Fatal Reunion

by Jessica R. Patch

  Finally.

  Piper opened the door to a drenched Luke. “You don’t know how great it is to see you.”

  Luke grabbed her and drew her into his arms. “I was beside myself when I called Eric and couldn’t get him. You’re not safe, Piper. And Harmony—”

  “Is right here. She got away. Boone kidnapped her for jewels. And Chaz is in on it. She thinks she saw him.”

  Luke’s hair matted to his forehead, and water ran down his cheeks and dripped from his coat onto the foyer. It was the panic in his eyes that scared her. “What’s wrong?”

  “Get behind me.”

  Luke drew his gun and stormed into the living room and kitchen area.

  “What are you doing?” Piper stepped in front of him, blocking his aim directed right at Harmony.

  “Why are you aiming that at me?” Harmony squealed.

  “Game’s up.”

  “What game?” Piper looked from Luke, a somber expression on his face, to Harmony, wide-eyed with fear.

  “I don’t know what he’s talking about, Piper. I’ve been bound in some rotten, forsaken hole for I don’t even know how long.”

  Piper glanced at her wrists and ankles. No bruising. No marks.

  “Get. Behind. Me.”

  Piper could stay put or trust Luke. She shifted to his side.

  “Piper?” Harmony’s shoulders sagged. “What can I say?”

  “How about the truth?” Luke asked. “I talked with Judith Strosbergen. Had the most interesting conversation.”

  Harmony’s face paled, and she dropped her mouth. What had Harm done? Was she in on this?

  “We got chatting about her great-grandmother. Judith was beside herself when she found out that about ten million in jewels had been lifted the night Ellen was beaten half to death. At first, they didn’t realize it. Said Grandma put the jewels in a safe-deposit box.”

  “What does that have to do with me?”

  Piper’d like to know, too.

  “But Ellen had dementia and happened to remove those jewels for fear someone would steal them. I suppose the irony hasn’t gone unnoticed.”

  “Luke, I didn’t know Ellen Strosbergen had any jewels.” Piper gaped at Harmony. She stood like a statue. Gun aimed on her.

  Wind howled and thunder continued to roll.

  “I believe you, Pip. You’ve been played, and I’m sorry.”

  “That’s not true. Don’t listen to him, Piper. Who couldn’t let you go? Me. I called you on your birthday. If Mama Jean hadn’t been hurt or that boarder killed, you think he’d have rekindled things with you? No.”

  Piper flexed her hands. But the murder had brought Luke and Piper back together. “Luke, are you sure about what you’re saying?”

  “In the initial report, the jewels hadn’t been included. Apparently, after discovering them missing from the safe-deposit box, the grandchildren tore the house apart. Ellen had a habit of hiding things. Misplacing them and then forgetting.”

  Harmony’s eyes turned cold. What had she done? How far had she gone?

  “So they reported it after. I’d already left the unit or I’d have been clued in. But the jewels were never found. Cost the family millions because Ellen had never insured them. Fast-forward ten years to Ellen’s great-granddaughter, Judith, receiving a beautiful set for her anniversary and not wanting to repeat the same mistake as her dear grandmother. So she made sure her valuables were insured. Piper, would you like to know the name of the insurance company who insured Judith’s valuables?”

  “No.” Harm would never hurt or betray Piper. “That’s not true, is it?” Could she have done all this for some jewels?

  “Yes, it’s true,” Luke said and turned to Harmony. “When you overheard Judith’s story, you realized jewels were stolen that night and you went straight to Sly, didn’t you? Did you offer to give him a cut when he got out on parole?”

  “No.”

  Piper’s throat constricted. This wasn’t happening.

  “Sly gave you Boone, his old cell mate. Easy to seduce to get what you wanted, wasn’t he? You both used him like a dog. When hurting Mama Jean didn’t work, you had him try and scare Pip outside the hospital. But she was too strong. So the next time, he tried to knock her out. He’d know she was in your bed. Because you told him. Then he came at her again in the alley at Riff’s. He trashed all our homes. Looking for the jewels.”

