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“A TIME TO WEEP …” —ECCLESIASTES 3:4

K endall and Sydney sped down the highway toward town. She had the feeling that none of this was real, like she’d been thrown into the climax of a horror movie. A part of her was still clinging to the hope that Kendall was an innocent bystander in this whole ordeal. She couldn’t question him, though, because if he were involved, he would know that she was onto Walter. She had to make small talk. This wasn’t really her, and it couldn’t be Kendall, tearing like a madman down the highway. She glanced at his face. It was set in stone.

“I hope no one was seriously injured.”

Silence.

“Sean said a chain broke on one of the saws.”

“Better get your story straight. A few minutes ago you didn’t know what kind of accident it was, and now it’s a broken chain.” He shook his head. “Give it a rest, Sydney. You know as well as I do that there was no accident at the mill. Who called you?”

“I told you. It was Sean. There was an accident and?—”

Sydney’s voice stopped mid-sentence when Kendall raced past the road that led into town. Panic filled her throat. So much for Kendall’s innocence. “What are you doing? Where are you taking me? Why are you doing this?”

Kendall remained silent. “Answer me!” she shouted.

“Just sit back and shut up. You don’t have a clue do you?”

She could feel her body shaking like a sewing machine, and she fought to get control. “No, I don’t understand. Not completely.” Kendall had been a teenager when Walter killed Avery. How could he be linked to that? “Kendall, you don’t have to do this. You don’t have to do what Walter tells you to. I know you. You’re a good man.”

Sydney could almost see the wall that Kendall was building between them. He gripped the steering wheel harder, causing his knuckles to grow white. His jaw was so tight that the veins on his neck protruded like roots of a tree. Who was this person? How could she make him listen to reason?

“You don’t owe Walter anything,” she pleaded.

Kendall looked wild-eyed at her. His face was flushed. “You’d better shut your mouth because you don’t know what you’re talking about. Walter’s been like a father to me. When Dad died, the insurance company refused to pay Mom the money they owed her.” He spat out the words. “They said they didn’t pay for suicides. Dad was weak. He would’ve left us penniless if Walter hadn’t stepped in. I don’t know what would have become of us if it hadn’t been for him.”

Sydney’s heart was hammering in her chest, and her breath was keeping time . He was not rational. How could she have missed all the clues about Kendall and Walter? It was right there in front of her the whole time. Why could she not see it? Sydney looked out the window. Her heart lurched when she realized that Kendall was headed to the river. It was the same route he’d taken on his bike. She had to get away from him, but how? She gripped the door handle.

Kendall clucked his tongue. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. We’re going too fast. You’ll never survive the fall.”

She let go of the handle. She had to get through to him. Keep him talking. Make him change his mind. “How long have you known about me?”

“Known who you were?”

She nodded.

“Since that first night we went to Walter’s together. I wanted to introduce my new girl to Walter, and surprise, surprise—he already knew you.”

Kendall’s voice was returning to normal, and he’d loosened his grip on the wheel. She tried to keep her voice conversational. “I remember that night. You were showing Walter some plays for the game. I fell asleep in the study. When I woke up, I heard you and Walter arguing over football.”

“Not hardly. It was over you. I was stunned when Walter told me who you were.” He glanced at her. “I mean you’re so much prettier than you used to be. I convinced Walter to let me have you.” There was no apology in his voice, only a plain statement of fact, as if it were completely normal that he was referring to her as an object. “Walter gave you to me under the condition that I keep you under control. Plus, you kept me up to date on the events at the mill. It was like having another set of eyes.”

“What does any of this have to do with the mill?”

There was a hint of amusement in his voice. “Don’t you know?”

She strung it all together, trying to make a connection. The random accidents, the men taking drugs, the trucks leaving at odd hours. Then, as swift as a bolt of lightning, it all became clear. “You don’t have allergies, do you?”

“What?”

“I said you don’t have allergies.”

“No, I don’t. What does that have to do with anything?” Kendall turned onto a dirt road. Sydney’s heart skipped a beat. She recognized this road. It led to the abandoned coal warehouse by the river.

She needed to keep him talking. That was her only chance. “That time you took me to your cabin and I went in the laundry room. I thought you were angry because I saw Jessica’s picture. That wasn’t it at all, was it? It was because I saw the allergy medicine and bottles of iodine you were using to make meth. You’ve been using the sawmill to transport the drugs. The drugs that killed Reggie! Oh, Kendall. How could you?”

