I went to the door and tried to open it. It was locked. I listened but couldn’t hear anything. I walked around the house looking in windows. Most of them were covered with curtains. You’d think I’d have remembered that having lived in the house for several miserable days, but I don’t pay attention to curtains.
I did remember that the kitchen window over the sink had no window dressing. I had often looked out into the back yard when I washed dishes for Amanda. I got up on tiptoe, not easy with a leg in a cast, and looked in. Rodney sat on the floor next to the refrigerator tied with a pair of pantyhose and gagged. I had to let myself down before I fell down.
I went up again to look in. Rodney began to twist around, trying to say something. He was agitated and couldn’t make more than a muffled yell through the gag, which I recognized as one of my old socks. I hoped it was clean.
I heard the front door open and close followed by a scream, loud at first then muffled. It was Amanda. I’d heard that same scream one day when a mouse ran across the kitchen floor.
I stretched up and looked in the window again. Nothing happened for a while. Then Jeremy Pugh came into the kitchen dragging Amanda tied and gagged like Rodney. Her face was distorted with fear, and she tried to cry out, but the gag, one of her own stockings, kept her from yelling.
Jeremy looked up and saw me. His hand came up, and he pointed Roscoe directly at me. I dropped to the ground and Roscoe spoke for the first time since I’d gotten him. The bullet drilled a small round hole in the window pane and went over me out into the back. I hoped it didn’t hit another house.
He knew I was here now, but he didn’t know whether I was armed. Which is probably all that kept him from coming to the back door and finishing me off.
I went around to the front of the house. I wanted to call him and do some hostage negotiation, but my cell phone was back at the office getting charged. I got close to the front of the house near a window and yelled, “Jeremy!”
No response. I yelled again. Then the window opened, and an awesome sight presented itself. Dad’s old shotgun barrel came sticking out the window. I didn’t want to call out again. I didn’t want him to figure out where I was from the direction of my voice. I kept quiet.
“Bentworth? You still out there? Speak up. I won’t shoot.”
Could I trust him? What else could I do? I spoke quietly. “I’m here Jeremy. What do you want?”
“I want Amanda. You people keep getting in the way. Her kid comes in here waving a pistol and then you. All I want is to talk to her.”
“So you tie her up and toss her in the kitchen?”
“She started screaming. I just wanted to talk.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why don’t you come out, and you and I can talk?”
“I come out, I come out shooting. You had my two best friends killed.”
Probably his only friends.
“That wasn’t me, Jeremy. I had a beef with those two guys after the beat-down, but I don’t shoot people. Besides, the cops checked my piece. It wasn’t me.”
“Okay, I’ll hold off until I’m sure. But if you’re lying...”
“Okay, Jeremy. Just don’t hurt anyone. Don’t let it get out of control. You haven’t done anything really bad yet. Let’s keep it that way while we figure out where this is going.”
A black SUV pulled up across the street. Sanford got out and stood there in his ill-fitting black suit and a black trench coat. He watched me to see what would happen.
“Who’s that guy over there?” Jeremy said.
“That’s someone who can help you get out of here unharmed. I’ll go talk to him. Don’t shoot.”
I went across the street to where Sanford stood.
“Need help? The boss says we owe you.”
“I figured we were even after those two army guys and the wise guy.”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about. You want help or not?”
“I could use some.” I explained what was happening.
“I can take him. Clear shot.”
“There’s a direct line from here into the kitchen. You might hit one of the hostages.”
“Okay. What can I do?”
“How about you go in the back door into the kitchen. Get my sister and nephew out while I’m talking to Pugh. Shoot him if you have to, but I have the cops and the Army on the way. They can take him out. Save you the trouble of explaining anything. And the paperwork.”
“And them checking my piece.” He patted the left side of his chest.
“You got bodies on that piece?”
“Could be.”
That figured.
“Okay. Wait until I get back to the window. Then drive around the block, and come in from the rear so he can’t see you coming. You’ll need a knife to cut them loose. They’re tied with stockings. Butcher knives are on the countertop.”
Sanford pulled a long switchblade from his pocket and held it up.
“That’ll do,” I said.
I walked back toward the house, hoping Jeremy would keep his promise not to shoot me. The shotgun barrel was still sticking out the window. I made it to the wall.
“Where’s that guy going?” Jeremy asked.
“Putting his car out of sight so no one can see him help you escape.”
“Why would he do that.”
“I asked him to. To save Amanda and Rodney.”
“I’m not going to hurt them.”
“Good.” I had to keep him talking. “What happened with your boat?”
“I got it blown up. They were going to repossess it, and I needed to drop out of sight. I thought maybe my wife and kids could use the insurance if they thought I was dead.”
“Why did you need to drop out of sight?”
“The brass got it in their heads that I was stalking Amanda. Sent me to an Army shrink. He was talking about confinement.”
“You didn’t think that might help you?”
“No, goddammit. There’s nothing wrong with me.”
Add denial to this fruitcake’s disorders.
“Who did the explosive device?”
“An army demolition guy I served with in Iraq. We set it off with a cell phone. You should’ve seen it go.”
This was good. He was starting to talk to me like we were old friends. Probably the manic side of his disorder kicking in.
“How about letting Amanda and Rodney go?”
“Can’t. They’re my insurance.”
That didn’t make sense. How did he think holding two civilians hostage would keep him out of the loony bin?
“Where’s that guy at?” he asked.
“He’s over there.” I pointed to the side of the house out of Jeremy’s sight. “I can see him.” I couldn’t, but I didn’t want Jeremy to start worrying about where Sanford was. I had to keep him diverted.
“Where did you meet your two friends? The ones that got shot?”
“Years ago. At the Moose lodge. We were like brothers. They made a good team.”
“I’ll say, and I have the bandages to show for it.”
“Sorry about that.”
“Yeah, me too. I think you and I could’ve been friends under different circumstances.”
Fat chance.
“Shit!” Jeremy said.
“What?” I looked behind me. Two Army vehicles were pulling up across the street where Sanford had been parked. Stewart and his two associates got out of one. Four MPs in full SWAT gear got out of the other.
“Wait, Jeremy,” I said. “I’ll go talk to them. You’re safe as long as you’re holed up in there and have Amanda and Rodney.”
I hobbled over to the Army cars where Stewart and his entourage were waiting, crouched behind their cars, guns aimed at the house.
“How did you know it was this much trouble,” I asked. “When I called, I didn’t know he was here yet.”
“We know the Captain,” Stewart said.
“He’s in the house at the window,” I told Stewart. “He has an old shotgun and my pistol. He has hostages, my sister and her son.”
“A child?”