(PART I)
BY
K.J. BATTEN
It was 4:00 AM on a Tuesday morning as Richard Kimble sat in the all night internet café in Phoenix Arizona. He had just logged into Dr-Richard-Kimble.com and saw a message from Brix to call him. He quickly left the café and found a pay phone within a block. He dialed the number and waited.
“Hello?”
“Chuck, it’s me.”
“Dr. Kimble, I’m glad you called. With you hitting national news I wasn’t sure you’d find your way to a public internet café or library for at least six months. I’ve got some news for you that just might hand you a potential key to all of this.”
A surge of hope came over Kimble and he said, “What is it Chuck?”
“Someone who calls himself Knight in Shining Armor privately emailed a tip telling me that he saw Charnquist go into a pawn shop called The Pawn Shop Around The Corner in Wilmington Delaware and don’t ask me why this guy knows because I’m not sure I want to know, but he said this pawn shop guy by the name of Dave White has dealings with the underworld and has been known to fence various things on occasion.”
There was a long silence on the part of Kimble. Chuck said, “Dr. Kimble is something wrong? Can’t you get there to check it out?”
“Chuck you’re right, it’s not going to be easy to get there but it is possible, it just means using public transportation and I was hoping to avoid it for quite some time because of California. I’m currently in Phoenix Arizona…but Chuck, there is something else I want you to know.”
“What is it Dr. Kimble?”
“If Agent Holmes contacts you, don’t be afraid to talk to her. I told her about you.”
Chuck gasped on the other end of the phone and said, “Dr. Kimble are you sure that was the right thing to do? For all you know, my phone could be tapped and they could be watching my house!”
“Yes they could Chuck and if that were the case, you’d have federal agents pounding down your door by now. Look, I trust her. It’s a very long story but suffice to say, she could have turned me into Gerard and she didn’t. She believes me and she’s going to help me as much as she can. She works out of DC.”
“How much can she actually do for you there?”
“I don’t know, but I know I’m not alone in this anymore. I’ve actually got someone on the inside of law enforcement who believes in my innocence.”
“OK Dr. Kimble, if you say she’s trustworthy, I’ll believe you. Do you want me to try and hack into any government computers and get some more background on her, just to make sure though?”
Kimble laughed slightly and said, “No Chuck, it’s not necessary. Thanks for the tip. I’ll go check it out and see if there’s any merit to it.”
Kimble walked away from the phone booth contemplating it all. He reached into his pocket and he looked at a phone number and an address in Alexandria Virginia. Wilmington Delaware wasn’t far from where Kari was. Did he dare tell Kari about this though? If it turned out to be nothing, how would she explain it to her superiors for why she took a ride to another jurisdiction. Kimble decided to take his chances with Amtrak. He bought a baseball cap and pulled it over his eyes, walked to the window and bought his train ticket.
As he waited for the train, he started to warmly remember the time he spent with Kari in her hotel room after Gerard had left and after he had told her everything he could remember about the night Helen was murdered and everything that had happened to him and what he had uncovered since then.
FLASHBACK
Kari came out of the bathroom after washing her face because she had been crying so hard. Kimble had stayed seated in the chair while she had been in there. He had wanted to somehow comfort her as crazy as it seemed because by all accounts it was he who needed the comforting and yet, the look in Kari’s eyes held so much compassion for him and so much empathy for the pain he had endured that he almost didn’t feel worthy of her look considering what she herself had been through. He stood up and once again they met half way in the room and she literally fell into his arms. Gone was the self assured FBI agent and here was just a woman who was feeling everything he was feeling.
“Kari, I’m sorry my experience upset you as much as it did. I have to ask…do you always get this upset when you interview family members of victims whose murders you’re investigating?” He was stroking her hair as he said it which he was surprised that he would do that.
Kari looked up at him and said, “More often than you might think but, I’m usually doing it in the car as I’m driving back to the office. Please don’t be sorry because I already am.” She looked deeply in his eyes and said, “In 1998 my father died and my sister begged me to relocate to Chicago so I could be closer to the family. My family lives in Peoria. They wanted me to live closer. I refused and told her my life was in DC. If I had listened to her, maybe things would be different now. Believe me, it wouldn’t be the first time I butted my nose into a local murder investigation when something seemed out of sorts.”
“Kari you’re not responsible for what happened to me. Don’t dwell on the past. All either of us can do is go forward.” He noticed that Kari was getting unsteady on her feet and he said, “Kari, you need to lie down and rest and I’ve got to go.”
Kari nodded and reluctantly moved toward the bed. She laid down on it and Kimble covered her up and sat next to her on the bed. He took her hand in his and said, “Kari, thank you for believing in me. I have been running so long and before I met you, I was starting to wonder what the point of going forward was…but are you sure you can do this?”
“Richard what do you mean?”
“I mean Charnquist did something unspeakable to you…are you sure you can do this?”
“Richard are you afraid that if I find him I’ll blow his head off on site?” Kimble didn’t want to answer but his face said it all. Kari then said, “Richard, killing Charnquist would do nobody any good…OK it might make me feel better for about five minutes, but if he’s dead, you’re as good as dead and then we’ll never find out who was behind it all.”
“Thank you Kari. I guess I just needed to hear that. I should go now.”
Kari nodded and she handed Kimble all of the cash she had in her purse and she handed him a piece of paper with her cell phone number and her address on it. “I can’t take all of this Kari.”
“Please Richard, I’ve got my travelers checks that I can cash and I’ve still got my credit cards as well. Use the money to keep yourself safe until you can get out of California and feel free to call me anytime day or night.”
He took the money, her address and phone number and he and Kari shared one last hug. Kimble did ask one question though. “Kari, why are you so sure that I’m telling you the truth? Why do you see what Gerard and the rest of law enforcement can’t see?
“Richard I have made it a science to study people. There are certain people who will kill for certain motives and who will kill in a certain way. Helen died because a homicidal maniac lost control and the only way to gain control was to kill her. You are much too smart to kill someone like that if you indeed wanted to kill someone. You have the medical knowledge, you could so easily make it look like natural causes. Not only that, I have heard motives for killing because someone would be deprived of money, I have never heard of anyone who killed his wife because she wanted to share the money with him by buying themselves a house. I can’t believe they got a jury to buy it. The only explanation is that a beautiful heiress who was the daughter of a well know citizen was murdered and somebody had to pay for it.”
