"He's a genius with a video camera, but I doubt he would know which end of a gun to point." It was true. Kip looked about as menacing as a marshmallow. Through a viewfinder, he saw the lighting and angles that would produce beautiful moving pictures. But he was woefully myopic when it came to seeing himself in a mirror. Or so it seemed. He was endearingly sloppy and ill-groomed.
Ronnie signaled Donna to activate the electronic lock.
Kip pushed his way inside. The door was relocked behind him. He jumped nervously when he heard the metallic click.
"Hi, Kip."
"Tiel. You okay? Gully's wound up tighter than an eight-day clock."
"As you can see, I'm fine. Let's not waste time. This is Ronnie Davison."
Obviously Kip had expected a rough-looking thug, not the clean-cut, all-American boy Ronnie personified.
"Hey."
"Hi."
"Where's the girl?" Kip asked.
"Lying down over there."
He looked in Sabra's direction and hitched his chin in greeting. "Hey."
Katherine was asleep in her mother's arms. Tiel noted that Doc was still sitting on the floor with his back to the freezer, where he could easily monitor Sabra but remain concealed by a revolving rack of snack food.
"Better get started," Kip said. "That Galloway was hyper about this taking no more than five minutes."
"I've got a few remarks to make first by way of intro, then you can tape Ronnie's statement. We'll save Sabra and the baby for last."
Kip handed Tiel the wireless microphone, then swung the camera up onto his shoulder and fitted the viewfinder against his eye socket. The light mounted on top of the camera came on. Tiel took up a preplanned position, where the majority of the store's interior could be seen behind her. "Is this okay?"
"Fine by me. Sound level's okay. I'm rolling."
"This is Tiel McCoy." She made the brief opening remarks she had rehearsed. Her statement of the facts was impassioned but not maudlin, having just the right blend of empathy and professional detachment. She resisted the temptation to embellish, believing that Ronnie and Sabra's comments would be more stirring than anything she could say.
When she finished, she signaled Ronnie forward. He seemed reluctant to move into the bright light. "How do I know they won't take a shot at me?"
"While you're on camera and posing no immediate threat? The FBI has enough of a PR problem without the public outcry that would create."
Apparently he saw the logic in Tiel's argument. Moving into place, he cleared his throat. "Tell me when to go."
"You're on," said Kip. "Go."
"I didn't kidnap Sabra Bendy," he blurted. "We ran away. Simple as that. It was wrong of me to rob this store.
I admit that." He went on to explain that they had been driven away by Mr. Dendy's threat to separate them permanently from each other and their baby. "Sabra and I want to get married and live together with Katherine as a family. That's all. Mr. Dendy, if you won't let us live our own lives, we'll end them right here. Tonight."
"Two minutes," Kip whispered, reminding them of the time limit.
"Very good, Ronnie." Tiel took the microphone from him and signaled Kip to follow her to where Sabra lay.
Quickly he positioned himself above her for the best possible camera angle.
"Be sure you're getting the baby, too," Sabra told him.
"Yes, ma'am. I'm rolling."
Ronnie had taken a typically masculine approach-aggressive, contentious, challenging. Sabra's statement was perhaps more eloquent, but equally and chillingly resolute.