“Laurant!” Nick shouted her name as he raced back through the living room. He thought he heard the squeal of tires out front and he stopped at the front door long enough to unlock the dead bolt, but he didn’t open the door because he knew the fresh air would only feed the fire.
Joe had handcuffed Brenner and was trying to get him to his feet, but his prisoner was fighting him every inch of the way.
“Get him out through the front door, but hurry. The fire’s out of control.”
“That son of a bitch,” Brenner screamed. “That miserable little piece of shit. I’m going to kill him.”
Joe pulled Brenner to his feet and shoved him ahead of him down the stairs.
Nick burst into Laurant’s room. She had already put on jeans and loafers and was pulling a T-shirt down over her midriff.
She’d packed too. He couldn’t believe it. The empty overnight bag she’d left on the floor by the closet door was now on her bed and stuffed full. The bathroom door was wide open, and he could see that the counter had been swept clean.
“Let’s go.” He had to shout to be heard over Brenner’s screams. “Leave it,” he ordered when he saw her reach for the bag. “We’ve got to get out of here. Now.”
Ignoring his order, she grabbed the bag and slung the strap over her left shoulder. Then she noticed he was barefoot. She grabbed his loafers and shoved them in the bag on top of the photo album.
Nick flipped the safety on his gun and slipped it into his holster. That gave her two more seconds to grab his wallet, the car keys, and her purse from the top of the dresser. She was shoving them into the side pocket of the bag when Nick grabbed her. He pulled her tight into his side and half carried her along the hallway and down the stairs. She had a death grip on the strap, and she could hear the bag banging on the steps behind her.
Black smoke rolled up the stairs to meet them. Nick shoved her head down against his chest and continued on.
She heard an unearthly sound behind her, like a dragon wheezing, and then a crackling roar followed. The air conditioner in the dining room window crashed to the floor and exploded. The force was so great the walls shook, and the hardwood shivered beneath her feet. The living room window shattered then, and shards of glass the size of butcher knives shot out onto the porch. The fire hissed and then roared again as it fed on the gust of wind that rushed inside the open doorway.
They made it outside just in the nick of time. Another few seconds and they would have had to climb out one of the bedroom windows. The fire chased them outside, the flames licking at their heels. They stumbled down the steps and onto the front walk, coughing from the inhaled smoke.
She squeezed her eyes shut to try to get rid of the stinging. Nick recovered much quicker than she did. He spotted Wesson leaping out of his car and running toward Joe and Brenner. The agent and his prisoner were standing in the empty lot beside Laurant’s house. Feinberg was still in the car, the motor running.
How had the agents gotten here so soon, Nick wondered. First things first, he thought. He squeezed Laurant. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice hoarse from coughing.
She leaned into him, thankful for his strength. “Yes,” she answered. “Are you all right?”
“Good to go,” he said.
She looked around her in a daze. The entire neighborhood was waking up. Families up and down the street began to spill out of their houses onto their front porches and lawns to watch the fire. She could hear the sirens wailing in the distance. She saw Bessie Jean and Viola standing by the big old oak in their front yard where they had kept Daddy chained. Both ladies were dressed in heavy, fuzzy robes, one pink, the other white, that made them look like giant bunny rabbits. Bessie Jean, her hair in pin curls, was wearing an old-fashioned hairnet, the knot she’d tied in the netting hanging down on her forehead. Viola was dabbing at her eyes with her lacy handkerchief and shaking her head as she watched the fire.
Laurant turned back and saw the flames shooting through the roof over her living room. It had been a near miss, she realized then. But Nick was all right, and so was she, without a blister between them.
She watched the fire and thanked God no one had been hurt. Suddenly, the fog lifted and the truth settled. She began to shake.
“Laurant, what’s the matter?”
“You got him. It’s over Nick. The nightmare’s over.”
She dropped her bag and threw her arms around him. He held her close. Then he heard her whisper, “Thank you.”
“We aren’t going to celebrate just yet. Let’s take this a step at a time.”
She looked up at him. “I still can’t believe it. When I heard him shouting at you in the hallway, I recognized his voice and I knew it was Steve, but I just couldn’t put it together in my mind. I was so shocked.” She took a deep breath and tried to be more coherent. “You told me he was a suspect, and you were right all along.”
