Molly unbuttoned her blouse and pulled out the camera and transmitter, while Bass leered at her. Jarvis nearly licked his lips. Stewart held out his hand to take the equipment, her open blouse distracting him from turning it off, as he laid it on the judge’s desk. Molly got the picture fairly quickly. If they were going to do to her what they did to her mother, she hoped she died fast. Her voice was the only weapon she had left, and she used it.
“You’re right, no one is listening. They wouldn’t have let me come alone. It’s just us now. Before you do whatever it is you’re going to do to me, I promise you I am every bit my mother’s daughter. I will fight to survive and even after I am gone, I will haunt you just like she did. So, here’s what I know and what my friends at the FBI know, just so we’re clear about what will happen in this town, if you kill me. It’s over already. You just don’t know it.”
Jarvis took a step toward her, glaring like a madman. The judge stuck his cane across the desk in Jarvis’s path. “You better hear her out, boys.”
Jarvis knocked the cane out of the judge’s hand. “I want that key, girl. I could give a rat’s ass what’s on that tape. It ain’t me on there gang banging your whore mother.”
Stewart turned on him. “It’s your damn foolishness that got us in this mess. If you hadn’t set that recorder to go off when anyone went in that room, and then left it for your father to find, none of this would be necessary. Sarah Harris never remembered a damn thing. You sure as hell didn’t have to kill her.”
“Shut the fuck up, Jeb! She killed my brother and she knew where that key was.”
Stewart flew into a rage. “You stupid bastard. She might have told you she killed your brother, but she sure as hell didn’t tell you where the key was, did she? If Bass hadn’t covered your trail, you’d have already been given the needle.”
Jarvis snarled at Stewart. “Yeah, and I would’ve taken you all with me.”
Stewart did not back down. “You’re out of control. We’re here now, because of you. Why did you set that murder up to look like the serial killings? You brought the fucking FBI down on us. We told you to find out what Joe knew, not murder another woman.”
Bass turned on Jarvis, too. “How did you know the details of the crime scene? Who told you about the serial killings? What are you into, Jarvis?”
Stewart looked surprised. “I thought you told him.”
Jarvis sneered at the two of them. “I don’t need you three anymore. That tape can come out for all I care. I want the gold. It’s rightfully mine.”
Bass laughed. “If you think that gold is in the bank, why have you been digging holes all these years?”
Jarvis declared, “There’s more than what can fit in that box. Bricks of gold, buried out there on that land. There’s a map to it in that box, I betcha.”
Judge Whitehall leaned back in his chair and laughed loudly.
Jarvis whipped around, growling, “What’s so funny, old man?”
The judge laughed even harder. Molly was taking in all the information as fast as she could. They were turning on each other and filling in the gaps of what she knew. She stood in the corner watching the pack circle each other. What she could not figure out was who was the alpha? If Bass and Stewart did not fill Jarvis in on the details of the serial crimes then who did?
Jarvis slammed his hands on the judge’s desk. “I asked you what’s so funny, old man!”
The judge stopped laughing and narrowed his eyes at Jarvis. “That gold is long gone. The only thing left is a small bag of coins and the dies they were made with. That’s all that was in the box after John G. Whitehead killed Eli Branch. His cousin and partner in this crime, Giles Banhalla died soon after. John used the gold to prosper throughout the war and afterward. He didn’t take the coins, because they could be traced. Your father found those coins, Jarvis.”
Jarvis was seething. He shouted, “How do you know all this?”
“He told me, and then there is this.” The judge pulled out the top drawer of his desk, removing a worn leather journal. “This has been passed down through the Whitehead family. It’s John G. Whitehead’s personal journal. Seems he became reflective toward the end of his life. It was written as a warning to his sons against greed.”
“Excuse me,” Molly said, and all the heads in the room turned to her. “Can someone tell me why Evan Branch married my mother?”
Jarvis’s lip curled in anger. “These fuckers set him up. Had him arrested and then threatened him into marrying your mother to get the charges dropped. They knew your momma was pregnant. They didn’t want nobody wondering who the daddy was.”
