Macy couldn’t control herself. She punched, slapped, kicked, clawed and she may have even bitten Finn, and yet all he did was stand there and take it. After several minutes she was exhausted and when she didn’t have the strength to fight him anymore she slumped forward into his arms and cried. Most of her tears were for Kat, but if she were being honest some were for her as well.
“Baby, please don’t cry.”
“I hate you.”
“I know. I know. I don’t blame you one bit. I don’t deserve you.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Come on. Let’s get a shower and you’ll feel better.”
Let’s get a shower? As in we? She took a steady breath, stepped out of his arms and looked into his eyes. “You want to take a shower with me?”
“Sure, baby.” He ripped off his jacket then started kicking off his shoes. “I didn’t get to shower last night or this morning. I was in such a hurry to get to you.”
She didn’t know why but she started laughing.
His brows shot upward. “What’s so funny?” he asked.
“Do you honestly believe I would want to shower with you after what you did to me?”
“Well, I was kind of hoping you would, yeah.”
She tried to remain calm while giving him a determined look. “Get out of my room.”
“But—”
She pointed to the door. “You heard me. Get out.”
“Macy.”
“Don’t make me shoot you.”
“Shoot me? With what?” This time he was the one to laugh.
She backed up to the nightstand, opened the top drawer, finding the gun Jeremy had given her the night before for protection. It wasn’t loaded but Finn didn’t need to know that. “With this.” She pointed it at his midsection.
“Baby, where did you get that thing?”
“It doesn’t matter. I want you to get out of my room, and out of this house. I don’t need or want your protection any longer.”
“Then you’re going to have to sign a release,” he said, digging in his pocket as he moved toward her. “Do you have a pen?”
“No, I don’t have a pen.” A pause. “What release?”
Before she knew what had happened he had wrestled the gun from her hands. After a brief glance at the weapon he said, “It’s not loaded, but either way you shouldn’t have a gun if you don’t know how to use it.”
She dropped to the edge of the bed and sighed. Now what? “Finn, please, just leave me alone.”
“I can’t do that, Macy, and you know it.”
“If you really cared about me then you would respect my wishes.”
“Still can’t do that, baby. I am not going to leave you with Matthews for protection. Hell, for all we know he’s the one who sent you those notes, made those calls.”
She looked up at Finn. “Oh, get real! Jeremy? You think Jeremy would actually do something like that?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t get a chance to finish the reports on all the people who work for the show. Maybe he’s our guy. Besides, I don’t like him.”
“That’s because your big fat male ego is in the way. He’s a nice man. Besides, if he wanted to kill me he would have done so last night.”
“Maybe he’s trying to gain your trust first. Do you really think he would kill you in his own home? He might plan to take you somewhere remote, strangle you and then dump your body in a ditch.”
Macy swallowed noisily, the thought making her uneasy, but still she refused to believe Jeremy would do something like that. Especially when she knew how he felt about her. “I’ve known him for years and he’s a good person,” she said in Jeremy’s defense.
“Yeah, that’s what you said about all the guys you work with. But someone who has access to the studio is dangerous.”
Macy mentally ran through practically every male there, dismissing them as she went along. She shook her head. “You’re wrong, Finn.”
“Are you so sure that you’re willing to bet your life on it? Because I’m not.”
Was she? Of course, she was sure. It had to be someone else. An outsider. “Yes, I’m sure.”
“Well, I hope you’re right. Go take your shower. We’ll go talk to the police together.”
Finn drove the rental car, Macy seated in the passenger seat beside him and Talwar in the back, to her apartment building. Macy used her key fob to open the door to the apartment building then relinquished both the fob and the key to her apartment to Talwar. Finn asked him to go upstairs and check out the apartment while they headed for the security desk.
The pudgy red-headed man behind the desk whose name badge simply said Pete looked up at them finally. When he noticed Macy his eyes lit up and a goofy smile formed on his pasty lips. “Hello, Dr. Macy! What can I do for you?” At further inspection Finn realized he was just a kid—maybe early twenties at most.
Finn didn’t give Macy the chance to speak. “We need to ask you a few questions.”
Pete’s gaze bounced between Finn and Macy before he nodded. “Is this about that lady that went missing? Because I told the police I didn’t see or hear anything suspicious the past few days.”
“Yes, it’s about Ms. Johansen. Kat Johansen. She was staying in Ms. Winthrop’s apartment.”
