“I was just getting ready to come to your office to do the paperwork. I can’t leave without calling Derik. Someone has to be here when the boys get home from school. Give me one minute.”
“No, Kelly. Dinson’s car is parked less than a mile down the road, and it’s empty. That means he’s somewhere close, and he’s here for one reason only. I want to get you to safety, now. You can call Derik from the office.”
“Okay I’ll get a change of clothes and grab my phone and purse.”
“No phone. They’re traceable. Leave it here. Let’s go, Kelly. I don’t like the feel of this,” the officer said as he peered through the window curtains.
She threw a few things in a bag and picked up her purse. Sheriff Foster was standing beside the door when she came down the stairs. “I’m ready. How long will I be gone? Where is this place?”
“We use a house in a completely different county when we need to get a victim away from their assailant. You’ll be safe there until we can get this guy behind bars, where he belongs.”
As they stepped onto the porch, Foster scanned the area then led Kelly across the yard. A shot rang out just as they approached the patrol car. The sheriff pushed her to the ground and drew his gun. He protected her with his body as another shot rang out, striking the dirt in front of her. He pulled the cruiser’s door open and used it as a shield while he shoved Kelly inside. “Keep your head down,” he ordered as he slammed the door. He then began making his way around the car. He managed to get into the driver’s seat and start the vehicle. A third bullet struck the passenger door as he threw the car in reverse. He sped out of the drive, grabbed his radio, and began transmitting details of the event to his dispatcher. A mile from the house they passed two patrol cars with sirens screaming and lights flashing. Sheriff Foster didn’t stop at the station but continued past the city limits.
“Where are you taking me? Why didn’t we go to your office? What about the paperwork?”
“Those shots have changed things. We’re going straight to the safe house. We can take care of the paperwork there. That guy has crossed the line. He wasn’t shooting for the sport of it. He was aiming to kill. I’ll let you know when we catch up to him. No one gets away with attempted murder, especially attempted murder of a county sheriff.”
They drove for a couple of hours before turning onto a side road. After another mile, he pulled into the driveway of a buff-brick ranch house, surrounded by a white picket fence. There was a barn to the left and two horses grazing in the pasture. A tall, bowlegged man strode through the gate as a woman with short red hair stepped from the house. Sheriff Foster shut off the car, turned to Kelly, and said, “We’re here.”
She chewed her bottom lip as she looked at the sheriff and at the people approaching the cruiser.
The woman stepped to the passenger door and opened it. “Hi there. My name’s Brenda, and that tall drink of water over there is Max. Welcome to our home. Come on in, and make yourself comfortable.”
Sheriff Foster had exited the car and was talking to the bowlegged man. They both looked at Kelly as she got out of the vehicle. The man Brenda referred to as Max tipped his hat and said, “Welcome, ma’am,” then returned to his conversation with the sheriff.
The red-haired woman reached for Kelly’s bag then closed the car door. Her eyes went to the bullet hole just below the window. Kelly saw a tightness form around the woman’s lips.
Brenda led her into the house and down the hall. She opened a door to a bedroom with twin beds and a large dresser. The beds were covered with what looked to be handmade quilts. Lace curtains fluttered in the open window. The floors were a dark rich wood, the same as the living room and hall. An oval braided rug lay between the two beds in front of a nightstand. The bookshelf next to the door was full of books from all genres. “This will be your room. Pick either bed you want. Right now, you have it all to yourself, but we never know when that may change. Might have to put someone in with you, in case of an emergency. You just make yourself comfortable, unpack, lie down and rest if you want. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.” She backed out of the room and closed the door.
Kelly looked around the space then ran down the hall to the front door and yanked it open. Sheriff Foster was gone. He’d brought her here and left her with these strangers. She turned and rushed into the kitchen.
Brenda was peeling potatoes. She looked up and smiled then saw the concern on Kelly’s face. She wiped her hands on her apron and said, “It’s scary, I know. But you’re safe. We’re a shelter for people in your situation. Max and I are both retired police officers. Nothing’s going to happen to you here.”
“I need to call Derik. I need to tell him where I am. Someone has to be there when the boys get off the bus.” Fear filled her eyes. “He had a gun. What if he’s still there when the boys get home? Don’t you see? I have to get back. Please, where’s your phone? I have to call Derik.”
“Sorry, Kelly, no phone calls. They can be traced. Didn’t Sheriff Foster tell you that? Did you bring your cell phone?”
“No. He told me to leave it at the house. But what about the boys?”
“Pete—Sheriff Foster—will notify Derik as soon as he gets back to town. Don’t worry. He’ll have plenty of time to make the necessary arrangements before school’s out. We’re trying to do everything we can to help you, Kelly. Our main objective is to keep you safe. In the meantime, you go ahead and fill out that order of protection there on the table, and we’ll fax it to Sheriff Foster’s office.”
Derik entered the diner and scanned the room. When he didn’t see Kelly, he slid into a booth where he could watch the door. He ordered BLTs for two and waited for her. Just as the food was delivered, Sheriff Foster walked in. He looked around, and when he saw Derik, he eased into the seat across from him.
