Into the Fire

by Margaret Daley

  Maggie whirled around and started for the door. Two feet from it, the intruder tackled her to the floor.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Kane knocked on Edwina’s door. He’d been held up at the university because of all the mess involving Dr. Johnson. He wanted to get home to see Maggie before she left for the dorm.

  “She’s upstairs in her apartment packing.”

  “Great. Thanks.” He swung around.

  “Don’t go up there, Kane.”

  He glanced back at Edwina. “Why not?”

  “If you’re only going so you can hurt Maggie further, then just leave her alone. She’s gone through enough lately.”

  He smiled. “That’s not what I intend to do.” He hurried up the stairs.

  * * *

  Bradley pinned Maggie to the hardwood floor, pressing her face into it. “Your father is the reason I’m here,” he hissed next to her ear.

  Pain from her jaw spread through her. Bradley’s weight constricted the rise and fall of her chest. Her lungs began to burn from lack of oxygen.

  “Please get up,” she managed to whisper. “Can’t breathe.”

  “What do you think it’s been like for me these past weeks wondering when you’d find the photos?”

  What photos? She wanted to ask that question, but she didn’t have enough breath to. Blackness swirled about the edges of her mind as her eyes slid closed.

  A rap sounded from the other room.

  Bradley must have jerked around because the pressure on her chest eased some. Air rushed into her lungs for a few blissful seconds, giving Maggie a chance. She started to scream, but only a squeak passed her lips. Bradley settled himself back into place, pressing even harder.

  * * *

  Kane knocked again when Maggie didn’t answer her door and waited a good minute. Obviously, she didn’t want to see him. Maybe he would catch her tomorrow. Maybe she would be ready to listen to him. He began walking toward the staircase. At the top of them, he couldn’t take the first step down.

  He needed to see her. He’d been wrong, and he had to tell her. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be able to sleep. He’d let Ruth walk out of his life because he was angry and afraid. He wasn’t going to do that again.

  Lord, please help me to get through to her. Help me choose the right words.

  Kane strode back to apartment 2A and rapped on the door. When she didn’t answer his knock, he couldn’t stop his concern from surfacing. With all that had happened in the last month, he had to be sure she was safe. He let himself in. A noise coming from the spare bedroom drew him down the hall. She was probably absorbed in her packing.

  “Maggie, it’s me.”

  * * *

  Hearing Kane’s deep voice sent relief through Maggie for a second until she realized he was in danger now, too. A spark of her fighting spirit demanded she do something—anything—to get Bradley off her and alert Kane. She squirmed, trying to bring her leg up so she could knee him in the back.

  But before she could do anything, he lifted himself off her, momentarily loosening his hand around her mouth. She started to scream, but in a flash, he locked an arm around her, dragging her up and against him as if she were a human shield while his other hand covered her mouth and nose. The room spun before her. She went limp in his embrace, but he still held her against his front as he hauled her away from the door. Suddenly tension whipped down Bradley’s length. Dropping his hand from her mouth, he fumbled for something, then brought the screwdriver up to her left ear.

  Across the room Kane stood in the doorway with a calm resolve on his face. His expression illustrated one of a predator when he’d found his prey and cornered it. His lethal control sculpted his features in intimidation.

  “Let her go.” The steel in Kane’s voice was razor sharp.

  “If you come any farther into the room,” Bradley said while sticking the screwdriver into her ear, “I won’t hesitate to use this. I have nothing to lose now.”

  Nothing to lose? Did the police have the wrong suspect in Henry’s murder case?

  “What do you gain by holding Maggie?” A slight narrowing of Kane’s eyes spoke volumes of his real feelings.

  “All I wanted was the photos. I never intended for anyone to get hurt, but Henry walked in…” He didn’t finish his sentence, but Bradley’s almost hysterical tone conveyed the sense of a desperate man.

  “What photos? Maybe I can help you find them.” Kane took a small step forward, his expression and voice composed, even.

