Chapter 14
P auley looked around at her companions. She could see the doubt and hesitation on all their faces. Jamie looked especially haunted for some reason. She knew something about All Hallow’s Eve was bothering him, but he hadn’t confided in her yet. Nervously, she chewed on a fingernail and stared into the darkness, wondering how much of her Gramma Caulfield’s tales had been true? She swore she could feel her grandmother’s influence at times, but nothing as spooky as what had happened tonight. Were they all hallucinating?
She strained to see anything among the trees and brush of the woods ahead of them. Was Florence right? Was Juice really dead? Or was he sitting in a tree somewhere waiting for another chance to take a shot at her son?
“Florence, Belton said there was a contract on Luca. Was Juice the hitman?” she asked.
Florence nodded weakly. “Aye, he was. He made me lure Leonard to the warehouse so he could kill him, and forced me to come up here with him because he didn’t have sniper training and he knew I did. I had no idea he was anything other than Detective Michael Anier before today, I swear,” she finished, sobbing.
“But he knew ye and Brodie were friends?” Pauley asked, ticking boxes.
“Aye. And he knew about Brodie’s alias, which no one but me at the station knew about. How, I don’t know, but I suspect he was brought in for a cleanup. Gravedigger is known for his willingness to do about anything,” she babbled on.
Pauley’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “And how would ye know this?”
Florence shot her a startled look and a red blush crept up her neck. “Common knowledge?” she replied with a touch of her old nasty attitude. “Don’t tell me ye have never heard of a hitman called Gravedigger?”
Of course, Pauley knew the name, but she grimaced and turned away from Florence. Taking out her cell phone, she dialed Mica’s number.
“Pauley, I can’t talk right now, Brodie’s been shot and I’m looking for Florence. Or Juice in case Juice knows where she is.”
“Mica...wait,” Pauley yelped into the phone. “I know Brodie’s been shot—Belton told us. All hell broke loose here at Neamh this evening and Florence and Juice came up here to kill Luca and Belton.”
“The hell ye say!”
“Aye, and now Florence says that she was forced to come up here, and that the Ghillie Dhu killed Juice in Kelly Woods. Florence looks as if she was hit by a lightning strike and will need a medical check-up. I’m going into Kelly Woods to find Juice in case she’s lying.”
“Cripes, Pauley, I’m headed yer way,” Mica shouted into the phone. “Dinna ye dare go into Kelly Woods alone, ye hear me?”
“I’m not waiting,” Pauley cried with determination. “If that man isn’t dead, he might come after Luca again, and I’ve no intention of letting him get anywhere near my son. If Florence is using the Ghillie Dhu to help the sleekit bastert get away, I’ll make him wish he was facing that vengeful fairy instead of me.”
“Where’s Jamie?” Mica barked.
“He’s right here with me, so is Darro and Angus. We have Florence in cuffs because I don’t trust that she is telling me the truth. I’m putting ye on speaker phone now.”
Mica’s deep voice boomed into the air. “I’m on my way, where are ye?”
“On the east side of Kelly Woods, the road entrance to the trails, but ye need to stay there, Mica. Something big is going down according to Belton, sometime in the early morn.”
“I know, but I’m locked out of it,” Mica snapped. “They had Brodie awake long enough to call in his buddies and Interpol. Quinn is part of it, but he also told me to stay out of it. I’ve been looking fer Florence but she disappeared.”
“Brodie’s alive?” Pauley asked, shocked at the news. The other’s gathered around her, listening intently.
“Aye, he’s alive...barely...and in surgery now. He managed to push 999 and they traced the open line call to the warehouse where he was found. If he hadn’t, he’d have bled out by now.”
Pauley looked around, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. “I can’t risk Juice getting away, Mica. I don’t think anyone else wants to go into the woods, and as private citizens, I won’t ask them to, but I’m going after him,” she insisted. “He has to be stopped.”
“Ye might never find him in the dark,” Jamie insisted. “Florence is in no shape to go back in there, and no one knows where they were set up.”
“Jamie’s right, and even if he gets away, his plans are ruined,” Mica argued.
“But he doesn’t know that,” Pauley replied stubbornly.
