The Enforcer - Kelli Callahan Page 0,45
want me to take you to him?” He frowns down at me, and I swallow hard, not knowing the answer myself.
“What would he do if he found me? Or if I showed up?”
“Kill you,” he says with a casual shrug. You’d think that we were discussing something more mundane, like an upcoming tennis meeting.
“Okay…” I say slowly. “So then, is there any benefit in going to him or knowing who he is?” I wonder, having no desire to meet the murderer, but wondering what the man beside me knows.
“Protecting those you love like Jake?” he asks.
“Jake,” I whisper. “What about Jake? How do you know about us? Is he in trouble?”
“He will be. If this doesn’t get sorted out quickly. He’ll do anything he can to get to you, he’s desperate.”
“Why,” I ask, feeling weak.
“Why indeed. As the middleman, I can’t say much, but I was chosen to guard your door for a reason.”
“What reason is that?”
“The man who chose me knows that I follow the money. I won’t let anything happen to you as long as he pays.”
I stare in disbelief. “I thought you were a police officer.”
“I am. We’re back at your room Ms. Marshall.”
“So, if the man who hired you hadn’t gotten to you first, would you be here to lead me to my killer?” I ask.
He stares at me, his hazel eyes assessing.
“I guess I’m fortunate that my man got to you first,” I say.
“You certainly are.” He smirks.
I stare dumbfounded. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because Miss Marshall. The criminal world is not all Black and white. There are gray areas, as you’ll find the more time you get to know us. I’m a gray area, a middleman. I’m on my own side. And you shouldn’t trust anyone, even the people you hold close.”
“I know. I was married to the mayor, after all; the man who should have protected me and loved me spent his days harassing me and abusing me.”
“Then you should be used to it by now. You know how the game goes.”
“The game?” I ask, and he smiles, closing the door between us.
Chapter Sixteen
Jake
I pace back and forth in the police station. My hands stiff at my sides.
“So, you’re telling me that you can ID this man as the person who you hired?” I turn to Noah. “By the name you hired him under, his false name. He’s no longer at his previous address. Basically, we know nothing about him, and he’s just another face in the crowd!” I yell, anger rising with me.
“Watch your tone there boy,” Noah growls, standing tall before me.
“Come on, guys,” Charlie says, reaching a hand over and resting it on Noah’s bicep. “There’s no point in being angry with each other about this. If anyone knew what was going on before, of course you would have done something differently. I think that was one of his lessons, from now on he’s going to do actual background checks. Right?” she asks, turning and facing him to give him a significant look.
“Right. I guess,” he murmurs.
I scowl and say, “This is gonna happen again?”
“Chill, Jake, there’s not much point in it all― that’s what I’m saying. Everyone has a criminal background. If they don’t, they’re lying.”
Charlie stares. “I don’t have a criminal background.”
“Liar,” he says, pointing an index finger at her and turning away from her.
“I’m not lying!” she gasps.
I roll my eyes. This is not the time for petty arguments between couples.
“When you were fifteen years old,” Noah says, rounding on her. “I caught you shoplifting that red bikini, remember?”
“What?” she stares her face flushing.
“He caught you shoplifting?” Kenton demands. “I didn’t raise a thief!”
“She put it back,” Noah says, then shrugs. “Don’t worry I talked sense into her.” Noah winks. Then places his hands in his pockets, appearing relaxed once more.
“Okay, so we thought we knew stuff. But now we don’t.” Lucy whispers. “We still have a face. A face is something right? Can’t you run it through some kind of database, Dad?” She turns to Kenton .
“I can, and I am, but it’s going to take a while to sort through the driver’s licenses. It’s not as fast as it seems on TV.”
“Okay.” Lucy sighs. “Well, we can put up posters around town and talk to anyone who would have seen him. Customers who had their cars worked on by him, other people at the shop.”
“I can, but I don’t think it’s gonna get us very far. Kid’s not from around here, kept to himself,