"And you fell in love?"
"We loved each other. We argued that day. We were both angry and she hit me. I shoved her away from me and she fell and hit her head. I just panicked. I didn't know what to do."
His voice had risen a full octave by the time he'd finished the story, and that hand was shaking even more. He was falling apart right in front of her. She had to keep calm and think.
Think.
Another gust of wind blew her hair in front of her eyes but she was afraid to even lift her hand to brush it away. Any little movement might set him off. "That's very normal. Panicking is normal. I would have done that, too. People will understand when you explain it. No one will blame you."
She was lying through her teeth but she needed to keep him from going off the deep end and possibly taking her with him.
Galen shook his head, sweat flying into the air. "They will blame me. They'll blame me and put me in jail. I can't go to jail."
Her gaze darted around the roof of the building. He'd effectively cornered himself trying to get away from the others in the station.
"You have to explain it. You can't run anymore. The truth needs to come out."
Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say because he growled and lifted the gun a little higher so it was pointing at her forehead. He glanced over his shoulder and then back at her. "I can run. The station's helicopter is up here."
That was true. It was parked in its usual spot in the middle of a large red circle on the roof. The traffic guy was at lunch.
"Do you even know how to fly a helicopter? You'll get yourself killed. Just talk to Chris. I'm sure he can help them understand what happened. It will all be okay."
She was assuming that Galen couldn't pilot a plane or helicopter. If he could, she had a gut feeling he would have already climbed into it and flown off. What was he delaying for if that was an option?
"It won't be okay. I won't go to jail."
Ever so slowly so as not to spook him, Ella sat up. She didn't try and stand yet... Nope, he wasn't ready for that much movement but it felt better not to be sprawled on the pavement with the wind up her skirt.
She reached out a hand ever so slowly, palm up, and tried to give him her best encouraging smile. Blood roared in her ears and it seemed like the entire world had stopped spinning. Her whole life had come down to this place and time.
"I'll explain everything to them. But you're going to have to give me the gun, Galen. It won't look good if you have a gun pointed at me. They might not understand."
Indecision crossed his features and for a small moment Ella thought he might just hand her the gun but then he took a step back, his grim expression carved in stone.
"I won't go to jail. I'd rather die. I should have died with Kelly."
With a leap, he jumped on the edge of the building, his swaying body silhouetted against the gray sky. Ella must have cried out because she heard a scream but she wasn't cognizant of actually making the sound. Her hand was still out in offering but he was nowhere near to taking it.
"I'll jump," Galen warned, the gun trained on Ella. "I'll shoot you and then I'll jump."
Fuck. Shit. Dammit.
Ella didn't have the vocabulary for all the curse words she wanted to yell. Her heart was beating madly against her ribs and her breathing was ragged, but that little voice inside of her was saying not to show fear. Be calm and controlled. Keep him talking. The Galen she'd come to know wasn't the type to jump off the top of a building.
"If you shoot me there will be no one to tell your story. And if you jump...well, that's a terrible way to die. You don't want to die that way."
I don't want to die that way, either.
"You look so much like her," he said in an anguished tone. "I thought having you around would make me feel better but it didn't work. You only reminded me of what I'd done. I should have fired you but I couldn't do it."
So he'd ignored her, giving her the worst assignments at the station. It made sense now as much as anything could make sense in this insane situation.
Another gust of wind and Galen wavered, his arms outstretched to balance him, one hand still clutching the gun and brandishing it in front of her.
“You’re the one that broke into my apartment. You tried to run me and Chris down last night.”
“I was trying to scare you off. You should have left all of this alone. No one cared until that cop came along.”
"Galen, please put the gun down. You don't want it to go off accidentally. You don't want another accident."
"I don't want to hurt you. I wanted you to leave it alone."
Pressing a hand to her frantically beating heart, she took a slow breath. He was actually listening to her. A good sign.
"Then please, for the love of God, put the gun down."
It looked like he took a deep breath as well as he turned to stare at the gun, scowling as if he was noticing it for the first time.
He's going to put it down. He's going to do it.
Sirens. Ella could hear them in the distance growing ever closer. Someone in a neighboring building must have seen him on the edge of the roof with a gun and called the police.
She didn't want to die, and she wasn't going to go down without a fight.
As Galen's attention was drawn to the sirens, he turned away from Ella, his arm unconsciously dropping to his side. She only had a moment and for once - when it most counted - her arms and legs obeyed her brain. Pushing up with the palms of her hands, she took off at a dead run for that open doorway, high heels be damned. She'd either make it or be shot in the back but she wasn't going to stay to be shot in the head by a clearly disturbed individual.
It was the longest ten feet of her life and there was no guarantee she was going to make it.
33
Chris and Logan had leap-frogged the badge reader at the entrance to the station, setting off a chase by the portly security guard but Logan quickly recruited the man to their side, explaining that it was an emergency and that he should call the police. There was a man standing on the edge of the roof brandishing a weapon. Luckily, they hadn’t seen Ella.
