BRIAR CREEK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
Bill drove. Lindsey sat in the passenger seat. What had seemed like such a luxurious car on the ride over now seemed more like an opulent coffin.
She peeked into her handbag. The blue glow of her phone was no more. She had no idea if anyone had heard them or not. When they got to the storage facility, Edmund ordered Lindsey to go and open the gate.
“Don’t try to run off,” he said. “I’m an excellent marksman. Thanks for those lessons when I was a kid, Uncle Bill.”
Lindsey glanced at Bill. He looked like he was about to choke. The bitter winter air hurt her lungs when she took too deep of a breath. The hurt felt good. It reminded her that she was still alive.
She hefted the large metal swing gate and pulled it open, shuffling her feet as she cupped the end of the gate in her gloved hands. When it was propped open, she went back to the car. The idea of running tempted her, but she knew Edmund meant what he said. He would shoot her, then he would make it look like Bill had done it and then kill Bill. The only chance she and Bill had was to stay together. Maybe they’d get lucky. Maybe Edmund would make a slip. Maybe they could overpower him.
When she climbed back into the car, Bill gave her a wry look. “You should have run.”
“I’m not like that,” she said.
“I was wrong about you,” he said. “I’m sorry.”
“Yes, yes, very touching,” Edmund said from the back. “Move it forward, Uncle; I’m on a tight schedule.”
“You know, there is more to me than being the keeper of the family estate,” Bill said to Lindsey. “Did you know I study Kung Fu?”
“I didn’t,” Lindsey said. “That’s actually quite cool.”
“Thank you,” he said. “And I want someone to know that I have been very discouraging of Ms. Bilson. She reminds me of a little sparrow the way she hops around. Not terribly restful.”
Lindsey smiled. “I thought the same thing when I met her.”
“Blah, blah, blah,” Edmund said. “Is there a point to this drivel?”
“Yes, in fact. I wanted to warn Lindsey that I am a huge fan of action-adventure films and advise her that she might want to fasten her seat belt.”
Lindsey saw the manic look in Bill’s eye and hurriedly buckled herself in.
“Why would she want to do that?”
“Because of this!” Bill yelled, and he slammed his foot onto the gas.
The Jaguar’s rear wheels scrambled for purchase, hit a patch of fresh dirt that had been laid down and lurched forward, picking up speed just as the car hit one of the speed bumps as hard as a fist through glass.
Edmund, who did not have his seat belt on, smacked his head on the roof and let out a violent string of curses, but when he would have righted himself, Bill let out a maniacal laugh of his own and cut the wheel sharply to the left, sending Edmund into the door, face first.
“Oh, my nose!” Edmund dropped his gun and clutched his face as blood spurted forth. “Why you…”
But anticipating his move, Bill cut the wheel again in the other direction and Edmund was sent careening into the other door.
Lindsey bent over and reached under the seat trying to find the gun. It was just out of her reach.
“Slam on the brakes!” she yelled.
Bill did and the gun slid into Lindsey’s fingers. It was cold and hard and gave her the heebie-jeebies. What if she shot someone by mistake?
Edmund’s head appeared between theirs. “Drop it or I shoot him.”
Lindsey glanced over her shoulder. He had another gun to Bill’s temple. She opened her hand and dropped the gun.
“Get out,” Edmund said. “And don’t try anything.”
Both Lindsey and Bill eased out of their doors. She glanced at him over the roof. “Nice driving.”
He shrugged. “A man has dreams.”
Edmund had wadded up his plaid scarf and was holding it up to his nose. He waggled the gun at them, indicating that they should walk.
If there was anyone in the storage facility, surely Bill’s driving would have brought them forward. The place was as quiet as a cemetery. Lindsey regretted the imagery immediately.
“Walk,” he said. “And keep your hands up, so I can see them.”
Bill and Lindsey walked side by side. The Friends’ new shed was halfway down and around a corner toward the back. As they turned the corner, they were each grabbed and yanked in separate directions.
Lindsey would have cried out, but a hand was clamped over her mouth and a voice said, “Shh. You’re safe.”
Edmund came around the corner, and Officer Plewicki surged out from an open shed, knocked him to the ground, took his gun and cuffed him all in the time it took Lindsey to inhale.
She turned to see who held her. It was Sully, and she sagged against him with relief. He wrapped his arms about her and held her close. Lindsey could feel herself starting to shake as the hysterics began, but she buried her face against his wool coat and kept breathing until it passed.
“Pretty smart to call Nancy and leave your phone on,” Sully said.
“It was an accident,” she said.
Chief Daniels joined them, with Bill at his side.
“You had your phone on?” Bill asked her. She nodded and he said, “Well, that was smarter than my driving.”
“Your driving was brilliant,” Lindsey said. Then she smiled. Who’d have thought that under his immaculate attire Bill had the heart of a hero?
“That was something,” Chief Daniels said and clapped him on the shoulder. “Tell me, have you ever considered a career in law enforcement?”
The rest of the afternoon was spent at the police station. When they arrived, Nancy was there with Heathcliff. As Lindsey wrapped her arms around his wiggly dog body, she realized one of her biggest regrets had she been killed would have been never seeing her dog again.
Sully hunkered down next to her and scratched his head. “He’s not the only one who is happy to see you in one piece.”
“Thanks,” she said.
“So, Edmund turned out to be not all that,” he said.
He was glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, and she knew he was trying to gauge her reaction. Well, she had a reaction for him.
“At least Edmund actually asked me out,” she said. She rose to her feet and looked down at him. “I like you, Mike Sullivan, there’s no question about that. I like that you’re well read and funny, when you choose to talk. I like how gentle you are with your big man hands when you pet my dog, and I like the dimples that bracket your grin, which is a stunner. But damn it, I am not going to chase you. If you want to ask me out, you’re just going to have to strap on a pair and get it done.”
Sully’s mouth slid open in surprise and then turned into a grin that outshone the sun.
“Lindsey, we need you back here.” Emma entered the main room from the back of the station.
“Not now!” Nancy said. “Can’t you see she’s busy?”
“Oh, God, did I say all of that out loud?” Lindsey asked, horrified. “Near-death experience, please forget what I just said.”
She spun on her heel and hurried around the counter after Emma.
“Not so fast,” Sully said. The entire station went quiet as everyone turned toward him. “Lindsey Norris, I like you, too. I like that you’re smart and funny and can remember what everyone in town likes to read. I like that you ride a ridiculous bike to work in terrible weather, and I like that your eyes change color with your moods, like the sea reflects the sky. I like that you adopted a puppy who needed you, and I like the way the wind tangles up your hair when you let it loose, and I do like it loose.”
Lindsey was riveted, her gaze locked onto Sully’s while her breath stalled in her lungs. She could feel everyone watching them, and the heat in her cheeks reached the scorching level of DEFCON five.
“So, will you go out with me?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said. It came out breathier than she would have liked, but he seemed fine with that.
“Friday at seven?” he asked.
Unable to speak, she just nodded.
“Are we done now?” Emma asked, but she was grinning.
“Yes, I think so,” Lindsey said. With a small wave, she left the main room, with Heathcliff on her heels, and headed back to the interview rooms. As she turned the corner, she saw Nancy give Sully a knuckle bump.