Ben whistled shrilly and the German Shepherd came charging in. Instantly, Joe started barking and growling at Cummings’s leg as though he’d just cornered a choice prey.
Cummings’s breath was coming hard and fast beside Sterling’s ear. She instinctively knew it was now or never. She grabbed her chance, simultaneously slamming her foot down hard on Cummings’s foot, then wrenching herself free. The gun in Cummings’s hand went flying across the room, clattering on the cement floor.
“You bitch!” Cummings recovered quickly and laid a violent kick to Joe’s head, sending him into a whimpering puddle. The desperate man dashed to reach the gun, as Ben drove an explosive blow to Digger’s head. The large man fell into a fat lump on the floor — out cold.
Cummings’s fingers clawed at the floor, inches from the gun, as Sterling threw herself on top of him.
“Give it up, slime bag,” she cried, her fists pummeling his head.
“Get off me!” the man hollered, knocking Sterling off and pulling the gun into his grasp. Still lying on the cement, Cummings took calculated aim at her head. “Hold it, Kirby. I told you, Sterling, you’d never forget my name. Sure, Digger took care of your old man. But if it weren’t for me knocking off your sister’s husband, your life probably would have gone on just the way it was. You being a cop, chasing Daddy’s shadow. And who knows what else you might have done?”
Silently, Sterling watched Cummings rise and take tentative steps toward the door. His words fell on her like rocks dropping down the side of a mountain, changing the landscape in their trail. As though holding her breath could make time stand still, Sterling watched the past and present converge. How odd, she thought, that this evil duo had dropped into her life fourteen years ago, forever changing her path. And the ripples they’d sent out still forged on, leaving destruction in their wake.
Sterling took in Ben. Standing with his gun raised, ready to intervene, his face was a picture of brutal anger and hopeless frustration. Her heart smarted for him.
Breathing deeply, she glanced briefly at Jerry’s nervous stare, then moved her gaze back to face Cummings’s icy glare.
“Go ahead. Shoot. Shoot, you bastard!” Fury and determination raged through her and Sterling threw herself at Cummings.
As though on cue, Ben made his move as she did, kicking Cummings and knocking him to his knees. Again the gun went flying, skirting across the floor to stop in front of Jerry’s feet.
“It’s over, Cummings,” Ben shouted, his gun at the man’s temple.
“Rutherford, c’mon. We still have a chance,” cried Cummings.
Sterling’s heart hammered as she watched Jerry bend over slowly and pick up the gun.
“That’s right, Rutherford,” Cummings urged. “Let me go, cop, or he’ll take out the lady.”
An unearthly silence filled the room. Sterling’s gaze locked with Jerry’s sad eyes. Oceans of time lapsed in a split second.
“Here,” Jerry said, relinquishing the gun over to Sterling. “I’ve had enough.”
“I don’t think so, Rutherford.” From the darkness in the outer room, yet another man emerged. “This isn’t something you just quit. Now, hand over the gun. You too, Ben.”
Sterling’s heart plummeted. She wanted to scream out and at the same time shield Ben from this moment.
“Jay.” Ben’s voice was flat and his arm dropped to his side. “I didn’t want to believe it. You gave hints, like knowing about Lacey’s son being in the hospital when I hadn’t said anything to you. But I didn’t want to believe it.”
Jay let out a hard laugh. “You never suspected anything, you were so deep into remorse. But look,” he said, jumping from one foot to another. “I’m limp free. It’s a miracle!”
“You let him believe he’d ruined your life! You’re such a snake.” Sterling shook her head in amazement. “You were best friends, partners. Why?”
“I had a better offer. I needed an excuse to slip into the shadows. It was all arranged, everything right down to the doctor and the desk job.”
Jay’s smug face made Sterling's stomach lurch. She looked at Ben and saw the incredible fury harden his face.
“A perfect spot to keep informed. So what now, Jay? You kill us and just go back to doing these slime bags’ dirty work?” Ben’s voice strained to understand. “What happened to you? I know you. You’re better than this.”
