by Sammi Carter
Desperate, I plunged along a narrow path that led through abandoned sets and props. The pain medication was wearing off, and my head throbbed as I ran. As I neared the back of the building, I heard someone moving around in the distance, so I stopped running and slid behind a listing backdrop from some long-ago play.
Instinct urged me to hurry, but I forced myself to move cautiously. As I drew closer, I heard Jason talking but I was still too far away to pick up what he said. My breathing sounded unnaturally loud in my ears as I strained to make out what he was saying.
“A cop? You’re a goddamn cop? What in the hell am I going to do now?”
A large box several feet ahead of me tilted, then fell heavily to the floor. I held back a gasp and pulled back into the shadows. In the dim emergency lighting, I could see Jason in the scene shop, which was little more than a clearing in the middle of the chaos. The stage crew used that area to build the backdrops and platforms needed for each production. If I could get to it, there’d be plenty of items I could use as a weapon. But that was a big if.
Jason paced from one end of the clearing to the other, then stopped and looked down at something on the floor. I assumed that something was Jawarski.
Please, I begged silently. Be alive. Because if he wasn’t . . .
I couldn’t even go there. Every doubt about our relationship I’d nursed for the past two years evaporated as I tried not to contemplate a future without Jawarski. But the more I tried not to think about the unthinkable, the more firmly my mind locked on it and refused to let go.
Be alive, I pleaded again and slipped a little deeper into the shadows. I had no doubt that Jason would kill me if he saw me, and the fear that realization brought with it nauseated me. Whatever I did now, I’d have to be more careful than ever.
Chapter 33
I stood in the shadows for what felt like hours, studying my surroundings and trying to formulate a plan. I’d have to catch Jason off guard, but that wasn’t going to be easy. The box that might have helped keep my location secret had fallen to the floor a few minutes ago, so the distance between us—which I calculated at about thirty feet—was completely open. The instant I left my hiding place, it would be open season on Abby.
Jason paced the floor, talking to Jawarski every once in a while. Obviously, the idea of killing a policeman bothered him more than the murder of your ordinary civilian. It was a small point in our favor, but I’d take anything I could get.
I couldn’t hear Jawarski responding, but I didn’t let myself lose hope. Jason was talking to him. That had to be a good sign.
Each lap Jason made was six steps long as he paced between a large piece of castle backdrop from last year’s production of Cinderella and a row of wooden palm trees used in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. That didn’t give me much time, but if I judged it right, I could take advantage of the element of surprise. And if I could catch him off guard, I might be able to push over that row of palm trees. If Jason was in just the right place when I made my move, the trees would hit him and buy Jawarski and me some time to get away.
If that plan wasn’t shaky enough, Jason clutched a pistol in one hand. No amount of surprise would give me the upper hand against a gun. I had to make sure he didn’t get a shot off.
Piece of cake.
Obviously agitated, Jason made another pass the length of the floor. As he reached the far end of the open area, he whipped around and aimed the gun at Jawarski. “Shut up. I told you, let me think.”
Jawarski was alive! Relief so strong it almost buckled my knees swept over me and tears filled my eyes. He was alive, but I had to assume he was injured; otherwise, he’d have been on his feet. He must have said something else, because Jason mopped sweat away from his temples with the back of his gun hand. “That’s easy for you to say,” he snarled. “That son of a bitch killed my sister, same as if he held a gun to her head and pulled the trigger. He killed my mother, too. Don’t talk to me about forgiving.”
While he was distracted, I dropped to all fours and crawled through the jumble of scenery and props toward him. As I drew closer, I began to pick up on what Jawarski was saying, but I still couldn’t see him. I crawled past a few loose boards and a pile of stage swords. I considered using both as a weapon, but I didn’t trust myself to grab one without giving myself away.
I forced myself to focus on the plan and inched around a wooden platform that probably hadn’t been moved in at least a year. Dust billowed up from the floor, and I fought back the urge to sneeze. The effort made my nose hurt, my eyes water, and my throat sting.
