Damn. He tapped lightly on the driver side window. The quilt moved. He stood and hoped he wouldn’t be shot for his trouble.
He knocked hard on the glass. “Look, I know you’re in there. You might as well come out, because I’m not leaving until you do.”
Emma froze. That voice! It sounded exactly like Casey. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. She was staring into Casey’s brown eyes. “Casey,” Emma screamed, tearing open the door and throwing herself at him.
Casey grabbed Emma and pulled her down, shielding her from the house. “What the hell are doing out here? Are you okay?”
Emma pushed Casey off her and laughed. “I can’t believe you’re really here!”
“Emma, who is inside? Why are you out here alone?”
Emma sobered and stared at Casey. “Bonnie and Orley are inside. They’re dead.”
“Dead, who killed them?”
“It’s a long story and I’ll tell all about it, but first I need to use the bathroom.”
***
Emma and Casey sat in the squad car later with heat blasting and the cell phone plugged in, still recharging. They sat together in the backseat; drink the last of Orley’s beer. “Where do I start?” She asked, turning to Casey.
“Well, we could start with your face. Who did it?” Casey asked, touching her face gently.
“Jimmy Joe got angry when I wouldn’t give him my parents phone number. No wait, the first time he hit me was when he kidnapped me at my house. He hit me before I knew he was even there.”
Casey took a deep breath and pushed down the anger. Pulling Emma into the crook of his arm, he muttered. “Go on.”
“I don’t know how I got in the trunk but I woke up there. After a few miles, he pulled into a deserted road and hauled me out of the trunk. He was acting pretty crazy. He told me he was going to trade me for Kerry. I was so angry; I told him my father would never do that. That’s when he nailed me again. His eyes looked weird, so I kept my opinions to myself after that. We got to this cabin and that’s when he hit me for the parents’ numbers.” Taking a breath, Emma sighed, “The only one who tried to help me was Bonnie and she’s, she’s dead.”
“It was an accident, you didn’t mean for her to die.”
“No, I didn’t. She saved my life before Jimmy Joe left for my house, did I tell you that?” Emma asked sadly.
Casey nodded and hugged her.
“She was really nice to me. As much as she could be. She was terrified of Jimmy Joe.”
“He murdered two women late yesterday afternoon up in Piggott.”
“I know, he was bragging about it to Bonnie and Orley. Why, why would he kill them?”
“We figure he wanted to use the phone and bullied himself in. When he spoke with your dad, he became enraged and that’s when he shot them.”
“My poor dad,” Emma said, tracing the beer-can top with her finger.
“Maybe now you’ll explain why you were sitting here with a cell phone and a car and not leaving or calling anyone. Me, for instance. Or did you call someone?” He asked, watching her face.
“Jimmy Joe is headed for my house as we speak,” Emma said, shooting a worried look at Casey.
“Why haven’t you called the police?”
“Because my dad doesn’t want me to.”
“Why?”
“He wants to deal with Jimmy Joe himself. He said he doesn’t trust the police to catch Jimmy Joe. Kerry will never get better if he’s still alive.”
“Emma, you’re talking about premeditated murder. Do you realize that? You and your dad could get in trouble if anyone finds out,” Casey said, stroking Emma’s hair.
“Casey, what happens if Jimmy Joe escapes again? Will Kerry and I ever really be safe?”
Casey thought about the last few days and said. “Your dad’s right. I don’t blame him. I was prepared to kill Jimmy Joe myself if I caught him.”
Relieved, Emma settled back into the seat.
“Do you think your dad could actually kill someone?” Casey asked.
“Someone, no,” Emma said. “Jimmy Joe, yes.”
Chapter Forty-Five
Jason Stewart settled back against the banister and waited patiently for Jimmy Joe. He had decided to wait at the top of the stairs. He could see both ways into the living area. If Jimmy Joe came in through the front, he’d probably see him through the windows first. However, if he came in through the back, he wouldn’t see him until he stepped into the living room. He had turned the alarm off earlier so the alarm company wouldn’t be alerted.
He took a sip of brandy and thought about Emma. He hoped he was doing the right thing. He felt dreadful for her. Emma had impressed him with her determination and resilience. For a girl of twenty, she’d kept her head and did what she had to do. He wondered what demons would follow her around and for how long.
It had taken real guts to knock that guy in the head with a frying pan. Thank God, she was all right. Thank God for that.
