Page 127 of Wandering in Darkness
“You think I’m afraid to die?” I ask. And while this was true at one point in my life, it’s sure not now, but I can’t let him know that. “You destroyed my life. I’ll welcome death as long as I get to kill you first.”
His grip tightens on his gun as he snarls at me. “If you weren’t so fucking weak, you could have had the whole world, and now… you have nothing.”
“He has me,” Grayson says a second before I hear a gunshot.
I shift quickly, knowing that Grayson has dealt with the man behind me, and shoot Lt. Allen right in the shoulder before he can react.
His arm is snapped back as his gun goes off. Grayson is on him in an instant, slamming him to the ground while he tears the gun away from him and throws it my way.
“Are you okay?”
“Seem to be,” I say as I eye the bullet hole in the wall, thrilled it missed me.
Lt. Allen glowers at me from where Grayson has pinned him down. “If you call the police, you’re going to rot with me, Cal. I have proof you killed Devon and Eddie. I have proof of your involvement.”
“Not anymore,” Audrey informs him. “I deleted it… I knew you were keeping it to hold it over him, so I deleted it long ago. He didn’t ask for this. I didn’t either, but I went along with it. I will tear you down, Allen, if it’s the last thing I do. I’ve spent all of my life thinking I had no purpose, but maybe my purpose is making sure you rot in prison. I tried giving you everything so I could have a place to belong, but in the end, it was never enough. I never had a place, even with you. Cal, Grayson, go. I don’t want you to get wound up in this. I won’t tell them that you were ever here.”
“No, I’m not leaving you alone,” I say. “You hired us, remember? You hired my detective agency to help you put a stop to this man.”
She hesitates, realizing what I’m saying.
“You think I won’t tear all of you down?” Allen asks with a laugh. “You think I won’t ruin your lives?”
And I really don’t know if he can, but I can’t let another person die by his hands. I will do whatever it takes to prevent that.
Grayson calls the police, who show up quite quickly, and it doesn’t take long for others to show up as well. It seems like we weren’t the only ones interested in Lt. Allen’s whereabouts. They ask us questions and we go with the story that I’d been hired to look into it, making me thankful that I have my license to be a private investigator.
So after I’m checked over to make sure I didn’t suffer any trauma and for them to document my head wound inflicted by Lt. Allen, I’m questioned about what I know. I keep it vague and simply explain how I’d known Audrey from a long time ago.
As long as the three of us stick to our story, I have hope that we’ll stay out of this. Lt. Allen can place blame on us all he wants, but when they have so much proof against him… how much will stand against us?
After I walk out of the station, I turn to Grayson. “Who took that shot through the window?” I ask.
“Arthur.”
I raise an eyebrow. “You let my wild gunslinging ex-neighbor snipe someone through the window?”
“Sure did.”
“Where’s the gun now?”
“Hopefully not aimed at his ex-wife,” Grayson says, which makes me laugh.
“Why the fuck are you laughing?” Felix asks.
I look up, startled to see him as he stands outside of his car. “I’m not allowed to laugh?”
“NO! Grayson called and told us you were missing and there was blood, and he was absolutely panicked and crying, and now you’re over here all ‘ha ha ha.’”
I look over at Grayson, who won’t meet my eyes. “Were you that panicked?”
“Of course I was!”
“How did you even find me?”
“Some guy tried taking me out. Arthur saw him and nearly shot his head clean off. The man ran off bleeding all over, but I caught up to him and I… asked him nicely… and he told me.”
“You asked him nicely?” I ask as I look down at his hands and see how busted his knuckles are.
