"And yet, here you are. Why?"

"I ran into Rusty about six months ago. We were both in a bad place, and I think we felt a connection. Anyway, we hooked up. We needed money, bad, and he got this idea to blackmail the others. I didn't realize what he was doing at first, but I put it together eventually. I mean, he never went to work, and he always had money."

"He was getting it from Kerry, Quentin, and Dwayne?"

She nodded. "One of my old girlfiends tracked me down on the Internet, and I told her about Rusty. She must have told Kerry, because then he tracked me down and told me he needed me to come back and front this phony antiques scheme. We knew it was just a scam to get Rusty back here, and I didn't want to come, but Rusty talked me into it. He said we could finally see justice done."

An incredible sadness sat on my chest like a weight. "So you came back to Paradise." My throat tightened at the irony.

She caught back a sob. "We were right to be afraid of Kerry all those years ago. He meant what he said. He killed Rusty. I know he did."

I leaned forward eagerly. "Did you actually see Hendrix stab Rusty?"

She shook her head sadly. "No, but I know what he's capable of, and I'm sure it was him. Dwayne and Quentin aren't cold enough."

I realized suddenly who Quentin had been arguing with that night at the recreation center. Dwayne might be a big lump of a guy, but he was probably the most squeamish of the lot and the most likely to try talking the others out of their plan.

There was just one question left, and I had to ask it. "What about that night out at Hammond Junction? Do you know what happened then?"

Ginger dabbed at her eyes with the cuff of her blouse. "Rusty got a call from Dwayne asking him to stop by. Said there was something he wanted to discuss and made it sound like he was going to roll over on the others. Like an idiot, Rusty went out there and found all three of them waiting for him. It was an ambush. They would have killed him that night if you hadn't come along when you did. You gave him a chance to get away."

"But I know he was shot. I heard the gun go off and I saw him fall."

"It was Rusty's gun," Ginger said, taking another swipe at her eyes. "He'd loaded it with blanks. He knew Kerry was dangerous, but he didn't want to hurt anyone. He just wanted them to take him seriously. The guys jumped him, and Kerry wrestled the gun away. At some point, Rusty managed to get free. I think the others were glad, but Kerry chased him."

"And 'shot' him with the blanks?"

Ginger nodded. "Rusty heard that first pop, and he knew what he had to do. They thought they'd killed him."

But he'd risen from the dead for a second time. I guess the third time was the charm. This time, he wouldn't be coming back.

Chapter 37.

With fewer than ten minutes until practice started, I left the Ivy Attic and hurried through the icy temperatures to my car. Thankfully, the recreation center was less than two miles away. Awful possibilities raced through my head as I drove. I hated thinking of any child in danger, but I was selfishly glad that Wyatt and Elizabeth had pulled Brody and Caleb from the team. At least I didn't have to worry about them.

I reached the center in record time and parked as close to the door as I could. Praying silently, I half ran, half slid across the parking lot and along the icy sidewalk to the front door.

I moved quickly toward the gym, where the sounds of sneakers on the lacquered floor and bouncing b.a.l.l.s took a weight off my mind. It sounded like business as usual.

Squaring my shoulders, I pulled open the gym door and stepped inside. Eight boys were lined up in front of the foul line practicing foul shots. Hendrix was bent over the ball cart picking up the lone remaining basketball on the bottom row.

A short boy with sandy hair stood next to him, his skinny legs sticking out from his uniform shorts like pieces of straw.

"Caleb?"

He looked away pointedly.

My heart shot into my throat, and I swear it stopped beating. What was he doing here? I glanced around for Brody, but it looked like Caleb was here on his own.

Kerry growled, "It's about d.a.m.n time, Shaw. Where the h.e.l.l have you been?"

Knowing that he'd committed at least one murder and possibly two made me reluctant to get snarky with him, but I didn't want to behave so differently that he wondered what I was up to. "That's great, Kerry. You want to watch your language in front of the kids?"

He snorted a laugh and tossed a basketball to one of the boys. "I wasn't talking to the kids, I was talking to you. You got a problem with showing up on time?"

I shrugged and hoped I looked casual doing it. "No problem at all. I just ran into a little weather. I got your message and tried to call. What did you need?"

"Ryan needed a ride, but I took care of it. Next time, leave home earlier."

"I'll make a note." I tossed my coat and gloves onto the bleachers and prepared to take my usual spot on the sidelines. I wondered if Jawarski had listened to his messages yet, and what he'd do when he heard mine. Would he follow the trail I'd left, or decide he could wait until morning to talk to me? I wasn't even sure which one I wanted him to do. All I had to do was be careful not to let Kerry see that I knew about Davey Mendoza's murder. If I could do that, we'd all get through practice without incident, and Jawarski could arrest Kerry where the boys wouldn't have to see their coach led away in handcuffs.

The boys lined up to practice the pick and roll, and I tried to work up an expression of patient boredom while I watched. But seeing Hendrix interact with the boys made me nervous, and waiting for Jawarski to show up made me want to crawl out of my skin. Kerry had committed a horrific murder, yet he walked around as if nothing unusual had ever happened in his life. I envied his unflappable att.i.tude. I wasn't nearly so calm.

