A Wild Ride (Jessica Brodie Diaries #3) (12 page)

“How is that possible? I was looking at the end of the gun when it went off.”

The lawyer leaned in to catch every word. Denise’s hand flew to her chest.

“Fred got there in time, Jessica,” Tom said softly.

“Who were they?”

“We can talk about all this later—“ Denise started.

The lawyer cut her off by saying, “It’ll help if she hears. It helps the brain focus.”

Tom stepped up. “They are professionals that have worked wealthy areas in cities all across the nation. They are wanted in eight states for robbery, arson and various degrees of murder.”

“Did anyone from Gladis’s house get hurt?”

“Well, it appears they didn’t count on an ex-Queen’s army man from England with a rifle, or a trained attack dog in the pool house.” That from the lawyer, who was surveying me closely.

“The guy said he didn’t wear a mask because he didn’t expect me—that I was never there. Here.”

“The police will want to hear that,” the lawyer said to Denise and Tom. “And they’ll want to talk to her. They’ll want to do it tonight while everything is still fresh.”

“But look at the state she is in.” Denise aimed her cobra scowl at the lawyer. I was thankful it wasn't aimed at me for once.

“There were fatalities—from Willie’s dog, which was in her care. They will want to speak with her. I suggest they do it here, now…” He paused.

“While I look the most vulnerable,” I finished for him. “This isn’t my first rodeo. Please, let’s make this quick. I didn’t give the dog any commands. He did that all on his own. You need to talk to Adam or William to know what all the different barks and growls and everything--”

“We know, dear. You just worry about you, and we’ll worry about the rest,” Denise said kindly.

I nodded. Easier said than done, as I had now proven three times.

By the time I was done, every person involved, including William through the phone on behalf of Fred, had been talked to. Scotty, the lawyer, had orchestrated most interviews and statements. At first I thought it was because of my involvement, which was partly right, but then it became clear that he needed to make sure Fred was viewed as a hero instead of a rapid dog capable of killing small children. If it was the latter, William and Gladis might get sued, and Fred would be put down. To that end, I really hammed up my vulnerability. And let’s face it, it wasn’t a big stretch.

Since my only problems were mental, I was allowed to leave; under supervision. I was told I shouldn’t drive by a stern-faced policeman. Denise then whisked me away and deposited me by Adam, who was sitting on a patch of grass in the middle of mill-and-flocking chaos, so she could check on everyone else.

“The butler,” Adam was saying into the phone. “He was in the army or some damn thing. Long time ago. But he still knows how to shoot. Shot two of ‘em in the extremities, keepin’ ‘em put. Fred took down two, for keeps, both in Jessica’s house, and got two others. The other two only have minor damages, though. They think one got away, but they ain’t sure… Ah man, Willie—you don’t want to know man… No, I mean that. You don’t want to know. She’s fine. Physically. She—“ Adam hunched over.

“It was my fault, man,” Adam continued after a long pause. “I told Betz I wanted my own bed. We usually stay at my house Saturdays, so I told her we needed to stick with that. If I had listened to her we would have been in time to help.” He paused to listen, still not noticing me sitting beside him in a daze. “Yeah well, by the time we figured out something was wrong and had called the cops the alarm had gone off. If we’d been quicker to answer the phone, maybe—…Yeah, I just—… Betz had the phone to her ear but Jess had dropped it. We knew someone—“ Adam took a big breath. “We knew someone had gotten in. Someone was talking to her. We couldn’t hear much—Betz had it on speakerphone—but we couldn’t—then there was a gun shot.” Adam stooped over farther. “She was curled up in a puddle of blood—I thought—the dog was laying right next to her—he growled at me when I came in. He was--“

It was at that moment that I realized Adam was crying. He was bent over, unable to hold himself erect, and he was sobbing. He’d thought he wasn’t in time, and this time I was a goner. I’d thought the same thing.

Sometimes you just needed a job to do.

I scotched over and put my arm around Adam’s shoulder. He jumped at the contact, realized it was me, then leaned toward me, phone still to his ear, wrapping one big arm around me. He dug his head into my chest and cried like a little boy.