Derik frowned. “Where’s Kelly? She was supposed to meet me here after she was done at your office.”
“She’s okay.” Foster looked at the plate sitting in front of him. “This hers?” When Derik nodded, the sheriff picked up the sandwich and took a bite. “I’ll pay for it,” he said as he poured catsup onto his plate. “Kelly’s fine. I’ve moved her to a safe house, for her protection.” He explained everything about the morning’s events, including the gunshots. “Do you have anyone who can take care of the boys when they get off the bus? She was really concerned about them.”
“Yeah, I’ll pick them up,” Derik said as he rubbed the back of his neck.
“There’s one thing I didn’t tell Kelly, but I’m going to tell you,” Foster said between bites. “Seems after Dinson posted bail, his cellmate informed us that he swore he was going to kill her. Something about nobody was going to leave him. If he couldn’t have her, no one would, blah, blah, blah. Of course we consider the source, but this is a guy who was just spending a weekend in jail for a DUI. He didn’t have any reason to lie, and his story had a ring of truth to it. With the gunshots this morning, I’m taking it pretty seriously.”
Derik’s hands were shaking with anger as he attempted to raise his glass of tea to his lips. “And I was actually starting to feel guilty about sucker punching him at the bowling alley. If I got my hands on him now, there’s no telling what I’d do.” He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “How can I reach her? I tried to call before I left the shop, but she didn’t answer. I assumed it was because she was driving. She doesn’t like to talk on her phone while she’s driving.”
“You can’t,” Foster said as he stuffed several fries in his mouth. “Phone calls can be traced. Cells have GPS. We can’t take any chances. Dinson managed to take off before my men got to your house. He could be anywhere. She’s safe, I assure you of that, but her location is secret, and there can’t be any contact. You don’t want him getting hold of any information that would lead him to her. Trust me on this, Derik. This isn’t my first rodeo. I
’ve gotten a lot of women out of bad situations. Not all involved weapons, but they did involve abuse. I haven’t lost one yet, and I promise you, I’m not interested in breaking that record.”
Derik put his elbows on the table and massaged his temples. “How long? How long before she can come home? How long before I can see her or at least talk to her?” His voice was full of hurt and frustration.
“Until it’s safe. I can’t say when that will be. My guys have been searching the area around your place all morning. When we get him, and I know it’ll be okay for her to return, then she can come home.” He sat back in his seat. “Look, man to man, I know you want to be the one to protect your woman. I understand that, I do. But sometimes you have to trust other people. Dinson crossed the line. He’s dancing on my turf now, and I’m going to be the one to deal with it. We’ll get him Derik, and when we do, you’ll have her back. Trust me.”
“What choice do I have? You’re right. You’re the expert in this situation. I know you have the training and manpower to catch him, and I’ll stay out of your way and let you do your job. But, please, keep me informed of what’s going on.”
The officer threw some money on the table. “I promise, you’ll be the first to know if anything changes.” After the sheriff left, Derik continued to stare at his food for several minutes, then he also laid money on the table and left. His plate sat untouched.
He went back to his office and tied up some loose ends, keeping a close eye on the clock. As it neared time for school to dismiss, he took off. He was waiting on the boys when they tore out of the building in a crowd of squealing and laughing children. “Hey, guys. What do you two think about grabbing a pizza and taking it home for dinner?”
“How about tacos? Can we get tacos?” Win asked. “Why are we taking food home? Is Kelly crying again?”
Derik tried to swallow around the lump growing in his throat. As he buckled the boys into the truck, he said, “Kelly isn’t going to be home for a few days. That bad guy who was trying to hurt her is back. She’s gone somewhere safe, so he can’t get to her. That means it’s just you and me until she gets home. I’ll see if Leslie can get off the bus with you tomorrow.”
D.C.’s eyes filled with tears. “Is Kelly going to be okay? What if the bad man finds her? Who’ll take care of her? I want her to come home, Daddy. I’ll take care of her.”
“Me too, buddy. Me too.”
Chapter 20
Derik wiped his hands on a shop rag as he walked out of the service area.
“Are you okay?” Stewart asked as he followed him into the office.
Derik sat down and began looking through the papers on his desk. “Yeah.”
“You’ve been pushing yourself pretty hard this week.”
“If I don’t stay busy, I’ll go crazy.”
“You’ve got to believe Kelly’s all right. The sheriff stops by every day to give you an update. He would tell you if anything happened.”
“I know,” Derik said as he ran a hand through his hair. “But she’s been gone six days, and it feels like forever. I just want her home.”
Voices from the shop’s police scanner filled the office. “What’s going on?” Derik said.
“I’m not sure, sounds like they’re in a chase. It’s been going on for a while. Whatever it is, they must want the guy pretty bad.”
Derik began to write out an invoice when the scanner squawked.
“East on Belt Line. Speed 85.”
“Probably some drug dealer,” Stewart said as he returned to work.
Derik recognized Sheriff Foster’s voice when he joined in the conversation. “Tripp, what have we got?”
“Black BMW, tags and driver match the suspect in that shooting at the Stone residence. South on Grove Road. Speed 85.”
