He planted his knee on Corinne’s back and glanced at Darby who stood there bouncing on the balls of her feet, clearly freezing cold and agitated from her ordeal.

“You okay?”

Darby nodded rapidly. Obviously, still in shock.

“I’ve got her. She’s not going anywhere. You were great keeping her talking until I could catch up with you guys. You did everything perfectly. I am so proud of you.” He fished his cuffs out of his back pocket as he informed Corinne of her rights. There could be no doubt the woman was now in custody and under arrest.

The sound of vehicles racing toward them across the ice was just audible above Corinne’s screeching. All he wanted to do was take Darby in his arms, but he would not let this woman go until he knew for sure she no longer represented a threat.

There were assurances he owed Darby. He needed to repair the damage this killer might have inflicted and fix what his badly chosen words from earlier might have broken.

“I’m sorry for not realizing Corinne was the killer. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t shocked by the lengths she went to grab you.” His mouth went dry at the thought of what could have happened if he’d been a minute slower, or if the wind had completely wiped away all trace of Darby and her abductor.

He grimaced and said loudly to get the woman’s attention, “It’s over, Corinne.” As much as he despised her, he pitied her too. “You’ll get the help you need.”

She finally stopped screaming at him and her body tensed. Then she started sobbing.

Darby took a step closer.

“Don’t come any nearer,” he warned.

Corinne Brown had already proven wilier and more ingenious than most killers he’d encountered. No way would he risk the most precious person in the world. He hoped Darby might love him even though there were times when he didn’t deserve it. He’d change all that starting now. He would do everything in his power to deserve her, whatever their future together might look like.

“Thanks for saving me, again.” She sounded a little disconsolate.

“Are you kidding? This was teamwork. When you grabbed her gun, you gave me the opportunity I needed to detain her without putting you in the line of fire.”

Corinne broke down even harder beneath him.

The tips of his ears were burning with cold.

“Even though she’s done terrible things, I’m glad you didn’t shoot her.” Darby shook her head. “She’s damaged and broken but she needs to answer for her crimes.”

“I’m glad too.” The fact they’d managed to apprehend the killer without bloodshed felt like a minor miracle and major achievement. Most importantly, Darby hadn’t had to witness a violent death that could have scarred her. She didn’t need that additional trauma.

Finally, three police cruisers skidded to a halt beside them with a blast of snow.

Signy Torgerson jumped out. She and Allan Robertson covered Eban while he stood and pulled Corinne to her feet.