movement in her peripheral vision.
“Nephew?” he said with a sneer.
“We were the same age. My oldest sister and my mom were pregnant at the same time. And it was like losing my brother. Justin and I did everything together.”
“Yeah.” He paused, used the back of his hand to wipe his nose. “I always looked out for Ned.”
“This can all stop, right now. Put the knife down, Brian.”
“I can’t. I have to finish this.”
“Look around you. They’re not going to let you leave.”
He did, and Lucy hoped she was right. That there were cops along with the spectators.
“I just want to go home.”
“Where’s home?”
“Hawaii.”
Lucy gambled. “They’re not going to let you go, and if you throw that knife, you might kill me, but you’ll be dead when a dozen bullets hit you. And Ivy will still be alive because she’s behind me. I’m not moving. You don’t want to kill me because I’m not the problem, am I. It’s your mother who started this game.”
If one of those cops got an itchy finger, they’d lose their only witness to Devon Sullivan’s culpability in Wendy James’s death. Lucy had to talk Brian down.
“Dear God, I hate that woman.”
“I’m not a big fan myself.”
He coughed, then winced.
“Are you hurt?” Lucy asked, showing genuine concern. “I heard you fell on a sprinkler head.”
“It’s bad. Still bleeding a bit. Hurts like hell.”
“We’re at the hospital. There are a hundred doctors here who can take care of that. Give you something for the pain.”
He didn’t say anything.
Lucy sensed movement to her right. She put her hands up and to the side, hoping the security guards knew to stand down. Behind Brian she saw Noah and Sean approaching slowly. Noah was using hand signals to direct Sean, who nodded. They were splitting up, Noah going right, Sean to the left. Both outside of Brian’s peripheral vision.
She briefly caught Sean’s eye. His expression was focused. He gave her a half-smile while his attention was on Brian’s knife.
“Brian, let me help you.”
“Can you just step aside so I can finish this?” he said without heart.
“I can’t. But I can make you an offer I think you’ll like.”
“There’s nothing.”
He was in pain, sick, and depressed. Worse, he’d lost hope. He knew he wouldn’t leave the courtyard alive if he tried to kill Ivy. Suicide cocktail right there.
“Lower the knife.”
He dropped his hand an inch.
“Good. Your mother is going to prison on a multitude of crimes, but she’s telling us she had nothing to do with killing Wendy James and the others. She says that’s all you.”
He grimaced. “Bitch.”
Lucy knew he wasn’t talking about her, he was talking about his mother.
“If you help us prove her wrong, help us prove that she ordered the hit on Wendy, then I will do everything in my power to get you back to Hawaii.”
“You’re not going to let me go free. I’m not stupid. Not after what I’ve done.”
“No, you won’t be free, but there’s a federal penitentiary in Honolulu.”
Brian’s face brightened. His hand dropped another inch. “You can do that?”
“I know a lot of people high up in the FBI. And I will tell them, I swear to God, I will tell them that you voluntarily dropped that knife, that you showed remorse to me for your crimes. That you will help fill in the blanks in their case against Devon Sullivan.”
He looked at her quizzically. “What about Clark?”
Her heart raced. “Clark Jager?”
“Yeah. Can’t I testify against him? Do you know what he’s done?”
“No, I don’t.”
Brian laughed, and it ended in a cough. “This whole thing was his fucking idea.” He dropped the knife. “I’ll tell you everything, but please, I really need a doctor.” He fell to his knees.
Both Sean and Noah ran to Brian. Sean kicked away the knife while Noah cuffed him. “He needs a doctor, Noah.”
“I’ll get a guard on him and take him to the emergency room.”
Lucy turned to Ivy. “You’re okay, right?”
She said, “He killed them?”
“Yes. We think so.”
“And shot Mina?”
“Are you okay?”
“He’s so … pathetic.”
“Some of us get handed great parents, and life still turns bad. Others get bad parents, and they either overcome it-like you-or they become what they hate. Remember you are better than your father.”
“My mother tried to save us. That’s why she died.”
“Then remember her sacrifice and rise above what’s happened. I know you can do it, Ivy.”
“Can I go to Sara?”
“Of course.”
Lucy watched her leave.
“Lucy.” Sean came up behind her.
Without a word, Lucy wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes. She didn’t realize until that moment that she was shaking.
Sean ran his hands up and down her back until her adrenaline dropped. “Let’s get Chip and go home. I have a hot tub that’s begging for us to enjoy it.”
Lucy tilted her head up and kissed him. “I need it. Please don’t let me out until I’m shriveled like a prune.”
“That’s an attractive vision.” Sean frowned. He kissed her. “Stop scaring me, Princess.”
“It’s been one of those weeks. I’m sure you’ll have your chance to make me worry.”
“We have two weeks until you go to Quantico. Think I can get you to take a couple days off? Two? Can I hope for three?”
Noah came up to them. “How about four?”
“We’ll take it,” Sean said.
“You’ve earned it, Lucy,” Noah said. “Not just here, but yesterday. Matt Slater told me what he said to you the other day.”
“I wish he hadn’t-”
Noah put up his hand. “I didn’t go out on a limb bringing you in as an analyst. You’re an asset, and I trust your judgment. Matt shouldn’t have put those doubts in your head. He feels shitty about it.”
“He should,” Sean said.
“It’s over and forgotten. I just hope Matt will forgive me. I kind of promised Abernathy that he might be able to serve his sentence in Hawaii.”
“I heard. And if he can put Clark Jager
They walked toward the parking lot.
“Why are you here?” Lucy asked Noah.
“Kate called. The chip you pulled out of the cat?”
