Erin pulled Vic down into a hug. “It’s okay, Vicky. It’s okay. You’re safe and so is Jeremy. There is only one person who knows where Jeremy is, and that’s Willie.”
Vic snuffled into Erin’s shoulder. “And Willie? Where is he? What if they got him?”
“Willie’s the one who called in the fire first,” Terry said. “I’m sure he’s probably over there now. Give him a call, but don’t be worried if he doesn’t answer his phone, he might be occupied with the fire.”
“I don’t have my phone,” Vic patted her pockets. “They took it away. I guess maybe they thought that Jeremy would call. Or that he would be in my contact list. I guess… I’ll just wait until Willie is done.”
“No.” Erin pulled out her own phone. “You’ll call him now. He doesn’t have to come over here, but he needs to know that you’re okay.”
Nodding and wiping her nose, Vic took Erin’s phone. She unlocked it and called Willie. There was a long half-minute while they waited for him to answer or for it to go to voicemail, and then Willie answered. Vic looked toward the front window as she spoke to him, reassuring him that she was okay and would meet up with him once they were both free of their responsibilities.
“And Jeremy’s safe?” Vic asked.
Erin couldn’t hear Willie’s answer, but she could see the relaxation of Vic’s expression and knew he had answered in the affirmative.
“Everybody’s okay.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
T
here wasn’t a lot for Terry and the little Bald Eagle Falls police department to do once the feds descended on the town and took over the fight against the clans. He sat at the small grouping of chairs in the front section of The Bake Shoppe with the others, waiting to be consulted on any local issues.
“At least we’re getting answers to some of our questions. I guess the rest will come out over the next few weeks—or months—while they investigate.”
“Like who actually killed Don Inglethorpe?” Erin asked.
He nodded. “They’ll have to go through his books to see if he was laundering money… he might have kept files on what was going on here… we know he had some kind of falling out with the Jacksons before he died. They wanted something from him that he wasn’t willing to give.”
“He’d promised Charley that she could open the bakery,” Erin said. “Maybe the clan didn’t want her to do that because they couldn’t operate without her figuring it out.”
Vic nodded. “Rudolph said Inglethorpe didn’t know a good deal when he saw it. So I guess they couldn’t convince him to do what they wanted him to, and they ended up killing him… I don’t know, to get him out of the way?”
“He’d been over at Auntie Clem’s asking me about financial stuff. Turnovers,” Erin remembered. “Uh—turnover. He went back over to The Bake Shoppe and…?”
“Maybe he went looking for some bill or insurance policy from their files,” Vic suggested, “and he walked in on the drug operation. You said that they could process during the day,” she said to Terry, “so maybe he walks in, and they’re cutting the powder, or packaging it for sale…”
“Oh.” Erin thought back to the scene she had walked into that day. A smear of flour on the counter. The door to the basement standing slightly ajar. “There was white powder on the counter, and an electronic scale. I thought Charley had been making pie.”
Terry nodded. “So maybe Bo Biggles or one of the others had been processing powder. Inglethorpe walks in and realizes that the clan is operating out of The Bake Shoppe whether he likes it or not.”
Vic shuddered. “And goodnight Mr. Inglethorpe.”
Since Terry was the one who had suggested that they could find Rudolph Windsor by tracking Vic’s phone signal, and the kidnapping was in Terry’s jurisdiction, the feds agreed that he could have the first crack at interrogating Rudolph, provided a certain Rohilda Beaven was allowed to sit in on the questioning.
Terry agreed to their terms and he was the one to sweat Rudolph under the cool fluorescent lights of the police department’s interview room. While it looked more like a community center multipurpose room with its nondescript carpet and lightweight tubular furniture, Mr. Windsor was looking distinctly uncomfortable waiting for the ax to fall.
He kept darting looks at Beaven, who was sitting in a chair with her arms folded, the chair tipped back on two legs, reclined against the wall. She looked casual and comfortable, a sight that was apparently winding Rudolph up considerably.
“So, Mr. Windsor,” Terry said slowly, “we have a considerable number of federal charges piling up against you. Congratulations on finally making it into the big leagues.”
Rudolph swallowed. He wiped his sweat-beaded brow. “Look, I’m sure we can work something out. I’m just a small fish in this operation. I was taken advantage of. I really didn’t know the whole picture…”
“If you didn’t know the whole picture, then how can you tell me anything worthwhile?”
“I know enough to help you. It’s just that… I didn’t know at the time… what they were planning. It wasn’t until the end that it all started coming together and I realized…”
“You are the one who kidnapped Victoria Webster. Kidnapping is a very serious charge with heavy sentences.”
“It wasn’t just me. There were others involved. I can give you their names. I had to do it, because if I didn’t… they would have hurt me. My family. My own life was in peril.”
“Maybe you should have gone to the police.”
“They were watching me all the time. They didn’t trust me. That’s a point in my favor, isn’t it? That they didn’t trust me?”
“No, it just tells me that they knew you for what you were. Somebody unreliable, impulsive, and only looking out for number one.”
