William Bernhardt - Death Row

She heard footsteps close behind her. She did not have much time. Because it didn’t take a vast quantum of imagination to know what would happen if those footsteps caught up to her. The same thing that happened to Erin. And all the others.

By midnight, Mike and Sergeant Baxter had been sitting in his Trans Am for more than three hours. They had followed Sheila Knight-at a discreet distance, of course, all the way to Grove, then out onto Grand Lake. Sheila parked outside a lakeside cabin, went inside, turned on the lights. She’d been there ever since; no visitors had come to meet her. Mike parked about a hundred feet down the dirt road outside the cabin. It was the perfect vantage point; they could not only see the cabin and Sheila’s car, they could monitor the one-way road that led to the cabin.

“The night is long,” Mike said, gazing out the car window, “that never finds the day.”

Baxter grimaced. “Not with the poetry. Is that Wordsworth again?”

“Shakespeare, actually. From Macbeth .”

“Puh-lese. If I offer you coffee, will you promise to stop?”

“Distinctly possible.” After three hours of watching, Mike could feel the lateness of the hour and the stupor born of inactivity. He took the silver thermos from Baxter, filled his mug, and took a sip.

“Damnation, Baxter. You weren’t kidding about your percolating skills.” Mike held the mug between his hands, watching the steam rise. It felt good, warming his hands, warming his face. “This is excellent coffee.”

“Well, I try to please. Contrary to rumor.”

“You succeeded. What is this, some special blend?”

“Uhhh… yeah…”

“I can tell you’re a coffee gourmet. Is it an imported blend? Did you grind the beans yourself?”

“… possibly…”

“And the flavoring is delicious. What is it? English toffee? French vanilla?”

“Yes.”

“Both?”

“Uhhh.” Her fingers stiffened. “Look. I didn’t make the coffee myself, okay?”

“Where did it come from?”

“Where does coffee ever come from? Starbucks, of course.”

Mike whistled. “Wow. The good stuff.”

“Well, I wanted-I was-” She puffed out her cheeks in exasperation. “I was trying to make a good impression.”

“You?”

“Yeah, I know. Total waste of time.”

Mike’s head tilted to one side. “To the contrary-I’m honored. Flattered.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. You got any more of this… what is it?”

“White chocolate mocha.”

“Heavenly. From now on, I’m inviting you to all my stakeouts.”

Sheila raced out into the darkness, plunging into the thickly treed brush that separated the cabin from the lake. Move, girl, she muttered under her breath. Get to the boat. You haven’t got much time.

She didn’t have to listen to know the footsteps were right behind her.

Unfortunately, the ground between the cabin and the lake was not only covered with brush but was also on a sharp slope. A cliff, practically. Normally, she would walk down the gravel road out front about fifty feet to an improvised slope that led down to the pier. But she knew she didn’t have time for that now, and besides, the footsteps were between her and the path.

If she was going to make it, she was going to have to go straight down.

She plunged into the brush, straining to spot safe places to run. Nonetheless, not three steps down, a tough piece of vine caught her foot and sent her tumbling forward. With a desperate lunge, she managed to grab a branch from a nearby river birch, stopping herself at the last possible moment.

Why hadn’t she turned on the back porch light? It might not be brilliant, but it would be better than nothing. The slope was sharp, practically ninety degrees, or so it seemed to Sheila as she tried to get down it much too quickly. The ground was covered with leaves, and thanks to the recent rain, they were slick. She was wearing house shoes, and they constantly slipped out from under her. She took another false step and plunged forward. Once again, a tree branch was all that saved her from falling. She was risking her neck out here, running down the slope so fast.

Of course, if she stopped running, her neck would be in much worse shape.

She had to keep going, whatever the risk. She grabbed another tree, trying to lower herself down a particularly steep place. She slowed, gently descending, one foot at a time, and-

Heard the footsteps. Barely ten feet behind her.

She was scant seconds ahead. She had to get to the boat. Had to get there fast.

She let go of the tree and started running all-out down the slope, hell or high water, staying upright as best she could. A few feet later, she lost her balance. Her feet flew out from under her and she fell down hard, the side of her head slamming down against something that knocked her all but unconscious.

A rock? she wondered groggily. Didn’t know. And didn’t have time to ponder. Exerting all her strength, she pushed herself up on wobbly legs, tasting the blood trickling down the side of her head. She had to keep moving. Keep moving…

It was impossible. Only a few seconds later her feet went out from under her again and this time there was no way to control her fall. She went tumbling down the slope, headfirst. Her legs banged up against the rocks and brush and thorns. Her head hit something new, something just as hard, and once again she thought she would lose consciousness. She managed to keep herself awake, but she had lost all control of her descent.

She heard a sudden snap, jolting her awake. What was that? she thought, and a moment later, she realized it was her-her leg, to be specific. She had banged it against something and it had snapped. Had she broken it? She couldn’t be sure. She only knew it hurt like hell and she couldn’t stop falling…

Until she did. She hit the bottom of the slope with a sharp and painful immediacy. But the descent was over. And just across the muddy bank, not ten feet away, was her boat. And another one she didn’t recognize…

If only she could get to it. She tried to push herself to her feet, but her injured leg hurt so badly she couldn’t steady herself. Her head was swimming, barely able to focus. She fell to the ground again, the cold earth knocking her breath away.

All right then, if she couldn’t walk, she’d crawl. It wasn’t far. She pushed up onto her hands and knees. The leg still ached, but crawling like an infant, she narrowed the distance between herself and the boat. Closer, closer, closer…

“That’s about far enough, I think.”

Sheila felt a foot pressed against her back, shoving her face into the mud.

Too late.

“A little dark for a boating excursion, don’t you think?” the voice behind her said. “A girl could get hurt.”

The white chocolate mocha was gone, but Mike and Baxter were still keeping watch. They hadn’t seen anyone else come near the cabin, but they could see that the lights were still on.

“If that woman came all the way out here and she’s still up at this hour of the night,” Mike ventured, “there must be a reason.”

“Like she’s going to meet someone?”

“Maybe. Or she’s going to do something she doesn’t want anyone to see her doing.”

“You really think Sheila Knight is the key to this thing?”

Mike waved his hand in the air. “I don’t think there is a key. I think Erin killed herself. But Sheila was definitely holding something back. I wonder if I could get Bernie to tap her phone?”

“Look, Morelli, I won’t let you do anything improper or illegal.”

“You don’t have to be any part of it.”

“Yeah, but if my partner commits an offense, it could reflect back on me.”

“Chill, Baxter.”