Give Him the Slip (38 page)

"How can you be so sure it's pictures?" Austin asked.
"It could be drugs. Remember, Jerry was a doper. He could have been
looking for his stash."

"I didn't turn up any info that he was involved in the drug
scene here in Brazos Bend."

"What drug scene?" protested the mayor. "We don't
have a drug scene."

Luke ignored him. "I think Grevas was looking for his meal
ticket. Blackmail provides money and that's what Grevas needed more than
anything else. Now that Grevas is gone, his victim wants to ensure that no one
picks up where Jerry left off."

"Your theory is plausible, I'll admit," said Austin.
"However, I deal in evidence, and the only hard evidence we have is that
last night's fire was intentionally set. It's just as likely her boyfriend saw
you staying overnight at her place and decided to burn away his
heartbreak."

"Either way," Branch said, "I want him caught. I
want our Madeline to know she's safe here in our town. So, you boys think
you're up to the task or should I hire me some outside help?"

Luke already had plans to call in a couple freelance guys he knew,
but he wouldn't turn down Branch's help. Keeping Maddie safe was the first
priority.

Chief Harper declared, "We'll find him. We don't need outside
help."

"He's right," Austin agreed. "We've got good men
here in Brazos Bend."

The men all nodded their agreement, then Branch dismissed them by
saying, "Then, git 'er done, boys. Go git 'er done."

When the last of the visitors departed, Luke turned to follow. His
father stopped him by saying, "Luke? About yesterday. There's something
else—"

"Does it involve Maddie?" Luke interrupted.

"No."

"Then I'm not interested." He strode out of the study
and saw Maddie on the stairs. "Want to go for a walk, honey? Knucklehead
is scratching at the door."

"Coffee first?"

"Bring it with you. I need to ask you some questions, Red,
and there's no time to waste. I have an idea to run past you."

"All right."

"I'll grab the dog's leash and wait for you out front,"
he called after her as she headed for the kitchen.

Outside, Knucklehead dragged Luke over to an oak tree and started
sniffing the ground happily as Luke's cell phone rang. He dragged the slim
phone from his pocket and checked the number.

Mark. Luke thumbed the CONNECT button. "Hey."

"I found your man," his brother said without preamble.

Luke went still. "The Irish laddie?"

"Yep. I also found out why your connections couldn't turn him
up."

"He's dead?" Luke asked, hope in his tone as his gaze
shot back toward the house.

"Not exactly. He's left the dark side, Skywalker. He
apparently had a religious and political conversion. He's working for the good
guys now, although you won't find his name on anybody's official payroll."

"What! Where?"

"Somewhere in the States. I haven't been able to pin him down
yet."

Luke drummed his fingers against his thigh. "Brazos Bend,
maybe?"

"It's possible, I guess, but probable?" Matt let the
question hang for a beat. "I seriously doubt he's working a blackmail
scheme on your lady, Luke. He's earning a nice fat paycheck from Uncle Sam.
Plus, I'm told he's serious about the religion thing now. I honestly don't
think he's your guy. I wouldn't spend all my time looking for an Irish bomber,
if I were you."

"Hadn't planned to," Luke assured his brother as the
front door opened and Maddie stepped outside. His spinning thoughts halted as
she paused on the front steps to take a reverent sip of her coffee. Damn, she
was beautiful. A warm wave of possessive, lusty love washed over Luke.

The sound of his brother clearing his throat yanked Luke back to
the conversation. Mark said, "Uh, I hate to be obvious, but have you
considered that he might have been shooting straight?"

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe he wants her back."

"Luke and his bright ideas," Maddie grumbled that
afternoon as she plopped into a lounge chair beside the pool. Earlier, on their
walk, he'd outlined his grand, foolish plans. The man intended to draw out the
killer by pretending to have found the box. And no amount of arguing with Mr.
Big Badass Ex-Superagent convinced him otherwise.

Worry and concern had her in a snit. Luke intended to play hero,
to put himself in harm's way on her account by acting as bait, while her part
in the plan was to remain holed up in the Callahan castle like a princess.

Not that she necessarily wanted to go out and be her own
detective. She wasn't a heroine in a mystery novel; she was the owner of a
senior care business in Brazos Bend, Texas. She was fine with the idea of
letting a professional do the dirty work.

Under ordinary circumstances.

When she wasn't sleeping with said professional.

"Idiot." Whether she referred to the professional or the
princess, she couldn't say.

She heard the kitchen door open, then shut behind her, but she
didn't turn to look. She'd hoped he'd just leave without speaking to her. She
had so much emotion churning inside her that she feared she wouldn't get
through two sentences without starting to blubber. While she might not have the
courage of a mystery-novel heroine, she certainly had her share of pride.

She reached into the basket of new pedicure supplies she'd brought
from the house and pulled out cotton balls, which she slipped between her toes.
Next she grabbed polish-remover pads and clear base coat before hesitating over
her color choice.

"I vote for that hot-pepper red," Luke said from behind
her.

Maddie sniffed and picked up a bottle labeled Petulant Pink.

"You're a tough act, Maddie Kincaid."

No, she wasn't. That was the problem. She wasn't tough at all. She
wanted to throw her arms around his neck and beg him not to put himself in
danger for her sake. She wanted to beg him to stay with her, to build a life
with her. She was as soft as the cotton between her toes, but she wasn't going
to let him see it.

He walked around in front of her and sat at the end of the lounge
chair. He lifted her foot into his lap, and when she tried to yank it away, he
held tight. "Calm down."

