Protector With A Past Page 17

  "It's not a lead." Lopez took a disgusted last drag off her cigarette and pitched it onto the asphalt parking lot, sighing. "Hunter here just found out that his own personal Lex Luthor isn't safely tucked away in prison like he thought he was, and he expects me to drop everything and—"

  The woman was exhausted and overworked and obviously stressed to the limit, Julia thought, her head jerking up. But nobody was allowed to talk about Cord that way.

  "Shut up and listen to the man, Lopez!" she ordered, taking a swift step toward the dark-haired woman, her hands clenched at her sides. "Donner's not a con man, he's a killer, whether he got a new trial and an apology from the governor or not—and there's a damn good chance he's running circles around you and laughing at all of us."

  "I thought you were a powder puff, sweetheart." Lopez's angry eyes were fixed on Julia, her lips slightly curled. "I thought that's why you got out of the job—because you couldn't take the heat. Why don't you run along and let us get on with investigating the death of my partner?"

  "You're the one who's cracking, Cindy."

  Before anyone could stop her Julia's hand shot out and grabbed the other woman's jacket lapel, pulling her away from the wall she'd been leaning against and bringing her face to within inches of her own. She heard Phil's indrawn breath and saw Cord take a step forward.

  "Honey, back off," he began.

  "I can't and I won't," she said, her unwavering gaze on Cindy Lopez's shocked face. "You've got to listen to someone, Lopez, and it might as well be me, because you're right—I did fall apart. And right now I feel like I'm watching myself two years ago, because you're making all the same mistakes, building the same destructive walls around yourself as I did. Paul's death wasn't your fault, understand?"

  She let go of Lopez's lapel as suddenly as she'd grabbed it, her hands falling to her sides. "You're heading for the same fall I took, Cindy. Believe me, it's a long way down, and an even longer climb back up again. But it doesn't have to be that way. You sent Erica away, didn't you?"

  "We got into a stupid argument. I said it'd probably be easier on both of us if she left for a while," Lopez muttered grudgingly. "But what the hell has—"

  "She's your support system, and you need all the support you can get while you're on this case. Ask her to come back," Julia said firmly. "And while you're at it, take the chip off your shoulder when it comes to dealing with Cord and me. We're on your side, dammit—Cord was Paul's partner, too."

  "And if he still had been, Paul would be alive today, for God's sake!" Lopez burst out unexpectedly, her tough facade shattering. "How the hell am I supposed to live with the knowledge that I wasn't there for my partner when he needed me? I let him down, goddammit—I let my partner down!"

  "You didn't let anyone down, Cin." Phil's voice was roughly compassionate. "For crying out loud, no one could have foreseen what happened to Paul and his wife."

  "You can stop paying now," Julia said quietly.

  Lopez looked up, her eyes sheened with unshed tears.

  "What—what do you mean?" There was an edge of fearful apprehension in her question, and her chin jutted out pugnaciously. "What are you talking about?"

  "Your cousin Tina. The one who died of an overdose," Julia said. "That's what drives you, isn't it? Guilt. You think you should have been able to save her, but you didn't, and you've been blaming yourself ever since. Every case you take on is an attempt to atone for the death you feel responsible for, and you won't allow yourself to be less than perfect, or to ask anyone's help."

  "What happened to Tina is none of your business, Stewart." The warm olive skin looked ashen, and Lopez took refuge in a halfhearted aggressiveness. "So maybe I do feel guilty that I was too busy with my own life to see what was happening to—"

  "Get over it," Julia said flatly. "Get over it before it destroys you. You're a good cop, but you're useless if you're so crippled with misplaced guilt that you can't handle the job. Get over it, and fast—sweetheart."

  For a moment the brown eyes stared at her disbelievingly. Phil cleared his throat uncomfortably, and Cord stood, unmoving, beside Julia as if in silent solidarity. Then a dry sound came from Lopez's throat.

  "Hell, was I wrong about you, Stewart." The dry sound was a rusty little laugh that held more than a hint of tears. "The lady ain't no powder puff, Hunter, is she?"

  "She ain't," he replied blandly. "In fact, sometimes, she even scares me."

