Lifting the Veil (13 page)

“What’s the condition?”

“A favor.” He leaned into her to whisper the words into her ear. “When I ask, whatever I ask, no

questions.”

“I won’t do anything illegal.”

“I wouldn’t dream of asking you to.”

She nodded and held out her hand. “It’s a deal.”

He shook her hand, and her mind flashed to a sterile white room with a group of people inside. A

woman who didn’t look any older than Sophie, an old lady, and an old man surrounded the younger

woman as she held out a birthday cake. The names Katie, Mildred, and Ralph flashed like on a billboard in her mind. Unable to stop herself, she said them allowed. “Why are they holding a birthday cake?”

Marshall slid off the bed. “What did you say?”

Sophie shook her head, the people in the room gone. “I’m sorry. Did I say that out loud?”

“How do you know?”

“How do I know what?”

“My sister’s and grandparent’s names. They’re all dead.” He just pointed to her. “You just said

them.”

Sophie’s mouth parted. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to freak you out.”

Marshall sat back down and clasped her hands. “Sophie, what aren’t you telling me?”

“I saw them in a room. Your grandparents surrounding your sister, holding out a birthday cake.”

She tilted her head. “Is it your birthday or something?”

“My birthday was a week ago but focus for a minute. You saw them?” he asked quizzically. “How is

that possible?”

She shrugged. “It’s a long story.”

He leaned back against the headboard and crossed his ankles. “We have time.”

“What about the numbers?”

Marshall took out his phone, took a picture of the numbers, and sent a text before returning the

phone to his pocket. “Okay.” He slapped his hands together. “Now that is done, I’m all ears.”

And she proceeded to tell him what’s been going on with her. Everything slipped past her lips, like a dam breaking free. She didn’t care if he thought her crazy. Most people would.

She could have heard a pin drop after she finished her story. Marshall had listened patiently, not interrupting her at all while she was talking. He’d sat quietly on the bed while she paced the floor. When she was done, she turned to him. “Well?”

“I knew you were special the first day I laid eyes on you, Sophie Masterson. I just wouldn’t have

dreamed you were psychic too.”

She shook her head. “According to the books my best friend bought me, I can’t predict the future. I hear voices, see dead people, and sometimes just know stuff. I think I may be a bit clairvoyant.”

“You’re more than a bit, sweetheart.”

“So your grandparents and sister are actually dead?” Sophie’s heart squeezed tight to think of

Marshall’s loss. Who did he have left that cared about him?

“Yes.”

“I guess that was their way of saying happy belated birthday.” She gave him a sad smile.

“Thanks.” He chuckled. “I’ve met others who weren’t half as gifted as you. They could never give

me names like you can.”

This time it was Sophie who was stunned. “You believe me, and you know more people like me?”

His grin returned, and he patted the bed next to him again. “Yes, and one day I’ll introduce you to them. Right now, I want you to rest. I’m sure when Jack gets back, you’ll be leaving.”

She sat back down on the bed and picked up the book she’d been analyzing. “I’m not leaving. This is my home. I don’t care what he says.”

“Sophie, think about this logically. There is a serial killer on the loose. He knows about you and has left a calling card. You’re leaving, if we have to carry you. There is no way, in any good conscience, that either one of us would let you stay here with the flimsy locks on your doors and without a way to defend yourself.” He clasped his hands together and placed them in his lap. “I trust Jack to see that you remain safe.”

****

curtains, illuminating the shadows inside. He swallowed around the lump in his throat, knowing the next thirty minutes might end his career. He stepped out of the car and walked with heavy feet up to the front door. He rang the bell and waited for lightning to strike where he stood.

The chief opened the door, the lines of his face carved into stone. He glanced over Jack’s shoulder, and his eyes narrowed. “Do you care to tell me what the hell happened, and why you don’t have my

sister with you?” the chief demanded in lieu of a nice personable hello.

“I didn’t leave her alone, sir.”