  Piper studied Harmony and her heart twisted. She’d faked it. “You knew I’d insist on you going to the conference. You knew I’d find that photo of you and Boone in that drawer. You banked on me taking care of you, like I always have. You set me up so you could set up Boone.” Her best friend had turned on her. For money.

  Harmony’s shoulders slumped. The game was up and she knew it. “It wasn’t supposed to go like this. Mama Jean shouldn’t have been hurt.”

  Blood drained from Piper’s face. “Why would you think Mama Jean would have the jewels? She’s in therapy! She could have died.” The betrayal rubbed raw across her heart, like broken glass. “And Christopher Baxter was an innocent casualty.”

  “He wasn’t supposed to die. It was only supposed to be a burglary because I knew you’d come home for her. I knew if you felt she was threatened, you’d do anything to keep her safe. You’d never tell me if you had them, but you’d give them up for Mama Jean. Boone did his own thing when he got there.”

  Did Piper believe that? Boone was dead. Harmony wasn’t. “Why would you think I had the jewels?”

  “You bought that building.”

  “Which you burned up!” Anger surged into Piper’s veins. “You tried to burn us to the ground. You had Boone run us off the road! We almost died. And you tried to frame me for murdering Tyson and Boone!”

  “No! That had to be Chaz! I told you I heard arguing that night Boone died. It’s the truth. Chaz must have known about the jewels, too, or maybe Sly made a deal with him to double-cross me.”

  Luke pulled cuffs from his belt. “You’re under arrest for the murder of Boone Wiley, Tyson Baroni and Christopher Baxter, and that’s just a start.”

  “I didn’t kill Boone! And Boone killed Christopher Baxter and Tyson Baroni.”

  “Why?” Piper clutched the sides of her head. “I don’t understand.”

  “Things got out of hand! I couldn’t control him like I thought I could.”

  “People died, Harmony, and you let it happen. You set it up.”

  “I didn’t kill anyone. I only tried for the jewels. I’m broke. I’m going to lose this home.”

  Piper stepped toward her, fists at her sides to keep from punching her. “You faked being kidnapped for weeks. Weeks, I have been on the edge of my sanity. You had to have given Boone my business card to plant on Tyson, to implicate me. How else would he have got it? And you were going to let him kidnap and torture me for answers I didn’t have!”

  Harmony’s face turned crimson. “No.” She hung her head. “I only wanted to scare you and I needed you to think...”

  “That you were kidnapped. So when you found the jewels, you could get rid of Boone and we’d believe he’d done it all alone. Even Sly would be dead and unable to talk. Did you put that hit out on him?”

  “I wasn’t going to kill anyone. But Chaz is out there now, Piper. He probably wanted Sly dead. He wants us all dead.”

  “Why would Chaz burn my dojo down to find jewels?”

  “He wouldn’t.” Luke’s sharp tone caused Harmony to shiver. “He was trying to kill us then and when he ran us off the road. Explain that.”

  Harmony cried. “I can’t. I don’t know what he’s doing. I was at Boone’s place. Hiding out. Waiting for you to give Boone the jewels so I could steal them...not kill him.”

  But he’d be a liability, turn on her. No way Harmony could let him l
ive, but Piper wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt.

  “Boone wouldn’t take the fall,” Luke said. “He’d bring you down with him.”

  Piper and Luke were on the same page, and by the look on Harmony’s guilty face, she knew it, too.

  Piper rubbed her temples. The headache was coming on strong. “What happened at Boone’s?”

  “I was in the bathroom. I heard yelling, like someone saying ‘open up’ or something. I turned off the shower and heard the commotion. I threw on my clothes and crawled out the bathroom window. I didn’t see Boone’s murder, but later that night when I came back, he was dead.”

  “And you left him. With the sword.”

  “I didn’t know that was your sword and I panicked. Didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know about the car going off the road, the burning or Luke’s place. That wasn’t me. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Boone. It has to be Chaz! And that’s why we have to run. Or we’re all gonna be dead!”