“Just shut up!” Kendall raised his hand to strike her. He balled his hand into a fist and lowered it to his leg before it reached her face. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. I never sold any drugs to Reggie or any of my other football players. He got it from someone else.”

“That doesn’t matter. You’re dealing the drugs. You might as well have given them to Reggie yourself!”

Kendall didn’t respond.

“What about your mom and Emma? Don’t you care about them? Think what it’ll do to them if they ever find out what you’re doing. You said you didn’t know what would’ve become of you and your family if Walter hadn’t stepped in. Well, maybe you wouldn’t have become a drug dealer! Maybe you wouldn’t have that cabin in the woods and the four-wheelers and all those other toys! You just might’ve been the kind, decent person I thought you were!”

Kendall brought the truck to a squealing halt in front of the warehouse. “There’s been enough talk! Get out!”

Sydney threw open the door and bolted from the truck. She made it a mere hundred yards before Kendall tackled her to the ground.

“Dumb move, Sydney. Real dumb.” He jerked her to her feet and held her by the arm. They both looked toward Kendall’s truck. Walter pulled up behind it and got out.

“I’m sure sorry it had to come to this,” Walter said, walking toward them. “And you can wipe that hateful expression off your face, young lady, because this is all your fault. I gave you a job because I felt sorry for you.” He shook his head. “I should’ve known better. You’re just like Avery. He was like an old dog, always sniffin’ for that bone. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t convince him to let it go.”

“And you killed him for it.”

“Yes, it was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make. Avery was like a brother to me.”

Sydney scoffed. “Some brother.”

“A couple of days before he died, Avery told me that he’d gone down to the log yard in the middle of the night and saw some of the men stealing from the mill. I told him to let me take care of it, but he wouldn’t listen. Now whether or not he suspected that I was behind it all, I don’t know. He told me that he’d already spoken to Judge Crawford from Glendale and that he had an appointment to meet with him. That’s when I knew that I had to do something. His death was a senseless waste.” His eyes met hers. “Just as yours will be.”

She turned to Kendall. He was her only chance. “Are you hearing what he’s saying? He’s a murderer. You’re not like him, Kendall. Listen to me!” She saw something, perhaps it was a flicker of compassion. Maybe she was getting through to him.

She glanced at Walter. He was eying Kendall with concern. Perhaps he had seen it too—that momentary hesitation in Kendall’s expression. Walter’s eyes met Sydney’s. “You and Kendall have more in common than you realize. Who do you think rigged up the boat that killed Avery?”

The very air seemed to hold its breath and Sydney waited for Walter to continue.

“It was J. W., Kendall’s father.”

Sydney’s mind reeled. She wondered if this was the first time Kendall had heard this. Images of J. W. ran through her mind. J. W. and his boisterous laugh. J. W. making a fire in the pasture so she and Emma could roast marshmallows. J. W.’s kind eyes and broad smile.

“No, I don’t believe it. Don’t listen to him, Kendall. He’s lying.”

Walter’s voice went smooth like velvet. “Why would I lie about that? J. W. worked for me at the mill before he went to work for the highway department. He knew explosives like the back of his hand. He took care of both problems: Avery and Judge Crawford.”

“Is that why J. W. committed suicide?”

Walter ignored her comment and looked at Kendall. “Son, I should’ve told you about that a long time ago. You were so torn up over J. W.’s death.” Walter’s voice broke. “I just couldn’t stand the thought of seeing you hurt any more than you already were.”

“W-what? Sydney directed her words to Kendall. “What kind of rubbish is Walter feeding you? Surely you don’t believe any of it. J. W. probably committed suicide because he couldn’t live with fact that he’d killed two innocent people. If that’s the case, then Walter’s responsible for his death too.”

Kendall gripped Sydney’s arm harder. “You’d do best not to talk about things that you don’t understand. My dad killed himself because he was weak.”

Walter reached in his jacket and retrieved a pistol. “Well, now you know the full story. There’s only one point of interest left.” He pointed the pistol at Sydney’s chest. “Now where is the journal?”

She swallowed hard. Her eyes remained fixed on the pistol. “I told you. The journal was stolen.”

“Not good enough,” Walter said. Kendall took his cue and jerked Sydney’s arm, pinning it behind her back.

She bent over in pain. “Kendall, you’re hurting me.”

“Tell us where the journal is.”

“I’m telling you the truth. I don’t know.”

