Erin sent Alcee ahead, then began to make her way toward the end of the house. Cody followed, careful to keep his weight on the trusses. If Alcee stepped between them, onto the back of the drywall, the ceiling would hold her. Not so for him and Erin.
God, please help get us out of here. Would God even hear him? He was a pretty decent guy. He’d even watched a church service Sunday. But according to Erin, that wasn’t what it took.
It wouldn’t hurt, though, to add his prayers to the ones Erin was no doubt sending up.
Even though things didn’t look half as hopeless as they had a few minutes earlier, they were still light-years away from being safe.
TEN
Erin made her way from truss to truss in a modified duck walk, the wood bruising the balls of her bare feet. As long as she kept her head down, she could pass through without having to lie down. She held her phone clutched in one hand, the beam from the flashlight app illuminating the way ahead of her. With her other hand, she moved her weapon forward, laying it between the next two trusses.
She should have grabbed the holster, but when she’d charged into the living room, ready to defend them, she hadn’t anticipated having to crawl through the attic.
Alcee’s training had prepared her well, and she’d navigated each two-foot span without a problem. Now she was waiting for them at the gable end. Beyond her, moonlight slanted through the rectangular vent in horizontal slivers.
Cody didn’t have it as easy as her or her dog. He had to crawl from one truss to the next. Twice, Erin stopped to check on him, aiming the beam behind her. Though he was probably trying to hide it, she didn’t miss his grimace of pain. Both times he told her to keep moving and not let him slow her and Alcee down.
He was right. Ominous creaks and groans vibrated through the wood beneath them. At any time the living room roof could collapse, sending heat, smoke and fire blasting through the attic space where they were. God, please help us make it out of here.
If anything happened to Cody or her dog, she’d never forgive herself. She should have replaced the fire extinguisher as soon as she moved in. She was going to, just hadn’t gotten around to it yet. It hadn’t been critical. The needle had still been in the green, a hairsbreadth away from the line separating it from the red recharge area, more than sufficient to extinguish a small kitchen fire or other minor mishap. She hadn’t considered anything like this.
She stopped next to Alcee and ran a hand down her back. The dog’s usual reward was a game of tug-of-war with her rope toy. Not this time. The toy was lying on the dining room table, where Cody had left it yesterday after playing with her.
The flames would’ve reached it by now. The whole table was likely ablaze, along with her new kitchen cabinets and everything she’d accumulated over the years. A wave of despair washed over her, so sudden and powerful it stole her breath.
She squared her shoulders. Her sole focus needed to be on getting Cody and Alcee to safety. She shone the light behind her. Cody was making progress but still had a good ten feet to go.
“Can you push out the grate?” His voice sounded strained.
She pressed against the metal. It felt solid, likely attached to the plywood with multiple screws. “I can’t push it, but I can probably kick it out.”
She squatted on her left leg and braced a shoulder against one of the trusses. After two hard kicks with her right foot, the grate dangled from one screw. She twisted it loose and tossed it to the ground. The opening was large enough to squeeze through, even for Cody. But escape would involve a ten-foot drop to the ground with no protection for their bare feet.
She turned off the light and scanned the area, weapon raised. The night was clear, the outer bands they expected still hours away. Moonlight spilled over the landscape. The hedge of sea grapes bordering her yard provided a good hiding place. She and Cody would be easy targets for someone waiting with a rifle.
But the killer wouldn’t be expecting them to exit from the attic. He might even be gone, sure they’d be unable to escape. She listened for approaching emergency vehicles. What was taking so long?
She moved to the side and turned to Cody. “Squeeze through the opening, feet first.”
“No way.” His tone was adamant. “I’m not escaping until I know you’re safe.”
She heaved a sigh. They were losing precious seconds arguing. “I’m covering you. At the first sign of attack, I’ll shoot.” In all her years in law enforcement, she’d never had to kill anyone. But if it came to that, she’d do it without hesitation.
She pushed him toward the opening. “As soon as you’re on the ground, I’ll tell Alcee to jump. I need you to catch her. I don’t know that I can handle sixty-five pounds falling through the air.”
Cody stared her down for another second or two, eyes hard and jaw tight. Jumping to safety while she was still in danger clearly went against every protective instinct he possessed.
She gave him another nudge. “Don’t worry. Alcee will be right behind you. And I’ll be behind her.”
The emotions skittering across his face collided in his eyes. The air between them was heavy with tension. Suddenly, he grabbed her by the shoulders. Before she knew what was coming, he pressed his mouth to hers in a hard, desperate kiss. Warmth exploded inside her, searing her mind and stealing the strength from her limbs.
All too soon he pulled away, waiting another second to release her. If he hadn’t given her that moment to recover, she’d have fallen between the trusses in an undignified blob. The warmth inside was gone, replaced by longing so intense it was painful.
She struggled to set her world back on its axis while Cody backed into the opening. Lifting her weapon, she kept watch through the small spaces over his shoulders. He’d just put one foot through when a voice came from somewhere outside.
“Don’t go any farther, or I’ll shoot.”
