Part 24 (1/2)

”And yet, here you are. Why?”

”I ran into Rusty about six months ago. We were both in a bad place, and I think we felt a connection. Anyway, we hooked up. We needed money, bad, and he got this idea to blackmail the others. I didn't realize what he was doing at first, but I put it together eventually. I mean, he never went to work, and he always had money.”

”He was getting it from Kerry, Quentin, and Dwayne?”

She nodded. ”One of my old girlfiends tracked me down on the Internet, and I told her about Rusty. She must have told Kerry, because then he tracked me down and told me he needed me to come back and front this phony antiques scheme. We knew it was just a scam to get Rusty back here, and I didn't want to come, but Rusty talked me into it. He said we could finally see justice done.”

An incredible sadness sat on my chest like a weight. ”So you came back to Paradise.” My throat tightened at the irony.

She caught back a sob. ”We were right to be afraid of Kerry all those years ago. He meant what he said. He killed Rusty. I know he did.”

I leaned forward eagerly. ”Did you actually see Hendrix stab Rusty?”

She shook her head sadly. ”No, but I know what he's capable of, and I'm sure it was him. Dwayne and Quentin aren't cold enough.”

I realized suddenly who Quentin had been arguing with that night at the recreation center. Dwayne might be a big lump of a guy, but he was probably the most squeamish of the lot and the most likely to try talking the others out of their plan.

There was just one question left, and I had to ask it. ”What about that night out at Hammond Junction? Do you know what happened then?”

Ginger dabbed at her eyes with the cuff of her blouse. ”Rusty got a call from Dwayne asking him to stop by. Said there was something he wanted to discuss and made it sound like he was going to roll over on the others. Like an idiot, Rusty went out there and found all three of them waiting for him. It was an ambush. They would have killed him that night if you hadn't come along when you did. You gave him a chance to get away.”

”But I know he was shot. I heard the gun go off and I saw him fall.”

”It was Rusty's gun,” Ginger said, taking another swipe at her eyes. ”He'd loaded it with blanks. He knew Kerry was dangerous, but he didn't want to hurt anyone. He just wanted them to take him seriously. The guys jumped him, and Kerry wrestled the gun away. At some point, Rusty managed to get free. I think the others were glad, but Kerry chased him.”

”And 'shot' him with the blanks?”

Ginger nodded. ”Rusty heard that first pop, and he knew what he had to do. They thought they'd killed him.”

But he'd risen from the dead for a second time. I guess the third time was the charm. This time, he wouldn't be coming back.

Chapter 37.

With fewer than ten minutes until practice started, I left the Ivy Attic and hurried through the icy temperatures to my car. Thankfully, the recreation center was less than two miles away. Awful possibilities raced through my head as I drove. I hated thinking of any child in danger, but I was selfishly glad that Wyatt and Elizabeth had pulled Brody and Caleb from the team. At least I didn't have to worry about them.

I reached the center in record time and parked as close to the door as I could. Praying silently, I half ran, half slid across the parking lot and along the icy sidewalk to the front door.

I moved quickly toward the gym, where the sounds of sneakers on the lacquered floor and bouncing b.a.l.l.s took a weight off my mind. It sounded like business as usual.

Squaring my shoulders, I pulled open the gym door and stepped inside. Eight boys were lined up in front of the foul line practicing foul shots. Hendrix was bent over the ball cart picking up the lone remaining basketball on the bottom row.

A short boy with sandy hair stood next to him, his skinny legs sticking out from his uniform shorts like pieces of straw.

”Caleb?”

He looked away pointedly.

My heart shot into my throat, and I swear it stopped beating. What was he doing here? I glanced around for Brody, but it looked like Caleb was here on his own.

Kerry growled, ”It's about d.a.m.n time, Shaw. Where the h.e.l.l have you been?”

Knowing that he'd committed at least one murder and possibly two made me reluctant to get snarky with him, but I didn't want to behave so differently that he wondered what I was up to. ”That's great, Kerry. You want to watch your language in front of the kids?”

