Loe raamatut: «Fugitive at Large»

ONE

Being caught in a convenience-store robbery wasn’t what Jessica Knight had expected when she stopped to get a soft drink. But from the panicked voices at the front of the store she thought that was exactly what was happening.

“What do you think you’re doing, man?” Fear and disbelief combined in the shrill voice that drifted toward her from the direction of the checkout counter.

“I said give me the money in the cash register.”

“Please, mister, just take it easy with that gun before somebody gets hurt.” Jessica recognized the frightened voice of the young man who’d waited on her the past few times she’d stopped at the store.

“I’ll take it easy when I have the money. Now put all the money in that bag,” the robber snarled.

As of yet, the thief had no idea she was in the store, but that was about to change. She carefully closed the open door of the soft-drink display case and unzipped her heavy jacket. Her fingers curled around the gun holstered at her waist as she pulled it free.

Her mind whirled in indecision. What was her greatest chance of stopping the robbery in progress without anyone getting hurt? Shoot first and hope for the best, or try to talk the guy into surrendering his weapon? Whatever she decided, she had to act before somebody got shot or, worse, killed. It was time to make a move.

So much for staying hidden at the end of the aisle. She took a tentative step toward the front of the store. She knew the layout as well as she did that of her own apartment. The potato-chip display at the end of the aisle wasn’t going to offer much protection from a bullet once she stepped into view. Better to surprise the thief before he had the chance to take a shot at her.

She gripped the gun with both hands and tiptoed farther forward, conscious of being absolutely silent. At the end of the aisle, she took a deep breath and peered toward the cash register about fifteen feet away. Behind the counter the pale clerk kept his eyes on the robber as he pulled bills from the cash register and stuffed them in a bag he held. The robber kept the gun trained on the young man as he reached up and pulled the ball cap he wore lower on his forehead.

A customer, possibly a college student from the campus nearby, stood in front of the counter with his hands raised. His fingers trembled. Scared out of his wits, no doubt. The hammering of her heart told her he wasn’t the only one frightened.

The clerk swallowed hard and pushed the bag across the counter toward the gunman. “That’s it unless you want the coins, too.”

The robber shook his head. “No. That’ll do just fine.” He raised the gun and pointed it toward the clerk, who raised his hands and backed away.

“Leave him alone,” the young customer said. “He did what you asked him to do.”

The thief smiled. “Yes, he did.”

He stared at the clerk for a moment before he reached for the bag. The moment his fingers touched the bag, the clerk took a step back and dropped to the floor behind the counter. Clutching the bag of money, the gunman whirled to face the customer and pointed the gun at him.

The young man lowered his hands and put them out in front of him as if to shield his body from the gun’s blast. “No. Please, no.” His whispered plea sent chills through Jessica.

The robber smiled and shook his head. “You shouldn’t have stuck your nose in where it doesn’t belong.”

He raised the gun and pointed it toward the young man’s head.

Jessica’s hope that she could do something to keep anyone from being hurt evaporated. The intent of the robber was plain. He meant to kill the young man standing at the counter and possibly the clerk also.

She took a deep breath and stepped out into the open. “Drop your gun, or I’ll shoot!” she yelled.

A surprised look flashed on the robber’s face, and he jerked the gun away from the customer and aimed it at her. Before she could move, the sharp crack of a bullet exploded next to her, and the smell of barbecued potato chips filled the air. She ducked and fired at the gunman before he had the chance to get off a better-aimed shot.

A scream of pain poured from the robber’s mouth. He dropped the gun and the bag of money before he grabbed for the side of his head. Jessica could see a trail of blood running down the man’s cheek and realized her bullet must have grazed his head.

She took a step forward, and the man stooped to retrieve his gun. She raised hers higher and stared down the barrel of the weapon. “Don’t even think about it, mister.”

He cast a wild-eyed stare from her to the customer. Then he grabbed the young man and shoved him toward her. She braced for the impact, but the boy’s full weight slammed into her and knocked her backward.

The robber, blood still trickling from his head, turned and ran out the door before she could regain her footing. Jessica caught a glimpse of the young customer’s fear-filled eyes before she darted around him and sprinted after the fleeing gunman.

The clerk peeked up over the top of the counter as she sped past. “Call 911,” she yelled over her shoulder.

