Temperature Rising (18 page)

“I just shudder at the thought of someone getting in here and breaking my babies.” The woman trailed her hand fondly over a life-sized basset hound.

“Fortunately, I didn’t have anything like your collection, and I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I’m sure it was just a one-time thing, and I was just the unlucky one it happened to.”

“But the policeman there?”

“Oh, he’s a friend of a friend.” Laken gave the first excuse she could come up with, not willing to tell the old woman she might have a killer after her. “He just offered to help.”

“I see. That was nice. Well, there are a couple boxes in the corner in there if you want to get them. I think there’s one more in my closet.” The woman turned into her room, and Laken headed for the spare bedroom. She was almost through the door before she noticed Howard stretched out on the bed, his hands behind his head. His shirt unbuttoned and the tails hanging free.

“Well, this is a nice surprise.” The man’s eyes moved over her in an insulting manner.

Laken paused, then forced herself forward, seeing the boxes. “I’m sorry to disturb you. Ardith didn’t say you were here. I was just getting some boxes.”

She picked them up, but when she turned back, Howard was no longer on the bed but stood between her and the door. A wave of fear hit her but she pushed it away. “If you’ll excuse me.”

“You still think you’re all that. Coming on so prim and proper,” the man said in a low, menacing voice. “But you’re not. You’re as two-faced as any other. Giving it to that other guy, aren’t you? Noticed you were gone the last couple nights.” A sneer pulled up his lips, and his eyes tightened with threat. “And now you come in here. What, did you find out he wasn’t any good after all? Women are liars, all of you. Just want what you can get. Well, I guess I could give you some if you ask real nice.” He stepped forward.

Laken backed up, lifting the boxes between them as a shield. “Excuse me. I need to go.”

“What do I have to do? You like coaxing?”

“I’d like to go. Your aunt is just in the other room.”

“If I close the door, she won’t disturb us,” he challenged and Laken took it up.

“Yes, but there’s a police officer in my apartment, and if you close that door, he will disturb us. Now back off before I yell.”

The man seemed to think on her words a second then dismissed them, taking another step forward, forcing her back against the wall.

The feel of it behind her gave her strength. “I mean it, Howard. I tried to be nice to you because of your aunt, but if you don’t back off, I’m going to hit you, then I’m going to start screaming.”

“You wouldn’t hit me.”

“Oh, yes I would.” The force behind the words must have finally sunk in.

He scowled and swore. “Ice queen. Think you can take on a man?”

“I don’t want to take you on. I want to leave. Now let me pass.” She shoved forward with the boxes, bumping him to the side. She was almost past him when his hand locked on her arm. Laken didn’t think, just drove her elbow back into his stomach. The hand released her, and the man doubled over.

“Don’t ever touch me or come near me again.” She enunciated the words through clenched teeth. “The only reason I’m not yelling my head off for the officer is I happen to like your aunt, but I suggest you get some counseling. You need help in your relationships with women.”

By the time Laken reached her apartment, she was remarkably calm. The anger Howard raised helped burn off some of the residual fears that still lingered in her mind.

A few minutes later, Mrs. Simmons dropped off the other box, obviously ignorant of any problem between Laken and Howard. Laken though, was not ready to engage in any more small talk and excused herself, saying she needed to get back to work.

The apartment was pretty much back in order when Mac showed up.

“You’ve been busy.” He eyed the clean room and the boxes and bags stacked by the door. “Looks like we need several trips to the garbage.”

“Yes,” she said with a sigh. “I only have a handful of dishes that weren’t broken. Officer Jeffers has been a great help.”

“You’re welcome, ma’am. You taking over now?” He looked to Mac.

“Yes, you’re relieved. Thanks.”

Jeffers nodded and after a thank you from Laken he left.

Laken turned from the door to find herself caught up in Mac’s arms. “Oh.” The word slipped out right before his lips settled on hers.

“Hello there,” Mac drawled out when he lifted his head. He lowered his head into her hair, taking in a deep breath of her. “It’s nice to come home to you.”

“I can agree with that.” She gave him another kiss before they stepped apart. “I’m afraid I can’t offer you much to eat.”

