CHAPTER FIFTEEN

 

A few minutes before two, Teri and Angel walked hand in hand into Incarnate Word High School. She felt surprisingly buoyant considering her situation. Having her hand in Angel’s gave her courage. For the first time since she had left New York City, she felt secure.

He winked and squeezed her hand.

“You seem to know your way around here pretty well,” Teri said.

“Both Rosario and Elena graduated from this fine institution. It hasn’t changed too much.”

“It’s pretty upscale when compared with St. Pius.”

“It’s run by a different order of nuns and it’s affiliated with Incarnate Word University. There are plenty of well-heeled alums to help out.”

“The grounds are beautiful,” Teri said.

“They’re always improving the place but they stick with the original architecture so everything goes together. Here’s the gym.” He pushed through one of a set of double doors.

The gym was a multi-purpose space with a raised stage at one end and a large shiny floor marked for basketball. Two netted hoops were folded up out of the way at either end of the room.

They walked toward the group of people gathered around the stage. Esme caught Angel’s eye and grinned from ear to ear. She covered her mouth and whispered to the girl beside her. All of the girls as well as the teacher turned to stare at the newcomers.

The teacher, a woman around Teri’s age, flicked an appreciative glance over Angel and turned to Teri. “Teri Slaughter! I recognize you. I’ve seen your face on lots of magazine covers.”

“That was a while ago.” Teri self-consciously swept her fingers through her cropped hair before recovering her manners. She reached out to shake the woman’s hand. “I’m pleased to meet you.”

“I’m Ruth Barnes. I wanted to be you.” She turned to Angel and offered her hand. “And the beloved big brother slash super hero.”

Angel shot a look at Esme that reduced her to a fit of giggles. Angel and Teri were given folding chairs and allowed to see the entire production of The Wizard of Oz.

Esme played the Wicked Witch.

Teri and Angel applauded in all the right places though the production was stopped for changes in blocking several times. When they left, Esme turned to Angel.

“Well, what did you think? Was it okay? Was I good?”

Angel held his nose. “I smell ham; spoiled, rotten ham.”

“Don’t pay attention to him, Esme,” Teri said. “You were wonderful. When is your opening night?”

Esme’s eyes sparkled. She danced along beside them. “Two weeks from Friday. Do you really think I was good?”

“You were great,” Teri said.

“Stop! You’re giving her the big head.” Angel ruffled Esme’s hair. “Next thing you know she’ll be running off to New York to be an actress and Mom will be mad at you for encouraging her. Seriously, Esme, you were terrible.”

When they were in the car, Esme curled her feet under her and fell asleep leaning against the pile of books on the seat beside her.

“She’s wiped out,” Teri said in a whisper. “Tell me, how was your visit to the police department?”

Angel glanced at Esme and spoke in a low voice. “It was no big deal. Sergeant Tolliver put out an APB on Altman. If he’s arrested, Tolliver said he’d call me.”

She gazed at him anxiously. “Is that likely to happen?”

“You never know. It would make my job easier.”

“It would make my whole life easier,” she said.

“We still have to find the other man. We don’t know that he’s in San Antonio. He could still be in New York.”

“Is that a park?” Teri pointed out the window to a lush wooded area.

“Brackenridge Park. The San Antonio Zoo is just beyond the trees there.”

“It’s beautiful. It looks like Central Park without the tall buildings crowded around it.”

“Keen observation. We can take a detour through the park if you like.” Angel turned onto one of the winding drives criss-crossing through the verdant recreational area. The oak trees grew thick and reached long intertwining branches across overhead. The car splashed through a shallow stream artfully rushing across the road.

Angel stopped for a flashing light as a wooden arm came down at a railroad crossing. A few seconds later a train chugged by and the arm raised.

“How cute! She said. “It looks just like a real steam engine, only smaller.”

“That’s the famous Brackenridge Eagle. It’s the longest miniature railroad in the world. It’s built to one-fifth scale.”

“Thanks for taking the long way,” she said. “It’s beautiful. Someday I’d love to explore this park.”

“That can be arranged.” He drove them to the Garcia house and gently woke Esme. After a moment of disorientation she blushed and stretched.