She couldn’t stop trembling. Impatiently wiping the tears away with the back of her hands, she remembered the man on the roof. “There were two of them,” she said. “Yes, two,” she repeated.
“The other man was Lonnie. He started the fire.”
“Lonnie?” She didn’t know why she was stunned to know the sheriff ’s son had been involved. Brenner had obviously been the brains. He had been the one to plan the nightmare from start to finish.
Nick was looking around for Lonnie. Where the hell was he? He should have been cuffed by now with at least one agent on him.
Willie and Justin came running across the street to help. Justin immediately went to Bessie Jean’s yard to turn on her garden hose to try to contain the fire. It was pitifully inadequate.
Nick pulled Laurant toward Wesson. The agent was talking on his phone.
“I got him, sir. I certainly did, and as soon as I get the warrant, I’m positive I’m going to find more evidence to nail him.”
“
I
got him?” She repeated Wesson’s boast to Nick.
“Yeah, I heard what he said.”
Joe had obviously also heard. He was glaring at Wesson, letting him see his hostility. The agent in charge ignored him and continued to speak into his slick, palm-size phone. Wesson could barely contain his enthusiasm.
“By the book, sir. That’s how I got him. And for the record, instinct didn’t have anything to do with the apprehension. It was careful planning and following through. No, sir, that wasn’t a criticism of your methods. I’m simply telling you that it was hard work and not anything else.”
The fire truck barreled down the street, the siren blaring. Feinberg moved his car out of the way of the fire hydrant and parked it in front of Bessie Jean’s house, then got out and ran over to Joe. Like everyone else, he watched the blaze.
Volunteer firemen wearing yellow slickers and hats jumped from the truck and raced to hook up the hoses. The driver turned off the siren and then shouted, “Is everyone out of the house?”
“Everyone’s out,” Joe shouted back.
Nick was seething inside. He swore that if Wesson didn’t get off the damn phone in the next five seconds, he was going to rip it out of his hand and beat the hell out of him if that was what it would take to get some answers. Where was Lonnie? And where were the agents who were supposed to be watching the house?
“Laurant, I want you to get in the car and stay there. I’ll move it onto the street,” he said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her along.
She could hear the anger radiating in his voice. He was still acting as though he was supposed to protect her and she couldn’t understand why. They had caught Brenner, and they knew who his accomplice was.
“Nick, it’s over.” Maybe it hadn’t sunk in yet. Yes, that was it, she thought. “You did it. You and Joe got him.”
“We’ll talk about it later,” he said curtly as he reached down and picked up the bag.
When they reached the car, he muttered, “Ah, hell, the keys.”
“I’ve got them.”
He held the bag while she dug until she found them. Her hands were shaking so much she couldn’t get the key in the lock.
Nick took the keys from her, unlocked the car door, and tossed the bag into the backseat.
“Hey, Laurant, how come that guy’s handcuffed?” Willie asked.
Justin jogged over from the Vandermans’ yard. He too was curious to hear the details.
“Isn’t that Steve Brenner?” Justin asked. “He’s a big shot in town.”
“But how come he’s cuffed? What’d he do?”
“He broke into my house.”
“Get inside the car, Laurant,” Nick said. He took hold of her elbow to get her moving, but she turned back when Brenner started screaming.
“Take these handcuffs off me. You can’t hold me. I haven’t done anything illegal. I own that house, and if I want to put a camera inside, you can’t stop me. I signed the papers two weeks ago. It’s my house, and I’ve got the right to know what goes on in there.”
Joe had used up all his patience. “What you’ve got is the right to remain silent. Now shut the hell up.”
Justin’s mouth dropped open. “He put a camera in your house?”
“Where’d he put it?” Willie asked.
She didn’t answer. She sagged against Nick’s side. Her eyes were fixed on Brenner. He turned, saw her watching him, and sneered. There was dried blood caked on his perfectly capped teeth and more smeared on his lips. He was a reptile.