As she stepped onto the sidewalk outside the store, she saw the thief run toward the open passenger door of a waiting car. He jumped into the car, and it peeled away before he had the door closed. She lowered her gun and stared at the car’s license plate. As she muttered the numbers on the plate over and over, she pulled a notepad with an attached pen out of her pocket and jotted them down in an unsteady hand.

When she walked back in the store, the clerk was leaning against the counter, his face in his hands. The bag containing the money lay on the floor where the robber had dropped it when he fired the first shot. The customer stood in front of the cash register, his face pale and his body trembling. His hand clutched a cell phone, and he glanced down at it. “I called 911.”

Jessica glanced at the clerk, and he bit down on his lip. “I was shaking so hard I couldn’t get my fingers to work.” He sagged against the now-closed cash register and shuddered. “Did he get away?” he mumbled.

“Yes. Someone was waiting outside in a car.” She grasped the young customer’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Are you okay?”

He straightened to his full height and nodded. His gaze drifted to the gun still in her hand and then back to her face. His lips moved, but no sound emerged from his mouth. He cleared his throat and looked at the gun once more. “Who are you? A police officer?”

She stuck her gun back in the holster and shook her head. “Not anymore. I used to be. Now I’m a bounty hunter.”

His eyes widened and his mouth gaped open. Jessica tried to suppress the smile that always accompanied the surprised first reaction of many people when she told them her profession. She knew what the next question would be, and he didn’t disappoint her.

“A woman bounty hunter?”

She sighed in resignation. “Yes, believe it or not. There are women who take on this job, and I’m proud to say I’m one of them.”

The clerk shook his head in disbelief. “I’ve been seeing you come in here for a while, but I never would have guessed you were a bounty hunter. Are you like that guy on TV? You know, the one who tracks down fugitives who’ve skipped bail.”

She shrugged. “A bit like him. I don’t have tattoos like he does, though.”

The two young men smiled.

“Well, whatever you do for a living,” the customer said, “I’m glad you were here today. You saved our lives.” He stuck out his hand. “My name’s Jamie.”

She grasped his hand and shook it. “And I’m Jessica.”

The clerk gave a shaky laugh. “And I’m Richard.”

He started to say something else, but before he could, sirens wailed outside and tires squealed as a car came to a stop. “Sounds like the police have arrived. That was fast,” she said.

She stepped toward the entrance to meet the first responders and had almost reached it when the front door burst open. A man bolted inside, then skidded to an abrupt stop, the surprise on his face reflecting her own. Neither one of them spoke for a moment, and then he drew in a rough breath.

“Jessica?”

Her eyes wide, she took a step back and shook her head. This couldn’t be happening. Ryan Spencer. Why hadn’t she expected him to come? After all, the store was in the precinct where he worked. Where she’d worked when they’d been partners four years ago. Her fingers curled into her palms, and she swallowed.

She hadn’t spoken to him in four years and hadn’t seen him in nearly a year. The last time she’d laid eyes on him had been when a man broke into her apartment determined to kill her best friend, Claire Walker, who happened to be staying with her at the time. Ryan had answered the call. They hadn’t talked that night. And now here he was again. Not changed a bit, and still as handsome as ever.

His dark hair fell across his forehead just as she remembered. And as she knew he would, he reached up and raked it back as he did every time he was nervous. His gaze drifted over her again. He started to speak, but she beat him to it.

She cleared her throat, lifted her chin and stepped forward. “Hello, Ryan. Since when does a detective arrive at a crime scene first?”

He glanced at the young man next to the checkout counter. “I was only a block away.”

“So you thought you’d beat everybody else to the scene.” Her lips curled into a sneer. “Why does that not surprise me?” She glanced over her shoulder at the clerk and customer who still stood at the checkout counter, then returned her gaze to the detective. “Then don’t let me detain you. I’ll go see about that soft drink I was about to purchase when all the excitement started.”

She turned to leave, but he reached out and touched her arm. “Wait, Jessica. I wanted to thank you.”

She turned around and frowned down at his hand on her arm. “Thank me? For what?”

He released his hold on her. “The dispatcher said a woman in the store prevented the robber from shooting a customer. I wanted to meet that woman and thank her.”

Something in the way he said the words made her uneasy, and she narrowed her eyes. “It was nothing, really. I’m glad I was here to prevent it from happening.”

