Fugitive Trackdown

Jessica nodded as if she understood before she turned back to Claire. “Adam told me a little of what happened tonight when he called, but I want the whole story. Why were you at a cabin in the Mississippi woods trying to bring in a bail jumper?”

Claire closed her eyes and shook her head. She’d known telling Jessica about her father’s failing business and her efforts to keep it afloat was going to be difficult, but there was nothing she could do about it now. “I’ve been having a hard time ever since my father’s death,” she began.

For the next few minutes she related the problems she’d discovered about her father’s murder, fugitive bail jumpers, penalties that had accumulated from the courts and how she had decided the only way to save her business was to go after some of the fugitives herself.

Jessica didn’t say a word until she finished, then she reached out and grasped Claire’s hand. “Why didn’t you tell me this? We would have helped you.”

“It’s not your family’s responsibility to take care of my problems. Besides, I thought if you can do it, so can I.”

Jessica arched an eyebrow and regarded Claire with a skeptical look. “You’re forgetting I was a police officer before I went to work in my family’s business. I’ve had training that you haven’t. You could have been killed tonight.”

“I couldn’t ask you or your family for help. I felt like I needed to do it on my own.”

Jessica pursed her lips and shook her head. “You’ve always been too independent, Claire. There are times when a person needs help.”

“That’s what I told her,” Adam said.

Jessica glanced up her brother and smiled. “Then I’m sure you’ll be glad to help her.”

“Oh, no,” Claire interrupted. “He’s already done enough tonight.”

Jessica pushed to her feet as if she hadn’t heard Claire and faced her brother. “It looks to me like the guy you’re after and Claire’s bail jumper are tied together some way. So if you find one of them, you’ll be able to find both of them. Adam, you need to bring these guys in. Then Claire can get paid for Willis. That will be a start toward helping her and toward putting her father’s killer in jail.”

Claire tried to push up from the sofa, but she couldn’t. “Jessica, listen to me. I don’t want Adam to help me. I can do it myself.”

Jessica ignored her. “I would do it, but I’m leaving in the morning for Louisiana to pick up a guy down there. Lucas won’t be back from Illinois until the day after tomorrow. So that leaves you, Adam. You’re the only one who can do this.”

Adam rubbed the back of his neck and cast a doubtful glance in Claire’s direction. “I don’t know, Jessica. Claire doesn’t want me to help her.”

Claire reached out and grabbed her friend’s arm. “Jessica, listen to me. I don’t need Adam’s help.”

She smiled down at Claire and then looked back at Adam. “I don’t know what happened between the two of you years ago, but it’s time you let it go. Claire needs help, and you, Adam, are the only one who can do it.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment. Then he nodded and glanced down at Claire. “Jessica is right. Whether or not you want any help, you need it. But we’re all tired tonight. So get some rest, and we’ll talk about this in the morning.”

“Good,” Jessica said. “Now, you go home and get some sleep. I’ll take care of Claire.”

They walked to the door, and Adam kissed his sister on the cheek before he stepped into the hall. Jessica closed the door behind him and came back to where Claire sat. “Let’s get you to bed. I have the spare bedroom made up for you.”

She helped Claire to her feet, and they made their way down the hallway toward the bedrooms. “What time are you leaving tomorrow?” Claire asked.

“I’ll have breakfast with you and make sure you can move around before I leave. I don’t know what time Adam will be here. But if you can’t get to the door, he can let himself in with his key.”

They entered the bedroom, and Claire smiled at the nightgown Jessica had laid out on the bed for her. She dropped down on the side of the bed and smiled up at her friend. “Thank you, Jessica. It’s good to be here with you.”

Jessica squatted down and took Claire’s hands in hers. “Although we’ve been friends since middle school, I’ve never pushed you to tell me what happened between you and Adam. I know you don’t like him, but he’s really a wonderful person. The problem is, he’s never thought of himself that way. I don’t think you have, either, but I can’t stand to see two people I love continuing to holding some kind of grudge from years ago. I hope you can reach the point where you can let it go.”

Tears formed in Claire’s eyes and she nodded. “I hope so, too.”

Jessica sighed and pushed to her feet. “Do you need me to help you get ready for bed?”

“No, I’ll be okay with my handy crutches. Thanks again.”

