Barry shrugged. “I’ll push the Mercedes in after you and tell the police that Patricia was suffering from chest pains so you tried to get her to the hospital. The driveway is flooded. The Mercedes would never get through.”
Alanna glanced to her right. Everything he’d said was true. The police would believe him too. She could see a scenario like he’d stated playing out perfectly. The plan was too audacious. No one would think he had planned and carried out a plot to kill all four of them. She saw Grady glance at the knife in Liam’s belt, then his eyes flickered away.
She had to keep Barry’s attention on her. Forcing a smile, she took a step toward him. “Barry, I’m your wife. We can work this out.”
His expression went even colder. “A cheating wife. You’ve never once let me past the bedroom door.”
She took a step closer. “That can change. We can begin again.” Had Grady managed to get the knife? She couldn’t look.
“Quit dallying. The eye will be past soon.” His cold gaze settled on Grady. “You first, brother.”
Grady smiled. “Let’s talk about this. We’re brothers, Barry. You won’t want to have no family left at all.”
“Some family I have. I’ll be better off with you all dead. Then I can do what I want.” He gestured with the knife again. “In you go, brother.”
Grady started toward the water, then hesitated and half turned as if to say more to Barry. His hand came up out of his pocket.
Alanna saw the gleam of metal, then a knife sailed through the air and buried itself up to the hilt in Barry’s chest.
Barry’s eyes widened. His hand clutched the knife as if he meant to yank it out, then his mouth opened and blood poured out. He fell to his knees and pitched forward. He lay there only a moment, then got to his hands and knees and staggered to his feet. His arm wavered, and he started to raise the hand holding the gun.
Grady rushed his half-brother at the same time Alanna leaped for the gun, but the gun went off, and a red spot bloomed on Patricia’s blouse. She fell forward without a sound, and Grady stepped back when Barry swung the gun toward him.
Grady held up his hands. “Easy, brother.”
Pete bellowed behind her and thrashed in the water as if smelling the coppery blood in the air.
Barry motioned with the gun. “You’re next, Jesse, old man.”
Behind her, Alanna heard a rustle in the bushes. A black nose peeked out, and she realized Prince was watching. She saw the dog creep out from under the bushes. The wind picked up the blood scent from Patricia and blew it toward him. He whined his distress.
“Distract Barry,” Grady whispered to her.
Behind her back, she waggled her fingers at the dog. He crept out a few more inches, and his whining grew louder. Loud enough that Alanna thought Barry would hear it any second. She waggled her fingers again, and the whining went up a decibel.
Barry frowned and his gaze cut to the sound. He took a couple of steps in that direction.
“Prince, come!” Alanna called. The dog dashed from under the cover of the bushes surrounding the water. In reflex, Barry fired off a shot that went wild.
While his attention was on the dog, Liam stepped around Alanna and grabbed a downed branch. At the same time, Grady tackled Barry. Obviously nearly spent, Liam swung the branch, and it connected solidly with Barry’s head. He reeled back and stepped into mud in the slope toward the water, then lost his balance and tumbled into the water onto his knees. The gun flew from his hands and landed at Liam’s feet.
Barry bellowed and lurched from the water toward Liam. He grabbed the gun before Liam had time to react and seize it. Bringing up the barrel of the revolver, he narrowed his eyes. Before he pulled the trigger, a movement shot out from the bank. Prince! He ran past Barry, and the movement shifted his focus for a moment. In that instant, Liam leaped forward and wrested the gun from Barry’s hand. In his weakness, he fell back as Barry turned to reclaim it. Fire barked from the barrel of the gun, and blood began to spread over Barry’s shirt. His eyes wide and astonished, he fell back into the murky water and disappeared.
Thirty-Four
The fragrance of peaches from the crushed tea roses along the porch wafted to Alanna’s nose. She sat on the porch holding Liam’s hand as he lay on the swing. He was pale, but the bleeding had stopped. She could hear him struggle to breathe and prayed for help to arrive soon. The storm had blown for several more hours, and the flooded driveway cut them off from civilization.
Alanna had tried to comfort Grady, but he’d stalked away from her to grieve in private, and she saw his shadow under the trees as he paced back and forth.
Trees and limbs littered the saturated ground. Leaves and branches lay on the porch floor. Mud coated everything as well. The destroyed garden was a different place from the perfectly groomed space she’d first seen. The hot tea she’d made on the gas stove warmed them as the air was still cool. Their suitcases sat inside the door awaiting their departure once help arrived. She’d taken the music box too.