Fugitive at Large

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“The lab sent these reports over to you. It’s from that robbery at the convenience store yesterday.”

“Good. Thank you for bringing it to us.”

He brought the envelope back to his desk and opened it. He pulled out several sheets of paper. Mac stepped up beside him, and Ryan held the reports so that Mac could read along with him.

After he read the first few lines, Ryan had to take a deep breath to slow his accelerated heartbeat. He glanced at Mac, who frowned in concentration as he scrutinized the lab’s findings. Ryan directed his attention back to the report and didn’t look up again until he’d read the final word.

For a moment neither of them spoke. Then Mac gave a soft whistle. “I never expected that.”

“Me neither,” Ryan said.

Jessica, who’d been silent while they were reading, rose from her chair. “I know I’m not a police officer anymore, but I’d really like to know what the lab discovered. Can you tell me?”

Ryan and Mac exchanged glances before Ryan nodded. “I think this may involve you as much as anybody else.”

She cocked her head to one side and stared at him. “How do you figure that?”

He looked down at the report again. “The lab found a fingerprint on the gun, and they’ve identified it as belonging to a man named Lee Tucker. He’s been arrested before, and his fingerprints as well as his DNA are in the system. In fact, there’s an arrest warrant out on him right now for attempted murder. He was arrested but skipped bail.”

Jessica’s eyebrows arched. “Skipped bail, huh? I wonder why we haven’t found out about him at the Knight Agency.”

Ryan handed her one of the pages from the envelope. “They sent a picture of his mug shot along with the report. He seems to fit the description you gave of the robber, but we need you to make a positive identification. Is this the man you shot at the convenience store yesterday?”

Jessica took the picture in her hand and studied it for a moment before she handed it back to him. “Yes, this is the same man. I’m sure of it.”

Ryan slipped the photo back into the stack of papers. “Then you met Lee Tucker in the flesh at that store.”

“But I don’t understand. You made it sound like I was involved in some other way than being able to identify this guy. What did you mean?”

“There was some blood on the gun.”

She nodded. “From the wound where I shot him.”

“Yes. Just a small spot, but it was enough to get a DNA sample. It was also a match to Tucker. So we have his fingerprint and his DNA on the weapon he used to try to kill Jamie.”

“I still don’t see—”

“There’s more,” Ryan said. “Remember the case we were working together when I asked for a transfer to another partner?”

“Yes. Cal and Susan Harvey were investigative reporters who were found murdered in their midtown Memphis home. They’d been working on a story about the drug trade in the South.”

“And there was a bandana with gang symbols on it found in their home,” Ryan finished for her. “And an anonymous tip informed the police that the bandana belonged to Tommie Oakes, a gang member who went by the name of Cruiser. We found the murder weapon in his closet.”

Jessica nodded as she no doubt recalled the case that had caused such a rift between the two of them. She took a deep breath. “Although his DNA was on the bandana, he had an alibi that the police and the DA ignored. They argued that the DNA on the gun probably belonged to another gang member who wasn’t in the system. Your new partner at the time couldn’t wait to close the case, and he kept on until the DA had Oakes arrested and charged. He was convicted and is now serving a life sentence in prison.”

“That’s right.”

“So why are we rehashing this now?” Jessica said through gritted teeth.

“Because the DNA found on the gun that killed the Harveys has been in the system ever since. The lab sent the DNA from the convenience-store robbery to the database, and it matched the results from the Harvey case.”

Jessica’s eyes grew wide. “So if the DNA from yesterday’s robbery is Lee Tucker’s, then he must have been the person who shot the Harveys.” She shook her head. “But the evidence from the Harvey case has been in the system for four years. Why didn’t it show a hit on Lee Tucker before now?”

Ryan shrugged. “The lab people don’t know. The important thing is that it does now. Tucker had to be at the Harveys’ home the night they were killed.”

“So Oakes might not have been the killer.”

He nodded. “Maybe not. The real killer could be—”

“Lee Tucker.” Her expression changed instantly. Alarm took over her features as she no doubt realized the danger that he had come to understand moments ago. “The police have to stop Tucker before he follows through and kills Jamie, too.”

“I know,” Ryan said. He tried to keep his anxiety reined in.

“But Lee Tucker could be anywhere,” Jessica said. “How would you decide where to start looking?”

Ryan held up one of the papers from the report. “I think we start with the car that you saw leave the scene after the shooting yesterday. The license plate is registered to the reelection campaign of Hayden Mitchum.”