“That’s okay, I’ll take you out.” He studied her apartment again. “You’ve definitely been busy.”

“It wasn’t hard. Most of it was swept up into the garbage. Luckily, it looks like my renter’s insurance is going to come through and cover a lot of it.”

“That’s great.” He placed a finger under her chin and tilted it up. “But it’s still hard.”

“Yes.” She knew she was going to have to tell him about what happened with Howard, but it didn’t make it any easier either. Still, she decided not to keep anything from him, though she doubted it had any relevance to what was going on. She was like a magnet for trouble lately. “You want to help me take some of this stuff down?”

“Sure.” He grabbed the biggest box, and she took a couple garbage bags.

She waited until they were in the elevator going down before she started to tell him what happened with Howard. Laken could see the temper rising in him before the elevator doors opened.

“Back up and tell me everything again,” he ordered as she led the way to the dumpster, asking no other questions, just listening as she talked. They were back in the elevator when she couldn’t take it any longer. “Mac, what are you thinking?”

Beside his leg, his fist clenched and unclenched again. “That I’d like to beat the daylights out of the man.”

She reached out and caught his arm. “You are not going to beat him up.”

“You sure?”

There was no mistaking the challenge in him. The ding of the elevator door opening had her shifting in front of him. Her other hand pressed against his chest, keeping him back. “You can’t beat him up. Then you’d have to arrest yourself.” She moved closer. “Mac, I didn’t tell you so you’d go after him. I told you because I promised myself that I would never keep anything from you. I really don’t believe Howard has anything to do with the killings or my apartment. Do you?”

There was a brooding silence about him. The doors behind her closed at the same time his arms wrapped around her. He gave a gentle tug, pulling her against him. “For the record, I was not going to beat him up, no matter that I would like to. But I’m going to have a talk with him and run a check to be on the safe side.”

She got no answer out before his mouth captured hers. They made it back to the ground floor before they had to break apart and move back to let a middle-aged couple get on the elevator. The woman gave them sly looks, and the man just grinned as they rode the three floors up.

Mac took the key from her, opened her apartment, and gave her a nudge inside. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

Laken reached out to catch his arm, but the answer to her unspoken question was already being delivered.

“Don’t worry, I won’t hit him.” He closed and locked the door before she could add any further objections.

Chapter Twelve

Mac forced down the desire to hit the man. Fortunately, it was his aunt that answered the door. He pasted his ever-handy cop smile on his face and greeted her before asking if her nephew was there.

“You want to speak to Howard?” Concern filled the woman’s voice, making it go sharp, bringing the aforementioned man into the hall.

“Yes, just for a minute out here. Just checking on things he might have noticed the day Laken’s apartment was broken into,” Mac added.

“Oh, yes. He wasn’t here when you talked to me earlier.”

“No.” Mac used the excuse, glaring over the old woman, not giving her nephew a chance to back out. “If we could talk.” Mac motioned out the door, and the man sullenly moved past.

Mac had just closed the door when Howard started. “What’s this? I don’t know what the lying witch told you but nothing happened.”

“Laken told me everything, and I want you to leave her alone. I will make that clear, but as I said to your aunt, I want to know if you saw or heard anything the day of the break in?”

“What? You think I had something to do with it? Did she say that? She’s lying. I’ve never even been in her apartment.”

“But you’re not happy with her.”

“She’s a—” Howard paused in mid-sentence and drew a breath, “—a tease.”

Mac arched an eyebrow. “I guess we see things differently. I assure you, Laken doesn’t play games like that, but that’s beside the point. Laken is with me now so you don’t have to worry about her.”

“You’re welcome to her. There are plenty of other beautiful women around.”

“What I want to ask you about, is where you were three nights ago?”

The man looked lip-locked for a second. “Why do you want to know?”

“Part of something I’m working on. You can answer me here or go down to the police station.”

Howard shrugged, obviously disturbed. “I was with a secretary I met that day.”

“Does she have a name?”

“Yeah, you might want it, but I don’t think I’m sharing. She’s a whole lot more fun.” He looked past him to Laken’s apartment.

Mac cut off the comment he knew was coming. “I need the name, in case we need to verify your alibi. Will she corroborate your story?”