He shifted his body and focused his mind away from what lay ahead with Jimmy Joe. He checked the gun again, and then laid it down next to him. He’d never like guns, never kept any in the house because of the girls, but he was grateful for it now. He felt terrible not letting Sherry know that Emma was safe. He believed the fewer people who knew, the better chance he had of getting away with murder.
He intended to walk away after killing that psychotic madman. The man would not live to hurt anyone in his family ever again.
He took another sip of brandy and wondered where Jimmy Joe was? Did he have any inkling that he was driving to his death? He thought not. He figured Jimmy Joe for a coward. Beating up little girls and killing old women sounded like a coward to him.
He lay back against the carpet and stretched. The last three months had been a nightmare, but thank God, Kerry and Emma were safe. Pushing himself up, he looked out the window. It was snowing. He remembered it was Christmas Eve.
***
Exhausted, Emma’s head dropped on Casey’s shoulder. Smoothing her hair with his hand, he thought about Jason Stewart. He hoped Emma’s dad knew what he was doing. Jimmy Joe was a good shot, at least that’s what his brothers had told him. He would have liked to talk to him but he and Emma decided not to say anything about Casey finding her. Although, if Jason was caught, Casey would come forward. He didn’t intend to let Emma’s dad stand alone.
He hoped Jason would kill him right away, not giving him time to react. Not a good way to die. But if anyone deserved to die that way, it was Jimmy Joe Walters.
***
Jimmy Joe reached out of the car window and grabbed snow as it came swirling down. Wiping his face with it, he rolled the window back up. Snow again. This damn state and its damn snow. Getting off at the Indianapolis exit, he sighed. Almost there, maybe an hour of driving. He couldn’t wait to shoot the hell out of the family and the house.
That big beautiful house was about to be haunted by its current owners. Snickering at his joke, Jimmy Joe pulled a flask of hot coffee out of his coat and took a swig.
***
Jason jerked upright with a start. He wasn’t sure right away what woke him. Listening intently, he heard a noise at the back door. He couldn’t believe he’d fallen asleep. What a stupid thing to do. Hearing the noise again, Jason picked up the gun. Jimmy Joe was coming in the back door. He pointed the gun toward the kitchen door. The small light he had left on in the hall illuminated Jimmy Joe’s shadow as he inched toward the living room.
***
Jimmy Joe put his hand on the door trim and started confidently forward, thinking how stupid Lucy’s family was. The one night he decides to come, they forget to set the alarm. God’s eyes are with me tonight, Jimmy Joe thought gleefully.
He slipped into the living room and jumped as a gun went off. It wasn’t his. He felt a burning sensation in his side. Reaching down, he felt something sticky. When he pulled his hand back, there was blood. What the hell happened?
When he looked up, he saw a
tall blonde-haired man descending the stairs with a gun pointed at him. Raising his hand to shoot, he felt a bullet pass through his left shoulder. He fell to his knees and groaned. The whole time the man hadn’t said a word. “Who are you?” Jimmy Joe gasped, holding his gun low, out of sight.
“I’m Kerry and Emma’s dad.”
“Why did you shoot me? I wasn’t going to hurt anyone. I just wanted to talk.”
“So talk,” Jason said, sitting down on the stairs. “Why did you come here?”
“I wanted to see Lucy,” Jimmy Joe said, pushing away the pain. He needed one good shot and he would nail this bastard. Gripping his gun, he whipped it up and shot in the man’s direction.
When Jimmy Joe heard the sound of the bullet hitting flesh, he knew he’d gotten off a good shot. Rolling on the floor, he waited.
After a few minutes of silence, Jimmy Joe sat up and put his hand to his shoulder. Warm blood was sticking to his fingers, dripping down his arm. The bullet seemed to have just nicked the skin but it was bleeding like a motherfucker.
In a fit of rage, he screamed and unloaded his pistol into the room, hitting the glass chandelier in the front foyer. Hearing the shattered glass hit the hard ceramic floor, Jimmy Joe shrieked again.
He paused and looked at the stairs. Maybe he’d got him with one shot, that would be cool.. Peeking around the sofa, the stairs were empty. The man had probably escaped upstairs.
Jimmy Joe heaved himself into a more comfortable sitting position and reloaded his gun. He checked the place out – the night light cast enough light for him to make out an elegant living area, complete with a small grand piano. Aiming his gun, he emptied the bullets into the piano.
