Banning's Woman

  Chris watched the retreating police car before slamming out of his car and storming up the steps.

  He pushed past Kieran without a word and stalked across the room to where Bren was just discarding her briefcase. “I told you to wait for me. Why the hell would you allow someone else to bring you home?”

  She turned to face him. “You also said you’d be right back. And then I never heard from you. Not one word. I tried your phone a dozen times or more. No answer. When Trevor offered to take me home, I refused. But then I saw Noah Swale sneaking around outside my office.”

  “Noah? Are you sure he was sneaking? Maybe he had a valid reason for being there.”

  She shook her head in annoyance. “I’ve already had a taste of Noah Swale’s temper. I decided I didn’t want to hang around, waiting for someone who didn’t even have the courtesy of phoning me.” She pinned him with a look that reflected both anger and hurt. “I trusted you, Chris. And you betrayed that trust. So if you’re looking for someone to blame, look in the mirror.”

  Before he could say a word in his defense she brushed past him and started up the stairs. Over her shoulder she called, “Don’t hold dinner for me, Pop. I’ve suddenly lost my appetite.”

  Chapter 14

  “Hey, big sis.” Cameron rapped on Bren’s bedroom door. “Pop says you’ve brooded long enough. Time to get downstairs and join the family.”

  “I’m not brooding.” She yanked open the door and scowled at him. “I never brood.”

  “Yeah. I can see you’re feeling really cheerful.” He tugged on a curl. “There’s a big family powwow going on. You may want to put in your two cents.”

  “Sorry. I have plenty of work to occupy my mind. Not interested.”

  “I think you will be when you hear that your police captain is insisting on moving us out.”

  “Moving us…” She swept past him and flounced down the stairs, preparing herself for a knock-down, drag-out argument.

  In the great room Chris was talking in low tones to Kieran and Kate. They looked up as she entered.

  “What’s this about moving us out of our own home?”

  Chris decided to ignore the fire in her eyes. “Your security here has been compromised. I spoke with Micah and arranged for all of you to join him and Pru up the street.”

  “Just like that?” Bren looked from her mother to her grandfather, expecting them to close ranks. “Are you going to tell us what you’ve learned?”

  “I wish I could, Bren, but it isn’t public knowledge as yet. What I can tell you is that from the documentation shown me by the chief, your safety and that of your family has been threatened.”

  “In what way?”

  “I can’t say.”

  “Oh, yes. Of course. It’s that precious code of silence, I suppose. And?” she prompted.

  “And I intend to set a trap.”

  “Here in our home?”

  He nodded. “That’s right. Using one of our detectives as a decoy.”

  “A decoy?” Bren’s eyes narrowed.

  When his cell phone rang he snatched it up. “Banning. Good. Right on time.”

  He crossed to the door and turned the lock, then stood aside as a woman in uniform stepped inside. He quickly closed the door before asking, “Where’s your partner?”

  “Down the street by now. He dropped me, then took off without lights.”

  “Good.” Chris turned to Bren and her family. “This is Detective Annie McPhail. Annie, this is Congresswoman Lassiter, the one you’ll be impersonating.”

  Bren offered her hand, all the while shaking her head. “You can’t be serious. No offense, Detective, but you’re about six inches taller than I am, and your hair is long and dark.”

  The woman pulled a red wig from her pocket. “Don’t worry, Congresswoman. In the dark, size can be deceiving.”

  Kieran looked doubtful. “I agree with Bren. After all, this attacker is someone who has seen Bren before. I’m not certain a red wig is enough to fool him.”

  Bren turned to Chris. “If you’re hoping to catch this man, let me act as decoy.”

  “Not a chance.” Chris refused to look into those pleading eyes, knowing how persuasive she could be. “I’ve seen too many of these sting operations go wrong. At least with trained police officers we have a chance of avoiding a tragedy.”

  “Let me at least talk with your chief. I think I could change his mind.”

