Page 71 of Grissom
“I guess I showed her then, huh?” Tuesday said, with more attitude than she’d felt in days.
The handsome smile of Grissom’s came back. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Get this,” Alex interrupted, speaking to Tuesday this time. “Pam also wants you charged with attempted murder and jailed without bail for trying to kill her.”
“Me? But she was the one with a weapon.”
“Exactly. But Pam’s dumbass attorney maintains you became the aggressor the moment you took possession of her firearm.”
“I never had possession.”
“It was self-defense!” Grissom roared.
“Yes, and Pam fired but only after Tuesday had partial control of her weapon. Tuesday, you never had a solid hold on the grip or trigger, right?” Alex continued as if Grissom hadn’t exploded. “That’s what burned your palm, right? Just the barrel, right?”
“That’s all I could reach.” Tuesday held up her bandaged palm. “It burned my life-line off, but I had to stop her, Alex. She would’ve killed Tanner if I hadn’t.”
Grissom reached over and put a hand on her knee. “God, I love you.”
“That’s not all,” Alex said. “Pam wants you charged with assault for the neck chop you nailed her with, the one she claims nearly paralyzed her. Good thinking, by the way. Also for doing that ‘ninja thing’—her words again, not mine—when you head-butted her and broke her nose, another damned good self-defense tactic.”
“All while maintaining partial possession of the weapon that Pam brought into Grissom’s house. Just the barrel,” Kelsey added.
“Which clearly shows forethought and intent,” Grissom added.
“I don’t know how you did it, girlfriend,” Kelsey told Tuesday.
She turned to Kelsey at that sweet word, fighting tears. “I had to,” she whispered, recalling the stark terror on poor Tanner’s brave little face as he’d faced his evil mother. “I couldn’t let her hurt my, err, sorry, I meant, Grissom’s boys.”
“Our boys, damn it,” Grissom growled. “I owe you everything for coming to their rescue, woman. Fu—! I mean, darn. Oh hell, I mean I wouldn’t still have them if you hadn’t shown up when you did. Both times. Jesus!”
Lowering her head, Tuesday let the tears fall. He made it sound as if a future were in the cards for them, as if his sons were already hers. Oh, how she wished.
Kelsey joined Alex on the loveseat. As soon as she settled on his lap, he put his arm around her, effectively shackling her to him. They made such a romantic couple. Grissom did the same, just moved in beside Tuesday and lifted her onto his lap. She burrowed under his arm, leaned her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes. The warmth and comfort his body provided was so welcome. As was the tissue he pulled out of nowhere and tucked into her good hand. As were the gentle kisses he pressed to her temple while she mopped her face.
Tuesday wanted what Alex and Kelsey had. All that love…It wasn’t hard to see the shine in Kelsey’s pretty brown eyes or the careful way Alex held his wife, his hand on her waist. They were a match made in heaven. A rugged beast and his dark-haired beauty. A fairytale come to life.
“So how’d Pam hook up with Moreno?” Grissom asked, while Tuesday relaxed more fully against him. “He’s from New York City; she’s a tag chaser from JBLM.” Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington state.
“Like I said, a liar. Despite what Pam swears is true, that Moreno paid her to kill Tuesday and that everything was his idea, we both heard Moreno say she didn’t hire him. Why wouldhelie? According to Sal, they crossed paths when he was casingLamb’s son’s house, looking for Tuesday, and I believe him. It’s not difficult locating Jeff or Henry, not since the press made Tuesday’s life public knowledge when they tried her in public for murdering her husband and the Bremmer family. Moreno was only after Tuesday at first, but once he caught up with Pam, she told him you two were together. He figured if he tracked you, Grissom, he’d find Tuesday.”
“So Moreno found Tuesday because of me?” Grissom asked.
Alex nodded. “Yes, but Pam’s who led him to your address. Once she knew why he wanted Tuesday, they agreed to work together. After he had all of Frederick Lamb’s money, Pam convinced him to hire someone to kill you, Grissom. That was her only condition. She wanted you dead. Moreno got Tuesday.”
“Pam wasn’t prepared for Tuesday though,” Grissom said.
“No, Moreno was supposed to wait on that frontage road while Pam broke in and poisoned her boys. Moreno was only the driver. He had no idea Pam even had kids.”
“She hit me with a brick,” Tuesday murmured.
“You’re lucky that’s all she did. Airport security at Reagan found an odd bag of tools in Moreno’s sedan: several rolls of duct tape, a pack of nylon rope, boning and hunting knives, pliers, garden shears, and a pencil-tipped, propane torch. Pam’s admitted she planned to torture Grissom, but just for fun.” Alex finished with a huff. “That woman’s a stone-cold psycho.”
“How’d she get Grissom’s address?” Tuesday asked.
“Post Office has his forwarding address. They’re not supposed to share information like that, but with enough money, a person’s privacy goes out the window,” Alex replied.
“She also stole thousands from Mike Estes before she murdered him,” Kelsey added. “She probably would’ve killed Moreno too, if Tuesday hadn’t ruined her plans.”