Derik’s chair slammed against the wall as he jumped up. “Stewart, did you hear that?”
“Yeah.” He stepped to the door. “Do you think it’s him?”
“East on Adcock. He just blew the stop sign at Walnut. Speed 90.”
Derik looked at Stewart. “He’s heading toward the freeway.”
“Tripp, he’s going to the on-ramp,” Sheriff Foster said. “I’m en route.”
Derik held his breath.
“He crashed. Roll an ambulance and Fire and Rescue. Repeat, subject has crashed.”
“10-4. Ambulance is on the way. What’s your 20?” the dispatcher asked.
“Two miles east of Forest Lane on Adcock Road. Better notify Power and Light. Subject hit a pole, and we have live wires down.”
Derik rested his forehead in his hands as the chatter continued.
Stewart cleared his throat. “Are you going, or do you want me to send one of the other guys?”
Derik pushed away from the desk. “I’ll go. I want to see for myself that it’s him.” He grabbed the keys under the counter and headed toward the wrecker.
As Derik drove toward the accident, he listened to the truck radio crackle with conversations. Foster had arrived and asked for the Jaws of Life. Emergency vehicles were on their way. No one said if the driver was Dinson, or if he was alive.
When Derik stopped behind the sheriff’s car, he sat and watched the activity. A power crew was working on the downed lines. An ambulance in front of the cruiser had the back doors open. Two EMTs stood beside a gurney, waiting for the all-clear signal. A red fire engine was parked on the shoulder. The air smelled of charred grass, gasoline, and the steamy, sweet odor of leaking engine fluids. His eyes settled on the mangled black vehicle wrapped around the broken pole.
Sheriff Foster walked to the truck. He put his foot on the running board and rested an elbow in the window.
“Is it Dinson?” Derik asked.
“License plate matches, but we can’t get to the car to confirm who’s driving.”
“Is he alive?”
“Don’t know. We haven’t heard anything. We’ll know more once they give us the nod.”
They waited in silence until a man by the power line yelled and gave a thumbs-up. Foster followed the EMTs to the wreckage. Several minutes later Derik watched them load the gurney into the back of the ambulance. As they pulled away, the sheriff returned.
“It’s him. He’s alive, but it looks like he’s in pretty bad shape. I’ll let you know what’s going on after I leave the hospital. There was a gun under the driver’s seat, so we’ll test it to see if it’s the same one that put that bullet in my car.” He patted Derik’s shoulder. “We got him. It’s over.”
“What about Kelly? Can I go get her?”
“Sorry, I told you, no one can know where the safe house is located. It’s a precaution. As soon as I can spare someone, I’ll send one of my guys to get her. She’ll be back tonight.” He shook Derik’s hand. “Good luck to you folks.”
When the boys walked out of the school building that afternoon they found their father waiting near the door. “Hi, Daddy. Why are you here? I thought Leslie was going to watch us today,” Win said as they made their way across the parking lot.
“Hi, boys.” He took each child by the hand and led them across the parking lot full of parents and children. As the boys climbed into his truck, he said, “I have some good news. Kelly’s coming home.”
As Derik secured D.C.’s seatbelt, he said, “When, Daddy? Is she there now?”
“No, she isn’t there yet, but she’ll be back tonight. What do you say we go home and make sure the house looks really special for her?”
He stopped at the grocery store and bought everything needed for spaghetti. Near the checkout was a display of mixed flowers. He chose the largest bouquet and added it to his cart. After they arrived home, he made dinner while the boys finished their homework then set the table. He had no idea when Kelly was going to be home. He only knew Foster sa
id, “Sometime tonight.”
An hour after the food was done, the boys complained about being hungry, so they ate. They cleaned the kitchen and then played a board game. When bath time came, Kelly still wasn’t home. Derik helped the boys bathe and dress in their pajamas. When she hadn’t arrived by bedtime, he led the crying boys upstairs. He read them a story then tucked them in. He promised that Kelly would come up and kiss them goodnight, as soon as she got home. He returned downstairs and sat in front of the television, listening for a vehicle in the drive.
He heard the car crunching the gravel as it turned off the road. He was at the door before it came to a stop and off the porch before Kelly could get out of the cruiser. He swept her into his arms, spun her in a circle, and kissed her. When her feet touched the ground, he kissed her again. And again.
Somewhere beside them a man cleared his throat, but neither stopped to look up. After a moment, the voice said, “I’ll just leave your bag on the front step. You folks have a good night.”
Derik raised a hand and waved at the retreating car then returned it to Kelly’s back. He hugged her as tightly as he could without hurting her. She was on her toes, with her arms around his neck and her hands in his hair. He kissed her again then raised his head and said, “Let’s go inside.” He picked up her bag as they stepped onto the porch. Through the screen door, they saw D.C. and Win jumping up and down with huge smiles. “What are you two doing out of bed?”
“We heard the car bring Kelly home, and we wanted to tell her we missed her,” D.C. said as he ran and wrapped his arms around her.
“Yeah, we wanted to tell her we’re glad she’s home, and we missed her a lot,” Win said.
An Unexpected Rescue (Oak Springs Series Book 1) Page 11
