„Vincent…“ Owen let the thought trail away, his throat working frantically. He looked away. „He never hurt anyone, never. He was the gentlest man I ever knew.“
Kristen grabbed his arm. „Was? Owen, talk to me.“ He didn’t budge and Kristen pulled his arm harder. „Dammit, Owen, tell me if he’s still alive.“
Owen turned and there were tears in his eyes. „His priest is in with him now.“
It was like a fist hit her square in the chest. „Oh, God.“
Silence hung between them, then Kristen heard the muted strain of Pachelbel’s Canon inside her purse. She pulled out her cell phone to find no number on the caller ID.
„Hey, lady.“ A woman reading Cosmo glared at her. „You’re not supposed to be using that here. Can’t you read the sign?“
Cold with dread, Kristen put the phone to her ear. „Mayhew.“
„You have any answers yet?“ It was a male, that was all she could tell.
Kristen trembled, but held herself steady. „Who is this?“
„Answer yes or no, Miss Mayhew,“ the voice said mockingly. „Do you have an answer?“
Owen was motioning to the Cosmo lady to be quiet. „No,“ Kristen said. „I don’t.“
„Well,“ the voice said, „hurry up. Next time we won’t go for old men and women. We’ll go for youth.“ And he hung up.
Youth. „Rachel.“ Terrified, Kristin looked at her watch. Rachel’s school was letting out in fifteen minutes. She’d be alone. Because Aidan came here with me. Her gaze shot to the wall where he’d last been standing, but he was gone. Frantically she searched, until she saw him at a phone by the nurses’ station. She ran to him. „Where is Rachel?“
Aidan calmly hung up the phone. „Sean has her. She’s all right, Kristen.“
Kristen felt her knees give out and Aidan grabbed her shoulders. „You’re sure?“ Her voice shook and she didn’t care. „He said next time they’d go for youth. I thought about Rachel and I – “ Her throat closed and her eyes filled and Aidan pulled her against him, patting her back while she shuddered and tried to hold back what felt like a flood of tears.
„You can cry if you want to,“ he murmured. „I have two sisters, you know.“
Kristen grabbed his sweatshirt and held on. „I thought they had three brothers,“ she said between her teeth and felt his chest move in a huff of silent laughter.
„It’s all in your perspective, honey. Now, from where I’m standing, you’ve had a bad week. If you want to cry, you’re entitled.“
She gritted her teeth. „I won’t cry.“
„Then you won’t be needing this.“ He pushed a tissue in her hand and she dabbed at her eyes as surreptitiously as possible.
She pulled back and drew a deep breath. „Thanks. When did you call Sean? You’ve been at my side all this time.“
„I called downstairs when you were talking to the nurse.“
„But I didn’t hear you say anything.“
Aidan held out his phone. „Instant messaged him. I IM’d Abe also, but he’s out of the service area. I was just on the nurses’ phone to Spinnelli, to let him know what had happened. He’s got a team working these threats, Kristen. They’ll catch whoever hurt Dad and your friend.“
„It’s Conti,“ she said grimly. „I know it.“
„So do I. But Abe’s right. Until we get hard evidence, knowing it means nothing.“
Kristen looked over her shoulder at Owen, sitting alone. „I need to go back to him.“
„I’ll wait for you over here. We can stay as long as you need to.“
She found a smile and tentatively touched his arm. „Thanks. I mean it.“
Aidan’s cheeks darkened. „It’s okay. Go to your friend.“
„Is the girl all right?“ Owen asked when she’d rejoined him.
„Yes.“ He slumped back in his chair, relieved.
„Good. She seemed like a nice little girl.“
„Owen, I’m sorry. I should have warned you and Vincent. I feel responsible for this.“
His lips tightened. „You’ve been threatened, too?“
„Sunday night a man broke into my house.“ Owen paled and grabbed her hand. „It’s okay,“ she said. „I’m fine. Abe scared him away. But the man said that if I didn’t turn over the vigilante, then everyone I cared about would die. I should have warned you. I’m sorry.“
„You could have been killed,“ he said thinly. „Dear God. Who else have they hurt?“
„They threatened my mother.“
Owen’s face registered surprise. „I assumed your parents were dead.“
„My mother’s got Alzheimer’s. She… she doesn’t know me anymore. I visit as often as I can, but my dad won’t let me move her here. They didn’t hurt her. Just a threat.“
„Who else, Kristen? Who else have they hurt?“
„Abe’s dad. They beat him, too, just like Vincent.“ Her lips trembled and she pursed them severely. „He was okay, though. Poor Vincent.“
Owen took her chin in his hand. „You didn’t cause this, Kristen.“ Kristen said nothing and he rolled his eyes. „You don’t need to be hanging around the hospital. I’ll call you when Vincent comes out of surgery. Go back to your young man. He’s waiting for you.“
Kristen looked at Aidan who stood leaning against the wall, quietly watching. „That’s not Abe. That’s his brother, Aidan. Abe asked him to keep an eye out for me today.“
Owen took a long, measuring look at Aidan before nodding his approval. „The family has accepted you then. Good. Vincent and I have often worried about you, having no family, always hanging around two old men like us.“
Kristen squeezed Owen’s hands. „Don’t be worrying about me. I’m not a minute out of anyone’s sight.“ She grimaced, just a little. „It’s starting to do a number on my nerves, never being alone. But it shouldn’t be much longer. Look, I know Aidan has to get to work, so I’m going to have him take me home now. I’ll ask him to get someone to see you home.“
Owen smiled paternally. „That’s not necessary. I’ll see myself home.“
Kristen sighed. „Please think about it, Owen. You could be in as much danger as Vincent.“ As one they looked at the doors to surgery, but they remained closed. „You’ll call me as soon as he’s out of surgery?“
„You have my word.“
Wednesday, February 25,
3:55 p.m.
Abe crouched behind the cruiser. „It doesn’t look like anyone’s home.“ They’d found the old Worth property and on it a small shack. A stovepipe came through the roof, but there was no smoke. They’d been watching for twenty minutes and had seen not a hint of movement.
„Let’s go in,“ Mia said evenly and Abe realized it was their first ‘going in’ together.
„I’ll go first,“ he said. „You take my back.“
„There’s less of me to be a target,“ Mia protested. „With Ray I always went first.“
Abe glanced down at her, mildly perturbed. „I’m not Ray.“
„Flip a damn coin, people,“ Jack said irritably from his position behind a second cruiser. „I’d love to have some daylight to search the place since I’m sure this humble abode doesn’t have any electricity.“
„He’s right,“ Abe said. „Watch my back. Please.“ Abe moved out from behind the cruiser, weapon drawn, conscious that a sniper might be hiding anywhere on the property. He was wearing full tactical gear, but there was vulnerability on any initial approach, this one more than others with its thick tree growth to provide cover to a shooter. He edged toward the front porch, gingerly testing the floorboards before putting his weight on the first step.
„Watch my back,“ Mia muttered behind him, but she did as he asked. Nimbly she followed him up the stairs and they each took position on either side of the wooden door.