Brace For Impact Page 14

  Maddy made a face. “What’s another day anyway?”

  A few bites later Will said, “You’re close to your parents?”

  “Yes. Less so to my sisters, just because our lives have diverged.” She frowned at him. “What about you? You haven’t mentioned your mother. And is your dad still in California?”

  “Mother took off when I was ten. She called and sent birthday cards, that kind of thing, for a few years, but the intervals got longer and eventually...” He shrugged. The hurt had dulled to nothingness, but the contrast to her family life held its own brand of pain. “My father is still in the same run-down, single-wide trailer planted on a piece of dirt in a park with a couple of rows of others just like it. No,” he corrected himself, “some look worse, but a few have a woman who likes to have flowering baskets or even tries to grow roses. Nobody living there has any money or the slightest hope of that changing. They get by.”

  Maddy listened with crinkled brow and eyes that showed compassion. “Do you see him?”

  “Sure.” Will smiled crookedly. “We get along, more or less. I just didn’t want to stay in the area. Too easy never to leave.”

  “I understand that.” Her smile betrayed something he didn’t understand. “I guess I never really tried to leave home.”

  “You went to Stanford.”

  “Then came back to Seattle. Safe in the nest.” As if to end the conversation, she pushed back her chair and rose with her dirty dishes in hand.

  He didn’t let her reach the sink before he shoved back his chair violently. “That’s ridiculous! Our lives were nothing alike. Why wouldn’t you want to stay close to home?”

  She set down the dishes then faced him. “That’s what I always told myself, but you make me wonder if I shouldn’t have...stretched a little more. You know?”

  “You’re trying to turn this around,” he accused.

  “What do you mean?”

  Will would swear she was genuinely puzzled. He just shook his head. He didn’t have to remind her that her life had changed in a big way this past year. She’d stretched, all right, to survive a plane crash and a grueling trek out of the mountains.

  * * *

  EITHER THE CONVERSATION at dinner or the kiss had changed something between her and Will. Clearly, he was ashamed of his background, but call her naive, because she couldn’t see why. All she knew was that he’d been keeping his distance in the past day and a half. So obviously so, she’d retreated, as well, not talking much or even looking at him when he was likely to notice.

  Maddy’s stress level would have been climbing anyway. Her appearance in the courthouse was barely a week away, if that. Did the defense have a clue that anything was wrong? Or had the man paying them have hinted that oh-so-conveniently she wouldn’t be able to appear?

  No, she didn’t want to believe that. The firm hired to defend hit man Kevin Mooney was a respectable one, so far as she knew. One of the associates was a friend of Maddy’s from law school. If they understood that the major prosecution witness had been threatened or killed to prevent her appearance, surely they would have refused to continue defending Mooney.

  On Friday Will left CNN running all day long, although he jumped channels when local news came on. As tense as she felt, she became a news junkie right alongside him. At least the local politics gave them something impersonal to talk about during meals.

  That, and her delight that her temperature was normal after only twenty-four hours on the antibiotic. Much of her headache and general achiness went away with the fever.

  The evening local news featured the discovery of a Cessna Skyhawk that had crashed in the North Cascades National Park. Maddy straightened, clutching her broken arm, her gaze riveted to the television.

  A news anchor, tone grave, said, “We’ve received confirmation that this is the plane reported missing after departing on a charter flight out of a small airfield near Republic in eastern Washington.” Footage of the short runway and the hangars flashed on screen before returning to the solemn news anchor. “Authorities also confirmed that they have recovered two bodies from the wreckage, one of whom was the pilot.” He talked about Bill Potter and there was a brief interview with his grieving wife. Finally, the anchor concluded by saying, “Authorities are withholding the name of the second victim, likely because they haven’t yet been able to notify the next of kin.”

  The anchors behind the news desk talked briefly about how shocking it was that it had taken so long to locate the plane after the pilot’s wife raised the alarm. This was one of the risks taken when the pilot didn’t file a flight plan, they agreed.