  “Did you see anything else? Anything?”

  “In the parking lot at Boone’s, I thought I might have seen—”

  Like a needle scratching across a record turning things into slow motion, Piper saw it...a red dot beaming from the windows, straight to Harmony’s head.

  No time to holler. Piper rushed Harmony.

  Luke screamed for her to stop and leaped toward Piper.

  Glass shattered.

  Piper fell in a heap.

  Luke’s voice boomed through the noise. “Piiii-per!”

  * * *

  Luke’s heart shot into his throat, and he pulled his gun and reached for his phone. Not there! He’d left it in the car rushing in to make sure Piper was safe.

  One second Harmony was a target for what looked to be a perfect head shot, and then Piper tackled her, shoving her to the floor.

  “Piper, where’s your phone?”

  “Counter.”

  Luke reached for it. “It’s dead!”

  Blood seeped across the kitchen tile. Another shot slammed into the counter.

  “We have to get out of here, now!” Luke hollered.

  Piper crouched over Harmony.

  Luke glanced at Harmony. “I can’t tell how bad it is, but we’re ripe for taking here with all the windows.”

  “Harmony? Can you move?” Piper tapped her face.

  “I— My shoulder.” She shifted. “I think I can move.” Wincing, she sat upright.

  “Stay low,” Piper said.

  “Outside. It’s our best chance.” Someone was coming straight for them and would expect them to huddle in a corner of the house and wait or bolt out the front door for the car—which was where his phone was. It was too dangerous to go out that way. They needed an advantage. The storm and woods would help camouflage them, and they could get to a neighbor’s house and a phone.

  Luke pushed Piper toward Harmony’s bedroom. “We’ll go out Harmony’s window and make a straight shot into the woods.” If the shooter stayed outside, he wouldn’t expect them to take an injured person out a window. About twenty feet of mostly unsheltered ground before the woods opened up, and the lightning wasn’t working in their favor, but it was the best idea he had.

  God, help us into the woods. Hold off the lightning. Keep us hidden in Your safe hands.

  Harmony clasped her left hand over her right shoulder as Piper linked her arm in Harmony’s and ushered her forward. Luke brought up the rear. If anyone was going to take a bullet, it would be him. The thought of Piper getting hurt or worse... He shoved the idea out of his mind.

  Inside Harmony’s bedroom, Piper rushed to the side of the curtain. “You aim the gun, and I’ll open the window.”

  “Piper, I can’t see out there.”

  “You’ll see a red dot, won’t you?” Her face paled and her eyes flashed with fright, but her brave and cool exterior overshadowed it.

  “Yeah, but that won’t help me see the shooter. If he’s even using a laser now.”

  Harmony moaned and collapsed to her knees. “I don’t think I can make it.”

  “I just saved your life! You suck it up and move.” Piper pressed her back against the wall and glared at Harmony. “Who is that out there?”

  “I told you. I think it’s Chaz.” Harmony’s breathing was labored. Luke tore her shirt where the bullet went through.

  “Harmony, I think it’s a flesh wound, but we have to find something to apply pressure with or at least cover it.”

  “My bathroom.” Harmony grunted.

  “Luke, we’re running out of time. Chaz could already be in the house. He’s that quiet.” Piper peeked out the window. Rain slashed against it. Too dark.

  Pilfering through the bathroom, Luke found a bath towel, ripped it in strips and hurried into the bedroom, wrapping it tightly around Harmony’s shoulder. She jerked. “I know it hurts. Hang on.”

  Time was running out.

  “On three,” Piper said.

  Luke’s stomach roiled, but what choice did they have?

  “I’m gonna lift the window and kick out the screen.” Piper gave one solid nod.

  Sweat slicked Luke’s back, beaded around his upper lip and temples. “One...two...three...”

  Piper swung in front of the window, moving like a high-speed rail train as she flipped the locks and raised the window. She darted back against the wall, her chest heaving. With a shaky breath, she pivoted and side-kicked the screen out of the window then ducked below it.

