The second the front grill disappeared inside the garage, Merry burst from her spot. In three steps she was at the back bumper, using the Tahoe for a shield. When it stopped, the big metal door closed and Merry held her breath, waiting for the sounds of Tad exiting the vehicle. The wait wasn’t long.
She heard the driver’s door open and the faint ding of an indicator of some sorts.
Tad’s laughter bounced off the walls of the small place, making it sound like he was right next to Merry. “Duh, Tad. Got to unhook the seatbelt before you can get out.”
The bastard erupted into a pile of giggles. Merry heard the jangle of his keys when they hit the ground. From his slurred speech, there was no doubt he was drunk and/or high.
Rather than confront him in the small space, Merry decided to remain still and let the fool extricate himself from the seat and head inside and then strike from behind. She listened to Tad fumble around, mumbling and cursing under his breath with the effort. Finally, the thud of his shoes when they hit the concrete was next, followed by footsteps to the door leading inside.
The duct tape on the bottom of Merry’s boots suppressed the noise of her own footfalls. The second Tad’s hand reached the doorknob, she stopped and steadied herself. When Tad pushed the door open and turned the lights on, Merry leaned back and executed a perfect side kick directly into his kidney.
Tad let out a weird grunt. His body flew forward nearly six feet, landing hard on the floor. Wasting no time, Merry yanked the bag from her back and opened it, retrieving two strands of nylon. Tad moaned and groaned but didn’t move much except his arms and upper torso while he tried to roll over. Crouching next to his feet, she bound them in seconds.
“Enough whining you big baby. Stop acting like you’ve been shot or stabbed. Now, be a good boy and stretch your arms out over your head.”
“Hey, baby,” Tad responded while he struggled to roll over. “You want to play rough. I get that and I am so down with it. I’ve heard about chicks like you—ones who enjoy rape fantasies. You know, I always thought it was the other way around, but hey, I’m willing to play victim for a while. My only caveat is I want to switch roles later so I can play rough, too. You could have given me a heads up at the club though so I would’ve been better prepared for that wicked kick. So, do I need to struggle and scream for help, or just hold still and let you have your way…”
Tad’s words dried up in his throat when he succeeded in turning onto his back. The second he saw Merry, his grin disappeared, along with his hard-on.
“The latter is what I have in mind. Here,” Merry instructed, tossing the rope to Tad. “Tie yourself up and let’s head to the living room to chat. If you want to make it through this evening with all your body parts still attached, do as I say. Understand?”
To Merry’s surprise, Tad burst out laughing, making the blood from his nose drip faster.
“You know, I hate being right sometimes! I knew I was next. I just had no idea it was you! Figures. Oh yes, let’s have us a chat. There’s no need for all this violence. Trust me, I’m going to enjoy our little talk. More than you know. Maybe after I share some of my deep, dark secrets with you, you’ll have a change of heart about killing me.”
Sensing his shift in attitude, Merry stiffened. She gripped the handle of the blade with more force.
Without any more prompting, Tad wound the rope around his wrists, using his mouth to tighten the knot. It took him a few tries but finally he stood and hopped his way down the hall toward the living room. Once he made it to the couch, he stopped.
“May I sit, or did you want to string me up first?”
“Toss me your phone then sit.”
Tad turned sideways, exposing his back. “Right pocket.”
Merry chuckled. She pulled the Glock from her back waistband. She pointed at center mass on Tad’s chest. “Wow, you are really full of yourself, aren’t you? Let’s get a few things straight, Tad. I’m running this show, not you. I came here to get some information; however, I have no doubts I could obtain it from your phone and that laptop over there. My last two visits to drug dealers didn’t end well for them because they didn’t play by the rules. Now, take that phone out of your pocket nice and easy and set it on the table, or I’ll remove it with a bullet.”
“No, you won’t.”
For a second, Merry wondered if the sickness in her head had finally taken control. There was simply no way the voice from behind her, along with the familiar click of a hammer engaging, was real. Confirmation she was awake was given by Tad’s triumphant smile. His gaze shifted to the person behind her before he sat down and began to untie the rope around his ankles.
