The Reckoning

by Jana DeLeon

  He started to say something else, when a knock sounded at the door. He opened the door and an attendant pushed a room service cart into the room. When he’d gone, Alex poured a cup of coffee into a cardboard cup and pulled a croissant from the stack.

  “I figure we can eat on the road, right? No sense delaying what I have to do today.”

  She slung her purse over her shoulder and walked past Holt to exit the room. She could feel his eyes on her, but he didn’t make a move to stop her and never said a word.

  And that said it all.

  * * *

  THIRTY MINUTES LATER, they were halfway to Vodoun and neither had spoken another word. Alex downed the last of her coffee and slipped the empty cup into the cup holder on the center console. She’d taken her time consuming the croissant and coffee to ensure she had something to occupy her body and mind, but now that her hands were empty, the silence in the car was deafening.

  You are being just as childish as him.

  She looked out the windshield and down the long, flat, empty highway and sighed. Sometimes being so logical and fair was a real pain. Glancing over at Holt, she tried to guess what he was thinking, but couldn’t narrow in on a single thing. She expected to see his famous scowl, but was surprised when his expression was more contemplative.

  Then she realized he was glancing in the mirrors every couple of seconds.

  “We’re being followed,” he said.

  “Are you sure? Never mind. Of course you’re sure. How long?”

  Holt pressed the accelerator down and the car leaped forward. “Probably since New Orleans, but I didn’t pick up the tail in all the traffic leaving the city.”

  “It’s him, right? Who else would it be?” Alex scanned the deserted highway for any sign of life, but they were miles away from the nearest town. Dark clouds swirled overhead, seeming to mirror the ominous situation on the ground.

  She pulled her cell phone from her purse and cursed when she saw no signal. She turned around in her seat to look back and gasped when she saw that the black sedan rapidly gaining on them.

  “Can you go faster?”

  “Not in this rental.”

  “How far to the next town?”

  “Ten miles. Hold on,” Holt said. “He’s going to hit us.”

  A second later, the sedan slammed into their rental car from behind. Alex jolted forward, and the seat belt cut across her chest, digging into her skin. Holt clenched the steering wheel, struggling to maintain control of the car.

  Alex glanced into the side mirror and saw the sedan about ten feet behind and approaching rapidly on the passenger’s side.

  Holt swerved, attempting to cut off the sedan before it could draw alongside them, but the rental car’s engine was no match for the sedan. Alex watched in horror as the sedan drew alongside them and slammed into the side of their rental.

  Holt struggled to keep the car straight on the highway, but didn’t stand a chance against the force of the hit. The car slid sideways toward the center median. Holt turned the wheel to correct the slide, but as the back end of the car slid around, the sedan clipped it again, just on the edge, sending the car into a spin.

  Alex lost all sense of direction as the car spun, but a flash of water sent her into a panic. They were headed straight for the drainage ditch that ran parallel to the highway. The very large, very deep, very full drainage ditch.

  She couldn’t stop herself from screaming as the car plunged over the edge.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  As soon as the car hit the water, Alex released her seat belt and opened her eyes, trying to make out anything in the darkness. She was relieved to see Holt alert beside her but began to panic when she pushed on the door and it wouldn’t open.

  “I’m going to kick the window out,” Holt said as water began to pour into the car from all available cracks. “Get ready to hold your breath and swim.”

  Alex nodded, trying not to think about what was waiting for them at the surface. Holt leaned sideways in the driver’s seat and gave the driver’s-side window one hard kick.

  Water poured into the car and Alex held her breath as it rushed over her head. She opened her eyes in the murky blackness, but could only see inches in front of her. Reaching out with her hand, she felt Holt’s shoes as he swam out of the window. A couple of seconds later, she felt the opening and pushed herself through, kicking her way up to the surface.

  As soon as she broke the surface, she gasped for air and looked for Holt. The dirty water blurred her vision, but she could see him within arm’s distance, scanning the bank above them. She looked up at the bank, already afraid of what she’d see, and choked back a scream as she looked straight into the black eyes of a crow on the embankment above her.

  The crow stared for a second, then vaulted from the bank to fly into the swamp behind them. She scanned the bank for any sign of the killer and was shocked to find it completely empty.

  Holt had surfaced a couple of feet from where she did and she looked over at him. “Where did he go?”

  “I don’t know, but we need to get out of here while we have the chance.” He pointed to a section of the bank about twenty feet away that was sloped enough for them to climb out of the ditch.

  Alex swam to the sloped embankment and began to pull herself up. Clutching the tufts of marsh grass, she pushed with her feet, sliding in the slick Louisiana mud. Her biceps burned as she inched her way up the bank until she could peer over the lip of the embankment. She scanned the highway for any sign of their attacker, but there was no sign of the black sedan as far as she could see. She made one last effort to pull herself over the lip and onto the shoulder of the highway, then looked over just in time to see Holt scrambling over the edge next to her.

  “He’s gone,” she said. “Why would he leave when he had us trapped?”

  Holt pointed behind her. “That’s why.”

