ONE
From the first moment Callie Lattimer spotted her uncle, U.S. Federal Judge Dan Lattimer, waiting for her outside the security area at Memphis International Airport, she knew something was wrong. He barely kissed her cheek before he hurried her toward baggage claim and then to his car. As they sped through the night along Interstate 55 toward his home in midtown Memphis, the light posts on the side of the road appeared to fly by the car windows.
His hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and the muscle in his jaw flexed. When he glanced in the rearview mirror again as he’d been doing ever since they left the airport, Callie could hold her tongue no longer. “Uncle Dan, what’s the matter?”
His body tensed further, and he cast a surprised look in her direction. “What do you mean?”
“I can tell you’re upset. Has something happened I need to know about?”
He shook his head. “No. I’m just a little preoccupied over a case.”
Callie reached over and squeezed his arm. “You’re not supposed to be worrying about a case, not with your retirement a week away.”
“I know, but old habits are hard to break.” He glanced in the rearview mirror again.
“You’re going to have to break those old habits. I’m here to spend the summer with you, and I want us to enjoy our time together, especially our trip to Hawaii.”
His forehead wrinkled. “We will, darling. I just have to get some things worked out before we can go. In the meantime, I’ve booked you a room at the Peabody. I think it would be better for you to stay there for a few days until I get this case cleared up.”
Callie sat up straight and swiveled in her seat to face him. “What? I don’t want to stay at the Peabody. I want to stay at home.”
“You will. Like I said, just give me a few days, then we’ll get started on our summer plans.”
“But Uncle Dan...”
“Oh, no!” her uncle exclaimed, his wide-eyed stare locked on the rearview mirror.
Behind them Callie heard the roar of a car engine as it pulled into the passing lane. She turned her head to look over her shoulder, but her uncle’s big hand gripped the back of her neck and pushed her face down to her lap as their car surged forward in a new burst of speed. Callie tried to wriggle free of the tight grip, but it was no use.
The crack of gunfire split the air, and the glass on the driver’s-side window shattered. Uncle Dan’s hand loosened then fell off her neck completely, and the car swerved toward the road’s shoulder. Callie glanced up to see her uncle slumped over the steering wheel, his hand now hanging limply beside him. Before she could reach out to him, the car hit the highway guard rail, which folded like an accordion. Her air bag released and pushed her back into her seat as the car flipped on its side and plunged down a small embankment.
The vehicle’s jarring stop knocked the breath from Callie’s chest, and she closed her eyes as dizziness engulfed her. After a moment she swallowed, opened her eyes and took a deep breath.
Somehow the car had righted itself before it came to a stop, and she struggled to sit up in her seat. She turned her head to the side and gasped at the sight of her unconscious uncle behind the driver’s-side air bag. Blood poured down the side of his face. She pushed her air bag out of the way and fumbled to release the seat belt, but it wouldn’t open. “Uncle Dan!”