Page 43 of Ice Cold Liar (Ice Breaker Cold Case #14)

Chapter Twenty-Three

He heard the distinct blast of a gun exploding just as Eb prepared to force his way past the cops who needed to get out of his way because he was seeing Naomi.

They heard the blast, too, because they both whirled. Ran toward the sound. Using their distraction to his advantage, Eb burst from the interrogation room after them. General chaos and confusion reigned in that station as everyone fought to get to the back of the building.

“Did a weapon discharge?”

“Who the hell fired?”

“Check holding! Make sure all the suspects are secure!”

He ignored the voices and the questions and, as the others flew toward the back doors at the station and snaked through the hallways, he stopped by the interrogation rooms.

Yeah, he knew where they were. Thanks to his last visit to the station.

Eb shoved open the door to the interrogation room on the left. It banged against the wall.

“What’s happening?” Hunter was already on his feet. Hunter wasn’t alone. Eb recognized Colson Reid. The CIA operative stood near Hunter. “This bozo…” Hunter jerked his thumb toward Colson. “Wasn’t letting me leave! And I know I heard a gunshot!”

“You shot a detective! You killed him!” Colson huffed back.

“Because he was about to kill Eb!”

“I was making sure you didn’t rush out and get caught in any crossfire,” Colson snapped at him. “And—hey, hey, Eb! Where are you going?”

To the next interrogation room. Only when he shoved open that door, it was empty. He searched all the interrogation areas, but there was no sign of Naomi, and his heart just pounded faster and faster as cold, hard fear snaked through his veins.

Some of the cops had already filed back in the rear doors at the station. Others were still outside. They were talking and muttering and some were swearing, and he just pushed his way past them all as he headed out to fully survey the area behind the police station.

Naomi. Where the hell is Naomi?

“Could have been a car backfiring,” one of the cops guessed. “Video cameras are down back here. Been telling the chief we need to get them fixed for weeks.”

Uh, yeah, they did need to get them fixed.

Eb studied the scene. No blood. No sign of a struggle. No discarded weapons.

“Who’d be crazy enough to shoot behind a police station?” The question came from one of the female officers. “Probably was a backfire.”

Eb searched more behind the building.

Then he heard the sound of a dog barking.

His head jerked to the right, and he took off running.

“Eb!” A shout from behind him. Hunter’s shout.

Eb didn’t slow down. He kept following that familiar barking, hauling ass, and then he saw Henry. The dog was on the edge of the sidewalk, about to launch into the street up ahead.

“ Henry, no!” Eb roared. If that dog got hit, Naomi would lose her mind.

Henry stilled. After a brief moment, the dog looked back at Eb. But Henry’s ears were flat, his tail thumped once against the sidewalk, and a whine broke from him.

Eb raced to him. “Henry, don’t you dare go into that road!” He grabbed Henry’s collar.

But Henry whined again and strained against his hold as his body turned and pointed to the left.

Cars whipped past them.

“What’s the dog doing?” Hunter had arrived, slightly out of breath.

Colson was with him.

Another whine came from Henry. Eb crouched in front of him. Stared into those deep eyes. “Where is Naomi?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” An explosion of frustration from Colson.

“That freaking dog is not Lassie! He’s not about to tell you that some woman fell down a well.

Can we all go back inside before Madeline finds us and chews my ass out?

You’re both still supposed to be in interrogation, and I am trying really hard not to get on that woman’s bad side. Her bad side is scary as hell.”

Madeline.

He hadn’t seen Madeline when he’d been searching for Naomi. Madeline hadn’t been in any of the interrogation rooms. She hadn’t been outside with the local officers, either.

Henry whined. Turned his head to the left once more. The dog peered down the road and then…

Henry just flopped down. Fell against the sidewalk. Stared mournfully at the passing cars.

Fuck me. “Naomi is gone.” Guttural.

Henry had lost her. Eb was certain the dog had been following Naomi. But she’d been taken away. The dog couldn’t track her any longer. And Henry—the dog seemed to be grieving right there on the sidewalk.

We’re not grieving. We’re getting her back.

“Henry, come on. Now.” He tapped his leg and whirled away from the busy road.

Hunter was right in his path. “What do you mean, she’s gone?”

“She’s been taken.”

“Uh, excuse me.” Colson cleared his throat. His blue eyes showed both his confusion and his worry. “Did you just say taken ? How in the world did you reach that conclusion?”

He didn’t have time to waste. Eb shouldered past both men. Henry was in perfect step with him, but the dog’s head sagged forward. His tail was tucked between his legs.

We’re getting her back, Henry. Drop that dejected shit. We are not losing Naomi.

He’d driven to the police station. Hunter had been taken in the back of a patrol car—something the guy had bitched and moaned about—but he’d been given no other option by the responders on the scene.

Eb and Naomi and Henry had all followed in the Impala, with an additional police cruiser right behind them.

So when Eb got back to the station, he didn’t go inside. He marched straight for his car.

Cops were still fanned out. Still searching and investigating the gunshot.

Eb stalked to the Impala.

Colson’s hand closed around his arm. “You don’t get to just drive away. I told you, Madeline will flip out. She gave orders that you and Hunter were to stay put at the station.”

He looked down at the hand, then back at Colson. “Where is your boss right now?”

“Inside the station.”

Eb didn’t think so. “Call her.”

“What?”

“Call. Her. Now.”

Colson let go. Hauled out his phone. Called Madeline.

“Eb.” Hunter’s low voice. “What is going on right now?”

Eb cut his gaze to his friend. “Naomi is gone. Someone took her.”