  “Nice job, Pip.” Luke’s grip on his gun turned clammy. It wasn’t just himself he was trying to save. This was Piper. This was different. “I’m going to go first so I can cover you and Harmony. Send her out, and you come last.”

  Piper nodded. Luke stood at the hem of the curtains. Somewhere out there, someone was working stealthily to take them down. This might not turn out as well as he hoped.

  He faced Piper. “I know this isn’t fair, but fair is off the table right now.” He leaned down, cupped Piper’s cheek and pressed an urgent kiss to her lips. “Be careful.”

  Piper touched his hand resting on her cheek. “I will.”

  Harmony cried out again. After all she did, Piper hadn’t let her die. She’d stepped in and saved her. Ten years ago, she might not have. But something was changing in her. Stepping out of God’s way had made room for Him to work, and Luke had peace that God would finish what He had started.

  He surveyed the darkness—no lightning. Time to strike while it was hot. He nose-dived out the window, landing on wet mulch and azalea bushes. Springing into a crouch, he scanned the woods. Listened. Not much could be heard over the beating rain and thunder.

  “Harmony’s coming.”

  A swatch of blond hair poked through the window. Harmony muffled her cries with her hand, then looked at Piper. “Why would you save me? After everything I’ve done to you?”

  Only Piper’s shadow showed in the window. “It’s called mercy. I’ve been getting a heavy dose of it lately. Now get out the window and let’s get through this.”

  “I’d rather die than go to prison.”

  “Night’s young,” Luke quipped and grabbed the trunk of her body as Piper eased her through the window. Careful not to injure the bullet wound further, Luke gently laid her behind the azalea bushes.

  “Piper, come on!”

  Piper moved to the window and launched herself out, landing on Luke. “Sorry.”

  “Not a problem.”

  “Now what?”

  “We sprint behind the oak tree. Take cover, then book it through the woods to the nearest house where we can call in backup. Harmony, how far to your closest neighbor?”

  Harmony gasped and shoved hair from her face with her uninjured arm. “Mile, maybe, but they travel a lot.”

  “Then, Pi
per, you’ll have to teach me a lesson on breaking and entering, and we pray they have a landline since you don’t.”

  Or Eric might come. Where was he? Every second the ball of dread grew wider, heavier.

  “I can’t feel my arm and I’m cold.” Harmony shivered in the rain.

  Luke shrugged off his soaked jacket and threw it across the yard as a decoy. Nothing. Either the shooter hadn’t figured out where they were or he was checking the house. Any minute he’d discover they’d gone out the window. “We gotta move. Now.”

  “Harmony, can you run?” Rain pelted Piper, her hair matting to her face and neck.

  “I can...can try.”

  Luke heaved a breath. “I’ll help her and cover us best I can in the dark. Piper, you stay behind me.”

  “Luke, I can run faster and—”

  “Behind me! I can shield you, so stay right on me.”

  “Okay.”

  Luke put one arm around Harmony for support, helped her up and ripped across the yard toward the oak tree. Wind howled, the pressure working to blow them over, and rain stung his face like freezing needles. He hoped Piper was on his tail. Too much thunder. Too much noise.

  The tree was five feet ahead.

  Four...

  Three...

  One...

  Luke clung to the large oak as if it were life. Harmony whimpered next to him. Piper slammed into the tree, gasping.

  “We made it.”

  For now.

  “Piper, I’m so sorry. I really am,” Harmony whined.

  Sorry or sorry she got caught? Either way. Piper sighed. “Can we make it into the woods?”

  Luke scanned the perimeter. Lightning cracked, giving him a floodlight view of the woods. “I don’t know. I don’t see anyone. Could Chaz have made that shot? The woods were a stretch from the kitchen. That would have been the kill shot if you hadn’t intervened.”

  Piper shivered. “I don’t know. He had a few guns, but I’ve never seen anything like that.”

  “Well, we can’t sit here. It won’t provide us shelter for long. Harmony, how you holding up?”