"What's wrong?" Nancy asked, jumping up from her seat on the couch.
Almost instantly, Amy appeared to be an innocent victim once more, instead
of an accomplice to criminal activity.
"He said he was going to kill me," Amy whispered, nervously stroking the animal's luxurious coat as she cried.
"Who?" Frank demanded, also standing to face the obviously frightened young woman.
"Paul," she choked out between sobs.
"Where is he, Amy?" Nancy questioned the young brunette in front of her.
"He said he'd kill me and Ned if I told anyone what was going on," she sobbed hysterically.
Nancy shot a quick glance at Frank before placing her hands on Amy's shoulders. "Amy, you've got to calm down and tell us what's going on. We can't help you if we don't the situation."
Amy's brown eyes looked up at Nancy's concerned face. Her sobs began to quiet down and she bit her lip nervously. She looked back and forth between Nancy and Frank and whispered, "I don't know if I should say anything."
Frank took a step closer and stood next to Nancy. "Amy, anything you can tell us will get us that much closer to finding Paul and putting him behind bars. Do you know where he is?"
Nodding silently Amy indicated that she did. Pointing down the hallway she answered, "When he heard you guys come in, he apparently went down the fire escape outside my bedroom."
Frank shot Nancy and alarmed look and immediately grabbed his cell phone to warn his brother. "Go!" Nancy shooed him. "I've got this covered."
When Frank shot out the front door of the apartment, Nancy pulled out her cell phone and placed a 9-1-1 call. She gave the dispatcher all of the necessary information and was promised that a unit would be arriving as soon as possible. That task completed, she turned once again to the scared young woman in front of her. "Sit down and tell me what happened. Start at the beginning and tell me how Paul knew we went to the office last night." Nancy instructed.
Amy sat down on the couch next to Nancy and continued to pet her dog for comfort. "When I got home from visiting Ned yesterday afternoon, Paul was waiting in front of my door. I told him to get lost. He refused and warned me to stay away from Ned and you two. He said that you guys were only causing trouble and that if you kept putting your nose where it didn't belong, you all wouldn't be alive for much longer. He kept telling me, I like you Amy - I don't want to have to hurt you, too." Amy glanced up at Nancy and her eyes went wide, "Oh my god. You thought that I told Paul what we were doing, didn't you?"
"The thought did cross my mind this morning," Nancy said evasively. It was now apparent that the brunette had nothing to do with the unfortunate events of the night before.
"Nancy, I swear that I didn't tell him anything,"she promised. "After Paul left, I came inside and then called you. I guess he was watching me and followed me to the office when I went to meet you."
Nancy let the pieces fall into place. Amy's story seemed plausible enough, but it still didn't explain how Paul ended up escaping via the fire escape a few minutes earlier. "So how did he end up here?" she questioned.
"When I was getting released from the hospital last night, Gerry, Paul's brother, came by. He told me that Paul was hurt but had escaped the police. He told me that I had to keep Paul at my house, because he knew they would check his place after they checked Paul's condo. I told him no way in hell." She took a deep breath and then continued. "He opened his jacket and showed me his gun. Gerry said I didn't have much of a choice, unless I preferred death," Amy finished, shuddering at the memory.
Nancy ran her hands through her shoulder length hair as she listened to Amy's explanation. "Why didn't you call the cops or us?" she asked in frustration.
"Because the doctors had already discharged me and no one was around!" she cried out in frustration. "He took me to the car where Paul was waiting and drove me us back here. Gerry took all of the phones and my car keys. I tried to sneak out in the middle of the night, but my dog heard me and started barking. Paul woke up and caught me before I could get out." She lifted up her sweatshirt and showed Nancy the telltale signs of several bruises forming around her rib cage. "When you guys knocked on the door, he let me answer it, but not before grabbed me by the throat and threatened to kill me again. I guess he went out through the window, when I let you guys inside."
"It's going to be okay," Nancy promised, placing a comforting hand on Amy's shoulder. "Frank and Joe are downstairs right now, prepared to take him down."
As Frank dashed down the stairs, he inwardly thanked his brother for suggesting that they purchase the cell phones that doubled as walkie talkies. "He's coming down the fire escape, Joe!" Frank shouted into the phone.
Joe buzzed back, "I see him." He quickly got out of the parked car and ran across the parking lot to the side of the building. Paul had just landed on the hard ground and was running towards the back of the building. "He's going around back," Joe warned his brother, as he took off chasing the wanted man.
Frank made a sharp turn at the end of the stairwell and ran through the breeze way of the building. At the end of the corridor, he glanced to the right and saw Paul streaking across the grass towards the common areas that housed the tennis courts and the pool. Joe was gaining on him and Frank ran to intercept.
When Paul was no more than a few steps away, Frank used the adrenaline coursing through his veins to launch himself at the crazed man and tackle him to the ground. "You're done, Wheeler," Frank said forcefully. Paul struggled to flip Frank off of him, but Frank managed to get a hold of Paul's injured shoulder and twisted it behind him. Crying out in pain, Paul finally relented.
