AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Molly Sutton.” Coughing, she recorded Burke and Gabe extricating the woman from the car. Dammit. It was Joelle Ducote. “I think the woman is the homeowner. We’ll do CPR until the paramedics arrive.”
Holding her breath, she continued filming as Burke carried the woman out of her garage, Gabe on his heels. Gabe took his phone and they followed Burke to the front lawn, where he laid Joelle down gently.
“There’s no pulse,” Burke said. “Goddammit.” He shoved his phone at Molly. “Call André.”
Molly muted her own phone and dialed André on Burke’s. “It’s Molly,” she said as soon as he’d answered. “We’re at the Ducotes’ house.”
“You’re where?” André exploded. “Fucking hell, Molly. What are you thinking?”
“That we were too late,” she snapped. “We found Joelle Ducote in her car in her garage with the motor running. We got her out, and I have 911 on the line. But I think she’s dead. Can you get over here as fast as possible?”
“On my way.”
André ended the call and Molly unmuted her phone. “We can’t find a pulse,” she said to the operator. “My partner has started chest compressions.”
“Gabe, I need your help,” Burke said through clenched teeth.
Once again Gabe handed his phone to Molly, then dropped to his knees on the other side of Joelle. “What do you want me to do?”
“I’m going to do mouth-to-mouth. I need you to continue chest compressions. You know how?”
Gabe nodded once. “I do.”
Feeling helpless, Molly could only hold Gabe’s phone, recording the two men trying to save Joelle’s life.
Burke gripped the gemstone necklace that lay against Joelle’s skin, gently pulling it over her head so that it didn’t further impair her airflow.
Molly thought she recognized that necklace. A glance at her texts from Burke confirmed it. He’d sent her a photo of the woman who’d come into his office. “Burke, that’s the same necklace that the woman who visited you wore. Or one identical to it.”
Burke didn’t spare it a glance. He started mouth-to-mouth, motioning Gabe to start the chest compressions.
“Hand-me-down dogs,” Gabe said between shoves against Joelle Ducote’s chest. “Hand-me-down necklaces, too?”
“Maybe.” Then she put all thoughts out of her mind, concentrating on counting out loud so that Burke and Gabe could coordinate their efforts.
By the time the medics arrived four minutes later, both Burke and Gabe were sweaty and tired. The three of them stepped away from Joelle as the medics began to work.
Two NOPD officers arrived soon after, giving them the stink eye. “Aren’t you the three who were there when Mule was shot?” one of them asked, then pointed at Molly and Gabe. “And you two when those three guys were shot Wednesday night?”
“I think you have a penchant for being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” the other said, going for his cuffs. “Drop the phones and put your hands out.”
“Get in the car,” Burke said to Molly and Gabe.
“No,” the first cop said. “You’ll be getting in our car this time round.” He grabbed the phone from Molly and twisted her arm behind her back, slapping one cuff on her wrist.
A car screeched to a halt behind them, a door slamming. “Cut the bullshit,” André said loudly. “Remove the cuffs, Styles. Now.” He gestured to Molly, Gabe, and Burke. “You three, come with me.” He turned, frowning at first when he saw Xavier in the SUV. The young man had his phone out filming the encounter with the cops. “Who’s—” André did a double take, his brows shooting up when he realized that the wig-wearing man was Xavier.
While Molly appreciated Xavier having their backs, she wanted to smack him. Did he have no sense of self-preservation whatsoever? “Get down,” she mouthed. Xavier scowled, but complied. His phone, however, remained pressed against the SUV’s window. Still filming.
“On second thought...” André gestured to a uniformed officer who’d just arrived on the scene. “I want you to escort these four into the city,” he told the officer when he’d joined them.
Molly recognized the newcomer—whose name tag said McCauley—as one of André’s trusted men. She’d seen him at the police station the day they’d been taken in for questioning after witnessing Mule’s murder. He’d brought Gabe to the lobby after Assistant District Attorney Cardozo was finished talking to him. McCauley gave them a respectful nod before giving André his full attention.
“Where should I take them?” McCauley asked. “To the station?”
André seemed to consider it for a moment. “No. Get as close to the Monteleone Hotel as you can and wait for me there. I’ll take their statements when I’m finished.” Then he leaned over and whispered something in Burke’s ear. “Go. Now.”
The cop who’d started to cuff Molly began to sputter. “But—”
