Chapter 12 - THE SHOT IN THE RAIN
Renick hit Belle before the gun fired.
They fell together.
The bullet passed above them.
Agents opened fire.
Patrick collapsed.
His gun slid across the wet pier.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Belle heard Renick groan.
She pushed herself up.
Blood covered his shirt.
“No.”
The bullet had struck his side.
“Renick!”
He looked almost annoyed.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re bleeding.”
“I’ve done that before.”
“That is not comforting.”
Paramedics rushed in.
Patrick was alive too.
Barely.
For Belle, that mattered.
Death would have been easy.
Patrick would face a courtroom.
Names would be read.
Victims would be remembered.
Daniel would finally have a voice.
Renick underwent surgery.
Belle waited with Brinley and Micah.
At 4:12 a.m., the surgeon appeared.
“He’s going to be okay.”
Brinley started crying.
Belle held her.
Micah hugged them both.
Two days later, Renick woke.
Brinley sat beside him.
“You got shot.”
“So I heard.”
“That was dumb.”
Renick smiled.
“Your friend says things like that too.”
“Micah says you need better plans.”
“Micah is becoming irritating.”
From the doorway, Micah said, “I heard that.”
Renick laughed.
Weeks later, Patrick Kavanaugh was indicted on dozens of federal charges.
So was Sully.
Sully confessed to his role in Daniel’s death.
He provided evidence against Patrick.
Belle visited him once before trial.
He looked twenty years older.
“I’m sorry.”
Belle sat across the glass.
“I know.”
“I should’ve called 911 first.”
“Yes.”
“I thought I could fix it.”
“You couldn’t.”
“No.”
Belle looked at him.
“I don’t forgive you.”
“I don’t expect you to.”
“But I believe you’re sorry.”
Sully nodded.
For Belle, that was enough.
Not forgiveness.
Not yet.
Maybe never.
But enough to walk away without carrying him inside her anger forever.
Renick’s own case remained.
He had committed crimes.
He did not deny them.
His cooperation reduced his sentence, but it did not erase the past.
The judge sentenced him to thirty months in federal prison.
Brinley cried.
Renick held her.
“I’m coming back.”
“Promise?”
He hesitated.
Then smiled.
“Promise.”
Before he surrendered, he visited Belle’s basement apartment one final time.
He knocked on the door.
The most feared man in Boston stood on those cracked concrete steps holding no gun.
No guards.
No threat.
Just an envelope.
Belle opened it.
Inside was a deed.
She immediately handed it back.
“No.”
“Read it.”
“I don’t want a house.”
“It’s not a house.”
Belle looked again.
It was ownership paperwork for a small cleaning company.
Her cleaning company.
Renick had purchased the failing business Belle worked for and transferred ownership to her.
She stared.
“I can’t accept this.”
“You can.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re good at the work.”
“That isn’t why.”
“No.”
Renick smiled.
“It’s because your son saved mine.”
“Daughter.”
“That too.”
Belle laughed.
Then Renick became serious.
“Take care of Brinley.”
Belle’s smile faded.
“She’ll stay with Declan.”
“I know.”
“But?”
“She trusts you.”
Belle looked toward Micah.
Brinley was sitting beside him drawing birds.
“I’ll be there.”
Renick nodded.
He turned to leave.
Belle stopped him.
“Renick.”
He looked back.
“Come home different.”
His eyes held hers.
“I’m planning to.”
Then he walked away.
May you like
But none of them knew Patrick Kavanaugh had one final secret waiting inside Daniel’s evidence.
A secret concerning Micah.