He shook his head. “You’re wrong. It wasn’t nothing. Not to me anyway.”

“I don’t understand,” she said.

He pointed toward the young customer. “That college kid you just kept from being murdered is Jamie Spencer. He’s my brother.”

* * *

Ryan felt a quick stab of disappointment. Jessica’s startled look told him she’d had no idea Jamie was his brother.

Her eyebrows arched, and she glanced toward his brother, who had a big smile on his face. “Th-that’s your Jamie?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I guess you never got to meet him when we were working together.”

The surprise he’d seen on her face moments ago vanished at his reference to their former relationship. “Working together?” she muttered. “I guess you could call it that.”

He started to say something else, but Jamie called out to him. “Ryan, how did you know about this?”

Ryan glanced past her and smiled at his brother. “Sally Douglas took the 911 call, and she notified me. I was only a block away.”

He glanced back at Jessica, and a slight smile pulled at her lips. “Sally’s still taking care of everybody, huh?” she asked.

He nodded. “Yes, and she likes Jamie. I guess I’d forgotten that you never did meet my brother. He was fifteen when he came to live with me.”

She darted a glance at Jamie and then back to him. “Of course I knew about him, but I never saw him. At the time, you said he was going through a rebellious phase, and you thought I might want to wait to meet him. And then we...” She hesitated. “We...”

“We ended our partnership,” he finished for her.

Her eyes clouded, and she pursed her lips in a look of distaste. “Not we. You.” The words hit him like barbs. “You were the one who ended it.”

She still couldn’t see the truth. Or maybe she’d never wanted to see the truth. At any rate, what difference did it make now? He took a deep breath.

“I guess we still have differing opinions on that,” he said. “But that happened four years ago. We’ve both come out of that bad time no worse for wear. At least you look like you have.” He glanced over her, then back at Jamie. “At any rate, I still want to thank you for saving my brother’s life. I’m sure he’s very appreciative, too.”

She waved her hand in dismissal. “I’m just glad he wasn’t hurt. Now, why don’t you go tell him how glad you are he’s okay. I’ll wait for the officers to arrive and give them my statement. I’m sure they’ll let me know if I’m needed later on.”

She whirled around and strode to the back of the store. The potato chips that covered the floor crunched under her feet as she disappeared down one of the aisles. He stared after her for a moment, and then he sighed and turned toward his brother.

Jamie straightened from leaning against the cash register as he approached, and Ryan enveloped him in a big bear hug. “Are you okay?”

Jessica reappeared, a soft drink in her hand, and walked past them toward the front door. She didn’t glance at them as she passed, but Ryan couldn’t tear his eyes off her.

Jamie drew his attention when he spoke. “Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks to Jessica. I saw you talking to her. Did you thank her for helping me today?”

“I did. You’re lucky to be alive. These convenience-store robberies don’t always end this well.”

Jamie grinned and glanced in the direction Jessica had gone. “It might go better if there were more customers like her in the stores. Did you know she’s a bounty hunter?”

Ryan nodded. “Yeah. She was a police officer before that.”

“I know. She told us. Did you know her then, Ryan?”

He hesitated before he answered. He’d thought he’d known her then. But could anyone say with certainty they knew another person? He thought she would understand why he did what he did, but he’d been wrong.

Ryan debated the question for a moment before he responded. “She was my partner.”

A shocked look washed across Jamie’s face. “Your partner? You never said anything to me about having a woman partner.”

Ryan shrugged. “It was a long time ago. You were a teenager and had other things on your mind instead of who my partner at the time happened to be.”

At that moment the front door opened, and two Memphis PD officers stepped inside. He watched as they stopped next to Jessica. “I want to hear what Jessica has to say to the officers. I’ll be back in a minute.”

He walked over to her and nodded at Officer Jimmy Austin, who stood facing her. “Hi, Jimmy. I thought I’d listen to Jessica’s statement if that’s okay.”

The officer nodded. “Sure, Ryan. Sally said your brother was here when the robbery occurred. Is that right?”

“Yeah, he’s standing over there by the cash register.”

“Then I’ll get his statement after I talk to Jessica.” He turned to his partner and nodded toward her. “This is Jessica Knight,” he explained. “She used to work out of our precinct. One of the best detectives I’ve ever seen. She—” He stopped himself and his mouth formed a small O as a thought must have hit him. He wagged his finger first at Ryan and then Jessica. “Didn’t the two of you used to be partners?”

