The 13th Victim

by Linda S. Prather

  Thomas leaned in to her. “I’ll give you an option. I shoot Jerry, you go with me willingly, and the kid goes free. Otherwise, I shoot the kid.”

  Jerry was dragging his feet, and Andi struggled under his weight. “He’s Irish. If you hurt him, they’ll never stop looking for you.”

  “Hurry up, Dad, you’re wasting time.” Cherese glared at him. “Drop the dead weight and let’s go.”

  Thomas laughed, grabbed Andi’s arm, and pulled her close. “She said to drop the dead weight, Andi.”

  “No!” Andi screamed as the sound of the gun going off pounded inside her head. Jerry’s body slipped from her grasp, and she screamed again. Patrick moved toward her, and Jasmine grabbed his arm to hold him back.

  “Move it, or the kid is next.”

  Tears filled her eyes as she stumbled across the yard toward the car at the curb. I’m not going to be tortured by him again. Andi blinked rapidly and caught Shamus’s eye. He nodded. Don’t think, just act. In a blinding flash, she screamed, “hop on,” whipped around, and chopped Thomas across the neck with her left. Following through with a right, she shoved his nose upward as hard as she could. A shot rang out, and a woman screamed, but Andi didn’t take her eyes off Thomas until his grip loosened and the gun slipped from his fingers as he fell backward.

  Voices drifted through the fog. Sirens blared in the background, and feet pounded on the pavement. Strong arms closed around her, and she flinched.

  “It’s all right, lass. The boy is fine. It’s over.” Patrick held her and rubbed her arms. “Someone, bring me a blanket. She’s in shock.”

  She felt something warm wrapped around her, and Shamus’s smiling face appeared in front of her. “There’s a story here. Don’ tell me you’re going to let the Tribune one-up you on it?”

  Jasmine jogged to where a group was forming around Andi. “Jerry’s alive.”

  The fog lifted, and the ringing in her ears slowly faded. “Thomas… Is he dead?”

  “Aye.” Coilin threw an arm around his younger brother. “The Cobra, too. Did you teach Andi those moves, little brother?”

  Shamus grinned. “Only the words. She’s a hard case sometimes, but she finally got it.”

  “Good thing. The surprise gave me the shot I needed to take out the blonde without blowing me little brother to smithereens.”

  Andi took the blanket from her shoulders. “We need to see if Tracy and Mollie can identify Thomas as the last man at the warehouse.”

  Jasmine placed a call, and within seconds a cruiser pulled to the curb. The girls exited. Mollie ran to Jasmine’s side, but Tracy hung back.

  Shamus glanced at Tracy, who bowed her head. “Give me a minute?” he asked Andi.

  “Take all the time you need.” Andi watched him walk to Tracy, lift her head, and kiss her. His brothers, also watching him closely, grinned from ear to ear. “Hey, give the lad some privacy,” she said.

  “Mollie says it isn’t him. The guy there was older.” Jasmine sighed. “Which means we’ve still got at least one more out there.”

  Shamus walked back to them, one arm around Tracy. “Have we picked up Sinclair yet?”

  Andi frowned. “Sinclair?”

  “Aye. The woman said Divina planned all this, and her brother was in on it too. She only has one brother, and that’s Sinclair.”

  Alma and Scappine arrived on scene and quickly organized their men. “What’s this about Sinclair?” Captain Alma asked.

  “There was one more man at the warehouse the night they killed the other man,” Tracy said.

  “Can you identify this man?” Scappine asked.

  “Yes.” Tracy glanced up at Shamus. “Will you go with me?”

  “Aye. Let someone try to stop me.”

  Alma smiled. “Then let’s go get him and clean up this mess.”

  Patrick touched Andi’s arm. “I think you should go to Jerry now, lass. They’re about to leave.”

  Andi glanced to where Jerry was being strapped onto the stretcher. “Give me a minute.”

  “Nah, lass.” He touched her blouse where the blood had seeped through. “You need to be checked out too. Let us take care of Sinclair.”

  “Check the office. He had a wad of cash in the safe. I can’t see him leaving town without it.”

  Andi went to Jerry, stopping to allow the paramedic to check her wound. She studied Jerry’s in-and-out breaths. I almost lost him.

