4th of July

Chapter 134

I PUT THE GUN down on a table and grabbed Cat and Meredith into one fierce hug.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m so sorry.”

“I called and called,” Cat said into the crook of my shoulder. Then she pulled away from me.

“Don’t arrest me, okay?”

I picked Brigid up and wrapped her in a hug, kissed her damp cheek, held her dear head with my hand. “Martha and I didn’t mean to scare you, honey.”

“Are you staying with us, Aunt Lindsay?”

“Just for the night, sweetie.”

Cat turned on a light and looked around at the spackled bullet holes in the wall.

“You didn’t pick up,” Cat said. “And the answering machine said it was full.”

“It was full of reporters,” I told her, my heart still galloping. “Please forgive me for scaring the crap out of you.”

Cat reached out with her free arm, hooked my head toward her face, and kissed my check.

“You’re a damned scary cop, you know?”

I walked with Cat and the girls to their room, where we calmed ourselves as well as the sniffling children. We got them into their pajamas and tucked into their beds.

“I’ve been listening to the news,” Cat said as she closed the door to the girls’ room behind us. “Is it true? You caught the guy and it turns out to be Keith? I know Keith. I liked him.”

“Yeah. I liked him, too.”

“And what’s that car in the driveway? It looks like Uncle Dougie’s car.”

“I know. It’s a present for you.”

“Come on. Really?”

“A house gift, Cat. I want you to have it.”

I hugged my sister again really hard. I wanted to say, “Everything’s fine now. We got the bastard.” But instead I said, “We’ll go for a test drive tomorrow.”

I said good-night, and as my sister turned the taps for a bath, I took Martha down the hall and opened the bedroom door. I switched on the light and froze in the doorway.

Actually, I almost screamed again.