CHAPTER 17

Dan unlocked the front door and then walked in. He quickly put his gun and hat on the rack at the door. He hurried to the bedroom and once there went to the top dresser drawer. He took out the pocketknife and put it in his back pocket and walked out.

Kelly was standing at the sink washing dishes when Dan walked in. He glanced at the table, where the puzzle was almost complete. Kelly turned to her father.

“Do you want lunch?” she asked.

Dan walked over to the fridge. He opened the door and just stared for a moment. “I’m not hungry.”

“What are you doing home then?”

Dan shut the door and then turned to her. “Can’t I stop in to see my favorite girl?”

“Yeah, right,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You’re checking up on me?”

“Not on you in particular.”

“Then what?” she asked looking at him with concern.

“There’s a lot of crap going down lately.”

The front door opened. Dan turned to Kelly as he listened closely.

“Are you expecting someone,” he asked.

Kelly shrugged. “No, maybe it’s Ms. Witherspoon with another tuna casserole?” Kelly mocked.

“So soon after the last one. How can I be so lucky,” he laughed.

Kelly wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. Dan leaned on the counter and just watched her disappear around the corner. He did not want to see Ms. Witherspoon and knew Kelly would make sure of that.

* * *

Kelly walked into the living room and froze when she saw Alan Maxwell taking her father’s gun out of the holster.

“Hey!” she yelled.

Alan held up the gun quickly and pointed it at Kelly. “Where is your father?”

“Dad,” Kelly yelled. “Someone is here to see you.”

Alan quickly grabbed Kelly by the arm and pulled her to him. Dan walked into the living room. He stopped suddenly when he saw Alan, who had the gun in one hand and Kelly pinned with the other.

“Alan, you don’t want to do this,” Dan warned.

“You just wouldn’t leave well enough alone,” Alan replied shaking his head.

“All I wanted to know was what happened to Jason.”

“It was a long time ago. We had no idea, and everything was out of our control.”

“You talking you and Buzz?”

“I’m not saying anything more.” His face turned ugly. “Jason deserved what he got.”

Dan was concerned and feared what Alan might do to Kelly. He wanted to keep Alan talking until he could get the upper hand and somehow get Kelly safe from harm.

“You have to tell me what happened.” Dan kept pressing.

“Wasn’t natural,” he said and then looked at Dan with pleading in his eyes. “All I need is a little time.”

Dan held up both hands. “Leave Kelly out of this.”

“You wouldn’t let it rest. You are just like Kay, you just had to keep digging into the past.”

Alan bringing up Kay puzzled Dan and he wondered what he meant by her digging up the past. She was an investigative reporter and didn’t share a lot of what she was working on with him until she completed the story.

Dan moved slowly toward Alan. “The past and the present are one. There’s been a string of unsolved murders throughout the state. What started twenty years ago didn’t end with Jason. It only got worse.”

“You don’t know that for a fact,” Alan snapped.

“I have proof, so if you know something, talk to me. We can work out a deal.”

“I can’t,” Alan said.

“We’ll work through it.”

“If you only knew.”

“Knew what?”

“It’s not just the boys, it was Kay too.”

“Why bring up Kay?” Dan asked.

“You really don’t know, do you?” Alan said with a sarcastic look on his face.

Dan’s face flushed at the mention of Kay’s name. It had always bothered him about the brakes, but it was a guilt he had to live with every day. That it was his fault his wife was dead.

“It was an accident.”

“Yeah, right, keep thinking that. I used to think you were smart.”

Dan lost control at that moment and grabbed hold of the gun. But Alan was too quick and hit Dan across the side of the head with the butt end of the gun. Dan went down. Alan kicked Dan in the rib cage while Kelly struggled to free herself, but could not break Alan’s hold on her.

* * *

Dan groaned in pain as he slowly came to. His hands were tied behind his back. He struggled but it was useless. The car engine starting out front and tires squealing caused Dan to sit up. Dan continued to struggle to free himself and finally he managed to get one hand in his back pocket. He pulled out the pocketknife. Opened it quickly and slowly managed to cut the rope.

Once free, he raced out of the house. He glanced down the street and saw Alan’s car turning the corner. He quickly got into the squad. Thankful that Alan did not have the fortitude to disable it as someone did on the Bayou earlier.

Dan sped through city streets and finally gained on Alan’s car. Dan could see Kelly in the passenger seat. She turned around and Dan saw the frantic look on his daughter’s face. He just prayed that Alan wouldn’t harm her.

Alan headed out of town. He took turns too fast, fishtailing almost out of control, but then regained control of his car. When he passed Murphy’s place the squad was bumper to bumper with Alan’s car. Dan was not letting Alan take his daughter anyplace without putting up a fight. The dust seeped into the car. Dan quickly rolled up the window as he coughed almost out of control.

Alan was driving to the tall pines, puzzling Dan, not knowing what Alan had on his mind. Suddenly the brake lights came on Alan’s car. Dan slammed on his brakes too and barely missed hitting the Seville.

Alan grabbed Kelly and dragged her out of the car. He yanked her down the path toward the tall pines. Kelly struggled with Alan while being dragged along the path.

All Dan could do was watch from a distance. Dan finally got out of the squad. He was not going to let Alan take Kelly anywhere without a fight.

Dan held up his hands showing Alan he was unarmed. “Let her go,” Dan yelled.

Alan dragged Kelly along the path. All the while Kelly struggled to get free of him.

“Stay there. I’ll let her go when I get to the woods.”

“Where do you think you’re going?” Dan yelled.

Alan shook his head. “Don’t matter. Any place is better than this hell.”

“You aren’t taking Kelly.”

Alan raised the gun at Dan. Kelly grabbed his hand as a shot rang out but it still hit its mark and grazed Dan in the temple. Dan fell to the ground while Kelly screamed and struggled with Alan but to no avail.

Alan turned and hit Kelly with the butt end of the gun. He tossed his keys into the field and then fired a shot at the squad car’s front tire. Alan walked up to the squad and fired a shot at the radio.

Dan was face down in the tall grass pretending to be dead. He waited a while until he was sure Alan was far enough away so as not to put Kelly in further danger. In the distance Alan turned around and yelled.

“I never meant to hurt anyone,” he said in his defense and then turned around and hurried to the tall pines.

Dan slowly got up while Alan disappeared into the woods. He hurried over to Kelly where she was motionless on the ground. As Dan reached down, she finally started to come to. There was a trickle of blood coming from her forehead where Alan struck her with the gun.

“You okay, honey,” Dan asked.

“What’s the matter with him?”

“He did some bad things.”

Dan helped Kelly up. Kelly looked up at her father and saw the blood dripping down the side of his face. “You’re hurt,” she said.

Dan ignored her concern. He had a job to do, but right then he had to make sure Kelly was safe.

“You’ll have to go back to Murphy’s place and get help.”

Dan hobbled over to the squad. He glanced inside at the radio and then grabbed his billy club from under the seat. He helped Kelly over to Alan’s car. He looked in and saw the car keys were gone. Dan was thankful it was an older model Seville as he opened the driver’s door and then reached under the dash. Dan quickly hot-wired the car. Kelly just stood by and watched her father.