Danny glanced at Bailey’s pale face and said, “Can’t you two talk somewhere else?”
“He might be able to get more information on her friend’s death,” Ben said.
“Then let him come,” Bailey said.
Ben texted him and received an answer right away. “He’ll be here in a minute.”
Danny sat on the armrest of the couch next to Bailey. He felt they were missing something. “If—” He stopped as Sergeant Chavez entered the room.
Chavez nodded. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I need a word with Sheriff Logan.”
“And we need your help,” Bailey said.
Danny studied the Mexican policeman as he shifted his gaze from Ben to Bailey. The man had an agenda, and Danny wasn’t sure he trusted him.
“What do you need my help for?”
“Bailey just received word that a friend was murdered in a village in Mexico,” Danny said.
“Why was she murdered, and where is the village?”
“It’s in the mountains two hours from Chihuahua—Valle Rojo.” In a soft voice, Bailey explained what happened.
When she finished, Chavez tilted his head toward her. “Father Horatio,” he said slowly. “He’s been on our radar for a while now, but he’s pretty well untouchable. And you think he killed her?”
“Or his friends in the Calatrava.”
“You could be right—the man has no conscience.” Chavez took out a small notebook. “Give me a couple of hours in the morning, and I’ll see if there’s anything new on him.”
“Thank you.” She leaned back against the couch.
Solana coughed. Bailey jumped up to check on her, and Danny followed.
“I’m thirsty,” Solana whispered.
He poured a glass of water and handed it to Bailey. “You two need rest.” He glanced at the other two men. “We need to clear out.”
They agreed, and Danny followed them out into the hall. “Can you post a deputy here at the hospital? This priest has a vendetta against Bailey and he has cartel connections, so he’s looking pretty good for the kidnapping attempt in Mexico. And if he’ll kill someone in his village, he won’t have second thoughts of tracking Bailey to Logan Point and killing her.”
“Let me check. I’m stretched thin with two deputies out with the flu, but I know I can talk to the head of security in the hospital and have them move a guard to this floor.”
That wasn’t enough. It looked as though Danny would have to stand guard. “Do me a favor and get my gun back to me . . . or leave it now and test it in the morning. I don’t want Bailey unprotected.”
“I’ll have it back to you in the morning before you leave.” Ben chewed the inside of his cheek. “And I’ll check with Wade, see if he’ll give up his date tonight to sit outside the door.”
He could tell by the muscle twitching in the sheriff’s cheek, he wasn’t changing his mind about the gun. Danny just hoped he wouldn’t need it before they left the hospital.
23
After so many failed attempts to get the necklace, Joel couldn’t believe he held it in his hands. That Bailey had just handed it to him. There had to be a catch. Maybe it was a trap. No. He was the only one who knew the locket contained the numbers to Edward’s offshore account. Now he wouldn’t have to turn Bailey over to those men. He’d wire the money as soon as he booted up his computer.
He stepped off the elevator and hurried to his car. He had to find a Wi-Fi spot. Maybe a McDonald’s. No, not a public place. The bed-and-breakfast. He’d go there where no one could tap into his computer.
Ten minutes later, he parked and hurried into the house.
Kate was coming down the stairs. “How are our sick folks?”
“Better. I think Maria is coming home in the morning.” He took off his overcoat and scarf. “I’ll be in my room if anyone needs me.”
He opened the locket and removed Claire’s photo. Using a magnifying glass from his briefcase, he copied down the numbers etched in the white gold. He hadn’t even been close.
Once he had the computer connected to the internet, he hesitated. This was it. Weeks ago he’d opened an account with a different Switzerland bank. All he had to do was tap into the account and transfer the money.
He licked his lips. How much did he want to take? If Edward ever found out it was him, it wouldn’t matter whether he took a half million or five million. His boss would kill him all the same. And five million had such a nice, even sound to it.
