Page 38 of True Valor
“‘Cause it would mean this was over.”
Roger that.But they couldn’t be so lucky asto have tied things up so neatly.If Davis had murdered her family,he wouldn’t have hesitated to kill her.Wouldn’t have offedhimself.
As they parked the car in front of thesheriff’s department, Nic reached over and squeezed Julie’s hand.At best, the next few hours could be hairy.
She looked scared.“What do we tellthem?”
“We tell them the truth, babe.”
Chapter Thirteen
Once inside the sheriff’s department, Nic ranout of gas.He was accustomed to tapping into his internalresources when faced with fatigue.There had been times on the sideof a mountain when he’d run out of steam.But, he’d always beenable to close his eyes for two minutes and summon the strength toget the job done.Now, if he closed his eyes, he’d never open them.His chest and shoulder throbbed with every beat of his heart, andfor a second he forgot where he was.
Julie had moved ahead of him and walked tothe front desk.She started to speak, “We need to report a...”thenturned to look uncertainly at Nic.
He stepped forward, leaning heavily on thecounter, “A suicide.”
They spent the next half hour explaining theday’s events to the Undersheriff Bill Brogan; Sheriff Graff was onvacation in the Bahamas.
“So, why was this Davis guy going to killyou, Miss Galloway?”Brogan raised an eyebrow as he spoke.
Julie smiled patiently.“I told you, sir, hethought I saw the killer.”
“Of your family?”
“Yes.”
Nic interrupted.“Look, officer, if we’regoing to get back to the cabin before the marmots eat the body, weought to get going.”
Brogan cleared his throat and stood.“Ofcourse, come with me.We’ll take a ride on out there.”
The room spun as Nic stood.He had to putboth hands on the table to keep from pitching forward.He gulpedair in an attempt to keep the curtain of darkness fromdescending.
“Nic!”Julie’s voice, far away.Another gulpof air.
“Do I need to call an ambulance, Mr.D’Onofrio?”
Nic shook his head.“No, just give me aminute.”The dizziness was subsiding.
“He was injured.He’s still weak,” Julieexplained.
Nic just wished she’d shut up.Damn it, thiswas not the time to be less than a hundred percent.
Brogan led the way to the Blazer parked outback.Julie volunteered to sit up front and give directions, urgingNic to rest in the back seat.Nic didn’t have the strength toargue, though he had no intention of sleeping.His body, however,suddenly had other plans.
Another question from Brogan had Julielaunching into the whole story of the past week.Nic couldn’t havespoken up if he’d tried.But before his eyes closed, he couldn’tstop the regret he felt from urging Julie to tell the truth.Keepyour mouth shut and stay out of trouble might have been betteradvice.
Julie’s voice and hand on his good shoulderdragged him from sleep.“We’re here, Nic.”
Nic pulled himself from the car and tried towake up.The cold air helped, but not much.Funny.Nic—every memberof the special forces for that matter—was trained to take combatnaps.It was a useful ability to put yourself into deep sleep forten or fifteen minutes at a time and come out the other side restedand fully awake.And now, he’d been asleep for almost forty-fiveminutes, and he struggled to pull out of it.
Brogan approached the mound that still lay,thank God, covered by a blanket at the edge of the road leading tothe cabin.The truck’s headlights illuminated, draining color fromthe scene.The car that Davis had arrived in was parked on theother side of the road.Brogan lifted the blanket and shined hisflashlight on Davis’s waxy face.Stark black and white.Blood onashen skin.
Nic and Julie had been leaning on the frontof the Blazer, between the headlights.When Brogan lifted theblanket, Julie made a squeaking noise and looked away.Nic reachedover and pulled her closer, leaning to whisper in her ear.But shewithdrew before he could say anything, walking around to the backof the car.Nic followed.
She stopped, looking into the darkness, herarms crossed, shivering.Nic came up behind her, wrapping his armsaround her.She laid her head back.
Pain tore through his shoulder, but Nic didhis best not to flinch.He just hugged her tighter and buried hisface in the soft, sweet scent of her hair.He closed his eyes,wishing all of this were over.