  “You two found some more stuff that Henry left. I heard about it from David, but you didn’t give any photos to him. So, where are they?”

  “We didn’t find anything except the evidence against Dr. Johnson and Maggie’s birth certificate.” Kane came another foot closer.

  “Stay right there. I’ve got to think. If you didn’t find them, then they’re still in here somewhere. I’ve been able to check most of the other rooms thoroughly. This was my last one. I finally decided to destroy the apartment. The night of the fire, I’d hoped at least Henry’s home office would burn down so I wouldn’t have to worry about the photos.”

  “Your parents live here. How could you put them in jeopardy?” Disgust coated each of Kane’s words.

  “Leaving a smoldering cigarette in the trash would give the other tenants a chance to get out. You have a good smoke alarm system in this building.”

  Kane squeezed his hands into fists. “Except for possibly Maggie who was in the apartment at the time the fire erupted.”

  Bradley’s hold on her loosened slightly, the screwdriver no longer in her ear. Maggie jabbed her elbow back into his stomach at the same time she went totally limp. She slipped from his loosened embrace.

  Kane charged forward, slamming into Bradley. The tool went flying from his grasp, missing Maggie’s head by several inches. Kane wrestled the tall, thin man to the floor, sitting on him and pinning Bradley with his forearm across Edwina’s nephew’s upper chest. Bradley bucked and twisted, a frenzy to his actions.

  “Call the police, Maggie.”

  She scrambled to the phone on the floor near the window and made the call. “David’s coming.”

  Kane thrust his face close to Bradley’s. “It’s over. You don’t have anywhere to hide.”

  The fight siphoned from her attacker. He sagged back on the floor. “I just wanted to protect her. Everything got out of hand.”

  Kane eased back but kept a wary eye and hold on Bradley. “What got out of hand?”

  “Two months ago, Henry told Beth he could ruin her life at any time he wanted. He couldn’t stand to see her happy with me.”

  Maggie moved forward. “How?” She remembered Henry had told Vicky the same thing.

  “He had pictures and a video of her that if they got out, she would lose the job she’d finally gotten at the university. Her dream job. I couldn’t stand to watch her fret and worry until she was making herself sick. I had to do something to find them. I love her.” Bradley buried his face in his hands. “I thought when I didn’t find anything that day I broke into the apartment there wasn’t any photos. I came back to make sure. Still nothing surfaced. But everything changed when you found the flash drive. I knew he’d done something like that with the photos of Beth and the video he took of her.”

  “What was on the photos?” Kane kneeled on his right knee.

  “She wouldn’t tell me. I don’t care what they showed. I love her no matter what. I told her that, and all she could do was cry. I can’t stand to see her so miserable.” Bradley’s gaze stabbed Maggie hovering behind Kane. “Your father had a way of destroying people. I wasn’t going to let him destroy Beth from the grave.”

  She squared her shoulders, tilting up her chin. “I’m not responsible for Henry’s actions, so quit looking at me as if I am.”

  Kane rose. “There might not be any photos. Maggie and I checked this apartment thoroughly and never found anything besides those two flash drives.”

  “Until you
found the first one,” Bradley said as his glance slipped to her again but this time he banked his anger, “I hadn’t thought Henry would put them on a flash drive, but they are perfect for hiding things. They’re small. One could be concealed easily.”

  “What could be easily concealed?” David asked from the doorway.

  Maggie spun around, so focused she hadn’t heard the detective enter the apartment. “Another flash drive.”

  David crossed the room and hauled his cousin to his feet. “More incriminating evidence?”

  “Something to do with Beth Warren.”

  “And it led you to break and enter into this apartment? I hope it was important, because I can’t get you out of this scrape.” David peered at Maggie. “Are you pressing charges?”