  “I don’t think you need stitches. I’ve cleaned it out, and we’ll apply some antibiotic cream and a bandage. You should see your family doctor this week, or stop by the hospital and let us check it.”

  “Thank you.” Andi waited until he applied the bandage then walked to the stretcher, suddenly tongue-tied.

  Jerry’s eyes fluttered open, and he tried to smile. “You’re still the best partner I ever had, Carter. We solved another one, and you’ve got a front-page scoop.”

  “Sadly, I’m out of a job. Captain Alma and Sheriff Scappine are on their way to arrest Sinclair. He and Divina were behind this whole thing.”

  His eyelids slowly closed. “You and Shamus should start your own paper.”

  Leaning over the stretcher, she kissed him softly on the lips. “Best idea you’ve ever had, Palano.”

  “We need to move him now, ma’am. You’re welcome to ride along if you’d like.”

  The paramedic wheeled the stretcher toward the ambulance, and an image of Shamus’s face when he’d thanked her for adding his name to the byline flashed through her mind. He was a good reporter, and he’d get the story. The kid had earned his moment in the spotlight.

  “Wait up.” Andi raced toward the ambulance. “I’m in.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

  “So Sinclair was behind Andi’s torture by Thomas?” Shamus asked.

  Jasmine nodded and filled him in on everything Andi had remembered. “Thomas must have programmed her to remember only when he wanted her to, or when he came back to finish the job.”

  Shamus glanced at the Daily Drudge’s office building. “The lights are on, so he must be in there. I’d like to take the lead, sir, if you don’ mind. And I think Jasmine should keep the girls outside until we need them.”

  “All right, kid. Let’s go.”

  Sinclair was leaving his office with a box of paperwork in his hands when the group walked in. “Shamus, where’s Carter? I’ve been worried sick.”

  Shamus stared him down. “How about me, Sinclair? Were you worried about me?”

  “Well of course I was, son.” He eyed the captain and sheriff as they spread out on both sides of Shamus, followed by Patrick and the O’Conner boys. “What is this, O’Conner?”

  “It’s tomorrow’s headline. ‘Owner of Daily Drudge arrested for murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and anything else we dig up in the next few hours.’”

  His eyes narrowed. “You’re crazy. He’s been hanging out with Carter too long, Captain.”

  Shamus walked toward him, stopping a few feet from his face. “Andi remembered everything, Sinclair. Those hypnosis sessions by the therapist wore off when Thomas showed up. She was going to meet with your father the night before Thomas kidnapped her. He told her all about how the Russian mob was moving into West Hollywood and their plans to buy up property and wait for the government to fund their next project.” Shamus stabbed Sinclair’s chest with a finger. “And he told her how his own son and daughter were at the head of it, running young girls, and dealing in drugs and murder for hire.” Shamus took another step. “And how he feared for his own life. The next day, he and your mother disappeared.”

  “You can’t prove a thing.” Sinclair dropped the box he was holding, pulled out a cigar, and lit it. “It’s her word against mine.”

  The door behind them creaked open, and Jasmine walked in with Tracy and Mollie. “Is that him, honey?”

  Tracy nodded. “He killed the guy at the warehouse.”

  Sinclair snorted and blew out smoke. “The word of a drunk and a murderer. They’ll
laugh you out of court.”

  Captain Alma walked up and took Sinclair’s arm, turning him around. “Matthew Sinclair, you’re under arrest for the murder of Terrence Graves. You have the right to remain silent.”

  Shamus pranced and punched the air as Sinclair was led out.

  Patrick flung an arm around him. “Andi will be proud of you, Irish. Buy you a drink?”

  “Aye, but make it a Coke this time.” He placed an arm around Tracy. “I don’ think I’m cut out for liquor.”

  Patrick glanced at the remaining O’Conner boys. “Come on, and I’ll open the bar. Drinks are on the house.”

  EPILOGUE

  Andi typed the byline for her article and saved it. All she needed was the end of Tracy’s story and a few comments from Gambini, who surprised everyone by pulling through. McHugh was gone, and with Thomas out of the picture, the Russian mob had packed it in and fled town. Sinclair had finally broken down and led the police to where his parents’ bodies were buried, and the timeline provided by Tracy and Mollie had helped them locate the bodies of the rest of the girls. Erin was safe with her family, and with the help of a police sketch artist, they now had faces to go with the names.

  “Carter!”

