Fatal Reunion

by Jessica R. Patch

  Boone.

  Who would have killed him? Piper slid in the pool of blood and caught herself, then surveyed the sparse room. For a thief, Boone hadn’t been living high on the hog. The smell of death nearly wiped Piper off her feet. She covered her nose with her hoodie sleeve.

  Where was the dog?

  A low growl answered her question. Outside the door. She could open and chance it, or she could stay inside with Boone Wiley’s dead body. Harmony might be wounded in another room. No time.

  She had to call Luke. Once she did a quick sweep, she would. Every second counted. What if Harmony was lying on the floor bleeding out? Panic trilled from her stomach to her head, whooshing blood into her temples.

  Something glinted under the moonlight. Was that...?

  Blood leached across the floor, spattering the windows.

  She squatted and covered her mouth with her hand to keep from screaming.

  No.

  Piper didn’t need to pick up the Japanese sword to know it was hers. She had two of them hanging over the counter at her dojo. Her burned-down dojo. The killer must have lifted it before he lit them up. But why if he was going to kill her? Why would he need it? Why kill Boone with it? Plan B for the killer? That made no sense, and Piper didn’t have time to whirl it around in her head. She had a dog to deal with.

  Jitters rose in her throat.

  The growling continued.

  Luke was going to have a serious coronary. Piper reached for her phone.

  Every second counted.

  A fresh wave of panic hit her. What if he didn’t believe in her innocence?

  She tucked it back into her hoodie pocket.

  Using her sleeve as a glove, she opened the closet. She didn’t need added prints on the stack of evidence against her.

  Growls turned to menacing barks.

  Inside the closet, she snatched a blanket lying on the top shelf.

  Standing next to the door, she counted to ten. Grabbed the doorknob with her hoodie and swung it open.

  When the giant Doberman bounded inside, she hurled the blanket over its head, sprinted out the bedroom door and slammed it.

  With a spiked pulse and blood beating in her ears, she headed down the frayed carpeted hallway. “Harmony?”

  No answer.

  She toed open the second bedroom. Nothing but a faux wood computer desk and an old desktop computer. Next came the half bath and then she checked the cramped kitchen and living room. Harmony was nowhere to be seen. Piper pulled her phone and with shaking hands scrolled for Luke’s name. He might not believe her. He might be livid. But he needed to know. Now.

  A commotion sounded outside the apartment. Blue lights flashed.

  Guns fired.

  Yelling.

  Holt’s drug bust.

  Boone’s front door splintered from the wall with a crashing thud and Piper shrieked.

  “Hands up where I can see them! Now!”

  Piper raised her hands, phone in one. A light blinded her eyes.

  “Piper?”

  “Luke, I can explain.”

  Eric followed him inside, lowering his gun. Luke continued to train his on Piper’s torso.

  “Luke, I was about to call you. I found Boone. He’s in the bedroom. Dead.”

  “I’ll check it out,” Eric said.

  “I wouldn’t. I shut a Doberman in there.”

  “Big black scary one?” Eric asked.

  Luke continued to flash the light in her face. “I can’t see!” she screamed.

  “’Cause that dog just tore into an officer’s leg out there.” Eric stalked down the hall. Must have jumped out the window.

  Luke holstered his gun and shook his head. Same stunned look on his face. Just like ten years ago.

  “I was scared, Luke. I wasn’t going to break in. But I saw a hand.”

  “Don’t talk to me.” He started down the hall then twisted around. “Don’t you dare leave this apartment, either.”

  Piper followed him into Boone’s bedroom. “Luke, please.”

  “Be quiet!” he hollered, turning his back on her. Again.

  Eric switched on the lamp. “Unless Boone was in cahoots with a ninja, or was a ninja, or really gets into Halloween, this doesn’t look good for you, Kung Fu Piper.”

