Fear

NINE

‘Her office is gone,’ Groote yelled into his phone. He stood at the end of Palace Avenue, watching the burning building.

‘Gone?’ Hurley spoke as if he didn’t understand the word.

‘Destroyed, burning like a goddamned torch,’ Groote said. ‘There’s a crowd, I heard people say there’d been an explosion.’ He’d driven down from the hospital to Vance’s office, stopped as the traffic snarl formed, left his car when he saw her building consumed in flames and smoke. ‘What the hell is going on?’

‘I don’t know. I don’t understand.’ He sounded dazed. ‘Allison’s office is on fire?’

‘Someone’s screwing us over hard,’ Groote said. And screwing with medicine that could help my kid, and God help them when I find them. ‘This isn’t coincidence – a patient Allison Vance worked with breaks loose and her office gets incinerated. Did you find the guy?’

‘No. His name is Ruiz. He’s violent, dangerous.’

Christ, Groote thought. He’d been in town barely an hour and the entire operation he’d been sent here to protect was collapsing. ‘I suppose we can’t call the cops.’

‘Um, we’d prefer not to.’ Hurley cleared his throat. ‘If Allison’s dead, hopefully the research files were blown up with her. That means we can’t be exposed.’

‘I don’t like it,’ Groote said. ‘Suppose she wasn’t at her office. Where does Allison live?’