ROMANCE: Mason (Bad Boy Alpha Male Stepbrother Romance Boxset) (New Adult Contemporary Stepbrother Romance Collection) (124 page)

“Hello?”  He said gruffly.  “No, Lydia, he isn’t here.”  Hank winked at Liam.  “Well, that depends.  Maybe if you stopped calling he would carry his phone again.”  Hank looked at the phone with an exaggerated expression.  He handed the phone back to Liam, and fanned himself with one meaty hand. 

“She told me to do something physically impossible with myself!”  

The room erupted in laughter. 

It was near time for Liam to come back from work.  Audrey wasn’t sure exactly when he would, but she knew it had to be getting close.  It was six o’clock already.  She had put on a black sweater and jeans, and her hair was swept up in a loose up-do that showed off her now slim neck.  She wasn’t sure exactly how much weight she had lost, but all of her clothes fit loosely.  She applied one more swipe of mascara and hoped she again could convince him to take her out, since it was Halloween. 

She waited nervously on the end of the bed.  What if he said no?  She would just beg.  She had to get out! 

A knock on the door made her jump.  Liam didn’t need to knock.  She stood slowly and went to the door. 

Maybe it’s Hank.  “Yes?”  She called.  Her voice shaky. 

A deep male voice responded.  “Sorry to bother you, Ma'm, we just need to check your fire alarms.  Routine Maintenance.  It’ll only take a minute.” 

Audrey looked through the peep hole but couldn’t see the man’s face.  She could see a green work uniform of some sort, but the man had his head turned, and his brimmed cap was pulled low over his eyes.  She thought she saw brown hair poking out from the sides. 

She chewed on her bottom lip and reached hesitantly for the door knob.  She jerked her hand back her mind screaming Liam’s warnings.  He had said many times to not open it for anyone. 

“I’m sorry.  Could you please do this after my husband comes back?”

Audrey thought she heard the man walk away, and breathed a sigh of relief, turning from the door. 

The initial sound of wood splitting and metal creaking was a shock.  Audrey flinched with her shoulders hunched, arms automatically coming up to protect her head.  Her body turned in just enough time to see the man rush towards her.  He tackled her, sending air from her lungs, making her incapable of screaming.  Audrey looked with bulging eyes as the man’s hat fell off, and Luke’s face appeared above hers.

“What…”  Was all she could breathe out as his hand came up and something hard crashed into her head, sending her into total darkness.

Liam waited nervously for the blood test to come back.  The Mayor and his family were waiting in an interrogation room, their lawyer had already arrived. 

The lab technician handed Liam a piece of paper and walked away.  The man had no idea who or what the test was about.  Liam and Lieutenant Corey had made sure of it.  Liam scanned the document and looked into the expectant eyes of his superior.  He handed him the paper. 

“It’s a match.”  He said gruffly. 

“Yeah, but that’s not enough to convict.”

“No, but it’s enough to issue a warrant of the home, and to list him as a suspect.” 

Liam ran a hand through his hair.  “We’re going to issue a warrant on the Mayor’s house?” 

“Sure are.”  He said, and began walking briskly away.  He stopped and looked back at Liam.  “Are you coming?”

Liam shook himself and followed.  Can this really be it? 

Lieutenant Corey breezed into the interrogation room, and seated himself in one of the chairs against the wall.  The ones at the table were filled with the Wilkins family and their lawyer. 

“Lamar, I’m going to give you a chance now to tell us anything you would like concerning Crystal Reynolds.” 

“Don’t say a word, Lamar.”  Mr. Jackson held out his small hand, palm facing downward.  He was a short man of only 5’3”, but he was one of the most successful defense attorneys in the city.  He turned his attention to Lieutenant Corey and Liam.  “What is this about?”

“It’s a match.”  Lieutenant Corey crossed one leg over the other as casually as if he were at a BBQ. 

“Means nothing.”  He said and laughed.  “How many people in the world share the same blood type?” 

