Hell Is Burning (37 page)

It could break them all.

In that moment, Curtis knew she was going to be trouble.

He could see it coming. 

He was doomed.

       
         
* * *
  Croft & Croft  * * *

This was one hell of a giant mess. As Emma Croft wandered around the scene, her badge clearly present around her neck, she knew she had eyes on her.

Many sets.

Dimitri Gideon was following not far behind, sunglasses on, as he looked lethal in his expensive suit. Every cop there was giving him, and her, the look.

It was hard to miss their distaste for Emma and her ‘bodyguard’.

At that moment, Emma Croft was digging the hole, and she knew it. Impressions were being made, and she was helpless to stop them. They all thought she was dirty.

She knew it.

The cops were already judging her. If this was the company she was keeping, then the rumors had to be true. She was burning her bridge as a cop. Once word spread, or someone got her companion’s name, she was screwed.

It was funny how just a year ago, her life had been so much simpler. She had been sheriff, there was no death, and no one was trying to make her family look like Swiss cheese.

This really sucked.

Then again, over a year ago, there was no Greyson Croft. Would she really rather go back to that time?

Screw that.

If the killer was trying to screw with them, he’d pulled it off. Right now, the media was shouting multiple questions, cops were giving her dirty looks, and to top it off, an unmarked police car was tearing into the parking lot.

Well, shit!

Here came her boss.

Captain Ford, while their ally and friend, he still had a job to do in the city. It was apparent that someone had told him about the shootout.

When he raced toward her, she braced for his barrage. This man wasn’t known for his calm head when the shit was hitting the fan. Before she could say a word, he grabbed her by the arm and hauled her back into the building.

He was met with a little opposition until Dimitri Gideon blocked his path. “I suggest you set Mrs. Croft free, Captain Ford.”

Chris lifted a brow. “Who the hell is that, and why is he on this crime scene?”

Now Emma had to smooth this over too. “It’s okay, Dimitri. This is my boss, and he’s Greyson’s and my friend. He’s not hurting me.”

They both looked down at her arm, which was still being held firmly in his grasp.

“This is Dimitri Gideon, and he’s part of our security detail.”

Had anyone else said that to them, Chris Ford would have been cracking skulls left and right. Because it was Emma Croft, he wasn’t surprised.

With an exasperated sigh, Chris let her go before he got down to business. “Emma, what’s going on? I was in my office, and the detectives had the news on. They were reporting that there was a drive by, and you were shot!”

Dimitri took a step back to give her some space. He could tell that the captain wasn’t going to hurt her. Besides, he’d done his intel. The man was safe.

He was part of Greyson’s inner circle.

“Well, you heard right. We were having lunch and that’s exactly what happened. I took one to the back of my vest.” When she turned around, he saw the bullet hole in her blazer.

“Are you okay? Maybe you should get checked out.”

While her back hurt, the sting of impact was lessening. “I’ll be fine. My concern is this mess.”

He looked around. “Jesus! Where’s Greyson?”

Emma lowered her voice. “He took Agent Briggs back to the house. I wasn’t the target, Chris. Curtis was.”

The man didn't look surprised. “This is getting ugly. Someone’s turning our city into a Wild West shootout. I hate that.”

“Yeah, since we’re the targets, I’m not really happy. We’ve been forced to take extreme measures.”

Chris glanced over at the man not far away. He was scanning the crowd of cops like a soldier would in the middle of a war. There was no doubt that the Crofts had hired some big time muscle.

“If I run him, he’s not coming back illegal, is he?” Chris asked. He didn't even lower his voice.

Screw it.

They weren’t going to beat around the bush.

Before Emma could say a word, Dimitri replied. “You won’t find anything on me, Captain Ford. You can relax. I’m not going to pillage the boss’s wife or shoot up the city. I get it. Hands off.”

Chris lifted a brow. Well, at least the man was astute.

“We don’t have any choice, Chris,” Emma said, keeping her voice low. “Someone just tried to put ten bullets in Curtis. If Mr. Gideon’s associate wasn’t as fast as she was, he’d be dead. My one hit was because I was in the way.”

He understood.

“Okay. I get it, Emma, and I support your choices, but this isn't going to play well for you. The cops in this city already think you’re three days past dirty. You inherited Mason’s cash, plus you stayed on the force. That’s not sitting well with them. This city has seen it before.”

“I don’t care what they think or say,” she admitted. “I know I’m not dirty. Hell, Chris! You know I’m as straight as they come. Greyson is too.”

Well, unless you counted hiring a killer to play bodyguard. Dimitri was all kinds of trouble, and they knew it.

It came down to the devil you know.

Chris sighed. “What can I do to help?”

“First, ignore that I have security. We’ll play it off in the media when they ask. Unless someone is dirty, they’re not going to know about his…reputation.”

Chris closed his eyes. “Emma, you’re killing me.”

She pointed at Dimitri before he could say a word. She knew what was coming out of his mouth next, and while she could blow it off, she doubted her captain could.

“We need to find that car. It’s been tailing me for two weeks. Dimitri caught it in his photos.”

He pulled out his phone to make notes.

“What do you have?”

Dimitri moved close. “It was a nineteen sixty Caddy, black with silver rims, and tinted out windows. It was sporting a classic car plate, and the first three letters were NVD. That’s all I got before I hit the ground.”

