Night Watch

7

“CHINESE FOOD” WAS A VERITABLE feast whipped up by the Szechuan chef who owned one of the most popular restaurants in the city. He delivered the food himself and even insisted on cooking part of it in Kendra’s small kitchen.

After he left, Kendra stared in amazement at the spread on her dining-room table. Dry-fried chicken with chiles, hot glass noodles, Fei Teng fish, and multiple other delicacies she couldn’t even identify. “This is astonishing. I’m stunned that you were able to get him to do this. I once saw that chef’s picture on the cover of San Diego Magazine.”

“He’s one of the best.”

“Okay, so how did you get him to do it? Let me guess… You once rescued him from the clutches of a Macau crime syndicate?”

“No.”

“You sprung a family member from one of China’s notorious ‘black jails?’”

Lynch laughed. “Afraid not. I got Huang here the old-fashioned way. I offered him an obscene amount of money.”

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“You’ve been through a lot today. I figured you deserved it.”

She eyed his leather suitcase in the corner. “You’re serious about staying here.”

“I am. Unless I can change your mind about coming to my place.”

Kendra thought for a moment, then nodded toward the living room. “The couch isn’t so bad.”

Lynch smiled. “It’s a nice night. Let’s load up our plates and take these up to the roof. There’s a sundeck up there, isn’t there?”

She nodded. “It was one of the perks that made me buy the condo.”

They toted their dinners and a bottle of wine to the table on the rooftop deck, which was illuminated only by the downtown city lights. After eating a plate of the most delicious Mapo doufu she had ever tasted, Kendra leaned back contentedly with her glass of wine. It was good to gaze out at the lights and just let herself relax. Lynch was always disturbing, but tonight he had turned down that high-powered appeal to low voltage, and she felt almost comfortable with him.

“This feels wonderful. I can almost think.” She paused. “You know, I was pretty scared today.”

His lips tightened. “I know you were.”

“And I’m still trying to understand what happened.” She took a sip of wine. “And why.”

“Are you working on anything else?” Lynch asked. “Any other open cases?”

“No, it’s been months. I have to think it’s related to what happened to Waldridge.”

“I can’t disagree. And it’s significant that they wanted you alive. In my experience, people only do that if they think you have something they want.”

“Like what?”

“Information.”

“What information? I’m still trying to figure out what the hell is going on.”

“Those men might not know that. And you were the last person to see Waldridge. Maybe they think he told you something or gave you something.”

“But he didn’t.”

“If they don’t know that…” He leaned forward, gazing down at the wine in his glass. “We might be able to use it.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Nothing at the moment, but it’s always good to keep our eyes peeled for any kind of leverage we can exert.”

She smiled. “And it’s always interesting to see how the Puppetmaster’s mind works.” She amended, “When it’s not being used to manipulate me.”

He quickly veered away from dangerous waters. “It’s not half as interesting as watching yours at work. What are you thinking about all this?”

She shrugged. “Right now I’m wondering about my Fusion-Lei-boots-wearing savior.”

“So am I.” He grinned. “I’m a little peeved. Swooping in for last-minute heroics is my job.”

“Yeah, sure. Not likely. Well, maybe on occasion.” Kendra stood up and looked out at the shimmering, twinkling lights of the city. “Was she following me or them? Or did she somehow know about their plan in advance? She said something about things she’d heard about me.” She made a face. “It wasn’t complimentary. But right now, she’s the one I want to talk to.”

“And you’re sure she’s the same person we were chasing in Big Bear last night.”

“Positive. Designer riding boots aside. I recognized her voice from the 911 tape we heard at the Big Bear police station. It was definitely the same woman.”

“But no one you’ve ever met before?”

“Never. I’m sure of that even though I couldn’t see her face behind that helmet visor.”

Lynch stood up and came over to stand beside her. “But I’m sure that hasn’t stopped you from picking up some useful information about her. Am I right?”

Kendra shrugged. “I’m pretty sure she’s from California. Maybe up in the Central Valley around Bakersfield. She’s around thirty, but she’s already traveled a lot in Western Europe. Maybe even lived there for a while. She’s ex-military.”