“Right. Yeah. I get that vibe. But you know who took her, don’t you? Gonna share or keep me in suspense for shits and giggles?”

Colson shoved his phone back into his pocket. “Madeline isn’t answering. She’s probably talking to the cops.”

No, he didn’t think that was the case. At all. Unclenching his teeth, he growled, “Hunter, I’m gonna need Declan to do some of his usual illegal shit for me.”

Hunter just nodded.

“Get him to trace Madeline Desalt’s phone. It’s gonna be hard because the CIA will have anti-tracking tech that he has to disable?—”

“Say less, buddy,” Hunter advised. “Declan made the tech that the Agency uses. I’m on it.” He backed away.

Colson’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious right now?” And he reached out for Eb once more, closing his hand around Eb’s shoulder.

“Look, just go in the station. Madeline is inside. Probably just busy and that’s why she didn’t take my call.

You can talk to her in there. I’m sure that Naomi is inside, too. You’re overreacting.”

He wasn’t. “Move the hand.”

Colson did not move the hand. “And even if Naomi is gone…maybe the woman just left on her own. Did you consider that possibility? That she just walked away? She’s clear now.

Maybe she just wanted to get the hell away from all of this mess.

Can’t say I really blame her.” Colson winced.

“And, um, maybe she wants to get the hell away from, uh, you, man. Sorry to say it, but you’re probably a bad reminder of a past that she is dying to forget.

Sometimes people don’t like saying stuff to your face, so they’ll ghost you instead. ”

“Move the hand.” The last warning.

Colson pulled back, slowly. But he positioned his body firmly between Eb and the Impala. “Madeline is inside the station,” he said again. “She’s my boss. She said you and your friend Hunter had to stay here. I can’t let you leave. So let’s both just take a breath and calm the?—”

Footsteps rushed toward them.

Eb turned, body tense, as a woman in a light gray suit, with a holster under her right arm, ran from the station and right toward them.

“Lateisha!” Relief filled Colson’s voice. “That’s my partner, Lateisha Gray. She’ll tell you that Madeline is inside and that you’re overreacting. Look, I get it. I do. An attempted murder can put anyone on edge. But Madeline gave an order, and I have to follow it?—”

“She’s not inside,” Lateisha cut in to say. Her gaze swept over Eb. Head to toe, then back up. “She’s gone. There is no sign of Naomi Romano in the police station, either.”

“Well, maybe Madeline just got called back to the hospital,” Colson offered by way of explanation. “She may need to do more paperwork after that creep tried to kill her with the scalpel.”

Lateisha shook her head. Her gaze remained on Eb. “I was with Brock Arison when he died.”

Eb didn’t have time for this shit. Every moment that passed meant more time when Naomi was in danger. When she could be hurt.

“Brock was trying to talk. Hard to do with a scalpel shoved in his throat. But his lips were moving…and I swear, I swear…he kept trying to say…” An exhale from Lateisha. A long, hard exhale. “She did it.”

Colson snorted. “Of course, Madeline did it. She defended herself!”

But Eb ignored him. His focus remained on Lateisha. “You’re a new recruit, aren’t you?” He’d seen her when he’d been rushing through the station.

“Yes, I am.” Her chin notched up. “And I’ve heard plenty of stories about you. You’re the boogeyman they send after some of the most high-profile targets.”

Yes. Guilty.

“Brock confessed in his hospital room. I was right there. I heard everything. Said he killed Hudson. Said he’d beaten Ivan to death.

He was talking fast and furiously. Just throwing things out.

” A quick breath. “Then Madeline sent me out of the room. It didn’t make sense for her to send me out.

I’d heard everything else. Why make me leave then?

But I went out, and less than a minute later, she was yelling, saying he’d attacked her. The scalpel was in his throat.”

“He did attack her,” Colson argued. “Lateisha, seriously, watch what you say. You don’t want to get on her bad side. She will ruin you. I’ve seen her do it with other operatives. The woman is a master chess player. You don’t go up against her and win.”

But Lateisha’s chin remained stubbornly notched. “Brock was trying to talk to me. Trying to tell me something. And the cuff was unlocked. He hadn’t broken it. Hadn’t broken the railing. Someone had unlocked the cuff. I think she did that after she shoved the scalpel into his throat.”

“You’re committing career suicide.” Colson whistled. “Suicide.”

Her head whipped toward him. “And I think our boss committed cold-blooded murder, so I have to say something!”

Hunter surged back to Eb’s side, with the phone gripped in his right hand. “Got her.”

The cops were rushing toward their little group. One shouted Hunter’s name.

Hunter shoved his phone toward Eb. “This app will let you track her. It’s a little something special Declan designed and gave to only a few, select individuals. Be warned. She’s moving, and she’s moving fast.”

Then he needed to move faster. Eb didn’t bother telling Colson to get out of his way. He just shoved the prick to the side. When Colson tried to fight, Hunter grabbed the agent and held him back.

“You’re making a mistake!” Colson exploded.

No. Colson was. Sometimes, you had to stop following orders. Eb opened the car door. “Henry.”

Henry jumped in the ride. Shotgun. Eb slid into the driver’s seat. Cranked the car.

The cops were hurrying toward them. Calling Hunter’s name. Hunter was fighting with Colson, still holding the agent back. Lateisha had retreated. Probably so she wouldn’t get run over by the Impala. That agent showed definite promise.

Eb shifted the car into reverse. Rolled the wheel, spun the car around, and the motor roared as he fired off down the street.

Naomi, baby, hold on. I’m coming for you.