Colton Manhunt

by Jane Godman

  Resisting the impulse to close the distance between them and take her in his arms was torture. How was he going to get through a whole day in close proximity to her, knowing she was hurting? And knowing he was responsible?

  Find her sister. Find the people who are doing this. Make her safe again. That was how he could help her.

  “How about I meet you at the station in half an hour? I’ll pick up an unmarked police vehicle. We can head out to the AAG ranch and make an early start.”

  As they went out to the garden to collect the dogs, he reflected again on how easily they’d established a feeling of rightness. And how fast it had come undone.

  * * *

  Katrina was struck all over again by the beauty of the AAG Center. Everything about the headquarters was perfection, from the location to the building itself. There must have been some damage done by the earthquake, but there was no sign of it.

  “I haven’t met her, but Micheline Anderson must be a very smart woman,” she said to Spencer.

  They were seated in the bland police vehicle with its tinted windows. Spencer had positioned it at the far end of the parking lot at a point where they had a clear view of the ranch entrance. They had arrived at a time when they judged the group members would be finishing breakfast and preparing to start their daily activities.

  From what she’d heard in town, those activities included growing crops, making furniture, and other items that were sold to raise funds. The members also spent time in reflection, learning to become the best versions of themselves.

  He shifted slightly in his seat. “I think you’re right about that, but what makes you say it now?”

  “Just look at this place.” She pointed to the beautiful golden structure that appeared to be slumbering in the morning sunlight. “It’s stunning. When Micheline bought it, she must have seen the possibilities and known she could make it into a place people would feel welcome and supported.”

  She withdrew her gaze from the building for long enough to glance at Spencer’s profile. His lips thinned briefly into a tight line before he answered. “Micheline is certainly an astute business person. She charges a thousand dollars for her seminars.”

  “I know. That was why Helen Jackson was so angry. She thought her son had been preyed upon when he was grieving,” she said. “The thought of Helen, and the way she abruptly changed her mind, still worries me. I think she was pressured into doing it.”

  “I’ll check it out, but if she sticks to her misunderstanding story, there’s not much I can do.” He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “As for Micheline, her seminars are just the start. At an additional five thousand dollars for each level, members can attain ‘honest selfhood.’”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I don’t know.” He turned to look at her with a slight smile. “And I don’t have enough spare cash to find out.”

  She didn’t want to return the smile. She did everything she could to resist it. But her mouth refused to listen to the message. Despite her best efforts, she felt her lips turn up at the corners as her eyes maintained contact with his.

  Spencer looked away first. Frowning, he focused on a dark-haired woman who was walking toward the center. “That’s Dee Walton, Payne Colton’s administrative assistant. I knew she was an AAG enthusiast, she offered their services after the earthquake, but she’s here mighty early. Clearly, her links to the group are closer than I thought.” He pulled out his cell phone. “I need to make a call.”

  Katrina continued to watch the center as he spoke briefly to one of his colleagues.

  “Kerry? While you’re checking out AAG members, look into Dee Walton...that’s right. Payne Colton’s assistant. And let’s get her in for questioning. She may be able to tell us something about the other group members.” He grinned at something the other person said. “Yeah, I know how you like to stay busy.”

  As he ended his call, Leigh Dennings stepped out onto the porch with Randall on one side and Bart on the other. The three of them had their heads close together and were clearly deep in conversation, but paused to exchange a greeting with Dee.

  “I’d like to know what they are talking about,” Spencer said.

  Katrina shivered. “They give me the creeps.”

  He flicked a quick glance her way. “Can you explain why?”

  “It’s hard to put into words. In normal circumstances, it’s the sort of sense you get from an individual, someone who chooses to ignore social cues. The sort of people who don’t get the message that you aren’t in the mood to talk, or who maybe stand a little too close for comfort.”

  “I know what you mean.” Spencer continued to watch the three AAG members as he spoke. “They don’t do anything outrageous, but they feel a little ‘off.’”

  “Exactly,” Katrina agreed. “And, although your subconscious tells you something isn’t right, you couldn’t explain it to anyone else. That’s how it is with the AAG. Only I get that feeling about an organization and its members instead of a person.” She shrugged. “It’s ridiculous. Right?”

  “It might be if you were the only person to describe feeling that way to me. Since you’re not, I think it must be a genuine vibe this group gives off.” He straightened in his seat. “Looks like our target is on the move.”

  Leigh parted from the two men with a wave of her hand and headed toward a silver Toyota. Randall and Bart hung around on the porch for a moment or two, then went back inside.

  “If Leigh is the welcome manager, shouldn’t she remain here at the headquarters?” Katrina asked. “To, um, welcome people?”

  Leigh, who appeared to be in no hurry to go anywhere, was checking her appearance in the rearview mirror. Spencer tapped his fingertips on the steering wheel as he waited.

  “Part of her role seems to involve recruitment,” Spencer said. “Micheline likes to send out the good-looking members to sign up newcomers.”

