leaned into him for a quick kiss. “You, too…please…”
She accepted his silent nod and went as fast as she could toward the front door, keys jangling in her hands.
Aaron slipped his earpiece on and tapped in Carter’s number. He heard the phone connect and then it got entertaining.
“Hold that thought a minute, please…damn it, Anna! Give me those…I said you are not…”
“I’m not a child! I can handle my own…”
“Leo is driving you in my SUV today. And I know you’re not a child…damn it, give me those…” Carter made a wild grab, her keys safe in his hand, pale green eyes narrowed warningly.
“Ask her if she wants you to spend your day being worried about her…and use the word please…it buckles her,” Aaron told him in the earpiece.
“Anna…do you want me worried about you all day? Catherine said the attack on Aaron wasn’t random and you could be in line,” he met the flare of anger across the room. “Please…”
“Fine…just fine…give me my pack,” she growled and would have snatched the pack from his hand if his palm hadn’t curled around her neck, his mouth moving softly over hers. “That’s just sneaky…”
“Leo’s bringing the SUV out now. Thank you…”
“I’ll talk to you later,” she said grudgingly, the door slamming behind her.
“Hope you got good doors,” Aaron chuckled in his ear.
“I’ll be checking the hinges,” Carter said dryly, his head shaking. “Thanks…I owe you.”
“Where’s she going that she needs a driver?” Aaron asked curiously.
“Olympia…some nurseries with things she needs for a couple projects she’s working on,” Carter worked at the knot in his tie. “What’d you need?”
“Can you come over for a few minutes? I want your take on this board of information.”
“Got coffee?”
“Fresh.”
“I’m on my way,” Carter told him, ending the call and going to collect his briefcase and keys.
Aaron was staring at her case board when the chimes sounded. He opened the door and went straight to the kitchen. “Black?”
“Yes, please…I swear, Anna…” he stopped, staring at the board and digesting the contents. “This is more detailed than what she showed me. Thanks…”
“I don’t know how to keep her safe, either, Carter,” Aaron stood back, mug of coffee in-between his hands and feet braced barely a foot apart, his stare matching Carter’s.
“Catherine’s explained this to you?”
“Some…some I reasoned out or just plain knew.”
“She’s trying not to let Anna know too much,” Carter exhaled deeply. “Especially about Spencer.”
“She asked for the parents location this morning. Just one more thing to isolate out of the problem, she says. Hell, they’re in Montana, at least they had the sense to go straight when they were released from prison. Near as I can tell, they haven’t been in touch with either of their parents since they were taken away,” Aaron went back into the kitchen and filled his cup again.
“I did the cursory run on them when I met the Austin’s. They claimed not to know where their daughter and son-in-law were,” Carter leaned back on the desk.
“Did you believe them?”
“No. I tend to not believe easily,” he admitted flatly. “I apologized to Anna last night…I fell into a rookie mistake with them, believing one side of a story.”
“Shit…the damn thing is so convoluted…”
“They wouldn’t have known I’d found you guys if Anna hadn’t come barreling into dinner that first night…” He stood up and moved to the open space, pacing to stand back and just look at all the words on the board. “And it never occurred to me to stop the press from the photos in the Sunday spread…”
“I’ve had it pointed out to me often enough that temper and self-reliance aren’t the private domain of males,” Aaron said dryly. “Anna never drew the parents….or the Austin’s. I’ve been all through her journal enough times. I never knew why she drew some of the people she chose to…I’m not sure she did either, though.”
“Where’d Catherine run off to?” Carter asked suddenly, watching Aaron walk to the board and tap the big X Catherine had placed there.
“Deceased previous drug guy…she said second out of the ones Anna drew in six months,” Aaron met the concerned look on his friend’s face. “Yeah…”
“Someone’s cleaning up after themselves…erasing a past collection of errors,” Carter said softly.
“That’s the theory.”
“Might be time we got politically informed,” Carter said solemnly. Their eyes meeting with a quiet understanding.
****
Catherine worked at not limping and growled a lot because it just plain wasn’t working. She was sure she wore a level off her teeth just to drop to her knees and lift the white card from the death frozen ham sized fist.
“Just a little convenient…”
“You got here just before they were going to take him in. They’re calling it death by bad association,” Bobby snorted, his head shaking. “You’re down to two, Cat.”
“And this one had a card from Alice’s Garden. Not the gardener type, if you ask me,” She accepted the palm he held out, using his weight to climb to her feet. “Did you get to talk to the assigned murder cops?”
“They took off quick. Nothing spectacular to waste their time over on this one,” Bobby walked with her back to the parked cars. “Can you warn her?”
“I left a message. Admin says she’s on a buying trip in Olympia. Chatted with Aaron long enough to make sure that information isn’t shared with just any nosy person calling on the line,” she exhaled deeply. “It’s not…I got to go to this doctor appointment,” she tipped her wrist up. “We’ve been trying to get through red tape to Barrow for two days. Throw a couple rich business types into the mix and guess who gets a personal invite this afternoon for a chat?” She growled, reading the text and tossing her phone to the dash board.
“Hey…just think of them as the means to an end…we’re invited along, right?”
“Meet me at Barrows’ headquarters at one. Damn straight we’re invited,” she said, sliding her feet inside and starting the engine.
****
Three male heads went up when the powerful roar of the quiet engine broke into their greeting. Aaron closed his eyes and swore softly.
“You shouldn’t have told her if you didn’t want her here. We’ve been trying for days to get him to talk to us,” Bobby said, hands hitched in his pockets as she did her best to storm toward them but somehow the cane took the edge off it looking lethal.
“Hi, guys…fancy meeting you here,” she said through a brilliantly smile that never touched her eyes. “I should be able to arrest you both…”
“We save those games for the bedroom, dear,” Aaron teased, kissing her before she could recover, Bobby’s laughter taking the edge off.
