Three Days to Forever (A Mac Faraday Mystery Book 9) Read online

  “David didn’t have time to explain.” Mac threw Joshua’s coat at him. “We need to be ready to move. They’re on their way. We need to go.”

  “Well, your police chief friend has a whole lot of explaining to do when he gets here,” Agnes grumbled while putting her coat on. She clutched her purse to her chest. “You say these guys are killers for hire. Who would want to send hit men after me?” She pounded her fist to her chest. “Me? I haven’t done anything to anyone. All I do is clean houses and take care of my grandkids. I read my books. I keep to myself—”

  “Like most lunatics.” Mac rolled his eyes in Joshua’s direction.

  Agnes continued, “I don’t even get into any of that social media type mumbo-jumbo that brings in cyberstalkers—”

  Joshua turned to her. “Because you don’t have a computer,” he said in a low voice.

  “That’s right.” Agnes hitched her chin up at him. “I’m low-tech and proud of it.”

  Joshua stared at her.

  Seeing Joshua’s blue eyes boring at the elderly woman, Mac stood up straight. “What’s wrong, Josh?”

  “If Agnes has no computer,” he said slowly while directing his eyes at her purse, “why does she have a thumb drive?”

  “A what?” Agnes squawked while clutching the bag, which had both of their attention, closer to her chest.

  They moved in closer to her.

  “A flash drive!” Joshua pointed at her purse. “When I was searching your purse yesterday, you had a thumb drive in it. A red one. I actually held it in my hand.”

  “But you have no computer,” Mac said. “Then what are you doing with a flash drive?”

  “What’s on it?” Joshua demanded to know.

  Mac snatched the bag out of Agnes’ hands.

  “How dare you!”

  Turning the purse upside down, Mac held it open and dumped all of the contents onto the floor. Everything from candy to pens to tissues to store receipts to earrings to paper clips to bandages to a small sewing kit to lipstick to hairbrushes—everything imaginable scattered across the floor. “You got everything in here but the kitchen sink, Agnes!” He knelt down to dig through the mess.

  “You never know when someone will need a bandage.”

  Holding his wounded side, Joshua eased down to his knees to paw through the contents. “It was red.”

  They could hear the police sirens in the background.

  “What’s a thumb drive?” Agnes demanded to know. “What does a thumb have to do with a computer, and why would I have one when I don’t have a computer?”

  “Good question,” Joshua replied.

  “I’ve got it!” Mac held it up.

  With her hands on her hips, Agnes shook her head. “That doesn’t even look like a thumb!”

  “It’s a thumb drive,” Mac said while climbing to his feet. “You stick it into a computer, and then you can retrieve data and other information from it.”

  Her voice was low as she glared up at him. “I know where I’d like to stick it.”

  “What’s on it?” Joshua asked.

  “What are you not telling us, Agnes?” Mac asked. “Does this have something to do with your boss, Crane? What are you really into?”

  “I’m into cleaning his toilet and taking out his garbage, that’s what I’m into!”

  Gnarly ran up to Mac and jumped up to tag him in the back with his paws. The dog let out a loud anxious bark.

  “They’re almost here!” Officer Fletcher announced. “ETA less than one minute.”

  As if to announce that no one was leaving, a gunshot blast broke out the kitchen windows. Grabbing his neck, Fletcher dropped to the floor behind the kitchen counter.

  “Fletcher!” Mac yelled.

  Seeing blood seeping through the officer’s fingers, Agnes screamed.

  Shoving the thumb drive into his pants pocket with one hand, Mac grabbed Agnes by the back of the neck and drove her down to the floor.

  “No!” the old woman screamed, “He needs help!”

  Clutching his gun, Officer Fletcher rose up onto his knees and shot out the broken window.

  “Stay down!” Mac yelled while taking the officer’s place.

  “I’m okay.” Fletcher grimaced while attempting to tighten the grip on his bleeding neck.

  Seeing movement through the window on the other side of the house, Joshua warned Officer Zigler. “Ten o’clock!”

