by Mary Ellis
“I understand, Detective. You asked me to keep you informed, so I’m letting you know I’m on my way to that address now. I should arrive in sixteen minutes.”
“Just hold your horses, Preston—”
“No, ma’am. I believe my partner’s in danger. If Beth isn’t inside the Mulroney home, I’m simply a private citizen who got his signals crossed. They can sue me or have me arrested for trespassing, but you won’t be involved.”
Rossi again muttered something he couldn’t understand. “Fine. Give me the address and I’m on my way. I’ll call Savannah for backup, but I doubt they’ll respond based on the priority code.”
“Thanks, Detective.”
“Listen to me carefully. You are not to enter an occupied dwelling. And for heaven’s sake, don’t draw your weapon. I’m twenty-three minutes away.”
“Got it, but I need to end this call. Traffic is a nightmare in this town.”
Actually, Michael hadn’t gotten it at all. No way would he wait until Rossi drove in from Tybee Island, not with Mulroney’s history of violence.
Of course, it was possible Beth was having her nails done, or chomping on burritos, or simply enjoying an evening away from him, but he couldn’t take that chance. Because when you loved someone, you even risked making a fool of yourself to make sure they were safe.
When Michael arrived at the correct address, his bad feeling took a turn for the worse. He spotted Kaitlyn’s Mustang parked in the lot of a church, so he knew Beth was close by. And because there were no coffee shops or delis in the area, he knew the only place she could be was inside the ramshackle house the Mulroneys called home. He left his car parked at the curb and approached the house.
The rooms facing the street were dark at Bonnie and Lenny’s, but lights blazed in the rear of the house, presumably the kitchen. A yellow Honda was parked in the yard with a dual-axle pickup truck blocking it in. A gun rack mounted in the back window was never a good sign. While still twenty feet away, Michael heard voices—one male and one female—raised in anger. The female sounded whiny and young, not at all the sultry drawl of his beloved Beth. Maybe she isn’t here. Maybe this is just me confusing gut instincts for indigestion.
“It’s your fault she’s here in the first place, Bonnie!” The man’s profanity-laced accusation wiped any maybes from the slate. “She followed you, not me!”
Michael crept close enough to peer into the side window at a room in disarray. But it wasn’t a lack of housekeeping skills that turned his blood to ice water. Beth sat in a straight-back chair, tied to a freezer, her hands bound behind her. A filthy rag had been jammed into her mouth, and a red welt across her face had already started to darken.
“Who watches their rearview mirror?” Bonnie wailed. “I have to keep my eyes on the road. That doesn’t mean we need to do something stupid now.”
“Just make sure you have everything packed. We’re not coming back to this dump no matter what you leave behind.”
“I already have everything right here, Lenny. I swear. Let’s just leave Beth tied up. By the time she gets loose, we’ll be long gone from this old city.”
Lenny untied the chair from the freezer and dragged Beth roughly to her feet, the chair coming along with her. “Nope, we need the lady PI for insurance. If anyone tries to stop us, she’ll be our bargaining chip to make them back off.”
“What will you do with her then?” The desperation of Bonnie’s plea almost matched his own apprehension.
Michael checked his watch. Fifteen minutes had passed since he’d talked to Rossi, yet there was still no sign of her or the Savannah police. Drawing his weapon, he couldn’t wait any longer for backup.
“If you don’t shut up and let me think, Bonnie, you’ll get the same, whatever I decide.”
Tears coursed down Bonnie’s cheeks as she bobbed and weaved into Michael’s line of fire.
“You think you can walk out of here with me tied up?” asked Beth the moment Lenny pulled out the gag. “I grew up in a neighborhood like this. Nobody ever minds their own business, especially not the way you two have been screaming at each other.”
Please, Beth, don’t rile the guy up more than he already is, Michael thought. Now she was between him and his target.
When Lenny pulled out a long hunting knife, Michael knew he had to act.
