Everyone turned to look at the source of the shout. Alex Hernandez stood atop the hill near the road, his arm thrust out as he pointed at Shaw. Beside him stood Murray, and a policeman in full orange rain gear. The officer’s flashlight swept over the group.
Jack and Robyn pointed at Shaw.
The cop shined his light on Shaw and drew his gun. “FREEZE! Hands where I can see them!”
Jack managed a faint smile.
Nicer words he’d never heard.
32
Like Your Old Man
Jack shifted his position on the hospital gurney and winced. He’d lost track of how long he’d been in the emergency room. He’d been poked, pricked, X-rayed, and prodded. Now he waited in a small examination room, itching to find out how his father was.
An older doctor walked through the door. She scanned his chart.
“How’s my dad?” Jack asked.
“He’s fine. He’ll have a sore throat for a few days, and we had to stitch up a cut on his face. It’s mainly in his eyebrow, so the scar shouldn’t be too noticeable. He’s getting dressed and will be with you in a minute—”
Jack’s dad hurried into the room, still putting on his shirt. The left side of his face was bandaged; his right eye had a deep black circle under it and was swollen shut. Jack cringed when he saw the bruises on his throat.
They hugged, and then Jack’s dad turned to the doctor. “You said nothing’s broken?” he asked hoarsely.
She smiled. “Young bones. He’s got a nasty bump on his head and a bruise on his back. You both need to take it easy for a few days. I’ll leave instructions with the nurse.” She lost the smile and cleared her throat. “There’s a detective outside who wants to speak with you.”
As she walked out of the room, Detective Clark came in.
He brushed his gray hair back and his scowl darkened. He looked at Jack’s father and shook his head. “This is what I get for trying to involve a responsible adult?”
“Don’t be so dramatic, Derrick.”
“Dramatic? You both almost got beaten to death with a tire iron and I’m being dramatic?”
“It’s my fault,” Jack said.
“No, it isn’t,” the two men said at once.
“I’m responsible,” Jack’s father said. “But there’s a very good reason for my actions.”
Clark crossed his arms and waited.
Jack’s father cleared his throat and winced.
Clark’s wrinkles softened somewhat. “That throat of yours looks like you fought a boa constrictor and lost. Let’s hear this ‘very good reason.’”
Jack’s dad stood as if he were addressing a classroom. “Jack realized there was a possible witness.”
“Murray Pratt?”
“Yes, Murray. I decided that before speaking with you, I should go and warn him that his life was in danger.”
“It’s the ‘before speaking with me’ part that I have a problem with, Ted.”
“Seriously, Derrick? What was I going to do—tell you some homeless man in Hamilton Park ‘might have seen something’?”
“Yes.”
Jack’s dad huffed. “You can’t work off that. You need facts. Something more concrete.”
“No. We go off a hell of a lot less, typically. We would have re-canvassed the park. Asked different questions. It’s standard procedure.”
“Well, I thought his life was in immediate danger… and that it was the right thing to do.”
Clark looked back and forth between Jack and his father. His gaze stopped on Jack. “Now I know where you get it, kid. Fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree. You’re just like your old man.”
Jack smiled at his dad.
Clark’s harsh face softened. “You saved Murray’s life.”
“You have that wrong,” Jack replied. “If it wasn’t for Murray getting help, and Alex getting the police…”
Clark pointed at Jack. “You were right about Michael Shaw, too. He killed his wife, and then lost it. Paranoid as hell. I don’t think he’s slept since he killed her.”
“So you talked to him? He confessed?”
“Yes. To everything. After we confronted him with the evidence, he started going on and on, giving us every detail. I personally think it was you, Jack, who drove him over the edge.”
“Me?”
Jack’s dad laughed. “Jack can have that effect on people.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Jack frowned. “How could I drive him that crazy?”
