Miki's stomach turned, a wave of nausea rising from her belly. "Why would you help him kill those people if you didn't agree with him?"
"I saw an opportunity to frame Troicki for the murders. Get back at him once and forever, even after I'm dead and gone. Had it figured out, too, until you barged in here." Gentry shrugged.
Walden moved. "Shut up, man. Don't tell her everything. Now we have to get rid of her for sure."
"No," Gentry said. He moved at Walden. "I told you not Miki."
Walden lunged and snatched the knife from Miki's hand, missing the handle and grasping the razor-sharp blade. Blood spurted. He yelped, then repositioned the knife. He spun, using his uninjured hand to plunge the blood-drenched knife into Gentry's neck.
Gentry gasped as he fell, pushed to the floor by Walden's body weight. Walden landed on top of Gentry.
Walden rose off his knees, the crimson-coated knife ready to strike again.
"Don't move, Katie." Miki focused on the knife.
"You think you're so smart. Know a little karate, do you, bitch?" He circled to the left, away from his daughter.
"A bit."
He continued to bleed. The tile in front of him ran with it.
Miki stepped back, maintaining her fighting position.
"Bring it on." Hateful barbs shot from his eyes.
"Don't do this, John."
As he jabbed forward, Miki aimed a roundhouse at his left ear. The contact was glancing, but it unbalanced him. He slipped in the blood and crashed to the floor.
The front door burst open and two officers appeared, weapons drawn. "Police. Hands where I can see them."
Miki raised hers. She saw Katie do the same.
The first officer into the room yelled, pointing his weapon at Walden, who attempted to rise. "Face down. Spread 'em. Now." He stepped toward Walden. "Sexton, call for backup."
Walden laid flat with his legs spread.
"Thank God, you're here." Miki took a step in Katie's direction.
Sexton, a policewoman, barked. "Stay where you are. Keep your hands raised." She clicked a button on the radio clipped to her belt and called for support. "Smithson, watch him. He's getting up."
Walden shifted his position,
Smithson said, "I told you to stay put."
Walden responded with a string of profanity.
Sexton yelled, turning toward the open door, "Need medics. One man down, one bleeding. A woman and child don't appear injured."
The squawking sound of the police radio drifted in from outside along with the throbbing whine of sirens.
Katie stood and threw herself at Miki.
Miki glared at the cops then wrapped her arms around the sobbing child.
Walden sprang to his feet, whirling to face the policeman. "I am the lord." The pitch of his voice rose. "I have achieved vengeance for my wife." His wild-looking eyes seemed to take in the room.
"On the floor or I will put you there." Smithson disarmed and decked Walden, face down, with one stunning blow.
Walden attempted to rise. Sexton planted a knee to the middle of his back, pulled his wrists, and slapped on cuffs.
Tears streamed over Katie's cheeks. "Miki, Daddy wanted to kill you. He has your name on a list with the dead people from the hospital. Grandpa's name was on the list, too."
Thinking of the white cards, the Bible quotes, and death, Miki cried with Katie. "Sweetie, it's over now." She hugged the child and tried to stop shaking.
Smithson touched her shoulder and said, "We need you and the child to go outside."
Miki stared at him, her expression blank.
Smithson said, "Take the girl outside. One of the other men will assist you."
Miki led Katie through the door as James pulled to a stop in front of the house. She passed the officers and went to meet James.
"What happened?" James said.
After he listened to her raw-and-bloody version of the fight, he scooped both Miki and Katie into his arms and held them for a minute. Then, at the direction of a policeman standing close by, he settled them into a squad car where Katie snuggled on Miki's lap. "You need to wait here. They said the detectives are en route, and you can't leave until they're done with you. I'll wait in the Mini."
She hugged Katie tighter, crying with her until Detective Cavanaugh opened the door and slid into the car.
65
Miki and James picked Elsie up at the hospital on Saturday morning, timing their arrival so they could go to Gentry's graveside service. Elsie's heart attack was minor, but the doctors kept her in the hospital a couple of days to protect her from stress.
Once Elsie settled in the car, she said, "Miki, I suspect you don't want to go, but I appreciate your agreeing to take me to Al's service. He was good to me, even though something went dreadfully wrong with him these last couple of years. You two can wait in the car if you prefer. It won't take more than a few minutes."
"You didn't tell me about the arrangements, other than the time."
"The funeral director is putting his urn in the niche this morning. I asked my minister to say a few words. That's all there is. There is no family left, except Katie that is, and I didn't put a notice in the paper. I think it will be just us."
"I want to go. I've been fond of Al for a long time, and I don't think he wanted to hurt me."
"Unlike my son."
"Not your fault. You and I must move on. Should we get Katie at your sister's first?"
"If we can. It will give her some closure. She's suffered so much loss, and she'll suffer more because of John and his troubles."
Miki believed John had more than trouble since Florida was a capital punishment state. "Have you talked to him?"
"No. I talked to his lawyer. He's going for an insanity plea. The lawyer thinks the way to save his life is to prove he wasn't rational. He's on a suicide watch at the jail." Elsie paused. "I should have known he was having more issues than usual."
"How could you know?"
Elsie wiped at a tear, shrugged, then shook her head. "What about you? Are you going to work at the hospital again?"
"Leslie Anson contacted me yesterday and asked me to come back. She said Al sent in a notarized statement saying I had permission to review his records, so they cleared me of everything, including unethical behavior. I went in and retrieved my belongings instead. I decided I couldn't work at a hospital that lets the likes of Troicki make the decisions. He's innocent of murder, but he's guilty of many other things. I have an interview Monday at that small hospital on Seventh Street. They seemed excited to talk to me and said they're recruiting for a night supervisor. In fact, I have an inside track. I know the woman I'll be working with."
After getting Katie, James headed to the cemetery. He parked and helped Elsie, Katie, and Miki out of the car. They walked to the site, linking arms, taking their time.
From a distance, Miki saw the minister waiting.
The reverend's comments were brief, his prayers abbreviated.
Miki thought there was nothing more to say. Then she touched the marble rectangle covering Gentry's niche, running her fingers over the engraving. "It is finished, saith the lord."
The End
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gregg E. Brickman was born in North Dakota. She migrated to Florida and completed her education, embarking on a varied career in clinical, administrative, and academic nursing.
Gregg started writing as a teenager, turning out pages of sappy poetry. In the mid-nineties, she bought a how-to book about writing a novel and committed the story burning in her head to paper. She recognized that first novel as a learner's effort—unfit to be published, joined Mystery Writers of America, and actively pursued the craft.
Credits include She Learned to Die, Plan to Kill, Imperfect Daddy, Imperfect Contract, Illegally Dead, Chapter 14 of Naked Came the Flamingo, a Murder on the Beach progressive novella edited by Barbara Parker and Joan Mickelson, and On the Edge, a short story [MiamiARTzine.com]. The Writers' Ne
twork of South Florida recognized On the Edge among the finalists in their Seventh Annual Short Story Contest.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
About the Author
Plan to Kill Page 26