Harry Hunter Mystery Box Set Read online

  “I’m willing to take that risk,” William said. “Are you willing to risk your daughter’s life?”

  I exhaled and took another glance at the police cruiser behind me, almost catching up to us.

  “I am sorry,” I said, then sped up, and seconds later, I saw the cruiser become smaller and smaller in the mirror. I bit down on my lip, trying to press my fears away, then roared forward, taking a turn a little too sharply, not taking into account the extra weight I was carrying, making it harder to turn. The bike skidded sideways, and Josie screamed, but I accelerated just in time to get it around the corner without losing our balance or control. I got it back and running, then ran it down another street when we saw blinking lights in the distance.

  “Another roadblock,” I said, going fast toward it. “What do you want to do?”

  William looked behind us, where the cruiser was still trying to catch us. It was now joined by two other patrol cars that came from side streets.

  “What do you want to do, William?” I yelled.

  “I’m thinking!” he yelled back.

  “Gotta think fast! It’s coming up!”

  “Go through,” he then said. “Drive right through the roadblock!”

  I swallowed hard. I was afraid he was going to say that.

  “All right,” I said and accelerated as we came closer and closer to the block. “Hold on, Josie!”

  The officers behind the block were yelling at us, but I couldn’t hear anything. Then I saw them jump for their lives as they realized I wasn’t going to stop. I slammed the motorcycle right into the barricade. When we hit the barricade, William was slung into the air. He flew into one of the parked cars and crashed into it.

  I lost control of the bike, and it tilted to the side, then skidded across the asphalt, Josie screaming behind me until we finally came to a stop. Completely out of it, I tried to figure out what was up and what was down, then spotted Josie lying on the asphalt behind me. Blood was running from my legs, and I was in pain, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was her. While police surrounded William with guns, I crawled to my daughter and reached out my hand to touch her shoulder and turned her around.

  “Josie,” I whispered, then yelled: “Josie!”

  ONE WEEK LATER

  Chapter 53

  “I’ve got another one ready. Who’s the taker?”

  Josie raised her hand in the air, the one that wasn’t bandaged. My dad placed the patty on her plate. We were in the backyard of my townhouse. It was a nice seventy-three degrees out, and, as true Floridians, we believed that was perfect for barbecuing, even if we were at the beginning of February.

  Josie grabbed a bun, then made her burger and ate it with one hand. She had been lucky and had just broken her arm, along with receiving a lot of scrapes and bruises. Nothing that wouldn’t heal eventually, as the doctor had put it.

  I had been lucky myself. Nothing was broken, but lots of road rash and a burn on my arm. My dad said we had guardian angels to protect us.

  William had survived, too, but was in critical condition. They were doing all they could to keep him alive, so he could stand trial. Fowler and his crew were building a case against him, and it was beginning to look promising. More than twenty people had come forward so far to tell what he had done, and they were all prepared to testify in court against him. Sophia was one of them. She had woken up and was ready to talk, even though she knew it meant getting in trouble for what they had tried to do to him. She and Lucy had both agreed to tell the entire truth. My colleagues had even gotten Dalisay to admit that William had pressured her to make those kills. Dalisay had a sick mother who was dependent on the money she sent back to the Philippines. Dalisay had earlier stolen a pile of cash from William’s mother’s drawer, and William recorded her doing it with his phone. He promised to keep quiet only if she promised to do everything he said. If she went to jail, her mother wouldn’t survive without the money that she sent home. Now, she was going to jail for what she had done for a lot longer than if she had just been punished for taking the money. Hopefully, she was taking William down with her. I had great faith that he would be going down for a very long time. His parents had cut him off, so there were no more expensive lawyers to fight for him. It was time he paid his dues.

  “I’ll have a hot dog if you have one,” Jean said. She was sitting in a lawn chair, a set of crutches leaning against her chair. She had been home for a couple of days, and we were finally beginning to feel like ourselves again.

  “This is so much better than hospital food,” she said, her mouth full of the last hot dog that she had barely started to swallow before she asked for another one.

  My dad handed her one, and she smiled, then put it in a bun and bit into it. I had a burger like my daughter and plastered it with ketchup. It was my second burger, so I was getting there, but still felt like there might be room for a hot dog as well.

  After we were done eating, Josie ran back inside to play on her computer, while my dad said he’d go watch some TV.

  Jean and I were finally alone. We hadn’t been since the day of the kiss. And we hadn’t talked about it. It was about time.

  “Listen…Harry…” she started. “About that kiss, I don’t know why I…I mean, I know you can’t, of course, you…”

  I stopped her. She looked up, and our eyes locked.

  “I think it’s time I move on,” I said.

  “What?”

  I exhaled and took her hands in mine. “I have given this a lot of thought, and my dad is right; I need to enjoy my life. Camille would want me to. She wouldn’t want me to sit here and whither.”

  “What are you saying, Harry?”

  “I’m going to put Camille in a nursing home. I’ve already taken a look at some here in the area. I can visit as much as I want. She’ll have care twenty-four-seven, and I won’t have to always depend on you and my dad. I’m back in homicide, and they actually expect me to show up to the briefings and such. I think it’s time for me to focus on my job if I want to keep it.”

