Chapter 28
Jack overheard most of Kate and Dr. Kramer’s conversation. He pushed away from the stucco wall and headed across the neatly trimmed grounds for the pool area. If luck stayed with him—
“Hands up,” Sheldon said.
Jack raised both hands to the air. “Well, well. I thought for sure they would have put you behind bars for shooting an officer in Vegas.”
Sheldon guffawed. “You’re a simpleton. Just like Harrison said. Guys like you make my job easy. It’s the girl who almost screwed it all up for us. Good thing you two lovebirds won’t be settling down any time soon.”
“Why is that?” Jack asked. Not because he was interested to know the answer, but because he needed time to figure out how he was going to get out of this mess.
“Because she would be the one wearing the pants in the family.” Sheldon snorted. “And believe me, Jack, after a few years of that, you’d get tired of all the bitching. Guys like you make me wonder why God wasted his time giving you balls.”
Jack saw one of the Doberman Pinschers sniffing around the bushes on the other side of the gate surrounding the backyard. The dog hadn’t seen them...yet. Jack knew the dog could jump the fence, and he knew it wasn’t the same dog that had chased him the other day. This dog’s body was leaner and longer. Jack figured he had a fifty-fifty chance of getting the dog’s name right. Without giving Sheldon time to see what he was up to, Jack shouted, “Max! Attack!”
The dog looked their way.
Sheldon laughed. “Those dogs aren’t too much brighter than you. Let’s go.”
The Pinscher effortlessly jumped the fence and raced toward them. Jack remained still, determined to show no fear.
Still focused on Jack, Sheldon didn’t see the dog coming at him. Frustrated, Sheldon stepped forward, waving his gun, trying to get Jack moving. Before Sheldon could make his next move, Max, one hundred pounds of sinewy muscle, lunged five feet in the air, landing on a startled Sheldon. Razor sharp teeth sank into Sheldon’s shoulder, and as he fell to the ground, his gun went off.
As they moved along, Kate winced at the sound of a gunshot. Keeping a steady pace, Kate made her way across the marble foyer toward the other side of the house, high heels clacking against marble. Auntie followed close behind with a gun aimed at Kate. They entered a wide hallway, the walls on both sides covered with framed pictures. Her father’s bright smile and kind face caught her attention. Chills crept over her as she stopped to take a closer look.
Elizabeth told her to keep going, but Kate didn’t pay her any mind. The picture was taken in the orchard when she was seven-years old. Behind her father, her mother had picked Kate up and all three of them were looking at the camera, at the picture taker, at Auntie...their trusted friend.
Kate turned toward the woman. “How could you do this to us?”
“You haven’t walked in my shoes,” Elizabeth spat. “I never knew my mother. My father was only happy when he was surrounded by wealth. When he lost everything, I lost more than you could ever imagine.”
“So you decided to make everyone suffer for your loss? You were making a difference. People respected and admired you.”
Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed. “You grew up with two parents who doted on you, treated you like a princess. They put you above all else. Somebody had to look after me. After your father told me he knew I was siphoning funds and had no choice but to go to the police if I didn’t stop, I knew I had no choice but to take matters into my own hands. So that’s what I did.”
Elizabeth wagged the gun in Kate’s face. “Now go or I’ll have to shoot you right here in the hallway with your parents watching.”
Kate took a few steps, but then stopped and turned toward Elizabeth once more. Rage bubbled inside of her. She refused to cower to her father’s killer. She’d waited too long for this moment to back down now. If she was going to die, then she wanted to look her father’s killer in the eye.
Behind Elizabeth, a shadow moved in the front entry. It was Jack. He was alive. Thank God. Anxiety left Kate’s body and was instantly replaced with admiration. “Go ahead. Shoot me. Look me in the eye, Auntie, and shoot me.”
Jack crept up behind Elizabeth just as the front door came open. Bloodied and bruised, Ben Sheldon came through the door.
Jack used the distraction to shove Elizabeth out of the way, grab Kate’s hand, and pull her into the bedroom at the end of the hallway. A bullet hit the doorframe. Wood splintered.
Jack locked the door and lodged a chair under the knob while Kate opened the window. “It’s a big jump,” Jack said. “I’ll climb out first and catch you.” Jack jumped out the window.
Kate pulled off her heels, wrapped the bottom of the dress around her calves and began her backward climb out the window. As she white-knuckled the windowsill, she heard Elizabeth barking orders.
“Let go,” Jack said.
She dropped.
He caught her as promised, but they hit the ground hard and rolled a few feet down the grassy slope. Jack jumped to his feet, clasped her hand in his and dragged Kate along as he weaved through hedges and neatly pruned flowers. Kate’s dress snagged on a rose bush. She let go of Jack’s hand and ripped her dress free. Jack jumped to the top of the stone fence, turned back toward Kate, leaned low and reached out his arms for her.
