The Pinch Runner

by Robin Merrill

“Nah.” Bob sounded smug. “It was just a sound effect.”

  He never ceased to amaze. “It was a very convincing one,” she said between ragged breaths.

  “I think I’m having a heart attack.” Nate clutched his chest, but she could tell by looking at him that he was going to be just fine.

  She struggled to stand up straight. “Okay, now what?”

  Bob made a weird clicking sound with his tongue. “I’m not sure there is a next. I’m wondering if that entire mission was a waste.” He looked at her. “We didn’t learn much.”

  “Yes, we did!” she cried. “We learned that she’s probably the killer.”

  Nate stood up straight too. “What makes you say that?”

  “She didn’t show the note to her husband.”

  “So?” Nate said. “That just means that he’s the killer, and she is scared of him and what he might do if he saw the note.”

  “See?” Bob interjected. “We didn’t learn anything.”

  Sandra looked at her minivan, longing for its air conditioning. “Well, aside from sneaking into her house, is there another way to spy on her?”

  Bob looked contemplative, as if he were mentally scanning a list of possibilities. “No.”

  Well, that was definitive. And she wasn’t sure she even believed him. Maybe there just wasn’t an ethical way to continue spying on her.

  “Why don’t you two take a break from the spying,” Bob said, and Sandra couldn’t help inferring that he was also suggesting they were terrible at it. “And I’ll go back and watch the yard again. I’m not going into the house, but I’ll just keep an eye on the general property.”

  Sandra agreed to the plan. “No middle school sports commitments today?”

  Panic flickered across his face. “Yes. This afternoon I have cheering camp.”

  Sandra snorted. “Cheering camp?”

  Bob bristled. “Yes, cheering camp. Cheerleading is a sport, you know.”

  Sandra wasn’t sure what to say. She’d never really thought about it. “Okay, we’ll go home. I need a shower.” She headed for the minivan, hardly caring whether her husband followed her.

  Only when she placed her hands on the steering wheel did she realize the oddity of what she’d just done. Why was she in the driver’s seat? When the two of them went somewhere, Nate always drove. Yet, right now, she hadn’t even thought about it. She’s just wearily climbed in. She watched him open the passenger side door and climb in beside her, waiting for him to remark on the role reversal.

  But he didn’t. He just reclined the seat with a thump. He threw an arm over his eyes and said, “Honestly, I don’t know how you do this.”

  She snickered and turned the key in the ignition. “Do what?”

  “Fight crime.” He moved his arm away from his face and turned toward her. “I mean, you willingly put yourself into these situations. I thought I’d been missing out, and I guess that’s true, but I didn’t realize how not fun your little adventures are.”

  She wasn’t sure if she was being scolded or praised. “As much as I love spending time with you, honey, you don’t have to join me for these adventures.”

  “You’re right. I think it’s important for couples to have individual hobbies. I really hate snakes.”

  She laughed. “Me too.”

  “Maybe. But you didn’t scream like a little girl.”

  She bit back a snicker. “You did just fine.”

  “Even so, I’m resigning. As long as you’re with the angel, I’m going to stay out of it.” He shifted in his seat. “I mean, I’d rather you resign too, but I doubt that’s going to happen. But either way, I now know that this is not my calling.”

  “That’s okay, honey. This was a weird morning. We don’t usually hide behind a hedge for hours waiting for garter snakes to attack.”

  “What a relief. I’m going to take a nap now.”

  SANDRA WAS ALMOST HOME when her phone rang. She swiped the green icon. “Hello?”

  At first, there was no response, and Sandra thought it was Tiara again.

  It wasn’t. “Hello.” The voice sounded familiar and some part of Sandra’s stomach recognized it well enough to be unsettled by it. But it took several seconds for Sandra’s brain to catch up. “You could have just rung the doorbell, you know.”

  Yikes. “I’m sorry,” Sandra tried, “I don’t know what you—”

  “Save it. I know it was you. What I can’t figure out is what you did in the backyard. I can’t find any broken glass anywhere, and I know you didn’t have time to pick it up.”

