He hadn’t been thinking straight. Anything happening around a Rolls Royce would be noticed. But I gave him credit for a creative solution to his problem.

Bill turned the recorder off. “Well, what do you think, Mr. Weatherly?” he asked

“The only case you stand a chance of making is a charge of tampering with evidence. And no jury would convict on that after hearing this story.”

“What about Mrs. Sproles?” Bill said. “She confessed to the murder.”

“Self-defense. You heard her. The guy was raping her on a regular basis. She couldn’t call you guys about the rape, and she couldn’t tell you about the shooting. Their witness protection cover would be blown. I think a judge would toss it out. Mr. and Mrs. Sproles, you are free to go.”

William and Marsha Sproles got up from the table and left without saying anything. I couldn’t blame them.

“Well, at least I still have a closed case,” Bill said. “That ought to keep the bosses happy.”

“If I was to bring charges against anyone,” Weatherly said, “It would be against Bentworth here for impersonating a police officer and counterfeiting a court document.”

Bill started laughing. I didn’t.

“But I won’t,” Weatherly said. “Call it gratitude for acting in the name of justice. Or, more accurately call it a case I probably couldn’t even get an indictment on.”

Chapter 29  

Back at the office, Rodney made the final entries on the whiteboard. He photographed it for the files and wiped it clean. The Overbee case was closed.

His cell phone rang, and he answered it.

“It’s Mom,” he said. “She’s crying.”

“Give me the phone...Mandy, what’s wrong?”

“Jeremy is back, Stanley,” she said. “He called me here at the office. He’s coming to see me tonight.”

“Here we go again,” I said. “Don’t worry. Rodney and I will be there like before. How come you didn’t call me?”

“I did. You didn’t answer.”

I pulled out my phone. Dead battery. I had forgotten to charge it again.

“What time do you get home?”

“About five-thirty.”

“We’ll meet you there.”

I hung up and turned to Rodney. “Go home, and wait inside. That Captain Pugh is back.”

“I thought he got blown up.”

“Apparently not. He’s coming there sometime tonight. Lock the doors and windows, and wait for your mother. I’ll be there after a while.”

I dug around in my jacket pockets until I found the card for the CID guy, Stewart. I tried to call, but my phone was dead. The AC adaptor was home in my apartment, and Willa was on the land line, so I went down to my car where I had an adaptor. It didn’t work. Bad connection or a malfunctioning cigarette lighter receptacle or something. I walked from the car back to the office and went up. I’d wait for the phone. Besides, I had forgotten Roscoe and didn’t want to go on this adventure without heat.

Willa was off the phone. “What got into Rodney?” she asked.

“What do you mean?”

“After you left, he came tearing in here, went in your office, came tearing out, and was gone in a flash.”

I went in my office. The safe was open and Roscoe was gone. Somehow, Rodney had gotten into the safe and was on his way to his house with Roscoe. I looked at Mickey. Quarter to five. I had time to make my call, get there ahead of Amanda, and take Roscoe away from Rodney before he shot himself in the foot. I used the office land line to call Stewart.

“USACIDC. Stewart here.”

“This is Stanley Bentworth. Are you still looking for the missing Captain Jeremy Pugh?”

“Yes, assuming he’s alive.”

“He is. He’s coming to my sister’s house tonight, probably some time after five thirty.”

“Give me the address. We’ll be there.”

I read off Amanda’s address and hung up.

Then I called Buford.

“Is the bracelet off?”

“Has been for a while.”

“Somebody should be there to get it soon. Your charges have been dropped.”

“I don’t know how to thank you,” Buford said. He sounded like he was about to cry. I’d have paid money to see that.

“I do need help,” I told Buford. “That Army captain is back.”

“Help is on the way,” Buford said.

I gave him Amanda’s address and hung up.

I went into the outer office. Willa was about to leave.

“You have a wall adaptor to charge a phone?”

“Right here.”

I hooked it up and left the cell phone there.

“How did Rodney get into the safe?”

“Back when he made you that DVD. He said you said I should give him the combination.”

“Sneaky little shit. That’s not what I told him.”

“Sorry. I wondered at the time.”

“It’s okay. Call Bill Penrod, and tell him there’s trouble at Amanda’s house. Captain Pugh is back. I’ve got CID on the way. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but Rodney took my gun and is probably there by now. Tell Bill not to shoot Rodney.”

I figured between Rodney, CID, the cops, and whatever Buford sent, I might just have an edge.

Chapter 30  

I left the office and went to my car as fast as the cane and cast would allow. Ten minutes later I was at Amanda’s house. Rodney’s truck was parked in front. There was no sign of him or anyone else on the premises.

I went to the door and tried to open it. It was locked. I listened but couldn’t hear anything. I walked around the house looking in windows. Most of them were covered with curtains. You’d think I’d have remembered that having lived in the house for several miserable days, but I don’t pay attention to curtains.

I did remember that the kitchen window over the sink had no window dressing. I had often looked out into the back yard when I washed dishes for Amanda. I got up on tiptoe, not easy with a leg in a cast, and looked in. Rodney sat on the floor next to the refrigerator tied with a pair of pantyhose and gagged. I had to let myself down before I fell down.

I went up again to look in. Rodney began to twist around, trying to say something. He was agitated and couldn’t make more than a muffled yell through the gag, which I recognized as one of my old socks. I hoped it was clean.

I heard the front door open and close followed by a scream, loud at first then muffled. It was Amanda. I’d heard that same scream one day when a mouse ran across the kitchen floor.

I stretched up and looked in the window again. Nothing happened for a while. Then Jeremy Pugh came into the kitchen dragging Amanda tied and gagged like Rodney. Her face was distorted with fear, and she tried to cry out, but the gag, one of her own stockings, kept her from yelling.

Jeremy looked up and saw me. His hand came up, and he pointed Roscoe directly at me. I dropped to the ground and Roscoe spoke for the first time since I’d gotten him. The bullet drilled a small round hole in the window pane and went over me out into the back. I hoped it didn’t hit another house.

He knew I was here now, but he didn’t know whether I was armed. Which is probably all that kept him from coming to the back door and finishing me off.

I went around to the front of the house. I wanted to call him and do some hostage negotiation, but my cell phone was back at the office getting charged. I got close to the front of the house near a window and yelled, “Jeremy!”

No response. I yelled again. Then the window opened, and an awesome sight presented itself. Dad’s old shotgun barrel came sticking out the window. I didn’t want to call out again. I didn’t want him to figure out where I was from the direction of my voice. I kept quiet.