Part 35 (1/2)
”The dings in the back fender. Too much of a coincidence. So I called Evan Crosby and asked him to run the tags for me. The truck is registered to Burton Connolly. How likely do you think it is that there's another Burton Connolly in the neighborhood this week?”
”So what do you think happened here?” Annie asked. ”You think he knifed Rob, left him for dead, then Rob got a shot or two off before he died?”
”No way.” Aidan shook his head. ”Rob was dead before he hit the ground.”
He bent over Burt's body, inspected it, then stood up and said, ”I can tell you this much, our friend here didn't kill Rob.” Aidan stood with his hands on his hips. ”Rob's throat was cut, one fast clean cut, side to side. Whoever killed him would have been sprayed with blood. Even if he'd come at Rob from behind, there's going to be blood on his hands and arms, at the very least. This guy's hands, s.h.i.+rt, they're clean.”
”Then he was working with someone else,” Annie said, and at that moment, the three agents turned to look at the house.
”Dear G.o.d, Mara . . .” Miranda took off toward the front of the house. ”Will . . . the back . . .”
When Aidan started behind them, Annie grabbed his s.h.i.+rt and held on.
”No, no,” she told him fiercely. ”If Jules is in there, you cannot be a part of this. If you're planning on marrying my sister, you cannot be the man who brings down her daughter's father, understand? If Miranda or Will needs help, that will be a different situation. But right now, leave it to them. Get on the phone and get the Lyndon police on their way, but stay out of the house unless they need you in there. If you plan on being that girl's stepfather, you cannot be involved in Jules's arrest. . . .”
”Turn around, Mara, and go on back up the stairs.” Jules stood inside the open front door, his gun pointed at the heart of his ex-wife. ”Quietly, but quickly, we're going to get Julianne, and then the three of us are leaving. Together. That should make you happy.”
”No,” Mara said softly. ”I've waited seven years for her to come back. I'm not giving her up. And neither of us is going with you.”
”She isn't yours to give or to keep. She's mine,” Jules sneered. ”I'm out of time and well out of patience, Mara. Get her. Now. Now. I don't have time to discuss this, and I don't have time to argue.” I don't have time to discuss this, and I don't have time to argue.”
”I can't let you take her back there, Jules. Please. You've had her all these years. . . .”
”Don't waste your time begging, Mara. And don't bother to turn on the tears. It's not going to make a d.a.m.ned bit of difference.”
”Jules, listen-”
”I'm out of time, you stupid cow. Move. Get her and bring her down here now, or I'll shoot you where you stand. I should have done it years ago.”
”Daddy?” The small voice from the top of the steps floated uncertainly to the room below. ”Daddy?”
”Get your things, and hurry, baby. Daddy's come to take you back. You and Mommy are coming with me.”
Julianne, still in her nightgown, started down the steps, her eyes on her father.
”You said she was dead. You told me she died. Why did you lie to me?”
”I'll explain it all later, honey. Just leave your things and come on now, Julianne, we're out of time. Come with Daddy . . .” Jules held a hand out to her. ”Mara, move.”
”She's not a bad person. You lied about that, too. Why did you do that? Why did you have to lie?”
”Sweetheart, I'll explain everything to you later.” Jules was starting to sweat profusely. ”But right now, we have to go. we have to go.”
”Why do you have a gun?” Julianne stood next to her mother.
”Julianne, we're going now. Do you hear me? Now. Right now.” Jules's voice rose shrilly. The gun waved shakily in his hand.
”Jules, put the gun away. You're frightening Julianne,” Mara pleaded.
”Out the door. Now.” He reached out for his daughter with his free hand. Julianne took several more steps away from Jules, then her eyes widened with surprise.
Looking beyond him, an ”Oh” escaped her lips.
Miranda Cahill had two more steps before she'd have reached Jules, but Julianne's inadvertent warning had removed the element of surprise. He spun around, his finger on the trigger, and the best Miranda could do was to swing one leg in the direction of his gun hand. That one long leg was all it took.
Jules's .38 flew across the room. He grabbed Miranda's leg in midair and flipped her onto her back before diving for his gun at the same time Will came at him from the back hall. Even with his adrenaline in high gear, Jules was no match for Will. Within seconds, Jules was facedown on the living room floor, both hands held behind his back in Will's strong grip.
”Cahill, you okay?”
”I will be in a minute.”
”Have you got a pair of handcuffs on you?”
”No.” She lay on her back, trying to regulate her breathing. ”Guess you're just going to have to sit on him until the police get here.”
”Are you going to arrest my father?” A shaken Julianne stood behind Mara, anxiously holding on to her mother.
”I'm afraid the police are going to have to take him in, yes,” Miranda told her. To Mara, she said, ”Maybe you'll want to take Julianne upstairs until we're finished here.”
”Come on, sweetie.” Mara turned her daughter toward the steps.
”You won't keep her, you know. They can't hold me. I'll be back, Mara,” Jules snarled as Mara and Julianne climbed the steps. ”Don't think for a minute that you're going to keep her. Julianne! Come back here!”
Julianne stared straight ahead until she reached her bedroom door. She went in, still holding her mother's hand, and closed the door.
”b.i.t.c.h,” Jules spat. ”You won't be able to lock me up. I'll be out by morning. Reverend Prescott will be on the next plane to bail me out.”
”I doubt it,” Will told him calmly. ”There are two dead bodies out there, one of whom is a federal agent. I'm betting the bullet in the other matches that .38 of yours. Besides, something tells me Reverend Prescott has his hands full right now.”
”What are you talking about?” Jules looked up, his eyes red with fury.
”I'm talking about the fact that at eight o'clock tonight, a team of federal agents paid a visit to Reverend Prescott. Seems they have some questions for him to answer. I think he's going to be way too busy to worry about you, Jules. I'm willing to bet he's not going to give you a second thought. . . .”
”I want a lawyer,” Jules growled. ”You call the compound and tell them I want Robert Springer out here right now.”
”Springer, eh?” Will grinned and looked up at Miranda. ”You hear that, Cahill? Nothing but the best for Prescott and his merry band of pedophiles, I guess.”
Jules bucked wildly.
”I'm not a pedophile,” he shouted. ”I've never . . . I would never . . . you're disgusting. . . .”
”Yeah, yeah. You're pure as the driven snow. Only cooked the books, figured out how Prescott could hide the money he made off those poor young girls.” Will, who still sat astride Jules, leaned over and said, ”You're going to prison along with the rest of them, Douglas. I'm only sorry your daughter had to be here to see you go down like this.”
Flas.h.i.+ng lights in the street heralded the arrival of several Lyndon police cruisers and an ambulance.
”Hey, Jules, looks like your ride is here.” Will stood as three uniformed police officers rushed through the front door. ”Here's your man, fellas. He's all yours. . . .”