Clark leaned against the wall. “During his confession, Shaw kept talking about this guy who was following him around, showing up at his house, shadowing him and his mistress. He thinks you’re some avenging spirit sent to torment him for killing his wife. He thought the police were on to him too, so he kept going over what he did wrong. Then we pulled him in for the GPS, and I guess that pushed him over the edge.”
“Why didn’t Liberty Rental have a record of him renting a car, or of the GPS being stolen?” Jack asked.
Clark crossed his arms. “Shaw used a license he’d stolen from one of the other sales reps at his company, and then returned it without the guy knowing. He used a prepaid credit card that he’d been using to hide his affair from his wife. And he used that same card to buy a new GPS and replace the one Tommy stole. So the rental car company had no idea. But the linchpin was that phone app, Jack. You were right. Shaw left his own cell phone at the hotel in Schenectady. The phone records show that Shaw’s cell phone received a call from an unknown number one minute before he called Stacy’s cell phone. We traced the unknown number to an over-the-counter burner phone purchased with the same prepaid credit card. It seems he used that app to re-route the call, making it look like he had an ironclad alibi.”
“So Shaw really planned this thing in detail,” Jack’s dad said.
“Right down to where he was going to attack her,” Clark said. “I’ve no doubt he’d even walked Stacy through the park a few times so she’d go the same way home.”
“He’s a monster,” Jack’s dad said.
“What about her car?” Jack asked.
“The night of the murder, he pulled the starter relay fuse, disabling it so she’d have to walk. And after the murder, he drove her car away from the body so that we’d be looking for evidence in the wrong place—and he staged an accident in a location where he knew the car would be found right away. He needed to firmly establish that she went missing during the time he was in Schenectady with his airtight alibi.”
“With all the security cameras nowadays, how come none of them videotaped him walking back into town?” Jack’s dad asked.
“He dumped the car right next to the main electrical lines. He stayed on the path underneath the lines until they reached Hamilton Park.”
Jack shook his head. “So, one thing I don’t understand. Why did he kill her? What was the motive?”
“That law office you followed him to, they were handling a civil suit against the Darrington Fertility Clinic. A few years back, Stacy Shaw had undergone a botched procedure there, which doctors believed had left her sterile.” Disgust hardened Clark’s features. “Then she got pregnant.”
Jack shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
“The clinic was about to settle with the Shaws’ for two million dollars.”
Jack’s dad spoke in an icy tone. “That man is pure evil.”
“He murdered his wife and child for two million dollars.” Jack stared at the wall.
His dad put his hand on Jack’s shoulder. “And if not for you, Jack, he would have killed again. You saved Murray’s life.”
Jack nodded. “How is Murray?”
“He’s got a concussion and needed some stitches but he’ll be fine,” Clark said. “He’s given a statement, as has the homeless woman, Robyn.” Clark wiggled a finger in his ear. “She insisted on demonstrating how loud her whistle is. My ears are still ringing.”
Jack chuckled.
Jack’s dad tipped his head to the side. “You know, her Red Sox h
at looks just like the one—”
Jack talked fast. “That’s great that everyone’s okay. That’s the important thing. Right? That everyone’s good.”
“I’m proud of you, Jack.” Clark grinned. “Hell, even Vargas was impressed, though he’d never admit it.”
Jack looked down; his dad smiled proudly.
“And more good news: they’re working on getting Jay Martin transferred to Fairfield General Hospital,” Clark said. “All charges against him are dropped.”
“What about Tommy?”
“After all his family went through, the superintendent plans to pull some strings. For his cooperation, I think he’ll be looking at some community service. If he keeps himself clean, I think he’ll be able to work something out.”
“I’m sure Mrs. Martin is very grateful,” Jack’s dad said.
“Now.” Clark raised his voice. “We need to discuss what you two did. I specifically told you both that this was dangerous and you should back off. You kept going. There are consequences for that.”
“Wait a second,” Jack said. “You can’t be serious. We caught the guy.”
“He’s got you there, Clark,” his dad added. “Think it through. How would it look if you charged Jack after all he’s done?”