Kate heard dogs approaching from behind. Shouts sounded from the front entrance to the house. She was never going to make it. She jumped. Jack latched onto her wrists and swung her to the top. They fell to the other side. Jack’s back hit pavement, making him grunt. Kate landed on top of him. He would have more than his fair share of bruises to show for the effort.
The dogs pushed their noses through the iron rails, snarling and growling. Jack got to his feet first and pulled Kate up with him. A dark Mercedes sped down the driveway and screeched to a halt in front of them.
Ben Sheldon, the man with a hundred lives and too many names, climbed out from behind the wheel. Gun aimed at Kate, he gestured for them to get inside the car.
Elizabeth Kramer emerged from the backseat and stood behind Ben. Kate wanted nothing more than to rip the fine linen suit off of Elizabeth’s back, but Jack held her back.
All this time, Kate thought, the wrong eyes had been haunting her dreams. Elizabeth might not have killed her father with her own hands, but she might as well have. Only Elizabeth had known that she and her father were sailing the Caribbean. If not for Elizabeth, her father would still be alive. Because of this woman, Kate had spent the last ten years of her life running from her own shadow, never knowing a night’s rest. Because of Elizabeth, her father was dead.
“Get in the car,” Ben told her.
Kate looked at Jack, surprised when he motioned for her to do as Ben said.
Together, she and Jack headed toward the car. When she glanced at Jack, he looked down at the hem of her floor length gown, and that’s when she knew what to do.
Ben Sheldon opened the back door. Kate pretended to trip over her dress, prompting Ben to instinctively reach out for her. Jack didn’t miss a beat. He lunged forward and grasped Sheldon’s arm. The gun clattered across pavement.
Kate picked up the gun and pointed it at Elizabeth who was running up the driveway toward the house.
“Don’t do it,” Jack ground out as he wrestled with Ben.
Kate pulled the trigger.
The shot echoed off the mountains.
Elizabeth turned around, hands in the air. “Don’t shoot.”
“I have to,” Kate said, determination lining her voice as she walked toward her father’s killer. “I’ve spent the last ten years of my life dreaming of this moment.”
“I loved your father like a brother,” Elizabeth said. “But he refused to listen. I couldn’t spend the rest of my life behind bars.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Kate raised her arms so that the barrel of the gun was aimed between Elizabeth’s eyes. “It only makes me want to make you suffer that much more.”
Sirens sounded in the distance.
Movement and a grunt caused Kate to look over her shoulder. Jack had used the car door to put Ben Sheldon out of commission. The man was out cold. Jack headed her way.
“Don’t try to stop me, Jack. I’ve waited my whole life for this moment.” She took another step toward Elizabeth and pulled the trigger. This time the bullet whizzed by her right side. Elizabeth sank to the ground in a quivering heap of gutless human waste.
“Kate,” Jack said again, his voice pleading.
“So this is what it takes to make Dr. Elizabeth Louise Kramer cower?” Kate asked. “Where are your big strong partners when you need them? I guess they have better things to do than come to your rescue. What does it feel like to have nobody? And to know that today you’re going to die?”
“Kate,” Jack said again. “Don’t forget that I love you. For the record, I’ve never told anyone I loved them before because I never felt this way about anyone before.”
“Shut up, Jack.”
“It seems strange to me that my life could change so quickly,” he went on. “One day everything’s hunky dory and in the next it’s all crap, one big heap of rubbish. But then you come into my life and everything starts smelling like roses again. Yeah,” he went on. “You’re hard as polished marble, tenacious, unyielding, compulsive, stubborn as hell, and above all else...fearless. You scare the hell out of me most days. You curse like a sailor. But I love you. I love everything about you.”
“Stop it, Jack.” Kate’s voice cracked. “I have to do this. I promised my father I would avenge his death. I’ve been through too much to let her live now.”
Dr. Kramer shivered in a heap of linen on the ground.
“I’ve never met a woman so emotionally contained and yet completely unpredictable,” Jack said, his voice strained. “Every time you walk into a room you take my breath away. Even now,” he said as his hand came to rest on her shoulder. “Nothing you do is going to make me stop loving you.”
A tear slid down Kate’s cheek. “She needs to die, Jack.”
“She killed your father because she didn’t want to spend her life behind bars,” he said. “Killing her would only put her out of her misery. Make her pay, Kate. Make her suffer as you have.”
The high-pitched sounds of police sirens drowned out everything around them. Jack reached for the gun, relieved when Kate gave up the weapon willingly, placing it gently in his palm.