Masterson nodded and led the way to his study. He poured himself a brandy and rounded the desk

to sit while waiting for Jack to join him. “Who’s with her?”

“Marshall.”

“Start explaining.”

“Who called?”

“It doesn’t matter who called me. The point is you should have. Now start explaining.”

And that was exactly what Jack did for the next twenty minutes. He left out some of the parts that Sophie didn’t want him to know but not all of them. He had to tell her brother about the evidence that was taken, the fact that Sophie was in danger, and who he thought was responsible. Jack watched the color drain from her brother’s face as a sickening look assaulted him.

Chief Masterson remained silent, leaning back in his chair. This was a side of his boss that Jack had never seen. His white, stricken face told Jack all he needed to know. He was processing the information and what it actually meant.

Minutes ticked by before the chief responded. “I knew this was a bad idea. I should have told Eileen no, but that damn woman has a way of getting what she wants.”

“Sir…”

His boss momentarily laid his head in his hands before looking up again. “Jack, the only logical game plan is to get her ass out of town while we catch this bastard, but you and I both know that Sophie won’t go for that. Hell, she didn’t even listen to me when I told her to stay off the damn case.”

“No sir, she won’t.”

Masterson rubbed at his temples. “I can’t let anything happen to her.”

“We won’t.”

“What were you doing at her house tonight?”

That was the question he dreaded answering. How was he going to explain that he got a call about

Sophie feeling threatened enough to go to a shooting range?

“Well…”

“Damn it, Love, just tell me.”

“Marshall called and told me Sophie wanted to buy a gun for protection.” Jack shrugged. “I figured she hadn’t dropped the case and was worried about her.”

Jack leaned back in the chair and rested his ankle across his knee. “Sir, ever since you brought her into the office, she’s had a fascination with this case. She’s determined to bring the woman’s killer to justice, and no amount of yelling or persuasion is going to change her mind.”

Jack dropped his foot to the floor and leaned forward. “Wouldn’t it be better if she didn’t sneak

around gathering evidence like she has been doing? What if she felt she could tell us what her hunches were and we could check them out? We might be able to keep her safe.”

“Go on, I’m listening.”

Jack shrugged. “How about we investigate; I’ll keep her as my partner to keep tabs on her, and

when she hits the dead-end, it will be out of her system.”

“Do you even know my sister? You might be opening a can of worms that you can’t put the lid back

on.”

“Sir…that can has already been emptied. I need to move her to a more secure location.”

The chief’s brows raised a fraction. “And where might that be?”

“My house has state-of-the-art security. I’d feel better if she was either staying with me or at

Marshall’s.”

“Love, let’s get one thing straight. She’s off limits. I won’t allow her to date a cop.”

Love nodded. “Understood, but honestly, Chief, when has she ever followed your rules?” Jack rose

from his seat. “I assume we’re out of the freezer while we take this to the streets?”

The chief nodded. “Her life is in your hands, Love. Keep her safe, and if you get close to catching this guy, you better call for backup and get her ass out of there.”

Love held out his hand for the chief to shake. “Yes, sir.”

Love didn’t release his breath until he was back in the SUV. He hadn’t lost his job, and he’d

convinced his boss to let him take care of Sophie. As crazy as the woman was, she was coming in handy.

Maybe, just maybe, with her help, he could solve this case once and for all. Now he had one more thing to do before he could call it a night. He was going to have to convince the most stubborn woman he knew that, not only was she coming home with him, she was sleeping in his bed.

****

walked in to find the lights off in Sophie’s living room. A single light illuminated the kitchen area. Jack pulled the Glock out from his shoulder holster and held it tight to his chest. He inched around the corner to find Sophie had changed again into her boy shorts and a tank top and was standing at the freezer with a spoon dangling from her mouth. Both hands were occupied with ice cream containers. She saw

him out of the corner of her eye and froze; at the same time, a gun was pressed against his temple.

“You should learn to knock,” Marshall said, breaking the silence. “Either that or be more silent.”

