Blowout (26 page)

They watched the patrol car pull back a bit. “Good.”

Callie said suddenly, “Why would he go after Fleurette?”

So much for distracting her, Ben thought, and said, “I've been wondering the same thing. Maybe she's another loose end. Like Eliza.”

“I don't think Eliza was just a loose end. Don't forget, she was calling Savich, to tell him something, maybe something she knew but hadn't said anything about before. And why not? Because she was afraid? Or because she was a part of something that led to my stepfather's murder?”

“Whoa—that's a giant leap. But you're a reporter, you're paid to make wild guesses, right?”

“Do you really think it's such a wild guess?”

“Maybe. Who knows? Hey, I'm trying to keep from killing us
here. I'm now going one hundred and ten miles an hour. Keep an eye out for more patrol cars. Or any pedestrians who might be running across the highway.” He laid a gloved hand on her leg as she laughed again. “You really want a down-home, hoe-down kind of country place where you get barbecue sauce all over your face and Billy Bob tries to make a pass at you?”

She laughed again. “That's it exactly. And just think, I'll be with such a guy's guy—truck, beer, testosterone, nice butt. What more could a girl ask? Look, Alton's coming up. I'll keep an eye out for Petersboro.”

“Just watch the Porsche. Sherlock probably has MAX on her lap and he's providing them directions.”

“Nah, she's a real navigator. I'll bet she's using a plain old map.”

Ben slowed to match the Porsche. The squad cars behind him kept thirty feet back.

Savich led them directly into a subdivision of ranch-style homes not far from the highway. A half-dozen squad cars were angled around one of them, a dozen or more police huddled behind them, using the cars for shields.

P
ETERSBORO
, M
ARYLAND

N
EIGHBORS WERE GATHERED
, talking and pointing, looking both scared and excited, held behind a police line half a block away from the house. Savich pulled the Porsche behind a squad car three houses away from where Austin Douglas Barrister lived. Ben and the two highway patrol cars pulled in behind him.

He and Sherlock saw a man in a heavy jacket holding a bullhorn in his hand and ran toward him. Before they could get to him, an officer yelled, “Hey, buddy, get the hell back!”

Savich turned, pulled out I.D., and held it in the officer's face. “Where's Chief Gerber?”

Officer Ridley looked at the big guy in the black leather jacket who'd just climbed out of a sexy red Porsche that would cost him three years' salary and said, “So who gives a damn if you're FBI? Chief Gerber is busy. This is a local matter,
Agent,
we've got it covered.”

“Let's try again, Officer. Where is Chief Gerber?”

Ridley took another step toward him, leaned right in his face now. “And why is that any of your freaking business?”

Savich grabbed Ridley by the collar and hoisted him off his feet. “I asked you where Chief Gerber is, Officer.”

“Hey! What's going on here? Hey, you, let that officer down! Back away!”

The second officer reached for his gun. Sherlock grabbed his arm and stuck her I.D. in his face. “Don't you even think about drawing a gun on a federal officer. Back off, all of you.”

“But—”

Sherlock said, “We're here because the man inside that house—his mother called me, frantic for help. The FBI has been looking for him. Now, where is Chief Gerber?”

“Right here, Agent Sherlock.” A big beefy cop around fifty, with a baby face and a paunch starting to overflow his wide leather belt, approached them. “Calm down, guys. I was expecting these people. Lew, back off. Both of you get back to work.”

Savich slowly let Officer Ridley down, but didn't turn his back on him. Testosterone filled the air, and adrenaline was pumping because of the uncertainty of what was going on inside that house, an explosive combination.

Sherlock stuck out her hand. “I'm Special Agent Sherlock, FBI. This is Special Agent Savich. You're Chief Howard Gerber?”

“That I am.” He shook their hands. “You got here very quickly.”

Sherlock said, “We've been looking for the man who lives in that house for several days. Thank you, Chief, for calling me so quickly. This is a personal matter for us, as well as professional. We think we can help.”

Officer Ridley was still breathing hard, but Savich realized he
now had himself under control. At least enough control so he wouldn't pull his gun and shoot him. Savich said, never raising his voice, never sounding anything but calm and in control, “Tell us what's happening here, Chief.”

