Chapter 40
FORTY
They pulled to a stop in front of High Grain Brewery, where two officers spoke with a guy wearing a High Grain Brewery polo shirt.
Duke headed inside and Ferd followed. The brewery was also a restaurant, and empty booths ran wall to wall, with hanging lights that looked like stained glass and walls made to look like logs.
“What are we looking for?” Ferd clutched tight to her purse as she followed Duke to the back porch seating area.
“Not sure. I’m just doing a walk through. Hard to believe this might be a front. Seems pretty lucrative. I’d hate to put this much work into a business, just to lose it for doing something so stupid.”
“I wonder if there’s a connection between George and the owner here?” She ran her hand over the wooden back of a chair.
“And why he insisted on Bailey’s body. If he hadn’t, we’d have never even known he was in town.
There was nothing in the autopsy that would’ve hinted at George’s identity.
We likely would’ve found Carl and been happy to have a conviction.
Even if he’d mentioned some shadowy drug lord, I don’t think I would’ve believed it. ”
“It’s because you have no imagination whatsoever,” George said as he cocked a pistol from a dark corner. “I’d bet you’re still unarmed. Just like a few days ago. Poor decision.” He waved the barrel toward the door. “I wouldn’t want any of them to hear you scream. You should've stayed out of this.”
“You were the shooter in the pasture.” Duke reached for his weapon, then raised his hands when it wasn’t there.
“Of course.” He waited until Duke led the way, then shoved her slightly as they headed for the door. “I can’t leave this little detail open. I thought I’d already gotten rid of you, but I guess Carl couldn’t be trusted. Worthless fool.”
“He’ll talk. He already is,” Duke said as he turned to face George.
“No one said you could stop. You’ll keep walking all the way to the edge of the dock. There’s party seating down there. For special guests only. I guess that makes you special.”
He laughed as he reached for Duke’s arm. Ferd drove her shoulder into his ribs, sending him tumbling down the embankment toward the water, then screamed for help.
Duke took off down the stairs, following George’s haphazard descent.
When he landed on the dock below, George dropped to one knee, sweeping his hand across the planks.
He’s searching for his gun. You have to stop this before he kills Duke.
Ferd raced to catch up, but her thigh muscles seized on the stairs.
Duke drove a hard right into George's jaw, sending him sprawling.
George gripped Duke’s hair, pulling his head into George’s knee.
Duke stumbled, nearly losing his footing.
One second. Two. Ferd took the stairs two at a time.
What if I’m too late? George reached for the pistol in the sand a few feet away.
She finally made it to Duke, winded and wincing as she kicked the gun out of George’s reach.
Duke launched himself to his feet and threw a wild right. His fist cracked against George's cheek, stopping Ferd cold. She gripped the rail to keep her balance. Why did punches have to sound like that? His eyes rolled back in his head.
“Nice moves. You ever play football?” He grinned at her as two officers ran down the winding steps to join them, talking into their coms on their shoulders.
“No. I guess I’ll have to try sometime.”
He looked at her for a moment too long, then looked away. “I guess that’s it. As soon as I can, I’ll drive you back home.”
He wants to be rid of me too, now that he doesn’t need me. “You’ll be here for a bit. I’ll call Connor.”
Now, she’d faced worse demons than Hunter. She might even be able to tell him why she’d chosen Wayside to heal instead of her apartment.