Rudolph rocked back and forth in his seat. “That’s not the way it was… if you’ll just let me tell you my story, you’ll see…”
Chapter Forty
E
rin could tell that Vic was watching out the living room window, even though she was trying to look relaxed and casual, as if everything was perfectly normal and they were just visiting before bed like they usually did.
The truth was, Erin was watching too, and not much was making it to the lists she was working on. All of the things she had to do following the fire at the bakery. Talk to the insurers to find out when the claims adjuster was going to make it out. Decide if there was any way she could stay in Bald Eagle Falls, maybe finding a job at the General Store or one of the other businesses. Find out what she was required to do about her employees following a disaster that shut down the business. She sighed.
Vic opened her mouth to talk to Erin about it, then her head snapped around as Willie’s truck pulled in front of the house. She hurried to the door and was standing on the front steps when Jeremy climbed out of the truck and ran up to her. They hugged and held each other, talking over top of one another. Eventually, Willie managed to push them into the house, and they moved apart to bring Erin and Willie into the conversation.
“Where were you?” Vic asked. “I was so worried about you. If the clan had found you…”
“Willie put me down a mineshaft,” Jeremy said. He shook his head. “I mean literally down a mineshaft! He gave me blankets, flashlights, and food, but it was not the best camping experience that I’ve ever had! Man, is it dark down there! And still! Without the light, I would have gone crazy.”
Erin shuddered. There was no way Willie would ever have gotten her down a hole. She’d had enough of caves and underground. She was glad that she hadn’t known where Jeremy was. “Isn’t that the first place anyone would look if they knew that it was Willie who had hidden you?”
“Nobody knows where all of Willie’s mines are,” Vic laughed. “I sure don’t.”
“Aren’t they all on public record?”
Vic looked at Willie for his answer.
He just raised his eyebrows and smiled politely. “Where’s Terry? I tho
ught he was coming too.”
“Not here yet.” Erin shrugged. “I assume he’ll be here as soon as he can get done at the police department. It might take some time.”
“Let’s get some food out,” Vic suggested, “this is supposed to be a celebration.”
Erin went with her into the kitchen and they worked side by side, pulling frozen baked goodies out of the freezer and arranging other finger food on platters. Orange Blossom made an appearance, yowling and begging for food. Vic flicked him a small piece of pepperoni.
“Don’t give him that!” Erin protested. “It bothers his stomach and he’ll keep me up all night with his… er, gastrointestinal distress.”
Vic giggled.
“I’ll take him to your apartment,” Erin warned. “You can deal with it!”
“I won’t give him any more.”
Marshmallow made an appearance as well, alerted by Orange Blossom to the fact that there was food on offer. Erin gave him a few pieces of carrot and flicked a couple of kitty treats across the floor for the cat.
She gazed sadly at the cookies that were defrosting. The end of Auntie Clem’s Bakery. The insurance wasn’t going to cover rebuilding and replacing everything that had been lost and what she was going to owe her laid-off employees. She’d already spent the rest of her inheritance on rebuilding the garage and putting in the loft apartment for Vic. And the burglar alarm and other security equipment to keep them safe. The bank wasn’t going to give her a loan when she didn’t have collateral, and she wasn’t going to mortgage Clementine’s house, especially not when she didn’t have a regular income. She kept going in circles and couldn’t find a way to get the bakery back in business.
There was a knock at the door, and she heard Terry’s voice when Willie answered it. She poked her head out the kitchen door.
“Send K9 in for a cookie! He deserves it after finding Vic in the tunnel for us.”
Terry told K9 to ‘go get a cookie,’ and the dog bounded excitedly into the kitchen. Orange Blossom jumped back and puffed up, hissing his objection to the big dog being allowed in his territory. Erin gave K9 a doggie biscuit from the cookie jar and scratched his ears and praised him, telling him what a good dog he was for finding Vic.
She washed up, and once they had everything ready, they bussed the platters into the living room. Erin was surprised to see Beaver there as well. She gave Erin an easy smile.
“I hope you don’t mind me crashing your party. Officer Piper said you wouldn’t mind and that there would be good food.”
“Uh… no, that’s fine.” Erin looked at Terry. She couldn’t help a little twinge of possessiveness over him. She didn’t like this woman getting friendly with him and showing up with him at what was supposed to be a private celebration. “Of course you’re welcome. You were a part of the rescue.”
The only person who wasn’t there was Adele. She had seemed deeply embarrassed by her husband’s involvement in the whole thing and had retreated to her solitary cottage.
They helped themselves to the goodies while Erin got out some wine and soft drinks that had been chilling in the fridge. Beaver ended up sitting next to Jeremy and the two of them exchanged stories, laughing with their heads close together. Vic looked at Erin and raised one eyebrow. Erin shrugged back.
“So, how did it go with Mr. Windsor?” Erin asked Terry. “Did you get anywhere with him?”
Terry looked over at Beaver, who nodded at him to go on. Erin appreciated that Beaver was open to Terry talking to them about it, but didn’t like their apparent ability to read each other so easily.
