Chapter 15

Ava was big-eyed and quiet in the back seat, with Phillip, her little brown squirrel, tucked under her arm. She'd left Pinky at home because she didn't want to get her wet, but was certain Phillip would enjoy the ride. Now she was afraid to turn loose of him, for fear he'd jump out and get lost in all the trees.

Linette was a little nervous. This was her first inclusion in a family gathering, although the whole family knew she and Wiley were living together. Wiley kept glancing from Linette to the rearview mirror to check on Ava, making sure she was okay. He could tell she was a little unnerved and wished she was sitting in his lap, instead of in the back seat all alone.

"You okay back there?" he asked.

"I'm okay. Is it far?" she asked.

"Not too much farther."

Ava frowned. "Are you sure you know the way?"

He laughed. "Yes, honey. I lived with Grammy and Sean until I went to work for the police. Then I moved to town so I would be closer to work.

"There aren't any houses here," she said.

"Oh, there are lots of houses, but the families live off the road. You'll see. Grammy's house is like that. Do you see that mailbox?"

She peered out the window, squinting through the rain. "Yes, I see it."

"The road leading up into the trees beside it is how you get to that person's house. So, everywhere you see a mailbox, there is a house at the other end of that road."

"Does Grammy have a mailbox?" she asked.

"Yes, she does, but it's too early for the mail carrier, so we can't get her mail and take it to her," he said.

Ava thought about that. She knew what mailboxes were, but they'd never had one. Linette and Bubba's mail went in the mailbox on their porch, and all of Corina's mail had gone to a little box in the lobby of their apartment building, but then the thought of Corina made her frown.

Wiley saw the frown, but opted not to comment. Sometimes a person just needed to have a moment on their own without everyone wanting to know what was going on. He felt Linette's anxiety and gave her hand a quick squeeze.

"Love you, baby. You're fine, too."

Linette rolled her eyes.

He winked.

A few minutes later, he began slowing down and then turned off the blacktop onto the gravel road that led to home.

Ava was all eyes now, a little cowed by the heavy growth of trees on either side of the driveway, but as they came out into a clearing and she saw a house with a big front porch that was as long as the house, she felt better.

Linette was in awe. This was anything but a simple mountain home.

"Is this home?" Ava asked.

"This is your grammy's home," Wiley said, and pulled up as close to the porch as he could get. "Stay seated, sugar. I'll get you out and we'll make a run for it."

She grinned, entranced by the idea. "Make a run for it, Linnie," she echoed.

Linette laughed. "I will," she said, and pulled up the hood of her raincoat and made a run for the porch.

Wiley pulled the hood of his windbreaker up over his head and jumped out, circling the car to get Ava and Phillip. He pulled the hood of her poncho up over her head, tucked Phillip into her arms, and yanked her out.

They were immediately hammered by the falling rain, and Ava squealed.

"Run for it, Bubba!"

Wiley laughed and was up the steps and under the cover of the porch in seconds. They left their rain gear on a chair by the door and went inside.

"Mom! We're home!" he called.

"I'm in the kitchen," Shirley called.

"Something smells good," Wiley said.

Linette sighed. Here we go.

Ava shivered with expectation. This house felt happy. She tucked Phillip back under her arm as they went.

Shirley was drying her hands at the sink when they walked in. "I'm so glad you all came to see me! Welcome to our home, Linette. You and Ava turned on the light in my very dreary day. The weather is a scandal, isn't it?" Shirley said.

Wiley grinned. His mom had always referred to bad weather that way. "Don't I turn on any lights?" he asked.

She swatted at his backside. "You light fires, Wiley. That's why I love you."

He dodged the swat. "What smells so good?"

"Brownies. I made a double batch."

"My favorite," Wiley said, then wrapped his arms around her, swung her off her feet and danced her across the floor, delighting in the laughter in his mother's eyes.

"Put me down easy. I'm still wearing this cast for another week," she said when he finally stopped.

Linette was seeing yet another side of the man she loved, and completely smitten by his playfulness.

Shirley was still shaking her head as she gave Linette a welcome hug. "I'm so glad you were finally off work on the same day. Welcome to the family."

Ava was transfixed. She'd never seen grown-ups dancing like this. Then Shirley sat down at the kitchen table and opened her arms.

"Grammy needs a hug and an introduction. Who's your little furry friend?"

