Say Goodbye (Romantic Suspense #25) - Karen Rose Page 0,208

the movement more caring than sexual. “Ten people were taken to the hospital. Three serious, one critical. The critical one wasn’t in the blast. She was shot.”

“The minivan owner.”

“Yeah.” Tom wasn’t sure what the news had covered and what it hadn’t. He’d been too busy at the scene and then in a marathon team meeting in Raeburn’s conference room. “He was in too much of a hurry to double-tap her like he’s done with his other victims.”

She unfastened the top buttons of his shirt, allowing him to breathe. “At least you found her in time.”

“True.” Two of the cars tailing DJ Belmont had finally managed to get free of the traffic disaster, only to find DJ in the wind once again. He’d abandoned the Honda Civic that he’d stolen from Kathy McGrail on Saturday night and taken the woman’s minivan.

“Do you know where he is?” she asked cautiously.

“No. He ditched the minivan for a laundry truck, then traded that for a really old pickup without GPS. He’s in the wind. Again.”

“He was so close,” she murmured. “Just around the corner. Karl and Irina knew Mr. Smythe, but only to wave when they were out walking.”

“His wife is angry.”

“I can see why,” she said.

“Not with DJ. Well, not only with DJ,” he amended. “She’s furious with Karl and Irina for welcoming ‘troublemakers’ into their home.”

Liza immediately scowled. “What the hell?”

He shrugged wearily. “I know. It was a very unpleasant conversation. She arrived home when I was still at her house, before I got called to the scene of the blast. She was . . . incensed.”

“She’s in shock, I’m sure.”

“Yeah, but I’m not looking forward to the interviews she’s already threatening to give to the news. Karl and Irina don’t deserve any of that.”

“Should we warn them?”

“Raeburn will, so that it’ll be official and on the record. He’s supposed to call them tonight.”

“I think he did already. Karl excused himself from the movie to take a call right about the same time that I heard you opening the garage door.” She stroked his hair off his forehead, gentle little caresses. “There was also a report about a disturbance at another house nearby. A robbery with several homicides. The reports didn’t say it was DJ, but it was, wasn’t it? Was that the call you got from Croft this morning?”

He nodded. “The homeowner’s a leader in the Chicos.”

Her eyes widened. “DJ’s tattoo that Abigail saw. Is that where DJ got the dynamite?”

“And several rifles and handguns and ammo.” He sighed. “I didn’t know the news was reporting that. Normally I’m on top of coverage, but today it’s been one thing after another. What else are they saying?”

“Not that there was a gang connection, but they did say the homeowner and his family are missing. They speculated that it might be a ransom situation.”

Tom thought about the way Angelina Ward had left her devices neatly stacked on the kitchen counter. “Unlikely. But I am concerned about his wife and kids.”

“There was one more murder reported. A teacher at a private school here in Granite Bay.”

He sighed again. “What did the media say about her?”

“At first only that her body was found. There was some talk from her friends that she’d had a bad breakup, and some thought that her ex could have done it. Later, though, when parents at the school heard about the ‘disturbance’ at the Wards’ home, and that the family was missing, they put it together that one of the Ward children was in the dead teacher’s class.”

“Busy day for the media,” Tom muttered.

“Did DJ kill her, too?”

“Croft is working that case. She thinks so.” He stopped himself before he said his next words, which would have been I do, too, because the man is a murderer and you’re walking into Sunnyside tomorrow like a lamb to slaughter. Please don’t do it.

But he didn’t, because she’d known DJ was a murderer when she’d agreed to the job. That he’d killed more people wasn’t going to change her mind.

If anything, it would strengthen her resolve. So he bit the words back, even though he was screaming inside. “Can we not talk about this right now? I just want to hold you, okay?”

“More than okay.”

She sat on his lap, giving him the closeness he’d needed—until his stomach growled loudly. She pushed to her feet. “Let me feed you.”

Tom guessed that the food he ate was delicious, but he barely tasted it. It was as if all the sleepless nights had finally hit