Found With Murder (17 page)

Kim nodded and Rilynne pulled her hand back.  As she did, Lori pushed past her and scooped up her little girl.  They both held each other so tight, Rilynne wondered for a second if either could breathe.

The moment soon passed, though, when she heard Erin moving around.  “Are you finished?” he called out.

Kim looked from her mom to Rilynne, asking silently what she should do.  Rilynne held her finger up to her mouth and reached for her gun.

When she stepped out from behind the trees, she watched the expression on Erin’s face quickly turn to panic.

“Trent Erin,” Rilynne said, pointing her gun at him.  “You are under arrest for the kidnapping of Kim Sibrian.  Now get down on your knees and put your hands on the back of your head.”

He looked from her gun to the trees behind her.  The wheels were turning in his head.

“I said get down on your knees,” she said again.

He slid off the log and landed on his knees.  Instead of going up, though, his hand dropped down into his pack.

“Hands where I can see them, Erin!” she yelled.

He pulled his hand back out, but it wasn't empty.  Grasped in his gloved fingers was a silver revolver.

“You aren't going to take her from me!” he yelled.  His hand swung toward Rilynne as he swiftly stood up.  “I just got her.  You aren't going to take her from me!  She's mine!”

“No she isn't,” Lori said, stepping out from behind the trees.  “She's mine.”

“Get back, Lori,” Rilynne ordered.  “Take Kim and go.”

“No!” Erin yelled.  Rage flashed over his face and turned his gun to Lori.  Rilynne looked over and found her staring at him, not a glint of fear in her expression.  Kim wasn't with her.  From the gentle whimpering coming through the trees, she assumed Lori had instructed her to hide.  “She's my daughter, not yours.”

His words confused her.  By the look on Lori's face, she felt the same.  Rilynne turned back to Erin.  He was shaking, but not from fear.  At least, not fear for his life.

“Mr. Erin, Kim isn't your daughter,” Lori said gently.  “Her biological father is Dustin Fore.”

“No he isn't!”  He was becoming more and more frantic with every word.  “Kimberly and I were together for two years.  We were only broken up for two days when she started dating Dustin.  I checked the dates.  Kim was born seven months after we broke up.  She isn't
Dustin's, she's mine!”

The gun was shaking in his hand.

“I don't want to shoot you, but I will if you don't put the gun down,” Rilynne said.  “You wouldn't want Kim to see that, would you?”

His head shook violently as he pushed the palm of his free hand against his temple.  Rilynne felt powerless.  She could see he was on the verge of breaking and she didn't know how to stop it.

“Get back, Lori,” she warned.  She wanted to move in front of her, but she could tell by the positioning of the whimpers that she was directly between the gun and Kim.  “Go back to your daughter.  That’s an order.”

Lori didn't listen.  Instead, she took a step toward Erin.

“Kimberly was shot and killed before her pregnancy reached full term,” Lori said.  Her tone was kind, more so than Rilynne could have expected.  “That meant Kim was conceived after you broke up.”

“No!” he yelled.  “She's mine.  I know she is.  Look at her; she looks just like me.”

It was easy to see how he would think so.  Kim was tall and her hair was growing darker with each passing day.  Their faces even had a similar shape.  Having seen Dustin Fore, though, there was no doubt who had fathered the child.

Rilynne moved her aim to his shoulder.  If she hit him there, she would be able to get to him before he had the chance to react. 
Maybe.

“Lori, please get back,” she pleaded.  Just then, she glanced behind him to see the officer stepped into the clearing.  Lori saw him, too.  She must have because she took another step forward.

“I had a DNA test done when I adopted her,” she said.

“Don't, Lori,” Rilynne said.  He was too unstable.  This wasn’t the right time to unravel his beliefs.  He couldn't hear this, not now.

“Dustin
is
her father,” Lori continued, not listening to Rilynne’s warnings.  “The DNA came back as a match.”

His body tensed.  Rilynne looked up to Officer Marcus and nodded.  Everything from there seemed to happen in slow motion.

