Chapter 13
THIRTEEN
Anthony must be going soft, just like Penny had teased.
He never should’ve agreed to this. He tried to loosen his death grip on the steering wheel of his squad car as he peered through the windshield.
Penny, on the other hand, hummed along to the radio.
She had tuned it to a country station as soon as she’d slipped into the passenger seat, like she owned the place.
Like they were out for a leisurely cruise and not trying to catch a killer.
His wipers were at full speed, yet he could barely see Penny’s burgundy SUV through the freezing rain and sleet. Della was keeping it at a good speed at least. Nothing reckless or unsafe. Still, he didn’t like this idea.
“So…” Penny let the word linger. “You and Della?”
“What about it?”
“Don’t bite my head off, Tony. I’m just saying, you two looked pretty cozy over lunch. I wasn’t interrupting anything, was I?”
“Like that’s ever stopped you before.”
She laughed. “My, my. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen you this surly. You’re usually one of the most chill and upbeat people I know. You must really like her.”
Anthony lost all words. There was no comeback to throw Penny off the scent. She was right.
“What’s not to like? But here I am, letting a serial killer try to nab her. What’s wrong with this scenario?”
Penny laughed.
“It’s not funny,” Anthony growled.
“Sure it is. The great Anthony Thomas has finally fallen. And for the record, you have my wholehearted approval. Della is tough, but she’s one of the good ones. I think you two would be perfect together.”
“We’re just working together. We haven’t even been on a date.”
“You’ve never asked her out? She’s probably the one single woman in Last Chance you haven’t.”
“That’s not true.”
“Oh, it is. When I first moved here, Andi warned me all about you and Bryce specifically. Of course, I didn’t listen and I fell for Bryce anyway.
However, everyone knows that you, my friend, only date a woman for a few months, then you’re on to someone new.
So if you try to pull that on Della, you’re going to have to deal with me. ”
“Can we just focus on keeping the woman safe and out of Jason Vaynes’s hands for now?”
“Yup. You’re a goner.”
He wasn’t even going to answer that.
“You’re following too closely,” Penny said. “Back off a little.”
“I can hardly see with this rain. I’m not letting her out of my sight.”
“She’s almost to her house. We can go past it and backtrack on the next street over. Jude is watching over there. If we take his spot, he can use the neighbor’s house like she said.”
Anthony hated being this far from Della, even though they had her on an open phone call, just muted.
They could hear the upbeat Kelly Clarkson song she was listening to on the car radio.
She parked in the short driveway in front of a yellow cottage-style home and killed the engine. Anthony drove past her and kept going.
“See anything?” he asked Penny.
“Nothing.” She looked down at her phone. “Jude is moving into place.”
Good, because this was when Della was most vulnerable.
Moments of transition were the hardest to protect.
Anthony should probably thank God for the awful weather, which could only deter Vaynes.
He wouldn’t be able to stay outside watching for any length of time.
And Anthony would have to trust that Jude and his buddy were vigilant enough that Vaynes didn’t sneak past them.
“Maybe I should do a quick sweep of the house before she—”
“She’s fine.” Penny nudged him with her elbow. “We’re listening. We’re tracking her.”
Right. Anthony sped up and turned left. He turned again when he found the narrow alley Della used to access the detached garage. The squad car blocked the alley, but he and Penny would have enough room to get out if needed. It gave them a mostly clear view of Della’s backyard.
“So now we sit and do nothing.” Anthony grabbed his pack of gum. At least he could keep his mouth busy.
“Nothing but wait for a serial killer to show up.” Penny sounded way too chipper for this.
Anthony said nothing. He turned the volume up on the phone they were listening on.
Over the next few hours, darkness crept in.
By five o’clock, the sky was black, and the temperatures had dropped enough to turn the freezing rain to thick snow.
Anthony had to keep the car running to keep the windshield wipers on.
There was no movement except a random alley cat dodging the snowflakes, looking for shelter.
Finally, Della spoke to them over the phone.
“I should be glad he didn’t show, but I’m only getting more impatient. Are you seeing anything?”
Penny took the phone off mute. “Nothing.”
“I guess I’ll get ready for my shift, then. I’ll leave for work in half an hour.”
“Sure.” Anthony was glad to hear her voice and, for some reason, wanted her to hear his. “We’ll follow you once you leave.”
“Okay, I’ll let you know when I’m ready.”
He was ready to see her again now, and to have the protection of the security system at the firehouse. Twenty-nine more minutes to go. He settled back into his seat. Even rested his head for a moment.
“What’s that?” Penny pointed through the windshield.
Anthony sat up straight. “Where?”
“On the other side of Della’s house. I saw movement.”
Anthony removed his service weapon from its holster and bolted from his car.
“Tony, wait!” Penny hissed from somewhere behind him.
He probably should’ve grabbed his hat, but it was too late for that. The movement in the shadows spurred him. He squinted through the thick snow and made his way down the alley.
A figure dressed in black slid around the corner of the next house down. Anthony sprinted after the person. “Stop! Police!”
The person paused and looked back before darting between houses. Definitely male. Average height and weight. But the man’s black beanie and neck warmer hid most of his face. No sign of a weapon in his gloved hands.
Anthony ignored the cold seeping down the collar of his coat and kicked up his speed a notch. The pounding of Penny’s footsteps sounded from behind him.
Just as the man reached the driveway in front of Della’s neighbor’s house, Anthony made his move. He lunged and wrapped his arms around the man’s torso, knocking him down to the ground.
The man flailed. “Get off me!”
Anthony flipped the guy over and whipped the hat off his head.
Not Vaynes. It was just a kid lying there in the snow, barely sixteen by the looks of him.
“Who are you, and what are you doing?” Anthony didn’t have time for this.
“Nothing! I swear!” The kid held up his empty hands in surrender.
Anthony stood and yanked the boy to his feet. “Then why did you run?”
The boy’s shoulders slumped. “I’m grounded. I was sneaking out to see my girlfriend. She lives a couple streets over.”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
Penny ran up to them. She looked at the kid and chuckled. “What’s going on?”
Before Anthony answered, he heard Jude’s voice on the radio Penny was carrying. “Everything okay?”
“All clear. False alarm,” Penny told him. “Stay where you are.”
“Copy that.”
Penny clipped the radio back onto her belt. “So, what did I miss?”
“Romeo here is sneaking out of his parents’ house.” Anthony let go of the kid and brushed the snow off his pants. “I’ll escort him back home. You should get back to Della.”
“Yes, sir.”
Anthony didn’t have to look up at Penny to hear the smirk in her response.
And it didn’t take much convincing for the kid to cough up his address.
Anthony walked him home and spoke to the parents.
By the time he got back to the squad car, he was soaked to the bone.
He shivered in the driver’s seat and didn’t look at Penny.
“Well, that was exciting.” She must’ve found it pretty humorous by the sound of it. But Anthony didn’t have time for fun and games. He ignored Penny and spoke into the phone.
“Della, are you ready to go?”
“I’m heading out right now.”
“We’ll be right behind you.” He pulled out of the alley and waited.
“That was a complete waste of time.” He’d sat in wait for hours, and they were no closer to finding Vaynes than they had been before.
Penny only smiled. “I don’t know. It was kinda nice to sit and watch the snow and see all the Christmas lights.”
If he sounded like Ebenezer Scrooge, he didn’t care. “Bah humbug.”