“It’s a pity you won’t tell us,” Walter said. “But I’m sure Stella will … one way or the other. Now I’ll have to take care of Stella, and she can thank you for that.”

Walter’s words were like a red flag in front of a bull. Sydney went wild. She stood up straight and ground her heel into Kendall’s foot. Kendall loosened his grip on her arm just long enough for her to lunge at Walter, knocking the gun out of his hand. Walter scrambled to pick it up and she took off in a mad sprint.

“Get her,” Walter yelled.

She could hear Kendall’s heavy footsteps behind her and felt his breath on her back. Then came the vicious yank on her hair that jerked her backwards.

“I’m getting tired of chasing you down,” he said, dragging her back to Walter.

“If we weren’t trying to make this look like an accident, I’d shoot you right now,” Walter said. “You’re a foolish girl, just like your father.”

Sydney’s chin jutted out. “You’re right. I am just like my father, and I’ll die fighting the same evil he did.”

“Well, you got the dying part right anyway.” He looked at Kendall. “I’ve got some rope in my truck. Tie her up and then put her in the warehouse. There’s going to be an accident—a fire. No one’ll ever question it. For years people have been saying this old warehouse is a tinderbox.” Kendall let go of Sydney and Walter leveled the gun at her. “If you so much as move a muscle, I’ll shoot.”

The sound of an approaching vehicle stopped Kendall in mid stride. Walter turned to look. “Who is that?”

Sydney’s heart leapt when she recognized the driver. It was Sean. He was coming to rescue her!

“It’s Sean O’Conner,” Kendall said.

Walter’s eyes narrowed. “What’s he doing here?”

Kendall shook his head. “I don’t know.”

By the time Sean got out of his truck and walked to the unfolding scene, Kendall had returned with the rope. Sean’s expression never changed as he looked from the gun Walter was holding to Sydney’s panic-stricken face.

“What’re you doing here?” Kendall asked.

Sean’s eyes cut to Kendall’s truck. “I saw you tearing up the pavement back there and thought I’d better see what was going on. Walter, I didn’t know you were part of this.”

“Well, what did you think? That an operation of this caliber runs itself? You’ve been given everything on a need-to-know basis.”

Sean nodded. “Gotcha.”

Walter’s eyes met Sean’s. “I guess the question is—can I trust you with this?”

Sean straightened to his full height. “I believe I’ve proven my worthiness on many occasions.” He looked at Kendall. “Isn’t that right?”

Kendall shrugged. “He does have a point.”

“All right,” Walter said. “We’re wasting time.” He motioned. “As you can see, we’re having a little unexpected trouble with our lady friend here and could use your help. Kendall, hand him the rope so he can tie her up.”

Sydney’s eyes flew open wide. “You! I should’ve known!”

Walter looked at Sean with a raised eyebrow. “She really hates you.”

Sean chuckled. “I seem to have that effect on women.” He stepped behind Sydney and tied her hands. “You’ve got enough rope here to tie up ten people.”

Walter lowered the pistol and looked at Kendall. “Let’s go get the stuff.”

Sydney struggled against Sean with all her might.

“Would you be still?”

“I wouldn’t give you the pleasure, you low-down double crosser.” For some strange reason, Sean’s betrayal hurt more than Kendall’s, even though she’d halfway suspected Sean of something the entire time.

“I said hold still! I’m trying not to hurt you!”

Tears sprang in her eyes. “I hate you!” That’s when his words registered. She stopped moving and tried to make sense of what he had just said.

“Listen, Syd. I’ve been playing along with these thugs to gain their confidence, but I’m on your side. If you’ll shut up and trust me, we might just both get through this alive,” he whispered in her ear.

Kendall came back. Sydney cried out when she saw that Kendall was carrying a container of kerosene. “Come on,” he said to Sean. “Let’s get this over with.”

The abandoned warehouse loomed over Sydney like the gate to hell as Sean dragged her to it. Her mind clicked through the scene like the frames of a camera. She saw the ripple of water as it lapped against the shore, felt the icy air whip her cheeks, saw a cluster of black birds flying overhead. Was this where it was destined to end? Here in this isolated place?

When they reached the building, Kendall tugged on the wooden door. It was so swollen with moisture that it took him a couple of tries to get it to budge. The damp scent of decay hit Sydney full force. Sean shoved her inside.

“Sit down.” His voice was so brutally forceful that she feared she’d only imagined the words he’d spoken a few minutes earlier.

