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Chapter 2
Alex sat in the almost-empty southbound CTA car as it rocked from side to side and scanned her fellow passengers. A couple of teens. Both wore earbuds, their heads bobbing and their eyes closed. A middle-aged woman wearing a white uniform sat three rows in front of her. A nurse, most likely, either just off her shift or heading into work. Two men, sitting in different rows, who also looked like they were heading home from work.
No one looked threatening. She was pretty sure neither Jerry nor his hit man knew she’d heard them. But she was too spooked, too jittery and ramped up to relax.
Old habits die hard. In dangerous or unknown situations, all her instincts went on red alert.
She assessed everyone who got onto the train. Checked off everyone who departed. One man who stepped into the car stared at her for a long time, then slid into the seat across the aisle from her. Alex hugged her business tote to her chest. Squeezed the leather to locate the taser she kept in the bag -- security for those nights she left the office late. Unzipped one compartment slightly, so she could access the weapon quickly.
No one else gave her a second look or paid any attention to her.
As they approached the Roger’s Park area, the man across the aisle stood up at the stop before hers. Thank God. But instead of moving toward the door, he edged closer to her. “Hey, baby, how about we get a drink?”
Alex slowly turned her head. Glanced at him, then away. But she memorized his face. His height. His build. Finally said, “Hell, no, loser. Buzz off.”
He leaned closer, and she resisted the urge to lean away from him. “You sure?”
“Positive,” she said, unzipping her bag so she could reach the taser.
His gaze dropped to her hand. He swallowed, but edged closer again.
Curling her fingers around the gun-like grip, she raised it enough so the guy could see it. Understand she was armed. She held his gaze until it dropped to her bag.
When he saw the taser, he recoiled. Backed away. As the train slowed at a station, he moved to the door. Stepped onto the platform and hurried away, hunching his shoulders in his red Chicago Bulls jacket.
The train started up again, and Alex let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Her hands shaking, she flattened her palms on the bag and held it against her chest, as if it were armor protecting her.
She exited the train at the next stop. Clutching her bag close, the zipper open for easy access to the taser, she walked two blocks. Checked into the small boutique hotel where she often stashed her witnesses. Her firm had an account there, so it was quick. She’d stay the night. Be safe while she figured out her next move.
After a restless, mostly sleepless night, she woke early and realized she needed to go back to the house. She needed clothes. The money in her safe. Her important papers. And she had a small window when she could do that.
Jerry went to his gym every morning for an hour. She’d get to the house, watch him leave, then run inside and get what she needed.
Less than an hour later, she’d picked up her car. Now she sat slumped behind the steering wheel, parked three houses down from her place. Right on schedule, the garage door rose slowly and Jerry backed out in his white Mercedes. Turned onto the street and drove away from her, in the direction of his gym.
She waited ten minutes to make sure he didn’t come back for something he’d forgotten. Time seemed to stand still as she stared at her watch. Finally, she cruised slowly to the house next door to hers and parked. Her heart pounding, she race-walked into the house, using the same entrance as the night before. The less noise, the better.
Once inside, she hurried to her office and opened the safe hidden behind a painting. She grabbed her important papers, her gun and the fifty thousand dollars she’d stashed there after several threats during the case before this last one. Her client had sworn he’d kill her if she didn’t get him off. She’d reported him to the judge, and her client had been jailed while awaiting trial. But she’d bought the gun and withdrawn the money. Just in case.
After the case was over and her client had been convicted, she’d decided to keep the money and the gun in the safe. She felt better knowing it was there.
It took only ten minutes to change her clothes and throw an assortment of clothing and toiletries into a suitcase. With the wheeled case bumping down the stairs behind her, she raced for the mudroom. Hesitated, glancing toward the family room.
Jerry’s safe. He didn’t think she knew about it, but Jerry wasn’t subtle. She removed the picture in front of it, opened the safe with the combination she’d gotten from the security camera, and stared at the stack of money inside. She took half of it. She’d have to pay cash for everything, and she had no idea how much she’d need. Jerry had probably removed some of his cash to pay his hit man and wouldn’t realize more was missing. He was a sloppy bookkeeper. And even if he figured out some of it was missing, what was he going to do? Have her killed twice?
Behind the money, two thick file folders were crammed together. They could be related to whatever shady deal he was involved in. There had to be a reason he stored them in his safe rather than in his office.
Those files might come in handy.
She slid them into her bag, then closed the safe and replaced the artwork.
Running back to the mud room, she glanced at the kitchen island. The lily-of-the-valley flowers drooped. Looked wilted. Jerry hadn’t replaced them this morning. She sure as hell wasn’t going to take the time to do it. Especially since she wouldn’t be here to enjoy them.
As she ran into the mud room, she slid on the floor, caught herself on the washing machine and shoved everything from Jerry’s safe into her tote.
She had plenty of time, but her heart raced as she stepped into the garage. Exited the side door.
Her palms damp, sweat running down her back, she stood at the top of the driveway, studying the street. There was one other car, a dark, older sedan, parked several houses behind hers. No one inside.
