They all had a chuckle.
The boys stayed around a few more days to assure themselves he was on the mend, but Leif had to get back to the Navy base in San Diego and Owen back to the fire department in San Francisco. Owen needed to save vacation time so that he could go on a honeymoon in a few months. He expected his father to be there to see him off.
When Millie excused herself to visit the ladies’ room, the boys both grew serious and each took up a place on either side of his bed.
‘That one is a keeper, Pops,’ said Leif, raising his eyebrows up and down comically.
‘You think?’ said Thiery, remembering those blue eyes as the first thing he saw when he woke up.
‘Don’t know how much you remember, Dad, but you got him,’ said Owen stoically, his jaw muscles flexing.
Thiery looked quizzically at his sons. ‘Who?’
Owen glanced at Leif, who said, ‘The bastard who killed Mom.’
‘I did?’
‘Yeah, Dad,’ said Owen. ‘Commissioner Bullock was here when they first brought you in. He stayed a few days after we got here and kinda filled us in.’
‘Yeah?’ Thiery said. ‘I don’t remember everything. Can you fill me in?’
‘The Commissioner said he was coming back in,’ said Leif. ‘Maybe he should do that. He’s got more details than we do. But, we, both of us, just wanted to say … ’ He got choked up and couldn’t finish.
Owen did it for him. ‘We wanted to say you’re the best father we could’ve hoped for. And that we never doubted you. We love you, Dad.’
Thiery tried to lighten it up. ‘Hey,’ he addressed Owen, ‘don’t they have grooming standards at the fire department?’
‘Yeah, I know,’ he said, stroking his beard. He bent over and hugged his father, as did Leif.
As if on cue, Bullock walked into the room, carrying a Tupperware container that barely concealed the scent of home-fried chicken.
‘Unhand that man, you trolls,’ said Bullock. ‘And don’t you dare make a pass at this chicken. I’m armed.’
‘Hey, Chief,’ said Owen. ‘You’re just in time, we gotta catch a plane.’
‘Okay boys,’ Bullock said. ‘It sure was good seeing you. I’ll try to keep this guy entertained.’
‘Good luck,’ joked Leif. ‘See you at the wedding.’
All said their good-byes, and the boys left, Thiery looking after them fondly, but with tears in his eyes.
‘God, they’re almost as big as you, man,’ Bullock commented. ‘You must be proud of them.’ Getting to the matter at hand, he added, ‘How are you feeling?’
Thiery dabbed at his eyes with the corner of his bed sheet. ‘Like I lost the game.’
Bullock laughed. ‘No, you didn’t. Fact is, you put down a real piece of shit.’
‘Moral? How much trouble am I in for that?’
‘You’re clear. Millie Adkins was the witness and Moral had a gun. We already had an administrative hearing; interviewed residents in Ormond Beach, and our forensic people were all over the scene. The FBI’s report ties it all together.’
‘Can you help me tie it together? I feel like one of those new kids in school who’s missed a semester.’
‘How much do you recall?’
‘Most of it, now,’ Thiery answered, ‘but that last day, when we went to the beach house, is like a dream with parts missing. It gets all jumbled.’
Bullock spelled out the events of the beach house shoot-out: who got who, how, where, and why.
Thiery closed his eyes and tried to remember. Bits and pieces flashed into his head, but it made him dizzy, so he let it go for the time being.
‘The boys said I got the man who killed their mother.’
‘You don’t remember our conversation that night you called me?’
‘Not that much. I remember something about the Albanian mob … ’
‘That’s right. I don’t know how much you want to hear right now … ’
‘Fill me in, Jim, or I won’t get any rest.’
‘Okay,’ he said, ‘but I think you knew, already. Adrienne had that old boyfriend in New York – the guy she went to school with – Gazmend?’
‘I remember the name.’
‘He was an accountant, like her. When she left you, she hooked back up with him. Eric Gazmend was already assigned to the US Marshal’s WITSEC programme. Adrienne wasn’t a witness, but she had ties to one, so they allowed her in, even though they weren’t married, just so he’d cooperate with them. They gave her one of their contrived Hollywood starlet names, Eva Monroe, and she legally changed it. She was trying to hide from her husband – you – a cop. She knew if she kept her name, you’d find her in no time and, if you could find her, the mob probably could, too. Unfortunately, the guy who was supposed to protect Gazmend was Moral. Adrienne just happened to have the bad luck to be out with him when the hit went down.’
‘Jesus. How did you put that together?’
