“Fingerprints?”
“Yes, the ones found on the floor next to the deceased. A fingerprint expert retained by Jess Alderman located them this morning—faint, but there. I’m not surprised your team missed them. It took a specialist to lift those prints. They didn’t belong to the accused or the deceased. Anyone who has been in the building since has had gloves on.”
Malcolm caught a moth in his fist and squeezed, then tossed it to the ground. “First I’ve heard of it. Wonder why I wasn’t notified?”
Laura hiked a shoulder. “It wouldn’t surprise me if Alderman was trying to hog the glory for himself, just like Phillip. Two peas in a pod. Well, I’ve got to get back to work. Thanks for checking up on me.”
With a casual wave, Malcolm walked away. Once the door was shut, he picked up his pace.
“And there he goes,” Jess mumbled. “How much do you want to bet he heads straight for the NCIS office to snag those prints?”
“Just like a rat to peanut butter,” Phillip said as they watched Malcolm’s truck tear out of the parking lot.
“My men are waiting for him,” the military police chief said. “We also have a team watching the hospital. Wherever he goes, we’ve got him.”
Phillip had his doubts. Collins wasn’t stupid. This man watched and waited. With Rusty’s statement, they had enough to haul him in. Why they were playing this game now Phillip didn’t know. Still, he sat in the cramped confines of the surveillance van, mouth shut, heart pounding, waiting for word.
The police radio crackled to life. Someone had set off the armory alarms, mobilizing a base-wide shut down and the force. Not hard to figure out who.
Phillip grabbed the chief’s arm. “It’s a trick. He’s used it before. Tell your men not to leave the NCIS building or the hospital.”
“Calm down, Captain. My men know their job. All Collins succeeded in doing is shutting any escape route for himself.”
Phillip snorted. “The man and his cohorts have been sneaking on and off base for months without being detected. He knows a hundred ways off this base. What he succeeded in doing is tying your hands.”
The chief stared at him for what seemed an eternity then pulled the van onto the road. They eased to a stop around the corner well within sight and a short jog from the NCIS building.
“Let’s go.” The chief opened his door and jumped out. “Captain Stuart, please stay behind.”
He snorted. “I’ll stay out of the way but not behind. I’ve come this far with you. Taking it to the finish isn’t going to hurt.”
“Remember that if you get caught in cross fire.”
With no further discussion, they trotted into position behind the two young MPs. Collins hadn’t bothered to hide his presence. His vehicle sat in the parking lot fully illuminated under the streetlights.
Weapons drawn, they overtook the building. Phillip hugged the rear, but even from that vantage point, he saw the light from Collins’ office. A paper shredder hummed. Every few seconds, another piece of evidence buzzed through its blades.
Jess nodded and the team advanced.
“Halt!”
Startled, Collins jumped back and flung his hands in the air. Pages of the investigation report scattered across the floor.
Collins laughed off their presence and dropped his arms. “You scared the daylights out of me. What did you think I was, a burglar?”
Phillip squatted to pick up the papers. Each one was labeled as the investigation into the death of Charles Kemp. “Why don’t you tell us, Mr. Collins?”
Jess holstered his weapon and straightened his suit jacket. “You’ve got some explaining to do, Malcolm.”
He had the nerve to laugh. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Phillip waved his hand over the scattered pages. “Oh, I think you do.”
With a slow shake of his head, Jess motioned to the MPs. “Take him out front.”
Each grabbed one of Collins’ arms and escorted him to the waiting room.
“I never thought I’d be interrogating one of my own,” Jess said, a hint of sadness in his voice.
“Better yours than mine,” the MP chief said. “For a while, I was beginning to wonder.” He scratched his head and avoided Phillip’s gaze. “Sir, all I can do is apologize. Those who treated Staff Sergeant McKinley less than honorably will be formally counseled. If I can prove any other charges, they’ll be dealt with appropriately.”
Phillip nodded. “I appreciate that. Had I been in your situation, I can’t say I wouldn’t have felt the same way.”