He snorted a laugh and tossed a basketball to one of the boys. ”I wasn't talking to the kids, I was talking to you. You got a problem with showing up on time?”

I shrugged and hoped I looked casual doing it. ”No problem at all. I just ran into a little weather. I got your message and tried to call. What did you need?”

”Ryan needed a ride, but I took care of it. Next time, leave home earlier.”

”I'll make a note.” I tossed my coat and gloves onto the bleachers and prepared to take my usual spot on the sidelines. I wondered if Jawarski had listened to his messages yet, and what he'd do when he heard mine. Would he follow the trail I'd left, or decide he could wait until morning to talk to me? I wasn't even sure which one I wanted him to do. All I had to do was be careful not to let Kerry see that I knew about Davey Mendoza's murder. If I could do that, we'd all get through practice without incident, and Jawarski could arrest Kerry where the boys wouldn't have to see their coach led away in handcuffs.

The boys lined up to practice the pick and roll, and I tried to work up an expression of patient boredom while I watched. But seeing Hendrix interact with the boys made me nervous, and waiting for Jawarski to show up made me want to crawl out of my skin. Kerry had committed a horrific murder, yet he walked around as if nothing unusual had ever happened in his life. I envied his unflappable att.i.tude. I wasn't nearly so calm.

Keeping one eye on Caleb, who sat on the bleachers across the gym, I filled the cooler with sports drinks and laid out towels. I thought about trying to talk to him again, but the dirty looks he lobbed across court at me convinced me to wait a while longer.

Frankly, I was surprised that Caleb wasn't on the floor with the others. Then again, Hendrix hadn't gotten away with murder, twice, by being stupid. Since Wyatt and Elizabeth had pulled Caleb from the team, the team's insurance would no longer apply, and Kerry could have been held liable if anything happened to Caleb during practice.

While Kerry barked instructions, I started worrying that my voice mail to Jawarski had gone astray. It happened sometimes with the department's outdated phone system. Twenty minutes into practice, I decided the risk was too great. Maybe I'd slip out while Hendrix and the boys were busy and call Jawarski one more time from the receptionist's desk. It couldn't hurt, anyway. I'd also ask Wyatt and Elizabeth if they knew Caleb was here.

Setting the stack of unused towels on the bottom row of bleachers, I walked quickly toward the door.

”Now where are you going, Shaw?”

I stopped halfway out the door. ”To the ladies' room, if that's all right with you.”

Kerry c.o.c.ked an eyebrow at the sarcasm in my tone, and a cool smile curved his lips. ”Of course. Hurry back.”

Heart pounding, I turned away. I was certain I could feel him watching me, but I didn't dare check to be sure. Instead of going straight to the receptionist's desk, I crossed the hall to the restroom. I even locked myself in a stall, flushed, and washed my hands to make sure anyone listening at the door would hear all the expected sounds.

I stood in front of the mirror, staring into my own eyes and giving myself a silent pep talk for courage, then walked to the door and pulled it open as quietly as I could. If the boys had gone back to practicing, I'd make a quick phone call before going back inside.

I had the door halfway open when a dark shadow loomed right in front of me. Startled, I let go of the door and stumbled back a step. Kerry caught my arm and hauled me roughly out of the restroom.

My heart shot into my throat, but I tried not to let him smell my fear. ”What the h.e.l.l are you doing?” I demanded. ”Let go of me.”

”I don't think so.” His voice sounded low and ominous, right next to my ear. An involuntary shudder racked my body, and he chuckled at my response. ”Not so tough now, are you, Shaw?”

”Are you crazy? Don't do this in front of the boys.”

Kerry grinned and yanked me toward the gym. ”Oh, they're not here anymore. I sent them downstairs to the exercise room. All except this one, that is.” He glanced down, and for the first time I realized he held Caleb's arm with his other hand.

The poor kid's eyes were huge in his small face, and his lip quivered. ”I'm sorry, Aunt Abby. I-”