Decker’s eyes opened, narrowing. ‘Who?’ The menace in that single word sent chills racing over Meredith’s skin.
Adam’s gaze flicked away for the briefest of moments, before returning to meet Decker’s solidly. ‘Wyatt Hanson. My old partner.’
Decker’s eyes registered instant understanding. ‘Not your fault, Adam. People who live double lives get very good at manipulating what you see.’
‘People will still wonder if I knew. Or think I’m stupid because I didn’t suspect.’
Meredith wanted to refute this, but she knew he was right. So she slid her arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. It was sympathy and support. And respect. ‘Some people are gonna suck, Adam. You can’t let their voices into your head.’
He nodded. ‘I know. I know. But . . . goddammit.’
Decker pinned him with a hard look. ‘Did his bosses in CPD suspect? No. Are they stupid? No. Now, granted, not all of them are as smart as you are,’ he added lightly.
Adam chuckled. ‘I’m sure they’d disagree with that statement.’
Decker raised a blond brow. ‘And they’ll take no blame for not seeing it, either.’
Meredith grinned at him. ‘Well played, Decker.’
Decker’s smile was weary. ‘Thanks. Now you guys go. I’m going back in there to tell Kate the fucker’s dead so she can stop plotting how to kill him with knitting needles.’
They obeyed, hurrying to the lobby and out into the air, cold but fresh. ‘God. I was going so stir crazy in there. I needed some fresh air.’
‘Sorry, but you’ll have to wait a while longer to enjoy it,’ Adam said because the van was pulling up to the overhang. The door slid open, revealing Deacon behind the wheel and Scarlett riding shotgun. Adam helped Meredith into the van, then handed her a flak jacket while the door slid shut. ‘Suit up.’
‘I’ll be so glad when this is over. Tactical wear does not go with my shoes.’
Deacon laughed. ‘I can’t wait until that’s your biggest concern again, Mer.’
Adam put on his own vest then helped her with hers. ‘We’re going to the condo,’ he said. ‘Isenberg posted a guard, which I told her was not necessary.’
‘Except that someone’s tried to kill you twice,’ Meredith said tartly. ‘Someone only tried to kill me once and I didn’t complain about a guard.’
Adam put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. ‘You’re right.’
‘Of course I am. Now, it seems a lot’s happened since we last spoke. Tell me, please.’
Deacon started driving and Adam started talking and Meredith’s heart broke a little more with every revelation. Jim Kimble was an ass. Dale Hanson? Complicit.
But the thought that Wyatt had been involved in the murder of Paula . . . ‘Why?’ she asked, her voice cracking. ‘Why would he do that to you? To Paula?’
Adam shrugged. ‘I’ve been wondering that all morning. I came into Personal Crimes with something of a reputation. A good one.’
‘One of the highest percent of closed cases in Homicide,’ Scarlett inserted loyally. ‘Adam was the homicide department’s boy wonder.’
Adam shrugged again, his cheeks growing dark from the praise. ‘Apparently, Hanson’s hated me since we were kids. I think he wanted to knock me down a few pegs.’ Meredith didn’t realize her fists were clenched until Adam brought one to his lips and kissed it. ‘So I think you know most of it now,’ he told her. ‘Isenberg’s taken over and—’ He was interrupted by the Darth Vader ringtone on his phone. ‘Speak of the devil.’
Scarlett barked a laugh. ‘I thought you changed that.’
‘She told me not to. Gives her cachet,’ Adam said with a grin, then answered. ‘Yeah, boss,’ he said. ‘We just picked up Meredith. Can I put you on speaker?’
Isenberg must have agreed because he did.
‘Linnie called the switchboard,’ she said without preamble. ‘She saw Shane’s video and asked for you. Patching her through now.’
A few seconds passed before Isenberg spoke again. ‘Linnie, I’ve connected you to Detective Kimble. Detective, this is Linnie Holmes.’
‘Is Shane really here?’ an unsteady voice demanded. ‘In Cincinnati?’
She sounds so young, Meredith thought sadly.
‘He is,’ Adam told her. ‘He came from Chicago as soon as he read the news about Andy’s death. He’s been so worried about you. We all have been. That’s why we came to the shelter. We wanted to protect you from the man who hurt you and killed Tiffany and her mother.’
‘I don’t trust you. I trusted the doctor and she told my secrets.’
‘She told us none of your secrets, Linnie. She came to us to defend you because at the time we had a BOLO posted on you. She said you’d been coerced.’
A cleared throat. ‘I was. But now I’m doing what I want.’
‘Which is?’
‘To kill Wyatt fucking Hanson for what he did to Andy.’
Adam grimaced. ‘I completely get that goal. I want him to pay too. He’s killed more people than Andy, though. Did you know he had Broderick Voss killed too?’
A beat of silence. ‘Well, I’d be lying if I said that made me sad.’
‘I understand. Voss was a fucker too. My point is that Wyatt fucking Hanson has hurt a lot of people and they deserve their justice too. I get that you want him dead. I want him to spend the rest of his life in a prison cell, worrying about all the people he betrayed who are waiting to kill him. I want him to be afraid every day for the rest of his miserable life. Killing him’s too quick.’
Linnie said nothing.
Adam sighed. ‘You called me, Linnie. I know you’re armed because you shot Butch Gilbert. I know what you want to do to Hanson. Tell me what you want for yourself.’
Her laugh was bitter. ‘Nothing. I have nothing left.’
‘Not true. You have Shane and you have us. We want to help you. If you kill Wyatt, you can’t have a life.’
‘I don’t have one anyway. Didn’t the good doctor tell you? I’m HIV positive.’
‘She didn’t have to tell us, Linnie. You did, when you called to tell us where to find Hanson’s SUV. Because you wanted to do the right thing.’
He pulled up a text screen and sent a quick one to Dani. Can I tell Linnie you are positive too?
Meredith watched his phone light up with his cousin’s instant response. Yes. Of course. It’s no secret anymore.
Adam rubbed his face, something he seemed to do to give himself time to think. ‘Listen, Linnie, just because you’re positive, doesn’t mean your life is over. Dr Dani is positive too. She just gave me permission to tell you.’
A sharp intake of breath. ‘What? How?’
‘That’s her business, just like your condition is yours. But your life is not over. You can make it a good one. Just . . . tell me where you are. I’ll come get you myself. I promise.’
She was silent longer this time, then spoke quietly. ‘I’m sitting in Hanson’s living room. His baby is on my lap and I have a gun in my hand. His wife is sitting here, shooting me death glares because she thinks I’m a lying whore.’
Oh God, she’s holding a baby hostage, Meredith thought. This had just gotten worse when she hadn’t thought it could.
Deacon raised a hand to indicate he’d heard, turned on the van’s flashing lights – no siren – and did a quick U-turn.
‘We’ll deal with Mrs Hanson later,’ Adam promised. ‘Right now, we want to protect you. I’ll be there in . . .’ He looked at Deacon who made a sign with his right hand.
‘Ten minutes,’ Adam finished. ‘Hold tight. I’m on my way.’
‘Hurry,’ Linnie said quietly. ‘Please.’
And then she ended the call. Isenberg called Adam right back. ‘How old is the baby?’
‘About two years old,’ Adam told her. ‘This just got hairier. Requesting additional backup.’
‘Already on the way,’ Isenberg said. ‘As am I.’
‘Thanks.’ Adam ended the call and looked at Meredith. ‘I’ll have someone take you away from the scene when we get there. Until then, you stay down.’