Chapter 4





Stottlemeyer had to clench his teeth to prevent himself from berating the officer again. The crime scene was in complete disarray. Thank God the coroner had picked up the body already or someone's head would definitely roll. "Disher." His young assistant walked up to him quickly, eyes betraying his anxiousness to please. "Yes Captain?" Stottlemeyer turned and began walking back to his car. "Have Wendell take over here for Fuller. I want to make sure no more friendly neighborhood journalists spill their coffee on the blood stains." Disher nodded. "Yes sir, I'll take care of it immediately."

"Also, I want you to run a background check on Sharona."

"Sir?"

"A hunch, just a hunch."






Sharona placed her hands against the bathroom door and leaned her ear against the wood. Her brow furrowed as she listened intently. "I don't hear anything." Adrian moved up beside her, copying her motions with the opposite ear. He looked at her face as, he too, listened and heard nothing. "I don't get it, why make threats, but then just give up? It makes no sense." Sharona shook her head. "We're talking about Kevin. Nothing he's ever done has made sense." Her eyes clouded with her statement, old pain rising in her expression. Adrian felt his heart tear a little at the hurt he saw on her face. He stepped away from the door and reached a hand out to her. "I'm sorry…" His words were cut off with the sound of a splintering crash against the door. The wood shook with the impact. "No, no…" Sharona backed quickly from the only exit, turning to examine the one window in the small room. "Can we get out this way?" Adrian shook his head. "No, damn it, it's a straight drop, two stories." Sharona placed her palm against the glass. Behind them, the door shivered again, a long crack splitting halfway up the center.

"Adrian, he's gonna get in!" Adrian looked around desperately, looking for anything… there! "Sharona, grab the shower nozzle, turn it this way!" Not questioning his orders, Sharona did as he said while Adrian retrieved something from under the sink. It was a gallon of liquid anti-bacterial soap, lemon scented. Quickly, Adrian unscrewed the cap, then paused. "Adrian!" He bit his lip. "God, this is hard!" The door split further under the thundering blows. "Adrian, do it!" Turning away his eyes, Adrian up-ended the liquid soap onto the floor, groaning softly as the sticky fluid spread across the tile. Casting the container to the floor, he joined Sharona by the showerhead. A blow split the crack open more, another blow shattered it. "You ready for me bitch? You're gonna hurt now!" Kevin's hand whipped through the crack in the door, quickly releasing the lock. Grinning, he started to step inside, to be met by a spray of water in his eyes. Though the water wasn't at a very high velocity, it was distracting, and prevented Kevin from seeing the soupy puddle at his feet. Flailing his arms wildly, he crashed to the floor as his shoes slid on the viscous substance. Adrian and Sharona had already started to run past him before he'd even started falling. Sharona made it past without a problem, even managing to avoid the red-handled axe from Adrian's fire emergency kit that was lying on the floor. Adrian, however, was not so lucky. His dress shoes could not keep him upright as he stepped in the yellow muck. "Aaarrhhh- ooohhmmph!" Sharona turned as she heard him fall. "No Sharona, run! Get out, go!" Sharona grabbed his hands and pulled. Just as he regained his footing, a steely hand grabbed his ankle. "Where you think you're going huh?" Adrian pulled against the grip while Sharona pulled on his arm. "Kevin, let go!" Kevin chuckled, lifting his gun to point it at Sharona. "I don't think I will."





The Captain raised his eyes as Disher strode up. "I've got that file you were wanting." Stottlemeyer leaned back as Disher passed him the folder. "This is Sharona's?" Disher nodded. "Yep. Did you know she'd been married?" Stottlemeyer glanced up. "You didn't?" Disher opened and closed his mouth. "Well, uh…" Stottlemeyer shook his head. "Never mind." Opening the file, he began rifling through the recorded incidents of Sharona's past. A few speeding tickets, no surprise there. Hmm, now this was interesting. Stottlemeyer glanced again as he felt a breath on the back of his neck. "You mind?" Disher straightened, his face coloring slightly. "Ehem, sorry Captain." Stottlemeyer lifted a page from the file. "Seems Sharona filed several complaints during the course of her marriage." Turning another page, he winced, covering his eyes. "Oh my God." A stark black and white photo met his gaze. It was an image of Sharona, her face battered and cut. Below the photo was an outline of her injuries, they were numerous. The next page showed an X-Ray of her arm, and another of her collarbone. Both had been broken. Stottlemeyer swore under his breath. Beyond him, Disher looked on soundlessly. Flipping past a few more pages, Stottlemeyer stopped when he came across another photo. It was Sharona's former husband.





Sharona froze when she saw the gun leveled at her. Adrian glanced at her terrified expression, then suddenly kicked back with his foot, connecting with Kevin's jaw. The gun in Kevin's hand jerked, going off in the process. Sharona screamed, and Adrian lurched forward as the grip on his ankle loosened. "Hurry, before he recovers!" Sharona grabbed Adrian's hand and they ran for the door. Behind them, they heard Kevin scream, and then the gun went off again, shattering against the doorframe as they escaped out the door.




