Page 18 of Crossroads of Innocence
“Dammit,” Wade muttered into the phone. A fresh wave of fear slammed against him as he pulled up the security feed in the small office off the kitchen. The blue sedan appeared on screen, a clear shot of the license plate visible. “This just went from bad to worse, didn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Cruz said. “It did. This guy’s more dangerous than we thought. He’s not just a common criminal. His ties to the mafia make him an even bigger threat. Did he hurt you? Damage any of your property—either the bar or upstairs in your apartment? We already have a list of crimes to pin on him, but the more ammunition we can use the better.”
Wade shot to his feet, knocking the chair backward to the floor. The clattering sound rang against the bare walls. “I didn’t even think to check upstairs.”
“I’m pulling in the parking lot now. Let me in then we’ll head up together.”
Wade disconnected the call and rushed to the glass door. He watched Cruz jump out of his cruiser and jog to the entrance of the Chill N’ Grill. He let Cruz in, then locked up and ran toward the stairwell. A cold sweat broke out on the back of his neck. A man who’d hit a woman might not have any qualms about hurting a dog. If Macey were hurt, he’d never forgive himself.
Pushing into his private quarters, his heart lodged in his throat at the mess waiting to greet him. Cushions were tossed off the furniture, the quilt ripped from his bed, and cabinets cleared of all their contents. Piles of fractured dishes and shredded paper littered the floor.
He took another step inside, surveying the damage and searching for his mom’s dog. “Macey?” he asked softly. “Come here girl.” He listened for any clue of where the dog could be.
A tiny whimper sounded from the corner of the room, behind his bed, before Macey bolted forward.
Crouching low, he opened his arms, and she capitulated her shaking body against him. He stood and rested a steady palm on the back of her head. “It’s okay, girl. I got ya. Everything’s okay.”
“Sonofabitch.” Cruz swept his cowboy hat off his head. “I’m sorry, man. This sucks.”
Wade shrugged and held Macey closer. “Nothing that can’t be replaced. Could have been worse, but why do this? Why come up here and trash my place?”
“My bet is the guy’s got one hell of a temper. Probably came up here hoping to find Jude, or at least something to point to where she is. When he didn’t find anything, he went nuts. Destroyed your place the same way he did Jude’s motorcycle. Sends a pretty clear message he’s unhinged and pissed.”
Wade picked his way past the debris. He righted one of the kitchen chairs and sat. “And if he’s working for some well-known criminal organization, he was sent here to do a job. One he probably has no choice but to finish.”
“Exactly. Families like the one we’re dealing with don’t take kindly to things—or people—slipping through the cracks. Especially when finishing a job means bringing in the evidence, and witness, that could put one of their own behind bars.”
“He won’t stop until he finds Jude,” Wade said, swallowing past the terror wedged in his throat.
Cruz crossed the room to stand in front of him and rested a heavy hand on his shoulder. “We won’t let that happen.”
Wade dropped his head forward. “She’s got so much stacked against her. How can we keep her safe?”
“First, that’s my job and I’m damn good at it. Jude might have left Pine Valley for whatever reason, but it’s clear she has plenty of people in town still in her corner. Willing to fight for her. And one thing I’ve learned from my time in this town, we’re more than capable of taking care of our own.”
A sad smile lifted the corner of Wade’s mouth. The pep talk was needed, and a damn good one, but it didn’t make the butterflies in his stomach dissipate.
“We also have some good news,” Cruz continued.
Wade lifted his gaze, eyes wide. “What’s that?”
“I called Mill Harbor PD again after I found out what we’re dealing with. I gave them more details, while being careful to omit Jude’s name. Detective Hocking assured me they don’t believe Jude killed anyone, but they want to speak with her.”
Apprehension tickled the back of Wade’s neck. “I’m not sure if she’ll go for that. She was adamant she didn’t want any police involved. Getting her to speak to you was like pulling teeth.”
“Maybe we can at least get her to make a copy of the picture she took. That might be enough to appease the police up in Mill Harbor but keep her from putting herself in harm’s way.”
“I’ll ask her.” Wade sighed, the impossibility of events weighing him down. All the times he’d imagined Jude coming back into his life, he’d never once thought she’d bring so much turmoil. All he’d ever wanted to do was make Jude happy, to help her in any way he could, but now that she was here, he didn’t have a clue how he’d keep her safe.
“I can come with you, if you’d think it’d help.”
“No thanks. I’ll clean this place up a little then head to Chet’s. She’ll want to know what you found out, and I’ll mention the picture. If she thinks it will help put an end to all this she might jump on board.”
“Do you want some help?” Cruz glanced around the wrecked room.
“Nah. You have more important things on your plate, and this shouldn’t take me too long. Don’t have much stuff.”
Firming his lips in a thin line, Cruz nodded then left with a promise to keep in touch.