Keeping one eye on Caleb, who sat on the bleachers across the gym, I filled the cooler with sports drinks and laid out towels. I thought about trying to talk to him again, but the dirty looks he lobbed across court at me convinced me to wait a while longer.

Frankly, I was surprised that Caleb wasn't on the floor with the others. Then again, Hendrix hadn't gotten away with murder, twice, by being stupid. Since Wyatt and Elizabeth had pulled Caleb from the team, the team's insurance would no longer apply, and Kerry could have been held liable if anything happened to Caleb during practice.

While Kerry barked instructions, I started worrying that my voice mail to Jawarski had gone astray. It happened sometimes with the department's outdated phone system. Twenty minutes into practice, I decided the risk was too great. Maybe I'd slip out while Hendrix and the boys were busy and call Jawarski one more time from the receptionist's desk. It couldn't hurt, anyway. I'd also ask Wyatt and Elizabeth if they knew Caleb was here.

Setting the stack of unused towels on the bottom row of bleachers, I walked quickly toward the door.

"Now where are you going, Shaw?"

I stopped halfway out the door. "To the ladies' room, if that's all right with you."

Kerry c.o.c.ked an eyebrow at the sarcasm in my tone, and a cool smile curved his lips. "Of course. Hurry back."

Heart pounding, I turned away. I was certain I could feel him watching me, but I didn't dare check to be sure. Instead of going straight to the receptionist's desk, I crossed the hall to the restroom. I even locked myself in a stall, flushed, and washed my hands to make sure anyone listening at the door would hear all the expected sounds.

I stood in front of the mirror, staring into my own eyes and giving myself a silent pep talk for courage, then walked to the door and pulled it open as quietly as I could. If the boys had gone back to practicing, I'd make a quick phone call before going back inside.

I had the door halfway open when a dark shadow loomed right in front of me. Startled, I let go of the door and stumbled back a step. Kerry caught my arm and hauled me roughly out of the restroom.

My heart shot into my throat, but I tried not to let him smell my fear. "What the h.e.l.l are you doing?" I demanded. "Let go of me."

"I don't think so." His voice sounded low and ominous, right next to my ear. An involuntary shudder racked my body, and he chuckled at my response. "Not so tough now, are you, Shaw?"

"Are you crazy? Don't do this in front of the boys."

Kerry grinned and yanked me toward the gym. "Oh, they're not here anymore. I sent them downstairs to the exercise room. All except this one, that is." He glanced down, and for the first time I realized he held Caleb's arm with his other hand.

The poor kid's eyes were huge in his small face, and his lip quivered. "I'm sorry, Aunt Abby. I-"

Kerry shook him roughly. "Not now, Caleb. Why don't we all go back inside and have a little chat?"

All at once, my focus shifted. It didn't matter any longer whether I was safe. The only thing I cared about was getting Caleb out of there. Kerry started to walk, and in desperation I tried to make myself a dead weight so he couldn't move me. "I'm not going anywhere until you let Caleb go."

"Sorry. I can't do that. But hey, if you don't want to come with Caleb and me, you don't have to."

He loosened his grip on my arm, and I fell to the floor in a heap. I had two options, neither of which appealed to me. I could let them go and call for help, or I could stay with Caleb and do my best to protect him. He looked so frightened, the choice wasn't difficult to make.

"No, that's all right," I said as I scrambled to my feet. "I'll come."

Kerry didn't say a word, but the sick smile that spread across his face made my blood run cold. "I thought you might see things my way." He turned Caleb toward the gym and shoved him in front of us. I followed, hating myself for pa.s.sively going along with his insane plan. But Caleb was here, and I couldn't leave him. Wyatt and Elizabeth would never forgive me if anything happened to him. I'd never forgive myself.

Inside the gym, Kerry shut the doors to keep anyone from looking in as they pa.s.sed. "Caleb and I had an interesting chat earlier," Kerry said. "Why don't you tell your Aunt Abby what you told me, kid?"

Caleb swallowed convulsively, then blurted, "I didn't mean to. I didn't know."

"Shut up," Kerry growled, cuffing Caleb on the shoulder. "Just tell her what you told me."

Caleb's gaze dropped to the floor, and when he spoke again, I could barely hear him. "I told him that you think maybe he killed that guy. That's why Mom and Dad pulled us off the team."

Oh, Caleb. My heart dropped with a thunk. "That's okay," I said, hoping to rea.s.sure him. "You didn't know."

Kerry put an arm around Caleb's narrow shoulders. "Now, see, that wasn't so hard, was it? The big question now is, what on earth gave you a crazy idea like that?"

"Let Caleb go," I bargained, "and I'll tell you everything you want to know."

Kerry laughed low in his throat. "That's funny, but I don't think so. I think Caleb's going to stay with me until I'm sure I don't need his help any longer. So how about it, Abby? What gives you the right to go around slandering a guy like that?"

My heart was pounding so hard, I could barely hear myself think. I tried telling myself that Kerry wouldn't hurt someone so young, but it didn't help. Kerry was capable of almost anything, and we both knew it.

