No Fault of Mine

Chapter Forty-Eight

I screamed and clutched my chest with my free hand. Thad collapsed to the deck. TJ stifled a robust laugh, and Micky scooped up the money.

"No," I shouted, jerking myself free from Ducain's grasp. I dropped to my knees next to my brother.

Thad moaned and pressed his hand against his hip. In the dim light from the boat, I saw blood oozing between his fingers. I put my hand over his and felt the warmth and stickiness of blood 

as it filled the space between our hands. Thad withed in pain.

Sirens were closing in. A wave of relief swept through my body, followed immediately by panic's icy fingers squeezing my gut. Time was running out, and with it, hope. How was this night going to end? Will it be the loss of someone else I love? I'm already without a husband, and my heart ached to see my brother lying in his own blood. But my son...he was my greatest concern. He must live and experience a full life, and I feared he might have to live it without a mom.

"Don't just stand there," I demanded, "get some towels."

Ducain pushed me aside. He knelt on one knee next to Thad and pressed his hand on my brother's hip, causing Thad to arch his back and scream in pain.

"See, I have ways of complicating your life," Ducain said. "Blowing up your hip was no accident." 

He raised his gun, pointed it at my brother's head, and said, "POW," complete with a feigned recoil. "You'll never walk without a limp, but you can still walk." He pointed his gun at Thad's gut. "The next bullet will sever your spine." He pressed the barrel into my brother's stomach just above his belt buckle. "I'm sure you can see how grave your situation is."

"I don't have the box," Thad said through gritted teeth. "Let us go."

"No more stalling, my friend," Ducain said. "I think our business arrangement has come to an end."

"I said I don't have what you want." Thad groaned and dropped his head back onto the deck. 

"The last I saw it was in Martin's office. He put it in a desk drawer when he saw me at the door."

"It must still be there," Ducain said.

"No," Thad said with despair in his voice. "I've searched his office since...it's not there."

"If it's not there, then where is it?" Ducain asked. "We didn't find it at Mia's place either."

"Wait..." I said with sudden realization.

"Yes?" Ducain stood and faced me.

"I saw it..." I hesitated.

"Well?" Ducain demanded.

"Well, I searched Martin's office on Tuesday, looking for anything to help me figure out what was happening. I found a small box about the size of a matchbox in the filing cabinet but left it there. I didn't want to disturb it until I talked to the police."

"Did you tell them?" Ducain snarled.

"No," I said. "But I went back and looked for it the next day, but it was gone. When my admin staff returned from lunch, I asked if anyone had been in Martin's office, and they said no."

"Could someone have entered the office while they were gone?" Ducain asked.

"The entrance was locked, and the alarm was set when I arrived," I said.

"Before you get any ideas," Thad said. "It wasn't me. I never messed with Martin's file cabinet."

"Does anyone else have keys to your offices?" Ducain asked.