Set the Night on Fire

by Libby Fischer Hellmann

  “Go around to the back of the van,” he said.

  She did what she was told. The beam of light followed her.

  “Stop.”

  She stopped in front of the panel doors.

  “Turn around.”

  As she did, the flashlight lingered on her face again, then swung away.

  “You’re Philip Kerr,” she said. “My uncle.”

  He didn’t answer. He didn’t need to.

  Jergens got out of the passenger seat, came around, and released the panel doors. Gripping Dar’s legs, he began to drag him out. Dar groaned. Lila was relieved. The fact that he was making sounds, however pained, meant he was coming around. Jergens grabbed Dar by the shoulders and propped him against the van. Dar’s knees buckled, and he went down. Jergens hoisted him back up and shoved him against the panel door. This time Dar managed to stand.

  A gust of wind swirled snow around them. “Why did you bring us here?” Lila pointed to Jergens. “Why not shoot us at the rest stop?”

  Kerr flung the light in her face. The glare was blinding. She tried to twist away. When she couldn’t, she turned back and drew herself up. “Well?”

  Kerr didn’t answer at first. Then he made a croaking sound, a laugh, bitter and soulless. “You are your mother’s daughter.”

  Lila was momentarily distracted. A longing that had been buried deep within her surfaced. How was she like her mother? Her looks? Her voice? Her mannerisms? She wanted to know. But this man was her enemy. He was going to kill her. She couldn’t ask.

  “There were too many people at the rest stop,” Kerr said briskly, as if he’d never said a word about her mother. He looked briefly at Jergens. “And I need to make sure it’s done right this time. Three times you tried to finish the job, but here they are. If I didn’t know better, I might think something other than sloppy work was at stake.” Kerr swung the flashlight to Jergens, who threw up a hand to shield his face.

  “Maybe we’re just good,” Lila replied.

  Kerr grunted, then motioned to Jergens. “Is that true, Jergens? Are they just good?”

  Jergens scowled. “No man, it’s not that. I did exactly what you told me. It just … well … it wasn’t easy.”

  “It would seem not.” Kerr aimed the light back on Lila. “You keep your gun on Gantner. I’ll cover her.” He turned to Lila. “Let’s go.”

  “Where?” Lila asked. She had no weapons. No protection. Neither did Dar. But, maybe if she thought fast enough, was clever enough.

  “Start walking.” Kerr pointed into the storm.

  She had to level the playing field. At least try. She glanced at Dar. He seemed fully conscious now, and was watching her with a curious expression. Was he thinking the same thing?

  She looked at Kerr. “No.”

  He raised the gun. “What did you say?”

  “My father can’t walk with his feet tied,” she said. “Not in this weather.”

  Kerr tipped his head to the side, as if considering the request. Then he motioned toward Jergens. “Untie his feet.”

  He shone the light on Dar’s white gym shoes. They were soaked through. Dar had to be freezing.

  Jergens pulled out his pocketknife, crouched at Dar’s feet, and sliced through the rope. Again she thought about kicking him and grabbing the knife, but she knew Kerr would pull the trigger. Jergens straightened up and slid the knife back into his pocket. His left pocket.

  Kerr motioned with his gun. “All right. Let’s go.”

  Dar’s hands were still tied behind him, but Lila couldn’t think of any way to free them without reminding Kerr that hers weren’t.

  Jergens gave Dar a shove. He stumbled forward. Lila thought he might fall, but he stayed on his feet.

  “Move,” Kerr said.

  They started to slog through the snowstorm. First Dar, then Jergens, his gun at Dar’s back. Then Lila, followed by Kerr with his gun trained on her. Lila’s gloves had disappeared somewhere back at the rest stop, and her hands felt numb. She made fists, then relaxed them to keep her circulation pumping.

  Eventually they reached an open expanse. Lila guessed it was maybe fifty yards from the van. All she could see was a swirling, twisting veil of white, but in the distance she heard a smacking sound. The beach. With the waves slapping where the lake wasn’t frozen. The snow cleared for an instant, and she saw the water. It was covered by a blanket of white that looked solid enough to walk on. Twenty yards away a pier jutted out over the ice like a bony finger.

