Page 131 of Disarming Caine

His eyes snapped open, focused on the place at the back of the room where the Scotts had fallen. “You could have just come peacefully!”

A buzzing sounded behind me. Someone was calling Samantha.

“Alright.” Her voice was surprisingly steady throughout the entire ordeal. “Now that they’re all taken care of, let’s—”

Jimmy waved the gun in our direction, using it as a pointer. “This wasn’t how it was supposed to go tonight.”

“That’s okay, Jimmy,” she said. “It was obviously self-defense.”

“She was right,” he said, staring up at the burned ceiling.

Another step. I let go of Samantha’s hand but saw her in my periphery. She moved with me, staying to my side, where part of my body still blocked hers. For once, not trying to be the reckless protector. Letting me domyjob.

“Olivia wasn’t right about anything,” she said. “You’re not useless. Look at how much good you’ve done for Brenton. You were there for me when Parker came after us. There for both of us after he attacked the Ferraro’s studio.”

How long until Janelle and the backup arrived? Did we have enough time? Keep him talking, distracted. That was her play.

Jimmy shook his head. “No, Sammy, I mean Kim. You asked how she felt about me volunteering for New Year’s Eve? Truth is, she left me two months ago. Took the kids and just left. I never was good enough for her.”

I inclined my head, maintaining the same calm as she did. “I feel the same way about Samantha.”

He pulled back an inch. “Seriously? Rich, handsome guy like you?”

“Sì, of course. We all feel like that at times.”

“Nah, this ain’t justat times, doc.” His gaze fell to the floor, and he gestured behind the burned couch where the Scotts lay.

Another step.

“Kim hadn’t been happy for years. Said I wasn’t home enough, but I mean, I’d always planned on being a cop. She knew that.” His gaze rose again. “You gotta let someone be who they are, you know?”

The buzzing came from behind me again. Jimmy’s head tilted to look at Samantha, but before he got too suspicious, I brought his attention back to me, where it belonged.

“So, who are you, Jimmy?”

His focus returned to me, eyes crinkling around the edges, like he didn’t understand the question. “I don’t know why I started—maybe it was bitterness—but I let a few people get away with things. Shoplifter here, graffiti there. Problem is, you start doing stuff like that and certain people take notice. They expect you to keep doing it.”

I gestured to the back of the room. “And that’s how you got involved with the Scotts?”

“It went from some bogus contractor to Roger to his girlfriend, there, and her painting. They started paying me to do more and I thought maybe the money could help change Kim’s mind.” He flailed a hand in the direction of the bodies. “But then I got in with Parker and that’s where things got bad. His buddies at that pawnshop in Detroit had me—”

“Which one?” blurted Samantha, but Jimmy didn’t seem to register it.

“—sneaking items into buildings before fires. Planting evidence.” He tapped his forehead with the butt of his gun, walking closer to us until he stood next to the remains of a grand piano. He was maybe twenty feet away, which might be close enough to get to him before he could aim. “You wanna know who I am? I’m nothing more than a dirty cop.”

“No, Jimmy.” I put up my hands and gave him a rueful smile, my calm exterior in dramatic contrast to the terrified energy zipping around inside me. “You’re a man who was pushed to the edge.”

Samantha came closer to me. With Jimmy’s change in position, she was half-hidden by the left side of my body. She touched my back with her right hand, out of his view. Five fingers making very deliberate contact. “Let us help.”

Jimmy spoke right over Samantha. “I’m stuck, doc. Once I did one thing for those guys, they had me covering for their golden boy, Parker. Geez-o-Pete, but am I glad that guy’s locked up. He lost it after you two ruined the auction for him. They were gonna cut him loose, but he talked them into giving him a second chance with those paintings, which you two spoiled yet again.”

“Who are they, Jimmy?” asked Samantha.

Marone, woman.I was focused on saving our lives and she still insisted on solving every crime on the planet.

“Thing is, I didn’t wanna hurt anyone. I told Parker I was throwing his ass in jail after he went to your hotel, but he threatened to tell everyone what I’ve been doing, so I found someone else. And then this kidnapping idea was the only thing I could think of to keep you safe. But you two ruined that plan, too.” Jimmy’s gaze fell toward the bodies, and Samantha and I took a small step in unison. “Then David and Olivia, they told you too much. What am I supposed to do now?”

Samantha shifted further behind me, withdrew her fingers, coughed, and put her hand back. “Just let us go, Jimmy. We won’t tell anyone you killed David and Olivia.”