Fingers gripped her wrist. Her shock-addled mind immediately recalled the cold grasp of Eden Watts’ fingers as Josie struggled to save her from the dam. Josie waited for the inevitable slipping away, but instead the grip tightened and she found herself being pulled back from the abyss and onto solid ground. She fell onto her hands and knees, so grateful to be off the ledge that she could barely breathe. She looked up into the smiling face of Devon Rafferty.
Then she felt a swift and savage kick to her abdomen. Vivian was still there, still on the attack. As she drew back to kick Josie again, Devon leaped across Josie’s body and grabbed for Vivian’s throat. They struggled for what seemed like an endless moment while Josie heaved herself to her feet. Then their fused bodies lurched to the side, toward the railing. They both made contact just below their hips and the momentum sent them flying over the edge.
“No!” Josie screamed, lurching forward, hands outstretched. She managed to grab Devon’s left elbow and a handful of Vivian’s dress. The railing was tucked under her arms as she fought to hold onto both women. Devon immediately reached up with her right hand and grabbed onto Josie’s upper arm. When Josie was certain Devon had a firm grip, she let go of Devon’s left elbow and Devon lifted her arm, wrapping her left hand around Josie’s bicep as well. Vivian, in the meantime, flailed, testing every bit of finger strength Josie had. The fabric of her dress stretched and began to tear.
“Stop moving,” Josie ground out. The pressure on her arms and shoulders was so great she thought she might pass out. Vivian finally looked up at her as a large portion of her dress ripped, causing her body to plunge abruptly. Quickly, she lifted one arm and grabbed onto Josie’s forearm. They hung there, suspended for what felt like hours but was only seconds. Josie was vaguely aware of shouting all around them. With no one to help, using only the railing beneath her armpits to keep her in place, and both arms in use, Josie couldn’t pull either one of them to safety. Soon, both of them began to slip lower and lower. Sweat poured from Josie’s scalp. Pain seared from her forearms through her elbows and up into her shoulders. “I can’t… hold on… much longer…” she gasped.
First Vivian and then Devon slid even further down until each of them was held in the air by only one of Josie’s hands. Her muscles were stretched beyond the point of pain now. Her eyes took one last panic-inducing look below them, and she realized she could not save them both. She would have to let go of one of them. She would have to choose which one of them lived.
It was not a decision Josie wanted to make.
She looked at the top of each woman’s head. She thought of all the dead bodies that Vivian Toland and Gabriel Watts had left in their wake in the last two weeks, all in the service of keeping a terrible secret; in the service of money, of greed, of staying on top. Then she thought of Devon’s daughter, Lilly, and her curious soul.
Josie let go of Vivian Toland.
Forty-Eight
For the second time in only a few days, Josie found herself in the back of an ambulance with Sawyer Hayes. This time, Amber was with her. Amber lay on the gurney while Sawyer checked her over, taking her vital signs, covering her with blankets, and starting an IV. Josie sat on the bench opposite, slumped, her arms like jelly. She still couldn’t feel them, not properly, but she knew the next morning she’d be in a world of pain.
Sawyer tapped away at the computer terminal, entering in Amber’s vitals. “I think you’re going to be just fine,” he said. “You’re a little dehydrated. Some cuts and bruises. I’ll have to clean out that big gash on your hand, but other than that, you’re very lucky.”
Amber gave him a weak smile. “Thank you,” she said.
He rummaged through the drawers to find some bandages and alcohol.
Amber turned to Josie. “You saved me.”
Josie shook her head. “I got lucky. We all got lucky today.”
Sawyer took Amber’s hand in his. He smiled. “Josie Quinn doesn’t get lucky. She overworks herself until she solves the case.”
Amber laughed and then winced as he doused her wound with rubbing alcohol. “Sorry,” he told her. “I know this stings.”
Josie regarded him with a raised brow. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said about me.”
Sawyer dabbed at the cut on Amber’s hand. “Yeah, well, don’t get used to it.”
Someone knocked on the ambulance doors. Josie stood unsteadily and used one jellylike arm to open them. Noah stood outside in a half-foot of snow with Devon Rafferty beside him. She was wrapped in a blanket, grinning at Josie.
Josie stepped down onto the snowy ground. “Devon,” she said.
“You saved my life,” Devon said. “I just wanted to thank you.”
Josie opened her mouth to say something about how she didn’t really feel like a life-saver. Vivian Toland had left the church in a body bag. But Devon didn’t have to live with the choice that Josie had made; Josie did, so she said, “Why were you in the seats?”
Devon’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“Everyone was leaving. You were still there.”
Devon laughed. “I was waiting for the crowds to thin out a bit before I left. I knew that it was going to be a mad rush to get out to the parking lot, kind of like how when everyone leaves a concert at the same time? You’re stuck in traffic for hours? So I just sat there, scrolling on my phone, waiting for the place to clear out, and here comes Vivian Toland running past me. I saw her push her husband, you know. Saw you all chasing after her. I didn’t know what she did but it couldn’t be good if the police were after her. Anyway, when she ran past me, I tripped her. Then she got up and punched me and, well, you know the rest. So what happened? Was she trying to kill Mr. Toland?”
Josie looked at Noah. He said, “We can’t really say. The investigation is still ongoing.”
Devon nodded and pulled the blanket tighter over her shoulders. “Right, right. I’m sorry. It’s fine. I shouldn’t have asked. Look, I just wanted to thank you for saving me and for being honest with me about what happened to my dad. I know now isn’t the time, but could you tell Amber that I would really like to talk to her about it one day?”
“Of course,” said Josie. She couldn’t even imagine how awkward that conversation would be. Noah stood beside her as they watched Devon tromp off through the snow. Josie glanced at his face. Even through the fat snowflakes falling all around them, she could tell by his expression that something was bothering him. “What is it?” she said, wondering if he was upset about her hanging off a balcony with a grown woman on each hand.
“Gabriel Watts didn’t make it.”
“I’m sorry,” Josie said. One of her rubbery arms reached up and touched his face. “It’s tough, isn’t it?”
He shook his head, snow dancing everywhere. “Nope. That’s not it. It’s not tough and that’s what bothers me. He would definitely have killed Mett, maybe you, maybe Amber. He killed Eden and Lydia and probably his aunt. I would make the same decision a thousand times over with no regrets. What does that say about me?”
“It says that you’re human. We shouldn’t have to make these decisions in this job. Those choices should be left up to juries and judges, not us.”