Noah was thankful they’d gotten away from the parking lot, but his instincts were still screaming at him about the level of danger. He twisted in his seat to keep an eye out for anyone who might be following, only to come face to face with Matt’s K-9 partner, Duchess.
“Hey, Duchess. Remember me?” He put his hand near the crate bars for the dog to sniff. Looking past the animal, he could see several pairs of headlights behind them.
Could one of them be the shooter?
The dog sniffed his hand, then wagged her tail. He turned his attention back to the issue at hand. “Matt, there’s a chance the shooter has your license plate number.”
“I know.” Matt didn’t sound at all happy about the possibility. “It’s not as if a K-9 SUV is easy to disguise, either.”
“Noah, I need to use your new phone to call my mom,” Maddy said. “I can’t bear the thought that Pietro’s goons have their house staked out.”
Noah hesitated, not because he wanted to deny Maddy’s request—he certainly understood her need to know her mother and grandmother were safe—but because he’d used his phone to call Matt. Disposable cell phones weren’t easy to trace, but he knew it was possible. Especially if Pietro had someone working for him within law enforcement.
“Noah, please!” Maddy’s voice rose with agitation.
“Hold on, Maddy,” Matt said. “Don’t call Mom directly. It’s better if we call Miles and send him over there to check on them.”
“Why is that any different?” Maddy asked, clearly frustrated.
“Because Miles is a homicide detective,” Noah reminded her. “We can call Dispatch and ask to have the call sent directly to him. If the call is traced, they’ll know only that we called the police, not specifically who within the department.”
“Fine. Call Dispatch, then. But hurry,” Maddy said.
Noah made the call, requesting to be connected to Miles Callahan’s number. Unfortunately, the detective didn’t pick up. He left a message telling Miles to go directly to his mother’s house to ensure their safety. But he knew Maddy wouldn’t be satisfied with that.
“Send a squad over there,” she demanded. “I want a wellness check.”
“Okay.” Noah made the second call, wondering if the terseness of Maddy’s tone was related to her memory return. She’d been antagonistic toward him at the hospital after Matt’s injury, standing at her twin’s bedside as if she was his personal bodyguard. Two days earlier, she’d profusely thanked him for helping her and Gretchen move into their new condo, so he knew her icy attitude had been because she blamed him for Matt’s injury.
“Officer Matt Callahan is requesting a wellness check on his mother and grandmother,” he told the dispatcher. “Please send a squad to the premises ASAP.”
“Will do, officer,” the dispatcher responded.
Noah didn’t bother to correct her assumption that he was actually Matt. Right now the important thing was to make sure that Matt and Maddy’s mother and grandmother were safe. Besides, he wasn’t so sure he wanted the dispatcher to know who he was. He’d left the anonymous tip about Jackson’s murder, but did they also know about his squad car being submerged in Lake Michigan? He had to believe they would put the two issues together and realize he was either in trouble or had gone rogue, killing his own partner.
After all, it wasn’t a huge leap. His reputation related to keeping a partner safe was already ruined. Jackson’s death would be the final nail in that coffin.
His career was likely so far down in the gutter there was no hope of recovery. His chest tightened painfully and he struggled to draw a deep breath.
What would he do without his career? He had no idea.
“Thank you, Noah,” Maddy said, derailing his thoughts by resting her hand on his arm. “I appreciate your sending the squad to check on Mom and Nan.”
“Ah, sure.” He was nonplussed by the note of sincerity in her tone. “I completely understand. I want them to be safe, too.”
She squeezed his arm. “I know you do.”
He stared at her pale fingers, wondering why she was being so nice to him. Maybe for Matt’s benefit? That was the only thing that made sense, now that her memory had returned.
“Where to?” Matt asked, interrupting them. “I’m doing my best to make sure I’m not being followed, but it would be nice to have a destination in mind.”
“I’m not sure,” Noah admitted. Maddy let go of his arm and he had to curb his desire to reach out to clasp her hand in his. “A motel would be best. It’s likely that the police are searching for me, so I don’t think it’s smart to head back to my place. Too much has happened, I’m worried they’ll arrest me first and ask questions later.”
