“To cover up a murder.”
He nodded. “You’re nothing more than a scapegoat.”
“Do you think someone figured out Angela was a federal agent?”
Madrid shook his head. “I think someone realized she was on to their secret.”
“What secret?”
“That’s what we’re going to find out.”
Chapter Five
Madrid hadn’t wanted to involve his brother, but he needed a safe haven for Nicolas while he and Jess returned to Lighthouse Point. Father Matthew wasn’t happy about the arrangement, but he was too good a man to refuse Madrid help, and he would never turn a child away from his church.
“How long will you be?” he asked.
“I don’t know.”
Father Matthew motioned with his eyes toward Jess. “What about her?”
Madrid risked a look at Jess. Sitting on the floor, she had her arm around Nicolas’s thin shoulders and was holding a little purple hippo. Nicolas had gone into his own little world, but it didn’t deter Jess from talking to him, from reaching out to him.
“She’s coming with me.”
Father Matthew’s usually serene expression turned incredulous. “I don’t have to tell you that’s a bad idea, do I?”
“No.”
“You don’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to women and decision making.”
Because Madrid couldn’t dispute that, he said nothing.
As if realizing he’d overstepped, Father Matthew sighed. “What can I do to help?”
“I could use a vehicle.”
“I have one. It’s not much, but it runs.”
“That’ll do.”
“Anything else?”
Setting his hand on his brother’s shoulder, Madrid smiled. “You might say a prayer.”
MADRID WAITED UNTIL midnight before entering the Lighthouse Point city limits. His brother’s car was a nondescript compact, but Madrid stuck to the back streets anyway. On the outside chance some cop would notice it and run the plates, he’d switched plates with a wrecked car he’d found parked at a service station. The last thing he wanted was for some killer to discover his brother was involved.
In the passenger seat beside him Jess sat quietly, watching the waterlogged landscape speed by. She’d been quiet since leaving the church an hour earlier. He could tell she hadn’t wanted to leave Nicolas behind. She wouldn’t admit it, but he knew from the way her hands were knotted in her lap that she was nervous. Maybe even scared. He couldn’t blame her; he was, too.
He wished he hadn’t brought her along. He enjoyed her company, and in all honesty she would probably be some help once they got into the police station. His biggest fear was that the situation would become dangerous. It was his responsibility to make sure that didn’t happen.
He glanced away from the road. “You okay?”
She started at the sound of his voice, tried to mask her jumpiness with a too quick smile. “I was just thinking about Nicolas.”
“He’ll be all right,” Madrid said. “My brother is a natural with kids.”
“It’s just that he’s been through so much.”
“Matt will take good care of him, Jess.”
She shot him a grateful smile. “I guess I should be thinking about how we’re going to pull this off.”
“I thought we’d check out Angela’s house first. See what we can find. We can park down from the alley and go in the back way, behind the hedge.”
She nodded, all business now.
When they neared Angela’s house, he circled the block three times looking for cop cars, but there weren’t any in sight.
“Doesn’t look like they posted a sentry,” Jess said.
“That doesn’t mean some beefed up kid armed with a .45 isn’t going to show up once we get inside.”
“We’ll just have to be on the lookout. Be careful.”
“To say the least.” Madrid punched out the headlights, turned into the mouth of the alley down the block from Angela’s house and parked behind a small garage, out of sight from the street. “We walk the rest of the way.”
Jess reached for the door handle.
“Wait.” Before Madrid even realized he was going to move, he reached out and grasped her arm.
She turned to him. Even in the semidarkness of the car, her beauty moved him in a way he hadn’t been moved for a very long time. She’d pulled her hair back and her face was a pale oval. Her eyes searched his. He could see moisture on her lips.
“I’ve got to douse this overhead light,” he said, his tongue suddenly thick.
“Oh.”
But for the span of several tense seconds neither of them moved. His hand was still on her arm. Through the material he could feel her trembling. She was scared, he thought, and felt a sharp swipe of guilt for putting her in this situation.
“You’re shaking,” he whispered.
“It’s not like I do stuff like this every day.”