change in places like that damn homeless shelter. I have Simon Granger to thank for that.”
“Simon?”
“Before he returned to the streets, he stayed a captain just long enough to cut a police department program for budgetary reasons. I got the ax.”
“But you just acknowledged it wasn’t for personal reasons,” she said. “He was just doing his job.”
He shrugged. “So was I. And I’m going to continue doing it.” He motioned with the gun, clearly directing her to walk away from the building and toward the nearby street. “Come on. Let’s go. Your boyfriend’s going to track us down any second, and I need to get a head start on him. You’re coming with me as my little insurance policy.”
“He’s coming after you? Because he believes you murdered those homeless men? He hasn’t said anything to me about you and we were working together very closely—”
The man grabbed her arm, shoved the gun in her side and started forcibly walking her toward the street. He snorted. “Yeah, I know exactly how close you two have been working. I’ve got to say, the guy impressed me. Despite everything I was throwing at you, he still managed to get you in the sack. Guess your involvement in two teenage suicides wasn’t enough to kill the mood. Did you think of them while he was fucking you?”
Furiously, Nina tried to wrench away, gasping in pain when he merely tightened his hold.
“Uh-uh. None of that. I’m sure that whore Simon brought as his date has identified me already so let’s just keep moving.”
“The woman...she’s a...”
“A prostitute. And a witness against me. That’s obviously why he brought her here. To try to ID me.”
“And she did,” she said slowly.
“Probably, but you should have seen the look on your face when you saw them. It was priceless, really. I think he hurt you more in that moment than everything I did to you combined. Personally, that’s why I’m single.”
Right, Nina thought darkly. That’s why.
“Ah, good,” the man said. “There’s my car just up ahead. Won’t be too long now before—”
“Harold McGrogen, stop right there.” Simon’s voice suddenly boomed behind them.
The man holding Nina paused and stiffened. Slowly, he turned them both around until they faced Simon. “So you remember me now, huh? Too bad you didn’t the first time you saw me at Welcome Home. But it wouldn’t have mattered. You wouldn’t have suspected me even then. You were too busy chasing Lester Davenport.”
“Put down your weapon,” Simon ordered.
“I don’t think so,” McGrogen answered. “I suggest you put down your weapon before I shoot your girlfriend here.”
Simon looked at Nina and she tried to hide her fear. She wasn’t a fool. She was terrified that she was going to get hurt. That the man was going to shoot her before Simon could stop him. But Harold McGrogen was banking on her fear and Simon’s fear for her to keep them predictable. To make them mess up and enable him to get away. She could at least deny him that.
“Harold, listen to me,” he said in a low voice, though it was obviously tight with tension. “I want to help you.”
McGrogen laughed. “Wow, this is hilarious. Seriously, Granger? You’re trying to talk me down with de-escalation techniques? Use my name? Convince me that you’re not a threat? So that what? I surrender and spend the rest of my days in prison?” He scowled. “No thanks. You might as well shoot me now and get it over with. Or try to, at least,” he said and laughed.
“Hey, whash—whash goin’ on here?”
At the sound of DeMarco’s voice behind them, Nina jerked.
McGrogen whirled, keeping his gun on Nina but turning to the side as he tried to keep an eye on both Simon and DeMarco, who was staggering slightly.
“What ya doing out here? The party’s insi—inshide.”
Was he drunk? Nina wondered. Or simply pretending to be?
“Get the hell out of here,” McGrogen snapped, obviously believing DeMarco was drunk and apparently not realizing he was a law enforcement officer. Why would he? DeMarco was wearing a tux, was playing the drunk and it was conceivable McGrogen had never met or heard of him. Wasn’t it?
She glanced at Simon, whose gaze mets hers. Instinctively, she knew he was thinking the same thing.
“Don’ be like that, man. I jus’ wanna—” DeMarco stumbled closer and McGrogen fired.
The retort of the gun blasted in Nina’s ears and her body jerked along with McGrogen’s arm.
Nina screamed as DeMarco fell to the ground.
“No!” Her cry echoed Simon’s.
McGrogen still held