Joe stopped at the two men in front of him on the ground. Frank had Paul securely detained and was panting from the energy that he had just expended. Joe pulled out his handcuffs from the back of his jeans and tossed them to his brother. Frank made quick work of putting the cuffs on and made sure to tighten them enough so that Paul's injured arm was causing him pain.
Frank climbed to his feet and pulled Paul roughly up with him. He pushed the man in Joe's direction and said, "He's all yours." Frank knew that if he kept charge of the man until the police arrived, Paul would be leaving with more than just an injured shoulder. Joe nodded and allowed his brother to calmly walk away from the scene. Police sirens were now being heard, drawing closer and closer to the apartment complex.
Joe grabbed Paul's arm and walked him out into the parking lot of the complex, to wait for the police, while Frank went upstairs to check on Nancy and Amy.
Nancy flung open the door as she heard him approach. She took sight of disheveled appearance and asked worriedly, "Did you get him?"
Frank nodded yes and gathered Nancy in his arms in a tight embrace. "It's all over," he whispered.
Nancy pulled back from Frank and turned to Amy. "They got him, Amy. He can't threaten you anymore."
Visibly relieved, Amy sat her dog on the ground and jumped up from the couch. She impulsively grabbed Nancy and hugged her. Then walking over to Frank she reached up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, guys," she said to the both of them. "I don't know how Ned and I will ever be able to repay you."
Nancy waved her off with her hand, "Don't worry about that." She grinned at Frank and said, "This is what we do. We can't help ourselves."
The two laughed heartily, finally able to release the built up tension of the last few days, as Amy looked confusedly at the pair. "Huh?" she asked.
"Just ask Ned," Nancy managed to say through her laughter. "He'll fill you in."
Her laughter dying, Frank looked at Nancy and said, "So what you say we go downstairs and make sure the police have all the information they need?"
"Let's go," Nancy replied. She glanced over at Amy and said, "The police are going to want a statement from you. You'll have to tell them what happened last night."
"They're not going to charge me with anything, are they?" Amy asked with worry. "I didn't have any other choice."
"We'll make sure they know that you were fully cooperative with us," Frank promised.
"Besides," Nancy chimed in, "It's not technically aiding and abetting. What Paul did was more along the lines of keeping you a hostage in your own home."
Shutting the front door behind them as they walked outside, Amy sighed, "I'm just glad this whole nightmare is over."
"He said he was going to kill me," Amy whispered, nervously stroking the animal's luxurious coat as she cried.
"Who?" Frank demanded, also standing to face the obviously frightened young woman.
"Paul," she choked out between sobs.
"Where is he, Amy?" Nancy questioned the young brunette in front of her.
"He said he'd kill me and Ned if I told anyone what was going on," she sobbed hysterically.
Nancy shot a quick glance at Frank before placing her hands on Amy's shoulders. "Amy, you've got to calm down and tell us what's going on. We can't help you if we don't the situation."
Amy's brown eyes looked up at Nancy's concerned face. Her sobs began to quiet down and she bit her lip nervously. She looked back and forth between Nancy and Frank and whispered, "I don't know if I should say anything."
Frank took a step closer and stood next to Nancy. "Amy, anything you can tell us will get us that much closer to finding Paul and putting him behind bars. Do you know where he is?"
Nodding silently Amy indicated that she did. Pointing down the hallway she answered, "When he heard you guys come in, he apparently went down the fire escape outside my bedroom."
Frank shot Nancy and alarmed look and immediately grabbed his cell phone to warn his brother. "Go!" Nancy shooed him. "I've got this covered."
When Frank shot out the front door of the apartment, Nancy pulled out her cell phone and placed a 9-1-1 call. She gave the dispatcher all of the necessary information and was promised that a unit would be arriving as soon as possible. That task completed, she turned once again to the scared young woman in front of her. "Sit down and tell me what happened. Start at the beginning and tell me how Paul knew we went to the office last night." Nancy instructed.
Amy sat down on the couch next to Nancy and continued to pet her dog for comfort. "When I got home from visiting Ned yesterday afternoon, Paul was waiting in front of my door. I told him to get lost. He refused and warned me to stay away from Ned and you two. He said that you guys were only causing trouble and that if you kept putting your nose where it didn't belong, you all wouldn't be alive for much longer. He kept telling me, I like you Amy - I don't want to have to hurt you, too." Amy glanced up at Nancy and her eyes went wide, "Oh my god. You thought that I told Paul what we were doing, didn't you?"
"The thought did cross my mind this morning," Nancy said evasively. It was now apparent that the brunette had nothing to do with the unfortunate events of the night before.
"Nancy, I swear that I didn't tell him anything,"she promised. "After Paul left, I came inside and then called you. I guess he was watching me and followed me to the office when I went to meet you."