State troopers and half a dozen unmarked cars filled the driveway. Jack set the gun on the ground at his feet. He and Kate kept their hands in the air until all weapons had been confiscated. The first police officer to approach Jack was a lieutenant from the Ventura Police Department. He shook Jack’s hand. “Sorry I didn’t get here sooner. After you brought me the computer and the disc, I had a tough time convincing the sheriff to call the director. Once the disc could be read, we were given orders by the Bureau to send over the troops. Thanks to you and your friends, Harrison is in custody for the murder of Dr. Harold Forstin.”
Elizabeth Kramer and Ben Sheldon were cuffed and led away.
“Dr. Elizabeth Kramer is also a suspect in the attempted murder of her assistant, Amy Long,” the lieutenant said.
Kate shook her head in disgust. “Is she going to be okay?”
He nodded. “She was able to speak for the first time late last night. They expect her to make a full recovery.”
“How about the Matthews family in Spring Valley?” Jack was eager to know. “Were you able to get any news on how they were doing?”
“Agent Hanson is expected to pull through. He’ll be spending a few days at the Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa. The kids and their mother are fine, too. Not sure where the father is at the moment, but I’ll keep you updated if you give me a call in a few days.”
“How many agents did Harrison take down with him?”
“So far, Conrad and Monahan are the only two men in the agency involved. Conrad was also linked to the recent stabbing of Amy Long. She’ll be a key witness when it comes to putting Conrad and Elizabeth Kramer behind bars.” He gestured toward Elizabeth. “No telling yet how many people outside of the agency are involved. Monahan and Harrison were both on the disc. As we speak, Harrison is being arrested on federal conspiracy charges, linking him to the killings of two men. He will also be charged with defrauding businesses and individuals by the millions by soliciting donations for AIDS. If convicted, Mr. Harrison could face life in prison.”
“What disc?” Kate asked. “Dr. Kramer didn’t destroy it?”
“I made copies,” Jack said.
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“Thanks, lieutenant,” Jack said, squeezing Kate’s hand. “I appreciate everything you’ve done.”
The lieutenant pointed to an unmarked car at the back of the line. “The director sent a driver to take you two to the Federal Office Building in San Diego where I’m sure you’ll spend the next few days filling out papers and answering questions.”
Jack nodded, then walked with Kate toward the unmarked car.
“You should have told me,” Kate said. “You never tell me anything.”
Jack smiled.
“Oh, and one more thing,” the lieutenant said.
Jack turned to him.
“I’m assuming that when you fill out all that paperwork, you’re going to leave out the part about calling me about a flat tire and a money clip?”
Jack smiled. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Chapter 29
Harrison wasn’t sure what to think when he exited the department store and saw Henry Gates and his team coming toward him like a flock of geese with wings spread and bodies rigid.
He looked to his left. Rick Harvey nodded to Henry. Until now, Harrison had failed to see through Rick Harvey’s subterfuge. Apparently, Harrison realized, he was losing his touch. So, this was it: the last stand. Harrison’s first thought was to pull out his gun and force Henry and his men to shoot him down. Death might be the easiest way; checking out and skipping weeks of questioning held a certain appeal. And yet, his hands remained relaxed at his sides, his gun secured in his holster.
He’d fucked up for good this time. His chances of winning Donna back had narrowed the moment he walked down the aisle with Sheila. He shook his head at the memory of finding Sheila playing out one of her sexual fantasies. He’d thought about putting a bullet through Sheila’s heart. The idea had flashed through his mind just as the idea of shooting himself took root in his subconscious. He always carried a gun. But Sheila wasn’t worth killing. He didn’t care about Sheila. She’d been nothing more than an ornament, like his Rolex.
Harrison exhaled as Henry Gates left his flock and approached him alone. “You’re under arrest, sir, for federal conspiracy charges linking you to the murder of Robert Conrad and Dr. Harold Forstin. I’m going to have to cuff you.”
“Was it the disc?”
“I don’t know about a disc, sir, but I do know that Dr. Elizabeth Kramer, also known as Lou, was eager to talk. She’ll have a few years taken off her sentence in return for full disclosure of all three of her CFAF partners’ actions in the past ten years.”
That couldn’t be. Harrison felt the blood drain from his face. Timid, quiet Elizabeth had been the one giving orders all along? The laughter didn’t just pop out of his mouth; it built up, starting at his toes and working its way to his chest, simmering for a bit and finally bubbling in his throat until he couldn’t hold back. He held his stomach with both hands as the hilarity of his situation erupted like a geyser. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes, and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed so hard. It felt good. Almost freeing. How ironic.