  While the officer ducked, Joshua fired off three shots over his head through the window. They heard a scream, and then the bush outside the window shook when the body fell into it.

  Agnes grabbed an old discolored dishtowel and rolled it up. “Now you listen to me, young man, we’re all going to get out of here alive,” she said in a no-nonsense tone. “So don’t you go giving up on me. I’ll hold this to your neck.” She moved over to give him a view out the kitchen window. “You keep on shooting those bunch of good-for-nothing so-and-sos. You hear me?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Spencer Inn

  As much as she hated to admit it, Jessica Faraday couldn’t deny that Murphy had been right. How could she help her dad escape whoever was after him? She had seen Murphy in action with her own chloroformed eyes.

  And he looked so good while doing it. She had to pause to watch him climb into David’s cruiser. Hmmm. What a nice pair of buns. Honey buns. Yeah, that’s what I’ll call him. My honey buns.

  The memory of the dimples on both of his cheeks made a giggle bubble to the surface when she pulled her purple Ferrari into the valet parking at the Spencer Inn. Recognizing the Inn owner’s daughter, the doorman opened the driver’s door for her almost before she came to a complete stop.

  He offered his hand to help her out of the car. “A pleasure to see you again, Ms. Faraday.” Taking the leash from her, he attached it to the squirming sheltie and handed the other end of the leash back to her. “I see you brought Spencer for the wedding.”

  “Oh, I take Spencer everywhere with me.”

  A chuckle escaped the doorman’s lips while he held open the door for her to pass through. “The inn’s manager, Mr. Ingles, will be thrilled to see her. Any luck in her housebreaking?”

  “She’s much better. Thank you for asking.”

  Even though the doorman’s tone was devoid of sarcasm, Jessica sensed the humor in his comment. The Spencer Inn’s manager wasn’t fond of Gnarly, who was reasonably trained. How could he possibly be fond of Spencer, who had had an accident under his desk when the sheltie was still a puppy? At least Gnarly never peed under his desk. But then Spencer had never dove into the swimming pool from the penthouse suite balcony on the top floor.

  Jessica had barely reached the top of the steps leading down to the lobby when she heard her name called from three directions.

  Jeff Ingles was racing with as much dignity as possible behind Hector Langford, the chief of security. Before Jessica could descend the stairs, the security manager had her by one arm while Jeff had her by the other.

  “Thank God you’re okay, Jessica,” Hector said. “Chief O’Callaghan called ahead with orders for me to personally escort you to your suite and make sure you are under watch the whole time until we find out who’s behind this.”

  “Have you heard any word from Dad yet?” Jessica made her way down the steps while being careful to not get tangled up in Spencer’s leash.

  Taking an immediate interest in Jeff Ingles, the pup was jumping on his leg and begging to be picked up. Conscious of the fact that Spencer belonged to Jessica, his boss’s daughter, Jeff was trying to discourage the dog as politely as possible, even though he wanted to give her a swift kick across the lobby. “We have your suite ready and waiting for you, Ms. Faraday.”

  “Hey, Jessie!” a call came from the lounge area in front of the fireplace. Tucking
his tablet under his arm, Tristan Faraday unfolded his tall frame from a chair and rose to his feet.

  Before he could race across the lobby to his sister, a shriek came from the registration desk. A slender blonde scurried across the granite floor in her high heeled boots. Her bosom bounced in her red sweater, which she had paired with black leggings. “Jessie! My BFF! I was so hoping I’d run into you! You wouldn’t believe who I ran into while checking in!” She took Jessica into a hug and kissed her on the cheek.

  Penny turned around and waved over to the firmly built man leaning against the reception desk. “Hey, Colt, here’s Jessie!” She whirled back to Jessica. “Cute text you sent this morning by the way.” She uttered a nervous giggle. “Roll over and wake Colt up …”

  “It wasn’t a joke,” Jessica said.

  Penny’s brown eyes clouded over as fear sent a lightning bolt through her heart.

