Deadly Bonds

by Anne Marie Becker

  Ten minutes later, Max glanced at him from the driver’s seat of the truck. “What’re you looking at?”

  “Text from Theo.” Holt read it again. “Looking forward to Thanksgiving break.” His heart squeezed. He’d pushed his son away so many times over the past year, and yet Theo didn’t hold it against him. He’d even hugged him again when he’d dropped him off today, before disappearing inside the school under Becca’s watchful eye.

  “He’s okay?”

  “Yeah. Lately, I’ve felt like I’ve got my son back. Sara’s worked wonders with him.” He’d been as honest as possible with Theo about Mrs. Mendelson’s death, leaving out the gory details but explaining that the killer he’d been hunting was trying to get Holt’s attention. He wanted his son to be careful, but not fearful. Sara had insisted on meeting with Theo every day this week to be sure he had someone to talk to, if he wanted it. So far, Theo was coping well.

  “And with you.”

  She’d made him feel alive again, and once revived, his body craved more. But he couldn’t have more until he closed this case. “She’ll understand if I wait to call her back. I’ll see her in a couple hours, anyway.”

  Max snorted. “Man, for a guy who was married, you know nothing about women.”

  He scowled at Max. “And as a guy who flits from one piece of eye candy to another, you do?” His answer was an arched eyebrow.

  “Yes, I do.”

  “I haven’t dated in over a decade.” At Max’s horrified look, he laughed. “This may come as a surprise to you, but being happily married will put a damper on your dating life.”

  “Nope, no surprise. It’s why I’ve avoided it this long.” Max parked in front of a derelict house. Drops of rain mixed with snow dotted the windshield, obliterating the sad view before the wipers pushed them away. The sky beyond was a slash of gray.

  Holt immediately thought about Theo. Sara would have her hands full with the storm the weathercasters had predicted for their area this afternoon. Thankfully, it would be evening when the worst hit and the kids would be safe at home. His parents had flown to Hawaii to spend Thanksgiving with friends there, and Holt would be picking up Theo—and hopefully, Sara—today.

  All this time to think had led him to one conclusion—he needed Sara in his life. He’d kept his distance all week to give the illusion that they were no longer connected, but he was out of patience. And with the school empty over break, he couldn’t let Sara stay there by herself. He would convince her to come home with him for the holiday and keep her safe.

  Once Toxin’s apprehended, Sara, Theo and I will move on together, as a family.

  “Noah’s meeting us here, right?” Max scanned the street.

  Holt texted Noah and received an immediate response. “He’s twenty minutes away yet.”

  A scrawny young man, whose pants were hanging so low it was a wonder he could walk, came out of the house and looked both ways as he tucked something in the front pocket of his jeans. He spied their truck parked across the street and skittered in the opposite direction down the sidewalk.

  “Is that Henry?” Holt asked.

  “Henry’s a white guy, mid-thirties.”

  Wrong race, wrong age. As they watched, the young man pulled out his phone, glancing back at Henry’s house. “Looks like we just lost the element of surprise. No time to wait for Noah.”

  Max and Holt reached for their door handles at the same time. They crossed the street and moved up the walk to the tiny house with the brown patch of lawn.

  The revving of an engine from behind them was followed by the squeal of tires and the sound of a gunshot, followed by another.

  “Get down!” Max’s shout was barely heard over the noise, but Holt was already diving to the ground as survival instinct took over. Crisp, dry blades of long-dead grass poked into his cheek. Max’s body hit the dirt next to him. Holt felt a moment of alarm, fearing his partner had been hit. But, from a prone position, Max steadied his pistol and aimed it at the car roaring by Henry’s house.

  The thud of Max’s bullets hitting metal rang in their ears. Their assailant fired back and wood from Henry’s house splintered. The window that faced the street shattered. The noise died down as the car squealed around a corner and disappeared from sight.

  Holt lifted his head, and Max grunted with pain. A dark stain was spreading on his left biceps. Max followed his gaze. “Just a flesh wound. I got lucky.”

