Deadly Dozen: 12 Mysteries/Thrillers (326 page)

Walsh looked the older man over. He’d stayed in the background, but never too far, close enough to protect Millie if the need arose.

“All right.”

Millie glanced at Clarence, who nodded approval.

“Gotta pack some clothes. Say some goodbyes.” Millie sniffed, then blew her nose loudly.

Walsh stood up and extended his hand to Clarence. “Give you an hour to pack. No goodbyes.”

Clarence returned the strong grip and placed his arm around Millie as they watched the chief drive away. He understood perfectly what Walsh was saying. When they left Glade Springs, Millie Crawford and Clarence Archibald would cease to exist. It didn’t matter to Clarence. He’d be home wherever Millie was.

“Come on, honey. We’ll take the Millicent.”

Millie pulled away from him. “You making fun of me?”

Clarence laughed. “Just wait ’til you see her. A real beauty.”

Clarence ushered her out of the house and down to the garage attached to the flower shop. He opened the door and stepped aside, his face beaming as Millie gasped.

“Why, Clarence, it’s a 1947 Cadillac.”

“Told you she was a beauty!”

Millie ran her hand over the creamy white exterior, gold trim. Clarence was right; it was a thing of rare beauty.

“But, Clarence, these things weigh 18 tons. We could walk to Richmond faster.”

Clarence chuckled. “Can’t judge a book by its cover, Millie. Got a 396 high performance engine with a 400 turbo transmission in this baby. Give her an open road and she’ll fly.”

Millie smiled, still running her hand over the smooth surface. “She’s a real classic.”

“Yep.” Clarence moved in, putting his arm around her. “Classics are hard to find today. When I find one, I tend to hold onto it.”

Millie flushed, reaching up to kiss him. “We better get started packing. Junior only gave us an hour.”

“Junior will have to wait. We’re going to Edgewood. Got another old classic there we need to check on.”

Millie clapped her hands in pure joy. “Clarence Archibald will you marry me?”

Clarence flushed, his eyes glowing like stars, “I thought you’d never ask.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Sarah dangled her feet, wrapping her arms tighter around Nikki as Chief Walsh finished talking. Gavin sat quietly beside her in the swing.

“I promised Millie I’d tell you she was okay. Said you’d understand.”

Sarah nodded, her eyes misting. She was going to miss Millie and Clarence. She was going to miss Glade Springs and the life she’d built here. She hated uprooting Nikki, but the media had done a thorough job of exposing both of them. If Williams got out of prison, he’d know right where to find them. She couldn’t take that chance.

Gavin cleared his throat. “It’s still hard to believe that Campbell killed his own child and then killed the others to cover it.”

“Yeah, he had us fooled, too. We found the box of pink cards in the trunk of his car, along with several items that belonged to the children, as well as Jacob and Sheila Cooper’s belongings.”

Standing up, Walsh held his hand out to Sarah. “Sheriff, I wish we’d met under better circumstances.”

Shifting Nikki to her hip, Sarah stood and shook his hand. “Me, too.”

“Gavin, I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Gavin stood up, shaking the chief’s hand. “I’ll be there. I’ve got a message for Carl.”

Walsh smiled. “He’s probably cursing the nurses about now. If I don’t get back, he’ll probably take off, find Millie, and the two of them will cook up some scheme to get back here.”

Gavin and Sarah stood silently watching the chief drive away. There were too many unspoken words between them. And yet Sarah couldn’t bring herself to ask the question haunting her, breaking her heart. Was he coming back?

Gavin took Nikki from Sarah’s arms and sat her down. “Why don’t you go pick Mommy some flowers.”

“You won’t tell her?”

“I promised.” Gavin tousled the strawberry curls.

Sarah frowned, watching the interplay between the two before Nikki bounded off the steps in search of flowers.

“Tell me what?”

“I promised.” Gavin smiled at her. “Even crossed my heart.” He gazed into the blue eyes, violet in the early morning light.

“Gavin, I’m so sorry about Rob.”

His smile surprised her. “He’s where he wants to be, Sarah. He’s where he belongs.”

Sarah thought about the pretty young brunette who had saved her life as well as Nikki’s.

“Listen,” Gavin was talking again, his tone serious, “one of the agents told me about a small town in Wyoming that’s looking for a sheriff. I stopped there once. Quiet peaceful town, good people. Perfect for raising children.”

Sarah nodded, looking away from him to hide the pain, the tears threatening to fall. She swallowed hard.

“It has an extra bonus, too.”

“Bonus?”

“You’ll have a couple of friends there.”

Millie. She’d have Millie.

Gavin touched her then. His hand gently caressing her face, turning it toward him, eyes searching. “You’ll need a name change. I thought maybe you’d consider McAllister.”

The ice around her heart melted, flowing like warm butter, smoothing away the years of pain and loneliness. Gavin pulled her into his arms, lips gently capturing hers for a kiss, a promise, the future.

“You told!”

Gavin felt the slight tug on his pants leg, and looked down at the tiny figure scowling up at him. She would definitely keep him in line.

“I didn’t.”

“Tell me what, sweetheart?”

The scowl turned to a mischievous grin, as Nikki reached up to take Gavin’s hand.

“We’re going to write stories about a beautiful ballerina who travels all over the world solving crimes.”

Sarah raised an eyebrow.

“Children’s books. No more secrets.” Gavin looked at her, seeking her approval. “Cross my heart.”

Sarah took a deep breath, unable to believe what she was hearing.

“You haven’t answered my question.” Gavin held her gaze.

“Say yes, Mommy. I’m hungry.” Nikki tugged on their hands.

Sarah laughed, reaching down to hug her daughter. “Yes.”