  One turned brightly to the camera. “Next, we’ll be talking to—”

  With a stab of his thumb, Will turned off the television.

  Maddy wanted to feel numb. The crash had happened a week ago. She’d been there. Bang. Watching in horrified incredulity as the propeller slowed, stopped turning. Still staring at the darkened TV screen, she saw the surreal scene when she regained consciousness and discovered herself to be hanging upside down. The blood dripping from her sliced hand. The struggle on the steep mountainside to find pieces of the plane. Bill Potter. Scott—

  She swallowed and closed her eyes. No, she wasn’t numb, even though at the same time it all felt unreal, as if it was part of a movie they’d been watching.

  “Are you all right?” Will asked quietly.

  A cushion separated them on the sleeper sofa that had seen better days.

  “Yes. It’s just...” Just what? She shook her head.

  “They aren’t still lying out there waiting to be found.”

  Typical Will, to sound so gentle even though he’d been remote since yesterday.

  “No.” She was squeezing the hand emerging from the splint and sling. “I’m glad.” When he didn’t comment, she turned toward him. “There was nothing about a bomb.”

  “I’m going to guess the ‘authorities’—” he smiled crookedly “—are withholding a few tiny details. It’s also possible, as I told Ruzinski, that the men who dropped from the helicopter did some housekeeping, so to speak.”

  “It would have been hard to be thorough given how far-flung the pieces were.” She was proud of how coolly she said that. As if she hadn’t been part of the debris. Hadn’t seen how violently the pieces of the small plane had been distributed.

  To her astonishment, Will reached out and laid his hand over hers. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”

  “What?” She glanced down. “I’m okay.”

  “No, you’re not.” He shifted over to the middle cushion and wrapped his arms around her.

  For a moment Maddy stayed stiff. He’d been so clearly determined not to touch her; why was he doing this?

  But temptation overcame her. No, she wasn’t all right. She was about to shatter, and heaven knew where the debris would fall. It had to be the sitting and waiting, almost worse than everything that had come before. With a gasp she fitted herself against his solid body, laid her cheek on his shoulder where she’d so often found shelter during their days fighting to survive. She even let herself slide her unbroken arm around his torso. Except for clenching his shirt in her hand, Maddy collapsed.

  She didn’t cry, didn’t even feel the urge. She needed human contact, that was all—except she knew better. She needed Will. She felt dumb now, having dreamed he felt something for her, that maybe in the future they could explore having a relationship. Well, his recent cool distance told her clearly that wasn’t happening, but if he offered comfort, she’d accept it.

  They stayed like that for a long time. Maddy focused on his steady breathing, the strength enclosing her, until she felt ready to stand alone again.

  Then she carefully withdrew, smiled pleasantly without quite meeting his eyes, and said, “I can relax a little bit when we have a plan. Fingers crossed Marshal Ruzinski has one.”

 
“Anxious to get back to your life?”

  Maddy had a one-shoulder shrug down pat. “Something like that. It would be good to get an X-ray and maybe even a real cast, to start with.”

  “I’ll second that.”

  When she headed for the bathroom, he stayed where he was. She had a feeling that a brooding gaze followed her.

  Chapter Twelve

  Will didn’t like making the call from his house, but he liked even less the idea of taking Maddy anywhere. She’d have to go out eventually, but right now it wouldn’t surprise him if men weren’t still cruising Highway 20, maybe asking questions anywhere they could. They might well know that a guy who seemed to be alone in a Jeep had stopped at the eatery in Rockport and bought three cheeseburgers, all with fries, and two drinks.

  If they knew that much, it meant Will should stay home, too.

  In the end, he chose the better of two options, neither of which made him happy. It helped that Maddy had believed wholeheartedly in Scott Rankin, and Will had gotten a good feeling about Ruzinski in their initial conversation.

