Up in Flames by Alice Brown Page A

and be sure to get the smell out of this room by morning.” Eddie got up and walked out of his office, and then continued out the front door of the building. He hated the smell of urine and feces, and the pathetic piece of shit he had planted in the Rangers’ building had just pissed all over himself. As he unlocked his car door, he could hear the man’s scream piercing the air. The human would be dead by morning, but now Eddie would need to find another way to get information.
    *****
    The following evening Lucas was sitting in Walter’s office when Ethan stuck his head in. “Hey, we might have a problem. Joe, the security guard, never made it home last night. His wife called to see if we knew anything and is very worried about him. Evidently Joe is on some medication that has to be taken daily. She says he never stays out, and is always home right after his shift is over.”
    Lucas and Walter looked at each other and Walter cocked his eyebrow. “Ethan, run a complete background check on Joe, including financials. Meanwhile, I think I am going to pay a visit to his wife. If he got in with Eddie, I wouldn’t put it past him to go after Joe’s wife if in fact he has Joe. I am hoping maybe something in the background check comes to light as to his whereabouts.” Then he glanced back over to Lucas as he put his jacket and hat on. “We might have just been handed our first real lead in the case.”
    “You may be right. Whoever our mole is, I don’t think it was anybody in the meeting last night.”
    Walter nodded and sighed. “Yeah, after watching everyone, I seriously doubted it also. But that doesn’t cover the fact we do still have one.”
    An hour later Walter called in, asking to speak with both Ethan and Lucas. “Ethan, have you come across a money trail yet?”
    “Oh yeah, they have been paying off debt right and left, but the only thing hitting their checking account is their salary checks. But a charge card and a car have been paid off in the last six weeks. What did his wife have to say?” Ethan asked.
    “She claims he told her he was being paid cash for a little side security work. Gentlemen, I think we may have just stumbled on our mole. The wife is upset of course, but I have convinced her it is not safe to stay here by herself.”
    “What do you plan to do with her?” Lucas inquired. His gut was telling him their security guard was their mole, and he was in fact dead.
    “She is packing a bag now. I think I’ll take her home with me. At least there she will have Sissy and Betty.”
    “Okay, well, I am getting ready to grab Meredith and head out for the night. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
    *****
    Lucas stepped into the living room in a pair of low-riding jeans and a towel draped across the back of his neck. His hair was still damp from the shower he had just finished. Meredith was sitting on one end of the sofa turned sideways, her feet stretched out in front of her, talking with Kade.
    Kade was sitting across from her in one of the wingback chairs. Lucas walked over to the couch and picked up Meredith’s feet, quickly sitting down where her feet were just seconds ago and depositing them into his lap. He then picked up one and using his thumb, applied a bit of his strength to her pressure points.
    Announcing to no one in particular, Meredith stated, “You know, yesterday when the vase of roses was delivered, I cheated either severe injury or total death. I am sick of living like this. I’ve had it with Eddie still fully controlling my life by not allowing me to do anything. This is no kind of life to live. I’m finished. I intend to kick his little ass the next time I see him.”
    Lucas couldn’t help a chuckle. He was happy to see his mate get a backbone and stand strong. She had been through a lot over the past eighteen months, and it was beyond time for her to take her own life back and live it as she wanted to.
    A few minutes later when his foot massage hit a particularly sensitive