Page 59 of Cold Vengeance

River’s anger dissipated and she laughed. “Always.”

“Look, I know you’re probably concerned about Nathan going home, but if the complex has beefed up security and he won’t be alone, I’m sure it will be fine.”

“If you say so. I just want him to be safe,” River said.

“Well, maybe you’ll feel better when I tell you what that call was about.”

“Go for it.”

“I just heard back from the police in Walker, Michigan,” Tony said. “You know, about the missing mother, Emily Smallwood?”

“Sure.”

“Well, April solved another one.” Tony shook his head. “I can’t say this makes me completely happy, but it turns out that Emily’s son, Brandon, hired a couple of his friends to kill his abusive mother. The friends cracked under questioning. Brandon had promised them money after he inherited Emily’s estate. Brandon gave them some of it, but not all of it. He knew they would keep his secret because they didn’t want to go to prison. The police were able to convince them that Brandon was blaming them for the whole thing, so they shot their mouths off.”

“But Brandon hadn’t said anything, right?”

“Right.”

“I realize Brandon may have told himself he was trying to protect his sister,” River said, “but as we both know, there are much better ways. He could have contacted his father or family services for help.”

“You’re right. Anyway, the friends told the police where Emily is buried.” Tony shook his head. “This case makes me sad.”

“Me too,” River said. “But you know what? April seems to be closing more cases than a lot of police departments. I keep saying this, but she really impresses me.”

“I hear you.” Tony looked at the clock. “I think it’s time to get out of here. You have to prepare for tomorrow. What time do you want me there?”

“Supper is at six. Why don’t you get there at five? I may need you to talk me off the ledge.”

Tony chuckled. “Well, since your mother’s house is only one story, I think you’d survive the fall.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I get it,” Tony said, grinning. “What can I bring?”

“I’d say wine if any of us drank.” River sighed. “Let me check with Mrs. Weyland. I’m not sure what’s on the menu.”

“Sounds good. Just call me later.”

While Tony gathered Watson’s things, she picked Watson up and held him in her arms.

“He can walk, you know,” Tony said.

“It’s a long way to the car and it’s freezing outside. I don’t want his paws to get cold.”

Tony shook his head. “You just want to carry him, don’t you?”

“Oh, hush. Let’s get going.”

As they walked toward the door, she realized she hadn’t grabbed her laptop or her notebook. She wouldn’t be working much over the weekend, and all of April’s information was with the police. Rather than put Watson down, she decided to leave her stuff behind. Monday would be here soon enough.

As she got her coat and waited for Tony, she tried to ignore the knot in her stomach. Tomorrow she would face her father for the first time in decades. She was an adult now. A former behavioral analyst for the FBI. So why did she feel like that same little girl who’d watched her father walk out of her life so many years ago?

CHAPTER

THIRTY-TWO

After dropping River off at her house and watching her go inside, Tony drove home. He pulled up in front of his apartment complex and got out of his SUV. Although there wasn’t a guard on duty, there was an entrance door that needed a code to open. The apartment doors faced inside, which also added security. Tony got Watson and his things out of the car, then headed to the entrance. Although he didn’t believe anyone was following him, he looked around, making certain no one was hanging around who shouldn’t be. He entered the code and went into the building. Once inside, he walked down the hall to his own apartment and let himself in. He had his own security system, even though he wasn’t sure it was necessary. River had insisted on it when they’d first realized the Strangler’s partner was stalking them. She’d told Tony that if she needed one, he did too. Rather than argue with her, he’d given in so she wouldn’t worry. He punched in his code, then put his stuff down and got Watson settled. He walked into the bedroom and changed his clothes. After that he headed into the kitchen and took a pizza out of the fridge. He’d just put the pizza on a plate and stuck it in the microwave when he heard a strange noise. He was on his way to check it out when a huge flash and the sound of an explosion knocked him to the floor.

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