Part of her wanted to cry.
Another part deep inside her died.
The remaining bit of energy allowed Merry to remain upright. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind, speeding by so fast they made her dizzy.
The answer to her question about dirty cop or judge had just been answered, and the knowledge destroyed what was left of her small world.
“Drop the gun and knife, Merry.”
With tears streaming down her face, Merry’s voice was low yet defiant. “You’ll have to kill me first, Derek.”
“No, I won’t.”
The words were followed by a blow to the back of her head. For a split second, she felt the burning pain as stars danced in front of her eyes before collapsing onto the floor.
20
11:00 p.m. Thursday night
“Where were you five minutes ago? You know, before our dear Sis went all karate queen on my ass?”
“Shut up, Tad. I can’t think straight with you blabbering.”
“What’s there to contemplate? I mean, you’re here, and she’s out cold just like we planned. Jesus, don’t tell me you’re getting all sentimental? I told you earlier, if you didn’t have the balls to do this, I would. Just give me your gun…”
“I said shut up!” Derek roared, facing Tad. “And don’t you ever refer to her as Sis again. Ever. She’s my sister, not yours. You must be slipping. Recall our previous discussion about not killing her here? Get your wits back in order. Here, snort some more coke to wake yourself up.”
Tad held his hands up in mock surrender after catching the baggie full of drugs Derek tossed. “Okay, okay, hoss. Chill. I get why you don’t enjoy that little familial technicality. Didn’t mean to offend or step on your toes. I’m only trying to help keep us both out of prison. A cop and a judge’s son wouldn’t last a year.”
Ignoring the dig, Derek pointed to the couch. “You can help by tossing me the rope over here. Then, bring the chair.”
Tad set the drugs on the coffee table and then threw the nylon pieces across the living room. Derek caught them and bent down and bound Merry’s arms and legs. He slid his arms underneath her limp torso and hefted it onto the computer chair after Tad set it next to him. Once she was situated, he focused his attention back to Tad.
“Give me your phone.”
Tad furrowed his brow. “What? Why?”
“We talked about this already, you idiot. Nothing electronic to track you while you dump her body, remember? And before you leave, we’ll need to disable the GPS in your Tahoe. Think, Tad. Use what little brain cells you have left or we’ll end up in prison.”
Tad slapped his forehead and then extracted his cell and handed it to Derek. “Right! Sorry. Hey, cut me some slack, will you? This is my first murder. I’m not a seasoned, hardcore pro like you. Plus, I’m still a bit shell-shocked after the last twenty-four hours. I mean, talk about some freaky shit! Never pictured her as the violent type, much less a killer. Bet you didn’t, either. What a fucked-up family, huh? To think, our partnership started so you could protect her little feelings, and the whole time, she was hunting us.”
Derek’s anger rose fast. He forced his arms to remain at his side. Instead of commenting on Tad’s baited statement, he changed the subject. “You’ve got a long journey ahead of you tonight. My contact will meet you i
n Memphis at three a.m., not a minute later. I already put the instructions in the front seat of your vehicle.”
Tad smiled. “So that’s why you were late saving me, huh? Figures. Well, guess I better wake myself up then. I hate driving at night. So, I just meet the dude? Do I kill her before or after? Give me some guidance here.”
Derek watched Tad move to the couch and dump out a pile of white powder on the table. “That’s entirely up to you. My only rule is to make it quick and painless. Personally, I would wait until the meeting. They’ve already got a place off the grid to bury her, so no sense in ruining your vehicle.”
Tad paused and stared at Derek before his first snort. “You’re one cold-hearted bastard, I’ll give you that. Knew it the first time we met. Gotta say, I was terrified you would shoot me rather than become my partner-in-crime.”
Derek let a sly grin tug at his lips. “Speaking of partner-in-crime, how are sales? Are we close to needing another shipment?”
“So-so. Club scene isn’t nearly as profitable like street sales. You have Si—I mean, Merry—to thank for that. On the lookout for some new dealers to help us along, but none have cropped up yet. Won’t need another batch for at least a month.”
