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The man rushed ather. She turned around and was about to bolt down the street when she changedher mind. She might be faster than the guy over a long distance, but he wouldcatch her in a sprint. She had to change the dynamic.
So rather than runshe took two huge steps and leapt up onto the hood of the Subaru. Then, withoutpausing, she scrambled up to the roof of the car and spun around. The manstopped in front of the hood of the car, apparently debating his next move.
Then, slowly, hepulled off his hoodie. Hank Costabile stood in front of her, a nasty smile onhis face, a switchblade in his hand, flickering in the streetlight.
"Hi,Jessie," he snarled. "It's been a minute."
“Not long enough,”she shot back with far more arrogance than she felt.
“I’m guessing youdon’t have your gun, or you’d have shot me by now,” he noted.
“There’s stilltime for you to turn around and go home,” she said. “You haven’t committed anycrimes yet, at least not since you got out of prison.”
“But I’m aboutto,” he told her. “You didn’t really think I could just let things lie, didyou? Or that I’d actually run off to Tijuana?”
“No,” she toldhim, hoping to delay the inevitable. “I figured you found some lookalike lackeyto take your place.”
She unzipped herjacket and took it off. It wasn't much, but it was the only thing at herdisposal. Maybe she could whip it at him to keep him at bay, or even knock theknife out of his hand.
“You figuredright,” he said as he clambered up onto the hood of the Subaru, denting itrepeatedly. “There are lots of folks who want to help me, some of them in yourown police station. They’re all tired of a mouthy bitch like you messing thingsup for the rest of us.”
“Such agentleman,” she said. “I would have thought you’d have learned some manners inprison, but it looks like you’re just the same old human bowling ball.”
Jessie had madeher decision. She couldn’t outrun this guy. And she couldn’t outfight him. Butmaybe she could outthink him. The very fact that Costabile was putting hisfreedom at risk to come after her was proof that he was fueled by rage morethan brains. Maybe she could get him so angry that he made a mistake.
“Yeah, well, thishuman bowling ball is about to gut you like a fish.”
“I doubt it,” shesaid. “If you try to climb up here with me, you’ll probably fall through theroof, big boy.”
“Let’s find out,”he spat, moving forward on the hood.
She flicked thejacket at him like a whip, making him lose his balance slightly, but not enoughto fall off the car. As he walked up the windshield, she retreated to the backof the roof. Maybe he really would be heavy enough to crash through the thing ifhe got up there with her. But she wasn’t holding her breath.
Jessie was runningout of ideas, and the sound of a blaring car horn in the distance wasn’thelping her concentrate. Costabile was on the roof with her now and though helooked a little unsteady on his feet, he was in no danger of caving the thingin.
The honking behindthem got louder and closer. Jessie stole a glance back. What she saw made herheart sing. Ryan was driving toward them—fast—and waving his arm at her wildly.She looked back at Costabile and realized that her husband and partner wouldn’tget there in time. There just wasn’t enough of it for him to pull over and getoff a good shot before Costabile did his work.
“Looks like yourtime has come,” the former cop told her, a mad grimace on his face. He was nowin lunging distance, gripping the knife tightly.
Jessie heard thehonk again and pictured Ryan behind her, still waving wildly. And in a flash,she realized that hadn’t been waving wildly at all. He was swinging his armbackward, telling her to move in that direction. Now she understood. He wastelling her to jump.
Withouthesitation, she grabbed her jacket in both hands and flung it at Costabile’sface. As he swiped at it with the knife, she turned, jumped down to the trunkof the Subaru and leapt onto the hood of the Honda Civic right behind it. Shelanded hard on her knees but ignored the pain and spun around.
Costabile had wonhis battle with her jacket and was leaping down onto the Subaru’s trunk. Butjust as his feet landed, the hood of Ryan’s car slammed into the trunk.Costabile was going forward one moment and the next he was slingshot back intothe air.
Jessie watched himfly thirty feet before slamming into the chain link fence next to the sidewalkalong the perimeter of the Twin Towers. The fence caught him like a catcher’smitt before he fell to the sidewalk.
Ryan leapt out ofthe driver’s seat and looked over at Jessie.
“Are you okay?” hesaid.
“I think so.”
“Stay there,” heinstructed as he dashed between the cars and toward Costabile.
The man saw himcoming and tried to get to his feet. Jessie was amazed that he could move atall. As he used the fence to pull himself up, Jessie noted that his right legwas bent the wrong way at the knee. Seemingly oblivious, he snatched up theknife, which was resting beside him on the sidewalk.
“I wanted her,” hegrunted as Ryan came toward him, “But you’ll do just as well.”