“You don’t know what it was like, watching my sister suffer. Watching my mother wither up and die.” Jason’s voice rose higher. “Everyone thought he was such a great guy. Everybody loved him—until they got to know him. He used people. Like a vampire, he sucked the life right out of everyone he met.”
I could make out the low rumble of Jawarski’s voice now, and the relief of knowing that he was still alive made my eyes water again. Not more than five feet from my goal, I crept past another abandoned backdrop and something soft brushed against my arm.
Instinctively, I jerked. My hand swept the back of a Grecian pillar, and it tottered on its flimsy base. I caught it as quickly as I could, but I was too late.
“Who’s there?” Jason demanded.
I froze in place and held my breath, cursing myself silently for making such a stupid mistake.
“Whoever it is, you’d better come out. Now.”
I didn’t move. I’m not sure I even breathed.
“Now!” he demanded again. “Unless you want the cop to die right here and now.”
Frustrated and angry with myself, I got to my feet. I was close enough to see over the last row of storage that stood between us. Jawarski lay on the floor, alive but pale and obviously weak. A trail of blood spread out from beneath his shoulder.
I’d never seen Jawarski looking anything but buff and healthy. Seeing him like this made my stomach lurch, but it also filled me with a resolve that surprised me. No matter what it took, I was going to keep him alive.
“I want your hands where I can see ’em,” Jason ordered. “Now, come on out here.”
Jawarski rolled his head to the side and saw me. His eyelids flickered, and I realized that he was close to passing out from the loss of blood. “Abby,” he croaked. “Get out of here.”
With a roar of anger, Jason shouted, “Shut up! How many times do I have to tell you?” and before I could move, he planted a boot in Jawarski’s side.
Jawarski’s skin grew deathly pale and a moan escaped his lips. I decided the time was now or never. I lunged for the palm tree backdrop and shoved it as hard as I could. It didn’t move.
I threw my whole body into the effort and shoved again. Just as it began to topple, I saw Jason spot me and level the gun in my direction. As the shot rang out, I crumpled to the floor. I heard the explosion, saw the flash from the end of the muzzle, and felt something scorching hot fly past me.
The palm trees fell with a loud crash and dust billowed up from the floor. I looked frantically for Jason and found him beneath the fronds of one tree. He was dazed, but not out. I couldn’t see Jawarski anywhere.
I knew that Jawarski and I had just one chance to escape with our lives, so I wasted no time. Gathering my strength, I let out a bellow that surprised even me and charged Jason. I saw him stagger to his feet. I saw the moment he realized I was aiming for him. Watched his arm rise slowly until the pistol was aiming at my chest.
This is it, I thought, and a strange sense of calm settled over me. I hit him dead-on. My head and neck snapped backward from the impact. Pain shot through my ribs and down into my knees. I stumbled after the impact and fell into the castle backdrop. It fell backward, and I heard the sound of splintering wood.
Jason rolled to his side. He looked stunned, but I couldn’t count on that lasting long. I looked around for something—anything—to use as a weapon. My gaze lit on a stage screw some
one had left on a box about two feet from where I stood.
I could hear Jason coming close, so I lunged for it and slipped my hand into the handle. I swung with all my might as Jason came up behind me and the long screw plunged into his chest, just below his shoulder.
The impact stunned him, but he had momentum going, and he fell forward. Blood poured from the wound, spattering the scenery around me. I threw myself out of his way and narrowly missed being pinned beneath his body.
He landed heavily, and the gun skittered away from his hand. I dove after it and aimed it at him, determined to make sure he wouldn’t get up again. I’d never shot a person before, but I was pretty sure I wouldn’t hesitate if Jason made any attempt to come at me again.
He groaned and rolled to one side, and a cold knot of anger formed where my heart used to be. “Try it, Jason. Go ahead. I dare you.”