With Knox and Ryan stationed at the exits, Chris and Logan headed straight for Ella's office, following the guard's directions. She wasn't there which had Chris reminding himself of his training. Don't make this personal. It was an emergency situation and he needed to be in control.
It could also be Ella's life.
"Let's go up and take a look," Logan said, already leading the way to look for the stairwell. "She's probably fine and sitting in a meeting completely unaware of the drama."
Except that both Knox and Ryan said she hadn't left the building. Which meant she was here...somewhere. A crowd was beginning to gather on the sidewalk, all heads turned up to the roof, and she wasn't among them.
Chris didn't know who the man was but it wasn't a good situation. Hopefully, Ella was far away from it all and it was a giant coincidence that it was happening.
I don't really believe in coincidences.
"The cops aren't going to thank us for this," Chris observed as they sprinted up the flights of stairs. Damn, he needed to exercise more. Logan didn't even look winded and he was older. What the fuck?
"You're right," Logan agreed, finally seeming to breathe heavy. "Jason will have to smooth it all out over at city hall. We're just going to take a peek at what is happening on that roof. If Ella isn't there, we'll retreat and leave it to the cops."
But if she was...
Chris was scared. He didn't want to lose this woman he had just found. He was...
Shit...he was in love. Not for the first time but this felt so much different. So much more...more. It was more of everything, and it felt like there was even more to come in the future.
That was it... It felt like it had a future. He hadn't planned on Ella and this might not have been the perfect time in his life, but when the perfect woman knocks on the door a smart guy doesn't slam it into her face. He just opens it and
lets her in.
Speaking of open doors, the door to the roof was wide open and just as Logan and Chris made it to the top of the stairs, Ella flew through it and straight into Chris's arms. She was visibly shaking, her face pale and tearstained.
"Easy, honey," he said quietly, his heart squeezed painfully in his chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, lifting her up and placing her on the top step. He sat down beside her, not able to let her go, needing the feel of her against him. It wasn't a mirage. She was alive. "Easy."
The words were as much for him as Ella. His own hands were trembling with the power of his emotions and suddenly what his own father had gone through with Maddie became all too clear. Chris would have covered her body with his own to protect her. Her pain was his pain. Her fear was his as well.
"We have to talk him down," she finally said, pulling away and looking up at him, her mascara running down her face. She'd never looked more beautiful to him. "We can't let him jump."
Before he could stop her, she pulled out of his arms and crawled back to the doorway. She didn't step through it, simply staying there. Immediately, both Logan and Chris instinctively placed their bodies between her and the man.
"Galen," she called out, elbowing her way between them so she could look out. "Don't do this. Well talk to the police. We'll make them understand."
The man - who Chris now knew was her boss Galen - shook his head, his short hair ruffled by the wind gusts. His position appeared to be rather precarious on that edge and Chris was already eyeing the distance between them, wondering if he could cross and pull the man down before he did something tragic.
"They won't understand." The man looked down to where the crowd and police were gathered. "I won't go to jail."
"He says it was an accident," Ella said softly. "He loved her."
If Chris had a dime for every time some guy had said it was an accident and that he wasn't guilty he wouldn't have to work for the rest of his life. He'd be lying on a beach listening to the waves, but Ella had a soft heart.
Not me. I'm a cynical asshole.
But it might be the truth. Either way, this guy jumping wasn't going to solve anything or answer their questions. He wouldn't face the justice system.
"Tell him we'll hear him out," Chris whispered, keeping his arm around her waist so she couldn't suddenly bolt out from behind him. "That we want to hear the whole story."
"They'll hear you out," Ella said to Galen loudly over the wind. Another gust had come up, making the man sway on his feet and placing Chris's heart into overdrive. "They want to hear what happened. Don't do this, Galen. You have so much to offer people. You've given so much and helped so many."
The man's arm holding the gun dropped to his side, his head hanging down. What Ella was saying was having a visible effect.
"Keep it up. He's hearing you."
"Kelly wouldn't want this," Ella said urgently. "She wouldn't want you to jump. Think about her. Think about the good times between you. Think about how much you loved each other."
The man's shoulders were shaking now, his body wracked with sobs. The gun fell to the concrete as he buried his face in both of his hands. Chris didn't hesitate. Shooting across the roof, he grabbed Ella's boss and pulled him down. The man gave no resistance, simply falling to the ground and crying, his body curled into the fetal position. Chris kicked away the firearm.
"I loved her so much," Galen said, his words barely audible and choked. "She was everything to me."
Chris's gaze went to where Logan was standing with Ella, her own eyes filled with tears. This entire investigation had been hard on her but she'd never given in or up. She was strong and amazing and for some reason she was looking like she might feel the same about him.
"I know exactly what you mean, buddy," Chris said, kneeling down to help the sobbing man to his feet.
Love was a powerful force. It could make a person happy, sad, joyous, or miserable. It could bring a grown man to his knees or make him a king.
It could also make him a murderer. Time to find out what this man had to say for himself. This part was over but the story was only beginning. Did he kill Kelly in cold blood? Would there be justice for her after all of these years?