  “Sounds smart,” Jean said. “But a tough decision.”

  “The hardest I’ve ever had to make. But I think she’ll be happy there, as happy as she can be. They can give her what she needs. But this also means that…”

  I paused because it was hard to say.

  “Yes?”

  “That we could…maybe try to…I mean…how about we start by dating? How do you feel about that?”

  Jean looked at me, then smiled. “I would like that very much, Harry.”

  “I realized this when I almost lost you, Jean. But I think I could possibly love you; maybe I already do.”

  Jean smiled again, then leaned over and placed her lips against mine. She caressed my cheek gently and looked into my eyes. A tear escaped her eye and rolled down her cheek. She parted her lips as if to speak, but I placed a finger on them, then kissed her instead. As our lips parted again, we heard a scream coming from inside the house.

  “Josie!”

  I stood to my feet and rushed to the back porch, then ran inside. Jean came up behind me, humping along on her crutches.

  “Josie?” I called once inside. “What’s going on? Why are you screaming?”

  Josie came down the stairs. She looked like she had seen a ghost.

  “What’s wrong, Josie?” Jean asked as she came in behind me, panting.

  Josie stood like she was frozen at the top of the stairs. “I…I…I wanted to check on Mom and then…”

  “Is something wrong with Mom?” I asked, my heart hammering in my chest. My dad came in from the living room and stood in the doorway.

  “No…I mean…yes, I think so.”

  I ran up the stairs while Jean humped up after me, taking a little longer on her crutches. “What’s wrong with Mom, Josie?” I asked, holding her shoulders between my hands.

  “I was sitting with her, holding her hand in mine, singing that old song, you know the one we used to sing before bedtime when suddenly…she
…she looked at me, Dad. She lifted her head and looked directly at me!”

  “She did what?”

  “I think you should look for yourself,” she said and pointed at the door.

  I didn’t think about it twice. I grabbed the door and opened it. Behind it, I was met by the sweetest sight I had ever seen in my life. Camille’s beautiful brown eyes were looking directly at me. I gasped, startled, then stood and stared at her for a long time, trying to figure out whether I was dreaming or not. So many nights and days, I had sat by her bedside and dreamt that she’d suddenly look at me, suddenly wake up.

  “She also spoke, Dad. She said my name. At least, it sounded like she said it,” Josie squealed excitedly.

  Camille stared at me, blinking. Then her lips parted, and a whistling noise emerged from between them, shaping a word:

  “Josie.”

  I just about lost it. I gasped for air, my heart hammering in my chest. “Oh, my God, Camille, you’re awake. I have never…I never…”

  “It’s...a miracle,” my dad said, coming inside. “Just like you said, remember? You told me you still believed it would happen, even though the doctors said it wouldn’t, and now…look at this?”

  “She’s awake, Dad; look, she’s looking at you, see it, Daddy?” Josie said, almost screaming.

  “I can’t…I can’t believe it,” I said and took her hand in mine, tears spilling from my eyes. As I looked across the room, my eyes fell on Jean, who was still standing in the hallway, and my heart dropped instantly. Seeing this, Jean turned around and walked away. Startled, I stood for a few seconds, not knowing what to do, then let go of Camille’s hand, and ran out after her.

  “Jean.”

  She stopped at the top of the stairs. She didn’t turn to look at me.

  “I’m…I’m…”

  She turned to face me, tears in her eyes. “You’re what? Sorry? How can you be? This is what we prayed for over three long years. This is what we wanted, Harry. Josie has her mother back; you have your…wife. You can be a family again. This is a good thing, Harry. Go. Be with your family. I’ll catch you all later.”

  “But…”

  “Harry, go.”

  I felt awful, yet so confused. I turned around and ran back into our bedroom, where my daughter was sitting on the bedside, crying her little heart out. Camille was just staring at her, whispering her name. I grabbed both of them in my arms and pulled them into a deep hug, hoping I would never have to let go again. As we hugged, I heard the front door slam shut. My heart ached for Jean, but I tried so hard not to think about it. I closed my eyes and decided to enjoy the moment. Jean was right. This was what I wanted. This was what I had dreamt of happening for three years. It was the best ending to a terrible journey for all of us. Now, we could finally begin the healing process. We could finally become a family again.

  My prayers had finally been answered.

  THE END

  RUN GIRL RUN

  Book 2

  Chapter 1

  At least they weren’t literally living on the street. At least they had a roof over their heads and a place to sleep. Even though it was tight inside the car, Emilia García didn’t think it was as bad as when they had stayed in that apartment with three other families, sharing one bedroom, one bath, and one small kitchen.

  “I’ll pick you up at two-thirty, as usual. If I’m not here, then just wait a few minutes, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Emilia looked out the window of the station wagon as her mother drove up in front of the school. This was the tough part—getting dropped off. The other kids, on their way into school, always stopped and stared at the towels in the windows and the old rusty car. She feared that they could see all their belongings stashed in there when Emilia opened the door.