  "Yeah, but I thought I was a whole lot tougher than you, Hunter," the dark-haired detective said with a touch of her old wryness. Her eyes met Julia's, and her expression sobered. "I'll think about what you said, Stewart. And I guess I'm going to have to run a check on Donner on your say-so, too, right?"

  "We think he killed Paul and Sheila," Cord said. "So yeah, I'd appreciate any information you can get on the bastard, pronto."

  His words had the same affect as if he'd dropped a ticking time bomb at their feet. Phil Stamp was the first to recover.

  "Run that one by us again?" he said thinly.

  "He came up to us at that farce of a memorial service for Jackie Redmond. He's got her daughter wrapped around his little finger, and we think he was somehow using her against Jackie to get information about the department and Paul." Cord drew a deep breath. "Julia's theory is that he plans to duplicate a series of homicides from the past as a way of proving that a whole police force is no match for him."

  "He already dragged the department's reputation through the mud once," Stamp said, his face grim. "Since you didn't know he was out of prison, then you wouldn't know how he swung the deal. Seems all along he had a rock-solid alibi for the department store bombing that he was serving time for. Donner pulled it out like a rabbit from a hat at his second trial."

  "Plus the eyewitness who fingered him for the bombing recanted," Lopez said disgustedly. "We were caught with our pants down, and I mean around our damned ankles."

  "So his alibi's lying and the recanting witness was threatened." Cord sounded disbelieving. "How new is that scenario?"

  "It's not. What's new is that in the end we believed them," Stamp answered. "It was hard not to, especially when the real bomber came forth and confessed."

  "What?" Julia stared at the two detectives. "And you bought it? Come on—Donner's jerking everybody around here!"

  "No, you're wrong." Cord's gaze darkened. He spoke slowly, as if he was thinking aloud. "He was jerking everyone around the first time. He framed himself for that bombing."

  "I don't get it." Lopez raked her hair back, her brows drawn together in a frown. "Why the hell would he do that? No one willingly hands himself a life sentence, Hunter, unless…" Her voice trailed off and her eyes widened.

  "Unless prison itself was his alibi for the crimes he was really planning." Stamp looked up suddenly. "That's it, isn't it? He masterminded the serial killings beforehand, and then sent his obedient 'family' to carry them out, but in the meantime he had himself incarcerated so that no one could ever prove he had anything to do with the murders."

  "That's the way I read it," Cord said tightly. "And God help me, I think I know the way Donner's mind works better than anyone. He never had to worry about being in for life anyway. He had a get-out-of-jail-free card ready and waiting for him anytime he decided to use it."

  She'd known the man was pure evil when Cord had been working the Donner case originally, Julia thought fearfully. But now she'd encountered him herself—twice, because she was sure it had been Donner she'd run into in the hallway the night of Jackie's murder. That had been bad enough. But what was worse was the feeling she'd experienced at the memorial service, when his eyes had met hers.

  Because then he'd been trying to get inside her very mind. And for a moment he'd come close to succeeding.

  "There's one other person who knows Donner inside and out," Lopez said suddenly. She grimaced. "I never thought I'd hear myself saying this, but we could use Tascoe's help on this case."

  "Except that he's vanished from the face of the
earth," Phil said. "But yeah, when we searched his place we found clippings, photos, interviews with people who knew Donner. Dean's been studying him for months. Maybe he's figuring on writing the unauthorized biography of the bastard."

  "Or maybe he was hoping to nail him all by himself. He was pulled off the Donner case the first time," Cord said. "He was well aware that Donner was a free man again, and at some point he must have found out from Jackie that she was being pressured to pass on information to him."

  "So what do we do, put a 'Come home, Dean, all is forgiven' notice in the newspaper classifieds?" Lopez looked frustrated. "What you're telling me is that finding Tascoe is even more important than ever, except this time when we haul him in we handle him with kid gloves and ask him pretty please to help us."

  "What I'd really like is for you to bring Donner in for questioning, find out where he was the night of Paul and Sheila's murders." Cord didn't look hopeful. "But that's not going to happen, is it?'