“We’re not going to charge him. But the wrath you two are about to face is far worse than prison.” Clark walked over to the door, stood to the side, and opened it.
Jack’s mom stood in the doorway. Jack could count on one hand the number of times he’d seen his mother truly mad. As she fumed in the doorway, Jack realized he’d need to start using both hands now.
His father’s mouth fell open. “You called my wife?”
33
You Think I’d Miss This?
TWO WEEKS LATER
Jack parked the Impala at the end of Kelly’s long driveway. The Dawsons were having another picnic, and once again Jack was invited. He didn’t know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.
Kelly ran out of the front door and straight to Jack. She wrapped her arms around him. “Hey. I didn’t think you’d come.”
“You think I’d miss this?” Jack grinned.
“We’re going out tomorrow night, right?”
Jack nodded. “But I didn’t want to wait a whole day to see you again.”
She kissed him.
Preston, Warner, Archer, and five other guys walked out of the back yard. When they saw Jack, Warner said something, and they all burst out laughing.
“Just say no if they ask you to play football,” Kelly whispered.
“I can’t say no.”
She pleaded, “My brother is just doing this because of my father, and…” She huffed. “Warner and I—”
“Were a thing.” Jack shrugged. “Past tense.”
“Not for him. I heard him tell Preston that he was gonna really bust you up if you played again.”
“I kinda figured that when Preston called me and suggested another game.”
Kelly’s mouth opened, but she closed it when her brother strode up.
“Glad you could make it, Jack,” Preston said with a smile.
“Yeah,” Warner sneered, “I didn’t think you would after the last game.”
“I’m actually looking forward to it.” Jack handed his keys to Kelly.
As they walked across to the back yard, Kelly squeezed his hand. She looked up at him and mouthed, Don’t.
Jack just smiled.
“Same teams as last time?” Preston asked. “With you we have nine, but Hayden can sit out.”
“Actually, Preston, I’m glad you’ve got eight guys. I figured I’d take you up on your offer.”
Preston looked confused. “What offer?”
“Last time Archer said it’d be okay if I brought some friends.” Jack pointed down the street at two approaching cars. “So I did. They’re just a few guys I grew up with in my old neighborhood.”
A rusted brown van pulled up to the curb, followed by a gray sedan. All six foot six of Chandler got out of the van first. The driver’s door opened and Gino, who was an even six feet tall but weighed almost three hundred and twenty pounds, got out next. Then the van side door slid open, and Bobbie G and Anthony got out and stood next to Chandler. Bobbie G was a little smaller than Chandler but outweighed him by forty pounds. And Anthony’s enormous biceps, covered in tattoos, bulged as he crossed his arms.
“What’s up, Jack!” Estoban jogged up from the sedan and knuckle-bumped Jack. Two other big guys followed him, along with Michelle, Makayla, and Lori.
Jack surveyed the group of guys—they were as large as an NFL team. “Thanks for coming,” he said with a smile. Then he turned to Warner, who was noticeably paler. “Well, let’s play some football.”
Michelle, Makayla, and Lori joined Kelly and her girlfriends on the sideline as the two teams lined up. Warner’s team got the ball first, and on each of the first three plays, they all ended up flat on their backs, groaning in pain. On the fourth play, Archer wisely just threw the ball away.
Then Jack’s team got the ball. Estoban, their quarterback, huddled up the team. “I say we let our host score the first touchdown.” He turned to Jack. “Jack, fake like you’re going left, then cut back behind me and I’ll toss the ball to you. Stick close to the sideline.” To everyone else he said, “Jack’s got a bull’s-eye on his back, so no one let the other team get near him. Got it?”
Anthony cracked his knuckles. “No one will touch him.”
As planned, Estoban tossed the ball to Jack. Jack bobbed left, then right. He cut quickly in front of Preston before he had time to react—then he made sure to run the ball right past the ladies on the sideline, grinning the whole way. He made it look good, but the truth was, with his friends guarding him, Jack could have walked down the field and scored.