Jessica stiffened. “Yes, but that was a long time ago.”

The air seemed to have taken on a frost, but Jimmy’s face flushed. “Oh, right.” He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “Well, let’s get this over with. Are there any other witnesses besides you and Ryan’s brother?” he asked Jessica.

She pointed to the clerk. “Richard. He works here. Just the three of us.”

Jimmy glanced at his partner and jerked his head in Jamie and the clerk’s direction. “Why don’t you get their statements. I’ll take Jessica’s.”

The other officer nodded and looked at Jessica. “Nice to meet you, ma’am. I’ve heard a lot about you. The guys said you’re working with your brothers over at the Knight Agency now. Is that right?”

“It is. I decided I’d let you guys catch the criminals, and I’ll go after them if they skip bail.”

Jimmy laughed. “Don’t be fooled by this lady. She’s tough as nails, just like her two brothers. In fact, her twin brother, Lucas, is a friend of mine. We ride motorcycles together a lot. I don’t know how many times he’s told me about the bounty-hunter business his great-grandfather started and the slogan he lived by.”

Jessica smiled. “‘A man must answer for the crimes laid against him,’” she said. “We still believe that.”

Ryan wondered how many times during the years he and Jessica worked together he had heard her say those words. “So do we cops,” he said.

She jerked her head around and glared at him before she turned back to Jimmy. “Okay, let’s get this over with. I remember the drill. So let me tell you what happened.”

For the next few minutes she gave her account of what had happened as well as a detailed description of the robber. Ryan concentrated on the details and watched as Jimmy took notes from time to time. When she finished, Ryan spoke up. “And you got the car license number?”

“I did.” She pulled her notepad from her pocket and read off the numbers to him.

Jimmy looked up from the notes he’d been writing. “Could you come down to the station tomorrow and look at some mug shots to see if you recognize the holdup guy?”

“Sure,” Jessica said. “Whatever you need me to do.”

“Come to my office,” Ryan said. “I’ll have them ready for you.”

Jimmy glanced at his notes again. “And you say the robber was wounded?”

“Yes, but it wasn’t bad. I think the bullet grazed his head.”

“We’ll notify the hospitals to be on the lookout for a gunshot wound to the side of the head.”

Jessica shrugged. “I suppose you should, but I doubt if he’ll go to a hospital. He can probably treat it with first aid. I might have gotten a better shot at him if I hadn’t had all those potato chips flying in my face.”

“Potato chips.” Ryan laughed and looked back at the chips that now lay in scattered crumbs across the floor. “You always did have a sense of humor. But seriously, I’m glad you were here today. My brother probably wouldn’t be alive if you hadn’t stepped forward.”

“Just doing what I’ve been trained to do.”

Her words had a jagged edge to them, and he wondered if she was trying to deliver an unspoken message to him. Did she resent him because she thought she would still be in police work if it hadn’t been for him?

“I’m sure you remember how upsetting it was to enter a robbery scene and find victims who’d been shot for no other reason than for being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he told her. “No one was shot today. And that was because of you. Thank you, Jessica.”

She didn’t say anything for a moment. Then she touched Jimmy’s arm as he took a step toward the witnesses. “Jimmy, I was wondering. I’ve had a busy day, and I’m tired. You have my statement about what happened and my description of the robber. Would it be okay if I go on home? If you need anything else, you know where to find me.”

Jimmy thought a moment before he nodded. “Sure, Jessica. Go on. We’ll be in touch if we need anything else. I’m always glad to see that no one was hurt in a robbery. We have you to thank for that.”

“Thanks. I think I’ll go say goodbye to Jamie and Richard before I leave.”

Ryan moved out of her way as she stepped around him and headed over to where Jamie stood. He smiled when she stopped next to him. “I’m going home, but I wanted to say goodbye first.”

Jamie reached out and grabbed her hand. “Thank you for everything, Jessica. You were great.”

She waved her hand in dismissal. “It was nothing. I’m glad the two of you are okay. Take care of yourselves and remember to be mindful of your surroundings no matter where you are.”

Jamie smiled and nodded. “I will.”

