Page 34 of Breakaway

Laughing, Dad and I both nod.

Cat puts a slice of the left-over cake in front of him. “Technically, it’s Mel’s coffee cake.” She pauses. “Is Tatum still with Mel?”

He nods as he forks a bite. “If they haven’t killed each other yet.”

“What?”

He glances at me and smiles. “Their words are ‘stubborn contrary woman’ and ‘overbearing pigheaded moose’. I’m staying out of it.”

Cat laughs. Truly laughs. Musical. Light-hearted. The most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard. I vow right then and there to make it my job the rest of our lives to hear that sound every day.

Dad eats half his cake, then takes a sip of coffee. “The DA and department have stacked up enough evidence, thanks to his kill book, to put the bastard Slack away for life. If we could just find him. It’s like he’s got some secret hidey hole no one knows about.”

Cat freezes. “That’s it. That’s where he is. My grandmother’s house. Heide Carr. She’s not related to him and nowhere in her will was his name mentioned. She had to move to assisted living. She’s willing the house to me when she passes, it’s one of the things he was trying to steal from me. As long as he lies low, no one would notice he was there. It’s a big house on a quarter acre. A nicer part of town.”

I pull up the house on the internet as Dad calls his contact at the precinct. “It’s a busy neighborhood. They’ll need to be careful. And there’s a shit ton of doors he could sneak out if they aren’t all covered. It’s classified as an historic home.”

Dad leaves to meet with his contact at the precinct. Cat retreats in on herself and starts manically cleaning the kitchen.

“Talk to me babe. What’s wrong?”

“I feel like I should be there. What if someone gets hurt. This is all my fault.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. How is this your fault?”

“I stole those books.”

“Babe, you exposed a killer. A drug dealer. A rapist. If you hadn’t, you’d be dead just like your parents as soon as he got tired of playing with you. He chose his lifestyle.”

“What if someone dies? What if he gets away?”

“This isn’t the movies. We trust that the men and women on the force will do their job. They’ve called in the swat team and they will take precautions.”

“Now, remember the brownies you promised me two nights ago. Another of Mel’s special recipes? I’ll help.”

“How can you eat like this?”

“Because I have you now to help me burn it off at night.”

The longest three hours of my life pass as I try to keep Cat’s mind off of everything that could go wrong. When Dad calls me from the entrance, I’m surprised there is an officer with him.

“Ms. Carr, I’m sorry to inform you that a person we believe to be your stepbrother was killed during a shoot-out earlier this evening when police attempted to apprehend him for questioning. As his only living relative we’d like you to confirm his identity.”

Her face has gone ashen and her hands tremble in her lap. “You’re sure it’s him?”

“Ma’am that’s why we need your confirmation.”

“Now? Can I do it now and get it over with?”

“Yes ma’am. He’s been transported already.”

Dad stands and pulls her into his arms. “You won’t be alone. We’ll be with you Caitlyn. Turk and I both.”

I worry the whole time if it’s bringing back memories of finding her mother and stepfather. I keep my hand on her waist. She’s trembling when they pull back the sheet. From pictures I’ve seen I know it’s him.

“He’s not as bloody,” she whispers so softly I’m sure I’m the only one who heard. I know then she’s likening it to her parents.

“Any identifying marks that you know of ma’am?” the officer asks.

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