What Have You Done(78)

“Go cuff yourself to the handle of the basement doors.”

“Liam—”

“Do it!”

Phillips crawled back toward the hurricane doors they had both just come up through. He laced one cuff through one of the steel handles and the other cuff around his wrist. When he was secure, the lieutenant raised his free hand to show he was done.

“Take out your phone and your radio and your keys. Toss them over.”

Phillips did as he was instructed. Liam picked up the items and threw them farther across the yard.

“Lieutenant, I know you don’t believe me, but I didn’t do anything, and I didn’t kill anyone. Sean did.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I need a head start, so I have to leave you cuffed for now. But when you get free, all the evidence you need is in that basement. Sean is the killer. I can’t believe I’m saying that out loud. He’s trying to frame me.”

“Why would he be framing you?”

“He’s having an affair with Vanessa. All I can guess is he wants me out of the picture so he can have her to himself. He’s killed other women too.”

Phillips struggled in the cuffs. “How do I know you didn’t plant whatever’s down there and you’re framing Sean? That this affair isn’t just a lie to throw us off?”

“Because Don will tell you the truth. He found more evidence than I could. Don knows Sean’s the killer.”

Phillips was silent. Liam could see his mind processing all of this new information.

“I’m going to Don’s now,” Liam continued. “I’ll call you later, and you can bring me in, and we’ll tell you everything we know, but I want Don with me. He’s my insurance. In the meantime, I suggest you get a BOLO out for my brother. I have a feeling this could get worse.”

Phillips raised his hand that was fastened to the door. “I can’t do anything like this!”

“Like I said, I need a head start. Give it some time, and then start calling out for help. Someone will come. Your phone and radio are by the bushes there. Keys too. I’ll call you later. We’ll tell you everything.”

Phillips said something else, but Liam didn’t hear. He ran from his brother’s house toward the subway station that would bring him back to South Philadelphia and then on to Don’s house. This would end tonight. It no longer mattered if they had enough evidence for a conviction. If he and Don let things go any longer, more lives would be lost. It was time to end this. One way or another.

He took Kerri’s phone out of his pocket and dialed Vanessa’s number.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s me.”

“Liam!”

“Don’t talk. Just listen. I know about you and Sean, and I don’t care right now. I’m heading to Don’s house, and then he and I are going into the station. I need to tell you what’s been going on.” He rubbed a hand through his hair and kept running as he barked into the phone. “It’s about Sean. He’s not who you think he is.”





59

Joyce placed her hand over her heart as she stepped back from the door. A look of concern washed over her immediately. “Sean,” she said. “It’s late. Where’s Don? Is everything okay?”

It took every ounce of strength Sean had to force a smile. He nodded slowly, ensuring every action was one of confidence and normalcy. It felt as though he were in a dream, detached from himself. The scenes and people he interacted with no longer felt real. His entire world had become a fantasy, but at the same time, he was aware that every moment of it was real. His head throbbed, and his eyes floated in and out of focus.

“Sean?” Joyce said again. The urgency in her voice was palpable. “Talk to me.”

Sean quickly refocused. “Sorry. No, everything’s fine. I know it’s late to come knocking like this. Don’s back at the station. He called me when I was out getting us coffee and asked me to swing by to pick up a disk he had for Liam’s case. We think we might have a lead on where he is.”

Joyce exhaled a sigh of relief and ushered him in, closing the door behind them both. “I’ve been following the news,” she said. “Oh, that footage of Liam driving your boat up the river was too much. I hope you find him soon. That boy needs help. Running ain’t gonna solve anything. We need to get him in and get him help. I spoke to Vanessa this morning. She’s in pieces.”

Sean made his way down the corridor toward the kitchen. He stuffed his hands in his pockets so Joyce wouldn’t see them shaking. His eyes burned from crying, his throat raw. “I know. I talked to her too. We think we’re close.”

“I pray you’re right. Pray every day.” Joyce walked into the kitchen and grabbed a teapot from the sink. She turned the water on and began to wash it out.

Sean came up behind her and leaned against the refrigerator, watching in silence. He noticed a picture of Don holding a supersized flounder on one of the doors and plucked it from its magnet. “I remember this day,” he said. “I took this picture.”

“I know.”

“We booked a charter off Point Pleasant. It was a birthday gift. I didn’t think we’d catch anything. Spent most of the day drinking, but nothing was biting. Not even a nibble. Captain was just about to turn around and head in when Don gets this thing on his line. Took us like a half hour to reel it in. Ends up catching a record breaker. It was unbelievable. That was a good day.”