Split Second

When King saw the blood on the end of the metal pole, he froze for an instant, then turned and stared in disbelief. Kate lay against the wall, the side of her head crushed in. Morse had missed him and hit her. The young woman's lifeless eyes stared at him. Morse had killed both the father and the daughter. King knelt down and gently closed her eyes.

He could hear Michelle screaming for him through the dumbwaiter shaft.

He looked at the dead woman for a long moment. "I'm so sorry, Kate. I'm so damn sorry."

King picked up Joan and placed her in the dumbwaiter, then got inside and pulled the rope with all his strength.

Inside a room off the basement corridor, the detonation timer that Morse had engaged before his murderous attack clicked to thirty seconds and counting.

On the third floor King lifted Joan out of the dumbwaiter and explained to Michelle what had happened with Kate and Morse.

"We're wasting time," said Bruno, who obviously couldn't have cared less about the young woman's death. "How do we get out of here?"

"This way," said Michelle as she ran down the hall. They reached the end, and she pointed to the garbage chute attached to the window opening. "There's a Dumpster at the end of the chute."

"I'm not jumping into a garbage bin," said Bruno indignantly.

Michelle said, "Yes, you are."

Bruno seemed about to explode in anger before he noted the deadly serious look in her eyes. He climbed into the chute and with a shove from Michelle rocketed down, screaming all the way.

"You're next, Michelle," said King.

She climbed into the chute and disappeared.

As King, carrying Joan, climbed into the chute, the detonation timer clicked to five seconds.

The Fairmount Hotel started to implode right as King and Joanlanded in the Dumpster. The force of the hotel's disintegration knocked the Dumpster over, which was probably a good thing because the metal bottom shielded them from the brunt of the concussive force, smoke and debris. In fact, it pushed the heavy container a good ten feet across the pavement where it came to a stop a few feet from the electrified fence.

After the dust cleared, they climbed out and looked at the pile of rubble that used to be the Fairmount Hotel. Gone were the ghosts of Arnold Ramsey and Clyde Ritter, as well as the specter of guilt that had haunted King all these years.

King glanced over as Joan groaned, then slowly sat up and looked around, her eyes finally focusing. She saw John Bruno and snapped back. She swung around and spotted King, her expression one of complete astonishment.

He shrugged and said, "Better start taking catamaran lessons."

He looked over at Michelle. She smiled weakly and said, "It's over, Sean."

He gazed at the rubble once more and said, "Yeah, maybe it finally is."

Epilogue

A few days later Sean King sat on a charred hunk of wood that had been part of his beautiful kitchen as he surveyed the spot where his home had been. He turned when he heard the car pulling up.

Joan got out of her BMW.

"You look fully recovered," he said.

"I'm not sure I ever will be." She sat next to him. "Look, Sean, why won't you take the money? A deal is a deal. You earned it."

"With all you went through you deserve it more than me."

"All I went through! My God, I was drugged. You went through a nightmare fully awake."

"Just take the money and enjoy life, Joan," he said.

She took one of his hands. "Well, will you come with me? At least that way I can support you in the lifestyle you've grown accustomed to." She attempted a brave smile.

"Thanks, but I think I'll stay here."

She looked around at the devastation. "Here? What's here, Sean?"

"Well, it's my life," he said, and slowly removed his hand from hers.

She rose, looking embarrassed. "For a moment there I thought the fairy-tale ending would actually happen."

"We'd fight all the time."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"Let me know how you're doing," he said quietly. "I do want to know."

She took a long breath, dabbed at her eyes, then looked at the mountain vistas. "I don't think I thanked you for saving my life."

"Yes, you did. And you would have done the same for me."

"Yes, I would have," she said earnestly. She turned away, looking so miserable that King rose and held her. She kissed him on the cheek.

"Take care of yourself," she said. "Be as happy as you can be." She started to walk away.

"Joan?" She turned back. "I didn't say anything about you being on that elevator, because I cared for you. I cared for you a lot."

King was alone for a while until Michelle drove up and joined him.

She said, "I'd ask how's it going, but I guess I know the answer to that." She picked up a hunk of drywall. "You can rebuild, Sean, better than before."

"Yeah, only it'll be smaller. I'm in a downsizing phase of life. Clean, simple lines, maybe even a little clutter here and there."

"Now, don't go crazy on me. But where are you going to stay for now?"