Perry stuffed the last French fry into his mouth and stood with his plate, bringing it to the counter. Then downing his milk, he set it next to his plate. Grabbing his sister’s shoulders, he turned her around, staring into her concerned expression. “Thank you for supper. You’re a jewel to feed me like that. I’m going to go watch TV and try to calm down a bit. This conversation is over.”
She nodded once, looking anything but done with what she might want to say. Footsteps sounded on the stairs.
Perry let go of his sister and tapped her nose. “Enough talk of this, okay?”
His phone rang again as Dani appeared in the doorway, looking at both of them as if she suspected they had quit talking because she joined them.
Perry shifted his attention to his phone and looked at the small screen. Kylie’s name glared at him. He flipped the phone open, turning from the two of them and heading into the living room.
“Why the hell haven’t you been answering my calls?” he demanded, hissing into the phone although too aware of Megan and Dani following him.
“I’ve been busy.” Kylie’s cold tone twisted his stomach into a mean knot. “There’s a meet behind the bowling alley at ten o’clock. I’m supposed to go with him this time. Be there. I want this bust to be yours.” She hung up before he could say anything.
“Goddamn it,” he howled, hurling his phone at the couch.
“Perry,” Megan said cautiously.
He sprung around, glaring at them. Dani edged closer to her mom, looking wide-eyed at him. Megan’s expression wasn’t much different.
“Sorry,” he grumbled, turning his back to them and pacing the length of the living room, dragging his hand over his hair. “What time is it?” he asked, but then walked over to the couch and picked up his phone to check the time.
“Quarter till ten,” Dani said. “What’s wrong, Uncle Perry?”
“Megan,” he said, adjusting his gears quickly. It wasn’t the first time he’d been sent out without knowing shit about the scene. And he’d done just fine under those circumstances. “Call Diane. I want her home now.”
“She’s supposed to be home at ten.” Megan tilted her head, this time looking as though she wouldn’t press.
Damn good thing.
“Call her and tell her to get home now,” he ordered. “I want all of you upstairs. No matter what, you will not answer the door or come downstairs. I’ll lock up before I leave and I have a key. I’ll come back when I’m done.”
“Are you going to go catch him, Uncle Perry?” Dani asked, her eyes suddenly moist when she took a cautious step toward him.
“I sure hope so, baby.” He reached for her, pulling her into a tight hug.
Megan hurried into the kitchen and he heard her talking to Diane in the next minute.
He’d driven over to his sister’s in his squad car, and took off toward the bowling alley a few minutes later. After putting a call in to Carl, filling him in on what was going on and struggling to answer his questions about Kylie being FBI as quickly as possible, he could get off the phone. Perry slowed and turned into the small strip mall parking lot across the street from the bowling alley. It was almost ten.
Parking alongside of the narrow, long brick building, Perry cut his lights but left the squad car running as he got out and popped the trunk. He grabbed a flashlight, continually shooting furtive looks across the street where he had a decent view of the entire lot on both the front and back sides of the bowling alley. It was set off the road far enough, though, and the parking lot surrounding it large enough and not well enough lit that movement could occur in the shadows and he might miss it. His position was temporary.
With his hood as a shield, Perry placed his flashlight on the edge of the car and pulled out the bulky body armor. Memories of wearing it over to Kylie’s, of the look on her face when she first realized he had it on and then her failed attempt to appear uninterested when he stripped out of it in front of her, came to mind as he ran his fingers over the thick, heavy protective wear. He didn’t bother putting it on under his shirt this time. This wasn’t undercover work, and he wasn’t trying to impress anyone.
Was he out to impress Kylie that night?
God, it seemed centuries ago when he broke into her home. At the time he’d thought only of proving to her that no alarm system would keep him away from her. He was pulling macho bullshit, which now almost proved an embarrassing memory. It had proven effective that night, though. What he wouldn’t do to turn back time, remove himself to a period when his heart didn’t weigh so heavily in his chest. If they played their cards right, even though he hadn’t seen the entire deck, tonight was the night.
Kylie could very well be on a plane tomorrow heading out to her next assignment.
Perry fought the overwhelming urge to hurl the protective armor across the dark lot.
“Focus, motherfucker,” he growled. Shut down. Turn all emotions off. He’d pulled off not feeling for years, acting like a machine, taking care of his family and his city. He would keep doing just that.
Something stirred behind him and he grabbed his flashlight, unclipping the holster snap on his belt that secured his gun at the same time as he turned around. Two teenagers, a boy and a girl, appeared from behind the adjacent building, squinting and covering their eyes when he flashed the beam in their faces.
“Head home, now,” he growled.
“We weren’t doing anything wrong.” The boy had his arm draped around the girl, both of them looking not much older than Dani.
Perry ached to knock some parents upside the head for allowing their kids out this late, and obviously unchaperoned enough they could wander this far from a residential area or any business that was open.
Perry breathed in the smell of pot and lowered the beam enough to allow them to focus. The teenage girl wouldn’t meet Perry’s gaze, but the cocky boy, obviously thinking his idiocy would impress his girlfriend, stared at him boldly with bloodshot eyes.
“You don’t do as you’re told right now, that will change.” Perry made a show of taking a step toward them, which was obviously enough to break the bravery in the boy. He hesitated. Perry nodded toward the street. “Head home and walk along the sidewalk instead of in the shadows. Or do the two of you not know about a killer who loves little girls like your girlfriend there?”
That snapped the girl’s attention to Perry’s face. She looked shocked and then tugged at her boyfriend. “Let’s go,” she whispered.
“I’m not scared of the asshole,” the boy announced, but was already heading away from Perry to the street.
“But you better be scared of me,” he muttered under his breath.
He needed a fucking vacation. When did he get it in his head that bullying children protected them? Probably when they started acting like morons.
Shrugging into the bulletproof vest, he pulled the Velcro tight around his front as a patrol car slowed in front of him and signaled to turn into the parking lot across the street. The two teenagers started walking faster away from him and the other police car. Perry ignored them and focused on the number on the squad car.
“Franco, I’m going to take you down, motherfucker,” He scowled and reached inside the vest into his shirt pocket to pull out his Bluetooth. Perry placed a call into Dispatch while closing his trunk and walking around to the driver’s side. “This is Unit Number Seven. I’m returning to duty.”
“Ten four,” the dispatcher said. “Please hold, will advise.”
He started to tell her he’d received a tip but was put on hold. He shifted into drive and pulled out of his semi-secure hiding place, glancing at the clock on his dash. It was just after ten. If Franco was Peter he couldn’t believe the guy would use one of the city’s squad cars to commit such a heinous crime.
“Unit Seven, what is your ten twenty?” Dispatch asked when Perry pulled out into the street and cut across to the bowling-alley parking lot.
As he turned in, he spotted Kylie’s hybrid entering from the side entrance at the other end of the lot.
“This is Unit Seven,” he said, searching the lot for Franco’s squad car. “I’m at the bowling-alley parking lot. I received a tip earlier-”
“Unit Seven, report to the station, please,” she told him, cutting him off.
“Is Unit Six on a call?” Perry asked, ignoring her request. He wasn’t going anywhere.
