Bullseye (14 page)

“If that’s true,” insisted Graham, “then you need to contact the D.A.”

If that’s true?
Mason bristled at the implication, but the pressure from Karina’s hand on his urged him to silence.

She shook her head. “The district attorney is the one who is recommending that Alex be tried as an adult. What if he’s mixed up with the others?”

Lips pursed, Parker looked at her for a moment, then shook his head. “I can’t believe this thing involves lawyers and judges and the crime lab. I mean, look. Illegal dealings are almost a given with all the increase in activity from the Mexican drug cartels in the U.S. lately. We’re so close to the border, and we have such a high Hispanic population with ties back to Mexico, we’d be stupid not to suspect some sort of traffic back and forth. Illegal arms?” He shrugged. “I hate to think it’s true, but it doesn’t really surprise me.” He rested his arms on the table and entwined his fingers on the surface. “But I have a hard time accepting a widespread web of crime the size you two are hinting at.”

“I don’t believe it at all. It’s starting to sound like a giant conspiracy theory straight out of Hollywood.” Graham slid out of the booth and snatched the check off the table. “I’ve got this. You guys can handle the tip. I need some air.”

He headed for the cash register at the end of the counter without another word.

Mason watched his retreating back. “Nice guy, your new partner. How’d you get stuck with him? Did you lose a bet or something?”

Parker answered with a snort. “Grierson likes him. Told me his focus would balance my tendency to take a scatter-shot
approach to investigation.” He dug a five out of his wallet and tossed it on the table. Then he slid to the other side of the bench seat so he was looking directly across the table into Mason’s face. “Look, I hate to say it, but in this case, Graham’s right. You sound like one of those conspiracy theorists.”

The words acted like water on a fire. Mason’s shoulders sagged. “But if Maddox is involved, its gonna be big, right? He’s got a finger in every pie in this state.” His glance slid to the cash register, where Officer Graham was tucking his change away in his wallet. “Maybe your partner’s involved, too. Did you ever think of that?”

The idea startled Parker so much he reared back and flattened his back against the booth’s high rear cushion. His mouth opened, and Mason could already hear the protest that was coming. But then he stopped. His eyes unfocused as though something had just occurred to him.

“What is it?” Karina asked.

Parker shook his head and clamped his lips shut. “Nothing. I can’t believe that. Graham’s like an arrow. He flies the straightest line you ever saw.”

If Mason hadn’t worked with Parker for over a year back when he first joined the police force, he might not have caught the hint of hesitation in the man’s tone. In the next instant, it was gone, and Parker slid out of the booth.

“Gotta go. But listen, I’ll keep an ear out. If I hear anything, you’ll be the first to know.”

Mason stood and shook his hand. “Thanks, buddy. I appreciate it.”

The grin returned to Parker’s face. “We’re on patrol again tonight, so if you feel like taking another nap, go ahead. I’ll keep an eye on both of you.”

With that jab he sauntered toward the front of the restaurant and disappeared through the door.

Mason returned to his seat. He and Karina sat in silence for a moment. Through the window, they watched the two police cruisers pull out of their parking places and turn onto the road.

“Do you think they’re right?” Doubt made Karina’s tone heavy. “Are we seeing conspiracies where there aren’t any?”

Were they? Mason raised a hand and rubbed it over his velvety soft and freshly clipped hair. The burn on the side of his face stung, a vivid reminder that they weren’t simply talking about a hypothetical situation. The danger to Alex and to Karina was real. But from where did it come? How could he fight against an enemy he couldn’t see, couldn’t identify?

“No.” He poured all the confidence he felt into his voice. “They’re not right. We’re on the right track, I know we are. It’s like an upside-down pyramid. Everything balances on that bottom brick. If we can just find some evidence to tie Maddox to these illegal weapons, the whole thing’s going to come down into one big pile.”

EIGHTEEN

T
hough she knew Mason didn’t want to, Karina insisted on going back to work after lunch. She hated to leave Lana hanging, for one thing. But her main reason was because she didn’t know what to do with Mason hovering over her every minute. The brooding silence as he glared at every car that passed had set her nerves on edge and had her jumping at shadows. Even the thought of going back to the apartment and sitting there, watching him pace from the sofa to the window, almost drove her nuts. So she overrode his protests and returned to work for the afternoon. Thankfully the salon was busy for a Thursday, and she was able to ignore her tangled thoughts
and
his brooding, pacing presence.

Night had fallen when they left the shop. They drove through a fast-food restaurant for a supper of hamburgers and fries, and headed for her apartment. When Mason shifted the car into Park, he turned a cautious glance her way.

“So, are you going to make me sleep in the car again tonight?”

