Smolder (24 page)

Owen took the phone from me and told them we would need to go by the police station first, and then we’d be there. The chief pulled on the radio in his mangled car to see if it worked. It did.

“Did you get anything on the car video?” he said into the microphone.

“We have enough to put their mother on death row, Chief. That doc you got there sure knows how to make people talk.”

“Yes, she does.”

He turned to me and asked me how I do it.

My answer was simple. “People have told me their secrets all my life. My gift would be figuring out how to get complete strangers to stop talking to me.”

An ambulance showed up and officially pronounced both of the men dead. Another group of officers showed up and took the knife from my hands so the paramedics could clean my hands and check for wounds. They didn’t ask me anything.

The wonders of videotape.

The drive to the police station had me telling everything that happened. All the things I could remember spilled out of me. The chief handed me a mint from the console of the cruiser. Owen was deep in his own world. His fiancée’s killer was now dead. We got out of the car at the station, and a group of policemen that stood outside gave us a round of applause.

I backed up to let Owen and the Chief absorb the praise, but they pushed me forward and moved out of the way. Uncomfortable and self-conscious, I smiled and nodded as I went up the steps to walk in. The room erupted in applause, and it was too much for me. I felt faint.

Owen came to my rescue with a loud wolf whistle. “While I’m sure the doctor appreciates your welcome, she did just get away from two murderers.”

The Chief put his arm around me and walked me back to his office. It looked like a small library with floor to ceiling bookshelves full of criminal justice books.

“You did good, Dr. Quinn.” He sat in his chair.

“I was trying to outsmart them and live. It will take quite a while for me to process all of this. I’m used to people trusting me with their problems, not coming after me.” I was shaking and sat on my hands.

Owen stood behind me at the door. “You did good, Ellie. Even got the mother implicated for the attack on Nancy.”

“It wasn’t an implication, Owen. I’m not sure Vince could kill anyone. Which means we have another Reamer locked up. Can we keep this one, Chief?” I didn’t want their mother coming after me.

“It will take a long time to get through the court system, and with Vince telling you his mother tortured a cop… Well, I can assure you we will do anything and everything in our power to make sure she never leaves the jail. Besides, I think Nancy would make sure the woman never got to you.” He winked.

“Can I go home?” I asked.

“You can return to your place anytime, Ellie. We went through it thoroughly, and it’s been cleaned up,” Owen said.

“This may sound strange. But can I get the security cameras removed?”

The Chief laughed. “You don’t like my gift?”

“There was a price,” I pointed out.

“Yes, there was. Now go to the hospital and see your family.”

He escorted me to the door and I realized I didn’t have way to get there. “I need a ride.”

Owen came up behind me. “I’ll drop you off.”

We got into an unmarked car, and I leaned back. I let out a sigh of relief and felt safe for the first time, away from Dmitri, in a couple of weeks.

“It’s over, Ellie.”

“You can’t guarantee that, Owen. Their mother is going to come after me as soon as she gets the chance. Keep her locked up and warn me if any other Reamers pop up in the area. That whole family could be dangerous.”

And psychotic, and unstable…

“I can call Travis’s wife and ask her about the family tree. Other than blood relatives, she may be the only one with answers.”

“Sounds like a plan.” I lay my head back and closed my eyes.

“I still like you, Ellie.”

“I’m taken, Owen.”

I liked saying it and the way it made me feel. I was taken.

We pulled into the emergency room entrance, and I got on the staff elevator to intensive care. The doors opened, and I saw a sight I will never forget. In a wheelchair coming down the hall was Nancy with Josh and Dmitri on either side of her.

“Can I borrow one of those men, Nancy?” I asked.

Dmitri hurriedly jogged over to me. “How was it?”

“No one told you?” I wasn’t sure I could replay it without collapsing.

“We can talk in here.” Owen was behind me, and we went to the conference room. Nancy and Josh came in before he closed the door.

He ran down the events of the afternoon, with occasional help from me for things he didn’t know. At some point, I would need to come to the station and make my official statement.

