HAMMERED (Mrs. Fix It Mysteries Book 1)
Page 10
“That’s it. We’re going out to my truck, and because I love you like a daughter, I’m going to make this quick. I’ll take you out on the state game lands.”
“My kids aren’t going to know what happened to me.”
“Probably not. That’s a shame given that husband of yours ran off, but they’ll get over it. You raised them to be strong.”
She struggled now. She couldn’t let him kill her.
A body flew through the back door and slammed Clark into the opposite wall. Scott and Clark struggled as another officer tried to help in the cramped space.
And then it was over. Clark was in handcuffs, his face down as they led him out. Scott took a knife out of his pocket and cut her ropes. She went into his arms, her heart just now beginning to flutter. She’d been so calm until Clark had said he was going to kill her in a remote area.
She had to call her kids. She wouldn’t tell them what happened, but she needed to hear their voices. When she calmed down. Scott wrapped his arms around her, murmuring that it was all okay.
“How’d you know to come here?”
“Instinct. It just didn’t feel right to me.”
“Did you know he was the killer?”
He tucked her next to him, then walked her out to his car. “Not until I heard him talking to you.”
“I hadn’t figured it out yet.”
“Enough detecting, Katydid. No more. My heart was in my throat thinking that I wouldn’t get to you in time.”
“Walk me to my truck.”
“You going to drive home?”
“How else am I getting there?”
“You okay to drive?”
“I’m a pretty tough lady, Scott.”
“I know. You’re so much stronger than you were in high school. I’m kind of proud of the woman you’ve become. I think you became that way because I wasn’t in your life.”
They reached her truck. “Maybe. Do I need to make a statement?”
“It can wait until the morning.”
“Who gets to tell Larry?” she said.
“I think he’s still in The Rail. I’ll talk to him. I left the pot pies on your porch.”
“You joining me for dinner?”
“Sadly, I have about an hour of paperwork to do. Make sure you turn on your security system.”
“Promise.”
***
Kate stood next to Scott as Jackie’s casket was lowered into the ground. The ceremony had been as nice as a funeral could be. Most of the town had turned out. Now they had all gone for pie and coffee at the Rock Ridge Community Center.
Only Scott, Dean and Kate were left. Dean was on the other side of the grave. His eyes were red from crying. When her casket hit the bottom, they took turns throwing a handful of dirt on it.
Dean skirted around the grave and held out his hand to Scott. “Thanks for providing her with a decent burial.”
Scott shook the man’s hand. What had transpired between them years ago no longer mattered in the face of a murder.
Clark had confessed to the police then signed over his hardware store to his son. Larry wasn’t sure what he was going to do. He could retire as fire chief and run the place. He was doing inventory there now; he hadn’t felt right about attending the funeral of the woman his father killed.
Kate could testify to what Clark had told her. There would be no plea bargain. Probably only a guilty verdict.
The two men stared at each other for a moment. They’d been friends as far as Kate knew. Jackie had come between them. Sad. Suddenly, the two men did that one-arm embrace then let go.
“You heading back to the city?” Scott said.
“Yes. I’m not interested in coffee and pie. I need to clean up our apartment. Her will is going to be read tomorrow.”
“You quitting the force? She had a lot of property she probably left for you.”
Dean smiled sardonically. “I’d live in a cardboard box to have her back.”
Scott nodded. “She was quite a woman.”
Dean walked away without saying anything else. Scott turned to Kate. He squeezed her hand. “Thanks for being here. I have to say this bothered me more than I thought it would.”
“You were married to her. You probably still felt something for her.”
“I would have said it was anger, but I just feel as if it was such a waste. She didn’t deserve to die. She died alone.”
“That isn’t your fault. You didn’t have a hand in killing her.”
“I wonder if he’d called the ambulance, would she have lived.”
“Don’t beat yourself up like that. Let’s go get some pie and coffee,” Kate said.
It had been an hour since her last coffee, and she needed a caffeine jolt. She’d called her boys yesterday, not letting on why. They’d be home in two weeks, and she looked forward to the noise in her house again.
“I need another minute,” Scott said.
“You want me to leave you?”
He took her hands in his. “No, I need you here. Life is short, Katydid.”
“Yes, I know.”
“You need to know that Greg is probably not coming back.”
She knew that Scott wanted her to be free. She wasn’t able to be free. “Let’s not talk about this. If you make progress on finding him, let me know. Otherwise, we are no more than friends.”
He brushed a hair out of her face. “A guy can hope. And I’ll keep hoping and keep searching for him. I promise you that.”
“Fair enough. I need coffee, Scott.”
“That always was your favorite addiction.”
“You remember?”
“I remember many things about you Kate.”
~~~
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Twelve