Lynch’s lips quirked. “You couldn’t tell which branch?”

“Sorry. She was riding the same motorcycle as she was last night. She didn’t ride far, though. She’s either staying nearby or more likely she’s driving a truck or van that she uses to tote the motorcycle around.”

“Really?”

Kendra nodded.

“Okay, curiosity won’t be denied. I’m not letting one more second pass without some explanations. I’m assuming the geographic data came from her speech patterns.”

“Simple linguistics.”

“Not so simple, but go ahead.”

“Central Valley residents have a slight but unmistakable twang. It’s a carryover from the Dust Bowl migrant days. I’d say she’s from north of Bakersfield. She’s picked up a few vowel suppressions that are associated with exposure to Romance languages. It can be acquired from a relative or spouse, but more likely to come from longer-term travels.”

“Very good. But what about the military background? Was she wearing her dog tags?”

“No. When she came at the guy who had me, she had a distinct forward fighting stance. Front knee bent, weight evenly distributed on the balls of her feet. She probably had military training. She’s in great shape, but she’s no kid. There’s a maturity in her movements. She’s at least thirty, but almost surely under forty.”

“How about the motorcycle?”

“Her odor. Or her lack of odor. Anyone riding for any length of time on a warm, sunny day like today should be giving off a distinctive smell… Perspiration evaporated by the sun and wind leaves behind a stale scent. Add automobile exhaust fumes, and it’s a recognizable combo. I didn’t pick up anything like that from her although I recognized the sound of her motorcycle starting up on the street and leaving. She either lives close by or transported the bike here using another vehicle, probably one where she could hide it. That’s why the police weren’t able to find it on any of the roads out of Big Bear.”

Lynch smiled. “Excellent, as usual. This may be better than a composite sketch.”

“I’m not sure about that. It’s as close as I can come. But I’m thankful for her, whoever she is.”

“So am I.”

She turned to see that Lynch was staring intently at her and had moved even closer. Almost unbearably close.

He lowered his voice. “You scared the hell out of me today, you know that? When you called and told me you were going back to that place… I couldn’t get over there fast enough.”

“Not necessary. I’m a careful girl.”

“Not always. One of the most fascinating things about you is that you’ve made mistakes, and you’ve learned from every one. Yet there’s still that streak of recklessness in you that makes me wonder what would happen if we ever came together. I believe it could be… mind shattering.” He moved still nearer. “What do you think?”

She wasn’t thinking at all. She could only stare up at him and feel. “I don’t know where you’re going with this, Lynch. I don’t believe you do either.”

“Maybe. I’m acting purely on impulse. I’ve been doing that all day ever since you called me. But I do know where I’m going. And I know I’ll never get there if you don’t stay alive.” He reached out and took the wineglass from her hand and placed it on a planter at the rooftop’s edge.

“What are you doing? I wasn’t-”

He pulled her close and kissed her.

Hot. Wet. Erotic.

Full-impact. Just like everything else Lynch did.

She went still. Then she realized that she was kissing him, too.

Not enough…

She pressed forward against him, opened her mouth, and took his tongue.

She couldn’t breathe. So close… She felt full of him… But not full enough. Her entire body was aching, readying to take more of him. This was Lynch. The center of how many moments of sexual tension that she’d ignored or pushed away? There was no way she could ignore it now. She felt as if she’d been starved, the hunger growing so intense that it had to break free.

His hands were cupping her buttocks, bringing her into him.

She arched and cried out as she felt him against her. Then she was frantically rubbing against him, making sounds deep in her throat.

“Yes.” His eyes were glittering wildly. “Kendra… It’s going to be-” His hands were on her sweatshirt, pulling it up, then off her. “Let’s get downstairs. You won’t like it if your neighbors decide to-”

“I don’t care.” All she cared about was his hands, which were now on her breasts. “Why should I? This is all that matters. Just do it.”

“Oh, I will.” His mouth was on her nipple, his teeth tugging. “I don’t know why it took me this long. I’ve been crazy to do this since I first saw you. Things kept… getting… in the way.”

