Chapter Fourteen
“You can’t stay here,” Cooper told Lexi after the detectives had left her house.
He could appreciate the urge not to give in to home invaders who most likely doubled as hit men.
But as long as they remained at large, Lexi was not safe.
Cooper was sure she understood that. He thought realistically, I can’t be there to protect you at all times even if I were to move into your place temporarily.
He pressed his case for the short-term relocation.
“We have no idea if the people who broke into Eleanor’s home and attacked her might still be targeting you for a home invasion…
” Or much worse, Cooper thought, with the strong suspicions that the unsubs were responsible as well for the executions of Horace Eckhart and Neal Zapponi.
“Okay—you’re right, I shouldn’t roll the dice in taking a chance on becoming a victim like Eleanor.” Lexi sucked in a deep breath. “I realize that my security system, good as it is, can only go so far in keeping me out of harm’s way.”
“Glad we see eye to eye here.” Cooper gave her a tender look. “You and Pepper can stay at my place for as long as you need—or want—to,” he told her sincerely. He recognized that this was presumptuous of him, knowing that she might prefer to stay with a female friend for the short term.
“I—we—accept your offer,” she said. “Under one condition.”
He lifted a brow. “What’s that?”
Lexi fixed his face with narrowed eyes. “That you and I share in the cooking, cleaning and anything else—so I feel more like it’s home away from home rather than a houseguest, if that makes sense?”
“Makes perfect sense to me,” Cooper told her, quickly agreeing to the terms. In spite of his own preference that he treat her like a queen—at least whenever she was at his penthouse condo—while doing all the work himself. “Deal.”
“Good.” Lexi flashed a smile. “I’ll go pack a few items—assuming I won’t need any more than that before the suspects are taken into custody—grab Pepper and we can go.”
“Okay.” Cooper would gladly share his space with the woman who had singlehandedly managed to turn his life upside down.
And her Yorkshire terrier. For however long it took.
Nor was he averse to sharing her space—architecturally stunning as it was—should things progress in that direction down the line for the long term.
As opposed to building a relationship while living in his condo as a couple.
But for the time being, keeping Lexi from having to deal with those who might wish her harm was front and center with Cooper, as he waited for her to finish packing.
LEXI WAS STILL coming to terms with Eleanor being the victim of a home invasion.
Worse was the notion that it was connected to the carjackers who took the lives of Horace and Neal.
Thankfully, Eleanor had survived her ordeal and hopefully still had years of life ahead, in spite of being in her eighties.
Lexi intended to help clean up the mess the robbers had left behind.
Cooper had volunteered to do the same and she was sure that the other members of their support group would be happy to pitch in.
And if Eleanor felt uncomfortable going back to her house for the short term and needed a place to stay, Lexi would gladly offer to help put up her Hawaiian friend at a hotel.
It’s the neighborly thing to do, Lexi thought, even as she settled into Cooper’s condominium and wasn’t sure when she could return home safely herself.
She truly appreciated his generous offer for refuge and that he’d agreed to her terms. Both were proverbial feathers in his cap when it came to some of the qualities she was looking for in a partner.
After they had picked up Mexican takeout food and ate it with white wine, Lexi and Cooper made love as they grew more and more in harmony in the bedroom, seemingly instinctive in pushing the right buttons toward fulfillment.
When they had finished pleasuring each other, Cooper fell asleep in Lexi’s arms. She loved the way he felt when they were pressed together.
And could only imagine how often they could replay this scenario with the same heart-pounding results.
If only carjackers and home invaders weren’t on the prowl, seemingly intent on causing havoc—with Lexi and Cooper swept up in it—and threatening whatever good tidings the holiday season brought.
THE FOLLOWING MORNING, Lexi and Cooper went to visit Eleanor at the hospital, where a police officer was posted outside her door for her protection. She was sitting in a high-back patient recliner, sipping water.
“How are you feeling?” Lexi asked, noting that she didn’t look the worse for wear, considering her ordeal.
“Fine,” Eleanor responded, but grimaced a little to suggest otherwise.
Cooper told her gingerly, “You had us concerned for a while there.”
“You needn’t have been,” she insisted, pushing up her glasses. “I’ll be okay.”
“Do you feel up to answering a few questions?” he asked, and Lexi thought about the doctor warning them not to overdo it as the patient was recovering.