"I'm calm."

"No, you're not."

"Sure I am."

"You're pissed at me."

"No I'm not."

"You are."

"Fine." She relaxed her leg, folded her arms, and lifted
her chin. "I'm pissed. Happy?"

He grinned, tore open one of the polish remover packets, and went
to work on her toes. "I finally got hold of Matt. He gave me a half dozen
names of people to talk to about Jerry Grevas's extortion hobby. He's also
sending a buddy to help keep an eye on things around here."

"I don't need a babysitter."

"It's for my peace of mind more than anything. Callahan House
is undoubtedly the safest place in town for you. Branch's security system is
top-of-the-line. And I can trust you not to do anything stupid, right?"

"You mean like going around town asking people if they've
been the victims of blackmail?"

"Maddie," he said in a chastising tone, "I know
what I'm doing. I promised you I'd be careful." Finished removing the
polish from her right foot, he exchanged it for her left. "And what did
you promise me?"

She wrinkled her nose. "I've already talked to Sandy. She's
agreed to cover my appointments for me today."

"Good girl." He put his thumbs in the arch of her foot
and massaged her muscles. "You have the sexiest feet. I'm liable to be
fantasizing about them all afternoon."

"About my feet?"

"Uh-huh. In fact... what size shoe do you wear?"

"Seven. Why?"

"Howard Jackson is one of the names on Matt's list."

Howard Jackson managed the shoe store on the town square, Maddie
knew. "Seven narrow," she clarified.

He reached into the nail polish bucket and pulled out a bright
red. Dangling it in front of her, he said, "I read in
Cosmo
that
red is the hot color this summer. Bet I can find something strappy and
expensive in a hot-pepper color."

She sniffed. "I can't be bought, Callahan." But if he
came home with red shoes...
I'm only human.

"You break my heart, Kincaid." Standing, he leaned over
to kiss her. "Don't worry, Red. I've done a lot of undercover work and
this doesn't rate on the danger scale."

"Yeah, well, neither did sleeping in my bed last night, and
that almost burned your bacon."

He gave her one more quick, hard kiss. "Once you finish your
pedicure, I have something to occupy your mind so you don't worry yourself to
death." He picked up an item from the ground behind her chair.

A book. Maddie read the title aloud.
"The Goldfish: An
Owner's Guide to a Happy, Healthy Pet."

"Necessary reading for a serial goldfish killer."

She couldn't help but laugh. It was hard to stay mad at Luke
Callahan.

"Now I'm off. Matt's friend should be here within the hour.
His name is Steve Barrington. If you simply have to go somewhere, take him with
you, okay?"

"I'm not going anywhere. Kathy's supposed to come by after
the lunch rush to help me with my list for the insurance guys. She remembers
what I had in the house better than I do."

He squeezed her shoulders, then said, "I'll call."

"Just be careful, Luke. Promise?"

"My word on it, Red. And remember, I never lie to you."

Maddie thought about that as she painted her toenails with the
clear base coat, and she finally admitted to herself that she did believe him.
Luke Callahan didn't lie to her. He wasn't like Rip or Liam or Cade. She could
trust him.

It was a big step. A leap of faith, one she'd never thought to
take again, but there it was. She trusted Luke Callahan's word. She trusted he
wouldn't betray her. Trusted he'd never play her false.

And what of your heart? Can you trust him with that?

Not hardly.

Her hand trembled, making a mess of the polish she applied to her
toes. Luke Callahan was a good, honest man. A hero. He'd saved her life. Saved
her goldfish's life, for heaven's sake. But an honest man, a hero, could break
a woman's heart as easily as a liar if she let him. A good man could do bad
things to a woman without malice or meanness if she put herself at risk.

Maddie knew she could trust Luke with her life, but could she
trust him not to break her heart?

She was a strong woman. She knew that. She'd proven that to
herself. She could and she would deal with just about anything life had to
throw her way.

But she honestly didn't think she could survive another broken
heart.

"Well, no sense fretting about it now. He hasn't asked for my
heart, has he? All he's asked for is red nail polish. Maybe that's as deep as
we'll ever get. As deep as I'll have to think."

Maddie stared blindly at the sparkling blue water of the pool.
Maybe red nail polish was all he wanted, but what about her? What about what
she wanted?

She wanted the whole spa treatment, that's what.

Maddie groaned and wiggled her hot-pepper red toes in the
afternoon breeze, then firmly put those questions aside. She had matters of
life and death to dwell on.

"I've killed my last fish," she said to Knucklehead, who
was rooting for something beneath her chair as she picked up the book on fish
care. When the dog came up with a weathered yellow tennis ball, knowing her
place, Maddie threw it for him. The game of catch lasted a good ten minutes
before the dog's attention switched to something rustling in the flower beds
next to the house and Maddie settled down to read.

Despite her best intentions, by Chapter Two her interest waned and
her mind began to wander. Where was Luke? What was he doing? Whom had he told
about the box? Was he even now speaking to the man who'd burned down her house?

"Callahan! Callahan, are you back here?"

"Austin?" Maddie said, recognizing the voice. She rose
from her chair to see the district attorney dashing through the back gate, a
wild look on his face. "Austin, what's wrong?"

"Maddie, where's Luke? I rang the doorbell but no one
answered. I need help. His dog...?"

"Knucklehead?" She stepped forward. "What about
Knucklehead?"

"He ran right out in front of me. I couldn't stop in
time."