  He was right, of course. Leigh was good-looking. And it really shouldn’t matter to Katrina what Spencer thought of the other woman. But for some reason, a spark shot through her at the words. If she hadn’t been so angry at him, she could almost have believed it was jealousy.

  A few minutes later, Leigh finished touching up her lip gloss and gave her hair a last pat. Then she started up her engine and pulled out of the parking lot.

  “Finally.” Spencer gave her some space before following at a discreet distance. “She’s turning right, so it looks like she’s headed into town.”

  They completed the ten-mile drive into Mustang Valley in silence. Katrina reflected on the reason for that. Did their hat-and-sunglasses disguises provide an additional barrier to communication? She decided they didn’t. The new boundary was all about the fragile trust that had been built between them and then shattered by the words of the intruder.

  It was bad enough that she felt scared and threatened, but now she felt diminished by the lies that had been told about her. Throughout all of this, her sister was still missing. With each passing day, her fears for Eliza increased. It just didn’t seem possible that her feckless twin could survive for this length of time without help. Not unless she was getting herself into real trouble.

  She knew Spencer was one of the few people who could understand that, since he was a triplet and seemed to have strong feelings toward his own siblings. This new distance between them meant confiding in him wasn’t an option, however.

  Once they reached the center of town, Leigh drove along Mustang Boulevard and found a parking space near Java Jane’s. Spencer pulled in across the street from the coffee shop and they watched the AAG welcome manager get out of her car. Going around to the trunk, she withdrew what looked like a paper tube. She then locked her vehicle and walked away toward the nearest store.

  “Any ideas what she’s carrying?” Spencer asked.

  “Posters of some sort?” Katrina suggest
ed.

  “You could be right.” Spencer nodded. “The AAG likes to be visible. Let’s go and take a look.”

  They left the car and headed in the same direction as Leigh. The store she’d entered was Nuts ’n’ Grains organic grocery store. From the sidewalk, the large window gave Spencer and Katrina a clear view of the interior. Katrina’s hunch was correct. Leigh was talking to a woman near the cash register and handing over a poster. A few seconds later, the two of them moved toward the entrance.

  Spencer drew Katrina to one side, as though they were studying the list of prices displayed by the adjacent hair salon, taking her into his arms in the process. She wasn’t sure the pretense was necessary, but the warmth of his arms around her and his chest muscles beneath her cheek was just too tempting to resist. And besides, if she’d protested, she’d have risked blowing their cover. Right?

  When they sneaked another look, Leigh was leaving Nuts ’n’ Grains.

  “Thank you so much.” She gave a wave of her hand to the cashier she’d been talking to. “The poster looks just perfect in your window.”

  As Leigh moved toward Java Jane’s, Spencer released Katrina and took hold of her hand, leading her back to look at the window of Nuts ’n’ Grains. On one level, her mind was processing the information on the AAG poster. On an entirely different level, all she could think about was the feel of his fingers between hers.

  “Statistics.” There was a slight sneer in Spencer’s voice as he scanned the AAG notice now displayed in the store window. “It’s basically a list of all the good deeds the group has done in Mustang Valley since the earthquake. How many people they’ve supported, how many buildings they’ve helped restore, how much money they’ve spent. It’s replaced the one that was there telling us all to be our best selves.”

  “You have to admit, it does look impressive,” Katrina said. “If I was in trouble and had nowhere to turn, I’d be tempted to go to them for help.”

  “They are very persuasive,” Spencer agreed. “And high profile. But there are others in town who also have done positive work to care for earthquake victims. Savannah Oliver was in a prison van being driven to a state prison when the earthquake struck. The driver of the van was killed and Savannah escaped. It’s a long story, but she was helped by first responder Grayson Colton. Those other groups are out there, they just don’t shout about it. Let’s check out what Leigh is doing in Java Jane’s.”

  Still hand in hand, they strolled along the sidewalk. They were only doing this to maintain a pretense that they were a couple, Katrina told herself. Nothing more. There was no reason for her to like it, especially after everything that had happened...

  Problem is... I do like it. Too much.

  When they reached the coffee shop, Leigh was already helping one of the baristas to fix a poster onto the bare brick wall. She repeated the pattern all along the length of one side of Mustang Boulevard.

  “The AAG now has free advertising space in every store she’d been in,” Spencer commented. “Leigh sure is persuasive.”

  “She’s also tireless,” Katrina said. “We’ve been following her for two hours and, while she hasn’t paused to even take a sip of water, I’m feeling exhausted and thirsty.”

  “Me, too.” Spencer changed direction, turning back toward Java Jane’s. “Let’s take a break. We can catch up with her again later.”

  * * *

  Spencer observed Katrina’s face as she sipped her fruit smoothie. There was no particular reason; he just enjoyed watching her. It was partly to do with her beauty, but also because she had such expressive features. As she looked around the coffee house at the other customers, he couldn’t quite tell what she was thinking. But he could judge her mood.

  It was clear she was still hurting, and he couldn’t blame her for feeling that way. But she was talking to him. Sometimes amicably. Now and then, she’d even smiled. It wasn’t enough for him to expect that she’d ever forgive him. The best he could hope for was that she’d come through this as emotionally unscathed as possible.

