The Opposite of Dark (25 page)

“Lou, please.”

His lips were pinched with determination. Casey brushed brown strands from his forehead and swept her fingertips over the light spray of freckles on his cheeks. Why hadn't she noticed how sexy he was before? When he wrapped his arms around her, she inhaled sharply. She felt his breath in her ear and a soft, heart-melting kiss on her temple. Casey rested her head on his shoulder and turned him around until she was in front of the door.

“You really do care, don't you,” she murmured.

“Always have, always will.”

The worry darkening his bruised face nearly broke her heart. Kissing his cheek, she reached for the handle and then slipped into the corridor, unable to look at his crestfallen face.

“I'll follow you,” he called out.

“You don't have to.” She checked her watch. Man, she was going to be late. Casey began to run.

CASEY PULLED ONTO
the shoulder of Marine Drive, four houses before Dad's place. Not a great place to park, but the best she could do without announcing her presence to Darcy.

Five minutes to six. She'd hoped to see Lalonde's car and at least one police cruiser at the house, but she'd already driven past the place once and no vehicles were in the driveway. Where in hell was everyone? Had Darcy hidden his vehicle to plan an ambush?

Ten minutes later, the property still looked deserted. Casey turned into the driveway, backed the car out, and parked on the shoulder. Ten more minutes dragged by. Damn it, where was Lalonde? She reached for her cell phone, but it wasn't in her pocket. Oh, crap. Lou hadn't given it back. Part of her wished that he had followed her, but part of her was glad he was out of danger.

Frustrated and edgy, Casey stepped out of the car, noting each passing vehicle on Marine. She needed to call Lalonde, and Rhonda, too. Make sure she and Summer were okay.

Casey studied the property. Where was Darcy hiding? She went up to the front door and checked the alarm. It was undamaged and still on. He couldn't have entered without deactivating the system, could he? She pressed the code, stepped inside, and then reactivated the alarm. Aware of the house's silence, Casey slowly opened the door off the entryway and peered into the garage to see if Darcy had managed to park there. He hadn't.

After a cautious search of every room, she re-entered the living room and looked at the backyard. If Darcy was out there, he was well hidden, or had Lalonde already hauled his ass out of here?

In the den, she knelt by the phone and called Rhonda. The phone rang repeatedly until voice mail kicked in. Why wasn't Rhonda answering? It was nearly six-thirty. Summer should have been back from Whistler by now. Casey left a quick message and hung up. Her palms were sweating. Everything felt wrong. She called Lalonde and got through this time.

“Where are you, Detective? I left a message for you to meet me and Darcy here at the Marine Drive house. Did you get him?”

“No, and I want you to leave the premises right now.”

“Fine, whatever. He's not here anyway. And Rhonda's supposed to be home, but she's not answering the phone. Since Darcy threatened to hurt her and Summer, I'm really worried. Can you have the officer watching the place check on her? I'm on my way there now.” She hung up to avoid a lecture.

While Casey sped down Marine Drive, scary scenarios tortured her. What if Darcy had set her up so he could assault Rhonda? What if he'd attacked the cop watching the house?

Rounding a curve, Casey thought she saw Theo's Saab coming from the opposite direction. In the rearview mirror, she watched the car disappear from view. If it was him, too bad. No time to talk now.

The horribly slow pace of the Georgia Street traffic frayed her nerves. When she finally reached Venables, things eased up, only to worsen again on Commercial Drive. Casey crossed Commercial and took the side streets to Violet Street, slowing at the intersection's four-way stop. The sight of clothes scattered on the sidewalk in front of Rhonda's house caught her off guard. This had to be Rhonda's doing. Darcy's bicycle had been dumped on top of the clothes.

Casey eased through the intersection, then made a right turn into the back lane. Rhonda's station wagon was gone. No sign of any cop either. Damn. Casey pulled into her spot. Moments later, she was charging across the lawn, up the steps, and into the kitchen.

“Rhonda? Summer?”

No response. Was this good or bad news? Curious about whether Darcy's belongings might have something incriminating tucked away, she headed outside. The police tape had been pulled down and lay abandoned by the fence.

On the sidewalk, Casey looked at Darcy's stuff. The jerk didn't own much: a bicycle helmet, toiletries, clock radio.

A Saab screeched to a halt across the street. Theo opened his door, while Lou jumped out from the passenger side and ran toward her.

“Lou? What are you—”

“Darcy's here! Get inside!”

Darcy emerged from behind the hedge at the corner of Rhonda's lot. He strutted down the sidewalk toward her, carrying a pistol.

“Run, Casey!” Theo yelled as he dived in front of the Saab.

Lou grabbed her hand and pulled her back through the gate, “Inside!”

“No! Darcy has a key!”

They started toward the back of the house when Darcy shouted, “Where's the money, bitch?”

They kept running. Darcy fired and missed.

“Go!” Lou released her hand and spun around to face Darcy. The second shot pierced his chest.

THERE WAS NO
time to let the horror sink in. Lou collapsed and landed on his back. An officer appeared from the side of the house and scanned the premises, gun drawn. Blood ran down his left temple. He called for an ambulance while Casey knelt beside Lou.

“Darcy shot him!” Casey clamped her hand over the wound and turned to the cop. “Where were you?”

“I was knocked out. Which way did he go?”

“Jumped the fence into the neighbor's yard. He could be heading for Commercial Drive.” She nodded toward the house to the west “Go get him! I have first aid training.”