They were finally one step closer to getting some answers.
Juggling the bags of takeout, Ella fiddled with her jangling keys, trying to find the right one. Before she could locate it the door swung open, revealing a smiling Chris with his arms wide open. He relieved her of the bags and carried them inside his apartment, placing them on the counter before turning back to give her a big hug and nicely delicious kiss.
"Not bad, cowboy," Ella teased, pressing her hands to his chest. She could feel the reassuring thud of his heart under her palms. "Are you only glad to see me because I'm bearing food?"
"It does help," he admitted. "I just got out of the shower and was planning to order us something but this is even better. I'm starved."
Ella slung her purse over the back of a chair and gratefully kicked off her shoes. "I am, too. I missed lunch because of that six car pileup on the highway. Luckily no one died."
Merc zigzagged between her legs, wanting attention so she leaned down to give him a scratch on the head. "And hello to you, too. Were you a good boy today?"
"He didn't rip up the couch so I think the answer is yes. He's taking a liking to my recliner, though. He was lying in it when I got home from work."
She shrugged off her jacket while Chris pulled two plates from the cabinet.
"The work on the apartment will be done by the end of next week. Me and Marc will be out of here before you know it."
He leaned down and brushed her lips with his own. "You don't need to be in any hurry. I kind of like having you around. Annie does, too."
Explaining Ella's presence wasn't half as bad for Chris as she'd thought it might be. He'd kept it simple, but it wouldn't have mattered anyway. Annie was thrilled to have another female in the house along with a cat. Chris and Ella had had to make sure she understood the feline was on loan temporarily.
"You like it when I'm here because I help with the dishes."
"That is a plus." He dished up their food before putting their plates on the table. "Logan heard from the prosecuting attorney today."
Her body tensed and she had to force herself to breathe and relax. It had been over a week since that day and there hadn't been much information trickling out of the District Attorney's office. Galen had been arrested, and they were building a case against him.
Sitting down, she picked up her fork but didn't start to eat. "And?"
Chris sat down opposite and reached across to place his hand over hers. If anyone was aware of how difficult all of this was for her, it was him. He'd held her that first night when she'd cried and cried. Once the drama was all over her emotions had been everywhere. He'd encouraged her to see a therapist to deal with it all and she had an appointment next week. This wasn't something that she could cry about and it would all be better. She had a bunch of shit to deal with and it went deep. Her parents were on board with it as well. Of course, they were just glad that she was alive. They would have cheered any decision she made.
"They talked to Allan Maxwell, Steve Adams, and Connie. They both swear that Kelly was never in love or had any sort of relationship with Galen. They did say that he seemed overly fond of her and he only wanted her to wait on him, he'd leave her big tips, and a lot of other semi-creepy stuff like giving her a card on Valentine's Day. They said she had no interest in him but he was persistent. He didn't give up until she disappeared."
"But he said...they loved each other."
He'd sounded so sincere.
"After all of these years he's probably convinced himself that they had a real relationship. But from what the people around her said, she wasn't part of it. He was in it by himself. Him and his obsession."
Ewww. That was...creepy as hell.
"That's disturbing."
"He has admitted to the polic
e that they argued. He said it was because she wouldn't leave Adams and in a way I believe him. He probably did try and convince her to leave him but she wouldn't. He became enraged and they fought physically. He said she fell and the current coroner says that the skull fracture was consistent with that story. She may have fell against a piece of furniture or a curb. They’re planning to charge him with manslaughter. They think they can prove that. Of course, he might plead out."
"He told the truth as he knew it."
Chris nodded. "His version of it. Then he panicked, cut off her hands so she couldn’t be identified, and dumped her body on the way to work. He was counting on the fact that no one would find her and that no one would go looking for her. He told the detective that he was the only one that truly loved her."
Shuddering, Ella placed her fork next to her plate, her appetite vanished.
"That wasn't true."
"He wanted to believe that it was. He wanted her to be...his and his alone."
It was more a madness than love.
"He never married."
Chris shook his head. "I doubt it was because his love was so true, honey. It was probably because he has an obsessive personality and the women that dated him figured it out before they walked down the aisle. I doubt very much that Kelly is the only woman he's obsessed about in his life. If the cops do some digging, there's probably a long line of them.”
Her first thought came tumbling out of her mouth. "But are they alive?"
"Maybe. If it truly was an accident then they hopefully are. Remember what you said before...Kelly isn't here to tell us her side of the story."
That was something that Ella was going to have to come to terms with. Her biological mother would never be able to tell her all her thoughts, dreams, and fears. She'd have to live not knowing any of that.
"And he kept the earring because he missed her?"
"Yes," Chris conceded. "They asked him about that and he said that it kept Kelly in his heart. Then he took the job at the station and he had a daily reminder. He started avoiding you as much as possible but he just couldn't seem to bring himself to fire you."
Elusive Identities: Cowboy Justice Association (Serials and Stalkers Book 1) Page 23