Page 44 of Risk of a Lifetime
“Thanks, Burt. Thanks a lot.”
After the cook left, Joanie closed the restaurant early and then headed to the pub area through the adjoining doorway.
Five minutes later, Sheriff Davis, JB, and Kennett stepped out onto Main Street.
“Nothing but one big masquerade. At least we know his height,” the rookie said. “And the color of his eyes.”
“Even those could have been contacts.” JB’s insides rumbled with fearsome thoughts. “The tattoo might mean something. But the scar might have just been the paste at the edge of the whiskers.”
Kennett started down the street. “I’ll check on any surveillance cameras in the area. See you guys at the office.”
The sheriff and JB climbed in the patrol car and headed to the police department.
“What do you think?” Sheriff Davis asked.
JB clenched his hand then released. “I think this looks damn professional. The guy didn’t miss a trick. Got Joanie out so there’d be no questions. Wore everything to make a witness not really see him. Knew Marcy’s whereabouts.” He ground his fist against the door.
“So where does that leave us?” The sheriff angled into his parking spot, and the two men got out and braced their forearms on the top of the cruiser.
JB assessed what he knew of the attacker.
Somebody with experience in disguises. At the restaurant for sure. Maybe other places.
Somebody with knowledge in explosives, because no matter what the gas company said, he knew in his gut the blast at her office had been professionally set.
Somebody skilled in automotives and weapons. Very skilled in marksmanship to have inched closer to the target in front of the bank, yet only wounded the victim instead of shot-to-kill. Because looking back, this had all started right then and there.
Why then? What had been different in the everyday life of Marcy that day?
Then there was what the note on the burger had said. Something about finishing off her hot-shot ex-husband.
Where did that leave him?
JB’s heart pounded with adrenaline, pierced with pain at the only conclusion. He’d come home. He’d brought this with him. He’d dragged Marcy into his life of danger. Just like she’d said—danger followed him. This time it had followed him home. Right to her doorstep.
“It’s me. Whoever’s doing this is after me through Marcy. The guy knows everything. Almost like he knows me personally. Almost like…” JB couldn’t say the words.
“One of yours? FBI or something close?” From the look on Davis’s face, he’d already reached the same deduction.
“Maybe. Then again, I’ve had some rough cases lately. Locked a lot of people up who didn’t go easy. Some of them had mighty big-time friends.”
Sheriff Davis straightened. “One of those the case where you felt like you’d been ratted out?”
JB nodded. He’d always wondered if it had been someone from a previous case who’d recognized him undercover on the second one. Turned him in for a price. In fact, he hoped that was what happened, because otherwise, it meant someone in the Bureau had busted his cover. Either way, someone was out to get him. Why?
“You know the Crayton Police will follow procedure. Cover every possible scenario from our end until something shakes out one way or the other. That’s all we can do.” The sheriff heaved a deep sigh. “What are you gonna do?”
JB knew the drill. Get the victim, the witness, into hiding. Rotate backup watches on the safe house. Keep the victim safe at all costs to yourself. This case was different. Marcy was the victim. Survival would be key in his mind. “I’m taking her into hiding until you and your police figure this out.”
Sheriff Davis leaned away from the car. “We can protect her just as good here in Crayton.”
“The hell you say.” JB hated to get in the man’s business, but Marcy was his to save. “I’ll protect her any way I have to. Got that? Any way I have to.”
“I know it’s hard to hear, but you’ve got to get your emotions under control. Otherwise, you’ll get both of you killed. Be careful you don’t overstep your—”
“Overstep?” JB raised one finger from his fist. “There’s only one person who better be careful about my overstepping. And he better be damn afraid, because he’s targeted the wrong person this time. He’s target Marcy. Nobody does that…nobody.”
Chapter Fifteen
