by Ali Franklin
Ryan zoned out for a few minutes while Arrington described the photos. When she returned to the conversation, he was showing her pictures of the boys and their friends in college.
“Were you in the same year in school?” asked Ryan.
“No, I’m a year behind Chase. But I managed to get onto his rowing team in college.” He scrolled to a picture of nine men standing on a dock. Eight were holding oars. The smallest man held a trophy. He placed a finger and thumb on his phone screen and enlarged the picture so she could see the faces. “See? Here’s me, and here’s our friend Watson. Next to him is Chase. See how he’s a little shorter than I am?” Arrington centered the picture on Chase’s face.
He continued. “Next to him is his best friend Lipinski, and on the end is Kennedy. He’s one of those Kennedys.”
Ryan was just about to zone out again when an alarm rang in her head. She looked up at Arrington’s face. “What did you just say?”
“I was telling you how close our crew team was during college. We would’ve done anything for each other, and we sometimes did.” He laughed.
Ryan looked back at the picture. “May I?” she asked, reaching for the phone.
He handed it to her. She widened the perspective again and scrutinized the faces. She pointed at one.
“Who’s this?”
“That’s Chase’s best friend August Lipinski. Of the Brookline Lipinskis.”
Ryan’s chest went cold.
“Hey, are you okay?” asked Arrington. “You don’t look so good.”
Ryan nodded and slid off the stool. “I’ll be right back.” She pointed to the back of the pub. “I need to go to the ladies’ room.” She moved away as quickly as she could.
Arrington frowned, then shrugged his shoulders. His phone buzzed and he tapped a button to answer the call.
“Hey, bro.”
Ryan moved toward the back of the bar as quickly as she dared. She looked around for Nicki, but the chief was nowhere to be found. She must be in the bathroom.
But the chief wasn’t in the bathroom. Ryan went to the sink and splashed some cold water on her face. She looked at the puzzled reflection in the mirror. Gus Lipinski was Chase Arrington’s best friend. Gus Lipinski was Chase Arrington’s best friend.
“Shit. Shit, shit, shit.” She looked around for inspiration. She needed to find Nicki and tell her what she’d learned. And she needed to figure out what to do next. Was Dexter Arrington a threat, or just a sibling who’d unwittingly given Ryan the last piece of the puzzle?
Where the hell was Nicki? Ryan pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed the chief. She got her voicemail.
“Nicki, it’s Ryan. I’m in the bathroom and I need to talk to you about Gus right now.” She emphasized the last two words, then added, “Please come get me.” She looked around. The windows in the bathroom weren’t big enough for a person to fit through. Jamie had made sure people couldn’t run out on their checks long ago.
Ryan remembered the pub’s back door. She wondered if she could get through the hallway to the door without Arrington seeing her. She rubbed her face with her hands. He might not even be looking for her. The guy was pretty drunk, after all.
She couldn’t just sit here waiting for Nicki. She decided to go for it. She took a few deep breaths, then opened the bathroom door.
She was two steps into the hallway when the fire alarm went off.
Chapter 19
Ryan froze. The sound was deafening. People were screaming and she heard the sound of tables and chairs being upended in the pub.
Where was Nicki?
There was no smoke, and Ryan knew that most fire alarms were false alarms. But the screaming from inside the pub might mean people were in danger. She wanted to go look, but she also wanted to stay away from Arrington.
Where was Nicki?
If Ryan went back to the ladies’ room, Nicki could find her. But so could Arrington. On the other hand, there were plenty of places to hide on campus. She could call Nicki from there.
As she was considering where to go, a man and woman ran into the hallway. The man grabbed her arm and pulled.
“Come on. There’s a door back here.”
Ryan resisted for a moment, then went with the couple. Nicki might be angry that Ryan left without her, but a fire alarm was an extenuating circumstance.
