The Ideal Man (Buchanan-Renard #9)

The Ideal Man (Buchanan-Renard #9) Page 32

Using his phone, Max took a photo of the unhappy couple as they screamed obscenities and claimed entrapment. He sent the photo to Agent Sean Goodman and Agent Rob Hughes.

Exactly one minute after receiving the picture, Agent Hughes was on the line. Max explained to the flabbergasted agent that he had been kept out of the loop because there was a leak in his office. At first, Hughes didn’t take the news well, denying any possibility that there could be a traitor among his ranks. Max told him what the investigation by the special task force had turned up, that one of the assistants in Hughes’s office was selling information to the Landrys for sizable amounts of money, but Hughes was still skeptical. However, when Max named the assistant and the number of cash payments that had been traced to a hidden account, Hughes relented. He was sickened that he hadn’t been more astute. Max told Hughes that special agents from the task force would appear in his office momentarily to make the arrest, and Hughes agreed to assist.

The next day Hughes was on a plane to Honolulu. Since he had been chasing the Landrys for years and had the longest history with the facts, he was needed to help prepare the case. The FBI and the federal prosecutors were determined to leave no stone unturned. After looking at all the new evidence, Hughes strongly urged they add other counts to the weapons charges. With the testimony of Willis Cogburn, he insisted, they should be able to add on convictions for the attempted murder of Sean Goodman and also for ordering the murder of Dr. Ellie Sullivan.

“I want to get them for all of it,” he said.

The prosecuting attorney agreed.

“Willis Cogburn testifies and then goes into witness protection,” he suggested.

“I don’t think that’s going to be necessary,” the prosecutor said. “There’s no way a judge will allow these two to get out on bail to do their dirty work this time. We’ll watch them closely. Potential witnesses won’t have to be afraid. Dr. Eleanor Sullivan will have to testify, and I want Agent Goodman on call. Get all of them over here as soon as possible. The preliminary trial date has been moved up. Landrys’ gaggle of attorneys isn’t objecting.”

“Why aren’t they?” Max asked.

The attorney shook her head. “I guess we’ll have to find out.”

Max and Ben celebrated the arrest of the Landrys over a couple of beers at their favorite bar, and Max showed him the picture he’d taken of the angry couple as they knelt in front of the agents and policemen with drawn guns.

“I wish you’d gotten one of their faces when the agents first rushed into that warehouse,” Ben said. “Their expressions were priceless.”

“They looked shocked, all right,” Max said. “I especially liked the way Erika tried to feign innocence at first. I fully expected her to say she had no idea how those guns got there.”

Ben raised his mug. “Here’s to the Landrys. May their punishment fit their crimes.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Max said.

Ben downed the rest of his beer and stood. “I’ve got to get home. I promised Addison we could have a quiet dinner with just the two of us tonight. I’ve been away so much lately.”

“How is she feeling?” Max asked.

“The baby is kicking a lot. She’s convinced he’s going to come out carrying a soccer ball. Ellie’s been terrific, texting Addison whenever she has concerns. Speaking of Ellie… have you talked to her?”

“No.”

“She’s one in a million. If I were you, I wouldn’t let her get away,” Ben said as he headed for the door.

Max sat for a while, sipping his beer and mulling over Ben’s words. In truth, every minute he wasn’t focusing on the Landry case, he was thinking of her. It had been just a few weeks since he’d seen Ellie, but it seemed like months. He missed her.

What the hell had happened to him? The woman had blindsided him. She got right into his heart before he knew what was happening. He’d never felt this way before, and he didn’t like it one damned bit. It made him vulnerable.

Don’t get attached. That’s what she’d told him, and she was right. There were hundreds of reasons they couldn’t be together. The most obvious, they lived four thousand miles apart. Her life was centered on her career, and so was his. Their jobs were stressful and consuming. He couldn’t ask her to live with the danger that surrounded him, nor could he ask her to rearrange her life to fit his. No, it would never work.

THIRTY – SEVEN

Ellie wasn’t given the choice to go to Honolulu or to stay home. Agent Goodman called her and explained that he and she were taking a flight out in four days. He believed that should give Ellie plenty of time to notify the hospital that she would be away for at least one week but probably two.

