Brute Justice (Justice Series) (12 page)

Chapter Twenty-three

Once they got back to the house, Clint went straight to his laptop to check the signal from Sara’s car.

I should have done this earlier. Could have in the car, but I forgot all about it. Damn women, sucking the focus out of your brain!

He smiled.

“There’s the proof,” Clint announced as the others settled into seats, joining him in the living room. “
Mission
accomplished. Great job, gals!”

“Great job. Right.” Lexi huffed. “Isn’t there any way you can hack into the surveillance system and erase the few seconds of footage that reveals us?”

“I’m not that good.”

“It’s okay Lex,” Sam said. “We’ll be able to tell from the patterns – both Crain’s and now Sara’s – if he knows something is up. Right now he’s headed back to his place. I would think if he were suspicious of Sara or the activity at her place, he’d make a beeline there.”

“Agreed,” Leesha said. “We saw how fast he got to
Arizona
when he knew we were there with Charlie.”

“I just don’t want anything to happen to her because of me,” Lexi sighed. “You know what he’s capable of! We had to grab Charlie’s family from the kidnappers he sent, and then he killed the kidnappers…” She shuddered.

Leesha patted Lexi’s knee. “We’ll keep an eye on the situation. If nothing has happened by the weekend, we’ll go and confront her. We need some answers.”

“What if she hasn’t got any?”

“We’ll figure out what to do next,” Clint said, trying to give her a reassuring smile.

Just then the front door opened and Marcy Dixon walked in with her arms full of groceries. “Oh, hi kids!”

“Hi Mom,” Lexi stood up and went to help her mom unpack the bags.

“Thanks honey,” she said, and turned towards the family room. “Clint, your dad called me today.”

“He did? Why?”

“He told me he’ll be out of town for a while, starting this weekend. He asked if we would keep an eye out for you while he’s gone.”

“Uh… Thanks, Mrs. D, but you don’t have to feel obligated. I can take care of myself.”

“Nonsense, Clint. I told him you’ll be staying here with us until he returns.
”

“That’s not –”

“It’s not negotiable, Clint.” She waved him off. The matter was closed. “I won’t have you staying alone.”

Lexi smiled for the first time since they had gotten home.

Well,
alrighty
then.

“Dad, you didn’t have to call Mrs. Dixon today.” Clint set his backpack in the corner and plopped down in the recliner. The football game was on, but the volume was low so Hank could review revisions to a training manual sitting on his lap.

“Huh?” He looked up at his son.

“You know I’m fine to stay here alone.”

“What are you talking about? I only asked her to check in on you every now and again.”

“Well, apparently that’s not good enough for her. It looks like I’ll be staying there while you’re gone.”

“Oh. Sorry pal. I didn’t mean to stick my nose-” he stopped mid-sentence. “Why are you smiling like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like some goofy kid who just got a new prize. I figured you’d be mad I even called. I know how you like to feel independent.”

“
Naw
, Dad. It’s fine.”

“Wait… Come back here! What are you grinning about?”

“Nothing, Dad.” Clint shook his head and turned toward his bedroom, knowing he needed to study for his final tomorrow.

I’d much rather be watching the game.

He reached down to plug his laptop in to charge the battery. Unpacking his books, he sat down at his desk and looked around for his scientific calculator.

Where did I put that? Oh. There it is. Wait… What is this?

Clint stretched across his desktop to grab his calculator. Gingerly, he brought it closer to his narrowed eyes.

Is that a… hair?

His long fingers reached down and pulled a strand of red, shiny fiber lying between the seven and eight key. He twirled it between his thumb and index finger.

Sure looks like hair. It’s not mine. Do I know any redheads?

His mind wandered through his chemistry class, then his geometry class, but he could think of no one whose head this could belong to. He flipped the calculator over.

Did I loan this to anyone?

He shrugged it off, rationalizing that it must have dropped from someone at school, but couldn’t completely shake the uneasy feeling in his gut. He shook his head and opened his textbook.

Two hours later, bleary-eyed, he slammed his book shut and called it a night. His steno was full of notes on organic chemistry, but his mind still hadn’t cleared from the uneasy feeling he had gotten when he sat down. He glanced down at the calculator and the hair he had carefully placed on a light yellow sticky note and picked up his cell. He texted Sam.

Hey. What color is Crain’s hair?

It didn’t take longer than about twenty seconds and his phone beeped.

Salt and pepper. Dark brown with gray. Why?

Clint shook his head again, trying to forget what felt like a chill of suspicion. He stared at his phone’s screen. Quickly he keyed in his response.

Nothing. No worries.

What the hell am I sitting here stewing about?

In frustration more than anything else, he grabbed the sticky note, crumpled it and threw it into the trash can.

“Everything okay, Bud?”

