“Sal,” she said, her tone too full of dismay to register her surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“We need to talk,” he said.
“Now’s not a good time,” she said.
“Too bad,” he said.
Alerted by his cool tone, she searched his face, but it was his hands she should have been looking at because suddenly a gun was pressed firmly into her side. “Come on,” he said.
They walked two steps before Dirk called from behind. “Liza, Sal, wait up.”
Sal didn’t stop. His arm firmly gripped Liza’s elbow and practically dragged her toward the door. “Don’t stop and don’t look back,” he warned.
“No, you’re going to stop.” This time Link was the one who spoke, and his voice was so full of authority, Liza knew he had his gun trained on him before she heard the telltale sound of the safety being switched off.
“What the…” Dirk began.
“Stuff it, Xavier,” Link said. “Get over there near your cousin where I can keep an eye on you. Slowly, and keep your hands where I can see them.”
Dirk edged toward Liza, his gaze fastened worriedly on her face. “It’s okay,” he murmured. “Do what he says, and he won’t shoot you.”
Liza sighed. “Of course he won’t shoot me. He’s a federal agent. It’s you he’s after.”
“Me?” Dirk said, his shock making his eyebrows rise almost to his hairline. “What did I do?”
“He’s not after you,” Sal said impatiently. “He’s after me, although he shouldn’t be. Can I?” he asked Link. He indicated his suit jacket where presumably his identification was kept.
“Slowly,” Link said, never taking his gun off the trio opposite him.
“Here, hold this,” Sal said. He handed his gun to Dirk and slowly reached in his pocket. He took out his wallet and held it open so only Link could see it, shielding the view from Dirk or Liza.
Liza therefore had no idea what it said, but whatever it was it caused Link to slowly lower his gun and slip it into his holster.
“I can’t believe this,” Link said disgustedly.
“Can someone tell me what’s going on here?” Dirk said. He held the gun uncertainly, as if not sure if he should point it at Link or not.
“It was the pajamas,” Liza explained when neither Link nor Sal made a move to answer.
“The pajamas?” he echoed.
“The message taped in my pajamas was a code. It was a message ordering a hit.”
Dirk looked around, clearly waiting for the punchline. “What?”
Sal sighed. “It’s all a big mixup,” he explained. “She was never supposed to find the message. Who wears flannel pajamas in June?” He turned to scowl at Liza.
“What are you guys talking about?” Dirk reiterated. He sounded ready to explode.
“Your cousin is an assassin,” Link said bluntly. “Liza came to my office at the FBI and asked me to look into her, er, pajama problem. I uncovered the assassination, but didn’t realize until today that he and I are on the same side.” He gestured toward Sal.
“You work for the government?” Liza said, tipping her face up to study Sal.
Sal shrugged, looking clearly uncomfortable.
“Wait a minute,” Dirk said. “You kill people?” He looked at Sal, openmouthed.
“Only the bad ones,” Sal replied cagily.
“Then what does Liza have to do with any of this?” Dirk said.
“I was using her house as a drop point,” Sal said.
“Why?” Link asked. “What possible reason could you have for involving her in this?”
“I wasn’t trying to involve her,” Sal said. “She was the least likely way to pass messages. Who would suspect a mousy schoolteacher as a go-between? We’ve been using her house as a drop point since I met her five years ago, and never had a problem until now.” He paused, chuckling to himself. “It was kind of funny, when you think about it.”
“You put my girlfriend in danger,” Dirk said. Before Sal could open his mouth to respond, Dirk stepped forward and struck him in the face so hard that Sal fell to the ground and cupped his jaw, working it back and forth a couple of times as he sat up.
“You’d better stay down unless you want another,” Dirk said as he towered over him, his hands fisted at his sides.
“If you’re one of the good guys, then why did you shove a gun in my side and try to abduct me just now?” Liza asked as some semblance of reason began to return to her shocked brain.
“You held a gun on Liza?” Dirk thundered. He would have gone for Sal again, but Liza laid a restraining hand on his arm.
“There’s been a breach,” Sal said. He gingerly tested his jaw again before frowning at Dirk.
“What kind of breach?” Link asked, alert all over again.
“Someone intercepted some intel and performed the assassination on his own. Now he’s demanding payment. I thought Liza might have some information,” Sal said.
“Me?” Liza squeaked. “Why would I have any information?”
“Because you’ve been a loose canon ever since you discovered the code. You’ve talked, and I want to know who you’ve talked to.”
“No one,” she said. “Except Link and
Marion
.”
“What about me?”
Everyone spun to see Marion and Puck standing a few feet away at the end of the hall. “What’s he doing here?” she nodded toward Sal. “And why is he on the floor?”
“Because I put him there,” Dirk said, still seething. Liza tried to touch him again, but he jerked away from her and crossed his arms over his chest.