“No, you’ve got that wrong. You always have. This is exactly who I am.” Jay spread out his arms wide. “I see an opportunity and I take it.”
“All right, enough of this touchy, feely stuff.” Cummings grabbed the gun out of Sterling’s hand and took her arm. He gave a look toward where Digger still lay, then nodded to Jay. “He’s out. Get some water to throw on him. He won’t like it but we’ve got to get out of here.”
Sterling exchanged a look with Ben. Resolve and determination formed his expression. She knew what to do.
“You’re not going anywhere.” Sterling slammed her heel into Cummings crotch, sending him hollering to the floor. Instantly securing the gun from Cummings, Sterling tossed it to Ben, then nailed the balled man with a hard blow to his jaw. “Shut up!”
As in synchrony with Sterling, Ben raised his gun, pointing it at his ex-partner.
“What? You’re going shoot me, Ben?” Viciously, Jay pummeled Ben with words. “How could you live with yourself? Haven’t you already hurt enough people? This is your chance to make something of yourself. We can be partners again and make some serious dough. That’s where the power is. You don’t think these guys mean anything, do you? If you want to change the world, you’ve got to think big, higher up. I can put you where you can really do something.”
At Ben’s silence, Jay took a tentative step toward the door. “Rutherford, let’s go.”
Jerry stood suspended, seemingly unsure that he should stay but not convinced he could get away with leaving, either.
Sterling held her breath. Not one of these men would get past her. She would never let any of them escape. And she knew Ben couldn’t let that happen either.
“You can’t leave me here.” Cummings moaned, still clutching his crotch.
“Nobody’s leaving.” Ben’s muscles rigid and his voice low, he kept his gun sighted on Jay. “Throw me your gun, Jay. It’s over.”
“You’re wrong, Ben. I am leaving and you’re not going to stop me. There are too many good times between us.” Jay glanced at Sterling, at Cummings, at Rutherford, then down at Digger. Taking another step toward the door, Jay smiled at Ben. “I had you pegged all along. You always do the right thing,” he shrugged. “So predictable.”
As Jay turned to walk through the doorway to the outer warehouse room, Sterling stood her ground above Cummings. Her hatred for the men — Digger, Cummings, and now Jay — burned in her throat. “Ben?”
“Let him go, Sterling.”
Coiled for action but bone weary, Sterling felt the next move before it happened.
Ben put his lips together and whistled shrilly. “Joe, get him.”
Obediently jumping into action from nowhere, Joe raced to the next room, chasing after Jay. “Get off me, you mutt!” he shouted from the other room over the dog’s growling.
Ben ran in after Jay and all Sterling could hear was scuffling. It rattled her nerves but she didn’t let on. She ached to go to Ben, cover his back, make sure he was safe. Panic rose in her chest until she couldn’t hardly breathe, but she couldn’t leave her post.
A sudden exploding sound of the gun firing echoed savagely through the warehouse and Sterling screamed. Inwardly shrinking, she stood tall. “Don’t move any of your ugly muscles, Cummings,” she ordered. “You either, Rutherford.”
The fear of what may have happened to Ben trigged a familiar numbness. Sterling’s heart began to chill, but she held fast, defying the ancient pattern of protecting h
erself. “Ben,” she called, begging the unknown to prove her wrong — that Ben and Joe were safe.
“It’s okay here, Sterling,” Ben called out. “The gun went off and hit Jay, but he’ll live. Joe’s a little roughed up, but he’s fine, too. You okay?”
“Yeah.” Daring to feel more than she had in a long time, Sterling noticed a different and satisfying sense of control take root. “I got everything here covered.”
• • •
Her breath racing, Sterling helped Ben restrain the four men. A certain sense of knowing began sifting into her mind and soul, speaking of resting old wounds and daring to live.
“Poor Joe,” she cooed, coaxing him to lie still. “You did a great job of nailing the bastards. But we’ll take care of things now. You just take it easy, fella.”
With the four men safely restrained and reinforcements on the way, Ben strode to Sterling’s side and pulled her close. “Thank God you’re safe,” he breathed. “We need to get you checked out. I’m taking you to the emergency room.”