  “Be my guest.” Chris dialed the number, then handed over his cell phone, all the while knowing what the chief would say. Even someone as persuasive as a congresswoman known for her aggression wouldn’t cut through the chief’s wall of reserve.

  He watched as Bren held the phone a little away from her ear when the chief’s voice boomed over the phone. Everyone in the room listened in silence as Bren pleaded her case.

  Moments later Chris was relieved to hear the chief’s voice shouting, “Do you really think I would allow a member of Congress, the head of the committee investigating my department, to put herself in harm’s way? Ms. Lassiter, you are the reason my people are there, putting their lives on the line. They’re doing it to protect you from the person who has been threatening you. I order you and your family to do whatever Captain Banning requests. I trust his judgment completely.”

  As Bren handed over the phone to Chris she said, “I suppose this means that we’re all leaving for Micah’s house?”

  “That’s right.” He turned to Detective McPhail. “I’ll personally escort the Lassiter family down the street. While I’m gone, you can change into civilian clothes and the wig. When I return, we’ll put our plan into action.”

  She nodded.

  Chris herded the family together. At the door he explained, “No flashlights. We’ll use the darkness as a cover. Once you’re inside Micah’s house, you’re free to do as you please, as long as you keep the draperies closed for privacy.”

  As they stepped outside he caught Bren’s hand and lowered his tone, for her ears alone. “I hope when this is over you’ll give me a chance to explain.”

  “Oh, I think I understand already.” She coolly withdrew her hand from his. “You have a need to run the show, don’t you, Chris?”

  He gave a snort of disgust. “Is that what you think? That I’m doing this to prove some sort of point?”

  She stopped dead in her tracks. “You left me today, saying you’d be back shortly. I wasn’t to leave until I heard from you. Yet you never returned, and you never answered your phone. What was I to do, when I spotted Noah Swale lurking around outside my office? Had it not been for Trevor Sinclair, I’d probably still be cowering in my office. Or is that what you were secretly hoping? That I’d wait for some white knight to come and save me? Sorry. I’m not some timid mouse hiding in a corner, afraid of the big bad cat. I saw an opportunity to leave safely and took it.”

  When Chris offered no word in his own defense, she followed her family up the steps of Micah’s house without a backward glance. But as she stepped inside she caught a glimpse of Chris just before the door was closed and bolted.

  There had been in his eyes a bleak look she’d only seen once before. When he’d told her about his sister’s death of a drug overdose.

  It had been hours since Bren and her family had settled into Micah’s house. They had snacked on pizza from the freezer and gallons of coffee while they discussed this latest bizarre twist in this curious case. Finally the adrenaline had begun to wear off, leaving them exhausted. One by one they’d drifted off. Kieran had taken refuge on a sofa in the den. Cameron was asleep in a recliner in front of the TV. Kate had gone to the upstairs guest room. Micah and Pru were still awake, talking quietly in the master bedroom. It was obvious to everyone that Micah’s training in security had him itching to join Chris Banning in the stakeout. But since this was a police operation, he knew better than to offer his assistance. His job now was to remain here with his family, awaiting word that the fly had been caught in their web.

  Bren desce
nded to a lower-level apartment that had once been maid’s quarters. With a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows and glass doors, it looked out onto a small back garden filled with Pru’s beloved perennials. One side of the room was outfitted with Micah’s work out equipment, while the other side held a wet bar and sofa bed.

  Bren closed the drapes before kicking off her shoes and sitting on the sofa, still nursing the anger that had flared earlier. What right did Chris have to act so all-knowing? After all, he was the one who’d messed up. He was the one who hadn’t returned as promised. It was he who hadn’t answered his phone or offered any explanation for his strange behavior.

  It galled her that everyone in her own family had agreed so readily with Chris and Chief Martin. Without a word of complaint they had moved out of their own home and had been herded like cattle to Micah’s. Here she was, about to sleep on a lumpy sofa bed, in the clothes she’d been wearing all day. And what if this didn’t turn out as Chris planned? Were they supposed to simply stay here with Micah and Pru for days? Weeks?