Very slowly, he turned his head to look at me, and he must have seen the conviction on my face because he lay back down, skewed slightly to avoid applying more pressure on the screw embedded in his chest.
Somewhere in the distance, I heard shouting and then lights popped on all around us. Paisley must have called for help, I thought. And it was probably a good thing. If I’d been left alone with Jason for another minute, I don’t know what I would have done.
“Abby?” Jawarski’s voice was so weak, I could barely hear him.
I let my gaze flicker toward him, but only for a second. “Yeah?”
He lifted his head about an inch from the floor and made a valiant effort to smile. “Thanks.”
Before I could respond, he collapsed on the floor. The last thing I remember about that night was the sound of my own voice, screaming for help.
Chapter 34
“It wasn’t supposed to end up like this,” Jawarski said from his hospital bed the next morning. “I came back to surprise you. I was kind of hoping we could spend a little time together.”
I stood at the foot of his bed, stretching as much as my poor, aching body would let me to work out the kinks I’d picked up overnight. Nate had called for an ambulance to transport Jawarski to the hospital in Leadville. I had followed in the Jetta. When the nurses kicked me out a little before two that morning, I’d grabbed a few hours sleep on the world’s most uncomfortable bed in the cheapest hotel in town. When I awoke, I’d been so stiff it had taken me a good twenty minutes just to stand up.
Through the windows of the hospital room, I could see thick flakes of snow falling, and I gave serious consideration to calling Karen and telling her I’d be staying overnight so I wouldn’t have to drive through the canyons in the middle of a storm. I’d been hanging onto the Jetta for a long time, but I was beginning to think I should buy something built for the mountainous area I now called home again. I guess that meant I was committed to staying.
“Don’t worry about it,” I said, trying on this commitment thing for size. “I’m just glad to see you, and I’m very glad you’re okay.”
“Yeah. Me, too.” He poked at a shapeless piece of meat on his lunch tray and grimaced. “You’ve got to get me out of here, slick. This stuff is going to kill me.”
“I doubt that,” I said. “Apparently, you’re kinda hard to kill.” I said it jokingly, but every time I thought about how close I’d come to losing him, my stomach turned over. He abandoned the plate and started to battle with a can of Coke and a straw.
I moved to stand beside him and held the straw so he could find it with his mouth. “What made you decide to come to the Playhouse anyway? How did you know I’d be there?”
“I didn’t, but it seemed logical. You’d been spending an awful lot of time there, so when Liberty said you hadn’t come back, I figured that’s where I’d find you.”
He knew me too well, but that wasn’t a bad thing. I took the can from him and returned it to the tray. “That’s it? You weren’t playing knight in shining armor riding in to rescue me?”
He leaned back against the pillows and shook his head. “I’m afraid not. Not this time, anyway. It might have been different if someone had told me about the attack on you and Colleen.”
“I tried! I called you a couple of times, but you never answered.” I’m not sure how much I would have said if I’d been able to reach him, but I saw no reason to admit that.
“I was on the road, heading home. There are some long old stretches of road between here and there with no cell phone signal.” He closed his eyes briefly, and I could see exhaustion making his face tight. “So you were right. Richie had nothing to do with the murder.”
“Nothing at all,” I agreed. “But you look tired, and I’m starving. Why don’t you catch a nap and I’ll run down to the cafeteria. Do you want me to bring you anything?”
He shook his head without opening his eyes. “Just you.”
Instead of walking away, I stood at his bedside and studied him for a long time. I’d turned a corner in our relationship. I couldn’t deny that. Nearly losing him inside the Playhouse had opened my eyes—and my heart. I still didn’t like the idea of being vulnerable, but I’d realized that I was going to be vulnerable with this guy whether or not I wanted to be.
One eye opened, and he studied me curiously. “Something wrong?”
I shook my head and kissed his cheek lightly. “Just the opposite,” I whispered. “Something’s very, very right.”
The other eye opened, his exhaustion forgotten for a moment. “Yeah? What’s that?”
