Heartbreaker Hero: Eddie's Story (Maine Justice Book 4)

by Susan Page Davis

  A muffled scream came from inside the house. He stood stock still.

  “Yeah, Detective?” Charlie said over the radio.

  “Trouble. In the chief’s house.” Eddie pulled his pistol and shouted, “Tony!”

  Winfield had been slumped against the side of his car, but he straightened. Eddie ran for the kitchen door.

  It was locked, of course. He stepped back and executed his best door kick ever. It jarred his leg all the way to his spine. The alarm base unit beeped obnoxiously.

  “Chief?” he yelled.

  Another scream drew him into the kitchen, leading with his gun.

  “Charlie, get me backup, now!”

  “It’s on the way.”

  Eddie cautiously crossed the dim kitchen toward the lamp-lit living room.

  Mike stood halfway down the stairs, wearing his suit pants and T-shirt, hunched like he was ready to spring.

  Beyond him, near the patio door, a man held Sharon with a gun at her temple.

  Mike had his service pistol in his hand. He watched the intruder like a hungry cat eyeing a mouse with one foot caught in a trap.

  Eddie stepped forward. “Let her go.”

  It was Hawkins with a week’s growth of graying beard. Sharon tried to pull away from him, but he squeezed her hard around her waist, pinning one of her arms. Mike came down a step.

  “Chief, I got this,” Eddie said. “Hawkins, let her go.”

  Hatred gleamed in the cold, gray eyes. Hawkins had come for one reason, and Eddie couldn’t stop him.

  “Mike, get back,” he yelled.

  He wasn’t sure he could get Hawkins without hitting Sharon, but he had to try. Hawkins’s hand barely stirred, but the gun’s muzzle moved away from Sharon and trained on Mike’s chest.

  Mike dropped down on the stairs, and Sharon rammed backward with her elbows, into Hawkins’s kidneys.

  A shot let loose, and Eddie fired at almost the same instant. Hawkins went down. Sharon sprang away from the gunman and sprawled on her hands and knees. She scrambled up and hurried toward the staircase.

  “Michael!” Her voice was raw with panic.

  Eddie couldn’t pay attention to them. He stepped closer to Hawkins. In his fall, he’d hung on to the pistol. He lay on his side, breathing raggedly. A puddle of blood formed near his shoulder on Sharon’s spotless ivory carpet.

  “Drop the gun,” Eddie said, pointing his .45 at him.

  Tony charged into the kitchen behind him and yelled, “Police.”

  Eddie held up his left hand. Tony halted behind him.

  “Drop it,” Eddie said.

  Hawkins’s arm shook. With a big sigh, he let his hand thump to the rug, gun and all. Eddie walked over cautiously and nudged the gun away from Hawkins’s hand. He picked it up and turned around.

  “Chief?”

  Mike sat up awkwardly on the stairs. “I’m good, Eddie.” Sharon flung herself at him.

  Eddie handed Hawkins’s gun to Tony. “Hey, hotshot. I told you to stay alert.”

  Tony gave him a cockeyed smile. “When do I listen to you, Shakespeare?”

  *****

  Eddie watched the EMTs put Al Hawkins in the ambulance. His bullet had gone through the gunman’s collarbone and come out above his shoulder blade. Eddie didn’t know how bad it was, but he’d heard one of the EMTs call in and tell the hospital to have the O.R. ready.

  Harvey had come, and he talked to Mike for a long time in the house, while Mike held Sharon in his arms, and then Mike came out and stood beside Eddie on the steps. The air had warmed, and the icicles on his porch roof were dripping.

  “Good work, Eddie.”

  “Thanks, Chief.” Eddie looked over at him. “Does this mean I’ll be suspended again?”

  Mike almost smiled. “Kid, I was in the same room when it happened. Barring any wild flap in the press, I think I can move this one along pretty quickly.”

  “You think the press will make a fuss?”

  Mike shrugged. “Hero cop shoots lowlife drug dealer? I doubt it.”

  Eddie thought about that for a sec. If he knew Ryan, and he thought he did, he’d love that headline.

  “So, what happened?” he asked. “We cleared the house.”