He jumped at his dad’s voice. “Yeah, sure Dad. You off to bed?”

“Yep. Early morning tomorrow.”

“Chiefs win?”

“Sure did, pal. You missed a good one!”

“I’d rather have been watching the game than up here studying,” Clint shrugged.

“I know. But I’m glad to see you buckling down, working on your grades. College is just over a year away, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah. So you tell me. Night, Dad.”

“Night, Clint. Love you. Don’t stay up too late.”

“I won’t. Love you, too.”

As he heard his dad shut the bathroom door, Clint leaned back in his chair, trying to clear his head. He heard an engine start in the street and glanced out the window to see the tail lights of a truck pulling away from the duplex down the street.

Just then his phone beeped. It was a text from Lexi. The attachment was the picture of Crain’s face she captured at his office. She also had a note.

Looking forward to seeing you Friday.

He smiled and forgot his worries.

Chapter Twenty-four

After Lexi’s text, the rest of the week was excruciatingly long. Finals went as well as Clint could hope, and after long last, the holiday break began.

Knowing he could always run back to his house, Clint didn’t over-pack for his stay at the Dixons. He parked the Bronco in the street and grabbed his one duffel bag from the passenger seat and headed up the front sidewalk. The curtains next to the door parted and he saw her long hair and left eye peek through the window.

Just what I’ve been waiting for.

And with that, the door cracked and Sam’s stern face popped right out the opening.

Great. Not exactly what I was hoping for.

“Well, deal with it. And watch your step, cause you know I’ll be watching yours,” Sam glared at him.

“Shut it, Sam.” Lexi shoved her brother out of the way and opened the door fully for Clint. “Here, let me get your bag.”

“I got it, Lex. Thanks.” He smiled at her, masking his internal thoughts from Sam’s intrusive mind.

“You’re going to be downstairs,” Lexi started for the stairs. “Mom’s got the bed set up and you’ll have your own bathroom.”

It’s like staying at my own hotel. With home cooking. And eye candy.

Sam’s fist caught him between the shoulder blades.

Yep. Gotta watch that…

Sam’s grunt followed him down the stairs.

Clint looked around the family room. It was an eclectic variety of furnishings fit for a bonus basement room. An air hockey table, one that could be transitioned into a variety of different games, sat in one corner. The couch was unfolded and completely decked in holiday flannel sheets and extra pillows.

Wow. Mrs. D really does it up right for guests.

“Leesha and Jade will be here shortly,” Lexi said, sitting down on the corner of the hide-a-bed.

“Jade?”
Why is Jade coming over?

Sam nodded in agreement to Clint’s question. “I know. But we may need her this weekend if we want to pick Sara’s brain.”

“How do you figure?”

“Have you been watching the traffic?”

“Yeah. I’ve really seen nothing out of the ordinary. He’s not been near Sara.”

“Exactly,” Sam agreed. “You don’t think it’s strange they didn’t spend any time together?”

“Um… No. Why?”

“Clint!” Lexi looked at him, shocked. “He shopped for houses! And offices.”

“Oh, right. I forgot. So?”

“So… It means she’s not shopping for a new home with him.” Lexi crossed her arms, almost as if she were the one slighted.

“So she’s not moving,” Clint shrugged. “It’ll make it easier to keep track of her, won’t it?”

“Yes, blockhead. It’ll make it easier to keep track of her,” Sam said. “It also means she’s probably not aware that Crain’s trying to move. To disappear. To camouflage.”

“Meaning… She doesn’t know him as Crain!”

Sam smirked. “Good job, Sherlock.”

What a jerk.

Lexi picked up the trail. “So if she doesn’t know Crain… Or if we want to know for sure, we need Jade to persuade her mind to tell us the truth.”

“What are you thinking?”

“We send her with the delivery,” Sam answered.

“That’s not safe! She can’t defend herself!”

Lexi huffed at Clint’s first reaction.

Okay. Back pedal, quick.

“I just mean,” Clint stammered as Sam grinned, “she’s got no physical power of protection. What if Crain were there?”

“Well, Leesha can handle it,” Lexi shot back. “She can handle anything at a distance!”

Low blow.

Just then he felt the blast in his forehead, forcing his gaze toward Lexi. Sam’s head snapped up and over too.

Lexi smiled. “I’m
ba-a-a-ack
!” She giggled.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, Clint. I’m fine. It’s really not painful anymore. Just the dullest of roars at this point.”

I can’t wait until I can be done with the burn.

He continued to watch her protectively, not completely believing her. “Can I get you anything?”

Her face softened. “No, but thank you. Really. I’m fine.”

“Okay…”

“The best thing is,” she turned to Sam, “I can help protect Jade tomorrow!”

“Good thinking, Lex. That is, if she’s willing to help us.”

“Help with what?” Jade asked. She and Leesha had just walked in together.

