Page 94 of Outsider

He unzips his coat and retrieves several folded sheets of paper. Stepping closer, he passes them to me.

I scan the document, seeking anything that’s amiss. I flip to the second page, my eyes hitting the highlights, the sections I’m familiar with. It’s signed by a sitting judge in Franklin County. What the hell?

Mercer emerges from the hall, shotgun at his side. “Window’s open,” he says. “Either she’s upstairs or she booked.” He starts toward the stairs.

There’s no way I can let him go up there. “This is my arrest,” I say forcefully. “Colorosa is my charge. I’m the one who will be transporting her.” I pause, struggling for calm, take a moment to shore up my voice. “You didn’t get the memo?”

One side of Bertrand’s mouth curves. “Warrant trumps your memo.” Leaning closer, he plucks it from my hand.

“Where the hell is she?” Mercer snaps.

“She was in the sewing room down the hall,” I tell him.

“That bitch ran,” he says nastily.

A quick skitter of relief in my gut. Chances are, she heard them coming and went out the window. A silent laugh flares inside me. I hope she gives them a run for their money.

“We need to go get her,” Mercer says.

Bertrand looks at me. “Is she armed?”

“Of course she’s not armed,” I retort. “She’s under arrest.”

His eyes glitter. “What about you?”

“I’m a cop and you need to back the hell off.” I let my eye slide to the stairs. “This is a private residence with children. My sidearm—as well as Colorosa’s—are locked in the glove box of my city-issue Explorer—which is stuck in the snow, by the way. The weather is the only reason she hasn’t already been booked in.” I put some attitude into my voice to cover the lies. While Gina’s Sig Sauer is, indeed, locked in the Explorer, my .38 lies on the top shelf of the mudroom cabinet.

“Katie?”

The three of us swivel to see Adam coming down the stairs. Behind him, Sammy and Lizzie crouch at the landing, holding the rails like jail bars, staring down at us, their faces curious and frightened.

“Everything’s okay,” I tell him, hoping he sees the truth in my eyes. “These men are police. They’re going to help me find Gina and then we’re going to take her to Columbus. Adam, I need you to go back upstairs. Stay with the children. Du sinn in kfoah,” I add quickly. You are in danger.

Bertrand is already across the room, pointing at the Amish man. “Come on down here and talk to us, buddy.”

Relief skitters through me when Adam looks back at the children. “Bleiva,” he tells them. Stay put. He descends the stairs, his eyes moving from Bertrand to Mercer to me. He approaches us with caution, taking in the broken panes of the front door. The glass on the floor.

His eyes skate to Bertrand. “If you’d knocked, I would have let you in.”

“Sorry about the door. We were just following procedure. We’ll get it fixed for you.” Bertrand hands Adam the warrant. “This is an arrest warrant for Gina Colorosa. We have permission to search your house, outbuildings, and property. It would help if you just told us where she is.”

At well over six feet, Adam is taller than both men. He’s well-muscled and in good physical condition. Watching Mercer take his measure, I wonder if they realize the Amish man is a pacifist. That even if threatened, he would not defend himself or his home.

I edge closer to Adam, look down at the warrant. The knowledge that it is an official document signed by a sitting judge doesn’t alleviate the uneasiness pummeling the back of my brain. I don’t trust these men. If my gut is correct, I suspect they’re going to take Gina back to Columbus on a trumped-up charge. If something happens to her in the course of the arrest or the trip, all the better.

I look at Bertrand. “You ran off my prisoner,” I tell him.

The detective stares back at me, watchdog eyes, weighing my words, my demeanor, judging me. Trying to figure out how much of a problem I’m going to be.

“We need to find Colorosa,” Mercer says.

“I agree,” I say.

Bertrand laser-focuses on me. “You didn’t tell anyone you had her in custody. Why is that?”

I meet his gaze, hold it. “I called BCI within ten minutes of taking her into custody. Not my problem that no one called you.” I motion with my eyes to Mercer. “We need to find her. She’s cuffed,” I lie. “She can’t have gotten far.”

Bertrand looks at Mercer, then motions with his eyes to Adam. “Cuff him. Let’s search the house.”