  Sandra thought silence was her best bet.

  Nate rolled his head toward her and opened one eye.

  For a second, she steered with her knee so she could hold a finger up to her lips to shush him.

  He opened his other eye and sat up.

  “What do you want?” Daphne asked.

  She didn’t know how to answer that.

  Daphne didn’t give her much time to think about it. “Name your price. I’ll meet it. A bag of cash for the videos, and then we’re done. If you come at me again, I won’t be so cooperative. I figure it’ll cost me about the same to pay you off or to have you taken care of. Don’t make me regret my choice.”

  Oh my word, this woman is as cold as ice. She had no idea what to say.

  “So?” She was growing impatient. “What’s your price?”

  Sandra panicked. “A hundred thousand dollars.”

  Nate’s eyes widened.

  Daphne sighed into the phone. “Fine. Do you have a pen? I’ll give you the address.”

  “Yes, hang on a sec.” Sandra tried to calmly steer the van onto the shoulder, but it was more like a sudden yank to the right that sent them both hurdling left. The driver behind her laid on his horn as he sped past her with fury on his face.

  “You made that guy mad.”

  “Who was that?” Daphne snapped. “Who’s with you?”

  “No one,” Sandra quickly lied. “It’s the radio. Okay, I’ve got a pen.” This too was a lie. She reached into the glove box and started rooting around for one. She pulled out seventy-five Five Guys napkins, at least as many bank deposit slips, some chopsticks, two packets of mayonnaise, a pacifier, and a pair of pantyhose that she fervently hoped were hers—but no pen. This couldn’t be happening.

  Daphne was already giving the address.

  “Hang on, I need paper.”

  Daphne growled into the phone.

  She grabbed a deposit slip and a lipstick from her purse. “Okay, go ahead.”

  “Old Black Farm Road,” Daphne said with painful slowness. “In Chesterville. There’s a barn. I’ll be in it with your money.”

  Chesterville? Why Chesterville? But she didn’t argue. “Okay, when?”

  “Eleven o’clock tonight. If you’re late, the deal’s off.” The phone went silent.

  Sandra sat there staring at the phone in her hand, wondering what had just happened.

  “You need to talk to Bob.”

  She nodded. “I sure do.”

  “I’m not letting you go to Chesterville without him.”

  “I know that. And don’t worry, I wouldn’t.” Chesterville was a tiny town north of Plainfield. It wasn’t on the way to anywhere. If Daphne planned to lure her out into the woods to kill her, Chesterville would be a logical choice. Sandra hadn’t ever met someone who actually lived in Chesterville, and she couldn’t think of a single business that made its home there. If she remembered correctly, even the post office had gone out of business. The place was a ghost town.

  “Maybe you should even tell the police too. They could follow you there, back you up.”

  “Maybe.” She didn’t think that was a good idea, though. Chip and Slaughter would take over and not allow her anywhere near Chesterville. Besides, she was confident that she didn’t need them, not when she had Bob. She would catch Daphne and tie her up in a neat bow for the professionals, just like Bob and she had done last time.

  Piece of cake.


  Chapter 35

  Sandra had kissed the kids good night and tucked them in, and now sat in the kitchen staring at her front door—though of course, if Bob arrived, he probably wouldn’t use the door.

  The clocks in her house all disagreed as to exactly what time it was, but they were all within spitting distance of nine o’clock, and yet she still hadn’t heard from her angel friend. She was starting to panic, but her husband was already well past panicville.

  “You need to call the cops, Sandra! I don’t want to go with you, and I’m not going to let you go alone! Why on earth hasn’t Bob given you a way to get in touch with him?”

  “Because he’s an angel,” she said for the thousandth time. What was she going to do if Bob didn’t show in time? She didn’t know, but Nate’s harping on it wasn’t helping her to decide. She put her head in her hands. “Please, stop! You’re driving me crazy.”

