Iwanted to stand up and face Barensky, but Teddy still had his gun held loosely in his hand. “I take it you blew up Aiden’s office the other night?” I asked.
The wind had moved Barensky’s thin hair to the side, leaving bald spots where strands had combed over. He dropped his shoulder and the duffle bag fell to the floor. “I did. Figured it was a good way to dispose of those two pawns as well as let the ATF know where we were on the chessboard. It’s almost checkmate, and it was only fair to give them warning.”
I shivered. “I didn’t think serial bombers had partners.”
Barensky glanced at his nephew. “Family is family. We have different interests, but for this occasion, we came together. I would’ve preferred to blow Agent Sasha Duponte’s head off her shoulders instead of just leaving her on your porch, but in a partnership, one makes concessions, no?”
Kelsey gave a soft sound of distress.
My breath heated down my throat, and panic edged into my thinking. I shook it away. There was only one way out of this, and I hadn’t found it yet. There was always a way. Until there wasn’t.
Barensky looked at his nephew. “Of course, the deal was for the agent and not the other woman. She was to be mine.”
Teddy huffed like a spoiled toddler. “I said I was sorry about Bev. She seemed like a romantic present for Anna.”
I frowned. Something was off between those two. Besides the fact that they were nuts. “How did you get Bev’s dead body into my office, anyway?”
“Your security stinks,” Teddy said, watching me. “I’ll take better care of you when you’re mine.”
I stilled. “Excuse me?”
“Haven’t you been listening? You’re my payment,” Teddy said. “I spent so much time studying you for the last month, and the newspaper articles really helped. I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind. When that happens, I can’t stop. Until you’re mine.”
Kelsey reached over and took my hand. I squeezed hers.
The longer I kept them talking, the more chance we’d have for somebody to find us. If Kurt was a good guy and not the killer I’d thought for a moment, then surely he’d called reinforcements.
“What’s your plan here, Norman?” I asked. It looked like Barensky was in charge.
“It’s time to move the pieces on the board.” He reached into his bag and drew out cuffs to toss at our feet. “Anna? Please cuff Kelsey to the wall.” He stood and his back cracked. “Getting old is difficult.” Then he smiled. “I put those hooks in just for you a week ago.”
So this was planned. Right here and right now. There was only one thing Barensky liked to do, and I wasn’t cuffing either one of us to the wall. “No,” I said.
His eyes lit up. “Excellent.” Then he reached over and secured the gun from his nephew. “Kelsey? Teddy is going to cuff you, and if you fight him, I’m going to let him take you out back and break open your head.”
Kelsey squawked and squeezed my hand so hard it hurt.
Teddy faltered. “I thought I got to take her, anyway. But this is good. You can do what you want with Kelsey, and then I can take Anna with me.”
“I like my head in one piece,” I snapped, my lips trembling.
“It will be for a while.” Teddy gave what would’ve amounted to a charming smile if he wasn’t talking about smashing my head. “There’s something special about you and I need to figure it out. First.”
Second came death.
It was now or never. I stiffened to charge Barensky.
He pointed the gun at Kelsey’s head. “Stop moving.”
I sank back down. What the heck was I supposed to do? Barensky angled to the side so Teddy could cuff one of Kelsey’s wrists to the wall. She didn’t fight him and instead watched the gun.
I coughed. “The explosives at the courthouse didn’t hurt us. You could’ve killed us.”
“Yes, but that wouldn’t have gotten me farther on the chessboard. Not really,” Barensky said. “Those were tiny little blips to get you where I needed you to be. There was barely a fire, and I doubt anybody died. Maybe a burn or two.” He paused and looked into the distance. “The fire was lovely though. Beauty snuffed out too quickly.”
Man, he was crazy.
Teddy finished securing Kelsey to the wall.
