An Unexpected Clue

Chapter Three

Still seething, Ava hit the accelerator and shot down the quiet residential street. She didn’t know where she was going. Originally, all she’d wanted was to get away from Ben. With him in the backseat, that wasn’t likely to happen.

She could abandon the car, but then she’d be on foot. After having walked two miles earlier that day, she wasn’t sure she was up to another hike. The muscles across her abdomen tightened, reminding her that she needed to be calm. Under no circumstances was she to stress herself or her baby. The fetus needed another good month of gestation to ensure a healthy delivery.

Calm? Who was she kidding? Her disappearing-act husband, who’d rather lie than tell her the truth, was picking himself up off the back floorboard. Combine that with the fact that she might be the target of a deranged mobster and the minor detail that she really didn’t know where the hell she was going, pretty much summed up the stink-hole her life had become. Which reminded her—next step, she’d call Emily and give her a heads-up, just in case Ben was telling the truth and they really were in danger. Calm? Ava stopped short of laughing out loud. She took a corner too fast just as Ben sat up. Centrifugal force did what Ava had hoped, throwing the man across the backseat.

Served him right. After all this time, who did he think he was, waltzing in demanding she just get up and leave with him? How many times had she asked him to trust her and tell her the truth? How many lies had he shoved down her throat? Why should she trust him now? She’d become much more independent and had been without him for this long, she could go the rest of her life without Ben Parrish.

In the back of her mind, she couldn’t help the small niggle of joy chinking away at her resolve. Ben was alive. She squelched that joy before it took root and made her forget all the times he’d looked her in the eyes and chosen not to confide in her or tell her the truth about what he was doing. She didn’t even know this man who’d been her husband. All the weeks she’d stood up for him while he’d been gone, she’d wondered if she was just one big fool. All the nights she’d cried herself to sleep, worrying about his sorry carcass.

“Where are we going?” Ben pushed himself upright on the backseat and strapped on his seat belt.

“Since you weren’t invited, we aren’t going anywhere. I on the other hand, am going wherever the hell I please.” To prove it, she stomped on the accelerator, shooting through a yellow light.

Ben leaned forward, his breath stirring the hairs on the back of Ava’s neck. “Do you think it wise to drive like a maniac in your condition?”

“Do you think it wise to disappear for weeks and then show up unannounced, demanding that I leave with you immediately?” Ava skidded around another corner, just to get Ben and his warm breath off the back of her neck. It was doing crazy things to her libido, something she thought impossible at this late stage of pregnancy. Oh, but that heat she felt had nothing to do with outside temps. Damn the man! He’d always had that effect on her. One look, one breath and he had her body tied in exquisite knots.

Ben gripped the back of her seat with both hands. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry, but I was in kind of a rush. What with gunmen chasing me and escaping from the prison from hell, I must have lost all my manners.” Ben inhaled and let out a slow steady breath. “If you’ll head back to Kenner City, I’d like to check in with Tom and the KCCU and straighten out this mess.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you, Ben Parrish. As far as I’m concerned, you’re one of the bad guys, and I’ve had enough stress, enough lies…enough!” Ava slammed on the brakes, skidding to a stop in front of a sixteen-show movie theater. She didn’t want to drive around town with him breathing down the back of her neck for the rest of the night. All her sleepiness had vanished, she might as well stay up and watch a movie. What the heck! Ava shifted into park and turned back to her husband. “Got any money?”

“Not a dime. I told you, I just escaped from Wayne’s organization. I have nothing.”

“Good.” She grabbed her purse and eased out from behind the wheel. Finally, she had a way of ditching the bastard. With putting distance between her and Ben her main goal, Ava stalked toward the theater, her version of stalking being more akin to an angry shuffle. How foolish she must look, and fat and pregnant. Not that she cared what Ben Parrish thought of her now. He’d run out on her and left her holding the bag, answering the questions, living the lie, facing raising a child alone.

A tear slipped from the corner of her eye as she slapped money on the counter in front of a ticket agent.

“Which movie?”

“I don’t care. Surprise me.” What was one more surprise in this crazy night?

