In the Shadow of Evil (35 page)

He grinned, but it was far from his usual smile. "We both know there's nothing to talk about. Not anymore." He shifted, using the nearest beam for support. "You wouldn't stop. I couldn't let you figure it out."

If she was going to make it out of this alive, she'd have to think fast.
Dear God, help me. Show me what to do.

"What about your kids, Ed? How can you do this to them?" If she kept him talking, maybe he'd be distracted enough for—what? What was she going to do? Wrestle the gun from him at five stories high? Barely moving, she took a step backward.

The mist had dissipated, but the boards were still slick. She used the heel of her boot to guide herself as she slowly reversed.

"Do to them? Don't you see? I'm doing this for them. Everything I've done is for them. And once this mess is concluded, I have the casino deals. I'll make plenty of money and can get custody of the kids. Hey, Andrea might even want me back."

He was insane! "Maddox will find out. He'll know you killed me. He won't let you get away with this." She took another slow step back.

Ed snickered. "The only one who could piece it together was you. I bet you're the one who figured out it was Chinese Sheetrock. Right?"

She stuck out her chin, refusing to let him see how terrified she was. "Yes." Despite the fear sending shooting sensations throughout her, she took another half step backward.
Lord, help me do this.

"I knew it. Knew it'd only be a matter of time. I'd hoped what happened at Second Chances would give you something else to focus on. But no. You're like a bulldog, you know that?"

Layla took another step back. She'd moved a total of about four feet, enough to reach the next support beam. "What did you expect me to do? I thought someone was targeting us. You, Ed. I wanted to solve this to protect all of us." She inched her foot back.

He didn't notice her movements. He kept the gun trained on her but apparently didn't notice her distance. "That's why I didn't want to hurt you." He shook his head, glancing at the ground a good five stories below them.

She took two quick steps back.

His gaze came back to her face. "I never wanted to hurt you."

"Then don't." She eased her foot back. Her heel slipped on the slick board. She grabbed a support beam.

He extended his arm, the gun trembling. "Stop right there. Don't move another inch or I'll shoot." His eyes narrowed. "Did you think I didn't see you taking steps back? Do you think I'm that stupid?"

Even with her mouth burning with the distaste of fear, Layla shot her gaze around. Maybe there was a spare board handy. A hammer. Anything that could be used as a weapon. Nothing.

"Always underestimating me. Andrea. Dennis. Everybody. Even you."

"Me? How'd I underestimate you?" A loose beam maybe? She leaned against the one closest to her. Steady.

"You called me today to tell me about the Sheetrock. It never crossed your mind that I could be the one switching them out."

"That's because I believed in you, Ed. Believed you to be the man my father said you were." Was she about to see her father again?

"Your daddy was a good man, Layla. Don't you ever forget he was a good man."

"Then how can you do this? He spoke so highly of you. He'd be so disappointed with what you're doing." Maybe she could play on his sense of conscience. If he had one left.
God, show me what to do to get out of this. There has to be a way.

Ed's face twisted into an expression she didn't even recognize. "We all gotta do what we have to. Andrea took my kids. My
kids,
Layla. I needed the money to support them. It was never supposed to be for a long time. Just enough to get me past the slow business and slump in the economy."

"But people have died, Ed." The end didn't justify the means. How could the man her father had spoken of so highly lose sight of that truth?

"I never wanted someone to get hurt. I didn't know the Sheetrock could cause people to get sick. I swear."

He really thought that excused him? "What about Dennis LeJeune? You shot and killed him."

"He made me. Gave me no choice. I was going straight, and he wanted a cut. He was gonna blackmail me."

Dennis LeJeune, a blackmailer? She would never have believed that. Then again, she never would have believed Ed was behind all these deaths. "Listen to me, Ed. It's not too late. I can talk to Maddox, get him to listen to you. If you turn yourself in, they'll go lighter on you." At least, that's what they did on television.

A lone siren wailed in the distance.

God, please help me. Please. I don't want to die. Not like this. Alana . . .

Ed snickered. "Why would I turn myself in? Don't you see? I'm going to get away with it. You're the only one who could figure it all out. Once you're out of the picture, I'm home free."

Out of the picture? Her heart jackhammered, crushing her lungs.
Dear God, help me.
"But I've told Maddox and Houston. They know what I know. Matter-of-fact, they left early this morning to get warrants before they came to you." She didn't know that, but she could pray they had figured it out.

The siren screeched closer.

How could she have been so stupid? All the facts were right there in front of her, yet she'd missed it. All because she'd chosen to believe the best about someone. How many others were fooling her?

"You're lying. You haven't told them a thing. And even if they look into me after they find you, they won't have proof. All the buildings where the imported Sheetrock was used have been destroyed. Your records are destroyed too. There's nothing to link me to the Sheetrock."

Maybe if he thought she wasn't the only one who knew, he would run instead of killing her. "I had a copy of my records at the house, Ed. I gave them to Maddox." Not exactly the truth, but she would.

If she lived through this.

"Another lie, Layla. I can tell. You were never good at masking the truth." He took a step closer, the gun still pointed at her. "I don't want to shoot you. Just step off the platform."

Layla's lungs closed off. She looked down. Five stories up, and he wanted her just to step off?

"Come on, just step off."

"I'm not stepping off. I won't kill myself."

"You either step off, or I'll shoot."

The siren sounded close. Very close.

Fear yanked false bravado to front and center. "Then shoot me. It'll be impossible to say this was an accident with a bullet in my body. They'll trace it back to you. That'll be another murder on your head." Her hands trembled as she grabbed on to a support beam.

"Don't make this hard, Layla." He took another step closer. He aimed at the elevator control panel and fired.