He made notes. “I’ll run it, and it shouldn’t be too hard to locate the owner, but I think we all know it’s likely been stolen. No one is going to be riding around in their Caddy as they shoot at a cop.”

She was well aware.

“We just need to find it if they dump it. Who knows what they’ll leave inside? We might get lucky.”

“I’ll take care of it. When I get back to the office, I’ll run it through the DMV. As soon as I hear, you’ll hear. Anything else?”

“Yeah, do you want to sleep over, Chris?”

He shushed her. “Are you insane? First, that sounded very wrong and inappropriate for a married woman. Secondly, your husband is a man on the edge. Let’s not plant the wrong idea in his head. I have no doubt I’ll be buried in the desert.”

“You will be,” added Dimitri.

Emma gave him a dirty look.

“Not that I don’t appreciate that offer,” Chris said, babbling. “Jesus! Emma!”

She started laughing when he flushed red.

“I didn't mean in my bed, Chris. I meant pack a bag and crash at our place for a while. If this killer is going for our core, then he’s going to take more pot shots at the people we care about.”

He was touched and relieved that he didn't say something to get him in trouble. Yeah, he was attracted to Emma, but he wasn’t going to ever cross that line. He respected Greyson too much.

“I appreciate that, but I’ll be crashing in my office tonight. I have a lot of work to do, and we have that charity thing tomorrow.”

She was well aware. “Well, watch your ass, Chris. This is getting ugly.”

“I think I can babysit myself. You’re the one getting drive-bys in the middle of the day.”

Before walking away, he recalled something he had for her. Reaching into his pocket, Chris pulled out a zip drive. “Here.”

“What’s this?” she asked.

“That’s the interview with Detective Greg McGuire. Captain Sherwood handled it. He’s in the clear. On it, he admits that he and Brynn were hot and heavy, and that they’d just had sex before she went missing.”

Emma made the mental switch to the other case. She was juggling all kinds of crazy in her head. She really needed a vacation, and soon.

“Is he off our suspect list?”

“He has an alibi. After the hook up, he stopped on his way home at a convenient store. He’s on security footage getting a forty of beer and some chips. He chats it up with the clerk, like he always does, and then heads to his car. Once there, he sends some texts.”

“Did we pull them?” Emma asked.

“Yeah, we did. He willingly gave up his phone so we could check them out. They were to his mother. He was bailing on Sunday dinner at her house. He was planning on spending some time in bed.”

“With Brynn.”

“Yep.”

“Damn it,” she muttered. “I was hoping we would have an easy case.” Why was she not surprised?

“He knew about the divorce, Emma. He came right out and admitted to being privy. In fact, according to him, he’s the one who told her to come clean. There were a few texts from him to Brynn, and they openly discussed it. He’s playing this off as some random sex, but I don’t doubt that he and Brynn were going to shack up post-divorce.”

“Did he say that?”

“Let’s call it a gut feeling. I’ve been in Curtis’s position. Women don’t just sleep around multiple times and not get attached.”

Emma didn't doubt that Brynn’s killer was the same person trying to get to her husband.

What a freaking mess.

“Vice is willing to help out if you need it, but I have to warn you.”

“About what now?” she asked.

“IAB is sniffing around too. They want to know why you’re running this investigation, since you were her partner. They’re breathing down my freaking neck on this one. One of the weasels is digging for dirt.”

“Great. My spotless record is about to get dirty now too. Can this day get any worse?”

Dimitri pointed to the wall with all the bullets.

“Gee. Thanks.”

He simply shrugged.

“Emma, if they find out that Greyson’s agent is living with you, we’re talking all kinds of trouble headed your way. Close this, and maybe they’ll back off. Someone called the rat squad in, and you have too many people who hate your guts.” Chris motioned to the cops outside the café.

She was well aware.

This was getting uglier and uglier.

Yet, Emma wasn’t shocked by any of this. “Once Internal Affairs get a load of my tail, the talk is going to blow up. I have no doubt that they’re going to pull this case. We have to find this asshole. I’m running out of time.”

Dimitri laughed. “Should I be insulted? Honestly, Mrs. Croft, are you suggesting that I’m not on the up and up and without proof? How incredibly uncop-like of you.”

Chris glared at him. “Are you suggesting you are?”

“Run me.”

“Yeah, give me your DNA.”

The man grinned. “Get a warrant.”

Emma stopped them. This was getting out of hand. Chris wanted to protect her from her protector. How had her life spiraled out of control?

Oh, yeah, that’s right.

Vegas and Randall Mason
.

“Chris, I’ll be fine. Just run that car and see what you can get.”

Her phone chimed.

“It’s Greyson. He is heading back to the FBI building to handle some things. Curtis is safe.”

Dimitri spoke, “We should meet him there. I don’t doubt that the shooter will be watching you two. They won’t give up.”

Emma patted Chris on the arm. “Stay inside until tomorrow when we send the limo to pick you up.”

“Just watch your back, Emma.”

She slapped him on the chest, checking for Kevlar under his clothes. Her hand hit muscle. “Suit up, Captain. They’re playing for keeps. Whether you like it or not, you’re now on team Croft. If this killer has his way, we have a rapidly approaching expiry date.”

Pointing at the wall, Emma let that punctuate her suggestion. Chris was a smart man, and he’d do it. This killer was playing for keeps, and if they were being watched, he’d just marked himself.

The mess kept growing.

Now Emma had to hope to stay ahead of it.

Just for a little longer.