Erin's arm jerked violently as he yelled, “You're lying!”

Officer Marcus ran toward him.  He collided with Erin just as a loud crack rang out through the clearing.  As they went down to the ground, so did Lori.

The air left Rilynne's lungs as she stared at Lori lying motionless on the ground. 

“No,” she said.  She tried to move but her feet felt as if they were encased in cement.  It wasn't until she heard Kim scream that she could finally make herself push forward.

“Call an ambulance!” she yelled to Marcus.  In just three strides, she closed the gap between them.  “Lori,” she said as she dropped down on her knees next to her.  Rilynne’s hand reached down for her, but stopped abruptly when it met something wet.

“No.”

A
fter escorting Erin into a holding cell, Rilynne headed straight for the homicide office.  She could feel nearly every eye on her as she passed through the station, but she didn’t care.  Her mind was only on one thing.

“Is he in there?” she asked when she stepped through the office door.  Donovan looked up at her and nodded.  He didn’t seem to have any question of who she was referring to.

She walked through the office without another word.  Like downstairs, she could feel her colleagues watching her.  They followed her as she passed, though.  She was going to have an audience.

“Mr. Maloy,” she said as she swung the door open and stepped in.

“Brett, I insist,” he said again.  “Did you find her?  Did you find Kimmy?”

Rilynne dropped down hard into the chair and rested her arms in front of her on the table.  “Yes, we were able to locate Kim Sibrian,” she said shortly.  The rage was bubbling so fiercely within her that she knew it was only a matter of time before she popped.

He smiled.  “That’s fantastic.  Lori will be so happy.  I know she’s been out of her mind with worry.”

Rilynne felt her body tense.  Maloy noticed and looked at her curiously, but she continued before he could question it.  “You are aware that it’s a violation of your restraining order to follow your victim, aren’t you, Mr. Maloy?”

He laughed.  “I’ve already explained to you that the restraining order was just for show.  It’s a prop in the game that we play,” he stated. 

“No, Mr. Maloy, it was a very real order for you to stay away from her.  Detective Sibrian had no desire to play any game with you.  She wanted you to leave her and her child alone.”  She could feel herself growing angrier with every word.

“You just don’t understand,” he said.  “You must not have ever loved someone enough to be able to experiment with different games to keep excitement in your relationship.  That’s what Lori and I have.”

“Lori didn't love you,” she said.  There was
a harshness in her voice that even shocked her.  “She only moved here to get away from you.  You tormented her and scared her to the point that she needed to run from you.”

His grin didn't falter.  “You don't know what you're talking about, baby cakes.  Lori and I are in love.  Like I’ve said, the whole restraining order and moving away is just a game we played.  Think of it like a giant game of hide and seek.  As soon as everything settles back down, we're going to be married.”

“Well, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but your wedding plans are permanently delayed,” she said.

Just then, Ben walked in with his kit in hand.  After placing it on the table beside her, he pulled out a swab and held it up.  Maloy looked at it for a moment before opening his mouth.  He seemed annoyed.

“And why would you think that?” he asked when Ben was done.

Rilynne took a deep breath. 
“Because she's dead.”

Ben passed her a sideways glance but didn't a surprisingly good job of hiding his shock from her statement.  With everything that had happened, she hadn't had a chance to talk to him after arriving back at the station.

She looked down at the dried blood on her hands.  Maloy followed her gaze and his face instantly went blank.  He looked back up and swept his eyes over her face as if looking for any hint she was lying.  Rilynne wasn't going to give it to him.

“This is the second woman in a year to die because of you,” she said coldly.  “The first took her own
life, and Lori…”  She took a deep breath, trying her best to get the words out.  “Lori ran to get away from you.  You followed her, and not only drew focus away from the search for her daughter, you distracted her and she lost her life because of it.”

“No!” he yelled.  He stood up and lunged toward her, but he didn't even make it half way.

Ben reached out with a swift intensity and slammed him down on the table, hard.  Maloy must have been shocked, because he didn't try to move again.