  Alex turned to look and almost collapsed with relief when she saw a police car barreling toward them.

  “Someone must have passed on the opposite side of the highway and saw him hit us. He probably figured they’d call the police as soon as they could, and he couldn’t risk getting caught. There’s not many turnoffs on this highway.”

  Holt rose from the ground and extended his hand to Alex to help her up. “Are you all right?” he asked, scanning her for injuries.

  “A little shaken, but okay,” she said. “Did you see the crow?” A chill passed over her as she looked into the swamp where the crow had disappeared.

  Before he could respond, the squad car screeched to a stop next to them.

  An officer jumped out and rushed over to them. “Do I need to call for an ambulance?”

  “No,” Holt assured him. “We’re fine, given the circumstances.”

  “A trucker called in and said he saw you being run off the road.” The officer glanced into the ditch. “Is your car in there?”

  “Yes,” Holt said, “and the rental company is not going to be pleased.”

  “Do you think the other driver was drunk?”

  “No. This was intentional.”

  The officer’s eyes widened. “The trucker gave me a description of the car, but didn’t know the model. Did you get a good enough look to determine that?”

  “It was a late-model Cadillac.”

  “What about the driver? Can you give me a description at all?”

  Alex shook her head. “The windows were tinted so dark, you couldn’t see inside.”

  The officer blew out a breath. “I’ve already called ahead and have two state troopers looking for the sedan, but the nearest trooper was forty miles up the highway from here. If he’s smart, he could take any one of several opportunities to turn off the highway before then.”

  “My guess is he’s a professional,” Holt
said. “I don’t think your troopers will catch sight of him.”

  The officer stared at Holt. “Sounds like I have a story to hear, but first, I need to get you two off of the highway and into some dry clothes. My office is back about fifteen miles, and there’s a Wal-Mart across the street. We can get you something to wear while I get all this on paper. If that’s all right with you, of course.”

  Holt looked over at Alex and she nodded. “That’s fine, but I’d really appreciate it if we could make it as quick as possible. We were on our way to Vodoun to tell my cousin that her estranged husband was murdered—likely by the same man who just ran us off the road and has kidnapped her six-year-old daughter.”

  “Is your cousin alone?”

  “No. A friend of mine who is a nurse is staying with her, but I don’t want her to hear about this from someone else. And given the situation, I’m worried about their safety.”

  “Rightfully so,” the officer said. “I’ll call from the car and get someone sent to watch your cousin’s house. I’ll send an unmarked vehicle, so hopefully it won’t alarm your cousin.”

  “I really appreciate that,” Alex said, feeling a bit of relief that Sarah would have police protection.

  The officer motioned to his car and she and Holt slid into the backseat. Lightning flashed overhead and she jumped, all of her nerves still on edge. Holt reached across the seat and took her hand in his.

  “We’re going to get through this,” he said. “I promise you.”

  Alex nodded and looked straight ahead. She appreciated his support in all this more than anything, but suspected that once the crisis was over, Holt would move on to the next phase of his life.

  Just like he had before.

  * * *

  “NO!” THE BLOOD RUSHED from Sarah’s face and she covered her mouth with both hands, staring at Alex with wide eyes. It took only a moment for the tears to brim up and well over. Then her cousin collapsed into a heap in her arms.

  “Why Bobby?” Sarah wailed. “He never hurt anyone but me.”

  Alex held Sarah close to her. “I know. I’m so sorry.”

  “Why is this happening? Where is my baby?”

  Alex looked over at Holt, who stood just inside the living room doorway. His expression was a mixture of sadness and anger, and she couldn’t help but wonder if he was thinking about all the times his own mother had cried over his father, or maybe the soldiers he’d known who had died, and the families they’d left behind.

  “We’re going to find Erika,” Alex reassured her. “I made a promise to you and I intend to keep it.”

  Sarah looked up at her. “But what if he hurts you, too? You’re all I have left, Alex. My entire family is disappearing and I can’t do anything to stop it.”

  Alex gave her a squeeze. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  But even as she said the words, she had a flicker of doubt. Whatever was going on was so much bigger than what she’d originally imagined. It was organized, and the people behind it were ruthless, and now it was clear they had Alex and Holt in their sights.

  Everything they did from this point forward would have to be even more carefully calculated and measured than before. But Alex wasn’t about to give up. The killer probably thought he’d scared them away, but he’d only strengthened their resolve.

  “I want you to stop,” Sarah said. “I can’t ask Holt to because he’s the acting sheriff, but you’re not law enforcement and don’t need to put yourself at risk any longer.”

  “I’m fine,” Alex reassured her, infinitely glad she and Holt had decided not to tell Sarah about being run off the road. “If I can do something to help, I’m going to continue. I promise I’ll be extra careful. We both will be.”

  Sarah’s bottom lip quivered as she looked over at Holt, who nodded. As Sarah looked back at her, tears streaming down her cheeks, Alex knew her cousin’s mind and heart was warring between wanting Alex involved because she believed in her ability to fix anything and wanting to lock the front door and keep her safe.