She glanced at Richard. “I need to pay for my drink.”

He shook his head and laughed. “It’s on the house. You’ve earned it.”

She raised the bottle in a salute to him. “Thanks.”

Jamie stopped her as she turned to leave. “Wait a minute, Jessica. I wanted to ask you something. My brother told me you used to be his partner. Do you ever miss being on the force?” Her face flushed, and Jamie gave a little gasp. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so nosy. It’s just that you handled yourself so well today, I think you must have been a good police officer.”

Before she could respond, Ryan spoke up from behind her. “She was good. The best partner I ever had. I hated to see her leave police work.”

Jessica stared at him a moment as he came to stand beside her. Then she turned back to Jamie. “I like what I do now. It’s rewarding work, and I get to work with people I love and admire.”

A teasing glint sparkled in Jamie’s eyes. “And you still get to carry a gun.”

Jessica laughed. “And I still get to carry a gun. I’m so used to it that it’s become a part of me. In fact, I carry it with me all the time.”

“Lucky for all of us,” Jamie said. “It was nice meeting you, Jessica.”

“Nice meeting you, too, Jamie.”

Then she turned and walked toward the door, her words about working with people whom she loved and admired still ringing in Ryan’s ears. Her meaning hadn’t been lost on him. She hadn’t loved him or even held him in very high regard. He pressed his lips together and didn’t say anything as he watched her go.

When she’d disappeared out the door, he turned back to his brother, who was staring at him with a slight smile curling his lips.

“I don’t know what happened between you two,” Jamie said, “but it must have been bad. There was enough heat in her voice to singe the hairs on my arms. What did you do to her anyway?”

“Nothing,” Ryan muttered.

“Nothing? I know women can be hard to understand at times, but I didn’t have any trouble getting her message. She doesn’t like you at all. You must have done something to make her feel that way.”

Ryan reached over and pounded his fist against the countertop. The officers talking to the clerk whirled at the sound and stared at him.

“Spencer, are you okay?” one of the men asked.

He rubbed his hand across his eyes. “I’m fine. Still a little rattled over how close my brother came to dying.”

They nodded and went back to their questioning.

Jamie stared at Ryan and frowned. “I’m sorry if I said the wrong thing. I just thought Jessica seemed like such a nice person.”

“She is a nice person. We had a disagreement, and it’s never been solved.”

Jamie narrowed his eyes. “Oh, I see. Then maybe it’s time you did something about that. From the way she reacted to that robber and took control of the entire situation, I’d say there aren’t many women around like her.”

“You’re right about that. There aren’t many like her.”

Jamie stepped closer and lowered his voice. “Do you remember when I first came to live with you after Mom and Dad were killed and I had so many problems adjusting?”

Ryan chuckled. “How could I forget? You nearly drove me crazy for two years.”

“Yeah, I gave you a lot of trouble. But you didn’t give up on me. And when I’d come home telling you about how everybody was against me, you always made me face up to my own mistakes. You didn’t make excuses for me and wouldn’t let me make them for myself. Maybe it’s time you quit making excuses for whatever you did to Jessica and try to make it right.”

Ryan shook his head. “I don’t know if I can or not.”

Jamie punched him on the shoulder and grinned. “You’ll never know unless you try. What have you got to lose? The worst thing that can happen is that she’ll hate you more than she already does.”

Ryan stared at his brother in surprise. “When did you get so smart?”

Jamie laughed and shrugged. “I always have been. I just didn’t want you to know it. Now, do as I say and get things straightened out with Jessica.”

He thought for a moment about what his brother had said, then turned to him and smiled. “Maybe I will. Maybe I will.”

Turning away from Jamie, he walked to the front door and stared out at Jessica as she climbed into her car, which was parked to the left of the entrance. She sat behind the steering wheel for a moment as if deep in thought before she finally started the ignition and backed out of her parking space.

As he watched her car disappear down the street, he thought of how he’d wrestled for the past four years with the decision of whether or not to try one more time to mend his relationship with Jessica. She’d been the best friend he’d ever had, and he missed her. But there was no getting around the fact that she didn’t miss him.

Did he dare try again to explain his side of their misunderstanding?

After a moment, he inhaled and muttered to himself, “It’s time to set the past straight. And this time, Jessica Knight, I’m not taking no for an answer. You are going to listen to me.”