Playing With Fire

by Dirk Greyson

  “Can we go over them again?” Tag asked. “I know I checked out some of them.”

  “All right.” Jim wrote the names of all Deidre’s colleagues on the whiteboard. “These five were at the party, and we have statements from them afterward with corroboration. I don’t believe the shooter would have time to take the shots, hide the weapon, and rejoin the partygoers inside the house, but we also took the fact that others remembered them in their statements as further backup. So these three are off the list, all right?” Jim asked, and heads in the room nodded. “Stewart we paid a visit to. He was at a store and has a time-stamped receipt, and a cashier remembered him. So he wasn’t around at the time of the shooting either. Amy was in the bathroom. She’s pregnant, and wasn’t feeling well at the time of the shooting.”

  “I remember her,” Captain Westin said. “I took her statement, and she asked to excuse herself to go to the bathroom again. She grumbled that she’d been living in bathrooms lately. Poor lady.”

  “Okay. That leaves Mason Gardener. We thought of him at first,” Jim said. “But he said he had another party and couldn’t stay. Deidre said he left fifteen minutes before the shooting.”

  “I was assigned to check it out and went to the brother’s house.” Tag pulled out his notebook. “A Rodney Gardener. He answered the door, and I confirmed his identity.”

  “How?”

  “I asked him,” Tag said, as though it were the most natural thing in the world. “The place looked as though there had been a party and was being cleaned up. There were a few bottles and cups on the coffee table. I took his date of birth and all that and asked him about his brother. He said that he’d been there and had left an hour before.”

  “Did he seem surprised to see you?” Barty asked, and Tag turned to him, blinking.

  “No. He asked why I was there, but there wasn’t any nervousness or wonder about what was going on. He answered my questions, and that was it.”

  “What are you thinking?” Jim asked, and Barty’s heart began beating a little faster.

  “People are always nervous when it comes to the police. They wonder if they’ve done something wrong or if someone they love is hurt. But they don’t just answer the door and offer an alibi as though it’s an everyday occurrence… unless they’re expecting it.”

  The tension and anticipation in the room went through the roof.

  “So do you think he was covering for his brother?” Tag asked. “Like I said, he didn’t seem nervous or like he was lying. He said the kids were in bed and he was talking quietly, but that seemed normal enough.”

  Barty turned to Jim. “Do you have pictures?” Jim handed him one, and Barty passed it to Tag.

  “That’s Rodney,” he said confidently. “He was wearing different glasses, but that’s the guy who answered the door.”

  “That’s Mason,” Jim said, and Barty turned to Jim, half in shock. “Oh my God.”

  “Pick up Mason Gardener right the hell now. Jesus, this guy has balls of steel. And find out where Rodney is and bring him in as well.” Captain Westin looked at Tag, and Jim was already gathering his things.

  “Let’s go. I have Mason’s address. We can get him and then pick up his brother.” Jim practically ran out of the conference room.

  “Be careful,” Barty cautioned. “Mason isn’t going to go down without a fight.”

  Jim paused at the doorway, letting the others through. “Why?”

  “His ego. He’s better and smarter than everyone. He’s also a damn good shot. Take plenty of backup. He’s shot four people and took a shot at two others. He doesn’t care who he hurts as long as he gets what he wants.”

  “Okay,” Jim said. “I have to get ready to go.”

  “I’m already requesting a warrant. We’ll work with Philadelphia to get it executed, but we have to do this right. They’re still smarting from yesterday. But this has to be the guy.”

  “I’d say we have him this time. Posing as his brother clinches it,” Barty said. “Just be careful and wear the vest.” He didn’t want to imagine what could happen to Jim. More than once he’d worried about what Jim was going through. It had been hard last night, but this was even worse. He knew Jim was walking into a potential firefight.

  Barty watched Jim leave and then hunkered down in the conference room, surrounded by the documentation of the case they had been working on and wondering what the hell was going to happen. He thought about trying to work, but there was nothing he could do. His mind wasn’t going to settle on anything other than the danger that Jim was going to be in.