Ryan and the couple burst through the door. Ryan stood for a moment, blinking in the brightness. When she looked around again, the couple had joined a group of people standing at the corner of the building. She looked down at her phone, then pressed the button to call Nicki. Again, there was no answer. She left another message.
“Nicki, I went out the back door of the pub. Where are you?”
Ryan ran toward the edge of the building so she could see both the front and back doors. Nicki was nowhere to be found. She was probably helping with the evacuation—or the fire. Ryan threw up her hands in a gesture of surrender.
She was staring at the front door when she saw something in her peripheral vision. Dexter Arrington was walking toward her.
“Ryan, why don’t you and I go somewhere safe until all of this—” He waved his arms to encompass the hectic scene “—craziness settles down?”
“I’m fine. You should go find Chase.”
“Chase can wait. You really should come with me.” He reached out toward her.
Ryan didn’t want to go anywhere with Dexter Arrington.
“It was nice meeting you, Dexter,” she said. She turned toward the recreational fields and stepped off the curb.
At the same moment, a red sports car driving east on Hawk Street changed from the center lane to the right lane. The driver glanced over his left shoulder at the soccer game on the rec fields. He didn’t see Ryan in the road until it was too late. He slammed on the brakes, but felt the heart-sickening thud as the car hit her legs and she tumbled onto the hood.
For her part, Ryan didn’t feel anything until she rolled off of the car and her head hit the pavement.
Dexter and the driver of the sports car reached her at the same time. Dexter lifted her head and said, “Ryan, how do you feel?”
She blinked up at the faces of the two men bent over her. Then she struggled to sit up. Dexter and the other man each put an arm behind her back and helped her.
“I think I’m okay,” she said. She bent and unbent her arms, then repeated the procedure with her legs. She looked at her clothes and her skin for signs of trauma but saw nothing more than dirt from the road.
She braced herself on the men’s shoulders and struggled to stand. Each man took an arm and stood with her.
“I’m so sorry,” said the driver. “I didn’t see you.” Tears spilled from both eyes. “I’ll be glad to drive you to the hospital to get checked out.”
Dexter stepped between the man and Ryan.
“I’ll take her.” He put his arm around Ryan’s shoulders and turned her toward the parking lot. “Let’s get you checked out. That was a pretty nasty fall.”
Ryan was feeling weaker by the second. She had a feeling she shouldn’t go with him, but she wasn’t quite sure why—and it hurt to think about it. But the emergency room sounded like a good idea, so she let Dexter lead her to his car. He helped her sit and fastened the seatbelt across her chest and lap. Then he got into the driver’s seat.
“Stay with me, Ryan,” he said. “It won’t be long.”
She nodded, which hurt. “Do you know how to get to the hospital?”
“The GPS will tell me. Just close your eyes for a few minutes.”
Ryan leaned back against the head rest and closed her eyes. She concentrated on her breathing. In and out. In and out. At least her lungs felt okay. She checked in with her other body parts.
She flexed and released her toes. There was no extra pain. The same was true of both knees. She squirmed in her seat and winced. One hip was throbbing. She continued her survey.
She bent both arms at the elbow, then her wrists. She flexed her
fingers and sucked in a breath at the pain. She’d landed on both hands when she hit the ground, and they were filthy with road grime and blood. Remarkably, though, nothing was broken.
She decided not to worry about it. The people in the emergency room would know what to do. She would just concentrate on being grateful she wasn’t seriously injured.
She spoke without opening her eyes. “Did you call Chase and tell him what happened?”
“I did. He’s going to meet us there.”
Ryan open her eyes and shut them quickly. The bright sun hurt her head, and there was something strange. What was it?
Her heart skipped a beat. She’d seen the county library, which wasn’t on the way to the hospital.
“Dexter, I think you’re going the wrong way. The hospital is on the other side of the campus.”
He chuckled. “Just leave the driving to me, Ryan. You’ve had a nasty knock on the head.”
They drove for what felt like hours while Ryan prayed for painkillers. She focused on her breath. Finally, she felt the car pull into a driveway. She opened her eyes.
