Chapter 7
She watched the surprise light his eyes. “Yes, I saw him. Obviously he was our backup. Did he know the two men?”
Warrick shook his head. “No, he didn’t.”
“So they’re nobodies then.” She gave a nod of satisfaction. “That works for me.” She slipped her hand out of his fingers but slid her arm through his.
Together they walked to the store she had wanted to go to. She stopped in front of the windows and exclaimed at the pretty colors.
He looked at the leggings and wondered how they could possibly make so many prints and patterns all on the same type pants—all patterns he couldn’t imagine 90 percent of the men of his acquaintance ever wearing. But she appeared delighted.
She laughed and said, “They’ve got the new colors. I want to go in.”
He walked in behind her. She headed to her favorite racks and pulled out leggings, looking for matching tops. She twisted with two in her hand and looked at Warrick. “Which ones do you think?”
He looked down at a geometrical teal and black, then another one that appeared to have pink flamingos all over it.
She chuckled. “I guess the teal and black, huh?”
“I didn’t say that,” he protested.
“No, but your face did.” She laughed gaily. She put the flamingos back and wandered to another rack.
It was all women’s clothing, mostly yoga wear from what he could see. Some of it was pretty minuscule. They even had something he thought were lined leggings. But surely in this California climate it wasn’t necessary. He waited and watched while she went through rack after rack.
The salesladies kept approaching him, asking him if he wanted help with anything. They obviously thought he was here to buy gifts for a girlfriend. Finally Warrick said in a gentle but firm voice that he was with her and pointed over to where Penny stood. Immediately the saleslady stepped back, gave a nod and disappeared into the background.
Warrick walked over to join her. “So do a lot of single guys come in here?”
“No clue,” she said cheerfully. “But I should bring you with me more often. I never get service like this.”
He glared at her.
She picked up several other outfits she wanted to try on. “You might as well make yourself comfortable. I have to go into the changing room.” Seeing the dread on his face, she laughed, pointing to a chair. “If you sit there, they’ll probably not bother you.”
He walked over and sat down. “How long will you be?”
“Only long enough to pull on a few outfits and check them out.”
One of the salesladies walked over. “Do you want to change, dear?”
Penny nodded and took the first one in the row of changing rooms. She could hear the saleslady stopping and talking to Warrick. It really irritated her how much attention the man got. She wasn’t kidding when she said she never got his kind of service. She’d been in the store half a dozen times. It was all she could do to ever get anybody to answer any questions when she was here. Yet they were fawning over Warrick. She had to admit, as she pulled off her jeans and shoes and socks, that he was a hell of a good-looking man, and it made sense people were all over him. The fact that he was nice to boot just added to it.
She pulled on the geometric teal and black and looked at it critically. It wasn’t bad. She took off her shirt and bra and tried on the sports bra. Together they were quite eye catching. She frowned, not sure about it. And then she heard Warrick.
“Sweetheart, come out and let me see.”
And she froze. She glared at the mirror. “That’s okay. I’ll stay in here,” she called back, her voice floating up and over the walls.
“That’s not fair. You told me that you wouldn’t buy anything without showing me first.”
She gasped. That weasel. He was either trying to embarrass her or he really wanted to see what she looked like in her yoga attire. Considering how skintight her outfit was, she wondered if it wasn’t the latter. But then, if he was coming to her class tomorrow, he would see her anyway. Deciding he deserved a dose of his own medicine, she opened the door and stepped out, sauntering toward him. He looked up, caught sight of her, and his gaze widened, a flush rising up his neck. She stopped right in front of him and said sweetly as she did a slow turn, “What do you think, sweetie?”
He studied her form, his gaze slowly going all the way to the floor and back up again. If she hadn’t just given him an invitation to do exactly that, she would have smacked him.
He nodded, his voice hoarse as he said, “I think you should get that.”
She chuckled, reached out and stroked his cheek. “Really?”
He just nodded.
Purring like a kitten, she sauntered back, making sure she added a little bit of sway to her hips as she walked into the small room. “Maybe I should try on the others and show you.”
