Unfinished Business (17 page)

 
“Sorry I’m late,” Christy said, slipping into the chair across the table from Alex. “Were you waiting long?”

He glanced up from the menu. “No, actually, I just got here myself.”

“Did you enjoy the sights?”

He smiled. “The sights were great.”

He wondered just how much she would tell him if he were to ask how her investigation had gone. He had sat in the hotel’s cafe, unobserved, while she talked for almost an hour to the woman she had met there. He had no idea what they’d discussed, but it was obvious Christy had hung on to the woman’s every word. He’d also hung in the background while she had strolled around the Philadelphia port. A call he got on his way to meet her for lunch, had been from a friend at the Bureau who indicated he’d run into a snag getting information about a group called the Body Snatchers, but that he would continue to do his research.

“Did you find out anything that might help you in your investigation?” Alex decided to go ahead and ask.

“Possibly.” Refusing to meet his gaze, she pulled a menu out of the rack and began studying it. “Umm, everything looks good. What are you having?”

“I haven’t ordered yet,” he decided to say, feeling somewhat disappointed she wasn’t telling him anything. “But a hamburger and French fries sounds good.”

She glanced up at him and smiled. “I think that’s what I’ll have, too.”

Heavy rain kept them from leaving Philadelphia until later and they got back in Cincinnati past the evening hours. Alex suggested they do takeout instead of going out to dinner, and on the way stopped by a soul food restaurant.

Together they set the table, the smell of fried chicken, crème corn, rice pilaf, and corn bread filling Christy’s kitchen. After sitting down and saying grace she and Alex wasted no time digging in, enjoying each other and the food.

They hadn’t done a lot of talking on the flight back and now their conversation focused on how everyone was taking bets on whether Clayton and Syneda would have another child, since Remington, who would be celebrating her third birthday in a few months, was quite a handful, and how well Blade and Slade were doing with the construction company and the big projects they were getting.

They were finishing up their slices of peach cobbler when Christy looked up. “The Philadelphia Police Department is standing behind their report that Mark Tyler’s death was an accident, but . . .”

Alex waited for her to continue, and when he saw the indecisive look on her face he asked, “But what?”

She breathed deeply, then said, “I met with his girlfriend and she provided some interesting information.”

Alex lifted a brow. “Such as?”

“Such as the fact that Mark was assigned to the investigation so there’s no way Lieutenant Jones didn’t know about it. And Mark was operating on the premise that some high-powered individuals were behind the Body Snatchers, and that the ringleader was from the Philly area.”

Alex took a sip of his iced tea. “That is interesting. Does she have any proof of this?”

Christy leaned back in her chair and laced her hands together. “No, but I have a feeling that Bonita contacted him about what was going down in Columbus. I plan on tracing phone records tomorrow since Bonita owned a cell phone. I also went to the docks to check out the place where Mark rented that boat. The guy wasn’t helpful, but he did mention Mark was eager to take a boat out that day.”

“Umm, I wonder why?”

“So do I. I’m going to spend my time on the Internet tonight to see if I can find information as to what other boats went out that day as well.”

Alex released an indrawn breath and leaned back in his chair. “Well, considering how it appears things are going with this, I think it’s best that you pull out and let the federal authorities come in and do an in-depth investigation. In fact, I know someone within the Bureau, a good friend by the name of Leon Hughes, who will—”

“No, Alex, I thought I made myself clear in the beginning. I’m going to see this investigation through until the end.”

He fiercely frowned at her. “Think about what you’re involving yourself in, Christy. Mark Tyler had good intentions, but good intentions got him killed. You need to turn whatever information you have over to people who can handle the—”

“No,” Christy said, straightening in her seat and glaring at him. “I don’t care what you say, Alex, the answer is still no. The FBI had their chance, and they blew it. According to Mariah, they questioned her after Mark Tyler’s death and did nothing. As far as I’m concerned, they might be as corrupt as the police department seems to be. Why didn’t Lieutenant Jones admit Mark was involved in an investigation?”

Anger flitted through Alex’s eyes. “I have no idea, and if the Bureau didn’t take action on Mariah Long’s information, there’s a good reason for it.”

“Yeah, you would say that, ready to defend them at any cost. After all the corruption that was discovered within the CIA and FBI during that episode with Drake and Tori, I won’t discount anything,” she said refusing to back down.

Alex held Christy’s gaze steadily. “You’re taking things to the extreme.”

She lifted a defiant chin. “It’s my right to take it wherever I want to take it, Alex Maxwell, and as far as I’m concerned this conversation is over. And don’t expect me to discuss the Patterson case with you again.”

He stood and glared at her. “The hell you won’t.”

She stood and glared right back. “The hell I will.”

Alex walked around the table. He had reached his limit with her stubbornness. When he came to a stop in front of her, he narrowed her eyes and said, “You enjoy being difficult, don’t you?”

“If that’s what you think, then yes, I enjoy it,” she said, holding her ground.

“In that case, you won’t be satisfied until you get yourself killed,” he said in a growl, leaning over and bringing his face within inches of hers.

