Faces of Evil [4] Rage (38 page)

“The electrician will be here in the morning.” His lips shifted into a smile, banishing the hard-to-read expression he’d been wearing. “I apologize for the inconvenience.”

“No trouble.” Truth was she felt like a nosy Nellie. This man had kindly offered his garage apartment when she had no other place to go—besides her sister’s and that was just not doable for a whole cast of reasons—and here she was treating her gracious landlord as if he were a suspect. Dan’s paranoia about her renting from a stranger was evidently rubbing off on her. No, that wasn’t fair. She couldn’t really blame it on Dan. She’d always overanalyzed people and situations. She walked straight up to her landlord and held out the ring. “I found this on the floor.”

He accepted the band, turned it over in the light. “Oh, thank you. I’d wondered where it had gotten off to.”

She wasn’t about to ask the questions pinging at her and have him recognizing that she really was nosy in addition to a pain in the butt with her comings and goings at all hours of the night and day. A certain level of nosiness came naturally after twenty years in the business of criminal investigation but he might not understand or appreciate that undeniable and sometimes bothersome fact.

Before she could apologize again for the trouble he said, “You have company.”

Her cheeks flushed. Surely Dan hadn’t come back. He’d taken her to dinner earlier this evening and they’d discussed the ongoing investigation into the bomb that had been planted in the police vehicle she’d used last week. Knowing him he’d returned with one more reason she should be wearing full body armor at all times and that she should never be spotted in public without at least two armed bodyguards.

The man took
overprotective
to a whole new level.

Not to mention, it was Monday and they were having enough difficulty already leaving their personal relationship with the weekend. That was the deal they had made when she had accepted this position. During the workweek he was the chief of police and she was one of his deputies. No exceptions.

She’d been back a month and that rule had gotten broken with tonight’s dinner and dessert which had included getting naked afterward and it was
Monday
, for Christ’s sake.

God, she had to get this mess that was her personal life in some sort of order.

Starting right now, she promised herself silently. If Dan was at her door to check on her yet again, she was going to give him hell. Until there was reason to believe otherwise, she felt confident the threats aimed at her last week had been buried along with the cop they’d discovered had been involved with the murder of his partner’s wife.

One way or another she was going to get the message through to Dan that she could take care of herself.

“Sorry again,” she said to Louis. “I’m sure you weren’t expecting all this middle of the night activity when you offered to rent the apartment to me.”

“Your presence keeps life interesting, Chief Harris.” With that he stepped aside for her to exit the garage.

“You should call me Jess,” she suggested. It was silly for them to be so formal considering she was living on his property.

He ducked his head in one of those shy nods she’d come to associate with the older gentleman. “Of course, and you should call me George.”

“Well, George, thank you and good night.” Jess gave him a nod as she walked past him.

“Good night, Jess,” he called after her.

She almost paused and turned around at the way he said her name. Familiar almost, like they’d known each other for a long time. Instead she left the garage and checked the driveway. He was right about her having company, but thank God it wasn’t Dan.

A white sedan she didn’t recognize sat in the drive behind her Audi. The slightest inkling of trepidation trickled through her veins as she rounded the rear corner of the garage and peered up at the top of the stairs leading to her apartment. The light outside her door illuminated a woman who knocked firmly, most likely not for the first time. She wore khaki slacks and a matching blouse. Her gray hair was tucked into a neat bun. Her bearing looked vaguely familiar. As Jess watched, the woman reached up and knocked again.

“Hello,” Jess called as she started up the stairs.

Her visitor turned toward the sound of her voice, and recognition jarred Jess.

“Ms. Frances?” Of all people…“Is that really you?”

Frances Wallace had been Jess’s ninth-grade English teacher. She was unquestionably the only reason Jess hadn’t quit school the day she turned sixteen. What in the world was she doing here? Jess hadn’t seen her in ages. She hated to admit it but she hadn’t even been sure the woman was still alive.

Yet, here she was.

“The one and only,” Frances confessed. “I’ve been following the news about you since you returned to Birmingham,” Frances announced as Jess climbed the final step. She looked Jess up and down, then gave a nod of approval despite her unkempt appearance. “You always did do things with panache, young lady.”

It had also been ages since anyone had called Jess a young lady. She liked the sound of that. “I had an excellent teacher.”

Frances Wallace was a genuine character. No one got anything over on her and she did everything—including her teaching—exactly the way she wanted, the rules be damned. Everyone loved her—even the ones who didn’t want to, when she ignored their edicts.

