Shades of Passion

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

SIMON SLID ALONGSIDE the outer door of Nina’s garage and headed to the front door, his gun in his hands, at the ready. Nina would call 911 and convey all the needed information, which would get him backup in about three minutes. But no way was he going to chance whoever was inside—and he was betting it would be Davenport—getting away and continuing to pose a threat to Nina. If he could capture Davenport, she would be safe, and so might another homeless person.

Simon quietly stepped onto Nina’s porch, reached her darkened front door and grasped the handle, giving it a controlled twist. It was unlocked, leaving him no need to use the key Nina had given him. He eased the door open, then made his way inside the darkened house, following protocol by sticking to the wall and thrusting his gun out at each corner.

He covered the ground floor, but couldn’t find anyone. Didn’t matter. He’d heard someone moving inside and the front door had been unlocked. Davenport had probably gone up the stairwell to the second floor. Quietly, he made his way to the foot of the stairs.

In the background, he heard the familiar wail of sirens. Backup.

That meant Nina had called 911. Good girl.

He heard a bang on the ceiling above him, then footsteps in quick succession, moving away from him. F*ck—Davenport was upstairs. What the hell was he doing? Had he heard Simon come in? Had he thought Simon was Nina, and even now was lying in wait in her bedroom, prepared to hurt her? Maybe even rape her before he killed her?

Rage pumped through Simon’s veins. He swerved around the banister and started to charge up the stairs. When he was halfway up, Simon paused, listening for hints of Davenport’s location. Suddenly, he heard more footsteps, one followed quickly after another. Moving away from the stairwell.

He was running, Simon realized—but not to come back down the stairwell. He was headed to the front of the house. Probably planning on climbing through a window and onto the upper-deck balcony that stretched across the front of the house and the side of the garage. Once he was there, it would be an easy job for Davenport to clamber down to the ground below.

Where Nina might be waiting.

God damn it all!

“Police. Stop where you are!” he shouted, reversing his direction and charging back down the stairs and to the front door, desperate to reach Nina before Davenport could. He raced out onto the front porch.

Immediately, he saw him.

A man running down the long driveway toward the road.

Simon bolted after him, gaining ground quickly. “Stop. I’m with the police! Stop now!” he shouted.

The man didn’t listen, but his flight would do him no good.

Simon was almost on him when the man turned to look over his shoulder. Simon had researched Lester Davenport and seen a couple of photos of the man. It was him!

His expression one of panic, Davenport raised his right arm, giving Simon a glimpse of the gun he was trying to swing around.

Before he could point it, Simon tackled him.

They hit the ground hard.

Simon immediately flipped Davenport to his stomach, wrenched his arms behind his back and snatched the gun away from him. With his knee in the man’s back, Simon began reading the man his rights.

“You have the right to remain silent...” he began. “You have the right to an attorney. If you do not have an attorney...”

Simon heard a sound coming from the front of the driveway. Some distance away, patrol officers were running up to help him. Nina was there, too, her horrified gaze pinned on the man beneath Simon.

Davenport looked up and saw her, as well. All of a sudden, he began thrashing and fighting Simon’s hold.

“You!” he screamed. “It’s all your fault. Your fault that Beth died. And now you think you can get away with it again? Fool people into thinking you can help them? You didn’t save that little girl. You put her in danger, just like her father says. Just like my Beth!”

“Shut up,” Simon ordered, but no matter what he said, he couldn’t get Davenport to shut up. He kept shouting his hatred at Nina until patrol officers took him away.

And from the look on her face, Nina heard every word.