  "I want that as much as you do, Hunter." Lopez shrugged. "But you know we don't have the grounds to do that, and as far as the media are concerned, he's already been railroaded into a wrongful conviction once by this department. My butt would be in a sling if word got out I was trying to pin something new on him without solid evidence—and in case you're thinking of a private Q and A session with Donner yourself, don't forget you're bound by the same procedural code as I am."

  "I know." Cord's mouth tightened. "Donner's counting on that. Maybe I should take a leaf from Tascoe's book and disregard procedure for once. He was a loose cannon, sure—but that's exactly what we need right now."

  "I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Lopez shot him a look. "You know I'd have to arrest you if Donner complained of being harassed, Hunter."

  "Well, if it's a loose cannon you need, I guess that just leaves me." Julia had been standing quietly, her brow furrowed in concentration, but now one corner of her mouth lifted in a crooked smile. "I'm the crazy who snapped on the job, hit the bottle and sank without a trace for two whole years. I'd say I'm qualified to take over Tascoe's role—and I've already got an inside track with Donner's backer, Marshall. He wants me to arrange a meeting with my father."

  "Forget it." Cord's reply was automatic. "I don't even want you in the same room with that monster. We'll have to think of some other—"

  "That's right—he is a monster," Julia said. Her smile had faded and her voice was low as she raised her eyes to his. "He's the original bogeyman come to life, and he wants Lizbet. He won't get her, Cord—I'm going to make sure of that."

  Their gazes locked. Phil and Lopez might not have even been there, so complete was the silent communication that flowed like a live current from those angry obsidian eyes to the stubborn hazel ones, and then back again. Finally Cord spoke, his tone intense.

  "I'm Lizbet's guardian too, Julia. It's our responsibility, not yours alone."

  "Hunter's right." Lopez's voice was sharp. "For God's sake, Stewart, you just read me the riot act because I wouldn't ask for help, and now you're insisting that you're the only one who can take on Donner and keep Lizbet safe. Whose death are you trying to atone for?"

  The hectic flush of color that had stained Julia's cheeks a moment ago drained completely away. She stared at Lopez, her face so white that it seemed almost bloodless.

  "Nobody's!" she rasped. Her hands were balled into fists at her sides, and with an obvious effort she unclenched them. "It's not the same situation. All I'm saying is that I don't wear a badge anymore, and that gives me more latitude in dealing with Donner."

  "You've got a point." Cord's quiet comment drew startled glances from both Julia and Lopez. Only Phil, after one quick look at the other man's impassive features, remained silent.

  "Are you nuts, Hunter?" Lopez railed at him. "If Donner's as dangerous as you say he is, why the hell are you agreeing with her? Who knows what she could be walking into?"

  "I'll be walking into a business meeting with the Friendship Center director and his prime backer," Julia retorted. "And though I don't need Cord's permission to do that, I'm glad he finally sees that—"

  She broke off suddenly. Beside her Cord had flipped open the cover of his cell phone and was punching in a number. He brought it to his ear and looked inquiringly at her.

  "Sorry—you were saying?"

  "I was saying I appreciate the fact that—" Again she broke off, this time because he'd held up a courteous hand to stop her flow of words and had turned his attention to the phone.

  She was more than a little taken aback by his actions, and obviously Lopez found his behavior unexpected, too. Out of the corner of her eye Julia saw Phil Stamp turn slightly away. He was smiling.

  "That's right, effective immediately." Cord squinted at his wrist watch, angling the dial out of the direct sunlight. "It's oh-four hundred hours, Eastern Standard Time, and you're three hours behind us. The important thing is that I'm off the payroll as of now. It's official? Thanks, Mike. Yeah, you'll get the full story later, I promise."

  He snapped the phone shut and slipped it into his suit pocket, his head bent. He looked up, his expression bland.

  "Just a detail I had to take care of." He frowned. "Hell, I nearly forgot this. Hang on to it for me, will you, Phil? Who knows, I might want it back sometime."

  The object he handed to a grinning Phil was his ID wallet. It fell open slightly as the other man took it, and in the sunlight Julia saw the bright gold gleam of Cord's detective badge.

  He looked at her outraged expression, and all of a sudden the humor he'd displayed was gone, to be replaced with a deadly determination.