The judge explained further, “Old Man Branch found the tape. He put it in the safe deposit box along with the gold coins. He threatened to make the tape public, if anything ever happened to you.”
“So, it was okay to beat my mother half to death, but not me. How exactly did he rationalize that?” Molly asked, keeping them busy while she tried to think of a way out.
Stewart had the answer this time. “Evan was a lunatic. We had to cover up for him all the time. We couldn’t let the old man find out what he was doing to your mother. He almost turned us in after that first beating, when she left Evan. The judge kept him from hurting you. Told Evan he didn’t care if he went to jail for rape, he wasn’t going to let Evan hurt you.”
Molly turned on the judge. “How did you know you were my father?”
“I didn’t know at first, but as you grew, there were just certain things you did when I would see you in court.”
“And the adoption, you set that up,” Molly was getting a complete picture now. “You paid for her stays at Berryhill too, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” the judge answered. He was hoping to sway Molly’s opinion of him. It did not. “When your mother came to me after the fire, she told me what you did and what she did afterwards. I told her to give you up and I would help her. I knew the Kincaids casually, through my alumni status at the university. They were nice people. They could give you a future you would not have had in this town.”
Stewart laughed. “We finally let Evan out of the deal so he can marry that Stovall girl and he can’t leave Sarah alone. She ends up killing him, after all those years of abuse.”
Molly finally understood. “You knew I was lying to the Grand Jury, and you, the prosecutor, the cop, and the judge, looked the other way.”
Jarvis, who had been steaming since the mention of his brother’s murder, came unglued. He charged at Stewart. “You fucking bastard. You knew she killed him. I’ll kill you, you son of a bitch.”
Molly heard the outer office door whine open. With all the shouting, no one heard the stairs squeaking, but she was not the only one that heard the door. Bass tried to separate Jarvis from Stewart.
“Stop it. Somebody’s coming.”
Molly said a silent hallelujah. The jubilation was short lived when the office door opened slowly. Leslie was standing in the doorway, eyes wide with fear. A pistol, equipped with a silencer, held to her head by the judge’s grandson, Payton.
“Leslie,” escaped Molly’s mouth in a whisper.
Payton’s evil grin made Molly’s skin crawl, as he looked around the room. He kicked the door closed with his heel, focusing on Molly.
“Found your girlfriend in the hallway. Too bad your FBI buddies are chasing a false lead of you being kidnapped and carried off in a black Dodge Charger, very much like the one the Chief here owns. Oh by the way, we wouldn’t be here if you were any kind of marksmen.”
“I was shooting at the tire so she would wreck,” Bass said defensively.
Payton glared at him. “Well, you missed and here we are.”
The judge leaned forward in shock. “Payton, what are you doing?”
“What you should have done years ago, taking charge of these idiots. I read that letter in your desk, where you confess. You knew she had the key all along. You were going to let that box be opened. What do you care, you’re nearly dead anyway.”
>
“Don’t do this, Payton. Stop now before it goes too far,” the judge pleaded.
The evil grin on his grandson’s face sat the judge back against his chair in disbelief, as Payton said, “It hasn’t gone nearly far enough.” Leslie fought, as Payton pushed her forward. He grabbed a handful of hair, snatching her head back. “Stop fighting me, bitch.”
Molly took a step in his direction. Payton lowered the barrel from Leslie’s head and aimed it at Molly. “I’ll kill you where you stand.” He returned the barrel to Leslie’s head. “Now give me the key or I will shoot her right now.”
Bass took a step back and put his hand on his weapon. “Whoa there boy. You don’t want to do that. You need to stop and think here. How are we going to explain this?”
Payton wheeled and fired once, striking Bass in the heart, dropping him instantly. Leslie screamed. He looked at the others in the room. “Seems there was a shootout and the Chief got hit. Such a shame. Jarvis, take his weapon.” Jarvis reacted immediately, following orders.
The judge tried again. “Payton, my God. What have you done?”
“I’m not going to let that box be opened and people know what you did. I won’t let my family be ruined.”