We stayed like that for a while. I wasn’t sure what William was doing on the other end, and while most of me desperately wanted to talk to him, a part of me didn’t. A part of me didn’t want to hear the worry, or feel bad for the misery he must be going through. This was the pinnacle of his fear, after all. That he would constantly be doing business, unable to be with me when I needed it most. He wouldn’t believe that I didn’t expect that from him. He wouldn’t believe that
most
women didn’t expect that of him. As Lump continually tried to explain, in the world we lived in, that sentimentality just didn’t make sense anymore.

Also, most women didn’t end up in the fucked up situations I had since I’d moved to Texas. I doubted a full time bodyguard could handle my problems, let alone a boyfriend with a career and hobbies.

“Who’s on the phone?” It was Lump, looking down on the scene with sympathy, but also determined control. Lump would cry over all this, too. The hollowness in her eyes made me sure of that. But she would do it on her own. She wouldn’t let me know how afraid she was for me, or how helpless she felt that she couldn’t help. She had the protector job way before Adam, and she had way more to lose now. As long as there were things to do, people that needed her, she would keep functioning full-steam ahead.

Which, right now, I was thankful for. And she knew it.

“William,” I answered. “Or at least, he was a while ago.”

“Adam, baby,” Lump knelt beside us, putting a hand on Adam’s shoulder. “Give me the phone.”

Adam straightened up and looked at Lump, pleading.

“Just give me the phone, baby, no one blames you. But we’ll talk about that later, okay?”

“I shudda listened to you, Betsy. I’m never here. I always show up to see her trampled to all hell. I
promised
Willie I’d keep her safe! I
promised,
Betsy!”

“I know, baby. Neither of us were here. It isn’t our fault. Those guys had our schedules down. They knew when people came and went. Jess wasn’t supposed to be here, either. Even when Willie’s been gone she’s stayed at his house on Saturday’s. They thought there were a bunch of senior citizens hiding behind an alarm. This crew hit people like this for a profession, Adam.”

“But
Betz—“

“Adam,” Lump said the name like a command. “That’s enough. Give me the phone. I am going to take Jessica to Willie’s parents. They’ll keep her tonight.”

Adam nodded, the fight gone out of him. It broke my heart.

Lump put the phone to her ear and grabbed my hand to gently pull me up. By the desperation in her eyes, and the intense guilt, she might’ve told Adam it wasn’t their fault, but she was hating herself just as much as he was. I was the one always in peril, and everyone around me thought they were at fault for it.

Was I the only one that saw how messed up that was?

“Willie? Hello, Willie?” Lump looked at the phone, sighed, then dialed. “Hello, Willie?... How are you? I have her right here and she is 100% fine. Fred is going to be okay, too— Willie, now, you know how Adam is. It sounds way worse than it is.” Lump gave me a look that told me to play light of this whole thing. As if I needed that reminder.

“She
wasn’t
in a puddle of blood...No, she wasn’t. She was on clean floor--… Well, yes, but she feinted was all. Fred attacked; made a mess of two guys’ necks and faces--…Yes, Willie, I know he was trained to protect…Yes, I—
William
,” her firm voice was back. “You will not be talking to Jessica in the state you are in, do you understand me? Take a few breaths and a few minutes, and call back when you are under control, okay?...Okay, bye.”

Lump squeezed my shoulders. “He’ll call back in a minute. He’s just—well, you know, Willie and Adam feed off each other and Adam is a little—“

“I know. Did Fred kill that second guy?”

“No. Fred knocked him down. The guy hit his head, face first, off the counter. The police think that stunned him—it broke his nose—which gave Fred plenty of time to wreak havoc on the guys neck and face. When the guy stopped moving, though, it seems Fred stopped, too. This is all best guess. He was alive, but losing a lot of blood.”

“The first guy was dead.”

“Yes. Fred wasn’t hurt for the first guy. But Jess, he was protecting you. Fred would never do that to family or friends. He was trained to protect, and he thought you were in imminent danger. Both guys had guns, both had knives, and both had crowbars. They were both breaking and entering. Fred did good. And in Texas, you are allowed to protect house and home with drastic measures—thank God.”

“I know all that. I yelled for Fred with the second guy, knowing what he did to the first. I just—this is all a lot to handle, you know?”

I got another squeeze and stopped in front of Denise, who noticed me and moved in like a mother bird.