“I’m fine.” Sterling was only barely aware of the throbbing inside her head.
“I mean it,” he argued, his arms still tight around her. “For once, just do what I say.”
She couldn’t help it. The strength of Ben’s arms around her anchored her and rested her thrumming pulse. Digger, Rutherford, Cummings, Jay — they all faded into shadows as police officers led them off to squad cars and drove away. Only the warmth of Ben’s embrace seemed real. “How did you know? How did you know where to find me?”
Ben winked and flashed an enchanting smile. “Our thoughts always run in the same patterns, don’t they? I just followed the trail to you.”
“Ben Kirby, don’t think for one minute that that explanation will suffice!”
“It was a hunch. I knew this warehouse was one of Digger’s hangouts. I’ve heard stories of cops finding unsuspecting druggies and the like here, so it seemed a likely place for him to stash you until he could do his business. I knew he’d be eager to get his money, and he’d deal with you later. So I picked up Joe from my apartment and got over here as fast as I could. I knew if Joe saw the guy who killed Pamela, he’d go after him. Maybe that’s not the same thing as an eyewitness, but it works for me.”
“That’s it? A lucky hunch?” Sterling teased.
“You know, sometimes a hunch is too solid to ignore. But let’s talk about it later. Right now, I just want to hold you,” he said, pulling her back in close to his heart.
Sterling didn’t resist. She had to admit, feeling Ben’s arms around her was all she really wanted right now.
• • •
Ben sat stiffly on the edge of the couch at Aegar Investigations, drumming his fingers against the armrest. Sterling glanced over at him, then at Lacey sitting at her desk pulling a fresh peach from a paper bag. Finally her gaze rested on Sara sitting in the chair in front of her desk. She was the picture of composure.
“Sara, thanks for coming over so quickly. I know it’s late. As the police have already informed you, Jerry is in custody. He’s not guilty of Pamela’s murder, but he will be charged with money laundering and fraud, among other things. He’ll be facing a stiff penalty. He might be able to work out a deal, though, so you two could have a second chance. If you want it. It would be a fresh start because he’s not who he has pretended to be all along.” Sterling ran her hand through her hair, careful of the tender knot on her head. The day was wearing long on her shoulders, but she felt energized and alive.
Sara continued to sit motionless, her eyes barely flickering with the news. “So you’re saying my husband is not the man I thought he was, in any way.” Sara’s tone, as usual, was flat, emotionless.
“No, he isn’t. You were right to think he’d married you for convenience. But it wasn’t for money, as you suspected. It was for the status and position you offered. It gave him access to a life that made it easy it do whatever the drug dealers wanted from him.” Sterling knew she couldn’t begin to understand the turmoil this poor woman must be feeling. But she also knew, perhaps for the first time in her life, that the moment everything familiar falls apart is also the moment of most promise.
“What Sterling is telling you is right,” added Ben. “Jerry assumed an entire life, set up by the criminals, simply to make money. Lots of money.”
Finally, Sara crumpled. “I haven’t been completely honest. The morning of the murder, I heard Jerry on the phone with that woman. I knew he was going to see her, but I didn’t want to tell anyone about the call. I don’t know why. I guess I just wanted my life back. I didn’t care that she’d been killed.”
“It’s okay, Sara,” Lacey comforted. “It doesn’t change anything.”
Sterling exchanged a knowing glance with Ben as things clicked further into place. This little deception accounted for Ben’s suspicions about Sara. His instincts had picked up on her lie and naturally attributed it to guilt.
Sara blew her nose, then continued. “I suspected something was amiss with Jerry. I had for years. The trips, the evasiveness. Then when I suspected he was having an affair, I thought that might have been the reason for all the distance between us. But I always suspected it was more, and I was too afraid to change anything. As empty as it was, at least I had a marriage, and that was all I had. I blamed Pamela for ruining everything, but I was wrong. There was nothing to ruin. What kind of a person am I?”
Lacey went to Sara’s side as Sterling sat watching and thinking.