“As I told Agent Sherlock, the guy who lives here, his name's Martin Thornton. He's got a wife, Janet, two daughters, ages eight and ten, inside the house, and won't let them come out. We got a call from a neighbor about an hour and a half ago. They'd heard a gunshot and some screams. We think the husband went nuts. Why, we don't know. Joe Gaines, the one with the bullhorn, is from the Hostage Rescue Team. He's trying to get the guy to talk to him again, establish a dialogue. So far the guy hasn't talked much, except to yell out once that his name wasn't Martin Thornton, it was Austin Douglas Barrister. That's when we ran the name and found the alert to call you, Agent Sherlock.” He paused a moment, eyeing Savich. “Okay, you said this is personal too. I've told you the facts as I know them, now it's your turn to fill me in.”

Savich said, “We need him as a possible witness in a murder investigation, and I know a great deal about his life. Give me a vest. I've got to be the one to speak to him. I may be the only one who can get through to him. His mother is the reason he cracked, and I'm the only one who knows her. She's extraordinarily important to him. You're going to have to trust me on this. It's the best chance for his wife and daughters. Austin too.”

Chief Gerber had listened intently, listened to every inflection, then made a decision. “Under normal circumstances I wouldn't be inclined to let a hot dog who drives up in a red Porsche anywhere close to that house.” He fell silent. Then he slowly nodded. “Guess these circumstances aren't all that normal though. Joe, give Agent Savich the bullhorn, he'll need it. Duncan, get Agent Savich a
Kevlar vest. Keep your traps shut, I'll take responsibility.” He studied Savich's face. “You're really sure about this?”

“As sure as I can be about anything.”

“I recognize you now. You're the FBI guy heading the murder case at the Supreme Court, aren't you?”

“Yes.”

Officer Duncan handed Savich a vest. Savich stripped off his leather jacket, peeled off his leather gloves, and tossed them to Sherlock. He pulled on the vest over his shirt. When he put on his leather jacket, he zipped it over his belt holster. He said low to Sherlock, taking her hands in his, “Another day in Paradise, right, sweetheart? Pray a little.”

She wanted to wrap her arms around him and not let him go. She didn't want him to step anywhere near that harmless-looking house with a gun-wielding maniac inside. She said, “I will pray, you can count on that.” Her mouth was dry with fear. She swallowed, but her voice still came out scratchy and hoarse. “Take care, Dillon.” She stepped back. She felt someone against her back, felt a man's hand on her arm. It was Ben, with Callie beside him.

Savich took the bullhorn from Joe Gaines, and began his trek to the driveway. A large oak tree stood tall just off center in the front yard. He saw a basketball hoop set up over the double garage doors. The net was ripped, showing lots of use. There were a couple of girls' bikes leaning against the closed left garage door. He walked past dormant rosebushes lining the front of the house. The curtains were drawn over the single large front picture window. He was aware of the low murmur of cop voices behind him, and farther away, the worried and excited conversation of the neighbors. He wondered if there would be another shot and he'd be dead before he hit the ground.

He stopped just before he stepped off the driveway onto the sidewalk that led to the narrow front porch. He raised the bullhorn. “Martin, Austin—my name is Dillon Savich. I'm an FBI agent. I know your mother. It's because of her that I'm here. She's really worried about you. If you talk to me I can tell you all about it.”

Dead silence.

“Your mother, Samantha Barrister, is worried about you, Austin. Let me come in and tell you what she said to me.”

Savich didn't move, just held the bullhorn loosely at his side.

There was movement inside the house, then a woman's low voice. The wife was alive, thank God.

Savich stood still as a stone, the cold seeping through his boots and gloves. He finally saw the front door crack open, saw a flicker of movement, and knew it was Martin Thornton—Austin Douglas Barrister—standing close behind the partially open doorway, out of the line of fire from the police at the curb.

He didn't say another word, just waited.

“You're a liar,” Austin said. “My mom's been dead for thirty years. You hear me? Someone killed her! So who the hell are you? Why are you lying to me like this?”

The voice was low and scared, and there was something else, a loss of control, close to the surface. But he'd asked a question, and that was positive.

“I'm not lying, Austin,” Savich said, and took another step up the short sidewalk.

“My name's Martin. Austin, that's someone else. Don't you move!”

“All right, I won't. But I'm not lying to you.”

“Sure you are. Who told you about my mother?”

“Let me come closer and I'll tell you all about it.”

A moment of silence, then, “All right, you can come up on the porch, but no closer.”

Savich walked up the sidewalk, slow and easy, stepped up onto the porch and waited.