“That’s what the police said, but Dr. Macy didn’t fill out the proper form to say she was giving that woman permission to stay there. So no one here knew anything about it.”
“I’m sorry, Pete,” Macy said. “My fault. I actually gave my friend permission to stay for a few days while I was out of town.”
Finn sighed. “That’s not really the issue here, is it? What I need to know is if you saw anyone else going up to Ms. Winthrop’s apartment? Did Ms. Johansen bring anyone into the building with her? Just tell us what you can remember.”
The guy shrugged and he ran a hand through his curly hair. “I don’t even remember seeing Ms. Johansen.”
“You’re sure? She’s quite attractive. Long dark hair, nice body.” Finn noticed Macy had rolled her eyes. “I’m just trying to be helpful,” he told her.
Pete shrugged once more. “Again, I never saw her. And besides, I’m gay. Lots of attractive ladies go in and out of here every day and I really wouldn’t notice unless someone was causing a scene. I’m usually studying while I’m at work.”
“Pete is attending Northwestern,” Macy said as if Finn gave a fuck.
“Okay,” Finn mumbled. “How about we take a look at the security footage for the past several days?”
“I’m not authorized to show you that. I’m sorry. You’ll have to talk to the building manager, but he’s out of town until next week.” A pause. “Although the police have a copy. I’m sure they would be willing to show you theirs.” Pete appeared to be thinking. “Detective Burns is handling the case. Now there’s a man I remember,” he said, waggling his brows.
Jeezus! Finn dug out his wallet and placed a few large bills on the desk. “You do realize a woman’s life is at risk, don’t you? The longer she is missing the more chance there is that we’ll never find her.”
He heard Macy suck in a loud breath and he pulled her close to his side.
“I still can’t help you. Sorry. I’m already in a heap of trouble for letting that lady’s mother into the apartment the other day. I need this job. There are very few places students can work and study at the same time.”
Not wanting to upset Macy more than necessary, he thanked him and led her to the bank of elevators. He would deal with the guy later.
The minute Macy entered her apartment she shivered with trepidation. Kat had been here and now she was missing. She walked back to the bedroom, saw the unmade bed and sniffed back tears.
There were no signs of Kat’s purse or the suitcase Jeremy had mentioned. Either the police had taken the items or perhaps Kat’s parents had taken them.
Finn walked in behind her. “Anything out of the ordinary?”
“Not that I can see.” She turned then, wanting to slip into his arms for comfort but caught herself instead. She went to the closet and started pulling clothes off hangars. Since she had no idea how long she would be staying with Jeremy she decided she would need quite a bit of things. She looked around for her large purple roller bag but didn’t see it anywhere. That was strange.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I was looking for my large suitcase, but I can use this one instead.” She reached for the smaller one and wheeled it to the bed.
“I wish you would just stay here in the apartment with me.”
“Not going to happen.”
“Dammit, Macy. I said I was sorry. What more do I have to do?”
“That has nothing to do with why I don’t want to stay here. I can’t, knowing this was the last place Kat was. I just can’t.” She couldn’t hold back her tears. Finn, noticing she was crying, scooped her into his arms and sat down on the edge of the bed with her.
“Don’t cry, baby. We’re going to find her.”
She already knew Kat was dead. She felt it deep in her gut. But she nodded anyway. She slid off Finn’s lap and went to work packing. She had to get out of there. Now. Before she had a complete breakdown.
Detective Burns was the one who was handling the disappearance of Katerina Johansen, just like Pete had said. He was a tall, lean African-American with a shiny bald head who looked to be in his early forties. Finn and Macy told the guy everything they knew that could possibly help them locate Kat.
“So, let me make sure I have everything,” the detective said after interviewing them for more than an hour at the station. “Someone has been threatening you, Ms. Winthrop, and you think this guy might have something to do with the disappearance of your friend Ms. Johansen?”
“Yes,” Macy answered in a shaky voice.
“I really need to see those notes and listen to those recordings. Do you think you could arrange that for me?”
“Of course. Let me just call Jeremy. He’s the executive producer of the show.”
“Jeremy Matthews?”
“Yes.” Macy pulled out her cell and hit the speed dial for Jeremy.
“That’s funny,” Detective Burns said, scratching at his bald head. “When we spoke with him two days ago he didn’t say a word about any of this.”