For one long moment Jess got so caught up in the memories she lost all sense of decorum. “Come in, Ms. Frances. Please.”

She opened the door and ushered her former teacher inside. “Have a seat.” She gestured to the new-old sofa she’d discovered at a thrift store on Saturday. “Would you like coffee?” She should have had wine to offer, but she and Dan had finished it off before getting naked. A flush of embarrassment went through her at the idea of even thinking about that in front of Ms. Frances.

Her former teacher took a moment to survey the apartment. Jess felt that same flush rise in her cheeks as her gaze lit on the tousled sheets of the bed.

“I’m still getting organized—”

Frances turned to Jess then, and the unabashed fear on her face stole the rest of what Jess was about to say.

Without a word of explanation Frances drew her into a fierce hug. “I need your help, Jess,” she whispered with the same ferocity as her embrace. “I think I’m about to be charged with murder.”

Also by Debra Webb

The Faces of Evil Series

Power

Impulse

Obsession

Praise for the Novels of Debra Webb

“
Impulse
solidly establishes the Faces of Evil as the ‘must read’ thriller series of the year! The characters you loved in
Obsession
are back in a chilling story that could only come from the inventive mind of Debra Webb.”

—Peggy Webb, author of
The Tender Mercy of Roses
(as Anna Michaels)

“Compelling main characters and chilling villains elevate Debra Webb’s Faces of Evil series into the realm of high-intensity thrillers that readers won’t be able to resist.”

—CJ Lyons,
New York Times
bestselling author

“Just when you think Debra Webb can’t get any better, she does.
Obsession
is her best work yet. This gritty, edge-of-your-seat, white-knuckle thriller is peopled with tough, credible characters and a brilliant plot that will keep you guessing until the very end. Move over Jack Reacher—Jess Harris is comin’ to town.”

—Cindy Gerard,
New York Times
bestselling author

“Debra Webb has done it again with
Obsession
—which may well be her best book yet—a top-notch thriller that will keep you riveted to the page and wanting more. Webb is a writer’s writer, who delivers the kinds of books we all wish we had written.”

—Robert Browne, author of
Trial Junkies

“
Obsession
is certain to please Debra Webb’s existing fans and gain her a legion of new ones. An engaging, edgy thriller that’s a one-sit read—with the lights on!”

—Vicki Hinze, author of
Beyond the Misty Shore

“Breathtaking romantic suspense that grabs the reader from the beginning and doesn’t let up. Riveting.”

—Allison Brennan,
New York Times
bestselling author

“Webb keeps the suspense teasingly taut, dropping clues and red herrings one after another on her way to a chilling conclusion.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Bestselling author Debra Webb intrigues and tantalizes her readers from the first word.”

—SingleTitles.com

“Masterful edge-of-your seat suspense.”

—ARomanceReview.com

“Romantic suspense at its best!”

—Erica Spindler,
New York Times
bestselling author

“Fast-paced, action-packed suspense, the way romantic suspense is supposed to be. Webb crafts a tight plot, a kick-butt heroine, a sexy hero with a past and a mystery as dark as the black water at night.”

—
RT Book Reviews

THE DISH

Where Authors Give You the Inside Scoop

From the desk of Debra Webb

Dear Reader,

It’s very exciting to be back again this month with RAGE, the fourth installment of the Faces of Evil series.

Writing a series can be a challenge. There are many threads related to the plots and the characters that have to be kept in line and moving forward (sometimes the characters like to go off on paths of their own!). Former Special Agent Jess Harris and Birmingham Chief of Police Dan Burnett have their hands full as usual. Murder hits close to home in this story and takes us to the next level of evil: rage. We’ve explored obsession, impulse, and power already and there are many more to come. The face of evil is rarely easy to spot. But Jess and Dan won’t rest until they solve the case and ensure the folks of Birmingham are safe.

While I was writing this story, a new character joined the cast. I wasn’t expecting a new character to appear on the page and demand some special attention, but Dr. Sylvia Baron, Jefferson County associate coroner, has a mind of her own. She stepped onto the page in her designer stilettos and her elegant business attire and told me exactly what she wanted to do. From hello Jess and Sylvia butt heads. The two keep Dan on his toes!

I hope you’ll stop by
www.thefacesofevil.com
and visit with me. There’s a weekly briefing each Friday where I talk about what’s going on in my world and with the characters as I write the next story. You can sign up as a person of interest and you might just end up a suspect!

Enjoy the story and be sure to look for
Revenge
coming in July and
Ruthless
in August!

Happy reading!