| |
Kelsey and Magic had resumed the pacing. Every time she reached the window, she shifted the curtain and looked outside, just in case.
The driveway was always empty.
She glanced at her watch for the thousandth time. Nearly an hour had passed since Eric's call. "Where is he? He said fifteen minutes."
"Maybe the snow slowed him down." Rae's words were placating, but her voice carried traces of fear.
Because if the roads were the problem, Eric would have answered his phone. But every call had gone straight to voicemail.
Donny finished a whispered phone call and slipped the phone in his pocket as he stepped around the bar from the kitchen into the small living area. His uniform still looked as crisp as if he'd just put it on, but his face reflected the worry in Rae's voice, in the dog's expression, in Kelsey's heart. His glance skipped past Rae and landed on Kelsey.
"What?"
"No sign of him or the truck."
"Did they check his house? Maybe he went home to get something."
"Not enough manpower. They're stretched thin with the explosion and the storm."
"So that's it?" Her voice rose, and she didn't even try to lower it. "He's just gone?"
Magic whined as if she knew.
Donny shook his head. "'Course not. They're looking for him. For Otero, too."
She turned, started pacing again.
The dog matched her, step for step.
Rae and Donny were silent, though she imagined that when she turned her back on them, they were sharing looks, silent conversations.
After a few circuits across the small room, Magic whined again.
Kelsey knelt and pet the dog. "I know. I'm worried, too."
Magic looked at her with frightened eyes. Kelsey couldn't comfort the dog. She had no comfort to give. She resumed her pacing.
As the minutes ticked away like the final heartbeats of the condemned, Kelsey paced and prayed to the God Eric was convinced was not only watching, but cared.
Kelsey couldn't make herself believe it, but for Eric, she tried.
She'd believe anything, if only Eric would walk through that door.
She peeked out the window again. She didn't see Brady's silver truck, but something did catch her eye.
She gasped, stepped back. "Someone's out there!"
The dog growled, focused on the front door.
Donny yanked Kelsey away from the window, pulled out his gun, peeked outside. He spoke into the radio attached to his uniform, then looked at Kelsey and Rae. "Get into the bedroom and lock the door. Backup's on the way."
They both headed that direction.
A knock on the door had them freezing. Kelsey turned, looked at Donny. He pointed to the bedroom, but she shook her head.
Rae stood beside her, held her hand. They watched Donny.
Magic growled again. Her hackles rose. She barked once. A warning.
Donny kept his gun at the ready and stood behind the wall beside the door. "Who's there?"
"I'm not gonna hurt you," a man said. "I just gotta show you somethin'."
"What is it?"
"I'm gonna leave it on the porch, then I'm gonna walk to the road. Then you can open the door and grab it."
"What is it?" Donny repeated.
"A photograph. We need the woman, Kelsey, to look at it. Like I said, I mean you no harm."
"How do I know it's not a trap?"
"We don't wanna hurt a cop or the wife of a cop. We don't want trouble."
Donny turned, met Kelsey's eyes.
Yes, she'd heard what the man hadn't said. They didn't want to hurt Donny or Rae. Apparently Kelsey was a different story. She nodded anyway. She needed to see that photograph.
Now.
She stepped forward. "Tell him to leave it. I'll go out for it."
"No." Donny stared at her, then at the door. He was silent so long, her chest started to burn. She realized she was holding her breath and forced herself to inhale and exhale.
Rae squeezed her hand, held her in place.
Donny glared at her. "Go in the bedroom."
But she didn't move. She couldn't move.
Donny spoke to the man on the other side of the door. "Leave it, then."
There was no answer.
Donny shifted to the window, inched the curtain aside, and looked out. "He must've already left it. He's standing in the middle of the road, hands up."
Kelsey started toward the door, but Donny held up his hand. "Don't move. We'll wait for backup."
"I need to know what he left."
Donny pointed again to the bedroom. "Backup will be here any minute."
Kelsey looked at the closed and locked door, then at the policeman whose job it was to protect her. That was the problem, wasn't it? Donny wanted to protect her, but she wanted to protect Eric, and they both needed to protect Daniel. She took a deep breath. "It's not going to hurt to see what it is," she said. "Just let me..."
Donny blew out a breath and inched the door open. He kept his gun at the ready, crouched down, reached out, grabbed something, and then slammed the door.
He held up a clear plastic bag. Kelsey got just enough of a glimpse beyond the plastic to get her moving. It was a photograph. She crossed the space and snatched it out of Donny's hand.
And stared at her husband's face. He was sitting in a wooden chair, glaring at the camera. His hands were pressed unnaturally to his sides.
Tied to the chair.
Otero had Eric.
Her fingers were trembling as she flipped the plastic bag and looked at the back of the photograph. In his neat penmanship, Otero had written a short message.
First, we will kill your husband. Then we will kill the cop and the woman protecting you. When it's over, you will still be mine. But if you come out now, nobody has to die.
Two minutes.
Yours,
Carlos
Before Donny or Rae could stop her, before she could think about what it would mean, she lunged for the door.
Donny reached for her, but Magic stepped between them. The dog snapped at Donny, slowed him just enough.
Kelsey reached the door, opened it, and stepped into the blowing snow.