“It’s my life to do just what I please with, and you can’t tell me how to live it or what to do with it.”

Alex glared through darkened slits. “The hell I can’t!”

“The hell you can!”

Alex’s face hardened even more; his chest felt tight, convulsed; anger locked his jaw; and his hands tightened into fists at his sides. He drew in a deep breath, and for one heart-stopping moment he felt he was losing it, actually losing control, which was something he thought could never happen to him again. He wanted to snatch her in his arms and show her just what he could do. She was his and her life wasn’t hers alone; it was also his. The thought of losing her was more than he could bear at the moment. He took a step back away from her and dragged in another deep breath, knowing he could not lose control now. He could not allow her to push him into doing that.

“I’m leaving,” he said, walking out of the kitchen and through the living room as he headed for the front door.

An angry Christy was right on his heels. “Good, I’m glad you’re leaving. You want my love but not once have you said anything about giving me yours. So go and don’t bother coming back.”

He stopped with his hand on the doorknob, his gaze angrily locked with hers. “I’ll be back, Christy. You can count on it. And when I return we’ll settle things between us once and for all.”

And then he left, slamming the door behind him.

The sound of the door slamming woke Albert Ford. He watched as the big hulk of a man angrily walked away from the woman’s apartment, got in his car, and drove off.
Umm, evidently there’s trouble in paradise
, Ford thought as he leaned back in his car seat, shaking his head.

He still hadn’t gotten word on the man’s identity. Ford had followed the couple to the airport that morning, and after checking their flight plans he had discovered they had taken a trip to Philadelphia.

Ford sighed, thinking it was time to stretch his legs. Opening the car door, he got out and had turned to walk around it when suddenly, “What the hell!”

“Don’t move!”

Ford suddenly found himself face-to-face with the barrel of a small but deadly revolver that was aimed directly at the area between his eyes. He stilled, too startled to move. He met the man’s gaze. It was the same man who had stormed out of the woman’s apartment just moments ago. Damn! How in the hell had he circled around and come back without being seen?

From the look on the man’s face it was obvious he was still angry, and he was all but growling when he said, “Who are you and why have you been keeping tabs on my woman?”

An angry Christy paced the confines of her living room. Alex thought she was being difficult and she thought he was being controlling. How dare he tell her what she could and could not do? Just who did he think he was? He wouldn’t like it if someone were to dictate rules to him regarding his job, so why was he trying to do so for hers?

No matter what he thought, she could take care of herself. She was just as capable of facing danger as he was. OK, so he had been there to get her out of a rather sticky situation with Kevin that night at the club, but that had been one isolated incident. Just when she’d felt herself mellowing toward him a little, he would do or say something that ticked her off.

And then he had the nerve to say he would be coming back and they would settle things between them once and for all. Ha! There was nothing for them to settle. It wouldn’t bother her in the least if she never saw him again. If he thought she would give him her undying love when she didn’t have his, he was stone crazy.

She snapped her head around when she heard the ringing of the telephone. If that was him calling, she would let him know in no uncertain terms that they had nothing else to say to each other.

Crossing the room, she snatched up the receiver. “What!”

“Christy? Christy Madaris?”

Christy frowned, not recognizing the voice at first, and then she drew in a deep breath when she did, her anger momentarily forgotten. “Mariah? Yes, this is Christy.”

“You told me to call you if I found out anything else or if I remembered something.”

“Yes, and have you?”

“I think I have. I’d forgotten that the last time Mark came over to my place he woke up in the middle of the night to use my computer. I just noticed that he flagged something in the
‘Favorite Places’
of my Internet.”

“What?”

“Information on a place called Vanuatu. Have you ever heard of it?”

Christy shook her head. “No. But I’m going to look up information about it. Do you think that’s where he planned to go before he was killed?”

“I believe so.”

“Well, I’m going to see what I can find out and I’ll get back to you.”

“OK.”

After hanging up the phone Christy walked across the room to her office, intent on finding out all she could about this place called Vanuatu.

Sweat popped out on Albert Ford’s forehead. The man staring at him had dark eyes, almost filled with glacial ice. For some reason Ford had a feeling he wouldn’t hesitate to use the weapon if he had to.

“You have less than a second to start talking or I will put a bullet in your ass.”

Ford swallowed. “I’m a federal agent. I’m here on government business,” he quickly said.

“Bullshit.”

Ford sighed. “Look, I’m telling the truth. If you give me a second I can get my badge and show it to you.”

Holding his gaze while still aiming his revolver between his eyes, Alex took a step back. As soon as he’d walked out of Christy’s apartment he had experienced that uneasy feeling again. He had gotten into his car and circled around the complex and parked, returning on foot to check things out. He had recognized the car as the one that had followed them to the airport that morning. And now this guy claiming to be a federal agent was a bit too much. If there was a chance he was telling the truth, then why would the FBI have a tail on Christy?

“Remove it slowly,” Alex said.

Ford nodded. He carefully eased his badge out of the top pocket of his shirt and carefully flipped it open.

Alex studied the badge. Then he drew in a deep breath and said, “Damn.”