“We can easily pass Bobby off as an associate…” Carter said as they entered the bustling campaign headquarters.
“And Catherine can be my sweet little piece of eye candy,” Aaron decided with a chuckle.
“Careful…she likes playing bad cop,” Bobby warned with a matching laugh.
“Now why am I not surprised,” Aaron returned, taking her hand and placing it on his arm as they walked.
“And she’s damn good at it,” Catherine growled under her breath.
“Now there’s a shocker,” Aaron patted her hand gently.
“We’re only here to look things over and offer some veiled threats,” Carter said firmly. “I don’t want to do anything to make him aware of your information.”
“Spoilsport,” Catherine muttered, digging deep and applying her best home coming smile. “I should have dressed up…more bimbo style…”
“Now, that I can’t wait to see,” Aaron arched an eyebrow.
“Pervert.”
“Children…” Carter raised his voice. “Mr. Barrows…Carter Shipley and my associates, Robert Morris and Aaron Carson, his fiancée, Catherine. It was good of your organization to make time to speak with us.”
Catherine felt Aaron’s fingers tighten around hers. He sensed it was very difficult for her not to step into investigator mode. Her other hand was wrapped around the hook of the cane, a saving grace as she didn’t have to shake hands with him. Smooth, she thought instantly, but behind the eyes she saw the calculation, the suspicion. She thought it interesting because those same words she and Anna would easily apply to both Aaron and Carter, but not in the same bad sense that she got from standing in front of William Barrows.
“I’m always available to meet interested supporters,” he assured them, shaking hands around the three males. His eyes swept over the casual jeans and tee shirt, the loose fitting leather jacket and the cane, concern in his voice that never reached his eyes. “I hope you’re not hurt.”
“Recovering, thank you. Hunting accident,” Catherine said softly, keeping her voice low on purpose. A tiny trace of satisfaction lit into her eyes at the look that crossed his features.
“Now that is unexpected. Somehow I didn’t imagine you a member of the NRA,” William Barrows said thoughtfully.
“I’m sure there’s a great deal about one another that we don’t know, Mr. Barrows,” Catherine kept her tone even, glancing around casually. “Do you mind if I look around while you discuss…whatever it is you’re discussing? I can’t imagine all the organization it takes to pull this all together.”
“Not at all, Evan, show Catherine around our camp, would you?”
“My pleasure,” the younger man came from behind, gesturing for her to come along.
She walked with him, but carefully apart from him. Asking casual questions, making general observations and keeping the ever vigilant eye out on everything she saw. After thirty minutes, they made the round back to where the men stood, her leg throbbed and while Aaron and Carter and Bobby looked calm, there was a dark storm in Barrows eyes that had her glancing quietly at Aaron.
“I think you’ve been on your feet too long, Catherine,” Aaron went to her side, his arm sliding around her waist. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“I’m alright.”
“We’ve finished our business,” Carter said tonelessly. “Mr. Barrows understands our position.”
“Clearly. I’m sure you can find your own way out,” he said coldly, turning a shoulder to them and disappearing into a back office, the sound of a loudly closing door making a statement in itself.
“Well…I take it you boys had a nice chat?” Catherine didn’t fight the hands that escorted her to her car. She leaned heavily on the fender, unaware of the long breath she let free.
Bobby shook his head. “These two together are scary. I was just an observer.”
“It’s all that combined college…lots of fancy words strung together,” Catherine looked from one to the other. It wasn’t hard to see the cold anger in them both at the moment. “He knows who you are,” she said, looking carefully at Aaron.
“He does. And he knows I’m no longer four years old.”
She pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. “Donor list…key donors…the Austins.”
“We could have guessed that, Catherine,” Aaron shoved his jacket back.
“Anna’s on her way to the nursery to unload,” Carter glanced at his phone and then his wrist. “I’ve got a couple appointments to clear up. Leo’s with her and will drive her home.”
“I’ll be in touch,” Aaron promised with a nod.
“Wait a minute,” Catherine’s voice was up and hard, her gaze sweeping from one to the other. “Exactly what did the two of you hope to accomplish by talking to him?”
“To scare the shit out of him,” Carter said succinctly, even white teeth bared and gleaming. “It’s an age old male thing and it generally works. I’ve got work.” And he strode to his car without looking back.
“He’s worried about Anna,” Aaron extended his palm to Bobby. “Thanks for being in there. I don’t know if I feel as confident about it as Carter, but it did feel good to know he was shaking inside.”
“I’ll write it up, Cat and copy you,” Bobby decided a safe distance from the explosion would be smart about now and headed to his waiting car.
“Hmm…looks like I need a ride home…”
“Hope you have taxi money then,” she returned, shoving up and wobbling which only made her growl again.
“How was the doctor appointment?” He waited until she unlocked the car and slid into the passenger seat.
“Stay off your feet, let it heal, no the stitches cannot come out yet…blah, blah, blah,” she mimicked, starting the engine before throwing her head against the headrest. “I don’t like this…it should have been kept official….but the problem is, I don’t have crap for evidence about any of this and no judge in his right mind is going to order DNA sampling based on the drawings of a four year old from thirty years ago,” she let all the words rush out in a frustrated sweep tinted with anger.
“We need to go to the nursery, Catherine,” Aaron pulled the seatbelt into place, his features grim when she glanced over at him, her hands starting the car immediately.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know,” he repeated with a tinge of frustration.
“Alright, we’re on the…damn…the murder cops,” she reached for the flashing light and flipped the switch, taking the car through traffic with long practiced skill.
“Murder cops?”
“What I was called out to this morning. Dead guy…he had one of Anna’s card crushed in his palm,” she said simply, her focus on the cars around them as she drove.