  “How does your wife do it?” Barty asked as Captain Westin walked in the room.

  “I’ve been married twice, and my first wife couldn’t take it after a while. She said that all she did was worry from the time I left for work until I got home. Eventually she left, took our daughter, and moved to a different part of the state. I see Carolyn on weekends when I don’t work and for a few weeks during the summer when I take vacation. My second wife has refused to have children. She’s strong, but she won’t put kids through this, and I don’t blame her. This job is hard on families.”

  Barty nodded. He could understand that.

  “But—” Captain Westin sat in the chair next to him. “—police officers are loyal to each other and I like to think they’re loyal to the ones they love. I will do anything for my daughter and my ex-wife. So I know this is hard, and the waiting is the worst, but remember that the job he’s doing is to keep everyone safe. It’s part of his nature and what makes him good at his job.”

  Barty didn’t doubt that. What he was questioning was himself. Was he going to be able to take it, or was he going to end up feeling like the captain’s ex-wife?

  HE SAT for the next couple of hours, pacing, sitting, standing, and pacing again. Finally he heard the clamor as Jim and the officers returned. Anger and frustration filled the station.

  “He wasn’t there,” Jim said. “His house looked like he hadn’t been there in a few days, probably since the shooting on Sunday, maybe longer.”

  “Are you looking for him?”

  “Yes. We have APBs out for him and his cars. He isn’t going to get very far. Look, I called Deidre, and she’s hunkered down at her place. I’m going to have an officer take you over there. You’ll be safe, and you won’t have to sit here. I have hours of work to do, and you don’t need to wait around for me.”

  “I’m fine, Jim,” Barty said firmly and sat back down. He didn’t want to be sloughed off. “If you want to shove me off somewhere, just say so.”

  Jim closed the door. “What? I want you to be safe, and the rest of the day is going to be pretty dull. You were a great help in so many ways. But….”

  “Like I said, if you’re done with me and don’t want me around any longer, then just tell me.” Barty knew when he was being dismissed. He’d done his part. Jim had solved his case, and all he had to do now was find the bad guy. Everything else was going to be wrapped up.

  “Of course you can stay if you want.” Jim sat in the chair next to his. “I only thought you’d be more comfortable at Deidre’s than here.”

  “Why would I be more comfortable at your sister’s than here with you? That doesn’t make much sense to me unless you want me out of the way, and if that’s what you want, I’ll get Penelope and go back to my apartment. It isn’t likely he’s going to show up there now that the entire police force is on the lookout for him.”

  “Is that what you think?”

  “I really don’t know. At some point self-preservation takes over for all of us, and if he’s figured out that his plans are up in smoke, he’d have a plan to get the hell out of Dodge. Once the facts are known, it doesn’t make sense for him to be anywhere near the source of that knowledge. If it were me, I’d either get out of the country or go to the West Coast or somewhere I could blend in and figure out what to do. Grab a car and start driving. But then, who knows? In times of stress, people will do the most unexpected things.” Barty lifted
his gaze to Jim’s. “Like spend time with someone like me.”

  “Jim,” Tag said as he opened the door and stuck his head in.

  “I’ll be right there,” Jim answered, and Tag closed the door. Jim turned back to face Barty. “This case has been the most difficult of my career. People have died, and members of my family were shot at, but meeting you has been the one bright spot in this whole thing.” He smiled. “I have to go, but like I said, if you don’t want to sit around here and wait, I can have someone drive you to Deidre’s.”

  Barty swallowed hard. “I’m fine.” He did his best to sound reassuring, and Jim left the room.

  One of the officers came in and began gathering up the papers and files so they could be taken care of properly, so Barty got out his computer and went to work as best he could while minutes stretched into hours.

  “LET’S GO home,” Jim said about the time Barty was ready to put his head on the table. He couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer.

