"No!" May yelled, her fingers still clinging to his wrist, but slipping. She couldn't hold him back any longer.
In a moment, it'd be too late.
Maybe he sensed that, because he wrenched himself free, the scythe raised in both hands, with a triumphant cry. With a screech of fear, Sharon jackknifed out of its path.
May did the only thing she could think of, dangerous as it was.
She threw herself under the blade, going for his legs in a desperate tackle, knowing it was a last-ditch attempt and that at any moment, she might feel that lethal blade thudding down to bury itself in her flesh.
But she got his legs. She flung her full weight against them, aiming for the knees, and she felt him stagger back. Letting out a cry of pain, he stumbled to the ground, and the scythe swished down, burying itself in a floorboard just inches away from May's face.
And then, in a flash, the bright beam of the overhead lights flooded the room.
"Police! Hands in the air!"
Burgess whipped around, staring in disbelief at the three officers crowding the doorway, all with their guns drawn. Owen led the way, holding his weapon in a steady grasp as he aimed it unflinchingly at Burgess's chest.
She heard the maniacal killer give a gasp of pure rage and defeat.
He raised his hands reluctantly, looking from officer to officer, accepting that at last, his lethal quest to kill had reached its end.
May scrambled to her feet, giving Owen a grateful glance, which he returned, looking proud and relieved. As the officers moved forward to handcuff the killer, May turned back to Sharon, who was standing in the corner of the room. She was still holding the only weapon that had been available to her, a heavy book.
May felt full of admiration and respect for her courage and grit, this woman who had now survived death not once but twice.
"It's okay," she told her gently, taking the book from Sharon’s hand as tears filled her eyes. "You did well. You saved us both. It's over now, it's all right, and you're going to be safe."
EPILOGUE
It was early the following morning. In fact, it was as early as May was able to time it, knowing that the storage units would open at six-thirty. It was now six twenty-five, and she was approaching the industrial area of Chestnut Hill.
The area looked peaceful and surprisingly beautiful in the cool, low morning light.
May still felt emotions fizzing inside her as she thought back over the memories of the previous day. That brutal fight. The funeral home owner had been sinking rapidly into madness. They'd been struggling with someone not only murderous, but totally unhinged from reality. She felt grateful for the resourcefulness of his final target, Sharon, a double survivor, who'd pulled through leukemia and a bone marrow transplant, and would now, hopefully, go on to enjoy many more years of life. Chad Burgess would spend the rest of his life in a maximum security cell.
She was grateful for Owen's courage, the speed with which the team had arrived. And for Kerry's resourcefulness, and her help with the FBI databases that had ultimately allowed May to arrive at Sharon's house in time to save her.
So many people had contributed to the final closure of this case, and May could not be more thankful for their efforts, as well as for the inner strength she'd been able to gather up that had allowed her to keep fighting even when it seemed impossible to carry on.
With Burgess locked away, and a wealth of evidence from his house, May knew the case against him was rock solid and that he would pay for every one of his crimes.
That case was closed, wrapped up. They’d left work at eight p.m. and she and Owen had gone to Dan’s Bar for a burger and a beer.
But now, May was heading for a case that was far from closed, a mystery that she hoped she would find the next step to solving.
She had no idea what would be inside this safe.
She parked outside and walked into the lobby, breathing in the same smell of dust she remembered.
"Oh, you're back at last? I thought you were going to be here yesterday," the attendant said, looking at May suspiciously. "I stayed open an extra five minutes yesterday evening waiting for you. That was a waste of time."
"I'm so sorry," May replied, managing to be gracious even though half of her felt numb with nerves, and the other half wanted to laugh hysterically at this comment. "I was a little busy yesterday. Police work takes priority. Thank you for waiting."
With a sigh, the woman handed over the envelope with the keys and invoice.
May folded the invoice and put it in her pocket so that she could pay Pete as soon as she left.
Then she took the keys and headed down the stairs, getting her flashlight ready to cut the gloomy dark of the basement.