“What’s going on?”
Marion
repeated.
“Sal’s the assassin,” Liza said.
“Liza,” Link and Sal said together.
“I don’t keep secrets from
Marion
,” Liza said.
“No, not from
Marion
,” Dirk said peevishly.
“This isn’t a secret; it’s national security,” Sal said.
“I don’t care,” Liza snapped. “I don’t work for the government. You’re the one with the problem.”
“It’s everyone’s problem if I don’t plug this leak,” Sal said. “All we have is a shady computer trail.”
“Computer trail?” Link perked up.
Sal looked up and they shared a mutual look of understanding. “Do you think he could?” Sal said.
“If anyone can, he can,” Link said.
“Let’s go,” Sal said, rising slowly to his feet.
“We’ll need to take her. He’ll be more likely to do it if she asks,” Link said.
“What are they talking about?”
Marion
said in a stage whisper.
“I have no idea,” Liza returned.
Link turned to look at her. “We’re taking you to see your brother.”
“Bryce? What does he have to do with this?” she said before quickly shaking her head. “No, you leave my brother out of this mess. I don’t want him getting into trouble.”
Sal and Link laughed, but not in a pleasant way. “He’s already in trouble,” Sal said.
Seeing her dismay, Link cleared his throat and tried a gentler approach. “Liza, you know when I first started on this case I did some checking on your family. The reason your brother never comes to visit you isn’t because he doesn’t want to; it’s because he can’t. He’s on house arrest with an ankle monitor.”
She stumbled back a couple of steps before bumping into the wall. “What?” she gasped.
“I’m sorry you have to find out like this, but your brother is a hacker. He hacked into the treasury department’s system and caused chaos. It took them a couple of years to catch him, but when they did, they gave him an option: a massive prison term or house arrest and working for the government. He chose the latter.”
She shook her head, pressing her palms over her ears. “No. That’s not true. Bryce is a good person.”
“That may be so,” Link said gently. “But he still got in a whole lot of trouble. Now we need his help, and we need you to convince him to help us.”
She swallowed convulsively a few times while she tried to process the new information.
“Just pick her up and carry her,” Sal said.
Dirk stepped between them, clenching his hands once again. “You’re not touching her, and Liza’s not going anywhere she doesn’t want to go.”
“I’ll go,” Liza said after a few seconds of tense silence.
Dirk turned to face her. “Are you sure?”
She nodded.
“Then I’m going with you,” he said.
“She’ll be with two federal agents,” Link said. “She’ll be perfectly safe.”
Dirk whirled on him and took a step forward. “One of those agents put her life at risk by leaving messages in her pajamas, and the other put her at risk by using her as bait tonight. Pardon me if I don’t trust either of you with her.”
“Fine,” Link relented, throwing up his hands in surrender.
“I’m coming, too,”
Marion
announced.
“Oh, geez,” Link said.
“Why?” Sal asked.
“Because I’m pretty good at research, if I do say so myself. What Bryce can’t find, I might be able to.”
“And she’s not going alone,” Puck piped up. “I don’t trust you two, either.” He and Dirk nodded approvingly at each other.
“Let’s just get out of here before we become more of a freak show and attract more attention to ourselves,” Sal said.
Together, the six of them walked to Sal’s SUV and piled in.
Chapter 21
Bryce lived over an hour away. The drive was tense, though not silent. Sal and
Marion
kept up lively chatter for the entire trip. They sat in the front seat while Sal drove. Puck was on
Marion
’s other side, staring out the passenger window.
In the back seat, Liza was wedged between Link and Dirk. She wanted to talk to Dirk, but couldn’t with Link sitting so close and listening in. Instead she remained silent the entire ninety minute trip, holding herself stiffly upright so she wouldn’t have to touch either of them. By the time she arrived, she was sore and exhausted from sitting so rigidly.
They finally arrived at Bryce’s small house, and more awkwardness ensued as Dirk and Link opened their doors and turned, waiting to help Liza out.
Marion
, bless her, came to Liza’s rescue by lightly shoving Link aside.
“Hop down right here,” she said to Liza. “The grass makes a soft landing.”
“I love you,” Liza mouthed.
Marion
blew her a kiss as she waited for her to hop down, then they walked to Bryce’s front door together, arm in arm.
Liza was glad for the support; she felt unaccountably nervous, although she didn’t know why. This was her brother, after all. Her lying, felon of a brother.
Mom and Dad will be so proud,
she thought. Oddly, she wasn’t angry at him. Maybe it was because her emotions were too erratic and overworked right now. Yes, that was definitely it. There would be time for anger later, and then she would let him have it, not only for his criminal behavior but also for the sin of omission. How could he not tell her he had been arrested, tried, and convicted? She shook her head. Talk about an emotionally-shunted, dysfunctional family.