Stewart tried to reason with Payton, but Molly could see the wet stain on the inside leg of his trousers. He was scared to death. “Payton, we can still pull this off. No one has to know. We’ll take them out in the country and dump the bodies in a marl pit. No one will ever find them. We can swear they killed Bass before escaping.”
Payton’s maniacal laugh echoed around the room. “I don’t need your help to cover up a murder. I’m perfectly capable of killing someone and not being caught. Ask the FBI.” Payton fired a bullet straight into Stewart’s stomach. “Die slow, you stupid old man.”
Leslie was sobbing now. Molly glanced at her pistol on the desk. Payton saw her.
“Reach for it,” Payton said. “I’ll give you a chance to save your little dyke here.” Molly did not move. “I thought so,” he continued. “Now, the only decision you have to make is how much pain do you want to see her suffer, before you hand over that key.”
Molly glared at him. “You’re going to kill us anyway. All of us.” She looked at Jarvis. “He’s going to kill you too. Blame it all on you. He was going to make a deal to give you to the police in exchange for the key. You’re a dead man, Jarvis. You made a deal with the devil and he’s come to collect.”
Payton chuckled. “Oh, you are good, Ms. Kincaid. Give me her gun, Jarvis.”
Jarvis raised the Chief’s pistol at Payton. “What’s she talking about, Payton? You said we were going to kill them and blame her. You said I could have the gold if I helped you find the key.”
Payton tried to regain Jarvis’s trust. “She’s just trying to get out of this. She’ll say anything.”
Jarvis lowered his weapon, but he was wary when he handed Molly’s pistol to Payton, saying, “She said she didn’t bring the key with her.”
Payton stuck Molly’s gun in his waistband, shifting his eyes from Jarvis to Molly. “Of course she said that, but she’s going to give it to me,” he yanked Leslie’s hair again, “because she won’t be able to watch this.”
He raised his hand and struck Leslie across the face with the pistol. A gash opened on her cheek and blood began to gush down her face.
Molly screamed, “No!”
He raised his arm again. Molly lunged for him, but Jarvis knocked her off her feet with one blow to the face. She was dizzy and her vision was blurred. She tasted the iron in the blood running from her mouth.
Payton, dragging the stunned Leslie by the hair, stepped to stand over Molly. “You tell me where that key is and I’ll make this short and sweet. You don’t tell me and I’ll make you both suffer. My friend Jarvis here has wanted to fuck you both, but I held him off. Don’t want that to be your last memory on earth, do you?”
Molly spit blood at him. He kicked her hard in the ribs. He raised his hand to strike Leslie again.
Molly grabbed his leg. She had the wind knocked out of her. “Okay — okay,” she gasped. “Don’t hit her again. I’ll take you to the key.”
Molly saw the judge try to stand. He pleaded with his grandson. “Payton, please don’t do this. She’s my daughter. Don’t make her pay for my sins. She’s paid enough already.”
Payton wheeled on his grandfather, dropping his pistol and pulling Molly’s. “You’re right, Grandpa. You should pay for your own sins.”
He pulled the trigger and shot Judge Whitehead right between the eyes. Leslie moaned and sobbed. Molly was so sorry she ever involved Leslie in this. If she had not come back to Waitesville, Joey may have gone to prison, but Leslie would have lived. Now, they were both going to die and Molly had no way to stop it. She was only buying time until this nut decided to kill them and be done. Even Jarvis was looking at Payton like he had lost his mind.
Payton ordered Jarvis to search Molly. “Look in her pockets. Make sure she isn’t lying about not bringing it.”
Molly kicked at Jarvis. “I’d rather die than let a Branch put his hands on me. I’ll turn my pockets for you. I don’t have it. I’m not an idiot.”
Jarvis leapt on top of Molly, grinding her into the floor, rubbing his face on hers. She fought him, but he was big and strong. He pinned her arms to the floor and licked her face. He hovered over her, laughing. The sadistic expression on his face froze, when the gunshot ripped through the side of his head, his brains and blood spattering over Molly’s face. He hung there a millisecond, before collapsing on her. She screamed and tried to push his dead weight off her chest. Leslie, who was regaining some focus, echoed Molly’s scream.
