Finders Keepers Losers Die (28 page)

She leaned her head against mine. "Thanks,
Cat. I know you're right. And really, I don't mind being single.
It's definitely easier. I get to watch what I want on TV and I
don't have to pretend to like what he likes. It's just that…" She
sighed. "I really liked the nerd. I thought we had some kind of
future."

I hugged her but said nothing. Words would
have sounded hollow. We watched TV together like an old married
couple, curled up side by side, our shoes discarded on the floor
near the couch. We stayed like that until bedtime. As usual, I
slept on the couch. It took me a while to fall asleep because I
kept thinking, what if Scarface had never turned up?

Eventually I must have nodded off. I slept
fitfully. I dreamed that I was being crushed, and that something
covered my mouth, stealing my breath.

"Don't say a word or I'll kill you."

What the fuck? My eyes flew open and I tried
to scream but a hand covered my mouth and a knee dug into my chest.
I fought against the shadow holding me down but he was too big. Too
strong.

"Do you hear me?" he whispered hoarsely. It
was too dark to see him clearly. I could only make out his large
silhouette and I was pretty sure he wore a ski mask.

I nodded, panic making my movements jerky.
My heart beat so loudly it felt like it would jump out of my rib
cage. I tried squirming out from under him but it was useless and
only made his knee grind harder into my chest. I closed my eyes as
pain threatened to overtake my consciousness. Maybe my shallow,
labored breathing made him ease off. Whatever it was, the pressure
lessened and my wits returned.

"Give me the key," he hissed.

"Huh?" I mumbled into his palm.

"The key. And the number. I know you have
them so don't give me any bullshit."

I nodded and indicated my covered mouth.

"Yell and you're dead. So is your friend,"
he said.

I gulped. I didn't want Gina dragged into
it. "It's in my bag," I whispered, pointing to the table.

While his gaze followed my finger, I reached
down and grabbed Gina's shoe. I aimed for his head but he saw it
coming at the last moment and moved. The shoes connected with his
upper arm, ripped a hole in his black T-shirt and sank into the
soft flesh with a sickening
squelch
.

"Fuck!" he roared, clutching his arm.

The yell brought Gina racing out of her
bedroom. "Cat? Was that you?"

"Get back into your room!" I shouted. But it
didn't matter. The intruder was long gone through the window.

Gina switched on the light but neither of us
moved. We both stared open mouthed after him.

"Do you think he's gone?" she finally asked,
running her hands up and down her arms.

"I think so." I pulled the blanket up to my
chin, trying to get warm. I couldn't stop shivering.

She sat beside me and hugged her knees. "You
okay?"

"Yeah. I think I got him."

"In the nuts?"

"No, the shoulder."

"Damn," she said softly.

I held up the shoe I still clutched. "With
this."

"Told you they were weapons."

I almost smiled. "I think I'll call the
police."

"Scarface?"

"No way. He'll have me moving in with him if
he hears about this." I stood up, wrapped the blanket around my
shoulders and padded barefoot across the floor to the phone.

"Will would love that," she mumbled.

"He'd be offering too if he found out." My
gaze cut to her. "Which is why he won't be finding out."

She started to shake her head then changed
her mind and nodded. "If that's what you want. But he knows cops
remember? He might find out in other ways."

I dialed. "So be it."

Some time later, Gina and I sat huddled
under the blanket on the couch when the doorbell rang. Two burly
officers entered, one male, one female. I told them about the
intruder, his threat and how he was foiled.

"You whacked him with a shoe?" the male
officer said, disbelieving.

"A stiletto," I explained.

"They're the spiky sort, aren't they?"

"Yes, Mack," said his colleague with a roll
of her eyes. "Good for you," she said to me. "Did he come through
this window?"

"And left through it," I said.

"You need better locks."

"First thing tomorrow, I'm getting a
locksmith round," said Gina.

"You said it might be a suspect in a case
you're working on, so that'll narrow it down," said Mack. "We'll
dust for fingerprints—"

"He wore gloves," I said.

