Lethal Memory (A Counterstrike Novel Book 2) Page 10

  “I’d like that. If you’re sure—”

  “I’m positive. What time works for you?”

  “The residents eat at noon, so I’ll be leaving before then.”

  Noah glanced at his watch. “I’ll see you in about forty-five minutes. Bye, Riley.”

  “Bye, Noah.”

  He disconnected, stood up, and slipped his phone into his pocket. Impatience strung his nerves tight, and he forced himself to relax. Nothing had changed in the last hour, so he wasn’t sure why he was feeling so uneasy. But he was.

  Grabbing his jacket off the back of his chair, he shrugged it on and headed toward the front door. His gut was telling him to get over to Harbor House now, so that’s what he intended to do. If he froze his ass off sitting in the parking lot waiting for Riley, it wouldn’t kill him.

  Better safe than sorry.

  * * * *

  Riley gave her grandfather a hug and breathed in the scent of his aftershave lotion. Old Spice. A sharp memory of a younger version of this man standing in a small bathroom in front of a pedestal sink formed. His face was covered in lather as he used a straight-edge razor to scrape away his whiskers, and his eyes sparkled as he regarded her through the mirror. She was maybe six or seven years old, dressed in a pair of jeans and a pink striped sweater, sitting on the closed lid of the toilet, watching him shave.

  When the memory faded, Riley pulled away. “Thank you for the rousing game of Backgammon. I want a rematch the next time I visit.”

  “I don’t mind beating you again, young lady. It’ll be a pleasure.”

  She grinned. “Funny. I—” She broke off and glanced toward the door at the sound of a voice.

  “Ma’am.” Dex’s tone escalated. “Let me help—”

  She didn’t hear a response and assumed he’d moved away from the door.

  “People do that a lot.”

  “Huh?” She turned back to face her grandpa.

  “Yell to be heard. Half the residents in this place are hard of hearing.”

  “Oh. I guess that could be a problem.” She squeezed his arm. “It’s close to lunch time, so I should take off.”

  “You’ll be back to see me soon?”

  “You bet. I love you, Grandpa.”

  “I love you, too, sweetie pie. Next time, maybe your young man will be able to stay longer.”

  “He’s not . . . uh . . . sure.” Guilt twinged. Rather than explaining Dex’s presence, she’d simply told her grandfather he was a friend who’d given her a ride. “I’ll stop by again in a day or two.”

  “I’ll look forward to it.”

  With a final smile, Riley opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. Dex was nowhere to be seen. Frowning, she headed toward the lobby. Maybe he’d needed to use the restroom or—

  Quiet footsteps sounded behind her. Before she could spin around, someone grabbed her from behind and dropped a bag over her head. The think cloth muffled her scream. Terror added strength to her efforts, and she lashed out, kicking her attacker in the legs. He grunted and swore, but his grip on her tightened, one arm clamping across her neck. Gasping for breath as spots appeared before her eyes, she reached up and raked her nails across the side of his face.

  “Son of a bitch!”

  When he loosened his hold, she jerked out of his grip and ran forward a few steps. Smacking hard into the wall, she collapsed onto the carpeted floor and struggled to push herself upright. In the distance, a voice called out, followed by running footsteps, before a door shut nearby. Yanking the cloth off her head, she glanced both ways down the empty corridor as Tanis appeared around the corner and stopped beside her.

  “I heard a crash and thought it was one of the residents. Are you okay, Riley?” The other woman helped her to her feet.

  “Did someone run past you?”

  “No, no one. What happened?”

  Riley gripped her arm. “What about Dex, the man I came in with? Did you see him?”

  “Not since you signed in at the front counter.” She bent to pick up a heavy, black canvas bag off the carpet. “What’s going on?”

  “Someone attacked me. Residents should probably stay in their rooms.”

  A door opened down the hall, and an elderly woman with a walker emerged.

  “I’ll have the staff notify all the residents.” With a final, wide-eyed look at Riley, Tanis hurried toward the woman. “We’ll be serving lunch a little late today, Mary. If you’ll go back to your room, someone will be around to tell you when it’s ready.”