He made her sit on the cement floor with her back against the wall as he tied up her feet and then wound the rope around her legs, holding her in a sitting position.

“I’m going to spread this kerosene around the outside,” Kendall said.

The horror of it all was swiftly overtaking Sydney. Even though Kendall hadn’t ignited the kerosene yet, she could already feel the searing heat and smell the burning flesh. Her breath was coming faster now, and she knew it would only be a few seconds before she started hyperventilating. The door was open, allowing enough light into the dark building so that she could see the outline of Sean’s face.

He touched her hair. “Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth,” he whispered.

“Don’t leave me.”

He leaned in so close that she could feel his warm breath on her face. “I’ll be back. I promise.”

And with that, he was gone.

Sean left the building and Kendall came around the corner. He held up the empty container of kerosene. “I didn’t have enough to put around the entire thing, but I think there was enough to do the trick. Did you get her taken care of?”

Sean nodded.

“Good. Now all we have to do is close the door and barricade it.” He placed the container on the ground and turned his back to Sean.

“Where’s Walter?”

“At the truck getting the matches.”

It was now or never. He only hoped he had enough time to take them one by one. Sean pushed Kendall hard, smashing his face into the side of the warehouse. Kendall stumbled to the ground, but it only took a minute for him to get his bearings. He swore under his breath and jumped to his feet and faced Sean, his eyes blazing.

Kendall lunged at Sean, knocking them both to the ground. The two traded blows, rolling in the dirt. Kendall was the first to get to his feet. Sean got up on his hands and knees and Kendall gave him a vicious kick in the ribs that was so powerful Sean felt like his body was being ripped in two. He braced himself as Kendall kicked him again and again. Sean did a side sweep with his foot and tripped Kendall, dropping him like a brick. Sean pinned him to the ground and pounded his face. Kendall reached to grab Sean in a choke hold but couldn’t get a strong enough grip to do any damage.

Just when Sean knew he had Kendall under control, a sharp pain tore through the back of his head and everything went black.

Sean went slack, and Kendall looked up to see Walter standing above him. It took Kendall a moment to realize that Walter hit Sean in the head with the handle of the pistol.

Walter’s eyes took in Kendall’s bloody face. “Looks like I got around here just in time. A few more minutes and he would’ve taken you.”

“He turned on me.”

“Yeah, I never was too sure about him anyway. It just goes to show that you never can trust an outsider. He was always a little too good to be true.”

Kendall used the sleeve of his jacket to wipe away the blood that was still trickling from his nose.

Walter nudged Sean with the tip of his shoe. “He’s out cold. Put him in the warehouse.” He paused. “Make sure you get his keys and cell phone. The last thing we need is for him to come to and try and make a phone call.” He motioned to Sean’s truck. “Take his truck and drive it into the river. It will have sunk to the bottom by the time anyone sees the fire.”

But Kendall just stood there, looking at Walter. The world stopped spinning as their eyes met. Kendall’s face crumbled. “I can’t do it.”

“What?”

He ran his hand through his hair. “I just can’t do this to Sydney.”

Walter took a deep breath. “Let’s think this thing through. You know I’d never ask you to do anything that wasn’t necessary.”

Kendall looked at the ground.

“Kendall!”

His eyes met Walter’s.

“You know that, right?”

Kendall nodded.

“Now that she knows, she won’t stop until she brings it all down around her.”

“But I can convince her, make her understand.”

Walter paused one awful moment, long enough for a twinge of hope to flicker in Kendall. “No son, I don’t think you can,” he finally said. “You’ve got to think of your mama and Emma.”

Doubt flashed in Kendall’s eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Look, I don’t care all that much what’ll happen to you or me if this gets out, but think what it’ll do to them. Think would what happen to your sweet mama if she realized what J. W. did. You’ve got to be a man and disassociate yourself from this thing. Sometimes you have to see past the unpleasantness to hold victory in your hands. Kendall! Look at me!”

Kendall’s eyes met Walter’s as the latter spoke. “You know what you need to do.”

Sydney struggled to free her hands from the ropes, but Sean had tied them too tight. Her eyes were growing accustomed to the darkness, and she tried to get a feel for her surroundings. The first thing she saw was the faint light coming in from a window up above. The window was so corroded with dust that it was barely visible in the darkness. Next she saw light spilling in around the edges of the door. She managed to half roll, half scoot, and work her way toward it. She’d almost made it when the door burst open. Kendall stepped in and threw an unconscious Sean on the floor. He paused when he realized that Sydney was right there.