“I’ll get one of my robes and bring it back for you.”

“Thanks, Jessica.”

Jessica covered Claire’s hands and squeezed them before she left the room. Claire watched her go and thought about what she had said. Could she ever forgive Adam for how he’d hurt her? She didn’t know. Her dislike of him had become a part of her, and she didn’t know if she could ever wipe it from her mind.

She did have to admit, though, he’d come to her rescue several times tonight. Maybe he did have some good qualities she’d ignored. The question still remained whether or not she could forgive him. Only the future would tell.

Claire sighed and hobbled on her crutches to the window to close the curtains. As she reached for the cord to close them, the lights of a car in the parking lot behind Jessica’s apartment caught her eye. She stopped and stared as a car drove slowly past the parked cars of the residents. It didn’t stop but moved to the exit and disappeared around the corner of the building.

Claire tightened her fingers around the cord to draw the curtains, but her body seemed frozen in place. The car that had just passed by looked exactly like the car that had zoomed past their hiding place on Poplar Avenue a short time ago. Had the driver waited for them to lead him where Claire was going to stay that night?

“What are you looking at?” Jessica’s voice startled her, and she turned to see her friend standing in the doorway.

Claire glanced down at the robe Jessica held and smiled. “I was just closing the curtains.”

Jessica stepped into the room and laid the garment on the bed. “I hope you sleep well.”

Claire yawned. “I’m sure I will. I don’t know when I’ve ever been so tired.”

“Then I’ll say good-night.”

“Good night, Jessica.”

Claire waited until Jessica had left the room before she turned back to the window and stared outside. After a moment she closed the curtain, inched back to the bed and pulled her gun from her purse. She laid it on the bedside table, changed into the nightgown Jessica had left for her and then crawled into bed. No matter what she’d told Jessica, she knew sleep wouldn’t come.

She pulled the covers up to her chin and waited to see what would happen next.

* * *

Claire jolted awake and glanced at the bedside clock with its face glowing in the darkened room—2:00 a.m. Despite her good intentions, she’d fallen asleep. She pushed up in bed and raked her hair out of her face.

Her thoughts drifted back to the events of the night, and she shivered. She’d never been so scared in her life, but at least she was alive. Now she needed to get a grip on her emotions. Nothing else was going to happen tonight, so there was no need for her to try to stay awake. She had a busy day ahead of her tomorrow, and she needed some rest if she was going to make it through.

She plumped up her pillow and was about to lie back down when a noise from the direction of the kitchen startled her. It sounded as though a door had opened. She sat up again and strained to hear any other sounds in the apartment. Nothing. Then the creak of footsteps on the floor sent her heart racing.

Someone had entered the apartment.

Claire eased from the bed, slipped into her robe, and grabbed the gun from the bedside table. She stared at the crutches for a moment before she propped one under her left arm. With the gun in her right hand, she limped toward the bedroom door. Once there she propped the crutch against the wall and balanced on her good foot. Then she eased the door open and slid into the hallway.

She stopped and held her breath when the beam of a flashlight pierced the darkness. Now she had no doubt a prowler had entered the apartment.

She slid along the hallway wall until she reached the living room and then reached for the switch to turn on the overhead light. The man was facing away from her, and he pulled something from her purse. He whirled around just as the room lit up. Her bag tumbled to the floor.

“What...?” he snarled.

Claire’s heart jumped into her throat at the sight of James Lester with Peter Willis’s phone in one hand and a flashlight in the other. She tightened her grip on the gun. “Put it down, Lester.”

His gaze dropped to the gun in her hand, and he smirked. “Still trying to play the tough girl, huh? Well, you don’t seem too tough to me.”

He took a step toward her, and she swallowed. “I’m warning you. Don’t come any closer. Put the phone on the coffee table.”

He cocked his head to one side and grinned. “And what are you going to do? Shoot me? I don’t think you have it in you.”

Perspiration beaded her forehead. “Are you willing to chance it?”

He smiled. “I think I am.”

Before she could respond, he hurled the flashlight at her. It hit her in the chest, knocking the wind out of her. He rushed forward, grabbed her wrist and tried to twist the gun from her hand.

“No!” she screamed as she struggled against him. The gun jerked in her hand and fired.

