standing with Mrs. Stinson.
“Just what the heck is going on here?” Jaxon said. “We heard a gunshot.”
Chapter 19
Jaxon and Sally had spent the rest of the morning with the forensics team at the Lolly residence collecting the video data and scouring the yard and bushes next door for any clues. They had been able to preserve the video surveillance data but had pretty much struck out on any evidence left by the killer around the surrounding environment. Burt looked very anxious as the crew trampled through his and his neighbor’s yard. Jaxon kept reassuring him they would damage as little as possible. When it was all said and done, the grass looked a little beat down and the neighbor’s hedge had some leaves misplaced, but the majority of the yards looked unscathed. The neighbor had not been home.
They were just about to leave the scene, saying their goodbyes to the Lolly’s, when they heard what sounded like a gunshot. Jogging off toward the sound, Jaxon radioed in as he ran that possible shots had been fired and they needed back-up. That order was quickly canceled when they discovered the scene at the foot bridge. Jaxon was highly amused.
After the eldest of the teenagers explained what had happened and what they had done, Sally smiled at Jaxon and he almost chuckled as he turned away from the kids and the Stinson family.
Turning back to address the small group, he tried to put on as stern a face as he could. “You kids do know this could be considered assault, right? Maybe even assault with a deadly-uh-rocket engine.” He heard Sally snort behind him and struggled to keep it together. “This is serious stuff.”
“Yes sir,” they all chimed in. All except the one kid who fumed off to the side. John was his name if he remembered correctly. Jaxon sent his best glaring stare John’s way and the kid eventually looked down at his feet.
“And you two,” Jaxon pointed to the kids with the bikes, “kicking someone off of a bridge into a flooded creek could also be considered assault. You have to learn to share the road-uh path-with other pedestrians. They have the right of way. You hear me?”
They both nodded but said nothing. One of the kids, the one covered from head to toe in mud, looked about to cry. He was doing his best to hold it together.
“Alright, I want to hear apologies from all of you and then sweep this thing under the rug. Let’s go.”
Mumbled ‘sorrys’ worked their way around the group and Jaxon was glad to see the John kid even joining in.
“Good. Let’s all try to get along now. Don’t make me have to pay a visit to your parents.” Jaxon pointed to Jimmy and then John. “You two, dismantle this little project you have attached to the bridge and carry it back to your house. Harrison and Pemberton, I need to talk to you.”
The girl and boy looked at each other and then walked over to where Jaxon and Sally were standing off to the side. Stinson walked up and said, “That’s it? You aren’t going to do anything to these kids? Maybe I should talk to their parents if you aren’t. They almost got someone killed!”
“It was a prank gone wrong,” Jaxon said. “I’m not going to make this more than it was and create more hardship for these kids than already exists. They seem to be genuinely sorry for what happened and it doesn’t appear they meant any serious harm. It’s your prerogative if you want to seek out their parents. I can’t stop you. I just think it’s best to let it go.”
“Fine,” Stinson said, and turned to leave. “Come on kids. We need to get home. Who knows who else will rig some bomb or trap and get someone else hurt.”
“Daddy! I want to stay with Ellie!” Mel said.
“No!” Stinson said, pulling her by the hand, “Ellie is not coming over again, ever!”
The little girl started crying as her parents led her home. Ellie Pemberton watched her walk off and started to cry herself. Jaxon actually felt a twinge of pity for the girl.
Luke watched Jimmy and John dismantle the rocket launcher and thought to himself,
Jaxon was saying something to his partner, who Luke now knew as Sally, but couldn’t hear the conversation. He knew they were talking about him and Ellie, but he hoped they were going to let them go. Luke looked over at Ellie who had fresh tears running down her cheeks and reached out and grabbed her hand.
“Are you gonna be ok?” Luke asked.
She nodded but didn’t speak. He couldn’t tell what was going through her head, but he knew she was angry at him for getting her into all this. Hell, she was probably angry at all three of them. Now, she had lost a babysitting job and embarrassed herself in front of a family she really liked. Luke felt she would probably never be able to gain her respect back from them. She probably wouldn’t even try.
Jaxon turned back toward them and scowled as he looked them over. “You two keep showing up in all the action in this neighborhood. Do I need to be concerned?”
“No, sir,” Luke said. Ellie just shook her head. She had dropped his hand when Jaxon started talking.
“I like you two,” he said, “but that doesn’t mean I enjoy our little get-togethers. The less I see of you two, the better. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir,” Luke said. This time Ellie spoke too.
“Good. Now what really happened here? Is there more to this than I’m seeing?”
“No,” Ellie said. “Not really. It’s just like Jimmy said. We didn’t mean for anything bad to happen. I realize now how stupid we were.”
“Me too,” Luke said. “The two kids on the bike just made us mad and we wanted to get them back. It was dumb.”
“This friend of yours, John,” Jaxon said, pointing, “do I need to be worried about him? He seemed pretty angry.”
Luke shook his head. “No. He’s probably more scared than angry. I think his close call in the creek shook him up pretty good.”
“He’s lucky to have friends like you guys,” Jaxon said. “You saved his life. He could’ve died in there.”
Luke shrugged, not sure what to say. He knew John had been lucky.
“Do you guys remember our little conversation a couple of months back?” Jaxon asked.
Luke could see Ellie nodding and he said, “Yes.”
“Anything jog your memories since then?”
“No, sir,” Luke said.
Jaxon looked at Sally. “It’s important guys,” Sally said. “Even the smallest thing might help us. You didn’t see anything?”
Luke and Ellie remained silent.
“We’ve been given some new evidence,” Jaxon said, “and we know you two had nothing to do with the murders, just so you know. You aren’t suspects. We just need a little help filling in the blanks.”
Luke watched Ellie open her mouth, look at him and then shut it again. Jaxon shook his head. “Alright, let us know if you think of something. Here is our number again in case you lost the other one.” He handed them each a business card, then turned and left, heading back toward the pool area.
Chapter 20