Brenner couldn’t control his fury. He blamed everyone but himself for getting caught. If the bitch hadn’t brought the FBI boyfriend home, he wouldn’t be in this predicament. Most of all he blamed Laurant. Joe grabbed him when he lunged toward her. Brenner tried to shove himself free while he shouted profanities at her. All his plans were ruined. Damn her.
“You bitch,” he shouted. “This is my house now. I paid that old lady a lot of money and you know what? There isn’t a damned thing you can do about it. When I’m finished suing everybody, I’m going to own the FBI. I have rights,” he added in a roar. And then, hoping to humiliate her, he added, “I’ve been watching you undress almost every night. I’ve seen everything you’ve got to offer.”
She saw the evil radiating like hot coals in his eyes, and she didn’t have any doubt at all that he had killed those women. Brenner was clearly demented.
“Joe, put a gag in his mouth,” Nick shouted.
“Get her away from here,” Wesson ordered.
The profanities Brenner hurled at her didn’t shake her as Nick led her back to the car. Some of the women in the crowd weren’t so indifferent, however. One mother cupped her hands over her son’s ears. Her neighbors might be shocked by Brenner’s conduct now, but when they learned the truth about the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde living in their midst, they were going to be sickened.
Nick got her inside the car, then backed into the street and parked it behind Feinberg’s vehicle.
“Listen to me. I want you to stay in the car with the windows up and the doors locked.” He flipped on the air conditioner so she wouldn’t swelter.
“I want to get out of here. Could we please leave now?”
She sounded close to tears. “In just a minute,” he promised.“Okay? I’ve got to talk to Wesson.”
She woodenly nodded. “Yes, all right.”
She watched him sprint across the yard, then she turned to look at the house. The fire seemed to have been contained, and she thought it was odd that she didn’t feel much emotion at all while she surveyed the destruction. It had been her home, but now that Brenner owned it, she never wanted to go inside again.
The flashing lights, the noise of the crowd, Brenner’s screams—it was all too much. She put her hand to her forehead and slumped down in her seat. And then she began to cry for the two women Brenner had murdered.
They could rest in peace now. The monster couldn’t hurt anyone else.
T
he sheriff was the last to arrive at the scene. His Ford Explorer rounded the corner on two wheels. Swerving to avoid hitting Little Lorna, the car skidded to a stop.
Lloyd left his SUV in the middle of the street. Grunting as he eased his bulk out from under the steering wheel, he got out of the car and stood there with his hands on his hips, surveying the crowd. He tried to look important. Frowning so that anyone who might be watching him would know he considered this situation a serious matter, he hiked his pants up with his belt, straightened his shoulders, and strutted into Laurant’s front yard.
“What’s going on here?” he shouted.
“What do you think is going on?” Joe asked. “The house is on fire.”
Lloyd scowled at Joe to let him know he didn’t appreciate his sarcasm. Then he noticed Brenner’s hands were behind his back and there was blood all over his face. Leaning to the side, he saw the handcuffs.
“Hey, now, what’s Steve wearing those cuffs for?”
“Breaking the law,” Joe replied.
“Bullshit,” Brenner ranted. “Lloyd, I didn’t do anything illegal. Make them take these damn cuffs off me. They’re chafing my wrists.”
“In due course,” Lloyd assured him. Then his eagle-eyed gaze homed in on Joe, and he took a threatening step toward him. “Aren’t you that fella who was fixing Lauren’s sink? What are you doing here? Did you strike this citizen? His nose looks to be broken. Now I’m asking you straight out, boy, and I want a straight answer. Did you hit him?”
“I hit him,” Nick said. “I should have shot him.”
“Don’t you be a smart mouth, boy. This here is a serious matter.”
“Yes, it is,” Nick agreed. “And if you call me boy one more time, I’m going to handcuff you. Got that, Lloyd?”
Lloyd nervously took a step back to put some distance between him and Nick, and acted like he was contemplating the situation. In reality, the sheriff was getting the feeling that he was in over his head, but he knew that Brenner would kill him if he didn’t get him out of this mess. He warily looked up at Nick. The FBI agent reminded him of a mountain lion, relaxed one second, and sinking his teeth into his prey the next.
“Lloyd, do something,” Brenner demanded. “He broke my nose. I want him arrested.”