“What happens if I refuse to go?” she asked.

“Why would you refuse to go to one of the most beautiful cities in the world?” Sean asked.

“But if I did refuse?” she pressed.

“The prosecuting attorney would make it legal and force you. You don’t want to make her do all that paperwork, do you?”

She really didn’t have a choice. Getting away from the hospital turned out not to be such a big deal, but figuring out what to pack was a colossal pain. Ellie didn’t have enough clothes in her closet to wear for one week, let alone two on an island. Her bathing suit-providing she could find it-was at least ten years old. She lived in scrubs, not sarongs and little island print dresses.

Swallowing her pride, she called Ava and explained her dilemma. Her sister had just gotten back from her honeymoon, so she was somewhat pleasant, and she loved having Ellie at her mercy. After complaining about Ellie’s odd figure-she was a perfect size six except for her chest-she took the opportunity to give advice. Ava told her she was overendowed and should consider a breast reduction.

“You’re joking, right?”

“You’d be a size four if you did,” Ava said.

“I’d be built like a mannequin.”

“Clothes drape beautifully on mannequins.”

“I’m hanging up now.”

“No, no, don’t do that. I can’t help it if you won’t take constructive criticism. I’ll go through the boutique and send everything you need, everything but undies and nightgowns, so spend a little money and buy some. I know you have it. Mom told me you paid off most of your loans with the money from that award and that you put twenty thousand dollars in their household account. There was a huge fight because Dad didn’t want to take it, but Mom won and said the money would help with their grandchild.”

“How did they take the news that they were going to be grandparents?” she asked.

“Oh, you know. Shocked at first because it was the good twin.”

Ellie laughed. “But now?”

“Very excited,” she said. “Dad’s looking for a crib.”

“Oh God, don’t let him find a deal. Make him buy retail.”

They talked about Annie and the help she was going to need to get through the pregnancy, and then Ellie said, “I appreciate your help with the clothes. Send me the bill.”

“Don’t forget to buy shoes, Ellie. And for God’s sake, accessorize. Little strappy sandals and flats will work with what I’m going to send. I’ll toss in some cool hoop earrings and bracelets. And, Ellie, promise me you’ll wear the short royal blue dress I’m sending. I’m looking at it right now. You’ll be stunning. Promise.”

“Okay,” she said. “I promise… unless it’s lewd.”

“Too late. You already promised.”

“Which means it’s lewd?”

“No, no, just a little low-cut. I’m sending everything overnight, so let me hang up and start packing what you’ll need. I’m betting you won’t have to have any alterations.”

After she ended the call, Ellie checked the time and decided to drive over to Frontenac shopping center. Traffic was backed up on the highway, so she took side streets through Clayton and got there in twenty minutes. She parked in front of Neiman Marcus, ran in and purchased the undies and gowns she needed. She even splurged on a short silk robe. The store was having a shoe sale, and Ellie was able to get the sandals, flats, and a gorgeous pair of red stiletto heels she doubted she would ever wear. But she just had to have them because they were 70 percent off and looked great on her feet.

Was she turning into her dad? If it’s a deal, get it regardless?

She told herself she wasn’t getting new clothes to impress or entice Max. No, of course not. She needed the clothes because she had decided to start dating again, to get a social life outside the hospital. She would learn to have fun even if it killed her. When was the last time she had gone out to a club? A year ago? More like three years, she realized. Even then, she’d gone home before the party really got started. She’d preferred her bed to jumping up and down to shrieking music.

Thursday morning she returned to Neiman Marcus to pick up her alterations. She had found a beautiful Armani summer fitted jacket and a pair of slacks and a skirt to wear with it. If she had to go into court, either outfit would be more than appropriate. She asked the alterations lady to pack the clothes in tissue so that all Ellie would have to do would be to unzip her suitcase and put everything inside.

Millie insisted on driving her to the airport, and she kept up the conversation most of the way.

“You haven’t mentioned Max,” she remarked.

“I’m over him.”

“I see,” Millie said. Ellie could hear the smile in her voice.

“Almost three weeks, Millie, and not one word. He just walked away, and I’m doing the same. I told him not to get attached.”