  Jergens slowed as they approached the pier. “Stop,” he yelled to Dar.

  Dar halted. The snow closed in again, obscuring the view.

  “What now?” Jergens shouted.

  Kerr called out from behind Lila. “Onto the pier. Everyone.”

  Jergens shook his head. “Why?”

  “Just do it.”

  They started toward the pier. The snow had formed drifts—it was up to her waist in some spots, barely over her knees in others. The cold stung her face. It was difficult to breathe. As they stepped onto the snow-covered planks, Dar stumbled and fell. Jergens either wasn’t watching or slipped as well, and fell on top of him.

  Kerr hurried out from behind Lila with his gun. “Get up, goddamnit. Both of you.”

  It took Jergens a moment to extract himself from Dar. He wiped a sleeve across his face. “Fucking ice.”

  “Get him up.” Kerr’s voice was hard.

  Jergens pulled Dar up.

  “Keep going,” Kerr shouted.

  “I can’t,” Dar shouted back. “I don’t know where the pier ends.”

  That was the point, Lila thought grimly. Kerr wanted to walk them off the edge of the pier.

  As if he’d read her mind, Kerr said, “Well, now, that’s a chance you’ll have to take, isn’t it?”

  Dar took a tentative step forward. Jergens followed and called over his shoulder. “He’s right. We can’t see shit.”

  Behind her, Kerr was breathing heavily. “All right, then. Now, line up.”

  He shoved Lila towards Jergens. Jergens pushed Dar. Father and daughter stood together on the edge of the pier. Lila snuck another glance at her father. His expression had turned bleak. She gave her head a slight shake. He couldn’t give up.

  Kerr took up a position in front, Jergens beside him. Both guns were aimed at them. Lila swallowed.

  “Now you, Jergens,” Kerr ordered.

  “Huh?”

  “Get over there with them.”

  An icy ripple edged up Lila’s spine. What was he doing?

  “Why?” Jergens asked.

  “You’ll see.”

  Jergens hesitated, clearly confused.

  Lila started to get the bare outlines of an idea. “Better do what he says,” she said.

  Jergens closed in on Lila, pressing his gun against her temple. “Shut the fuck up.”

  “Take the gun away from her face,” Kerr snapped. “I have her covered.”

  Jergens complied and stood next to Lila.

  “Well now. Look who’s here,” Kerr said. “The daughter of my sister. Her birth father. And the man I hired to kill her.” He turned to Jergens. “Jergens, it would seem that you’ve become a liability. Three times you failed to get the job done. I think I’m wasting my money. What do you say?”

  “I told you. Weather complicated things.”

  “So does incompetence.”

  “I’ll finish the job now.” Jergens jabbed his gun into Lila’s ribs.

  She flinched.

  “I don’t think so.” Kerr raised his gun, aimed, and fired.

  The bullet opened a hole in Jergen’s chest. A look of surprise came over him, and he collapsed on the pier. Blood spurted out. As he did, the gun dropped from his hands and bounced on the snow-covered planks.

  Lila froze, her mouth open. Time was suspended, but whether for an eternity or just a millisecond, she didn’t know. Finally her reflexes kicked in. She dropped to all fours. “Get down!” she hissed to Dar. “Drop to the ground.�
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  She felt rather than saw him drop beside her. She hoped the blowing snow obscured them.

  “Shit!” Kerr snarled.

  Jergens’ body lay in a heap beside Lila. She quickly rifled through his left pocket and found the knife. Then she turned around, reached for Dar, and cut his hands free. She held tight to the knife. Gusts of wind slashed at her. Snow pelted her face. She started to crawl toward the spot where she’d seen Jergen’s gun drop.

  Suddenly a foot kicked through the snow, connecting with Jergens’ corpse. Kerr. Jergens’ body fell off the pier. There was a loud thud as he hit the ice below. Then an ominous crack. Then nothing but the shriek of the wind.