Lloyd nodded and forced himself to look Nick in the eyes. The frost there gave him a chill. He was proud of himself for resisting the urge to look away. “That’s battery, hitting a citizen,” he said. “You don’t think I can arrest an FBI agent?”
Nick’s answer was immediate. “No, I don’t think you can.”
“Shit,” Brenner muttered.
“We’ll just see about that,” Lloyd blustered. “Steve’s got to get to the hospital and get that nose fixed, and I’m going to take him there. I’m in charge, ’cause this here is my jurisdiction.”
Joe looked at Nick before answering. “This here is my prisoner, and you aren’t touching him.”
Nick moved to stand beside Joe, a show of unity against the sheriff, but also he wanted to be able to keep his eye on Laurant.
“Say now, what are you wearing a gun for?” Lloyd asked Joe, seeing for the first time the weapon and holster attached to his belt. “You got yourself a permit for that thing?”
Joe smiled. “I sure do. I’ve got a badge too. Want to see it? I’ll bet it’s bigger than yours.”
“You being a smart-ass, boy?”
“He’s FBI,” Nick said.
Lloyd was losing ground fast and needed to find at least one area over which he could take control.
“Are you responsible for this here fire?” he asked Nick.
Nick didn’t think the question merited an answer. He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep himself from grabbing the sheriff by the neck.
Lorna was standing about five feet away from the two men, taking furious notes on a Big Chief tablet. She took a tentative step toward Nick, saw the look in his eyes, and backed away.
Joe motioned for Wesson to join them.
“What do you think you’re going to arrest Steve for?” the sheriff demanded. “Burning down his own house?”
“He’s already been arrested,” Joe informed him.
“On what charges?” Lloyd asked.
“Is there a problem here?” Wesson called out as he came running over.
“Who the hell are you?” Lloyd asked.
“Senior officer in charge,” Wesson responded.
Joe grinned. “He’s FBI too.”
“How many of you fellas are there in Holy Oaks? And what are you doing here anyway? This is my town,” he stressed. “And you all should have come directly to me if you knew about a problem here.”
A heated exchange followed. Lloyd kept insisting that he was taking Brenner with him, but there was no way that Wesson was going to let that happen. He also wasn’t going to tell the sheriff what the charges were, despite Lloyd’s protests that Wesson’s secrecy was plain unconstitutional.
“It’s an ongoing investigation.”
“Investigation of what?”
Nick was seething, but his anger was fully directed on Wesson. He wasn’t going to wait much longer to get some answers, and if that meant having an argument in a public forum, then that’s the way it was going to go down.
“Can you believe this?” Joe whispered. “The two of them are in a pissing contest.”
“Yeah, well, they can figure out who’s the bigger man later. Hey, Sheriff, where’s your son?”
The question distracted Lloyd. “Why do you want to know?”
“I’m going to arrest him.”
Lloyd’s bushy eyebrows shot up. “The hell you are. My boy hasn’t done anything wrong.” Making a wide sweep with his arm he added, “You can see for yourself, he ain’t even here.”
“He was here.”
“Bullshit.” Lloyd dragged the word out. “I’m saying he wasn’t here, and I’m not gonna let you pin this on my boy. He was home with me all evening. We watched wrestling together on the television.”
“I saw him,” Nick said.
“You couldn’t have seen him ’cause, like I just told you, he was home all evening with me.”
Nick addressed Wesson. “I want a word in private with you. Now.”
He saw Lorna start toward them and turned around and walked toward the empty lot, away from prying ears. Wesson looked perturbed but followed Nick.
“What is it?”
Anger punctuated Nick’s words. “Where the hell were the agents you told me you assigned to watch the house? If they were here, then how come Lonnie got past them? The kid went out the back door.”
Wesson’s lips formed a thin line of disapproval. He didn’t like anyone questioning his decisions.
“They left yesterday.”
“They what?”
“They were given new assignments.”
The muscle in Nick’s jaw clenched. “Who gave the order?”
“I did. Feinberg and Farley were sufficient backup. I felt that was all the manpower I needed.”
“And you didn’t think it was necessary to inform Noah or me?”
