Baltimore 03 - Did You Miss Me?

crime scene through his eyes . What did he experience?
    ‘ Your little brother found her. Where were you?’
    ‘Iraq,’ Doug said tightly.
    ‘Oh. I see. It must have taken you a while to get home.’
    ‘A week,’ Doug said.
    ‘Who cleaned up the mess?’ she asked and watched his face flatten in surprise.
    ‘I did.’
    ‘I’ve seen photos of suicide scenes. Never had to clean one up. That must have been rough on you. Especially since it was your mother. You obviously loved her.’
    He swallowed hard. Under her chin he bobbled the gun a fraction before jabbing it hard against her once again. ‘I did. But she was sad. All the time. She drank.’ He snarled. ‘Because of you.’
    ‘Did you see her drink?’
    ‘No. She told me she never wanted Cole to see her drink.’
    ‘It must be hard to reconcile that woman with the one who could let her son see her brains and blood sprayed all over.’ He flinched and Daphne knew she’d hit a nerve.
    But then he stilled, the roiling emotion in his eyes settling to a cold, static, calm.
    ‘It is,’ he said levelly. ‘She must have been out of her mind with grief to do such a thing. That’s the point you drove her to. Thank you for reminding me so clearly of why I hated you long before I knew your name.’
    He was no longer furious with her. He no longer trembled with rage. He was in deliberate control. Way to go, girl . You brought a cold-blooded killer back in touch with his inner zen . Her mind raced as they locked gazes, his gun now steady under her chin.
    How do I engage him? I pushed him too far . He’ll kill me now .
    The room was quiet, the only sound that of their breathing. His was slow and unhurried. Hers was rapidly speeding up as panic gained a toehold.
    ‘Mitch!’ The shout came from outside the door. Joseph.
    ‘You got that car, Carter?’
    ‘No. But I do have something you want.’
    ‘I want the car. You want the woman. I thought we had an understanding.’
    ‘I think we will. Listen up.’
    ‘Mitch?’ It was a young boy’s voice, amplified as though he spoke through a speaker phone. ‘It’s me. Cole.’
    Doug’s head jerked up and the gun under her chin momentarily dropped away. If they had a sniper poised outside the window, this might be her only chance to give them a shot that didn’t threaten her as well. She threw herself to one side, putting more distance between her and his gun. Then she looked up, and it was déjà vu all over again.
    Doug straddled her hips, his gun in her face even closer than Marina’s had been when this whole nightmare started. But his breaths weren’t so steady anymore. ‘Are you okay? Where are you?’ He spoke over his shoulder, toward the door.
    ‘I’m okay.’ The boy didn’t sound okay. He sounded scared. ‘Kimberly knocked me out. Stole your van. What the hell are you doing, Mitch? They say you have a hostage. For God’s sake, let her go! Stop this craziness.’
    ‘I can’t.’ The gun in Daphne’s face began to shake as Doug’s hands trembled. ‘I won’t go back to prison. I won’t.’
    ‘Mitch, dammit.’ The boy was crying, Daphne realized. And from the devastation in his eyes, Doug realized it too. ‘They’ll kill you before they let you take her, Mitch. You know I’m right. I’d rather visit you in prison than in a cemetery. Let her go.’
    ‘Thank you, Cole,’ Joseph said, his voice closer. He was right outside the door. ‘I’m going to ask my associate to take back his phone now. Clay?’
    Daphne blinked in surprise. But she said nothing, watching for the next opportunity to get away from the gun still pointed at her face.
    ‘The boy isn’t listening anymore,’ Clay said. ‘Do what you need to do.’
    ‘What you need to do is back the fuck off,’ Doug snarled, shoving his gun up against her forehead. ‘I’m not going back to prison. You’ll have to kill me first.’
    ‘I’m okay with that,’ Joseph said quietly, still at the door. ‘Really okay.’
    Doug’s smile was sharp and cruel. ‘I figured you would be. I also figure I have one good second to pop her head off before you kill me.’
    He was a man with nothing to lose, Daphne thought. I’m going to die .
    Suddenly she had nothing to lose either. He’d kill her if she didn’t do something. Divert him . Get him upset . Talk about his mother . The mother who ate her gun with a five-year-old in the house . The little boy found his mother . Hell of a mother .
    A thought occurred to her and her eyes