Out of the Dark (30 page)

“I’m making a call,” Myers said.

“With Newton’s phone?”

“If this Lawson fellow has caller ID on his own phone, it might be interesting to see what he has to say when he thinks Newton is the one making the call.”

Bradley grinned. “Damn, Myers, wish I’d thought of that. Get it on tape.”

“Will do,” Myers said, and set about making it happen.

A few moments later, he dialed the number then put his finger to his mouth to indicate silence as the call began to ring through.

Frank Lawson was stepping out of the shower when his cell phone began to ring. He had a television interview in a couple of hours and no time to waste, but then he saw who was calling and quickly picked up.

“It’s about time you called,” Frank said. “Did you finish the job? And don’t give me any shit about it, either. Remember, you’ve got Jacks to do next, and time’s wasting.”

Myers was grinning from ear to ear. They’d hit pay dirt.

“Mr. Lawson?”

Big Frank choked. He was a man who thought fast on his feet, but even as he was talking, he knew that it was too late.

“No, Frank isn’t here.”

“So if you’re not Frank, who are you and why are you answering his phone?”

“Who the hell are you?” Frank countered.

“I’m Detective Myers with the St. Louis homicide division. We have arrested a man here for the murders of three people, and we’d like to know why he had your name and phone number in his pocket.”

Frank heard the word “three” and immediately thought that the third victim was Jade. He was mentally congratulating himself while knowing that he would have to make other arrangements about Otis Jacks. But right now, he had to get himself out of the faux pas that he’d made.

“I told you, I’m not Frank Lawson. He’s on his way to the studio for an interview.”

“Then I suppose you wouldn’t know why that name and this number would be in his pocket?”

“No, sir, I don’t.”

“Then maybe you can tell me who you are and why you’re using Lawson’s phone?”

There was a moment of silence, then a very distinct click.

Myers looked up. He was grinning.

“Captain, I think you’d better call Chief Randall in Nashville. Lawson just hung up on me.”

Frank had dressed, packed a small bag and emptied the safe in his bedroom. His world was crumbling. He didn’t know how long he had, but run he must.

He dashed through the house and then into the garage, tossed his bag in the back seat, then opened the garage door. Within seconds, he was behind the wheel and backing out. Halfway down the driveway, he saw a police car pulling into position to block the exit.

“No,” he moaned, as his mind went blank. It couldn’t end like this. Not after all he’d accomplished. Damn Johnny Newton. Damn Otis Jacks. And damn that little bitch, Jade, for not dying when he’d tried to cut out her heart.

He pulled to a stop at the end of the driveway, then got out, wearing his famous smile.

“Hey, boys, what’s goin’ on here? Am I in some danger? Has there been some kind of threat I don’t know about?”

Another two police cars pulled into view. At that point Frank knew that the brand of bullshit he’d been spreading for years had just gone out of style. He frowned. Ever the optimist, he switched from jovial to indignant, yanked his cell phone from his pocket and dialed the police.

“I need to speak to Marty Randall. Tell him it’s Big Frank Lawson.”

Almost immediately, Randall came on the line.

“Hello, Big Frank, what can I do for you?” Randall asked.

Big Frank huffed, then he puffed. “For starters, you can tell me what the hell three police units are doing blocking my driveway. I’ve got an appointment, and they’re making me late.”

“Well, they’re there because I sent them,” Randall said.

“You? What the hell for?”

“I think I’d like to ask
you
a question instead,” Randall said. “Why are your name and phone number in the pocket of a man who’s just been arrested for murder?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I think you do,” Randall said. “So what I want you to do is play nice and get in the patrol car. Let the boys give you a ride on down to the station. We’ve got some more talking to do.”

“I’m not talking to anybody but my lawyer!” Frank yelled.

“That’s fine with me,” Randall said. “But you’re still coming down.”

This time Big Frank was the one who got disconnected. He watched in horror as the policemen got out and came toward him. One had a pair of handcuffs. The other had his hand on his service revolver.

He groaned.

God, please let this be a bad dream.

But when the handcuffs snapped around Big Frank’s wrists, sharply pinching a bit of his skin, he knew he wasn’t dreaming.

J
ade woke up in increments, with an awareness of her body that she’d never had before. She lay motionless, her eyes still closed, and felt the throb of her heartbeat. The friction of the sheets against her skin was almost sexual, reminding her of the feel of Luke’s hands and mouth. She tested the tenderness of her lower lip with the tip of her tongue, wondering why it felt sore, then vaguely remembered biting down on it at the height of her climax.

She shivered.

Last night a great wall had been breached, and by nothing more than the tenderness and patience of Luke’s love. She remembered listening to his voice against her ear as she’d drifted off to sleep, focusing more on the sound of his voice rather than the promises he had made. For the first time in as far back as she could remember, she had slept through the night without nightmares. She rolled over on her belly and buried her face in the pillow.

As she did, she felt a hand in the middle of her back.

“Jade?”

