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He met her eyes, frustrated. “One would think it would be straightforward—I’m no longer on the case, so attacking my son doesn’t help their cause. But even if it had just been Rick Gates acting out as a stupid sixteen-year-old, it’s not always that simple. One of my first cases involved a stupid sixteen-year-old who kidnapped the child of his mother’s employer. He wanted ransom, but he got flustered when the Feds closed in. He killed the boy in a panic.”
“Oh, Kaj. I’m sorry.”
“So was I. So was everyone involved, but the parents still lost their child. Even if this was only about Rick wanting his brother out of jail, I couldn’t predict that he’d stop trying. He’s a stupid sixteen-year-old. But the involvement of Sixth Day changes everything. This was a planned, deliberate act. If I get recused, they’ll see that their attack got a response. Maybe they’ll go after the family of the next prosecutor. Maybe they’ll come after Elijah again. I can’t predict what they’ll do. So, I’ll maintain protection and investigation, but for how long? How long do I isolate Elijah? How long before I turn my child into a frightened victim who begins to fear everything? He’s smart. He’s already thought about what might have happened to him and he didn’t sleep all night. He’s sleeping now because he feels safe with you here, but he knows the danger could be just outside our door. How long do I leave him in the fear zone?”
Val covered his forearm with her hand, keeping her touch gentle. “Why not start out with keeping a protection detail for just this week? Keep Burke investigating. Tell Elijah the plan. He is smart, and he’s hungry for information. Give him the information and tell him you’ll revisit at the end of the week. Seek his input. It will make him feel a little more powerful in a situation where he seems powerless.”
He drew a breath and blew it out, his shoulders slumping. “That was one of my options, but it kept getting lost in all of the other crap spinning in my mind. It helps to hear it said aloud.” He nodded once, as if to himself. “And hopefully Burke will come up with some detail that will make my decision at the end of the week easier either way. Thank you, Val.”
She patted his arm, then withdrew her hand, instantly missing his warmth. “Anytime.”
“I need to go now. My meeting starts soon and I need to put on a tie.”
“For a Skype meeting?”
He smiled. “Elijah started giving me ties for Christmas and birthdays while Heather was still alive, and he’s kept it up. He’s filled my closet with them over the years. It’s habit now to wear one. My brain isn’t ready to go to work unless I’m wearing a tie.” He pushed away from the table, groaning a little as he stretched his back. “I’m not cut out for all-nighters anymore. My back is killing me.”
She almost offered to massage his back, but... no. That was crossing a line if there ever was one. “You should eat something before your meeting. If you wait until after, you’ll spoil your dinner. You run on upstairs and put on your tie. I’ll fix you a small snack and bring it up.”
“You don’t have to do that, Val.”
“I know, but let me do it anyway.”
“Then thank you again.”
It took her a few seconds before she realized she was staring at his retreating back. And backside. The man’s wrinkled khakis hid a very nice ass.
Which I am not going to notice again. Although that might prove difficult. Kaj Cardozo had the kind of body she’d preferred even before...
Well, before. Nearly every boyfriend she’d had since she’d started dating again had resembled Kaj in one way or another, but Kaj was the whole package.
No, no, no. This is a job. Elijah’s safety was the most important thing. No perving on the client’s dad. Fussing at herself, she went to the kitchen and made him a plate of veggies and hummus. When she carried it up the stairs, he was coming out of his room, smoothing down a tie covered in bows and arrows.
“You like archery?” she asked, handing him the plate.
“Thank you, and no.” He took the plate, then pointed to his tie with an amused smile. “It’s a ‘bow tie.’ Elijah thought it was the funniest thing ever when he was seven.”
Val laughed. “I like it. Have a good meeting. And remember that Elijah is safe and you don’t have to make any new decisions about his care today.”
His smile changed to one of profound gratitude. “I will.”
He disappeared into his office, leaving Val staring after him, a little shiver racing over her skin. He was a very attractive man, but that smile... It did things to her.
And... no. Not going there.
Returning to the dining room table, Val refreshed her laptop screen. Antoine had been thorough, as usual. It was going to take her hours to comb through all the information he’d sent.
As she’d told Kaj, much of the Sixth Day information was old and she knew it already, so she’d first focus on the Gates brothers. Corey Gates had seemed sincere in his interview that morning, when he’d agreed that Rick deserved to face consequences for his crime. But she wasn’t trusting Elijah’s safety to an appearance of sincerity. She’d dig into the Gates brothers’ backgrounds to find anything that might tie them to Sixth Day. Because they weren’t touching Elijah Cardozo again while she still drew breath.
Mid-City, New Orleans, Louisiana
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 5:45 P.M.
“Oh my God. He’s freaking huge!”
At the sound of Elijah’s excited exclamation, Kaj looked up from his laptop screen to check the view outside his home office window. A white minivan was parked at the curb, Marica’s Bakery painted on the door.
A combination of terror, dread, and shame had his shoulders slumping as he stared at the minivan. He’d been so focused on this call with his boss that he hadn’t even noticed that someone had knocked on his front door. Or that a vehicle had parked at his curb, fifty feet from his front door—a vehicle nearly identical to the one that had almost spirited his son away. The only difference was the logo painted on the door.