The kid behind the counter gave her a strange look and pushed a ticket and her change through the window. “Enjoy the movie, ma’am. Theater number seven.”

Ben had followed her to the ticket window, but Ava didn’t dare look around. If she did, she might fall into his deep dark eyes and cave right there in front of the pimple-faced ticket clerk. She needed time away from him to think. To collect her thoughts and figure out what she should do about her marriage to a man she’d thought she loved. A man she wasn’t sure she could trust anymore. The hurt of the past few weeks was too fresh, too deep to forget in a moment. Not that she wanted to forget.

“Ava, don’t go in. You know I can’t follow you.”

“That’s your problem. You’re so resourceful, you figure it out.” Not that she wanted him to, not yet. She really needed time out of his overwhelming presence. When he didn’t move out of her way, she ducked around him and headed for the ticket taker.

“At least lend me your phone. I have no way of contacting the unit to let them know where I am.”

She hesitated. Should she do anything to make his life easier? If she granted this one request, would she cave altogether and fall back into his arms like the naïve child she’d been? Ava fished in her purse for her cell phone and tossed it to him. She made the mistake of looking at him then.

Ben gave her a sad smile as he deftly caught the cell phone in one hand. He did look tired and thin, his face haggard and long overdue for a shave.

Ava fought the urge to throw herself into his arms. She’d missed him so much. “I want it back.” Was she talking about the cell phone or their relationship? She didn’t even know.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. You can trust me.”

Her shoulders stiffened. “I’m not so sure.” She’d heard her father ask her mother to trust him so many times. All lip service. Ava turned and handed her ticket to the teenager wearing a theater uniform and she made her way to theater seven. Not until she settled in her seat did she remember she hadn’t called Emily. Ava would wait fifteen minutes and make her way back to the lobby and a pay phone.

FATIGUE DRAGGED AT BEN and the smell of popcorn nearly brought him to his knees. With nothing to eat and no money to enter the theater, Ben leaned against the wall inside the lobby, half hidden by a giant pot filled with a ten-foot tall, fake ficus tree, feeling completely exhausted and thoroughly sucker punched. Yet he kept a vigilant eye on the door, waiting for signs of any of Nicky Wayne’s goons. Not that he’d know all of them. They could be as thick as rats in a sewer on the streets of Vegas as far as Ben knew. That man walking in now, with the black polo shirt and black trousers could be one of Nicky’s men.

Ben straightened, automatically reaching for the Sig Sauer in his waistband before he remembered he’d left it in Ava’s car in case the theater had metal detectors at the entrance. It hadn’t, making Ben more certain he should have carried the gun with him.

A trim young woman joined the man, hooking her arm through his elbow and smiling up at him.

Okay, so maybe he was just being paranoid. Ben rolled his head around, attempting to loosen the stiff muscles in his neck.

Damn the woman! If she’d just come with him when he asked, he wouldn’t be standing in the lobby of this theater worrying about every person walking through the door. Ava didn’t know what was good for herself or their baby. And Ben did? He laughed out loud, the sound more a hoarse croak. His wife had managed just fine without him, a sobering thought.

He stared down at the phone, his vision blurring. Now what was Tom’s number? Lack of food made his brain slower than normal as he punched in the number and hit Send.

“Ava?” Tom’s voice came across the speaker.

“No, it’s Ben.”

“Oh, thank goodness. I have a man on the way over to Emily’s with a rental car and some cash.”

“Can you call him and tell him to meet me at…” Ben looked up at the theater and gave Tom the address.

“Hold on just a moment while I pass the information.” The line went completely silent for a minute. During which time, the aroma of popcorn had Ben in a near-faint. He couldn’t give up now. Hunger, plus the added anxiety of Ava being in the theater, in a public place where any one of Nicky Wayne’s people could get to her, had his stomach knotting painfully. He stepped out of the theater lobby into the warm, Las Vegas night air.

“Ben?” Tom’s voice broke through his gloom and doom thoughts.

Ben couldn’t answer right away as he struggled to stand upright.

“You doing okay, buddy?” Tom’s tone sharpened.