As Jack tossed the ball back to Archer, Archer’s muddy face paled. “Hold on a second,” he called out, then he ran over to his jacket. His hand shook as it fumbled in his pocket. He took out his phone and held it up to his ear. Then he turned back to the guys. “Sorry, guys. I totally forgot—something. I have to go.”
One of the other kids ran over to Archer. “I’m going with you. I… I was supposed to help you, right?”
Archer looked puzzled at first, but then he quickly nodded. “Yeah. Sure. You have to come with me.”
Two other guys from Warner’s team walked off the field. “We should just call it then,” they muttered.
Warner threw his hands up. “Come on, guys,” he whined.
“Hold up, Warner.” Jack strode over to him. The two stared each other down. Jack lowered his voice and leaned in. “Are we done?”
Warner looked at the grass. “You mean with the game?”
“All the games,” Jack growled. “Look, this is how we’re going to handle this. I’m dating Kelly now. You’ve got a problem with that, you tell me, and we’ll settle it right here, right now.”
Warner swallowed. He looked over to Preston, but Preston didn’t move.
Jack straightened up.
Warner’s shoulders slumped. “I get it. I’m done.”
“Game’s over then.” Jack strutted over to his crew like a pirate on a captured frigate. “Looks like we won, boys!”
Cheers, jeers, and high fives were quickly exchanged. The guys went over and mingled with the ladies.
“Hey, Jack,” Lori called out as she ran up to him. “Nice touchdown.”
“Thanks.”
“I haven’t gotten to tell you yet. Guess who got indicted a few days ago?”
Jack broke into a wide grin.
She nodded. “Yep. They gave Leland Chambers the walk of shame out of the building—in handcuffs and everything. Do you know how many employees he’s made miserable over the years? He had it coming.”
“Speaking of which, have you heard from Jeremy?”
“He’s doing great. He came back home. After it came out what Leland had done, they reinstated him, and Betty even made
sure they gave him a few extra weeks’ vacation to try to make up for it.”
“That’s great to hear. How did Betty pull that off?”
“Oh, Betty knows her way around. Besides, she’s the new director of finance.”
After everyone ate some barbecue and hung out for a while, Chandler, Michelle, and Makayla walked over to Jack. “The girls want to go get some ice cream,” Chandler said. “You coming?”
“I’ll catch up with you. I gotta say bye to Kelly and swing by home before I come over.”
“We’re watching the game at Estoban’s later, right?”
“I have one stop to make first.”
“You’ll be late.”
“I won’t.”
“Wanna bet?”
Chandler reached for his wallet, and Jack laughed. “Get outta here.”
As Jack’s friends piled into their vehicles and drove off, Kelly appeared beside him. “Well, that was a slaughter.”
“I’m glad Preston quit before Chandler started to really play.”
She laughed. It was light and happy.
Jack smiled.
“Thanks for saying something to Warner.”
“Who?” Jack pulled her close.
She grinned and kissed him. He tasted cherry. He loved that flavor.
Their heads shifted, and so did their hands. Jack’s breathing sped up, but Kelly pulled away. She cast a quick glance at her house and tipped her head seductively.
Jack kissed her again.
She pressed into him and then, after another round of intense kissing, she pushed back. “You’re so bad,” she purred.
“Can you come over tomorrow night? My mom’s having a belated birthday thing for me.”
She nodded. “Can I bring a present?”
Jack’s breath hitched. “It might be difficult wrapping yourself. Maybe just put a bow on top of your head.”
She giggled.
Jack held her around the waist. “Seriously, you don’t have to get me anything. I’m just doing it for my mom.”
“I want to.” She bit her bottom lip. “Besides, you just gave me an idea.” She pouted. “I’m just bummed I have to wait until then.”
And Then She Was GONE: A riveting new suspense novel that keeps you guessing until the end Page 28