Kimble nodded and said, “Thanks Kari, I needed to hear that.”
Kari then said, “Richard, I need to tell you something else though before you go.”
“What is it?”
“I wanted to clarify something. I made an error of judgment. I was on my first vacation in quite some time.” Kimble looked at her quite puzzled. “Richard, my gun is normally on my person. I will probably get chastised royally for taking my gun off. However, in that rental car, it was uncomfortable to wear the gun while I was driving so I put it in the glove compartment just for driving. It had only been in the glove compartment a minute when I remembered I wanted to make one more stop before I went back to my motel which is why I was putting the bags in the trunk. It was a careless thing to do even for one minute. I just wanted you to know that I don’t normally do things like that.”
Kimble admired her honesty and said, “Kari, there’s no need to be embarrassed. We all have our lapses in judgment from time to time. Remember what I told you about my encounter with Renee Charnquist!” He laughed slightly embarrassed.
Kari smiled and said, “Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise that I left it in the car. If my gun had been on me like it was supposed to be, when Bud opened up the trunk, I just might have popped out of that trunk shooting everyone that was breathing. That would have been very bad. I think the loss of my spleen is a small price to pay.”
Kimble wanted to lean down and give her a simple kiss on the cheek and yet, it somehow didn’t seem the right thing to do at that moment as he sensed a lot of uneasiness on Kari’s part. It was apparent she was not used to being this alone with a man for this long of a period of time. He picked up his backpack and said, “Thanks Kari. I guess I’ll see you later.”
Kari smiled and said, “You better!” Kimble nodded, smiled, and then turned and walked out of the room.
BACK IN THE PRESENT IN THE TRAIN STATION
Kimble contemplated the conversation and then he walked to the drug store inside the terminal and he purchased a phone card.
FLASHBACK
It was October of 1986, Kari Holmes was sitting in the main library at Tulane University in New Orleans. She had been studying diligently for several hours and lost track of time. When she looked up at the clock and realized it was past midnight, she decided it was time to head back to the dorm. She put on her light jacket. It was still rather warm in New Orleans and as she stood up, she was wearing a casual skirt and blouse with sandals on without nylons. She had long dark thick hair which she pulled out of her jacket. She picked up her backpack and while she contemplated calling someone for an escort she remembered that the paths were very well lit and it wasn’t that far of a walk back to the dorm. She exited the building and began to walk quickly but not so that she was in huge hurry. She could still feel humidity in the air.
All of a sudden out of nowhere she felt her head get yanked back, her backpack went flying and before she could even let out a scream, she was on her back and a gun was in her mouth. The man whose face was so clear to her said only “Not one word, not one sound, not one movement or I swear I will pull this trigger.” Kari became paralyzed with fear as her blouse was being ripped. All of a sudden, Kari remembered something and her blouse stopped getting ripped. Her attacker looked very surprised as she grabbed the gun, gave him a knee to the groin and used her other hand to hit him in the nose.
She stood up with the gun in her hand, poised to shoot and said very menacingly, “You should have pulled the trigger when you had the chance to…Did you really think I wouldn’t find you Ben Charnquist?”
He looked at her somewhat stunned as it was the present and he only had one arm. He wasn’t looking at an eighteen year old teenager but a woman in her late thirties who was very self assured. She aimed the gun directly at his head and he said, “You can’t kill me, I’m already dead!”
Kari cocked the gun and replied, “Good, less paperwork for Agent Holmes to do!” She fired two shots to the head without hesitation. Her tormentor for so many years was gone forever. He could never hurt anyone ever again and Kari felt exceedingly better than she had in a long time.
All of a sudden Kari heard someone clapping behind her. She turned around and saw a short woman with short light brown hair. She was smiling at her and said, “Well, done Kari! You are indeed the Super Cop for the ages!”
Kari in a state of shock recognized the woman and said “What are you doing here?”
The woman rolled her eyes and said, “Oh please Kari, you’re the psychologist, you tell me!” Kari was speechless so the woman continued. “Kari, I told you seven months ago that you were the most screwed up person I’ve ever known. You just proved it. Where is that holier than thou attitude you’ve always had that Revenge is a negative concept and whatever is done should be done for the sake of Justice not Revenge. After all, everything is cause and effect, you kill Charnquist and now…”
The woman turned and pointed down a hallway and Kari looked and saw Richard Kimble’s lifeless body in a chair through glass as he was just executed. Kari looked at the woman and the woman said, “Do you really believe your own philosophy? Or was that just a line because now Kimble’s dead. What about what you told him? Did that mean nothing? Your one chance at really letting go of the past and you let the past consume you… so you destroyed the future.” She pointed to Kimble.
“Don’t do this to me.” Kari was near tears.
The woman shook her head, smirked and replied, “You’re doing it to yourself Kari! Did you learn nothing in all of those years of therapy? Are you really even alive?”
Kari shook her head and said, “Why would you ask that? Of course I’m alive!”
The woman’s look turned very serious and she said, “Then start acting like it!”
Kari all of sudden woke up and sat upright. Her alarm went off. She shook her head in disbelief at it all. Since she’d gotten home from California, her night terrors had come back and had started taking on new dimensions. The terror was no longer what had been done to her when she was eighteen. The terror now was focused on what would happen if she exercised the kind of power she realized she had to the full extent.
She turned off the alarm and her cell phone rang. She answered it, “Holmes.”
“Kari, it’s Richard. I didn’t wake you up did I?”
Kari couldn’t believe the irony of this phone call. “No Richard, I just woke up. Is everything all right?”
“Yeah, it’s all right. In fact, I may have a lead on something.”
“What is it?”
“I’d like to check it out first but if it does check out, I’ll let you know. How are you feeling though?”
Kari smiled and said, “You’re not my doctor anymore remember? However, it’s nice of you to ask. I’m fine. I’m back on active duty.” She may have been smiling but her voice was shaking.
Kimble sensed something wasn’t right with her. “Kari are you sure you’re all right? Meeting me and finding out about Charnquist didn’t trigger any night terrors did it?”
Kari couldn’t believe Kimble could be so perceptive. “Richard, why do you ask? What do you know about night terrors?”
“Please Kari, I’ve had my share of them since this whole thing began. I also know they can last for years.”
Kari didn’t want to burden Kimble with anything and simply said, “Richard you have nothing to worry about. I’m fine and I’ve got to get ready for work. You keep me posted though, OK?”