“Yes, I think you should do that.” His voice was gravelly.
She chuckled. “But maybe you won’t like them. You could end up sitting here while I try fifty different outfits.”
She could hear a strangled gasp as he tried not to protest. She quickly changed out of the teal and put on a bright pink outfit that had lots of white on it. The sports bra top was even skinnier, and it had a wider band around the ribs. She frowned, not sure if she liked it or not, and decided he deserved to see this one too.
She unlatched the door and walked out to find Tanner standing with Warrick. She raised her gaze and said, “Well, two votes instead of just one.”
Tanner whistled. “Wow. You are something. That fits you like a second skin.”
She had to admit he was right, but then it was the nature of yoga pants. She turned to Warrick. “What do you think of this one versus the teal?” She did a slow turn again.
But Warrick was already nodding his head rapidly. “You know something? I think you should get both.”
She chuckled. “I don’t know about that. I still have a couple more to try on, but they’re a little different.”
She turned and walked away, hearing their voices drop as they whispered back and forth. But she didn’t think it was about her or about her outfits. And then she was mad because she was stuck in here getting changed. Still, she’d come for that reason, and she needed to pick out something not only to wear at their temporary apartment, just in case they didn’t get her clothing from the police, but also because she had planned on buying a couple yoga outfits anyway. She wanted something not quite so revealing for the old folks’ home. The old men always appreciated it, but some of the women took umbrage at her lack of clothing.
She tried on several more outfits, not even bothering to show the men, and came to one that had a long crop top, so very little belly skin showed, and she decided that one and the teal one would be perfect.
Dressed again in her street clothes, she took the clothes she wanted and left the others behind. As she stepped out, she realized Warrick was no longer sitting there. Frowning, she walked through the store to see both men standing at the entrance. She headed to the counter and paid for her purchases, wishing she could hear what the guys were talking about.
The saleslady smiled at her. “Your boyfriend really seemed to like these, didn’t he?”
Penny chuckled. “They’re skintight, don’t leave much to the imagination. What’s not to like if you’re male?”
The saleswoman nodded. “We don’t get many men in here who are happy to wait for the women.”
Penny could understand that. She didn’t think she’d have the patience to do very much of it either, but then she wasn’t much of a shopper. She tended to go to the store she wanted, pick out exactly what she knew she needed and leave.
With her two purchases wrapped up in a bag and the receipt stuffed in her wallet, she joined the men. Tanner nodded toward Warrick, and the conversation between them stopped.
Warrick turned to look at her and smiled. “Tell me you got the teal one.”
She nodded. “I did, but I didn’t get the pink one.” The sight of his crestfallen face made her smile. “Although I could go back and get it, if it’s really a deal-breaker.”
He shook his head. “You look dynamite in the teal one. But there was just something about that pink and white …”
“Hardly appropriate for the old folks’ home though, I think.”
Tanner asked, “Old folks’ home?”
She explained about the yoga classes she gave for the seniors.
He whistled. “That’s a really good idea. Not only is the exercise good for them but I’m sure it makes them feel much better.”
“They love it. I have two classes tomorrow, and Warrick will take me from one to the other. Since my apartment is apparently under siege, I thought I should pick up some new outfits. I was planning on getting two new outfits anyway. It seemed like this was good timing.” She looked around at Warrick. “So, update?”
Tanner turned an innocent face toward her, and she shook her head. “Oh, no you don’t. No way you get to pull that look on me.” She watched him try to control the laughter moving through his gaze. “I’ve spent too much time around Warrick to not know when you’re pulling a fast one. You have news. I’d like to know what it is.” She looked from Tanner to Warrick and back to Tanner, waiting for one of them to answer her.
Warrick glanced around the mall, but nobody appeared close by. The saleswomen in the store were a good ten or twelve feet away. He nudged her out a little bit farther. “The gunman was sighted a block from your apartment building.”
The color bleached out of her skin, and it was all she could do to not gasp.
