Murder Deja Vu

there. Anyone would assume that if you’d come to the house, we’d be together.”
    “When Frank went into a fit of coughing,” Lana said, “they both looked like they wanted to escape, like they might catch whatever Frank had. I watched them leave and saw your car. I had to warn you, so I ran to ask them to take me to the drugstore for medication. They did.”
    “She’s brilliant, isn’t she?” Frank said, reaching across the table for her hand. “And a quick-thinker too. I didn’t see the car. Not that I could have done anything about it.”
    “I did the first thing that came into my mind,” Lana said.
    “The locals would be pissed if the feds came in and stole their thunder,” Frank said. “You’re big time now.”
    Reece took Dana by the shoulders. “I want you to turn yourself in. I’ll take you to Maine. Say I forced you to go with me. Say I—”
    “No, I won’t do it. You can’t make me lie to them, Reece.”
    “Don’t you see, when I’m caught, and I will be, you’ll go down with me.” He turned to Frank. “Tell her.”
    “He’s right, Dana. You’ll be an accessory.”
    “But he didn’t do anything.” Tears streaked her cheeks.
    “And if I didn’t know better,” Reece said, “I’d say you were right. They couldn’t convict an innocent man. But I can’t say that, because they did, and DNA testing is proving every day that I wasn’t the only one.”
    Lana sat on the arm of Frank’s chair. “If this were Frank, I wouldn’t turn myself in either. And he couldn’t make me.”
    “Noble, my love,” Frank said, patting her hand, “but foolish. Let’s discuss this later. I’m hungry, if you can believe that. I haven’t been hungry in a long time, and Lana made my favorite chicken dish. Must be all the time I waited across the street for her to come get me and walk me back. Revved my appetite.”
    Reece put his arm around Dana’s shoulders. “We’ll talk later.”
    “You won’t convince me.”
    Again, Lana had set a beautiful table. Reece offered to help Frank to his seat, but he nudged his head in Lana’s direction. Reece understood. Lana wanted to do this, and for as long as she was capable, Frank let her. The scene both exhilarated and touched Reece, and he forced his emotion to remain locked inside. A quick glance at Dana confirmed she fought the same battle.
    Lana served everyone. Reece hadn’t eaten all day, and Lana’s chicken dish was five-star fare. “Amazing, Lana,” he said when he cleaned his plate.
    “Another recipe Reece has to have,” Dana said, poking an elbow in Reece’s ribs.
    At that moment, Reece pushed himself back from the table. “Jesus, we’re sitting around here eating and talking like nothing’s happened. Exchanging fucking recipes. Like every law enforcement agency in the country isn’t after me for two murders. I can’t even go to the window and look at the ocean, afraid someone’s watching. It’s been pure luck we haven’t been caught.” He slammed his fist against the wall. “How did this happen?”
    He couldn’t look at anyone. Frustration had boiled up inside, and he lost his temper. One more day. That’s all he needed to check out Steve and Jordan. Which one was a murderer? And always Carl loomed in the back of his mind. The legends of brother turning against brother were as old as Cain and Abel, Romulus and Remus.
    Dana’s hands on his shoulders, rubbing and massaging, caused him to flinch. “Don’t. Your touch makes it worse, because I know you shouldn’t be here.”
    “I’m not letting you get in a mood,” Dana said. “We can do this, Reece.”
    He turned. “We? We can land in jail. Do you know what will happen to you? Let me tell you.”
    “Reece, stop.”
    Frank’s normally weak voice resonated with a force Reece hadn’t heard from his friend since they arrived.
    “Don’t,” Frank said again.
    “I don’t want her hurt.”
    “I know. But there’s nothing you can do now except be extra careful when you leave tomorrow. She’s safe here. They won’t be back. The police have searched the apartment, and all the feds saw here were a dying man and his loyal companion.”
    “One more day,” Reece said. “That’s all I need. If I don’t find out tomorrow, I’ll turn myself in.”
    Dana gasped. “You can’t.”
    “I can’t keep running. I’m not made that way. And I don’t want you to.” Tears filled Dana’s eyes as he watched. He couldn’t, wouldn’t, compound the problem.