by Kathi Daley
I took out my phone and shook it. Still dead. The way Sam was screaming, I had no doubt he’d kill Kate if I didn’t intervene. Maybe I could make it to her vehicle and use her radio to call for help. I’d have to pass in front of the window to get to the car, so I crouched down as much as I could and began to move. I arrived at the car only to find it locked. Damn.
I heard another shot. I ran back toward the house and looked in the window. Kate’s other shoulder was bleeding. Was he planning to kill her slowly? That made no sense. I knew I needed to act, and I needed to do it quickly, but I had no plan.
“Please stop.” Martha was crying. “You can’t do this. Please, we can work something out.”
“Shut up,” Sam shouted. “Now go get a bag or I’ll put another bullet in our visitor.”
Martha turned and walked down the hall. This, I realized, was my chance. I headed around to the side of the house, where I suspected Martha’s bedroom was. When she entered, I knocked on the window. She hesitated for just a few seconds and then opened it for me. I climbed in.
“We need to call for help.”
“They’ll arrest Sammy.”
“Yes, they will, but if we don’t get help he’ll kill the deputy. Is there a phone in this part of the house?”
“No. Just in the kitchen. On the other side of the living room.”
“Do you have a cell phone?”
Martha shook her head.
“Come on, Mom. We have to go,” Sam called out.
“Go,” I instructed Martha. “Try to create a diversion when you get back to the living room.”
“A diversion?”
“Pretend to faint or, better yet, have a heart attack.”
Martha looked uncertain.
“Just do it. If you don’t and Sam kills the deputy it will be partially your fault.”
Tears were streaming down Martha’s face, but I could see she would do as I asked. I grabbed a cane that was leaning against the wall and followed Martha back down the hall, staying far enough back that I hoped Sam wouldn’t see me. He might have heard me, though, because he glanced in my direction before Martha screamed and grabbed her chest.
As Martha fell to the floor, Sam set the gun to his side and went to help her. I snuck up behind him and hit him as hard as I could with the cane. Luckily, it was hard enough to knock him over. I grabbed the gun before telling Mrs. Wilson to go into the kitchen and dial 911.
Sam recovered quickly from my attack. He jumped up and came after me. I didn’t even think, I just pointed the gun and pulled the trigger.
Luckily, I shot him in the leg. I honestly wasn’t certain what I would have done if I’d killed him.
“You stupid bitch!” Sam yelled at me. His eyes had the look of a rabid dog.
“Stay down,” I demanded in the most authoritative voice I could muster.
Sam ignored me and started to get up, so I pulled the trigger again, this time hitting the wall behind him.
Mrs. Wilson was hysterical by this point. She was wailing and crying as she tried to comfort Sam, who was totally ignoring her.
“Get the deputy’s handcuffs,” I said to Mrs. Wilson.
Kate was lying on the floor in a pool of blood and I knew she wouldn’t be able to help me. I just needed to hang on until help arrived.
“Why?” Mrs. Wilson cried. “What are you going to do?”
“We need to cuff Sam until help arrives.”
Mrs. Wilson cried harder, but she didn’t make a move to do as I said. I could tell I was in this alone. Sam started to move and I pointed the gun at his head. “If I need to use another bullet, I’m going to make it count.”
Mrs. Wilson fainted and Sam began yelling and cussing, but at least he was staying put. At least for the time being. I glanced at Kate. She was out cold. I hoped she wasn’t dead, but I couldn’t tell, and I didn’t take my eyes off Sam for even one minute to check on her.
“Did you kill Jennifer Reinhold?” I demanded. I really didn’t expect Sam to answer, but if I could divert him from the onslaught of cussing even for a minute it might help my migraine that was developing.
“What’s it to you?” Sam spat back.
His eyes were filled with rage. I really couldn’t tell what he might do next. I was scared out of my mind, but I decided to play it cool. I shrugged, never taking my eyes off Sam or my finger off the trigger. My arm was beginning to shake. I wasn’t sure how long I could hold out. Where was Roy? It seemed like he should have been here by now.
Sam must have noticed that my arm was shaking, because once the sirens could be heard in the distance he made one last attempt to lunge at me. I pulled the trigger without taking the time to aim. It hit him in the arm. Mrs. Wilson came to and started yelling, but I maintained my position. By the time Roy came to take over my knees were so wobbly I had to grab onto the sofa to keep from falling to the floor.
Roy cuffed Sam, then ran over to check on Kate.
“How is she?”
“Alive, thanks to you. The ambulance is on the way. What happened?”
“I don’t know. I came to Martha’s place to look at Sam’s photographs. I thought I might find a clue leading to the truth about Jennifer Reinhold’s death.”
