The Perfect Alibi (Robin Lockwood #2)(64)

“How you doing?” Henderson asked.

“I’ve been better. How did you know I needed help?”

“I was downstairs waiting for Bill when I saw this asshole watching the building. I didn’t think about it until his hood fell back for a moment, and I recognized him. Then you came out and he started following you. I decided to tail him.”

“I’m glad you did. He was way too big for me.”

“Hey, you tried.”

“I’m going to call 911. Those brass knuckles are illegal, so I think you should disappear.”

Henderson smiled. “Good advice, Counselor.”

“And thank you.”

“No need after what you did for me. Hey, I just got an idea. We should go WWE. We’d make a good tag team.”

Robin laughed. “Get lost.”



* * *



Hastings started to come to before the police arrived. Robin hesitated. Then she remembered what Blaine had done to Randi, and she stomped his head hard enough to put him out again. Two police officers arrived moments before the ambulance.

Robin had told Dispatch who had attacked her and asked them to notify Carrie Anders and Roger Dillon. The detectives showed up fifteen minutes after the first responders. The EMTs had Hastings strapped down in the back of the ambulance. The detectives checked on the prisoner, then walked over to Robin, who was sitting in her car with the door open.

“You’re going to have a tough time getting dates if you keep beating them up,” said Anders.

“Blaine Hastings isn’t my type, Carrie. I don’t date rapists.”

“I took a good look at Mr. Hastings’s injuries. I didn’t know you could hit that hard.”

“I can’t. A Good Samaritan came to my rescue.”

“Did you get a name?”

“No. And I was too dazed to give you a description, so don’t ask.”

Anders studied Robin for a moment. Robin met her gaze and Anders smiled.

“Maybe Prince Charming can give us a description. But he’s going to have his jaw wired shut for a while, so I’ll have to wait. Why did he attack you?”

“He wanted Randi Stark’s address.”

“Lucky for her, he’s in no condition to pay a visit.” Anders frowned.

“What are you thinking about?” Robin asked.

“I was just wondering if Hastings murdered Rex Kellerman.”

“Kellerman’s dead?”

“You haven’t heard. It’s been all over the news.”

“I was in court and out of town all day. What happened?”

“Les Kreuger gave Rex all the files in the case against Doug Armstrong, those New York cases, all that stuff. Someone shot him early this morning, then set fire to the files. His house burned down.”

“And you think Hastings might have killed him because he prosecuted him?”

“It’s possible. Especially now that you tell me he was going after Randi Stark.”

“Why would Blaine or anyone burn case files? Plenty of people have duplicates.”

“That’s a question we’ve been asking. Les Kreuger told us that Rex left a message in his office voice mail last night. He claimed he’d found something odd in the files, but he didn’t say what it was. I have someone going through our copies to see if he can figure out what Rex noticed.”

Robin was about to say something when she grew dizzy and reached out to brace herself.

“Are you okay?” Carrie asked.

“I think my adrenaline tank just went dry.”

“Do you think you have a concussion?”

“I hope not.”

“Did you make a statement already?”

“Yeah, to the first officer who responded to my 911 call.”

“Can you drive safely?”

Robin thought about calling Jeff but decided against it. She’d see him at the apartment. “I’ll be okay. I’ll just sit for a minute.”

“Okay. Then go home. If I need anything more, I’ll get in touch.”





CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE


When Robin walked in the door of her apartment, Jeff saw her black eye and swollen jaw.

“What happened!?”

“I had a run-in with Blaine Hastings.”

Jeff looked shocked. “Are you okay? How badly are you hurt?”

“I’m good. Just a little shaken up.”

“Did you go to the hospital?”

Robin smiled. “Relax, Jeff. I used to fight professionally. I’ve been hurt worse in the octagon, believe me.”

“Not by someone who tried to kill you.”

“Blaine didn’t try to kill me. He just wanted information. And he’s in jail, so I don’t have to worry about him. He also got much more of a beating than I did.”

Robin told Jeff about the attack and the rescue. By the time she finished, he’d calmed down.

Jeff wrapped his arms around Robin and pulled her tight. “I should have been there for you.”

“It’s not your fault Blaine got to me.”

“We dropped our guard. I should have known better.”

Robin pushed Jeff far enough away to look into his eyes. “I’m okay. Please don’t beat yourself up.”