“Maybe you should see what it is first.”
Flustered, thrilled, Elizabeth dug into the tissue paper for the little box. The earrings were a trio of thin silver drops joined together by a tiny pearl.
“Oh, they’re wonderful. They’re beautiful.”
“I know you always wear those gold studs, but Maddie thought you might like these.”
“I do. I love them. I don’t have anything but the studs. I got my ears pierced the day before…the day before. These are my first real earrings.”
“Happy seventeen, Liz.”
“Go, try it all on,” Terry ordered. “You know you’re dying to.”
“I really am. It’s all right?”
“Birthday power. Go.”
“Thank you.” Riding on the thrill, she wrapped Terry in a hug. “So much. Thank you.” Then John. “I am happy. I’m happy seventeen.” She clutched her gifts and raced for the stairs.
“It’s a hit.” Terry let out a long sigh. “She hugged. She never hugs.”
“Never got them. I gave her mother the secure-line number—again. Told her we were going to get Liz a cake for her birthday, and we’d make arrangements to bring her in for it. She declined. Politely.”
“A polite bitch is still a bitch. I’ll be glad when this isover for her, you know? And for us. But I’m going to miss that kid.”
“So am I. I’m going to call Maddie, let her know Liz liked the earrings.” He glanced at the time. “I’ll call in, check on Cosgrove’s and Keegan’s ETA. I expected to hear they were en route by now.”
“I’ll set the table, see if I can fancy it up a bit, make it celebrational.”
She got out plates and flatware, and thought of flowers. “Hey, John?” On impulse, she moved toward the living room. “See if Cosgrove can make a stop, pick up some flowers. Let’s do it up right.”
He gave a nod of assent, continued to talk to his wife. “Yeah, she loved them. She’s upstairs putting them on. Hey, put the kids on. I probably won’t be home till they’re in bed.”
Terry walked back into the kitchen, thinking she should sample a little of that red sauce, just to make sure it passed muster. Even as she reached for a spoon, John called out.
“They’re rolling in now.”
“Copy that.” One hand on her weapon out of habit, Terry went to the garage door, waited for the signal. Three quick knocks, three slow.
“You guys are in for a treat. We’ve got—”
Bill came in fast. “We may have some trouble. Where’s John?”
“In the living room. What—”
“Bill thinks he spotted a tail,” Keegan said. “Where’s the witness?”
“She’s…” Something wrong. Something off. “Did you call it in?” she began, and pulled out her phone.
She nearly dodged the first blow, so it skated down her temple. Blood slid into her eye as she went for her weapon, shouted to John.
“Breach!”
The butt of Keegan’s gun smashed viciously across the back of her head. She went down, overturning a chair with a crash in the fall to the tiles.
Weapon drawn, John flattened against the wall in the living room. He needed to make the stairs, get to Liz.
“Don’t shoot him,” Keegan said quietly as he holstered his own gun and took Terry’s. “Remember, we don’t want any holes in him.”