  Luke scanned the sword, the open window then the blood on the floor, tracking it to her feet. “Now is not the time to break out the funny, Hale.” The muscles in his cheeks jerked and he eyed Piper, disbelief distorting his features. “I can’t... I don’t...” He pawed his face and pursed his lips.

  “I was going out of my mind! You wanted to wait until morning.”

  “Yet I’m here right now. Do you have any idea what you’ve done? How did you even find this place?” Every word flung from his mouth with vehemence.

  “You take down another one of Derone’s guys?” Eric asked.

  “I pretended to be a tweaker.”

  “You’re great at pretending, aren’t you?” Luke snapped.

  Piper flinched, but she had that coming.

  “Luke, get some air. I’ll take it from here.” Eric pointed at the door.

  Luke stood firm.

  Piper stepped toward Luke. She had to make him understand. “I didn’t kill him. I never even meant to come inside. You have to believe me. I—”

  “I don’t have to believe a word you say. What am I supposed to do with this, Piper? I am up for a promotion!” He stormed past her, his shoulder knocking her off balance.

  Eric puffed his cheeks and blew out a sigh. “I can think of easier methods to kill someone than ram a sword through his gut.”

  “I didn’t kill him.”

  “I wouldn’t think you’d be dumb enough to use your own sword to murder Boone—at least two days ago, if my hunch is right—then come back on a night you know cops are going to be swarming, only to break and enter, then track blood all through the house, leaving your footprints and blood on the soles of your Chucks. Which, by the way, are pretty cool.”

  Piper relaxed.

  “Unless you’re clever enough to know we’d never believe something so ludicrous, and therefore, that’s exactly what you did.”

  She stiffened. “I did no such thing.”

  Eric stared her down, then waved his hand. “Nah, I didn’t think so. Not that I don’t think you’re clever. No offense to your brainpower.”

  “Luke thinks I did this.” He’d always come to the worst conclusions regarding her. Didn’t forgive her then. No way he’d forgive her now.

  God, I’m so sorry. I’ve made things worse than ever. I just wanted to help. And I’m willing to accept the consequences of my actions. Please don’t be mad at me anymore.

  Eric squatted by the body, yanked latex gloves from his pocket and snapped them on. “No, he doesn’t.” He reached into his pocket again and slipped paper bootees over his shoes. Turning the overhead light on, he checked the closet.

  “He does, however, think you went behind his back, could have gotten yourself killed, put yourself further into this investigation since you were found with the dead body and the weapon. Which undoubtedly belongs to you. As well as compromise a crime scene, let a rabid dog out to mangle a MPD officer’s leg and maybe commit a felony. But you might be able to get out of that one.” He went into the bathroom. “Not to mention you’ve put him in a precarious situation. He’s going to have to make a choice. Let you walk or cuff and arrest you. Ever arrested someone you love, Piper?”

  Sounded as if Eric might have. Piper’s heart sank to her feet. Her legs felt like anchors holding her to the floor; she could barely pick them up and move forward. She was in a pile of mess. And Luke might be able to help her, but he wouldn’t. He’d told her that first thing in Mama Jean’s hos
pital room.

  “I’m going to prison. And after everything I’ve done throughout my life, I deserve it.”

  Eric turned, and something about the way he eyed her sent a ripple of fear inside and yet drew her at the same time. Pity? Respect? Confused, she broke eye contact.

  “You do deserve it, Piper. I know you did it to save a friend. But when you break the law, punishment is prison. But I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll give you something you don’t deserve. Freedom.”

  Freedom? “Why...? But what about...?”

  “It’s called mercy. We’ll question you at the station, but I don’t have to bring you in bound. You can come willing to cooperate with the promise from here on out, you won’t break the law again. Can you promise me?”

  Piper’s throat constricted. “Why would you do that?”

  “You figure it out. Go home, Piper. We’ll be by in the morning.”

  “I don’t know what to say.” No one had ever done that... Luke. Luke had let her go free. But it hadn’t felt like mercy. More like banishment. Was God showing her mercy? Was that what Eric was trying to tell her?