She groaned and then slowly rolled over onto her back. She had no idea that her wild, tousled hair and the smoky quality of a sleep-heavy voice would be enticing. If she had, she might have contemplated testing the waters again with Luke Kelly, but she was not confident in social etiquette for the morning after, and so she waited for him to speak.

Luke smiled at her, then teasingly poked at her hair, pushing stray strands from her forehead and around her eyes.

“Are you all right?”

She nodded.

His smile softened. “So am I. Very all right.”

It was his tenderness that gave her ease. Tentatively she touched his face, rubbing her thumb against the curve of his chin and feeling the sharp prick of whiskers. It was such an ordinary, yet intimate, gesture. And what was most amazing of all was that she felt perfectly confident in doing so. Then she thought of yesterday and all that had transpired. It seemed like a lifetime ago, and yet her life was still in a rather precarious position. Until they found out who had hired Newton, she would never feel completely safe. Needing to say what was on her mind, she sat up. The covers fell down around her waist. She was not as daring in the bright light of day as she had been last night and reached for the sheets.

Luke stayed her intent with a touch, then a look.

“It’s just me,” he said softly.

Subconsciously her fingers went straight to the scar.

Luke frowned. “Don’t worry about it, honey. It’s just a map to your heart.”

“Oh, Luke.”

“See,” he said, and ran his finger along the faint white line up from her belly to the place where the mark began. “Right over your heart. Now, if I ever lose my way, I’ll know how to get back.”

She stared at him for a moment, and then suddenly choked on a sob and covered her face with her hands.

Luke sat up, then put his arms around her.

“It’s okay, honey. It’s okay. Cry all you want. Cry until all the pain is gone, and when it is, we’re going to start over.”

Jade looked up, her eyes swimming with unshed tears.

“Start over on what?” she asked.

“On building memories. Only this time, they will be good ones…happy ones.”

She sighed. “Oh, Luke.”

“You already said that,” he teased.

She made a face at him. “And it’s entirely your fault that I’m speechless.”

“I was that good, was I?”

Her mouth dropped—her eyes widened with surprise. Then she saw the twinkle in his eyes and started to grin.

“You’re teasing me.”

“Yeah. So what are you going to do about it?”

She threw her arms around his neck and wrestled him back down onto the bed.

Luke was laughing when she finally pulled back.

“Do you give?” she asked.

Suddenly all the playfulness was gone from his face. He tightened his grasp and pulled her close, until she was lying across his chest with her head beneath his chin.

“Yes, I give…. I give to you for always and whatever you ask.”

Jade snuggled against him, taking comfort in the love and the protection. Then she thought about Raphael and closed her eyes. How could this be? How could she feel these moments of joy when he was gone from her life forever?

Not as long as you remember my name.

She flinched. The shock of hearing his voice—now, when she was lying in another man’s arms—was unnerving. Then she thought of what she’d heard and relaxed. He was right. As long as someone remembered his name, he would never really be gone.

“Luke…?”

“What, baby?”

“I talked to Sam.”

“Yeah…what about?” Luke asked.

“Things…mostly about Raphael. No funeral. No box in the ground. When I can, I want to spread his ashes somewhere beautiful. He would have liked that.”

Luke took her hand and lifted it to his mouth, kissing each fingertip, then the center of her palm.

“You are a remarkable woman, Jade Cochrane. He was blessed to have you as a friend.”

“And I was blessed to have him,” she said; then she shifted her gaze to a spot on the wall. “What’s going to happen?”

He frowned. “Are you talking about us or—”

“No. I mean that man…that killer. Do the police know who hired him? Do you think the danger to my life is over?”

Luke thought of Mabel Tyler, then tunneled his fingers in her hair and momentarily closed his eyes. Lying to Jade was not an option.

“I would like to say that you’re safe, but until we know the whole story, I don’t think we should assume anything, do you?”

“No. We should not assume.”

Luke glanced past her to the clock on the wall. It was almost half past eight. He gave her a quick hug and a kiss.

“As much as I would like to spend the day in bed with you, I don’t think Velma’s heart could stand the shock. And maybe after I talk to Chief Walters, I’ll have some answers to your questions.”

The mention of getting caught with him like this was enough to send Jade packing. She was out of bed and heading for the shower before Luke could call her back. He stifled a groan at the sight of her lush, naked body, and then got out of bed and began to dress. By the time Jade came out, he was already downstairs.

She frowned, then saw the note on her pillow and picked it up.

Sam wants to have breakfast with us. I’m in the library making calls.

Her frown lightened. Okay, so she hadn’t been abandoned after all. She quickly dressed, taking care with her makeup and hair. As she started down the stairs, she found herself hurrying. It startled her to realize that she was actually running to meet a man.

Luke had called his office first, gone through the cases with his second in command and then told him to call if he ran into any complications.

After that, he made a call to Earl Walters.

“Chief, it’s Luke Kelly. I guess you know why I’m calling.”

Earl shifted a stack of mail to the side of his desk and leaned forward.

“I suppose that I do,” he said. “I was actually going to give Sam a call in a few minutes. Why don’t you put him on an extension and you can both hear this at the same time?”