  So Saturday he and Maddy sat on the back deck overlooking the creek, water splashing over rounded rocks. The shade of the trees, a mix of deciduous and evergreen, kept the deck cool even with midday approaching.

  Ruzinski answered on the second ring.

  “Will Gannon again.”

  “Good. Do you have her with you?”

  “I do.”

  “May I speak to her?”

  “Sure.” Will handed over the phone.

  “Marshal Ruzinski? I’m Maddy Kane. I... I want to tell you how sorry I am your friend died protecting me. He was really good to me.” She listened for a minute, then said, “Almost the last thing he told me was your name. He called you a friend and said to trust you.”

  Quiet for another minute or two, she blinked a few times, trying to keep herself from crying if Will was any judge. Finally, she nodded. “Sure. We can put the phone on speaker.”

  Will took it from her and did so, laying it on the rustic cedar table between their chairs. “Marshal, I’m hoping you can tell us what was found at the crash site. We saw the news, with no mention of bombs or US marshals.”

  “And we want to keep it that way,” he said immediately, “until the trial if at all possible. Ah...investigators found enough remnants of the bomb to verify its existence. They aren’t yet sure whether it was triggered by a timing device or a signal sent from the ground.”

  Will reached over the table for Maddy’s hand. She grabbed on tight.

  “If it was a timing device, that means they knew how long it would take for the plane to pass above inaccessible country,” Maddy said. She succeeded in sounding matter-of-fact, as if the explosion and crash of the Cessna were mildly interesting, how it was brought down an intriguing puzzle. As if she hadn’t known the dead men, hadn’t been injured, never had nightmares about the moment when the plane fell. Only the strength of her grip on Will’s hand said otherwise. “What if the pilot had circled to show me something scenic and we’d come down where there were plenty of people to see and come running?”

  “Well, there aren’t a lot of those in that country, but at this time of year, Ross Lake and Diablo would have been busy, so yeah, that would have been risky from the bombers’ point of view. That’s one reason we suspect a radio signal was sent.”

  “Someone could have been hanging around at a picnic area or campground by either lake,” Will agreed. “Watched the plane pass by overhead, waited until he knew it was almost to the Picket Range, where no more than a handful of climbers were likely to be near.” He paused. “If I were them, I’d have had a timer on the bomb, too, in case they didn’t see it.”

  “That’s our assumption,” Ruzinski agreed.

  “You know that Scott surprised me with the flight over the North Cascades because he thought I’d enjoy it, don’t you?” Maddy asked.

  “I did know,” Ruzinski said after a moment.

  “If there’s any possibility someone triggered the bomb from Diablo or Ross Lake, that means they knew his intentions, too. That’s...not the kind of thing that would have been in a file.”

  “No, it isn’t,” the marshal agreed, a hard, angry note in his voice. “He had other friends in the office. Scott was well liked. I can’t see him telling many people, though. It’s not real pleasant right now, when I have to wonder about everyone I see.”

  Will leaned forward. “You aren’t there right now, are you?”

  “Of course not. I’m sitting on a park bench.” He paused. “Just so you know, we take pride in having never, in our history, lost a protected witness who followed the guidelines. I don’t believe a marshal betrayed Scott and you. He could have been overheard talking, had his phone tapped... I don’t know, but you can be damned sure I’ll find out.”

  Will believed him.

  Ruzinski cleared his throat. “In the meantime, I have no choice but to turn to the FBI for additional security getting you to the courthouse.”

  “Who knows that Maddy is alive and still prepared to testify?” Will asked.

  “Only the lead prosecutor, Cynthia Yates, and the special agent in charge at the Seattle FBI office. The three of us have agreed to keep the information close. Ms. Kane—”

  “Maddy, please,” she interjected.

  He continued, “Maddy, Ms. Yates wants to meet you in person to discuss your testimony and what the defense might throw at you. All she’s telling the others in her office is that she’s confident that, with the evidence they have, Mooney will be convicted.”