  Hector touched Jessica on the elbow. “I would feel better if you just invited your friends up to your suite, Jessica. There are way too many people down here for us to keep you safe.” He gestured at Tristan. “You, too. Since they failed in nabbing Jessica, they may come after you.”

  “I’ll be going upstairs with you,” he replied before adding to Jessica in a low voice, “I really need to talk to you. It’s important.”

  “This will only take a minute,” Jessica said in a firm tone that prompted an expression from Penny not unlike that of a deer spotting a hunter with his weapon aimed at her.

  As Colt sauntered across the lobby, Spencer lost all interest in Jeff and turned her attention to the young man. Running to the end of her leash, the sheltie barked in an angry tone at the approaching human.

  “Spencer! Stop!” When Jessica knelt to pick her up, Spencer raced out of her reach while trying to reach Colt, who stood frozen in place. Finally, Tristan snatched up the dog and held her in his arms. When Tristan almost dropped his tablet, Hector took possession of the pup.

  “I don’t know why that dog doesn’t like me,” Colt said to each of them. “She must be a lesbian.” He stepped forward to hug and kiss Jessica, who turned her head away so that his lips brushed her cheek. Sensing that he was in trouble, the actor stepped back and flashed his most charming smile at her. “I think there’s a mistake. The clerk refuses to give me a keycard to your suite or to allow the bellhop to take my luggage up.”

  “No,” Jessica said, “there’s no mistake.”

  “Jessie,” Penny uttered a nervous giggle again, “now let’s not cause a scene right before your father’s wedding. Somewhere, somehow, you’ve got it in your head that Colt and I have been having an affair behind your back …”

  “Uh-oh.” Jeff pushed his way through them to run off to the reception desk. “Hector, I assume you will control all of this.”

  Hector took note of Jessica’s calm demeanor.

  “I got it in my head because it is fact,” Jessica said. “In the last five weeks, Colt has taken to wearing Clive Christian men’s cologne. Your favorite, Penny. All of your men wear it because you buy it for them.”

  His face turning red from the top of his head to his V-neck sweater, Colt chuckled.

  “Sorry, Colt,” Jessica said. “Your fantasy of two women getting into a catfight ain’t happening. Not today. Fact is, this is the best thing that could have happened to me now, because I’m in love with another man. That’s why I called the registration desk to tell them not to let you in my suite.”

  “Another man?” Colt’s eyes grew wide. “What other man? How could you fall in love with another man?”

  Penny’s eyes teared up. “Jessie, you’re positively glowing.”

  Jessica giggled. “I know. Isn’t it wonderful?”

  The two women hugged. As she pulled away, Penny asked, “So you’re not mad at me for sneaking around with Colt behind your back?”

  Jessica shook her head. “It’s absolutely perfect. Now I can dump Colt, and he can go running into your arms for you to tend to his wounded ego. You two can still come to the wedding together, and I’ll go with the man I love.”

  Clapping her hands, Penny squealed with delight. “Then we’re still friends.”

  “Of course.”

  “Man … she … loves?” Colt was still putting it all together. “But not me?” He raised his hand. “I have a question.”

  “You’re staying in my room,” Penny said.

  Colt pointed at Jessica. “Are you still going to talk to your father about my auditioning for the part of Mickey Forsythe?”

  “Of course I will, Colt,” Jessica said. “I can’t promise anything, but I will put in a good word for you.”

  Colt nodded. “Then I’m good.” Struck with a sudden thought, he asked, “Who’s paying for my room?”

  “I am.” Penny whirled around on her high heels and headed for the elevator. “Come, Colt,” she ordered with a wave of her hand. “Let’s go up to my room where I can lick your wounds.”

  “Cool.” Aware of feminine eyes on him, Colt turned around and followed his lady. With a gesture at the bellhop, he ordered his luggage to follow him onto the elevator.

  The corners of Jessica’s mouth curled when she took her phone from her purse and whisked her thumb across the touch screen.

  Hector sighed with relief. “That had to be the most congenial catfight I’ve ever witnessed.”

  “Shallow people heal fast,” Jessica said. “Think about it. When you’re shallow, how deeply can you be wounded?”

