“Man,” I said to Bill, “That’s a hell of a way to negotiate.”

He shrugged and said, “I wouldn’t do it that way. I guess they have their methods.”

Stewart turned to me. “He wants to talk to you.” I took the phone.

“What’s up, Jeremy?”

“Bentworth, this is going to come to a bad end, I can tell. Those guys want to shoot me.”

“It doesn’t have to happen. What can I do?”

“Come back up here so we can talk without them listening in.”

“You won’t shoot me, will you?”

“No. I give my word.”

Do you take the word of the guy who tried to have you killed then took your sister and nephew hostage? I wasn’t sure.

About five police cars, an ambulance, and a fire truck turned onto our street, lights flashing, sirens quiet.

“I called them,” Bill said.

The cops stopped, piled out of their vehicles, and crouched behind them. More guns came out and were pointed at the house.

“The militia is here Jeremy,” I said. “They’ve got guns trained on you. They’re ready to take you down. Get back away from the window. I’ll call you again and let you know what’s happening.”

I hung up.

“Why’d you tell him that?” Bill said. “Now we might have to put men at risk.”

“Wait,” I said. “There’s an easier way.”

I went over to Sanford’s SUV.

“You think you can get him out of there without killing him?” I asked Sanford.

“Piece of cake,” he said.

I went over to Bill and Stewart.

“I don’t want my sister’s house all shot up,” I said. “And let’s not be so quick to shoot this guy. He’s sick. My colleague and I can get him out. Hold your fire, and let us try.”

“Okay,” Bill said, looking at his watch. “But only because it’s you. You got ten minutes. Then we go in. You agree, Agent Stewart?”

“Yes.”

I went over to Sanford’s SUV and said, “Let’s go.”

He got out of the SUV keeping his back to all the cops and soldiers. We walked down the sidewalk away from them and the row of official vehicles, more or less out of sight of the house.

“Can you walk any faster?” Sanford asked.

“Not much,” I said.

“Okay. I’m going ahead. Go down half a block, turn up the side street, and come to the back door. It’ll be open. You can just walk in.”

“What if you don’t have him?”

He looked at me like he couldn’t believe his ears.

“Sorry,” I said. “Proceed.”

He went off at a medium trot, his black trench coat flapping in the breeze. I followed at a slow cane-assisted stroll. It took a while, and I was worried about Bill’s ten minute deadline.

When I got to the back door, it was open. I went in, looked from side to side, scanned the kitchen, and peered into the dining room. Nothing in sight, no sounds.

I felt naked entering an unsecured crime scene without Roscoe. Old habits die hard. I moved cautiously across the kitchen. My cast and cane made thump, thump sounds. I couldn’t help it.

Sanford called out, “Come on in, Bentworth. I got him.”

I went in and found Sanford holding his gun on Jeremy, who was on his knees, his hands cuffed behind his back. The shotgun was on the floor, and Roscoe was on the coffee table. I went over, picked it up, and stuck it in my belt.

“Any trouble taking him?”

He gave me that look again.

“Where’d you get the cuffs,” I asked.

“Keep them. I have others. You can take him outside. I’m out of here.”

He want back through the kitchen and out the back door. I opened the front door and yelled, “Hold your fire, we’re coming out.”

I leaned over Jeremy, took hold of his cuffs with my good hand, and pulled him up to his feet. He helped, so it wasn’t that difficult. I pushed him ahead of me and stepped out onto the stoop. In no time at all, two policemen had him on the ground, were putting their own cuffs on him, and reading him his rights. Just like on television. Except the cops weren’t all that handsome.

They tossed Sanford’s cuffs to me. A souvenir. Never had my own cuffs since I left the force. I’d need a key. No problem. Once size fits all. The cuffs could keep Roscoe company in the safe.

For the first time in hours I breathed easily. My injuries were aching from the walk and the stress. I needed to sit down.

Jeremy looked up at me and said, “I thought I could trust you.”

“I saved your life, Jeremy. If these cops didn’t get you, that shotgun would’ve blown up in your face. I just hope you get the help you need.”

Don’t ask why I gave a shit about his welfare, given all the grief he’d handed down. Just my nature, I guess.

Sanford’s SUV backed away from the curb and into a driveway. Amanda and Rodney got out. The SUV pulled onto the road, turned away from us, and drove away.

Bill walked up. “Your friend is leaving. I never got a look at him. Who was it?”

“An associate,” I said. If Sanford didn’t want to talk to cops, I wasn’t going to intervene.

“Did you cut Overbee loose?” I asked.

“Not exactly. He cut himself loose. I went with the tech guy to get the bracelet after our meeting this morning. When we got to his house, there were reporters all over the place. I don’t know how they got past the guard.”

“Old Bob? Probably time for his nap.”

“The ankle bracelet was already off Overbee and on the leg of a statue in the foyer. He didn’t tell me how it got there, and I didn’t ask.”

Good for Rodney. I could forgive him for pinching Roscoe as long as he never did it again. I walked over to him. “Where’s my holster?”

“In my truck.”

“Go get it.”

He went to his truck and returned with the holster. I put the pistol in it and clipped it to my belt.

“What made you try a stunt like that?”

“The guy’s a nut, Uncle Stanley. He was coming after my Mom. You’re all crippled up. Somebody had to do something.”

“So what did you learn from all this?”

“Learn?”

“Yes, learn. What did you learn?”

“Not to take your gun?”

“No. You learned that having a gun doesn’t make you the baddest badass on the block. You walked right into it. He took the gun away from you, and you’re lucky he didn’t shoot you with it.”

“He was already in the house when I got there, but I didn’t know that. When I went in, he was standing there pointing Grandpa’s shotgun at me. He tied me up, and when Mom got home he tied her up.”

“Yeah. I heard all that.”

“What’ll happen to him?”

“The cops and the Army will have to fight that out. I don’t care as long as they put him away somewhere for a long time.”

Amanda said, “I’m proud of both of you.”

She rubbed Rodney’s hair, and he squirmed to get out from under her caresses.

“That man who got us out of there,” she said, “we met him in the hospital. Who is he?”

“A very good friend named Sanford. Wants to maintain some distance. But we all owe him big time.”

Rodney said, “I feel a ‘hiyo, Silver’ coming on.”

“I should cook dinner for him,” Amanda said.

“I’ll pass the invitation on. He’ll say thanks and decline. But you owe him your lives. Chances are if the cavalry had come storming in, Pugh would have killed both of you before they got him.”

Neighbors started to come out of their houses and line the sidewalk. They watched the vehicles pull out. Amanda and Rodney went into the house. The neighbors talked among themselves, speculating about what had taken place.

A Channel 6 news van pulled up. Late to the party. A cameraman and a pretty woman holding a microphone got out.

“What happened here?” the woman asked, her microphone stuck in my face and the camera pointed at me and grinding away.

“Beats the shit out of me,” I said and walked away toward my car. The news team went to interview neighbors. I hoped they’d leave Amanda alone. If not, Rodney could tell them how he had saved his mother from a horde of madmen, home invaders, stalkers, and rapists.

I got in my car and headed to the office. On the way I stopped at the liquor store to get another jug. This time I got the good stuff, went to the office, climbed the stairs, got my cell phone from Willa’s desk, and sat alone at my desk. I sipped bourbon and thought about the day. Two cases closed on one shift. It doesn’t get any better than that.