The detective made eye contact with Finn who said, “Because the guy is an asshole. He only cares about the show and its ratings.”
“I see.” Detective Burns nodded.
“I understand you have a copy of the security footage on Ms. Winthrop’s apartment building. I would really like to take a look at those tapes.”
“Tell me again how you fit into all this, Mr. Finney.”
“Ms. Winthrop hired me to protect her.”
Macy listened to the exchange between the two men as she waited for Jeremy to pick up. But when the call went to voicemail, Macy frowned and shoved her phone back into her bag. “He’s not answering. But I promise you I’ll have Jeremy get you what you need.”
“Thank you. Much appreciated.” He focused on Finn once again. “We just got the footage last night. My tech guys are going over everything now. If you come back late this afternoon I can certainly arrange for you both to take a look.”
Finn sighed. “I guess we’ll have to do that.”
“So you’re a bodyguard? Just what are your credentials, Mr. Finney?”
Finn looked annoyed as he answered. “I’m a former marine and specialized in secret ops missions. Those are my credentials. Anyone who tries to get to Macy has to go through me first and that isn’t going to happen.”
The detective gave a curt nod. “Impressive. I’m a former Navy Seal myself.”
Neither of them spoke as she assumed they were processing that information. Macy watched as the two men puffed out their chests and sized each other up. Oh, for heaven’s sake. She cleared her throat to get their attention.
“Let’s get back to business,” Detective Burns said. “Can you think of anyone who might want to harm Ms. Johansen? Any ex-boyfriends?”
Macy thought long and hard. “There was a guy Kat had dated last summer,” she said. “She’d ended it after a few weeks when she found out he’d cheated on her. But then he kept calling and harassing her. Showing up at her apartment in the middle of the night. Begging for forgiveness. I suggested she stay with me for a while. That’s why she still had the key and key fob to my place.”
“I see.”
“I think she filled out a police report,” Macy explained. “Finally the guy left her alone.”
“Do you remember this guy’s name?” When Macy nodded, the detective shoved a yellow legal pad in front of her. “Write down everything you can remember about him. His name, address, place of employment. Whatever you can think of.”
Macy had no idea where the guy lived, but she did remember he had worked as a bartender at one of Kat’s favorite spots, which was where they had supposedly met. She wrote down the guy’s name as well as the name of the bar where he’d worked. She hoped he was still there. The detective asked her a few more questions and then it was time to go.
She needed to get Jeremy to turn over the notes and those recordings to Detective Burns. She tried to reach him once more but got his voicemail for the second time.
Once they stepped out into the hallway, Finn immediately threw a beefy arm over her shoulder. “Hungry? How about some lunch?”
Did he automatically think she had forgiven him? Well he was wrong. She was finished with Finn. For good. She asked Detective Burns if he could point out the ladies room.
“Sure. Just take that hall all the way to the end and make a right.”
“Can you show me? I’m terrible with directions.”
“Of course.”
She turned to face Finn. “Wait here. I won’t be long.”
Finn scrunched his brow as if he didn’t trust she would be right back.
“Honestly, Finn, you can’t go with me to the ladies room. Give me a little privacy, would you?”
Her tone must have alerted the detective that something wasn’t quite right. “Mr. Finney, have a seat.” He nodded to the row of chairs along the tiled wall. “I’ll escort Ms. Winthrop to the ladies room and bring her back safely.”
Finn had no choice but to sit.
Once they reached the end of the hall and turned the corner, Macy finally spoke up. “Can you detain Mr. Finney?”
The detective’s brows shot upward. “Sure. What’s going on?”
“I told him his services were no longer needed but he still won’t leave my side. I don’t think his heart is really into protecting me. He just smells money, if you know what I mean. He’s been a little too interested in me personally and it’s making me quite uncomfortable.”
Detective Burns’s face hardened. “I know the type. Let me get someone to drive you somewhere safe. Do you have a friend or family you can stay with?”
“Yes. Thank you so much.”
Macy had been gone for over five minutes and Finn was starting to get a little nervous. He stood and started down the hall, coming face-to-face with Detective Burns. “Where is Macy?”
“I had one of the officers give her a ride. You and I need to have a little chat.”
“Fuck you!” Finn said and pushed his way past him. That was when he heard Burns draw his sidearm.
“Hold it right there! Hands behind your head.”
Aw fuck!
