by R. D. Brady
Michone rose to go, giving Micah one more stroke on the head and Steve one more suspicious glance. Steve ignored her. Obviously she didn’t trust him. But Micah trusted him. And the boy was safe. That was all that mattered right now.
Julie sat down next to him. “How is he?”
Steve turned his head sideways to peer at the boy’s head on his shoulder. Micah’s eyes were closed. “Believe it or not, I think he may have fallen asleep.”
Julie smiled. “Well, he knows he’s safe. And don’t take Michone’s reaction personally. She’s terrified.”
Steve doubted she realized how telling that statement was. Ten minutes ago she had been holding a gun on him, and now she was telling him not to take it personally if Michone didn’t trust him.
A squad car rolled to a stop in the drive, its lights flashing but the siren off. Micah stirred and Steve hugged him a little tighter. “It’s okay. You’re safe. It’s the police,” he whispered.
Russ jumped from the driver’s seat and Steve said a silent thank-you. Russ would be easier to deal with than any other member of the Millners Kill Police Department.
Julie walked over to the side of the porch. “Back here.”
Russ stopped and changed direction, dodging the puddles in the drive as he made his way over to them.
Steve sighed as Russ reached the bottom of the porch steps. “All right. Let’s get this over with.”
CHAPTER 42
Julie spoke with Russ first, leading him off the porch and over to the covering over the garage. He saw Russ taking notes as Julie pointed to the trees. Steve appreciated her taking the lead. He wanted to get Micah settled before he spoke with Russ.
Micah’s mother reappeared and walked over to Steve. Steve stood. “He’s asleep. I think you can take him now.”
She nodded and reached for him. Carefully, Steve placed Micah in her arms. She cradled him to her, a tear rolling down her cheek. “I don’t know what I would have done if something had happened to him.” She looked up at Steve. “Thank you. I’m—I’m sorry for before.”
Steve shook his head. “It’s okay. I understand.”
She nodded and carried Micah into the house. Steve closed the door after them and then stepped to the edge of the porch, looking at Julie and Russ, who’d taken shelter now under a maple tree on the other side of the drive. Julie’s hands were actively conveying something and Russ was still taking notes.
Steve blew out a breath and walked down the steps toward them. He had just joined them when a pair of headlight beams washed over them. Steve turned to the drive to see a Hummer pulling up behind Russ’s car. A giant of a man jumped out and rushed into the house.
Steve looked back at Russ.
“Michone’s brother,” Russ replied to the unasked question. “You ready to give your version of events?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll wait over—” Julie stopped herself and grabbed Steve’s arm. Blood dripped from the wound. “You’re hurt.”
Steve tried to pull his arm away. “It’s nothing.”
“Really? And where did you get your medical degree? Because my medical training tells me that needs to be bandaged up before it gets infected. I’ll grab my bag.” She headed for her car.
Russ watched her go. “I don’t remember her being so tough.”
“I do,” Steve said.
While Julie was getting her bag, Steve quickly recounted everything that had happened from the time he’d seen Julie in the car.
“And you didn’t get a look at him?” Russ asked.
“No. He was completely covered head to toe. I think he was a little shorter than me, but honestly, I couldn’t swear to it. I couldn’t even tell you what race he was.”
Julie appeared next to them. “Come on. Let’s get that wrapped.”
Russ nodded. “I’m going inside. You guys hang around, okay?”
They both nodded as Russ dashed through the rain and headed for the door. Julie led Steve back onto the porch. “Take a seat.”
Steve did. “So, a medical degree, huh?”
“I’m a second-year resident.” Julie kneeled down in front of him and poured water from a bottle over his arm. She mopped it up gently with some small pads and peered at it. She pulled out a bottle of peroxide. “I’m afraid this is going to sting a little. But I can’t really tell if everything’s out.”
Steve tensed. “Okay.”
He gasped when the medicine hit the wound. His arm felt like it was on fire.
Julie smiled. “Warned you.”
She blew on the wound to cool the sting.
Steve looked at her and felt himself stir. He looked away, thanking God it was dark.
Julie grabbed a tube from her bag.
Trying to distract himself from her closeness, Steve asked, “What’s that?”
“Dermabond. You need this stitched, but I don’t have anything to do that with. So this will basically glue your skin together.”
She held the wound together and applied the bond. After waiting a minute, she wrapped it with a bandage. Steve realized he now had matching wounds, one on each forearm.
“There. That should do it. Try and keep it clean and dry, okay?” She looked up at him. Their faces were only inches apart.
Steve held his breath, not wanting to move and scare her away.
Michone’s brother walked out the back door, followed by Russ. Julie jumped back from Steve, putting her supplies back in the bag. “Hey, Reggie.”
Steve stood up just as quickly, almost guiltily.
Without a word, Reggie pulled Julie into a hug that had her yelping. The guy was seriously huge. “Thank you,” he said.
Reggie let Julie go and then turned to Steve. Steve forced himself not to take a step back. Reggie thrust out a hand the size of a baseball mitt. “Thank you. Micah told me about you. I wasn’t happy about him hanging around with you, but right now, I am damn thankful he did. He means everything to my sister. To me.”