Jimmy Joe leaned on the frame of the French doors and reloaded quickly. Feeling a little weak from loss of blood, he started up the stairs. The bastard was probably hiding, but not for long.
***
Jason backed into Kerry’s bedroom and sank down on the window seat, then assessed the bullet wound to his leg. If he had been sitting one step further down, the bullet would probably have hit his heart. His leg wasn’t too bad, though. He heard Jimmy Joe empty his gun. What the hell was the man shooting at?
He grabbed Kerry’s pillow and yanked the pillowcase off the pillow, then tied it around his leg. Jimmy Joe’s gun went off again.
The crazy bastard was shooting up his house. For a brief moment, he contemplated using the phone on Kerry’s bedside table to call the police. He knew they’d be here in minutes. But he decided against it. Sure, the guy was probably more used to guns than he was, but this was his house.
He racked his brain trying to figure out what he should do. When he heard the fourth step from the bottom creak, he knew Jimmy Joe was on his way upstairs.
Jason checked the gun and pulled extra bullets from his shirt pocket and pushed one into the empty chamber.
Jimmy Joe was looking for him and he’d be upstairs very soon. Limping over to the darkest corner of the room, he lay flat on the floor.
He took a deep breath to steady his nerves and rested his elbow on the floor so the gun rested on the knuckle of his hand.
He wasn’t going to mess around. When Jimmy Joe came through the door, he would start shooting.
***
Jimmy Joe held his breath as he turned the doorknob into the bedroom. Swinging it open, he started firing. When no answering shots were heard, he frowned and searched the room. Finding it empty, he walked softly back into the large hall to the opposite door and held his breath. He flung the door open and began firing, only to have a bullet rip through his chest. Gasping, he fell to the floor. Feeling another bullet go into his arm, he screamed. “What the fuck are you doing? I’m hit. I’m not using my gun.”
“Throw it away then,” Jason said, aiming at Jimmy Joe’s leg.
“Don’t shoot anymore,” Jimmy Joe shrieked, throwing his gun away.
Jason pulled the trigger again and watched as the bullet blew Jimmy Joe’s leg apart.
“Why?” Jimmy Joe screamed. “Why are you still shooting?
“Because I wanted to watch you suffer before you die,” Jason explained, watching the comprehension that he was going to die spread across his face.
Screaming profanities, Jimmy Joe tried to get to his feet.
Jason pointed the gun at Jimmy Joe’s head and fired the final shot between Jimmy Joe’s eyes. “Have fun in hell, Jimmy Joe!” Jason said calmly, as he limped around Jimmy Joe and picked up the phone.
Epilog
Casey sat across from Sheriff Butler and watched as the sheriff flipped through his paperwork. Glancing at his watch, Casey sighed. Six more hours and he’d be on a plane headed for California. He and Emma had decided to vacation in LA for a couple of weeks before they started school. With Jimmy Joe dead, Kerry was getting better by the day and Emma was ready for a break.
The sheriff had insisted Casey get his paperwork in order before he left. They’d been at it since eight o’clock that morning. He stretched his arms over his head and yawned. Glancing over at the chief, he saw him frown at the papers in front of him. Curious, Casey leaned over and looked at the file. It had Emma Stewart’s name on it.
Uneasy, Casey wondered what was making the chief unhappy. “What’s wrong boss?”
“Nothing’s wrong. It’s just Emma Stewart’s cell phone bill.”
“Yea?”
Andrew said nothing for a few minutes. “It’s kind of weird that Emma placed a call to her house on Christmas Eve. I thought she didn’t get through to her father until hours after Jimmy Joe was shot.”
Casey said nothing. He couldn’t lie to Andrew.
Andrew watched Casey’s face for a few minutes before taking a lighter from his desk and lighting the cell phone bill. Both men watched it burn to nothing but ashes.
Andrew spoke without meeting Casey’s eye, “Sometimes to be a good police officer, you have to decide what is legal, and what is right. I might have done the same thing given the circumstances.”
Casey sighed with relief, then went back to his paperwork. Five and half-hours were all that stood between him and California.
Thanks to all who read our book. I appreciate it more than you know. This is the first adventure for Emma and Casey but it won’t be the last…
If you have any comments or suggestions we will be happy to hear them.
Oliver Bishop
[email protected]
Melissa Rees
[email protected]
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