A Shot in the Dark (Dark #1)

by J. G. Sumner

  She reflected on the first time that she had seen Tony. He had been a handsome kid, a surfer guy with blond hair and blue eyes. He looked like your average Southern California boy. In fact, he looked a lot like Skyler did now.

  But those who knew him saw past the golden-boy façade. Rebecca had always been attracted to the bad boys. She felt safe when she was with them, even though they usually treated her poorly. Tony had been no exception.

  She remembered the last time she had seen him in high school. It was after class and Rebecca had told Tony a week earlier that she was pregnant. He had walked up to her as she waited for him under the tree behind the baseball field. She expected him to come plant a big kiss on her lips and take her in his arms as if were his like he’d done so many times in the past. Instead, he walked up and said nothing but “Get rid of it!”

  Not quite sure if she understood what he was saying or just shocked he was actually saying it, Rebecca just stood there.

  “What did you think? I would just marry you, we would raise this kid together, and live happily ever after? I’ve got news for you, kitten. There’s no way in hell that you or this kid is going to mess up my life. So do us both a favor and get rid of it! And don’t even think about ever coming back to look for me. I don’t exist to you.”

  With that, Tony turned around and walked right out of her life.

  In that moment, an inner strength had come over her. Rebecca knew that it was just her the baby. They would make it together.

  Stephen came back into the viewing room.

  “Are you ready?”

  “Yes, I think so.” Rebecca took a seat in front of the window. She placed her hands in her lap but couldn’t stop wringing them. Stephen put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

  “It’s going to be okay. This will all work out.”

  Rebecca nodded and stared through the window as Tony was escorted into the room by another officer.

  “Is that him?” Stephen inquired.

  Rebecca was at a loss for words and instead nodded.

  “For the record, can you say his name?”

  In a hoarse voice, Rebecca answered, “Anthony Brian Crawford.”

  “I’m going to go in there and talk to him. I need you to sit here quietly. No yelling or banging on the glass. I’m going to send an officer in here to sit with you. I need you to do what I’ve told you, or I could get in a lot of trouble.”

  Again, Rebecca nodded as Stephen left the room. He entered the interrogation room and press an intercom button. It allowed her to hear what they were saying, but they couldn’t hear her.

  “So, Mr. Dillon. Or should I say, Mr. Crawford?” Tony’s eyes widened. He recovered and looked straightforward. “You’re a hard man to get a hold of.”

  “My name is Curt Dillon and I happen to be a very busy man.”

  “All right, Mr. Dillon, how about you tell me what you know about Skyler Smith.”

  “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

  “I’m sure you do. He’s the motocross racer you were apparently interested in sponsoring. Don’t try to deny you know him, I have several witnesses who have put you at the track talking about sponsorships.”

  Tony shifted in his seat. “Ah…Now I know who you’re talking about. I don’t know much about him, other than he’s a good motocross racer and I was looking to sponsor him.”

  “And how many other clients are you sponsoring at this time?”

  “It’s a new business. He was going to be my first.”

  “Was?” Stephen leaned over the table and looked Tony in the eye.

  “Well, he had a pretty bad accident. I figured he probably didn’t make it. I stopped by the hospital to check up on him once, and I was told he wasn’t doing well. I just assumed the worst. It’s a shame, really. The kid had a lot of talent.”

  “You don’t seem all that broken up about losing a potential client.” Stephen crossed his arms.

  Tony leaned back and stretched his arms against the table.

  “I barely knew the kid. It’s hard to have any emotional connection to someone you don’t even know.”

  “Even if that client is your flesh and blood?” Stephen stared straight into Tony’s eyes.

  “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

  “Don’t you?”

  “Officer Miller, is it?” Tony eyed Stephen’s name tag. “I don’t know what game you are trying to play here, but I can assure you, I have no connection to this kid. I was just looking to sponsor him.”