Jack lowered his weapon as Sophie pulled the spoon out of her mouth. “Yeah…what he says.” She

grinned for the first time in a couple days.

Jack walked into the kitchen and took the containers out of her hands. He stuffed them back into

the freezer.

“How did it go? Do you still have a job?” Marshall asked from behind him.

“Yeah, and it appears since Sophie has a knack for investigating that we’re out of the freezer.”

Sophie’s mouth parted and her eyes lit up. “We are?”

He nodded. “Yep, you’re going to help me catch this guy; but your brother was very insistent that, when we get close, you get pulled for the final takedown.”

She tilted her head from side to side as if contemplating. “Great. Let’s get started.”

“Go get dressed, Soph, and pack a bag.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Jack.”

Jack couldn’t hide his amusement. “Sorry, Soph, your brother insisted. You’re stuck me until this

guy is caught.”

Sophie stomped to her room, hollering as she went. “I hope you have a spare room because I am

not sleeping on the couch.”

Marshall pulled a beer out of her fridge and twisted off the top. He took a swig. “Love, you need to watch this one. I bet she bites.”

“I’m sure she does, Marsh.”

Marshall proceeded to inform Jack about the book that Sophie had found and the contents inside.

He’d gone on to explain about the license and the account number that he was going to research for her. Jack nodded as if he’d already known. She hadn’t told him but he knew now. He changed the topic.

“Hey, how did it go with extracting Annie? Did you find her?”

Marshall nodded. “Yep and, just as you expected, when they went in to extract her, she was

stealing the intel she was after. We just ended up being her ride home.”

Jack grinned. “I’ll bet she wasn’t happy to see your team.”

“Oh, on the contrary, we had an easier escape route than she’d planned. She’s now safely back in

the States.”

“Nice chunk of change for just being a ride.”

Marshall grinned. “A lot easier job than the one you’re up against.”

Thirty minutes later, after she’d packed a bag and grumbled all the way to the car, Marshall left

with the promise they would meet tomorrow to see what he’d figured out about the account. They

arrived at Jack’s house. He reset the security behind him as he flicked on the lights in the living room.

“It’s not much, but it’s home, and it will keep the boogieman out.”

Sophie took her time surveying the living room; her lips tilted down in a frown as she walked to the fireplace and turned in place. “No pictures? No knickknacks?”

“I’m a single guy, Soph. Of course there’s none of that.”

“Explains the man-sized theater seating you have in place of a couch.” She gestured to the big

screen television. ““Do you entertain a lot, watching football games or movies?” A smile splayed across her face.

“Hardly at all.”

“Everything in your house is….big.”

He wiggled his brows. “Yes, it is.”

He dropped her bag by the leather seats he called a couch and closed the distance between them.

He took her hand and ushered her around the house, pointing out the kitchen, the living room, his

office, and stopping at his bedroom. He’d barely given her enough time to catch her breath before he stole it away in a kiss. A kiss he’d been wanting since returning from the chief’s house. She leaned easily into his body as he explored every crevice of her mouth. “Soph?”

“Hmm?” She asked as she leaned onto her toes to kiss his neck, her fingers toying with the buttons of his shirt. Slowly, she unbuttoned the first two before his fingers clasped over hers, halting her progress.

Her eyes met his and an unasked question lingered between them. “I want you.”

She smiled and batted her eyelashes. “I want you, too.”

He released her and stepped back. “I don’t know what this is between us, and I can’t promise you

anything. You deserve to know that before anything happens.”

She lifted the hem of her shirt over her head and then let it drop on the floor. “Duly noted.”

“I’m serious,” he amended.

She reached behind her and unhooked her bra. “I understand.”

He stood back and watched as Sophie slowly, agonizingly, stripped bare in front of him. Whatever

he’d been thinking rushed out of his head and straight to his cock. She was a picture of perfection, his for the taking, and yet he lingered. “Damn, Soph, you don’t play fair.”

She crawled up onto his bed, lying down on his pillow. She rolled onto her back and smiled. “I’m