Home

Chapter 36

The police brought up the body four hours later.

Hunter Moore was in the hospital for his bullet wounds. He would be okay. Vada Linna was fine. She had told Win and Brooke the entire truth. That was indeed why she’d come back. Hunter might be up on kidnapping charges. It was hard to know for sure.

Nancy Moore had been taken into custody, but her attorney, Hester Crimstein, got her out on her own recognizance within the hour. Nancy had been correct. No serious charges would stick to her.

Win said, “You should go home.”

Myron shook his head. He had stayed this long. He wasn’t leaving yet.

The body was just bones now, but the clothing was intact. Brooke walked over and stroked the red sweatshirt and the blue jeans.

“Rhys’s,” she said.

Brooke stood without another word and started back toward her car. Win followed, but she shook her head. “You go back with Myron. I need time alone. And I need to tell Chick myself.”

Win said, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I love you,” she said, “but I don’t really care what you think.”

They watched Brooke walk away with her spine straight. She got into the car and drove away.

“Come on,” Win said. “Let’s go home.”

Win drove. A few minutes into the ride, Mickey called for an update. Ema and Spoon were with him.

“It’s over,” Myron said to his nephew.

“You found Rhys?”

“He’s dead.”

Myron could hear Mickey tell Ema. Then he could hear Ema cry.

Win parked the car in the garage behind the Dakota. When they entered the apartment, Terese threw her arms around both of them. They stayed like that until Win’s phone buzzed. Win excused himself and said good night. Myron looked deep into Terese’s eyes.

“I can’t wait to marry you,” he said.

He took a long hot shower. Terese joined him. They didn’t speak. Not yet. Not tonight. They made love. It was fierce and raw and perfect and maybe even healing. Myron didn’t so much fall asleep in his fiancée’s arms as pass out. He didn’t dream. He just stayed in her arms for a long time. An hour. Maybe two.

And then the small chill started running up his spine.

“What is it?” Terese said. “What’s the matter?”

“The gun,” Myron said.

“What gun?”

“Patrick had a gun,” Myron said. “What happened to it?”