“I was just wondering what I’d do if I ever lost you,” I said. “I realized last night that I don’t ever want to find out.”
A pleased smile curved his lips. “It’s about time.”
I laughed and sat on the edge of the chair. “And for the record, next time you go to Montana, I’d feel a whole lot better if you sent Bree to a hotel while you’re there with the kids.” It was an irrational request, and we both knew it.
Jawarski chuckled and closed his eyes again. “Yeah, I’m sure she’ll appreciate that. When I suggest it, I’ll also be sure to let her know it’s your idea.”
“Fine with me.” I stood again and started for the door, but there I stopped and forced myself to turn back. I was doing it again. Dodging the truth. Making a joke to protect myself. This man deserved the same honesty from me that I needed from him. I cleared my throat and said, “Jawarski?”
“Yeah?”
“I just want you to know that . . . well . . . I’ve thought a lot about our relationship. About us. And I—” The words wouldn’t come. I felt them. I meant them. But I couldn’t force them out of my throat. Tears of frustration burned my eyes and a thick lump clogged my throat. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” I croaked. “If you knew how I felt . . .”
“What makes you think I don’t?” He locked eyes with me, and the gentleness I saw in his expression knocked the wind right out of me. “Go. Get some lunch. I’ll be here when you get back. And Abby?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you, too.”
“Shamrocks?” I stared, open mouthed, at the clovers dangling from the ceiling of Divinity, fluttering in the breeze every time someone moved. “Are you kidding me?”
Liberty bounced with excitement, her pride in her accomplishment obvious. “Do you like it? It’s my welcome home present for you.”
“I—I’m speechless.” And I had the sinking feeling I was going to have Easter eggs hanging in front of my face next month. I couldn’t think of a single thing to say that wouldn’t make Karen angry or offend Liberty. Stunned, I moved further into the kitchen, holding onto Jawarski’s arm. Richie and Dylan came inside behind us. They’d insisted on coming to Leadville to see us, and Richie had been adamant about driving the Jetta back to Paradise for me.
I had to admit, he’d been right. I was in no condition to drive and probably wouldn’t be for a few days. Richie hustled Max up the back stairs to the currently empty second floor, where he could play with his doggie toys for a while. Dylan had been fussing over me and Jawarski
like a mother hen all the way through the canyon. Were we warm enough? Were we too warm? Did we need something to drink?
He didn’t let up even now that we were home. “How about some coffee? You want coffee, Abby?”
Not really. The two cups he’d bought me on the trip home had been enough, but if he didn’t stop hovering I was going to scream. “Sure,” I said. “Coffee sounds great.”
“Already made a pot.” Karen bustled into the room looking maternal and concerned. “Both of you come and sit down. I’ll get it for you.” She hurried away and came back a minute later with two mugs, a pitcher of cream, and a container filled with green sugar.
I could only stare at it.
Jawarski bit back a grin. “It’s green,” he whispered.
“Yes, it is.”
Karen ignored us both and sat, propping her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands. “So? What’s the word? What’s going to happen to the kid?”
“Jason is no kid,” I told her. “Believe me.”
“He’s going to face charges,” Jawarski said as he carefully spooned green sugar into his mug. “He’s not a child, and Laurence’s murder was definitely premeditated. He’s going to go away for a long time, I’m afraid.”
“Well, I say thank heaven for small favors.” Dylan sat beside me. “If it weren’t for Abby, it would be Richie going away. I don’t know what we’d have done without you, and I don’t know how to thank you.”
“No thanks necessary,” I said. “I knew Richie was innocent. I’m sure that if he’d gone to trial, a jury would have figured it out, too.”
“Don’t be so sure,” Liberty said, dragging an empty chair to the table. “Innocent people go to prison all the time. I’ve seen shows about it. But this Jason guy . . . I think it’s so sad. I mean, he lost his sister. He lost his mother. That would be enough to make anybody go a little crazy.”