  His mouth snapped shut. “I’m sorry. I just love you so much, and I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

  She took a deep breath. “I know this. But what I’m saying—the part you’re not yet hearing—is that I won’t put myself in danger. I promise.”

  He plunked down into a kitchen chair. “You got yourself shoved into a trunk.”

  How long was he going to hold that over her head? “That wasn’t my fault! I didn’t willingly climb into the trunk!”

  They then engaged in a staring contest, and though it was a tense moment, Sandra was grateful that it was also a quiet one.

  Bob broke the silence. “Why the long faces?”

  “There you are!” Nate cried.

  Bob drew his brows together. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong. What have you seen?” Sandra needed the facts. Fast.

  “I’ve been hanging out in the Barney driveway, as promised. But I think they went to bed. All the lights are off.”

  I doubt they’re both in bed. “Okay, Bob, listen up. There’s not much time.” She filled him in as efficiently as she could, trying not to be annoyed by Nate’s umpteen unhelpful interruptions.

  When she finished, Bob’s jaw hung open.

  “What? You don’t think this is a good idea?”

  “Of course I don’t think it’s a good idea! You’re going to take a payoff!”

  She barked out a laugh. “Of course not!” Was he an imbecile? “I’m just going to make her think I’m going to take the money. In the meantime, I’ll get her to confess, and then we’ll tie her up or something and call the police.”

  “We’ll tie her up? You mean you want me to let her see me?”

  Sandra rapidly shook her head. Had she done that bad of a job sharing her plan? “No, I just need you to thump her on the head or something and then I’ll tie her up.”

  “I hate this plan,” Nate said.

  They both ignored him.

  “Okay, let’s go,” Bob said. “Did you already pack the rope?”

  She grabbed her purse. “No, but one of Joanna’s jump ropes is tangled around one of the backseats of the van.”

  Bob raised an eyebrow. “You sure that’ll be sturdy enough?”

  Sandra kissed her husband on the cheek. “We’re tying up a Stepford wife, not the Hulk. It’ll be fine.” She looked at Nate. “I love you. I’ll text you when it’s over, and then I’ll come right home. Don’t worry.”

  “Yeah, right. Anyway that I can stop this?”

  She stopped and looked at him. “Sure. If you tell me not to go, I won’t go.” Please don’t say that, please don’t say that.

  He nodded. “I’m not going to test that promise.” He looked at Bob. “You’ll take care of her?”

  “Of course.”

  “Okay then.” He looked at her. “I love you too.”

  Before he could change his mind, she hurried out the door.

  Bob teleported into the front passenger seat and waited for her to buckle up before saying, “He’s a good man, your husband.”

  “I know.” She started the car and when she looked over her shoulder to back up, she realized Bob was giving her a skeptical look. “I really do know. Today has just been ... a lot.” She tried to think of a tactful way to express what she was feeling. She wasn’t angry with Nate, exactly, so what was it? “We just have ... different investigative styles.”

  Bob laughed. “Yes, I think that is true.”

  The closer she got to Chesterville, the harder her hitchhiking butterflies worked to commandeer her stomach. “So, I’m going to walk into the barn and just get her talking, right?”

  “That’s what you said the plan was.”

  “Do you have a better plan?” She wished he did.

  “Not really. This one worked with the last guy. Might as well try it again.”

  She thought this particular murderer was a bit more dangerous than the last. “All right then.”

  “I sense hesitation. You don’t have to go through with this. We can call the police right now, and let them take it from here. It would be pretty suspicious to find Daphne in a barn in Chesterville with a hundred thousand dollars in cash.”

  Sandra couldn’t bear the thought of letting them have all the fun. “Nope, I’m all in.”

  “Glad to hear it. Your turn is just up ahead.”

