THE ENDING OF CHAPTER 27 

"Lest you forget, the road between Boston and Tennessee isn't exactly in our jurisdiction. I imagine there's a BOLO out on the car. We should probably notify the authorities in Trenton to be on the lookout for them." Emmy sipped her coffee. "Not much else we can do." 

Hank stared out the window for a few minutes before a huge smile covered his face. "Road trip!" 

"What? Have you lost your mind?" Emmy rolled her eyes and shook her head. 

"It's Friday. The Porsche needs to stretch its wheels. It's the weekend, and we can do what we want, right?"  

"But, Hank —" Emmy wrinkled her nose. "We're supposed to be checking out the lawyer's office. Besides, we don't have the Chief's approval." 

"It's early. We can still go to the lawyer's office before we leave. As for the Chief's approval, I'll be on my time, not his. Are you in?" 

"You, my friend, are a bad influence." Emmy looked across the table and smiled, knowing being alone for two days with her partner had promise. "I don't know why I am agreeing to your wild hare idea, but — I'm in." 

****************************** 

BEGINNING OF CHAPTER 28 

Smythe shivered as he rushed across the lot toward his car, not his assigned police car. The only clear thought he'd had since Wyatt's phone call was to keep his visit to The Watering Hole as low-key as possible. Bits of frost dusted his windshield, and the car's interior was frigid, but beads of sweat were gathering on his forehead, a sign of skepticism concerning what he was about to do. 

Puffs of air like gray clouds spewed from Smythe's mouth as he verbalized his thoughts. "I got this! I'm a friend of Costello's, and he asked me to deliver a message."  

Rocking his head violently, he disagreed with that idea. "Am I losing my mind? I'm a cop. I can't tell her I'm a friend of Peter Costello. Maybe I should suggest it's for her safety. Keeping her mouth shut will protect her from Costello." 

Terry put the car in gear and backed out of his parking spot, still weighing the pros and the cons. "It might be wise to tell her they found the men dead along the highway. That way, she knows she's safe from them. Then I could suggest law enforcement wants it hush-hush because of the diamonds." 

Stopped at a red light, Terry glanced into the rearview mirror and didn't like the pair of eyes staring back at him. His fear of what he'd gotten caught up in registered full force, sending icy fingers to strum every nerve in his body. "Man, you helped Costello murder those men. Your information led them to the car, and you've got your friend involved, too." His hand moved to his service revolver. "Your life is over, pal. Accept the fact Wyatt is going to spill the beans. It's prison time or Costello's wrath when you tie him to the scene." 

Lost in his terrifying thoughts, Terry didn't notice the light change until a horn blared behind him. Startled, he looked around, noted the green light, and entered the intersection. Unfortunately, a diesel rig loaded with heavy equipment was barreling through the intersection, blowing his air horns in desperation because brakes had failed. 

As the two vehicles collided, ripping Terry's car into shreds, he screamed, "Oh God, forgive me!" His last breath escaped his body as it was ejected from the vehicle and slammed against the cold pavement.  

The driver who blew the horn at Terry clung to the steering wheel, sobbing hysterically. "Oh my God, that could have been me." She dialed 9-1-1 and screamed for help, knowing it was too late for the man lying in the street. 

****************************** 

"I'd like to stop at the hospital before we go to the lawyer's office." Hank took his eyes off the road for a second to see if his partner agreed. "If our patient is awake, he might know something." 

"Maybe, but as bad as he was beaten, even if he's able to talk, do you think he'll remember anything worthwhile?" 

"I don't know. It's probably a long shot, but —" 

"I know, I know! You've got this gut feeling. You sure it's not indigestion?" 

"Go ahead. Make fun of me, but something tells me we need to pay him a visit." 

"Fine with me." Emmy dialed the hospital and asked to be connected to the nurses' station. She could hear loud voices as the person on the other end answered the phone. "This is Detective Lansbury. Is everything alright?" 

"No, it's not. I've called security, and they are on their way. Some guy is arguing with the officer outside a patient's room, demanding to see his relative." 

"Is the patient Rudy Hogan?" The nurse answered yes, and Emmy told her they were on their way. Then, immediately, Emmy blurted out, "Step on it! We've got a situation at the hospital." 

As Hank pressed the gas pedal down, Emmy shook her head in disbelief. "I'll never doubt your gut again." 

As Hank wheeled into the hospital parking lot, he voiced his thoughts. "Think it's Costello?" 

"Who else would try bullying his way past security guards? He's used to getting his way." 

The two detectives stepped off the elevator into a sea of security guards, chaos, and loud chatter among the staff.  

Hank and Emmy flashed their badges and approached the desk, "Who's in charge?" 

An officer stepped up behind them and answered the question. "That would be me. Officer Denton, Chief Security Officer at Mercy." Behind his smile, it was clear he wasn't prepared for such scenes. "It's all under control, but unfortunately, the man disappeared before we arrived on the scene. Left a mess." He pointed at the overturned cart and its contents strewn across the floor. "Got a description and checked our monitors as quickly as we could. Unfortunately, we caught a single glimpse of him as he slipped out one of the back shipping doors." 

Emmy looked at her partner as they simultaneously said, "Costello." She scanned her phone for a picture and then showed it to the officer. 

"Yup, that's him. I didn't see his face, but he wore an identical hat and coat. Peter Costello, the son of one of Boston's famous gangsters? What would he want with a resident of Shanty Town?" 

"It's a long story, but I advise you to beef up your security, Officer Denton." 

Emmy nodded. "Think I'll notify the Chief and have backup sent over. If Costello took the chance to get to Rudy, he must have had a big reason. He might be back." 

While Emmy called the Chief, Hank spoke with a few of the staff, concerned about Rudy's recovery, and let them know under no circumstances was Costello to get anywhere close to their patient. 

Once in the elevator, Emmy shared some additional information she'd gotten from dispatch. "Kudos to an alert clerk who spotted Bennie's car at a gas station not far outside Trenton, Tennessee." 

"Great! So we know our boys are getting closer to their destination." 

"There's more — A car stolen from Boston was located in Campbellsville, Kentucky. It matches the description of one reported the night of Rudy's beating from a parking lot only blocks away. Coincidence? Maybe. No sign of its occupants, though. Dispatch is checking for any stolen cars in the area in case they switched vehicles." 

"It's a long shot, but it's what we've got." As they settled into Hank's Porche, he suggested, "Let's skip the lawyer's office. Looks like the action has moved to the Smokies. What do you say?" 

"I don't know about you, but I need to grab a few things from my house. After that, I say, 'Go West, young man. Go West.' 

******************** 

Crissy's car was nestled among the pines at a scenic roadside viewing spot about ten miles on the other side of Campbellsville. She'd checked twice, hoping she'd hidden the car from view, fearing another run-in with Deputy Tucker. 

"Brandi, I don't trust that deputy. He wasn't nice to you and ran us off like we were yesterday's garbage. There's a story here, and I'm going to find it." Crissy buried her face into the retriever's hair, running her hands up and down her sides. "It's you and me, girl."  

Brandi barked her affirmation as Crissy's cell rang. As she reached for it, a police cruiser passed by on the highway. She dropped the phone, ducking out of sight and ignoring the phone call. "Down, girl."  

Brandi followed her owner's command, lying down on the car's front seat while Crissy prayed no one had seen them.