Page 11 of Delivering David

Brotherhood Protectors uses ex-military men and women.Was this man with that organization? They had wasted no time in arranging for Suzanne Bennett’s protection. She must know a great deal more about The Cadre’s work than they had guessed.

“Calm yourself,” he warned the glowering Toby. “I told you she would come back. Soft-hearted women always stick their noses where they don’t belong, especially if it involves children. Those bleeding hearts always think they can save the world.”

“What are we gonna do now?” Toby asked sullenly.

“We wait and watch for them to come out,” Bogdan told him. Breaking into this empty house across the street last night after he killed Mercy Phillips had been child’s play and the perfect place to hide. The FOR-SALE SIGN in the front yard had guaranteed that. Even though it was just two days after Christmas, a realtor might come by later to show the property, so they needed to leave soon and return after dark.

“I’ll bet that guy with her is a cop,” Toby muttered. “How am I supposed to get close to her when she’s got a cop with her? I’m not about to kill a cop, no matter what our bosses say. That’s the death penalty for sure.”

“You are too eager, Toby,” Bogdan warned softly. “Being too eager leads to mistakes, and our employers want no mistakes.” The Cadre thought they were scary, but Bogdan had worked for scarier people in Europe. Fools.

“So, what are we going to do?” Toby demanded again.

“There is a bicycle in the garage,” Bogdan said. “Go get it and go out through the side door there and wait. When you see the black and white leave, follow them at a distance. Do you have what you need if they should stop?”

“Yeah, but what if I lose them?” Toby demanded. “How am I supposed to find her again?”

“You won’t,” Bogdan told him. “She will snoop around, I guarantee it, and you will find her. You will have your way with the Bennett woman. Now, go.”

Still muttering, Toby left, and Bogdan tweaked the drapes aside just enough to peer outside. Yes, there was something familiar about that man with Suzanne Bennett. It would come to him soon enough. It always did, but now he was tired and needed to sleep. Killing three people so close together, while necessary, was exhausting. He just hoped he wouldn’t have to kill Toby for being a hot head.

And there was something familiar about that man. Bogdan raised his high-powered binoculars, parted the drapes, and waited.

“Well, that was a lot of nothing,”Suzanne complained as they drove out of Mercy’s driveway. Despite searching every possible hiding place where Mercy might have hidden her address book, they’d found nothing, not even her parents’ travel itinerary.

“You tried,” Kristopher reassured her. “Any chance she left it at work?”

“Maybe,” Suzanne said. “She always bought a one address–appointment book at the first of the year, so maybe that’s where it is.”

“Or maybe her killer took it, thinking the people in it might know something,” Kristopher suggested. “It’s not likely that David took it, is it?”

She gasped and he watched tears brighten her eyes and then roll down her cheeks. “No,” she choked, lowering her head so her hair framed her face.

Damn, Brower. How about a little sensitivity?He pulled over to the curb and reached for her hand. “If I let you shoot me for being a first-class asshole, will that help?”

“Probably,” she said her head still lowered. “Are you ‘packing’?”

“Always,” he said. “Suzanne, that was the stupidest damn thing I’ve ever said to anyone. I’m sorry.”

She looked up and Kristopher’s heart turned over at the sorrow haunting her face. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not,” he insisted. “My protecting you is more than just keeping you physically safe. It’s–”

“But you’re right,” she interrupted, squeezing his hand. “As much as it hurts, the facts are still the facts. Someone killed Mercy, most likely for what she guessed or knew about the Campbell girls vanishing. And whoever did that, most likely has David. Or he’s hiding somewhere and too terrified to move.”

“And we’re going to find him.” Kristopher undid his safety belt to move closer and enfold her in his arms. “My gut tells me we’re gonna do that.”

“Me too,” she whispered, raising her head to accept his kiss. Her lips were soft and sweet, tasting like coffee and cream, one of Kristopher’s favorite things. Best slowly savored, and even better when done between the sheets of a very warm bed.

Then they were pulling back, muttering apologies, smoothing their hair and clothing. Suzanne took out his handkerchief from her dress pocket, dried her face and then looked over his shoulder. “Do you think Grant Miller will be mad at us if we go look at something?”

“That depends,” Kristopher said, savoring the lingering taste of her lips on his while mentally kicking himself for lack of control. “What is it?”

“Over there.” She leaned against him again, which was quite all right with Kristopher. “Or actually, down the street and around the corner. There’s a skateboard park. Whatcha want to bet there’s some kids trying out new boards? And maybe some of them know David?”

“Is he a boarder?” Kristopher asked.

“He wants to be,” Suzanne said. “I’m giving him one for his birthday next month, but he likes to hang out at the park and talk to the kids there.”

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