Rilynne struggled to keep all of the emotions flooding through her off of her face.  She stood up and looked down at Maloy, her arms folded tightly in front of her.

“You are going to leave my town.  If you ever set foot in Addison Valley again, I will have you charged with obstruction of justice, violating a restraining order, and your role in the death of Detective Sibrian,” she said.  “And that's just the beginning of it.  You're not in Wisconsin anymore.  Here in Texas, we like to execute anyone connected to the death of one of our own.  Is that understood?”  He glared up at her but didn't respond.

“She asked you a question,” Ben said, giving him a quick jerk.

Maloy looked away and nodded.  When he did, Ben released him and they walked out of the room, leaving Maloy sprawled out across the table.

The moment the door shut behind them, Rilynne turned around and grinned at Ben.  “That was impressive,” she said.  She was still smiling up at him moments later when Wilcome stuck his head out of the observation room door.

“Davis, I want that sample run against every database you can think of,” he said.  “With any luck, we can tie him to a case somewhere and lock him up.”

He nodded and walked back toward the office.  When he rounded the corner, Rilynne stepped into the observation room.

“Do you really think it will work?” Lori asked.  She was sitting on the back table with Kim asleep in her arms.  “Do you think he will actually buy it and stay away?”

Rilynne looked through the two way mirror.  Maloy was sitting back in his chair, smoothing down his shirt where Ben had stretched it.  The smile that had been on his face during the entirely of his stay was gone.  Instead, there was a single tear rolling down his cheek.  He was grieving.

“For a while, at least.  Even if he finds out that you’re really alive, there's still the chance that my threats will keep him away.”  She turned back to Lori.  “There's no guarantee.  As bad as it is to say, I think your best hope will be if he finds someone else to attach himself to.  Wooldridge will keep an eye on him, though.  As soon as he has a reason, he'll get him off the streets.”

“Have you thought about moving again?” Wilcome asked.  “I really don't want to lose you, but it's probably your best bet to keep him from finding you.”

“No,” Lori said without needing time to think it over.  “I'm not going anywhere.  I'm not going to live in fear, running from a man that may or may not be coming after me.”

Rilynne was happy she wanted to stay but still wanted what was best for her.  “What if he comes back?” she asked.  “What if he realizes I was just bluffing and learns that you're alive?”

“Then we'll handle it then.  Between what Ben's already done to him and what we both
know Joe will do, I don't imagine it will take much to scare him off,” she chuckled.  “And who knows, maybe a more severe anti-stalking law will be put in effect by then.  All I know for now is this is my home, and I'm not leaving it.”

Rilynne crossed the room and sat down next to her.

“I was kind of hoping you bringing him in with a gun to his head might kill the affection he has for you.  No such luck, though.”

Lori groaned and looked up at Wilcome.  “Yeah, about that…”

He waved his hand and dismissed her thought.  “You were an officer bringing in a criminal.  As you were alone and had no way of restraining him, you improvised.”

Rilynne looked at him wide eyed and grinned.  Though she was shocked, she didn't question him for fear he might change his mind.

“Well, I'll be having him escorted to the airport in half an hour.  If you want this charade to hold up, it would be best if you weren't where he could actually see you,” he said.  “Be with your daughter.  I'll see you in a couple days.”

He walked out without waiting for a response, leaving them sitting alone with the sleeping child.  They both stared at Maloy for five minutes in silence before Rilynne slid off the edge of the table.

“Ben will probably be a while,” Rilynne said.  “I'll drive the two of you home.  I'm sure that fiancé of yours is eager to see you.”

“I thought you rode with Ben?”

Rilynne nodded.  “I did.  But I can drive you home in your car.”

Lori rolled her eyes and eased her way off the table, careful not to wake Kim.

Rilynne couldn't remember ever seeing everyone as happy as they all were when they walked through the office.  Even all of the officers in the lobby were watching them with friendly smiles.  She was sure they would have all approached to offer enthusiastic congratulations had Kim not been asleep.