  Barty nodded, gathered up his things, and followed Jim out to the car. They drove home with him dozing in the seat. “No luck?” he asked when they neared the house.

  “No. Everyone is still looking. We’ll find him. It’s hard for people to completely disappear. There are too many ways that we all make contact with each other. Social media, credit cards, financial transactions… we’re watching them all.” Jim pulled up the drive, opened the garage door, pulled in, and waited for it to close. They got out of the car, and Jim went inside, deactivating the alarm.

  Jim trudged tiredly ahead of him, and Barty turned to close the door. “Do you need something to eat?” he asked, looking over his shoulder at Jim.

  He never heard Jim’s answer. Pain bloomed on the back of his head and everything went black.

  Chapter 9

  JIM STARED at Mason Gardener in his own home and wanted to tear him limb from limb. Barty lay unmoving on the floor, and Jim tried to keep his attention on the man pointing the gun at him and not on Barty’s prone form. At least he didn’t see any blood.

  “So this time we meet under very different circumstances,” Mason said. “This time I don’t have to make nice with your brownnosing sister at her sickening party. God, I nearly got sick a dozen times. That bitch celebrating her promotion, the one that should have been mine. My work is far superior to hers, and much more insightful. I developed theories and practices that are used all the time, and she did nothing but plod along on work that will never get her anywhere.”

  Jim knew he had to keep Mason talking so he could think of something to do.

  “Take out the gun from under your jacket slowly and put it on the floor,” Mason said, and Jim complied, kicking it off to the side before taking a step away from Barty and Mason. “That’s better. Things would be perfect if it was your fucking sister here, but once you’re out of the way, she’ll get hers, and then everything will be the way it should be.”

  The guy was delirious, but Jim didn’t say anything about that. “Why do all this? I understand about losing the chance at a job, but why take shots at people on the street?”

  “They’re all guilty. I’ve done incredible work, but every time I turn around, some member of the Main Line old guard was there to stop me. You think that because you have money, you can all do whatever you want. Your sister tried to bring disciplinary action, but I was able to get around her then. The administration and my true peers saw my value and stood up to her. But she stood in my way on the curriculum committee and relegated my classes to electives. And this time she was able to get what she wanted, a promotion that should have been mine.” His eyelids twitched, and the hand he was holding the gun with shook a little. His pent-up rage wasn’t going to be held at bay for much longer.

  “I don’t understand….” Jim kept his voice level and glanced at Barty, hoping he wasn’t hurt too badly.

  “You wouldn’t. Look at this damn house. It’s huge, and you expect that this kind of thing is your due. You didn’t work for this house. It was given to you by Daddy or Grandpa… someone else who made the money. I didn’t have that!” he yelled. “I’m smarter than you, and yet I don’t get ahead. Soon all of us, the ones who get pushed aside, are going to rise up and take over. After all, we have the brains and cunning. All we need to do is get rid of the people like you or make you all so scared that you shut yourselves in your houses and let those of us better than you make the decisions.”

  Jim took another step back and then another.

  “Stay where you are,” Mason said. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing. You have some other weapon hidden somewhere. Well, that isn’t going to help you. Pull out that chair and sit your useless ass down. God, you had to bring in someone like him.” Mason waved his free hand absently toward where Barty still lay. “But even then you only got lucky.”

  “And you took some chances,” Jim said.

  “One has to take chances to get anywhere.”

  Jim didn’t argue. “Why not run and try to start a life somewhere else?” What Mason was doing was stupid. The police were still going to be after him, and they weren’t going to rest if he hurt one of their own. Jim was certain of that.

  “Run?” Mason stepped forward. “That’s what your lot do. I know I’m done. People will find out, and that’s the end of me. But I will strike a blow for true justice and equality. I’ll take care of you and your little friend here and then your bitch of a sister. I’m going to go out in a blaze of glory.”