  She hesitated. Bradley was protecting a woman. He was Edwina’s nephew. What if she misunderstood his references to being in Henry’s apartment while he was alive? “I…”

  “I’m pressing charges.” Kane glared at Bradley. “He threatened Maggie and held her captive. He was the one who attacked her the first time. He admitted it. You might not be able to link him to the fire, but he was the one. I’m sure. He had access and motive. And worse, I think he killed Henry. He all but admitted he was in the apartment and Henry walked in on him. He’s been frantic to cover everything up. I bet if you check his pockets, you’ll find evidence on how he got in here.”

  “Empty your pockets.” David withdrew his handcuffs.

  Bradley removed his wallet and a set of keys, two new looking.

  “May I?” Kane held out his palm for the keys, which David gave him.

  While Kane left, limping slightly, David snapped the cuffs on his cousin.

  When Kane returned, his frown deepened. “One of those keys fits the new lock on this apartment. I’m sure the other one is to this building. How did you get them?” His lethally quiet voice brooked no argument.

  “The one to the building is from my parents. The other, from Edwina. She’s easy to distract.”

  David jerked his cousin toward the door. “How could you do that to Aunt Edwina? She’s been so good to you. When the DNA comes back on the shirt, we’ll have hard evidence. In the meantime, I’m charging you with breaking and entering and attempted murder.” He glanced back at Maggie and Kane. “I’ll need you to come down to the station later.”

  “Gladly,” Kane bit out, his hands clutched.

  When the pair left, Maggie sank to the floor, her legs threatening to give out on her. She never wanted to step foot in this place again. It was definitely jinxed.

  Kane hobbled toward her and offered her his hand. “Let’s get some fresh air. This wasn’t exactly what I imagined this evening being like.”

  “What were you imagining?” She fit her palm against his, and he yanked her to a standing position.

  A few minutes later when Kane started down the stairs to the basement, she tensed. “Where are we going?” The next to last place she wanted to be was in his apartment—scratch that, the last place.

  “Outside. Remember I said fresh air.” He arched an eyebrow, a gleam sparkling in his eyes as though he could read her thoughts. “Where did you think I was going?” he asked, way too innocently, as he passed his door and pushed open the one to the backyard.

  She refused to say anything. For some reason his mood was light and flirtatious as though the past five days hadn’t occurred. It was as if he wasn’t furious at her for ruining John and Vicky’s marriage, for not telling him who she was.

  At the bench by the lake he sat and pulled her down next to him. She started to protest when he said, “We need to talk.”

  “I’m all out of talking. My head is still reeling from discovering Bradley going through my apartment—apparently again. I thought it was Dr. Johnson, but it was Bradley. I wish it was Dr. Johnson. Poor Edwina and David.” She shook her head. “I should have been safe in my own home. I—”

  Kane’s chuckle cut off her next words. “Maggie, be quiet.”

  “Well, I’ve—”

  “I’m sorry. Not about the being quiet but about my reaction to the news you were Vicky’s daughter. I was wrong. It was between you and Vicky.” He released her hand finally, kneading the top of his left thigh.

  “Are you hurt?”

  “I hit it wrong when I went down. It’ll be okay.”

  “Bradley has a lot to answer for. Terrorizing the whole building, including his parents and aunt.”

  Kane turned toward her and laid his fingers over her mouth. “I’m trying to tell you, Maggie Ridgeway, that I care about you. I don’t want you to leave Seven Oaks. What’s back in St. Louis for you?”

  She wanted to tell him peace and quiet, her old life, but she couldn’t because neither held much for her at the moment. His words gave her hope. He cared about her. Was that enough? Or would she end up being hurt in the end because he couldn’t commit to another totally as she knew she needed?

  She bolted from the bench and put some distance between them. “I can’t do this. What do you want from me? Why all of a sudden do you want me to stay?”

  He plunged his fingers through his hair. “I’m doing a poor job of explaining myself. I’ve never been good at showing my emotions.”

  “What emotions?”

  “I want you in my life. I need you in my life.” His gaze fastened onto hers. “Until you came here, I hadn’t been living. I went through the motions only. You made me care again about life. I told the board of directors at the university that I would stay in my position. I don’t want to retreat to my workshop.”

