Gun Games - Faye Kellerman [103]
“I never believed her.” She hugged his arm. “I knew it was a lie.”
Decker was trying to keep them on track. “Where did all this happen?”
“At Coffee Bean,” Yasmine said.
“They kidnapped you from Coffee Bean?” Decker asked.
“Right outside,” Yasmine told him, then she turned to Gabe. “I went outside to look for you because you were late, and I thought that was odd.”
“I forgot to put in my contacts for the audit— Shit! I have an audition in an hour!”
“You aren’t going anywhere,” Decker said.
“I left my sheet music at Coffee Bean. My agent’s going to kill me if I don’t show up!”
“Gabe, you’re not going anywhere,” Decker said.
“No, you don’t understand,” Gabe protested. “Jeff will really kill me.”
“I’ll take the heat,” Decker told him. The boy clearly wasn’t thinking rationally. “So all this happened outside Coffee Bean?”
“I don’t know where they took her from.” Gabe was panting hard now. “I met up with them at Greendale Park.” Each breath was an effort. “You know, Peter, they might still be there because we threw their shit all over the place and they’re probably looking for everything we tossed. I figured if we threw their junk around, it would keep them occupied while we ran away.”
Decker immediately called Marge.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“Emergency situation. I want you and all units available to converge on Greendale Park. Pick up everyone you find there and detain them until I arrive.”
“Everyone?”
“Everyone. I’ll sort it out later. Use extreme caution with any teenagers you find. They may have weapons.”
“You could probably arrest them, Lieutenant,” Yasmine said. “They were all carrying drugs.”
Decker said to Marge, “If you find any of them in possession of weapons, drugs, or any illegal contraband, arrest them immediately. But again, I reiterate. Use extreme caution. They’re armed.”
“I have their guns,” Gabe said. “But they may have more.”
The B and W Mafia, Decker thought. “Where are the guns you have?”
“Where?” He felt around. “In my pocket.” He gave Yasmine her cell and her watch. “Good thing you left them on the ground for me to find. You’re so smart.”
“I had to do something,” Yasmine said.
“You’re just brilliant.”
Decker was still trying to keep them focused. “How many guns do you have, Gabe?”
“Two. You know, I remember one dude trying to pull a gun on me. He had long hair and zits. I shot at him. He could still have a piece.”
Decker relayed the information to Marge.
“I’m seconds away,” she said, then got off the phone.
Gabe said, “Do you want me to give them to you . . . the guns?”
“Yes, I want them, but I don’t want you giving them to me in a moving car. I’ll take them from you when we get to the police station.” A pause. “Do you even know if they’re loaded?”
“They’re loaded,” Gabe said. “Dylan shot at me.”
Again, Decker punched in Marge’s cell number. It took a minute and when her phone finally connected, he said, “Do not let any of the kids wash their hands until you’ve tested them all for gunshot residue. Especially a boy named Dylan.”
“Dylan?” Marge gasped.
“Yeah, Dylan,” Decker said.
“Got it,” Marge said. “I’m just pulling up.” She disconnected the phone.
Decker’s brain cells were firing so fast, it was hard to keep a train of thought. They rode a minute in silence. “Gabe, did you discharge any of the weapons?”
“Yeah. The Luger 9 mm semi for sure at least twice, but I don’t remember if I shot the .22.”
Decker’s heart sank. “Did you hurt anyone?”
“No . . . at least, I don’t think so.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m not positive of anything.”
More minutes ticked on. Marge called back. “We found six teenagers in the process of picking up their belongings. It’s a real mess. Call you later.”
“Anyone hurt?” Decker asked, but Marge had already hung up. He said, “They picked up six kids.”
“That’s all of them,” Gabe said.
“And you’re sure you didn’t hurt anyone?”
“I didn’t kill anyone,” Gabe told him. To Yasmine he said, “They were all standing up when we split, right?
Yasmine concurred. “Yeah, they were all standing up. He didn’t hurt anyone.”
“You’re sure?”