“You didn’t give her a chance, I’m sure,” I said.
Devlin glanced wistfully at the bridge. “It was sheer brilliance. As soon as I found out Cora would be joining her gang of ghost hunters, I knew it was the perfect opportunity. When we split up, I approached her, said I knew the fastest route so she would be the first to see the banshee.”
“You took advantage of an old lady’s trust,” I said, not bothering to hide the disgust in my voice.
He hiked his shoulders in indifference. “When we were far enough away from everyone else, I put my hands around her, but she struggled.”
“That’s when your watch came off,” I said.
“And it flew somewhere, but I couldn’t find it. I came out here a few times to search but came up empty.”
“Then you ruined my tape,” Alice snapped. “You erased it.”
“I saw the watch, and yes, I erased it.”
“Why didn’t you come out here then to get it?” I said.
In the few minutes that Devlin had us caught, I’d been watching him. He kept his attention mostly focused on me. Alice and Ruth were our best chances of getting out of this alive, but I didn’t want to put them in danger.
Heck, we were already in danger. I just didn’t want to make it worse.
“I’ve been busy,” Devlin said. “Plus, Birda’s been stalking my house. She wanted to talk about the story I ran that made y’all look bad, and then of course I ran the fake pictures from her book. That woman hasn’t left me alone. She’s pestered me day and night, but tonight, for some reason, she left me alone. So I saw my chance.”
A sick grin plastered across his face. “And then you went and fixed the video. So I had to steal the camera.”
“Which you did,” I said.
He sneered. “And now I’ve found the three of you here. There’s only one option for what to do with y’all.”
He lifted the gun.
Ruth said loudly, “But I still don’t understand about the money. Why are you so concerned about the inheritance?”
“Do you know what a small town reporter makes?” Devlin said incredulously. “Nothing. I make a pittance. That money will allow me to live the way I need to. The way I want. I can’t even get a date on my pathetic salary.”
“Oh, well, if you can’t get a date, I understand,” Alice said soothingly. “But Ruth and I know plenty of nice young ladies at church who would love to date a good man like yourself.”
Ruth shot flaming arrows at Alice. “He’s a murderer.”
Alice winced. “Oh, that’s right.” Her gaze shifted to Devlin. “I’d forgotten that. I don’t know many young ladies who would like to date a killer. Forget what I said, young man. I think you’re SOL when it comes to a date. At least with a temperament like yours.”
The whole time Alice spoke, Devlin rolled his eyes and shook his head. When she finished, he leveled the gun at her chest.
“Just because of that, I’m going to kill you first.”
Alice’s jaw widened.
It was now or never. He raised the pistol, and I launched myself at him.
His hand swiveled in my direction. I hit his elbow right in the funny bone.
He howled. “Ow!”
The nine-millimeter flew from his hand. “Ruth!”
“I’m on it!”
I punched Devlin in the face. He staggered back but regained his footing. Devlin arched his hand back and then swung it toward me, knocking me in the jaw.