  "Set up the meeting with Marshall and Donner," he said softly. "Tell them to expect two loose cannons."

  * * *

  "At least Lopez promised to put a couple of men on Donner's tail for the next few days. It's not much, but it's something," Cord said as he and Julia strode into the lobby of the downtown office complex where Julia's father worked. She didn't answer him, and he caught her by the arm before she could reach the bank of elevators.

  "I know you're still pissed off at me, but like you told Lopez, get over it," he said in a low voice, glancing over his shoulder at the armed security guard manning a nearby bank of video monitors. "We're playing into Donner's hands if we don't present a united front at this meeting."

  "Damn right I'm pissed off at you." Julia shook off his hand. "You ambushed me in front of Stamp and Lopez."

  "Okay, I should have taken you aside and told you privately that I was handing in my badge." He sighed and thumbed the call button for an elevator. "But the other night when you fell asleep in my arms I lay there in the dark, holding you. I was bone-tired, but I couldn't fall asleep—I didn't want to fall asleep. I just lay there, with you safe in my arms, and I made a promise to myself."

  "What was the promise?" The angry rigidity had left her, and when he reached out to touch her hair she felt herself sway slightly toward him, her eyes on his face.

  "I vowed I'd never lose you again. So there was no way I was going to stand by today and watch you waltz off to a meeting with Gary Donner all by yourself, even if we don't know yet whether he was involved in this particular case." He gazed at her, his expression intent. "Maybe we're all wrong about him this time—but that doesn't alter the fact that he's dangerous, Julia. When I'm around him I can almost smell the evil coming off him."

  "He smells like death." And if I'm right, he's after Lizbet, Julia thought, fear lancing through her. She controlled the tremor she could feel starting deep inside and reached for Cord's hand, pressing it to her cheek. "I wasn't really looking forward to confronting the man on my own. I'm glad you're going to be with me, Cord." She gave a small grimace. "My father's a different matter. I don't know why he insisted on sitting in on this—I told him it was just a ploy to get some time alone with Donner."

  "Maybe he's worried about you, the same as I am," Cord ventured. "It would be natural—he's your father, after all."

  "Right. And it w
ould have been natural for him to let me know that he'd had major surgery a few months ago." In front of them the elevator doors swished quietly open and Julia stepped in. "But that's just it—there never has been that kind of bond between us. I don't think he's capable of loving another person."

  "Except for your brother, right?" The elevator doors closed. "You always said Davey was the only one he ever cared for."

  "He loved Davey, yes. Even as a child I knew that, and after Davey—" Julia faltered. "After he drowned I thought maybe if I could do all the things he'd done, and do them as well or even better than he had, my father would realize he still had a daughter, even if his son had been taken from him. But it didn't work. He was always so distant." She sighed, pushing her hair back and squaring her shoulders. "I became a damn good high diver and a whiz at archery, at least." Her smile was halfhearted.

  Cord pushed the button for their floor with one hand, his other arm pulling her close. "Maybe he's scared to get close to you. Maybe he's afraid of losing you, too."

  She shook her head firmly. "I wish I could believe you, but I can't. He's not afraid of losing me—for God's sake, months go by when we don't have any contact. And as for being afraid of me, that's just ridiculous."

  "Are you kidding? I thought you were going to deck poor Lopez this afternoon, honey. I'd never seen you like that." The elevator doors opened as Cord flashed her a quick and dirty grin. "Just watching you got me all hot and bothered," he said in an undertone as they stepped into the reception area.

  Julia felt instant desire spread through her. The man was impossible, she thought helplessly. He'd deliberately timed his provocative one-liner for this exact moment. She felt the receptionist's eyes on them as they approached and fixed a cool smile on her face.

  "I'll talk to Lopez and see if we can arrange a mud-wrestling match for you next time," she said in her sexiest purr, but so low that only he could hear. His arm was still around her, and she casually let her hand slip around the back of his waist and then lower, in a suggestive little pat that was hidden from the woman at the desk in front of them. Cord's eyes glazed with sudden heat. "Watch it, you're about to trip over your tongue, big guy," she murmured, and then immediately schooled her voice to a professional briskness.