Teri smiled to see how tender he was with his family. A considerate man. She closed her eyes to reminded herself that she’d only known him a short while and that he would be arresting her soon. Not a good basis for building a relationship.

She followed him into the house as he carried Esme’s books and guided her with his hand on her shoulder.

“You better hit your homework fast because I don’t think you’re going to last very long.” He gave Esme a pat as she headed upstairs yawning.

“Thanks for coming to my rehearsal.” She waved from the top of the stairs and disappeared into her room.

#

After dinner, Teri slid closer to Angel on the sofa in the front room. He picked up her hand and pressed his cheek against it. The stubble of his beard prickled her skin, aroused her senses.

He placed a call to the convent and asked to talk to Sister Clem. He gazed at Teri while he waited for her to come to the phone. “Do you ever wonder what would have happened to you if I hadn’t insisted that you leave the apartment and come with me?”

A spiral of fear snaked along Teri’s spine. “I imagine I’d be dead by now.” Her voice sounded flat and hollow to her own ears.

“I’m glad you’re not.” He turned his attention back to the phone. “Sister Clement?” He pushed the button for speaker phone. “This is Detective Garcia.”

“Angel?”

“Yes, Sister.” He grinned at Teri and nodded. “How are you and the others?”

“We’re fine. We’ve been staying at the convent when we’re not teaching.”

“That’s good, Sister. I’ll let you know when it’s safe to go back to the apartment.”

“Good. We miss our little place,” she said. “How is Sister Bernie? We miss her, too.”

Teri ducked her head under Angel’s searching stare.

“Sister Bernie is good.” Angel said. “You’ve got my cell phone number, Sister. Call me if you notice anything out of the ordinary.” He hung up with Clem and put his arms around Teri. “Don’t feel sad.”

“Sad would be a step up,” she said. “I feel guilty.”

“You did what you thought you had to do.”

A prickle of anger stabbed through her. “Stop making excuses for me.” She tried to pull away.

Angel held her firmly. “I’m not making excuses. I’m excusing you for making a bad choice. If you had gone to the police at the beginning I could have protected you.” He sighed. “But things might have turned out differently. Someone else could have caught the case and I might never have met you.”

“I wouldn’t have met your family,” she said.

“You wouldn’t have slept in my arms at the motel.”

She felt her color rising. “Thank you for reminding me of my shameless behavior.”

He grazed her cheek with his fingers and raised her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Every morning when I wake up without you, I ache for you.” He lowered his lips to hers and brushed a kiss across her mouth. “I ache for you,” he whispered.

A wave of desire roiled up from her gut. Her heartbeat thumped in her ears like hoof beats. “Me too.”

He gave her a little smile. “What kind of declaration was that?”

“That---that I have strong feelings for you.”

“Strong feelings?”

She held up her hand, effectively ending the conversation. “Yes, but don’t push me. I can’t define how I feel. Too many other things are going on.”

“Right.” He rose from the sofa and stood gazing down at her. “I’m going to drive by the nun’s apartment tonight and see if anyone is still staking it out.”

“You mean Altman?” Her throat constricted when she visualized his face.

“Or someone else. I’m just going to check it out. Do you want to come with me or stay here?”

She sprang up from the sofa. “With you...I want to be with you.” She reached out for him and he laced his fingers with hers.

Angel kissed her fingertips and drew her outside to his car. She felt the prickle of excitement as he pulled out of the driveway. He drove to the convent and slowed.

After circling the block and scanning the cars lining the street, Angel parked behind the nun’s apartment and told her to stay ducked down. He slipped out and locked her inside.

Her heart rate increased. When she was with Angel she wasn’t afraid. But she was alone hunched down in his rental car while he was checking out the apartment she had shared with three nuns. A place where a man died while hiding behind a tree waiting to catch sight of her.

And she was afraid.

The minutes ticked away. Teri was uncomfortable. She raised her head and peered over the dashboard in the direction Angel had disappeared. Nothing but shadows. She ducked down again.

She rested her head on the seat, feeling naked and vulnerable. This was how she felt when she’d found Colin and afterwards when she had seen the killers in the parking garage. When had it stopped, the fear that choked her now?

Teri smiled. The fear started fading shortly after she met Detective Angel Garcia. At first he frightened her but then he challenged her, infuriated her, intrigued her. Now, he was the enigmatic and loving talisman who kept her safe from evil.