  Tony was convincing. If Rebecca didn’t know better, she might actually believe him.

  Stephen started again. “So, as I understand, you bought a new set of tires for Skyler’s bike. In addition, you attempted to place them on his bike yourself before the race.”

  “Yes, I thought that he might have a better chance of landing the tricks he was supposed to perform if he had better equipment.”

  “What did the kid’s friend have to do with your plan?”

  “I’m not sure I follow.”

  “You had Skyler’s friend bring you the bike so you could change the tires. How was his friend involved?”

  “Oh, that little shmuck. There was no involvement. I asked him to bring me the kid’s bike so I could surprise him with new equipment before the big race. He was just helping. No biggie.”

  “What’s your experience with working on bikes?”

  “Minimal. But how much experience do you need to change a wheel out? I think any average joe could do that.”

  “Clearly not just any average joe can. You see, the wheel came off, causing his accident.”

  Tony smiled and sat up. “So this is what the questioning is all about. You think that it wasn’t an accident that the wheel came off. You think it may have been intentional.”

  “Was it?”

  “You must take me for a fool if you think I’d admit to wrongdoing, whether or not I did it.”

  “Mr. Crawford…”

  Tony interrupted him. “I told you, my name is Curt Dillon.”

  “Yes, that’s what you keep saying. When did you change your name?”

  “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

  Stephen smiled. “Don’t you? When you entered this room, I had a person on the other side of this glass who identified you as Anthony Brian Crawford.”

  Tony’s smirk disappeared.

  “I’m sorry to disappoint you, Officer, but your witness is mistaken. I’m Curt Dillon.”

  “Care to take a DNA test?”

  Tony crossed his arms. “We’re done here. If you want any more information from me, you’re going to have to talk to my lawyer.”

  Stephen smiled and bent over him. “You know, it’s usually the guys who start asking for the lawyer who are the guilty ones. So what are you guilty of? Changing your name? Trying to murder your own son?”

  “Innocent people get charged with crimes they didn’t commit all of the time. So to protect myself, I’ll be exercising my right to have an attorney from this point forward. Unless you plan on charging me with something, I think it’s best that you let me go.”

  “I’ll have you processed and then you can go. Let me make something very clear. You had better not leave town anytime in the near future, or I’ll have no choice but to consider that a guilty plea.”

  Tony got up from his chair. “I have no reason to leave town. Now if you’ll show me the way to get out of here, I believe this conversation is over.”

  Stephen opened the door and walked Tony out.

  Rebecca closed her eyes. The tears trickled down her face. A warm hand grasped her shoulder. She looked up to find Stephen bent down next to her.

  “Are you all right?” He took his hand and pushed the hair back from her face.

  “H—he’s lying.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  Rebecca was surprised. “You do? How?”

  “I’ve been in this business long enough to know when someone isn’t telling the t
ruth. He’s actually a very bad liar. He was pretty smug when he thought he had the upper hand. When he realized that I knew who he was and that Skyler was his son, he became unnerved and his mannerisms changed.”

  “If you knew he was lying, why didn’t you arrest him?” Rebecca grabbed a Kleenex from her purse and wiped her nose.

  “I can’t prove that he’s lying about anything but who he is. I need evidence that he tried to murder Skyler.”

  “You didn’t tell him about Skyler being alive.”

  “I didn’t want him to know that he was. I don’t want him trying anything else. Also, I think Crawford might let his guard down if he doesn’t know.”

  Rebecca looked Stephen in the eyes. “You aren’t going to catch him, you know. He’s going to take off. He thinks his job is done, and he won’t stick around.”

  Stephen took Rebecca’s face in his hands. She felt more vulnerable than she ever had in her life. His calm demeanor was reassuring. What she wouldn’t give to have him wrap his arms around her.

  “I’m one step ahead of you. There’s an officer who is going to follow him to keep tabs on him. We’ll arrest him if he tries to flee. And I have a plan to get him. Don’t worry.”