Steve shook the big man’s hand. “You’re welcome. And I think he’s a pretty amazing kid too.”
Reggie nodded before turning back to Russ. “I’m going to take Michone and the boys over to my house. They’ll be staying with me until this guy is caught.”
Russ nodded. “That’s a good idea. If you want, you can take them now. After we’re done here, I’ll come by and get Michone’s official statement.”
“Good.” Reggie looked back at Steve and Julie. “And I mean it—thank you.” He turned and went back into the house.
“Um, I’ll go help them get the boys in the car,” Julie said, following him.
Alone, Russ and Steve walked to the edge of the porch, watching Michone carry a bag to the car. Russ looked over at Steve. “Micah will be okay. Reggie was a UFC fighter after he left the marines. I’d like to see someone try and get to that kid now. It was a good thing you were here.”
For a while they stood in silence while Michone loaded up a couple of suitcases in Reggie’s car. Then she and her older son climbed in. Steve watched Julie help Reggie get Micah settled in the backseat of the Hummer.
“You know,” Russ said, “you’re making a habit of this hero thing. It’s a good thing you were here.”
Julie paused at the open door of the Hummer, and her eyes met Steve’s.
“No,” Steve said. “It’s a good thing Julie’s lousy at stakeouts.”
Russ gave a little laugh. He looked at Steve out of the corner of his eye. “Did Reggie and I intrude on a little moment back here?”
Steve jerked his gaze from Julie to Russ.
Russ looked back at him, eyebrows raised.
Steve opened his mouth and shut it before turning to watch Reggie back the Hummer out to the street. “No. She was just bandaging up my arm.”
“Uh-huh.”
Steve shook his head, but he liked that Russ thought he’d seen something. Who knew? Maybe he had.
He turned back to Russ. “Anything else you need?”
Russ shoo
k his head. “No. I think—”
The sound of a siren cut off his reply. Both men turned to watch the chief’s Jeep Cherokee pull into the driveway. He cut the siren off but left the lights shining out into the night.
Julie quickly walked up onto the porch and stood next to Steve. He was surprised. It felt like a show of support.
Hiking himself out of the car, Keith made his way toward them, a determined look on his face. He eyed Steve before turning to Russ. “Why isn’t the suspect in handcuffs?”
Russ took a step forward. “Chief, Steve didn’t—”
The chief pointed at Steve while keeping his eyes on Russ. “He’s a murderer, and he was here at the time the kid was taken. Do I need to spell it out for you?”
Julie stepped forward. “Steve didn’t try to hurt Micah. He was the one who saved Micah.”
Keith looked her over, and Steve could feel Julie’s anger rise. “Ms. Granger, this has been a very emotional night. Perhaps when you’ve had a chance to step back, you’ll see the situation more clearly.”
Julie gasped. “Did you actually just suggest that I’m too emotional to understand what’s going on?”
Keith didn’t even reply. “Russ, arrest Kane and bring him down to the station.”
Julie moved a little in front of Steve. “You can’t. He didn’t do anything wrong.”
Steve stepped around her, worried now that the chief would arrest Julie just to spite him. “It’s okay. Until he rules me out, he won’t focus on anyone else.” He held his hands together in front of him. “Let’s just get this over with.”
Russ didn’t look happy about it, but he stepped forward and clapped the cuffs on Steve’s wrists “Sorry about this,” he whispered.
“I’ll call Jack,” Julie said.
Steve shook his head. “No. Let him sleep. I didn’t do this. It won’t stick.”
“Fine, but I’m following you to the station,” she replied.
Touched, Steve nodded.
DAY 4
“Billy the Kid here. So I don’t know about you, but I’m about done with this storm. It starts. It stops. It starts again even harder. Enough already! Power is out all over upstate New York and cell towers are down as well. How will we ever survive without our phones!
And have you heard what’s happening over at Millners Kill? First their bridge went out. Then people started getting murdered. There have been two deaths reported so far. And someone tried to grab a kid from his house last night. Man! What is wrong with people?
And in the middle of all this is Steve Kane. You guys remember him, right? The guy who killed Simone Granger ten years ago? Well, he showed up back in town just before all this began. I don’t know about you, but that seems way too big a coincidence to be believed. So keep the good folks in Millners Kill in your thoughts. And for those of you listening from Millners Kill, keep your shotgun handy.”
CHAPTER 43
Steve spent the night enjoying the Spartan accommodations of the Millners Kill Police Department. Keith had interrogated him when they’d arrived but he hadn’t learned anything—unsurprisingly, seeing as there was nothing to learn.
For a while, Steve was surprised to find that he was able to take the interrogation in stride. Knowing Micah was safe was all he cared about. But his anger started to boil when he realized Keith wasn’t going to look for the actual assailant. As far as Keith was concerned, he already had his man.
He’d spent the rest of the night on a hard bench in a jail cell that reeked of body odor. It was just before five a.m. when Russ arrived to unlock Steve’s cell door. “You’re free to go.”
Steve passed right by him without a word.
Russ put out a hand to stop him. “I’m real sorry about this.”