Their breaths came heavy as Adrian and Sharona ran down the street. Just great, there was no one around. Behind them, they heard the outside door open, and another shot rang in the air. Sharona pulled Adrian around the side of a building. "Bet…. you wish…. you had those… running shoes!" Adrian stopped for a second to lean against the brick wall behind them. "I'd settle for a car." He realized at this point that he still had Sharona's hand clasped in his own. The grip felt sweaty. Releasing her hand, he moved to wipe his fingers on his jacket, and paused. "Sharona…." There was blood on his palm. He looked at Sharona, then swept his arms out suddenly as she started to crumple. "Sharona!" She brought her hands up to clutch at his shoulders. It was then that she seemed to feel the pain. A gasp spilled out of her, and she turned her head to see a blush of crimson spreading over her upper arm. Adrian held her tighter as her head started to nod. "No, no, don't pass out!" Frantically, Adrian whipped his head around, searching for an escape. His eyes landed on a large dumpster.



Kevin rounded the corner at a dead run, gun held at the ready. He slowed a little as he didn't immediately catch sight of his quarry. Pausing to check the rounds, he proceeded forward a little slower, darting his eyes everywhere in case they were hiding someplace. God dammit, Sharona wasn't gonna live after this. For that matter, her pitiful lover was toast as well. He knew he'd hit one of them when he'd shot back at the house. After regaining his footing, he'd found blood smeared on the floor. He amused himself by trying to guess which one he'd hit, and where. Something caught his eye at the end of the alley. It was a large metal dumpster. Something brown was hanging out of the edge of it. Smiling, Kevin slowed even more as he approached, raising the gun as he neared the bin. He was right next to the dumpster now. Breathing in one quick breath, he jumped forward and flipped up the lid of the dumpster, then swore, it was empty. He started to turn when a stinging pain in his wrist caused him to drop his gun. "Ahhh, Shiii…." Another crack across his shoulders cut him off in mid-curse. The blow nearly dropped him, but he managed to catch the edge of the bin long enough to turn around and see what had struck him. Adrian stood behind him holding a short plank in his hanky wrapped hands. He raised it again as Kevin made as if to charge him. A little ways behind Adrian, Sharona lie slumped against the wall, one hand wrapped around her arm. Kevin laughed loudly. "God damn, ain't this a pretty sight! I warned ya, didn't I bitch! I told you if I ever caught ya cheatin' I'd kill you!" He glanced back at Monk. "Looks like I get to kill your boyfriend too." Sharona looked up at him. "I never cheated on you Kevin. And Adrian is my boss, I work for him…"

"Really, you work for him huh? Well that ain't the impression I get from watching you two together." Adrian adjusted the plank in his hands. "Listen to her Kevin, she's not lying…"

"Oh, now I spose' to believe your words, huh, Romeo? Well believe my words, I don't give a damn about what you, or she has to say! Far as I know, ya'll are both a couple of liars!" Kevin suddenly darted forward, catching Adrian off guard as he slammed into him. Both men fell to the ground, and the board clattered away. Adrian's breath left him in a rush as Kevin's fist connected with his stomach. Another fist narrowly missed his chin. For his part, Adrian managed to kick out with his foot, landing a blow to Kevin's shin. The enraged man barely registered the strike, and only increased his attack. Adrian covered his head as the blows became more concentrated. All of the sudden, Kevin was off his body. Adrian hazarded a look to see that Sharona had somehow marshaled the strength to grab the board that he'd dropped and clobber Kevin in the side of his head. Unfortunately, the little strength she possessed wasn't great, and Kevin was still conscious. A tiny trickle of blood ran down the side of his neck. Oddly, he grinned, then stood slowly. "Hey baby, you never told me you liked it rough." His quickness caught Sharona off guard, and she suddenly found the board wrenched out of her hands. Kevin laughed again as he slapped the length of wood in one palm. "It's been a very long time sweetie. You have any idea how much I've missed you since you walked out on me? I called around, no one seen you. Paid a visit to your ma. You know somethin'? She had the frickin gall to call the cops on me! I spent a night in jail because of her, all because I wanted to know where my sweet wife had disappeared to!" Sharona backed away from him slowly, Kevin kept striking his hand with the plank. "I had friends of mine out looking for you. And you wanna know what the funniest part is? Your own sister was the one that led me to you. See, she was dating an old buddy of mine, and by the way, she's a much of a whore as you are! Anyhow, this buddy happened to see you when you stopped by to visit Gail. Such a good pal, described you perfectly. Shame I had to kill him."



Stottlemeyer looked a little closer at the photo. "Hey, Lieutenant, get me a magnifying glass, hurry!" Disher turned and began rifling through his desk, quickly coming across a Sherlock Holmes style magnifier. "I'm not even gonna ask." Muttered the Captain as he looked through the lens. Beneath the glass, the image of Sharona's husband jumped in size. "Oh God!"