She knew that, and she’d been the one putting up barriers against Lynch. Crazy. There didn’t have to be reasons when there could be this pure eroticism, when she could have him inside her.

Reasons.

She’d told Lynch she had to have reasons. That anything else wasn’t good enough for her anymore.

That was crazy, too. Not when they could have this moment. Sex was everything, wasn’t it?

“You’re backing off,” Lynch muttered. “Stop it. Dammit, I can feel it.”

“No, I’m not.”

“You are.” He pushed her away. He was breathing hard, and his eyes were blazing. “You’re thinking, and you’re wondering about what happens next. Do you think I don’t know you by now?”

“I know you’re not screwing me,” she said fiercely. “And I know I want you to do it.”

“Shit!” He whirled away from her. “I’ve got to be the stupidest son of a bitch on the face of the Earth.”

“Come back here.”

“No, I’m not screwing you.” He was breathing hard. “Because when you woke up in the morning, you’d still be wondering if you’d made a mistake. You’re comfortable with what we have now. You don’t know who the hell I am, and I intimidate you a little.”

She couldn’t believe this, she thought desperately. She wanted him to shut up and touch her, to come inside her. She took a step closer. “No, you don’t.”

“Oh, yes. And I knew you’d be vulnerable tonight because you felt frightened and helpless. I even tried to back off. But I still moved too fast. Because I wanted it too damn much. Because I know it’s going to be fantastic.” He violently jerked open the door that led downstairs. “Shall I tell you what would happen if I screwed you tonight?”

“You don’t have to tell me. Just do it. I’d love it. I’d want it.”

“Don’t say that. And then afterward you’d feel uneasy about having me with you as a friend and partner, and you’d end up not calling me if you needed me. And I could find you dead in a fifty-gallon drum someday. You like the status quo, Kendra. The fastest way to lose you and everything we have right now would be to drag you down on this roof and fuck you.”

He slammed the door behind him.

SHE STOOD THERE SHAKING, looking after him. What the hell had happened? She had never seen Lynch that explosive. He had wanted her. She knew he had wanted her.

And, my God, how she had wanted him. It had been crazy and sexual and pure need. How long had she been feeling that way about him and not letting herself recognize the intensity?

Too long.

But then she couldn’t remember ever feeling like that about any man. It had been bewildering and a little frightening. Not that she had shown him those emotions. She had been more aggressive than she’d ever been in her life. She had almost jumped him, dammit.

She sank down to the floor and linked her legs in her arms and rocked back and forth. Her body was still feeling hot and ready and aching.

And what would she have felt if she’d actually had him inside her?

Too much.

Lynch was always too much, always kept her on edge, always made her uncertain that she could handle him.

That was the man himself, not the sex with him.

But what if they were bonded together?

It could be mind shattering. What do you think?

He had said that, and she had instinctively shied away from answering. Because she had thought that he was right, and she was terrified of that lack of control.

She was now afraid that he had been right about a lot of things. Why not? she thought bitterly. He was the one who was so good at pulling the strings, who studied people and situations and developed them to suit himself. Who had studied Kendra’s thought processes and could guess what the aftereffects would be if she allowed herself to let their situation change.

She wasn’t a puppet. She would make her own decisions. She wouldn’t let herself be controlled by anyone. She would do what she wished.

And she would sit up here on this damn roof and not get near Lynch again until she made up her mind exactly what that was.

THE LIVING ROOM WAS in a shambles when Kendra came back down to the condo two hours later.

Boxes everywhere. Lamps and folded clothes on the floor and stacked against the far wall.

And Lynch moving back and forth, carrying more boxes from the spare bedroom.

Kendra frowned. “What are you doing?”

“Clearing out my bedroom. I decided the couch isn’t going to do the job.” He set the box down with the others. “You’ll have to find another place for all this stuff.”

“That’s my bedroom.”

“Not right now. It’s either giving me this spare bedroom or sharing yours. Since I decided that’s not going to happen at the moment, you’ll have to cooperate.”

