him to the hospital!”
But the deputy wasn’t listening. He was staring at the box, turning it over in his
hands.
“I’ve seen one of these before. Mister Sumter had it on him when he died. And
I’ve heard the same box was found on Vasquez and Haskins.” He looked up at Mr. Brussard. “What was in this?”
“Nothing. Look, we need to—”
“Nothing?” Chal is said.
pil that was inside.” His jaw dropped. “And when he said yes you went crazy. You just said he’l die.” He pointed to Mr. Brussard. “It’s you! You poisoned
them! Sumter, Vasquez, and Haskins—you kil ed them!”
Mr. Brussard looked stunned. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“It’s true! It’s al clear! You poisoned them with whatever pil was in that box! And
I was next! ‘I’ve found a way to protect us from the klazen.’ Isn’t that what you said? But what I need is protection from
Mrs. B looked horrified. “Gordon, what is this man talking about?” The deputy frowned at Chal is. “Why would he want to kil you?” “Because five can keep a secret only when four are dead, isn’t that right,
Gordon.”
“I’m not fol owing,” the deputy said.
“We kil ed Anton Boruff—the body found in the Pines!”
“Bert!” Mr. Brussard shouted.
“There. I’ve said it. It’s haunted me for two years. Now maybe I’l be able to
sleep at night!” He turned to the deputy and his words spewed at machine
gun speed. “He swindled us—fake diamonds. We confronted him. Things got rough. He fel , hit his head. It wasn’t supposed to happen. We didn’t mean
to—”
“‘We’?” the deputy said. “Who do you mean?”
“Me, Sumter, Vasquez, Haskins, and Gordon here.”
Just then a heavy guy with a first-aid emblem on his shirt thundered down the stairs.
“We tried the bel but no one answered. I heard voices—” He looked at the swaying Steve. “Is this the unconscious person you reported?”
“I didn’t report anyone,” Mr. Brussard said, “but as long as you’re here, he needs immediate hospitalization.”
Jack figured this had gone on long enough. He snatched the pil from where he’d left it on the floor behind the couch, and held it up.
“Is this the pil ?”
Mr. Brussard’s eyes widened. “Give it to me,” he said, reaching for it.
But the deputy grabbed his arm.
“I’l take that.”
Jack gave it to him. He looked at it, put it in the little red box, and shoved the box into a pocket. Then he stepped back and rested one hand on his pistol
as he pul ed his two-way from his belt.
“This is Driscol ,” he said. “I’ve got a situation at one twenty-seven Harding in Johnson. Requesting backup.”
Jack felt a rush of … what? A strange, tingling fire flared in his chest as he realized he’d done it. He’d tricked Mr. Brussard into incriminating himself. He
wanted to whoop and yel and do the Snoopy dance around the room.
But he couldn’t. Now was not the time. Not with Steve and his mother staring in shock and fear and disbelief at the man they cal ed father and husband.
Maybe there’d never be a good time for the Snoopy dance.
Free-form guilt dul ed the edge of his elation. He looked around and found Mr. Brussard glaring at him.
“You cal ed them, didn’t you.”
Jack couldn’t look at Steve, but he stared Mr. Brussard in the eye.
“I was worried about Steve.”
And that was the truth.