"Okay. Any distinguishing features? Accent?
Something to identify him to you?"

I shook my head. "No, nothing."

"A smell maybe?"

"No." Strange. Grimes had bad breath. Mad
Max smelled of alcohol and cigarettes. "But he did know that I was
staying here. It's not common knowledge." I told them about my
place burning down.

"Ever thought about leaving town?" Mack
asked on a chuckle. When three sets of eyes glared at him, his
smile vanished. "Sorry," he muttered.

"I suppose someone could have followed me."
Which meant it could have been anyone. Anyone with a blue sedan. It
must have been the same person who'd followed me from Mrs.
Scarletti's the day she gave me the box because they knew I had it.
And whoever it was, knew or guessed what it contained.

The cops left and Gina returned to her
bedroom after I assured her I'd be fine. I settled back onto the
couch but didn't sleep. When daylight peeped through the curtains,
I got up and found the key and paper with the number scrawled on it
in my bag. Using a knife, I separated the layers of the chunky sole
of my mules and slid the key and paper in between. I glued the
layers back together with some super glue I found in the bottom
kitchen drawer. Then I showered, ate breakfast and dressed before
Gina even got out of bed.

"Going to work already?" she asked, rubbing
her eyes.

"Nothing better to do. Do you want me to
wait for you?"

She shook her head. "I'm calling a locksmith
straight away. But you should go with someone. Call Will."

"I'll be okay. Don't worry." I kissed her
cheek and left after taking her shop keys. I told her someone
needed to be there to accept her early deliveries.

I ran to my car, parked on the street near
the apartment building, jumped inside and quickly locked the door
again. I checked the back seat and the mirrors but there was no one
inside or out. With a sigh of relief, I headed to work.

It was too early for most people and the
roads were nearly deserted. After a few minutes, I began to tune
out and drove the familiar route on autopilot. It gave me time to
think.

After a while, I came to a conclusion.
Scarface was right. Whoever was following me probably didn't want
me dead. Kill me, and lose the key and number forever.

It was still only seven when I arrived at
the office. Not even Will was in. I sat at my desk and stared at
the computer screen for a long time. When that didn't bring any
inspiration, I turned it on. While it booted up, I fished in my
handbag for the receiver of the listening device I'd placed in
Grimes' office. If he hadn't found it yet—and there was no
guarantee that he hadn't put two and two together and come up with
the real reason for my visit—then I should listen in.

I didn't know what I expected to hear. He
seemed more and more likely to be just a dumbass psycho, not the
person who was trying to scare the bejesus out of me. The man who'd
attacked me the night before had been larger than Grimes, and not
as disgusting. Grimes had a putrid air about him, as if his
horrible crimes had infiltrated his skin and he couldn't rid
himself of their stench.

Maybe Mad Max…

No, he was taller but thinner. And the
intruder hadn't stuttered.

Then who…?

The lock on the office door clicked and I
jumped up, startled. I grabbed the metal ruler off my desk and
aimed it at the door like a sword. As it opened, I stood my ground
and swallowed back my rising fear.

"Cat?" Will halted mid-step and stared
open-mouthed at me.

"It's you," I said on a breath. I sat down
heavily on the swivel chair, light-headed with relief.

"What are you doing in this early?" He
frowned and approached. "Everything okay? You look tired."

"I'm not sleeping well lately."

He came round the desk and did something
totally unexpected. He drew me into a hug. Still sitting, I rested
my head against his stomach and enjoyed the touch of his fingers
stroking my hair. He smelled fresh, like clean laundry and
soap.

It sucked. No, really. I didn't know what to
think anymore. Just when I thought I had him figured out and I
wasn't going to continue with our fling, he did something so sweet.
And said nothing. No third-degree, no lecture, no inquisition, just
a firm, reassuring hold. And it felt soooo gooood.

"It must have been a bad night for you to be
in before me," he said without letting go.

I smiled into his striped shirt. "Maybe I
should have stayed with you last night. I might have got some
sleep."

He caught my face in his big palms and I
looked up into his dark eyes, full of sympathy and sweetness but
still with that underlying mysterious quality in their black
depths.