Kimble nodded and said, “Sure, I’ll talk to you later.” They hung up and Kimble said, “She is not all right.”
Kari hung up the phone and said, “Who am I kidding?” Kari decided the best course of action at the moment though was to simply go to work.
FBI HEADQUARTERS
Jason Merriman sat at his desk with the Richard Kimble file…and he also had a file on his desk that said Philip Gerard. His assistant Diane Lang came in with another file and gave it to him. “Thanks Lang.” He saw a look on Lang’s face that told him something was not right. “Lang, I take it you already looked at this.”
She nodded and said, “Yes, I did the legwork on finding out all of this stuff about Gerard remember?”
“You are the best Lang. You should still be a field agent.” There was no response from Lang. “What is it?”
“Merriman, I think you need to look at the file from Atlanta.”
Jason opened it up and raised his eyebrows at what he saw. “Well, Capt. Gerard has a past!” He skimmed it carefully. “This explains why Capt. Gerard seems to think that Kimble is the most wanted man in America. I found myself wondering why this man seemed to forget that we have a terrorist problem and now it’s all starting to come together. Is Holmes in the office?”
“I saw her in the shooting range earlier. She wasn’t hitting the marks like she usually does.”
“Let me guess, she was practicing with her left hand?”
“No, she wasn’t. Sam even tried to offer encouragement but she rebuffed him…as usual.”
Jason laughed slightly, “Poor Sam when will he figure it out that he’s not Holmes’s type.”
“Who is?”
This question caused Jason to pause. He glanced slightly at Kimble’s picture which was on his computer screen. He and Lang made eye contact. Neither one wanted to say what they were thinking. Lang said, “Merriman, permission to speak freely.”
“Go ahead.”
“I don’t think you should let Holmes go to Chicago and be on Gerard’s task force. We’ve got information on him that shows he would sell out his own mother if it meant getting Kimble executed. Kimble saved Holmes’s life. I watched American Justice and Dateline last week and I have strong reservations about Kimble’s guilt especially after he saved Holmes’s life. Is this anyway for Holmes to repay that gift?”
Jason nodded. He stood up and came around the desk to Lang. He put his hands on her shoulders and said, “Lang, I understand why you are feeling this way. Do you honestly think I would send my best profiler somewhere only so she could be set up to take a fall?” Lang had no response. “Lang, I asked for all of this information as an insurance policy. Trust me on this. Holmes is needed in Chicago more than anyone ever thought.”
“But you haven’t told her yet, why?”
“Holmes doesn’t deserve to know until Gerard gets here which is next week. I am very angry with her. She didn’t come forward and tell me about her conversation with Gerard and Hilliard. That flies in the face of logic with Kari. There’s only one reason that I can think of for why she didn’t tell me…she was hoping Gerard would simply go away.”
Lang nodded in understanding and left. Jason walked back to his desk and he picked up the picture of Ben Charnquist and compared it to a police sketch artist’s drawing from 1986. “Oh yes, Kari, you are needed in Chicago.”
CHICAGO ILLINOIS-FUGITIVE TASK FORCE
Capt. Philip Gerard sat at his desk looking at the latest leads on Kimble which weren’t much. It seemed that he just disappeared after California. Eve Hilliard walked in and said, “Philip, I have to say something to you. I know you’ve been in touch with Jason Merriman to have Holmes brought into the task force.”
“Yes I have Eve. What’s it to you?”
“Philip are you sure about this? I have been on the phone with colleagues in the DC office and this woman does not sound like a team player. People often refer to her as a Maverick or Ice Queen. Oh yes, she has the commendations but she is not always known for going by the book.”
“What else have you heard?”
“The people who have been assigned to work with her find her very difficult to work with. When she gets something in her mind, she fully intends to check it out…with or without the partner and with or without any authorization from a superior if necessary. She’s woken up judges in the middle of the night to get search warrants and she’s also been known to butt her nose into local police homicide investigations when she wasn’t asked. Here’s something you may not realize but in Alexandria she got two separate people who were charged with murder exonerated before the cases went to trial…not only that she found the real killers and they’re both serving very long prison sentences. She’s killed three times in the line of duty in addition to the two thugs that she killed in her hostage situation.”
“Gosh Eve, you sound almost jealous. She sounds perfect.”
“Philip, this woman is also very driven, if she gets something in her mind you will not be able to change it. Kimble saved her life…she’s not going to forget that easily and you better hope that when she reads the file she believes that Kimble is guilty or you are in for nothing but one headache after another…oh yeah and don’t think she’ll go out and have a drink with you. The only people at The Bureau that she’s even remotely friendly with is her boss Jason Merriman and his assistant Diane Lang.”
“Why Diane Lang?”
“They were field partners once and that’s all I know.”
“Eve she’ll be fine. If she’s a professional like everyone says she is, then she’ll do her job!”
“And if she isn’t….?”
“The DA can figure that out.”
Eve turned and walked away. Eve Hilliard pondered her own doubts that she’s had about the Kimble case from time to time, but she had a gut feeling that Kari Holmes was going to blow this case wide open and the people who would pay the price would be those who persecuted Kimble the most.
WILMINGTON DELAWARE THURSDAY
Richard Kimble got off the train and checked himself into a very cheap motel in the seedier side of town. He looked up The Pawn Shop Around The Corner and headed to it. He walked in and proceeded to look around while the man behind the counter helped another customer. There was a young woman working toward the back of the store. She appeared to be college age and she was taking inventory. Their eyes locked briefly on each other and then she looked away and continued to do her job.
Kimble surveyed all of the items in the store. It was a standard pawn shop with nothing that really stuck out. The other customer left and Kimble approached the man behind the counter. The man looked up and said, “Can I help you?”
Kimble nodded and said, “Are you Dave White?”
The man nodded negatively and said, “No, today is his day off. Can I help you with something?”
“No, can you tell me what time he comes in tomorrow?”
“He’ll be here at 10:00 AM.”
“Thank you.” Kimble turned and walked out of the store.
The man behind the counter picked up the telephone and dialed a number. “Hey Dave, it’s me, John. Say call me crazy but I think Richard Kimble was just in here looking for you….I’m sure it’s him. His face was plastered all over national TV when he saved that FBI Agent and then Dateline did a full hour on him last week which I watched. Why would he be looking for you? Are you somehow mixed up in his case? OK, OK, I won’t ask anymore questions…yes I told him you’d be here tomorrow….all right then.” He hung up the phone.