As the cop took off, Rhonda hurried down the front steps. “What's happened?”

“Get the first aid kit, now!”

Rhonda rushed back inside. Casey lifted her hand for a closer look at Lou's injury. Blood frothed from the wound in his chest. When he inhaled, she heard a sucking sound. Not good.

“Hang in there, Lou. Ambulance'll be here soon.”

While she checked his pulse, his fearful eyes watched her. His breathing was rapid and strained, pulse too fast. Casey applied pressure. Blood seeped out from under her hand.

Summer tiptoed toward them, her eyes wide and frightened.

Casey looked up. “I need your help; go get me the plastic wrap and duct tape from the kitchen right away.”

Summer dashed inside.

“Please, please stay with me, Lou,” she said. “You'll be okay.”

Time had stopped. Nothing was moving fast enough. When Rhonda and Summer reappeared, Casey told Rhonda to cut a strip of tape with the scissors in the kit.

“Summer, there's a blanket inside a package in the kit. Could you get it out?”

Both worked on their tasks while tears slid down their cheeks. Casey heard a siren in the distance.

“I called you a couple of times over the past hour,” Casey said, glancing at Rhonda. “Where were you?”

“Picking up Summer from her friend's place. The mother wanted to chat, and Summer insisted on playing with their new dog a few more minutes.”

Lou opened his mouth and tried to speak.

“No! Don't talk, just lie still.” Casey's hands shook as she taped plastic wrap over the wound.

Summer draped the blanket over Lou's legs while he closed his eyes.

“I can hear the ambulance.” Rhonda placed her hand on Lou's forehead and looked at Casey. “He's clammy.”

“It's shock. We need to prop him up a little so he can breathe easier.”

The ambulance arrived. Before Casey could move him, foamy blood oozed from Lou's mouth. His breathing became more labored.

“Lou!” Casey squeezed his hand. Sweat poured out of her and her own shallow breaths sped up. “Don't you dare leave me!” Paramedics rushed to her side. “He has a sucking chest wound and can't breathe!”

As the paramedics worked, Casey told them what she knew about his condition and medical history. She also provided the name of his mother's work place. She'd barely finished when a hand touched her shoulder and Detective Lalonde asked her to step back.

“Darcy did this, and you let him go!? What the hell kind of cop are you?” Casey hadn't realized how hard she was shaking until Rhonda put her arm around her.

“Mrs. Stubbs, did you see the shooting?” Lalonde asked.

“No, I was picking Summer up from a friend's house. We'd just got home when I heard shouting out front and went to see what was going on.”

No one spoke while the paramedics worked. When they finally wheeled Lou to the ambulance, Casey followed until Lalonde stepped in front of her. “You can do more for him by talking to me.”

“No, I have to be with him. It's my fault!”

Again, she started for the ambulance, and Lalonde gripped her arm. Casey tried to break free, but he was too strong. Collapsing against him, she began to sob.

“He'll be all right,” Rhonda said, coming forward to hold Casey in her arms. “You can see him later.”

Casey forced herself to calm down. She had to stay strong for Lou. After he was lifted into the ambulance, she glanced at Darcy's belongings on the sidewalk.

“That's Darcy's stuff. Shouldn't you be searching it?”

While Lalonde called to Krueger, Casey felt herself growing light-headed. Black dots blinked in front of her eyes. Lalonde mumbled something she couldn't hear. He was escorting her toward the house when the strength left Casey's legs and she stumbled. He and Rhonda helped her to the stairs. Casey glimpsed Summer in the doorway, wiping tears from her face. Once they'd sat her on the bottom step, Lalonde said, “Thank you, Mrs. Stubbs. Would you wait inside, please?”

She frowned and then sighed. “I'll make some tea.”

“I have to call Lou's mom.” Casey propped her elbows on her knees and let the tears spill.

“First, tell me what happened.”

She took long deep breaths and tried to concentrate. Slowly, she sat upright and described events, including how Lou and Theo had arrived together.

“How is Ziegler connected to Mr. Sheckter?”

“He isn't.”

“Then why was Mr. Sheckter in Ziegler's car?”

“I don't know. I didn't have time to ask. I gather Theo took off?”

“Neither he nor the Saab were around when we arrived. I'm waiting for a report from the officer who was posted here.”

Rhonda reappeared and handed Casey a mug.

“Thanks.” She sipped the tea.

“Thank you, Mrs. Stubbs,” Lalonde said. “That'll be all.”

“I doubt it.” She shut the door.

“Something's been bothering me about Churcott's relationship with Mrs. Stubbs,” Lalonde said.

Casey glared at him. “My best friend's been shot and that's what's worrying you?”

“If Churcott thought you were the one with access to three million dollars, why did he spend so much time with her?”

“To see if Rhonda knew about the missing money. He knew I wouldn't tell him much.” She sipped the tea. “Or maybe Mother put him up to it for her own amusement.”

“Why would she do that?”

Casey explained the relationship between Darcy and Mother, and Mother and Rhonda, and how hurtful Mother could be. She told Lalonde about Mother's numerous affairs, and how Rhonda had covered for her until her own husband became one of Mother's lovers. When Casey told him about Mother's appeals to renew her friendship with Rhonda, Lalonde asked, “Why would your mother pursue a friendship with a woman engaged to her ex-husband?”