“Dexter, this is Chase’s house. I need to go to the hospital.”
“Yes, but Chase says he needs to talk to you first.”
Ryan tried to process this information. Then it hit her. Dexter had no intention of taking her to the hospital.
She reached into her pocket for her phone. It was gone.
Then she remembered: Gus Lipinski and Chase Arrington were best friends in college. That’s why she’d been trying to get away from Dexter at the pub.
He parked the car and got out. If she were going to have any chance to get away from him, now was the time. She took a deep breath and surveyed her surroundings.
The Arringtons’ home was in Wild Bird Estates, a neighborhood of large houses set far apart from each other. Ryan would have to outrun Dexter for a few hundred yards just to get out of the subdivision. She exited the car and took a few cautious steps. Her left ankle, which had been quiet earlier, screamed in pain.
I can’t out run anyone.
There were no neighbors mowing front yards or kids playing in the street; no one she could yell to for help. She decided to make the best of it—and look for another means of escape. She wrapped her fingers around Dexter’s arm for support. Without recognizing the irony, he helped her inside.
Dexter walked Ryan toward the kitchen, but she waved her hand and pointed to the living room and its overstuffed chairs. He nodded and let her go. She moved into the room and he continued into the kitchen, where he poured himself a drink.
Ryan got as comfortable as she could in a wingback chair and considered her options. She might be able to run, but not very fast. She’d have to wait until no one was looking if she wanted to escape. On the other hand, she might get some answers if she stayed. She wanted to know why Veronica and Emma had been murdered.
She heard Dexter moving around in the kitchen. She started to call out for a glass of water, but the first syllable sent a knife of pain into the back of her skull. She decided she could wait.
She closed her eyes and let sleep take her away.
Nicki was on the phone with the dispatcher at the campus police station when the fire alarm went off at the pub. She stuffed her phone into a pocket and ran to the other patrons, yelling for them to get out of the building. Then she ran into the kitchen to make sure the staff could get out as well.
She returned to the main dining room and remembered seeing Ryan going toward the bathrooms. After making sure none of the tables or booths were occupied, she ran toward the back hallway, screaming the entire time.
“Fire! Get out of the building!”
She burst into the ladies’ room and pushed open the doors to the stalls. They were all empty. She pulled open the door and repeated the procedure in the men’s room, screaming the whole time.
She stepped back into the hallway, confused. Ryan had been there moments ago. Where had she gone? Nicki didn’t want to leave the building without her, as she was sure the first responders wouldn’t let her back in.
She opened one closet door, then another. Nothing. Then she turned toward the back hallway, convinced O’Leary’s was empty. She rounded the corner and stopped short.
“Dexter,” she said, stunned to find the man standing by the back door. “There’s a fire. We need to get out of the building right now.”
“Have you checked the kitchen? There could be someone in there.”
She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the door. “I checked. We need to get out—now.”
“Where’s Ryan?” he asked.
“I don’t know, but she’s not in here. Let’s go.”
“Nicki?”
She turned and saw the whites of his eyes. “Wh—”
Then her world went black.
Nicki woke to the scent of smelling salts and the sound of someone shouting her name.
“Nicki, wake up, wake up, wake up.”
She opened her eyes just enough to realize she was lying on the sidewalk outside O’Leary’s. Jamie was yelling and an EMT was checking her for injuries.
“Hey there, Chief,” he said. “How are you feeling?”
Nicki nodded, but the pain on the right side of her head made her stop. “Hey, Milllson. I’m fine. Did everyone get out of the building?”
Jamie stepped closer. “Yes, but there was no fire. I don’t know who pulled the alarm or why. The firefighters are going through the building now.”
Millson said, “I don’t see any major trauma, but you’re getting a hell of a bruise on your left jaw. How did that happen?”
Nicki took a deep breath. She wasn’t sure she wanted anyone to know what happened. “I’m not sure. I was in the back hallway, but it was dark.”