“I’m okay.” Ben didn’t feel okay.

“My guy should be pulling up in front of the theater about now. He was just around the corner when you called.”

Ben sagged against the wall. “Thank God.”

“You want me to come to Vegas?” Tom asked.

“No. I have to get Ava out of here. She’s not safe.”

“What’s going on?”

“I’ll call and let you know as soon as I get the situation in hand here.” As soon as he got Ava in hand. That would be the day. “By the way, where’s Ortiz? Why did I get you instead of him?”

“Ben, Ortiz is dead.”

“Damn, Tom, what happened?”

“It’s a long story, Ben. When you get here, we need to talk. Maybe you can help us figure that one out.”

Ben’s breath caught in his throat and held, while he tried to wrap his tired brain around that piece of news. He’d reported to Ortiz throughout his undercover mission with Del Gardo. Had Nicky Wayne figured out that Ortiz had sent Ben into the Del Gardo crime organization and killed him for knowing too much? And how much did Tom and Dylan know about his undercover assignment? At this point, did he tell Tom what he’d been doing? No. He needed to be there in person to tell Tom what he’d been working on and why. Anyone could intercept a cell phone call. “Yeah, we need to talk in private.”

“And Ben, Boyd Perkins is dead. We’re pretty sure he’s the one who actually killed Julie.”

Ben’s chest tightened as an image of Julie’s body lying on the hard ground rose in his mind. “Why? Did you find out why he killed her?”

“We think he wanted the medals. Julie had them until she stuffed them in the mail to each of us.”

“I should have been there earlier. I knew she was getting in too deep with the Del Gardo family.”

“Don’t blame yourself, Ben. It won’t bring her back.”

No, it wouldn’t. Julie’s death had been a terrible blow to Ben, Tom and Dylan. They’d gone through the FBI academy together. They had been inseparable. Now one was gone.

“Boyd wanted those medals,” Tom continued. “Someone stole mine and Dylan’s from the criminal lab. Yours is the only one they haven’t managed to steal.”

And Ava had it somewhere, making her a flaming red flag in front of the raging bull of Nicky Wayne’s crime organization. “Nicky knows that Del Gardo’s bank account numbers are inscribed on the backs of all of the medals Julie gave us. Whoever can put them together will have Del Gardo’s fortune.”

“Yeah. My bet is that whoever has mine and Dylan’s is probably pretty anxious to get his hands on the one you had.”

Ben pounded his fist against the bricks on the outer wall of the theater. “Damn. My best bet is that Nicky Wayne has the other two by now.”

A nondescript sedan pulled in front of the theater. “I have to go. The car just arrived.”

“Ben, be careful. Nicky has people everywhere. You’re not safe as long as you’re in Las Vegas.”

Ben had thought of that. Going back to the KCCU might not be such a great idea, either, if everyone still thought he was guilty. All he knew was that Nicky would be very focused on getting his hands on that medal and the inscription on the back.

With a quick scan at the occupants of the lobby, Ben prayed Ava would be all right by herself. Then he stepped to the curb to retrieve the car and cash Tom had promised. He’d only be gone from the theater for a moment. Nothing could happen in that short a time.

AVA TOOK A SEAT in the middle of a practically empty auditorium and stared up at the advertisements for soda and popcorn flashing across the wide screen without really seeing any of it. Other than two couples sucking face in the highest corners of the room, she had the place pretty much to herself. Just what she needed, an empty cavern to think in.

But she couldn’t think. Ben was on the other side of the walls, alive and anxious about her. A sob rose in her throat and threatened to cut off her air. How could she turn her back on him now? He’d been gone so long she’d given up on him and presumed him dead or completely corrupt. Either way she’d gone through all five stages of the grieving process: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance. She couldn’t do it again. It had taken a huge toll on her health the first time.

For all she knew, he was still involved in one of the crime families. If not Del Gardo then it was Nicky Wayne. He could be lying about being held captive by Wayne. Working for Nicky Wayne made more sense considering he’d come back for the necklace. Ava had known about the bank account numbers. Jerry Ortiz had tried to get hers. She’d thought he and Boyd Perkins were the only ones after them. After Ortiz’s death, Ava had hidden the medal in a safe location.

