Page 56 of Last Girls Alive
“What am I being arrested for?”
“Simple assault, assault on a police officer, impeding a murder investigation, and oh, I’m sure there will be a whole host of other charges.”
Katie lowered her gun and returned it to the holster underneath her sweatshirt. Her heightened pulse began to stabilize.
“The Well, 267 Second Avenue, one for pick up… ten-four…” McGaven instructed to dispatch from his cell phone. To Hugh Keller, “Sit down here and wait quietly.” Keller obliged but kept a bitter expression. McGaven steered Katie through the storeroom and then outside just near the back door.
“You okay?” he said quietly.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
McGaven touched her face where there was a minor cut. “You’re bleeding.”
“I don’t have time to bleed, we have two homicides to solve,” she said with some humor.
“It’s not funny. Did you not hear what the sheriff told you, everyone, during that meeting? You’re essentially on probation.”
“Hey, if I have to receive a few black spots in my file for stepping out of line to get a killer off the street, I’ll do it every time.” She stared hard at McGaven and then softened. “I’m sorry. You’re the last person I should be snapping at, but I didn’t do anything out of line here. I defended myself. This guy is full of rage and has a serious lack of impulse control.”
“I know. Why didn’t you wait for me?”
“I did. I thought I would do some intel first… until you got here.”
“So what happened?”
“I walked in, got his attention, identified myself, and then he came after me. Some weird wizard-looking guy threw a chair at me and knocked me down. I did what I had to do. Kneed the guy, fought off Keller. He slammed me on the bar—I got away from him and managed to get back here. Got the drop on him at gunpoint.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t look at me like that—I’ve been through more firefights in Afghanistan that make this scuffle look like a paper cut.”
McGaven sighed.
Two patrol cars zoomed into the bar parking lot.
“I read all the reports from the Elm Hill Mansion and the background on Hugh Keller. It made me nuts. I knew he was someone that hated authority but, when he had it, abused it to his personal gain.”
“I know,” McGaven said softly.
“I knew that he wasn’t going to cooperate and answer our questions here. Why would he? The best way to talk to him and get his undivided attention is on our terms—at the sheriff’s department.”
The rain poured. Large drops hammered the blacktop and small rivulets streamed down the sides. McGaven and Katie took cover underneath a roof overhang.
“Look, I love this job and working with you. I just don’t…” he tried to explain.
“I will be careful next time.”
McGaven gently squeezed her shoulder.
“Let’s move forward,” she said.
“You need a good night’s sleep and we’ll begin early tomorrow. Okay?”
“But what about—”
“I’ll handle this and make sure he gets booked in tonight. We’ll talk with him tomorrow.”
“But—”
“I said I’ll take care of it and write the report of the incident. I’m not going to accept anything else. Go home, Katie, and cool off, get a good night’s sleep.”
Katie felt her back ache and now the side of her face stung. She wasn’t in any mood to argue and she could tell that McGaven was upset with her—more than her lack of safety. Sleep was important and she needed it desperately—so she left the bar.