  “Are you really going to put in a good word for Colt playing Mickey Forsythe?” Tristan asked.

  Her attention directed at the various screens flashing on her phone while she thumbed through the applications, Jessica giggled. “Sure. I’ll put in a good word and Dad will fall out his chair laughing. But hey, I kept my promise.”

  Tristan leaned over to see what had her attention. “What are you doing?”

  “Deleting those two cheaters from my address book and blocking them from my social media sites.” A wide smile crossed her face. Her violet eyes sparkled. She dropped the phone back into her purse and grasped her brother’s arm. “That chapter of my life is now over. Time to move on.”

  “Now tell me about this other man you’re in love with?” Tristan took note of the men’s black leather jacket she was wearing. “I’m assuming that jacket is his.”

  David’s cruiser broke through the clearing to find the perimeter of the log house surrounded by gunmen taking shots with high-powered rifles at the occupants inside the house.

  “How many’re inside?” Murphy grasped the door to fly out.

  “Your father, Faraday, Agnes Douglas, and two of my officers, Zigler and Fletcher,” David said. “Plus Gnarly.”

  “What’s a Gnarly?”

  Instead of answering, David was on his radio. “Three gunmen are in the back making their way inside,” Sheriff Turow reported.

  “I’ve got five in the front.” Throwing open the door and rolling out into the snow, Murphy jumped up behind a snow bank with both guns blazing. One shot took out a gunman by the garage, while the other took out the one who was approaching from David’s side of the cruiser. “Now we have a total of six—counting those in the back.”

  David was issuing orders. “Sheriff Turow and his people will secure the perimeter. He’s called in a helicopter. ETA three minutes. My men will provide cover while you and I will go in to get our people out.”

  Leaving Murphy behind the cover of the snow bank, David pulled the cruiser up as close to the house as he could. Because of the foot and a half of snow, the vehicle was too far away from the side kitchen door. The shooters had a clear view.

  While surveying the layout between the cruiser and the side entrance to the house, Murphy scurried up alongside the driver’s side of cruiser. “They’ve got a kill zone,” he hissed while they crouched behind the vehicle. “Even i
f the targets don’t get inside, they have time and space to nab our people when they come out. We’re going to need cover between here and the door for when they evacuate.”

  “Turow just said they are down to two shooters in the back, but that they are moving in to the back side door,” David said. “The chopper can take care of all them—”

  “Two minutes is a long time when people are shooting at you.”

  “I know.” Reminded of when he had fought in the Middle East, David felt his voice shake. It was all too familiar. He cleared his throat.

  Murphy jerked his head over at a snow-covered barbeque resting next to the back door. “Does that thing work?”

  “I have no idea,” David said.

  “I’m going in,” Murphy said. “I’ll provide cover for them when they come out. Keep the engine running and be ready to gun it. If I’m not out in thirty seconds after they load up, you go without me.”

  “I told you that I was giving the orders,” David told him.

  “Yes, sir. I’m prepared to follow your plan.” Murphy casually fired a shot over his shoulder, and it took out a gunman who had been creeping around the corner of the house. He had barely even looked in that direction. “Now we’re down to three shooters.” It was like he had eyes in the back of his head.

  When a shot flew over his head, David replied, “We’ll go with your plan.”

  “Order your people to cover me while I go in,” Murphy said. “FYI,” he added with a grin, “I saw that guy’s reflection in the car window. I don’t have eyes in the back of my head.”

  “I never said you did.” David tapped his radio button. “Lieutenant Thornton is going in. Everyone cover him. Fletcher, Zigler, prepare to cover Thornton. He’s coming in the side kitchen door.”

  The back door opened from the inside. Murphy sprinted across the snow- and ice-covered walkway past the abandoned barbeque. As soon as he crossed the threshold, he slid across the floor to hit the kitchen counter.

  Mac slammed the side door behind him.

  “Who’s that?” Agnes squawked.

  “That’s my son,” Joshua said with pride while Murphy quickly checked him over.