If Ben was telling the truth, for once, and only came back to get the necklace but he still didn’t plan on sticking around, she’d be back at stage one. Ava swallowed the sob, her vision blurring.

Through the wash of tears filming her eyes, she saw another couple walk into the theater, a woman holding the arm of man dressed in a black polo shirt and slacks.

That should be her and Ben. Instead he was outside unable to get in because he had no money. Powerful guilt urged her to get up and go check on him. He’d looked pretty thin and hungry. What if he hadn’t been lying? What if he’d really been held against his will by Nicky Wayne?

Ava lurched to her feet and moved to the end of the aisle. She’d just check on him and make sure he wasn’t passed out on the floor from lack of food.

The couple stood at the end of her aisle, blocking Ava’s path.

“Excuse me,” she said.

“Are you Ava Parrish?” the woman asked, her back to the movie screen, her face shadowed.

Ava frowned, the hairs on the back of her neck rising to attention. “No,” she answered, instinct warning her that the couple wasn’t quite right. “Do you mind, I need to use the facilities.” She tried to push her way around the couple, but the man stood firm and the woman closed the gap between her and the backs of the stadium seats.

The man’s hand came away from the woman’s arm, revealing the cold hard barrel of a gun.

All the air left Ava’s lungs and she staggered backward, her legs bumping into the arms of the seats behind her. Her hand rose to protect her baby. “What do you want?”

“Come with us quietly and we won’t hurt you…or your baby,” the woman said, in a low whisper.

It didn’t matter. The couples in the corners were too into themselves to notice what was going on in the rest of the theater.

Ava had two choices, go with the evil couple and look for a way to ditch them, or scream and possibly take a bullet to the belly. Hindsight being twenty-twenty, Ava now saw the benefit of staying with Ben. This wouldn’t have happened had he been in the theater with her. Or better still, she wouldn’t have put her baby in danger if she’d just gone with Ben like he’d asked—no, demanded.

With the barrel of a gun pointed at her unborn child, Ava had no other choice. “Please, don’t shoot. I’ll go with you.”

Chapter Four

The FBI agent Tom sent delivered the car and cash and left in a yellow taxi, no questions asked. Which was just as well. Ben didn’t have time to spare. Ava sat alone in the theater, exposed to who knew what. Ben parked the car in the movie theater lot, then Ben peeled a twenty off the wad of bills the agent had given him. His mouth watered at the thought of the popcorn he could buy. But, first things first. He had to get to Ava and ensure she was all right.

At the ticket counter, he paid for a ticket to theater seven and hurried past the concession stands, his stomach rumbling angrily.

Once he stepped into the darkened theater, he stopped and waited for his sight to adjust to the dim lighting. The metal clank of a door surprised him, the sound coming from near the front of the cavernous room. Who would be leaving before the movie even started?

Ben’s heartbeat ratcheted into high gear. Had Ava skipped out the back door to avoid him? He scanned the empty seats noting two couples kissing high in the back corners. The rest of the theater was empty.

“Damn,” he muttered beneath his breath and jogged across the darkened theater to the exit door. If the door closing had been Ava leaving, she couldn’t have gotten far. Not in her condition.

In order to keep from scaring her, he eased the door open. With her so close to her delivery date, he didn’t want to add so much stress that she went into premature labor. When Ben peered out onto the nearly deserted employees’ parking lot, he didn’t see anyone moving about.

Now a little more than worried, he ran to the nearest corner, stopped and peered around the edge.

In the dim glow of a parking lot light, the dark silhouette of a huddle of people made Ben’s blood run cold. What looked like the man and woman he’d seen enter the theater flanked Ava and hurried her toward the cars parked near the front of the building.

No! Ben fought the urge to race after them, his mind grappling with his best options to rescue Ava without her coming to harm in the process. He ducked behind a row of cars and, keeping his head lowered to window-level, he moved as quickly and quietly as he could. When he was within one car length from the others, he paused, looking for his opportunity.