Why is he taking so long? Her gut clenched with apprehension. Surely something hadn’t happened to him, not to Angel. She raised her head again.

A man was standing beside the car parked directly in front of Angel’s. He was tall and thin with wispy brown hair crawling back from his forehead. His nose was long with a thin bridge. He stared at Teri.

Panicked, she ducked down on the seat.

A moment later, the driver’s side door was wrenched open. Teri gasped. The fear drained from her when Angel slammed the door behind him.

“Sorry. Did I scare you?” He started the car.

“Not you,” she said. “That guy.”

“What guy?”

“The tall man standing beside the car in front of us.”

“By the black Mecedes? There’s no one in sight.”

Teri raised her head and scanned the surrounding area. Angel was right. The man was nowhere to be seen.

“Was it Altman?” he asked as he pulled out into the street.

“No. It wasn’t him or the other man either. This man was just standing by the car and he saw me.”

Angel was silent, his brows drawn together as he pulled out into the street. “He probably wasn’t even connected to this case.”

She shivered in spite of the warm night. “I know, but he was so creepy.”

Angel grinned at her. “Not all creepy looking guys are really creeps.”

“Don’t make fun of me.” She punched his arm. “He saw me and it was like he recognized me.”

“It’s possible he thought you were hot.”

“I know what you’re trying to do, but it’s not working. You’re trying not to scare me, but I was scared the second you got out of the car. That man recognized me!”

“Okay, Teri. I believe you.” Angel drove for a few blocks in silence. “The man you saw wasn’t one of the men who killed your...Colin?”

“No, but he didn’t look like a San Antonio native. Just like you, his clothes were from New York. Trust me, I know clothes.”

Angel turned into Brackenridge Park. It was dark and shadowy with brightly lit areas. He drove around the narrow twisting lanes, glancing in the rear-view mirror from time to time.

“No black Mercedes?” she asked, turning in her seat.

“Just making sure.” He pulled the car into a dark, brushy area and turned off the lights, but kept the engine running with the air conditioner on.

Angel removed his holstered weapon and his shield from his belt and tucked it into the glove compartment.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

He pushed his seat back all the way and turned to Teri. “I’m making out with my girlfriend.” He reached across and unbuckled her seatbelt.

Strong arms enveloped her and dragged her across the seat. She found herself sprawled against Angel’s broad chest.

He raised her chin and regarded her face by the dim glow of the dials on the dashboard. He kissed her forehead, her nose and her lips.

Teri slipped her arm around his neck, wishing the kiss would never stop. She felt his hands graze her body, sliding over her breast, her waist, her buttocks.

“You’ve done this before,” she said.

“Maybe,” he said, his voice smoky with desire. “I thought you should experience a great San Antonio tradition. Making out at Brack.”

“What would we be doing if we were still in The City?” she asked, settling against him.

“I’d take you to my apartment and cook for you. And then I’d make love to you for hours.” He kissed her temple. “And in the morning, I’d watch your face as the sun crept in through my curtains. I’d hold you and never let you go.”

Teri couldn’t catch her breath. She was grinning but she felt lightheaded. “What does your apartment look like?” she asked when she could breathe.

“One bedroom on the third floor of a brownstone. Unfortunately, it looks like a single guy lives there.”

“A guy?”

“A working cop who doesn’t spend much time there. It could use a woman’s touch. Are you trying to resist my attempt at seduction?”

“I don’t think so,” she said. “I have a condo.” Teri unbuttoned his shirt and stroked his chest with her fingertips.

“I know you do,” he said. “I’ve been there. When you first went missing I entered your place to see if you were lying on the floor.”

She jerked her head up. “Dead? You thought I was dead?”

“Not necessarily. I was just following up all the leads.” He kissed her again. “Your condo looks like the photos you had all over the place. Very slick.”

“You didn’t like my decorating?” She pulled away slightly. “What was wrong with it?”

“Nothing at all. Everything was beautiful and it looked like you. Pale and luxurious.”

“I sense disapproval.”

“Don’t twist my words,” he said.

“Then, what are you saying?”