Ava crawled up in Shirley's lap. All the tension from the drive up disappeared when Shirley hugged her. "This is Phillip. He's a squirrel. Squirrels live in trees. I brought him to see the trees."

Shirley brushed the curls away from Ava's forehead and hugged her again. "What a good idea!" she said. "Are you and Bubba and Linette going to stay and eat lunch with us?"

Ava's gaze shifted to Wiley. He nodded.

"Yes. We are staying," Ava said.

"Sean and Amalie are in his office. You need to let them know you're here," Shirley said.

Ava slid out of Shirley's lap, waiting for Wiley to lead the way.

"Amalie's home today?"

Shirley nodded. "Amalie got up and announced that the weather was horrible. Said she didn't have any appointments and wasn't going to the office just to sit there all day and watch it rain."

"My brother married a smart woman," Wiley said. "Come on, squirt. Let's all go say hello."

Linette walked beside Wiley as Ava skipped her way down the hall to Sean's office. Amalie was sitting on the couch with her laptop, and Sean was at his desk on the computer when they walked in.

Amalie saw them first and began smiling. "Sean, we have company!"

Sean turned around, saw the tiny blond with the fuzzy brown squirrel under her arm, and grinned. "Linnie! Ava! What a fun surprise on this yucky, rainy day!" he said. He gave Linette a quick hug, then swooped Ava into his arms and kissed her cheek, delighting in her giggle. "What are you guys doing today?"

"Having lunch with Grammy," she said.

Amalie reached for Linette's hands, felt an instant connection, and smiled.

"We're going to be such good friends," she said, then gave Ava a hug. "Who's this little fuzzy-tail tickling my arm?" she asked.

"My squirrel. Bubba bought him for me. His name is Phillip."

"I have a penguin sitting on a shelf in our bedroom. His name is Frank. Would you and Linnie like to meet Frank?" Amalie asked.

Ava glanced back at Wiley.

"Go on, honey. I'm going to talk to Sean a little bit and then go back to the kitchen with Grammy. This is your home, too."

Ava blinked. "I have three homes?"

"Yep. Can you believe how lucky you are?" Wiley said.

Amalie winked at Linette, took Ava by the hand, and the three of them left the room.

Sean gave Wiley a look. "Everything going okay?"

"Better every day," Wiley said. "I'm going back to work tomorrow and dreading it. Mom calls it separation anxiety. I guess I'll get used to it."

"Once you realize that she is fine with you coming and going, you'll settle. You're both trying to find your footing."

"I guess. I'll just be glad when all the final papers have been signed and I have no need to even think about Corina Dalton again."

"What about Linette? How's all this business with her?"

"She loves me. She settled into this like we'd been together all our lives and Ava was the cherry on the cake. She's amazing."

"Don't forget Ava is my sister, too, and we're available for sleepovers," Sean said.

"Again, here's me, with this gut feeling of not wanting to let her out of my sight," Wiley said. "The things she reveals about her life without even realizing the horrors of it are the things of which nightmares are made."

Sean frowned. "That bad, is it? Does she cry for her mother?"

"Hell no. The only time that child cries is when she's afraid I'll give her back," Wiley said. "But I did learn one funny thing. You remember me telling you what her old babysitter fed her? The mac and cheese in a blue box. Soup in a can. Burglar meat? Well, guess why? Miss Mattie didn't have any teeth."

Sean chuckled. "That's awesome. So, the old lady's food choices were limited to begin with."

"Yes, but it appears she was generous to a fault with what she had. Ava's food at Corina's house was scraps from her mother's plate. The first time I took her out to eat, I asked her if she liked french fries. She said no. Come to find out, it's because Corina was giving her the cold ones she didn't eat."

Sean frowned. "I can't believe you knew about her and Clyde."

"I knew about all of them. Corina, Ruby, Justine, and Della. I saw him out and about with all of them at one time or another."

"Good lord! You never said a word," Sean said.

Wiley shrugged. "What good would it do? Hurt Mom more by telling her? Damn sure couldn't confront Clyde without taking a beating. He gave out enough of those to all of us for no reason. I wasn't going to give him an opening to kill me."

Sean sighed. "I'm sorry, little brother."

"It was never your fault, I'm not little anymore, and Mom's safe. And now we've rescued Ava from that same pit of despair, and I'm at peace in the world in a way I never was before."

Then they heard laughter coming from down the hall and Sean grinned.

"I told you Amalie was going to be smitten with Ava. She sees herself in her."