  Behind Lila a flash of light exploded. A crack split the air. Kerr was firing again. At Dar? Lila wanted to call out, but that would tell Kerr where she was. She backtracked to where she’d last seen Dar. He wasn’t there.

  “Fuck you both!”

  Another flash. Another crack. Closer this time.

  Still on her hands and knees, Lila scrambled in the opposite direction. As she advanced, she swept a hand in a wide arc, searching for Jergen’s gun. Her hand made a shushing noise. She hoped the wind covered it.

  A third shot. Much closer. Could Kerr see her? An icy gust of wind whipped through her. A buzz tightened her muscles.

  “The fuck are you?” Kerr was behind her. Closing in.

  She made another desperate sweep with her hand. This time her fingers closed around Jergen’s gun. Thank God! It was larger and heavier than her .38. She looked for the safety, then realized it had to be off. She slipped the knife in her pocket, wrapped her hands around the gun, and flattened herself on the pier. She would wait for the snow to clear. Then she’d shoot.

  She was still waiting when someone grabbed her legs. She screamed.

  When Dar heard Lila scream he crept toward the sound of the scuffle. Two shadows loomed through the blowing snow. Kerr had Lila in some kind of hold. She was struggling, but it looked like her arms were pinned.

  “Help. Dar!”

  Dar dropped to the surface of the pier. He tried to crawl toward Lila’s voice, using the planks as a guide, but a dangerous numbness was spreading up his arms, deadening his sense of touch.

  “He won’t save you,” Kerr said. “He’s too busy saving himself.”

  Dar snapped. He’d failed to protect Billy all those years ago. He wouldn’t fail again. He stood up and lunged toward the sound of Kerr’s voice. This time he connected, and Kerr fell on the pier. A gun went flying. Dar grabbed Kerr and rolled over on top of the man. Kerr tried to twist away, but Dar hung on. He clutched the man’s coat, using his own weight to keep him down.

  Lila yelled. “I’ve got the gun!”

  Kerr heaved and bucked and managed to partially wriggle out from under Dar. If Dar was going to keep him down, he would have to roll over again. Dar grabbed him in a bear hug and rolled. Their momentum took them to the edge of the pier.

  “Be careful!” Lila screamed.

  Too late. He couldn’t stop. The surface under him vanished. They fell off the pier and slammed onto the ice below. The force of the fall broke them apart. A searing pain shot through Dar’s leg. He cried out.

  “I’m coming!” Lila yelled.

  Visibility was sharper on the ice. Dar spotted Jergen’s body a few feet away.

  Another shape lay near Jergens. Kerr. He wasn’t moving. Was he hurt —or was it a trick? Either way, Dar couldn’t let Lila come onto the ice to find out. “No. Stay there!” He yelled. “I’m … okay.”

  “But you can’t … ”

  Lila’s words were cut off by a low-pitched, creaking sound. Dar went rigid. A ping followed, then another creak. Louder.

  Kerr moved, waving his arms and legs. “Holy shit!” he screamed. “The ice! It’s breaking up! Help!”

  Dar heard the slap of waves in the distance, but he couldn’t tell where the ice stopped and the water began. He looked back at the shore. It was only twenty feet away, but he couldn’t move—the pain shooting through his leg was excruciating.

  Dar felt the ice shift. Kerr tried to crawl in his direction. “For Christ’s sake, help me!”

  The surface shifted again, and a large chunk of ice broke off from the spot where Dar lay.

  Kerr was on it, Jergens’ corpse next to him. “Fuck! Help me!”

  “Forget him. This way, Dar. Come this way!” It was Lila. “Follow my voice.”

  “Keep talking, Lila,” Dar shouted.

  “I need help!” Kerr yelled.

  “Over here, Dar,” Lila yelled. “Come this way! I know you can.”

  Dar pushed with his arms—his legs were useless—but made scant progress. He was running out of strength.

  “Please … Dad.”

  She called him “Dad.” Her tone was intense. He angled himself toward the sound and pushed with his arms. He was inching forward when he heard another crack.