Jess heaved a breath. “Yeah, well, I guess I’d better get this over with.” He dug a toothpick out of his pocket, shoved it between his teeth and strode forward. “Malcolm, as I said, you’ve got a lot of explaining to do.”
A smirk cut Collins’s features. “I still don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t play games. By now, the police will have picked up your scrap-selling partner. I’m sure he’s not going to hesitate to spill his guts, especially when he discovers his friend is dead. I’m not getting any younger, Malcolm. Do me a favor and make it easy on us both.”
Collins smirked and kept his mouth shut.
Jess dropped his head in a slow shake. “Cuff him.”
The younger of the two MPs approached Collins, handcuffs open for his wrists.
Collins lunged for him and snapped a chokehold around his neck. With his free hand, he plucked the pistol from the lance corporal’s holster.
“Everyone back off,” he snarled, pointing the 9mm pistol at the young Marine’s head.
No one moved in the shocked silence that followed.
The MP chief eased forward, slowly fanning the air. “Just calm down. See? We’re all moving off.”
Phillip and Jess backed away with him, never once losing sight of that pistol cocked to the lance corporal’s head.
“Don’t do this, Malcolm. You know it’s over. Shooting him won’t make things easier on you.” Jess’ voice was firm and unwavering. “There’s nowhere for you to go from here. You know that. You saw to that yourself. Think of your family, your children. Drop the gun.”
Collins’s eyes were wide, glassy, his high forehead shiny with beads of sweat. With the mention of his family, his chin quivered. His hostage remained frozen. The young Marine at least had sense enough not to startle his captor into pulling the trigger.
Jess held out his hand. “Give me the gun, Malcolm. It’s over. If you shoot, you know you’ll never make it out the front door. You don’t want to risk that. You don’t want your daughters—”
“Enough with my daughters!” He tightened his grip on the Marine and jammed the barrel deeper into his temple. “You don’t know how it is. You don’t know how hard it is. Everything was fine until that McKinley bitch started poking her nose into my business. Now it’s all ruined.”
Phillip took one step forward, spreading his hands wide. “Wait.”
Jess sucked in a breath.
Phillip kept going. “This Marine isn’t part of this. He’s done nothing to you. You want revenge? Take me instead. You don’t want to hurt this kid.”
Collins’s eyes glittered at the thought. “Ah, Stuart. Always the martyr. The hero.” He cocked his head to one side to consider the offer. “All right, Captain. You are the cause of my troubles at the moment, you and that bitch McKinley. If I have to put a bullet into someone to get out of here alive, it might as well be you. I have nothing to lose at this point, anyway. And I would enjoy seeing you fall before me.”
Shoving the Marine aside, Collins motioned Phillip closer with a jerk of the weapon.
“On your knees, Stuart. Let’s see how brave you are when death is seconds away. You beg me enough, I’ll let you go—maybe.”
Phillip eased forward and sank to his knees. Pleasure gleamed in Collins’s beady eyes. A maniacal grin slashed across his face. Laughing, he leveled the pistol at the space on Phillip’s forehead above his nose.
In
that split second where Collins’ attention focused on Phillip, the young MP pounced, hitting Collins sharply on the elbow. The pistol skittered across the floor.
Collins stumbled to the side, arms windmilling as he fought for balance.
Phillip turned his crouch into a forward lunge, driving his shoulder into Collins’ stomach. They hit the floor hard, toppling chairs in their wake.
Fist doubled, Collins swung, clipping Phillip’s chin. He ducked the next blow, seizing Collins’ wrist in a grip that threatened to snap bone. He drew back and smashed a fist against Collins’ jaw. The man cried out and swung with his free arm. Phillip caught it, twisted and drove him to the ground.
Anger boiled within him, a rage greater than any he had ever known. Fury at the person who had caused his family and his friend such harm. Collins thrashed beneath him, bucking under Phillip’s weight, kicking out for freedom.
