Tessa dove for the ground. In her peripheral vision, she saw Logan tackle Trevor and cover the boy’s body with his own.
The shot went over Tessa’s head. She landed on her belly, her elbow struck a rock, and she dropped her gun in the weeds.
Ian swung his weapon toward Logan and Trevor. Tessa rolled to her hands and knees, her hands sweeping the ground. Where is it? Fear tunneled her vision and deadened her hearing. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears. Kneeling, she grabbed for her duty belt and pulled out her Taser. She aimed it at Ian and pulled the trigger. The darts struck him in the chest. His body went rigid, his fingers opened, and he dropped his gun.
Tessa leaped forward. While Ian twitched, she handcuffed his wrists behind his back. “It’s all right. He’s secured.” She put Ian’s gun in her own pocket; then she searched his pockets for additional weapons but found nothing.
Logan lifted his head, then got to his feet. He extended a hand to Trevor. The kid leaped to his feet and hurled himself into Logan’s arms.
Logan picked him up. “It’s okay. It’s okay. I’ve got you.”
Trevor sobbed, his breath hitching. “Is Ian dead?”
Tessa saw the boy’s trauma and fear, and her heart wept. “No. He’ll be all right.”
Trevor looked conflicted. “I almost wish he was dead. He killed Gavin.”
“We know,” Tessa said.
“Gavin was my friend.” Trevor inhaled, his breath shaky. “Ian made me and Mark lie about Frank. He said he’d kill him and Nancy if we didn’t. He beat us up all the time. He liked hurting us. He showed us pictures of Gavin after he killed him. Said he’d do the same to all of us if we didn’t say what he wanted.” Trevor swiped an arm under his nose. “Frank and Nancy are really good. Their house was the best place I ever lived in my whole life, but they won’t like me now. I lied. I hurt them.”
“I bet they’ll forgive you.” Logan set him down. “If you tell them everything, they’ll understand.”
Trevor looked hopeful.
Tessa pulled out her cell phone and opened her map app. All it showed was a big patch of green between them and the harbor. Not helpful. They couldn’t go back the way they’d come. “Logan, do you know how we get out of here?”
He pointed to the trees. “There’s a trail to the harbor.”
Tessa felt around with her foot until she found her gun. She scooped it out of the weeds and returned it to her holster.
Then she hauled Ian to his feet. “Let’s go. Give me any trouble, I’ll Tase your ass again.”
Trevor was limping, so Logan let him ride piggyback. Tessa frog-marched Ian through the woods. In fifteen minutes, they emerged from the woods across the street from the marina.
She called Bruce and asked him to pick them up. They dropped Trevor with the Abbots, who promised to call Frank and Nancy Walden immediately.
It was one in the morning before they reached the sheriff’s station. Backup did arrive, in the form of three deputies and the sheriff himself. They’d brought their own boat over from the mainland. Tessa was more than happy to send Ian and Carl back with them. On the mainland, the station had real holding cells. Though Ian would no doubt be headed to the county jail. Tessa recommended Carl be placed on a psychiatric hold. They needed his testimony.
“Get some sleep,” the sheriff said. “Paperwork can wait until morning.”
Every muscle in Tessa’s body ached. Between chasing Carl and pursuing Ian, she’d run and hiked more in the last twenty-four hours than in the past twenty-four days.
“Come to my place,” Logan said. “You need real sleep, and you won’t get it at your house.”
“My mom needs me.” Tessa hadn’t had time to call and check on her. She needed to clone herself.
“I already talked to Cate,” Logan said. “She’s sleeping on your couch. She said your mom is sleeping. The medicine Henry gave her seems to be helping. She had no major breakdowns tonight.”
Tessa sighed. She was too exhausted to argue. They drove back to Logan’s cabin, undressed, and crawled into bed. Tessa closed her eyes. It felt as if she’d barely blinked, but when she opened them, the sun shone through the cabin window.
The bed was empty, and she smelled coffee and bacon. She helped herself to one of Logan’s shirts and looked for her cell phone on the nightstand, where she’d left it next to her duty belt. It wasn’t there.
She found Logan in the small kitchen, drinking coffee.
“What time is it?” she asked.
“Almost noon.” Logan got up and poured her a cup of coffee.
“What!” She hurried back into the bedroom and began collecting her clothes. “I have to go to the mainland. Where’s my phone?”
“Right here.” Logan held up her cell phone. “I didn’t want it to wake you.”
“But I have to go to the sheriff’s office on the mainland.”
“The paperwork can wait, Tessa. We needed sleep.”
“When did you wake up?”
“About an hour ago.” Logan went to the counter and put bacon on a plate. “Here. Eat something.”
He was right.
Tessa sank into a chair. They’d caught their killer. Everything else could wait, including the sheriff. Carl’s phone had photos of Ian dragging Gavin’s dead body. Ian wasn’t going to be released. Tessa exhaled, letting her tension go with the air.
She accepted the coffee and drank. For the first time in weeks, she relaxed.
10
Later that day, Tessa closed her eyes and let the evening sea breeze wash over her face. At her side, Logan leaned on the railing of the ferry.
She opened her eyes and watched the sunset reflect on the water. “Well, that was anticlimactic.”
Logan took her hand in his and interlocked their fingers. “I’m not surprised Ian isn’t talking. He isn’t stupid. If Carl hadn’t been squatting in that vacant house, Ian would have gotten away with Gavin’s murder.”
“I’m glad Mark and Trevor had plenty to say and that they’re both back with the Waldens.” Warmth spread in Tessa’s belly. The Waldens had brought the two boys to the mainland to give statements. They’d been supportive and understanding. They’d even felt guilty for not knowing what had been going on under their own roof. “Nancy told me they’re going to adopt the boys. They need stability.”
“That’s great,” Logan said. “Those poor kids deserve a break after Ian tormented them for months.”
“Gavin stood up for them. Ian had beaten up Mark several times. He was good at not leaving bruises anywhere the Waldens would notice. Gavin said he was telling the Waldens.”
“Ian didn’t want to get caught,” Tessa said.
“According to the former neighbors, he also enjoyed inflicting pain,” Logan added. “They weren’t surprised to hear he’d been charged with murder.”
Ian had refused to talk, but the sheriff had tracked down a family who had lived next to Ian’s family before his parents had died. According to their interview, Ian had been a bad seed. They had claimed he’d killed their pets and tormented them for years. They’d had no evidence, but they had been positive Ian was responsible.