Tears were streaming down her face when she looked up at him. “Please help me!”

He bent down and cupped her cheek, and she noticed that his hand was trembling.

“Kendall, don’t do this!”

He looked at her for one long moment. His eyes grew soft, and she thought he was going to help her. He backed away . “Goodbye, Sydney.”

The door slammed shut, sounding like the closing of a tomb. Darkness enveloped her.

The igniting kerosene sounded like rushing water encircling the building. A giant fist was choking Sydney. She lay on the floor, gasping for air. It was like she was watching herself in slow motion. Please, she prayed in her mind. Lord, please help me! Her mind cleared for a second, and she managed to propel herself to a sitting position. She hit her body against Sean’s. “Wake up! The building’s on fire! Sean! Sean!” It took what seemed like an eternity for him to respond.

He rolled over and opened his eyes.

“Get up! The building is burning!”

He sat up and winced, holding his rib cage. He rubbed the back of his head and squinted his eyes.

Smoke was pouring into the building, and Sydney knew it would only be a matter of time before the fire sucked out all the oxygen. She was no longer in a building with Sean but on the burning boat with Avery. A high-pitch scream started in her throat and then echoed through the building.

She felt hands on her arms, shaking her. “Listen to me! Get ahold of yourself! We’ve only got a few minutes before the building collapses! Sydney, listen to me!”

All she could see was Avery. “Dad! Dad! Don’t hurt him!” She felt a sudden slap on her face and came back to the present. Sean had not left her. She tried desperately to stave off the panic.

Sean reached for his phone, but came up empty-handed. He then pulled a pocketknife from his boot. “I’m going to cut you loose, and then we’re gonna find a way out of here.”

Sean repeatedly threw his body against the door, but it wouldn’t budge. He swore. Smoke was pouring in around them, burning their eyes and causing them to double over in spasms of coughing. He took Sydney’s hand.

“Stay down low!”

She was sobbing again. “It’s no use! They’re going to kill Stella! Everyone I ever loved has died! And now she will too … all because of me.”

“Sydney, I love you. I believe I’ve always loved you,” Sean said, then a fit of coughing overtook him. “I called for backup. They should be here in a few minutes.”

“Backup? What’re you talking about?”

“Try to stay calm. We’ll get through this together. I just hope they get here in time.”

The next words that flowed into her mind seemed to generate from outside of herself, almost as if she could hear someone else speaking them. It was the verse from the Bible that Stella had quoted. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Peace. Blessed peace. Was this the Lord’s way of telling her that she was going to die and that it was okay? Sean loved her. Stella loved her. She had to help Stella. This wasn’t just about her anymore. It was bigger than that. It was then that an idea flowed into her mind as clean and pure as the freshest water. She looked up at the window.

“Sean, I know how we can get out of here.”

“How?”

“We’re going to climb out that window and get on top of the roof. Find something heavy to tie around the end of the rope. We can sling it over that metal rafter and propel up.”

“What?” He shook his head. “It’s no good. Even if we could climb up, which I doubt because the wall’s too slick, we’ll die of smoke inhalation before we get to the top.”

There was no time to explain the miraculous peace she’d experienced or the knowledge that had flowed into her mind. “That wall is made of cinderblocks. It won’t burn like the rest of the walls. We have to at least try. Sean, I can climb anything. You have to trust me.”

“All right,” he said, reaching for the rope. He felt around and found a short two-by-four piece of lumber. “You hold this end of the rope. Don’t let go.” He tied the wood to his end and then tossed it up. It took him three tries before he managed to get the wood over the rafter. It came back down, sending the rope with it. She handed him her end, and he tied it to his.

He yanked on the rope to make sure it was secure. “I’ll go first and then pull you up.”

“Oh no, I’m the climber. I’ll go first.” She grabbed the rope out of his hands. “There’s no time to argue.”

Her eyes were burning as she looked up through the smoke. She turned her face to her shirt and attempted to breathe into it. Climbing the cinderblocks would be like walking on hot coals. An intense pain shot through her thigh when she thought about the flames from the burning walls that were closing in around her. This is not about you. Think about Stella . It was a short climb, no more than fifteen feet, but it would be the most difficult of her life. The rope cut into her hands as she used it to propel herself up. She willed herself to go higher and higher into the thick smoke. The heat from the walls burned her feet through her tennis shoes. She paused and breathed into her shirt.

“Are you all right?” Sean yelled.