She stiffened at the voice with its heavy Northeast accent, the same Cody had described the day of his rescue. He jerked away from the opening, and Erin peered around the edge of the wall.
Everything was still. She fixed her gaze on the hedge, straining to see something. There was no hint of movement, no variations in texture or color amid the large rounded leaves.
“The police are already onto you.” The confidence she injected into her tone masked the fear coursing through her. “Cody isn’t the only witness. The woman you held at gunpoint for a half hour gave the police a pretty detailed description.”
There was McIntyre, too. Chances were good he’d seen something, and the killer knew it.
“You already have one murder to answer for.”
Well, two. Each day that passed, McIntyre was less likely to be found alive.
A distant wail traveled on the quiet night air. Behind her, Cody spoke in hushed tones. She cast a glance over her shoulder. He held his phone pressed to his ear.
“Send the police to the north side of the house.” Urgency filled his tone, in spite of the softness of his words. “We’re in the attic, and there’s a shooter on the ground.”
The emergency vehicles grew closer.
“Hear that?” Erin projected the words through the opening while Cody’s soft conversation with Dispatch continued. “The police are on their way. Give it up. If you turn yourself in now, you’ve got a chance of getting off. You didn’t mean to kill anyone. The courts will take that into account.”
“The building was supposed to be empty.”
She jerked her gaze in the direction of the voice. He was definitely behind the hedge. If she wasn’t too far off on the angle, he was at about eleven o’clock. She needed to try to keep him talking. “I know. They’ll understand that.”
“No, they won’t. Murder is murder. Cody saw me, and it’s just a matter of time until he figures it out.”
Figures it out? What was he talking about?
Before she h
ad a chance to ponder further, there was a large crash, and the house shivered. Moments later a blast of heat and smoke whooshed past them and out the opening in the gable. A section of roof had caved in.
She cast a panicked glance over her shoulder. The flames had reached the attic and were charging toward them.
“Go, now!” She gave Cody another push. “Stay low so I’ve got a clear shot.”
The sirens were closer now. She could hear them over the roar of the fire. But help wouldn’t arrive in time. The flames were advancing too quickly.
Cody lay facedown and shimmied backward while Erin held her position beside him in a deep squat. She peered out the top left-hand corner of the opening, right arm extended, weapon clutched in that hand. How would she be able to hit anything in such an awkward position?
Smoke billowed around her, stinging her eyes and searing her throat. She waved a hand in front of her face, but more rolled in to obstruct her view.
God, help me do what I must to protect Cody and Alcee.
Cody squeezed into the opening, legs dangling down the outside wall. As he pushed his torso through, Erin repositioned herself to steady her aim with her left hand. For a fraction of a second, Cody hung suspended. Then he released his grip to fall to the ground. The same moment, the hedge moved. The crack of a gunshot followed, the simultaneous muzzle flash vivid in the darkness.
Erin fired three rounds. A cry came from the hedge—half grunt, half muffled shriek.
“Cody!” She’d wounded the shooter. But had he hit Cody?
“I’m okay.”
Her breath came out in a rush. The emergency vehicles were closer now, their high-pitched wails filling the night. Tears streamed down her face, and several deep coughs stole her air. When she cast a glance over her shoulder, flames licked at the wood less than ten feet behind her.
“I’m sending Alcee down.”
She wiped away her tears, made worse by the coughing fit, then again fixed her gaze on the hedge. Cody straightened and stepped a couple of feet away from the house, arms extended upward. Without relaxing her aim, she commanded Alcee to go.
As Alcee jumped, another shot rang out, and Erin fired again. Cody released a grunt as the dog landed in his arms.
“I’ve got her. We’re good.”
The sirens were ear piercing now, coming from right in front of the house. They fell silent, and only the roar of the fire surrounded her.
She gave in to another coughing fit, then shouted down at Cody, her voice raspy. “You and Alcee get to safety.” Safety would be out front, where officers were likely exiting their cruisers, weapons drawn.
She held her breath against the smoke streaming past her and prepared to back her body into the opening.
A crash shook the house, and everything around her shuddered. A blast of heat slammed into her, and a ball of fire shot toward her at light speed.
She spun to face the opening, curled into a squat and leaped into the smoke-filled darkness.
* * *
Cody lay in the grass on his back, Erin on top of him. For several long moments he couldn’t breathe. Pain stabbed through his rib cage, and his lungs were paralyzed.
He’d put Alcee behind the air-conditioning unit to shield her from the shooter’s view. Then instead of obeying Erin’s command to get to safety, he’d moved into position to help lower her to the ground.
His plans hadn’t gone as he’d hoped. A series of cracks had shaken the house, and flames had shot twenty feet into the sky over where the living room roof had been. Instead of dropping gently to the ground, she’d jumped, and he’d tried to catch her.
Alcee bounded toward where they lay. After sniffing his face, she turned her attention to Erin and nudged her shoulder with her nose.
Erin rolled off him and tried to pull him to his feet. “Come on. Let’s get to safety.”
He nodded, unable to do anything else. The shots had stopped as soon as the police pulled up in front. Two officers had already disappeared behind the hedge to pursue the suspect on foot.
