Living with the Dead
Page 54
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"Shit. Guess I'm not quite the sleuth I thought I was. I honestly never noticed anyone else. But if you think that's her..."
He didn't think; he knew.
"And you think it can't be a coincidence she's here," Damon continued.
Again, Finn knew it. "Look where she is. You said yourself she doesn't look like the sort to sneak in. And if she is, she's picked a hell of a spot. Everyone can see her. Besides, she's wearing an admission band."
"Wearing... ? Damn. Missed that, too. I'm striking out tonight. What's she doing, then?"
"Or who is she looking for?"
Damon didn't seem to hear Finn, having already figured it out and started moving toward her, cutting through the crowds the way only a ghost could.
She was maybe twenty, average height and skinny with dark blond hair cut to her shoulders. With her mousy hair, long face and sallow complexion, she was the sort of girl you expected to see at a state college, walking alone, avoiding eye contact, books clutched to her chest.
She wasn't avoiding eye contact now. Her mouth was set in a hard line. As she found a gap where she could squeeze through the fence, she shot the onlookers a scowl that dared them to comment. At least a dozen people watched her, not one saying a word, all presuming if she was doing it so openly, she was allowed to.
Finn placed a call to dispatch, giving the girl's description and requesting immediate backup. "Immediate," though, wasn't going to be fast enough.
He intercepted her. "Miss?"
That glower swung up at him. He saw a flicker of something blander, as if she was trying to force a more polite expression for him. After a moment, she gave up.
"Yes?"
Finn flashed his badge, too quick for her to read it, hoping for a reaction without pushing her to panic. But her expression didn't change.
"Security? Fine, I'm not supposed to come in there. But I've paid, see?" She waved her wrist.
"This isn't about whether you've paid – " He held up his badge. She made no move to read it, her gaze already moving on, scanning the crowd.
"I'm Detective Findlay. I believe we spoke earlier on Robyn Peltier's phone."
Her head swung around fast enough to cause whiplash, and what little color she had in her cheeks drained.
She bolted, but Finn was ready, lunging and catching her arm.
"Hey," a voice slurred. "You can't do that." A kid, not old enough to drink, lurched toward them, eyes glazed as he waved at Finn's badge. "I got a cell phone, you know. Let go of her or you'll be starring on You Tube, asshole."
Finn kept his grip on the girl's arm, deftly steering out of the drunk kid's way, while keeping him in sight.
"Miss, I need to ask you – "
Someone whacked him between the shoulder blades. His grip relaxed just as she yanked. She slid free and dove into the crowd now surrounding them, cell phones out.
Finn went after her, shouldering his way through the mob. He kept looking for his backup. No sign of it. He called his lieutenant, updating him as quickly as possible, then getting off the phone. The girl was running now. Everyone got out of her way. Not everyone got out of his, a few intentionally stepping into his path, making him veer around them.
"Finn! I got her!" Damon's voice rose above the din. "She's heading toward the kiddie section. I think there's an exit there."
Following Damon's voice, Finn rounded a corner. The people there, not having witnessed the altercation, saw only a big man bearing down on them... and stepped aside. Ahead he could see the girl's yellow shirt flashing through the darkness.
Damon continued shouting, keeping him on track, as they headed into the children's area. It was all but empty and that's where she made her mistake. Finn might be big, but he was in top condition – and she wasn't. As the gap between them closed, she kept glancing over her shoulder, slowing herself down all the more, but unable to stop checking.
Finn broke into an all-out sprint. The girl weaved toward a quartet of retirees enjoying cotton candy under a tree, away from the fair hubbub. Alarm flashed over their faces as they spotted a man chasing a young woman. Finn waved his badge, and they fell back to give him room. The girl swerved straight for one of the women.
"Finn!" Damon shouted. "She's got – "
Finn saw the woman backpedal, frantically trying to move aside. Then the confusion in her face turned to horror.
Her husband pitched toward her, hands out, as if to shove her from the girl's path. But he was too far away. The girl was bearing down on her, a gun in her outstretched hand. The woman screamed. The gun fired. The woman tottered back, eyes wide with disbelief. Then the girl gave the woman a shove, knocking her down like a bowling pin.
Shot her, shoved her out of the way and kept going.
Finn skidded beside the woman as her husband dove for her.
"Finn!" Damon shouted. "No! That's what she wants. They've got it. Keep going."
Finn sent a silent apology to the woman... and raced past her, shouting back for them to call 911.
He could see the girl's yellow shirt ahead, but he had to slow, calling his backup. And though he didn't stop moving, didn't stop watching that yellow shirt, by the time he reached the midway, she had too much of a head start. She disappeared into the first large mob. He caught a glimpse of her once on the other side, but by the time he made it through the crowd, she was gone.
The backup team had shut down all exits and was patrolling the perimeter. They were still searching the park, but in his gut, Finn knew she'd gotten away. He'd seen how easy it had been for her to sneak into the park. She wouldn't have bothered with the exit. She'd have found another way out, dodged patrols and escaped. And she'd have done it right away, knowing she'd bought a limited amount of time with her distraction.
She had shot that woman to slow Finn down. Of all the senseless reasons you could have for killing someone, there was none as cold as that.
She could have knocked the woman off her feet. Could have fired the gun in the air. Could have winged her shoulder. But she hadn't. She'd looked a stranger in the face and killed her.
And now Finn stood near the crowd surrounding the fallen woman, and while everyone else's attention was on the paramedics working frantically to revive her, his was on two people sitting apart on the curb. Damon and the woman's ghost.