  Jesus, this guy didn’t care anymore. All he wanted was his revenge, and then he intended to decimate Jim’s family and take his own life. “Barty, can you hear me?” Jim asked, hoping for some sign that he was okay.

  Barty didn’t move.

  “Don’t concern yourself with your little boyfriend there. It doesn’t matter if he’s dead or not. He will be shortly.” Mason’s eyes swirled, and Jim wondered if he was on something. Had he been drinking? Or worse, were drugs involved and the chance of reasoning with him completely out of the question?

  Jim took one last step back. He was up against the wall, literally and figuratively. Mason took another step as well.

  Jim had no idea what in the hell to do. No one was going to be coming to their rescue. The alarm was off, and he had no way of triggering it. Not that it would help. If he did, Mason would shoot them both and take off. There had to be something he could try. Jim was a trained police officer, and all he could think of was to talk.

  “It isn’t too late, you know.”

  Mason laughed maniacally. “Don’t bullshit me. I know what I’ve done, and there’s only one way this is going to end. You can’t talk me out of it or play on my conscience or sense of empathy. I don’t have one. You people are nothing, and you’re lucky I haven’t shot you already, but I like watching you squirm, just like I loved watching you all run in circles trying to figure things out. You couldn’t do it on your own, so you had to have help. I don’t need help, and I’m not weak enough to have to ask for it. I know what I want, and I’m going to get it before I end this once and for all.” He waved the gun, and Jim braced for a shot, but none came. “Are you going to wet yourself?” He turned quickly to glance at Barty, but the gun didn’t waver.

  Jim realized that might have been his only chance, that split second, and he hadn’t taken it. “What do you want me to do?” He had to try something.

  “Nothing! I want you to do nothing but die. I’ve had it with your entire family and what they represent. So I’m going to wipe them all out. That will send a clear enough message.”

  Whatever the hell this guy was trying to say, Jim found he wasn’t able to follow. “Why don’t you tell me your message?”

  Mason stepped forward, cocking the gun. “Why don’t I shoot you now and get this over with?”

  He moved closer, and Jim’s heart pounded in his chest, the blood ringing in his ears. He knew his time was coming to an end. Jim closed his eyes and thought of Barty, wishing that they’d had more time together and
he hadn’t failed and been able to save him. He was out of options at this point, and he braced for the end, hoping it would be fast.

  A single shot filled the room, hurting Jim’s ears. He waited for the concussion of impact and then the bloom of pain, but felt neither. Jim pried his eyes open in time to see Mason crumple in front of him and Barty’s hand fall back to the floor, clutching his gun.

  “He really is an idiot,” Barty said breathlessly.

  “What the hell did you do?” Jim asked as he removed Mason’s gun from his hand, checked that he didn’t have another, and hurried to Barty.

  “He was going to kill you, so I grabbed for the gun and shot first.” Barty slowly sat up with his back resting against the cabinets. “Go ahead and call whoever you need to.”

  Jim ignored him and took Barty in his arms. “God, you saved me, and you’re all right.” He cradled Barty’s head, lightly stroking his hair.

  “Jim, I have a huge headache. Just call an ambulance, please, and maybe someone to take that mess away.” Barty rested against him as Jim fished his phone out of his pocket.

  “I need police and an ambulance.” He gave his address. “Please relay that a police weapon has been discharged and that there is a suspect down. Two in need of medical attention.” He hung up and called Captain Westin. “I need you at my house now. The suspect is on the kitchen floor. Barty shot him with my service revolver. Please just get here right away.” Jim hung up the phone. He had no intention of checking to see if Mason was still alive or touching him in any way. He held Barty until sirens sounded outside.

  “I need to go,” he said, and Barty leaned back against the counter. Jim left the kitchen and opened the garage door so that help could easily get to them. Rescue workers streamed in, one starting on Mason and the other helping Barty. Captain Westin arrived at the phalanx of the police contingent, and they spoke with Barty, who was being helped onto a stretcher and getting ready to be transported.