Tsing!

Sparks flew as the bullet made contact with the panel. A hissing noise followed.

"There's no escape, Layla. Just step off."

"You're either going to have to shoot me or push me. I'm not budging." She wrapped her arms around the beam.

Ed wouldn't shoot her—as she'd pointed out, her death needed to look like an accident. He'd try to push her. Youth and fear and a longing to live would make her stronger. Already adrenaline surged inside her, giving her courage and strength.

The gun wobbled in his hand. "Layla—"

A car roared onto the site, a single flashing light atop.

She glanced down, as did Ed. Maddox jumped from the passenger's seat, gun drawn. "Layla!"

"Up here! He's got a gun!"

Ed moved faster than she'd thought.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

A sharp pain shot across her temple. She felt herself falling. A blinding, white light flashed before her eyes. She couldn't feel the beam with her hands anymore.

Oh, Jesus . . .

MADDOX DREW, AIMED, AND fired in less than three seconds, the fluid movements second nature. "Layla!"

Ed staggered . . . wobbled, then toppled over. His body hit several floors before crashing to the ground with a sickening thud.

Maddox holstered his gun. He'd always been a crack shot—the department's best, but that was the luckiest shot he'd ever made.

"I've called it in," Houston said.

Layla lay crumpled in a heap. All the way at the top. Maddox couldn't tell if she was even alive. "Layla!"

No response.

"Fire department and ambulance are on their way." Houston strode to where Ed Young's broken body finally rested. "They'll have the equipment to get her."

Maddox stared up, only making out a hump where Layla had once stood. "If she moves, she'll fall." All. The. Way. Down. His throat tightened, and his lungs nearly exploded. "I have to go up."

Houston shot him a stern look. "Hey, I know you think you're a superhero, but let's not kid ourselves. You don't have to do this."

As much as he wanted to let his partner go, Maddox knew he had to be the one. He had to go see Layla for himself. "I'm going." Already his gut clenched.

"You're crazy. I can't let you do this. Procedure says to wait in situations like this."

Sirens sounded, but they were still too far away. If she was unconscious and moved just a little bit, she could fall as Ed had done. Maddox wouldn't be able to live with himself if he witnessed that. "Waiting could kill her. I'm going." He marched toward the elevator shaft. No car stood at the ready. His legs felt like they were made of Jell-O.

"Maddox—"

He glared at his partner. "What would you do if it was Margie, Houston? It's Layla!" His chest would collapse any minute. "I'm falling in love with her."

Houston just stared at him, then finally nodded.

Okay. He could do this. His palms were coated with sweat as he grabbed a two-by-six above him and pulled up. Just like climbing a ladder. He could do this.

Don't look down.
He concentrated on his breathing.

She was so high up. So. High. Up.

Sirens screamed closer. But not close enough.

Another pull up. Steady. Find footing. Secure.

His heart pounded. His pulse throbbed in his ears.

Grab another board over his head. Pull up. Steady. Find footing. Secure.

The wind whipped through the wall-less structure, pushing him. He held tight to the support closest to him. His pant legs popped as the cold swirled around him.

He could taste his heartbeat. Pull up. Steady. Find footing. Secure. Grab another board. Pull up.

His tensed muscles jumped. Tensed again.

Pull up. Steady. Find footing. Secure. Grab another board.

He glanced down. Big mistake. His mouth went dry. He closed his eyes, fought to breathe normally.

The wail of the sirens drew nearer.

Maddox clenched his jaw. He could do this. For Layla.

Pull up. Steady. Find footing. Secure. Reach. The boards were wet from the mist, making his grip tenuous. His chest ached from the pounding of his heart.

A gust shoved him, a vortex around him, pulling him, tugging him, yanking. He wrapped his arms around a two-by-six and held tight. He glanced down.

The ground was so far below.

So. Far. Below.

His body trembled. His mouth felt as if he'd just bit into foil. Sweat beaded on his upper lip. He forgot to breathe.

No, he would ignore the paralyzing fear. He'd save Layla. Had to.

Maddox closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against the wood plank.
God, if You're there, I really need Your help. Not for me, but for Layla. I can't do this by myself. Please . . .

THIRTY-FIVE

"It is difficult to know at what moment love begins; it is less difficult to know that it has begun."

—HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

FALLING. FALLING. FALLING.

Warmth.

Layla couldn't open her eyes. Didn't really want to.

So warm.

Was she dreaming? Awake? Didn't really matter. She just didn't want to move. Didn't want the warmth to fade.

Blessed darkness surrounded her. Comforting. Warming. Soothing.

She sighed, the breath teasing past her lips.

A flutter of cold kissed her cheek.

She fought to open her eyes. The lids were so, so heavy. Couldn't muster the strength. Sank back into the weighted depth.

But it wasn't there to envelope her again. Cold and hard replaced it.

And pain.

Shooting down from her left temple, across her cheek and head. Her ear ached. A ringing hummed in her head.

She reached up and touched the ache. A knot lay under her touch. She pressed.

Splinters, but that hurt!

Her mouth was coated with metallic. She ran her tongue against the roof of her mouth, but the coppery taste remained.

Her head felt like an entire construction crew had set up residence inside. Pounding. Grinding. Grating.

She rolled to her back, only to have something press against her spine.

Something below her clanged . . . once, twice . . . then she couldn't hear it anymore.

Below her?

"Layla!"

Maddox!

She forced her eyes open and tried to move again.

"Don't move. At all."

She lay perfectly still. Blinked. Tried to get her bearings.

The metallic taste increased in her mouth as she remembered. Ed. The gun. Had she been shot?