  She rested her head back against the sofa, closing her eyes. What had she ever seen in Chris Banning? The man was a pompous dictator, out to prove he was right, no matter how much inconvenience he caused others.

  Her anger surprised her. It wasn’t like her to be so moody and judgmental. Was this what love did?

  Love. The very word annoyed her. Maybe she’d been fooling herself. Maybe, seeing her brothers Micah and Donovan happily married, she’d begun to think there was something missing from her life. Maybe what she’d thought of as love was only her hormones raging.

  A soft, rustling sound had her opening her eyes. Was there something outside the window? She got to her feet. But before she could cross the room the draperies seemed to billow inward. There was a muffled tinkling of glass. Without warning a darkened figure slipped inside. As he stepped into the light Bren recognized Trevor Sinclair. In his hand was a gun.

  “Trevor. How did you…?” She stared at the high-powered binoculars worn around his neck.

  He was grinning. That boyish smile she’d thought so charming. He touched a hand to the binoculars. “They’re equipped with night vision. Amazing what you can see. I sat in a ditch yards from your house and watched De tective McPhail. I figure she’s the decoy. Right?”

  When Bren said nothing, he stepped closer. “Then I witnessed you and your family walking down the street. From the look on your face, I’d say you weren’t very happy with Captain Banning.” He laughed. “Too bad you had to waste your last moments together in a lovers’ spat.”

  “Last moments?” She couldn’t seem to tear her gaze from the gun in his hand.

  It was happening again. An armed man, pointing his weapon directly at her, while she was forced to stand there, feeling completely defenseless.

  “Yeah. Didn’t I tell you? This time I’m not going to make idle threats to scare you. This time I’m going to kill you, Congresswoman. And by the time Captain Banning and Detective McPhail get here, I’ll be miles away.” He laughed again as he gave her a long, slow look that had her heart thudding. “Think of this as a sort of love game. Everything before was just foreplay. Now we’re about to do the dirty deed.”

  She took a step back. “I don’t understand. What is this about? Why do you want me dead?”

  “Because you had to stick your nose where it wasn’t wanted. Until you and your committee got the press involved, I had a nice little scam going. While fellow officers looked the other way I’ve had a free hand in the property room for the past three years. I’ve helped myself to dozens of guns, which all bring a nice little sum on the black market. But the best thing was the cocaine. I guess I’ve stolen hundreds of kilos since I found out how lax the security was.”

  She looked scandalized. “You’re a police officer. You took an oath to uphold the law.”

  “What a joke. Do you realize that the guys on the other side of the law make twice what we make? Why should they get all the profits?”

  “There’s more than money at stake here. Think about the reputation of your fellow officers. Why would you want to hurt the image of an entire police force?”

  “Why?” His smile faded. His eyes narrowed to slits. “I’ll tell you why, Congresswoman. I told you my grandfather was a cop years ago.”

  Bren felt a twinge of guilt. With all that had happened, she’d forgotten to mention Trevor’s name to Pop.

  The young officer’s eyes went flat. “My grandfather needed money to pay my grandmother’s medical bills. When he went to his chief for help, he was told there was nothing the police force could do for him. So he decided to take care of it himself. When he came across a shopkeeper who was willing to pay for protection against thugs who’d been breaking into his shop at night, my grandfather realized there were lots more shopkeepers who might pay if they started finding their businesses vandalized. So he started breaking into small shops at night, then, after the shopkeepers were scared enough, he came to them and offered his protection for a fee.”

  “For a fee? He was an officer of the law. He had no right…”

  Bren’s words died when he waved the gun in her face.

  “What would you know about his rights? He was desperate. Have you ever been desperate?” When she didn’t answer he sneered. “Yeah. That’s what I thought. You’re just like the judge who heard the case. He didn’t care about anything except the law. My grandfather was dismissed in disgrace from the force and did time in a federal prison. The men he’d put behind bars made his life a living hell. On his deathbed I gave him my solemn promise that someone would pay.”