"I don't think what I know is important," I said, trying not to let him see how terrified I was. "Don't you care more about what the police know?"

"If they knew anything, they'd be here instead of you."

Again I was faced with a choice-whether to pretend I didn't know anything, or to admit everything-but I had no idea which would be best for Caleb. If I could rattle Hendrix, maybe I could distract him long enough for Caleb to get away. It was a risk, but one worth taking.

"They know what really happened the night Davey Mendoza died," I said. "They know about the fight, and about the car, and they know about Rusty Hogan. They know that Rusty and Lou Hobbs were one and the same, and they know that Rusty was blackmailing you, Quentin, and Dwayne with what he knew."

Kerry's expression changed from smug and self-a.s.sured to wild-eyed and furious. "You're lying."

"They know you and Davey fought over Ginger Ames, and they know that Davey would have been the one standing here tonight if the other guys hadn't pulled him off of you. It's only a matter of time, Kerry. The police are probably on their way right now."

He turned and wiped his face with one hand. I grabbed Caleb's hand and pulled him free before Kerry knew what hit him. "Run, Caleb!" I shouted, giving the boy a shove toward the doors. "Get out of here!"

Kerry whipped back toward me, saw that Caleb was already halfway across the gym, and backhanded me. His knuckles grazed my cheekbone, and pain exploded in my head. I tasted blood and nearly lost my balance, but if it meant that Caleb was safe, I didn't care.

"This is your fault," Kerry snarled. He was so angry, spittle formed in the corners of his mouth, and I could see the veins in his neck bulging. "Everything was under control until you stuck your nose in where it didn't belong."

Now that Caleb was safe, I realized how much danger I was in. Kerry could have killed me right there. It wouldn't have taken much to push him over the edge. But showing weakness wasn't an option, either. I tried to take stock of my surroundings without letting him see what I was doing. The only things I could reach without running halfway across the gym were a stack of towels and a cooler full of sports drinks. Neither was going to offer much in the way of self-defense.

"I'm not the one who murdered two people," I said.

"Shut up."

"Give it up, Kerry. The police know everything. You're through."

"Shut up!"

I prayed silently for Caleb to think rationally enough to call for help, for Jawarski to listen to his messages and find me, for any kind of miracle at all. "If you turn yourself in, the DA might go easier on you," I said.

"I said, shut up!" In one swift move, Kerry grabbed my throat in one huge hand. "Or I swear to G.o.d, I'll kill you."

I gasped for breath and struggled to stay upright under the force of his grip. Fear pumped through my veins, but so did an intense hatred of the man in front of me. "You can kill me, but that won't help," I croaked. "They'll just get you for three murders instead of two."

"I guess that means I have nothing to lose, doesn't it?" Spinning me like a rag doll, he released my throat and wrapped an arm around my waist. "We'll see how quick that cop boyfriend of yours is to move in while you're with me."

He propelled me across the floor toward the locker room. While one part of my mind screamed that I shouldn't let him move me to a second location, the other part reasoned that I might find something to use as a weapon in the other room. We reached the heavy wooden door a moment later, and Kerry used me to push it open. Pain shot through me in all directions as I hit the door, and my knees buckled.

"Keep moving," Kerry warned, "or you're no good to me."

I knew what that would mean. Somehow, in spite of my fear and the pain, I had to make sure he needed me. "I could talk to the police for you. Explain-" My words cut off as he backed me hard into a row of metal lockers.

He leaned in close, his face contorted and ugly. "You say another word, and I'll break your neck right now."

I nodded mutely, knowing I'd pushed him as far as I could. We were alone in the darkened locker room, and my options were closing off quickly.

I felt behind me, trying to find something-anything-I could use to defend myself. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Without warning, Kerry jerked me forward again and pushed me toward the outside door. I had one chance to save myself, and I had to take it. I took two steps, then let myself go limp, focusing all my attention on making myself as heavy as I could. This hadn't worked the first time, but it had to work now. It had to. Just long enough for me to break his grip on me.

This time, I caught him off guard. He held on as long as he could, but his grip finally loosened, and his footing shifted slightly. I took advantage of that misstep, pulling on his arm as hard as I could to bring him to the floor.

He fell hard, and I scrambled to my feet at the same time. The outside door was no more than twenty feet away, but it felt like miles. I hurried toward it as fast as I could, but I was no more than halfway when Kerry's hand snaked out and caught me by the ankle.

He gave a sharp twist. Pain shot through my leg, and I collapsed against the bench in front of the lockers. With pain searing my ankle and thigh, I battled tears of frustration and anguish. I caught my breath and lashed out at Kerry's face with my free foot.

He let out a roar and lunged for me. I hit the floor and crawled backward, kicking at him with both legs and ignoring the fiery heat that shot into my hip with every move. I kicked out over and over, hitting him wherever I could, until he collapsed on the floor, his breath a harsh rasp in his throat.

I staggered to my feet, putting as much distance between the two of us as I could. I was ready to do anything, whatever it took to make sure I survived and Caleb got home safely to his parents. Spotting a hand weight at the far end of a bench, I lunged for it and lifted it above Kerry's head just as Jawarski burst through the door.

Chapter 38.