FicWad

The next morning, Michael (who had gone home the night before after making sure security was tight) pulled up to the front of the mansion, to see Kelly emerge from the mansion, evidently heading to a car parked there. "Where are you going?"

"To the office, Michael. I work there, and have been away long enough. Is there a problem?"

"Kelly, there's only one of me. I can't protect you and your sisters if you are in different locations. Plus there's the probability that this was an inside job."

"A what??" She hesitated, looking at Michael in shock. "Who here would want to do something like that? It doesn't make any sense!"

"Someone who had a grudge against him that no one knew about. Or someone who disliked him intensely."

She made a face. "Meaning me, I suppose. But I have no knowledge of how to plant a bomb of any kind, much less how to make one."

"But you could have contacted someone who did."

"But my motive isn't really - yes, I disliked my father, but not enough to kill him. No, Michael. You need to look elsewhere for the killer."

"There is no elsewhere, Kelly. Security on this estate is tight, and was before your father was killed. No, someone on the estate did it and, I'm sorry to say, you are the most likely suspect at this point. I must request you to stay here until we can get this cleared up."

Just then, several things happened at the same time. She shut the car door and turned to go back inside. KITT began to say, "Michael, I'm detecting . . .", and a shot rang out. Kelly collapsed, a hand to her right temple. And Michael dropped behind KITT, then moved over to her. She was unconscious.

He heard the front door open and, glancing up, saw Kelly's sisters start to come out. "Get back inside!" he shouted at them. They stopped and looked at him for a moment, then another shot rang out. They immediately turned and ran back into the mansion.

Michael looked down at Kelly and said, "KITT? Check her vitals."

"Already done, Michael. She seems to have just been grazed by the bullet. She is unconscious, but already starting to come around." Kelly moved her head and moaned slightly. "However, she should have it attended to."

"All right. Open the passenger door, KITT." Michael picked Kelly up and carried her around to the other side of the car, putting her inside. He shut the door and, as he moved back to the driver's side, noticed the front door of the mansion start to open. Laura peeked out.

"Kelly was slightly injured. I'm taking her to get treatment. I'll be back soon. In the meantime, stay inside." Laura nodded, and the door closed. Michael headed out with his passenger to the nearest hospital. "KITT, call Devon and let him know what's happened."

"Right away, Michael."

Three hours later, they were back. Kelly looked pale, but had only a small bandage on her head. When they got inside, she immediately headed upstairs to her room to lie down. Michael watched her go, then turned as he heard someone come out of the living room.

"How is she?" asked Shauna.

"Fortunately, her head was only grazed. Unfortunately, the shooter was too far away for any security cameras or sensors to get a look at who he was." He escorted her back into the living room.

"My God! Someone really wants to kill us? I can't believe it!" exclaimed Laura, who was reclining on the sofa. "What are we going to do now? I don't like the idea of being a prisoner in my own home."

"I know, but it's for your own safety. And you know it won't be forever. We'll find the person responsible. Then you can get back to your own lives. Right now, I'm going to find the spot from where the shots were fired to see if I can come up with anything. Keep an eye on your sister, okay? I'll be back soon."

Laura and Shauna grudgingly assented and left. Michael headed back to KITT, who told him that Devon was calling again. Punching in the code, he said, "Before you ask, Kelly will be fine. It was just a graze, and she is resting in her room."

"That's good to hear, Michael. Bonnie is here and she has the results of the checks of the house and business phones."

"Michael," said Bonnie as she moved into view, "there were no calls to anyone who could have made and/or planted a bomb anywhere on the premises. Every phone call was checked and accounted for, for the last two weeks. Also the whereabouts of everyone who came and left the estate for a week prior to the explosion have been confirmed. All the leads have become dead ends."

"Then that puts us back to square one. No one could possibly have gotten inside, even with help, no one here has the ability to make and plant a bomb himself - or herself - and no one seems to have been contacted by anyone on the inside." He shook his head. "Something's missing here. No one here has the expertise to make or plant a bomb, and no one made any calls from the mansion or the business to someone who could have done it for them. But someone did." He thought a minute. "KITT, do you have the files on Arthur Peterson or George Ross?"

"The victims? Just the basic information. Why?'

"Devon, do we have any background information on them?

"Not a whole lot. We concentrated mainly on Peterson's life during the last year or two, and very little on Ross." He paused. "Michael, if you are thinking what I believe you are -"

"It's the only thing that makes any sense, Devon. Get their backgrounds, going all the way back to their schools, and send them to KITT as soon as you can." He started the car.

"Where are you going?" asked Devon.

"Up to the site where the shots were fired from. I'm hoping to find some kind of clue or clues. I'll have KITT scan the area and send the pictures to you for analysis."

"Good idea. We'll be in touch."