Kim wiped the tears off his check and took an uneven breath to pull himself together. “You have to concentrate on what you said back in the men’s room. It was justified. If you hadn’t pulled the trigger and shot him, he would surely have killed you. And then he would have killed me. You saved my life.”
Tracy closed her eyes.
It was after eleven o’clock when they pulled into Tracy’s driveway and parked behind Kim’s car. They were both completely drained: physically. mentally, and emotionally.
“I hope you’re planning on staying here tonight,” Tracy said.
“I was hoping I was still invited,” Kim said.
They got out of the car. Arm-in-arm they walked up the path toward the house.
“Do you think we should call Justin tonight?” Tracy asked.
“Let’s wait until morning,” Kim said. “As wired as I am, I don’t know whether I’ll be able to sleep, but I need to try. At this point I really can’t think much beyond taking a long, hot shower.”
“I know what you mean,” Tracy said.
They climbed onto the porch. Tracy got out her key and opened the door. She stepped inside and made way for Kim. She closed the door and locked it. Only then did her hand grope for the light switch.
“Wow, that seems bright,” Kim said, squinting at the overhead light.
Tracy used the dimmer to cut the glare.
“I’m a basket case,” Kim admitted. He slipped out of his Higgins and Hancock white coat and held it out at arm’s length. “This thing should be burned. It’s probably got E. coli plastered all over it.”
“Just throw it away,” Tracy said. “But it’s probably best to throw it in the trash barrel outside in the back. I can only imagine what it’s going to smell like in the morning.” She took off her own coat and winced at the pain in her chest. Something hard had struck her just to the left of her sternum when Carlos had collided with her. At the time the pain had been so acute she’d thought she’d been stabbed.
“Are you all right?” Kim asked seeing her reaction.
Gingerly Tracy felt along the edge of her breastbone. “Is there anything that can break in here?” she asked.
“Of course,” Kim said. “You could have fractured either a rib or the sternum itself.”
“Oh, great!” Tracy said. “What should I do, Doctor?”
“Some ice wouldn’t hurt,” Kim said. “I’ll get some after getting rid of this white coat.”
Kim started for the back door via the kitchen. Tracy opened the hall closet and hung up her coat and kicked off her shoes. After closing the door, she started for the stairs. Halfway she suddenly froze and let out a screeching gasp.
Kim had only made it to the threshold of the kitchen when he heard Tracy’s cry. He came running back. He was relieved to discover her unharmed in the center of the front hall. She was calm, but she seemed oddly transfixed at something in the living room. Kim tried to follow her line of sight. At first he saw nothing and was perplexed. But then he too saw what she was looking at. He was equally as startled.
In the shadows of the half-darkened room was a man. He was sitting motionless in the wing chair next to the fireplace. He was dressed in a dark suit and tie. A camel-hair coat was draped carefully over the back of the chair. His legs were casually crossed.
The man reached up and turned on a floor lamp.
Tracy let out another plaintive whine. On the coffee table in plain sight and within the man’s easy reach was a black automatic pistol with an attached silencer.
The man was the picture of serenity, which only made him that much more terrifying. After turning on the light, his hand returned to the armrest. His expression was stern, almost cruel.
“You have made me wait much longer than I had intended,” he said suddenly, breaking the silence. His voice was angrily accusatory.
“Who are you?” Tracy asked hesitantly.
“Come in here and sit down!” he snapped.
Kim looked to his left, judging how quickly he might be able to shove Tracy behind the arched wall of the foyer and possibly out of harm’s way. He didn’t see how he could be quick enough especially since she’d then have to get out the front door.