Blood Red

Brian was making all sorts of noises, but none of them were coherent. Danny was as still as a statue, his eyes looked half-glazed, but Boyd knew it was just how he got ready to fire a weapon.

“No, I don’t think so.” Freemont’s wife shook her head. “We have unfinished business with Brian.”

“I’m not kidding here, lady. Put him down.”

He took the time to aim at her shoulder. He didn’t want to shoot a pregnant woman, but if he had to, he would.

“You can have him when we’re done.” She rose straight up into the air, and the other women followed her example. Boyd forgot all about the pistol in his hand as they rose higher and higher, taking a screaming Brian Freemont into the air with them. Boyd just kept watching until they were almost gone.

He put his piece away.

“This is one of those Red Lady moments, Richie.”

Boyd looked over at Danny and nodded. “Yeah. I’m gonna have to give a big ten-four on that.”

“You get to call it in.”

“Call what in?”

“The disappearance of Brian Freemont and the wrecking of the car.”

“This wasn’t a disappearance.”

“No?”

“Fuck no. This was kidnapping.”

“Were they wearing Halloween makeup?”

“I hope so. I really fucken hope so.”

Several people had come out of the diner and were looking at the remains of the car. Boyd shot one of them a murderous look when he started walking over to investigate. “Get the hell away from there!” The kid backed up fast, his eyes wide. “Do you really need the fucken yellow crime scene tape, bright boy? Go back inside and eat your food. All of you!” A few comments came from the crowd, but they listened.

Danny shook his head. “You gotta worry about some of these assholes.”

“I gotta worry about filling out the fucken reports. You worry about the assholes.” He pulled out his cell phone and started dialing. “I’m calling Whalen and Longwood. We can’t do a damned thing until we get gloves.”

“What do you think they’re gonna do to him?”

“Same thing we were hoping Lockley was gonna do.”

“That’s not gonna be pretty.”

“Neither was he.”

“Should I feel bad for him, Richie?”

Boyd shook his head and grinned as Whalen answered her phone. “Nancy? Hi, Boyd here. We got a situation you might want to know about.”

“Boyd? What are you doing calling my house at . . . twelve-fifteen at night?”

Somewhere in the background he heard the grumbling noises of Nancy’s husband. “I’m calling you to an investigation.”

“You know, you have crappy timing.”

“What? You were about to get lucky?”

“No, asshole, I was getting lucky.”

“Yeah? I’ll send your husband a dozen roses and an apology note.” He supposed it was wrong to be happy about interfering in their love lives, but he took his petty little victories where he could.

“Better get to the store, Boyd. He says he’s coming with me.”

He was glad she was only teasing. “Would he take donuts instead?”

“If it’s got a hole he can fuck, probably.”

Boyd laughed out loud until his face was red. When he was calmer and Nancy was done calling him names on the phone, he told her where they were and explained a little about the situation.

She told him she’d be there in twenty minutes.

“You live five minutes away.”

“Can’t leave the poor bastard suffering, Boyd.”

“I was gonna give him donuts . . .”

“There would be that waiting time. He isn’t really a patient soul.”

“Okay, I don’t need to think about what you’re doing to make him groan, so I’m getting off the phone, Whalen.” That was true. She frustrated him enough without extra help.

“You sure? I was gonna let you listen. It’s kind of kinky that way.”

He hung up the phone, not one hundred percent sure she was joking and very bothered by that notion.

Danny was looking at him and grinning like a chimpanzee again.

“Not a fucken word, Danny.”

“Who, me?” He managed the innocent look for all of two seconds before he cracked up.

Boyd shook his head and tried to get the idea of Nancy Whalen naked out of his skull. He threw the phone to Danny. “You call Longwood, dickhead.”

He was still trying to figure out how to explain the flying-away part of the kidnapping when the other detectives showed up. Nancy was wearing tight jeans. He hated her a little for that. The worst part was, she knew it and reveled in his discomfort.

II

Kelli woke up from a deep sleep feeling invigorated. She hadn’t enjoyed a good night’s sleep in over a week. Her body desperatelyneeded it and so did her mind, so it was like heaven when she awoke fully rested.

Erika was on the phone when she stepped into the kitchen. Breakfast was ready; cereal and milk, and not just any cereal but generic corn flakes. They tasted like paradise.

No coffee made, so she hit the Mountain Dew stash she’d picked up on the way over. Erika had helped herself to two already.