  She shook off the sadness that threatened to envelop her and made her way to the kitchen, where Shamus was slaving away at the computer. They might never find all the families, but they would keep running the sketches. “What?”

  “No screw you, Irish?”

  “I just sent you a draft article.” She waved at the mess on her countertops and kitchen table. “This isn’t going to work for much longer.”

  “Aye, come look. I think I found us an office.”

  “Really?” Andi rushed around the table and stared at the run-down building. “How much? Can we afford it? Could we put out a printed copy?”

  “Slow down, lass. One question at a time. With what we’re making from the online site, if you don’t mind me mum and brothers working for us, and if we pick up the equipment at the bankruptcy sale from the Drudge, we could probably swing it.”

  Andi threw her arms around his neck, kissing him soundly on the cheek. “I love you, Irish.” She grabbed the coffee pot and refilled his cup. “But I do want you out of my house.”

  His face turned a brighter shade of pink. “We’ll have to start slowly. Maybe a couple of printings a week, until we build our staff and our ads pick up.”

  Starting slowly wasn’t all that bad. A gentle flush crept up her neck as she thought about Jerry. Two months had passed. They had a new mayor and a new council. She’d taken great pleasure in burning the political posters of Thomas, which Jasmine had discovered in Councilman Eaves’s basement. With Shamus’s help, the new council had managed to find most of the old residents from the housing projects, and they’d been allowed to move back to their homes if they wanted. All that was left was the Grand Jury hearing for Tracy. With Jerry’s and Jasmine’s testimony, that shouldn’t be a problem. She glanced at the clock. “Don’t you think court should be over by now?”

  “Aye.”

  Shamus was putting on a brave front, but she could hear the worry in his voice. The doorbell rang, and Andi popped a chocolate-chip cookie in her mouth, grabbed another, and walked that way. “That should be them now. Jasmine is leaving the CIA and thinking about moving here. If we need more money, maybe we’ll take on some investors.”

  The knock sounded again. “I’m coming.” Andi opened the door to Tracy, Mollie, Jasmine, and Jerry, who were all smiles. “Give me some good news.”

  “It’s over. Tracy won’t be prosecuted, and she’s being released in my custody.” Jasmine placed an arm around both girls. “And the uncle is also out of the picture. I threatened to prosecute him for tampering with Tracy’s inheritance, and he signed her over. Is that a chocolate-chip cookie you’re munching on? I’m starved.”

  “Whole pack on the counter. Shamus is in the kitchen. Go on in and help yourself.”

  Jerry was still standing on the ledge.

  “Well, are you coming in or are you going to stand there all day?”

  “I was waiting for an invitation.”

  “Jesus, Palano, if you need an invitation after all this, then you might as well leave. If you want something you have to ask for it, or—”

  He silenced her by pulling her against his body and capturing her lips in a soul-searching kiss. Time stood still until he finally lifted his head.

  “—Simply take it,” Andi whispered.

  “Any complaints?”

  “No, no complaints.”

  “Good. I’m getting ready to question a couple of suspects in that armed robbery of Johnson’s Pawn Shop. You in?”

  Andi extricated herself from his arms. “Grab a cookie while I get my purse. Tell Shamus where we’re going and to leave a spot open for the morning edition.”

  He walked toward the kitchen, a light spring in his step.

  “Hey, Palano.”

  He turned, his eyes shadowed with concern. “Yeah.”

  “Just for the record—I’m in.”

  THE END

  FROM THE AUTHOR

  Thank you for reading The 13th Victim. If you’ve gotten this far, then I hope that means you enjoyed this book. I would greatly appreciate it if you would take a moment of your time to leave a short review on the site you purchased it from or Goodreads. Reviews help a book gain visibility and many times your words are helpful to another reader in choosing a book they will enjoy.

  Thank you, again.

  Linda S. Prather, Author

  OTHER BOOKS BY LINDA S PRATHER

  The Forgotten

  Innocent Blood

  Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

  Shadows of Doubt

  Bet you can’t…Find Me

  Eternal Beauty

  The Gifts, A Jacody Ives Mystery

  Sacred Secrets

  Helena’s Diary

  Food to Die Smiling For (short story)

  Co-Authored with Best Selling Author, M. A. Comley

  Clever Deception

  Tragic Deception

  Sinful Deception