The Way My Heart Beats

Chapter 16

I am completely stunned by Mitch's revelation. How in the world did this happen? Am I just that gosh damn lucky that the two most disgusting people that I have the pleasure of knowing are the same person? Technically, I guess knowing one murderer is better than knowing two, but this is absurd.

Mitch had drove me home after the doctor discharged me and scheduled me for surgery in two days. He argued that I needed to grab a hotel room, but other than lack of furniture, my house was cleaned up. Mitch had gotten a clean up crew to take care of the mess after they gathered all the evidence they needed. I ordered a new mattress and had it delivered while waiting on my results. Mitch has agreed to help me get it on the bed. I can only do so much with one less arm that's in a shit load of pain.

I'm lying in bed staring at the ceiling with my heart in my stomach completely sick over Clara missing. I feel so helpless and pissed that there's nothing I can do right now. There's no other clues besides learning who Joe really is. Mitch said he had his team searching for his whereabouts. My mind drifts to the possibility of Clara being dead. It wrecks me from the inside out.

I want to blame myself. What if I brought this upon her just by knowing Joe? He's clearly after me. I know he's the one who destroyed my house and rear ended me in town. Thankfully that poor girl and her baby survived and seem to be doing great. That would've been another death on Joe's hands. And once more, a death without remorse.

But, if Clara is still alive and Joe really has her, what's he after? If she's dead, then he has nothing on me. He has nothing to keep me from talking about what really happened on that mission. He's got to have her alive. That's the only way he has any leverage on me to keep my mouth shut. And just then, I think of a plan.

"Mitch. Sorry. I know it's late, but I've got an idea."

Then I make the phone call to Margaret.

"I don't know if Joe is watching or not, so we will have to meet at the precinct. He's not stupid. He'll spot out anything suspicious."

Margaret was skeptical, but agreed to meet with us due to the time sensitivity of Clara's case. I'm not suppose to be driving, but I don't give a rat's at the moment. I suddenly have a plan to draw Joe out of the woodwork and get Clara back to me.

It's midnight, but the precinct is very alive with the crime of a city that never stops. Margaret is already waiting in Mitch's office when I arrive. She's still dressed professionally in dress and heels.

"Margaret. Mitch." I nod at them and shut the door behind me. I take a seat in one of the leather arm chairs in front of Mitch's desk. All eyes on me with Margaret sitting on the edge of the desk and Mitch standing against the wall leaning on his chair, I slap my hands against the leather and begin.

"Now that we know Joe Manning and Marc Clayton are the same person, I can only assume Joe is the one who destroyed my house, caused the wreck, and took Clara. He's after me, using Clara and any other means to keep me from talking. He knows I hold the truth of what really happened that night." No one speaks for a moment, taking in the possibility of what I've just said.

Mitch straightens up and clears his throat. "You could be onto something, Holland. Out of the five of us who were on that mission, one is dead, one is in prison, and I don't have anything to lose. Joe is after you because not only are you in bed with his ex wife who he's already tried to murder, but you hold the key to putting him in federal prison."

Margaret stands up and crosses her arms with her heels clanking against the tiled floor as she paces considering all that's been said. "Hmm," she sounds, "you've really gotten yourself in an interesting position, Mr. Holland." She stops pacing when she's standing only a foot in front of me. She takes the chair beside me and leans in. "So, what's next?"