“Did you?”
I handed Roy the photo from my pocket.
“Sam killed Mrs. Reinhold?”
“It looks that way. At the very least he was an accomplice.”
“Do you know how Kate ended up here?”
“No. I was going to tell you about the photo, but my phone died when we were talking. I came back here to use Mrs. Wilson’s phone to call you and saw Sam’s car. I was about to leave when I heard a gunshot. When I made my way to the house I noticed Kate’s car. I guess she decided to come to speak to Mrs. Wilson for some reason. Sam showed up sometime before I arrived the second time. Somehow he must have gotten the upper hand on her. He had her gun and shot her with it. I hope she’s okay.”
Roy glanced out the window as a pair of ambulances arrived. He took charge of transferring Sam into one while the EMTs loaded Kate into the other. I decided to join Mrs. Wilson on the sofa. She was sitting perfectly still, staring into space. I hoped the shock wasn’t too much for her. She was at an age where such an upset like this could really give her a heart attack.
Later that evening I sat on the beach as colorful explosions lit the night sky. The day, which had started out simply lovely with family and friends together, was ending that way as well despite the part in the middle. I relaxed into Kyle’s arms as he supported my weight while we sat on the blanket with Ashley, Gracie, Jenna and her girls, Grandpa, Doc, Bookman and Helen, and Rosalie, along with a puppy she’d found on the beach and was keeping an eye on until she could locate the owner. I watched the tender way she calmed the frightened pup and realized it really was a shame she’d missed her shot at having children of her own. She had a wonderful nurturing way about her. But she was going to make a fantastic grandma for Ashley and Gracie, who’d never had one before. And maybe one day, if Kyle and I did marry and have children, she’d make a terrific grandmother for them as well.
“Oh, wow, did you see that?” Gracie stood up. She clapped her hands as she jumped up and down in place. Ashley got up and joined her, and before I knew it, all four girls were jumping and clapping with each new explosion overhead.
“I like the silver streamers,” Ashley insisted when Kristi announced that her favorite were the red, white, and blue buttons that exploded into flowers.
Gracie was so wound up she was spinning in circles while she looked up into the dark sky. I knew that years from now she and Ashley would remember these family moments the way I remembered the ones from my childhood.
I could feel Kyle’s heart beat against my back as I leaned into him. This was shaping up to be one of my favorite fireworks shows yet. The only thing that could ha
ve made it even more perfect would have been Judge Harper kicking off the festivities as the acting mayor always had.
Once I had been interviewed by Roy, I’d gone back to the resort to find Kyle waiting for me. He’d been able to confirm that Bristow had indeed been trying to blackmail Judge Harper using the information he had found about Harper’s mistake as a young attorney. Reputation was very important to Bristow, even if it was mostly considered to be a bad one, so he’d just assumed Judge Harper could be swayed to seeing things his way if he could find the right kind of dirt on him. Kyle had called Bookman and several of the other council members and, although Bristow hadn’t been the one to tamper with Judge Harper’s car, his actions were still seen as unconscionable. The mall, as far as Kyle could tell, was pretty much dead in the water.
Gracie laughed as Kyle jumped up and chased her for putting sand down his shirt. As he picked her up and threatened to toss her into the lake, I had a very vivid memory of doing the same song and dance with my dad. Ashley tried to overpower Kyle to save her sister, and before I knew it, all four girls had tackled him to the ground. I was really missing my dad tonight, although Hunter had assured me he would make a full recovery. He was coming home tomorrow.
As I watched my family share this special event on the beach we called home, I knew without a doubt that, despite the temporary insanity that had sent me running across the country, Paradise Lake was where I was meant to be.
Chapter 19
Wednesday, July 5
“He’s here, he’s here,” Gracie shouted, running through the house as soon as she spied Rosalie’s car pulling onto the resort road from the second-story window.
“Remember, we need to be gentle,” I called as both sisters and the dogs ran for the front door. Luckily, Kyle and Grandpa had both gone with Rosalie to help bring Dad home, so Kyle intercepted the dogs while Grandpa intercepted the girls.
The nurse Rosalie had hired stood off to the side, waiting to get Dad settled after everyone had greeted him. Once the girls had a chance to say their hellos, I wandered over to give him a gentle hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Welcome home. We’re so happy you’re here.”
Dad tried to squeeze my hand, but he was still weak. “Not as happy as I am to be here.”
“We have a temporary room all set up for you in the den. The nurse wants to get you settled—check your vitals and all that—so I’m going to take the girls and the dogs down to the beach. We’ll talk later.”
Dad smiled. “Okay, sweetheart. Thank you for everything.”
