“I know his name,” the agent said.
“He’s the man
you want, not Tierney. William Ritt is Blue.”
“How do you know?” he asked.
“He told me. He was going to kill me.”
During this rapid exchange, Tierney had braced his left hand against the wall and used it for support as he stood up. The older agent took a large white handkerchief from his back pants pocket and wordlessly handed it to him. “This might help with the bleeding.”
Tierney took the handkerchief and pressed it into his shoulder. “Thanks.”
“So.” The agent nudged William with the toe of his shoe, but he was looking at Tierney when he said, “You finally found Blue.”
Tierney nodded.
Lilly looked from one to the other with confusion.
The federal agent turned to her. “Ms. Martin, I’m . . . Oh, my apologies. Hoot, search Ritt for the key to those cuffs.”
“He didn’t handcuff her. I did.”
The older man looked at Tierney with surprise.
“The key is in my coat pocket. It’s zipped. I’m not sure I can—”
“Allow me.” He unzipped the pocket Tierney indicated and withdrew the small key. “I’m Special Agent in Charge Begley. That’s Special Agent Wise.” He knelt in front of Lilly and unlocked the handcuffs, then assisted her to stand.
“Pleased to meet you.” She pushed past him and rushed to Tierney, who was still holding himself up against the wall. Her hands moved over him, although inches away from actually touching him out of fear of hurting him more. “Lord, Tierney, look at you.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“What?” She looked up into his sunken eyes, then shook her head. “No.”
“But I did. In the shed—”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“I had to do it.”
“I understand. I do.”
For several moments their attention was riveted on each other, but they simultaneously became aware of their audience. She addressed the senior agent. “Tierney arrived just in time to stop William Ritt from killing me. Millicent Gunn’s body is in the toolbox in the shed. I found it there this morning.” She looked at Tierney. “You found it the night you went for wood and searched for the ax. That’s why you were so brusque.”
He nodded. To Begley he said, “Like Lilly says, I found the body night before last. I didn’t touch it, so it’s just as I found it. Unless Ritt moved it when he got up here.”
“I don’t think he did,” Lilly told them. “He came straight into the cabin.”
“Where’s this shed?” Begley asked.
She told him. “William admitted to me that he killed Millicent and hid her body there temporarily. He confessed to—boasted of—the other killings as well.”
“Get him out of here.” At a nod from Begley, the two tactical officers seized William under the arms and dragged him facedown toward the door. He hung limply between them, as though he’d finally passed out from the beating Tierney had given him.
“Restrain him, put him in the chopper. Wait for me there.”
“Yes, sir.”