Janet Evanovich - Full Scoop

"Maggie?"

The soft whisper startled her and she almost dropped her bowl of ice cream. Maggie turned and found Zack peering through a crack in her door.

"Huh?" It wasn't the most intelligent thing that had ever come out of her mouth.

He stepped inside and closed the door. "Are you okay?"

"Um." Another single-syllable word. Nobody would have guessed she'd spent a gazillion years in college and medical school.

He slid across the bed next to her. "Is that the famous, one and only, Better than Sex chocolate ice cream I've heard people whispering about?"

"Yep. It's the real enchilada."

He grinned. "May I have a bite?"

"What? You think you can just waltz into my bedroom willy-nilly and eat my ice cream?" she said. She sighed, scooped up a spoonful, and fed it to him. She waited until he tasted and swallowed. "Well?"

"It's good, but it's not that good."

She shrugged. "One less person I have to share it with." She noted the thoughtful expression on his face. "What?"

"There were a number of accidents this afternoon on I-20, east of Atlanta. A big pileup due to fog and rain," he added. "An eighteen-wheeler turned over, the gas tank exploded, and a bunch of people were rushed to the hospital."

"What about the driver of the eighteen-wheeler?"

"He's going to live, for what it's worth. I didn't mention any of this because I didn't want you to start fretting about something else, but I just found out this guy has been linked to Raymond Boyd, Stanton's buddy."

"Was Carl Lee in the truck?"

"Yeah. He and Boyd were dressed as priests, and caught on camera shortly after the accidents robbing a convenience store. The police have confirmed it. And that's the last they've been seen or heard from."

She didn't try to hide her disappointment.

"I'm sorry, Maggie. I want Stanton caught even more than you do." He gave an impatient sigh. "I feel like I need to be out there working it, you know? Instead of getting information secondhand, this time a little later than I should have," he added.

"All the big guns are on it, but Stanton keeps slipping through their fingers. Back to what I said before, he's either very smart or very lucky."

Maggie set her empty ice-cream bowl on her night table, dragged a pillow from the top of her bed and propped it beneath her chin. They were quiet for a moment, caught up in their own thoughts. "I don't blame you for being frustrated, Zack. You're accustomed to being in the thick of things, not babysitting. I just want you to know that I am glad you're here. Mel and I need you right now."

"I'm not going anywhere. You and Mel are top priority. I'd like to be the one who nabs Stanton. I'd like to come face-to-face with him."

"Why is that so important to you?"

Zack averted his gaze. "He's a cop killer. Cops don't like cop killers."

"Yeah, well, neither do I," she said. "I hate him. I hate him for making my daughter afraid. I've never hated anyone this much."

Maggie touched his arm. "I'm sorry. Could you just hang out with me for a while?" she asked. "I don't want to be alone right now."

* * * * *

Carl Lee opened his eyes and blinked several times as he took in the wooded area through the windshield of Ed's Cadillac.

"Did you sleep okay, Carl Lee?"

"What time is it?"

"Seven a.m."

"Shit!" He sat up quickly. "Why the hell did you let me sleep this long?"

"We're in the homestretch, Carl Lee. Your big day," he added. "I figured you'd want to have a clear head."

"Do me a favor. Don't try to think for me."

"Why are you so grumpy, man? You're going to see her today. After fourteen long years," he said with a grin. "You're going to get your money. I'm going to get paid."

"I've got to get to the money first," Carl Lee said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's in her house. The cops are going to be watching it, remember?"

"You forgot to mention that." Cook looked out his window.

"But first we have to get through the roadblocks. We've been lucky so far, but our luck could run out."

"It doesn't have a damn thing to do with luck," Cook muttered. "What the hell do you think I did for two months? What the hell do you think I did the two weeks I spent in Beaumont? You think I was sitting in my motel room watching HBO? Hell, no. I know every road leading in and out of that place.

"This really pisses me off, Carl Lee. You don't appreciate anything I've done for you. Maybe you've forgotten who helped you escape. I got us fake IDs, a car, and I've paid our way."

Carl Lee glanced in the backseat again. "I wonder if the old man has anything on him. I'm sick of him anyway."

Cook's expression changed to horror and disbelief. "You're going to kill an old man and take his money? What is it with you? Are you crazy or just mean as hell?"

"Don't you pay attention to the news, stupid? I'm a cold-blooded killer."

Cook reached to the floor and grabbed Ed's travel bag that held his medication. He passed it to Carl Lee. "Open it. There's a flap beneath the prescription bottles."

Carl Lee frowned but did as Cook said. He dumped the plastic bottles in his lap and searched. "Well, now, this is more like it."

"There's two grand in there. The old guy has probably been tucking away what he could spare from his Social Security checks," Cook said, "but I know that doesn't mean a damn thing to you so go ahead and take it. Just leave him alone."

Maggie opened her eyes and found Mel standing over her, face scrunched in what looked to be confusion and disbelief. "What's wrong?" Maggie asked.

Mel pointed.

Maggie turned and gasped at the sight of Zack sleeping beside her. "Oh, well, I can explain that."

Zack opened his eyes and looked from mother to daughter. "I bet you're wondering what I'm doing in your mom's bed. Am I right?"

"Did you guys have sex?"

Zack looked at Maggie. "Did we?"

Maggie sighed and put her hand to her forehead. "Look at us, Mel. We're fully clothed. Does it look like we had sex? We were eating ice cream and talking and I guess we just fell asleep."

"I just wanted to tell you we have company," Mel said.

Maggie heard a noise at the door and saw Queenie and Everest peering in. Queenie wore a wide grin. "Finally!" she said.

"Oh, great," Maggie muttered.

"Look at the lovebirds," Queenie said.

"They claim they didn't have sex," Mel said, eyeing her mother and Zack suspiciously.

"I knew this would happen," Queenie said.

"Yeah?" Maggie shot her a quizzical look. "Mind telling me how you knew? Or what part you played in it?"

Queenie looked surprised. "What makes you think I had anything to do with it? I told you Zack was hot for you the first day. And now you're hot for him."

Maggie could feel her daughter's gaze on her. "I am not hot for Zack."

He looked crestfallen. "You're not?" He looked at Mel. "Your mother is one fickle woman."

"This is so dumb," Mel grumbled, scooting past Queenie. She went into her room and closed the door.

Queenie looked at Maggie. "We really need to do something about that girl's hormones."

"It'll pass in about ten years," Maggie said and climbed from the bed. "I need coffee."

"I think it's romantic," Everest said, following the women into the kitchen. "But how are you and Zack going to form a relationship when he works undercover most of the time and doesn't come home?"

"We're not." Maggie poured her coffee, which was timed to go off at six a.m. when she got up for work. Which meant it had been sitting a while. She suddenly noticed they were dressed up. "You two look nice this morning."

"Granny Queenie and I have to be in church in half an hour."

"Would either of you like coffee?" she asked.