  “I think he came in that back door, after you’d checked it.” Mike shook his head. “I’d just started getting undressed, and Sharon remembered she’d left her purse downstairs, and her glasses were in it. She went down to get it, and next thing I knew the alarm went off, and she screamed.”

  “I heard her,” Eddie said sadly. He and Tony should have kept a better watch.

  “He coulda got me,” Mike said, “but he grabbed Sharon, and she kept him busy until I got partway down there. I couldn’t get a good shot, and he didn’t want to let go of her long enough to be sure he’d got me. I guess when you came in, he didn’t have much choice.”

  “Yeah.” Eddie studied Mike’s face. “I really thought you were done.”

  “Thanks for doing your target practice, kid.”

  The ambulance pulled out of the yard.

  “How’s Sharon?” Eddie asked.

  Mike shrugged and let out a slow breath. “She’ll be okay. She wanted a shower, but I told her to get dressed and we’ll go to a hotel.”

  “I’ll bet she wants you to retire ASAP.”

  “She knows I can’t.”

  “Right. I’m sorry, Chief. You should be retired, playing with the grandkids and going off to fish anytime you feel like it.”

  After a long moment, Mike said, “I used to think that, too.” He turned his head and looked at Eddie. “I don’t know why, but God didn’t let me retire.”

  “Yeah.” They stood there a little while. “He didn’t let Al Hawkins get you, either.”

  Mike smiled at him as Harvey came out the door. “Must have been all the people praying for me.”

  *****

  The next morning, Eddie couldn’t sleep late. Leeanne had emailed her schedule, and he sent a note back explaining why he’d been unable to call her the evening before. The temperature was still above freezing, and he went to the park to meet Harvey and Jeff for their run.

  “You’re not supposed to be here,” Harvey said. “I told you to sleep in.”

  Eddie shrugged. “I laid awake most of the night thinking what if I’d missed, and what if Hawkins hadn’t?”

  “You can’t keep brooding on it.”

  “I know. But it stays with you.”

  “Yeah.”

  Jeff gave Eddie a sympathetic half smile. “Harvey told me what happened. You going to be okay?”

  “Yeah, after a while. Mike took a dive at just the right time, or ...”

  “He’s pretty good at elusive diving,” Harvey said.

  Eddie stared at him blankly for a moment, then laughed. “Right. Let’s run.”

  They headed out on a circuit of the park. The physical activity and routine soothed Eddie. He watched Harvey when they got into their third mile, to see if his breathing was labored, but he seemed fine.

  “You all right?” he asked as they slowed to a walk.

  “I’m fine,” Harvey said. “I wish Jennifer thought so.”

  “What’s up?”

  “She made me an appointment with Carl this afternoon. I’ll have to leave work early.”

  “Okay,” Eddie said. “Just tell me what to do when you go.”

  “If my prayers are answered, I’ll be telling you to go to Al Hawkins’s arraignment.”

  Harvey took them back to his place for breakfast. Abby wasn’t up yet, but Beth was there, helping Jennifer with the French toast and bacon. Eddie asked Jennifer how Abby was doing.

  “Pretty solemn,” Jennifer said. “She cried some. She really likes Greg, maybe even loves him a little.”

  “She said she seriously thought about marrying him.”

  “Yes, she did,” said Jennifer. “I’m not saying she’s rational right now, Eddie. But she does feel guilty. Like she should have known sooner this wouldn’t
work.” She handed him five plates, and Eddie put them on the table.

  “Can’t believe he’s giving up,” Jeff said. “He seemed to be crazy about her.”

  “He was.” Harvey poured himself a mug of coffee. “Maybe that’s why he gave her the ultimatum. He was scared she was going to break up with him, and he couldn’t take it again.”

  “Again?” Jeff asked.

  “He has a broken engagement in his past. Pray for both of them.”

  They all helped get breakfast on the table, and Harvey asked the blessing.

  “Beth, how’s school?” he asked.

  “Good. I’ve got a really sweet bunch of kids this year.”

  Jennifer smiled at her. “You love teaching, don’t you?”

  “Yes, but…”

  “But she’s not going to do it forever,” Jeff said.

  Beth nodded. “This is my last year.”

  Jennifer eyed her for a moment. “Won’t you be bored?”

  “I’ll make sure she doesn’t have time to be bored,” said Jeff.