  Will mulled that over. If that was true, why risk Maddy to put her in the witness box? Despite his doubts, he decided not to voice them for now.

  “How are you doing physically?” Ruzinski asked. “I’m trying to think how we can get you into an ER.”

  “I’m much improved.” She sounded as determined as ever. “The antibiotic is working. My bruises and gashes are healing, although my face may still scare people.”

  “That’s fine by me,” he said.

  She laughed. Will felt a clutch of serious pride in her. No thugs, however lethal, could stop her.

  “Where’s the judge?” he asked.

  “Torkelson? He was arrested based on what Maddy told the detectives, but he walked out on bail within twenty-four hours, of course. No surprise, he’s denying the accusation to anyone who’ll listen. He looks real noble when he talks about his long career standing up for justice and the law.”

  Maddy didn’t quite hide a faint shudder.

  “Mooney?”

  “Still behind bars. The detective in charge of the investigation feels confident he has him solid. Stupid of him to have kept his gun. Of course, it will be open and shut when you testify that you saw his face. From what I hear, Detective Saunders and Ms. Yates have been trying to flip Mooney. He’s been offered a tempting deal if he’ll name the man who hired him, but so far Mooney has stayed mum. He likely knows about the plan to knock you out, Ms. Kane. Er, Maddy. If you hadn’t been able to testify, Torkelson would have a good chance of wriggling out of this. Mooney might be afraid of him, or has been offered a different kind of deal. Once he sees you walk into that courtroom, he may see things a little differently.”

  “We can only hope.” She gazed toward the creek and the leaves dancing in a breeze. “I won’t be safe until Judge Torkelson is convicted.”

  “Right now all we can do is take the next step.”

  “And what is that, Marshal Ruzinski?”

  “Sitting down with Cynthia.”

  The two men plotted a meet, Will hating even the idea of it but understanding the necessity. The location was theoretically secure. He’d borrow a vehicle; he and Maddy would come up with a disguise for her. Cynthia Yates would walk into her office building as usual but leave surreptitiously with some help from an FBI agent.

/>   At the end Ruzinski said, “Use this number if you need me. Otherwise, we can connect again after you’ve met with Cynthia Yates.”

  Maddy said hurriedly, “I’m wondering if I can call my parents.”

  The pause lasted long enough to tell her what he was going to say. “I’d rather you didn’t. I know it’s hard on them and you, but remember that they never knew where you were taken or that the plane crash had anything to do with you, so they aren’t suffering any new anxiety. They don’t expect you to reappear until you’re scheduled to testify.”

  “I know that, but...”

  “Somebody may be watching them. If they see open joy and relief, they’ll know you’re alive and secure enough to be able to call.”

  She opened her eyes, but he kept talking, sounding regretful. “I don’t think we can rule out the possibility of an assault on them in an attempt to find out your whereabouts. Unfortunately, my resources are too limited to allow me to put a 24/7 guard on them.”

  “And if you did, anyone watching would know why you had.”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  “Okay,” she conceded.

  With the call over, Maddy mentioned her need for an outfit to wear to court. “I’m hoping you have a credit card I can use,” she said tentatively. “Of course I’ll pay you back once—”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Will said curtly. What had she thought, he wouldn’t loan her a little money? Or did she suspect he might be flat broke, maybe not even qualifying for credit? That thought irritated him even more. “All you had to do was ask.”

  “Why are you mad?” Her expression was not friendly.

  “I’m not mad.”

  “You are.”

  “I’m not—” He cut himself off. Clinging to his pride was one thing; childish behavior another altogether. Will squeezed the back of his neck. “I have plenty of money to lend you whatever you need.”

  Her glare became bemusement. “I never doubted you do. Why would you think...?” She gave a disgusted huff. “I suppose this is more of the ‘I’m servant class, you’re privileged’ crap.”