“Will I? You’ve decided that the couch won’t do?”

“Yes, I’d be uncomfortable, and you’d be much closer to me. I’m not fond of self-sacrifice. I’d give it two nights.”

“Was that what you’d have given it when you first came?”

“No, but then I hadn’t realized how hot you are.” He met her eyes. “I’d lie there and think about it, then I’d go in and screw your brains out.”

She felt a wave of heat ripple through her as she looked at him. She’d thought when she’d come down from the roof that she had that erotic craving firmly under control. Evidently it was still vibrantly alive and ready to break free.

He shook his head as if he’d read her thoughts. “Uh-uh. Too soon, Kendra. It’s going to take awhile.”

“I think the sensible thing would be for you to go home,” she said steadily. “I’ve been thinking about what you said… what we did, and it’s probably best that we don’t see too much of each other for a few weeks or months. I’m really not the kind of woman that appeals to you and, you’re right, the way you live your life is very… foreign to me. It was just a random sexual moment that was-”

“Shut up, Kendra,” he said roughly. “I’m still aching, and I’m within a heartbeat of coming over there and starting it all again. I know that for the last two hours you were up there analyzing the situation, trying to put the pieces together in your usual brilliant fashion. Now you’re thinking that caution is best, and caution tells you to run away from me. It isn’t going to happen.”

“That’s really up to me, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s up to both of us. But I’m the one who is going to make the decision because I messed up, and I have to straighten it out.”

“By having me stumble over you every time I turn around? Go home, Lynch.”

“No, I’m staying here and keeping you safe. That goes without argument.”

“The hell it does.”

“No argument,” he repeated. “There’s no way that I’m going to let anything happen to you because I lost control tonight.” He added through set teeth, “I don’t lose control. That’s not how I run my life.”

“Or run everybody else’s life?”

“Maybe. Right now, I’m sure you choose to interpret it that way. At any rate, it’s true, and you should feel comforted that I’ve no intention of having it happen again.”

“I don’t need comfort. I need my house and my life back.”

“And you’ll get it. When it’s safe for you.”

Her hands clenched. “Lynch.”

“Ready to slug me? I wouldn’t advise it. Any close contact could lead to even closer contact.” He suddenly smiled. “And I’m sure that you’re worried where that would take us. You like to be in control, too. Those hours on the roof probably made you think twice about losing it in even the most pleasant manner. I could see how stiff and wary you were when you came into the condo tonight. Admit it. I was right.”

“I told you that you were.”

“But you didn’t come up with the right solution. You wanted to run. That wouldn’t solve anything.” He leaned back against the couch. “Here’s how it’s going to play out. You’re uneasy with anything but the status quo, so that’s what we’re going to step back to. There’s no way we’re going to be able to go all the way back, but we’ll do our damnedest. If we’re careful, we’ll only have a few episodes that could turn marginal.”

She remembered those explosive moments on the roof. “It won’t work.”

“Sure it will. Because we’re smart, and we want it to work. We spark off each other, we like each other, we respect each other, we have a good time being with each other. Neither of us wants to blow that to hell because we haven’t worked this out.” His voice was suddenly softly persuasive. “Tomorrow, when you get up, we’ll pretend tonight never happened. It didn’t, you know. Nothing irrevocable. It will be a little stilted at first, but as time goes on, we’ll fall into the rhythm. Then it will feel natural and right. Doesn’t that sound like what you really want?”

She could feel the relief pour through her. Not to have to lose Lynch, not to have to have face a massive adjustment or decision that might compromise her independence. “It sounds like a reasonable solution,” she said slowly. “But is that what you want?”

“Yes, partly. But you’d never believe me if I told you that would satisfy me. I’m an extremely selfish and horny bastard.” He smiled. “I want it all. And I’ll get it eventually, when the time is right.” He straightened. “But don’t think I’m going to be pining for you and make you uncomfortable. As I said, I have a voracious appetite. There will be other women who are less interesting, but also less complicated than you.” He added softly, “Status quo, Kendra.”