Phillip jerked his arm higher, dislocating his shoulder blade. Still Collins fought, his rage making his strength superhuman. Phillip held on, letting him wear himself out, then jammed his knee into the small of his back.
Collins cried out and collapsed, sobbing at his defeat. The MPs jumped in and snapped the cuffs in place. Phillip rolled away and let them have him. It was over.
Jess gave him a hand up. “Nice job. I can’t say I wouldn’t have been tempted to beat the hell out of him if I’d had him down.”
“I’m no saint.” Phillip hauled himself to his feet and dusted off his clothes. “Trust me. It was tempting.”
He listened to the litany of rights being read. Even someone like Collins had the right to a fair trial. Hopefully, the evidence would put him away for a long time.
Spitting blood, Malcolm shot hate-filled glares toward first the MPs standing guard over him then to Phillip. “Know any good lawyers?” he asked with a smirk.
Phillip stared back, his eyes cold and emotionless. “Not a one.”
“Well, I’m not talking until I have one.”
“No surprise there.”
The MP chief clicked off his radio and trotted toward them. “They’ve got your partner and he’s spilling his guts. About you, your theft ring, Sergeant Kemp’s murder and your attempts to frame Staff Sergeant McKinley. Maybe you want to think twice about talking.”
Collins clamped his lips tight and stared into the distance. Phillip wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw a tear slip down the man’s cheek. He shook his head over the irony. Collins had justified his actions for the sake of his children. It was doubtful he’d see much of them anymore.
Chapter Sixteen
The sound of footsteps pulled Rowan to the hallway for what was probably the hundredth time. A nurse zipped by, flashing a smile as an afterthought.
With each minute since their departure, Rowan had run through the list of everything that could go wrong until worry had gnawed a hole in her stomach.
“I do wish you’d quit pacing.” Mike tossed down the last of his coffee and crumbled the paper cup. He’d had so much caffeine tonight that his hands shook.
“Why? Not leaving you enough room to do your own?” Her intended humor sounded snappy and irritable, matching her disposition. She hoped he wouldn’t call her on it. He was still her superior officer and once this was over with they would slip back into those roles. After all that had happened, that might not be so easy. Rowan relied on professionalism to see them through the transition.
He tossed his cup into the trash can. “Nope. I’m getting exhausted from watching you.”
Rowan forced a smile. One worry off my mind. Hugging herself, she tried to quell the jitters. “Why is it taking so long? You don’t suppose something’s happened, do you?”
“I hope not.” Mike glanced over her shoulder and down the hall. “Here comes Laura. Maybe she’s got some news.”
Rowan turned slowly. Not her first choice of visitors, but if she had some word, good or bad, Rowan would take her.
“Any news?” Laura asked as she neared. “Did they catch him?”
“We were hoping you could tell us,” Mike said.
She shrugged one shoulder and lifted her palms. “I have no idea. He followed me to base from the bar, so we took the plan to the next level. He showed up at legal like Jess thought he would. That’s the last I saw of him. I haven’t seen Phillip since I left him at the bar.”
“Could you use a cup of coffee?”
Laura gave Mike a half-hearted laugh. “I could use a stiff drink, but I’ll settle for coffee. Do you know where there’s a machine?”
“I’ll get it for you.”
Mike hurried off before Rowan could offer to go in his place.
Nothing like being stuck in an awkward situation.
She pivoted on the ball of her foot to resume pacing. Laura stepped into her path.
“I’m glad he’s gone. It’ll give us a chance to talk.”
“I don’t think there’s really anything we need to talk about, Captain Cushing.” Rowan tried to sidestep the woman. Again, Laura stood in her way.
“I disagree. We need to talk about Phillip. He’s not the man you used to know.” She gave a humorless chuckle. “Oddly enough, he’s not the man I thought I knew, either.”
Rowan raised her hand. “Please save the lecture about me standing between him and his career. I’ve heard it before. Phillip’s decisions are his to make and I doubt very seriously if he would be willing to risk everything just for me.”