  The whine of rusty hinges alerted them that someone was exiting the shot-up house. A person matching Henry’s description bolted toward the scraggly hedge that separated his house from the neighbor’s. In unison, Holt and Max pushed off the ground and raced after him.

  * * *

  Breathless from rushing around, making sure the kids got matched up to their parents before the sleet turned to ice on the streets, Sara shoved the hood of her winter jacket off her head, creating a shower of cold sprinkles. She’d kill for a cup of something warm and rejuvenating. The stress of the impending storm on top of impressing and entertaining the school board members who’d shadowed her all day had her exhausted. But she’d finally tucked the last board member into his car and could now breathe. There were only a few more students to send on their way and she could relax.

  Cheryl stood to take Sara’s jacket from her. “Holt just returned your call. I’ll take over with student pick-up duty.”

  “Becca’s out there helping, too, and almost everybody is gone, but I’ll take all the support I can get today. Thanks.” Sara entered her office and rounded her desk. She lifted the receiver and pressed the blinking light that indicated Holt was on hold. “Are you on your way? Theo’s waiting downstairs. There’s only a handful of kids left.”

  “That’s what I’m calling about. Something came up.” He sounded preoccupied.

  “Another one of those leads that don’t pan out?” She hated the censure in her voice, but she’d spent the day defending herself against John Rochard’s accusations as to her unfit character.

  Holt had been right outside her office all week, sitting in his car like an obstinate mule despite her quest to get him inside the building. And now, when he should be picking up Theo for a long holiday break together, he was miles away. A snowstorm was expected any minute. If Holt and Theo were hers, she’d stop at the grocery store to stock up on firewood, cocoa, marshmallows and popcorn. They’d watch the flakes pile higher and higher outside the window as they sipped cocoa and made plans to build a snow fort in the morning. That was what a normal family would do.

  But she wasn’t part of their family. And their history made them far from normal. Sara’s mouth tightened and a throbbing began in her head. A throbbing that echoed in her chest, around the vicinity of her heart. “What came up?”

  “You guessed right about us having a new lead.”

  “Did you catch Toxin?”

  “Not yet, but it’s a solid lead. We have an accomplice of his in custody and may have Toxin behind bars by evening.”

  “May have?” she asked. He was making the world safer, but at what personal cost? She’d learned the hard way to appreciate every day with her family as a gift.

  “Sara?” Holt’s voice held a note of pleading she’d never heard from him before.

  “So are your parents coming to get Theo?”

  “They’re away for the holidays, and Elizabeth’s parents retired in the southwest years ago.”

  “There’s nobody else?”

  “No. Everyone else I would trust with something like this is working on this case. And if Becca takes him home, that leaves you unguarded.” He paused and she could imagine seeing the thoughts flitting across his face as he composed his argument. “Look, I know it’s a lot to ask, but is there any way Theo can stay with you and Becca, just overnight? It really is important.” There was another voice on Holt’s end of
the line and the conversation became muffled. Still, the tone sounded as urgent as he’d indicated.

  What bothered her most was that he didn’t think twice about imposing on her. “You’re assuming I’ll be here tonight. What if I have plans for the holidays?”

  “Sorry. I really am, Sara—about so much. But even if you have plans, you should cancel. The weather’s going to take a turn for the worse. I don’t want you traveling in this weather.”

  Her grand plans had been to watch a movie and snuggle under the blankets as the snow came down. She also had yet to pack for her trip to Mexico. She was supposed to leave tomorrow afternoon. And, as he’d mentioned, it really wasn’t safe for Holt to try to come now. Outside her window, a mix of rain and snow was falling. She sighed. Above all, she wanted both her boys safe and warm. “That goes both ways. Stay put. I’ll watch Theo.”

  “Thank you.”

  “If the roads are clear, be here to pick him up by noon tomorrow.” Or she would personally hunt him down and kick his butt for deserting his son and making her miss her flight. The weather forecast predicted a foot of snow, but their area was usually prepared for such a large amount and the snowplows would be working nonstop.