Macy was quite proud of herself for ditching Finn the way she had. She couldn’t stand being around him after what he had done to her. The nerve of him assuming she would forgive and forget so easily. That she would simply let him back into her life. She could never trust him again. The sooner he was out of her sight the better.
The only reason she had agreed to go to the police station with him in the first place was because he wouldn’t take no for an answer. She also knew that if she had put up a fight Jeremy would have jumped to her defense and she didn’t want to see him and Finn get into it. She knew exactly how that would have turned out. So she had given in. Finn and Dev still had keys to her place so Dev could get set up doing whatever he was planning to do. Hell if she knew, and she hadn’t bothered to ask. She didn’t argue. Told them they could keep the keys. She had no intentions of going back there anytime soon. Finn and Dev seemed so confident they were going to find the guy who had threatened her and take him down.
But she didn’t need Finn’s protection. Jeremy could protect her. And now that the police were in on what was going on they could protect her as well. Detective Burns said if Finn showed up there to give him a call and he would have an officer escort him away from the property.
She had the officer who drove her home from the police station drop her in front of Jeremy’s house. “Can I see you safely inside, Ms. Winthrop?”
“No, thank you. I’ll be fine. My friend is inside.” Jeremy had given her a key that morning. He had yet to return her calls but he’d promised not to go anywhere today. Maybe his phone was charging, or maybe it was in another room and he hadn’t heard it ringing. Perhaps he had turned if off and forgotten to turn it back on. She had done that plenty of times. There were dozens of plausible reasons why he hadn’t answered. No reason to panic.
“Thank you, Officer.” Macy got out of the patrol car and slammed the door shut. She made her way up the steps and used her key to open the front door. “Jeremy?”
Shutting the door, she went in search of her friend. Trying the kitchen first she frowned when she didn’t see him. She set her purse and house key on the kitchen counter and was about to go find him when something caught her eye. Something red seeping from under the butler’s pantry. Tomato juice maybe? Macy crept forward. “Jeremy, did you spill something?” she called out. “Are you in there?”
Tentatively, she placed her hand on the door knob then pulled the door open and screamed. “Oh. My. God.” Jeremy was lying on the floor. There was a large red gash across his neck and throat. A butcher knife lay on the floor beside him. Blood was everywhere. His eyes were still wide open but he wasn’t moving.
Sheer instinct made her turn and run. As she made it to the hall she ran smack into Benny Grossman. “Oh, my God, Benny!” Her throat was raw from screaming. She was barely able to form her words. “It’s . . . Jeremy.” Between sobs she turned to point toward the kitchen with a trembling hand. “He’s . . . dead! Someone . . . killed him!”
“No,” Benny said. “Oh, no.” He took her by the arm, tried to pull her backward. “We have to get out of here. I know who did this.”
“What? Who?” She grabbed hold of his wool jacket. “Who did this, Benny? Who killed Jeremy?”
“It was David Greenberg.”
David was the show’s director. “David?” Macy shook her head in denial. “No, David wouldn’t do something like that. He and Jeremy were friends.”
“David went off the deep end recently. Haven’t you noticed how strange he’s been acting?” No, she hadn’t noticed that. Other than he had seemed pretty persistent about her signing her contract. “His wife left him,” Benny went on. “Actually she was only his common law wife. They were never married. If you ask me I think he may have killed her. I also think he was the one sending you those notes and calling you.”
“You know about that?”
“Of course. Jeremy told me. He trusted me. In fact, he was the one who called me just a little while ago and asked me to come over here. He also invited David to come. Jeremy said together he and I would confront David and then once he confessed we would call the police.”
“The police. We have to call the police.” Why hadn’t she done that already? “My phone! My phone is in my purse.” She jabbed her finger toward the kitchen. “In the kitchen.”
“Leave it. We need to get you out of here before David comes back.” He lowered his voice. “In fact, he could still be in the house somewhere.”
Macy hadn’t thought of that. She shuddered as her gaze quickly roamed their surroundings. She half expected to see David jump out of the woodwork. Because she didn’t know what else to do, and Benny could be right about David still being in the house, she allowed him to lead her quickly but quietly to the front door.
Benny took her hand, pulled her out onto the porch and down the front steps. Her legs were so rubbery she thought they might give out. “Hold on to me. You’re safe now.”
Thank God Benny had come along when he had. “Where did you park?” she asked, not seeing any cars directly in front of Jeremy’s house.
“Just around the corner. Come on.”