Page 55 of Every Last One

The man snatched Maria by the wrist. “Only God can help you if you go out that door.”

“You fucking bastard! You didn’t have to shoot him!” Maria was shaking, but her eyes were steel.

“Mommy?” The sound of Phoebe’s cherubic voice stood in contrast to the hell in this room.

Gail took her daughter’s hand. “It’s all right, baby. Everything is going to be all right.”

“I’ll be the one who says what will be all right or not. You hear me?” the gunman hissed. “Son of a… Urr.” He gripped at his hair.

The reading on Phoebe’s heart monitor ticked up speed and became erratic.

Gail stepped forward, standing on her toes to put her eyes near level with his. Face to face, she buckled inwardly as it sank in that this man could end her life with a bullet, Phoebe’s too. But to hell if she’d let him frighten her daughter to death. “You will back off. You hearme?”

“And why would I do that?”

Gail’s eyes drifted briefly to Nurse Torres, who was slowly shaking her head. She proceeded anyhow. “You might be a shit, but you’re hurting a little girl here.Mylittle girl, and I won’t stand for that. Am I understood?”

The man stared back at her, but she held her ground, stiffened and squared her shoulders.

“Am I understood?” she repeated, talking firmer than she imagined possible. Tremors danced through her body.

The man said nothing, didn’t move, and Gail was just about to scream out when someone spoke. It wasn’t anyone in this room. Then she remembered she had found a lucid moment to call 911 between Maria being taken from the room and the gun going off.

“Who is that?” The man angled his head.

The voice sounded again.

“Where is that coming—” He met her eye. “It’s you. You’re on your phone?” He moved like he was going to search her, and the thought of his hands roaming her body had her gagging.

She was pinned in a corner in more ways than one. Squeezing past him was risky and would leave Phoebe completely exposed. If she denied his accusation that might anger him more than her trespass. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and held the device in front of his face. “Say hi to the nine-one-one operator.”

“You bitch!”

He slapped her across the face with such force that she lost her balance and toppled to the floor. Her phone went flying across the room. She instinctively cried out and silenced herself as her vision pinpricked and was bathed in white light.

There was a crunching noise, and she was quite certain he’d stomped on her phone, destroying it.

The heart monitor was beeping loudly. There was movement in the room and words spoken between the gunman and Nurse Torres. All while Gail lay helpless on the floor, her sweet, innocent daughter was going into cardiac arrest, and there was nothing she could do for her.

Everything in her world faded to black.

THIRTY

2:50 PM

Eric double-checked the address, and this was the place. Celeste Barrington’s house could handle a little TLC. He knocked on the door, in one way hoping no one would answer. That would strongly suggest that Barrington was the woman in the boardroom. He raised his hand to knock a second time, but the sound of footsteps stopped him.

The door swung open, and a man in his thirties stood there, looking like Eric had disturbed his afternoon nap.

Eric flashed his badge and tucked it away. “Detective Birch. I’m looking to speak with Celeste Barrington.”

“She’s not home.” The guy pulled on the door to shut it again, but Eric stepped in to prevent that from happening.

“Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. Where is she?”

The man held up a hand. “She said she had some job interviews today.”

A lie to cover her real intention?“Your name and relationship with Celeste Barrington?”