She nodded. She found she didn’t want to think of that particular aspect of status quo. “Of course, that’s reasonable. It’s not as if we- We’re both free to-” She moistened her lips. “I don’t know how this is all going to work out. I don’t know why you’d want it to.”

“Think about it. I hate to lose. I’d particularly hate to lose someone in whom I’ve invested so much time and effort. I’d lose a friend, a companion, a potential lover. It would be foolish not to make the effort.”

“I guess it would.” She found herself smiling. “And no one could ever call you a fool, Lynch.”

“Wrong. If you remember, I was calling myself that on the roof tonight.” He turned away. “Go to bed, Kendra. I have just a few more things to clear out of the bedroom. I’ll try not to make too much noise.”

“Do you want any help?”

“No, I think distance is a good idea.” He headed for the bedroom. “By tomorrow, I’ll be ready. See you in the morning.”

She hesitated, then turned and went to her bedroom and closed the door.

It hadn’t turned out as she’d thought it would when she’d come down to talk to Lynch. She had lost both control of the situation and focus the minute she’d seen him. What had she expected? He always knew what he wanted and how to go about getting it. She had always regarded that as an invaluable asset in him.

And now was she the target?

No, she would have been incredibly easy for him tonight if that was true. He was the one who had rejected her.

I want it all.

And what did Lynch consider as all?

Well, she was too tired and spent with emotion to try to guess or analyze what a complicated man like Lynch would want from her. It was time to get some sleep and forget about Lynch until she saw him in the morning.

EGGS. PEPPER. CHICKEN.

Kendra was aware of the odors emanating from her kitchen before she was even fully awake. It had been a restless night for her, and she wondered if Lynch had fared any better. As she tried to decide if his cooking breakfast for her was the result of more or less sleep, she caught a whiff of chili sauce.

She knew that recipe. It wasn’t Lynch cooking.

She tore off the covers and bounded into her living room. Olivia was standing over her kitchen stove.

“Olivia, what on earth are you doing?” she asked.

“Omelets,” she said matter-of-factly.

Lynch emerged from the spare room, smelling of aftershave. “I invited her. I knew Olivia was an early riser, so I gave her a call. I thought she’d be concerned about what was going on with you. It was her idea to make breakfast for us all.”

Kendra nodded. Smart. Lynch had obviously brought Olivia in as a buffer. And it was working. Any awkwardness between them was rapidly dissipating with her friend’s presence there.

“Great,” Kendra said. “Olivia’s a better cook than I’ll ever be.”

Olivia turned from the stove. “Well, Lynch helped identify the ingredients for me. Your gift of sight has made you terribly lazy about organizing your pantry and refrigerator.”

“Many apologies,” Kendra said. “I guess he filled you in on everything that’s going on.”

“Oh, yes. And so has your mother. I got an e-mail from her yesterday.”

“Naturally.”

“She said that if I can talk you into going to Hawaii with her, she’ll bring me along, too.”

“I’m not going to Hawaii.”

“She knows that. She’s just covering her bases.”

Kendra turned to Lynch. “Sleep well?”

“As well as I thought I would,” he said noncommittally. “You?”

“The same. But at least I put my time to good use.”

“You’ve taken up scrapbooking.”

“No.” She picked up her tablet and flipped open the cover. “Something occurred to me before I went to sleep. The products used in Waldridge’s hotel room to make any blood invisible to Luminol. They were household products, easily obtainable at a moment’s notice. But you said there were better chemical solutions available.”

“There are, and they’re also available to anyone. You would just have to order them online or go to a chemical-supply store.”

“Exactly. So maybe they had to settle on this Iron-Out and hydrogen peroxide mix because they hadn’t planned ahead of time. Maybe they had to go out and get it the night after Waldridge was taken.”

“Like at Home Depot?”

“All the Home Depots were closed at that time.” Kendra raised her tablet and showed a city map on which she had used a stylus to circle two destinations. “But there are two twenty-four-hour Walmart stores within an easy drive of the hotel, and they carry these products. What if we get the FBI to request that these stores check and see if someone purchased these items from them that night?”