James Lester screamed out in pain, and the gun and the cell phone he had held clattered to the floor. “You’ve shot me!” he yelled and staggered backward. “You shouldn’t have done that!”

She tried to reach her gun, but he lunged again, grabbed it before she could and pointed it in her face. She closed her eyes and waited for him to fire. Before he could pull the trigger, a voice thundered out. “Get away from her!”

His fingers loosened on her arm, and Claire glanced around to see Jessica with her gun aimed at James Lester. “Jessica, thank goodness...”

He growled, grabbed Claire’s other arm and pulled her in front of him. His left arm encircled her waist, and his right one, which held the gun, pressed across her chest. She realized she had just become James Lester’s shield. “Put your gun down unless you want your friend here to get hurt.”

Jessica didn’t back off but inched forward. “Let her go.”

“No way.” James pulled Claire backward toward the kitchen. She glanced down at the floor and noticed the trail of blood he left behind. She tried to claw at his face, but his arm across her chest held her so tightly she could barely move. “I’m leaving, and I’m taking her with me. If I see any cops following me, I’ll dump her body out of the car. Do you understand?”

“I understand you’re going nowhere but to jail,” Jessica said.

“Not today, sweetheart,” he replied. “So back off.”

They were almost to the back door now, and Claire knew she had to do something. He released the arm around her waist and reached behind him to open the door, and the pressure of his other arm lessened.

In that split second Claire ducked her head and clamped her teeth into his hand. He yelled in agony and hurled her away from him as the gun clattered to the floor. She stumbled forward and fell against one of the kitchen chairs. She looked up in fear as he took a step toward her. “You’ll pay for that!”

Jessica appeared in the doorway, her gun pointed at James. “Hands up, Lester.”

The look that washed over his face reminded Claire of a cornered animal. He glanced from side to side, then reached for the coffeepot on the counter next to him and hurled it at Jessica. When she ducked, he opened the door and stumbled out.

Before Jessica reached Claire, he had disappeared, and the sound of a car roaring away split the night air. Jessica dropped to her knees next to Claire. “Are you all right?”

She nodded. “I’m fine.”

“Then I’m going to see if I can catch him.”

“I don’t think you will. I heard a car drive off. Peter Willis must have been waiting for him outside.”

Jessica rushed out the back door, and Claire lay there for a moment thinking about what had just happened. This was the second time tonight that someone she’d known since childhood had been put in danger because of her. How could they ever forgive her for that?

Claire tightened her grip on the back of the kitchen chair she’d landed against and pulled herself to her full height just as Jessica walked back into the apartment. “He got away, but at least we know who he was. I’ve called the police, and I’ve also called Adam. Everybody should be here in a few minutes.”

“Why did you call Adam?”

“He would have been angry with me if I hadn’t.”

Claire groaned. “Now I get to listen to him lecture me again.”

Jessica frowned and shook her head. “You need to get over this idea that Adam doesn’t like you. He’s really quite fond of you.”

“I’m sure he is. About as fond as he his of a headache. But anyway, I’m sorry I put both of you in danger tonight. I didn’t intend for that to happen.”

“We know that, Claire. It’s just that we’ve been doing this kind of work for a long time. You’re new to it.”

“I may be new, but I’m learning fast. For instance, I know James Lester broke in here to get Peter Willis’s cell phone, but he didn’t. Those phone numbers must be more important than we thought at first.” Claire took a deep breath and hobbled toward the living room door.

“Be careful of your foot, Claire,” Jessica called out.

Claire gritted her teeth and took another step. “James Lester was right about one thing. I have to toughen up. I put my best friend and her brother in danger tonight, and I don’t want to do it again.”

Jessica followed her into the living room and watched as Claire staggered to the couch and took a seat. Claire reached down and picked up the cell phone James had dropped in the struggle.

“At least he didn’t get what he came for. Back at the cabin Peter let it slip that James was also involved in my father’s death, and I’m determined they’re not going to get away with it. There must be something in this phone that’s so important they’d risk breaking in here to get it. Now all I have to do is find out what it is.”

Jessica dropped down beside her. “How do you expect to do that?”

Claire shook her head. “I don’t know yet, but one thing is for sure. The next time I meet up with those two I intend to be ready for them.”

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