Nowhere To Run (To Protect And Serve) (6 page)

Frank studied him carefully
for another beat or two. “Okay, partner, now you’re just talking crazy.” When Riley didn’t respond, Frank added, “Riley, I respect the hell out of your determination and you know I thought your old man hung the moon, but I can’t back you up on this one.”

Burbeck
leaned closer and lowered his voice. “I’m sorry, but I’ve only got a few years left before I retire full pension. I can’t afford to lose that.” He narrowed a look at Riley that sent a chill down his spine. “Crossing the Feds is bad business. I say, be glad we got out from under this albatross. Stay out of it, Donovan.”

Riley
didn’t know what to say to the man who’d always been ten foot tall and bullet proof in his mind. So Frank Burbeck was human after all.

“
Maybe you should take some days off,” Burbeck was saying. “You must have several weeks’ time stashed away by now between vacation and sick time. In the years we’ve worked together, you’ve never taken a single day off. Go visit your old man in Florida for a while. Lay on the beach. Find yourself a woman. Do whatever it takes, but get over this case. Get
her
out of your head and wherever else she’s hanging out. For all our sakes, bubba, let it go.”

Riley
got to his feet, retrieved his weapon from the locked drawer, and holstered it.

He understood where Frank was coming from. Not too long ago, his old man had
faced the same dilemma. The moment you realize you’re not invincible you become vulnerable. “You may not be willing to go out on a limb to solve a case anymore, Frank, but I am. I plan to work this one until I’m forced off of it.”

“Where are you going
, bubba?” Frank demanded.

“I
’m going to find out why the Feds are so interested in our case. Then I’m paying the sister a visit -- find out what she knows.”

“You gonna force her to talk?
Or you got other things in mind?” When Riley didn’t answer, Frank push on. “Bubba, don’t do it. You’ll be hindering a federal investigation. They’ll have your badge for this.” Burbeck called after him but Riley didn’t listen.

He
’d left the squad room and reached his pickup truck before the extent of his actions caught up with him. Frank would keep his mouth shut – at least as long as it didn’t affect his job, but what did he really expect to gain here? Why was he pushing so hard to keep this case? After all, what did he really know about Jordan Scott. beyond a kiss. A look. And what might all add up to just a brief lapse in judgment. Maybe she was involved in whatever trouble had gotten her brother murdered? And if not, even if she knew anything, chances are Santiago would find a way to suppress it. He looked like the type to have his attorney on speed dial. He’d probably spun enough lies by now to convince the good doctor to clam up tight.

Still that didn’t stop him from trying her cell phone. When the call went straight to voicemail he guessed she’d turned the phone off. He could only imagine what she was going through. He dared not leave a message on the phone in case Santiago were monitoring her calls and he doubted she would want to return home to the apartment she and Jeremy shared.
Santiago might be the devil, but even the devil was better company than being alone with memories that had to be unbearable for her.

Instead, he dialed her office and left his number asking her to call him the moment she got the message.

While he might not be able to talk to Jordan just yet, he could get some idea why the FBI wanted the case so bad if only for his own peace of mind.

Agent
Debra Martin clearly wasn’t thrilled to hear from him again when she finally answered his call after the sixth ring. Not that he could blame her. They hadn’t left things between them on the best of terms the last time they’d talked. He still remembered that awkward silence the morning after they’d made the mistake of screwing up their friendship by sleeping together.

“Deb
-- Riley. What’s new in Fed Land?”

A chilly silence greeted his attempt at humor.
“Aw, cut the crap, Donovan.” Deb sounded pissed off still. He couldn’t blame her for that either. He and Deb had been friends longer than they’d been lovers. Since their university days. He respected the hell out of her. Which was why sleeping with her, even if it was that one time, had been a huge mistake. One he still wasn’t so sure their friendship would survive. “I can’t discuss the Scott case.” She’d seen right through his lame attempt at small talk.

Riley
spewed out a heavy sigh. Dammit. He’d known from the beginning that Deb wanted more from their relationship.

“Deb, I’m sorry
, okay. But we both know it was a mistake.”

“
Oh, whatever, Donovan. As if I still care about what happened after all these years. Don’t flatter yourself. For your information, it wasn’t that memorable.” She blew out a breath to empathize her annoyance. Riley realized he’d behaved like a jerk. He should have called. But the reminder of those awkward moments the morning after where they’d tried to find something to say to each other kept him from making that call. It was the reason he’d switched careers as well. Given up a promising future with the Bureau.

“
Deb, I mean it. I behaved like an ass, okay. I’m sorry.”

“Well, you finally got something right,”
she snapped. At least now she sounded more like his friend. “What do you want, Donovan. I’m kinda busy here. Things have gone crazy, as you can imagine.”

“Got time for
breakfast?” He glanced at his watch. It was barely seven.

“
No...Where?” She over-emphasized the word.

“That little
spot a couple of blocks away from you. I’ll buy.”

“Y
ou bet you will.” She sounded close to hanging up.

“See you in twenty. Oh and Deb—“He started when she interrupted.

“I know. Don’t tell anyone. Believe it or not, Riley Donovan, I can do my job without your help.”

By the time he
’d maneuvered through morning rush hour traffic, Deb was seated and waiting for him.

He faced his friend for the first time since that morning. The same awkwardness stood between them. Should he kiss her
? Shake her hand? Give her a hug? Riley finally realized he was behaving like a fool.

He
bent down and kissed her cheek. After a moment, Deb relaxed enough to pat his shoulder uncomfortably.

The
y waited in awkward silence for the waitress to take their orders.

“I don’t know much.” Deb intercepted his first question. “
I’m not working the case. It’s very high level.”