Lori climbed in the back with Kim and held her quietly until they pulled up in front of her house ten minutes later.

“Are you coming in?” Lori asked.  Rilynne reached down and helped her out of the car.  She was careful to avoid the bandaged wound on her arm.  Luckily, Lori had put her vest on before they went out on the search.  It caught the bullet that struck just above her heart, but a fragment broke off and pierced her arm.  The wound was not serious, though it did leave Rilynne with just enough blood on her hands to make her story convincing.

“No,” she replied.  As she shut the door, Rilynne glanced up and saw Joe and Harper rushing toward them.  “You be with your family.  I'll be here if you need anything.  Give her a big hug for me when she wakes up.”

Lori reached out with her free hand and pulled Rilynne in for a hug.  “I can never thank you enough for everything you did.  Not many detectives would take a psychics word and follow a lead.  If you hadn't, I might never have seen my baby again.  I owe you my life.”

Rilynne didn't know what to say, so she just kissed Kim gently on the back of the head and gave Lori a warm smile before turning and walking away.

The cool air felt relaxing as she walked down the poorly lit street.  For the first time in over a week, she felt like nothing could go wrong.  Even all of the pre-wedding stress she had the days leading up to the rehearsal dinner was gone.  As she walked up her walkway, all she could think about was climbing into a steaming hot bath.  Before she could reach the door, though, her phone started to ring.  When she looked down at the screen, she cursed and turned to her car.  Even with everything that happened during the day, she still couldn't believe she'd forgotten.

“What’s the news?” she asked as she climbed into her car.  “Did I miss it?”

“No,” Matthews said.  “She's getting close, though.  I know you're swamped with the case, but I wanted to let you know.”

She swung the car out onto the street.  “I'm already on my way,” she said.  “I just dropped Lori and Kim off, so I'll be there soon.”

“Okay,” he said.  She could hear what sounded like relief in his voice.  “I'll see you soon then.”

Rilynne berated herself after hanging up before picking the phone back up to fill Ben in.  She heard him yell for someone else in the lab to cover for him before the elevator ding sounded across the line.  By the time she stopped in front of the hospital fifteen minutes later, he was pulling up behind her.

“Did we miss it?” he asked eagerly.

Rilynne looked up at him and grinned.  “I thought men usually preferred to be late to these sorts of things.  You know, messy and screaming.”

He shook his head and took her hand as they hurried to the door.  “I have no desire to actually be in there,” he said.  “I just want to be there for Matthews when he walks out with the news.”

When they walked into the labor and delivery waiting room, they found nearly the entire homicide unit was already there.  The only two not present were Wilcome and Lori.  After making their rounds, Rilynne and Ben dropped down in two chairs near the back wall.

“So no desire at all?” she asked.  Ben gave her a puzzled look, so she continued.  “You said you had no desire to be in there with all the pain and screaming.  So when you say no desire, does that mean…”

Ben grinned and kissed her forehead.  “No,” he said.  “That means I don't have any need to be in there while Katy is having her babies.  Besides, I think a woman has a fundamental right to kill her husband if he isn't by her side.”

Rilynne laughed and nodded.  Before she could respond, though, Matthews came rushing out of the door.  He was pale as a sheet, but there was a stunned smile on his face.

“I have a daughter,” he said.  His eyes were wide as they swept across the room.  He turned around without another word and rushed back through the door.  The room filled with excitement as everyone anxiously awaited news on the second child.  Katy and Matthews had decided not to learn the sex of the babies, so there had been a pool in the office.  As it was, nearly half of the room had already been eliminated.  Rilynne had wanted to enter, but Ben insisted it wouldn’t be right given the fact that she already knew what they would be.  Just as she had seen, Matthews returned twenty minutes later and announced the birth of a second daughter.

“Congratulations,” Rilynne said as she crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him.  “How are they?  How's Katy?”

He grinned widely.  There was an excitement in his eyes she had never seen before.  The
color finally started to fill his cheeks.  “The girls are perfect.  They're just… perfect.  And Katy had some complications, but she's fine now.”