“I know, Jessica," Lump continued, "I absolutely know. There was no vendetta this time, though. This wasn’t personal. These guys won’t come after you later. This was just bad luck. Wrong place at the wrong time.”

“I’m tired.”

“Of course you are, honey,” Denise nodded to Lump and moved me toward Tom, who was nodding into the phone. Scotty the lawyer was still standing by, ready for legalities should they arise. His eyes were pointed at the camera crew, currently filming the large white van with a picture of a man hugging a dog and a cat on the side. They were probably trying to get a peek at Fred.

“Is Fred a hero or a villain?” I asked Scotty.

He turned to me at the sound of my voice; Tom and his phone turned away.
Must be a distraught William.
Not that I could blame the guy. Look at Adam, and he is actually here.

Scotty gave me a once over and looked back toward Fred. “Right now, a hero. Fred was stabbed, so that greatly helps his case--” My gasp made Scotty look back at me quickly—he obviously forgot who he was talking to. He hurried on, taking a step toward me. “It wasn’t deep, though, Miss Brodie. I’m so sorry if I gave you the wrong impression just there. It was more a
glance
. He handled some pretty experienced men. But he had darkness on his side, and he was trained for this sort of thing, so they were brought down before they really knew what hit them. But men have arms, so once Fred had them down it was harder going. But he triumphed and saved the day. I have no doubt he’ll come out the hero of all this. Him and Mr. Shoemaker.”

Mr. Shoemaker was the sweet, old English butler. I certainly wouldn’t be calling him Jeeves anymore!

“Can I talk to William now? Then I need to sleep.”

“Maybe a little later, dear,” Denise said, heading toward the car. “Let’s get you to bed and you can talk to Will—“

“No. Now. Please.” I pulled away and walked toward Tom. Denise caught up with me immediately

“Honey, Willie is a little...worried. It might be best to give him a second to calm—“

“I’ll speak with him now, please.”

“It might not be the best thing—“

“
Now.”

I got a sigh. Denise finished walking me to Tom, who flinched the phone away when he saw me.

“Jessica,” he said, “now might not be—“

I put out my hand. I must have had a murderous look on my face because after a second’s delay, Tom handed it over.

“Tell her no, Dad. She doesn’t need—“

“Hi, baby.”

William’s speech cut off with a loud inhalation of breath.

“Oh God, Jessica, love. How—Do you—Were—“ He exhaled again. He sounded every bit as panicked and scared as I knew he would be.

“Adam is pretty tore up emotionally, but it really did sound a lot worse than it is,” I told him in a soothing voice.

“You’ve made the news already, Jess. I have a picture of Fred up as I speak. Adam was not—“ William’s voice hitched.

“It was no one’s fault. I switched up my schedule—so actually, if it were anyone’s fault, it would be mine.”

“Don’t—“

“I wish I could hold you to make it better, but I’m okay. I’m going to be okay. I don’t think I’ll be any good in the next crisis situation, but I’m hanging in there.”

Silence.

I had a feeling William was trying to stay strong. Sometimes men could be so freaking stupid—it really made their girlfriends work twice as hard at normality.

“Please say something,” I pleaded softly.

“I don’t know what to say, Jessica. I don’t. I’m hundreds of miles away when you need me most.”

“I don’t need you most right now. I needed you most the last time, and you were there. Tonight I needed Fred most. And he was there. God only gives us as much as we can handle. Didn’t you say that? Well, I am handling it, so now you have to handle it, okay? Have a good cry. It’s the boys turn to cry tonight. Lump and I will take our turns tomorrow..”

“Oh Jess—“ William said, finally letting the intense worry out. “I can’t stand this.”

“I know, babe. I know. But what you are doing is important. I at least have loved ones around me. You are all alone. But one week left then back to life as normal, huh?”

“Miss Brodie, we should go,” Scotty said beside me, one hand on my back, one out, directing me.

“I’ll see you tomorrow. I’m on an early flight out,” William told me.

“Miss Brodie—“

“I’ll take the phone, Jessica,” Tom said.

“William, I have to go. I love you.”

“I love you, Jess—“

Tom gently took the phone from me as Scotty was moving me toward an idling car with Denise at the wheel.

“I’m sorry about that, but I don’t want you on camera,” Scotty said as he put me into the car.