“No, I’m getting out of here,” Frank said.
I could feel him shaking against me, which was both a good and a bad sign. He was beginning to crack, but that meant he was also becoming increasingly erratic. I hoped he could keep control of his trigger finger.
“You’re not going anywhere. It’s over, Frank. You’re under arrest for the murder of Leann Fox,” Manetti replied, flicking a glance at me. I couldn’t be sure in the state I was in, but I thought I actually saw fear in his eyes. That was a first.
Frank roared, “I’ve worked too damn hard and put in too many hours in this department to go out like this! So I killed one slut—so what? She had the nerve to dump me so she could go back to her good-for-nothing bastard of a husband. And hand my baby over to him. No way I was letting that happen. And no way I was going down for it, either.” I felt his hot breath wheezing out fast on the side of my face.
Edging around us toward Manetti, Jayne said, “You did plant that evidence, didn’t you?”
Frank let out a sharp laugh. “You mean when I wiped down the spade I hit her with and put it in passed-out Samuel’s hands so his fingerprints would be all over it?”
“And when you took the cellphone you gave her?”
“That, too. I had a good laugh watching you run around like a monkey looking for it. I bet the brilliant Jayne Walsh never thought old Frank would have the smarts to pull the wool over her eyes like that.” Although his words were hateful and indifferent, he was shaking even worse now. He’d even loosened his grip on my neck enough that I could breathe almost normally.
“Enough!” Manetti shouted. “This ends now. Frank, put down your weapon.”
“Screw you! I’m getting the hell out of here,” he rasped.
“Wrong. You have two options—surrender now or I shoot you.”
Frank let out a strangled cry. “You’re not in charge! I say when this ends! I say how I go out!”
Flinging me aside, he put the muzzle of his gun under his chin and pulled the trigger. Jayne screamed, “No!” as Frank dropped to the ground. She rushed to kneel beside him as Manetti ran over to kick Frank’s gun away. Manetti then pressed his fingertips to Frank’s neck and shook his head. Jayne wept over Frank’s body as I stood rooted to the spot, watching the pool of blood under Frank’s head spread out across the tile floor. Manetti came my way and wordlessly pulled me into a tight embrace. I clung to him, unable to do anything else.
EPILOGUE
Rachel wasn’t herself. It was to be expected, of course, after what she’d been through, that she be withdrawn and introverted. But it still made my heart ache to have to watch her go through this and be powerless to do anything to make it stop. It didn’t help that suddenly every student at Ashmore wanted to be her best friend and that every news outlet in the country wanted her story. The poor thing just wanted to be left alone.
It helped somewhat when I changed our phone numbers and personal email addresses. But then Rachel got to the point where she wouldn’t leave the house, even to go get coffee or to take Nate outside to play. Nate noticed she was acting strangely and asked me what was wrong with his mommy. She lashed out at me when I offered to get her an appointment for counseling with a psychologist. I didn’t know what else to do, so I called Baxter.
He came over and brought pizza for dinner, which made him Nate’s new best buddy. I could see Rachel warming to Baxter as he played on the floor with Nate, and I had to fight to not warm to him, myself. We hadn’t revisited our relationship conversation, which was fine with me. But I couldn’t help thinking it was inevitable that it would come back up.
I put Nate in the bathtub in order for Baxter and Rachel to have some time alone to talk. From the hallway, I could hear them speaking quietly as they sat in the living room, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying. It was really none of my business, and as long as Rachel was opening up, it was a step in the right direction. I was happy she was talking to someone who would understand what she’d gone through, and more importantly, who cared enough about us to want to help.
Once Baxter got up to leave, Rachel was in good enough spirits to take over wrestling Nate into bed. I got my coat and walked out the front door with Baxter.
“I don’t know what you said to her, but it helped. Thank you, Nick.”
“No problem. I hate that she’s got all this stuff to process. Unfortunately, it’s a long road. You have to be patient with her.”
I smiled. “You say that like you think I’m impatient.”
“You are.”
“Guilty.”
“What about you? Are you still going to your meetings?”
Nodding, I replied, “Yes. One week sober today.”
“I’m proud of you. That’s a big step.” He looked away. “Speaking of drinks, I heard you went out with Manetti a few days ago.”
I felt a chill, and it wasn’t from the cold night air. “I did.”
“And?”
I sighed. “And what? What do you want me to say?”
His face was stony. “I want you to tell me why you’ll date him, but not me.”
“It was one date, Nick. We’re not dating.”
He continued to stare at me.
Finally, I said, “Look, I don’t have to work with Manetti anymore. And I don’t even know if I like him…at all. It doesn’t matter if we crash and burn.”
His brow furrowed. “Are you saying you’ll only go out with men you don’t care about?”
“Well…it sounds bad when you put it like that, but…isn’t it easier that way? Then nobody gets hurt.”
“And you end up alone.”
“I’m not alone. I have my family.”
“What happens when Rachel finds a guy and goes off and gets married?”
I laughed. “Like that’ll last. She’s worse than I am at choosing men. Case in point, our dearly departed serial killer.”
He frowned and shook his head. “You refuse to let yourself be happy.”
“I refuse to get my heart broken. Big difference.”
“But the outcome is the same.” After regarding me for a moment, he backed away, saying, “I guess I’ll see you at work sometime.”
I felt a stab to my heart as I realized I was letting a good man get away. I couldn’t see it working out any other way, though. I knew his anger would fade, and he wouldn’t let it get in the way of our partnership. I could have chosen to stay away from the department and focus on my teaching career. Then I might have been able to bring myself to give it a shot with Baxter. But after having conquered my fears of not being strong enough to handle the tough cases, something inside me compelled me to dive back into law enforcement. I was no longer content to sit on the sidelines.
Look for the
third Ellie Matthews novel
coming in Fall 2018.
If this is the first Ellie Matthews novel you’ve read, be sure to go back and experience
her story from the beginning…
Other novels by Caroline Fardig
Ellie Matthews Novels
Bitter Past
An Eye for an Eye
Java Jive Mysteries
Death Before Decaf
Mug Shot
A Whole Latte Murder
Brew or Die
Murder Over Mochas
Lizzie Hart Mysteries
It’s Just a Little Crush
That Old Black Magic
Bad Medicine
My Funny Valentine
Wedding Bell Blues
Southern B&B Mysteries
Southern Discomfort
CAROLINE FARDIG is the USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen mystery novels. Fardig's Bad Medicine was named one of the "Best Books of 2015" by Suspense Magazine. She worked as a schoolteacher, church organist, insurance agent, funeral parlor associate, and stay-at-home mom before she realized that she wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Born and raised in a small town in Indiana, Fardig still lives in that same town with an understa
nding husband, two sweet kids, two energetic dogs, and one malevolent cat.
To find out about news and upcoming releases, sign up for Caroline’s newsletter here: www.carolinefardig.com/mailing-list
Visit her website at www.carolinefardig.com
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