“
Alright.” He accepted her answer reluctantly.

Deb looked nervous.
And it had nothing to do with their relationship.

For a long time
Deb didn’t say a word. Riley’d begun to wonder if this meeting with would prove to a major waste of precious time he couldn’t afford to lose.

Deb’s next words only
served to emphasize the uneasiness he’d seen reflected in her eyes. “If anyone finds out I’m talking to you Riley, I could lose my job. Or worse.”

“Who’s going to find
out you talked to me? No one comes here. What are you really afraid of, Deb?” The very fact that Deb looked this anxious told him there was something more in the works here than just the Scott murder.

“You think my boss won’
t remember you and I were friends.” Her choice of words struck him as odd. Was that just Deb’s way of getting back at him by referring to their friendship in past tense or was that how she saw it?

She leaned close
r. “Riley, this thing has the top brass screaming and everyone else scrambling all over themselves to keep a lid on it. I’m telling you, it’s weird. I’ve never seen anything like it. Something’s up.”

Questions raced through his mind like wildfire. Before he could ask the first one, the
waitress arrived with their meals.

He waited until the woman was out of earshot.
“Like what? What do you mean?”

Deb hesitated, sipping her coffee
while choosing her words carefully. “Why do you think the FBI’s involved in a local kid’s homicide?”

He tried to inter
pret her expression but couldn’t. “You tell me. Santiago would be MY guess. ”

“
Yeah. Maybe. I don’t know. But the body’s barely cold and homicide’s off the case. This is just an assumption, but I’m thinking the kid is connected to something much bigger.”

“
Bigger than Santiago? Like what?” Riley’s thoughts went ballistic. The implication scared the hell out of him.

“My guess?
” He nodded. “This has something to do with national security more than Santiago. From all reports, Santiago isn’t involved in the family business so to speak.”

“Yeah
, and pigs fly. I don’t buy it, Deb. It’s too big of a coincidence. He’s dirty.” His eyes locked with hers. She looked dead serious. “Okay, so if this isn’t about Santiago, what would a kid like Jeremy Scott have to do with national security? He doesn’t look the part of terrorist. He’s never been out of the country. I checked. The kid hasn’t had so much as a traffic ticket before he got popped for possession and your guys put a lid on the thing.”

Deb
seemed surprised that he’d figured out the Feds connection so soon. “Yeah, well, it’s just a gut feeling, but something major’s going on under the surface here. Why else would the friggin FBI get involved in the case? There’s something else...” She stopped and gave him a measuring look as if debating her decision in confiding in him?

“What is it?”

“I’m not sure. That is, I don’t have proof to back this up, but I think…no I know, one of the reasons you guys were yanked off the case so quickly is because someone at the Bureau got a tip.”

Riley
drew in a shaky breath. He didn’t really need to ask what the tip consisted of. After all, if Santiago had someone from the Bureau on his payroll, it would certainly explain why no one had been able to pin any hard evidence on Santiago in spite of having some very good intel.

A second passed before
Deb confirmed his worst fears. “Riley, someone’s dirty.” She said and looked spooked enough to make him believe her. “It’s the only thing that fits.” She hesitated then whispered, “Promise me, you’ll be careful. You don’t know what or who you’re up against. ”

He studied her
expression for a moment. No doubt about it, Deb was dead serious. “What
aren’t
you telling me?”

Her gaze fell to the plate. She picked up her coffee
cup with nervous hands, sloshing the hot liquid onto the table. “Nothing. I’ll do what I can to help, but I can’t make any promises. What I’m telling you, is watch your back. You’re off the case, remember. If Thomas finds out you’re working this on your own then…” She didn’t finish. She didn’t need to. The implication was clear. Losing his job would be the least of his worries.

Chapter Five

“I told you to let me handle this.” The contempt in Caesar’s tone served to put an even deeper wedge between them. He’d been furious that she’d refused to sleep in his bed the night before. That resentment still simmered in him.

“
I’ll stop by the apartment and pick up something for the viewing.” Renewed anger flared in his eyes like a lit match.

“No.” She managed to catch herself before she said something more and gave too much away. It wouldn’t do to show him the disgust that burned deep within her. “No, you’ve done enough. Besides, I need to do something. Keep busy, otherwise I’ll go out of my mind. I just don’t understand any of this -- I feel so helpless. I can’t sit around here all day and think about what Jeremy must have gone through. You have…everything else taken care of.” She smiled briefly and watched as his narrowed gaze raked her face. Did he suspect that the change in her had nothing to do with his unfaithfulness?

“
Caesar, I’m grateful for all you’ve done. Really, I am. I just need to get out of the apartment for a while. The walls feel as if they’re closing in.” After a moment, he accepted her answer with a curt nod. Still there was a certain wariness in the depths of his dark eyes.

For so long,
Caesar had been the closest thing to family she and Jeremy had. Part of her still loved him in some twisted way.

But s
he no longer trusted him.

“
Alright. As you wish. You’ll call if you need anything?”

“Of course.” He turn
ed away. Acting on an impulse she couldn’t begin to explain, Jordan reached for his hand. “Caesar.” It was at times like this that she could almost convince herself he was still the knight in shining armor she’d once seen in him. Pain squeezed at her heart. Maybe Detective Donovan had been mistaken. Surely this gentle, caring man standing before her now couldn’t be responsible for Jeremy’s death as the detective seemed to imply.

“It
’s okay.” His smile took some of the chill from those dark eyes. “I’ll stop by the office for a bit. There’s a new shipment of diamonds coming in this afternoon. I know Ruggerio can handle it without me, but…”