Everyone stood back and waited for her to knock on the door. She did, tentatively, and then stood trembling on the step,
Marion
’s bracing arm around her shoulders. Bryce answered, looking for all the world like a teenager instead of the thirty-year-old he was.
“Sis,” he exclaimed. His shock was palpable, and he seemed to have eyes only for her at first. Then he took in the small group on his porch and turned questioning eyes back to Liza. “What’s this about?”
“We need your help,” Liza said softly, trying hard to keep her bubbling emotion under wraps. Bryce would no doubt freak out and retreat if she burst into tears on his doorstep.
“Now’s not a good time,” he said, trying to be sneaky about hiding one leg behind the door. Unfortunately it was the leg opposite the door, so he was contorted in an obviously awkward position.
Liza sighed. “Bryce, I know everything. Stop lying and help us.” She brushed him aside by roughly pushing open the door before stepping inside. “Where is your computer?”
The question was unnecessary because as soon as she entered the room, she saw it. In fact, it was the only thing in the room besides a chair and a desk. She turned to him, hands on hips. “Where is your furniture?”
“I had to sell it to pay legal bills,” he said, shifting uncomfortably. The action caught her eye and drew it to his ankle where the black electronic monitor stuck out on his pale leg.
Sensing that Liza was about to lose it,
Marion
took charge. “Here’s the deal, jailbait. These men are federal agents.” She waved in the direction of Sal and Link. “They need you to uncover someone’s tracks for them. Should be simple, unless all the talk has been hype. Maybe you’re not as good as you claim to be.” She stood back, staring at him with crossed arms.
“I’m better, Marion the librarian,” he said. He reached out and fluffed the ends of her hair before she batted his hand away. “What are you all dressed up for? A ‘Hoarders Anonymous’ meeting?”
“I’m not a hoarder,”
Marion
said defensively. “But even if I were, my house would still be more inviting than this place.” She gave a derisive look around the room. “It’s so empty in here, I can hear an echo.”
“That’s coming from the cavern in your head,” Bryce replied.
“Shut up,” Sal said, startling them both. “What are you two, twelve?”
“Yes,” they replied together before Bryce led the way to his computer, or computers. There were five of them, plus a whole lot of other equipment Liza couldn’t put a name to.
“All right, what do you need?” Bryce asked. He sat behind the computer, appearing more comfortable than he had since they arrived.
“This,” Sal said. He withdrew a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and set it before Bryce. “I need to find out who this person really is, along with an address.”
Bryce took the paper without comment and began clacking on his computer. Liza turned away from the sight of her big brother, seamlessly hacking his way into who knew how many computer systems. She knew he was into computers, but this…
“I’ll be back,” she said, though she didn’t think anyone heard. They were all watching Bryce as he simultaneously typed on two computers, bringing up branches of technical jargon that were too complex for any of them to understand. She slipped down the hall and to the bathroom, inspecting each room as she went. They were all bare except one. In it was a mattress on the floor. By the time she reached the bathroom, she was ready for a meltdown. Not only was Bryce a criminal, but he was a poor one. He had apparently been living like a hobo for who knew how long. Did he have food? Could he afford to eat and heat his house? Could he even afford the house? What if it was taken away? What then? Would he have to go to jail?
She wanted to splash cold water on her face, but she was vain enough not to want to mar her perfect makeup job. Instead she retrieved a washcloth from the cupboard—thank goodness he still had plenty of washcloths and towels—wet it with cool water, and pressed it to her forehead. For a few seconds, she debated the merits of throwing up again. Her stomach was calling for release, but Liza rebelled at the idea, not only because she hadn’t eaten anything all day, but also because she didn’t want to smell like vomit, which she undoubtedly would if she gave into temptation and threw up.
When she finally returned to the living room, she found Dirk watching her with a wary, worried expression. But when their eyes met, he quickly smoothed it away before turning his eyes off her. Liza sidled up to him, hoping for a quiet word. What she would say, she didn’t know. But she needed to say something.
“Here we go,” Bryce said.
Everyone strained and leaned forward. “You found it?” Link asked.
“Almost,” Bryce said. “Less than a minute away and I’ll…” He stopped talking as the barrel of a gun was pressed firmly against the base of his skull.
Everyone stared at Puck in surprise, everyone except Bryce who couldn’t turn his head.
“Was this part of the plan?” Bryce asked, confused.
“No, this definitely wasn’t part of the plan,” Link said. “Puck, what’s this about?”
Puck swallowed hard, but his hand didn’t tremble on the gun. “You don’t have to look any farther. I’m the one. I killed the guy, and I want the money for it.”
“You killed someone?”
Marion
said. The expression on her face was heartbreaking. Liza would have reached out to comfort her if she wasn’t paralyzed with fear.
“I did it for you,” Puck said, his tone pleading.
“What?”
