‘You kept him from continuing to shoot at us,’ Scarlett said levelly. ‘Your bullet may have saved our lives.’
‘I know. But I wanted him alive to talk. Trevino claims he got a call from Burton – his boss – who needed a pickup. He met them at the main road, presumably while we were confronting Sweeney in the driveway. Burton told Trevino that Sean was bleeding badly but was able to tell Burton about the jackknife stashed in his shoe. Burton flung himself to the ground, chair and all, and managed to get to the knife. He sawed the ropes off Sean, then Sean got him loose. Burton used the knife to slit Stephanie Anders’s throat.’
Scarlett grimaced. ‘Even with a sharpened jackknife that wasn’t a quick death. She probably suffered. Not that I’m complaining, mind you.’
‘I’m not sorry she’s dead,’ Marcus said tightly. ‘But I would have liked Tala’s family to have their day in court with her.’
‘I know,’ Kate said kindly.
‘Don’t keep me in suspense,’ Scarlett said impatiently. ‘What about Sean?’
‘He’s in surgery. The crash hurt him worse than Sweeney did, ironically. Hopefully he’ll survive, because he’s apparently the one with all the information.’ Kate sighed. ‘Davenport’s handler and the two guys that Davenport stashed are all dead. Looks like a case of a hidden knife again. The crime-scene guys found a ripped hem in Reuben Blackwell’s pants. Reuben and Jackson had nearly freed themselves when Agent Symmes came into the apartment. There was a struggle. One of Sweeney’s guys stabbed Symmes, but he shot them before they could get away. All three of them died.’
Scarlett sighed. ‘Did Agent Symmes have a family?’
‘Yeah. Parents only. No wife or kids. Zimmerman and Troy went to do the notification.’
‘At least Deacon didn’t have to do it,’ Scarlett murmured. ‘What about Davenport being in a coma? How long does the thorax thing take to heal?’
‘Once they bring him out of his coma, a few days to a week. He recorded all the bugged conversations in Sweeney’s house, so I have tapes to listen to in the meanwhile.’ Kate smiled, and it wasn’t pleasant. ‘And there’s always Alice. I’m going to enjoy that interrogation.’
‘She won’t tell you anything,’ Marcus said wearily.
‘Don’t be so sure,’ Kate said. ‘How’s Gayle Ennis?’
‘Resting comfortably,’ Marcus said, his lips curving with a genuine smile that took Scarlett’s breath away once again. ‘They’ll keep her tonight for observation, then let her go home tomorrow. My stepfather, my sister and I will help Gayle’s niece take care of her.’
He hadn’t included his mother in that caretaker list, Scarlett thought, and now that she’d met Della Yarborough, she understood why. There was a frailty, almost a transparency about the woman, as if one more blow would break her. She thought about how her own mother had sat next to the woman who’d been a stranger to her before tonight. Jackie Bishop had lent Della her strength, and Scarlett felt a surge of pride and love for her mom. And a wave of pity for Marcus for having to be the strong one all the time.
Not anymore. Scarlett would make sure that the man beside her understood that he didn’t have to carry all the weight ever again.
‘I’m glad Gayle is safe,’ Kate said, then hesitated. ‘I’m sorry about your friends at the Ledger. Please let me know if there’s anything you need.’
Scarlett slid her arm around Marcus’s waist, gave him a brief but hard hug. ‘We will,’ she said. ‘Now if there’s nothing else, we need to get some rest. We have a lot to do tomorrow.’
‘Goodnight then,’ Kate said. ‘And thank you both.’
Scarlett steered Marcus into the nearest elevator, then hit the button for the lobby. ‘Together,’ she said softly. ‘Do you understand, Marcus? You don’t have to do any of this alone. You have your family and friends. And you have my family and friends.’
His throat worked as he swallowed hard. ‘And you?’
‘Yes,’ she said simply. ‘Let’s go home.’
Epilogue
Cincinnati, Ohio
Wednesday 12 August, 8.30 P.M.
Scarlett put the last of the dishes in the dishwasher, then wiped down the new stove that had magically appeared in her kitchen two days after they’d killed Sweeney and rescued Gayle. It was the Viking six-burner, two-oven model she’d shown Marcus the first time she’d brought him home. The first time they’d made love.
They’d made a lot of love in the week since, sometimes fast and sometimes slow. Sometimes simply because Marcus had ghosts in his eyes. Scarlett thought that tonight would be one of those times.
‘I think that was everything,’ her mother said after doing one last check of Scarlett’s house for any plates or silverware their open-house guests might have set aside and forgotten. ‘I even had your brother check under the beds in case your dogs dragged any bones up there.’
Scarlett smiled at her. ‘Thank you, but Zat and BB have been outside all afternoon. If they got a bone, they buried it out back.’ Both dogs had been Marcus’s shadow today, rarely straying more than a few feet away. Scarlett kissed her mother’s cheek. ‘Thanks for everything. I’ve never done an open house after a funeral before. You made this one they’ll all remember.’
They’d laid Cal to rest that afternoon and the mood had been somber. Until her mother started to mingle, asking everyone for their favorite memory of Cal. Soon enough, all of Cal’s friends were laughing. Some tears, too, but a lot of laughter.
‘It’s a skill I’ve picked up over the years,’ her mother said, then sighed. ‘Unfortunately.’
Because her father and brothers had been to more than their share of funerals too. It was part of being a cop. Or a cop’s wife.
‘I’m going home now, Scarlett,’ she said, patting her daughter’s cheek, then looked over her shoulder to where Marcus sat on the back deck, all alone now. ‘Take care of him.’
Like she’d seen her mother care for her father all her life. ‘I will.’
Locking the front door behind her mom, Scarlett went abruptly still. Music was coming from the deck. Marcus was playing his guitar. She hadn’t heard him play in person – only on the tapes he’d made in the park.
He’d sung the Vince Gill ballad for Cal this afternoon as everyone had gathered at the man’s graveside. Scarlett had been expecting Marcus to sing, so she was prepared emotionally. What she hadn’t expected was the sweetness of Audrey’s voice as she’d sung backup in perfect harmony, holding on tight to Marcus’s hand. Brother and sister had sung a cappella and not an eye was left dry – except Marcus’s own.
Quietly Scarlett joined him on the deck, sitting next to him on the porch swing she’d rescued from a yard sale. From here they had an amazing view of the river. He gave her a quick glance from the corner of his eye and started to put the guitar away, but she stopped him.
‘No, I want to hear it. What were you playing?’
He rested his arm atop the guitar’s curved side, then propped his chin on his arm. ‘That was nice. What your mother did today. Reminding us of why we loved Cal so much.’
He hadn’t answered her question, but she let it go. ‘I know. Mom’s good at that.’
He bent his mouth into a half-frown. ‘Cal hated “Go Rest High”. Always made him cry.’
Scarlett had been sitting between Marcus and Diesel on the front row of folding chairs at the graveside, and when Marcus had begun to sing, Diesel had lost it. The big man’s shoulders had shaken as he’d sobbed his heart out. Scarlett had ended up patting his back through the song and letting him cry on her shoulder.
Marcus hadn’t shed a tear until he’d returned to sit next to her, and even then he hadn’t made a sound. He’d bowed his head, his shoulders heaving as he’d silently grieved. Scarlett had rubbed his back too, through the dark suit he’d worn.