  Her headlights lit up a small green sign that read Old Black Farm Road. The road’s name had sounded so innocent when Daphne had spoken it, but now seeing the words in print made them seem far more ominous. Or maybe it was just the thick darkness of the night; the clouds prevented them from enjoying the company of the stars or moon. Or maybe it was the isolation of the meeting. Old Black Farm Road stretched out in front of her like a long, narrow black ribbon. It went on and on, and the deeper into the forest she drove, the narrower the road got until leaves scraped both sides of her van as she crawled along into the unknown.

  Just when she was about to give up and try to turn around, Bob pointed toward a giant dark rectangle looming to their left. She slowed the van, unsure of what she was looking at. Was that really a barn? Who would build a barn way out here? She stopped the car. Someone a very long time ago, that’s who. The ancient barn stood across the narrow lane from an equally ancient farmhouse. Both buildings were dark and still. She pulled the van in front of the barn and as her headlights lit up the eerie building, she took a long look before turning off the van. It was old, for sure, but it still looked sturdy. This was encouraging. She took the keys out of the ignition so that her automatic headlights would turn off faster, and then she looked at Bob in the darkness.

  Without the engine running, the silence was almost overwhelming. She sensed he was going to say something and cut him off, “Don’t even ask,” she whispered. “Yes, I’m doing this. It’s Daphne Barney for crying out loud. How dangerous can this really be?” She opened her door and the interior light seemed unreasonably bright. She got out as quickly and quietly as possible and then softly clicked the door shut behind her, staying rooted to her spot until the light faded out and returned them to darkness. It may only be Daphne Barney, but her heart was still trying to thump its way out of her chest.

  What was that awful smell? She concentrated on it for a moment in order to identify it. And once she recognized it, she wondered what had taken her so long: it was gasoline. Why did this abandoned property smell like gasoline? She opened her mouth to ask if Bob could smell it, but then she snapped her mouth shut. First of all, don’t talk to the invisible angel in front of the murderer, and second, of course he could smell it. Bob had a super sniffer.

  She slid her phone out of her back pocket and turned on the flashlight. Then she followed the beam of light toward the barn, whose giant front door stood open a few feet, just wide enough for her to walk through.

  She stepped into the barn, and the temperature dropped twenty degrees. She shined her light around the tall walls, and the space looked giant—and empty. Where was Daphne? Even before visually confirming that the barn was empty, she had sensed that there was no one els
e there. In fact, she sensed that there had been no one else there for a very long time. Just as she was thinking about turning around, there was a small scuttling noise at the back end of the barn. It didn’t sound like a noise a person would make. A small animal, probably. Surely mice and other little critters had made their home in this cavernous building by now. She wanted to ask Bob what he wanted to do, but she didn’t want to speak to him. He walked deeper into the barn, and so she followed, even though she didn’t see the point.

  The gasoline smell grew stronger, and with it, her unease. She really wanted to go, but she still didn’t dare speak this desire aloud, so she simply turned toward the door and hoped that Bob would figure out her intent. As she turned, a loud grating sound rang out as the old barn door slid shut in front of her. Without thinking, she ran toward it, but she reached it long after it had closed. She grabbed the door and tried to push it open again, and the rattling of chains outside made her blood run cold. She whirled around to look at Bob, but he was right beside her. She stared at him wide-eyed as if to say, “Help me push on the door!”

  But he held up one finger: Wait.

  Wait for what? They were locked in a creepy barn in Chesterville! She stared at him, trying to figure out what they were waiting for, and then she heard a crackling noise. She didn’t recognize the sound at first, but then she smelled smoke.

  Chapter 36

  With an authority that gave Sandra chills, Bob swung his arm out to his side and the barn door flew open with a crash. It moved so fast that Sandra heard the chains hit the ground after the fact. A horse whinnied somewhere nearby, and for a second, Sandra panicked that the horse was in the barn. Bob took her hand and led her outside, as if she needed encouragement to get out of a burning barn. Sandra looked back to see that Daphne had placed hay along the front wall of the barn—hay that had probably been christened with gasoline. Flames slowly licked the barn walls, but she knew they would soon pick up in power and do more than lick.

  “Do you have a signal?” Bob was all business.

  She looked down at her phone.