Baltimore 03 - Did You Miss Me?

narrowed. ‘Tell me about the gun your mother used to kill herself, Doug. Had she purchased it herself? Was it a family gun?’
    Doug’s brows drew tight. ‘No to all. Why?’
    ‘Did she keep firearms?’
    ‘No,’ he bit out. He shoved his own gun harder against her forehead.
    ‘Hal was very angry with your mother the day I moved out of that rowhouse and into my own apartment. She killed herself the day after she saw me. That would have been hours after I saw Hal.’ She had Doug’s attention now. ‘Maybe she didn’t kill herself after all, Doug. Maybe Hal killed her. If you kill me and Agent Carter kills you, you’ll never know for sure.’
    ‘You’re messing with my mind,’ Doug gritted out.
    Whatever it takes . ‘ How would she have gotten a gun to kill herself? She couldn’t have. It’s obvious if you think about it that Hal killed her! I’m just trying to help you see the truth. I may be the only one who ever has.’
    He stared down at her and she stared up, not daring to breathe.
    A familiar voice broke the deadlocked silence. ‘Let me go!’
    And once more with the déjà vu , Daphne thought. It sounded like Hal. But it couldn’t be. Could it? Of course it could. She’d believe nearly anything at this point.
    ‘Get your hands off her!’ the familiar voice cried. ‘You worthless piece of shit. You’re not fit to touch her. Get off her now! ’
    Doug twisted to look over his shoulder, a frown of disbelief on his face. In the space of seconds the pressure of the gun pressing into her forehead lifted and Daphne rolled to the right, knocking him off balance.
    The door flew open, a series of shots cracking the air, shattering the window over her head.
    Doug fell on top of her. He didn’t get up.
    Daphne’s heart was clawing out of her chest. Joseph was on one knee, arm outstretched, gun in his hand. Kate Coppola stood behind him, framed by the open door, slowly lowering a rifle from her shoulder.
    Both stared at their target, which had been Doug’s head. Which was now a good bit smaller than it had been. Daphne shoved at Doug’s shoulder, but he didn’t move. Didn’t even budge. ‘Get him off me. Please .’
    Joseph quickly pulled Daphne out from under Doug’s lifeless body. His hands were shaking, his face pale as he knelt beside her, frantically searching her for injuries.
    ‘I’m okay,’ she said. ‘I’m okay.’ Wordlessly he yanked her into his arms and rocked her back and forth. His whole body trembled. She laid her head on his shoulder. ‘I’m okay, Joseph. You saved me.’
    He shuddered. ‘Oh God. I thought he’d kill you. I thought . . .’
    He thought he’d have to watch me die . Just like Jo .
    He kissed her hair, then pulled back far enough to see her face, then he was kissing her mouth, long and hard and deep. When he was done, he hugged her hard and said, ‘You were brilliant, baiting him. Don’t ever do it again.’ She patted his back until she felt his terror ebb. He pulled back, relief now mixed with embarrassment. ‘You’re soothing me. I should be soothing you. What do you need?’
    ‘To go home,’ she whispered. Daphne held on to Joseph as he gently lifted her to her feet. ‘I just want to take my son and go home.’
    Thursday, December 5, 3.50 P.M.
    Ford was in a haze, just coming out of whatever Doug had given him. His head felt like it was filled with cotton, hungover and hurting. He pushed himself to his knees, realizing he was in the back seat of Joseph Carter’s SUV. There was a cop standing near the SUV. Two cops. Standing guard. What the hell?
    And then it came rushing back – his mother getting out of the SUV . . . The needle in his arm . . . The state trooper who—
    My God . It was the trooper. He drugged me . The knowledge came at almost the same time as he realized he was alone in Carter’s SUV.
    ‘Mom?’ His heart stopped. She was gone .
    He scrambled to sit upright, fighting the nausea that had plagued him every time he clawed his way back to consciousness. The first thing he saw was Beckett’s garage, the one that hurt his mother so much to return to.
    Deacon stood near the door into the garage, his hand gripping Tasha’s collar. Tasha had been in the back of Deacon’s SUV. Deacon must have let her out . Why?
    Joseph Carter was standing in front of the door into the garage, a woman standing behind him. The woman had a rifle on her shoulder. Joseph had his gun drawn too, but the agent had his cell phone in his