right.”
“Colleen, I’m sorry to be bothering you with this, but you’re the only one who knows.”
“Don’t worry. As soon as he gets here, we’ll be there.”
“Thank you.” Libby was pacing the floor. A half hour later, the front gate signaled that someone was approaching the door.
She pulled out the pepper spray and had one finger poised above the alarm that went directly to the police station. She looked at the CCTV and saw that it was Colleen and Bob.
Libby let them in. “Tell Bob what you told me.”
The three of them sat down, and Libby related the entire story. Bob always had a small notepad with him, so he took copious notes. When she was finished, he called into the station and spoke to the desk sergeant. “Hey, Pedone here. I need a BOLO on a blue BMW roadster, New York plates. Driver’s name is Richard Barnes. Wanted in an assault case in New York City.” He paused. “Thanks.”
Pedone turned to Libby. “We put out a ‘Be On the Lookout’ for him. If anyone spots him, they’ll pull him over.”
“Then what?”
“We’ll take him in for questioning. We can hold him for up to twenty-four hours. After that, we’ll have to figure something out. Maybe you can file a report with us, even if it’s not our jurisdiction. That could extend his stay at the Crowbar Hotel.”
“The what?” Libby looked confused.
“That’s what we call jail.” Pedone chuckled. Libby followed suit.
“I know you have plans for tonight. I think I’ll be OK knowing there are other people looking for him.”
“I’ll have them send a patrol car around every half hour.”
“Thanks so much.” Libby gave Colleen a big hug, and the hug felt good.
She watched them walk to Pedone’s civilian car. He opened the door for Colleen. “Chivalry is not dead,” she said to Buddy and Percy. But before they could pull away, the sound of a sports car could be heard. She looked toward the end of her street and saw the blue BMW make a quick turn onto Birchwood Lane. The car slowed down to a crawl until it stopped in front of her house.
He got out and headed for the front door. Libby pushed all the alarm buttons.
“Libby! Libby! I need to talk to you. Turn off the damn alarm and come out here!” The man was screaming in order to be heard over the screeching sounds of the alarms.
Andy hobbled out of his house and watched as a strange man was yelling. Rick turned around and walked toward his car. Libby didn’t know what he was going to do next, but then the engine of the Lincoln started up and, instead of driving at his usual crawl, Andy stomped on the gas and hit Rick square in the middle, knocking him down. He tried to get up and run, but Pedone grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.
He threw Rick against Andy’s car and zip-tied his wrists behind his back. “Sorry, pal, but there’s just no way out.”
Libby turned off the alarms and finally had the courage to walk outside. Colleen ran over to her. “Are you all right?”
“Better now.”
“Libby. Libby. I came looking for you because I wanted to apologize.”
“For what? Trying to kill me?”
“No. For being such an ass. I should never have left you that night. I panicked.”
“Tell it to the judge,” Libby spat at him.
Andy got out of his car as the rest of the neighbors were congregating. “Who’s Libby?”
“I’m Libby. Libby Gannon. And I am standing outside for the first time in two years!”
Whistles, hoots, and applause came from the crowd.
“Welcome to the neighborhood, Libby Gannon,” Andy shouted.
Epilogue
Whether Rick was sincere about the apology was immaterial. He was being sent back to New York City to face assault charges. The downside was that Libby had to return to New York to file those charges. She had no problem doing that. It would give her a chance to visit her mother and Kara. But she planned on returning to Hibbing.
The casino also filed charges for the bad check. Rick would be up to his eyeballs in legal proceedings.
Andy was enjoying his daily trips to the storage unit and making lists of inventories. He discovered several fishing rods, which he turned over to Frank, Jackson, Mitchel, Randy, and Charlie, making them promise to bring him a large bass or two.
He also decided to give one of his cars to Hector in return for landscaping his yard.
Mitchel stayed sober and started remodeling his mother’s house, with Jackson as his helper.
Colleen continued to see Officer Bob Pedone.
When Libby returned from New York, she threw a grand party in her yard for the neighbors. She had made a home in the small hamlet of Hibbing. A home where she could finally come and go as she pleased. Even when you think there is no way out, if you try hard enough, you can usually find a way.