#

“It’s about fucking time somebody got here.” Carl raised himself up in the bed.

“You watch your language, old man, or I’ll have Clarence put another knot on your head.” Millie smiled fondly at him as she set the vase of flowers on the bedside table.

“Don’t need no damn flowers. Where the hell are my cigarettes?”

“Now, Carl, you know you can’t smoke in the hospital. You just settle down and we’ll have a nice long chat.” Millie plumped his pillows, fussed around straightening the covers on the bed. Curiosity and weakness got the better of him.

“All right. Quit your damn fussing and tell me what happened. Won’t nobody tell me nothing in here. Chief was supposed to be here last night. Called to say he’d run into some kind of problem.”

Millie grinned and sat down on the edge of the bed, motioning Clarence to take the seat. She knew exactly what problem Walsh was talking about. Still, she knew enough of the story to calm Clarence down.

“Well, after you were shot, Gavin and Joshua tracked Cooper—I mean Campbell—to the old mill and rescued Nikki. Didn’t surprise me at all he turned out to be a killer. Never did trust that man.”

“Yeah, go on.”

“Campbell killed himself. End of story.”

“What about Williams?” Carl sat up straighter.

“Who?” Millie asked, a perplexed look on her face.

“Todd Williams, the Mother’s Day killer. Sarah’s old partner. What happened to him?”

“Oh, he’s still in prison. Wasn’t him. They found the pink cards in the trunk of Campbell’s car.”

“Shit,” Carl cursed, swinging his legs over the side of the bed amidst Millie’s protests. “Where’s my clothes?”

“Carl Jackson, you lay down. You ain’t in no shape to go nowhere.”

Carl glanced at Clarence, his eyes pleading for understanding, as he jerked the I.V. out of his arm. “Williams ain’t in prison. He’s in Glade Springs. And if somebody don’t get me my goddamn clothes, I’m gonna walk out of here bare assed.”

“Millie, go outside, find a wheelchair.” Clarence headed for the closet and pulled out Carl’s clothes.

“What?” Millie gasped.

“We need a wheelchair, Millie.” Clarence’s voice was quiet, but his tone commanded action.

“Humph,” she muttered, heading for the door. “Damned old fools.”

“We better make this quick,” Clarence stated, pulling underwear and socks from the drawer.

Carl nodded, pulling on his shorts and socks, beads of sweat popping out on his forehead from the effort. “Help me stand up.” Hands shaking, Carl took Clarence’s hand, pulling himself up, face set against the pain he knew was about to come.

Clarence helped him to his feet and pulled on his slacks before lowering him down to the bed and reaching for his shirt.

“How come you didn’t ask?” Carl gasped, pain shooting through his leg.

“Served my country for thirty years. Judge a man by what I see, not what he says,” Clarence stated, pulling on the shirt and buttoning it. It wasn’t the total truth, but it was enough to satisfy Carl.

“You want the jacket?”

Carl shook his head.

Nodding, Clarence knelt down and slipped the shoes on Carl’s feet. “You won’t be able to walk very far on that leg. All we’ve got for pain is aspirin.”

“Don’t matter,” Carl grunted. “I been in pain before.”

Clarence nodded. He’d seen the scars as he dressed him. Opening the door slowly, he saw Millie hurrying down the hallway pushing a wheelchair. Taking the chair, he kissed her fondly on the cheek, and wheeled the chair over to the bed. “Give me a hand, Millie.”

Millie reached out to place one of Carl’s arms around her shoulder as Clarence took the other. “Be careful with him,” she whispered as they shifted him from the bed to the chair.

“Millie, you bring him downstairs through the emergency exit. I’ll get the car. If anybody stops you, tell them you’re taking him outside for a smoke.” Clarence reached into his pocket and tossed Carl a pack of cigarettes. “Got a whole carton in the car.”

Carl grinned, placing the pack in his shirt pocket. “You heard the man, Millie. What are you waiting for?”

#

Sarah watched as Gavin slammed the lid to the trunk and walked towards her. She wished she were going with him. There was just so little time.

“I’ll be back in three days. Can you finish up here by then?”

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him, passion igniting between them. “I’ll be ready,” she whispered, her mind checking off all that had to be done. The wedding, packing, saying good-bye to their friends. Making Joshua sheriff.

“He’ll make a good sheriff, Sarah.”

Sarah laughed, her blue eyes glowing with love. “He’s been sitting in my chair for a long time anyway. Might as well make it official.”

“I’ve got to go.”

“I know. Take my cell phone. That way, if you have any trouble, you can call.” Sarah kissed him again, unashamed of her passion, expressing her love. Stepping back, she smiled, “Or if you miss me, you can call.”

Gavin took the phone, his brown eyes dark with desire. “I’ll be calling.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Sarah pinned the sheriff’s badge on Joshua, grinning up at him. “You knew it all along, didn’t you?”

Joshua grinned, sticking the toothpick between his teeth, a sign he wasn’t nearly as comfortable as he was pretending. “Had a feeling. Mary’s the one been biting at the bit to get in here and start decorating.” He placed his arm lovingly around his wife, pulling her close.

“Are you sure about this, Sarah?”

Sarah nodded. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my whole life.” She hugged Mary and stuck out her hand. “Sheriff?”

“Dammit.” Joshua reached out and pulled her in for a hug, his eyes misting. “I’m gonna miss you. What about tonight? You and Nikki want to join us for dinner?”

“No, I think we’ll just spend the evening alone. Say good-bye to the house.”

“We are getting an invite to the wedding, right?” Mary wiped the tears from her eyes.

“I’ll have it served on you.”

“Come on you two, before we all start blubbering. We’ll walk you to the car.”