The woman peered out from the behind an aisle and said, “Is everything all right John?”
“I don’t know Lisa. You’ve been here all week. Anything out of the ordinary happen while you were here?”
She shook her head, “No, not while I’ve been at work.”
FRIDAY AFTERNOON FBI HEADQUARTERS KARI HOMLES’S OFFICE
Kari was looking over some files that had just been sent to her. She had a look of relief and despair all in one. She put the files aside and decided it was time to check something out about Ben Charnquist. She kept mulling it over in her mind as to why Charnquist would be let go from the Baltimore police without even a record of an arrest.
She had one theory and decided to check it out. She dialed a former colleague who now worked for the CIA. “Casey.”
“Tom Casey! This is Kari Holmes over at The Bureau!”
“Hey Holmes how are you these days?”
“Busy as usual and I need your assistance with something.”
“What else could there be? Agent Holmes the persistent workaholic just like myself. You see we could have been so good together Holmes!”
“Casey, the fact that we’re both married to our jobs says we would have been horrible for each other. You got two dates out of me. Most men who ask don’t even get one!”
Casey laughed and said, “Holmes, you are such a heartbreaker! OK what can I do to assist you? Since 9/11, we are now permitted to share information.”
“OK, you worked witness protection at The Bureau from 1991-95. If someone is in the witness protection program are they prevented from being arrested for another crime?”
“No not that I’m aware of. For somebody to be prevented from being arrested there is only one possibility that comes to mind…which is that he or she would have a Federal Immunity Code.”
“A Federal Immunity Code?”
“It’s more in line with the CIA than with the FBI. What it does is that it protects informants. Many times informants have to do some pretty scummy things if they’re going to work both sides.”
“How do you confirm that someone has an immunity code?”
“About the only way I know is that you find out when you arrest someone. It’s very difficult to confirm because we don’t divulge the information freely.”
Kari’s heart sank and said, “What if someone had one of these codes but the world thinks the person is dead. Why wouldn’t the code be revoked?”
“In a perfect world the code should be revoked but then again if you’ve got a death certificate, it might not be deemed a priority to revoke it.”
“What if the person who everybody thinks is dead has an immunity code but you’re sure he’s committed a very heinous crime?”
“You’d better have the crime on video Holmes.”
“Thanks Casey.” She hung up the phone and swung around to find herself facing her boss Jason Merriman. She was shocked to see him standing in her doorway. “Jason, how long have you been standing there?”
Jason walked to her desk and sat down in the chair across from her. He said, “Long enough to hear your conversation with Tom Casey. How is old Tom anyway?”
“He’s fine…can I help you with something?”
“Well, Kari as a matter of fact you can. Can you please tell me what is going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“Kari, you’ve been back to work since Monday morning and today is Friday. You haven’t been by my office once to even say hello. You haven’t given me any reports on the progress that you’ve made and according to Lang, you’ve been doing a little digging on the Kimble case in an unofficial capacity and getting information on key players in it…and then when I come to your office you’re talking to the CIA and asking about Federal Immunity Codes. Can you explain any of this?”
Kari was feeling like a little kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “Look Jason, the man saved my life, I just wanted to check and maybe see if there was something to his claim of innocence…that I’ve heard about. You know me…always questioning everything.”
“Oh yes Kari I do know you…well, please feel free to do whatever you need to do. I trust you’ll have a good weekend. You know Kari, you and I go back twelve years now. Do you remember what I said to you that first day we met?”
Kari rolled her eyes and said, “Yes, Jason, you said that you would always stand by me no matter how outlandish my theories were as long as I played it straight with you. Please don’t elaborate further. I’m not in the mood to go down memory lane and hear about the bunnies and the flowers that you like to add to the story.”
“We are in a mood aren’t we? OK Kari as long as you remember that.” He stood up to leave but said, “Try to also remember how many holiday meals you have shared with my family and the tiny fact that you are my youngest daughter’s godmother.” He turned to leave but then turned back around and said, “One last thing, it doesn’t surprise me that you didn’t know about the immunity codes. It’s one of those dirty little secrets that we don’t like to talk about…however, if you’d bother to hang out at the water cooler from time to time and try to be friendly with other agents, you might just learn a few things.”
“What do you want from me Jason.”
“Just the truth and some confidence like you’ve always done in the past. There is obviously something bothering you and if you’re not going to confide in me, then for the Love of God, go confide into someone else, because I need Agent Kari Holmes who doesn’t take any guff from anyone, who people give a wide berth to in the hallways and who gets the job done no matter who has to suffer a bloody nose in the process. Got it?”
Kari nodded and Jason walked out leaving Kari to ponder what exactly he knew. She knew it was pointless to go ask him. She knew him well enough to know that if she wasn’t going to confide in him then he wouldn’t confide in her.
She left for the day and as if she was in a trance she drove herself to St. Catherine’s Catholic Church.
Two hours later, she looked at Father Sean O’Neal and waited for him to say something. They were seated in his office. Father Sean was in his early forties and had been a priest for as long as Kari had been an FBI Agent. He had blond hair and blue eyes and Kari always thought he was attractive but very glad he was priest as she perceived him safe to be good friends with..
Kari spoke first. “OK, am I really that much beyond hope that you can’t say anything?”
“Kari, I’m not sure where to start other than to say, when you finally decide to do Confession after almost twenty years of not doing it, you really know how to make it challenging. Why now? You’ve indicated that you’ve done questionable things in the line of duty over the years and you felt no remorse about it in the past.”
“Father Sean, I actually broke the law this time. I can’t tell anyone else this. I gave up therapy four years ago and I’m not going to pay $200.00 an hour only to one day have my records served with a subpoena. I know the rules of Confession. Nobody can make you testify. OK if what I’m doing is wrong, add it to the list.”
“OK Kari then in that case let’s see if I can recap what it is that you’ve told me. You were carjacked and a wanted fugitive was with you. He saved you from getting raped and then you later killed both of your carjackers. One of them stabbed you and Kimble saved your life but not before you had a near death experience where you saw his dead wife. You lied to the police about the details of your captivity. You lied to your boss. You withheld information from your family and lied to them about the circumstances. You lied to Gerard about Kimble and then you lied to Kimble about your therapist being the only person who knew you had been raped, a small fact about your life that you’ve just now shared with me and then you lied to Kimble about not having night terrors which you’ve had and they have been upsetting to you. Then to top it all off, the real perpetrator who killed Helen Kimble is your attacker from 1986...did I leave anything out?”