Warrick clenched her hand tight against him. “Breathe. Just breathe. It’ll all be okay. I told you that.”
She glanced at him hesitantly, then up at Tanner. “And, of course, they didn’t catch him, right?”
He nodded. “That’s right. They didn’t get him.”
She could feel every hope inside her melting away. She’d been so optimistic that this really would be over quickly. She nodded and turned toward Warrick. “Where to now?”
He smiled. “Tesla’s off today. She suggested we go spend the afternoon by their pool.”
Penny stared at him in surprise. “Really? Because that would be absolutely awesome.”
He nodded. “That’s what I thought. But we’ll head to the police station because they did pick up a bag for you, and they have your laptop there.”
She beamed. “Perfect.”
“Is there anything important on your laptop?”
She shook her head. “Not really. Just, you know, emails and stuff like that. I feel disconnected if I don’t have it.”
“What about your phone? Isn’t your world connected to your phone?”
“I don’t have much in the way of data,” she explained. “My schedule and everything is on my phone, but I prefer a bigger format to look at. I find phone screens awfully small.”
Tanner nodded. “I’m with you there.”
They walked slowly through the mall, back past the restaurant and took a nearby exit. Once outside, Tanner moved ahead as if he didn’t have anything to do with them and remained about ten or fifteen feet in front of her at all times.
She glanced at Warrick. “Any news on those two guys in the restaurant?”
He shook his head. “No. We haven’t seen them since. Is there any reason why they would be involved?”
She frowned. “I can’t think of any. As far as I know, George was a bit of a loner.”
“Would he be in trouble with somebody like that? Any reason why they would follow you to find him?”
She almost stopped in her tracks at the thought. She turned to look at Warrick. “Now that’s a very disconcerting thought. Why would you put that in my head?”
He raised an eyebrow. “We have to consider this from every angle. The truth is often just outside of what we’re considering. So you have to get very real about it.”
“Right.” Her insides were torn. “Nina did say he had a gambling problem. But I don’t know how bad it is.”
Warrick stared at her in surprise. “You didn’t mention that to the cops. Does Nina have any money?”
She looked at him and nodded. “Actually she does. She comes from a wealthier family.”
“We’re heading to the police station anyway.” His tone was brisk. “We’ll update them with that information.”
“What difference does it make?” she asked.
“If George is in trouble with somebody, like a loan shark, or has a gambling debt he has failed to pay, then there could be other angles we’re not thinking about, you know? If it’s just a case of revenge, then he’ll be coming after you, but what if it isn’t that simple? What if he’s hoping you have money, so he can pay off these guys, and he knows they’re on his tail? Desperate circumstances make for desperate men.”
“He already killed two cops and a woman. How much more desperate can he get?”
Warrick shot her a look. “He can get a hell of a lot more desperate and a hell of a lot more dangerous,” he said, and then he was quiet.
Warrick pulled into the police station lot, got out, waiting for her to join him. He constantly searched his surroundings. Tanner had arrived ahead of them and kept watch as well. But Warrick couldn’t get the feeling out of his head that this information she had would change everything. Regardless, a crazy gunman was still on the loose. That’s what they had to focus on. But, if something else was going on with George, the cops needed to know that too.
He walked into the police station and, at the front counter, asked for the same detective he’d spoken to earlier. The woman nodded, told him to take a seat. He turned to find almost all the benches full. Two empty spots were on the far side. He’d just sat down when a door off to the side opened, and the detective walked out.
“Warrick, come on through.” He smiled at Penny. “How are you doing today?”
“I’m okay,” she said. “But Warrick thought maybe I should tell you something I had forgotten about.”
The detective’s gaze lit with interest. “C’mon in. We have clothes for you and some other personal belongings.”
He took them to a small room, motioned for them to take a seat and said he’d return in a minute. They sat down and waited.
She glanced around and spoke in a low voice. “Is this an interrogation room?”
Warrick shrugged. “Maybe. Ask him when he comes back, if you’re interested.”
She wrinkled her face at him. “Have you ever been arrested?”
