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STEVE PICKED UP THE phone before the first ring ended. “Hello,” he said.
“You’ve got a choice,” O’Keefe said. “I looked into the situation and there are more than a handful of people who saw Bear ambush Tom in the cafeteria.”
“Cut to the chase, Jim,” Steve said, digging facts from his mind. Bear had no one who was willing to validate his story; they all clammed up, refusing to speak to the police about what happened.
“The Whipples are willing to drop the charges, but only if you agree to do the same.”
Steve sighed and wished Jennifer was here to discuss the situation, but she wasn’t due home for another half hour, so the decision was his alone. “Fine, but if he comes anywhere near either of my boys, this deal is off.”
“I will let them know. Tell CJ to keep his nose clean because as of now, he’s on our radar.”
“I’ll tell him,” Steve said and hung up the phone, relieved not to have to deal with another visit to the police station. He turned, focusing back on the dinner and carefully framed how to explain the day’s events to Jennifer when she arrived home.
* * * *
THE GARAGE DOOR OPENED, sending the shrill buzz of the door alarm through the house and Steve glanced over his shoulder at the wall panel. His eyes widened at his a-ha moment.
“Why didn’t I think of that?” he whispered and let out a startled laugh.
“What?” Jennifer said, stepping into view.
“The alarm system. It should have a record of when the doors were opened.”
Jennifer dumped her pocketbook on the counter and peeled off her coat, throwing it over the coat rack in the corner by the garage door. “And that helps how?”
“It could provide reasonable doubt, especially if it has a record of when people came and went from the house. If we can say within reason that it was Tom, it might provide an alibi.”
“It could also backfire if the times in anyway coincide with the killings,” she said and crossed the room, wrapping her arms around his waist.
He gave her a kiss hello even though she blew his ray of hope right out of the sky. “I can check it out and if it helps our case, I’ll offer it up, but if it hurts Tom, then I’ll just leave it alone. He’s been hurt enough lately.”
She studied his expression and he tried to soften the blow with a smile of commiseration.
“Tom got beat up at school today.”
Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped open. “What?” She pulled out of his grasp. “Where is he?”
“He’s upstairs now, but we spent the afternoon at the emergency room,” Steve said and turned off the burners on the stove. Rehearsing in his mind and verbalizing the words were two different things and he sighed, meeting her gaze.
Jennifer stiffened and the muscles in her jaw jumped. The telltale thinning of her lips expressed her irritation. “What in God’s name happened?”
“Apparently, some of the kids decided to take justice into their own hands and ambushed him in the cafeteria.”
“Who started it?”
Steve shifted. “Bear.”
Jennifer’s face flushed with anger and she clenched her teeth together. “Are we talking about the same person?”
“Yes. Tom’s best friend and the rest of the defensive line beat him up.”
Jennifer turned and headed toward the stairs, worry and something darker blazed in her eyes.
“That’s not the end of it, Jen.”
She hesitated, turning towards Steve, waiting for him to spill the rest, her features undecided at whether to display worry or anger.
Steve leaned against the counter. “CJ retaliated.”
Jennifer’s eyes widened.
“No, not that way,” Steve put his hand up, stopping her line of thoughts. “He challenged them to a fair fight and while it landed a couple of them in the hospital, it wasn’t anything in comparison to what happened to Tom. And CJ didn’t escape without some significant bruises.”
Jennifer started to turn toward the stairs and hesitated, glancing back at Steve. “Is that all?”
Steve shook his head and sighed. “They wanted to press charges against CJ but he wasn’t here when they came with the arrest warrant. He went down to Connecticut after the fight.”
Her eyebrows rose, and her mouth popped open. “Is he still there?”
Steve laughed. “No,” he said. “Dan caught him and Sandy in bed, and if he owned a firearm, CJ would have a few buck shots in his ass.”
“Holy shit, Steve,” she gasped and ran her hand through her hair, her exasperation made him smile and he started to chuckle.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Because this day has been one thing after another and I imagine I’ve had the same expression on my face most of the day.”
She allowed a smile and a sigh. “Is CJ in jail?”
“No. I agreed to drop the charges against Bear in return for dropping the charges against CJ.”
Relief swept through her form and her shoulders slumped with the release. She sent a nod in his direction and turned toward the stairwell.
“Tell them dinner is ready,” Steve said before she stepped out of sight.
* * * *
KNOCKING.
Tom’s eyes fluttered open to the dark room and knocking that sounded like it was a mile away. He started to sit up and lights flared in front of his eyes, followed by a bolt of pain, and he moaned, his hands flying up to the sides of his head to try to keep it from blowing under the pressure.
The door opened and the light from the hall pierced his eyes like daggers and he clamped his jaw against the sudden appearance of burning bile in his throat.
“Steve!” Jennifer’s cry filled his ears and he whimpered under the crushing sound.
Within a blink, pain wracked his body and he bellowed just before the curtain fell.
Raspy breath and a cool sensation on his forehead filled his senses and it took a moment before all his faculties returned. Tom blinked his eyes open, his clear gaze landing on Jennifer.
She pulled the washcloth away from his forehead and glanced to her right.
He turned his head, glancing at Steve. No pain or dizziness accompanied the move and he signed, “Thank you.”
“I left the cut on your face and your bruises intact, but your concussion and broken bones are fixed.”
“You scared me,” Jennifer whispered and folded the cloth.
Tom sent a questioning glance at Steve. “Why?”
“You had a seizure,” Steve said and sat down in the chair at Tom’s desk.
Steve’s hand shook when he ran it down his face and Tom realized just how unnerved both of them were. He had never seen Steve shake, but then again, he had never seen the man afraid in all the years he knew him, until now. Now both his and Jennifer’s gaze held a haunted look he didn’t understand.
“I’m okay,” he said and covered Jennifer’s hands. She met his gaze with tear-filled eyes and nodded.
“Yeah, well, we didn’t know that until you opened your eyes,” CJ said from the doorway. “You completely blacked out and stopped breathing until Steve did his thing.”
Leave it to his brother to cut to the chase.
“How long was I out?” Tom signed.
Steve glanced at his watch. “A couple of hours,” he said and stood. “I’m not sure how good dinner will be at this point, but it’s ready if you’re hungry.”