He didn't think; he knew.
"And you think it can't be a coincidence she's here," Damon continued.
Again, Finn knew it. "Look where she is. You said yourself she doesn't look like the sort to sneak in. And if she is, she's picked a hell of a spot. Everyone can see her. Besides, she's wearing an admission band."
"Wearing... ? Damn. Missed that, too. I'm striking out tonight. What's she doing, then?"
"Or who is she looking for?"
Damon didn't seem to hear Finn, having already figured it out and started moving toward her, cutting through the crowds the way only a ghost could.
She was maybe twenty, average height and skinny with dark blond hair cut to her shoulders. With her mousy hair, long face and sallow complexion, she was the sort of girl you expected to see at a state college, walking alone, avoiding eye contact, books clutched to her chest.
She wasn't avoiding eye contact now. Her mouth was set in a hard line. As she found a gap where she could squeeze through the fence, she shot the onlookers a scowl that dared them to comment. At least a dozen people watched her, not one saying a word, all presuming if she was doing it so openly, she was allowed to.
Finn placed a call to dispatch, giving the girl's description and requesting immediate backup. "Immediate," though, wasn't going to be fast enough.
He intercepted her. "Miss?"
That glower swung up at him. He saw a flicker of something blander, as if she was trying to force a more polite expression for him. After a moment, she gave up.
"Yes?"
Finn flashed his badge, too quick for her to read it, hoping for a reaction without pushing her to panic. But her expression didn't change.
"Security? Fine, I'm not supposed to come in there. But I've paid, see?" She waved her wrist.
"This isn't about whether you've paid – " He held up his badge. She made no move to read it, her gaze already moving on, scanning the crowd.
"I'm Detective Findlay. I believe we spoke earlier on Robyn Peltier's phone."
Her head swung around fast enough to cause whiplash, and what little color she had in her cheeks drained.
She bolted, but Finn was ready, lunging and catching her arm.
"Hey," a voice slurred. "You can't do that." A kid, not old enough to drink, lurched toward them, eyes glazed as he waved at Finn's badge. "I got a cell phone, you know. Let go of her or you'll be starring on You Tube, asshole."
Finn kept his grip on the girl's arm, deftly steering out of the drunk kid's way, while keeping him in sight.
"Miss, I need to ask you – "
Someone whacked him between the shoulder blades. His grip relaxed just as she yanked. She slid free and dove into the crowd now surrounding them, cell phones out.
Finn went after her, shouldering his way through the mob. He kept looking for his backup. No sign of it. He called his lieutenant, updating him as quickly as possible, then getting off the phone. The girl was running now. Everyone got out of her way. Not everyone got out of his, a few intentionally stepping into his path, making him veer around them.
"Finn! I got her!" Damon's voice rose above the din. "She's heading toward the kiddie section. I think there's an exit there."
Following Damon's voice, Finn rounded a corner. The people there, not having witnessed the altercation, saw only a big man bearing down on them... and stepped aside. Ahead he could see the girl's yellow shirt flashing through the darkness.
Damon continued shouting, keeping him on track, as they headed into the children's area. It was all but empty and that's where she made her mistake. Finn might be big, but he was in top condition – and she wasn't. As the gap between them closed, she kept glancing over her shoulder, slowing herself down all the more, but unable to stop checking.
Finn broke into an all-out sprint. The girl weaved toward a quartet of retirees enjoying cotton candy under a tree, away from the fair hubbub. Alarm flashed over their faces as they spotted a man chasing a young woman. Finn waved his badge, and they fell back to give him room. The girl swerved straight for one of the women.
"Finn!" Damon shouted. "She's got – "
Finn saw the woman backpedal, frantically trying to move aside. Then the confusion in her face turned to horror.
Her husband pitched toward her, hands out, as if to shove her from the girl's path. But he was too far away. The girl was bearing down on her, a gun in her outstretched hand. The woman screamed. The gun fired. The woman tottered back, eyes wide with disbelief. Then the girl gave the woman a shove, knocking her down like a bowling pin.
Shot her, shoved her out of the way and kept going.
Finn skidded beside the woman as her husband dove for her.
"Finn!" Damon shouted. "No! That's what she wants. They've got it. Keep going."
Finn sent a silent apology to the woman... and raced past her, shouting back for them to call 911.
He could see the girl's yellow shirt ahead, but he had to slow, calling his backup. And though he didn't stop moving, didn't stop watching that yellow shirt, by the time he reached the midway, she had too much of a head start. She disappeared into the first large mob. He caught a glimpse of her once on the other side, but by the time he made it through the crowd, she was gone.
The backup team had shut down all exits and was patrolling the perimeter. They were still searching the park, but in his gut, Finn knew she'd gotten away. He'd seen how easy it had been for her to sneak into the park. She wouldn't have bothered with the exit. She'd have found another way out, dodged patrols and escaped. And she'd have done it right away, knowing she'd bought a limited amount of time with her distraction.
She had shot that woman to slow Finn down. Of all the senseless reasons you could have for killing someone, there was none as cold as that.
She could have knocked the woman off her feet. Could have fired the gun in the air. Could have winged her shoulder. But she hadn't. She'd looked a stranger in the face and killed her.
And now Finn stood near the crowd surrounding the fallen woman, and while everyone else's attention was on the paramedics working frantically to revive her, his was on two people sitting apart on the curb. Damon and the woman's ghost.