Marion
gasped.
“For us,” Puck clarified. “I heard what you said about me, about how you’re not sure if you want kids with me because you don’t want to have to buy school lunchboxes for both of us.”
“Puck, I was kidding,”
Marion
said.
Puck shook his head. “No, I know how you feel about me, what you think, that I’m a failure who will never amount to anything. Even if I ever get a job, how will I pay off my school loans? That’s no kind of life for you, Marion.”
“So your solution was to kill someone?” she asked, incredulous.
“Link said it was lucrative. He said it could pay fifty thousand a pop. And Dirk made me realize I need a life plan. I need a goal.”
“And you thought murder was a good goal,”
Marion
said. “I don’t believe this. What is wrong with you? And what’s wrong with me? Why are all the men I date mental?”
“I’m not mental,” Puck shouted. He sniffed hard and Liza wondered if he was about to cry. “It was a good idea. I wanted to get someone’s attention and show them I could carry out a job, and I did. What’s the big deal? He does it all the time.” He gestured to Sal.
“The difference is that I’m sanctioned by the government first. You’re just a hitman,” Sal said.
“That’s not true,” Puck said. “I checked out the guy I killed. He was a bad guy. I did the right thing by taking him out, and I want my money.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Sal said. His tone was placating. “But if you put down the gun, we can talk about it.”
“I’m not an idiot,” Puck said. “This isn’t going to end well for me unless I get out of here. And I’m not leaving empty handed.”
“What do you want?” Link asked. Liza wondered if anyone else noticed the sly look he and Sal exchanged. If she had to guess, they were hatching a plan to take Puck down.
“I want the money for the hit, and he can do it.” He pressed the gun farther into Bryce’s neck. “Put fifty thousand dollars in an untraceable account for me, and I’ll let you live.”
“I can’t…” Bryce began.
“Don’t say you can’t,” Puck interrupted. “I know all about you. I’m what you’d call a fan, although I had no idea until today you were Liza’s brother. I know exactly what you can do, and I want you to do it now or after I kill you, I’ll kill your sister.”
Even though she and Puck had been quasi-friends, Liza had no doubt that he meant what he said. Still, something felt wrong about giving in to him.
“I can’t believe this,”
Marion
huffed.
“You can come with me, Mar,” Puck said. “Fifty thousand isn’t a lot, but it’s enough to get started until I get some more jobs.”
Marion
’s jaw dropped. “You just threatened to kill my best friend, and you think I’m going to ride off into the sunset with you?
Moron
.”
Link cleared his throat, most likely to try and tell
Marion
to put a sock in it.
Behind Liza, Dirk edged protectively closer until he was almost shading her with his body. For some reason, she wanted to see what was in his eyes at that moment. Not thinking about what she was doing, she turned to step toward him, and everything happened at once.
There was a blur of movement, the sound of a shot, and then Liza was on the ground, Dirk firmly on top of her. For a moment, the world seemed to stop as they looked into each other’s eyes.
“Are you okay?” he asked, breaking the spell that had made it seem like they were alone in the room.
“I’m fine,” she said, breathless because the weight of his body was squeezing the air from her. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he replied, giving her a half smile.
Then reality came fully rushing back, and Liza struggled to get from beneath him. “Bryce,” she shouted. The last mental image she had was of the gun pressed to Bryce’s skull. What if…
But it wasn’t Bryce who was lying on the floor in a pool of blood, it was
Marion
. Bryce was bent over her, his hand pressed to her abdomen, trying to staunch the wound. “Don’t go,
Marion
,” he said over and over as
Marion
seemed to be fading away.
Liza jumped up and knelt across from him, trying to assess the damage and see what she could do.
Beside her, Sal and Link struggled with Puck who had gone wild at the realization that his bullet had struck
Marion
. Dirk joined the fray and subdued Puck with a bone-cracking uppercut. Puck slumped unconscious to the floor while Sal called for an ambulance. Link roughly shoved Liza out of the way and began to work on
Marion
. Liza took comfort in the fact that he looked like he knew what he was doing.
Dirk sank to the floor beside Liza and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close while she pressed her face to his chest and prayed. The sight of an unconscious, bleeding
Marion
was too much for her, and she couldn’t look at it anymore. She remained hidden in the folds of Dirk’s shirt while the ambulance arrived and loaded
Marion
.
“Let’s go to the hospital now,” Dirk said. He held on to her arms, levering her into a standing position while she leaned heavily on him and allowed him to lead her to the car.
They drove in silence to the hospital, not caring that they had left Link and Sal at the house to clean up the mess, nor that Bryce had been motionless and in shock, still kneeling at the sight where Marion had lain.
“What if she…” Liza had started once, but Dirk cut her off.
“She won’t.”
Something in his voice reassured her, or maybe it was her own desperate hope that
Marion
would be okay.