When he got to the part where I killed Vince, my surgeon boyfriend made me reenact the way I stabbed him. He was so proud I hit the right spot the first time.

“You did it,” he said.

He was beaming.

“I do know knives, m’dear.” He hugged me close.

When Owen mentioned Vince had a gun pointed at my head, Dmitri pulled my head sideways to check for wounds. I think.

“Good lord. It’s like you are checking her for ticks,” Josh said.

“I’m fine. He couldn’t shoot.” I turned to Nancy. “His mother did that to you. Vince got queasy when he talked about it.”

“How screwed up is that?” she asked.

“Very.”

Owen finished relating what happened and left. He was headed to the CEO’s office to turn in his notice so he could go back to being a full time detective. Dmitri stuck his head out of the door for a minute and returned with a pack of gum for me. What I wanted was a toothbrush and mouthwash. When I mentioned that, he called the nurse, and she got them from the supply closet. I stepped out to the ladies room and used them.

I returned to the conference room. “How are you?” I asked Nancy.

“I’m better. This is the first time I’ve moved around. It will be a very long road back for me.” She wheeled herself over to me and hugged me. “I’m proud I was able to protect you.”

That did it. I started to cry and couldn’t stop. Dmitri held on to me while I let myself dissolve. Partway through, I tried to tell Nancy I was proud to have her there for me, but I couldn’t form the words.

“We should go.” Dmitri got up and pulled me with him.

“Josh, Owen said the house is clear if you want to go back there tonight. I’m staying with Dmitri for a while longer.”

“How much longer, beautiful?”

“A few days. I have to get back into my routine, but I’m off until Wednesday. So are you.”

We left Josh and Nancy and went to Dmitri’s house. We got out of his truck and went inside. He pulled me into his arms as soon as the door closed behind us.

“I was afraid I wouldn’t see you again,” he said. “I’m going to hold you all night long.”

“I was hoping for more,” I said into his chest.

He laughed. “You are still shaking, and I know you didn’t eat yet. Let’s take this food upstairs and stay in bed until we have to go back to work.”

He picked me up and carried me the few yards to the kitchen. I didn’t want him to put me down. With the danger gone and back here in Dmitri’s house safe in his arms, I started to cry. Relieved that the whole family was either dead or in jail, every part of the bravado I had earlier fell away and left me emotionally spent. I started to wobble and Dmitri, ever the gentleman, put me down and got the smelling salts from his pocket.

He put his arms around me, and I buried my face in his chest. I wrapped my arms around his waist and let it all out. Gently he rubbed my back and kissed my head until I stopped sobbing. Moments passed quietly as I took deep breaths.

I looked up to see Dmitri’s face covered in tears.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“I am now. I don’t like to show emotion, but you get to me. I hurt when you hurt, and today I was as scared as I can remember since we left the Soviet Union.”

“I’m sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say.

“Don’t apologize. It made me realize how much I’ve come to care for you in such a short period of time. You mean a great deal to me, Ellie.”

“I like you too, Dmitri.”

I reached up and wiped the tears from his face. He took my face in his hands and kissed me again with tenderness.

“We need food so I can show you how much I care for you all night long.”

“We need the entire kitchen because we have days.” I laughed.

“That can be arranged,” he replied.

“Wait, do you have a secret kitchen off your bedroom? That would be a very cool gadget.”

He patted my ass as he walked to the pantry.

“No I don’t, but I do have picnic baskets and coolers we can fill.”

He pulled out a large basket and an empty cooler. We filled it up with the food he and Josh made earlier, loaded the cooler with ice and put sodas and bottled water in there.

He carried the cooler, and I had the basket as we went upstairs to his bedroom.

I put the basket on the floor by the bed and turned to find him staring at me. My heart skipped as he lifted me onto the bed. He took his shirt off before he lay down next to me.

“I hope you can wait to eat for a while, I need you right now,” he said and pulled me into him.

“I’m yours,” I said.