Howard shifted uneasily. His eyes flickered down the hall then back. The seriousness of his situation seemed to be sinking in. “Yeah, we ate at the seafood place on Holmes. I still have the receipt. After that, we went back to her place. You’re not going to pin anything on me.” He jerked his chin toward Laken’s apartment. “Whatever she says I did, I didn’t do it.”

“Laken didn’t accuse you of anything, but I’m telling you, stay away from her.” Mac turned and used Laken’s key to open the door, leaving the man standing in the hall.

Laken was waiting just inside and about pounced on him. “Mac!”

He laughed, feeling a lot lighter than he had a few minutes earlier. “Do you want to check my knuckles?”

“What?”

He obviously took her by surprise and the wind left her sails. “For scrapes.”

“You hit him.” She grabbed his hand pulling it up to inspect.

“No, I didn’t hit him, though he probably deserved it. I’ll just have to be satisfied that you elbowed him.”

“Then you don’t think he’s behind any of it?”

Mac had to sigh. It sure would’ve been a lot easier if Howard was behind it, but he knew he wasn’t. “No. I’ll check him out, though. But, hey.” He reached up and cupped her chin. “Don’t worry, I’ll get him.”

“I know. It’s just a lot. I’m tired.”

“Well, let’s take the rest of this stuff down to the garbage, then I’ll take you out to eat.”

“Sounds good.” Laken grabbed the remaining garbage bag, while Mac stacked the two small boxes to take down. “I didn’t ask you. Any leads pan out?” She held the door for him to precede her out.

“The one we followed up this afternoon was a wild-goose chase, but the picture off the video is looking pretty promising. The guys did a good job cleaning it up. They’re running the picture now to see if we can get any matches from possible priors. It’s out to all units, and tomorrow we’ll start canvassing the area around where you work to see if he works in the area.”

“Because he was down there?”

“That, and because the raincoat that you described him wearing hints to a business man and that is the main business area. It’s a stretch, but if the guy follows his pattern, he won’t wait long until he’ll kills again. Dr. Shannon feels he’s become very obsessive. Whatever triggered him, he went way off. He won’t quit until he’s stopped.”

“So even if he kills me he won’t stop,” Laken said plainly.

The jolt of pain that hit him was now expected but wasn’t any easier to take. “I’m not going to let that happen.”

Laken pushed back against the doors that let them out to the garbage, facing him as he stepped out. “I know.”

“We’re getting closer, Laken, I can feel it.”

“Yes.”

Mac tossed the boxes into the overflowing bin. He grabbed the garbage bags at Laken’s feet and heaved them in as well.

He spun in alarm, his hand going to his gun, when he heard Laken gasp. She stumbled, barely catching the filthy metal of the container to keep from collapsing. Her face had gone deathly pale and she pressed a hand to her chest. Her breathing became rapid and she shook her head, blinking rapidly.

“I can’t — I can’t breathe!” She struggled to get the words out. She stared at him wide-eyed, terror evident on her face as her eyes seemed to glaze over.

“Laken.” Alarmed, Mac grabbed her by her shoulders and held her upright. She stared up at him through vacant eyes.

“It’s okay, sweetheart, I have you.”

“M-Mac?” Her breath still came in pants. Awareness returned slowly to her gaze. She shook her head, pressing a hand to her temple. With a giant inhale, she forced in a lungful of air and blew it out through pursed lips then repeated the process.

When she shifted to steady herself, Mac leaned back to look down at her.

“All right now?” Her pallor terrified him.

She nodded.

“Another vision?”

This time she shook her head before she stammered her reply. “I-I’m not sure what it was. Anger, rage, hatred. It was from him but—” She shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s… he wants to kill.”

“You,” Mac said, adding what she hadn’t.

“Yes. What I felt seemed to be all focused on me.”

“Come on. Let’s get you inside.” He moved them to the building, and though his concern was on her, his attention was on his surroundings. He searched for signs of anyone watching them. He couldn’t say he understood what had happened to Laken, but he couldn’t help wondering if what she felt was because the Hunter was close. Once he had her through the doors, he pulled his cell phone and hit speed dial to Jonsey.