His fingers shook as he typed in the website, then filled in the user name. He made it past the first level of security. But he’d been here before. He sucked in a breath and held it as he typed in the account number then the password and hit enter.
ACCESS DENIED. ILLEGAL ATTEMPT. Red flashed across his screen, and a warning buzzer screamed from the speakers.
Joel’s mouth gaped. A band tightened across his chest, cutting off his breath. What happened? He had the right numbers. And he typed it in right, he was certain of that. He slammed the computer shut, and the buzzer stopped. Carefully, he reopened it and stared at the screen. How could he be denied access? The numbers had worked before.
Edward changed the account number or password. Joel hadn’t even considered he might do that. He slumped back in the chair, resting his head in his hand. Was it possible Edward discovered he’d tried to access the account?
No, otherwise Joel would be dead. It was probably normal procedure to change the numbers periodically. He beat his fist against the bed. If only he’d been able to get the necklace earlier.
What was he going to do now? Maybe he could ask Edward for a loan. His shoulders slumped. If he did that and his boss knew someone had tried to get into his offshore account, he would know it was Joel. Edward probably wouldn’t loan him any money, anyway.
“But now I want more. The Montoya girl and Bailey Adams.”
The man’s demand rang in his ears. He had no choice now, but he still didn’t understand why the man wanted Bailey. Because she knew something . . . or she’d crossed someone. It didn’t matter. They wanted both of them, and delivering them was a way to get the cartel off his back.
Almost on cue, his cell phone rang. The same number as earlier flashed on the caller ID. With sudden clarity, he realized if he was coming out of this situation alive, he had to go on the offensive. Don’t answer it. Make them sweat a little.
Finally it stopped, only to start again.
He punched the answer button. “Hello?”
“When do you plan on delivering the Adams woman to the Eagle’s Nest?”
“I told you, she’s never alone. If you want them, you’re going to have to help me.”
Silence stretched between them.
“And this has to go down in such a way that no one can ever suspect that I’m responsible for their disappearance.”
“Getting a little cocky, aren’t you? Don’t forget you owe us money.”
Anxiety inched into his spine. He squared his shoulders. He’d faced worse and won, he’d just momentarily forgotten it. “Do you want them or not?”
Angel thought Edward would never leave, but at last he had put on his long overcoat.
He stepped to the bed and leaned over, kissing the sleeping child on the cheek. “Good night, little one.”
Maria blinked open her eyes. “Tio. Don’t go. You didn’t tell me a story yet.”
“He can tell you one tomorrow when he comes,” Angel said.
“No.” She smiled at his uncle. “Tell me about the eagle and the chickens.”
A slow smile spread across Edward’s face. “You remembered.” He turned to Angel. “You don’t mind . . . ?”
Angel curbed his impatience. “No, tell her the story.”
Edward took off his coat and sat on the side of the bed. “Many years ago, high on the mountain, there was an eagle’s nest with four eggs in it. One day an earthquake shook one of the eggs out, and it rolled down the mountainside onto a chicken farm.” He stopped and raised his eyebr
ows. “Now what do you think the chickens did?”
“They took care of the egg,” she said softly.
“Yes, they did, and eventually a beautiful eagle was born. And, since the chickens were chickens, they raised the young eagle to be a chicken too. But as he got older, the eagle watched up in the sky as other birds soared high in the air. ‘What is that?’ the eaglet asked. ‘Why, that’s an eagle,’ the hens answered. ‘The king of birds. He belongs in the air, but we are chickens—’”
“And chickens belong on the ground,” Maria said, lowering her voice.
“Yes,” Edward said. “But what happened next?”
“The eagle decided he didn’t want to be a chicken,” she said, her eyes brighter than they’d been all day.
Edward laughed. “That’s right. What happened next?”
“He tried to fly!”
“That’s right,” Edward said. “And after a while, he did, because he was really an eagle, and one day he flew off and never came back because he would never be happy being a chicken.”
