Best Laid Plans(124)

Sean bristled, but he stayed in the SUV.

Ryan and Nate, both in black SWAT gear, left the SUV and ran across the street. They blended into the tall hedges that surrounded the dark property, then the building blocked them from Sean’s view.

Sean waited for Elise. A Jeep drove up and slammed on the brakes in front of the apartment complex. Elise got out of the passenger seat and headed toward Mona Hill’s unit.

“She’s coming your way,” Sean said over the com. “There’s someone else in the car.”

“Stay put,” Ryan said over the com. “That’s an order.”

Sean didn’t take orders from Ryan or anyone. But he waited.

The driver got out. It was Mona Hill. She stood next to the Jeep waiting for Elise to return.

This was f*cked.

Sean slipped out of the SUV and, using other parked cars as a shield, approached the Jeep. He muted the com so Ryan couldn’t hear what he was saying.

“Mona.”

She jumped. Fear flashed over her face, then anger. “Get the f*ck out of here. You’re lucky they’re giving me a second chance.”

“Run.”

“I can’t.”

“Do they know about your sister?”

Her eyes widened. “No! God, no.”

“Then go. Disappear. You’re good at that.”

“They’ll find me. You don’t know these people like I do.”

“Mona, I’m not telling you again. Leave. I will stop them.”

“You can’t.”

“Don’t underestimate me.”

There was a loud crash from the apartment and Mona jumped. Over the com, Ryan ordered Nate to go right.

“Now,” Sean told her.

Mona jumped back in the Jeep and sped off. Sean ran back to the SUV but stood to the side. He unmuted the com.

“The Jeep just left without her,” he said. “Elise is cutting across the lawn running after it.” Elise had a bag over her shoulder that she hadn’t had before.

Nate came from behind the building and tackled the girl. She went down on her bad arm with a scream. He got up and secured her.

Ryan asked through the com, “Did you see who the driver was?”

“No,” Sean lied. “He didn’t get out of the car.”

“Plates?”

“No, sorry.”

Nate said, “Suspect is secured.”

They approached the SUV. Sean handed Ryan back the earpiece.

“Can you please drop me off at Everett’s house before you take her in? Kane isn’t responding to my messages, and neither is Crawford.”

“It’s because your lover is dead, and no one wants to tell you,” Elise said with a bloodied-nose smirk. “Go ahead, check my phone.”

Nate pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the history. He didn’t say anything.

Sean grabbed the phone from Nate. Ten minutes ago, at 9:50 P.M., Elise had sent Peter a message.



Kill them all and disappear.



Ryan pushed Sean back before he could hit the girl. “Lucy is fine,” Ryan said.

But he didn’t know that. No one did.





CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT



The grandfather clock chimed 10:00 P.M.

“There’s police everywhere,” Joyce said.

“Get away from the f*cking windows,” Peter ordered.

Joyce cowered and sat on the floor, her back against the wall.

When the police cars and unmarked vehicles began to arrive, Peter had told Joyce to handcuff Lucy. She should have expected it, but she’d hoped that she’d have more mobility.

The phone had been ringing on and off for the last twenty minutes.

“You need to answer the phone,” Lucy said when it started ringing again.

“So they can stall? I know how this works.” But he was worried. He hadn’t planned on being caught. What criminal did?

Elise Hansen. She’d planned on being caught. It was a game to her.

But she’d also planned on escaping. Perhaps the shooting at the hospital this morning had been the first escape attempt. Or maybe Kane and Sean were right, and it had been an attempt on Lucy’s life.

Or both.

The phone stopped ringing.

Peter had barely moved. The boy, still bound and gagged, sagged in the chair. He might have fallen asleep, or just felt defeated. There had been no more sounds from upstairs. Lucy wished she could find out if the mother and daughter were okay.

Peter kept looking at his phone. A message had come in a few minutes before, and Peter seemed to be waiting for something else.

“Joyce, go upstairs and get the mom and girl. We’ll kill these two, then take the kids hostage. They won’t shoot us with kids.”

“We can’t go out there!” Joyce exclaimed. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. You said there was a plan.”

“Elise had a plan,” Lucy said. “Her plan was to leave you here holding the bag. She has the money, and she didn’t come for you.”

“Shut up,” he said. “Go, Joyce! Get them!”

Joyce ran up the stairs. The phone rang again.

“Answer it, Peter,” Lucy said, her voice calm and reasonable. “You need to tell them that everyone is fine.”