  The ice floe Kerr was on tipped precariously. Kerr was on his knees, trying to keep his balance, but as the ice tilted, he slipped toward the water. He tried to grasp for purchase, but teetered. He screamed again, his voice edged with terror. “Fuck! Help! I’m drowning!”

  Dar was only a few feet from the edge of the floe himself. He couldn’t risk it. Water sloshed over his hands and feet, stinging his skin. Suddenly Kerr’s ice floe rose up at an angle, and he plunged into the water. Jergens’ corpse slid in behind him. Kerr flailed and thrashed his arms. There was one last scream. And then nothing.

  “Dad! Are you all right?” Lila’s voice was laced with panic. “Answer me!”

  Dar gasped. He couldn’t talk. He was past cold, past numb, but he had to move. The ice shelf he was on might break loose. He struggled to his knees. Unbearable pain knifed through him. He forced himself to crawl toward shore. He caught a glimpse of Lila, aiming the gun with both hands. Did she know he wasn’t Kerr? He wanted to call out. No words came. He hoped she wouldn’t shoot.

  Then everything went dark.

  Sparks rained down like the aftermath of fireworks, winking out as they drifted over the lake. A cigarette, Dar realized sluggishly as he opened his eyes. He was on a stretcher. Gray light suffused the sky. Dawn was coming. The snow had eased, but everything was still white. Why wasn’t he cold? He concentrated on his body. He felt comfortable. Even warm. His fingers touched something scratchy. Wool. He was covered with blankets.

  A man in snow gear flicked his cigarette into the snow. “You gave us a scare,” he said. His face was partially hidden by a ski mask. “I’m with the Grand Haven paramedics. You’re on your way to the hospital.”

  “What happened?” Dar croaked.

  “You fell off the pier and broke your leg. Almost froze too, by the sound of it. But you’ll be okay.”

  “How … who saved me?”

  “Your daughter pulled you out of the lake. Then she covered you with her body till we got here.”

  FIFTY–EIGHT

  Six Months Later

  Between the sparkling lakefront, the tree-lined parks, and the sunny Midwestern hospitality, Chicago was at its best in summer. Dar spent Sunday afternoon with Lila and Cece on the “new” Maxwell Street. He wanted Lila to know where her mother had sold her jewelry. Although the market had been relocated a decade earlier, he claimed the heady brew of smells, colors, music, and noise were the same.

  They strolled past booths offering everything from food to appliances to clothes to tools. Cece bought an enchilada, Lila an Italian ice. She was licking her fingers when Dar stopped at a jewelry stall. He picked over several necklaces, finally selecting a silver chain with a turquoise charm.

  When he held it up, Lila frowned. “That’s weird. I found a necklace just like that in my father’s … Casey’s … safe deposit box.”

  “Billy was making one like this for Alix when he died,” Dar said. “A surprise Christmas present. Casey must have ended up with it.”

  “It was supposed to go to my mother?”

  Dar nodded.
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  Lila smiled. First thing tomorrow, she knew where she was going.

  “How is the reconstruction going?” Cece asked.

  “Not bad at all. We might be celebrating Christmas in the house.” She laughed. “If you two will deign to come to Winnetka.”

  “Wouldn’t miss it, “ Cece said.

  Dar didn’t say anything. Cece elbowed him in the stomach.

  “Of course, I’ll be there,” he said.

  Lila laughed and checked her watch. “Sorry, I have to get back to Evanston. I’m making dinner.”

  Cece raised an eyebrow. “You’re cooking?”

  “Well, actually, Brian is grilling… . but I’m not half bad with salad.” She gave them each a quick hug. “Call you later.”

  Dar watched her go, a smile playing on his face. Then he turned to Cece and drew her close.

  THE END

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Libby Fischer Hellmann is the award-winning author of the Ellie Foreman and Georgia Davis mystery series, and Nice Girl Does Noir, a two volume short story collection. She also edited the highly praised crime fiction anthology, Chicago Blues. She has lived in the Chicago area over thirty years. Set the Night on Fire is her first stand-alone novel.

  follow her at libbyhellmann.com