Page 7 of The Moment They Can Never Forgive
“Get back inside and lock the door, Milly. Call the station and tell them what’s happening,” Dan said.
After he heard the thud of her feet and the slam of the back entrance door to Calloway’s, he grabbed the handle. The sound of smashing glass told him that whoever was inside had climbed up to the only window in the unit. He sprinted around the back in time to see the man coming out feetfirst.
He fell, turned, and came face-to-face with Dan. In his hand, he clutched a knife, but it was the eyes Dan noticed. This man was high on something.
“In a town like this, all you’d have to do is ask for food, and you’d get it,” Dan said. He didn’t recognize him, but Lyntacky had plenty of tourists and drifters year-round.
“Get out of my way!”
“Whatever you have in that jacket doesn’t belong to you,” Dan added.
“Fuck you!” The man ran at him, knife-first.
Dan grabbed his wrist, turned his body into the man’s, but his opponent knew the move and countered. He felt the knife slice into the skin of his hand. Ignoring the sting, he grappled with the man and forced him to the ground. Standing on his hand, he made him release the knife with a grunt of pain.
“Deputy Dan?”
“I’m all right, Milly. Did you call the station?”
“I did.”
“You go back inside now and direct them out here.” As he finished speaking, he heard a car pull up fast and the door slam.
Deputy Kevin Cocker arrived seconds later. “You all good, Dan?”
“Yup. Cuff him and take him in. I’ll talk to Milly.”
Dan got off the man, and Kevin pulled him to his feet.
“Where’s the blood coming from?” Kevin demanded.
Dan looked at his hand and saw the blood was from the knife wound.
“It’s okay.” He patted the man down and removed the supplies he’d stuffed into his jacket. “Lock him up. I’ll come back to the station soon.”
“Fuck you,” the man snarled.
“Shut up.” Dan shoved him toward Kevin. “Be careful, he’s high on something.”
“Again? That’s happening too much lately.”
It was. There had been a handful of adults and kids getting high, doing stupid things.
When he entered Calloway’s, he found Milly at the counter. “I need to ask you a few questions, Mill?—”
“Oh my gosh, you’re bleeding!”
“I’m okay. If you have something I can put on it, that would help.”
She ran out back and returned with a wad of tissues. Dan slapped them on the cut.
“Tell me when you went outside, Milly.”
He couldn’t write because his hand hurt, so he recorded what she said on his phone, and then told her the stolen goods were out back.
Dan retraced his steps through town, avoiding anyone who knew him, which wasn’t easy, but he managed it by looking in windows and ducking between shops. If someone saw bloodon him, they’d want to patch him up, then feed him—which he usually didn’t mind—but right now he just wanted to call in at the station and then head home.
After checking that Kevin had the guy processed, he sent him the recording of the interview with Milly along with a detailed recording Dan himself had made of what took place.
