tears. If she followed the plan, she would call within two hours. And he knew The Brotherhood was listening. He’d found a bug inside his room under their bed just three days ago. He’d left it there.
Once the call was made to Jeanine, it wouldn’t be long before either the truth would be exposed—that is, if anyone would believe him—or, he and his family would wind up dead.
He was just getting into his car when his cell rang. It was Jeanine. “Honey! Where are you?”
She responded in a distant, angry tone. “Listen, Ryan, don’t threaten me with the police.”
“I’m sorry. I just, I…well, I’m desperate. I can’t live without you. Please come home.”
“I’m not ready to come home.”
“At least tell me where you are. Please,” he begged.
“Italy. The girls and I are in Italy.”
“Where?Let me meet you. Let’s talk.”
“No, Ryan. Plus, you have work to do, I’m sure. I’ll call you in a couple of days and maybe then I will be ready to talk. For now you might want to consider a decent lawyer. I’m not sure I can forgive you for this. Good-bye.”
Ryan heard the phone on the other end click off. He thought she had added a nice touch by throwing in the line about the lawyer. But what if she was telling him the truth? He couldn’t blame her. What if Jeanine never forgave him?
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The headlights shining into Kelly’s front window belonged to the detective’s off-duty car. She watched him from behind the closed curtains, ashamed at the surge of relief she felt. She was no longer angry with him. She just wanted to feel safe.
“Thanks for coming over,” she said after opening the door. “I’m really sorry to bother you so late.”
“You said you thought it was important.”
“Yes, but…maybe I should have waited.” After she’d called him, she had gone around her entire house with the gun she kept. She’d learned how to shoot from her dad back in Lexington. He’d wanted her to know how to defend herself before sending her to the City of Angels. She’d turned on all the lights in the house. No one else beside herself was in the home. That much she knew. But someone had definitely been there.
He frowned and gave her an odd look. “You know, it’s after one o’ clock, and you don’t exactly strike me as the kind of person who calls a detective in the middle of the night for no reason at all. What gives?”
She nodded. “Follow me.”
While he followed her back into her room, she relayed the entire story to him. “So you see, the flowers were delivered to my office, and then they disappeared before my shift was over, and showed up here.” She pointed to the vase on her nightstand. The bouquet’s ominous presence chilled her.
“The flowers disappeared from your office?”
“Yes. I figured it was the cleaning crew. I didn’t know.”
“I need to get a team over here to dust for fingerprints. I think it’s important to check into this. It could be connected to your friend’s murder.”
The same thought had crossed her mind.
“This note is a pretty serious threat, and we have to treat it as such. With Dr. Hamilton’s murder hanging over our heads, we have to treat all of this as possibly being related.”
She nodded. “Can I get you some water or coffee?”
“Water.I’ll call this in.”
Pazzinimade a call to the station. “Yeah, and I’d like to get a twenty-four hour watch on Dr. Morales for protection. Thanks.”
When he hung up the phone, Kelly said, “Do you really think I need protection?” Her eyes widened.
“I think considering what happened with Dr. Hamilton and the two of you were friends, yes, it’s a good idea. Don’t worry though. I know you’re busy and have a job to do. No one will be in your face. I assure you. These guys are pros. We know how to do our jobs. You won’t even notice him most of the time. You can do your rounds without him hanging with you. And it is likely I will be taking the late
Once the call was made to Jeanine, it wouldn’t be long before either the truth would be exposed—that is, if anyone would believe him—or, he and his family would wind up dead.
He was just getting into his car when his cell rang. It was Jeanine. “Honey! Where are you?”
She responded in a distant, angry tone. “Listen, Ryan, don’t threaten me with the police.”
“I’m sorry. I just, I…well, I’m desperate. I can’t live without you. Please come home.”
“I’m not ready to come home.”
“At least tell me where you are. Please,” he begged.
“Italy. The girls and I are in Italy.”
“Where?Let me meet you. Let’s talk.”
“No, Ryan. Plus, you have work to do, I’m sure. I’ll call you in a couple of days and maybe then I will be ready to talk. For now you might want to consider a decent lawyer. I’m not sure I can forgive you for this. Good-bye.”
Ryan heard the phone on the other end click off. He thought she had added a nice touch by throwing in the line about the lawyer. But what if she was telling him the truth? He couldn’t blame her. What if Jeanine never forgave him?
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The headlights shining into Kelly’s front window belonged to the detective’s off-duty car. She watched him from behind the closed curtains, ashamed at the surge of relief she felt. She was no longer angry with him. She just wanted to feel safe.
“Thanks for coming over,” she said after opening the door. “I’m really sorry to bother you so late.”
“You said you thought it was important.”
“Yes, but…maybe I should have waited.” After she’d called him, she had gone around her entire house with the gun she kept. She’d learned how to shoot from her dad back in Lexington. He’d wanted her to know how to defend herself before sending her to the City of Angels. She’d turned on all the lights in the house. No one else beside herself was in the home. That much she knew. But someone had definitely been there.
He frowned and gave her an odd look. “You know, it’s after one o’ clock, and you don’t exactly strike me as the kind of person who calls a detective in the middle of the night for no reason at all. What gives?”
She nodded. “Follow me.”
While he followed her back into her room, she relayed the entire story to him. “So you see, the flowers were delivered to my office, and then they disappeared before my shift was over, and showed up here.” She pointed to the vase on her nightstand. The bouquet’s ominous presence chilled her.
“The flowers disappeared from your office?”
“Yes. I figured it was the cleaning crew. I didn’t know.”
“I need to get a team over here to dust for fingerprints. I think it’s important to check into this. It could be connected to your friend’s murder.”
The same thought had crossed her mind.
“This note is a pretty serious threat, and we have to treat it as such. With Dr. Hamilton’s murder hanging over our heads, we have to treat all of this as possibly being related.”
She nodded. “Can I get you some water or coffee?”
“Water.I’ll call this in.”
Pazzinimade a call to the station. “Yeah, and I’d like to get a twenty-four hour watch on Dr. Morales for protection. Thanks.”
When he hung up the phone, Kelly said, “Do you really think I need protection?” Her eyes widened.
“I think considering what happened with Dr. Hamilton and the two of you were friends, yes, it’s a good idea. Don’t worry though. I know you’re busy and have a job to do. No one will be in your face. I assure you. These guys are pros. We know how to do our jobs. You won’t even notice him most of the time. You can do your rounds without him hanging with you. And it is likely I will be taking the late
Similar Books