  Her heartbeat increased. She took a step toward him.

  He rose. “Before I came to see you, I prayed for the right words to convince you not to leave. Your family is here now. The kids adore you. John and Vicky will work their marriage out.”

  But where exactly does that leave us? As much as she wanted to say that question out loud, she couldn’t. She couldn’t go through another rejection. “I can’t live here.” Especially now that she knew Henry had been her biological father.

  An unreadable expression descended on his face, reminding Maggie of how hard it was for Kane to open up to another. He turned as though to leave.

  Take the risk, Maggie.

  “Kane, don’t go.”

  He glanced back as he eased down onto the bench. “I guess I hit my knee harder than I thought.”

  Relief fluttered through her. Maggie closed the distance between them and sat next to him. “Maybe you should have a doctor take a look at it.”

  “Not yet. I don’t think I’ve made myself clear to you. I love you and want to share my life with you. If you can’t live here, we can go somewhere else so long as we are together.”

  His words stunned her. “You love me?”

  “What do you think I’ve been telling you for the past ten minutes?”

  “All the reasons to stay in Seven Oaks but that one.”

  “I know I’m a work in progress, but hopefully you’ll think it’s worth your effort. I’ve already started going to my support group. They’re helping me handle the loss of my leg. And lately the Lord and I have come to an understanding.”

  “Oh?” She leaned into him, slipping her arm around his shoulder.

  “Yeah. I survived when others didn’t, and I promised Him I wouldn’t throw that opportunity away. He gave me a second chance, and I almost blew it. Not any longer.” Kane took her hand and looked into her eyes. “We’ll live wherever you want.”

  “When I said I couldn’t live here, I meant in apartment 2A. It holds too many memories for me. I would love to live anywhere else in Seven Oaks, preferably close to Kenny and Ashley.”

  “Then you’ll marry me?”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love you.” Wrapping her arms around him, Maggie kissed Kane.

  Epilogue

  When her husband threw himself into something, Kane went all the way. Maggie increased her jogging speed to make up for the fact he had longer legs than
she did.

  “Let’s go by the gazebo at the park. I like that end best,” she said, thinking of the surprise she had for him. She’d been so good at keeping it a secret—a secret that would bring joy, not hurt.

  “Race you to it.” He glanced over at her, grinned, then took off.

  She let him go a few paces in front for a few seconds. She never tired of watching him move with the ease of a runner who had used a prosthetic leg his whole life. A year ago, he would never have worn shorts. Now he wore them whenever the weather was the slightest bit warm.

  He rounded the bend in the path and almost immediately slowed his gait until he came to a halt at the edge of the group of friends assembled for his birthday. He turned toward her as she stopped next to him.

  “Was this your idea?”

  “Of course. I love throwing parties, and what better excuse than your birthday, old man. Let’s see, you’re now seven years older than me.”

  “But not for long.” He grabbed her hand and faced the gazebo decorated by Vicky, Kenny and Ashley that morning.

  Red, white and blue streamers hung from the latticework while a huge sign proclaimed to the world what day it was. John and David already had the grill going with hamburgers on it. The aroma of meat, mingling with the scent of mowed grass, filled the clearing.

  “I can’t believe you did this when we’ve been running,” Kane whispered as he moved through the crowd from Twin Oaks and work.

  “Look around. Everyone is ready for some fun and games. So, a little sweat won’t bother anyone. I’ve planned a few silly ones to get the kids involved.”

  “I’m almost afraid to ask what.”

  “The first one involves eggs at Kenny’s insistence.” Maggie saw her younger brother laughing at something Edwina said. In this past year the troubled child she’d caught glimpses of when she’d first come to Seven Oaks was gone. He would be all right as would Ashley. Thankfully Edwina had recovered from the shock of discovering her nephew killed Henry to protect the woman he loved. DNA evidence had proved it, and he’d confessed. And Beth Warren’s secret was out—she’d shoplifted to support a drug habit years ago. “And my sister’s was a game that involves water balloons.”