Witness to Death by Dave White

scared.
He grabbed the phone and dialed 911. A woman answered and asked what his emergency was. He’d only had to call 911 once in his life, when he had office duty and a kid down the hall had a diabetes attack and passed out.
“Ashley, she’s been shot! She’s not breathing.”
“Okay. What’s your location?”
He gave it.
“There will be someone on their way. What’s your name?”
“John Brighton.”
He held the phone to his ear with two hands, gripping it so tight, his skin burned against his knuckles.
“All right. Someone will be there shortly. Just stay where you are. Stay on the line with me.”
He’d told them his name. Two hours earlier he’d been arrested, people were coming after him, and he’d just told the police his name. He hung up the phone. He squeezed his eyes shut and let the tears burn his cheeks.
There was a light rapping on the front door.
“Hello? Ashley?” It was Megan, Ashley’s neighbor.
John stayed quiet. He’d already called for help. He didn’t want to answer, and bring attention to himself. Didn’t want her to come in and see all this.
“Ash? I thought I heard screaming. Hello?” Then a pause. “If you’re okay say something.”
John held his breath and waited a minute. He heard the clunk of footsteaps walking way.
He dialed Michelle’s number from memory. She picked up after two rings.
“Ashley? What’s up?”
“It’s not Ashley, it’s John.”
“Are you kidding? They told me you broke out of jail. Are you insane? What are you doing at Ashley’s house? Are you okay?”
He could hear the blinker from her car, and the radio in the background.
“Wait.”
“John, you got to turn yourself in! My dad got you a lawyer, but he’s not going to be able—”
“I told you to wait!”
Michelle stopped talking.
He looked at Ashley once more. Her skin had darkened.
“I need help. I think Ashley’s dead.”
Silence on the other end of the line. He looked over at Ashley and pictured her standing up and walking over to him. She had a way of just wrapping her arms around him when he was down and tension would seep from his body.
No more.
“What happened?” Michelle finally said. Her voice shook.
“She got me out of jail. She set the police station on fire, and then she got me out of there. Took me to her apartment. Said someone was—Oh God—someone was trying to kill her. And me. We were in danger. Then some woman in a ski mask—she had a gun.”
The convulsions were back. He couldn’t get the words out anymore.
“Jesus, John have you lost your mind?”
“What, I—?”
“Did you call an ambulance? The police?”
“They’re on their way.”
“Good. Stay there. They can help. Just go with the police. We’ll sort this out.”
“Ashley said if I go with the police I could get killed. I need help, Michelle. I don’t know what’s going on. Have you talked to Frank?”
“No. Why?”
“I need to talk to him. I need to.”
The world twisted and started to fall away. John dropped the phone and then gripped the edge of the couch to keep his balance.
As the phone skidded across the hardwood floor, he heard Michelle say, “Did you shoot her John?”
Sirens were loud coming down the street. These were for him. The ones he’d called. John blinked out the fire that had returned to his shoulder and knew there was only one option now.
Run.

 
Christine pulled the ski mask off her head, and stepped on the gas, turning on to River Road. Hopefully the cops would show up and think it was a lover’s spat. That the guy from the news killed her. He’d apparently killed a bunch of guys on the dock. Why not leave him alive? He’d be the perfect patsy.
Tucking her Bluetooth into her ear, she dialed a secure number. She hadn’t called it in years and she hoped it still worked.
“Yes?” Short, gruff, rusty.
“Uncle Tony,” she said.
“Are you finished?”
“I got one. The woman. I ran into the man from the news, but he couldn’t tell me where Peter was. He didn’t even seem