Ian pinched his fingers over the photo, revealing the birthmark.
She grabbed onto Ian’s arm. “It’s him. Nick’s right. He’s the shooter.”
“Yeah, we got him all right.” Ian smiled. “And you can testify to seeing the birthmark.”
She nodded. “Which means once you arrest Snipes, I could be out of danger.”
Ian’s smile fell. “Unless Olivo wants to help out his lieutenant and stop you from testifying. That could escalate the danger.”
Malone’s heart sank.
“Sorry,” Ian said. “I had to tell you the truth no matter how it hurts.”
“I know, but you could’ve maybe given me a few minutes of peace.” She attempted to laugh but couldn’t really force one out.
Ian took her hand. Shocked, she looked at his face, then glanced at Clay to see if he noticed. He had a knowing look on his face, so yeah, he’d noticed all right. But Ian didn’t seem to care. Which touched her heart. He was thinking of her, not the investigation. Not the Byrd brothers. Just her.
She looked back at him and smiled in earnest this time. He clasped her hand tighter. They didn’t say anything, just sat linked together for the remainder of the drive. Even when Aiden pulled into the driveway, Ian kept holding on.
He leaned closer to her. “I’ll be taking off to get an arrest warrant for Snipes. If we can find him, we’ll bring him in.”
She nodded, wishing he didn’t have to go. She wanted him to come inside and see where this handholding led. Which was precisely why it was a good reason for him to leave.
But she couldn’t let him go on such a dangerous mission without letting him know she cared.
“Be careful,” she whispered and clung to his hand. “I don’t want to lose you.”
10
Near the SERT tactical van, Ian pinned his focus to the front door of Snipes’s small bungalow in an older area of the city where homes were in need of repair, Londyn doing the same thing next to him. The Special Emergency Reaction Team commander knocked on the worn wood with flaking white paint. He was dressed in all black gear with tactical vest, helmet, and face shield, just like the rest of his team. They held assault rifles and stood at the ready, should they get a negative response from Snipes.
Ian wanted to make the arrest himself, Londyn too, but department policy required SERT be called in for high-risk warrants where the suspect was probably armed or was believed to be involved in a criminal act like murder.
“Police!” the commander shouted. “We need to speak with you, Mr. Snipes.”
As Ian and Londyn waited for him to answer, Ian glanced at the SERT members positioned in strategic locations on the property, though he couldn’t see the ones stationed at the back door.
“He’s running,” the commander called out.
No.He wasn’t getting away. Ian bolted from his location. The bulky vest got in his way, and he tugged it down as he ran. Gun drawn, he charged across the lawn and down the side yard.
The side door banged open, taking out the SERT officer positioned there. Unarmed, Snipes bolted toward the back fence. Ian kicked into gear.
Pounding over brown grass. Snipes moving fast. Faster! The worn wooden fence loomed ahead. If Snipes made it over the top, they could lose him.
Ian couldn’t let that happen.
Snipes clasped the top of the boards. Ian had no choice. No choice at all.
He launched himself into the air. Grabbed Snipes by the shoulders. Jerked him down to the ground, dirt pillowing around them.
Dragging in air, Ian quickly got to his feet and put a knee in Snipes’s back. “Mickey Snipes, I’m arresting you for resisting arrest and the murder of Gilbert Flagg Jr.”
“Didn’t kill no one,” Snipes grumbled. “And no one said anything about arrest to me. I was just going for a walk in my backyard.”
Ian didn’t respond to the guy’s comment. Whatever Ian said could be used in court by Snipes’s attorney. Being part of Olivo’s tribe, Ian could bet the attorney would be highly paid and very talented. Ian slapped cuffs on Snipes’s wrists, spotting the heart-shaped birthmark.
He was their guy. Ian couldn’t wait to tell Malone.