No, he’d never win Donna back now, likely never see his youngest daughter marry and have children, he thought, as his amusement tapered. But he was an FBI agent first, a family man second, and a criminal last, so he straightened, held his head high, raised his arms outward and waited to be cuffed.
Kate stretched her arms toward the ceiling and yawned. She heard the shower running, which surprised her since she hadn’t heard Jack climb out of bed. They had arrived at Jack’s Los Angeles home late last night, so she hadn’t had a chance to see his place yet. His bedroom furniture was masculine...and sparse. A dresser and a bed. What more could a guy like Jack need? The closet door had been left open. Perfectly ironed button-down shirts hung in a nice row above four pair of identical dark, shiny shoes.
Neat. Orderly. Predictable.
She smiled as she leaned over his side of the bed and opened the top drawer of the bedside table. There they were: a variety of condoms in neat little rows. She shut the drawer. A picture next to the lamp caught her eye: Jack and his parents and a little girl in front of a simple green house. Annie. She had to be thirteen or fourteen in the photo, which meant the picture must have been taken right before Annie was abducted. Annie looked happy.
“You’re awake,” Jack said from the bathroom door.
“She was beautiful,” Kate said.
He came into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. “Yeah, she was.”
“Do you think you’ll be able to convince your parents to reopen the case?”
“Once they realize how important it is to me, I’m sure they’ll come around.”
Kate turned on her side and propped her head on her hand. “It’s still hard for me to believe Elizabeth is behind bars and it’s all over. Four men, great men working on a good cause died because of her greed.”
“They died heroes. All of them.”
“True. As long as I live, though,” Kate said, “I’ll never understand what makes some people evil while others spend their lives trying to make a difference.”
“Selfishness is the root to all evil,” Jack said. “And the scary thing is that selfishness lies within each of us.”
“You don’t have a selfish bone in your body.”
“I wish that was true, but I’m selfish enough to ask you to marry me and spend the rest of your life with me.”
She pulled her gaze from his.
“I’ll become less predictable,” he promised. “I’ll start by throwing out every white button-down shirt I own.”
She laughed.
“I’ll grow my hair out and let you braid it for me.”
“Now you’re being ridiculous.”
“Maybe, but it’s the truth. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you at my side.”
“How about we take it one day at a time for now?”
“Okay,” he said. “One day at a time.”
Jack served as one of six men carrying the bronze and copper casket through a procession of mourners dressed in dark, formal clothing, and finally to the platform that would lower the casket to where Rebecca Josephine Smith would be laid to rest.
Kate sat a few rows behind the grassy spot where A.J. stood, his legs rigid, one arm in a sling, the other behind his back, head tilted forward. To A.J.’s right stood Becky’s mother. Becky’s brother was one of the pallbearers.
Today Jack thought not only of Becky, but also of A.J. He knew what it was like to grieve for someone close. To miss not only their presence, but their embrace, their voice, and most of all...what might have been. All of it gone in a flash. Jack also knew firsthand that when loss went unacknowledged, it had the potential to disable a person. He could only hope that A.J. would express his feelings and let out his emotions and sorrow, so he could begin to heal sooner rather than later. Regardless, it was too soon for Jack to offer his friend anything more than a sympathetic word or two.
The sun was out; the sky was clear. There was a brief prayer service before mourners lined up to pay their respects and to place soil or flowers on the casket. Many would be gathering later in the day to share memories and a meal together, but for now Jack stood next to his friend and finally summoned the courage to speak. “I’m sorry. I wish there was something I could say or do...”
A.J. kept his eyes on the procession. “Don’t beat yourself up, Jack. I chose to be involved from the start. It’s not your fault. I’ll be okay.”
Something about the emptiness in A.J.’s eyes and the robotic tone of his voice told Jack that his friend was far from fine, but time would be the only answer as to how A.J. would handle his loss.
“After today,” A.J. went on, gazing straight ahead, “I’m afraid you won’t see much of me.”
“What do you mean?”
His eyes on the casket, on Becky, he said, “I quit the agency and enlisted in the United States Navy.”
Jack didn’t know what to say to that. He’d known A.J. since forever and not once had his friend talked about joining the Navy.
A.J. lifted his good arm and placed a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “You take care of yourself.”
Jack didn’t like the finality in A.J.’s words. As if he wouldn’t see him again. “I’m pretty sure the Navy has computers. I’ll email you and keep you updated on things around here,” Jack said.
“I better get going. It looks like Mrs. Smith is having a tough time of it.”
Yeah, Jack thought as he watched A.J. walk away. Mrs. Smith wasn’t the only one. Thirty minutes later, Jack sat next to Kate as the casket was lowered into the ground. Kate put a hand on Jack’s arm.
A.J. wasn’t anywhere to be seen.