tell us?”
“Keep your heads down. If you hear some other voice besides Tim or me when you call, run.”
“Noted. Any luck getting the one who accidentally killed our shooter?”
“We hit the cover-up wall on this, hence the phone tap. There are also rumors starting to fly around about what a bad guy you are. Anonymous tips from official sources are telling us you may be more dangerous than the people we’re trying to bring down.”
“I told you, writers are very dangerous people. I can make you into a complete idiot in one sentence.”
“Oh really?” Grace snorted derisively.
“The frumpy US Marshall named Grace leaned against the alleyway wall, picking her nose, glancing up periodically while looking for witnesses to the loathsome act.”
“Frumpy? What do you mean, frumpy? I-”
“Times up,” Nick said as the red light began blinking. He disconnected.
Nick found Rachel at the kitchen table writing out a grocery list. He sat down next to her, liking her choice to stay in the black bikini. Nick ran his hand lightly over Rachel’s nearly bare back. She shivered under his touch, but kept working on the list.
“You’re disturbing my grocery list concentration.”
“I assumed you stayed in the bikini so I would disturb you.”
“I need you to install a tracking device on my daughter. Her appearances seem connected to the first moment I feel your hand on me.”
“I’ll get right on it,” Nick promised, kissing the back of Rachel’s neck. “Jean had quite a workout today. Maybe she’ll go to bed early.”
“Maybe…oh, Nick…don’t stop…”
Nick had stood up behind Rachel, massaging her shoulders and neck, trailing his hands down her back, thumbs kneading the spine, while his fingers splayed out along her sides with feathery touches. When he reached the base of Rachel’s spine, his hands worked slowly back up to her neck again. Rachel dropped the pen, head leaning forward to the table surface, a groan escaping her lips as she shuddered under Nick’s hands. Her breathing quickened as Nick’s fingers moved down past the hip area and his thumbs manipulated deeply into her spinal column all the way to the base. Sweat beaded on Rachel’s lip, and the goose flesh from a moment ago felt on fire now. Rachel almost cried out for Nick to keep his hands where they were, as his fingers and thumbs crept up her back once again. By the time Nick completed the cycle to Rachel’s neck and shoulders, her fists were clenched on the table, and her breathing sounded closer to a pant. When Nick again reached the base of Rachel’s spine, his fingers gripped her hips. Rachel’s head shot up and her back arched.
“Oh…oh God…” Rachel moaned, her arms clasped around herself as if a sudden chill of arctic air had swept through the kitchen. She collapsed against the chair back, ankles crossed under the chair, and her thighs pressed together tightly.
Nick leaned around in front of Rachel, his lips caressing hers briefly.
“Like that?”
“What…what did you do to me…? Jesus…” Rachel opened her eyes. She reached for Nick’s face with her own trembling hands.
The doorbell rang. A forbidding look swept over Nick’s face. He could see his violent change of mood infected Rachel in an instant as she straightened quickly in her chair, looking up at him expectantly.
“I’m going to have to kill something pretty soon.” Nick gave Rachel a quick and final kiss. “I’ll get it. I’m coming…strike that…I’m walking.”
Deke lay in front of the door, a low growl emanating from the base of his throat. Nick motioned Rachel back into the kitchen. Looking out the door’s security eyehole, Nick saw a heavily built man in tan slacks and a dark blue short-sleeved shirt, with the shirttail pulled out over his pants. The man’s dark hair was fashionably long, his face lined, clean shaven, and menacing. Nick made some mental calculations and then opened the door.
“Hi,” Nick smiled up at the man, holding onto Deke. “Can I help you?”
“No, but I think I can help you. May I come in?”
“Well, actually, I was on my way out to the grocery store.”
“In your swim trunks and t-shirt?”
“I hate the heat.” Nick shrugged.
“Let’s talk.” The man pulled up his shirt to reveal a holstered automatic. “It’ll only take a moment and you’ll be happy you took the time.”
“Okay… honey, come get Deke,” Nick called to Rachel, who hurried into the room. “Take him upstairs with Jean.”
Rachel nodded, exchanging smiles with the man at the door. After Rachel went upstairs with a reluctant Deke, Nick unlocked the heavy screen door and stepped aside for the man.
“Come on into the kitchen. Are you a cop?”
Nick gestured for the man to sit down and then Nick sat down at the head of the table to the man’s right.
“Security. My name’s Brewster. I look in on a family who lives near you, over on Ketchikan.”
“The kids we met over at the Excalibur… Kelly and Garth?” Nick realized the conversation was going in a completely different direction than he expected.
“Yeah, their Mom’s name is Suzan. I work for her husband. I watch out for the family when he’s away. I was doing my job this afternoon and saw your little family. Suzan said your wife’s name is Rachel and the daughter’s name is Jean. That right?”
“Yes it is,” Nick answered, resigned to the fact he had blundered once again.
“I have -”
Rachel walked into the kitchen. She had put on her shorts and a blouse over the bikini. “Is something wrong?”
“I have a photo I’d like to show you.” Brewster pulled a picture from his right breast pocket and set it down on the table in front of Nick.
Rachel leaned over Nick’s shoulder, saw the picture, and then stumbled back away from the table. It was a picture of Rachel, Rick, and Jean. “Who…who are you?”
“I figured I could make a call and maybe get a pat on the head, or I could come to you with this. I figure it’s worth ten grand easy.” Brewster leaned back in his chair.
“How do we know you haven’t already made the call?” Nick stopped smiling.
“You don’t for sure.” Brewster waved his hand in an expansive gesture. “Anybody holding back info like this can get whacked. I figure to make a little money and no one’s the wiser. That is, if you two play it smart.”
“Sorry about all these questions. How do we know you won’t take our ten grand and still make the call?”
“You don’t.” Brewster chuckled and patted his holstered weapon. “I could make a whole lot more by -”
Nick’s strike was a blur. Brewster’s head jolted backwards with a sickening crack. Brewster’s body flexed in an eerie series of motions as if all the parts were acting on their own without direction. Blood trickled from his nose. Brewster’s nose appeared flat, as if the bone and cartilage inside it were somewhere else. Nick could see that Brewster’s eyes froze Rachel’s blood. Brewster gazed at her in surprise, small gurgling noises issuing from his throat. Seconds later, the eyes looked on into eternity. Nick hurriedly unbuttoned Brewster’s shirt.
“Get a towel quick, Rachel,” Nick ordered.
“What…what did you do?” Rachel turned toward the sink as if she were a marionette, her limbs moving jerkily to the task.
“C’mon, Rach, get the towel and hold it over his nose! He’s dead, so it won’t be fresh blood. Keep it from dripping while I strip him down.”
Nick paused, seeing Rachel’s face lose all color. The towel she had retrieved dropped from nerveless fingers, her mouth worked but no sound came out. Nick tilted Brewster’s head onto the top of the chair back. Taking Rachel in his arms, he half carried her out to the living room, guiding her onto the couch.
“Look at me, Rachel!” Nick shook her a little.
Rachel’s eyes regained focus slowly. She blinked a few times, recognition overtaking her features once