  Riley pulled her phone out of her pocket and tapped 9-1-1 with a shaking finger. By the time she’d explained what had happened to the operator, her grandfather had stepped out into the corridor.

  “I’ll be in room 103 when the officers arrive. Okay, thank you.” She disconnected and laid a hand on her grandpa’s arm. “Turns out, I can stay and visit a little longer.”

  “Riley?” He frowned. “For a minute there, I thought you were your mother.”

  When her cell rang, she glanced at the display and sagged against the wall in relief. Straightening, she urged her grandfather into his room and followed him inside, then shut and locked the door before answering. “Noah, someone tried to grab me.”

  “Are you safe?” He spoke sharply.

  “I’m back in my grandpa’s room with the door locked. I don’t know what happened to Dex.” Her voice quavered, and she forced herself to breathe. “The police are on the way.”

  “I’m in the parking lot.” A car door slammed. “Notify the front desk so they’ll let me inside, but don’t leave that room. I hear sirens now.”

  “Okay.” She hung up and hurried past her grandfather to push the call button on the table by his recliner.

  “Clement, do you need me to send in one of the nurses?” Tanis’s voice sounded strained.

  “It’s Riley, Tanis. The police should arrive at any minute, and my friend, Noah, is here. Can you please let him in?”

  “He just came through the front door and has his ID out. I’ll send him back. Did you find your other friend?”

  “No.” Her hand shook as she pushed her hair over her shoulder. “I’m really worried.”

  “A couple of police cars just pulled up with lights flashing. Here comes another one. Oh, wow. It looks like a scene from a movie out there.”

  Riley met her grandpa’s wide-eyed gaze as she spoke into the intercom. “They certainly got here quickly.”

  “At least they don’t have their sirens blaring, or half the residents would have heart attacks. I’d better go.” The intercom went dead.

  “Did someone try to hurt you? Why are the police here?” Her grandfather’s lips tightened into a thin line.

  A sharp rap on the door forestalled her response.

  “Riley, it’s me,” Noah called.

  “Who’s out there? Should I get my shotgun?”

  “He’s a friend of mine, Grandpa, and you don’t have your shotgun here.” She squeezed his arm before hurrying past him to unlock the door.

  Noah stepped inside and shut the door. Concerned brown eyes focused on her face as he gripped her shoulders. “Are you okay? Did that bastard hurt you?”

  “I’m fine. I don’t know where he went, but he must have run off when he heard Tanis coming.”

  Noah gave her a quick, hard hug before stepping back. Holding out his hand, he faced her grandfather. “I’m Noah Kimball, a friend of Riley’s. It’s nice to meet you, sir.”

  Her grandfather shook his offered hand. “Nice to meet you, too, son. What’s going on out there?”

  Noah glanced back at Riley before answering. “An intruder entered the building, but the police are handling the situation.”

  “That’s just not right. Why would someone want to go and do that? Scare a bunch of old folks into an early grave, more than likely.”

  “I’m sure everything will be back to normal soon, Grandpa.” Riley lowered her voice. “I’m worried about Dex. If that freak hurt him—”

&n
bsp; “I’ll go look for him. You stay here until we know the building is secure.”

  She nodded. “Okay.” After shutting and locking the door behind Noah, she forced a smile for her grandpa. “Are you hungry? Since lunch will be late, I can make you a snack. You have crackers in the cupboard and cheese in your fridge. Or maybe you’d like a cup of tea?”

  “Quit fidgeting and come sit down. I don’t care about food, and a stiff shot of brandy would probably help us both more than tea. You look upset.”

  “I am, a little. I don’t like the idea that someone can get into this facility with no one the wiser. I thought it was secure.”

  At a knock on the door, she whirled around.

  “Police. Please open up.”

  Riley peered through the peephole and recognized Detective Brasher’s distorted image. After fumbling with the lock, she opened the door and nodded at the two detectives.

  “Come inside. This is my grandfather, Clement Adair.”