“No, I didn’t,” Wesson answered very matter-of-factly. “You volunteered to be Laurant’s bodyguard, and you’re the one who brought in Noah to guard her brother. Frankly, if you hadn’t gotten Morganstern’s approval, you wouldn’t even be on this case. I certainly wouldn’t have approved it. You’re too personally involved, but because you’re one of Morganstern’s golden boys, he bent the rules and let you in. I don’t bend the rules,” he added. “And I don’t want or need your input. Have I made myself clear?”
“You really are a son of a bitch. You know that, Wesson?”
“Your insubordination is definitely going to be reported, agent.”
The threat didn’t faze Nick. “Be sure to spell it right.”
“You’re off the case.”
Nick exploded. “You put Laurant in jeopardy by trying to make this a one-man show. That’s what’s going in
my
report.”
Wesson was determined not to let Nick know how furious he was. “I did no such thing,” he said coolly. “When you have had time to calm down, you’ll realize that I didn’t need a dozen agents running around town, sticking out like sore thumbs. It’s the bottom line that counts. I got the unsub and that’s all the boss is going to care about.”
“You don’t have enough evidence to prove Brenner’s the unsub.”
“Yes, I do,” he insisted. “Look at the facts. Not everything has to be as complicated as you think it should be. Brenner was out of town and cannot account for his whereabouts. He had plenty of time to get to Kansas City, threaten the priest, and get back to Holy Oaks. He was careful about filing off the serial number on the camera, but he admitted he placed it in her house, and the only reason he went there tonight was because he thought you and Laurant were at the party. He’s been careful, but he made a mistake. They all do,” he added sagely. “We also know from witnesses that he was obsessed with Laurant and that he had plans to marry her. We can make a strong case that he snapped when she spurned him.”
“What witnesses?” Nick asked.
“Several people in town I’ve already gotten statements from. Brenner’s always been the primary suspect. You knew that. One of my agents is on his way back from the judge now with a warrant, and when he gets here, I’m personally going to go through Brenner’s house. I’m sure I’m going to find more evidence to convict him. By the book,” he added smugly.
“It’s too pat, Wesson.”
“I disagree,” he countered. “It was solid investigative work that nailed Brenner.”
“You’re letting your ego cloud your judgment,” he said. “Don’t you think it’s odd that he decided to bring another man in?”
“You’re referring to Lonnie, and the answer is no, I don’t think it’s odd or out of character. Brenner simply took advantage of an opportunity. He probably figured he could pin the crime on the kid.”
“What are you going to do about Lonnie?”
“I’ll let the local authorities take care of him.”
Nick gritted his teeth. “The local authority happens to be his father.”
Wesson didn’t want to be bothered with that detail. Tying up all the loose ends was a job for the underlings. “If everything goes according to schedule, Feinberg and I will be pulling out of here by tomorrow night at the latest. Farley’s leaving now,” he added. “And I really don’t see any reason for you or Noah to hang around. I meant it when I said you were off the case.”
Without a word or a backward glance, Nick walked away from the complacent bastard. Wesson was in his glory, and Nick knew he wasn’t going to listen to anything he had to say. Brenner was the unsub. Case closed.
When Nick got into the car, Laurant took one look as his face and asked, “What happened?”
“I’m officially off the case. Not that I was ever really on it,” he added derisively. “Wesson’s convinced that Brenner’s our guy. He’s waiting for a warrant so he can go through his house.”
“But that’s good, isn’t it?”
He didn’t answer her. Wesson was waving at him, trying to get his attention, but Nick ignored him and started the car.
“Nick, talk to me.”
“This is all wrong.”
“You don’t think it’s Brenner.”
“No, I don’t. I don’t have any concrete reasons, but my gut’s telling me he isn’t the unsub. It’s too easy. Maybe Wesson’s right. Maybe I’m trying to make this more complicated than it really is. He’s kept Noah and me in the dark, so I don’t know what evidence they’ve got that convinces them. Hell, let’s get out of here. I’ve got to get some distance so I can think.”
“The Vandermans offered us their extra bedroom, and Willie and Justin also offered us beds. I told them we were going to sleep at the abbey.”
Nick pulled out into the street. “Do you want to go there?”
“No.”
“Okay. Then let’s get the hell out of Dodge.”