Chapter 40
“You’d better.” I heard him moan over the phone.
“Uncle Ben, you taking your medication?” I waited for him to argue with me, as usual. But he didn’t.
“Yes, I did. Doesn’t seem to help much, though. Pain is something awful.” The fact that he admitted to that was telling of how bad it really was.
I decided to come clean. “You talkin’ about the arthritis pain, or the stomach cancer?”
His sigh was blustery over the phone. “Of course, you know about that,” he replied, sounding a little closer to his normal self, but still weak.
“Yes, Uncle Ben, I do. I was hoping you’d tell me, but you’re just too stuck in your ways to change.” Though I loved every bit of that cranky old goat.
“I am, I know it. I’m sorry, son.” It was one of the few times that Uncle Ben had ever admitted to his foibles. “I wanted to be with you for many more years. But it’s not to be.” He coughed. “At least you have that Tyler now. Don’t fuck it up, boy, you hear me?”
I hoped I wouldn’t. “No, sir, Uncle Ben. I won’t. I’ll keep him close to me always.” At least, that was my plan, once this shit storm passed.
“You need me to fill any prescriptions?” I asked.
“Yeah. Doc got me morphine. It should be ready at the pharmacy…uh.” Another groan. Jesus, maybe the cancer was spreading faster than predicted.
“Ben! Are you all right?”
“Nothing you can do, boy. Just make sure you come see me this weekend. I want to talk to you about…things.” Whatever the hell it was, paled in comparison to how I felt at this moment.
“Uncle Ben, don’t—”
“Stop it, boy. Take care of things in town and then come see me, hear?” He hung up.
Damn it!
As if that wasn’t enough stress, it was after midnight, and I still hadn’t heard back from Tyler. I was worried, and then, my phone rang. It was Hal.
“What’s up?” I barked at him.
The detective was frantic. “My guy at Krog said they saw the witness leaving the bar in the company of our three suspects. You were right to think he’d be a target.” Oh no. That’s why he hadn’t texted me back.
“When was this?” I asked.
“About ten minutes ago.”
“Is your guy following them?” I ran to my bedroom to get dressed.
“Yup.”
I put the phone on speaker while I put on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. “If my hunch is right, they may be heading to Douglasville. There’s an abandoned barn out there where Remmy and Devlin meet Tyler after each heist.”
“What else aren’t you telling me, Felix?” Hal’s frustration was loud and clear.
“Sorry, no time to explain.” I gave him directions to the property. “Get going, man!” I hung up and sat on the bed to drag on socks and boots. My inner beast was raging, wanting to protect its…mate. Whoa, I guess that’s what this is, then…we have a mate bond. Well, it’s definite now. Tyler has to stay.
I ran out of the condo, keys, wallet, and cell phone in hand. I’d get Uncle Ben’s prescription filled on my way to the mountains tomorrow. I gave a quick thought to what he wanted to say to me, but my mind went back to Tyler’s predicament, the one I’d placed him in. Damn, was my ambition and ego so large that I’d put someone’s life, the man I loved, at stake? I was a fool.
* * * *
An hour later, I turned onto the long drive leading to the barn. As I drew closer, I saw the flashing lights of multiple police cars, including the black SUV I knew belonged to Detective Hal.
I parked quickly near his vehicle and jumped out. I ran toward the barn, but before I got there, I heard someone calling me.
“Felix!” It was the detective. I stopped and turned toward his voice. “Over here,” he beckoned, and I made my way quickly to where he stood.
Hal was a few inches shorter than me and almost as wide. He’d be intimidating if he were pissed off. And, actually, that he was.
“What happened, Hal? Where’s Tyler and the rest?” I demanded.
“Back up. First of all, you went over the line on this one, Cotter. I really ought to write you up.”
“Chew me out later.” I was impatient for news. “What happened? Is Tyler okay? Find any stolen property?”
“Everyone’s in custody.”
That brought me up short. “What do you mean? Why is Tyler in custody?”
“He admitted to stealing the stuff,” Hal said.