“What’s going on?” whispered Lisa. She didn’t like this at all. She could hear every word spoken, yet hated that she couldn’t see the players.
Next to her, Roderick crouched as close as he dared to the loading dock entrance where Ellen had been standing moments before. He held his phone at an angle to record the scene. “Here, watch,” he said.
Lisa and Jamie crouched next to him and looked at the small screen. Lisa could see everyone’s faces except her mother’s.
“Patrick, this doesn’t concern you,” said Ellen.
“You’re threatening my father. Of course this concerns me.”
“She’s right, kid,” said Victor, his voice flat. “Get out of here. Let the grown-ups talk.”
“Dad, why don’t we just take care of this now. I still have the gun.” Patrick pointed at the broken camera. “And no one’s watching.”
Victor gave Patrick an appraising look. “Interesting idea.”
Lisa watched Patrick pull a gun from a holster and a silencer from his jacket pocket. As he screwed the silencer on the gun barrel, every cell in her body wanted to rush forward to stop what was unfolding.
Victor rubbed his forehead thoughtfully, then retrieved a pair of leather gloves from an inside pocket of his overcoat and pulled them on. “I think a murder-suicide scenario works very well here. Sheila is unstable after waking up from her coma. She shoots the mayor, and whoever the hell you are,” he said, pointing vaguely at an orderly in scrubs who stood just behind Sheila.
Poor guy, thought Lisa. He must be freaking out.
“Then Sheila offs herself.” Victor finished his statement by miming a shot to the head.
“You wouldn’t dare,” said Sheila. She stumbled toward Victor with her arms raised to strike, then froze when Patrick pointed the gun at her.
“Stay where you are,” commanded Patrick.
“Thanks, son,” said Victor with a warm smile. He handed Patrick a handkerchief. “Wipe down the gun.” He turned to Sheila and the smile vanished. He pointed at her. “You did this to yourself. This is your own fault.”
“Patrick, stop this please,” said Ellen. Lisa had never heard her mother beg before. “You don’t have to follow in your father’s footsteps.”
“Sorry, Mayor Salder. Family first.” Patrick finished wiping his fingerprints from the gun and handed the weapon to Victor.
Victor weighed the gun in his gloved hand, frowning. “You take care of Green?” he asked Patrick.
“George Green won’t be bothering you again.”
“How many bullets?”
“Don’t worry. You’ll have enough.”
Victor nodded, then pointed the gun at Ellen. “Well, Mayor Salder, it’s been a fun ride. But it’s time it came to an end.” He smiled. “And just think, this is the same gun I used to kill your husband. Sheila will be blamed for that murder too.”
Lisa gasped as the revelation hit her. This monster had killed her father. Overwhelmed with rage, she stood from her crouched position and stepped forward to confront Victor. Strong hands pulled her back.
“Not yet,” whispered Jamie. “I’m so sorry.”
Knowing Jamie was right, Lisa forced herself to remain still, her anger silently thawing into grief. The rest happened so quickly, she barely took it in.
Victor pulled the trigger.
Click. Click. Click.
“Oops,” said Patrick. “I guess I used more bullets than I thought.”
Victor turned the gun toward Sheila and pulled the trigger again. Nothing.
The orderly dove at Victor, pinned him to the ground, and kicked the gun out of reach.
Sheila rushed toward Victor’s car, but it was no use. Ellen had already signaled to the two black SUVs blocking the intersections. Lisa could see a dozen police officers converge on the scene, weapons drawn.
“You son of a bitch,” screamed Sheila. She leapt at Victor, pushing the orderly out of the way with surprising strength, then scratched at Victor’s face. “You were going to kill me? After everything I’ve done for you? Setting up the carts, selling your drugs, hiding your secrets. Well, it’s all coming out, Victor. Everyone’s going to learn where the bodies are buried.”
Victor shoved Sheila away. He stumbled to his feet, then lunged, his big hands reaching for her neck, but the orderly swept his legs, and pinned Victor back down.
Leaning on Jamie, Lisa stumbled out from behind the wall, her heart pounding. Roderick continued to record everything on his phone. Together with Ellen and Patrick, they stood around a prostrate Victor, who glared up at them with hate-filled eyes. Deep gashes marred his face where Sheila’s fingernails had made their mark.
“Like I said, Mayor Salder,” said Patrick, putting his arm around Lisa’s shoulders. “Family first.”