Payton was laughing. He was completely off his rocker now. He waved the gun at Molly. “Ladies, now it’s just us. Shall we go find the key, or do you need some more persuasion?”
When Jarvis fell on Molly, he dropped the weapon he was holding. It skittered across the floor, landing just out of Molly’s reach. She looked in that direction.
Payton saw her. “No, no, no. Don’t do that. If I have to kill you before I get that key, I’m going to give Leslie here all of my attention. You don’t want that do you?”
Under the weight of Jarvis’s dead body, Molly’s mind was racing. Keep him talking was all she could think of. “How does this play out, Payton? You’re going to need a good lawyer. You’re about to kill the best chance you have of not getting the needle.”
Payton’s smirk accompanied his response, “I won’t get caught. No one is going to look at the distraught grandson. They’ll all feel so sorry for me, but they’ll be happy to know, as your only living relative, I’ll be well taken care of. Thanks for the millions, Aunt Molly.”
“It doesn’t work that way, Payton. I have a will. It all goes to charity. You can fight it, I suppose, but that takes money. How much will you have when the tape goes public? Your grandfather will be under investigation, his estate locked down.”
Payton glared at her. “That tape will never go public. You’re going to give me the key.” He raised his arm to strike Leslie.
“No, don’t! I’ll give it to you!”
This guy was nuts. No use reasoning with him. Molly tried a different tack. If she could make him let go of Leslie, maybe she could get away.
“I can’t get him off me. You have to help and then I’ll take you to the key. Please, don’t hurt her anymore. I’ll cooperate.”
He tried to kick Jarvis off Molly. She held on with the hand he could not see, pretending to try to move. Her ribs were screaming and it was hard to breath, but she held on. This was Leslie’s only chance.
She looked up at Payton. “He’s too heavy. I can’t get any leverage.”
Payton let go of Leslie and pushed her away. When he bent down to grab Jarvis’s jacket, Molly pushed through the pain with all her might, thrusting Jarvis’s body at Payton. He stumbled backwards.
Molly screamed at Leslie, “Run!”
She rolled out from un
der Jarvis and grabbed at Payton’s legs. She heard glass breaking and saw Leslie fall to the floor. She heard glass break again and felt Payton recoil and crumple to the floor. Molly was afraid to look, but she had to. Leslie lay in a ball by the door, covered in shattered glass. She heard Danny’s voice on the other side of the door. She looked up to see Rainey and Danny where the glass used to be, guns drawn.
Danny spoke into a microphone connected to an earpiece. “We’re clear. Stand down. Send in the ambulance, make that two, and call the State ME. I don’t want any locals touching this at all.”
Molly crawled through the glass to Leslie. Pain seared through her rib cage and she was becoming short of breath. She knew her ribs were broken. It did not stop her from pulling herself to Leslie’s side, her face hidden from Molly’s view. She touched her, afraid of what she would find. Leslie moved, to Molly’s great relief.
“Leslie, Leslie, can you hear me?”
Leslie turned her head and reached a hand out to Molly. She whispered, “I love you,” and lost consciousness.
Rainey was suddenly at Molly’s side. “Let me help her, Molly.”
Rainey started checking Leslie for wounds. She looked up at Danny. “Rush that bus. She’s been shot.”
Molly suddenly could not breathe. The last thing she heard was Rainey’s voice. “Hurry that fucking bus up, now!”
#
“I can’t believe you did that. You’re lucky to be alive. I’m not exactly sure how you thought that was going to go. I mean, you didn’t really have a plan, did you?” Rainey was chastising Molly, now that the nurse had left them alone.
Molly was sitting up in bed, in the hospital where she began her life. How appropriate the nightmare would end there. She was rushed here with broken ribs and a hairline fracture in her cheekbone. Her eyes were black and her cheek swollen, but she was alive. Molly ached all over, the day after pain always worse than the first. Rainey continued to lecture her.
“You have to learn to trust people. We could have been there sooner, if we hadn’t had to wait for the sniper to get in position. You have to promise me you will never do something so harebrained again…”
Molly: House on Fire Page 40
