The Pearl Heartstone (2 page)

“Well, see then, we have a problem. You say she has a husband and

children and that she’s happy. But no one has seen her. Heard from her. I can’t just take your word for it.” Her cop instincts wouldn’t let her leave an innocent in such a position.

The sun hit one of the tickets on the table, and it shone a heart on the center of Allyson’s shirt. It twinkled up at her, pulling her gaze from the old woman.

“Ah…perfect choice.” The withered woman moved fast to the other

end of the table. She picked up the teeny, shining jewel. When she held it up, it was a miniature heart. It looked only a tad bit larger than a pearl.

“Here, dear, see how you like this one.”

Ally had no intention of holding the damn necklace. She didn’t wear jewelry. Ever. She knew a con when she saw one, and this woman was definitely up to something.

“Come on, it’s so pretty. And seeing it on you will no doubt bring back a few memories of Alycia.” The woman’s lips twitched.

Ally lifted an eyebrow. Obviously, the woman was no fool. Okay,

she’d bite. Buy it and get the information. “How much for the necklace?”

“Try it on first. Make sure it fits and feels right.”

The petite old woman had it down to a science. From the moment

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The Pearl Heartstone by Leila Brown

she’d held up the necklace twinkling in the sunlight, the only thing Ally wanted to do was clasp it around her neck. Something in her made her hold back. It screamed at her not to touch the delicate chain holding it.

“Come on, it doesn’t bite.”

It might not bite her hand but would most likely take a bite out of her wallet. Ally shook her head, reached out, and took the trinket. The moment the chain touched her palm, she knew she’d made a mistake.

Another suddenly overpowered the little voice that held her back. One that screamed for her to put it on. It felt so right in her hand. As if it belonged to her.

“How much?” She just needed to get the info. If she hurried, she might be able to hold off the overwhelming urge to put it on.

“I can’t sell it to you until we make sure it fits. Not all of them do, you understand. And then sometimes what we think will look right on us doesn’t.”

“Fine.” Ally gave in a hooked the chain around her neck.

“Beautiful. It’s a perfect match.”

“Fit. Now I’ll buy the damn thing if you tell me where Alycia is.”

She didn’t have time for this crap.

“It’s twenty dollars,” the woman said, folding her hands across her tiny chest.

“Twenty dollars for this?” It wasn’t even real. Nothing on the table was. And the heart around her neck was easily the most pitiful one out of woman’s stock. Ally bit down on her tongue and fished a twenty‐dollar bill out of her pocket before the woman raised the price.

Even as she handed the money over, a voice in the back of her mind called her all types of fools. “Now, about Alycia. When was the last time you saw her?”

“About three months ago. You know you are really beautiful.”

Ally’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. What was the woman angling for now?

“All you need is a bit more. Just a bit more. Can I see your hand?”

The woman held out her palm expectantly.

“Where is Alycia?” Ally asked, slowly extending her hand.

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“With her husband. Now, I think you’re almost perfect. All you need is a little more. A trifling bit more. Do you want to be more?” The woman’s voice changed. It no longer sounded like an old woman. No, there was power in this voice.

“What do you mean
more
? Look, I need to find Alycia. I’m done with this. Either tell me what you know here, or I’ll haul your ass downtown and we can talk there.” Ally should have pulled her hand back, but for some reason she couldn’t. Couldn’t move at all.

“Allyson, so you want to be more? More than just a police officer?

More than ordinary?” The woman’s stare held her immobile.

“Yes.” The words slipped from her lips before she could stop herself. It wasn’t a lie. She honestly wanted to be more, but then again, who didn’t? Her arm tingled as a fire raced up from the woman’s grip.

She tugged harder and harder, but the modest lady’s hold was solid and strong. More heat raced up her trapped limb. The woman knew her name.

Every cell in her body screamed at her that she’d walked into a trap. This woman wasn’t what she appeared.

“Let go now.” Ally’s throat burned as she said the words. She widened her stance and pulled hard. But it didn’t work. The woman stood unmoved.

“Two eleven in progress at Broadway and Fredrick.” The radio on

her belt blared.
Shit
. That was less than two blocks away. The old woman finally let go of her hand. Ally could still feel the pins and needles just beneath her skin. She was torn. Should she haul this woman downtown and figure out what the hell was going on, or should she go after the suspect two blocks away? Had she just imagined the fire racing through her? There was no other explanation for it.

“Don’t leave…”

Ally turned around and ran for the front of the market. She rounded the corner and raced to the storefront on the corner. She opened the door and saw the clerk crouched in a corner with his hands covering his head.

“Police. Which way?” she shouted at the man cowering behind the

register. The openness of having the register in the middle of the store was 13

The Pearl Heartstone by Leila Brown

most likely what kept the clerk alive.

The cowering Asian man pointed toward the back of the novelty store.

“Was he armed?” Her heart sank when the man nodded his head.

She should wait on backup. But if she did, that sack of shit would no doubt get away. Against her better judgment, she went to the back of the building.

She cleared every room before she stepped out to survey the alley.

Clear. There was only one way out, and there were no sign of anyone.

Fuck
.

The slight creak of the iron fire escape made her jerk back against the wall. This idiot did not climb up the fucking fire escape. He couldn’t be that stupid. Where the fuck did he plan to go when he reached the top?

She pressed the button on her radio. “Four seventeen K at two eleven.” She hopped up and grabbed the ends of the fire escape to pull herself up. She really needed to catch this creep before he reached the roof. That would give him an advantage she couldn’t afford.

She raced up the zigzag pattern of the iron steps. It groaned and creaked as rust fell from the bars at her hands and feet. By the seventh floor, she was just one flight below him.

