Storm Warning by David Bell

Author:David Bell [Bell, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-06-25T00:00:00+00:00

FORTY-THREE

10:44 P.M.

Stanley and I move down the walkway toward Lloyd’s apartment.

I place my hand on Stanley’s arm, stopping him three doors from Lloyd’s place. The wind rattles the palm fronds with such force they sound like a stadium full of clapping hands. When one gets loose, it flies through the air and smacks the stucco on the outside of the building.

“Do you really think he killed Dallas?”

“That key is a pretty damning piece of evidence.”

“Sure, but—”

“Do you believe that cockamamie story about finding it on the ground? We all know it was on Dallas’ body.”

“It always was.”

“Jake, I learned something in the service. Sometimes you have to make tough decisions for the greater good. And sometimes it hurts to make them. This is one of those situations. But we’re doing the best with what we have.”

“Right.” I nod, trying to talk myself into agreeing with him. “Right. We’ll let the cops sort it all out when this is over.”

“Exactly.” Stanley claps me on the shoulder. “Now let’s get the hell out of this mess and inside, where it’s dry.”

We deliver the coded knock to Lloyd’s door. When Nina opens it, Mackenzie rushes across the room and throws her arms around me.

Jordan is less dramatic but not far behind. “Thank God you’re back.” She puts her hand in mine when she reaches me.

Everyone looks incredibly relieved to see us, especially Ethan.

“Did you take care of him?” Ethan asks. “You guys have been gone a long time.”

“He’s secure,” I say. “And safe. In Alaina’s apartment.”

“Oh…okay, that’s good. I guess.”

“You guess?” I ask. “What did you want us to do to him?”

“I don’t know. It’s just—he’s dangerous.”

“His hands and feet are tied to each other, Ethan. And he’s tied to a chair. I don’t see how he could get out of that mess unless he’s Houdini. That’s really all we can do.”

Everyone—and I mean everyone—starts throwing questions at us. They all want to know what happened. What we were doing and why it took so long. I feel like a politician at a press conference.

“Didn’t you tell them?” I ask Ethan.

“I couldn’t do it. I was afraid it would be too triggering.”

“To tell them the truth?”

“The truth is always the hardest.”

I have to force myself not to roll my eyes. “Okay, I’ll tell you all what happened. Just let me get it out.”

I give them a quick rundown. Going up to Ethan’s place and finding Isaac on the way. Learning Ethan had been attacked—presumably by Tyler. And how when Tyler showed up in Ethan’s apartment, we used the gun to control him and found Dallas’ passkey in his pocket.

When I share this bit of news, everyone in the room except Ethan and Stanley gasps. If we were in a court of law, I would have just won over the jury. No doubt about it. I finish by telling them how we tied up Tyler in Alaina’s apartment.

“What happened when Tyler left here?” I ask. “Why did he come looking for us?”

Lloyd speaks up right away.

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