  Brasher glanced past her. “Afternoon, Mr. Adair. Professor, maybe we can go somewhere private to chat?”

  Behind them, Tanis stopped in the doorway. “Actually, I’m here to take Clement to the dining room. The officers asked us to bring all the residents there so they can check each room.”

  Riley gave her grandfather a quick hug. “Don’t worry about me, Grandpa. I’ll be fine.”

  “I know you will.” He patted her cheek. “Maybe you should go have that drink with one of your young men after the dust settles.”

  She couldn’t help smiling at his teasing look as he tried to cheer her up. “I might do that. Enjoy your lunch.”

  “I will. I intend to have a big, fat cheeseburger.” He walked out of the room beside Tanis. “Do you think the cook would make me one?”

  Brasher shut the door behind them, cutting off Tanis’s reply, and then faced Riley. “All right, let’s hear what happened.”

  While she described the attack and her bodyguard’s disappearance, Detective Connolly checked the bedroom and bath before rejoining her partner.

  “You believe you were the intended target?” Brasher asked. “You don’t think it was a resident who’d gone off his meds?”

  “I fought hard. The man who grabbed me was strong, definitely not a frail person. He should have a scrape on his cheek from my nails. I can’t imagine this attempt isn’t related to my kidnapping.”

  “I expect it is, but I wanted to hear your take on the situation.” His brow furrowed. “You didn’t get a look at him? Any description would be helpful.”

  Outside, a siren wailed, and Riley glanced toward the window as an ambulance turned off the street into the parking lot. With an effort, she focused on his question. “I’m afraid I didn’t see him since he came up behind me and pulled a bag over my head. He was taller than me, and when I kicked and scratched him, he swore. His voice was definitely male, but it sounded muffled through that canvas bag. I’m not sure I’d recognize it again.”

  “We took the bag into evidence.” Detective Connolly broke off when someone knocked on the door. “I’ll answer that.” As she headed toward the door, she pushed back her blazer to reveal the butt of a revolver.

  Riley’s heart thumped. “It’s probably Noah. You met him at my home last week. He arrived shortly after I was attacked and went to look for my bodyguard.”

  After checking the peephole, she opened the door. “Come inside, Dr. Kimball. We’d like to ask you a few questions, too.”

  “What happened to Dex?” Riley gripped her hands into fists at her side. “Did you find him?”

  “Someone dumped him in a utility closet. He’s still alive but in critical condition with a knife wound.”

  “Oh, no!” She blinked back tears. “Is he going to live?”

  “He was stable when I passed him over to the paramedics.” When a siren wailed outside, Noah glanced toward the window. “That’s the ambulance leaving for the hospital now.”

  “I can’t believe this.” Her voice cracked. “Dex got knifed because of me.”

  Noah brushed past the detective and took both her hands in his. “Hey, this isn’t your fault. It was his job to protect you, and Dex knew the risk going in.”

  “Did you hear a struggle earlier?” Brasher asked.

  Riley shook her head. “No, but someone entered the hallway while Dex was still outside the door. He addressed the person, but I didn’t hear a response.”

  “His assailant must have caught him by surprise.” When Detective Connolly’s cell phone buzzed, she pulled it from her breast pocket and glanced at the screen. “Patrol just finished searching the rooms and didn’t find anyone suspicious on the property. The suspect must have fled after he released Ms. Adair.”

  “How did he get inside in the first place?” Riley asked. “Exterior doors are locked with a code so residents can’t simply walk out whenever the mood strikes them since many have cognitive issues.” When Noah released her hand, she gripped the back of her grandfather’s recliner. “Does that mean one of the employees let this man into and out of the building?”

  “We’ll investigate thoroughly, including background checks on all the staff.” Brasher removed a notebook and pen and jotted something down. “Are employees the only ones who know the combo?”

  “Actually, I know it. The last time I was here, my grandpa and I went for a walk around the grounds. One of the nurses gave me the code so I could get back inside from the courtyard.”

  “I wonder how many friends and family of residents have asked for the door code.” The detective glanced up from his notebook. “Talk about poor security.”