“You almost cut her loose!” Lenny shouted, slicing through the restraints easily.
“That’s what I intended,” snarled Bonnie.
Michael took aim, grateful that Mulroney was at least six inches taller than Beth. But before he could get off a shot, Diane Rossi hissed in his ear.
“I told you not to draw your weapon, Preston!”
Michael didn’t take his focus off Mulroney. “The creep has two guns and a knife. I’m not taking a chance with Beth’s life.”
“He won’t kill her between here and his truck. I’m going around to the front. Just let me handle this.”
Michael didn’t agree. He also didn’t argue. He just aimed his Smith and Wesson at Mulroney and waited like the patient man he’d always been.
Lenny slipped the knife into his belt and jabbed the gun barrel into Beth’s rib cage. “You’re right about nosy neighbors. That’s why you and me are walking out of here just like the sweethearts we are.” He wrapped his other arm around Beth’s shoulder. “And I wouldn’t try anything if I were you. Grab my duffel and the cooler, Bonnie, and let’s go!”
“Can I go to the bathroom first?” she whined. “Key West is a long way from Savannah.”
“Hurry up!” he snapped. “Sometimes I swear you’re still ten years old.”
As Lenny paused just inside the threshold, Michael froze to the right of the door. Seconds passed as he waited for Rossi to come through the house. If he could get off a clean shot that wouldn’t endanger Beth, he would take it, but he couldn’t see well enough in the dark.
“What’s taking you so long?” Lenny shouted. “I want to get on the road!”
Inhaling a deep breath, Michael wrapped both hands around his gun. If he waited for Bonnie to exit the bathroom, one more person might be in the way of Detective Rossi.
Just as Lenny muttered an obscenity, Michael yanked open the screen door and leveled his weapon at Lenny’s forehead, less than a foot away. “Drop the gun, Mulroney, and release Beth. I’ll say it only once.”
“And if he misses, I won’t.” Detective Rossi’s voice came from somewhere inside the kitchen. She jabbed Lenny between the shoulder blades with her gun barrel.
Lenny uttered a second foul phrase, dropped his gun, and pushed Beth down the steps. “She’s all yours.”
Michael grabbed Beth’s arm before she fell. “There’s a second weapon under his shirt, Detective,” he added.
Beth regained her footing. “What do you bet ballistics will match it to the bullet that killed Mr. Doyle?”
“No doubt, but first I can’t wait to hear how you ended up here, Kirby,” Rossi said as she slapped handcuffs on Mulroney.
“That will make an interesting story for later.” Beth moved out of the way while Michael relieved Mulroney of the second firearm and his hunting knife.
“You won’t need these where you’re going,” Michael said in response to Mulroney’s glare.
As Rossi read Lenny his rights, Michael dragged Bonnie from the bathroom, where she’d been hiding.
“Looks like I missed all the action,” said Rossi’s partner as he sauntered up the driveway. “Traffic on the Islands Expressway was the pits.”
“You’re just in time to say thank you, Fuller.” Rossi patted Mulroney down for additional weapons. “These two out-of-towners just solved our homicide.”
Michael wasn’t interested in praise or gratitude. He was still worried about Beth. Turning Bonnie over to Detective Fuller, he walked to where Beth waited on the sidelines. “I have never heard you speechless this long, Kirby.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I hope Mulroney didn’t injure your vocal cords.”
Michael wanted to hear her decision more than anything, but four pairs of eyes were boring into them like lasers. He gently turned Beth’s face toward their captive audience. “Why don’t we let the detectives take care of business, and you can tell me later.”
Beth nodded but didn’t loosen her grip on his shirt one iota.
“Wow, how come you didn’t react like that when I saved your skin?” Detective Fuller asked his partner.