“You know as well as I do, that this is too big of a coincidence, the scrapes on his hand are still healing, Jeff.” 

Liam tried to not glance at the two way glass.  On his side it looked like a mirror, but on the other side it was a window to see into the room.  He hoped Sandra Nix was in attendance on the other side.

“This meeting is over.”  Mr. Jackson said, and picked his briefcase up from the floor.  ‘Tom, Lenore let’s go.” 

“Not so fast.”  Lieutenant Corey said quietly.  “We have a few questions for Lamar.”  He flashed a fake smile at the lawyer.  “With you in attendance, of course.”

Tom and Lenore Wilkins reluctantly left the room.  Liam noticed something in the Mayor’s eyes as he walked out.  Doubt.  Lenore, on the other hand, held her chin high and her eyes held something else.  Defiance. 

Liam took a seat at the table next to the Lieutenant.  It was his time to shine. 

Audrey tried to blink her eyes open, but the pain in her head caused her to just close them again.  She felt like she were on a boat, the hard floor seemed to lurch and roll, but she knew it wasn’t really.  It was nausea. 

I have a concussion.  She thought blearily.  For a moment it was the only thought she could hold on to, but slowly other images drifted in.  A man in a green work uniform.  A door knob with her hand hovering above it.  A crash.  A man on top of her.  Luke on top of her. 

Luke!  Audrey’s eyes flew open again, and she tried to sit up.  The nausea became so severe that she vomited. 

Footsteps began running and she could hear a door being unlocked.  Hands pulled her gently from the vomit. 

“Easy.  You can’t move around so much right now.”  Luke’s face appeared double before hers.  She futilely raised a hand to slap him, but only made contact with air. 

“Why?”  She whispered. 

Luke didn’t respond.  He stood and left the room, slamming the door behind him.   He returned minutes later with a bucket of soapy water and rags to clean the vomit up with.  Audrey was in too much pain to try and talk to him again.  She closed her eyes and was soon back in the dream free blackness.

Lieutenant Corey and Liam stepped into the slim room that attached to the interrogation room. 

Johnson and Hank leaned against the wall and Ramirez and Sandra Nix stood closest to the glass. 

“Looks like we have a case after all.”  Sandra smiled thinly. 

Lieutenant Corey nodded.  “We need to search the house.” 

She moved her cell phone back and forth.  “I already called Stevens.  You should be able to go within the hour.” 

Liam stepped into the hallway and tried to call Audrey.  He wanted to let her know he’d be late.  It was already after seven.  When she didn’t answer he hung up and tried again.  Hank stepped into the hallway with him.

“What’s up?”

“I can’t reach Audrey.” 

“Maybe she’s asleep.  Try again.” 

Liam tried three more times.  He raised worried green eyes to Hank.  “I have to go over there.” 

Hank blew air from his puffed cheeks.  “You know, you can’t leave right now.  Corey will have your ass!” 

As if on cue, Lieutenant Corey stuck his head through the door.  “Be ready, Liam.  We should be pulling out soon.” 

“Wow that was quick.”  Hank breathed. 

“It’s a homicide case, that’s why.”  Liam replied absently. 

Hank grabbed his shoulder, his blue eyes intense.  “Go do what you need to do.  I’ll go check on her.” 

Liam nodded as Lieutenant Corey came into the hallway.  “Let’s go.  I have a couple beat cops that are going with us.  We just have to tell the Mayor so he can have the choice of letting us in, or us breaking the door down.” 

Hank left the precinct building soon after Liam.  He wasn’t nervous about checking on Audrey; he honestly believed he would rap on the door and just simply wake her up.  He smiled as he passed children holding the hands of parents or older siblings.  He saw little ones dressed as ladybugs, witches, ghosts, and an occasional superhero.  He laughed out loud when he saw a little boy dressed as cowboy with a red hat.  He had been a cowboy almost every year he trick or treated. 

The motel was eerily quiet as he pulled in.  He wasn’t sure how much business they normally did, but not many people had been there any of the times he had visited Liam and Audrey.  There were even less cars parked there that night. 