Finally, the vise around Cody’s chest released. He sucked in a constricted breath, then followed it with several painful coughs.
Erin cast a nervous glance toward the hedge. “Can you walk?”
“I think so.” Or maybe he was being overly optimistic.
He fought his way upright and stumbled with her into the front yard, Alcee following. The streetlamp near her property line spilled its light over them. More emergency vehicles approached, their sirens growing louder. Probably fire and ambulance.
Deep, painful coughs overtook him. He stood bent at the waist, hands on his knees. Erin was having the same struggle. They’d both inhaled too much smoke.
When she recovered, she wiped her eyes. “Are you okay? I wasn’t sure back there.”
He nodded. “You just knocked the breath out of me.”
“Thanks for breaking my fall. But I told you to get to safety, not stand there waiting to be shot at again.”
Cody patted the dog’s hip. “I hid Alcee behind the AC unit so she wouldn’t be shot, but I told you before. I wouldn’t escape until I knew you were safe.”
The scolding left her eyes, and an uncharacteristic tenderness moved in. That kiss he’d given her in the attic was a mistake. It was clear now that they were both safely on the ground. But that didn’t stop him from wanting to do it again.
A fire truck arrived, an ambulance not far behind it. One firefighter rushed toward them while the other unwound the hose to attach to the hydrant in front of the house next door.
“Is everyone out?”
“Yes. She and I are it.” And Alcee. If the attack had happened a few days earlier, Opa and Mimi would’ve been there. The outcome might have been different with two older people in tow. Erin would say they owed that detail to the hand of God. So would Bobby. Cody wasn’t sure. But just in case, he whispered his own prayer of thanks.
Two paramedics approached. Erin made it halfway through an inhalation before a cough took over again. Knowing Erin, she’d downplay her injuries. Cody wouldn’t let her.
“She needs to be treated for smoke inhalation.”
Erin lifted a hand. “I’ll be all right.”
Her voice was several pitches lower than usual, deep and raspy. His was, too.
“You inhaled a lot of smoke.” He turned to the paramedics. “She was the last one out of the house.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he winced. He shouldn’t have escaped first, no matter how adamant she’d been.
One of the paramedics put a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s get you both checked out.”
Cody let him lead them to the ambulance, where they both sat on the back. Erin’s condition seemed worse than his, but he was having trouble drawing a full breath. Whether from the smoke, the broken ribs or Erin body-slamming him, he wasn’t sure.
A second ambulance arrived, its siren falling silent. A short distance away the hedge rustled, and Cody tensed. But there was no threat. Two police officers stepped into the yard, a struggling man between them. One officer carried a rifle in his free hand, a cloth wrapping the barrel where he held it.
A blond wig sat cockeyed on the suspect’s head, skewed a good forty-five degrees to the left. Curls tumbled past his shoulder on that side, the same curls they’d seen at the hospital. Was the beard fake, too?
Cody squinted at the man’s clothes in the streetlamp’s glow and the light cast by the semicircle moon. A large wet spot marked the right shoulder of the T-shirt, making the dark fabric even darker. Blood. Erin had hit him. He’d heard the man cry out. That shot had likely saved their lives. With a bullet in his shoulder, the man’s next shots had gone wild.
The man turned, and the wig slipped another forty-five degrees before falling to the ground.
Erin gasped. “Jordan McIntyre? Why?”
While the paramedics worked on him and Erin, Alcee sat and watched, dark eyes alert. Other emergency personnel treated McIntyre, and firefighters continued to shoot powerful streams of water onto the flames. Soon, they’d have the fire put out. Maybe part of the mother-in-law apartment and Erin’s bedroom and bathroom would be salvageable. He didn’t hold out hope for anything else.
He looked over at Erin as a blood pressure cuff tightened on her arm. “I’m sorry about your house.”
She gave him a sad smile. “We’re safe, and that’s what matters. Things can be replaced. People can’t.”
How well he knew that. He released a sigh. “It’s over.”
Erin glanced at the other ambulance. “I didn’t see that coming. McIntyre grew up in Florida. The Northeast accent he used was as fake as the hair and beard.” She took a rapid, shallow breath. “But it was him in every attack. And who his girlfriend surprised at his house last night.”
Cody gave her a wry smile. “You wondered what connection there was between the blond guy and McIntyre. There’s your answer.”
A bathrobe-clad woman stepped off the porch next door and approached. “Are you guys okay?”
Erin nodded. “We’re okay, but they’re taking us to the hospital to check us out. And I’m worried about Alcee. I’m sure she inhaled as much smoke as we did.”
“No problem. I’ll get dressed and take her to the emergency clinic.”
“Thank you. Have them call me for my credit card information.”
The woman dropped to one knee. “Come here, girl.”
Alcee went right to her. Cody had met the woman previously. According to Erin, she’d cared for the dog before he and Erin’s grandparents moved in. The neighbor headed back to her house with Alcee in tow, removing an excuse Erin would’ve used for not getting checked out.
Trailing a Killer Page 16