"Well, you and Amalie found each other again, and then her father found her, and we found Ava and saved her, too, so I get it. Look, I'm sorry to interrupt your day. I'll go bug Mom for a while."

"I'll come with you. I'm not working on anything urgent."

Shirley was sitting in her recliner in the living room with her feet up and her eyes closed, but she heard their footsteps.

"I'm not asleep. I'm just reveling in the sound of a child's voice in this house, and the laughter coming up the hall. I've been longing for grandbabies, but I never imagined Wiley would be the first one to bring one home."

Wiley leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Thank you for taking on the job."

She looked up. "Oh, honey, loving that child isn't a job. It's a blessing."

Then they heard the sound of running feet, and Ava ran into the living room and went straight to where Shirley was sitting and plopped down beside her.

"There's my darling!" Shirley said. "What have you girls been doing?"

"Amalie showed me her pick-one named Frank, and she is just like me."

Wiley caught her pronunciation of the word penguin and hid a smile.

"How is Amalie like you?" Wiley asked.

"We thought we were all alone, but we were only lost. Somebody always wanted us. They just didn't know where we were, and now they do!" Ava said.

Wiley gave Amalie a grateful glance.

"And Linnie and I are so happy we found you," he said.

A gust of wind suddenly rattled the windows beneath the porch. Ava's eyes widened nervously.

"Is it a tornado?" Ava asked.

Shirley pulled her close. "No, honey, it's just wind and rain. You're safe."

Ava pulled Phillip up beneath her chin. "I'm safe," she echoed.

But Wiley knew Ava didn't feel safe. She was just making sure all the people around her thought she was because she didn't want to cause trouble.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Ava…"

Her gaze shifted to his face.

"Are you scared?"

She nodded.

"When you are, it's okay to say that."

Ava looked up at Shirley. "Grammy, I'm not all fine."

Shirley pulled her up in her lap and wrapped her arms around her. "Then we'll just cuddle up until you are. Okay?"

Ava nodded, slowly settling against the soft pillow of Shirley's breasts. Grammy smelled good, and her voice wasn't angry or loud. The grown-ups started talking, and she stilled, trying to find that quiet space where she always disappeared, but fell asleep instead.

"Bless her sweet heart," Shirley said when she noticed Ava had gone to sleep. "Wiley, that wind's really come up. You better rescue your rain gear from the porch before it blows away."

"Oh, good call," he said, and headed for the door to retrieve it. All the excess rain had already dripped onto the porch, so he left the raincoats on the floor, just inside the front door.

As it neared noontime, Shirley laid Ava down on the sofa and covered her with an afghan, while they went to finish lunch.

Shirley had been stewing a chicken, so while Amalie deboned it, she mixed up some dumpling dough and began dropping it into the boiling chicken broth by the spoonful, then turned down the heat and covered the pot, while Linette was setting the table.

Wiley was standing at the back door, looking out across the rain-drenched land and thinking how peaceful it was here, when Ava came meandering into the kitchen.

Still waking up, she leaned against Wiley's leg.

"Hey, baby girl. You woke up just in time to eat. Are you hungry? Grammy made chicken and dumplings."

"Do I like them?" she asked.

He picked her up. "Well, you like biscuits and you like chicken and you like soup. Chicken and dumplings is all of that in one dish."

"Yum," she said.

He grinned. "Exactly, and brownies for dessert."

She turned and looked at the table and all the chairs.

"Where do I sit?" she asked.

"By me. And you're going to need a booster in your seat, aren't you?"

Shirley heard them and turned around. "Wiley, some of Mom's old phone books are in the bottom of the hall closet. Grab some of those and put a clean towel over them for her to sit on. They're probably dusty."

"Yes, ma'am," Wiley said, and put Ava down. "Come on, sugar. Let's go find you a booster seat."

A few minutes later, Ava was sitting up at the table, waiting and watching, and when everyone sat down with their bowl of chicken and dumplings, Ava watched them, then picked up her spoon and took a bite.

"I like this!" she said, and ate her way down to the bottom of the bowl. By the time they got down to eating gooey chocolate brownies, she'd forgotten about tornadoes.

***

The rain let up before dark, but Wiley and his girls were already home. Ava was playing in bubbles in her bathtub. Wiley was across the hall folding a load of towels, and Linette was in the shower. He was close enough he could still hear Ava's chatter. The curtains were drawn, and the shades pulled down. One more day together, and then they'd have a new routine. He hoped she was better prepared for it than he was.