  He glanced at the clock over the serving counter. “Before we check back with Leigh, how about we go to the hospital to talk to Aidan Hannant?”

  Katrina’s eyes widened. “You want me to come with you?”

  “If I’m not letting you out of my sight, you’ll have to.” He drained his soda. “And I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

  Mustang General was located at the far end of downtown Mustang Boulevard, just a short distance away. As he drove through the perfectly manicured grounds, Spencer recalled the last time he’d been here and the failed sting operation. Since then, there had been no change in Payne Colton’s condition.

  Aidan Hannant was being treated in the same unit as Payne. The hospital had state-of-the-art facilities, thanks to the support of Colton Oil.

  The young cop who was seated outside Aidan’s room got to his feet when Spencer approached.

  “How are things here?” Spencer asked.

  “All quiet. The medical staff have said the patient is responding well to treatment.”

  Spencer thanked him and entered the room with Katrina. Hannant looked smaller than he remembered and, if possible, his face looked even worse. The bruises had developed and become more colorful and the swelling made his eyes appear almost closed. The only reason Spencer could tell he was awake was by the way Hannant muttered something when he saw them.

  “I didn’t catch that, Aidan.” He pulled two chairs close to the bed and indicated for Katrina to sit on one while he took the other. “What did you say?”

  “Not fit for visitors,” Aidan repeated.

  “I won’t keep you long. I just have a few follow-up questions for you.” Although he didn’t respond, Hannant twisted his scratched and swollen fingers in the sheet that had been pulled up to his chest.

  “Already told you everything I know.”

  “Good to see you talking a little clearer,” Spencer said. “That should make this easier. I want to ask you about the first email you got offering you money to give Katrina a warning.”

  “Like I said. I don’t know who sent it.” Even with features like raw hamburger, Hannant managed to look sulky. The guy had also developed an attitude since their last meeting.

  “But you accepted the offer. How could the person who sent that email have been sure that you would?”

  Hannant’s hands stilled. “Don’t know what you mean.”

  “Let me put it another way. Most regular guys, if they’d gotten an email like that, would have gone straight to the police with it. I could be wrong, but I’m guessing that the anonymous writer didn’t just fire off dozens or hundreds of copies, then sit back and see who replied.” Spencer leaned forward, his gaze probing Hannant’s face. “I think he, or she, only sent one message, Aidan.”

  “I don’t know who sent it, so I can’t say.”

  Resting his elbows on the bed, Spencer invaded Hannant’s space a little more. “I’m going to take my speculation one step further. I figure whoever sent that email knew they were on to a safe thing with you. Why? Because they already knew what your answer would be. I’m guessing it was well known that you had money worries.” Now there was a sheen of sweat on Hannant’s brow, and Spencer decided to push him harder. “And you’d already spread the word around that you were available for a little dirty work.”

  “You can’t prove that,” Hannant muttered.

  Spencer sat back. “You ever drink in Joe’s Bar?”

  With its greasy food, loud music and...interesting selection of adult beverages, Joe’s Bar attracted a range of characters from serious pool players to those looking for a shady deal. Spencer and his colleagues often kept it under close scrutiny. Certainly bodyguard Callum Colton, Marlowe’s twin, had been watching the bar recently after a suspicious character he’d been tailing was seen there. And it wasn’t unusual for the police to
be called out to deal with a breakout of rowdy behavior.

  “Now and then.”

  “Have you ever told anyone in there that you needed money and you’d be willing to do anything to get it?”

  Hannant puffed out a breath. “Jeez. Am I supposed to remember everything I say when I’ve had me a few beers?”

  Spencer grinned. “I like that, Aidan. You should try it on the judge.” As Hannant squirmed, he became serious again. “Even if you’ve forgotten, can you be sure your drinking buddies will have such short memories? Especially when some of them may need their own favors from the police.”

  “Look. I may have said a few things.” Hannant sounded miserable. “Boasted a little about some stuff I’d done in the past and not gotten caught. And yeah, I needed cash. Got into a few games of poker, and was having trouble paying my tab.”

  “I’m going to need some more details from you in a statement. For now, I’m more interested in who you spoke to in Joe’s.”

  “You make it sound like I sat down with some guy and talked one-on-one, but it wasn’t like that,” Hannant said. “I was just shooting my mouth off, you know? Talking to anyone who’d listen.”

  That was what Spencer had been afraid of. Drunk and with an out-of-control mouth, Hannant could have been overheard by anyone who was in the bar that day. Spencer was right back where he’d started.

  “Do you remember who was around?” Anyone from the AAG? He didn’t want to give Hannant that sort of prompt.

  “The usual guys.” Hannant attempted a shrug, then winced. “And a few from that self-help place.”

  In the chair next to Spencer’s, Katrina shifted slightly. Before she could speak, and jeopardize the inquiry, Spencer continued his questioning. “I need you to be more specific. Who were these people?”

  “Give me a second. Some water would be good.”