Page 22 of Just for Him
Chapter Ten: Vinnie
Though it was officiallymy day off, I went in to the station. I knew I wouldn’t be able to think about anything besides the case and figured I might as well do something productive while Haven got some rest.
Her face kept popping up in my thoughts, making me more determined than ever to put a stop to those terrorizing my town and the people I cared about.
Yes, I cared about Haven, more than I probably should at this stage of the game, but despite my best efforts, I couldn’t control how I felt. My heart and body were in agreement. My head, which had been stubbornly reminding me of all the reasons I shouldn’t get seriously involved with someone, wasn’t protesting as loudly anymore. In fact, that little voice was eerily silent.
I suspected it had something to do with the fear and the constant parade of “what-ifs” marching through my mind. What if Cal Lindelman hadn’t done what he did? Haven could be in that hospital right now. What if Dom hadn’t gotten them out in time, and they succumbed to smoke inhalation or worse? And the biggest “what-if” of all: what if I lost the woman I was meant to spend my life with before I pulled my head out of my ass and did something about it?
Hannibal and Lecter were with one of our audio-visual techs, reviewing the surveillance footage from Lindelman’s. I pulled up a chair and joined them, rationalizing that I might be of use. Beyond the personal interest I had in the case, I was at the diner practically every night. I knew the regulars and was familiar with the types who frequented the place after “normal” business hours. If there was anyone acting suspicious or didn’t look like he belonged, I had a good chance of spotting him.
They were concentrating on the feed from the last twenty-four hours and would work backward from there if necessary. At one point, Lecter paused the video and pointed to Joel sitting at the counter. The kid had books in front of him, though his focus kept returning to the security camera itself. Hannibal looked at me. “Does the kid usually come in at night like that?”
“No,” I answered honestly, wishing I could tell him differently.
“Hmph.” They resumed the video.
For the next several minutes, we watched people come, go, and move around. Joel seemed more interested in the goings-on of the diner than his schoolwork. I wasn’t the only one who picked up on that.
“Seems pretty convenient, him showing up the same night the place is hit,” Hannibal said.
Lecter grunted in agreement.
“Maybe he was just concerned for his sister. He was a little shaken when I told him about the attack on my brother’s girlfriend.”
“Maybe,” he said, his tone skeptical.
I had to admit it didn’t look great, but I had a hard time believing Joel would put Haven in danger. Just the opposite, in fact.
The more I watched, the more I was convinced Joel’s behavior was more that of someone on high-alert than someone scoping out a place with ill-intent. Especially when I came in. Then the kid seemed to visibly relax. If he had been up to no good, my presence should have made him more high-strung, not less.
Which gave me an idea.
“Pull up the footage from the security cameras south of the diner, starting with the one on Baker Street and going from there.”
“Time window?”
“Around midnight.”
The A/V guy did his thing and, after about fifteen minutes, I found what I had been looking for.
Three blocks down from Lindelman’s, Joel was approached by a couple of guys dressed in dark hoodies. It was impossible to make a positive ID, but they looked familiar enough for me to peg them as some of Slash’s boys. Joel’s defensive body language suggested it wasn’t a friendly encounter.
“Joel is very protective of Haven,” I said, watching the exchange, “and threatening her is exactly the kind of thing Slash would do to keep Joel in line.”
Hannibal sat back, his brow creased in thought. “You think the hit on the diner was a message?”