Steve looked at him. Russ’s eyes were filled with remorse.
Steve sighed, knowing there was nothing else Russ could have done—short of quitting the force, anyway. And then the chief would have just had one of his other deputies arrest him instead. “Not your fault, man.”
A hint of anger crept into Russ’s voice. “They should be thanking you, not locking you up.”
Steve clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. Keith’s never going to change. Did you look in the woods? Find any sign of the guy who grabbed Micah?”
Russ looked dejected. “I tried to follow his trail, but with the weather…” He shrugged. “The chief won’t like it, but I’ll canvass the neighborhood and see if there were any witnesses. I don’t want to get your hopes up, though. There’s just not much to go on.”
Steve knew Russ was right. “Well, I’ve got to go. I’m due at Mel’s in a few minutes.”
“Need a lift?”
Steve shook his head. “Thanks, but after last night, I think I want to stretch my legs. But could you call Jack? Have him run over and check on Gran?”
“I’ll run by. I’ll tell her I picked you up early this morning.”
“Thanks.”
They crossed through the doors leading into the front foyer. The rain was slamming against the front windows as the wind added gusto to the downpour. Russ looked over at Steve, his eyebrows raised. “You sure you don’t want a ride?”
Steve had no doubts. He needed to walk. He needed the reminder that he was still a free man, even if it meant walking through a monsoon.
He pulled the hood up on his jacket. “Yeah. I’m sure.”
CHAPTER 44
Ah, Steve, Always the good kid, doing the right thing. Saved two lives yesterday and another last night. His face darkened when he thought of Steve tackling him in the woods.
His anger afterward had been unrelenting. But then he’d found an outlet for all that anger. He hadn’t planned on moving on this one so quickly, but Steve had forced his hand. Why hadn’t he just let him take Micah?
Oh well. It was not what he had wanted, but it should do the trick—especially coming on the heels of the attack on Micah.
He pulled up his hood and quickly got out of the car. Ducking into the coffee shop, he pulled back his hood and shook himself out. He smiled at the barista behind the counter. “I’m glad you guys are still open.”
The young man smiled back at him. “Well, with the bridge, boss thought people might need a little something. Your usual?”
He smiled. “Yes, please.”
CHAPTER 45
Steve ducked his chin and squinted against the pelting rain. He was only a block from the police station and already soaked through. His hair was plastered to his face. He’d stopped fighting the wind over his hood only a few feet from the police station. It was just a measure in futility.
Maybe I was a bit hasty turning down Russ’s offer.
Mel’s Diner was just up ahead. Mel had called Steve last night before everything and asked if Steve would mind coming in to help out—said he’d decided to open for those who needed to get out of the house. Steve had been happy to take the shift, though he was doubtful Mel was going to get any customers. Sure, people were stuck in town now, but with this weather, only the idiots would leave their houses. Which apparently meant him and Mel.
And once word spreads about the attack on Micah, everyone will be staying close to home.
A heavy wind gusted across the parking lot—so strong it pushed Steve backward. He pressed through it to the diner’s front door. The “open” sign wasn’t on yet, but the door was thankfully unlocked, and Steve stumbled through. Shaking out his hair, he wiped at his eyes. “Hey, Mel. It’s me. It’s really getting crazy out there.”
He walked around the counter. “Don’t think we’re going to get many—”
His foot bumped against something. He looked down.
He went still as his breath left him. For a few precious seconds, his mind couldn’t process what he was seeing. Then the horror of it slammed into him, and he stumbled back against the counter.
Mel lay face down on the floor in a pool of blood. A knife stuck out of his back, and his shirt was shredded and soaked in blood. H
is head was turned to the side, and a line of dried blood ran down from his mouth. His unblinking eyes were large, staring, lifeless. A larger pool of blood spread from around him, already beginning to dry.
Steve was frozen in place by disbelief. “Mel?”
It was the knife that pulled him back to reality. It was one of the diner’s thick steak knives. Even the handle was covered in blood.
Steve had seen stabbings before. Prison hadn’t exactly been a pleasure cruise. But this was different. This wasn’t the result of a gang fight or a territory dispute; this was senseless. Cruel.
Steve’s mind was suddenly filled with memories of Mel teaching him to cook, coming to his soccer games, and a thousand other moments. Until Mel, no one had even begun to fill the void left after his dad had disappeared. When Steve’s mom had died, Mel had been the one who had stepped up, looked after him, and helped his grandmother out. How could someone do this to him?
Tears threatened to spill, but Steve choked them down. There’d be time for that later.
He went down to the opposite end of the counter and pulled out the old phone. He hit the number nine and then stopped. Wait a minute. There was no way Keith was going to believe this wasn’t him. Look at how the chief had reacted last night after he’d saved Micah.
Automatically he felt guilty at the thought. He should be focused on Mel now. But the reality was, Keith would never really investigate this murder. He’d never follow up on any leads that didn’t point directly to Steve. And the killer would go free.
Steve scrambled to form a plan. He was no PI, but the least he could do was examine the scene. Maybe if he identified something useful, he could pass that info to Russ or Declan.
Slipping out of his shoes, he walked back to the other end of the counter.