“Really? Seems odd, since I didn’t find any here earlier, and I looked. Everywhere. You wouldn’t be so stupid as to hold out on me, right?”
Tad took a hefty snort and wiped his nose. “Hell no. Bricks are all stashed in the storm shelter next door. No worries—the house is empty, so no one has a clue. I did it as a safety precaution. You’re saying you snooped around my place while I was gone? Not cool, hoss. Not cool.”
Tad lowered his head and snorted another thick line. Derek used the opportunity to snatch Tad’s cell from the table. After extracting his own, he sent a quick text. He glanced at Merry, worried she would come to any second. Tad worked on his third bump when a stream of blood oozed from his nose.
“Shit! I feel…this is…wrong. What did you…?”
Derek watched Tad collapse back into the couch. Blood leaked from Tad’s nose and ears, covering his shirt in crimson. Derek pulled his gun and reached over to grab a cushion. “Gave you a little going away present—a speedball. Got to set the stage so there will be no doubts when the crime scene is processed. You were right to be terrified of me, Tad. My biggest regret is not doing this before.”
“No, please!”
Derek ignored Tad’s mumbled plea. Before the bastard had a chance to move or say another word Derek lunged. The pillow and gun inches from Tad’s bloodied face, he fired. The cushion muffled the sound and helped keep the blood spatter off Derek.
“You were right—this has all been about protecting my sister.”
Derek stiffened when he heard Merry moan. Holstering his weapon, he tossed the pillow to the floor while studying Tad’s destroyed face. There was no doubt the rat bastard was dead, so Derek walked over to sit down across from his sister. Nervous energy thrummed through his body, expelled through his legs. He was helpless to stop them from bouncing while he waited for his sweet baby sister to awaken.
***
Merry’s head pounded, the majority of the pain centered in the back. Dazed, unsure if awake or dreaming, she struggled to grasp the sounds tickling her ears. She could tell two men were talking but couldn’t make out the words. Panic welled-up inside her when she tried to move and discovered her hands were bound.
Think! The last thing I remember I was at Tad’s. We were in the living room…a voice behind me…oh, God, no. Please, please let this be a nightmare. Let me wake up next to Percy. Please?
Merry’s eyes flew open at the precise moment full clarity of what previously happened hit. Blinking twice to focus, her heart rate spiked when her gaze settled on Tad’s dead body.
And Derek sitting less than ten feet away.
Confusion made her stomach roll. “Derek?”
“Sorry about your head, Sis. I tried not to break the skin, only hit hard enough to immobilize you for a few minutes. Had things to take care of before you woke up.”
Merry glanced at the mess on the couch and then down at the bloody cushion on the floor. When she noticed the pile of powder on the table, she stiffened. “You rang my bell hard enough you’ll need to explain what the fuck is going on with small words, brother.”
Derek took in a deep breath and whispered. “Finding the right words to say is harder than I thought.”
Merry could see the utter anguish etched across Derek’s face. His legs were bouncing—an annoying habit since childhood when stressed—and droplets of sweat beaded across his brow. She scrambled the pieces of the puzzle she knew in her head and tried to form a clear picture. When the strange shapes melded together, she felt her stomach drop.
“When did you realize it was me?”
Derek let a feeble grin appear. “The burn in my gut started when Mookie called me right after you paid him a visit. Pushed the feelings aside because he said the woman had black hair and a tattoo. When I saw your bruises, the burn ignited and again, I ignored it. Wanted more than anything to believe your story. After I found the dog food at your new place, I ran the VIN on Joshua’s bike. Once I confirmed you still owned it, I’ve been following you ever since.”
Dumbstruck, Merry said, “You were Mookie’s handler?”
Derek gave one quick nod for his answer, his eyes averted from Merry’s intense stare.
A few seconds of silence passed between them while Merry digested the news. Thoughts were spinning so fast inside her mind she felt dizzy. “And here all this time I pegged Mitch for the dirty cop. Why, Derek? What in the world happened that pushed you into this world?”