Nancy let the pieces fall into place. Amy's story seemed plausible enough, but it still didn't explain how Paul ended up escaping via the fire escape a few minutes earlier. "So how did he end up here?" she questioned.
"When I was getting released from the hospital last night, Gerry, Paul's brother, came by. He told me that Paul was hurt but had escaped the police. He told me that I had to keep Paul at my house, because he knew they would check his place after they checked Paul's condo. I told him no way in hell." She took a deep breath and then continued. "He opened his jacket and showed me his gun. Gerry said I didn't have much of a choice, unless I preferred death," Amy finished, shuddering at the memory.
Nancy ran her hands through her shoulder length hair as she listened to Amy's explanation. "Why didn't you call the cops or us?" she asked in frustration.
"Because the doctors had already discharged me and no one was around!" she cried out in frustration. "He took me to the car where Paul was waiting and drove me us back here. Gerry took all of the phones and my car keys. I tried to sneak out in the middle of the night, but my dog heard me and started barking. Paul woke up and caught me before I could get out." She lifted up her sweatshirt and showed Nancy the telltale signs of several bruises forming around her rib cage. "When you guys knocked on the door, he let me answer it, but not before grabbed me by the throat and threatened to kill me again. I guess he went out through the window, when I let you guys inside."
"It's going to be okay," Nancy promised, placing a comforting hand on Amy's shoulder. "Frank and Joe are downstairs right now, prepared to take him down."
As Frank dashed down the stairs, he inwardly thanked his brother for suggesting that they purchase the cell phones that doubled as walkie talkies. "He's coming down the fire escape, Joe!" Frank shouted into the phone.
Joe buzzed back, "I see him." He quickly got out of the parked car and ran across the parking lot to the side of the building. Paul had just landed on the hard ground and was running towards the back of the building. "He's going around back," Joe warned his brother, as he took off chasing the wanted man.
Frank made a sharp turn at the end of the stairwell and ran through the breeze way of the building. At the end of the corridor, he glanced to the right and saw Paul streaking across the grass towards the common areas that housed the tennis courts and the pool. Joe was gaining on him and Frank ran to intercept.
When Paul was no more than a few steps away, Frank used the adrenaline coursing through his veins to launch himself at the crazed man and tackle him to the ground. "You're done, Wheeler," Frank said forcefully. Paul struggled to flip Frank off of him, but Frank managed to get a hold of Paul's injured shoulder and twisted it behind him. Crying out in pain, Paul finally relented.
Joe stopped at the two men in front of him on the ground. Frank had Paul securely detained and was panting from the energy that he had just expended. Joe pulled out his handcuffs from the back of his jeans and tossed them to his brother. Frank made quick work of putting the cuffs on and made sure to tighten them enough so that Paul's injured arm was causing him pain.
Frank climbed to his feet and pulled Paul roughly up with him. He pushed the man in Joe's direction and said, "He's all yours." Frank knew that if he kept charge of the man until the police arrived, Paul would be leaving with more than just an injured shoulder. Joe nodded and allowed his brother to calmly walk away from the scene. Police sirens were now being heard, drawing closer and closer to the apartment complex.
Joe grabbed Paul's arm and walked him out into the parking lot of the complex, to wait for the police, while Frank went upstairs to check on Nancy and Amy.
Nancy flung open the door as she heard him approach. She took sight of disheveled appearance and asked worriedly, "Did you get him?"
Frank nodded yes and gathered Nancy in his arms in a tight embrace. "It's all over," he whispered.
Nancy pulled back from Frank and turned to Amy. "They got him, Amy. He can't threaten you anymore."
Visibly relieved, Amy sat her dog on the ground and jumped up from the couch. She impulsively grabbed Nancy and hugged her. Then walking over to Frank she reached up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, guys," she said to the both of them. "I don't know how Ned and I will ever be able to repay you."
Nancy waved her off with her hand, "Don't worry about that." She grinned at Frank and said, "This is what we do. We can't help ourselves."
The two laughed heartily, finally able to release the built up tension of the last few days, as Amy looked confusedly at the pair. "Huh?" she asked.
"Just ask Ned," Nancy managed to say through her laughter. "He'll fill you in."
Her laughter dying, Frank looked at Nancy and said, "So what you say we go downstairs and make sure the police have all the information they need?"
"Let's go," Nancy replied. She glanced over at Amy and said, "The police are going to want a statement from you. You'll have to tell them what happened last night."
"They're not going to charge me with anything, are they?" Amy asked with worry. "I didn't have any other choice."
"We'll make sure they know that you were fully cooperative with us," Frank promised.
"Besides," Nancy chimed in, "It's not technically aiding and abetting. What Paul did was more along the lines of keeping you a hostage in your own home."
Shutting the front door behind them as they walked outside, Amy sighed, "I'm just glad this whole nightmare is over."