  “Are you going to live with your crazy schedule at the fire department forever?” Eddie asked him. “How can you do that?”

  Beth poured maple syrup over her French toast. “Not forever. He’s going to do what Harvey did and work his way up to management. Someday he’ll be the fire chief, and then he’ll have decent hours.”

  “Dream on,” Jeff said. He sat contentedly with his arm around Beth’s shoulders. They were the first to leave, and when they’d gone, Eddie asked Harvey about Abby again.

  “Last night she seemed to be coping,” Harvey replied. “Jennifer thinks Abby will grow up because of this. I don’t know. I hope so.”

  Jennifer carried their coffee mugs to the dishwasher. “We love them both, Eddie. Of course, we’ll support Abby, but there was wrong on both sides.”

  Eddie frowned. “There’s got to be a better way to find a mate. This dating thing is too painful.”

  Harvey nodded. “You’re right. You don’t see dating in the Bible.”

  “What did they do then?” Eddie asked.

  Jennifer smiled at him across the kitchen. “Arranged marriages.”

  “I guess the guy just picked out the girl, then his parents went to visit her parents and took them a string of camels,” Harvey said.

  “Not quite like that.” Jennifer made a face at him. “But I know the girl wasn’t given her choice of a whole lineup of men.”

  Eddie looked at Harvey. “Maybe you two could arrange a marriage for Abby.”

  “No way. After this fiasco? I don’t want to have anything to do with it.”

  “There’s Peter,” Eddie said.

  Jennifer wiped out the sink with a sponge. “Peter will probably be discouraged when he hears about this.”

  “I don’t think so,” Harvey said. “I think Peter is in this for the long haul.”

  Eddie stood up. “Well, if you see him coming up the driveway with a string of camels…”

  Chapter 28

  The arraignment was postponed until Hawkins left the hospital, which might not be for a week or two. His condition was rated serious after the surgery. In the meantime, the unit had plenty to work on.

  Mike came into the office around nine Friday morning, and the detectives crowded around him.

  “You okay, Chief?” Nate asked.

  “I’m fine, boys, thanks to Eddie.”

  “How’s Mrs. Browning?” Eddie asked.

  “She’s okay, too. She was a little shook up last night, but Sharon is one tough cookie. We’ll be going to the funeral home again tonight and sit with Mrs. Leavitt for a while.”

  “Do you still need an escort?” Jimmy asked.

  “I don’t believe we do, but I’ll be wearing my sidearm, just in case.”

  Tony grinned at him. “Don’t leave home without it.”

  “Sorry to disappoint you,” Harvey said, “but I think we’d better keep eyes on you until Hawkins is out of the hospital and in jail.”

  “We’ll talk about it. I just came down to thank all of you,” Mike said. “Thanks for running point on this one, Captain.”

  Harvey nodded. “I’m glad it turned out okay.”

  Mike looked at Eddie. “Thibodeau, I’ll see you next Wednesday at three in the conference room.”

  His hearing. “Thank you, sir. Should I stay home until then?”

  “Hawkins’s wound isn’t critical. I don’t see any need for you to stay out of the office, and Deputy Chief Stewart agrees with me. Unless you’d like a couple of days off?”

  “I’d just as soon keep working,” Eddie said.

  Mike slapped him lightly on the shoulder. “Good. Let’s just not have you out on field work until the hearing, huh?”

  “You got it.”

  “Thanks, Chief,” Harvey said.

  After Mike had left, they all got to work. Eddie made several calls, checking in on some of their witnesses and uncovering more information about Hawkins’s drug operation. Harvey ate lunch with the Priority detectives at the diner so they could compare notes.

  After lunch, Jimmy and Nate went out and rounded up three of Hawkins’s runners. Harvey took Tony with him to the hospital to see if they could talk to Hawkins. They came back happy about the interview.

  “Tony, you transcribe the tape, please.” Harvey checked his watch. “I’ve got to get over to Carl’s. Jennifer’s meeting me there, so I can’t be late. Eddie, you’re in charge.”

  He left, and Eddie went back to work. He and Tony were down to documenting the evidence from Mike’s house and paperwork on the Quinlan case. Jimmy and Nate spent an hour down in booking and then questioned the prisoners they’d brought in.

  A little after four, the day patrol sergeant called.