Kari nodded negatively, “No I think that pretty much sums it up.”
Father Sean nodded and said, “Kari here’s the really fascinating part of this confession, the only thing that you’ve done that you feel just terrible about is that you lied to Kimble but there isn’t a lot of remorse about anything else. Do you want to elaborate on that?”
Kari was looking and feeling very guilty as well when she said, “I’m going to Hell aren’t I?”
“No Kari, you’re not going to Hell…I mean it’s not my ultimate call to make but I think you’re relatively safe. I just worry about you not being affected by killing those two thugs. I’ve always believed that if the chips are down and you have no choice then you do what you have to do to stay alive. But I fear part of you dies when you kill someone else.”
“I don’t deny that. It was very easy to pull the trigger on both of them…but it was because they wanted to kill me. It scared me later and then I had the night terror where I killed Ben Charnquist without hesitation and there was my sister cheering me on and then mocking me.”
“It sounds like your sister played the part of your conscience. Look, I don’t believe you have it in you to kill someone in cold blood…not even your attacker. The fact that you had the dream as it was speaks volumes. As for you dropping that bombshell on me about 1986 why did you do it?”
“Because I had to talk about it and I knew I could trust you with the information. We’ve gotten to know each other very well in the past two years; you are one of the few people in this world I do trust besides my immediate family, my boss and now Kimble. For the first time, I feel like I have some real control. I know his name and it is imperative that he be taken off the streets. He killed Helen Kimble and who knows how many others?” Father Sean nodded in agreement and then Kari said, “What about the lying?”
“Kari, I watched the Dateline special on the Kimble trial and I watched the American Justice episode that repeated after your rescue by him. I don’t believe he killed his wife. Now if you have to tell a few lies to ultimately get to the truth and if you have to tell a few lies to protect those you care about then that is what you must do. God never promised us an uncomplicated life. If you turned him in or allowed him to be taken in, I would fear for him.”
Kari nodded. “Thanks Father Sean. I guess I always knew what you said, I just needed to hear it.”
“Kari, you know there is a famous line in Ecclesiastes that says, To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under Heaven. I think this may be your season to cast away certain stones once and for all.”
Kari nodded and said, “Well, when you put it that way I guess I’m not such a terrible person. Are you going to give me Absolution?”
He made the sign of the Cross and he said “Go with God Kari. You keep gathering up the new stones and the truth will eventually speak.”
“Thanks Father.” She walked out.
WILMINGTON DELAWARE FRIDAY AFTERNOON
Kimble approached The Pawn Shop Around The Corner. He had already been by earlier that day but Dave White was nowhere to be seen. The young woman was in the shop again and so was the man who was there yesterday. He wondered if the one man had tipped the other man off. Did he recognize him? Would the police be back there if Kimble went back to ask more questions. It was a chance he had to take.
He entered the shop and once again saw the young woman sweeping the floor. The man behind the counter was now different. He approached the man. The man looked up at him as though he recognized him but was trying to hide it. Kimble asked, “Are you Dave White?”
“Yeah, who wants to know?”
“I do. I’d like to ask you about a mutual friend we may have.”
The man raised his eyebrows and said, “Who would that be?”
Kimble took out his passport of Charnquist and said “Do you know this man? I have reason to believe that he’s been in this shop.”
The man looked hard, shook his head and said “No, I have no idea who he is.”
The young woman had now disappeared from the outer store and had made her way to the back. Kimble said again, “Are you sure you’ve never seen him in this store?”
“Yeah, I’m positive, now if you don’t intend to buy anything or sell me anything, I suggest you leave, it’s bad for business.”
Kimble knew there was no point in staying as it was apparent that this man would not talk. He walked out not knowing what to do and as he turned the corner, there was the young woman who couldn’t be more than 21 or 22. She had long red hair. It was clear that she had been waiting for him. She smiled and said, “Hello Dr. Kimble.”
Kimble got a look of shock on his face and he immediately turned around to see if there were police or anyone else ready to nab him. She then said in a very calm voice, “It’s all right, nobody’s going to arrest or kill you…allow me to introduce myself. I’m Knight in Shining Armor, but you can call me by my given name…Lisa…Lisa Alden.”
KARI HOLMES’S TOWNHOUSE ALEXANDRIA VIRGINIA
Kari pulled into her garage in her SUV at her townhouse and walked in the door. She was greeted by her calico cat Mousetrap. She then saw overnight bags on the floor and she rolled her eyes and said “Come on out!”
A woman in her fifties with long blonde hair came out from the kitchen as well as a man in his late twenties who was tall and had light brown hair. “I’m sorry. Have you two eaten?”
The woman said, “We just ordered some Chinese food, Kyle will go pick it up in about twenty minutes.”
Kyle then spoke, “Well Kari…you are a piece of work, you get one touch of stardom and you keep your family waiting.”
“Look I’m really sorry; I’m late because I went to Confession.”
The two looked at each other in puzzlement and the woman said “Kari, if you don’t want to tell us where you were it’s fine.” Kari got a look of disbelief.
Kari then said “OK Kyle, I’m sensing a lot of anger here, maybe you need to get it out.”
The woman then said, “No Kyle doesn’t need to get it out. We came so we could all go as a family to Baltimore for cousin Sara’s wedding and I don’t want it ruined.”
“Mom, this is ridiculous! Why are you fussing over Kari? She’s not even your daughter and it’s apparent that she doesn’t want to be your daughter or my sister!” Kari was in shock at what she had just heard.
“Kyle what are you talking about?”
“You are so clueless Kari! The fact that Mom and I had to find out from Tom Brokaw that you were carjacked, nearly murdered, and Richard Kimble saved your life doesn’t have an impact on you? Do you know how many reporters Mom had to shoo away? We were called by the Today show Kari! How could you be so dense as to not know who you were being held hostage with? And how could you not tell us that you were in the hospital once you regained consciousness? You know I am so sick of cutting you so much slack, I’m sorry you got raped when you were 18, but you were no picnic to be around afterwards and I am sick to death of treating you with kid gloves all these years later!” Kari stood in a daze not sure what to say to this hostility.
Anna Holmes spoke, “That’s enough Kyle! You know as well as I do that Kari wasn’t even in the country when the Kimble trial and escape happened…she was in England remember…with Interpol? You and I live in Peoria Kyle. Kimble wasn’t even front page news or a lead in story on our local news affiliate until he escaped. If you’d bother to talk to your sister you’d know these things!”
