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.I told her to get lost.Now her nosiness has got her into big trouble with somebody else.”I debated how to handle him.He was a pro with guns and ex-Special Forces.Any attempt to disarm him would be suicide.I could keep him talking, but what would the delay achieve? It would only increase the likelihood of Jill wandering into his line of fire.Phil Adamson should have called long before now.If he did, would Damon let me talk? How could I convey the message that I was in trouble and needed help?“Molly mentioned you had jumped onto her about the concert business,” I said, my voice conciliatory.“That was one of the things that disturbed her.It made her afraid.Somebody at the office had told her about Vietnam vets who did destructive things.I told her that was mostly a lot of crap.But she said she’d seen you chase a neighbor’s dog with a machete.That really shook her up.”“Ah, shit.” He grimaced.“I shoulda known it was something like that.Damn woman has too big an imagination.”“Why don’t you take her out for a nice dinner?” I said.Then, thinking of the workshop story, I added, “Give her another ring you made.Women like that sort of thing.Make up to her and put all this behind you.”“It’s too late for that,” he said.He looked around and waved the gun toward the sofa.“Sit.I know you’re an ex-Air Force cop.Don’t get any bright ideas.”Right now I was fresh out of ideas.I walked over to the sofa and did as he instructed.“What have you told the cops about me?” He moved to a chair across from me.The gun barrel faced me as an ominous black circle aimed dead center of my forehead.I gave him a puzzled look.“Why would I tell the cops anything about you?”“Don’t play dumb.I know you’ve been talking to Detective Adamson.I know about your trips to Indianapolis and St.Louis.You’ve been digging up a lot of dirt.”I recalled the notes I had dropped in Molly’s file about my call to Ray Orman, but we hadn’t been to St.Louis when Chad broke into the office and stole the file.“How do you know we went to St.Louis?”“I called Ray.The sorry ass apologized for telling you about Chad Rowe.”“Do you deny being Chad Rowe?”He wiped the back of his free hand across the uniform, leaving a brown smudge.“I don’t have to deny or confirm anything for you, McKenzie.What have you told the cops?”I knew I had to tell him something, but I didn’t want to say anything that would link him to the Opryworld murder.“At first I asked Phil if he could help me out with the investigation Molly hired us for.He couldn’t because he was too tied up with the Bernstein shooting.When he asked later how the investigation was going, I told him we didn’t seem to be getting anywhere.”“You didn’t tell him about Chad Rowe?”“No.Why should I?”“Anybody ask you about the house fire?”I folded my arms and noticed my palms getting sweaty.I had a hunch time was running out.“Nobody but your landlord.”“You hear any more from this Tony Yarnell?”Tony’s name had been in the file also.“I heard his body was found this morning down near Smyrna.”That brought another grin.“The bastard was after Molly.I’d already been hired to take care of her.”I wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but before I could make another comment, the outside floods flashed on, signaling another visitor.Facing the window, I caught it immediately.Chad saw the reflection on the wall and jumped up, still pointing the pistol at me.“Somebody must have driven up,” he said.“Probably your wife.Go see who it is.” He had replaced the melodious tone with one of pure venom.“Don’t open the damn door till I tell you, and don’t try any tricks or it’ll be your last.”I walked to the door, careful to keep my hands away from my body.With my eye at the peephole, I saw Phil Adamson getting out of his white Malibu.35I turned to Chad.“It’s Adamson.He was supposed to call me.”“I cut the phone line.”That figured.And I had turned off the cell phone as usual when we got home.“He’ll know somebody’s here,” I said.“When he knocks, open the door and invite him in.Close the door behind him and don’t move.”The normally cheerful door chimes seemed to sound a melancholy note.He rang three times as I hesitated, but I saw no alternative to obeying Chad’s orders.I opened the door and looked out at Phil, my face a blank.Chad was out of his line of sight.I knew if the detective came in with his weapon drawn, Chad would open fire.“Come on in, Phil,” I said, pushing the security door open.As soon as he stepped inside, he spotted the black deliveryman with the pistol and froze.Chad pointed beyond the sofa.“Both of you move very slowly and lean your palms against the wall.You know the drill.”He patted Phil down and relieved him of his.40 caliber Glock 22.Then he did the same to me, though I had already left my Beretta on my desk in the den.When Chad told us to turn around, Phil frowned at me.“What the hell’s going on, Greg?”“Meet Chad Rowe, alias Damon Saint,” I said.Chad held the gun with both hands.Tension cranked up.“McKenzie claimed he hadn’t told you anything about me.The bastard’s lying, of course.”Chad had pocketed Phil’s semiautomatic, and he stood back even with the foyer, too far away for us to have any chance of jumping him.Phil turned his head toward me.“I tried to return your call, but your phone is out of order and I only got voice mail on the cell.”“Thanks to Mr.Rowe.”“What were you going to tell him, McKenzie?” Rowe asked.I decided to see if I might rattle him.Maybe it would give us a chance to do something.I decided if either Phil or I survived, the one left should know the truth.“Detective Adamson and I and an investigator for Rutherford County checked out the motel shortly after you left this afternoon,” I said.“They’re looking at you as a suspect in the stabbing of Tony Yarnell.”“So what.” Chad sneered.“What if I told you it was self-defense?”“People defending themselves don’t normally throw the assailant off a bridge,” Phil said.“After they left,” I continued, “I noticed a trail back into the woods behind where your truck had been parked.I followed it all the way back to a clearing.I found a black extended cab Ford Ranger parked there.When I opened the storage box in the back, I found an assortment of weapons, including a Dragunov rifle with a sniper scope.”Phil stared at Chad.“You shot the Mexican kid onHillandale Street?” Chad glared at me.“Very smart, McKenzie.”“I also had Art Finley look up the records of the car you drove to Chattanooga the day Dr.Bernstein was shot.He said it was a new green Dodge Intrepid, the car Pedro Rodriguez saw in the hotel parking lot.What did you do with the.22 rifle you used on the Chairman?”“I’ve heard enough of this shit, gentlemen.It’s time to say good night and get the hell out of here.I have six rounds available, and as you know from my Opryworld performance, I only require one shot each.”While we talked, I had planned my final move.I knew Phil had been doing the same.I stood beside the sofa, where one of Jill’s fancy cushions was in easy reach.I would scoop it up with a sweep of my arm and throw it toward Chad’s gun hand.He would likely get off one shot, but my hope was the cushion would delay him long enough for Phil to nail him.If I were lucky, I would take a non-fatal hit.I tried not to think of the alternative.As I saw Chad aim the gun toward Phil, I started swinging my arm.He caught the movement immediately, yelled, “Die, dammit!” and shifted the weapon in my direction.As I scooped up the cushion, the shot rang out.I didn’t feel it, but I knew I was a dead man.36I needed only an instant to realize the shot sounded more like the pop of a.38 than the crack of a 9mm
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