  “I’d like to talk to you too,” she added. Things had grown awkward, and she couldn’t let them continue that way. Otherwise, she’d be carrying a hell of a lot of baggage with her to Mexico.

  “I’ll be there. You can count on me.”

  She suppressed a snort. He’d been avoiding a serious discussion over the phone, or in his car, for days—and face-to-face? Forget about it. He wouldn’t sit through a conversation without a liberal amount of Duct Tape.

  “Thank you, again. And Sara, I really am going to catch Toxin, very possibly tonight.”

  “Just...please be careful. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  There was hesitation on his end. When he spoke, his words were firm with conviction. “I won’t let him hurt any of us again.”

  As she hung up, Cheryl appeared in the doorway to her office, tugging on her parka and scarf. She was scowling. “You heard?” Sara guessed.

  “Enough.”

  “I have to hope he’ll come through.”

  “In the meantime, Jeremy will have someone to play with.”

  Sara looked up. “What do you mean?”

  “Jeremy and Neil are still here, as well.”

  “What?” Alarmed, Sara looked toward the window. The sleet grew heavier and would soon be a solid wall of white. If they didn’t get home now, they risked getting into an accident.

  “Neil said you were supposed to administer a test?”

  Damn. She’d forgotten all about that. Due to the death of his father, Neil had missed almost the entire week of school and wanted to make up a test before Thanksgiving break. It seemed the kid who’d avoided academic responsibility was suddenly determined to succeed. “Is he in the library?”

  “He was headed up there, along with Theo and Jeremy. Said he’d wait for you. Jeremy was going to hang out until he was done and then Neil was supposed to drive them both home.” Cheryl’s forehead rippled with worry lines. “You’ve seen that car they gave Neil, haven’t you? That thing’s a death trap when the roads aren’t icy.”

  It was a convertible with rear-wheel drive—the least ideal mode of transportation in a storm expected to lay down a sheet of ice beneath the snow.

  “I’ll handle it. You get going before the storm gets worse.”

  Cheryl grabbed Sara and hugged her hard. Her white bob smelled of rose petals. Cheryl swiped gloved fingers at her eyes as she pulled away. “I don’t like you being alone for the holiday. You sure you won’t join me and Mr. Cheryl, at least for Thanksgiving dinner? I do all the traditional trimmings. You can bring Becca if she’s still shadowing you.”

  Sara forced a smile. “I’m Acapulco-bound. No killers trailing me there, and it’ll give Becca a break so she can be with her family. For me, it’ll be beaches and sunshine and I’m happy about that. But I’ll miss you.”

  “Yeah, right. Enjoy yourself, but be safe.”

  “Yes, Mom.” Sara winked, but now they were both getting misty. Damn, dealing with the board members and then talking to Holt had left her drained and emotional.

  The moment was broken by a knock at the door. “You ladies need any help in the parking lot?” Chad White stood in the doorway, stomping flakes off his boots, a snow shovel in one gloved hand and an ice scraper in the other. Only his eyes and nose were visible beneath his wet coat and fur-lined hood.

  Sara’s eyes widened. “You came prepared.”

  “I was a Boy Scout in a former life.” There was a twinkle in his eyes.

  “Well, I’ll take you up on that offer, young man.” Cheryl linked arms with him. “If I don’t get home soon, Mr. Cheryl will worry a trench in the floor.”

  “Drive carefully,” Sara called.

  The front door of the school closed after them, leaving her with the rustle of bare branches and the howl of the wind outside, and the utter stillness of a near-empty school inside. Though it was only four o’clock, the gray clouds had turned to a smear of charcoal reminiscent of twilight and the wind had picked up. The sleet had turned to snow, which now fell in thick sheets. Perhaps the expected precipitation would be more than the forecasted twelve inches. A chill moved across her skin and she rubbed her arms.

  Turning from the window, she went to the address book on her computer and found Claire Rochard’s information. Unfortunately, it led straight to voicemail. Sara left a message explaining the situation and telling her not to worry.