“Half sister and the only sibling she ever cared about is our dear departed sister.”
Kari was getting really upset and said, “Why don’t you just call me a half breed Kyle, better yet the poor orphan! Oh yeah and I’m very sorry I ruined Thanksgiving and Christmas that year I was raped! I didn’t realize I was supposed to be over it within a week!”
Anna said, “Enough both of you! Now I have racked my brain trying to figure out why my first born daughter was taken away from me and now it’s clearly obvious why. She was the go between with the two of you. It is clear God wants the two of you to be friends!” Both Kari and Kyle looked at each other with surprise. “Now Kyle, go get the Chinese food!” Kyle grabbed the car keys and walked out.
Kari looked at Anna Holmes and said, “Mom, I’m sorry about the orphan comment. That was extremely insensitive and I’m really sorry I was late. I wanted to make dinner for us. I’m also sorry about Tom Brokaw…if I had known who I was with I would have called you, I just didn’t want you to go through anything else.”
They sat down at the table. “Kari, I know all of that and it was very cruel of Kyle to bring up your darkest hour shall we say. I’m as close to you as I am to Kyle and was to my dear departed daughter.” They hugged each other. Kari had a hunch that more was coming though.
“Don’t worry about it Mom, after all the therapy I’ve been through, there’s very little that Kyle could say to me that would put me back into therapy.”
“Kari, I wanted to give you something.” She handed her a necklace of the symbol of St. Jude, the Patron Saint of Desperate Situations. “As I recall you used to wear him around your neck but you dropped him the night Baby Sis died.”
“I didn’t drop him Mom, if you’ll recall I threw him in the trash. He didn’t come through and besides I only wore him because Dad gave him to me when I graduated from the FBI Academy. He was terrified that I was going to work homicides and thought I needed extra protection.”
“He was right wasn’t he?” Kari looked at her quizzically. “Kari, I don’t believe you only wore it because Dad gave it to you, he died in 1998 remember? I find it very odd that when you threw St. Jude away, you ended up getting carjacked on vacation no less and almost murdered. As for your sister, sometimes the answer is no. It’s just food for thought now and maybe one has nothing to do with the other but I can’t see that it hurts to wear him…especially now that Richard Kimble is part of your life.”
Kari looked surprised and said, “What are you talking about?”
“Kari, as I said, in Peoria, the Kimble case was page 2 in the papers. When he escaped and became a page 1 story briefly, I started to read more about it and the whole case sounded strange. You told me once that you joined the FBI because you wanted to do your part to see justice served. I can’t believe you would turn a blind eye to this, especially after Kimble saved your life. I’m certainly not going to forget that he saved your life. What are you prepared to do?”
Kari looked at her squarely and said very deadpan, “Whatever I can.”
WILMINGTON DELAWARE
Kimble and Lisa Alden AKA Knight in Shining Armor were sitting outside of a Starbuck’s drinking lattes at Lisa’s expense. Kimble was keeping his face shielded from the people passing by. Lisa said, “I’m sorry I didn’t reveal myself to you sooner. I was actually hoping my uncle might do the right thing and tell you whatever he could about Charnquist a la Fred Johnson. That’s the name he used when he came into the shop. I’ve never posted at DRK.com but I read all of the posts and the information that comes out periodically.”
Kimble leaned in and said, “Do you know why he was in the shop?”
“I’m assuming it was to fence something. My uncle does run that pawn shop but it’s his illegal fencing that gives him his real livelihood that enables him to go to the Bahamas every winter. I didn’t see what he was giving my uncle because I was actually up above on the second floor. I saw Charnquist’s face clearly in the security mirror. Trust me though, he didn’t see me.”
Kimble let out a deep sigh and he was beginning to feel like he had just made another trip for nothing but decided to ask one more question. “Lisa, I suspect it was diamonds because I know he’s involved in it. Is there anything else you can tell me or do you possibly know where this stuff that your uncle fences gets stored?”
Lisa started to think about it and then said, “You know I may know! I’ve heard my uncle many times mention a warehouse down by the river. What was the name of it?” She shook her head as though trying to remember the name and then she saw a woman walk out of Starbuck’s with a bottle of water and she said, “That’s it! Crystal Clear Water! It’s a local brand of bottled water around here. I could take you there tomorrow night.”
Kimble shook his head and said, “I don’t think you should you get involved any further. This guy is your uncle Lisa.”
“Look, the only reason I work there is because he pays me a good wage to supplement my school expenses. Because of the job I’m able to afford an apartment off campus with a friend. I’ve always thought he was a jerk and now that it’s been confirmed that he’s mixed up with someone who’s not only affiliated with the mob but who killed an innocent woman…I have no loyalty whatsoever. Besides, I know exactly where the place is and tomorrow is perfect. I don’t work tomorrow and my roommate is leaving in the morning to go home for the weekend. So nobody will be the wiser to my movements.”
Kimble raised his eyebrows and said, “Well Lisa, after that compelling of an argument, how can I say no?” Lisa smiled.
SATURDAY LATE AFTERNOON AT 5:00 PM WEDDING RECEPTION BALTIMORE MARYLAND
Kari Holmes was mingling in the reception hall and trying to make conversation with people but either no one wanted to really talk to her because she was merely the stepchild and hence not important or she found herself as the newfound celebrity because her face had been plastered across national news and she sensed resentment at her celebrity status because some felt she was taking attention away from the bride and the groom. She found herself wandering outside and noticed the temperature was dropping. She surmised that it would be a very cold evening for it being spring. Her half brother approached her with a cup of coffee.
She took the coffee and said, “Why Kyle, with the way you talked to me last night I’m amazed you’re not taunting me with a bottle of champagne.” She raised her eyebrows at him.
He shook his head and said, “Kari, even I’m not that much of a bastard…besides, I know you’d drink it just to prove to me that it meant nothing.”
Kari drank the coffee and then said, “What’s up Kyle?”
“Kari, I don’t want this visit to end like this. We’re at a family wedding, it’s supposed to be happy.”
“Kyle, this is your family, not mine, they’ve never liked me. I only came because Mom requested we come as a family. God knows she has very little of it left. She can’t even see her grandson anymore because our wonderful brother in law decided to move back to Milwaukee to be with his family.”
