Love Can Be Murder

his knees with as much leverage as she could gain on the icy ground. "Be still," he hissed, then slapped her hard. "We're going to see my wife."
    Stars burst in her head, and tears streamed down her cheek from repeatedly gagging on the foul-tasting cloth. Her next strategy was to go totally limp, which wasn't exactly brilliant because then she was easier to drag. She lost a shoe and was fairly certain her shoulder had been dislocated. Though disoriented, she grasped that they were approaching a car with its engine running. He yanked her upright and released one arm long enough for her to pull out the gag and scream, although it came out a weak gurgle. She elbowed him in the nose, and he emitted a gratifying grunt. But then he cursed and pulled out an automatic handgun. "You just don't learn, do you?"
    For one terrifying second, she thought he was going to shoot her, but he raised it over her head for a knockout blow.
    Then Cape flew sideways, as if he'd been hit by a locomotive. Capistrano landed on top of him, and Roxann figured that would pretty much kill anyone. But Cape lived and had even managed to hold on to his gun. Capistrano grabbed the man's wrist and aimed the gun in the air. Cape fired twice.
    "Roxann, get in the car!" Capistrano bellowed.
    Never one to follow orders, she looked for anything she might use as a weapon. Behind Cape's car seat she found a tire tool. Another shot rang out and she flinched when it ricocheted off the open car door. Okay, she was scared to freaking death, but if she allowed Capistrano to be injured defending her, she'd feel obligated to...take him home or something. So she crept closer and waited for an opportunity to lend a hand.
    The men were pounding away at each other, rolling in the rain. She hacked at Cape's legs with the tire iron, but it was so hard to see, she might have hit the detective a few times in the process. The next thing she knew, Cape was on top with his gun pressed against the detective's head. Roxann lifted the tire tool and swung, delivering a striking blow to Cape's back. He roared in pain, and the detective pushed him off. Frank rolled, but still had the wherewithal to raise his gun. Her heart vaulted to her throat. A shot rang out. She screamed and covered her face with her hands.
    When she spread her fingers for a peek, Capistrano was kneeling over Cape, feeling for a pulse.
    "Is he...?"
    "Yeah, he's dead." He pushed himself to his feet, then limped over to her and yanked the tire tool away. "I thought I told you to get in the car."
    "I was trying to help."
    He tossed her weapon to the ground. "Well, you damn near crippled me, and you could have gotten us both killed."
    To her complete mortification, her eyes filled with tears. She blinked furiously. Her face was so cold, her cheeks ached.
    He cupped her face in his hands and sighed. Water dripped off his nose and chin. "Are you okay?"
    She sniffed. "I guess so. Nothing broken."
    He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "He hit you?"
    She nodded.
    "I should shoot him again."
    "He told me he killed Dr. Seger."
    He puffed out his cheeks and exhaled. "Well, let's hope he left some physical evidence at the crime scene, because I doubt if the police will take our word."
    In the distance, a siren wailed. Capistrano lifted his head. "Speaking of which. Want to bet we're the most popular 911 call tonight?" He looked back to her. "You let me do all the talking when they get here. Pretend you lost your voice."
    She frowned.
    "I mean it, Roxann. Don't say a word." Two police cars came screeching into the neighborhood. "Hold up your hands and don't move."
    Roxann raised her arms and stood shivering, wondering if things had just gotten better...or worse.

Chapter Thirty

    "I COULD HAVE YOUR BADGE for this," Jaffey said to Capistrano. "Breaking and entering. Compromising a crime scene." He gestured to the journals, swollen, the ink runny and illegible. "Tampering with evidence."
    "It was my idea," she started, then pressed her lips together.
    Jaffey looked at her. "Well, Ms. Beadleman, I'm glad to see your voice has returned." Then he looked back to Capistrano. "And on top of everything else, a dead man— another dead man. Do you know what this kind of thing does for tourism? For the university's image?"
    Capistrano drummed his fingers on the table. "Look, tell the press that the man who killed Dr. Seger was killed by a cop. Little kids can play outside again, the police are heroes, everybody's happy."
    Robert Mason,