  Stephen let go and Rebecca stood up. “I better get back to Skyler. He’s going to wonder where I’ve been.”

  “Let me walk you to your car.”

  “It’s okay. I need to be alone. Besides, I’m sure you have plenty of work that you need to get done.”

  Stephen stood up next her. “It’s not over. We’ll get him.”

  “I hope so.” Rebecca grabbed her purse and left the room. She walked down the corridor until she got to the door she had initially entered. Once outside, she pulled out her keys.

  Rebecca had only gotten a few feet when Skyler’s father came up beside her and grabbed her arm.

  “Keep walking and look straight ahead. Don’t scream, or I’ll finish off the kid for real this time.”

  Rebecca kept walking and didn’t dare turn her head. “What do you want?”

  “You know what I want.”

  “No, I don’t. I’ve never asked for you to be in his life. I gave you your freedom.”

  “Shut up! You didn’t give me freedom. I’ve been paying for that little shit all these years. Paying for a kid I never even wanted. I told you to get rid of him. That’s what you were supposed to do. The last thing I wanted was a kid running around. But you didn’t listen. You went off and decided to have him without my permission. Who gave you the right to have my kid? You were nothing but a little slut. Any child of mine would be from someone worthy. You’re nothing. You two have no reason to be alive. You’re just a little tramp who thought she could move away from Mommy and Daddy at my expense. Well, I got news for you. No one pulls a fast one on me like that.”

  “What are you talking about? You’re crazy!”

  Tony pulled Rebecca’s hair, making her cry out. “Shut up, you bitch! Keep walking!”

  “What do you want?”

  “I want you to take me to that kid.”

  “No! You’ll never set eyes on him again. You’ve already done enough damage.”

  “I should’ve taken care of this years ago when I had the chance. Now it’s gotten messy. Why couldn’t you just have that abortion? It would’ve made both of our lives so much easier. You either take me to see him or I’ll kill both of you.” Tony tugged harder on Rebecca’s hair.

  “How do you plan to do that?”

  “I’ll make it look like an accident just like I did with the bike. Only this time, neither of you will survive.”

  “I knew you did it! Why do you want to see him?”

  “Because I never wanted him in the first place. I have a son that I want coming into this world. He will never know about a brother who came from a two-cent whore like yourself. My new wife doesn’t need to know about my past. She doesn’t know about my jail time or that bastard son of yours. If she finds out about any of it, I’ll lose the money I’m entitled to in the prenup.”

  “Prenup? Who the heck are you involved with that you need one of those?”

  “All you need to know is she’s my meal ticket and I stand to make millions in the event something happens to her. Let me assure you that as soon as that child she’s carrying is born, Momma won’t be around much longer. That baby is the extra security I need to ensure I’m living fat on the hog. I’m not letting anything from my past ruin that. Not even you. As far as she and her attorney know, I have a clean record and no other family. She thinks I’m a fricken’ saint for crying out loud. This matter with Skyler has taken way too long. If I could get in the hospital and finish him off myself, I would. Instead, your pesky cop friend is always there. Are you whoring yourself out to him too?”

  “You’re an awful man. I don’t know what I ever saw in you. I’ll never take you to see Skyler. I never want him to know you. The only thing I regret about getting pregnant is that you were the sperm donor. He deserves to have a dad who’s more than you could or ever will be!”

  Tony slapped her. Rebecca started to fall backward but was caught in midair.

  “Tony Crawford, you’re under arrest for assault of Rebecca Smith and for the attempted murder of Skyler Smith.” Out of nowhere Rebecca heard Stephen’s voice. She looked up to see Stephen was the one who had caught her. The other officer who had been in the observation room with her earlier was placing Tony in handcuffs.

  “You can’t do this. I’m an innocent bystander in all of this. That woman deserved it. She was spreading nasty lies about me. She’s crazy!”