Lifting her purse from the floor to sling over her shoulder, she grasped the food bag in her hands and avoided his stare. “Probably.”

A grunt sounded loud in the interior of the car. “I figured. Can I at least use your shower first?”

Somewhat relieved that he wasn’t putting up an argument, she readily agreed. “Of course. And really, you don’t have to stay the night. You could go back to your hotel, or call your friend and use his guest room. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

She saw his shoulders heave with a laugh, but before it was fueled by any sound, he froze. The look on his face stirred a tendril of fear deep inside her.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

His head jerked forward, to something beyond the windshield. Karina followed his gaze, and her pulse kicked up speed. Something hung on her front door. Something white and shaped like an envelope.

Reasons fired around in her mind. A shut-off notice, maybe? She’d been late on her electric bill in the past and received the final notice in the form of a letter on her door. But she’d paid her bills this month, all of them. Something about Alex, then?

Without another word, she opened the door and exited the car. As she half ran up the sidewalk to her front door, she was aware that Mason had left the car and was following her. A single sheet of paper without an envelope had been stuck on the front door with a piece of duct tape. From the outside it looked like a sheet of clean everyday typing paper, no writing visible. She snatched it off the door and flipped it over to read a hand-lettered note.

Call off your bloodhound or you’ll end up like his wife.

The words hit her like blows, and left her mind ringing. Wordlessly she held the paper up for Mason to see. As he read, color drained from his face.

He took the page from her with a two-fingered grasp. “We have to show this to Parker.”

She wanted to say okay, but for some reason her throat didn’t work. She couldn’t force a sound through. Instead, she nodded. Then she reached into her purse and grabbed her keys. The door handle, thank goodness, was still locked.

But the minute she swung the door inward, everything felt different. Strange. Before she even flipped the light switch, she knew something was wrong. When she did, she immediately noticed the missing picture on the living room wall.

Then her gaze dropped to the floor, and her blood froze in her veins. The family picture of her, Alex and Papa wasn’t missing. There it lay, on the floor, the glass shattered.

Her shears protruded from the center of Alex’s face.

* * *

“Well, whoever this guy is, he doesn’t have much imagination, does he?” Parker stood in a corner beside Mason, the two of them watching as Graham used a digital camera to snap pictures of the mess on the floor. “Same message as before.”

Mason stared at the shattered frame, at the scissors protruding from the glass. His gaze rose to Karina, who stood in the opposite corner of the small living room, her arms wrapped so tightly around her middle it looked like she might cut off the blood supply to her legs. “He doesn’t really need a new method. This one’s pretty effective.”

Parker cocked his head sideways. “You got a point.”

Graham went down on a knee to get a close-up, and spoke as he snapped. “Somebody better call juvy and warn them to put an extra watch on the kid.”

Mason didn’t like the guy, didn’t trust him at all, but he had to admit that was a good idea. At his words, though, Karina started like a scared rabbit. Apparently she hadn’t realized this could be as much a threat to Alex as to her.

Her expression became sour. “There was an extra watch on me, wasn’t there?” A hand swept toward the mess on the floor. “It didn’t seem to do much good.”

Beside Mason, Parker shifted on his feet and avoided her fiery gaze. Graham straightened and looked her in the eye. “We weren’t watching your house, ma’am. We were watching you.”

Before anyone could reply, the front door opened. Not a soft, tentative crack, but a swift swinging of the door inward, as though the person on the other side had turned the knob and given it a kick at the same time. Graham whirled, his hand flying to the weapon holstered on his belt. Beside Mason, Parker actually had his holster strap unsnapped as he took an instinctive step toward Karina.

Mason’s pulse reacted as though someone had stomped on the gas pedal and sent his heart into overdrive, but within a couple of heartbeats the tension was past. Detective Grierson stepped into the small living room, a storm gathered on his features.

The man’s gaze swept the room, pausing for a moment over the picture frame on the floor and then coming to rest on Mason. A piece of stray glass crunched under his shoes as he stomped over to stand in front of Mason and glare into his face.

“I don’t know what’s going on here, Sinclair, but one thing’s obvious. You’re up to your eyeballs in it. And whatever it is stinks.”

Four years were stripped away in the span of two seconds, and Mason was once again a suspended police officer standing stiffly at attention while his sergeant practically accused him of murdering his own wife. A hot wave of anger rose from a long-hidden place deep in his soul, where a four-year-old fire smoldered. He stepped forward until the toes of his shoes bumped against Grierson’s, and shoved his face until barely an inch of air separated their noses.

“You know what that smell is, Sergeant? It’s incompetence, and it stinks.”

“The title is
detective
.” The words ground out between the man’s teeth. “And in about five seconds, I’m going to slap a pair of cuffs on you and haul you to jail just to get you out of my hair.”