“Then you must be blind.”
Rowan stared at her, mouth agape.
“That man loves you. He loves you. He’s one hell of an attorney, but if you think he normally goes to this much trouble to clear his clients, you’re wrong. He leaves the grunt work to someone else.” Laura drew in a breath before she continued. “There’s no reason to keep up a facade with you. We’ve both slept with the man and we both know it. But in the year I’ve known Phillip, I’ve never once seen him look at a woman the way he looks at you. He’d give it up for you—all of it and not because of your son, either. Because of you. Just make sure it’s what you both want first. I’d hate to see either of you regret it down the line.”
Rowan lifted her chin, trying to be stalwart when all she wanted to do was cry. “You’re wrong.”
Laura shrugged. “We’ll see. Whatever the two of you decide, I wish you the best of luck and happiness.”
She brightened with Mike’s return and held out her hand for the coffee. “You’re a lifesaver.”
Rowan sank into the nearest chair and covered her weary eyes with her hand. She longed to believe what Laura said, but it seemed too perfect. Isn’t that what I always I told herself? If it seems too good to be true, then it is?
“Here they come.”
With Mike’s words, she glanced up, heart pounding. Phillip and Jess strode toward them, broad smiles cutting across their faces.
“You were perfect.” Phillip laughed and swung Laura into his arms, spilling her precious coffee to the floor.
“Put me down, you big ox. I was petrified. Did you catch him?”
He set her on her feet. “Right in the trap. He finally gave a full confession.” He plopped into the chair beside Rowan, nudged her leg and gave her a wink.
She leaned as close as propriety allowed, longing to drop her head to his shoulder, to wrap her arms around him in an embrace so tight he could never break free.
Her gaze fell to the bruise marring his cheek. By instinct she reached for it then pulled her hand down.
“Looks like he didn’t give up without a fight.”
He dabbed at his chin. “Let’s just say he didn’t give up easily.”
Jess snorted. “Don’t let him pass this off as nothing, Rowan. If it weren’t for Phillip’s help, there’s no telling what might have happened tonight.”
She glanced at the bruise once more. Whatever had happened, she didn’t want to know—at least not right now.
“So…why did he do it?” she asked.
Phillip shook his head. �
��Apparently his divorce left him financially strapped, mentally unbalanced and desperate. Not a good combination. When he caught the scrap dealers stealing copper and aluminum from the training areas, he realized a potential source of income, so he cut a deal with them.”
Jess settled into one of the chairs with a sigh. “They expanded their operation to include just about anything they could get their hands on. According to Collins, the money was too good to pass up. Each time there was the potential for getting caught, they caused an accident.”
“Which is where I bumbled in,” Rowan said.
Jess nodded. “He said he never meant to kill Kemp. He wanted to get out of there without getting caught. When the two of you showed up, he knocked you out. Kemp didn’t fall as easily when Collins hit him. In fact, he fought back. They fell together. The gun went off, shooting Kemp in the head. Collins knew he had to cover his tracks, so he dragged you over to where the body was, put the gun in your hand and fired a shot into Kemp’s thigh.”
“End of story,” Mike said.
Rowan scowled. “It might not have been intentional, but he can forget about getting any sympathy from me. I still hope he rots in jail for killing Charlie and putting my family through hell.”
“He’ll be doing hard time in a federal penitentiary for the rest of his life, Rowan. I promise.” The set to Jess’ jaw affirmed his words.
Phillip laced his fingers together then cracked his knuckles. “All we need now is the dismissal of charges against you from the Commanding General. With luck and good timing, we should have that on Monday morning.”
“Good. That gives me all day tomorrow to catch up on my sleep,” Laura said. “I’m going back to the BOQ. Does anyone need a ride?”
Mike stood and stretched the kinks from his back. “Can you drop me off at my place? I’m looking forward to a night back in my own bed. See the rest of you Monday.”
Rowan watched the two walk away. With each step, they got closer until their hands interlaced. She smiled. They’d make a cute couple.
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