“But he came back to say thank you to the chickens who raised him,” she finished proudly.
“Very good. And now I must go, but I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
Angel didn’t quite remember the story the way Edward told it, but he liked this ending better. He stared at his uncle, unable to connect the man he remembered from his youth to the one who had just told his daughter that story.
A light tap at the door drew Angel’s attention, and he eased to the door as Edward bent over to hug Maria. Danny. “Come on in. How’s Solana?”
“That’s what I came over for—to give you a chance to check on her for yourself. And to tell you—oh, Mr. Montoya, I didn’t know you were here.”
“Just leaving.” He held out his hand, and Danny shook it.
“Uncle Danny! Did you come to see me?”
A gentle smile tugged at Danny’s lips. “Of course I did. Do you feel better?”
“Mm-huh.”
He glanced at Angel.
“The doctor was by earlier. Evidently she had a fairly light case of food poisoning, and he’s going to let her go home in the morning after a chest x-ray.” His friend seemed antsy, more than he’d seen him since they’d arrived in Logan Point.
“Why don’t you go see Solana, and then we’ll talk?” Danny said. “I’ll stay with our girl.”
Edward frowned. “You could have gone while I was here.”
“Then I wouldn’t have heard that interesting take on the eagle.” He wasn’t ready to leave Maria with his uncle. “Tell me what’s bothering you first,” he said to Danny. “Is it the sheriff?”
“No. Well, that’s bothering me, but it isn’t what I want to discuss with you.” Danny glanced at Edward.
His uncle cleared his throat. “Perhaps I should leave . . . unless this is about my great-niece. Those men who tried to take her—have they been seen here?”
“Perhaps we should step outside into the hallway?” Danny said, raising his eyebrows.
Angel glanced at his daughter, who seemed much too interested in what they were talking about. “The nurse said something about a bath. Let me see if they can do it now.”
He pressed the call button and explained what he wanted when someone answered.
Out in the hall a few minutes later, Angel waited for Danny to explain.
“I don’t think Maria was ever really in danger,” Danny said. “I think it was Bailey all along.”
“What are you talking about?” Angel said. To know his daughter wasn’t the object of kidnappers . . . he couldn’t wrap his mind around it.
Danny folded his arms across his chest. “The weekend before she was to return to the States, Bailey visited a friend in the small village where she was a missionary. She encouraged her friend to continue teaching these Bible classes—the same classes Bailey was forced to abandon because she crossed the local priest. Her mission board pulled her out after this priest put rattlesnakes in her car. Her friend is dead, probably at the hands of the priest.”
Edward frowned. “Was he a real priest?”
“I don’t think so. More shaman than anything else.”
Angel had heard of men like Danny spoke of.
“Sometimes these priests have a lot of control over villagers, and they don’t like their authority challenged,” Edward said. Then he took a card from his coat and handed it to Angel. “I have things to attend to. Call me if Maria becomes ill again.”
When Edward was out of hearing range, Danny gave him an apologetic shrug. “Sorry if telling my dad you were here at the hospital with Maria caused you grief.”
“No. Perhaps I was wrong about him, and perhaps not, but I do see a different side of him when he is with Maria. Did the sheriff come to see you?”
Danny’s face darkened. “He picked up my gun, said he’d have it back by morning.”
Angel nodded toward Solana’s room down the hall. “Who’s the guy sitting outside by the door wearing a big gun?”
Danny’s lip curled. “Wade Hatcher, Ben’s chief deputy. He’ll be here until our guns are returned.”
“Good.” Angel slapped Danny on the back. “You can go home and get a good night’s sleep.”
“Are you crazy? I’m not trusting anyone to guard Bailey except me. Now go see Solana so I can get back in there.”
24
It was too early Saturday morning for Ben Logan to be babbling such nonsense. Bailey stared at him. The man had lost his mind. “What do you mean, you want Danny to go down to the jail to answer a few questions?”