“Hey, I bought your lunch the next day,” said Rossi. “Be happy with that.” The two detectives watched them for a few more moments until the sound of approaching sirens demanded their attention. “Looks like the cavalry has arrived. Bring Bonnie. We’ll sort out what role she played in all of this down at the Savannah station.” Rossi dragged Lenny none too gently down the driveway, while Detective Fuller followed with a rather reluctant Bonnie.
But Lenny wasn’t finished with his five minutes of fame. “I can’t believe you gave me up.” He scowled at his sister. “We could have started over someplace new. I’m your family. I’m the one who took care of you, but you sided with this PI over your own brother.”
Bonnie’s explanation was short and sweet. “You killed my best friend. There’s no overlooking that.”
Suddenly, another voice called out, “Michael, Beth! Thank goodness, you’re all right.” Kaitlyn emerged from the shadows and hurled herself at them. “I was so worried about you.”
Beth reached out to pull her into a three-way hug. “Thanks to my partner, I’m fine. How on earth did you get here?”
“Well, since you had my car, I had to use Uber.”
“Sorry about that. We’ll reimburse you…”
That caused Michael and Kaitlyn to laugh. What an incredibly inane thing to say in such an emotionally fraught moment. After a few seconds, Beth joined in. Then, as she wiped moisture from her eyes, she said, “Thanks for coming.”
Michael gently extracted himself from the embrace. “Kaitlyn did more than come late to the party. She’s the one who found Mulroney’s address in the Florida parole database. I passed it along to Rossi, and the police were able to get here in time.”
“Sounds like we make a great team,” said Beth, ending with a sigh of exhaustion.
Michael grabbed her to lend support. “You look ready to drop. You can give a statement and retrieve your firearm tomorrow. Kaitlyn, please drive Beth back to the hotel while I talk to the Savannah police. I’ll join you there as soon as I can.”
“You got it.”
“And I meant what I said before. I’m very grateful for what you did tonight.”
Kaitlyn shot him a smile as she helped Beth into her car.
Michael watched until the Mustang disappeared around the corner, still shaken at how close he’d come to losing the love of his life. Anyone who went the extra distance for people she just met deserved a chance despite any skeletons in her closet. Even if he had to walk across hot coals, he would convince Nate that Kaitlyn was right for the job. Loyalty deserved loyalty in return.
THIRTY-SIX
When Beth awoke the next morning, for one brief moment she thought it all had been a horrible nightmare. But the rope burns on her wrists and the pain in her jaw brought her quickly back to reality.
Crystal was dead. Bonnie hadn’t killed anyone. And her brother, in some twisted version of defending his sister’s honor, had also killed Lamar.
She swung her feet out of bed and padded to the window. Dew sparkled in the autumn sun on the grass down below. Michael saved my life. Beth always thought of herself as the one in charge—the one to rush into a burning building or dive off a pier or wrestle the gun away from a felon. But if her partner hadn’t shown up, Lenny Mulroney would have kidnapped and then killed her.
Last night after Kaitlyn dropped her off, Beth had taken a hot shower and then collapsed on her bed, waiting for Michael to knock on her door. But she’d apparently fallen asleep long before he finished giving his statement to the police. Just as well. What do you say to a person after they risked their life to save yours?
When the phone on the desk rang, Beth knew she’d run out of time. “Beth Kirby,” she said in a voice she didn’t recognize.
“Good morning, Miss Kirby,” drawled Michael. He, on the other hand, sounded normal, not at all like a knight in shining armor. “Isn’t it about time you turned your cell back on?”
“Good grief. I was so tired I forgot about it.”
“I decided to let you sleep as long as possible, but the Savannah police have already called twice. When we didn’t come to the station this morning, they sent two officers to get us.”
“They’re downstairs now? What time is it?”
“It’s noon, and they’re in the breakfast area, unless they called for backup to surround the place.” Michael chuckled.
“I’ll be right down,” Beth said before hanging up. She grabbed a clean outfit from the closet and flew into the bathroom.