  “Get him out of here,” Stephen told the other officer.

  “You’re going to pay for this!”

  Stephen snarled at Tony. “Don’t make me add to your list of charges!” He turned back toward Rebecca and wiped some blood away from her lip. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, but how did you know?”

  “We have cameras all over the building. I was watching what was going on. I had a feeling he knew it was you who indentified him. Also, you have a recording device I slipped in your purse before you left the observation room. I wanted to be able to record a confession. I knew this was probably our best chance to get him.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Tell me you’re okay with me submitting the recording in for evidence.”

  “Absolutely! If it sends him to jail and keeps him behind bars, I’ll do anything.”

  Stephen bent down and kissed her, letting his lips linger. Then he pulled away and looked her in the eyes.

  “You and Skyler are safe now. I’ll make sure that nothing happens to the two of you.”

  The shock of everything happening with Tony and Stephen’s surprise kiss left Rebecca off kilter. All she could do was stare at Stephen. Things were happening so fast. She couldn’t seem to catch up with what was going on.

  “I crossed the line. I shouldn’t have kissed you.” Stephen let go of Rebecca.

  “I haven’t been kissed in years.” She paused. “I haven’t been on a date in equally as long. I’ve avoided it because of Skyler.”

  “We were brought together by Skyler’s accident. I think that during my visits to the hospital, we bonded during the last few days. I’d certainly like the opportunity to get to know you and Skyler more personally. Any chance you would like to have dinner with me?”

  Rebecca felt tears welling in her eyes. “How about we start with coffee?”

  “I’ll take it. How about we meet at the Starbucks next to the hospital tomorrow morning before you go in to see Skyler?”

  “Is eight-thirty good for you?”

  Stephen hugged Rebecca. “That sounds perfect.”

  Chapter 23

  Josh

  As much as Josh tried to stay away from Laney and do his job, he just couldn’t. He couldn’t be on call and worry about her being at home alone. What if that lunatic somehow got to her? He just couldn’t let that happen. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself.<
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  Josh walked down to the emergency department and found Laney helping a patient to the restroom. He waited for her to finish before he pulled her aside.

  “Got a minute?”

  She looked around. “Sure. Let’s go over there.” Laney motioned to a vacant spot across the hall.

  “What’s up?” she asked once they were alone.

  “I’ve thought a lot about what you said. I know you want to back off for a while. But honestly, I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you. Please come and stay at my work apartment tonight. I promise it’ll be strictly platonic. I just want to make sure you’re safe.”

  “We’ve been over this. I just don’t think…”

  “I know what you think. You’re strong, independent, amazing, and you’re afraid of falling in love with me. I get that. But can you please just put your independence on hold for a little while and let me protect you? Let me ensure your safety?”

  Laney looked away and then back at him. He hated the tortured look that consumed her face. He wanted to see the smile.

  “Fine! But no hanky-panky. You need to behave or I’m out of there.”

  Relief washed over him. “Thank you, Laney. I promise I won’t try anything. I’ll sleep on the couch and you can have the bed.”

  “That’s not necessary. You need to get some rest too. I’d sleep better in a strange place if you were next to me.”

  “Whatever you need. I’ll come get you at the end of your shift and take you to the apartment.”

  “I didn’t pack any clothes. I’ll need to go to my apartment after work.”

  Josh’s chest tightened as anxiety crept in. “I can’t go with you when you get off. I’ll already be on call and I have to stay within ten minutes of the hospital. Would it be okay if I went to your apartment in a bit to grab some things for you before I start call?”

  Laney paused before she answered, “Sure, here are my keys.” She pulled them from her pocket. “Let me make a list of items I’ll need.”

  ***

  After Josh had gone through the list and picked up all of the items Laney needed, he headed back to the hospital. He was careful to make sure he wasn’t being followed. He didn’t want the stalker finding out where the on-call apartment was. He wanted to at least be able to provide one safe place for Laney.