Roland added, “Douglas is right. Your man got twitchy and killed my brother. I know Craig didn’t like the idea, but he would have come around.”
I heard Clark say, “Everyone calm down. There is still a way to get the lion’s share of the money. The house and land are gone. Annie signed them over to the city yesterday, but Inga had more money than any of us need even after we divide it up. I didn’t spend all that time getting close to that wacky woman to leave empty handed.”
“I’m going to kill him,” I whispered to Georgie. She had to hold me back. “I need a weapon. I saw umbrellas just inside the door of the closet. I’ll get him with an umbrella.”
“Quiet,” she said. “The sheriff is coming and we’ll tell him what we heard. They all want the money, but who is the young punk?”
“I wish I knew.”
“Hey,” Roland said. “Somebody’s here.”
“The sheriff,” Georgie said. “Thank goodness.”
Roland continued, “Who drives a green VW bug?”
My heart nearly stopped. “Aunt Irene.”
I heard Clark say, “It’s Annie’s aunt. Everyone sit down. I can handle it.” I heard Clark’s voice move closer to the closet.
“What the heck are you doing, Aunt Irene?” Clark said. “What are you doing with that rifle?”
“Where’s Annie and Georgie and why are you here?” Aunt Irene asked.
“Listen Aunt Irene,” Clark continued. “Annie will be right back. Her car isn’t here. The Kellehers are here to get a couple of items to remember Inga. Annie said they could have whatever they want. I’m here to help Annie and Berg is here to be sure no one starts a fight. You should go home now.”
“Right and I was born yesterday,” Aunt Irene snapped. “You’re up to no good.”
Roland and Douglas began to argue, and I heard Clark tell Douglas to put away his gun. Then he yelled at Roland to put away his gun.
Roland retorted, “As soon as you put yours away, Cavanaugh.”
With all the yelling, I took the chance to open the closet door a crack and saw Aunt Irene in the doorway with her rifle at the ready. Clark, Roland, and Douglas all held guns. I could see Berg’s hand slowly moving toward his holster.
I whispered to Georgie, “It’s now or never. I’m going to conk Clark on the head with an umbrella. Grab one and follow me.”
Before either of us could move, we heard a shot.
“You stupid old woman. You shot Douglas,” Roland yelled.
“Your next,” Aunt Irene answered.
I threw the closet door open, ran into the room, and hit Clark as hard as I could. I missed his head and only got his shoulder.
“Annie, what the heck?” He pulled the umbrella from my hands.
Roland aimed at Aunt Irene. I heard another shot, but this didn’t sound like a rifle. I peeked out to see the chief and Bill standing behind Aunt Irene.
Roland was lying on the floor next to Douglas.
“Put your gun away, Clark,” the Chief said as he entered the room.
I watched the Chief check Douglas and Roland. “They’ll both live. Good job guys. Berg call an ambulance.”
Georgie and I were watching from the closet. I had no idea what just happened.
“Not so fast,” Bill said. “Nobody’s calling anyone and nobody’s leaving.” He yanked the rifle from Aunt Irene’s hands and pushed her into the room.
I whispered to Georgie, “Bill’s the punk kid?”
She nodded.
“Okay, this is how it’s going to go. Clark and Berg are going to put Douglas and Roland in the SUV out back, and I’m going to leave with them. Then Berg is going to tie up the rest of you and shoot you. It’ll look like a robbery gone bad.”
“I knew you were a crook, Heidelberg,” I yelled.
Clark stepped between me and Bill.
This was it we’re all going to die. I heard Georgie crying behind me.
A clear, strong, female voice spoke, “Drop it now, Todorov. I’m not kidding. If you so much as turn around, I’ll shoot.”
Bill dropped his gun, and the Chief put him in handcuffs. I was never so happy to see Carolyn Dawlins as I was that moment.
#######
An ambulance arrived to care for Douglas and Roland. The coroner arrived to take care of Craig. Two sheriff’s deputies arrived to take Bill into custody. The rest of us sat around the dining room table to give our statements.
Georgie explained about texting Aunt Irene instead of Paul. Aunt Irene didn’t want to wait for the sheriff. She was worried, so she grabbed her rifle to save us. Carolyn, on her way to a party, saw Aunt Irene racing through town with a rifle leaning against her window and decided to follow her.
“Okay,” I said. “That explains how we were rescued, but Clifford why aren’t you arresting Berg and Clark? I heard them. They were in on it with the Kellehers to kill Inga and get her money.”
Clifford smiled and nodded, “Annie, I’ve known for a while I had a bad apple in my department. I couldn’t ferret him out alone. I knew Berg is honest as the day is long, and we did our best to try and figure out who it was. I had my suspicions, but until Inga was murdered, and info that never should have left my office was leaked did I know for sure. Detective Berg is leaving the department at the end of the month to start his own security company. Everyone knew that. I needed more help. I contacted the state’s attorney’s office to ask for help from their corruption in office team. They said they had an agent near that was on family leave, but might help.”
“Who was that? Carolyn? She sure came to the rescue,” I asked.
“No,” Clark said. “It’s me.”
I was stunned. I looked at him and stammered. “You’re a cop?”
He nodded. “With the state police on special assignment to the attorney general’s corruption office. I finished an assignment close by