“Hang on,” Luke said. “He’s in the other room. I’ve got a portable with me. I’ll tell him to get on an extension.”

Luke hurried out of the room, yelling Sam’s name as he went.

Sam had been in the dining room pouring himself a cup of coffee. When he heard Luke’s voice, he set down the cup and came running.

“Get on a phone,” Luke said. “Earl Walters is on the line.

Sam turned quickly, ran back into the dining room and picked up the extension.

“Earl. I’m here. What’s going on?”

“Luke there, too?”

“Yes. We’re listening.”

“Okay, here’s what we know. The lead detective on the hospital murders picked up Newton’s personal property from the hospital this morning. There was a cell phone, the usual clothing, and a piece of paper with a name and phone number in one of the pockets. To make a long story short, he set up a sting with the chief of police in Nashville, then they used Newton’s cell phone and called the number on the paper. A man named Frank Lawson saw the caller ID and spilled his guts before he knew it wasn’t Newton on the phone.”

“Frank? You said his name was Frank?” Luke asked.

Earl frowned. “Yes. Does that mean something to you?”

“I don’t know…maybe,” Luke said. “Jade has a scar. She said that a man who called himself Uncle Frank did it.”

Sam didn’t know about the scar, and the fact that Luke did told him the relationship between his daughter and Luke Kelly must have moved in a new direction. That part of it pleased him. It was the image of something splitting his baby’s flesh to the extent that it would leave a scar that made him sick. He felt like throwing up.

“Jesus,” Earl said.

“So tell me they have the bastard in custody,” Luke asked.

“Oh, yeah, they picked him up as he was making a run for it.”

“I’m going to Nashville,” Luke said.

Earl shifted in his seat. “Now look, Kelly, there isn’t anything you can do down there.”

Luke thought of the shame on Jade’s face and the pain of what she’d been forced to endure. His chin jutted mutinously.

“Yes, there is,” he said. “I made Jade a promise that I’m not going to take back. I’d appreciate it if you’d call the powers that be and give them the heads-up that I’m on my way.”

“Not until you make me a promise,” Earl said.

“Like what?”

“You won’t do something stupid like hasten Mr. Lawson’s demise.”

When Luke didn’t immediately reassure Walters, Sam looked at Luke and then stood abruptly.

“No one wants to see the people responsible for Jade’s horrors get what’s coming to them more than I do, but what good would it do her if we both wound up in prison and she was once again left to live her life alone?”

Luke cursed beneath his breath then turned away.

“Fine,” he snapped. “You both have my word that I won’t lay a hand on the son-of-a-bitch.”

“Okay,” Earl said. “I’ll make the necessary calls. Oh. I’ll be damned. I almost forgot one of the twists in this whole mess.”

“Like what?” Luke asked.

“Frank Lawson is—or maybe I should say ‘was’—the front runner for the governorship of Tennessee.”

Sam spun toward Luke, his expression one of shock.

“Governor? I find that hard to believe.”

Luke shook his head as he spoke into the phone.

“I find it a damned good reason to hire a hit man, especially if there’s something in your past that you’re trying to hide.”

Earl started to smile. “Kelly, I’m beginning to remember what a good cop you were.”

“What do we know about Lawson’s past?” Luke asked.

“Not nearly enough,” Earl said. “But I’ll put a bug in my detective’s ear. There’s no telling what else we might turn up.”

“What’s the police chief’s name in Nashville?” Luke asked.

“Randall. I’ll give him a call right now.”

“You tell him I’ll be there today…at the latest, this afternoon.”

“What if you can’t get a flight?”

“He’ll be arriving in my corporate jet,” Sam said. “If there are any more developments, you’ll be sure to let us know?”

“Count on it,” Earl said. “Like I told my men, I’ve got a personal interest in this one. It’s been an open sore on the department record for too many years. It’s time to close it. And, Sam, before I forget, you might want to brace your daughter for some more flak from the media.”

“Why?” Luke asked.

“You remember those drawings she gave us?”

“Yes.”

“There’s a possibility that someone leaked their existence to the press. If so, we’re guessing there’s going to be mass hysteria among a large number of child molesters once word hits the news.”

Luke stood still for a moment, absorbing what Earl had said. Then it hit him.

“You couldn’t find a way to use them legally, could you?”

“We had…options,” Earl said.

“Earl, you’re a scary man,” Luke said.

Earl grinned. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

They all three disconnected at the same time, but Sam was confused.

“I don’t get it,” he said. “What’s going on with those drawings?”

“Remember when Jade gave them to him? She said she didn’t care if the press found out about what had happened to her if it would stop other children from being harmed? Well, I’m guessing that the police ran into difficulties identifying the faces, because the images are so old. They don’t have names, and they don’t know where those men might be living now. Coupled with that, the law varies from state to state regarding the statute of limitations. Some of them, even if identified, couldn’t be prosecuted because of the time issue alone. But…if the media got wind of them…and if someone just happened to sell copies of the drawings to some tabloid…”