Dark Justice(78)

MORSE: So. Once again it just so happened that more time was lost.

WADE: Chairman Morse, you were not with me on the days of February 24 and 25. You can insinuate all you want, but you weren’t there as I worked around the clock, without sleep. You weren’t there as I made minute-by-minute decisions while one body after another piled up. You weren’t there when I discovered three women had been kidnapped. You have no idea what it’s like to bear the pressure I face every day on the job—and that day in particular.

MORSE: Now that you’ve made your speech, Sergeant, tell this committee the answer you received when you asked Ashley Eddington about “Raleigh.”

WADE: At first she made no connection. After all, the word had come from the mouth of Morton Leringer, not her husband. Then she paused and said, “It couldn’t be my daughter’s stuffed dog. R-A-W-L-Y?”





Chapter 51


Monday, February 25, 2013

Was time moving? The world had screeched to a halt, even as my heart rattled out of my chest. Blood pounded in my head, a faint grating sound somewhere in the distance.

“Nine seconds.” Stone’s voice. Matter-of-fact, as if he discussed the weather.

I tried to speak. No words came.

“Which one, Hannah? Seven. Six.”

A mewling sound came from my mother’s throat.

“Four. Three.”

Behind me a door opened and slammed. The sudden noise bounced across the room.

Stone whirled around. Mack’s hold on me loosened. Footsteps sounded in the kitchen. “Tex?”

Stone jerked his chin toward Mack. “Stop her.”

Mack let me go. In peripheral vision I saw a woman appear at the door. Clad in jeans and a blue shirt. She gasped at the sight of the body on the floor, then screamed.

Mack reached her. Caught her arms. She fought him. “Tex! What have you done? Tex!”

“Shut up, Bo!” Stone stomped toward her.

Emily launched herself off the couch. In that split, forever second I saw her run. Lower her head. With a primal cry she rammed Stone in the back.

“Ungh!” He stumbled forward.

She skidded to a halt and kicked his hand holding the gun. It flew from his fingers and flipped across the floor.

Adrenaline surged through me. I jumped for the gun, snatched it up. Spun to face Stone.

He twisted toward Emily, hands stretched for her throat. He didn’t need a gun to kill her.

Bo pummeled Mack with her fists. He saw me with the weapon and let her go. Reached into his pocket.

She jerked up her pant leg and brought up a gun. Her cheeks were red, raw. “You’re dead, Mack!”

A gun appeared in Mack’s hand.

Stone grabbed my daughter’s throat.

I aimed and pulled the trigger. The kickback punched my arms, a thunderous sound in my ears.

A bullet tore into Stone’s shoulder. He grunted and fell back. Emily veered toward the couch and threw her body over her grandmother.

I pulled the trigger again. And again. My finger wouldn’t stop. It pulled and pulled, my body jerking, the sounds echoing, and my insides screaming and screaming—I’m killing another man!—and someone else yelling, and the world falling away—until nothing but clicks sounded.

My mother yelled once more, hands over her eyes.

Stone crumpled to the floor, blood all around. Then so did Mack, a hole in his forehead.

Did I do that too?

Bo stood over him, horror on her face, hand like a claw around her gun. And for the first time I looked at her, really looked at her.

She ran toward me, shoved me away. Fell to kneel beside Tex, calling his name, touching his face, tears streaking her cheeks.

I stood unmoving. No breath.

I shot Stone. Killed him.

She shot Mack.

My ears roared. From some great distance I heard my mother wail. Emily slid off of her. “Grand, Grand, you okay?”

Still I couldn’t move. Could only stare at Stone. Riddled with bullets. Dead. Then at the woman they called Bo.

She reared up from Tex’s body and swiveled toward me, hate flattening her expression. “This happened because of you.” She raised her gun.

My mother uncovered her eyes. “Oh.” Wrenching relief smoothed her face. “It’s my friend, Nance.” Her voice cracked. “You came to save us!”





Chapter 52


For a moment nobody moved.

“Nance.” Mom was still smiling. Had she forgotten what just happened? Could she not see the three dead bodies on the floor? She scooted forward, ready to rise from the couch. Emily held her back.

“Grand. She’s not your friend.”

“Yes, she is! She has six sisters.” Mom struggled against Emily. My daughter held firm.

Nancy Bolliver still pointed her gun at me. My fingers loosened, and Stone’s spent gun clattered to the floor. Mom jumped.