He shook his head. “Not in this country.” His grin was a bit off-kilter.
She considered him and then shuddered. “I don’t think I want to hear that story.”
“Nope, you probably don’t,” he said smoothly. “Sometimes our missions go a little sideways.”
She nodded, grateful when the door opened and the detective returned. He had her overnight bag from her closet and a reinforced paper grocery bag. She checked the overnight bag, smiled when she saw several outfits, including shoes and a sweater, and then reached for the paper bag. Inside was her laptop, charger cord, cell phone charging cord—which she would never have thought to ask for—and the book that had been on her night table. She smiled. “Hey, that’s very thoughtful of you.”
“You can thank the policewoman. She thought of the extras.”
There wasn’t room for the laptop in her overnight bag so she just laid it on the floor beside her bags.
The detective looked at her. “What is it you think you need to tell me?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know that I need to tell you anything, but Warrick thought it might be important.”
Warrick nodded. “It is important,” he insisted.
“We went to breakfast this morning. Two men were watching us,” she began.
Warrick listened to her version of the events. When she was done, he added, “What that really means is, it’s possible George’s also trying to outrun a loan shark or somebody he owes money to for a gambling debt, and maybe those two bone-breakers are chasing him down via Penny.”
The detective looked interested in that for a moment. “How would they have known you were in the restaurant?”
“They wouldn’t have,” she said immediately. “That’s why I didn’t think it was very important.”
“Did anybody know of your plans to go to the sports store today?”
She stared at him in surprise. “I don’t think so. I didn’t write it down on my schedule. Although my yoga classes are in there. But that’s not exactly something anybody would have had access to.”
“Where’s your schedule kept?”
“In my purse,” she said, lifting it up. “It’s also on my laptop, but they’d have to have my log-in and password to get in.”
“Most hackers could get into your e-data. Whether on your phone or your laptop. But we don’t have other illicit computer activity going on in this case.” The detective frowned and drew question marks in a row across the page.
Warrick knew, when you had odd information, that you tried to fit it into the facts as you knew them presently. The trouble was, you often didn’t know enough until the end, when you got the fuller picture. Even more frustrating was when you never got those final answers, and you were left wondering how the last pieces fit together. “We stayed at a friend’s place on the base last night,” Warrick offered. “So nobody would have known where we were, not even to follow us to the mall.”
“Right. So chances are, those men weren’t following you.”
“Not likely, no. We did run by my place earlier,” she said, suddenly straightening in a chair. “I didn’t see the police there, but Warrick just drove past.”
The detective nodded thoughtfully, tossed down his pen, stretched out his legs on the nearest empty chair, crossed his arms over his chest and said, “But these guys could have seen you there, at your apartment, and followed you to the mall?”
She shrugged. “Maybe. But, if these two know George, then they probably know about Nina. If they know about Nina, they probably know about me too. From the hospital siege.”
“Good point,” he nodded. “We can take a look at his back history and see if we can roust anything on gambling debts or any other kinds of illegal activities he might have been involved in. But I don’t think it changes the scenario all that much. He’s still a crazed gunman on the loose. He’s killed two cops and murdered a woman. I’m not sure having two bone-breakers, as you called them, after him will change anything much.”
“Except maybe make him a little more desperate,” Warrick said. “It’s always dangerous to forget a hidden element in this kind of deal.”
The detective studied him for a long moment as he rubbed his jaw. He nodded. “You’re right. Any other elements mean our plans can go haywire because we weren’t expecting them. I don’t have a problem with the pair showing up and killing him. Lord knows I don’t want this George to take out any more innocents, but we have to run him to ground before we can find him.”
“How is it that you didn’t catch him at my apartment?”
“He saw the officers standing at the front door. It took them a moment to register that he was using a cane until he got further away when he tossed it and ran. By then, he was already half a block away, getting into a vehicle. He took off, and, although the officers followed him, he was too far ahead, and they lost him.”
She nodded, staring out the window. “It seems like we always get so close, and he has just enough good luck that he slips away.”