“Why would they arrest you?” Matt’s questioning gaze met his. “What’s really going on here?”
“My partner, Jackson Dellis, was murdered earlier this morning. He was shot because I called him and asked him to pick us up at the Racine Marina.”
Matt whistled between his teeth. “That’s not good. Although it’s strange, I didn’t hear anything in the news about a murder victim being found in that area. Usually the reporters are all over that kind of thing.”
In Noah’s opinion, the media were bloodsucking leeches, but hey, all in the name of freedom of speech, right? He’d never forget how relentlessly awful they were the day after his sister died. “Maybe you missed it. Trust me, it’s probably being broadcast as we speak. In fact, we were fortunate to get away from the marina in one piece.”
“Noah took a bullet in the back,” Maddy chimed in, once again coming to his defense. “Thankfully, he was wearing his vest.”
Matt’s expression darkened for a moment, then he gave a terse nod. “Thanks for saving Maddy’s life, Noah. I owe you for that.”
He shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with Matt’s gratitude. “It’s nothing. But I’m sorry to tell you I’m out of cash. I hope you’ll lend me some.”
“There’s no lending involved,” Maddy interjected. “You’ve already paid for our meals, clothing, phones and the rooms at the last motel. I need to pay my fair share.”
“I have plenty of cash,” Matt said. “No need to worry about who owes whom. The important thing is to keep Maddy safe while we figure out who Pietro hired to kill her.”
“Yes, I know he’s the one behind this, but don’t forget, I have a trial to prepare for,” Maddy reminded him, a stubborn edge to her voice. “So really, the most important thing is to keep Mom and Nan safe. I need to get to my office.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Noah said, striving for patience. “Pietro already made one attempt on you at the courthouse. Why would you give him access to a second attempt? What if he succeeds next time?”
Maddy drew away from him as if he’d hurt her. “Why on earth would I cave in to his pathetic attempts to derail the trial? Prosecuting this case has only gotten more important in the past twenty-four hours. I won’t let him chase me away from doing my job.”
Noah inwardly groaned at the way she folded her arms across her chest and thrust out her chin. Stubborn Maddy was back.
At least Memory Loss Maddy had agreed to follow his lead in keeping her safe. Now, protecting her from harm would only be more difficult.
If not downright impossible.
* * *
Maddy turned away from Noah, staring sightlessly out the passenger-side window. She’d expected Matt to give her a hard time about moving forward with the trial, but not Noah.
She’d thought they’d connected on a deeper, more personal level over the past several hours.
Since their heated kiss.
Then again, Noah had been the one to pull away from their embrace. Her cheeks went pink with embarrassment at the memory. Kissing him in the first place had been out of character for her. Now that her memory had returned, she knew just how much she’d avoided men since the night four months ago she’d been groped by one of her colleagues, who’d thought he was the catch of the century.
Yeah, so not.
She hadn’t told anyone, especially not her brothers, about that night, about how scared she’d been deep down in her heart that Blake Ratcliff would force her against her will. He’d had her pinned against the desk in his office, blocking the doorway, holding her against him. Fortunately, a security guard had come on his rounds outside Blake’s office. He’d knocked sharply on the door, asking if everything was all right. Blake had let her go, and she’d used the opportunity to escape unscathed.
Mostly unscathed. For weeks afterward, she’d had trouble putting the event behind her, doing her best to focus instead on her career.
Alexander Pietro’s case had been a good distraction, but she’d continued looking over her shoulder, afraid she’d find herself targeted once again by Ratcliff.
“I have to agree with Noah,” Matt said from the front seat. “You can’t just stroll into your office, Maddy.”
She tossed her head, glaring at him. “Oh, really? As if you or any of our other brothers would ever let something like this stop you from doing your job. Just because you happen to be in some area of law enforcement doesn’t make you bulletproof. Miles and Marc were shot last year while protecting their witnesses. And you were stabbed just a few months before Marc’s injury.”
