Page 111 of Ice Cold Christmas
“Uh, why would I have done that?”
Victor let him go. “Because you walked into a damn murder scene where I’d just gunned down a detective. A bleeding woman was shouting that I was trying to kill her. And I was the one still holding the weapon.”
Hunter shook his head. “Yeah, but I know you.”
You know that I always intended to put the man who’d hurt Melody in the ground. “He used a knife on her. Chased her into the path of a car. Left her to die.” Victor paced toward the Christmas tree. Hatterson had done one fine job. That man was getting a big bonus.
“Now the detective is the one going in the ground.”
Victor glanced over at the Ice Breaker. At his friend.
“Funny how that worked out, isn’t it?” Hunter pulled out a chocolate chip cookie and took a bite. “Damn. That is delicious. Did Hatterson make these or did Melody?”
“Melody. But she was using Hatterson’s recipe.”
Hunter laughed again.
“You can stay for Christmas dinner, you know,” Victor told him. “Sebastian and Hatterson will be here, too.” The person who hadn’t made the guest list? Dario. The guy was still coming to grips with the fact that he’d been used and betrayed by Olivia. The woman had been a master at playing with everyone around her. “You’re welcome to join us.”
“Nah. Got a plane to catch. Or, rather, one to fly. Have some friends at home who are waiting on me. But I do appreciate the offer.” He took another bite of the chocolate chip cookie and sighed in bliss. He chewed a bit, then added, “Just wanted to come by and tell you that, as far as the Ice Breakers are concerned, the case is closed. Angus Clinton abducted Melody. He and Olivia were working together. The shots fired at the Mage estate? Benny Turner was the perpetrator.” He began to amble around the den. “Turner’s prints were recovered inside the abandoned pickup. Got that detail from your sheriff buddy, Jamal Wroth. I think Angus had him watching the house.”
“And Angus ordered Benny to shoot when Melody came back. Then, when he missed Melody, Angus had Benny waiting outside of the police station for another attack.” How had Benny gotten away from the scene of the pickup’s crash? Hell, maybe Angus arranged a ride for the guy. A ride. Some kind of damn pick up from the scene. They’d learn more when the full investigation was completed. Victor knew that all of Detective Angus Clinton’s call logs, emails, and case files were currently being thoroughly reviewed.
The Feds had already found the cabin up in Canada. The damn place where Melody had been held captive. Turned out, the place belonged to Detective Clinton’s great aunt. No one had gone to the cabin in years, so the bastard had known it would be the perfect spot to use.
Only Melody got away from you. She sliced you with the knife you wanted to use to kill her. She got away.
Now the detective was the one who was lying stone-cold in the storage locker of a morgue.
Hunter had finished one cookie. “I suspect the detective used Benny to do his dirty work plenty of times. In exchange, Angus went easy on the guy anytime Benny was tagged by the cops.”
Now Benny was dead. Angus was dead. And Olivia was locked away.
Finally, Melody was safe.
And singing off-key.
“Hope you enjoy Christmas,” Hunter told him. His gaze held Victor’s. “You know how lucky you are, right?”
“Fuck, yes.”
Hunter smiled. He turned to exit the den. But then he stopped. Glancing over his shoulder, he said, “Heard an interesting news story on my way here. Seems Maryland’s attorney general dropped out of the race.”
“You don’t say.”
“Yep, I say it. I also heard that Brant McKee might be under criminal investigation.”
“Huh.”
“You wouldn’t have anything to do with that, would you?”
Actually, Melody was the one who’d had something to do with that. Thanks to Olivia’s tip-off, they’d found the PI that Melody had contacted in Maryland about Brant McKee before she’d vanished. The PI had thought that Melody lost interest because he hadn’t heard from her. But, he had turned up useful evidence. And Melody had never lost interest.
Now, Brant McKee would be paying. “Guess he made the naughty list this year,” Victor said.
“Guess he did.”
Victor followed Hunter to the front door. When he opened the door, snow was falling. A chill swept into the house. “So, what’s next?” Victor found himself asking Hunter. “After Christmas, you got another case to work?” Because after searching desperately for a year, after seeing what so many families faced as they fought not to give up hope…