“If my chopper spotlight on the woods hasn’t alerted him that something’s changed, he’s not a very bright lad,” Darro inserted caustically. “I agree with Mica. There is no need to go blind into the dark where he might be waiting with God knows what. Florence didn’t come out with her sniper rifle, so he has that for sure.”
“As the senior officer on a crime scene, it’s my decision as to what’s to be done,” Pauley vetoed their arguments crisply.
“Jamie, talk some sense into the lass, will ye?” Mica pleaded. “I’ll be there in about 10 more minutes.”
“Even if ye were here, Mica, it’s still my decision,” Pauley spat out.
Jamie gave her a stern look. “Pauley, can ye honestly say yer decision is coming from yer position as the detective on scene, or as a mother? If it wasn’t Luca in danger, would ye be so willing to risk yer life, as well as those of us who will go with ye because we won’t let ye go alone, to get this man?”
She glared at him, but Jamie just stared back, unblinking.
Bollocks to the man and his stare.
Jamie went on. “It would seem to me that our best course of action would be to continue guarding Luca and Belton at Neamh, let Mica take Florence into custody, and wait for other trained constables to seize these vehicles and search the woods, if ye still wish to do it after that.”
“Wait, Jamie,” Mica inserted. “I agree with everything ye just said except for calling in the police. We need to keep this under wraps until after the operation goes off with the task force,” he added. “If Juice is dead, then Kelpie won’t know the cleanup crew hasn’t done their job. If he’s already contacted his sources, then it may be a lost cause anyway, but we still need to hold off. There may be other leaks at the police station if this gets out. I’ll get off the phone and let Quinn know. And Pauley, Quinn is the senior officer in this case once he’s informed, and speaking as a friend, ye better keep yer little arse out of those woods.”
The line went dead.
“He hasn’t been informed yet ,” Pauley snapped irritably at the dial tone on her phone. She hated feeling like she was being organized again. Why did men always seem to think their opinions mattered the most? No way in hell was she letting Juice get away, not when he was still a threat to Luca. She would go in alone if she had to.
Disgusted, she glanced up at the three big men gazing at her, all their expressions eerily similar. Folded arms, raised eyebrows, and a stance that told her they all agreed with Mica. “What?” she snarled, then threw her hands up in the air. “Fine...I won’t go in the woods... yet . I will wait until Mica gets here, but that’s all,” she added irritably.
Pauley turned and stalked towards the edge of the road where the view fell away to Neamh nestled a half mile or so down. It looked peaceful down there, nothing seemed to be moving. It was too far to see any of the men without binoculars, but not too far away for a high-powered sniper rifle. It was highly likely that Juice didn’t have sniper experience, or he wouldn’t have needed Florence. Thank God she’d missed.
She sighed. The chances of Juice waiting for another shot were slim to none. She knew Luca was safe because Darro was in contact with Lucerne and Dal. She also knew all four of the stubborn men were right, she just didn’t want to be wrong. And it put her out of sorts to have her decisions questioned.
She closed her eyes, cleared her mind, and listened to the breeze gently lifting her bangs off her forehead. It had nothing to say, no whispers from anyone or anything. Taking a few deep breaths and releasing them, she tried to relax her tensed up shoulders and neck by gently rolling her head around as she created order out of chaos in her mind. When gentle fingers suddenly began probing into those tight muscles and kneading the sore spots, she groaned. It was Jamie’s fingers; she was already in tune with his touch.
“Coming down off the edge yet?” he whispered in her ear. “Ye are really tight, wee firebrand.”
“Aye, I’m thinking things over,” she conceded. “I said I’d wait until Mica gets here to make a final decision, Jamie. Ye may not like what I decide, but it is my call. Can ye live with that?” She turned to face him, searching his eyes for disapproval, but found none.
“Believe it or not, I can,” Jamie replied, massaging his thumbs along her collar bone. “Ye are the professional and I respect that. I’m just glad ye decided to wait until Mica gets here. It’s important to me that ye don’t do things alone and put yerself at unnecessary risk.”
“My job always carries a certain amount of risk.”
He nodded. “I know that. Which is exactly why ye don’t need to add to what’s already there.”
Pauley knew they weren’t talking just about this particular situation any more, it was a glimpse into their future. If there was going to be one. “I’ll do my best to be careful, that’s all I can promise,” she murmured. “I can’t guarantee a positive outcome every time. If that’s going to be a problem for ye...”