“You.”
Anger made Merry’s voice louder. “Me? What the fuck kind of excuse is that, Derek?”
Derek pulled his gaze from the floor and found Merry’s eyes. “Do you remember your first day of fishing and how you nearly drowned?”
“I don’t see…”
Derek held up his hands. “Give me a chance to explain. I promise you’ll understand everything when I’m done. Okay?”
Merry never said a word in response. Instead, she used the opportunity of Derek being distracted to work on freeing her hands.
“I didn’t want you to go with us. I liked my alone time with Dad. Made a big stink about it and got my ass whooped. Dad made me swear to take care of you—to protect you from harm—no matter what. I took it to heart and have been ever since.”
Though she tried to stop herself, Merry shot back. “What part about whacking me from behind and tying me up falls into the protective category?”
Derek rose and yelled, “Shut up and listen, Merry!”
Watching Derek pace back and forth made the hairs stand up on Merry’s neck. Since he was armed and she was his captive, Merry decided to switch tactics. “Derek…calm down, please? My head is throbbing, and I’m scared. All of this makes no sense, and I’m trying to follow what you’re saying, but it’s difficult.”
“I’m probably rambling, which isn’t helping you. This whole mess is hard for me to articulate, believe me. I opened with that story because protecting you—even if it means from yourself—is what I’ve been doing your entire life, and what ended up pulling me into this ugly world.”
Softening her tone, Merry asked, “So, you figured out I was the killer and decided to stop me, yet you killed Tad?”
Derek’s face flushed with anger. “I have wanted to blow his fucking head off for years. That bastard is the reason we both are here.”
“Come again?”
Derek let out a huff of air while running his fingers through his hair. “Tad…knew things he shouldn’t have about our family. He used them to get me—and another—to comply with his requests. If we didn’t, he threatened to expose certain things you never needed to know.”
Stunned, Merry said, “That piece of shit knew things about our family? How? What things were so damned explosive you never wanted me to know, Derek? Stop being so cryptic and just s
pit it out!”
The minute the words left her mouth, Merry sensed the electrical shift in the room. Derek never answered with words, only with his eyes. She knew who stood in the doorway before he ever spoke.
“I’m afraid my son enjoyed holding us both hostage, dear. He forced us to play in his sick game. We did so to keep you from discovering the truth about me—and your mother.”
Shocked into silence, Merry watched Judge Tompkins enter the room. His gaze never wavered from her own, big brown eyes full of tears. Bypassing his dead son, the judge stopped and knelt down, placing a warm hand on her calf.
His touch sent waves of anger throughout her body. “Get your hands off me, you liar! You two are out of your minds! Oh, better yet—maybe high on the shit you’ve been dealing? You must be if you think I’ll believe you both turned dirty because you had an affair with my mother and didn’t want me to find out. That is the most pathetic excuse I’ve ever heard in my life! Joshua came up with better lies when he was higher than a kite!”
Tears rolled faster down Judge Tompkins’ wrinkled cheeks. Behind his eyes, Merry saw the deep sadness, the unspoken words. Memories of the past flooded back. Closing her eyes, Merry shook her head to make them disappear as tears of her own appeared.
21
1:00 a.m. Friday morning
“We didn’t mean for it to happen. Your father was my best friend. We went to the academy together—lived through some really close calls while on the streets. Your mother and I were friends—nothing more—for years. Things changed as time passed. I found myself looking forward to dinner at the house to enjoy her company, not your father’s. We knew it was wrong and never verbalized our feelings or succumbed to temptation for a long time. Not until one night when your mother was alone and Derek was sick. Your dad was out of town…”
Forcing the bile back down, Merry whispered, “Enough. I get it. I’m the product of a one-night stand by two pieces of shit. Makes sense why you disappeared from our lives. Must say I’m surprised my dad—you know, the one who raised me knowing I was a bastard child—didn’t kill you. What, were you two afraid that’s what my reaction would be or something? That I’d go all crazy and kill the upstanding judge?”
Night Court Page 16