Why? he asked with a cops curiosity.
I was tired and Alicia had told me earlier in the day that shed bought the makings of strawberry daiquiris and I didnt want to have to worry about driving home after having a couple of drinks.
She frowned and her knuckles appeared to whiten even more as she continued. If only Id driven my car. If only my car had been parked out front. Her voice trailed off.
Dont go there, Jesse said softly, knowing well how easily self-recriminations could destroy a person.
She nodded, then continued. I had been in the house just a few minutes when we heard a car pull up out front. John looked out the window and told me to get in the closet. Her frown deepened. Any other time I would have balked at the suggestion, but something in his tone of voice made me obey without question. John and Alicia were police officers, and John often worked undercover, so I thought perhaps he was worried about whoever was there seeing me.
She pulled her hands apart and stood, as if finding it impossible to sit still while she told the full story. Jesse leaned forward and pulled the coffee
table away from the sofa, giving her room to pace without danger of bumping her knees.
Two men came in the front door, and the minute I saw them, I almost stepped out of the closet. The two men were police officers. She raised a hand to push a strand of hair off her face, and Jesse noticed her hand trembled.
She paced the space in front of the sofa, the tight jeans displaying her slender legs. But before I could open the closet door and step out, the two men shot John and Alicia. Her voice rose slightly and she stopped walking and drew a deep breath, as if to marshal her emotions.
Jesse realized he was holding his breath. Two cops, murdered by two other cops. No wonder Bob Sanford and Kent Keller had immediately whisked her away. It was an ugly scenario.
Apparently I passed out in the closet. When I came to, I was blind and in a hospital room. Thats when I met Bob Sanford, who explained to me that John and Alicia had been working for Internal Affairs and investigating a group of dirty cops.
And apparently the dirty cops learned of IAs investigation and John and Alicias part in it, Jesse said.
She nodded. And now John and Alicia are dead, and the good guys are hoping my sight will return so I can identify the two men who killed them.
Can you identify them?
She sank down to the sofa once again. Oh, yes. Their faces are burned into my mind. Unfortunately, at the moment Im a blind witness.
And what happens if you never regain your sight? He could tell the question pained her as she winced.
She straightened her back. I refuse to consider that possibility.
He heard the strength of conviction in her voice, but he also heard an underlying fear.
He decided to leave that particular topic alone. You mentioned a group of dirty cops Did anyone tell you how many were in the group?
Bob Sanford told me there are eight. The Renegade Eight is what they call themselves. Unfortunately, nobody seems to know exactly who the eight are. She forced a smile in his direction. It seems I have a small posse probably seeking my whereabouts and praying for my death.
Dont worry, little lady, the sheriff of Mustang knows how to handle a posse of desperadoes. Jesse did his best John Wayne imitation, and was rewarded by her laughter.
Performing that kind of a bad imitation would definitely make desperadoes run for the hills, she said. Were a long way from Chicagothats where Im from. Surely nobody could track me all the way here.
Jesse frowned. He wasnt so sure. He knew as well as anyone that cops could be quite resourceful when it came to seeking out information they wanted. Knowing there may be as many as eight dirty cops seeking her, definitely was a sobering thought.
If three people knew where she was, that was two too many. He wouldnt feel comfortable until he got word that the eight cops had been arrested and put behind bars.
Do you want to know my real name? she asked.
No, Jesse hurriedly replied. I dont think its a good idea for you to tell me. I might accidentally call you by that name in front of other people. Its best that you remain Cecilia Webster to me.
Okay, she agreed, although he thought he detected disappointment in the single word.
What did you do before all this? he asked, attempting to get her mind off bad guys, killer cops and false identities.
She smiled, and he saw the tension slowly leaving her. Im an interior decorator.
He groaned. I think Im glad you cant see this place. It would probably give you nightmares.
It cant be that bad, she protested. Whats your color scheme?
Color scheme?
She leaned forward, her features lit with an animation he hadnt seen before, an animation that transformed her from pretty to something far more powerful. You know, whats the dominant color of the room?
Jesse shrugged and looked around. Ive got a brown-and-orange sofa, beige carpeting, a rose-colored chair. Im not sure there is a dominant color.
Orange sofa and rose-colored chair? She looked slightly ill. Youve just managed to do what nothing and nobody has done in the past month.