“That’s the thing about luck,” Warrick said. “He will run out of it eventually.”
But the look in her eyes as she stared at him was somber. “And how many more people have to die before then?” she asked quietly. She turned to the detective. “You need to talk to Nina. She could to tell you more.”
He nodded. “I can do that. I was about to head out and run down a few other leads we’ve got. I’ll stop by the hospital first and see if she can confirm this gambling debt angle. You didn’t take any photos of the men you saw at the restaurant, did you?”
Warrick shook his head. “But Tanner might have.” Warrick pulled out his phone and sent Tanner a text. Almost immediately a photo showed up on his phone. He lifted it so the detective could see it. “It’s not great, but this is the one we’ve got.”
The detective looked at it and whistled. “Wow. Okay, that changes the game entirely.”
Warrick stared at him. “In what way?”
“Those two are part of the Monroe gang. They run drugs, prostitutes and, yes, gambling. They do every kind of gambling you can imagine, from cockfights to dogfights to illegal casinos in back rooms. Their eldest brother runs the outfits. These two are more the hired muscle.”
“We still don’t know they were interested in Penny for any other reason than the fact she’s an attractive woman,” Warrick said thoughtfully. “But the coincidence isn’t something I’m real comfortable with.”
“You told me it was nothing,” Penny said. “You told me that I had to tell the detective, but you said not to worry about it.”
“We didn’t see them again though, did we?”
Relief washed over her face. “That’s right. We never saw them again, so maybe they decided whoever they were looking for wasn’t me, or I wasn’t a threat.”
The detective’s lips twitched. “Or they decided you weren’t as easy a target, now that you have Warrick with you.”
She stared at the desk, then slouched against the back of her seat. “There is that.”
“What are your plans for the rest of the day?” the detective asked.
“We’re heading to a friend’s house for the afternoon.” Warrick gave him the address and names. “You can always reach me there.”
“How secure do you feel at that place?” the detective asked.
Warrick smiled. “Mason works with me, as do several of his friends. Considering it’s Friday, I know some are coming over for a barbecue this afternoon. So I’d have to say, I feel as safe there as I would inside your jail.”
“Good enough. We’ll keep in touch. And tonight”—he stood as he looked at the two of them—“where are you staying?”
“We’ll return to the apartment of the friend I mentioned earlier,” Warrick said. “Nobody knows where it is, and I’m keeping it that way.”
“Just make sure you’re not followed.”
“Not a problem.”
Outside the station Warrick led the way to the car, looking for signs telling him if Tanner was still here.
“Are you expecting us to be followed from here?”
“Until George is caught, I’m expecting everything,” he said quietly.
“That doesn’t help me to calm down and to stop worrying, Warrick,” she said.
He tucked her back into the car, walked around to his side and sat down. He turned on the engine and heard his phone buzz. “Tanner says the coast is clear.”
“Hearing that makes me feel better,” she said. “I don’t live in the world you guys live in. But it’s nice to know you help each other out when you need it.”
“That’s what friends are for.”
“Before we go to Mason’s, can we visit Nina?”
“Not sure that’s a good idea,” Warrick said. “You heard the detective. He’s heading down there now himself.”
“Right. In which case we can’t talk to her right away, but she’ll be upset after she talks to him.”
“Why don’t we wait until tomorrow?”
She nodded. “I am glad to have some clothes and my chargers and laptop though.”
“It was thoughtful to get your cell phone charger. I hadn’t considered it,” he admitted.
“Neither had I. How sad is that?”
He drove in the direction of Mason’s place.
“Are you sure it’s safe to go to Mason’s?” she asked. “I don’t want to put them in any danger.”
“I highly doubt we’d find anyplace safer than there.”
She sighed. “Well, I could certainly enjoy an evening without worrying about it.”
“So let’s make a pact. Let’s go there, have a good afternoon, not talk about this, not worry about this and just have fun.”
She smiled up at him. “Is that possible?”
“It is if you make it possible,” he said seriously.
She thought about it and nodded. “In that case let’s do it.”