The sheriff turned to her, his face drawn and unreadable. “Bailey, stay out of this.”
Danny planted his feet wide. “I’m not leaving Bailey at this hospital by herself.”
A slow flush crept up Ben’s neck. “You don’t understand—you don’t have a choice. A 9mm Glock registered to you was found under a clump of leaves on Franks’s property. It was the gun used to kill him. You’ll either come voluntarily, or I’ll handcuff you.”
“Ben, if I’d killed Franks, I would not have left my gun there. Someone is framing me.”
“You know Danny didn’t kill Franks,” Bailey said. She’d hoped morning would bring fewer problems, not more.
“I don’t know anything right now.” Ben ran his hand over his face. “If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t be standing here arguing with you two.” He eyed Danny. “Which is it going to be?”
“What about Bailey? Will you leave a deputy outside the door?”
“Tyrone Walker will replace Wade in an hour.”
“Don’t leave the room until I get back,” Danny said. “It shouldn’t take long to clear this up.”
“I won’t unless I’m accompanied by Wade.” When the door closed behind them, Bailey rocked back on her heels. What if he couldn’t clear it up? She didn’t for a second believe Danny had killed Geoffrey.
Solana coughed, and she turned around.
“I’m so sorry,” Solana said.
“Yeah, me too. Are you feeling better?”
“Yes. I’m ready to go home, but first a shower.” She swung her legs over the side of the bed. “Thank you for staying with me last night. Were you able to sleep?”
“I’m just glad you’re better, and yes, I slept after I convinced Danny we would be safe with a deputy outside the door.” He’d gone home a little after midnight when he’d realized she wouldn’t sleep if he didn’t. But he’d returned at daybreak.
Her phone beeped a message. A text from Joel, saying he was on his way to their room. She noticed her battery was down to 20 percent and hoped it stayed up until she returned home. She texted Danny, explaining he might not be able to reach her by phone. She helped Solana to the bathroom, and a few minutes later Joel arrived.
“Solana is better?”
“Yes, but Ben’s taken Danny in for questioning.”
“Questioning for what?”
She wasn’t ready to tell anyo
ne that the bullet that killed Geoffrey came from a gun Danny owned. “Something about Geoffrey Franks.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“No.”
“If he’s not here, you need someone to take you home.”
She hadn’t even thought about that. And Danny didn’t leave the keys to his SUV with her. “Surely he’ll be back by then.”
“Well, I’ll hang around, just in case.”
“How about your dad? Isn’t the surgery this morning?”
“Mother’s there, and that’s all that matters to him.”
“Have you seen Maria?”
“Yes,” he said. “She looks much better too. If Solana doesn’t need you, why don’t you go see for yourself? I’ll come with you.”
Bailey did want to check on Maria, and Solana didn’t need her. “I think I’ll take you up on that.”
After she explained to Solana where she would be, Bailey asked Wade to accompany her to room 235.
Just before they reached Maria’s room, Joel stopped. “I need to call Edward. I’ll be in shortly.”
She nodded and knocked on the door before pushing it open. “How’s our patient this morning?”
Angel turned from the window with Maria in his arms. “Much better. They’ve taken the IV out, and we’ve put on the overalls you brought yesterday, except a button is missing.”
Maria laid her head on his shoulder, and the button-less strap dangled on her arm. The child still looked terribly pale.
“Let me see if I can find a safety pin,” Bailey said. She rummaged in her purse and held one up. “Bingo!” Maria was still as she pinned the corduroy strap. “Are you ready to go home?”
She nodded. “Can we go now?”
Bailey pretended to think. “I think you have to go downstairs for a test first.”
“Where’s Wade?” Angel asked as he settled Maria on the bed.
“Outside the door.”
He nodded approval. “Have you had word from Danny?”
“You know about that?”
“He called.”
“You know he didn’t do it.”
Silence in the Dark Page 24
