One of the waitresses let out a loud sob. Her knees seemed to give, and she collapsed to the floor. Katie moved to comfort her.

“Get back!” Browne ordered, his gun on the crowd as he moved around the island to reach Katie.

“Let her go. It’s your only chance to run. I see a back door. Let her go, and you can run and disappear again,” Dan yelled, trying to keep his own gun leveled at the man.

Browne hurried to Katie, wrenching her from the sobbing girl.

Again, he turned to Dan.

“Two seconds. This isn’t the way he wanted it, but it’s the way that it will have to be. Two seconds... Lower your weapon or—”

Dan saw Katie make a sudden, swift move.

Too fast for Browne.

The sobbing waitress had collapsed in front of one of the massive stovetops, and Katie grabbed hold of one of the boiling pots of liquid cooking there.

She slammed it into Browne’s face.

His gun went off, but the bullet flew up into the ceiling as the man shrieked in agony. Dan rushed over as Browne tried to absorb the pain and take aim again.

Dan was ready to shoot to kill, but he veered his aim just a hair, catching the man exactly as he had wanted, shooting his gun hand.

Browne’s gun fell to the floor. As Dan progressed around the island to wrench the screaming man from Katie, he heard shouts of “FBI!” and “NOPD!”

The kitchen staff was running out.

Officers and agents were filing in. He reached Katie and Browne, slamming Browne hard in the chest and sending him flying, still wailing and blubbering and screaming with pain.

He pulled Katie into his arms. They were both shaking badly.

“Brave, brilliant girl,” he said, pulling her against him. He knew Axel and Ryder were both there. They had called for an ambulance, and despite Browne’s screeches, Axel was advising him he was under arrest for the murders of Elle Détente and Lettie and Randolph Rodenberry.

The man was half laughing and half crying as he declared, “I didn’t murder them!”

It didn’t matter. His denials were nothing.

Axel went on to add the murders of Anita Calabria and Lou and Virginia Delaney.

Dan noted the band had ceased to play. He glanced at Axel who nodded and led Katie out of the kitchen. The bar had emptied quickly. Police officers were blocking the front and the area around it.

“You okay?” he asked Katie.

She looked at him and nodded. “Thank God for gumbo.”

“What?”

“Gumbo. I got him with gumbo,” she said.

Dan smiled as he saw EMTs rush in, heading to take Browne, who would also have a police escort.