And so began the longest six hours of her life. After she and Michael were questioned individually about the events leading up to her being taken hostage by Mulroney, they were grilled about their involvement with the Doyle homicide. Then everyone went to the Tybee Island station to talk with Detectives Rossi and Fuller. When Michael insisted on driving his car, one officer rode with him, perhaps to circumvent a sudden sprint for the Mississippi state line. At least when Rossi took the lead on Tybee, Beth and Michael were no longer treated like part of a sinister plot to scam and murder a local citizen.
Finally, the Savannah detectives rose to their feet. “I think we have what we need, Miss Kirby, Mr. Preston. We’ll have these statements typed up, and you can stop by tomorrow to sign them.”
“We’ll be there,” said Michael as Beth nodded in agreement.
After the Savannah detectives thanked their Tybee Island brethren in blue and left, Beth turned to Rossi. “Is that it? We’re free to leave Chatham County?”
“The sooner the better, if anyone wants my opinion,” Rossi said with a grin.
“Will we be called back to testify at Mulroney’s trial?” asked Michael.
“It’s possible, but the DA seems to think Lenny will cop a plea. This is his third violent offense. Because the gun registered to Lamar Doyle was stuck in his belt, he doesn’t have many options. Chances are ballistics will match the bullets to those that killed Lamar and Crystal.”
“What kind of plea?” Beth gripped the arms of the chair.
“Relax. He’ll plead to life in prison without parole to avoid the death penalty. He won’t be coming after you in this lifetime.”
“I was more worried about Bonnie.” Beth unlocked her fingers.
Rossi’s face softened. “You stuck your neck out for that girl. I’m not sure she’s worth it.”
“She’s had few breaks in life with Lenny as her only family.”
Rossi nodded. “As long as she cooperates fully, I don’t see Savannah pressing charges against her. You went to that house of your own volition, and Bonnie had no control over her brother. She should be able to break free of Lenny at long last.”
“Any clue how Mulroney entered the Doyles’ enclave without passing by the security camera?” Michael stretched out his long legs.
Rossi paused, as though deciding whether or not to share. “One of their neighbors reported seeing a landscaping truck, loaded with mowers and implements, parked by the beach access gate. The neighbor assumed that a tree had toppled close to the dune line and a resident wanted it cleaned up immediately. Maintenance workers use a special beach gate to make
sure fences are protecting nesting turtles and the fragile areas of the dunes. No one would question a landscaping truck being there. And unlike the main gate, there are no security cameras at the service entrance.”
“Mulroney left his truck at the gate and walked down the beach to the Doyles’?”
“That’s my theory. It’s less than half a mile. Besides, people walk the beach at night. He wouldn’t have drawn any attention whatsoever.”
“Have you found a homeowner who made a middle-of-the-night service call?” asked Beth.
“I have not. And I checked the background of every employee of every landscaper who works on Tybee and came up empty. I never would have found Mulroney, because his boss has no contracts on the island and pays Mulroney under the table. So you two ended up helping after all.”
“We were happy to assist, ma’am,” said Michael, the voice of diplomacy.
“Does that mean we can stay a little longer?” asked Beth, the voice of living dangerously. “I haven’t quite finished sightseeing.”
Rossi nodded. “You can stay to sightsee, eat at our fine restaurants, and buy expensive souvenirs in the City Market. Heck, I’ll even let you swim at our beautiful beaches on Tybee. But your firearms will stay locked in the hotel safe. Are we clear?”
“As a bell.” Michael jumped up and pulled Beth to her feet. “Speaking of restaurants, I’m starved. Ready to go, partner?”
Picking up on his cue, Beth reached out to shake Rossi’s hand. “Thanks for showing up last night. Please express my gratitude to Detective Fuller too. If not for you and Michael, I might have died from breathing toxic fumes. Mulroney needed a shower in a bad way.”
They could hear Rossi’s laughter all the way out of the station.
“Are you really starving, or did you just want out of there?” asked Beth.