  “Thibodeau, you’ve got a visitor.”

  “He got a name?”

  “A Miss Wainthrop,” said Brad.

  “All right! I’ll see her anytime.”

  “You coming down, or should I escort her up there? It’s no trouble.”

  “Calm down, Brad. I’ll be right there.”

  Eddie ran down the stairs and into the lobby. Leeanne stood near the window at Brad’s desk, where she had asked for him, and Brad was out from behind it, standing with her, trying to charm her up close. She turned as Eddie came through the doorway and smiled broadly.

  “Leeanne!” Eddie kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks, Brad.”

  “The men in the Priority Unit seem to have a knack for finding beautiful women,” he said.

  Leeanne rolled her eyes at Eddie, and he took her to the elevator and keyed in the code.

  “What’s with that guy?” she whispered.

  “Don’t mind Brad.”

  They got in the elevator. Eddie knew there was a security camera rolling, and that Brad was probably watching the monitor, so he didn’t try to get too friendly.

  “I hope you don’t mind me coming here,” Leeanne said.

  “No, I’m glad.”

  “I got away earlier than I expected, but when I went to Jennifer’s no one was home.”

  “Oh, she went to the doctor’s office to meet Harvey. Sorry about that. They should have given you a key.”

  “Harvey meant to, but I think he forgot. I hoped Abby would be there, but she wasn’t.”

  “If you want, you can just stay here for about” —He checked his watch.— “fifty minutes, and I’ll go over there with you.”

  They stepped out into the office, and Eddie said, “Paula, Tony, this is Leeanne. You remember Nate?” Jimmy was out of the office.

  Leeanne smiled. “Yeah. Hi, everybody.”

  “Want some coffee, or a soda?”

  “I don’t need anything.” Leeanne unbuttoned her coat.

  “It’s no bother. I haven’t had a break this afternoon. Come on.” Eddie guided her to the breakroom and prompted her to choose something to drink. He got her a Pepsi from the machine and poured himself a cup of coffee, which he set carefully on the table.


  “Viens, ma belle.” He held out his arms.

  She looked a little flustered. “Jennifer told me she never let Harvey kiss her at the police station because there were cameras everywhere.”

  Eddie smiled. “That is an exaggeration. I know where the cameras are, and there aren’t any in here.”

  “Hey, Eddie,” said Jimmy from the doorway. “Any coffee left? Oh, hello.” He smiled at Leeanne and moved to the coffeemaker.

  “Hi,” she said. “You’re the only one I haven’t met, so you must be the one who got shot last spring when Harvey did.”

  Eddie made the introduction, and they all took their drinks out into the office.

  “So, you’re okay now, Detective Cook?” Leeanne asked.

  He grinned. “My leg still bothers me a little sometimes, but I was back to ninety-five percent on my last physical. And you can call me Jimmy.”

  “Thanks. And I’m glad for you.”

  Eddie sipped his coffee and asked Leeanne about her folks and school.

  After a while she said, “You’re supposed to be working. Just do what you need to do. I’ll keep quiet.”

  Paula transferred a call to Eddie from the patrol sergeant. When he hung up and turned back toward Leeanne, Tony was leaning against the end of his desk, smiling down at her.

  “So, you’re Mrs. Larson’s sister?”

  “That’s right.”

  “We’ve met once or twice, I guess,” Tony said.

  “Yes, I think so. I’m here to visit Jennifer and Harvey, but Jennifer’s out this afternoon, so I came here to wait.” Leeanne was looking her most incredible. Her dark, glossy hair fell over her shoulders, and her blue eyes were big and bright. She wore lip gloss, and her lips looked luscious. Her blue shirt looked soft and touchable. Tony was taking it all in.

  “My name’s Tony Winfield.”

  “I remember.”

  “Do you? That’s encouraging.” He smiled again. His light hair stuck up a little in the back, in a cowlick, but he was cute. Like a kid.

  “So, Tony, have you filed your reports yet?” Eddie asked.

  “Well, not yet.”

  Eddie reached up to the shelf over his desk and straightened the frame with the picture of Leeanne.

  “But I guess I’d better go do it,” Tony said.

  “Good idea,” Eddie told him. “I’d like to be out of here at five to take Miss Wainthrop to her sister’s.”