  It was the fourteenth school Emilia had attended in just her eleven years on this earth.

  “Have a great day, honey,” her mother said as she stepped out of the car, keeping her head down and avoiding any eye contact at all cost.

  Emilia sent her a smile, hoping to brighten up her mother’s day. They had been living in their car for three months now, while her mother looked for a new job. Emilia’s mom and dad had split up two years ago, and after a while, her mother hadn’t been able to keep up with the bills. After that, they were constantly on the move. They were sleeping on friends’ couches or in shelter after shelter. In one of the places where they stayed, a roommate tried to kill a neighbor while they were there, so finally, they had found out they liked sleeping in their car better than any of those places.

  “You too, Mom. I love you.”

  “Love you too, baby.”

  Emilia slammed the door shut, then watched as the old station wagon drove away, making all kinds of odd noises as it went. A couple of girls from Emilia’s class giggled as they passed her, and she looked away. She let them walk inside first before she followed them. Most people might think that school would be terrible for Emilia, since she didn’t have any friends, and no one ever talked to her. But the fact was, Emilia loved school. She loved walking into the airconditioned building and feeling like a normal kid for a few hours. After a night in the warm car, she was usually sticky and sweaty and sick of the muggy Miami air. Inside the school building, no one knew she had been up at five o’clock, so they could go to a McDonalds to use the restroom and wash themselves. They didn’t know she had been awake every hour during the night to make sure they were both safe, that no one was trying to steal what little they had or attack them. They didn’t know that Emilia laid awake at night, listening to her mother’s crying in the darkness.

  “Welcome to class, students; please find your seats,” the teacher said to the class while smiling at Emilia, who was her favorite student.

  Emilia smiled back, feeling that strange soothing sensation like she was finally at home.

  Here, she was just like everyone else. She was a student who had come to learn. And usually, she was able to forget—at least for a little while—how terrified she was of summer break, of her mother getting hurt when she wasn’t there to protect her, or of not surviving another night. Here, she was able to forget all those things for a little while.

  Though, there was one thing that she couldn’t escape no matter where she went, no matter how much she tried.

  The terrible thought of that guy finding them, the one with the steel-grey eyes and the big rough hands who kept reaching out for her in her nightmares.

  Chapter 2

  “Eat up. You need it, baby.”

  Emilia looked down into the can of beans. She had only eaten half of its contents and could barely get herself to eat more. The smell alone made her want to throw up. Cold beans eaten directly from the can was her least favorite meal. Not that she could afford to be picky; she should be happy that she even got any food.

  Emilia forced a smile and looked at her mom across the cabin of the old station wagon. They had turned the back into a living area by putting the seats down and hanging towels in front of the windows, so no one could look in. It was so hot in there all afternoon, and they couldn’t wait till the sun went down. Emilia and her mom had spent the afternoon walking the streets and going into stores to cool down. That way, they didn’t have to get in the car till just before sundown. The AC only worked when the engine was turned on, and they couldn’t afford the gas to drive around except when going somewhere important like to school or looking for jobs for her mom.

  Emilia took one more bite, then swallowed, closing her eyes, barely chewing, so she tasted it as little as possible.

  “I’m not hungry anymore,” she said and handed her mother the can. Her mother gave her a look.

  “Are you sure? It’s all we have.”

  She nodded, even though she felt her stomach rumbling. The school served breakfast, and she still had half a muffin in her backpack she could eat at night if she woke up starving as she usually did. Emilia felt bad for not telling her mom about the muffin, but she needed it to make it throu
gh the night.

  “Yes.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  Her mother ate the rest of her beans, shoveling the last part into her mouth, tipping the can upside down. Some of the red sauce ran down her chin, and she wiped it with her finger, then licked it.

  Emilia winced when seeing this. Everything about them and the way they lived was so embarrassing.

  Emilia leaned back and closed her eyes in shame, hoping the temperature would go down soon. They had popped both windows open in the front to let in some air. But no wind moved outside, so it didn’t help much. Emilia was sweating heavily and felt tired. She peeked out from behind one of the towels and looked into the parking lot where they had decided to stay for the night. They usually shifted around, so the police wouldn’t realize they were living there and chase them away. Tonight, they had chosen to park at the port. Emilia never liked sleeping there much. She preferred the parking lot at Walmart, where she felt safer. Down here, it was so vacant. They were surrounded by huge containers and enormous ships, but it all seemed so big and scary. Emilia thought about her day at school and was looking forward to going back the next day. But with every day that passed, they came closer to the weekend, and Emilia hated the weekends. The days drifting around with nothing to do were long and painful.

  “Do you have homework?” her mother asked.

  “Already did it at school,” Emilia said. She failed to mention she had to do it at school since it was required to be done on a computer. She didn’t want her mother to feel like a failure more than she already did.

  “Maybe we should just call it a night, huh?” her mother said. “Get some sleep? It seems to be cooling down a little now already. There’s a breeze coming from the water. I think it’ll be real nice in a minute or two. I’ll leave the windows cracked open for the night.”