“Your place looks like the public image of Teri Slaughter. Here, with me now... You don’t seem like that woman. You’re beautiful but you’re down to earth and real.”

“I think I’m the victim of stereotyping.” Teri moved back to the passenger seat. “You decided that I was a snotty bitch because I was a model and had a nice place. You thought I’d be cold and aloof.”

Teri turned her face to the window, staring out into the inky night, hurt that Angel could think badly of her.

#

Angel stared at her across the width of the vehicle. “You could be right, Mia.” He crawled over to her and, reaching between her legs, grabbed the lever and shoved her seat all the way back. “I looked at your photographs a thousand times and I thought you were gorgeous.” He reclined her seat and settled himself on top of her. “But I thought you lived in an ivory tower.” He kissed her again, trying to convey the intensity of his need. “I judged you by what you left behind, mementos of a lavish lifestyle I could never share.”

Her mouth looked pouty, driving his level of passion one notch higher.

She gave him a sharp glance through narrowed eyes. “What made you change your mind?”

He grinned and ruffled her hair. “Who said I changed my mind?”

“Beast!” She pinched him, managing to pull his chest hair.

Angel grabbed her wrist and kissed the inside, feeling her pulses throb against his lips. In one move he rolled her on top of him. He heard her intake of breath as he pressed her against his erection.

Teri reclined against him as he kissed her neck and raised her knit shirt to nuzzle her bra. She pulled the shirt off, tossing it into the back seat.

He laced his fingers through her hair and cupped the back of her head to draw her to him. Slowly her lips melted against his. He kissed her until she couldn’t breathe. She tore her lips away and gasped for air as he kissed her neck gently nibbling her skin. He touched her breast, circling her nipple with his thumb through the pink lace.

Teri arched her back, taking obvious pleasure in his touch. He trailed his fingers down over her ribs and flipped open the snap on her jeans. She unzipped them as Angel slid his hand inside.

“Are these the pink ones I bought you?” he asked, fingering the silky panties.

She giggled. “Yes.”

A bright shaft of light illuminated the interior of the vehicle and then extinguished.

Teri covered her breasts, momentarily blinded.

Angel heaved her into the driver’s seat and reached into the glove compartment to recover his gun. He flipped off the overhead light that would have come on when the door opened and stepped out into the warm, humid night. Locking the door, he closed it soundlessly; leaning against it to make sure it latched.

He squatted, low to the ground, peering into the darkness. His ears were alerted to every sound. His car idled smoothly. Crickets chirped and the frogs they called peepers sang their odd song. He could smell animal odors from the nearby zoo.

He made his way around the car. No other sounds. No movement.

A car door slammed some distance away and an ignition turned over before it pulled out onto the winding road without its lights.

Angel returned to his rental car and knocked on the driver’s side window. “Teri, it’s me.”

She unlocked the door and moved to the passenger side.

The air conditioning blasted his now damp clothes but he welcomed its chill. He slipped the car into reverse and backed onto the roadway, turning away from the direction the other car had taken.

When they reached Broadway, he glanced at her face. She looked pale and scared, her hands gripped together. A flood of remorse filled his chest. Mentally, he cursed himself for being a fool.

“I’m sorry, Teri.” He turned north on Broadway and hooked a tight right into a residential area. He drove around the darkened streets until he felt sure they weren’t being followed.

Angel turned the lights off and coasted to a stop under a large oak, its branches sheltering the street below. “I’m an idiot. I put you at risk.” He expelled a deep breath. “I accused you of making poor choices and now I’m doing it.”

Teri’s head came up and she turned to look at him. “What are you talking about, Angel?”

“I’m acting like a lovesick schoolboy and not like a cop. I’m not protecting you.”

Her voice came soft in the darkness. “I’ll point out that I’m still alive.”

“No thanks to me. I could have gotten us both killed back there.”

“Maybe you are an idiot, but you’re my idiot.”

Angel grinned in the darkness. “Thanks. Was that as close as I’m going to get to a declaration of love?”

“For now. Let’s try to get through this thing alive.”

“Deal. Would you feel safer if I take you to a hotel or home...to my parent’s home?”

“Take me home.”

Angel turned the lights on and propelled the car forward. In spite of their peril, he felt inordinately happy that she cared for him and that she wanted him to take her home.

#