Her voice trailed off as she studied his expression. The man was hard to read, but she could tell he wasn’t angry or upset. She wondered what it would take to really get him angry? Where his limits were? Deciding she might not want to know, she reached up and nibbled his bottom lip, seeking affirmation with a kiss.
His lips were firm and warm as he responded to her invitation, and for a few minutes, the world consisted only of her and Jamie. She leaned into his strength and let him lead.
Until Mica came thundering past them and stopped his squad car with a squeal of abused brakes.
He leaped out and looked around, his expression thunderous as he approached Darro and Angus. “Don’t tell me she went into the woods,” he roared at them. “Did Jamie go with her? I was hoping he’d spank her little arse out of that notion if nothing else worked. I’m going in.”
“Whoa,” Darro replied with an amused grin. He held up his hand towards Mica’s broad chest. “She hasn’t gone into the woods, she’s right behind ye, waiting for ye.”
Mica whirled around, his trench coat tail flying out in typical Mica ganger style. The expression of concern and consternation on his face would have been amusing if not for his public spanking comment. Pauley didn’t appreciate that one at all. Especially since the other men, including Jamie, were smirking.
“I’m right here, Mica,” she replied coolly, walking up to him. “And now that ye are here, I’m making a decision as yer superior officer. Ye and I are going into Kelly Woods and will attempt to apprehend Detective Anier. This is what we do. We took an oath to apprehend the bad guys whenever and wherever we find them. Do ye honestly want to be caught on the left foot waiting for other constables to do our job? What will that make us look like if they have to do it for us?” she asked.
Mica flushed, but then he nodded. “Aye, boss, ye are right. I just wanted ye to wait for me and not go in alone without a trained partner.”
“Ye still aren’t going in without me,” Jamie insisted.
Pauley nodded briskly. “I won’t leave any of ye behind who want to come. It would be dangerous for ye if Juice were to come around us to get a vehicle and try to escape. What do ye suggest we do with Florence? We can’t leave her here alone either.”
“I’ll be fine, Pauley, I’m feeling better. Nothing’s broken and I’m not bleeding except for minor scratches and digs,” Florence interjected.
“Ye need to go to the hospital,” Pauley replied, her brows drawing down. “If ye were supposed to be part of the cleanup crew we don’t want anyone to know ye and Juice didn’t succeed.”
“Mica can take me in discreetly after ye check on Juice. But he really is dead,” she insisted. “Ye will need a crime scene team up here to get him out of that tree.”
“I’ll fly overhead with the helicopter spotlight if ye like, and I can take Florence with me and Angus. He can keep an eye on her, and if she gets worse, we can take her directly to the hospital from here,” Darro offered. “It might light yer way through the woods. With my loudspeaker on, I can warn ye if I see anyone moving. There are two large trees by the southern side of the woods. I’m guessing those would hold people in their branches.”
Jamie frowned. “Florence did say that Juice forced her to do this because of her son. She’ll be safer with ye, Darro.”
“Is that true, Florence?” Mica asked, his eyebrows furrowing. “That sheds some new light on things.”
Florence nodded, her face still deathly pale.
Once all the logistics were figured out, Mica, Pauley, and Jamie set off through the woods while the helicopter flew above them.
“I’ll take the lead,” Mica said. “I know these woods. We used to play in them when we were kids. Come on, I know the trees Darro is talking about.”
They went quietly in a single file with Pauley in the middle glancing furtively into the spooky undergrowth. The light from the helicopter didn’t penetrate to the ground as if the woods were deliberately blocking it. It did result in fleeting shadows through the treetops that looked more like ghostly figures swooping through the branches above them. Pauley shivered.
It did feel nice to have two men with her, but anything could happen at any time. Those were the risks with law enforcement. Still, she was more nervous about something strange happening than getting shot, which kept her nerves on an acute edge.
They’d been hiking for about 25 minutes when Mica suddenly stopped, his intake of breath almost a gasp as he muttered. “Cripes! What in the name of all the unholy is that?”
He was pointing towards a tree where a skeletal figure dressed in charred clothing sat on a tree limb with a look of eternal horror on its burned face. Patches of bone shone through the flesh of its blackened, crisped skin, and the shock of hair on its crown was snow white. The tree itself was charred and split up the side beneath the macabre figure as if a lightning bolt truly had struck the tree and the passenger on its limb.