“Police.
Stop
,” she shouted.

A knife came whizzing toward her head. Ally ducked right and leaned back, barely moving out of the way of the spinning blade. Her heart jumped as she bumped against the rusted iron railing. No way was she about to let some junkie’s knife slice her. Who knew what kind of diseases coated that damn thing?

The slight moan of bending and breaking metal made her snap her

head around to look over her shoulder.
Oh, damn
. The railing at her back fell seven stories before hitting the ground. She teetered on the edge for a few seconds before she fell backwards.

The air rushed up against her. She twisted and turned as she fell.

She landed crouched on her hands and feet. A jarring pain rushed up her limbs, but that was all. No snapped bones. No crushed limbs. How was that possible? Incredible.

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The Pearl Heartstone by Leila Brown

An officer came rushing from the mouth of the alley. “Are you okay? I saw you fall. I mean. You should be dead.” The man’s words rushed together as he helped her stand up.

The first step was a touch painful, but after a few minutes, she was okay. She was fine, and their suspect was getting away.

“I need rescue at Broadway and Fredrick,” the rookie radioed in.

“No. I’m fine. I’m fine.” Allyson started walking back toward the fire escape.

“No way are you fine. I saw you fall. You could be really hurt.” The rookie jumped in front of her, trying to stop her.

“I told you, I’m fine. That piece of shit is getting away. He threw the knife at me, so he’s unarmed. And he’s most likely high on drugs. I survived; his next victim might not.” Why didn’t he get out of her way?

Blood pounded in her ears as her entire body seemed to hum with excitement.

“There’s another unit on the way. Why don’t you sit down?” He put an arm on her shoulder.

She shook his hand off. Hell,
he
needed to sit down more than she did. She was fine but pissed that this rookie was letting a guy who threw a knife at her get away. Where the hell were they getting these new recruits?

Three minutes later, they heard the sirens that signaled backup was finally here. Too late. The guy was long gone. Going to hurt someone else.

She reached up and rubbed the smooth heart dangling around her neck.

She stood up and walked toward the front of the alley.

“They’re going to want to check you out,” he called out to her.

“If I need a doctor, I know my way to the hospital.”
Thanks for
nothing. Damned newbie
. It took her five minutes to make it back to the flea market. The old woman and all her goods were gone, along with the table and white plastic chair.
Fucking great. Just fucking great
.

* * * * *

Jorel awoke in a body‐drenching sweat. He’d seen his mate. At least he hoped it was his mate. This was the first time in three weeks he’d 15

The Pearl Heartstone by Leila Brown

dreamed in color. True, vibrant colors, not the washed‐out shades of the last couple of weeks. He’d seen the almost blinding yellow of her sun. The brown of her skin. It was almost a shade darker than that of White Tiger’s mate.

The smell of her lingered in his nostrils. This was madness. You couldn’t smell a dream. But it wasn’t just her scent. The honey color of her eyes stared back at him when he closed his eyelids. The sway of her hips teased him into a painful erection. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d wanted a woman so much.

He stared around the room. Fuck. Still black and white. Actually, it was shades of gray. That damned Traveler better deliver soon. He stumbled from his bed. He was loosing his strength. If this kept up there wouldn’t be much of him left when his mate did arrive.

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The Pearl Heartstone by Leila Brown

Ally read her email and listened to the scanner. That had been her life for the last week. There was nothing urgent going on. Nothing urgent enough for the chief to overlook her forced two‐week vacation. She was fine. The paramedics said she was fine. The doctors said she was fine. But the chief didn’t seem to believe her. She had less than a week to go.

She needed to get out of here. Not being able to go out and be in the thick of things was driving her stir crazy. She could go look for that old woman again, but Ally knew there was no way she would find her.

No, she was long gone. Her last lead into Alycia’s disappearance.

Now she was stuck here listening to the damn scanner as if it were some soap opera. Prowling around her apartment when what she wanted to be out there doing what she did best. Any time a call came over the air, she found herself riveted to the damn thing to find out if everyone was okay. She needed to get out. Get a life. Six more days.

Fuck
. She was not this pathetic woman. It took her five minutes to jump in the shower and throw on a pair of grey sweat pants and a white T‐shirt. A quick swipe of her brush through her long black hair and she was ready for a short jog. Halfway out of the door, she thought about her weapon and her radio. She stepped back inside. It only took a few seconds to strap her snub‐nose .40‐caliber backup piece to her ankle and her radio to her hip. No telling what kind of problems one could run into.

As soon as her feet hit the pavement, she felt better. Not good, but better. This was preferable to sitting cooped up in her apartment. She’d go 17

The Pearl Heartstone by Leila Brown

for run through the park. There was always something going on there.

* * * * *

Jorel knew his time was coming to an end. His body told him that

by this time tomorrow it would be too late. They’d tried to contact the Traveler, but it was no use. The royal line would die with him. His father hung the entire kingdom’s future on a prayer that would go unanswered.

“Where are you going, Prince Jorel?” Valek, the head of his personal guard, inquired.

“To die in peace,” Jorel said sarcastically.

“Sir?” Valek did a double take and raised his eyebrow.

Jorel waved the guard off. He didn’t intend to hurry his own death.

No. He would go to the forest and spend his last night there. He would let the beast in him loose to run free one last time.

As he navigated the halls of the palace, his energy waned. If he passed out, he would die in bed. No. He would not die in such a pathetic manner. If he was going to die, it would be on his terms.

That damned Traveler. She’d bilked them out of a fortune. If he found her, he would kill her himself. She’d condemned him to a cruel death.

Every time he closed his eyes, he dreamed of the brown beauty. He