Noah flinched beside her, and for a moment she regretted adding that last part. Not that it wasn’t true, because it was. And yeah, she’d blamed Noah for Matt’s injury for weeks afterward. Until Matt confronted her, asking why she couldn’t forgive him the way God taught them to.
So she’d done her best to do just that.
“Matt’s wound was my fault, not his,” Noah said. “And that’s not the point. Neither one of us goes into dangerous situations without being prepared. Matt’s right, you can’t just stroll into work as if none of this happened.”
They were ganging up on her, two against one. But they’d forgotten that she’d grown up with five older brothers and knew how to hold her own. “Then we’ll find a way to prepare,” she said. “I’m sure one of you can get me a vest, and between the two of you, provide round-the-clock protection. We need to find a way to make this work. If Pietro walks, all of this will have been for nothing. Including Jackson’s murder.”
Silence filled the vehicle, broken only by Duchess’s movements and breathing. It seemed like hours, but was likely only a few minutes, before Noah spoke up.
“She’s right, Matt. We can’t let Pietro get away with this. In fact, there’s no guarantee that he wouldn’t continue to come after Maddy or the rest of your family, even if she did drop the case.”
Her twin let out a heavy sigh. “Yeah, okay. But first we find a motel.”
“And a new ride,” Noah added. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think we can safely use this one.”
“I know.” Matt took another turn and Maddy was surprised to see they were in front of a low-budget motel on the opposite side of town from where her mother and grandmother lived. Was that a good thing? She wasn’t sure. She’d rather be close by, in case something happened. “I’ll drop you off and return later with another vehicle.”
“Thanks, Matt,” Noah said. “Don’t forget we need cash, too.”
“I got it.” He pushed out of the car and dug in his pocket. Noah slid out to join him, offering a hand to Maddy. She took it, allowing him to help her, struck again by his manners. Had Noah always been this courteous? To be fair, she’d always thought he was a nice-looking guy, but she hadn’t been interested in getting involved with her brother’s partner. And then, after the stabbing, she’d distanced herself from Noah even further.
Then Blake had put her off men, completely. Or so she’d thought.
Looking back over the time they’d spent together since Noah had come to her rescue at the hospital, she realized she’d never really known him on a personal level. The man who carried the guilt over his girlfriend’s death like a yoke across his shoulders.
She gave herself a mental shake as she followed Matt inside the motel lobby. Noah had been nothing but kind and protective of her, but that didn’t mean anything had changed between them. He still didn’t want to become involved and frankly, she wasn’t interested in a long-term relationship right now, either. The incident with Blake Ratcliff still bothered her, and her priority had to be on winning the case against Alexander Pietro, sending him to prison for a long, long time.
“They have adjoining rooms available,” Noah said in a low voice. “So I told Matt to take them.”
She nodded, thinking that it would be good to have her own space. Strange how being close to Noah hadn’t bothered her when she’d had amnesia, but now she was a little relieved to have some separation between them. Not that Noah had ever acted the way Ratcliff had.
Still, remembering the way Blake had accused her of sending out vibes that she was interested in him made her wonder if maybe she had.
After all, she’d initiated the kiss with Noah, hadn’t she?
When they were finished in the lobby, they headed back outside. “Here you go,” Matt said, passing respective room keys to them. He also handed Noah a wad of cash. “It’s ten minutes past five o’clock now. I plan to return no later than eight.”
“Where are you going to get a spare ride?” Noah asked.
“Not sure,” Matt admitted.
“Your friend Garrett is back from his deployment, isn’t he?” Maddy asked. “So using his truck is probably out of the question.”
“Garrett’s a great guy. He may be willing to help out. If not, we have other friends. I’ll find a way.”
“I know you will,” she agreed.
Matt stepped in and wrapped her in a bear hug. She clung to him for a moment, tears pricking her eyes. How could she have forgotten her twin? Her family? Her mother and grandmother?
“Stay safe,” Matt whispered in her ear. “And be nice to Noah.”
“I will.” She hung on for another long moment, then released him. “See you later.”
“Back at you.” Matt slapped Noah on the shoulder. “Take care of my baby sis.”