Tomorrow was all about Wiley going back to work. He'd already called in to the precinct to make sure they had him on the roster, and Dani had checked in to remind Wiley to pack a little bag for Ava so she'd have a change of clothes and whatever else he thought she might want while she was at their house.

Ava was excited. She was talking about bird feeders and learning how to feed birds, and playing with Dani, so Wiley rode the wave of her excitement with her. He kept reminding himself that Ava was used to being moved from place to place. And she had come to trust him enough to know that if he said he would pick her up after work and they'd go home, she believed him.

Dani told him not to worry about feeding her breakfast before he brought her over. She could eat there. Dani was excited. Ava was excited. Wiley was resigned to their reality.

***

The next morning was a whirlwind of hustling, and the first thing was getting Ava awake and dressed. He woke her with a pat on the shoulder while Linette was in the kitchen making coffee.

"Wake up, baby girl. Today you go to Dani's house and I go back to work, remember?"

Ava unrolled herself from the covers like a hatchling coming out of an egg. First one leg and arm, then another arm, and then her other leg before sitting up on the side of the bed.

"I get to feed birds," she mumbled.

He tousled her curls. "Yes, you do."

"What do you do at work, Bubba?" Ava asked.

"Oh…all kinds of things, but mostly just making sure people follow rules, like don't drive too fast. And don't take things that don't belong to you, and helping people who get hurt. Now hustle. Brush your hair and teeth and get dressed. You're having breakfast with Dani."

"Yay!" Ava said, and headed for the bathroom.

Wiley laid out clothes for her to put on, and got a kiss in passing from Linette, who was on the way into the bedroom to get dressed.

"Dani's making Ava's breakfast, and I'll grab something at the precinct before briefing. Don't try to cook for either of us. It will make you late," he said.

Linette wrapped her arms around his neck. "Okay, but I will definitely need hugs before I leave."

He lowered his head and kissed her until she forgot to breathe, then cupped her backside and pulled her close enough to feel what she was doing to him.

"Thank you for the reminder, and hold that thought," Linette whispered, and went to make sure Ava was getting dressed.

The next time Wiley came out of his bedroom, he was wearing his uniform and his gun and carrying his hat, and Linette was across the hall, talking to Ava and helping her make her bed. He poured himself a coffee to go, then went to check on both of them.

"You're going to have such a good day," Linette said. "You'll have to tell me all about it this evening, okay?"

Ava eyed her closely. "I will save my memories for you."

Linette hugged her. "That might be the sweetest thing anyone has ever promised me. Thank you, baby. I need a goodbye hug now. I have to hurry so I won't be late."

Ava wrapped her arms around Linette's neck, giggled when Linette kissed the side of her cheek, then patted the bow Linette had clipped in her hair today to make sure it was still in place as Linette left the house.

Ava was putting on her backpack and tucking Pinky under her arm when Wiley appeared in the doorway. Startled by his gun and uniform, she stopped, suddenly remembering this was how he looked when she first saw him.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"You look like before."

"Before?" And then he got it. "Oh. You mean when we first saw each other? Well, I'm supposed to look like this when I go to work," Wiley said. "You know policemen wear uniforms, right? This is how people know who we are."

"Corina hides from the cops."

Wiley resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "The only people who hide from the police are people who did something wrong, so that's her problem. We don't have a problem."

Ava nodded. "We don't have a problem."

"Right, and you sure look pretty today. Now, let's hit the road, missy. Dani's waiting."

The drive from his house to Aaron and Dani's was less than five minutes, and when he pulled up in the driveway, Aaron's car was still in the drive.

"Looks like Aaron is waiting to see you," Wiley said as he pulled up behind his brother's car. He got out, helped Ava out of the car, and was heading up the steps with her when the front door opened and Aaron came out in a uniform just like Wiley's.

"Good morning, little sister," Aaron said. "You and Dani are going to have the best day."

"We're feeding birds!" Ava said.

"I need a hug," Wiley said, and dropped down on one knee as Ava threw her arms around him.

"Bye, Bubba."

"Goodbye, sugar. See you this evening, okay?"

Dani appeared in the doorway. "There's my girl. Are you ready for today?"

"Wait!" Aaron said. "I need a goodbye hug, too."

Ava was all giggles, and that was all Wiley needed to see as he watched Dani and Ava go inside.

Aaron saw the look on Wiley's face and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Let's go, Brother. We don't want to miss the morning briefing."

