Page 29 of Echoes in the Night

“Maura, you can come out now.” When she reaches my side, I give her a hug. “Thanks, babe for doing as I asked. I know it was hard, but everything is okay.”

She’s staring down at the intruder.

“Is this him?” I ask just to be sure.

“Yes,” she responds.

I dial Clay. “Got a package for you.”

“About time. I’m freezing out here waiting. I should be there in ten.”

I glance up in time to see Maura heft the cast iron frying pan and smack her assailant on his injured arm. His scream fills the air.

Clay yells through the phone. “What the hell was that? Is he still alive?”

“Yeah, he’s still alive but you might want to hurry up a bit. Maura’s getting a little revenge. Nothing fatal. But I think she just went to find the meat cleaver.”

Chapter Eighteen

Maura

Clay and his deputy take photos and our statements of this evening’s events at the cabin. My attacker refuses to talk and demands medical attention and his lawyer.

“Jax, I want to go with you to town. I want to hear what he says, I want to hear what my father says.”

He looks at Clay. “We can secure this asshole and put him in the back end of my plow truck. Maura and I can follow you to town. I assume your vehicle is on the main road.”

Sheriff Harker contacts the state police, and they assign two deputies to watch over the killer in the hospital while we go to my father’s house. After ringing the bell several times with no answer, I let us all in. After all, this is my home, too. Or it was.

Inside they search every room and can’t find my father. All his vehicles are in the garage. Clay looks at me. “Would he have called someone to take him somewhere? Maybe the airport?”

“Possibly. He likes being chauffeured. I’ll call his driver.” I hang up after the call. “He was supposed to be here at six to take him to the airport.”

“Does he have a safe room?” Jax asks.

“He had a special room built a few years ago in the basement. I never knew what it was for. I’ll show you.”

There’s a keypad outside the door. Jax nudges the sheriff and points to the corner where there’s a tiny camera.

“Open up, Mr. Kennedy, I have a warrant for your arrest,” Clay says. When nothing happens, he turns to me. “Would you have any idea of the code?”

“He uses the same code for everything.” I step in front of him and enter the number I know. The door clicks open.

My father’s sitting in a chair, with a drink in his hand and several suitcases stacked to the side. Taking a swallow of his drink, he glares at Clay. “I want my lawyer.”

“That’s it? You have nothing to say to me?” I hate the tremble in my voice.

He simply finishes his drink and stands.

Jax wraps his arm around me and leads me out as Clay and his deputy read my father his rights.

“Do you need anything from here? Jax asks.

“No, I don’t want anything from here. The sheriff has my backpack. Everything else I want is at my apartment. I know the bed is going to be too short for you and we’ll have to snuggle, but please tell me you’ll stay with me tonight.”

He tilts my chin forcing my eyes to his. “Ain’t leaving you ever, babe. Where you go, I go.”

I run my palms up his chest. “Good, because I’m not letting you go, either.”

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