Two faces turned toward him, and then his hand froze in the air and his blood ran cold.
Chapter Twelve
Kieran’s gaze darted to the roof above Devon’s head. Stacks of red roofing tiles shifted. Piles of bricks inched toward the rain gutters. Before he could process the implications, Kieran’s feet began moving, his legs pumping. He called Devon’s name again, the sound a roar in his ears.
His sprint caused his lungs to burn, and he couldn’t manage more than a strangled cry from his throat. Devon’s eyes widened at his approach. As the quarterback in high school and college, he’d had to execute a few tackles. Time to put one in play.
The muscles in his legs bunched as he sprang forward, his arms wide. He led with his chest, connecting with Devon’s mid-section and Michael’s leg dangling against her body. He wrapped his arms around both of them to cushion the impact of the fall.
All three of them hit the ground, and the backs of Kieran’s hands scraped along the asphalt as he cradled Devon’s head. Michael, sandwiched between them, grunted when Kieran’s body crushed him against Devon’s chest.
A crash resounded behind them, and bricks and tiles pelted Kieran’s legs. Still covering Devon and Michael with his body, he twisted his head around and coughed at the red dust rising from a pile of debris that had destroyed the awning-the awning where Devon had stood with Michael seconds before.
Devon moaned and Michael whimpered. Kieran rolled from their bodies and sat on his heels. “Are you hurt anywhere?”
“What happened?” Devon pushed up to her elbows, and her jaw dropped when she saw the bricks and tiles scattered in the alley.
“Whoa.” Michael sat up on Devon’s stomach and she winced.
Kieran scooped him off and ran his hands from the boy’s shoulders down his arms. “Are you okay, Michael? Does anything hurt?”
“My nose.”
Kieran planted his finger on the tip of Michael’s nose. “Must’ve squished it, but you look the same.”
“H-how did you know those bricks and tiles were going to fall?”
Kieran gazed at the roof. Whoever shoved those building materials over the edge was long gone now. Maybe someone saw him leaving the roof.
As Michael bent over to brush off his knees, Kieran met Devon’s eyes and put a finger to his lips. “A premonition.”
Her face white, Devon struggled to her feet and clamped Michael against her legs where he squirmed out of her grasp.
Kieran rose, shaking dust from his hair. “Where’s Detective Marquette?”
“I-I don’t know. Maybe still at the police station.” She waved her arm at the back of a stucco building across the alley.
“What did he say when he called you?” Kieran knelt in front of Michael and checked out a small scrape on his elbow.
“He didn’t call me. He texted me.”
“He texted you?” Kieran’s gut twisted. “How did you know it was Marquette?”
With trembling hands, she pulled her cell phone out of her purse. “I saved his number. His ID popped up when I got the text.”
“Did you call him back?”
“He was in a meeting. I assumed that’s why he texted me.”
“What’s he still doing in town?” Michael’s small frame stiffened beneath his hands, so Kieran softened his tone. “What did the text say?”
Devon slid open her phone and held it in front of him, cupping the screen. He read the message, and the knots in his belly got tighter.
“Where is he then?” He spread his arms to encompass the alley.
A few shopkeepers had wandered out their back doors and were pointing at the debris. The manager of Vinnie’s was pawing through the pieces of his broken awning.
Devon shook her head. “I don’t know where he is. He must still be in his meeting.”
“Why would you leave Elena’s office like that? You know you’re in dan…” He trailed off as he picked a bit of dirt from Michael’s hair. Michael didn’t need to keep hearing how much danger surrounded his mom.
“I was going to meet a cop, for goodness’ sakes…in a well-traveled alley behind the police station.”
“Didn’t do you much good.” Kieran pointed to the roof of the building.
“We don’t know anything yet, Kieran.”
“That’s right, but we’re going to find out.”
“Did you see what happened out here?” The manager of Vinnie’s waved a piece of the tattered red-and-white- striped awning back and forth.
“The bricks and tiles fell from the roof, or someone pushed them off. Did you see anyone up there?”
The manager’s face reddened. “If I find out it’s those damned teenagers who hang out back here, I’m going straight to the mayor.”
“How would someone get off the roof?”
“It’s not that high. You’d be surprised what those kids can do-jump onto Dumpsters, shimmy down trees. We even had some teens taking their skateboards up there and jumping from building to building.” He shook a fist at the skateboarders who’d stopped doing tricks long enough to gawk at the mess of bricks on the ground. “If I find out you boys had anything to do with this, I’m going to get Mayor Davis to ban you kids from this alley.”
The boys smirked and took off on their boards.
“How come no workers are up there working on the roof and facade?”
“There’s some money dispute among the businesses. The city’s paying for it, but some businesses think they’re more deserving than others.”
Devon tugged on Kieran’s hand. “I’m calling Detective Marquette.”
She punched in his number but got his voice mail. Then she pointed to the back of the police station. “Let’s find him.”
Kieran pinned the pizza manager with his gaze. “While you’re at it, you tell the mayor that those falling bricks and tiles almost landed on a woman and a child.”
They crossed the alley together, only to find the back door of the police station locked. Devon led him down a walkway to the front of the building.
Kieran held open the door for her as she marched to the front desk like she owned the place. She planted her hands on the counter. “Where is Detective Marquette?”
The officer’s eyes popped. “You mean that homicide detective from SFPD who was meeting with the chief?”
“That’s the one.”
“He’s not here.”
“Do you mean the meeting’s over and he already left?”
“Uh.” The officer passed a hand over his mouth. “Yeah. He left after the meeting yesterday.”
Kieran’s hands clenched into fists, as he moved next to Devon, his shoulder touching hers.
“H-he didn’t have a meeting with the chief today?”
“Not unless it was a teleconference. The chief’s been holed up with the mayor for the past half hour.”
Devon’s shoulders slumped. “Maybe he was on the phone with Detective Marquette before his meeting with the mayor. Can I talk to the chief?”
“Hold on.” The officer punched a button on the phone and spoke into the speaker. “Chief, Devon Reese is here to see you.”