"Come over tonight," he said.

I nodded. How could I refuse such a command
from a man like Will? Why would I want to? His voice hinted at the
passionate night ahead and my body couldn't wait. So much so that
it overrode my brain. To hell with the differences between us. Why
waste a night of hot sex for stupid principles?

He crouched down in front of me and kissed
me gently, still cradling my face. Up to that point, our kisses,
and our love-making, had been heated and urgent. Like we couldn't
get enough of each other. But this kiss was languid, easy, like an
endless summer night.

"Cut it out you two."

We'd been too distracted to notice Carl
enter and we drew apart quickly, even though he knew about us.

"You're early," Will said, standing.

"Busy day ahead." He looked from Will to me
then back at Will and shook his head. "I can't believe you two are
together." Then he disappeared into his office.

I frowned after him. "What do you think he
meant by that? Does he mean we're not compatible? That we're an odd
couple? Unsuitable—"

"Cat." Will placed a finger over my lips
then removed them to kiss me. "Forget Carl. I've got to do some
work now, but we'll talk later."

"We need to talk about the case," I said,
shifting focus.

He nodded. "Sure. Give me a couple of hours
then we'll go over it."

He went up to his office. Half an hour later
he popped his head out and asked if I could get him a coffee.

"Me too," Carl called.

I sighed and retrieved some money from the
cash jar then headed across the road to Trendz Cafe. Despite
Scarface's theory that I wasn't in any real danger, I kept aware of
my surroundings at all times. Cars inched past, stuck in traffic
jams on their way to work. There weren't many pedestrians except
for shopkeepers opening up or heading to Trendz for their shot of
coffee. Gina's shop was in darkness and I wondered how long she'd
be.

I bought the coffees and returned to the
office without being struck by cars, fists or lightening. My lucky
day. Carl and Will were in a meeting in Will's office so I took
them their cups.

"I'll be outside for a few minutes," I
said.

Will's brow rose in a question.

"Fresh air."

His warning look said
Be careful
, but
otherwise, he didn't protest. He was learning. Miracle of miracles.
I went next door to Gina's shop and unlocked the door with the key
she'd given me. I'd helped her out in the early days after
returning to Renford before I got the job at Knights, so I knew
what to do. I arranged the buckets of flowers out the front and
signed for the deliveries as they trickled in. I rearranged the
flowers in the shop several times before I was satisfied and served
a few customers. Just as I was saying goodbye to one, a man walked
in and asked for Gina by name.

"She'll be in soon," I said. "She had some
personal business to take care of."

"Oh." He chewed his lip and dug his hands
into the pockets of his crumpled business suit.

"You can wait if you want."

He flushed. God knows why, but I found it
sweet. He was tall with angular bits sticking out
everywhere—elbows, knees, cheeks—but he was kind of handsome in a
geeky way. He wore glasses, a business suit and a yellow tie. His
short dark hair was neatly combed and his gaze rarely met mine.
When it did, it flicked away quickly as if embarrassed. He wasn't
broad shouldered or square jawed like most of the guys she dated,
so I guessed him to be either the computer programmer who'd
recently broken it off with her or just another guy who
wanted
to go out with her.

"I have to get to work," he said. "I just
thought I'd…um, you know…" He laughed nervously and started to walk
off.

"Wait! You're the programmer, aren't
you?"

He stopped and turned round, startled. "Yes.
Er, that's my job. How do you know?"

I waved my hand in the air. "Just a guess.
Do you want me to tell Gina something?" He looked at me blankly.
"Maybe tell her you're sorry," I prompted.

He flushed again and looked down at his
polished shoes. "I shouldn't have come. It was a stupid idea."

He started to walk off again so I ran out
from behind the counter and stepped in front of him. I put a hand
against his chest. "Stop right there. You're not going anywhere
until you tell me why you came."

He shook his head. "I shouldn't have. I was
just…driving past and I thought I'd come in and say hi and see how
she was and before I knew it I was getting out of the car and I
came in here and…"