  As Sara passed the front hallway on the way to the stairs, Becca came rushing in. She closed the door against the wind and snow and immediately veered toward Sara. “I just got a text from Einstein.”

  “And I just spoke with Holt,” Sara said. “He said they were close. Did they find Toxin already?”

  “Not yet, but they’ve identified him as Brady Flaherty.”

  “Isn’t that the guy they already arrested and let go?”

  “They found a snitch who gave them more evidence.” Becca showed her the text. Drug supplier ID’d Brady as Toxin. Be on watch for Brady or his vehicle—dark 4-door SUV. En route to his apt. now.

  The first genuine smile of the day touched Sara’s lips. “Sounds like Holt was right. This really will all be over soon.” Better yet, she’d seen pictures of Brady Flaherty on the news. She hadn’t seen that guy near her students. Theo would be safe, her students would be safe. Perhaps it would be a relaxing holiday after all.

  The roar of an engine out front had her and Becca running outside. The porch and circular drive were empty of cars and people except for a dark blue SUV.

  Becca pushed Sara behind her. “Inside!”

  The passenger window went down and a man resembling Brady aimed a gun at them from the driver’s seat.

  Becca pulled her gun. Sara scurried backwards, keeping low, until she was completely inside. The sound of gunfire had her moving faster. She got behind the heavy wooden door and stayed down, but kept it open a crack so Becca could dart back into the building and find cover, if necessary. Becca was returning fire. The SUV fishtailed as it sped around the drive and headed back toward the main road.

  “Lock all the doors and stay inside,” Becca ordered. “Stay away from the windows. Call the police and have them send backup here. I’ve got to keep Brady in sight.” Becca took off at a run toward her vehicle and was soon driving into the gray afternoon in pursuit of Brady.

  As Sara said a quick prayer for Becca’s safety, she shut and bolted the front door. She turned to find the three boys rushing down the stairs.

  “What was all the noise?” Theo asked.

  Jeremy was right on his heels. “Was that gunfire?”

  “Yes, but we’re okay,” Sara as
sured them. “Becca and the cops are chasing the guy now. He’s far away from here. Go on upstairs while I finish down here.”

  “Was it the guy who killed my father?” Neil asked when the younger boys returned to the library. “The guy Dr. Patterson has been looking for?”

  “Yes.” She put a hand on his arm. “They’ll get him, probably tonight. Would you mind keeping an eye on Theo and Jeremy while I call the police and make sure we’re locked up tight? I left a message for your mother, but...”

  “Oh, she probably won’t get it. She’s at my aunt’s house. Reception’s lousy there. We were supposed to join her.”

  “That probably isn’t going to happen. Do me a favor and leave her a message at your aunt’s number so they know you’ll be safe here overnight. Tell your mom you’ll be there tomorrow.”

  Neil moved away to make his call and rejoin the boys. Sara tried to call the police to report the shooting and get more support for Becca, but the phone in her office was dead. A broken tree branch had probably knocked down the lines. With the tall trees and propensity for wind and ice storms in the area, it happened at least once a year. She took her cell out of her desk and was relieved to find a text from Becca.

  Got him, but I’ll be a while. Stay locked up tight.

  She was about to call Catherine to see if she had further information, but her signal dropped to zero. The cell tower went out too? Or perhaps it was overloaded with emergency calls. Holt wouldn’t want the distraction of her calling to check on them, anyway. And he would be here soon enough.

  Deciding her time would be best spent keeping the boys occupied, she made quick work of checking the locks around the school. On the third floor she found Theo, Jeremy and Neil in the library. She took a calming breath, telling herself they were safe and this would all be over—finally. The sight of the boys healthy, even if subdued, reassured her. Theo had brought out a deck of cards and looked to be engaged in a game of War with Jeremy. A lock of hair fell into Neil’s eyes as he bent his head over his book.

  “Looks like we’re all tucked in for the night, guys. Theo, your father called.”