Kyle nodded and said, “You know Kari, Mom enlightened me last night as to how Dad used to treat you. I’m sorry I never saw it. I finally realized why Dad sent those care packages to you at college every month after we moved from Austin to Peoria.”
“It’s not your fault Kyle, none of it is. I think I’m going to go, I really feel out of place here.”
“Kari don’t leave. Stay and talk to me and Mom. You know you and I have a lot in common.” Kari raised her eyebrows in a questioning manner. Kyle then said, “We both work with the dead…you work homicides and I’m a funeral director who preps dead bodies for burial or cremation.” Kari still looked unconvinced. Kyle then said, “Look, I’d like to be your friend and if I’m going to do it, I’ve got to start acting like it. Just please promise to let us know the next time you end up in the hospital. Mom honestly thought she was about to bury another kid!”
Kari smiled and said, “It’s a deal. I’ll stay for a little while longer.”
WILMINGTON DELAWARE
The Pawn Shop Around The Corner was about to close up for the day. Dave White had even closed the blinds when a person walked in to the shop. Dave without looking up said, “Sorry we’re closing for the day.” He looked up and saw Ben Charnquist standing at the door. He turned and locked the door and pulled down the shade on the door. Dave was surprised and said, “What are you doing here? If that Kimble were to come back here….”
“Leave Kimble to me!” Charnquist snarled. “I was just in touch with our mutual contact. He’s not happy that Kimble found his way here.”
“I have no idea how Kimble found us…I swear!”
“The boss doesn’t see it that way. Kimble came in here asking for you and it’s apparent you screwed up somewhere along the way.”
Dave nodded his head negatively and said, “No I never told anyone about you…I didn’t.”
“If Kimble found you it’s only a matter of time before he’ll find the warehouse with your connections to the water company.”
Dave walked backwards and said, “I didn’t say anything.”
Charnquist eyed a golf club in a golf bag directly in front of him. He said, “Don’t explain it to me…explain it to God.”
TWO HOURS LATER WAREHOUSE BY THE DELAWARE RIVER
Kimble and Lisa were sitting in Lisa’s Geo Prism at what they thought was a safe distance. They saw two men go into the warehouse and then come out within a relatively short period of time. They had taken something into the warehouse but did not bring anything out of the warehouse. They left with the door open. Kimble and Lisa looked at each other and Kimble said, “You wait here, I’m going in to see if there’s anything to see.”
Lisa shook her head. “No, we’ll both go in. I know my uncle is dirty. Whatever we find it won’t be a surprise.”
“Lisa, this is breaking and entering, if I’m caught it’s just one more charge, I don’t want you going to jail for that and for aiding and abetting a fugitive.”
“Save it, Dr. Kimble. Besides, it’s not breaking, the door is open, it’s only entering and as for the aiding and abetting charge, you’ve never actually told me your name and nobody can prove I sent that email to Brix. I sent it on a computer in a coffee house.”
Kimble had no choice but to agree as there was nothing he could do to convince Lisa otherwise. They walked in and saw what one would expect in a warehouse for a water company. They were surprised though that the office was not only unlocked but open. They walked in and saw the cabinets that were also unlocked. The phone started ringing. Kimble and Lisa looked at each other and somehow they both knew the call was for Kimble. “I’ll answer this and you start looking in the cabinets.” Lisa nodded and started looking in the cabinets.
Kimble answered, “Hello?”
A voice he knew too well and wished he did not said, “Howdy Stranger!” It was the voice of Ben Charnquist.
Kimble’s eyes got wide and he said, “How did you know I’d be here?”
“Kimble don’t you get it? You can’t win. There are way too many forces here bigger than you so I’m actually doing you a favor…I’m putting you out of your misery once and for all. Goodbye! Say hello to your wife for me!” He gave a cackling laugh and hung up.
Before Kimble could say anything Lisa shrieked, “Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!”
Kimble looked to see what she found and it was a bomb ready to go off in two minutes. They both ran toward the big main automatic door only to find it closed and locked. “What are we going to do?” Lisa screamed.
Kimble saw a forklift, grabbed Lisa and ran to it. The keys were still in the ignition. He turned it on and they broke through the door and out they went as the bomb went off. They were heading straight into the river when the brake failed. Lisa jumped off before the forklift went over, but Kimble’s jacket got caught and into the Delaware River he went with the forklift. He managed to shake himself loose but the current was starting to take him downstream. Lisa got into her car and started driving parallel to the river. Kimble was finally able to get himself to the shore after almost a mile.
Lisa pulled over and climbed over an embankment to help him. They both looked around and nobody was anywhere near to them. “Dr. Kimble, you can come back to my place and get dry.” Kimble was shivering. Lisa turned on the radio only to get a late breaking story.
“There was an explosion in the Crystal Clear Water warehouse about 30 minutes ago. Arson is the suspected cause of the fire at this point. The police and fire departments are both on the scene. This may or may not be related but the notorious wife killer Richard Kimble was seen near the scene of this warehouse. An anonymous tip came in earlier on this as well.”
Kimble was shivering as he said, “That Son of a Bitch! He covered all the bases. If the bomb didn’t kill me, he made sure the police in Wilmington were looking for me.”
Lisa said, “Dr. Kimble, I’ll take you back to my apartment, you can get dry there. You can’t risk going back to the place you’ve been staying.”
Kimble shook his head. “No Lisa, I won’t endanger you like that.”
“All right, I’ll take you to the pawn shop. Nobody will be there at this time of the night.” Kimble still shivering nodded in agreement.
They pulled up in the back and entered in the back door. They came in to the front part of the store and Lisa turned on the light. Both were horrified at what they saw. Dave White was lying in a pool of blood. A golf club was next to him. Kimble leaned down and felt for a pulse.
Kimble spoke first, “Lisa call 911, he’s got a pulse but it’s weak.”
Lisa couldn’t move for a few seconds and then said, “No, I can’t.”
“Lisa, your uncle has been severely beaten and more than likely by Ben Charnquist.”
“Dr. Kimble, if I call the police from here, they will ask why I’m here at this time of the night. Look at yourself, you’re in no condition to just run away. I’ve got to get you out of Delaware. I’ll stop at the pay phone on the corner and call 911 and make an anonymous tip. If Charnquist can do it so can I. I’ll drop you off in DC. It’s a big enough city where you should be able to get lost easily enough.”
Kimble realizing he was in the early stages of hypothermia and a possible mild concussion concluded he had to go with this plan.
