Her eyes flew wide, the little freckles on her brow dancing. “You’re Mackenzie?”
“Yes.”
Lorraine gaped. “What are you doing here?”
“Trying to find you.”
“I thought for sure it was all off when I got arrested.”
Mackenzie waited impatiently while the officer rechecked their seating arrangement and restraints. He let himself through a cage and locked it behind him before he strapped in and turned on the engine. Through the caging, she watched him ease the van into the storm. The deluge was instant, the front wipers barely able to keep up.
“What’d they get you for?” Lorraine asked.
“Robbery. After I heard you were in here, I figured it was the best way I might be able to see you.”
Lorraine’s complexion paled. “You got yourself arrested to talk to me?” She grimaced. “Wasted effort. It’s all out of control now.”
Mackenzie tried to break into the woman’s tirade, but Lorraine continued, chewing on her dry lower lip. “He’s not done punishing me. I know it. He’s got people everywhere. If I talk to you, it’ll get even worse. He’ll end me.”
“No one will know.”
“He will. He already does.” She yanked on her cuffs.“That’s why I’m in here, don’t you see?” Tears collected on her lashes.
“Tell me what happened.”
“I was arrested at my job. I work in the front office for a delivery company downtown that Bullseye owns. Somebody reported me for stealing, and they found the money in my company locker. It was so humiliating. But I didn’t do it.” Her voice raised in pitch. “Don’t you get it? They found out I was communicating with you. Jail is the price now, but if I talk to you, it’ll get worse.” Her voice broke on the last word. “How am I ever going to get another job now with an arrest on my record?”
Mackenzie’s stomach churned. Lorraine was suffering because Mackenzie had reached out to her. Why hadn’t she anticipated such a thing? She’d been arrogant enough to think she was hidden from Bullseye.
“I’m sorry. I never meant to cause you trouble.” She so badly wanted to take the woman’s hand.
Lorraine sniffed. “I should have known better. I thought I could help you and maybe you could shut him down and he wouldn’t find out. What was I thinking?”
“It’s not over. The only way through this is to send him to prison, and we can still do that.” She leaned forward, wrists cinched tight against the restraints. “His headquarters is here? In this area?” Lorraine nodded and Mackenzie’s excitement flamed. Question one answered. “Do you know his name?”
Lorraine went still, and the hunted look in her eyes told Mackenzie the answer was yes. The moment had come. “I need to know.”
“I can’t tell you. He’ll have me killed for sure.”
“I promise I will never reveal to anyone that we spoke.” She had to talk loudly enough to be heard over the rain.
“They might be following us right now.” Lorraine looked around, jutting her chin at the other prisoner. “What about her?”
But the woman with the silver hair stared out the front.
“She’s not listening. Please tell me what you know. This will be our only chance, Lorraine. You know that.” Her throat clogged. “He can’t go on ending people’s lives. Help me shut him down. Please.”
Lorraine cocked her head. “Aren’t you afraid of what he’ll do to you?”
“My brother’s dead.” She felt such a rush of white-hot anger, it took her a moment to finish. “He’s not taking anything else.”
Lorraine was silent for a beat before she swallowed hard. She was going to talk. Her bravery was breathtaking, and Mackenzie would see to it that she used every mote of information to its full advantage.
“You need to do something for me,” Lorraine said.
“I will if I can.”
“My mom is hoping to move to Jamaica next month to live with her sister. You need to help her, make sure she gets there. She’ll be safe then.”