***

Carey and Johnny were in an Uber on their way to the lawyer's office.

"You look pretty enough to marry," Johnny said, and rubbed the little engagement ring on her finger that he'd given her four months earlier.

"I saw myself in the mirror. I still have a fading purple eye and two scars on my head."

"I would love you if you were bald, but the hair will grow back, and you know it. I'm hoping my bones decide to grow back together, too."

"Doctor said you're doing great. The X-rays showed a lot of healing."

"I know, and I'm so grateful to still have a leg," he muttered.

She gave his hand a soft squeeze. "Are you sad you can't go back to being a lineman?"

He thought about it a minute. "Truth? No. That fall killed the thrill of bird poop on my shoulders."

She laughed.

He winked, then leaned over and kissed her square on the mouth. A couple of miles further, and their driver was pulling into the parking lot. He jumped out, then circled his car, opened the door for Carey, then helped Johnny out.

"Call if you guys need a ride home. I'll let the company know so they can page me if I'm in the area," he said.

Carey nodded, handed Johnny his cane, and waited while he steadied himself in his new walking cast before they headed indoors and were immediately taken into their lawyer's office.

Lee Williams stood up as they came in, helped Johnny into a chair, and seated Carey before taking his seat.

"First, I want to tell you that you were your brother's world, and it is good to put a face to a name," Lee said. "Every time he came in to add to the will or update it, he talked about you, so take heart from how dearly you were loved."

Carey's eyes welled, but she was smiling. "It was mutual. He was all I had when I was growing up, and he never failed at making sure I wasn't in need."

"Okay then," Lee said. "Down to business. Everything I told you over the phone is here in writing. We'll go over it together, and then you'll sign in the necessary places. I'll file the documents and get the property deeds registered in your name. Did you bring copies of the death certificate?"

She handed him a manila envelope. "I wasn't sure how many I would need so I ordered ten copies."

Lee removed the number he needed and handed the envelope back to her, then began to read the will aloud, stopping in necessary places to explain a detail. He kept going until they were through. Carey signed everything.

"The estate will now go into probate," Lee said. "It's a lengthy process. It could take up to six months. But Billy was prepared for that and had a separate bank account in your name only. The money in it is yours now. All you have to do is sign the authorization card at the bank. He wanted to do that in case you needed it to tide you over while the rest was being settled."

"I never knew he was so smart about stuff like this," Carey said.

"The name of the bank is in the file I just gave you. It's near your address, so it should be easily accessible for you. I'll stay in touch with you throughout the process and keep you updated on progress."

"How do I pay you for all this?" Carey asked.

"Oh, that's already been taken care of," Lee said. "What I'm doing now is finishing up the services Billy paid for on your behalf."

Carey reached for Johnny's hand, too moved to speak.

"What about inheritance taxes?" Johnny asked.

"Good news for you," Lee said. "The State of Kentucky does not have an inheritance tax. If you sell property later, you will of course pay tax on that, but everything Carey inherited is free and clear."

Carey was sobbing now and laid her head on Johnny's shoulder.

Lee picked up the phone and buzzed his secretary. "Linda, would you please bring a couple of bottles of water into my office?"

"Yes, sir. Right away," she said, and a few moments later came in with two cold bottles of water and put them on his desk.

"Please, help yourself," Lee said as he pushed a box of tissues toward Carey.

She grabbed a handful and began wiping her eyes and mumbling apologies.

"No need for that, Miss Eggers. You don't apologize for grief or love," Lee said.

Johnny opened a water bottle and handed it to Carey. Taking a few sips was enough to stop the tears and gave her time to regain her composure, while Johnny sent a quick text to Uber. They were about ready to go.

"Thank you," Carey whispered. "Is there anything else I need to do now?"

Lee shook his head. "We have the ball rolling. Now it's just a matter of getting it pushed through the courts. There aren't any issues. It just takes time. I'll walk you out," he said.

She gathered up the file with all of her copies, then tucked her hand under Johnny's elbow to steady him on the way out. They sat down in the outer lobby until they received a text that their driver was outside, then walked out into the sunshine.

***

Gardner and his team had been scrambling for the past two days. He had the evidence he needed for the search warrants being served this morning, and he was pulling Junior Henley back in for questioning at the same time, purposefully leaving Carl hanging, hoping he'd panic and head for wherever he was storing records.

