You’d be angry in the beginning like I was but eventually you’d get to the same place.”
“I hope I would,” Jack replied.
“Let me check on that paperwork and I’ll get you out of here.”
Sam was back minutes later.
“Everything is in order, Jack. I’ve just got a statement for you to sign. It contains the things you said at the scene.”
“I’m not going to sign anything, Sam. You know what I said and I know what I said and there are plenty of witnesses if you need them. I’m just not going to sign anything.”
“I understand. You’re free to go. You can pick up your stuff at the front desk They recovered some stuff of yours in the woods, too, including a credit card. You ought to be more careful with things.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Jack said. “Is Danni still here?”
“No, she left an hour ago.”
As soon as he left the station, Jack called Danni to make sure she was okay. He didn’t get an answer so he left her a message letting her know that he was out.
“I’m just calling to let you know I’m okay and to make sure that you are as well. Talk to you soon.”
Jack had an ominous feeling. Sam Jeffries had been too nice. Things had gone too smoothly. He knew that if they didn’t find Felton’s gun, however, he had some problems. If the cops were going to quit looking for the gun at dark, he was going to be out there with a flashlight. The gun had to be there somewhere—unless somebody took it! Jack wasn’t ready to consider that possibility yet. He wanted to search for himself first.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Danni hadn’t sat out on her back porch in the evening for over a week. She loved to sit out there at the end of the day with a cup of decaf—no caffeine after six—and listen to the sounds of the evening. It was still pleasant this time of year when the sun went down. There was a cool breeze, fireflies were out, the crickets weren’t too bad. It was peaceful and serene. She looked out at the woods and let the tension release itself from her body.
She’d gone about the task of waiting for Felton’s assault with the precision of a professional. Now that the danger had passed, she could finally acknowledge how stressful it all had been and take the necessary time to let it go.
She’d called Henry as soon as she left the station and talked to both him and Hannah and given them a synopsis of what had happened. The decision was made that Hannah would head back to school immediately. The semester was not yet lost. Hannah could still bone up and take her exams. Worrying about exams was a whole lot easier than worrying about the threat of a serial killer.
“How’s Jack holding up?” Henry asked, surprised to learn that Jack and Danni had been together when the police arrived. When they had actually started talking to each other again was still a mystery to him. It didn’t matter though. He’d find out soon enough.
“I haven’t talked to him since we went to the station. They split us up after that. You know, police procedure and all that stuff. He left a message though saying that he was fine.”
“There aren’t any problems, are there?”
“Well, Jack said Felton had a gun and so far they haven’t found the gun. I don’t think it’s a big deal, but at this point, I don’t know.”
“I’ll head straight for Oakville after I drop Hannah off, just in case.”
“Good idea. I’ll see you when you get here. And Henry—”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for taking care of my baby.”
“It was a pleasure. We had fun. And Hannah had her cultural experience.”
Danni laughed. “Good. I’ll see you soon.”
As she sat on her porch that evening thinking about the events of the day, Danni heard a loud noise from the woods on her far left. It was a quarter moon so there was some light in the backyard and she thought she saw a figure emerge from the thicket.
Calm down, she told herself. The danger has passed. Still, she checked to make sure she had her Glock with her.
The figure moved closer. Danni fingered her weapon.
“Is somebody out there?” she yelled forcefully.
“It’s me,” came the reply. She recognized the voice immediately. It was Jack.
Thirty seconds later he was standing on the porch, dressed in jeans and a black tee shirt and carrying a flashlight.