  Yes. He had to be.

  “Say ‘thank you.’ And go. I’ll deal with Papa Bear.”

  Piper paused for a moment, then left the bedroom and slipped out the front door. Luke was nowhere in sight. She wasn’t sure she could fix this, but she wanted to. She raced down the road to her car and jumped inside.

  “God, thank You. For this mercy. I’m...grateful.”

  This was a new experience. While she didn’t fully understand it and felt unworthy, she was grateful. So grateful. She started the engine and cried all the way to Harmony’s.

  * * *

  “You did what?” Luke threw his hands in the air and paced outside Boone Wiley’s apartment while CSU processed the scene and the coroner took the body.

  “I didn’t cover up what she’s done. I just didn’t arrest her. Tomorrow morning, first thing, we’ll pick her up and bring her in. She’s going to fully cooperate.” Eric stared him down—the Jedi look.

  Luke was beside himself. Couldn’t think straight. Couldn’t focus on the case at hand. His emotions were tangled. Just the way he’d promised himself they wouldn’t be. “I have to recuse myself. I can’t do this.”

  “Yes, you can. I need the best homicide detective at my side with this one, and it’s you. That’s why you’re going to get this promotion.”

  “I don’t know anymore.”

  “You’ve done nothing to compromise this case.” Eric’s immovable glint showed he wasn’t going to back down. “I’m being serious right now. She broke the law, but we put her feelings aside and put a civilian on hold for a drug bust, and you and I both know Derone will walk. His gang will take the blame, and they won’t be able to pin anything on him. And Harmony is gone. Whoever killed Boone either made off with her, or she was already dead.”

  Luke should have fought harder, pressed Holt to let him come in and search. Didn’t make what Piper did right, but he understood the overwhelming need to save and protect. He felt it every day concerning Piper. But she’d known better. Didn’t even consider the danger. She could have died, and Luke wouldn’t be able to go on if she had. That ribbed him more than the possibility of losing his promotion.

  What if he’d walked in and she’d been next to Boone, dead? His heart wrenched.

  God, I love her. I’d give my life for her. I don’t know how to make her see that she doesn’t have to always be the hero. She has nothing to prove. I don’t know how to fix her. Help me fix her.

  “I can’t interview her.”

  Eric clasped his shoulder. “I’ll get Forbes to do it. He’s honest. We’ll fill him in. She’s being framed. But there’s enough circumstantial evidence mounting to build a case against her. Which we don’t want to do.”

  “It has to be Chaz. She betrayed him, too. And he’s never gotten over it.” If they didn’t find him soon, they might be pressed to arrest Piper for the murders. Luke couldn’t breathe.

  “Well, whoever tried to roast you and Piper like a Polynesian pig lifted the sword. This murder links him with the fire. Not sure about Baxter and Baroni. Deaths are different. Could be Chaz, could be Boone. Could be both. And I’m going to take a stab—no need to pardon the pun, I meant it—and say that whoever stole the sword and set the dojo on fire also tried to run you off the road.”

  Luke agreed. But why try to frame her if someone was trying to kill her? Were two separate things going on? “Nothing more we can do here.”

  Tomorrow he’d pull into Harmony’s drive and bring the woman he loved—whom he’d always loved—into the interrogation room. He couldn’t stop the chain of events about to unfold. He could only hope he’d have time to find the real killer.

  As furious as he was, and deeply hurt, Luke couldn’t let Piper possibly go down over circumstantial evidence.

  After dropping Eric at his car, he rolled down the windows, letting the cold air blow against his face.

  Luke replayed the kiss he and Piper had shared in his car. Tried to sort through what he was feeling. Not a single part of him didn’t love her. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for her, but no matter how hard he tried, he was inadequate.

  He drove into his garage and marched into his bedroom, grabbing his Bible. He needed some peace. Needed to search for direction and answers.