“And he didn’t.”

“Exactly.”

“But your reasons for trying to keep your distance have changed, haven’t they?” Millie asked. “Your life isn’t out of control any longer. Patterson is dead. Doesn’t that change things?”

She didn’t answer the question but said, “He lives in Honolulu, and I live here.”

Fortunately for Ellie, they had reached the airport, and Millie couldn’t prod her any longer to be reasonable.

Sean was waiting for her at the boarding gate. Ellie was surprised their seats were in first class and wondered what that had cost. She certainly didn’t balk at the expense, though. The seats were much wider than in coach, and there was more leg room. She had carried her laptop with her and planned to read a couple of medical journals on the flight and maybe even watch a replay of the 2000 Super Bowl that she’d downloaded. She’d thought it would be fun to watch Kurt Warner lead St. Louis to victory again.

“We’ll get to Honolulu at eight tonight, which is midnight our time,” Sean said.

“Will Max and Ben be at the airport?” She couldn’t stop herself from asking.

He shook his head. “They’re in Maui. I don’t think they’ll be back until tomorrow.”

“What have they been doing for the past three weeks?” she asked casually. It had actually been two weeks and five days, but she thought, if she gave the exact amount of time, Sean would know how much she missed Max.

“They’ve been undercover in the warehouse most of the time. Long hours wearing dirty clothes.” He added, “It was worth it, though. They got the Landrys in the middle of making a weapons buy.”

“Yes, I heard. Ben’s wife texted me the news.”

“Tomorrow afternoon is the evidentiary hearing. Landrys’ attorneys are going to try to chip away at the charges. They requested the preliminary.”

“Were the Landrys given bail?”

“No,” Sean answered. “Their attorneys will tackle that, too. They’ll try to get them out.”

Ellie thought about how hard Max and the others had worked to get the Landrys behind bars. Now their well-paid attorneys would attempt to get all the charges thrown out. There was little chance a judge would toss out the weapons charges because the Landrys were caught red-handed. The attempted-murder charges weren’t as clear-cut. She assumed that part of Willis Cogburn’s deal was that he would testify against the Landrys in return for leniency. It would be a new beginning for him, and she wondered if he would take advantage of his second chance and try to become a decent, law-abiding citizen. She had her doubts. From hit man to what? Store clerk? That would take some adjustment.

Her thoughts moved to Carlos Garcia. He, too, had been given a second chance, and she hoped he would make good choices and grow old with his wife and child.

Ellie decided to take her mind off all her worries and watch the Super Bowl replay. Sean leaned over the armrest and watched it with her.

By the time they reached Honolulu, she was ready to stretch her legs. A driver was waiting for them and drove them to their hotel. Ellie’s room was lovely. It had a balcony, and she could see the ocean from it if she leaned out and looked to the left. She could hear the waves from her room, though, and she fell asleep to the soothing sounds of the surf.

THIRTY – EIGHT

Max was pacing in the lobby while he waited for Ellie. Sean had told her to be downstairs at one o’clock, and it was now fifteen minutes to one.

This was going to be the most difficult thing he had ever done in his life. He was trying to figure out what he was going to say to her. Using cell phones had been out of the question while he and Ben had been undercover, and he didn’t want to talk to her on the phone anyway. He wanted a face-to-face for what he believed was going to be a miserable confrontation.

Ellie wasn’t going to like what he was going to tell her and, in fact, would probably be furious with him, but it didn’t matter. Even if she didn’t understand, he knew what was best for her-as arrogant as that was.

He hated upsetting her. God knows, she’d been through enough, but he needed to explain what was on his mind because it was the right thing to do.

Max turned around and walked to the steps leading down to the pool. His mind raced.

Ellie stepped off the elevator and was walking across the marble floor of the lobby when she suddenly stopped. Max was standing in front of her. His hands were crammed in the pockets of his suit pants and his back was to her, but it was Max, all right, because her heart was doing that stupid, crazy beating, like a possessed drum.

Oh God, how was she going to get through this?

Nice to see you again. Yes, she remembered that’s what she had decided to say. It was dorky, but it was the best she could come up with. Nice to see you. Forget the again, she decided.