Jessica’s eyes grew wide. “The US senator?”

Ryan nodded. “Yes. When we called his reelection headquarters this morning, they said they hadn’t realized it was missing. It’s one of the cars that the senator’s aide uses when he’s in town, but he is in Washington right now with Senator Mitchum.”

The phone on Mac’s desk rang at that moment, and Mac answered. “Detective Barnes.”

Ryan waited until Mac hung up before he said anything else. “Do we need to answer a call?”

Mac shook his head. “No. That was the captain. He needs me to bring him up to speed on the investigation into Gerald Price’s murder.”

“I read about that,” Jessica said. “He’s the man whose body was found in a riverfront parking lot. The newspaper report said the police believe he was killed in a carjacking.”

“That’s right.” Mac turned to Ryan. “I can go over everything with the captain. You stay here and talk to Jessica.” He reached over and patted her on the shoulder. “It’s good to see you. I hope you’ll come back to visit soon.”

She smiled. “Maybe I will, Mac. Take care of yourself out there.”

He nodded and walked from the room. Ryan waited until Mac had closed the door behind him before he spoke.

He stuck his hands in his pockets and took a deep breath. “Jessica, yesterday I thought I was going to a store to make sure my brother was okay. Since then, what was thought to be a robbery has snowballed into something that appears to be much deeper. And somehow it has ties to the murders we investigated four years ago.”

“I know,” she murmured as if she was lost in thought.

He sat down on the edge of his desk again and faced Jessica, who took the opposite chair. “What is Lee Tucker’s connection to the murders of two reporters four years ago and to what appeared to be a random robbery yesterday? And why was the getaway car stolen from a US senator’s parking lot? It doesn’t make sense.”

She nodded in agreement, then added, “If it really was stolen.”

“That’s a possibility. The senator’s office could have been lying about that.” He stood up, paced to the far side of the office and came back to sit in front of her. “And why did my brother suddenly disappear?”

“And why did I receive a threatening telephone call?”

Now it was his turn to be startled. “When did that happen?”

She shrugged. “Last night. A man called I think just to scare me so I couldn’t sleep. I have to say it worked.”

“What did he say?”

“When I asked who was calling, he said it was the friend I met earlier. So it must have been Lee Tucker,” Jessica answered. “I asked him what he wanted, and he said he didn’t want anything at the present time. But he’d let me know if he changed his mind.”

Ryan pounded his fist down on his desk. “That settles it. I have to find out what’s going on.”

“How are you going to do that?” she asked.

He thought for a moment before he responded. “I think I’ll take a few days’ leave and poke around on my own to see what I can find out. Maybe I can turn up something.”

She pushed out of her chair. “Well, I wish you luck. Let me know if I can help in any way.”

He stood and faced her. “You can. How about working with me for a few days? Let’s see if we can find out what’s going on.”

She stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am. After all, Lee Tucker is a fugitive and you’re a bounty hunter. If we find him, maybe we can answer some questions we’ve always had about Cal’s and Susan Harvey’s murders. And you may get to bring in a fugitive who’s skipped bail.”

She stared into his eyes without blinking. “Ryan, I don’t know...”

He reached for her hand and clasped it in his. “Please, Jessica. It’ll be like old times. The two of us working on a case. What do you say? Want to be my partner again?”

FOUR (#u514c6ad5-d8c9-550d-8f92-d8336e8f1014)

Jessica swallowed the last bite of her hamburger and took a sip of iced tea before glancing across the table at Ryan. She still couldn’t believe this was happening. Twenty-four hours ago no one could have convinced her that she would be having lunch today with Ryan Spencer. And yet here she was, sitting across from the man she’d told herself for four years that she hoped she would never see again.

As they had discussed the Harvey murder case and its link to the robbery and what was believed to be an attempt on Jamie’s life yesterday, she had found herself feeling comfortable in Ryan’s presence. Maybe she had been too quick to jump to conclusions four years ago. In all honesty, he had tried to explain his side back then, but she had felt so betrayed that she wouldn’t listen. Her brothers had always said she had a stubborn side to her sweet personality. No wonder Ryan had given up on trying to convince her she was wrong.

On the other hand, he’d had four years. Why had he waited until last night to try again to convince her?

“What are you thinking?” Ryan’s voice cut into her thoughts, and she sat up straighter.

Her face grew warm, and she picked up her napkin and wiped her mouth. “Oh, just lost in thought, I guess.”