Bullock smiled. ‘I didn’t. You did. I remembered you had told me about your theory, that the marshals were using code names of famous magicians and old Hollywood stars to rename their protected witnesses. Seemed pretty silly at the time, but you know the Feds. I mean, they named that fiasco down in Mexico “Fast & Furious”, so they are not beyond some drama, you know?’
‘Hmm,’ said Thiery, confused, but curious. ‘So, now what? Does Millie have to go back into hiding?’
Bullock shook his head. ‘We don’t think so. The Esperanzas’ organization is falling apart. The old man ran it, and the son might have tried to keep it going, but he’s gone, too.’
‘What about the shooting at the school? That community?’
‘They’re recovering. The Feds owned up about Moral being a dirty marshal, but they’re keeping the details vague. They sure as hell don’t want the public to know the school shooting was any more than a random school shooting, and that, not only did Moral secure the weapons, he spent several months on an anarchist chat line talking a crazy kid into doing the deed. Moral arranged the purchase of the gun cache from the Kentucky State PD through a licensed pawn shop in Vegas, owned by a guy named Tito Viveros. Viveros bought the cache for the Esperanzas, who then hired Shadtz, a man dying from cancer, to bring them to Coody. Logan’s FBI buddy, Miko Tran, got Viveros to sing like a bitch; that was the ribbon on the gift. Oh, yeah, one last thing.’ Bullock handed him a newspaper. Thiery read:
CALUSA COUNTY SHERIFF RESIGNS UNDER INVESTIGATION
In the wake of the Travis Hanks Elementary School shooting, an investigation into the delayed response of the Calusa County Sheriff’s Office has revealed that officers had been ordered, according to several deputies questioned, to delay their responses to certain calls. Sheriff Alton Conroy allegedly had been trying to manipulate response times in order to get more funding for his department. Conroy’s attorney has stated the allegations are false, but a number of officers within the department have already given statements to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement … ’
The story continued for several pages, but Thiery put the paper down and rubbed his eyes. ‘You know,’ he said, ‘I hate this business.’
‘I do know,’ Bullock responded, ‘but you’re good at it, Justin. And, you’re honest. We, the state of Florida, need you. Hell, I’ll say it, even the US government needs you. Now, you’ve got a lot of time to recover, and you need to think about coming back when you do.’
‘Not likely, sir.’
Bullock had his hands over his ears. ‘Sorry, man, I can’t hear you. You should know, I’ve slowed my retirement, just a bit, until you can get better and maybe reconsider your future. I know the governor would like you to take over— ’
‘Oh, I’m sure about that.’
‘No, really. You missed the President meeting with Millie Adkins. He said he was going to nominate her for the President’s Citizen Medal for saving those kids at the school. Said he was considering you for an award, too.’
‘The President of the Unite
d States?’
‘Yeah,’ said Bullock, laughing. ‘That’s the one. I told him you didn’t need an award ’cause you already have the Heisman.’
Thiery shook his head and laughed weakly. ‘You’re too much, man.’
‘That’s what my wife says,’ Bullock joked. ‘Hey, I have to go. Tallahassee calling. You get better and come see us, okay?’
After Bullock left, Thiery closed his eyes for a moment to digest it all. He finally settled down, drifted off, and never heard Millie Adkins come back into the room and take up her station next to him, where she’d been for the past several weeks. She was, after all, still a registered nurse.
When Thiery’s doctor released him about a month later, Millie was there. She’d offered to help look after him while he recuperated. She had nowhere to go and nothing she had to do. Thiery didn’t mind; he needed the help and enjoyed her company. She was easy to talk to and quick with a smile or a laugh. Her injuries were well on their way to being healed, but he still felt that, in some way, she needed him as much as he needed her.
Bullock had driven Thiery’s truck down before his friend was released. The fabulously restored 1958 Chevy Apache, with its beefy rounded fenders, massive grille, and dual headlights, appeared to have a gruff face, not unlike its owner’s. Thiery gave Millie the keys and asked her to pull it around as he waited in a wheelchair at the hospital’s entrance.
The eggplant-coloured truck rolled up in front of him, and he smiled hearing its familiar and comforting, glub, glub, glub. Millie got out shaking her head. ‘You couldn’t possibly drive anything from this century, could you?’
‘Nah,’ he grinned, ‘too much plastic. But, hey, it is an automatic with aftermarket air-conditioning.’
‘Wow,’ she feigned adoration, ‘you sure know how to spoil a girl.’ She helped him into the truck, then got into the driver’s seat.
‘Which way is the best way to go, sir?’ she asked.