“It went better than I would have predicted.” Terry sat forward on his seat. “I told you before that Windsor didn’t have any apparent connection to the clans. He hadn’t had any dealings with organized crime before, so I didn’t see how he could have been involved in the drug running. He wouldn’t have had enough pull as an independent operator, and he’d need a good ‘in’ to be involved with either of the gangs.”
Erin nodded her agreement. Windsor hadn’t seemed like the type to be involved with the clan. He was an outsider, from New England rather than Tennessee, and he wasn’t related to anyone. He was the kind of guy who was always running his own brilliant scams but could never get ahead of the big operators.
“The last stint he served was in the Tennessee Penitentiary.”
No one else saw the significance to start with. Then Vic’s eyes lit up as she made the connection. “That’s where Davis is.”
Terry nodded. “That’s where Davis is.”
“Did they know each other?” Erin asked.
“They were in the same block. Apparently, they developed quite a friendship.”
“So, when he got out, Davis set him up with the Jacksons?”
“Introductions were made while he was still inside. And it would appear that Davis had ideas about how to make money off of the bakery even while it was shut down.”
“It was Davis’s idea to use the tunnel?”
“I’m not sure whose idea it was initially. Davis doesn’t strike me as an idea man, so it might have been Trenton’s. But whoever it was, the boys obviously had knowledge of the tunnels.”
“But Davis couldn’t make money off of it if Trenton was the one running the bakery,” Erin said. “If they both knew about the tunnels, then Davis couldn’t use them without Trenton’s knowledge, like they could when Charley was in charge. He’d have to give him a cut.”
Terry nodded slowly. “Another nail in Davis’s coffin. More evidence to suggest that he fully intended to kill Trenton right from the start. Joelle wouldn’t have known about the tunnel.”
“Good news for Charley. She can get the bakery opened and maybe not even have to split it with Davis. At least Bald Eagle Falls will still have one bakery.”
“It will work out, Erin,” Vic said. “Somehow we’ll work it out.”
Erin didn’t believe it, but she didn’t want to argue about it. She was mentally exhausted.
“So, is it all over?” she asked the room at large. “Is there going to be retaliation? Are we going to be targeted?”
Terry and Beaver looked at each other. “I think we’ll be able to get most of the major players behind bars,” Beaver said slowly. “There are always dangers with organized crime… bosses still directing operations from inside, or family members retaliating against those who put their loved ones behind bars. So it’s impossible to say that it’s over for sure. But my best guess… you and Vic should be safe. You didn’t actually go looking for trouble. You were defending yourselves and your loved ones.”
Erin breathed out. There were no guarantees, but she was glad to hear the opinion expressed by the federal agent. Maybe things would be quiet. For at least as long as it took Erin to figure out what she was doing or where she was going next.
“And what about Jeremy?” Vic asked, looking at her brother.
Beaver grimaced. She looked searchingly at the platters of food and picked out a cookie. She nibbled at it while considering her answer.
“Jeremy had certain commitments to the clan. He bailed out and betrayed the trust his family and the clan had in him. They were pretty intent on finding him before he could talk to the authorities.”
“But I didn’t snitch,” Jeremy said. “They might have thought I was going to, but I didn’t. So now that it’s all over… they should just leave me alone.”
“You have any plans to go back to the farm now?”
“No way!”
“My point exactly.”
“What about witness protection?” Vic asked. “You could help him to change his name and get situated where no one could find him.”
“For that, he would have to testify against them, and it would have to be something big enough for us to hang a case on. Is that what you want?”
Jeremy shook his head. “No.” He looked at his sister. “No, Vic. No way. I’ll do my own thing. I’m not important enough for them to be spending a lot of time and resources on.”
Erin had tried to outrun her troubles before, but it seemed like it didn’t matter how many times she changed her name and took up residence in a new town, she couldn’t ever leave her past behind.
“You could get some unofficial help from an agent,” Beaver said. “It would be a good idea to keep in touch with someone who knows the tricks of the trade.”
A slow smile spread over Jeremy’s face. He nodded. “That sounds like a good plan,” he agreed.
Epilogue
B
ella sat down with Erin at the library table. Erin knew she still had to go over termination pay with Bella and to apologize to her for not being able to keep the business going after the fire. The very thought of the conversation tied her in knots.
Bella had been a good employee. She was young and would be able to find work again quickly enough, though there weren’t a lot of openings in Bald Eagle Falls and she might end up having to go to the city to find something.
“Vic told me how stressed you’ve been over the bakery,” Bella said. “She said you didn’t think you could find a way to start it up again after the fire.”
Erin nodded, both grateful to Vic for breaking the ice and ticked off with her for not leaving it to Erin. It was Erin’s job to do, no matter how much she dreaded it.
“You had insurance though, right?”
“Yes… but it’s not enough to rebuild and buy everything I would need to start over again. There’s next to nothing recoverable. I can’t get a loan based on the property value and a business plan, not with another bakery opening any day now, one with a wider customer base. I’m not going to mortgage Clementine’s house, I won’t risk it.” Erin was irritated by having to explain it all over again. Everybody thought the insurance company would just hand her a check and she’d be all set.
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