They stood so close Mason could count the red lines in Grierson’s bloodshot eyes. From behind he felt a steadying hand on his shoulder, heard Parker’s whispered, “Back off, buddy. You’re not helping.”

The words penetrated Mason’s red-hot anger. Parker was right. Losing his temper wouldn’t solve a thing, and he didn’t put it past Grierson to follow through on his threat. Protecting Karina would be impossible from jail. With an effort, he backed up a step and forced a calming breath deep into his lungs.

Grierson’s glare didn’t soften. He even lifted a hand and pointed a finger directly at Mason’s chest. “Stop. Messing. Around. In. My. Case.”

The finger stabbed forward with every word, but never made contact with his shirt. A good thing, too, because Mason was doing everything he could to keep his temper in check.

“I’m not doing anything except supporting an old friend during a really tough time.” He narrowed his eyelids. “I happen to know what it’s like to go through something hard involving someone you love.”

Grierson held his gaze for another few seconds, and then turned away without acknowledgment. “What do we have here?”

The question served to release a little of the tension in the room. Mason forced his muscles to relax, and Parker’s hand dropped away from his shoulder. Across the room, Karina’s chest expanded with a breath, though her arms remained wrapped around her middle.

Graham pointed toward the front door. “Scratches on the deadbolt lock, same as the hairdresser’s shop.”

“Seems we have someone who’s pretty good at picking locks.” The detective looked around the room. “Anything else damaged? Anything missing?” The questions were delivered in a softer tone, and he looked toward Karina for the answer.

She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“Those belong to you?” He pointed at the scissors.

“Yes. They were in the bathroom, in a drawer.”

“Nothing else missing from that drawer?”

“No. The only other sign that anyone was here is the note.”

Grierson’s eyebrows arched and his glance transferred to Parker. “Note?”

“Yes, sir.” Parker retrieved the zippered evidence bag where he’d put the note when he’d first arrived, and handed it to the detective.

Grierson read it through the plastic, flipped it over to note the blank back side, and handed it back to Parker. Once again, his tone softened when he addressed Karina.

“Looks like somebody doesn’t like your friend over there.” A jerk of his head indicated Mason. “Maybe it isn’t such a good idea to have him around.”

Mason bristled, but before he could say anything, Karina replied in an even voice. “My brother and I are all alone, Detective. I don’t have anyone else to call. And I don’t want to be by myself. I’m afraid.”

Her gaze flickered to Mason’s briefly, and though her lips didn’t form a smile, they softened when she looked at him. That tiny, almost unnoticeable sign set off a tornado in Mason’s brain. After all this time and after everything she and Alex had been through, and especially after he had hurt her in the past, she’d come to trust him again.

I can’t let her down. Whatever it takes, I’m in this thing till the end
.

After a moment, Grierson gave a nod and turned away from Karina. He handed the bagged letter back to Parker. “Harding, get this and that picture frame down to the lab when you finish up here. Maybe they’ll find prints on the duct tape. If they do, tell them to cross-check with the hundreds they got off the salon’s door this morning. And tell them to rush it.” His lips formed a grim line. “They’re gonna love that.”

“Yes, sir.”

Parker took the bag, and Grierson spoke to Graham. “You stay here for the rest of your shift. Park your cruiser right out front. Walk around a little. Make your presence known. If anybody’s watching this place, we want them to see that we’re looking for them. And stay in touch with Dispatch.”

“You want me to come back when I leave the lab?” Parker asked, but Grierson shook his head.

“One officer’s all we can spare. You’ll have to cover the rest of yours and Graham’s patrol on your own. I don’t have the budget to assign anyone for special duty, so we’ll have to make do with whoever’s already on.” He allowed his gaze once again to rest on Mason. “Sinclair, you stay out of my way.”

Mason had to grit his teeth to keep from snapping a reply while the detective turned on a heel and marched out of the apartment. The door slammed behind him with even more force than it had opened with.

The room remained silent for a few moments, then Parker slapped Mason on the back. “Well, at least you’re making progress. You’ve got someone to help you keep watch tonight.”

Mason made an effort to control his expression. He hadn’t trusted Graham this afternoon, and he still didn’t. Judging by the suspicious glances Graham kept tossing his way, the feeling was mutual. For all he knew, the officer was on Maddox’s payroll along with Navarro. Why would Grierson assign him to guard duty instead of Parker? Was it possible Grierson was in cahoots with Maddox, too?

One thing was certain. Mason wasn’t about to entrust Karina’s safety to someone even Parker couldn’t vouch for one hundred percent. It was time to call in some help from his F.A.S.T. partners.