“Of course. Come on, Maddy, let’s get inside.” Noah gestured for Maddy to precede him toward their rooms, but she waited until Matt slid into the SUV and started up the engine, watching as he drove away.
Their rooms were nothing special; they were clean but smelled musty enough to make her wrinkle her nose. Still, it was warm and they were safe, so she wasn’t about to complain. As she turned up the heater, there was a knock on the connecting door between their rooms.
She crossed over to unlock it. Noah stood there, holding out the plastic bag containing their personal items. “I took out my sweatshirt and toothbrush. The rest is yours.”
“Thanks.” She took the bag, then gestured toward the computer case. “What are you working on?”
“Nothing yet, but now that you have your memory back, we should review your notes again. We still have Lance Arvani as a key suspect.”
She winced. Under normal circumstances, Noah shouldn’t know anything about Arvani. Although clearly there wasn’t anything normal about being rammed into a lake or being shot at, not just once but three times. She needed to figure out a way to salvage the case, and how Noah had gotten dragged into the recent events, as well. “Give me a few minutes, okay?”
“Sure.” Noah stepped back and closed his door halfway.
Maddy carried her personal items into the bathroom, using the time to freshen up. There were dark circles beneath her eyes; the restorative effect of the measly five hours of sleep she’d managed to grab was fading fast. The only good thing was that her headache wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been, the level of pain such that it was easily ignored.
Ten minutes later, she entered Noah’s room to find him searching the internet on the computer. “Find anything?” she asked, dropping into the seat beside him.
“No, and I don’t like it.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Okay, what exactly are you looking for? Something on Arvani?”
“No, on Jackson’s murder.” Noah cleared his current search and tried again, typing in the words Racine Marina.
She leaned in close, trying not to let Noah’s masculine scent distract her as she watched various results fill the screen.
“I don’t understand,” Noah muttered. “The news of Jackson’s death should be all over the place by now. A dead off-duty cop lying beside a car in a pool of blood wouldn’t be overlooked.”
She agreed. “Do you think it’s possible that the police found him first and kept the whole thing under wraps?”
Noah shrugged, trying different key phrases in the search engine. “I left an anonymous call about it, so I guess it’s possible, but I don’t see why they would. After all, they probably already know about my squad car being in Lake Michigan, too. Surely they linked the two incidents.”
“Maybe someone else moved the body?” Maddy said.
“And cleaned up all the blood? Not likely.”
“Try searching on the squad car falling into Lake Michigan?” she suggested.
He did as she asked, and immediately several hits came up. Noah clicked on the top story with the headline Abandoned Police Vehicle Submerged in Lake Michigan.
Silently they both scanned the article. The reporter described the vehicle as being mostly submerged in the water before it was found and that foul play against the officer assigned to the vehicle was suspected. Strangely, the article didn’t mention Noah Sinclair by name.
“It doesn’t make sense,” Noah said again. “They obviously have the story here on my squad car being found in the lake, but nothing related to my murdered partner? That’s the bigger news story here. Not an empty police car. A man’s death should be taking priority.”
“Here, let me try.” Maddy turned the laptop computer so that it was facing her directly. She tried several different search engines, along with different phrases, but without a single result.
It was as if Jackson’s murder hadn’t happened.
How was that possible?
She twisted toward Noah. “What if the shooter came down the hill and stuffed Jackson back in his car?” she asked. “A parked car might not raise anyone’s suspicions. What if he’s still out there?”
Noah’s mouth thinned. “Anything is possible, although I still think someone would have gone searching for him by now. And if they’d found his home empty but his car gone from the garage, they would have put out an APB.”
A chill rippled down her spine. “They would have done that for you, too, then, right?”
He nodded slowly. “Yeah, especially since they clearly found my car. Two missing cops, who were partners, had to have raised an alarm.”
Her stomach twisted painfully. Jackson’s body should have been found, in or out of his abandoned car. Even a bloodstain on the ground would normally have alerted someone.
Which meant Noah was right. The police had to be withholding the information from the media. And the likely reason to do that was because Noah himself had to be their prime suspect in the shooting death of his partner.