Page 55 of My One and Only

As she reached the door to the hall, she looked at him over her shoulder. Murmured, “Stay in here.”

Then, without waiting for him to answer, she edged out of his room and closed the door behind her.

Her bare feet slid across the wood floor, taking her silently into the kitchen. She stepped into the shadows in the corner then crouched into a squat, hoping the table concealed her.

Listening intently, she heard nothing from Cam’s room. He was paying attention to what she’d told him. She hoped he stayed there to protect Fiona instead of charging out here to take down the intruder. Thank God for Fiona. If he didn’t have her to protect, there was no way Cam would wait in his room.

She heard the intruder working on the lock. Was he using a pick? Was he trying to unscrew the dead bolt? She focused on the sound -- he was using a pick. He’d probably get in. She was ready for him.

Finally, the door lock clicked. Loud in the thick silence of the house, but too soft for Cam to hear. Moments later, a narrow band of grey appeared between the door and the wall. The band of grey and the door both widened slowly, the door creaking once, and Jo silently thanked Cam for keeping the door oiled. She didn’t want Fiona to wake up.

When the door was halfway open, the intruder stepped inside. He wore all black clothing and had a black ski mask on his head. Only his eyes were visible. He scanned the room, missing her crouched beside the table. Then he eased the door closed and began to move through the kitchen.

As soon as he was past her, Jo stood up, holding her gun. He must have heard her, because he stopped. Began to turn around. But Jo was on top of him. Jamming her Glock into his back, she said, “Hands in the air. Now.”

He reached beneath his left arm, likely for a gun, and she pressed the barrel of her gun harder into his spine. “Hands in the air. Right now, or you’re going to be in a chair for the rest of your life.”

He hesitated for a moment, and Jo’s finger tightened on the trigger. Finally he lifted his hands over his head.

She plucked the gun out of his hand, set it on the floor and kicked it under the table. Then she pulled out a zip tie, slid her gun into her pocket and yanked his hands down and bound them together. Stepping back, once again holding the gun, she said, “Down on the floor. Now.”

He didn’t move, and she lifted the gun to the back of his head. “Drop now, or you won’t have to worry about being in a chair. You’ll be in the ground.”

He dropped to his knees and lay prone on the floor. Jo knelt behind him, staying out of his reach, while she bound his ankles together with zip ties. Then she patted him down, finding another gun and two knives.

She set them on the counter, then flipped him over, turned on the kitchen lights and yanked off the black ski mask. Studied his face, but she was certain she’d never seen him before.

“Two knives and two guns. You were planning on being busy, weren’t you?”

He pressed his lips together and didn’t respond.

“You don’t want to chat? That’s fine. We’ll just sit here quietly and wait.”

“Wait for what?”the guy asked.

“The police. I called them before you were even in the house.”

The guy jolted and flailed out with his legs, clearly trying to get the zip tie off. He could thrash all he wanted, but that wasn’t going to dislodge those zip ties.

“Who hired you to break in here and kill Cam and his kid?”she asked.

“Kid? I didn’t sign up to kill no kid.”

“But you did sign up to kill Cam Pierce, right?”

He pressed his lips together.

“That’s okay,” she said. “The police will get all the information we need.” She tilted her head. “In fact, I hear them getting close.” She tapped her gun on his head. “Show time.”

At least two cars pulled up in front of Cam’s house. Doors opened. Slammed shut. Feet pounded up the sidewalk. Knuckles rapped hard at the front door.

“Come around to the back door,” Jo called. “We’re in the kitchen.”

Running feet passed the side of the house. The door burst open, and a cop aimed a flashlight at the man lying on the floor.

Both cops squinted at the sudden brightness in the kitchen. Then two of the cops each grabbed an arm and hoisted the intruder to his feet.

“He was wearing that ski mask,” Jo said, pointing at the black hat on the floor.

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