“You were used, Sara. Feel angry about that. The truth can be hard, but it can also set you free. You’ve got another chance, now. You can start over and create a much better life for yourself.”
Sterling reached for another tissue and offered it to Sara. “Lacey’s right, Sara. Now’s your chance to make the life you really want. One that is full and satisfying.”
Sara shook her blonde hair out of her eyes and stood. “I know you’re right. I always thought things would be different, but I was fooling myself. The life went out of me along with the hopes and dreams of my empty marriage. Now I’ll have to figure out how to get on with living. Thank you, all of you.”
As Sterling shook Sara’s hand, she looked into her eyes and saw a new strength sparkling to life. “You’re going to be okay, Sara.”
“I suppose so. I know the truth now, the whole truth, and it will finally set me free from loneliness. You’ve given me another chance for happiness,” she said, hugging Lacey. “It’s not going to be easy, but I want to start over. It’s time.”
“You’re very brave. Good luck, Sara.” Sterling led Sara out the door and wished her well. As she walked back to her desk, Sterling felt strain weighing on Ben’s shoulders as keenly as she felt the relief of successfully closing a case. “So, that’s over.”
“Who would have guessed that taking this case would lead to uncovering not only Dad’s killer, but Nick’s as well?” Lacey mused. “Good job, Sterling.”
“It must be pretty gratifying for both of you. After all these years, you’ve closed the case on Joshua Aegar’s murder,” Ben added, gazing steadily at the floor.
“It feels pretty good. Finally justice is satisfied.” Release rang inside Sterling’s heart and thoughts of her father settled warmly inside her mind. The memories of her father and his love could bring her comfort and cheer now, rather than taunt her with unbearable loss.
Her eyes on Ben, Sterling’s heart pounded as she watched him stand to leave.
“Well, I guess I’ll get back to work. I’ve got things to tie up.” He stretched his tall frame upward and headed toward the door, still avoiding Sterling’s eyes.
“Not so fast, Detective.” Sterling quickly moved in front of him and pointed her finger into his chest. “You were wrong. I was right. Admit it.”
“What are you talking about?” Ben stopped and gazed down at
her, his eyes widening.
“I think I’ll go talk to Michelle, or something.” Lacey chuckled, picked up her peach, and took a bite as she walked to the outer office.
“You kept insisting Sara was involved in the crimes, and you were wrong.” Sterling flashed a mischievous smile up at Ben, determined to shake him up.
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Yeah, yeah. I was wrong. You were right. You did a good job. I’m proud of your skills, Sterling. You’ve always been good. Your father would be so proud.” Unabashed tenderness and respect glistened in his deep blue eyes. “And your work as a PI is truly worthy. There, are you happy? Of course, you nearly got yourself killed.”
Sterling was picking up sadness from him, something deeply sullen and strikingly painful.
“There is inherent danger in this line of work, just as there is in police work.” Aware of the old numbness rising to protect her, Sterling challenged its grip. More compelling, she let the sunlight of Ben’s love warm her as she moved a step closer. “You almost get yourself killed every day you go to work. Why?”
“For people like you,” he said, mirroring her step. “To keep the streets safe. So most days, no one loses a father, brother, or daughter.”
Sterling bowed her head, her pulse racing with the echoes of all things lost. Maybe it wasn’t too late for her either.
Ben lifted her chin up to face him. “What is it, Sterling?”
“Maybe you were right about some things, too.” Her voice barely rose above a whisper. “What you do scares me. But I haven’t been myself for a really long time. You’ve made me see that. It was all an illusion. Getting lost in the work, trying to control everything, it wasn’t working. By trying to keep from getting hurt and not trusting anyone but myself, I was letting the scumbags run my life. Maybe the only way I can be safe from pain is to take back my life. Maybe I can never be safe from pain, but maybe I can redefine pain to something tolerable and full of life.”
Sterling felt all the negative forces she’d energized with her fears quaking insider her. She stood trembling before Ben, knowing she could either continue on listening to the litany of voices prompting her to isolate herself behind tall walls or she could let the walls crumble. It was so simple, but so hard.
Dancing with Detective Danger Page 18