“And pray they used a credit card?”

“It’s worth a shot.”

Lynch nodded. “Good idea. Put all that in an e-mail to Griffin.”

“I already did. Before I went to sleep. You really think I’d wait to run it past you?”

“In my dreams.” He smiled. “What a team.”

Yes they were, and the reminder was probably deliberate. Regardless, it was oddly comforting at this moment. “I haven’t heard back from Griffin yet either to say he’ll do it or for me to go to hell.”

“He’ll do it.” Lynch checked his watch. “It’s only seven-thirty. We’ll call him at nine and harass him.” He turned toward Olivia, and said lightly, “Until then, we’ll occupy ourselves with what promises to be the best breakfast I’ve had in a while.”

GRIFFIN CALLED TWENTY MINUTES LATER, just as they were finishing Olivia’s delicious chicken-pepper omelets. Kendra put him on speaker.

“It’s early, Griffin. You’re working long hours for a government worker.”

“Blame it on the lunatic who tasks me with silly errands in the middle of the night.”

“So… I’m the lunatic?”

“Yes.”

“Just checking.”

“I should have trashed your e-mail after that ping woke me up, but you happened to make sense. So I forwarded your request just a few minutes after I got it. The office reached out to both stores.”

“In the middle of the night?”

“As you pointed out, those stores are twenty-four-hour operations. So’s the FBI. But I guess you’re aware of that since you saw fit to disturb my well-earned sleep.”

She thought it best to veer away from that last sarcastic comment. “Good. Any idea when we’ll hear back?”

“We already have. We got a hit.”

Kendra and Lynch exchanged a glance.

“Where?” Kendra asked.

“The Walmart at Baldwin Hills. Someone came in and purchased Iron-Out, hydrogen peroxide, sponges, and cleaning cloths at 10:16 P.M. that very day.”

“How did they pay?”

“Cash.”

Damn.

“I know,” Griffin said, as if reading her mind. “But they promised me they have razor-sharp security cameras there. They’ve scanning for the footage as we speak.”

“Okay. Good. Lynch and I will drive up to L.A. It shouldn’t take us more than-”

“Don’t bother. “They’ll be e-mailing the video to my office.”

“We’ll be there at 8:30.”

“I’ll be there at 9:15. Unless you like those benches in the building foyer, I wouldn’t arrive before then.”

FBI Regional Field Office

San Diego

“We’re doing very well, don’t you think?” Lynch murmured, as he and Kendra crossed the parking lot toward the front entrance. “Easy conversation, very little tension. I told you we’d get through this. Every day it will get better.”

She couldn’t deny it. That easiness had been mainly Lynch’s doing. Even on the trip here in his car with no Olivia as a buffer, he had not let her be aware of any disturbing sexuality. He’d been friendly, amusing, mocking, the Lynch she had known and bonded with for all these months. “I can almost believe you.”

He smiled. “Told you so. We’re back on track.” He opened the door for her. “Just relax and enjoy it.”

It was 9:25 by the time Kendra and Lynch were escorted to the fourth-floor A/V Lab by Griffin’s assistant. Griffin was already there, with Special Agent Metcalf standing behind a tech who gripped a jog shuttle control wheel at the console.

“Anything?” Kendra asked.

Metcalf, smiling broadly, gestured toward the large wall-mounted monitor. “It just came in. Fantastic video. If this is the guy who cleaned up Dr. Waldridge’s hotel room, he might as well have sat for a portrait.”

Griffin pointed at the screen. “Here he is at the checkout stand. They matched it up with the time stamp and register number of his purchase. It’s more of a profile shot here, but in a few seconds you’ll see footage they pulled of him entering the store.”

The screen flickered and they saw the dark-suited man walking through the store’s main entrance. The tech froze the image.

Lynch stiffened. He leaned toward the screen. “My God, isn’t that-” He whirled toward Kendra. “Kendra?”

“Yes.” She slowly nodded. She was stunned, still not believing what she was seeing. “It’s him. That man is Dr. Charles Waldridge.”