  “My guess is most of the regular visitors. Look, I don’t know what else I can tell you. I’d like to call the hospital to check on Dex.”

  Detective Connolly turned to Noah. “Did you see anyone while you were looking for the missing bodyguard?”

  “Just the staff going door to door. A couple of the residents had visitors who came out of their rooms. Once I found Dex, I wasn’t paying attention to anything but getting some pressure on his wound and calling for an ambulance.”

  “Was he conscious when you discovered him?” Brasher asked.

  “No, I’m afraid not.”

  “I’ll need the bodyguard’s full name and the company who employs him.”

  “Dexter Hughes. He works for Olde Towne Security,” Riley answered.

  The detective wrote in his book. “That should do it for now. We may have follow-up questions later.”

  “You know how to reach me.”

  After the two detectives left the room, Noah slid his arm around her. “Are you okay?”

  “No, I’m not. I want to find out how Dex is doing.” She pressed a hand over her mouth and swallowed hard. “I can’t believe this happened.”

  Gently raising her chin, he stared at her with grim determination. “We’ll get answers, and I’ll make certain you’re safe. No one will get near you again. That’s a promise.”

  Chapter Nine

  Five hours after leaving Boston, Noah turned off Highway 1 and headed down the rugged Schoodic Peninsula. Despite the frigid temperature, he rolled down the window a couple of inches to breathe in the salt-scented air blowing off the Mount Desert Narrows and was instantly transported back in time to youthful vacations spent in Maine. He and his grandpa, bundled up against the cold, their fishing lines dangling in the water while waves lapped against the sides of the old wooden boat with the peeling blue paint.

  “Are those lights up ahead a town?”

  Jerked from the memory, Noah glanced toward the passenger seat where Riley sat, her profile just visible in the glow of the dashboard lights. “I thought you were asleep.”

  “I was for a while, but I woke up when you slowed down.”

  Stormy stuck her head between the two front seats, panting. To make room for the dog, they’d been forced to take Riley’s car, which he had to admit was a heck of a lot more comfortable than his ancient truck.

  “That’s Wint
er Harbor. My grandparents’ house is on a secluded strip of shoreline a few miles past town out on Grindstone Neck.”

  “I bet the view is spectacular.”

  “It is. You’ll see for yourself in the morning.”

  “I’m looking forward to checking out the area.” She let out a long sigh. “But I feel guilty, running away from the city when Dex is in intensive care because of me. Also, my grandpa is sure to wonder why I don’t come to visit.” She moved restlessly in the seat as they drove through the small town of Winter Harbor. “Then again, maybe he won’t, since his sense of time and place is still pretty shaky.”

  “The surgeon who repaired the damage to Dex’s lung said he’s doing remarkably well. Hopefully he’ll be able to talk to the police tomorrow, once they get him off the sedation meds. As for your grandfather, right now he’s safer if he’s nowhere near you.”

  “The last thing I want is to endanger anyone else.” Riley reached over and touched his arm, her palm warm through the flannel of his shirt. “Which is why I didn’t want you to come with me. Not that you listened to any of my arguments.”

  He snorted. “Like I’d let you fend for yourself with some asshole stalking you. Don’t worry about me. I can hold my own against pretty much anyone.”

  “I bet Dex thought the same thing. No one is invincible against a knife or a bullet.”

  “True. But I made damn certain we didn’t have a tail when we left the city. Very few people know I own this place, and the only person I told where we were going is Wolf.” He slowed as the pavement ended and turned onto a rutted gravel road. Moments later, he pulled to a stop in front of a two-story, white house with a screened porch. “We’re here.”

  The headlights illuminated the weedy front yard and sorry looking hydrangeas on either side of the porch steps. A sizable stack of split wood filled one end of the enclosure.

  “We won’t freeze, at least. I’ll get the generator going for electricity as soon as I put the car in the garage. No reason to advertise our presence if someone happens by in the morning. Not that there’s much traffic out this way since there’s literally nothing beyond this point but open water.”