“I’m fine … almost there.” Her head was spinning wildly, and she kept repeating the same prayer over and over. Please, help me. With a superhuman effort, she climbed until she was even with the window. She held onto the rope for dear life and kicked the window. “Sean,” she yelled down. “I made it to the window.” Her foot broke through the glass. She kicked it again and again until she felt the cool air rush in. A shard of glass dug into her heel. She winced and put her foot on the window frame and used it to pull herself toward the window. A moment later, she stood on the windowsill and climbed through the broken glass and onto the roof.

She let the rope fall back through the window. She laid on top of the roof for balance so she could help Sean up. Smoke used the window as a means of escape and started billowing out.

“Sean!” She coughed through the smoke then waited. “Sean! Are you okay? Answer me!” she shouted into the smoldering inferno.

Her only answer was the roaring fire.The seconds seemed to last hours. “Sean!”

She heard the coughing first and then her name. “Sydney!”

“I’m here,” she called. She looked through the window and saw the top of Sean’s head. “Just a little farther!”

He looked up at her.

“Give me your hand!”

He caught hold of her hand and she helped pull him up on the roof. He rolled over and a string of coughs racked his body.

A loud bang caused them both to flinch. They looked in horror as the far side of the roof disappeared. Sydney stood. “The roof’s collapsing! Get up! We have to get off!”

“But how?”

Sydney looked out at the water. Her eyes locked with Sean’s. He grabbed her hand and they ran to the edge.

“Are you ready?”

“Jump!”

The sound of the sirens was so faint at first that Sydney felt she’d only imagined it. She was alive! Swim! She needed to swim!

Several men were waiting for Sydney and Sean when they reached the bank of the river. They helped pull them from the water where they both collapsed on the ground. Sydney’s body was shaking like jello. She tried to sit up. A policeman in his mid twenties knelt beside her and draped a blanket around her shoulders. Under different circumstances, Sydney would have recognized him as the man who questioned her after the journal was stolen. “Your hands are bleeding and you’re in shock. We need to get you to the hospital.”

Sydney looked down. The rope had cut into her hands, leaving bloody streaks, and she hadn’t even noticed. “Stella! I have to help Stella!” She struggled to her feet and stumbled. The police officer moved to steady her.

“Whoa. Take it easy ma’am. You’re not going anywhere. We need to get you to the hospital.” He looked down. “Your foot is bleeding.”

She slapped his hand away. “They’re after Stella! I have to warn her!” She took a step forward.

The officer held out his hand to stop her. “Hold it.”

Sean was at her side in an instant. He rose to his full height and glared at the young officer. “I know you mean well, but it would be in your best interest to let the lady be.”

“And just who do you think you are?” He eyed Sean’s disheveled appearance. Drops of water were trickling down his face. His torn shirt was clinging to his chest, and a swollen purple bruise was forming around his left eye. A cut followed the line of his cheekbone.

“I’m Special Agent Sean Corbin, FBI.”

“You’re who?”

“I don’t have my badge on me, but I’ll be happy to supply the number so you can verify it. Also, I’ll give you the number of my office.”

The officer went to jot down the information but fumbled with his pen and dropped it. Sean had to lean down and retrieve it for him. The police chief stepped into the conversation.

Sean extended his hand. “Sean Corbin, FBI.”

After shaking Sean’s hand, the chief shook his head. “Well, I’ll be.”

He patted the young officer on the shoulder. “Son, I’ll take it from here. Why don’t you go and take some statements from the onlookers? I reckon you’ll find one of them who saw most of it.” He looked at Sean. “Let’s you and me walk over yonder to my car, and you can tell me how it is that you happen to be here in these parts.”

Now that her adrenaline was wearing off, Sydney realized that she was freezing. She turned to Sean. “I have to get to Stella,” she said through chattering teeth.

“Chief, the men who attempted to murder the both of us threatened to harm her grandmother. If it’s all the same to you, maybe we could continue our conversation on the way to Stella McClain’s house.”

The chief’s eyes widened as he looked at Sydney, who at the moment looked like a drowned rat that was trying to shake itself dry. “I’ve known Stella McClain for years. I was good friends with her son … um, I mean her late son. She’s your grandmother?”

Sydney clenched her fists. “Yes, she’s my grandmother! Could we please go? Every minute we stand here talking puts her at a greater risk!”

“Certainly, ma’am.”

“And please, blast the heat. We’re freezing to death!” Sean said, hugging his arms.