  With every day that Piper was close to him, he was reminded of how much he’d missed her. Missed her laughter. Her feistiness. Missed trying to mend her broken wings so she’d fly.

  She’d come back to Memphis still wounded. How long could she pretend she wasn’t? Instead of dealing with problems, she’d ignored them.

  He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

  The scripture from the Psalm breathed into his soul, stinging him before smoothing over into a gentle tide of peace. Luke wasn’t God, but he’d been trying to be Piper’s Fixer for years. He’d exhausted himself to no avail and been left with nothing to show for his efforts but repeated failure.

  Piper needed healing. And when Luke couldn’t do it, she’d tried it herself. With karate.

  Karate had become her source of strength instead of Luke.

  Instead of God.

  And it had been reduced to ashes.

  Luke held the Bible to his chest. Truth settled over him, instructing him to be obedient, which warred with what he wanted. The temptation to mend her was beyond powerful. The solution overwhelmingly painful. Could he do what needed to be done?

  Luke loved her too much to let her stay broken. But did he love her enough to do what God required of him?

  God asked Abraham to lay Isaac on the altar and sacrifice him. Abraham had the knife raised when God intervened.

  Luke hadn’t been able to lay Piper down even though miles had separated them.

  A thousand shards of glassy pain stabbed all through his rib cage, slicing into his gut and rushing to his brain. He forced down the singeing Mount Everest building in his throat, squeezed back the stinging in his eyes.

  This was the right thing.

  And God would mend him.

  Over time. If he could do this. If he could give Piper up to God. Could he do this?

  * * *

  Luke’s night had been full of tossing, turning and praying for the strength to let Piper go. He’d never give up hope that she’d find her wings and fly, and he’d always protect her. Fight for her. But he couldn’t be her sole protector—the only shoulder she leaned on for support and strength.

  He rang her doorbell and jammed a hand in his pocket to keep it from trembling. Piper opened the door, eyes bleary and red-rimmed. Compassion overrode his resolve, but he held his hand back from touching her.

  “Figured you’d send Detective Hale,” she said and motioned fo
r him to come in. He stayed cemented to the stoop.

  She inhaled sharply. “I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. To put myself in a sticky situation. You have to believe that, Luke.”

  He tightened his jaw, holding back the emotion. He needed to do it. To cut the ties. But her fragile appearance and the panicked expression in her eyes had him backing down. He’d give her until after the interrogation, when the timing was better.

  “We should go,” he murmured. She silently followed him to the Durango and remained silent as they neared the police station. “Piper, Detective Forbes is going to interview you today. Don’t offer anything but direct answers to direct questions.” Changing the subject might ease some of the biting strain hovering between them.

  “So you do think I did it?”

  “I know you didn’t.” No way was Piper a cold-blooded killer. “What I’m most worried about is now that Boone’s been murdered with your sword, someone else is out there and behind it. Someone who wants to either kill you or frame you or both. I’m not making sense out of the back-and-forth.”

  Piper’s hand trembled, and she bit down on her bottom lip. “There’s only one person left.”

  Luke had been trying his best to hunt down Chaz, but it was as if he’d vanished. No money trail. Nothing.

  “Chaz.”

  Luke nodded. “I think it’s evident.”

  “He could have taken the sword before he tried to incinerate us. If he could slip in like he did, taking it was no problem. It hung above—”

  “The counter. I saw it, saw both of them.”

  “We have to find him.” Piper dug a tissue from her purse and wiped her nose. “I don’t understand. For a minute I thought God might be merciful, that maybe He wasn’t punishing me. But now, every time I turn around something worse happens.”

  “Piper, God never lets us go. He hasn’t given up on you—if that’s what you think.” She needed to believe that, especially when Luke did what he was going to have to do. Maybe he should have already done it. But it hurt too much. What if God never let him have her back?

  Piper squirmed in her seat, looked out the window and dabbed her eyes with the crumpled tissue. “Let’s just get through this interview, okay?”