Hearts On The Line. Margaret Daley
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Montgomery.”
“Who’s the jumper?”
“David James. Don’t know much yet. Here, put this transmitter on.” Sarge handed her a beeperlike device to clip at her waist. “And use this earpiece. I’ll feed you information on the jumper as I get it.”
She rode the elevator to the top floor and hurried toward the stairs that led to the roof, nodding toward the uniformed officer standing guard at the door. Wind played with stray strands of her ponytail. The sun beat down, heating the concrete. She’d prefer to wear her sunglasses, but it was important for David James to see her eyes and connect with her. Instead, she squinted against the glare and headed toward a large man standing a few feet from the jumper, who was poised on the ledge. One step the wrong way and David would go down ten stories.
“David, I’ll help you any way I can. Just come down from there.”
Montgomery’s deep, baritone voice held a calm, soothing tone. Becca was impressed that even his stance didn’t convey any irritation or anger. She placed her hand on Montgomery’s arm to indicate she was present since his full attention was on his employee. He gave her a slight nod but kept his gaze trained on the jumper.
David glanced her way. His eyes widened. He took a small step to the side away from her and Montgomery, but didn’t say anything.
“Hello, David. I’m Becca Hilliard. I’m a negotiator with the police. I’d like to help you.”
“Help me? No one can!”
Becca moved next to Montgomery, aware that his gaze was now on her. The air sizzled with tension. “You don’t think anyone can help you?”
David’s attention darted to Montgomery then back to her. “My wife left me and took the kids. Can you bring her back and make everything like it was before—” He worked his mouth but no more words came out. Peering away, he clenched his hands at his sides.
Montgomery started to take a step toward David. Becca stopped him and shook her head. She mouthed the words, “Too dangerous.”
David looked at her again. “I want things back the way they were.”
“You sound frustrated.”
“I am. There was no warning. I came home yesterday and she was gone.” Anger lining his face, the jumper snapped his fingers, the gesture making him wobble.
Becca held her breath, knowing if he lost his balance neither she nor Montgomery would be able to reach the man in time. David steadied himself, his eyes growing round as he glimpsed the ground ten stories below. That was a good sign. Perhaps David hadn’t thought this suicide attempt completely through. In her earpiece Sarge told her he would see what he could discover about David’s wife.
“Do you plan to commit suicide, David?” she asked, having learned it was important to establish that up front.
He blinked. Montgomery stiffened beside her.
“I—I—don’t—” David cleared his throat. “Yes. I don’t have anything to live for. My family’s gone. I have bills I can’t pay.”
Becca started to push Montgomery back toward the stairs, where it was safer, when he interjected, “I’ll help you with that, David.”
The jumper’s gaze swung to the man next to her. Surprised by the offer, she, too, wanted to look at Montgomery, but she didn’t dare take her eyes off David James. Again she acknowledged the calm power behind Montgomery’s words, as though he knew instinctively what to do in a situation like this.
“You see, there are ways to help you, David. If you come down from there, we can talk about it.” Becca concentrated on keeping her voice even, nonthreatening.
For a long moment David didn’t say anything, then he shook his head as though trying to rid his mind of some image. “Help? I’ve tried talking to her. She won’t listen.”
“When you tried to talk to your wife, she wouldn’t listen?”
David slowly turned so he could face her, but he remained on the foot-wide ledge. “Yes. I left messages at her mother’s all evening and this morning for her to call me. She didn’t! I was late to work because of her.”
“Maybe she didn’t get your messages.”
Surprise flickered across his features. “You might be right! It would be just like her mother not to tell her about my calls. She hates me.”
“Come down here and we can try again.” Becca pulled out her cell phone, dangling it in front of him as though it were a prize he couldn’t possibly resist.
David glanced at the ground to his left, then back at Becca. She held her breath, hoping he would follow her gentle command. Sometimes that worked, especially if he hadn’t totally thought through committing suicide.
David shrugged. “Okay.”
Montgomery released a heavy sigh that mirrored her own feelings as she watched David climb down from the ledge and walk toward her, holding his hand out for the cell phone.
As he neared her, she began heading toward the stairs to the tenth floor below, saying, “Do you want me to make the call?” She wanted to get him as far away from the ledge as possible.
“No, I will.”
David came up beside her while Montgomery took the rear. After passing the phone to David, she threw a glance over her shoulder, wishing Montgomery was a police officer in case they ended up in a scuffle. She hated involving civilians. Montgomery smiled and nodded as though he could read her mind and was reassuring her he could take care of himself. With his muscular build, no doubt he could, she decided, a connection arcing between her and Montgomery. They were both determined to keep David from jumping.
“Trish, pick up. This is David. I’ve got to talk to you. Please!”
Anger, mixed with frustration, returned to David’s face. Becca slowly retrieved her handcuffs from her pocket and prepared for if he decided to dash for the ledge again. If she had her way, he wouldn’t, now that she had him down from it.
He snapped the phone closed and cursed. “She’s gonna regret not taking my call when—”
Before David had a chance to finish his sentence, Becca grabbed his arm and twisted first one, then the other, behind his back and locked the handcuffs on his wrists. David jerked around, obviously intending to head back up to the roof. Montgomery blocked David’s path in the stairwell to the tenth floor. From behind, several uniformed officers rushed up and whisked the jumper away, as he screamed his frustration.
All the emotions and tension she had held at bay during the ordeal flooded Becca the minute she realized David wouldn’t be jumping that day, that he might get the help he needed. While the uniform officers led him away, she sagged against the handrail, squeezing her eyes closed and drawing in cleansing breaths.
“Thank you.”
Montgomery’s deep voice penetrated the place she went in her mind where she tried to regroup after a negotiation. When she opened her eyes, he stood right in front of her, filling her vision, all six feet two inches of him. Now that she had the time to examine him, he took her breath away. Dressed in faded jeans and a short-sleeved blue shirt, he reinforced her earlier impression that he was all muscles and power. His chocolate brown eyes twinkled as the seconds ticked into a full minute and she hadn’t said anything. A flush actually colored his cheeks.
“I’m sorry. I don’t usually stare at people unless I think they’re going to commit a crime. But after a negotiation, I’m wiped out, even when they don’t last long, like this one.”
The corner of his mouth cocked upward. “I think I know the feeling. I was so glad when you showed up.” He plowed both hands through his short russet-colored hair, then scrubbed them down his face as though to wash the past hour from his mind. “I don’t know how you do it. Are you called out much?”
“More