Eleanor nodded. “Go ahead, Cooper—I’m happy to speak to you as an FBI agent.”
“All right.” He cast her a sideways grin. “Can you tell us what happened yesterday, when the assailants came to your house?”
Eleanor’s lower lip trembled as she collected her thoughts and answered, “I heard someone at the door and looked out and saw a tall man standing there. He rang the bell and I thought he might be selling something. It’s that time of year when people tend to show up.
” She took a breath. “When I opened the door, the man shoved me back inside—along with another taller, slightly thinner man…”
Lexi asked her sympathetically, “Do you need a moment?”
“No, I can do this,” Eleanor insisted, and sipped more water.
“I asked them what they wanted. The heavier man answered smugly, ‘Everything you’ve got of value.’ I screamed and tried to run from them at the same time…
That’s when the thinner man caught up to me, put his hand over my mouth, and shoved me.
I fell to the floor, hitting my head…and must have passed out.
The next thing I remember, I was waking up in a hospital bed—”
“I’m so sorry you had to go through this, Eleanor,” Lexi expressed from the bottom of her heart.
Eleanor clutched her hand with frail fingers and, meeting Lexi’s gaze, said, “I understand that you were the one who found me. Thank you for coming to my rescue.”
“No thanks are necessary.” Lexi held back tears and forced a grin. “That’s what good neighbors are for.”
Eleanor’s eyes crinkled. “Yes, you’re right.”
Cooper took a step toward her and asked, “So, neither man was wearing a ski mask?”
“No,” she said tersely.
Lexi suspected that this was a clever ploy by the home invaders to get Eleanor to let her guard down in opening the door. Only to put on the face coverings when they left to avoid being identified through surveillance cameras.
“Can you describe them to me?” Cooper asked Eleanor.
She gave a surprisingly detailed description of each—from approximating their ages to hair and eye color to body size to the type of clothing they wore—which both he and Lexi took note of, before Cooper narrowed his eyes and asked, “Do you recall seeing either of these men before?”
Eleanor shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Okay.” Cooper touched her hand supportively. “I’ll do everything in my power to bring them to justice and get back anything they took from you.”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
Mindful that Eleanor’s car was one thing the robbers stole and would hopefully be retrieved, Lexi leaned in and said sincerely, “If you need anything, just let me know.”
“I will,” Eleanor promised, offering her a soft smile.
When the doctor came in, advising them that it was enough questioning for now and Eleanor needed to rest, Lexi and Cooper left her in capable hands.
“It’s great that she appears to be on the mend,” Cooper said as they headed to the elevator.
“Yes, it is,” Lexi concurred, especially when considering that her assailants were also the chief suspects in the murders of Horace and Neal. “As you mentioned to Eleanor, there needs to be justice…so she can feel safe again in her own home.”
Cooper nodded and set his jaw. “We’ll make sure that happens,” he promised.
Lexi believed him, in spite of the suspects remaining on the loose and still posing a threat.
AT THE FIELD OFFICE, Cooper briefed the special agent in charge on the latest twist in the public corruption probe. That included revealing his involvement with Lexi and their mutual friendship with Eleanor as widowed persons.
Amelia, who was sitting behind her desk, leaned forward after he paused and uttered thoughtfully, “I’m glad you found someone to have a relationship with. And a friend in Eleanor, too. So, go on…”
Cooper, who was standing, continued, “There’s a good chance the home invaders are also the unsubs in the Eckhart and Zapponi fatal carjackings.
They may have been stalking Lexi in relation to her work as an architect with local real estate developers as clients—and saw breaking into Eleanor’s house as an opportunity too good to pass up and a safer bet than going after Lexi for the short term. ”
Amelia arched a brow. “Hmm… Tough break for Lexi and her neighbor.”
“Yeah.” Cooper rubbed his jawline, while wishing neither of them had been put in this position.
Amelia sighed. “Are we any closer to identifying and arresting the perps?”
“Eleanor described the suspects,” he responded. “When she’s up to it, we’ll get a digital sketch artist to work with her. In the meantime, CSI going through her house for evidence—and the police locating Eleanor’s stolen vehicle—may yield some results toward uncovering the unsubs.”
“Okay.” Amelia sat back, pressing her hands together. “It appears that the home invasion may be an unexpected break in the public corruption case that could help us solve it.”