Paige saw Al first. The other woman was with Deputy Jacobs, near the rear of his squad car. She didn’t look good. Paige disengaged from TJ and headed toward her partner. Al held up a hand.
“I hate the snow.”
“I’m sorry we got separated out there.”
“Don’t be. The kids are safe. She looks like my niece.”
“She does. What happened? Cody said…”
“I was hit, I think. Seriously, Paige, no guilt. We both made the decision to go after those kids.”
That was exactly how Paige had been feeling. She shouldn’t have gotten so far away from Al out there. No matter what the justification. “Cody found Troy Linsey in the woods. He’ll live. He had a gun with him. A .38. And she found another .38 in Jon’s locker.”
“One will likely be our murder weapon. Help me into the car, before Mick realizes I got clobbered. He’ll be insufferable if he finds out.”
Paige complied quickly. It had been her fault Al had been injured. She shouldn’t have rushed headlong into those woods. If she hadn’t, she would have been nearer to Al.
Of course, Carroll would have seen her. Possibly killed her.
Then who would have saved those kids in time?
Paige didn’t know how to feel.
Not unusual after a case like this.
But it was over. Now all they had to do was connect the dots and tie it up for official reports. Tell the sheriff and mayor of this little town that everything was finished now.
And it was time to take TJ back to his mother.
After everyone took a trip to the hospital.
Paige stayed with the children. TJ hadn’t let go of her hand, and Ashley had fallen asleep on Cody’s shoulder. The other woman had practically assigned herself to Ashley from the moment she’d seen her. No doubt Cody was thinking of her own little girl.
“Is it over?” TJ asked, still whispering. “All of it.”
“Except for your dad’s funeral. And a trial for the man who hurt him.”
“It was that policeman. Uncle Troy and Grandma Tracey were arguing about it. And then he was there with his gun. He shot Uncle Troy when he was trying to get the back door open on the van to get me and Ashley out. I watched from the window. Then Uncle Troy turned around and shot his gun.”
For him to have seen that in the dark, it had to have happened closely. Crime scene reconstructionists would determine for sure.
But they had Carroll now. He’d talk eventually.
If not, the evidence would.
And Troy Linsey might still live. Between him and Nick Delasi, they should be able to piece together what had happened.