He got out of the car and ascended the metal stairs at a trot, but stopped abruptly and drew his weapon when he saw the door to Liam and Audrey’s room.  The door was closed, and from a distance looked perfectly normal, but under closer inspection Hank could see a dent in the metal door, and some of the framing was broken.  He pushed the door open with the tip of shoe. 

“Audrey?” 

The room was dark and there was no response.  He kept his weapon pointed ahead of him, and flipped the switch on the wall.  He looked in the bathroom, then turned back to the room.  Nothing looked out of place.  He studied the carpet and found one silver earring.  When he reached for it his hand brushed something rough, like something had spilled then dried on the carpet.  He looked at it more closely, and thought it was spot of dried blood no bigger than a quarter. 

Hank holstered his weapon and ran from the room to the front office.  He came through the door with such force, that the red haired chubby woman on the other side of the counter put her hands to her chest. 

“My God you scared me!” 

Hank flashed his badge.  “Do you have security cameras?” 

She nodded her head, her oversized red curls flopping with every movement. 

“Are any pointed along the walkway on the second floor?” 

She nodded again. 

“I’m going to need to see the monitors.” 

Hank left and ran to his car, grateful for the few pounds he had lost.  He yanked the door open and put the radio to his lips, taking a moment to catch his breath before speaking. 

“Command this is Detective Hank Walters…” 

Liam and Lieutenant Corey followed Mayor Wilkins into his house.  The other two officers followed.  Mayor Wilkins had a stern but resigned look to his face.  He motioned up the stairs. 

“Second door on the right.  He has his own bathroom too.”

Lieutenant Corey nodded.  “We’ll be as quick as we can, and we’ll disturb as little as possible.”

Liam walked slowly up the stairs putting a pair of latex gloves on his hands.  The staircase was lined with pictures of Lamar from an infant all the way to his high school graduation.  There was enough room at the top of the stairs for two more 8x10’s.  Liam assumed they were reserved for college graduation and marriage.  The devotion to their only child was obvious. 

Lamar’s room was not overly decorated, but it was overly tidy.  There wasn’t a speck of dust or anything that looked out of place.  The bed was even wrinkle free.  He was sure he could have bounced a quarter on the tightly pulled blanket. 

Lieutenant Corey began opening drawers in the side of the desk, and looking through papers and notebooks.  Liam went into the bathroom and was immediately hit by the smell of bleach.  He went back into the bedroom and exited under the curious stare of Lieutenant Corey.  Liam checked the guest bathroom.  It was clean, but there wasn’t the strong smell of bleach there.  He stuck his head in the guest room, and eventually into the master bedroom and went to the bathroom there.  Once again, things were neat and tidy, but it wasn’t the extreme cleanliness of Lamar’s room and bath. 

Liam went back to Lieutenant Corey.  “Someone cleaned the hell out of this bedroom and bath.” 

“What?”

“Come here.”  Liam motioned for him to follow.  “Take a whiff.” 

“Bleach.” 

“A lot of it.”

“So?”  He shrugged.  “They’re clean people.”

“The other bathrooms aren’t like this.” 

“Detective?” 

Liam turned to see a female officer standing next to him.  “What do you want us to do about the attic entrance?”

“Where?”

“In here.”  She walked to the closet in Lamar’s bedroom and pointed inside. 

Liam took the flashlight she offered and pointed it to the far right side of the closet.  There was a door.  He clicked the light off.  “It’s not an attic entrance.” 

She frowned.  “Then what is it?”

Liam called down the stairs where the second officer was waiting with the Mayor.

“Mayor Wilkins, could you join us for a moment, please?” 

Liam waited for him to appear in his son’s room.  He watched the man’s reaction carefully, but he didn’t look around the room like anything was amiss.  Liam pointed inside the closet. 

“May I ask where this goes?” 

The Mayor walked forward and looked into the closet.  “It’s another closet.  I was never sure why there was a door there.  I told Lamar he could store stuff in there if he liked.”