Wisps of smoke here and there drifted off the charred wood and flesh, permeating the air around the tree. No one wanted to step any closer.
“Is that Juice?” Pauley asked in a horrified whisper, her stomach curling in protest. The smell was beginning to nauseate her.
“I don’t know for sure,” Mica muttered.
“Florence said it was the Ghillie Dhu,” Pauley whispered. “Something about turning Juice to dust?”
“Looks like a lightning strike to me. I saw a squirrel in a tree struck by lightning once. The tree was split open and the squirrel was flattened into the wood inside the tree.”
They all stared at Mica.
He ran his fingers through his hair. “Fine, there’s a rifle on the ground below it though, so I’m guessing it must be Juice. I’ll have to get closer to check for sure.” He made no move to go forward and Pauley didn’t either.
“The Ghillie Dhu is said to protect children,” Jamie offered. “Do ye think he knew they were aiming for Luca?”
Pauley and Mica both stared at him. Pauley cleared her throat. “Do ye actually believe Florence saw a spirit, Jamie?” She could feel cold fingers trudging up her spine at the look Jamie gave her.
“Aye, I believe it’s possible,” he said finally. “I saw my dead brother once on All Hallow’s Eve. It scared the living crap out of me. I’ve never left my doors open since then. In fact, I dislike and dread the holiday every year,” he confessed.
“They say there is a logical explanation for everything if ye are willing to look for it,” Mica added in a muted voice. “I still say it’s lightning, the poor bastert.”
“I’ve never known of a lightning strike that burned the flesh off though. Either way, better him than Luca,” Pauley huffed decisively.
Mica shot her a disturbed side eye. “Cripes, lass. I had no idea mothers could be so bloodthirsty.”
Pauley narrowed her eyes and huffed again. “Are ye going to inspect the body? “We need to make sure it’s Juice for the safety and peace of mind of everyone at Neamh.”
“Yer the superior officer,” he reminded her with a slight smirk.
Pauley, rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’ll do it.”
“Keep yer shirt on,” Mica muttered, blocking her path. “Ye can’t tell anything from the face and the black clothing is all generic. Do ye know if he had any distinguishing characteristics?”
Pauley frowned, trying to think. “Wait! Didn’t he have a Glasgow school ring with his initials on it? I remember it on his hand when he was chugging the Screwdrivers.”
Mica snorted. “I’m not climbing that tree to check his fingers, Pauley. I will look at the gun though. Florence kept her sniper rifle in the truck of her car, and she let me inspect it when we were investigating a case. It has her initials etched in the gun barrel.”
He walked over and carefully picked up the gun by the stock with just two fingers, then backed away from the tree, never taking his eyes off the awful figure above him.
“It has her initials alright,” he said as he handed the gun to Pauley, who took off her scarf and wrapped the gun inside it to preserve the evidence. “I think we can safely assume this is Juice since they were here together.” He took out his cell and started snapping pictures from all angles, then jumped like a startled rabbit when a sudden breeze swept through the clearing and the shredded trousers on the figure flapped up and down.
“Cripes,” Jamie swore, also startled.
“Where did the wind come from?” Pauley asked, looking around fearfully. The wind through the barn earlier had been sudden too, but this time it didn’t carry any screams with it. Had she imagined the screams earlier?
They were all silent until Pauley’s cell phone suddenly rang, jarring the eerie silence and making them all jump again. It was Darro.
“Pauley? Have ye found anything yet?”
“Aye, we found what we think is Juice. Ask Florence if she left her rifle with him when she ran.”
With the phone on speaker, they could all hear Darro’s question and Florence’s frantic response.
“I missed my first shot and Juice thought he could do better,” Florence babbled. “But when I handed my gun back to him and laid down on the branch, the Ghillie Dhu appeared in the air and vaporized him. I only caught part of the blast and fell out of the tree, then ran away. It was really him I tell ye, a monster. He looked just like his pictures too, with pieces of tree branches and shrubs hanging off his face. I’m lucky to be alive.”
Pauley shivered. “We’re heading back to the East entrance, Darro. There’s nothing more we can do until a crime scene unit gets up here. At least we know he’s not coming after Luca again.”
