Someone at the scene videotaped Hammer’s surrender. Alexa watched with Sergeant Dryer in the break room. Earl Hammer came out first, hands up. Two police officers in riot gear cuffed him and led him to a patrol car.
Alexa saw tension drain from the spectators—most in black ops uniforms, a few in suits.
When an ambulance crew brought Unger out on a stretcher, the AOS squad watched solemnly. Had Hammer shot him?
The gravity of the situation was hard to process. DI Katakana popped in and announced a press briefing. “Scheduled for as soon as the deputy commissioner arrives.”
“Do you want me there?” Alexa asked.
The DI paused. “Yes, but not to answer questions. No big reveal about the fingerprints. Just that Earl Hammer is in custody. The shit will hit the fan tomorrow.”
“What happened to Unger?” Alexa asked.
“Heart attack. Mild. He’s in hospital.”
When it was time to meet the press, Alexa stood between DI Katakana and the deputy commissioner—a tall man named Garrett with a grave demeanor. The reporters gathered in front of the station, on the sidewalk. Alexa counted ten in all and blinked in their flashing lights.
DI Katakana said, “Thank you for gathering again and at such a late hour. After my sad announcement this afternoon about the discovery of Eileen Bowen’s body, I have better news. Earl Hammer, the escaped parolee, is in custody, thanks to members of the Queenstown Police Department, a team of special armed officers, and Ms. Glock, a forensics investigator. Hammer surrendered in Arrowtown.”
The reporters cheered. One raised a hand. “NZ Herald. Has Hammer been charged with the death of Eileen Bowen?”
DI Katakana stiffened. “We aren’t jumping to conclusions.”
“John Blinkly, News Stuff. Was Hammer cornered? Is that why he surrendered?”
“No comment.”
“Was he armed?” the same reporter asked.
“No comment,” DI Katakana said.
“What role did Ms. Glock play?” another reporter asked.
“A crucial role, but we are withholding details at this time.”
The deputy commissioner stepped forward. “We are in the critical incident debriefing process. It’s been a stressful situation for our police and public, but we are thankful for a peaceful outcome. The public is safe. Earl Hammer faces numerous charges and is being held without bail. That’s all we have time for now.”
Afterwards, DI Katakana squeezed Alexa’s wrist. “We have two murders to solve now. Team meeting, eight a.m, Arrowtown Policing Centre.”
Her dreams that night came in relentless waves. Working in a gift shop that specialized in glass false teeth. Hammer’s inky fingertips. Being buried alive. She woke in a sweat and gulped cold water in the bathroom. Her eyes in the mirror were wide and woebegone. “Happy birthday to me,” she said.
The worst dream was an earthquake at dawn. The ground beneath her feet shifted, cracked, opened, and swallowed her.