Kyle joined Ashley, Gracie, Echo, Pumpkin, Trooper, and me as we headed to the picnic area I’d set up. Both girls, along with all the dogs, jumped into the cool, clear water as Kyle and I set about making sandwiches.
“Thanks for going with Rosalie,” I said as Kyle smeared mustard on several slices of bread.
“I was more than happy to help. That’s what families do. Mike seems to be in good spirits, and I had a chat with Hunter while we waited for the nurse to get him ready to go. He seems to think Mike’s going to be just fine.”
“How was it? Your chat with Hunter?”
Kyle shrugged. “It was fine. It wasn’t even weird. I honestly think he’s happy for us. I’m sure there’ll be moments of awkwardness from time to time, but Hunter will make his adjustments and we’ll be able to get back to normal. How did your meeting with Roy go?”
One of the reasons I hadn’t gone with the others to get Dad was because Roy had stopped by to take my statement just as everyone was leaving.
“It went fine. Sam admitted he’d helped Kendra kill her sister eight years ago and frame Steven Reinhold. He said they were after the money, which Kendra had agreed to give him a cut of, but then she stiffed him after he’d helped her. There wasn’t much he could do at that point; he couldn’t expose her without exposing himself.”
“And his mother?”
“Martha went to her sister’s as planned. I wouldn’t be surprised if she stays there permanently. I think Paradise Lake has lost its appeal for her. After living here for a lifetime, it really is too bad she’ll probably take away more bad memories than good ones.”
Kyle leaned over and gave me a quick kiss before grabbing another slice of bread to spread mayonnaise on.
“Did Roy have a sense of whether Sam intended to kill Judge Harper or just scare him?” Kyle asked.
“Now there’s the really bizarre thing. Sam said he tampered with the judge’s brake line as retaliation for sleeping with his mother. He swears he only meant it as a warning to back off. He had no idea the judge was taking a second look at Jennifer Reinhold’s murder.”
“Well, that’s random,” Kyle said.
“It really is. The whole thing was so senseless.”
Kyle looked up and I could see that he was checking on the girls and the dogs to make sure everyone was okay before he continued his task. He really was going to make an awesome father.
“By the way,” he said after assuring himself that everyone was fine, “while I was chatting with Hunter today, he told me Kate is going to be just fine.”
“Yeah, Roy told me the same thing. I guess she went over to talk to Sam about tampering with Judge Harper’s car, but his neighbor told her that he’d gone over to his mother’s. She went there to speak to him, but he wasn’t there yet, so Kate decided to have another chat with Martha. During the chat Sam showed up and somehow managed to get her gun.”
“She owes you her life.”
I began adding slices of ham to the bread Kyle had dressed. “Maybe, but Roy also made it perfectly clear she still believes civilians should stay out of law enforcement business and warned him that if he works with us again she’ll report him.”
“You’re kidding! After everything you did to help her?”
“I know. I should be furious, but somehow I’m not.” I began to distribute the lettuce as Kyle added cheese to the ham. “Kate obviously has a strong opinion about this, and even though I saved her life, she doesn’t really know us. I figure we’ll just stand back and give her time to settle in. Hopefully there won’t be another murder to solve for a long, long time.”
Kyle waved at the girls to head in. “That hasn’t been the case in the past, but I hope we’re entering into a drama-free period in our lives.”
Kyle grabbed the soda while I grabbed the chips. He and I weren’t a family yet, but, in that moment, I knew exactly how amazing a simple lunch between parents and their children could be.
The Tj Jensen Mystery Series
By Kathi Daley
The NEXT book in the series:
BEACHES IN PARADISE (#9)
The FIRST book in the series:
PUMPKINS IN PARADISE (#1)
Ready to binge a new mystery series?
From Agatha-Nominated author, Kendel Lynn, comes the PI-in-training dubbed “the Stephanie Plum of the South.” It’s a seaside romp of mischief and misfortune you do not want to miss.
BOARD STIFF (#1)
A richly textured mystery with an amateur sleuth who finds herself painted into a corner when she finds a dead body in her garden and a homicide detective on her doorstep.
FATAL BRUSHSTROKE (#1)
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About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Kathi Daley lives in beautiful Lake Tahoe with her husband, Ken. When she isn’t writing, she likes spending time hiking the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home. She has authored more than seventy-five books in eight series including: Zoe Donovan Cozy Mysteries, Whales and Tails Island Mysteries, Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mysteries, Tj Jensen Parad
ise Lake Mysteries, Writer’s Retreat Southern Seashore Mysteries, Rescue Alaska Paranormal Mysteries, and Seacliff High Teen Mysteries. Find out more about her books at www.kathidaley.com.