Carl Henley was as antsy as a virgin bride on her wedding night. After being taken in for questioning, only to be released after his statement, he'd heard nothing, and Junior seem oblivious to the implications. His son seemed to think that just because they'd been let go, they were in the clear.

Carl knew better. It felt more like a ticking time bomb, with no way of knowing when it would blow. He had no idea they had Pryor in custody, and his snitch on the inside wasn't communicating. This was not a good sign, either.

He and Junior were at breakfast when the doorbell rang, and before he knew it, the police were taking Junior back in for questioning.

"Daddy! Call the lawyer!" Junior kept shouting, as they walked him out the door, but Carl was already on the phone, doing just that.

No sooner had he disconnected, than his cell phone began to ring. His contacts were being hit with search warrants and being taken in for questioning, and they'd just hauled Junior off again. This didn't look good. For the first time in Carl Henley's life of crime, he panicked, and made a crucial mistake.

All he could think of was getting rid of evidence, and he headed for the old rent-controlled apartment that had been his childhood home—the one place he kept for himself after his parents died that not even Junior knew about.

At first, keeping it had been nothing but a sentimental gesture. Sometimes he'd go there just to disappear from the world he'd created, surrounded by his parents' old furniture and the simplicity of the tiny kitchen and old dining table and chairs. He even slept in his childhood room, rather than the master where his parents had been.

But after a while, he realized it was the perfect place to turn into a stronghold, and began the work to make it one in increments. He began by hanging a bulletproof door, then turning his parents' bedroom into his workplace, and having a steel door with combination locks installed. He soundproofed the room to make phone calls on burner phones, and considered himself unbreachable and untraceable.

But now that his world was crumbling, the cops would start digging through everything. They would eventually find out about the place, and it was that fear that sent him out the door. His phone kept ringing, but he didn't take the calls. He couldn't help them when he couldn't even help himself.

Only he was mistaken in believing his stronghold was still a secret. The cops had already discovered the property in his name. They also knew the apartment was vacant, but that he had been seen coming and going from there, and when nothing of consequence was found in the storage unit, this information prompted them to get a search warrant for that address.

The detective they'd had tailing the Henleys witnessed the police hauling Junior off the estate, and when he spotted Carl leaving the estate in haste and heading to the seedier part of the city, he called it in.

Police were already nearby, waiting for orders, and when they got them, they quickly moved into the building and took cover in an empty apartment across the hall from Carl's stronghold, waiting and watching through the peephole until Carl unlocked his door and was walking inside.

They came storming out with their guns drawn and followed him in, served the search warrant, and then handcuffed him to a table, put a guard on him, and began to search. At that point, Detective Gardner arrived.

Carl began cursing him, and shouting. "You have no right to do this!"

"That search warrant on the table in front of you says we do," Gardner said. "You have about two minutes to decide whether you're going to give us the combination to the locked room and open your safe, or we'll get a locksmith and a blowtorch and blow the hinges off this place and let ourselves in."

"Where's Junior? What have you done with my son?"

"He's being interrogated as we speak," Gardner said.

"You don't have anything on either of us!" Carl shouted.

"Well, yes, we do. After we picked up Lonny Pryor a few days ago, he decided it was in his best interests to cooperate fully with our investigation. And now we know that the fact you were worried about a new gang invading your territory is part of what got Billy Eggers murdered and connects you to the whole ugly mess of attempted murder on his sister as well. One thing led to another, and here we are."

Carl's expression froze, and then as Gardner watched it melt to one of dismay, he suspected Carl was sadly facing his future.

"So, which will it be? Blow the doors off the hinges, or the combination? And blowtorch the safe, or the combination?"

"I want my lawyer," Carl muttered.

"Well, he's at the PD with Junior, who's already peed his pants. They're making bets on how long it's going to take for him to break. It's in your best interests to cooperate now," Gardner said.

"I'm not helping you do anything," Carl muttered.

"No problem," Gardner said, and waved down a couple of officers. "You two, Mr. Henley is ready to transport to the PD. Book him in for abetting a murder and an attempted murder, and for buying and selling illegal drugs. We'll add other charges as the need arises."

Carl Henley already knew he was a dead man. His death would be in his contacts' best interests. Junior was probably going to wind up some goon's girlfriend in prison, and it would serve him right. All of this chaos was his son's fault. Every stinkin' bit of it. When they put Carl in the back seat of the police car and drove away, all he kept thinking was that he should have let Junior drown.