hooked on drugs, and I certainly didn’t know about Tommy. He was Shawn’s homosexual lover.”
“He had a male lover?”
“It was thirteen months after I’d taken the job in Atlanta when my little playhouse caved in. My whole world came tumbling down. I knew something was wrong even before that horrible day in July when Shawn called me. He’d already stopped coming every other weekend and usually discouraged me when I told him I’d catch a plane to New Orleans to be with him.
“I can hear him now. ‘Maybe you ought to get yourself tested for AIDS,’ he told me callously that July fourth. I was confused and kept asking him why. That was when he told me that his friend Tommy had AIDS. He said he was going to be tested the next day and that I should also.
“I was such a fool. It took awhile for me to finally understand what he was telling me. When he said, ‘Heather, you need to understand, Tommy and I are lovers,’ I thought I’d die. I couldn’t breathe. I just collapsed right there on the kitchen floor.”
Shelby watched in silence as a tear rolled down the side of Heather’s face. She took a deep breath and continued. “The next day I flew to New Orleans to confront Shawn. That was when he almost beat me to death. I can tell you the next few months were the worst of my life. The HIV tests, the divorce, and then Shawn’s arrest for forging prescriptions to get his and Tommy’s narcotics.”
She told Shelby that she had thought she wasn’t going to make it. “But somehow I did. Thank God, neither Shawn nor I had the HIV virus,” she said. “I heard Tommy died two years ago and Shawn’s in a rehab center for drug dependency treatment.”
Abruptly, Kendrick changed the subject and for the next two hours, they talked about everything but Shawn. They ate and they laughed. Finally, Shelby pushed his plate away and said, “These ribs look like buzzards have had a picnic. We’ve polished the bones.” He was in a wonderful mood. Stuffed with barbecue and being with someone he enjoyed, he had almost forgotten about the dark Lincoln.
Outside, Shelby peered into the night, watching the shadows as they walked to the car. Nothing, maybe I was wrong about that Lincoln. The moon had risen and cast a bright yellow glow over the parking lot as he unlocked the car door and opened it for Kendrick. Most enjoyable meal I’ve had in years.
The radio was alive with radio traffic. “We’ve got a patrolman shot. Get an EMS unit and hurry!”
“What’s his condition?” the dispatcher asked.
“Shot in the head. He’s still sitting in his patrol unit. I think he’s dead.”
“EMS and a sergeant’s on the way.”
“He’s dead. No pulse.”
“His unit?”
“I was just driving by and saw his overhead flashers going and stopped to see what was the matter. It’s Ten-Henry-seventy.”
Shelby felt real terror race through every nerve in his body and then there was anger and sorrow. He locked the door from the inside and drove away, his eyes on the rearview mirror.
Kendrick was silent. He knew she heard and understood what was happening. He waited for her to say something and then he saw it…they were being followed again.
Chapter 6
Shelby’s voice sounded loud and yet far away. “Heather, do you know how to use a handgun?”
“Yes. I grew up on a farm and my dad was a gun enthusiast. I don’t like them, but I know how to use one,” she stated matter of factly, as she turned to look out the rear window.
She’s cool as a cucumber. I don’t think she’d be afraid to dance with the devil. “Here’s the glove box key, open it. There’s a .45 automatic in there. Have you ever shot an auto?”
“I’m familiar with a .45. Have you got any binoculars in here? Maybe I can get the license plate number.”
“Won’t work. Too much glare from the headlights. I’ve tried it too many times.”
He followed the access road and turned onto the eastbound lane of the Southwest Freeway. “I’m not really sure just what we ought to do. Any suggestions, Doc? This could be the real deal here. If it’s the same car that followed us earlier, then he’s probably the person who shot Ten Henry seventy. Could be several people in the car, probably are.”
Kendrick was calm. “And we know they’re monitoring your radio.”
The traffic was light and the dark car stayed well back. “At least they don’t seem too anxious to attack,” he said, trying to shake a feeling of impending doom for himself and his new friend. “Give me the cell phone. We’ll drive to the police station and see if we can lead this yo-yo into a little trap.”
The exits rushed by; they had just passed under Mandell when the Central Office answered. Shelby explained his situation and negotiated the turn from Southwest Freeway onto I-45. He was heading downtown when he hung up the cell phone and slowed the car. Shelby was quiet for a second, then he said, “It’s one of my men.”
“Excuse me?”
“They were worried about us and planted a stakeout at the barbecue joint in case that car came back. Now they’re following us to be sure we’re okay.” Am I an idiot or what? He was angry with himself for being scared and making a fool of himself in front of Kendrick.
She didn’t say anything as she reached to open the glove box and put the .45 back.
“It’s better to be safe than sorry,” she said. “ I’ve got to tell you, this is the most exciting evening I’ve ever had, thank you. If only that poor officer hadn’t been shot. Do you really think whoever was following us earlier killed him? In retrospect, are you sure we were even being followed?”
Shelby turned off the interstate at the Memorial-Houston Avenue exit, right onto Capitol, and finally another right onto Smith. “I don’t know but, yes, I think we were being followed, and I’ll let you know tomorrow if I think the officer was killed by that same person.” He turned and for a moment looked into her face. “Just in case, I’m going to have an officer stationed outside your hotel tonight.”
“Just in case of what?”
“Just in case.” He turned left on Elgin and then right on Fannin. They drove in silence, each locked into their own thoughts. When he let her off at the hospital, he waited for her to start her rental car and then followed her to her hotel. While he drove, he used the car phone to make arrangements for a patrol officer to keep a watch until the shift changed.
When the blue-and-white arrived at the hotel, he tried to give the young officer all the information he could about the situation and left with a final warning. “You be careful. This may be unrelated, but I don’t think so, and, if there is a connection, you may have all the excitement you want before daylight. Understand?”
The officer looked solemn and waved the captain home. Young, dumb and full of energy. Three years on the force and he’s not afraid of anything. I hope there’s nothing to this, but my instincts tell me this could be a long night.
Shelby left the hotel and