‘We could go straight up I-75,’ he suggested, ‘then over on I-10 to Tallahassee. But, would you mind taking a drive down to Sebring, first? It’s only about an hour, and I want to check on a friend.’
Millie smiled. She knew which friend and she needed to see him, too, to say thanks. She pushed the gas down and was surprised at how responsive the old truck was.
‘Like music?’ Thiery asked.
‘Anything but country,’ she replied.
‘I hear that.’ He found an alternative rock station and they cruised south to George Dunham’s house, stopping to buy a six-pack of cold beer at a convenience store, before pulling into his driveway.
Dunham was sitting on the porte cochère outside a bone-coloured clapboard house with Kelly green shutters, in the shade of a giant oak tree. His leg was in a straight cast. He shook Thiery’s hand with what was left of his: the pinkie and ring finger were gone. He made a joke of it, holding up his remaining fingers as he greeted, ‘Peace, brother.’
Thiery and Millie sat down on a swinging love seat and rocked slowly back and forth. When Dunham’s wife, Sherry, joined them, introductions went around. No one was averse to drinking a beer, even though it was barely after twelve noon.
Millie thanked Dunham for saving her life and risking his own. Had he not hobbled over to the car window when he did, Emilio Esperanza would’ve shot her, driven away with Moral, and they would’ve won.
‘But, they didn’t,’ Dunham reminded her. ‘I have to say that was one of the most satisfying shots I ever made, and I did it with this hand!’ He held up the peace sign again. ‘The fastest two fingers in the south!’
They laughed and chit-chatted. Dunham’s wife brought out snacks. After a while, Thiery and Millie excused themselves. It had been good to see the Chief, but Thiery wanted to get home, and Millie just wanted to feel the breeze blowing in the side vent window of the old Apache truck, feel free and finally, safe. Everyone promised to stay in touch, as people do when they’ve shared a common disaster.
Sometimes they do.
They took their time on the drive north to Tallahassee, choosing the small roads, catching Highway 19 that would take them up the west coast of Florida where they could watch the sun as it slowly dipped into the Gulf of Mexico.
‘My son is getting married in San Francisco in a couple months,’ said Thiery. ‘You wanna go?’
Millie felt the warmth of the sun on the side of her face and smelled the healing salt air wafting in from the sea.
‘We’ll see,’ she said, reaching over and taking his hand, rubbing her thumb over his knuckles, noticing the bruises fading from purple to yellow. She picked up his hand and kissed it, feeling the coarse hair on the back of it brush her cheek, like a loofah sponge.
She smiled at Thiery and nodded. ‘We’ll see.’
Acknowledgements
Thank you to my beta readers: Lisa MacMillan (x 2!) especially for the advice on school teachers and how they relate. Varsha Chandra, for her in-depth review and advice on my antagonists – good call. Louis Lara, for your perspectives. A special thanks to James O. Born, author and advisor, for your information on firearms, law enforcement, and support over the years.
Thanks to all the editors who worked on this book: Ramona DeFellice Long, Dawn Scovill – a special thanks for kicking me with those pointed cowgirl boots in the you-know-where. The editorial staff at HarperCollinsUK: Kate Stephenson, for your developmental advice and for taking a chance on me. Janette Curry for your work on copyediting and schooling me on how you do it in the UK.
And thanks to my readers whose allegiance keeps me working. Without you, I would not be.
~PK
About the Author
Patrick Kendrick worked an entire career in the fire service before retiring to write full time. He also worked as a freelance writer, publishing articles and short stories in newspapers and magazines. One assignment brought him into contact with a serial killer that he corresponded with for several years… until the killer began to threaten him and launched a series of lawsuits against him. The killer was eventually murdered in prison but his frightening and graphic ‘diaries’ describing his crimes became the basis of Extended Family.
Kendrick was knighted by the Fraternal Order of Police for his articles on crime. He’s won honourable mentions from the Mystery Writers of America and the Beverly Hills Film Festival, the Opus Magnum Discovery Award from the Hollywood Film Festival and the Florida Book Award for his first novel, Papa’s Problem.
He lives in South Florida and when he is not writing, spends as much time as possible in, on, or under the ocean.
Also by By Patrick Kendrick
Papa’s Problem
Extended Family
About the Publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
http://www.harpercollins.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Canada
2 Bloor Street East - 20th Floor
Toronto, ON, M4W, 1A8, Canada
http://www.harpercollins.ca
New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand) Limited
P.O. Box 1
Auckland, New Zealand
http://www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London, SE1 9GF, UK
http://www.harpercollins.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
195 Broadway
New York, NY 10007
http://www.harpercollins.com
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