Page 9 of Dead Sure
“Arrested?” Carson screeched from behind the cops. “For what?”
Ten was frozen. He couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. It was like his brain had short circuited.
“I said turn around!” The cop grabbed Ten and threw him against the wall. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided to you.”
Ten felt a flash of pain before feeling blood gush from his nose. The officer twisted back his left arm and slapped a cold cuff around his wrist. It was so tight, Ten could feel his hand start to tingle from lack of circulation. The cop did the same with his right arm, wrenching it back so hard that he cried out in pain.
“I’m a doctor. He’s bleeding, let me help!” Elijah said before the cop elbowed him out of the way.
“Let’s go, asshole!” The redhead yanked Ten forward so hard that he nearly lost his balance. He felt himself start to go down and was grabbed by someone from behind.
“Stop resisting!” the second blond officer yelled. “Stop resisting!” he shouted again, sounding as if he were enjoying himself.
“He’s not resisting!” Carson shouted. “Cole, call Ronan, Jude, and Fitz!” He chased after Tennyson as the cops led him toward the door of the shop. “Where are you taking him?” Carson threw himself in front of the door, holding his arms in front of him.
“If you don’t move your ass, I’m taking you in for obstructing justice!” The redhead pulled cuffs from his pocket and jingled them at Carson.
“I know my rights!” Carson fired back, not moving an inch. “What’s your name and badge number? What is Tennyson being arrested for and where are you taking him?”
The officer sneered at Carson. Ten was afraid his friend was going to end up in the jail cell next to his own, but Cope had a point, what the hell was he being arrested for and by whom? Ten had never seen these officers before in his life. They weren’t from the Salem Police Department, that was for sure.
“I’m Captain Dutch Vance from the Danvers Fraud Squad. Tennyson is being taken to our police headquarters. Get your asshole friend a good lawyer, he’s going to need it.” With that Vance shouldered past Carson and dragged Ten out the door.
“My wallet and phone are in my office! Find Ronan!” Ten called back to Carson. “Get the kids off the bus and call Reagan Pryce!”
“Don’t say a word, Tennyson!” Carson shouted. “We’re getting help.”
Vance wrenched Ten forward, sending him sprawling. Pain bolted through his knees as he crashed into the street. When hewas pulled to his feet, he could see the legs of his pants were torn and his left knee was bleeding.
As Ten was being shoved into the back of a Danvers Police cruiser, he couldn’t help but think this was the something bad Everly had seen coming. At least he hoped the hell it was.
What could be worse than being arrested for fraud and hauled out of his place of employment in front of his co-workers and clients? Ten shuddered at the possibilities.
5
Ronan
Ronan was starving. He and Fitz had spent the morning interviewing a potential witness in the Stuart Grimes case. Grimes had been murdered in 1995. He’d been shot dead in his driveway after coming home from working an overnight shift at a local hospital. There had been no video footage of the crime and most of his neighbors had been in bed asleep when the crime occurred. The murder had gone quickly cold and had sat, untouched, in the cold case files for the last thirty years.
He and Fitz were going to meet Jude and Greeley at Lobster Charlie’s for lunch and to discuss their interviews. Ronan was about to tell Fitz to step on it when his phone rang. Grabbing it from his back pocket, he could see it was Cole. His heart started pounding. Cole never called Ronan. “Hey, Cole,” he answered, his voice shaking.
“Ronan!” Cole wailed, his voice filled with panic. “Oh, my Jesus Christ. Where are you?” Cole panted for breath.
Fitz wore a concerned look. In the background of the call, Ronan could hear a commotion. People were talking loudly and all at once. “Fitz and I are on our way back to Salem. What’s going on? Is Ten okay?”
“No! H-h-h-h-he-”
Panic flooded Ronan’s entire body. “Take a breath Cole. Everything is going to be okay. Just tell me where Ten is and I’ll handle things from there.” All Ronan could think about was Everly’s prognostication that something bad was coming for Ten. It seemed that something had arrived.
“Ronan, it’s Carson.” Thankfully, Carson sounded much calmer than his brother.
“What’s going on there, Carson?” Ronan felt like he was going to throw up.
“Three huge men with guns burst into the shop,” Carson began.
Ronan felt as if his heart were being squeezed by an icy fist. Rage flooded his body, but he kept quiet, needing Carson to finish telling him what happened.
“They were wearing badges and wanted Tennyson. Jesus, Ronan, they threw him against the wall, and broke his nose. He was bleeding all over the place. One guy said Ten was under arrest and they wrenched his arms behind him. The cuffs were so tight that Ten’s hands turned purple.”
