Erica Spindler - Cause for Alarm

"You can trust me, Kate. I wouldn't do anything to hurt Emma."

Kate realized it was true. If Julianna didn't care about Emma, she would have high-tailed it out of Louisiana after disabling Powers. Instead, she had put herself in harm's way to save Emma. Besides, how long would she be gone? Surely not more than forty-five minutes?

Kate acquiesced, though still torn. "Okay, but lock the door. Don't answer it for anyone."

Julianna laughed. "Are you kidding? There's a chance I won't even let you guys back in."

On impulse, Kate gave the other woman a quick hug. "I'll check in when I get there. You know where the formula and-"

"And bottle and diapers and wipes are? Yes. Now, go."

Kate grabbed her coat and hurried to the door, unlocked it and stepped out into the cold evening air. She stopped and looked back at Julianna, a knot in the pit of her gut. "Take care of my baby, okay?"

As she said the words she realized how strange they were, considering their relationship. In the beginning it had been Julianna who had entrusted Kate with the care for her baby.

"I will. Don't worry about a thing."

With one last glance backward, Kate hurried out to hail a cab.

Twenty minutes later the cab dropped Kate off in front of the Daly building. She paid the fare and hurried inside. She scanned the busy lobby, looking for Luke; when she didn't see him, she went through the metal detectors, heading toward the elevators.

She reached them just as one finished emptying out; she stepped inside and punched the third-floor call button. She lifted her gaze to the floor numbers above the door and drew in a deep breath through her nose, vacillating between being anxious and excited, hopeful and fearful.

Luke had said he'd gotten what they needed. But he'd also said he'd run into some sort of trouble. What could he have meant?

The elevator stopped on three and the doors opened. The hallway was empty, the door to the homicide division locked. Kate turned right and headed to the desk lieutenant's office.

The woman, a capable-looking brunette, looked up when Kate entered. "What can I do for you?"

"I was supposed to meet a friend here, Luke Dallas. He was interviewing one of the detectives."

"Detective Sims." She nodded. "But I'm afraid you've missed him."

"Missed him?" Kate repeated, her stomach falling. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. Detective Sims left on a call about ten minutes ago."

Ten minutes ago. An eternity.

Something was wrong.

Kate began backing out of the office, heart pounding. "He's probably waiting for me in the lobby. Thanks for your help."

She turned and ran for the elevator. This time she had to wait for a car; each moment seemed a lifetime. An elevator arrived. She hurried on. The car was already occupied by two uniformed officers. She eyed their sidearms, cuffs and radios, oddly reassured.

The taller of the two caught her gaze. "Everything all right, ma'am?"

She gazed at the officer. She could enlist their help. Tell them the whole story and beg them to help her.

She opened her mouth to do just that, then shut it, remembering what Julianna had said about John and the police. That they would make her a sitting duck, that John would outwit them easily. She pictured herself explaining the story to them, then their superior officer or a detective; could hear their questions, their skepticism.

By the time she convinced somebody to accompany her back to the motel, if she ever did, Emma, Luke and Julianna could be dead.

"Everything's fine," she said, her voice too high.

"You sure?" He narrowed his gaze on her, and she felt her cheeks heat. "You seem a little agitated."

"I'm fine." She cleared her throat and forced a smile.

"I was supposed to meet a friend here and missed him. That's all. Thank you for asking."

They reached the lobby and the elevator doors slid open. Kate rushed off, frantically scanning the lobby for Luke. Once, then again.

He wasn't there.

Heart in her throat, she made her way out of the building. She stood in the center of the sidewalk, scanning up, then down. She had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. That something bad had happened to him; that John had followed him. That she'd been had.

Stepping up to the curb, she signaled a cab. It veered over two lanes, nearly causing an accident, pulling to halt at the curb in front of her. She yanked the door open.

"Kate! Wait!"

She spun around. Luke was emerging from the Daly building, and she ran to him. "Luke! Thank God!" His arms closed around her. "I got here as quickly as I could. When I couldn't find you I thought the wors-"

"I didn't call you, Kate."

She eased out of his arms and lifted her face to his, searching his expression for the Gotcha! She didn't see one and struggled for an even breath. "What are you saying?"

"I just talked to Julianna." He tightened his grip on her. "That wasn't me on the phone. I wouldn't even be here if I hadn't called the motel."

Kate felt the blood drain from her face, like an icy hand passing over her, stealing both her blood and her warmth.

John. Dear God. She brought a hand to her mouth. She had left Emma. Julianna couldn't protect her from John. Kate wasn't even certain she would try.

As if reading her thoughts, Luke held her at arm's length and looked her straight in the eyes. "Don't panic, Kate. I just talked to Julianna. Everything's fine. She's got the door locked and chained, she won't open it for anybody." He lowered his voice. "And I told her where my gun is. It's loaded."

"Gun?" she repeated, light-headed with fear.

"So she can protect herself and Emma if need be."

The cabby she'd hailed tooted his horn. "You need a cab or what?"

Luke grabbed her hand and they jumped in. The rush hour traffic was a snarl, and the ride to the motel seemed interminable to Kate. She struggled not to cry, not to completely fall apart, but all she could think about was Emma and John and what he might do to her if he got to her.

How could she have been so stupid? So gullible? She had never even questioned whether it was Luke on the phone, even though she had been unable to hear him clearly.

John knew everything, she realized, despair welling up in her chest. Where Luke had gone and probably why. That Emma had been to the doctor; that Kate would leave her and Julianna alone.

Tears flooded her eyes. If anything happened to Emma, she would never be able to forgive herself. Never.

Luke reached across the seat and covered her hand with his own. She curled her fingers around his, holding tightly. "Hang in there, Kate. She's going to be okay."

She glanced at him, then away, tears swamping her. "I'm trying, Luke. I really am."

"I found what we were looking for." She met his eyes. "Julianna's mother and Senator Jacobson were both murdered on the same night at approximately the same time. Apparently, the local boys' hands were slapped by the feds, who came in and took over. Some of the M.P.D. guys' noses were seriously out of joint. There was talk. Speculation about a cover-up of some sort."

She worked hard to concentrate on what he was saying. "So, we have what we need? You can go to Morris now?"

"Not exactly. Two problems. One, Powers killed Jacobson after Julianna stole his book, so we still don't have anything concrete to link him to the senator's murder. Second, Detective Sims did a little checking for me. Guess what Agency those feds were with?"

She swallowed hard. "CIA?"

"Bingo." Luke frowned. "I think we're being used."

"I don't understand. Why-"

"They already know about Jacobson, Kate. And Powers is still on the street."

She sank back against the seat, defeated. "What are we going to do? We have no place left to go."