“Okay, see ye there,” Darro replied, and hung up.
They watched as the helicopter made a wide turn and started back over the woods headed east.
“Let’s get out of here,” Pauley muttered with a full body shiver. She and Mica started back, but Jamie didn’t follow. When she turned around, he was just standing there staring at something in the murky shadows. Following his gaze, she didn’t see anything, but he wasn’t moving.
“What’s he doing?” Mica asked. “He’s just staring into the darkness.”
Pauley walked up and tentatively put her hand on Jamie’s arm. “Jamie? Are ye alright?”
Jamie turned towards her, his face pale as he cleared his throat. “Aye. I’m fine. Are we ready to go?”
“Aye, we’re headed back now,” she replied softly, taking his hand and following Mica’s lead. They were all silent as they quickly made their way back to the east entrance. She heaved a sigh of relief when they cleared the woods.
When Darro sat the chopper down, they gave a brief explanation of what they had found, and Mica showed Angus and Darro the pictures. Pauley moved to the side and called Quinn. Florence turned her head away and wouldn’t look. After multiple curses, even Angus was at a loss for a joke. “That’s a nasty way to go,” he growled, finally turning his head away.
Darro nodded quietly. “Not sure I’ve seen the like of that before.”
“I saw it happen,” Florence mumbled. “Can I use yer phone now, Pauley, since yer finished with yer call? Please? I need to know if Devon’s alright. I’ve been praying Juice lied about kidnapping him. He destroyed my cell phone and threw it into the harbor.”
Pauley nodded and handed her the cell phone.
“Mica, are ye coming to Neamh with us?” Jamie asked. “There’s nothing left to do now but wait until tomorrow morning.”
“Nay, Jamie,” Mica returned. “I believe I’ll return to Miley and the twins tonight. Mayhap I’ve been a bit too cavalier towards Miley and an experience she says she had once on All Hallow’s Eve. I believe I’ll be closing my door tonight after all. The kids will probably be through trick or treating soon, so we’ll just hunker down and wait for a call from Pauley or Quinn. Curdle hates trick or treaters coming to the door anyway.”
“That’s because dogs can see the spirits,” Florence chimed in, finally sounding calmer and more like her old self. “Dogs don’t like the ones who are up to mischief.” She handed the phone back to Pauley. “Devon is with his dad and just fine. Thank God the bastert was lying.”
No one felt like refuting her statement about dogs and spirits.
Pauley nodded and turned to Mica. “Quinn said he will have Interpol meet ye at the base of High Meadow Road to take Florence into custody, Mica,” Pauley said.
“Aye,” he replied, then took Florence’s arm to escort her to his squad car. She was still in the handcuffs.
“Can’t ye take these off, Mica?” she pleaded quietly. “We were partners once, and I haven’t done anything wrong.”
He stared at her then finally nodded his head. “Aye, I can do that since my squad car has the grill barrier, and in case anything else crazy happens tonight. I don’t want to drive off the mountain if ye have another breakdown.”
Pauley silently applauded Mica’s decision. The sniper rifle he laid carefully in the boot, still wrapped in her scarf. “Drive careful, Mica. It’s been a strange night.”
He came over and hugged her. “Ye too, Pauley.” He turned to Jamie and shook his hand. Take care of her, Jamie.”
“I will,” Jamie assured him, snugging Pauley in close to him.
With a wave towards Angus and Darro in the helicopter, Mica left first. Darro lifted up and followed once Pauley and Jamie were seated.
“Where are ye going, boss?” Angus asked when Darro didn’t turn towards Neamh.
“Making sure they get to the base of the mountain safely,” Darro groused. “It’s been a really weird night.”
No one disagreed with him. They all watched as Mica met up with two cars flashing their red and blue lights at High Meadow Road. Then he turned around and headed back to Neamh.
Pauley was grateful for men like Darro, Angus and Jamie as she snuggled into Jamie’s side. Powerful men who knew how to get good things done, and had the resources to back them up. The world needed more men like them. There were far too many of the other kind.
She couldn’t wait to see Luca and reassure herself that he was still safe. Would Luca be safe in the future from this Kelpie? Would he hire another hitman? The knot of fear in her stomach was almost paralyzing. They still had this night to get through.
What would the morning bring?