“Is this the fastest you can go?” the woman asked, jerking Ava’s arm.

“You try carrying a thirty-pound bowling ball in front of you,” Ava retorted, yanking her arm out of the woman’s grip.

“Where’d you park the damned car?” the man barked.

“That’s it, three cars down.”

Ben hunkered low and ducked behind the cars, moving another three cars over before he slipped between the vehicles and waited in the shadows for the two to make their second mistake. The first had been to mess with Ava.

The electronic beep of a car lock and the blink of taillights pinpointed the vehicle they were headed for. The man opened the back door. “Get in.”

“No.” Ava pulled back, her feet planting on the pavement.

“Don’t piss me off, lady.” He pointed his gun at her belly. “Get in the damned car.”

Ava hesitated only another second, then quietly bent and slid onto the seat. The man and the woman stood outside the car, their backs to Ben.

That’s when Ben made his move. He hunched and charged across the open space between the lines of parked cars and barreled into the woman. On impact she crashed into the man, causing the gun in his hand to fly through the air, landing a yard away from where they lay sprawled on the pavement.

Ben crawled over the man and woman, reaching for the gun. “Get out of the car, Ava! Now!” When he thought he had the weapon in his grip, a large hand grabbed his ankle and yanked him back.

Behind him, the woman was climbing to her feet.

Ava swung the car door open, slamming it into the woman’s backside, sending her flying yet again. She landed on top of the man, hitting him square in the chest.

Air whooshed from his lungs and his grip on Ben’s ankle loosened.

Ben scooted out of reach, grabbed the gun and rolled to his feet all in one movement.

When the woman got to her feet for the second time, she reached beneath her blazer.

“I wouldn’t, if you value your life,” Ben growled.

Her hand stalled in midair. “You wouldn’t shoot a woman, would you?”

“No, but I’d sure as hell shoot a criminal.” He held the pistol level with the woman’s chest and nodded. “Ease the weapon out of your jacket with two fingers and toss it behind you. If you even twitch an eyelid, I’ll shoot.”

The woman’s lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes narrowing as if she were trying to gauge the sincerity of Ben’s promise to shoot. Her hand reached inside the jacket and she hesitated.

When she jerked it out, Ben pulled the trigger on his own weapon, hitting the woman in the shoulder, spinning her around and slamming her into the car next to her. Her weapon dropped to the ground and skidded under the car. She slid to the pavement, holding her shoulder and cursing like a sailor.

The man scrambled across the pavement toward the fallen gun. He reached beneath the car, stretching as far as he could.

Ben leaned over the man and pressed the gun to his head. “Don’t.”

The car door opened on the other side and a hand reached beneath the car retrieving the gun. Ava slid out and stood, walking around to the end of the car. “Looking for this?” She held the gun in her hand, her finger on the trigger.

“Good, God, Ava. Put that thing down before you shoot yourself.”

“I know how to handle a gun.” She pointed it at the man’s chest. “Want me to demonstrate? Anyone who’d threaten an unborn child deserves a little pain.”

The man glared at her.

“That won’t be necessary.” Ben nodded toward the car. “Anything in there we can use to tie these two up?”

Ava stared at the man on the ground, for a long moment refusing to lower her weapon, her eyes blazing. Then her hand dropped to her side. “Yeah, the duct tape they’d planned to use on me.” She hurried back to the car and returned with a roll of thick gray tape.

Ben jerked his head toward the woman. “Start by securing her good hand to the car and taping her feet together.” He looked at the woman. “You hurt her in any way and I won’t aim for a shoulder this time.”

She glared at him. “I’ll kill you. You just wait.”

“Yeah, yeah. If Wayne doesn’t do it for me. You two bungled an easy job. You can’t even kidnap an eight-months’ pregnant woman without screwing it up. You think you’ll last long in his organization at that rate?” Ben snorted. “If I were you, I’d head out of town and keep going until you run out of road. Even then, I’d keep an eye on my back.”

After she had the woman’s good wrist firmly secured to the handle of a car, Ava squatted down and almost toppled over.