Danny felt uneasy after leaving the pawnshop in Wilmington. Something told him he shouldn’t have gone there, but the stolen goods needed to be exchanged for money, and he was two states from Georgia anyway.
Am I worrying about nothing?
He shrugged it off. He still had time to think about options before reaching the Georgia state line. If his gut and mind didn’t stop working overtime, he would catch a bus in Hardeeville, head to Savannah, and leave his Camry in South Carolina for the time being. He’d sort it out once he was home, and when he knew without a shadow of a doubt that the pawnshop owner hadn’t called the authorities, he’d go back for his car.
A half hour later, his mind was still troubled, and his worries consumed him.
Better to play it safe.
Danny pulled over, looked up the location of the bus station, and when the next bus left for Savannah. After leaving the Camry in the terminal’s parking lot, he would still have time for lunch before the bus left at a quarter after one. Savannah was only a twenty-minute ride away. He needed to be careful since Savannah’s bus station was just a few blocks from the police precinct on Oglethorpe and Habersham, yet he still had that cowboy hat and sunglasses. With his light overnight bag slung over his shoulders, the walk home was doable. Everything he hadn’t pawned was still in the trunk of the Camry, and he’d worry about that the following week. For now, he needed to get home.
After lunch, he boarded the bus and settled in, and even though the ride was short, he closed his eyes. He needed to relax his body and mind.
“Next stop Savannah,” the driver called out over the loudspeaker.
Danny woke up and stretched. The bus was turning in to the terminal on Oglethorpe. He would have to be cautious. At least by traveling on foot, it was easier to stay off law enforcement’s radar.
Danny grabbed his bag and stood in line as passengers exited the bus. Once his feet hit the sidewalk, he looked both ways. He didn’t see any cop cars roaming the area, and he headed out. He would feel safer walking down MLK Boulevard, a four-lane street with stores he could duck into if necessary before taking the smaller two-lane streets. He might stand out and be noticed if he walked Montgomery. Once he reached West Waldburg, he’d feel safe. That was his street. It would take a good half hour to reach the safety of his house, but he was sure to avoid being recognized with the cowboy hat on. Normally, he wouldn’t be caught dead in one.
As he walked south on Martin Luther King, Danny’s anxieties began to subside. He was almost home, yet he still had that detective to deal with. Cannon was laid up, definitely making him an easier target than he had been over the last few days. Mitch was due a personal wellness check, and Danny would make sure he conducted it.
I still can’t believe that crash didn’t kill him. I swear that man has nine lives. I know he doesn’t remember me as a rebellious teenager with dyed-black hair, trying to give off the Goth look. Hell, he was only eight years older than me and a rookie cop at that. But the talk he had with Mom and Darryl about my actions set the ball in motion. It was that and my stupid choices over the years that made them decide to give everything to Kim. If I don’t get that attorney to hand over Kim’s money by the fifteenth, I’ll be screwed out of it for good.
He had only two blocks to go, and as he walked, Danny planned how to get to Mitch.
That damn woman will probably be there, and if a car is in the driveway, I’ll know she’s home.
He didn’t want to involve anyone else in Cannon’s takedown, but if push came to shove, he would kill everyone in the house, take the woman’s car, and disappear. As far as he knew, he wasn’t on anyone’s radar yet, and he intended to keep it that way.
I just need that money. The attorney has to work faster so I can leave Savannah in the rearview mirror.
Danny turned the final corner onto West Waldburg. His house was the fourth one on the right. A smile lifted the corners of his mouth until he saw something that made him freeze. Crime tape stretched around trees and his front porch, blocked the entrance to his home. Two patrol cars sat parked along the curb, and the officers stood on the sidewalk to keep nosy neighbors at bay.
This can’t be happening!
With fisted hands, Danny rubbed his eyes. They had to be playing tricks on him, but they weren’t. The image remained the same.
“Son of a bitch!” He seethed under his breath. “How did they find out? Why are they here, and what does that mean for me?”
Danny turned abruptly and headed to Martin Luther King Boulevard. He wasn’t about to take up residence at a hotel. Each one within walking distance was pricey. A thought bubbled up. He would cut through the park to Kim’s house and grab the Tahoe. It was a risky move, but by pulling the damaged front quarter panel off then swapping out the plates with a different car, it might work, at least temporarily. While he was there, he would grab every important paper Kim had in her file cabinet. He needed that money transferred into his name before it was too late. Without it, all he had to live on was the pawnshop money he’d just gotten.
His nerves were raw, and all Danny saw was rage. It had begun years earlier when Cannon butted into his life. It hadn’t taken long before his dad, Pete Wilkins, walked out on the family. He said he couldn’t take Danny’s smart mouth and risky behavior anymore.
Dad was a piece of crap anyway. Anything for an excuse to bail on us. Everything went to shit until Mom met Darryl. He married her and adopted Kim and me, but the damage was already done. I was a delinquent, and Kim was an angel. I’m glad she’s dead. Danny chuckled. That’s what happens when you won’t share the wealth, bitch.
He crossed through the park and came out on East Huntingdon. He walked the half block to her house, feeling a little more exposed. Luckily, the sun was setting, and he did his best to stay in the shadows.
What the hell is this?
Danny was within two houses of Kim’s when he saw the cruiser parked in her driveway.
You’ve got to be kidding! Whoever is inside is about to be in a world of hurt.
He crept up to the door and peered into the living room window but saw nothing. The room was empty.
Danny didn’t need his keys. The door had been rammed, and yellow tape crisscrossed the opening. He slipped under it and entered the foyer. With his ears perked, he listened. Noise was coming from down the hall, and it sounded like papers rustling.
Somebody is snooping around in Kim’s office, and from the vehicle in the driveway, I’d say it’s a cop.
Slowly slithering along the wall, Danny closed in. He peered through the inch-wide opening between the door and the wall and saw Detective Rue rummaging in the file cabinet. It was his only chance. He needed to take out the detective. The desk lamp would have to do the trick—a weapon of opportunity.
It took only two strides. Danny had the lamp in hand and clubbed the back of Rue’s head before he had a chance to turn around. The detective dropped to his knees and got clubbed again. There wasn’t time to think. Danny needed to act fast. He ripped off his belt, pulled the detective’s hands behind his back, and secured them. That gave him just enough time to run to the garage and find something that would hold Rue longer.
Because the detective hadn’t seen Danny’s face, he was still in the clear. Once at the garage, he was stunned to see that the Tahoe was gone. He had to think on his feet.
I’ll have to take Rue’s cruiser, but he needs to be blindfolded first. I can’t let him see that it’s me.
With a roll of duct tape in hand, Danny returned to the office, where the detective was starting to come around. He quickly pressed his knee into Rue’s back, secured his hands even better, then stretched a piece of tape over Devon’s eyes and around his bleeding head. He wound tape around his ankles, fished the keys out of Devon’s pocket along with his gun, and grabbed the files that were already sitting on the desk. He was gone within seconds.
“I’ll leave town with the little money I have and start over somewhere else or…”
He rolled up to the stop sign and thought. Going right would take him to the highway, and going left would take him to Cannon’s house.
Doing this isn’t going to get me the money I need! Cannon will see my face, and it’ll be over, but it’s his fault I turned into the loser I am. He’s the reason none of Darryl’s money was left to me. I need to finish the job I started two nights ago.
Danny punched the steering wheel and pressed the gas pedal to the floor.