AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Mia saw Sherlock was back fully in control again, her voice clipped, matter-of-fact. Mia said, “The ER nurse couldn’t give us any information himself, but he did say if Kent hadn’t gotten here so quickly he’d be dead. He said because you were so fast, Sherlock, you gave him a chance, that, and you slowed the bleeding.”
Sherlock sighed. “Thank you for saying that. The EMTs arrived within three minutes. What with the vile weather, so no traffic, they got down here to Bellevue in record time. He was in surgery in ten minutes. But the truth is, I should have stopped it. I wasn’t fast enough—”
Tommy stepped forward, lightly laid his hand on her arm. “Sit down, take a deep breath, take us through what happened.”
Sherlock sat down. Her guilt had her acting like a civilian. It pissed her off. It was time for her to get on top of this mess, even if she didn’t fully understand why it had happened. “I’d been sitting in my car a half block down the street from Kent Harper’s brownstone. I never said it out loud, but I really thought I was wasting my time, babysitting this guy, sitting on my butt on the off chance he’d make a run for it. Then I’d think Harper was rich enough for a battalion of lawyers, so why would he run? So I was catching up on paperwork, called home and spoke to Sean, tried to get Dillon, but like I said, I only got his voice mail. I was wondering how I was going to stay awake when Kent came out of his house, pulling two suitcases. I watched him lock the door, set the alarm, and walk to his car. I started my engine, ready to pull out. I saw him open the trunk with his fob and lean in to stow the luggage when a small dark SUV I’d seen earlier in a driveway two doors down suddenly backed out fast, very smooth, as if he’d practiced it. He drove the SUV close, an arm stuck out the passenger window, and fired two shots. Harper collapsed. The SUV sped away. I stopped my car in the middle of the street, called 911 as I ran to him. Harper was barely conscious, mumbling, I couldn’t make out what he was saying. He had two gunshot wounds in his back and he was bleeding badly. I applied pressure, kept talking to him. The EMTs arrived fast, got pressure bandages on him, and were off to Bellevue, sirens blaring. I called in the license plate on the SUV. I heard only minutes before Detective Hoolihan burst in that the plates were stolen.
“This was the last thing Hoolihan wanted on a Thursday night. He was angry when he walked into the room and it was downhill from there. All he was hearing was an FBI agent had witnessed an attempted murder and I hadn’t called it in to the NYPD. I reminded him I’d called 911 and was trying to save Harper’s life. I think you heard most of the rest.
“At least Hoolihan realizes he has to involve all of us, we’re the ones with the history, the evidence.” Sherlock searched each of their faces. “I don’t see how Harper can make it. Two shots, center back. I was afraid he would bleed out on me before the ambulance arrived.”
She looked down at the stiff blood covering her white blouse. “You forget how much blood there is in the human body.”
An older man with white hair in tufts spiked up around his head appeared in the doorway. He studied them briefly. “I’m Dr. Morgan, one of the surgeons. I was asked to give you an update. Kent Harper is still in surgery, will be for at least another two to three hours. We’re having trouble keeping up with the rate of his blood loss. I suggest if you haven’t contacted his family, you do it quickly.”
They were silent after the surgeon left. Mia didn’t say it out loud, but she knew if Kent Harper died, there might very well be no case, and that was why Alex had his lifelong friend shot.
Juliet said, “I don’t want him to die. I want him in prison. Sherlock, shouldn’t we go see Alex, see what he has to say about this?”
Sherlock shook her head. “I’m sorry, but the FBI can’t be involved.”
Juliet cursed under her breath, and only Tommy heard her. He smiled.