“Talk.”

“I saw your mother a week ago Friday night, near Blessed Creek. I was driving to the cabin where my family and I were staying for the weekend when I had a blowout. I'd just finished changing the tire when a hysterical young woman ran out in front of my car, claiming someone was trying to kill her, and I had to take her home, right away. I couldn't get much else out of her. I followed her directions, and ended up at a huge house on top of a knoll. That was your old home, Aus—Martin. I had her sit on the sofa in the living room as I searched the house, but I didn't find anyone. When I went back to where I'd left your mom in the living room, she was gone.”

Martin Thornton yelled, “She's dead, do you hear me? Dead for thirty years. You made this up, mister. Did my father send you? No, there's no way he could have found me.”

Savich continued, keeping his voice calm. “I dreamed about Samantha the very next night after I was called back to Washington on an emergency. And again this past week. She mentioned you, her son, her precious boy. Since we couldn't locate you, we put out an alert, and Chief Gerber called us when you shouted out your real name just a little while ago. I'm not lying, Martin. Why would I?”

Savich knew that the cops couldn't hear either of them.

Martin Thornton's voice was hesitant. “I didn't mean to call out that other name, it just came out of my mouth. What are you
saying? There's no such thing as ghosts. My mom couldn't come back—how could she?”

“I don't know, but she did come to me, then she was in my dreams. Martin, I'm here to help you, but I can't until I know what's changed in your life, what's happened to you to make you do this. Let me come inside. I'm not about to hurt you or your family. I'm here for you, but mainly I'm here for your mother, Samantha, and not as an FBI agent.”

The door eased open and a man appeared in profile. Then he turned to face him. Savich knew Austin Douglas Barrister was only a couple of years older than he, about thirty-seven, but he appeared older. He had thinning black hair, a very pale face, and his mother's incredibly beautiful eyes. But his pupils were dilated, huge and black with fear, just as hers had been. He was thin, a bit stoop-shouldered, and wore dark brown corduroy trousers, sneakers, and a white shirt beneath a dark brown V-neck sweater. He heard his wife Janet say, “Let him in, Martin. I believe him. It sounds too crazy not to be true. Come, we'll work this out. Let him in.”

Savich saw that Martin was holding a shotgun at his side, a weapon that could blow a hole through a man, Kevlar vest or not.

Martin slowly nodded. He looked out toward all the cops, shrank back a bit. “All right, you can come in, but I still think you're nuts.” Then he laughed. “I said you're nuts? That makes both of us nuts. What did you say your name is?”

“Dillon Savich.”

“Did the cops give you a gun?”

“I already told you I'm an FBI agent. Of course I have a gun. It's in the holster at my belt. Would you like me to drop it out here?”

Martin Thornton stared at him, the shotgun held tight in his right hand. Savich was close enough to see that it was an SKB model 785, a beautiful weapon, finely tooled with an automatic ejector, and with a silver nitrite finish. It was expensive, and it was deadly.

Martin Thornton said slowly, “No, leave it holstered. Come on in.”

“Would you like to send Janet and the girls out?”

Suddenly a woman was standing at Martin's right shoulder. “No, I don't want to leave Martin. I'm fine right here. The girls are locked in a bedroom. They're all right too.” She drew a deep breath. “This has happened twice before. We got through it. Come in, Agent Savich.”

“Yeah, all right, come in,” Martin said and stepped back, careful not to show himself fully in the doorway. Savich didn't blame him for that. Savich looked back to nod toward Chief Gerber before he stepped through the front door and waved his hand.

He stepped inside the house. It was dim and shadowy. He could barely see the woman standing beside Martin. He said, “Can we turn on some lights?”

Martin shut and locked the front door, then flicked on the light switch.

Savich looked into a good-sized living room, a long, narrow space with two thick carpets on the hardwood floor, comfortable furniture, a lot of chintz. Feminine, but inviting. It looked like a home, a happy contented home. This had happened twice before? And Janet had hung in there? That said something about her, about them. She was nearly as tall as her husband, plump, big-breasted, with long, naturally curly dark brown hair.

Savich saw the gaping hole in the living room wall where
Martin had fired a blast at close range. So that's what the neighbors had heard, why they'd called the police.

Savich sincerely hoped Martin Thornton didn't lose it like that again, and put the same size hole through him. But suddenly, he wasn't sure. Martin's eyes had gone hot and dark.