footsteps on the stairs. He turned and met Josie’s scared stare. “It’s okay,” he mouthed quietly, and then directed her to get out of sight with a curt nod. She hesitated, and then quickly rushed back up the stairs. Another loud knock rattle the door and William, angrily, jerked the door open. “Yes, can I help you?” he barked at the two men. The men stepped back as their gazes lowered to the ax clutched in Williams’s hand. William’s brow rose higher when neither man spoke. “Yes?” he asked again. At last, one of the men stuttered out an explanation. “We’re, uh, out looking for a friend of ours.”
The other goon, who was by then well past being afraid of the ax-wielding William, looked as though he was considering a quick quarrel to prove who was the better man. William’s gaze focused on the large patch against the side of the man’s face. He hadn’t killed him after all. “Chuck,” goon number one, elbowed his glaring partner. Finally, Chuck held out a photograph. “We’re looking for this woman. Have you seen her?”
William kept his face light, his grip on the ax’s handle firm, while he allowed his gaze to fall to Josephine’s smiling image. He frowned and hoped that he wasn’t overplaying his part. “Never seen her before,” he said, glancing back at the two men. Chuck’s gaze narrowed. “Are you sure?” Despite his heart hammering in his chest, William cocked his head, and refused to be intimidated. “I’m positive.” After a few more seconds of warring glares, the unwanted visitors finally thanked him for his time and ambled off his porch.
However, William waited until the strangers climbed into their black Escalade and drove off before he closed the door. His entire body slumped in relief as he rested his head against the door; but, once again, his attention was drawn to the footsteps on the stairs.
“Pack your things,” William instructed curtly. “We’re getting the hell out of here.”
Chapter 28
“False alarm,” Detective Hernandez said, entering Ming’s office.
“Honey, let me call you back,” Ming told Conan over the phone. “Uh, huh. I love you, too. All right. Bye.” Once she disconnected the call, she gave Jorge her full attention. “Now run that by me again.” He handed her a report. “We just received the ballistics back on the Para CCW we confiscated from the Turner residence.” “That was fast.” She flipped open the report. Jorge straightened his tie. “Let’s just say that I have connections down at the lab.” “A girlfriend?” “Something like that.” He flashed her a brief smile.
Ming’s gaze lowered back to the ballistics report. Her temples pulse with disappointment. The lab had run a test with bullet recovered from Bancroft’s body. The markings on the spent bullet versus the ones fired in the lab are different.
“Okay. That was a waste of time.” She tossed the report onto the desk.
“Not really. Usually these setbacks can contribute to the process of elimination. If you look at the back, there’s another report.”
Ming picked it up again.
“Bullets from Bancroft, Turner, and Thornton are a match. Of course, I don’t know why someone would shoot Thornton after he was already dead.”
“So we’re looking for one killer.” Ming rolled her eyes. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I have a problem with being wrong.” “Yeah. Simmons may have mentioned that to me once or twice.” “Has he now? Did he also mention that it rarely happens?” “He said you would say that, yes.”
Ming rolled her eyes and made a mental not to get Tyrese back for that comment. “Well,” she said drawing a deep breath, “I guess that means we move on to plan B.”
Jorge’s brows rose with surprise. “There’s a backup plan?”
“Tyrese didn’t tell you?” She reached for the phone. “There’s
#
In record time, William and Josie crammed what few belongings they had into the Lincoln Navigator and high-tailed it out of Pine Mountain. To be safe, William instructed Josie to lie low in the back of the large SUV just in case the two goons were still in the area.
Neither spoke while he whipped around the curvy, back roads. There was no need to. Each already knew what the other was thinking.
Josie battled guilt while William mused on what was the right thing to do. In this situation, there was no black and white answer.
Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t hear Josephine climb from the backseat and into the passenger seat; but when her hand settled on his shoulder, he gaze shifted to meet hers.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
“For what?” His attention returned to the highway.
“Everything,” she added in the same gentle tone. “I can’t help but feel that if you didn’t save me when you did, I might not be here.” Once again, William’s gaze returned to hers. “Maybe the night your Dr. Bancroft died, they were actually coming for me.” He shook his head. “Don’t say that.”
“C’mon. You mean to tell me that you haven’t thought about it?” She strapped the seat belt across her shoulder. “Don’t tell me that you’re the kind that believes in coincidence.”
He didn’t answer.
She turned to gaze out her passenger window. “Well, I’m glad you showed up when you did. I never had a knight in shining armor before.” William laughed. “That’s pouring it on a little thick, don’t you think?” She shrugged and slid on an easy smile. “If everything happens for a reason, then maybe Paris wasn’t a mistake after all.” Another awkward silence filled the space between them before William pulled over to the side of the road. “What are you doing?” she asked. “What’s wrong?”
Though they had stopped, William didn’t pull his gaze from the road in front of him. “Paris was many things…but it was not a mistake.”
Josie drew a deep breath as she stared at his profile. One thing she couldn’t miss were the shadows of emotions that danced across his features. They pulled at her and destroyed the wall she kept trying to build between them. The wall was supposed to protect her. “No,” she said, finally. “It wasn’t a mistake.” “Just lousy timing,” he added. “You were, after all, an engaged woman—already spoken for.” “And you wouldn’t take ‘no’ for answer.” His cheeks darkened with his smile. “I was young.” “We both were.” Gazes locked, both sensed that the other wanted to say more. However, the words never came.
An hour later, William arrived at his two-story, red brick home in the center of Peachtree City. It was a nice subdivision where most of the houses were exact replica of the next. The moment William pulled into the driveway, the garage door opened.
He parked next to a back, Mercedes, and the garage door closed behind them.
“Do you think it’s safe for us to come here?” she asked, climbing out of the vehicle. “I mean with the neighbors and all.”
“I don’t see where we have much of a choice. It’s either here or a hotel. Frankly, I think we would draw more attention to ourselves at a hotel. The great thing about my neighbors is they tend to keep to themselves.” He headed toward the garage’s side door and entered the house through the kitchen.
Josie followed close behind him. Her gaze quickly darted around. She was given a quick tour of the place before William noticed the time.
“I’m going to be late,” he said. “I’m supposed to be at the hospital at noon.”
“You’re working today?”
“I have to.” He opened a closet door and grabbed a clean shirt. “There should be plenty of food in the refrigerator.” Next, he scrambled for a pen and paper. “I’m going to write down my pager number. If you need anything, just punch in code 9-1-1. Oh, I’ll write down the address so you can have your medical records mailed here now. Wait, maybe that’s not wise. Maybe we should get a P.O. box to have them mailed.
“Isn’t that going to take more time? Or do you already have one?”
“No.” He ran a nervous hand through his hair. The fact that he was losing control of the whole situation was sinking in fast. “Okay. We’ll have them mailed here. I’ll write down the address; but once they get here, we’re going to the police. Agreed?” She blinked. “Josie?” Belatedly, she flashed him a reassuring smile. “Agreed.”
“All right.” He nodded; his dilemma of whether to believe her was evident on his face. In the end, he made a quick change, jotted down the address, and brushed a rather awkward kiss against her cheek. “All of this will be