Sharona glanced over Kevin's shoulder. Adrian was on his hands and knees, looking. She had to give him time. "Kevin, I'm so sorry. I was wrong, I didn't mean to hurt you." Cringing, he reached out and touched his face, sliding her fingers across his lips. "I love you." Kevin stood immobilized for a second, then smiled, shaking his head. "Sorry honey, but you ain't getting out of this!" His eyes opened a little wider as he suddenly swung the board up over his head. Sharona ducked, then jerked at the sound of a gunshot. The board almost pulled from Kevin's grasp. Lowering it slowly, he saw the wood had splintered from a bullet. He turned sharply to see Monk standing behind him, gun leveled at his chest. "Drop the board and step back!" Shouted Adrian, lining up the gun. Kevin suddenly reached around and grabbed Sharona by the shoulders. She cried out as his fingers squeezed the wound on her arm. "I don't think I will Monk! How about you drop it, and I consider NOT braining this lovely lady!" Sharona, having no desire to repeat the experience of having Adrian fire a gun in her direction, slammed an elbow into Kevin's gut. Gasping, he loosened his grip enough for Sharona to escape from him. Snarling, Kevin ran after her, raising the plank for another strike. Adrian raised his gun in response. "Stop, I'll shoot!" Kevin continued after Sharona. Adrian's eyes narrowed as he aimed, then pulled the trigger. The click seemed almost deafening. The gun was empty.

Sharona made it to Adrian's side and took his hand once more. Turning, he ran with her back the way they had come, slipping the gun in his pocket as he sprinted back up the sidewalk. The still empty streets frustrated him. "My God, where is everybody?" Sharona didn't spare the streets a glance. "Probably at work, ya know, like in an office?" Their diminishing steps soon brought them right back where they had started, Monk's place. Darting inside, Adrian slammed his door, shooting home the lock. "Quick, call the police. Sharona bit her lip. "I can't, he broke your phone." Adrian turned to see his phone shattered on his floor. As Kevin began pounding on the door with his plank, Sharona slowly made her way to Adrian's couch, and collapsed. Her arm was still bleeding, and her face had grown alarmingly pale. Adrian dropped to his knees beside her. His fingers hovered near her arm, not quite daring to touch her. Sharona's eyes were slowly starting to close. "No, Sharona, you need to stay awake!" His hand hovered again. Then, biting his tongue, he lowered his hands until they made contact with her arm. Sharona didn't budge as he gently tore the fabric of her shirt, exposing the injury.

Behind him, Kevin continued pounding. Then he heard a new sound. The pounding stopped, he heard voices shouting. There was silence for a moment, then the sound of a gun going off. A second passed, then someone pounded on his door. "Adrian, Adrian it's Captain Stottlemeyer, open up!" Gasping out a breath of relief, Adrian rushed to the door and pulled it open. "Captain, thank God! Sharona's been shot!" Stottlemeyer hurried to her side, clenching his teeth at the sight of her wound. "Someone call a paramedic!"






Sharona's eyes opened cautiously. Something pink filled her vision. Blinking, she focused her gaze. It was a balloon, attached to a stuffed bear. Off to the side, a vase full of roses filled the room with a lovely scent that almost managed to mask the smell of disinfectant. She turned her head the other way, and found herself staring into toffee colored eyes. "Hey, how do you feel?" Sharona managed a smile. "Better, except for the part about me hurting everywhere." She noticed his wrist was bandaged. "What about you, you ok?" Adrian glanced at his wrist. "Ah, just a sprain. I'm fine." Sharona tried to sit up, a motion that was prevented from happening by Adrian's hands on her shoulders. "Hey, the doctor said to keep still and give the wound time to heal." Sharona smiled at his mothering tone. "Yes sir Dr. Monk." Her smile faded. "What happened Adrian, I don't remember anything after we got to your place." Adrian looked down, his face solemn. "Kevin tried to break in. About that time, Captain Stottlemeyer showed up. He ordered Kevin to back down. Kevin refused to listen, and they, they were…" Sharona nodded, a weary tear sliding down her face. "Adrian, I am so sorry you had to get involved. I hated Kevin for what he did to me, but part of me still loved him too." Adrian nodded in understanding. "But after what he did to you, if I'd had a gun, I would have shot him." Adrian looked up again. Sharona's eyes had started to close. Then she shook off sleep and opened her eyes again. "Hey, how do the Captain know to come to your place?" Adrian twitched his head. "Apparently he came across a photo of Kevin. He had a tattoo on his arm that matched a symbol they found carved in one of your kitchen knives." Sharona felt fresh tears roll down her face. "The one he used to kill Ted." Adrian nodded. "He'd carved a dove on the handle. It was the same as the dove he had tattooed on his arm, just above your name." Sharona breathed out. Slowly, her hand crawled across the sheet. Adrian paused for just a second, then reached out and took it. "Thank you." Her last word ended softly as the sedative feeding into her finally pulled her to sleep. Adrian laid his other hand across the joined pair. "Anytime."






End