Part 38 (1/2)

Her cell phone rang.

She picked it up.

”Ms. Rawson?”

It was Nan Fuller's voice. Frantic. Hysterical.

”Nan?”

”I went home to pick up some things for the kids. Rick was supposed to be on duty. He's here. I think he's going to kill me. I locked myself in the bathroom but--”

”Have you called 911?”

”Yes, but--”

Meredith heard a loud bang at the other end of the line. Muttered curses. ”I'm on my way,” she said.

She looked at Gage. ”Rick Fuller is attacking Nan at their house.”

He headed for the door. ”Let's go.”

Meredith followed at a run. She had neglected Nan these past few days. She had neglected all her clients.

And now one of them might die.

How many more deaths could she bear?

And how much more guilt?

*Chapter Twenty*

'NEW ORLEANS'.

The siren wailed as the car careened toward the Fuller home.

Gage drove as fast as was safe. He was only too aware of the woman who shared the front seat with him.

He'd feared exactly what was happening. The last time he'd confronted Fuller, he'd sensed the seething fury in the man. He'd hoped he'd tamped it. Instead it appeared he'd ignited it. He was furious with himself.

He also wondered at the timing. Fuller must have heard about the death of the father of his wife's attorney. He was also fully aware of the attacks on Meredith. Had he been waiting for an opportunity?

Gage prayed silently that squad cars were closer than he and Meredith. He felt the tension emanating from her. He felt it in himself. He knew he shouldn't have brought her with him. But he'd also known she wouldn't have stayed at home. She would have driven herself to the Fuller home.

He pressed down on the gas pedal, jerking in and out of traffic. As they neared the location, he debated turning off the siren. Sometimes it would instigate even more violence. Other times, it would scare off the intruder.

'He's a bully. Bullies want the advantage. They're mostly cowards.'

'Take a guess.'

He kept the siren on.

The car screeched up to the curb in front of Fuller's home just as two squad cars arrived.

”Stay here,” he told Meredith.

He bounded out of the car and went over to the first cruiser. Two uniformed officers left the second one and met them.

”A cop,” Gage said with disgust. ”There's a restraining order against him.”

”h.e.l.l,” said one of the officers, then looked to him for advice.

”I'll go in. I know him.”

A shot echoed from inside the house and lingered in the humid air. Gage drew his weapon, told one of the officers to call for more backup. He looked around and saw Meredith leaving his car.

”Detective!”

At the shout of one of the uniformed officers, he whirled and saw Fuller running from the house. He was in uniform and had a gun in his hand.

Gage yelled, ”Police. Stop.”

Fuller turned around. He obviously saw Gage, then Meredith. He raised the gun and pointed it at Gage.

”Drop it,” Gage shouted.

Instead Fuller turned the gun on Meredith. Fuller and Gage fired at the same time. It was like watching a movie in slow motion. His heart skipped as Meredith twisted around. Fell. In the periphery of his vision, Fuller dropped to the ground.

'Meredith'. He ran to her. Knelt. She clutched her arm and blood oozed between his fingers.

”Let me see.” He pried her hand away from the wound. The fist around his heart unclenched. It was a flesh wound.

The officers had dived for cover when the shooting started. They rose and went over to Fuller, kicking away his weapon and checking for a pulse. ”He's dead,” one said loud enough for both of them to hear.

Gage went over to him, checked Fuller's neck for a pulse himself. Wordlessly, he returned to Meredith's side.

”Go and look after Nan,” Meredith said. ”I'm all right.”

He turned and ran inside. He knew that paramedics were automatically dispatched on a 911 call. He directed two of the other officers to check the rest of the house ... to check on the children.

”Mrs. Fuller!” he called out. He moved from one room to the other in the modest bungalow. Then he saw a closed door. There was a bullet hole in it.

From his one previous visit, he knew it led to a bathroom.

He heard a noise from behind and whirled around. 'Meredith'. She was dripping blood. An officer behind her spread his hands in an expression of helplessness.

He wanted to rail at her, but he knew the sooner he found Nan Fuller, the sooner he could get Meredith to listen to reason.