A Killing Rain by P.J. Parrish

Author:P.J. Parrish [Parrish, P.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Thriller
Publisher: Our Noir
Published: 2013-08-28T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 25

Monday, January 18

It was morning but the kitchen was full of shadows, the overhead florescent light weak and flickering. They could hear the steady patter of another day’s rain against the windows, but all the bad jokes about it had stopped long ago.

Chief Wainwright sat at the small yellow table, an empty coffee mug and a plate of untouched toast in front of him. His white hair was wet, combed back away from his lined face. Bags of flesh hung under his eyes, seeming to pull down his face.

Austin was seated on Wainwright’s right. He wore the same clothes he had been in last night, the khakis and pink shirt. Louis knew he had slept in them, if he had slept at all.

Susan was standing at the sink, her back to the window. She wore a white chenille robe, her hair pulled back with a white scrunchie. Her face was etched with a deep pain, but her eyes held a look of renewed determination.

Louis hadn’t spoken to her last night. By the time he had come in from the Florida room, she had been asleep. He had closed her door and stretched out on the sofa, but the pain in his chest had made sleep difficult.

“I wanted to talk to all of you before I left this morning,” Wainwright said. “I think I have a plan but before I put it in motion, I wanted to make sure we are all on the same page.”

The kitchen was quiet as they waited for Wainwright to go on.

“I think we all know now that this was never about the money,” Wainwright said. “They were after Outlaw, plain and simple.” His eyes drifted to Austin. “I wish I knew why.”

Austin shifted in his chair and when no one spoke, he glanced around quickly then crossed his arms over his chest.

“I told you I don’t know,” he said tightly. “I borrowed the money from the business and the only person who might be pissed about that is Wallace Sorrell and he’s dead now, isn’t he?”

Susan glared at him. “You stole the money.”

Austin’s eyes slid to her. “Whatever. But unless Wallace was into things I don’t know about and that money was owed to someone else, I got nothing for you guys. Nothing.”

“As usual,” Susan said.

“Mrs. Outlaw, please,” Wainwright said. “Just listen to me for a minute. So far, we’ve been waiting on them to communicate with us and after last night I don’t think they’re going to call us with another ransom demand since now they know that we know all they ever wanted was Outlaw.”

“Then let’s give him to them,” Susan said.

“Ma’am,” Wainwright said, a hint of impatience in his voice. “You know we can’t do that. We can’t trade your husband for your son.”

Susan’s mouth opened to respond, but she closed it quickly, biting back her words. Louis was pretty sure it was damn close to “Why not?"

Wainwright stood up. “All right. Here’s the plan.”

He took a breath, and stuck his hands in the pockets of his uniform pants.

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