WEDDING RECEPTION BALTIMORE MARYLAND
The reception was winding down and Kari was ready to get out. She’d had about all she could take. The bride was getting ready to throw her bouquet when Kari slipped behind a coat rack to find her coat. The maid of honor who was the sister of the bride was talking to a friend as they were walking back with their drinks. The one woman stopped to grab her coat. Kari could hear their conversation but she was well hidden behind the coat racks.
“So your sister’s going to throw the bouquet in a minute?”
“Yeah you know the rules, all eligible women.”
“Hey what’s up with that FBI Agent cousin of yours? She seems really aloof. I tried to talk to her and ask her about that whole Kimble thing she got mixed up in and she kind of blew me off.”
“Oh yeah, Kari Holmes. She’s not my cousin. She’s my cousin’s half sister. She’s really weird. She’s always thought she was so intellectually superior, yet she couldn’t hack moving away from home when she was eighteen and came home just two months later and got very alcoholic! I guaranty you, she won’t be trying for the bouquet. Everybody thinks she’s a lesbian who refuses to come out of the closet because she treats all men like they’ve contracted the Bubonic Plague. Let’s go!”
The two women walked away and Kari emerged from behind the coat racks. She remembered her dream where her sister told her to start acting like she was alive. She walked back to the table where she had been sitting and deposited her coat and purse in the chair and then joined the massive group of women who wanted the bridal bouquet. Her stepmother and half brother looked on in shock.
Kari made her way in and on the count of three, the bride threw the bouquet into the center of the crowd. Kari in her good shoes jumped up as though she were playing basketball and caught the bouquet. The bride turned around to see who had caught it and when she saw Kari, her eyes got very wide in shock as Kari had attended weddings before but had never tried for the bridal bouquet.
Kari nodded to the bride graciously and as she passed the maid of honor, she said, “You know, I don’t think I’m smarter…I know I’m smarter. Only someone really stupid would say mean spirited things in a public place and just assume that coat racks don’t have ears!” The woman looked at her sister the bride and to her friend with shock and embarrassment as Kari walked away.
When Kari got back to the table both her stepmother and half brother were looking at her in amazement. Kari said, “What? I was accused of being something I wasn’t!” Before, either of them could say anything her cell phone rang. “Holmes.”
“Kari, it’s Richard.” Kari wanted to react with the irony she was feeling as she was still holding the bouquet in her hand but, she managed to keep a complete deadpan look on her face. “I need your help, I’ve been hurt and I’m freezing. I’m in a phone booth outside of The Old Peculiar in DC.”
“I know exactly where that is, it’s just one block away from FBI Headquarters. I can be there in just under an hour. I’m in Baltimore at the moment. I’ll see you there.”
Anna said, “Kari what is it that you’ve got to go into DC for?”
“Mom, Kyle, I’ve got to go because that was an informant who’s got information for me.”
Kyle said, “Kari, should you go meet this guy alone?”
“Kyle if the man wasn’t trustworthy, he wouldn’t be an informant. I’ve worked with him before…now I’ve got to go, you both have a good drive back to Peoria tomorrow and I’ll talk to you both later this week.” She gave both of them quick hugs, grabbed her purse, coat and bouquet and was gone.
DOWNTOWN WASHINGTON DC OUTSIDE OF THE OLD PECULIAR
Kimble was still sitting in the phone booth trying to stay warm. The phone booth was off to the side on the corner of the building. Nobody could see him from the inside and a tree was also over the booth. He didn’t go into the bar for fear his physical appearance would cause too many looks from people. The last thing he wanted for someone to look too hard and recognize him or worse yet, someone could call 911 thinking he’d be a Good Samaritan and ask for an ambulance to take him to the hospital.
Kari drove by and saw Kimble. She concluded that she couldn’t stop on the street in front of him. She couldn’t risk someone else driving by and taking notice. By approaching Kimble on foot, they could both just casually walk away without causing a stir. She parked around the block. The city was eerily still as she walked toward where Kimble was. Nobody seemed to be on the street. Kari always listened for sounds and she heard none. She couldn’t decide if this was good or bad.
Kimble, still in the phone booth all of a sudden felt himself being grabbed and pulled out. He looked up and saw a vagrant. It was a very whacked out vagrant who started to hit him. “Where’s your wallet?”
Kimble said, “Look I don’t have much money.”
“Give me your money!” The vagrant who smelled of alcohol and body odor put a knife to Kimble’s throat as Kimble tried to find his wallet.
All of a sudden a woman’s voice with just a hint of a southern accent that he recognized said, “Let him go and leave him alone!”
The vagrant whose back was to her replied, “Why don’t you just mind your own business Bitch!”
Kimble saw the figure move closer and it was Kari. Her service revolver was in her right hand momentarily at her side. She was wearing a black trench coat that was open. He could clearly see under the light that she was wearing white high heeled pumps, a skirt with a white background and a floral pattern over it and a light blue blouse. Her hair looked perfect and her makeup looked as though she were ready to go out to dinner.
Kimble now saw the look in her eyes change to one of hard cold steel. She lifted her service revolver and put it to the vagrant’s neck and said in the most menacing voice he’d ever heard from a woman, “I said let him go!”
The vagrant dropped the knife and lifted up his hands. He had Kimble’s wallet in his hand. Kari yanked it out of his hand and said, “Now, you have a choice here. You can choose to run away and not look back or you can run away, look back, and I’ll have to do something that I’ll hate myself for in the morning. Do I make myself clear?” The vagrant nodded his head affirmatively. Kari took her gun away and the vagrant ran for his life and did not look back.
All Kimble could think about all of this was that Justice never looked better and when she helped him to his feet he said, “I’m glad you’re on my side!”
Kari said, “My car is around the corner.”
She helped him up and he started to walk with her. Kimble had to know something. “Kari, what would you have regretted doing to that vagrant?”
Kari looked at him and said, “Arresting him of course. It would have been rather awkward arresting a vagrant who was trying to mug a fugitive who had called an FBI Agent for help. All three of us would have been taken off in cuffs!” Kimble looked relieved. Kari said, “Richard, what did you think I was going to do?”
Kimble embarrassed by thinking the worst said, “Well that of course!”
Kari knew he was thinking the death scenario but decided it was for the best to let it drop and simply said, “Let’s get you to my place.”
Kimble was shivering and said, “Your place?”
“Yes my place.” They walked to her SUV
TO BE CONTINUED….