  Finally, Sarah looked back at Holt and said, “If you let anything happen to her, Holt Chamberlain, I’ll haunt you forever.”

  Holt’s jaw set in a hard line. “I will do anything necessary to keep her safe.”

  * * *

  HOLT PULLED THE CAR in front of the grocery store and looked over at Alex. “I’m just going to make some notes at the station and call my uncle. I’m sure he’s heard what’s going on through the grapevine, and I need to do some damage control. Call me when you’re ready to be picked up, but don’t leave the store.”

  He figured she’d argue, as Alex was the last woman in the world to be told what to do, but she simply nodded and climbed out of the car. Holt watched as she made her way inside the store and let loose the string of curses he’d been holding in for hours. The situation was taking a toll on all of them. He’d never seen Alex so defeated, and it bothered him more than he’d ever thought possible.

  He understood her despair. As a doctor, all her education, training and time was spent fixing things, but this was a situation she couldn’t fix. He’d had to deal with the same issues in the military. As a leader, he had a mission to accomplish and a goal to keep his men safe. Every failure felt like a metal stake through the heart.

  Sighing, he put the car in gear and pulled away from the curb. His uncle had already left six messages on his cell phone—each increasing in volume—and he wasn’t looking forward to the ensuing conversation. Given that he’d cajoled his uncle into going along with the investigation to begin with, Holt knew he had a lot to answer for.

  If he could just find the answers in the next five minutes, that would be great.

  His phone rang again and he glanced at the display. His uncle. Knowing he couldn’t put the ensuing conversation off any longer, he answered the call.

  “Uncle Conroy,” Holt said. “What a surprise.”

  “Don’t give me that. I’ve got calls from the insurance company telling me the department gets to pay for damage to your truck and a totaled rental car. You’re running my department and good name into the ground in this town, not to mention costing the taxpayers God knows how much money with this so-called investigation of yours. I want you off this case and I mean now.”

  “I can’t do that.”

  “You can and you will. Simply make a note in the file that Bobby Rhonaldo took off with his daughter and let the federal agencies handle it.”

  “Bobby Rhonaldo is dead.”

  There was complete silence for a couple of seconds and then Holt heard his uncle cursing.

  “Tell me it was anything but murder,” his uncle said finally.

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.” Holt filled his uncle in on the events that had transpired over the past couple of days. Aside from the occasional expletive, his uncle didn’t interrupt his monologue.

  When he finally finished, he heard his uncle sigh. “What the hell is going on? This is a nice town with mostly nice people. Kidnappings, murder, organized crime…that’s not the Vodoun I know.”

  “It’s not the town I know, either, but something’s not right here.” Holt took a breath and pushed forward with his next statement before he could change his mind. “I’m beginning to think the police were looking in the wrong direction back when those girls disappeared. What if all this is somehow connected?”

  “That was thirty-six years ago. You honestly believe that something this evil, of this magnitude, has existed here all this time, and no one ever noticed? That I never noticed?”

  “Maybe it’s all organized by someone above reproach.”

  “Like who?”

  “The minister, the bank manager, the guy who owns the grocery store.”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “No. Think about it. For someone to pull off
something this organized for this long, it has to be the last person you would suspect.”

  “I’m sorry, Holt. I just can’t believe that Vodoun has been housing someone that disturbed and no one’s ever noticed. I appreciate all the thought you’ve put into this, especially as it’s turned out to be a real mare’s nest, but I just can’t get on board with your ideas.”

  “Do you have any better ones?”

  “It must be an outsider.”

  “A stranger who knew about the kidnappings thirty-six years ago and re-created that hype? A stranger who knew Bobby was Erika’s father even though he was separated from Sarah and didn’t even live in the same home? And why kill him? Why kidnap Erika?”

  Holt blew out a breath of frustration. “I can appreciate how much you don’t want to wrap your mind around this, but I can’t see it as anything but personal. Something is going on here besides your basic child abduction. And I’m going to get to the bottom of it—with or without the backing of the department.”

  “If you want to investigate your friends and family, go right ahead, but I’m washing my hands of this. When this turns out badly, I will not take any responsibility for the fallout.”

  “I never assumed anything else.”

  Holt ended the call and pulled into the sheriff’s department parking lot. His uncle was capable enough for speeders and illegal hunters, but when it came to anything remotely serious, he was as useless as Holt had figured he’d be.

  Truth be known, it had been a shock to him when he’d gotten the letter from his mother telling him about his uncle’s election to sheriff. He’d always considered his uncle to be rather fearful and lazy. Law enforcement didn’t exactly suit his disposition, but then, if you didn’t actually do anything, perhaps it did. He guessed that more than anything, Jasper liked to use the title to lord over the residents of Vodoun. Growing up in Lorraine’s shadow had left Jasper always looking for a way to get the upper hand. Apparently, he’d found it.

  Holt entered the office and unlocked the desk, removing a folder that his uncle didn’t know the contents of. The folder on his dad. Jasper couldn’t even admit that the situation with Bobby and Erika was local and personal. No way would he jump on board with a ring of highly organized killers that had also been responsible for his dad’s murder.