A skeptical look flashed in his eyes, and he regarded her with an arched eyebrow. “Come on, Jessica. I always told you that your face was like a mirror to your soul. You never have been able to hide your emotions. Is it me? Are you still trying to make up your mind about whether or not you can be my friend?”

There was no use evading the truth. He was right. He’d always been able to read the expressions on her face. Maybe that was what had made them such great partners. The thought of their former relationship and how it had ended sent her heart plummeting to the pit of her stomach. Could she really put the past behind her and be his friend? And could she really work with him on a case?

She took a deep breath and tried to smile. “I listened to all you said last night, and I wish I had done that long ago. I didn’t, and I’ve had four years to ponder everything that was said between us.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Still the same old Jessica, huh? Once you get something in your mind, you’re like a dog with a bone. You chew on it constantly, and the longer you do, the more you take ownership of it.” He leaned forward and clasped her hand on the tabletop. “I’ve told you the truth about what was going on with me then. I’m sorry that I didn’t handle things differently, and I’m sorry I hurt you. Why don’t you quit stewing about it and bury that bone. All I’m asking is to be your friend.”

She started to pull her hand free, but he tightened his grip. A tug-of-war was the last thing she wanted in the middle of a downtown restaurant, so she relaxed. Maybe Ryan was right. Maybe her brothers had been right, too, about her stubborn streak when it came to forgiving those who she felt had hurt her. And Ryan had fit into that category...until their talk last night. Now she was beginning to think she’d jumped to conclusions before she should have.

After a moment, she smiled. “I’d like us to be friends again, Ryan. I always enjoyed working with you.”

“And I liked it, too. I was really sorry when I heard you had left the department.” He released her hand, and she picked up her iced tea again. “Maybe if I had been more forthcoming about what was going on in my life then, you might still be a police officer.”

She took a drink from her glass and shook her head. “I don’t think so. All my family has ever known is the bounty-hunter business. It was just a matter of time before I joined my brothers at the agency.”

He tilted his head to one side and studied her. “Are you happy doing that kind of work? It sounds like it would be dangerous for a woman to take down guys determined not to go to jail.”

“That doesn’t sound a lot different from what I did as a police officer. But I’m careful, and I don’t take chances. I’m on the road a lot, so the job’s not conducive to much of a personal life. And I get tired of staying in motels and eating in restaurants.”

He smiled. “That must be hard for you. I remember how you used to talk about the kind of house you wanted and what the backyard would be like. You haven’t found the right one yet?”

She shook her head and sighed. “No. Maybe someday. What about you? You said you moved into the house your dad bought before his death. Do you still live there?”

“Yeah. All by myself now.” He chuckled and wiped at the condensation on the outside of his iced tea glass. “Of course, as soon as Jamie got to college he wanted to move into an apartment of his own near campus. So I’m left rambling around in a big house all by myself. I’m thinking of selling it and moving back to an apartment.” He paused and bit down on his lip.

Jessica pushed her plate out of the way and crossed her arms on the table in front of her. “What’s the matter?”

“I’m sitting here talking about my housing plans when I should be trying to find out where my brother has gone.” He pushed back the hair that had fallen across his forehead. “I can’t believe he wouldn’t tell me.”

Jessica sat still for a moment and studied Ryan. When she had last known Ryan, he was working to establish a good relationship with his brother. From the way they’d seemed yesterday, she suspected they’d been able to do that. If that was so, why had Jamie left town without letting Ryan know where he was going?

She picked up her napkin again and wiped her hands. “Do you know any of the people Jamie works with at the computer store or at the school newspaper?”

“Nobody at the computer store, but I met the student editor once when I stopped by the newspaper office. Why?”

“I was just thinking,” she said. “Maybe we could talk to someone at the paper and see if they could help us.”

Ryan nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. I’ll call and see if anybody’s there.”

He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and scrolled down to a number. The muscle in his jaw flexed as he waited. After a moment, he ended the call. “Nobody answered. They may all be in class or at lunch.”

“Why don’t we go over to the campus anyway. We might find someone in the building who could tell us when they’ll be back.”

Ryan smiled and glanced down at her plate. “If you’re through, I’ll get the check so we can go.”

He picked up the tab the waitress had laid on the table and pushed to his feet. A panicked shock ricocheted through her body. No, she couldn’t allow herself to let down her guard with Ryan. She didn’t mind helping him find his brother, but they weren’t about to renew the relationship they’d had before. Jessica put out a hand to stop him. “I’ll pay for my lunch, Ryan.”