Millson tilted his head at her. “You should go to the hospital for a once-over.”
“I could take you,” said Jamie. She looked at Millson. “As long as you guys don’t need me here for the next few minutes.”
“I have a chariot right over there,” the EMT said, pointing to his ambulance.
Nicki struggled to sit up. “Where’s Ryan? She can take me.”
“There was an accident,” said Jamie. “Dexter took her to the hospital to make sure she’s okay.” She pointed toward a young man who stood on the sidewalk a few feet away talking with a police officer. “That guy hit her with his car, but she was able to walk away.”
“He hit her?” Nicki tried to stand. “I don’t understand.” Jamie and Millson both resisted her movements and Nicki remained seated on the sidewalk.
“Chief, you’re going to have to focus on yourself for a minute,” he said. “How ‘bout I give you a ride to the hospital?”
“I need to talk to that guy first,” said Nicki. “See what happened to Ryan. Will you help me up?”
Jamie and Millson exchanged a glance and the EMT gave a slight nod. They each put a hand under one of Nicki’s arms and helped her stand. Then Jamie put Nicki’s arm around her own shoulders so the chief would have something to lean on.
“I’ll stay with her,” Jamie told Millson. “If she starts feeling woozy, I’ll let you know.” Millson kept his eyes trained on the two women as they walked away.
Nicki and Jamie reached the sportscar driver just as he finished his conversation with the police officer. Jamie laid a hand on his arm.
“We understand you had an accident,” she said.
Nicki pushed forward. “What happened to Ryan? Is she all right?”
The man’s face turned red as he struggled to hold back tears.
“I’m so sorry,” he said. “She stepped into traffic and I only saw her a second before it happened.”
“Is she hurt?” asked Nicki.
“She was able to stand and walk away with her friend. He said he was taking her to the hospital.”
“Who?” asked Nicki. “Who took her to the hospital?”
The driver looked surprised. “Her friend. Big guy, blond hair, good teeth.
Late forties, maybe?”
“Dexter?” asked Nicki.
The driver shrugged. “I didn’t get his name, but he said he’d drive her to the hospital and she went with him.”
“What kind of car?” Nicki asked.
“Big Cadillac sedan,” said the driver. “Puke green.”
“You provided all your contact information to the police?” asked Nicki, pointing to the officer he’d been talking with the moment earlier.
“Yes. I’m taking responsibility for what happened.” He ducked his chin. “I’m sorry it happened to your friend. I hope she’ll be all right.”
Nicki was trying to piece it all together. Was Ryan okay? Why had Dexter hit Nicki? And why had Ryan left with him?
Nicki looked at the driver again. “When our friend left with the man, did everything seem…okay? He wasn’t forcing her or anything?”
He shook his head. “She didn’t say anything about being afraid or not wanting to go with him. But she could have been in shock. Aren’t they friends?”
“We just met him right before this happened,” said Nicki. “But we know his brother.”
The driver thought for a minute, biting his lip. “There was one strange thing. When they pulled out of the parking lot, they went west.” He pointed. “But the hospital is that way.” He pointed east. “I expected to see him do a U-turn, but they drove down Hawk Street until I couldn’t see them anymore.”
The feeling of unease in Nicki’s gut grew. Something was wrong with this situation. Her knees buckled and Jamie stiffened.
“Nicki, let’s go. You need a doctor.”
“I need to find Ryan.”
“She’s probably still at the hospital being examined.”
Nicki threw up her hands in frustration. “What if he took her somewhere else?”
“Why would he do that?”
“I don’t know,” said Nicki. “But something’s not right here. I need to find out what it is.”
Jamie wrapped Nicki’s arm around her shoulders again. “I’m taking you to the hospital. You’re no good to anyone right now.” She walked the chief to the parking lot and helped her into the car. She told the fire chief where she was going and gave him her cell phone number. Then Jamie drove Nicki to the hospital.
