Page 59 of Final Inning

And they were all friends with Miranda. That woman inspired loyalty.

They’d fight for her, no denying that.

They rendezvoused at the corner of the county.

They had a team of four OHP to assist. Fourteen more were going into the county, bringing Johnson’s pack of deputies in for questioning.

A team from the PAVAD: CAPU—the Corruption Analysis & Prevention Unit—was on its way. Every case, every moment in Helery County history going back from the date Johnson had hired on would be scrutinized by PAVAD.

There would be answers for the ones in this county who deserved them. Justice would be served, as much as it was able.

A warrant had been executed at Johnson’s house near the center of Helery Springs.

Two softball bats had been found displayed in the man’s den. They were on their way to PAVAD to be analyzed right now. One had been a Mecklemelon ZX4. With the initials R.C.A. scratched into the end cap. Ramey Calista Adams. The other matched the description given by Harper Wycoff’s youngest sister. Harper’s missing bat.

That both were found in Johnson’s possession sealed his fate.

They just needed to find the bastard himself now. And bring him down.

They did. He was nothing short of predictable.

He was lazy, predictable, and stupid. The only reason he’d gotten away with it as long as he had was because there had been no one to directly challenge him. For too long, he had been the one with the power.

Well, that ended tonight.

Johnson didn’t intend to go easily. And he fought. Of course he fought. Like Knight had suspected he would.

Knight stepped into the path of the man’s fist.

And Knight was the one to bring him down. To roll them both over the hood of Johnson’s truck when the man just kept fighting.

Knight enjoyed the fist he put into the man’s face to subdue him.

For Harper. For Kevin.

For Hagan. For Ramey, and for those innocent teenage girls who had lost their sister.

For Julian and Amanda and all the rest who Johnson had hurt.

It felt damned good to hit him. Knight would never deny it, especially to himself.

“Theodore Johnson, you have the right to remain silent…”

It was over now.

It was time to find Miranda. And get her home to the little boy who waited.

So she could be there for the child she loved so much.

Chapter 50

Dani was closing up the lab the day after what had happened to Miranda and Knight and Hagan Lindhour when someone walked in.

She just paused where she was.

She had been waiting for him.

No use denying that. There wasn’t any reason she hadn’t already left, except she’d needed to see one of them in person.