  “Why should someone pay for your grandfather’s crime?”

  “You know why.” The smile was back. Only now Bren realized it was neither boyish nor charming. It was frightening to see the way he could turn it on or off, like an actor striking a pose. “I enjoy the game. That’s what this is. A game. It’s called what-can-I-do-today-to-make-the-police-force-look-bad-and-get-rid-of-troublemakers-at-the-same-time? And you know what? It’s so easy. I always win. People trust me. Like you, Congresswoman. You trusted me more than your own lover-boy. That was such fun. First I disabled his phone. Right there at the station, while he was inside the chief’s office. Then I managed to involve him in a…minor fender-bender.”

  “You caused an accident?” She thought about the fury she’d seen in Chris’s eyes. She hadn’t bothered to look beyond that, to see his pain. “Was he…hurt?”

  “Just enough to rough him up a bit. Lucky for him, he’s still walking. But not for much longer. He’s getting too close. He’s going to have to have a more serious accident. I’ll probably have to get rid of the chief, too. He’s suspicious. I can see it in his eyes when he looks at me.”

  “You won’t get away with this.” Bren wondered how much longer she could remain standing. There was a trembling that had begun in her back and was now spreading down her legs. But she had to keep him talking. It was her only hope. “You’ve made mistakes, Trevor. Bits and pieces of evidence are being documented. Sooner or later they’ll all point to you. And your little game will be over.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you, Congresswoman. You won’t be around to see how the game ends.”

  As he took aim, he saw, out of the corner of his eye, the drapes part as Chris stepped through the broken window.

  “Too late, Banning.” He executed a half turn and fired directly into Chris’s chest.

  Bren let out a cry as Chris stumbled back ward and dropped to his knees, clutching the edge of the drape to keep from falling. No one, she knew, could survive a direct hit to the chest. She couldn’t bear to have him die without letting him know how deeply she cared about him. Without a thought to her own safety she raced to his side and dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around his waist to hold him up. “Oh, Chris. I’ve been such a fool. Please believe me when I tell you how much I love you.”

  “How touching. You’re breaking my heart.” Trevor took aim. “Bye-bye
, Congresswoman. You and your lover have made this so much fun.”

  It was the second time Bren found herself facing death. And once again she met it head-on and thought about her father in that split second that the sound of gunfire roared through her brain. She braced herself for the pain of the bullet. When she watched Trevor’s knees buckle, and caught sight of the blood spreading across his uniform, she glanced down and saw the gun in Chris’s hand.

  “Oh, my darling. You’re still alive.” With a cry Bren watched Chris slide ever so slowly from her arms and collapse on the floor.

  She draped herself over his prone body, choking back tears. “Please don’t die. Please, Chris. I love you so much. Stay with me.”

  Moments later, as Detective McPhail raced into the room, she stared at the scene before her.

  “He killed him,” Bren called, as her family came dashing down the stairs, stopping in their tracks at the sight of so much blood. “Trevor killed Chris. And I couldn’t do a thing to stop him.”

  She felt someone kneel beside her and saw, through her tears, the bulky figure of Noah Swale.

  Without a word he unbuttoned Chris’s shirt to reveal the full body armor.

  “You’re going to have one hell of a bruise, pal,” he whispered.

  “Yeah. I…feel like I have…an elephant on my chest.” Chris blinked, then opened his eyes, squinting against the light as he focused on Bren’s tear-stained face. “You…all right?”

  “Oh, Chris. You’re alive. I was so afraid you were…” She couldn’t bring herself to speak the word.

  “Sorry. Misjudged the son of a—” He paused for breath, amazed at the amount of pain he was forced to endure. With an effort he lifted a hand to her cheek. “I was so afraid I’d be too late, Bren.”

  “How did you know he was here?”

  Seeing how difficult it was for his friend to speak, Noah explained, “I found his squad car parked directly behind the garden wall. When I reported it, Captain Banning realized we’d played it all wrong. We’d outsmarted ourselves, leaving you alone here and at his mercy.”