“Help us question Sara Milligan.”

“The girlfriend?”

“Yes. Well, we think so.”

“How can I help? I’m ready!”

“Well, I need to tap into her brain,” Sam started. “You know, hear her inner thoughts. It’ll be easier for me to do it from a distance, if I don’t have to worry about having a conversation and picking her brain at the same time.”

“Okay,” Jade leaned on the door. “What do you need me to do?”

Sam stood up and walked across the room, sat back down on a long wooden bench. “All we need you to do is pretend to deliver a package at Sara’s house for Dr. Donald Crain. Use your powers on her, persuade her to tell you the truth about whether or not she knows a Dr. Crain.”

“I can do that,” she said, sitting down in the rocking chair Sam had just vacated.

“Are you sure?” Leesha asked. “If you’re not up to this, we would totally understand.”

“Sure. No problem! It’s just a delivery, right?”

“Well yes, plus we’d need your powers. Have you been practicing?”

“Yep!” Jade grinned smugly.

“Do you know for sure? Can you control it?”

“Yep.”

“Have you practiced non-verbal persuasion?” Leesha was not completely convinced.

“I have, and I’ve already shown you.”

“How?”

“I wanted this chair.”

Silence took the room as the kids digested this. Slowly, smiles spread across the faces as Leesha, Lexi and Clint understood what she had done.

Well, damn. Nicely done, Princess.

Sam, however, did not look amused. His expression was a mix of scowl and horror as he realized he was her guinea pig and side show exhibit. He looked down at the hard bench he was perched on. “Hey!”

“Sorry Sam, but it made more sense to prove it before anyone asked.”

“What else have you got?” Leesha’s attention was piqued. She was always interested in progress.

Jade handed her some pages of handwritten notes. “I wrote a diary of everything I worked on over the week.”

“Great! Thanks.”

“So what’s the plan for tomorrow, then? What time do we head over? And do you think it’s safe?” Jade’s excitement was bubbling as she spouted out questions.

“Let’s meet here at eleven,” Lexi said. “According to her work schedule I found, she’s not due in until two. And Jade, my powers are back, so I’ll go up with you, keep you safe. If anything goes weird, I’ll be there.”

“We all will be,” Leesha agreed.

“Do you want me to drive?”

“Go ahead and bring your truck, Jade,” Sam answered, “but I’m not sure it doesn’t make sense for us to split up, drive two cars. We can stake out from a couple of different vantage points.”

“That way if we need a quick getaway car, we’ve got options,” Clint agreed.

“Exactly!”

“So now that the details are settled, what do you guys want to do tonight?” Lexi’s green eyes sparkled. “Let’s go out and have some fun!”

“Fun?”

“Oh Sam, you’re such a stick in the mud!” She looked at her brother’s confused expression. “We work way too much. Let’s take the night off. We need a break!”

Leesha smiled. “I hear
ya
! What do you want to do, a movie?”

Oooh
. Dark room. Close seats.

Sam glared at Clint. “I’m all for taking a break, but let’s do something a little more lively. I hear Crabtree’s is having teen night tonight. Five bucks entry covers everything.”

Crabtree’s was a local entertainment and sports complex. It had everything from laser tag and paintball arenas to a dance club and karaoke lounge to indoor miniature golf and go-cart tracks. It was a playground for big kids, adults included.

“Sounds great! Can I invite Bruce?” Jade asked.

Bruce?

“Who’s Bruce?” Lexi got the question out first.

“My boyfriend.”

“You have a boyfriend?” Sam looked confused.

Why are we just now hearing of this?

“Well, yes. Of course I have a boyfriend. Did you not meet him at my party?”

“Uh, no,” Sam said, glancing sideways at Clint to catch his eyes.

Ask her.

Sam nodded. “How much of this,” he gestured around the room, “have you told… Bruce?”

“You mean about our abilities?”

“Yes, Jade. About our abilities.”

“Nothing.”

Everyone in the room visibly relaxed.

“That’s good, Jade,” Leesha said. “We’re not ready to go public with this yet.”

“Yeah, I figured that out already. I’m not an idiot, you know. Plus… I don’t want him to think I’m a freak.”

“We don’t think you’re an idiot,” Lexi interjected. “We’ve just tried to keep this as quiet as possible for the safety of everyone we care about. And you’re not a freak, Jade.”

“Well, no more than we are!” Sam smiled.

“No Sam – you are a freak!” Lexi butted in, smiling. “But for completely different reasons.”

Jade laughed. “So, are you guys okay if I bring him?”

“Sure! It’s fine,” Lexi said. “Do you just want to meet us there?”

“Yeah, that sounds best. Like seven?”

“Seven’s perfect,” Lexi answered as Jade excused herself to call Bruce and head home to get ready.