“If you’re lying about the girl being at your apartment, I’m going to find out in two minutes and I’m going to blow this little bitch’s brains out, okay?”
“I’m not lying, but you’re obviously, like, hunting her or something and if she sees you coming with Cassie, she’ll panic.”
“How about she don’t see me coming? How about that?”
The guy’s back was to Evan, and to give Cassie Bailey credit, her face didn’t register any emotion as he approached quickly and brought the pipe down with sickening force on the back of the man’s neck, causing him to sink to his knees.
Tommy sprang forward and walloped the guy backhanded, whipping his head to the side with the force of it.
“That works too,” Evan muttered.
Tommy yanked the gun out of the guy’s hands and kicked him for good measure.
“Asshole,” he seethed.
Since this thug had not only threatened Cassie—hence Tommy’s fury—but was after Andrea as well, Evan couldn’t agree more.
Tommy glanced up at him. “Wow. Am I glad to see you!”
“You were doing pretty well.”
“Maybe, but I was running out of ideas.”
An audible shudder reminded them both of the girl. Tommy went to her instantly. “Cassie.” He pulled her into his arms, urging her head onto his shoulder. The tenderness of the gesture made the kid come up even a notch higher in Evan’s estimation than his performance with the thug had.
The assailant appeared to be out cold, but Evan would have still felt better about the whole thing if the cops finally showed up and took him into custody. “What the hell is the holdup with the police showing up in this town? I called them five minutes ago.”
“I don’t know. They always seem to be around when I’m not looking for them,” Tommy said, smoothing Cassie’s hair. “And anyway, haven’t you heard about the recession? Budget cuts. That crap.”
He glanced at his watch and said shortly, “No.”
The man stirred and before the young hothead could have at him again, Evan cautioned, “Just wait a minute. I want him conscious enough to answer a few questions, if you don’t mind.”
“How about some questions for you?” Cassie piped up indignantly, raising her head from the pillow of the kid’s shoulder. “What’s with this Babs girl?”
“I think that may have been a fake name,” Tommy noted.
“Whatever her name is! What kind of trouble is she in? First this guy is asking about her near the boathouse and I mention it to her—”
“You told Andrea that?”
“Yes, and suddenly she’s wanting to come on my boat—Andrea? That’s her name?”
“Yeah. Sort of.” Somehow knowing his lover had been warned someone was asking about her made her sudden flight more logical. She didn’t just leave him abruptly first chance she got.
“Well, what kind of trouble is Andrea in?”
Finally, the police sirens came.
“I don’t know,” he said. “But I’m sure as hell going to find out.”
The cop who trotted in the doorway gave quick evidence to Tommy’s adage about his experience with the police in this town. “O’Neal,” the pudgy officer commented, putting his gun back in his holster when he saw his suspect was more or less incapacitated and reaching for the handcuffs. “I might have known.”
“Hi, Officer Vincetti. Nice to see you too.” Tommy dutifully handed over the gun.
“This the guy who broke in?” the cop asked Evan, handing the gun off to another officer who had just come in behind him, Bingo now at his side, tail wagging, tongue lolling out.
“Some guard dog,” Evan muttered. Then, “Yes, that’s the guy.”
Hauling the suspect to his knees, Vincetti handcuffed him in the process as the move rendered the guy more energetic, and started to read him his rights.
“I wonder if I could have a few minutes alone with him?” Evan asked when the legalities were done.
“Not right now, Mr. Reynolds. We got to book him first. But if you come down with us, you too, Cassie, oh and, O’Neal, I’m sure you know the way, we can take your statements at the station.”
Evan shifted from foot to foot and petted Bingo. “Fine. We’ll be right over.”
When the cops were gone with their prisoner, Evan asked Cassie urgently, “Do you know where she went?”
“Who?”
“Babs, I’m assuming,” Tommy supplied.
“No. Like I told Tommy before this whole, whole—” She swiftly turned on Tommy. “You were lying about that sleeping-with-her thing, weren’t you?”