“If so much as one cop comes around here, you can kiss your family good-bye.” Vic moved over to the counter-bar again. He put his finger close to James’s head and mimicked firing a gun. “This one will be the first to go, I promise you.”
James started crying.
“Vic, you’re scaring him,” Joe murmured.
Laura felt her stomach lurch. She hurried around the counter-bar and scooped up James in her arms and held him close to her. He hitched his legs around her waist. “There now, sweetie,” she whispered into his ear. “It’s okay . . . it’s okay . . .”
She glared at Vic—and then at Joe. “What if this Martha person can’t identify the man in your sketch?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. “What if I can’t get her to tell me anything?”
“Well, then,” Vic said. “If I were you, I wouldn’t bother coming home.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Monday—3:29 P.M.
Leavenworth
If, last year, someone had told Sophie Gretchell that the class heartthrob would be driving her home from school, she’d have said they were crazy.
Sophie reminded herself of that now—as she and her boyfriend, Matt, pulled out of the high school parking lot in his old beat-up Toyota Corolla. It was probably too soon to call Matt her “boyfriend.” It had been only three weeks since their first date, and the relationship hadn’t gotten too heavy or hot yet. Matt was still trying to win her over. Maybe that was why he went for her. Sophie was just about the only girl in their junior class who didn’t foam at the mouth at the sight of him. Matt probably regarded her as a challenge. Then again, the joke could be entirely on her. What if all this was just an elaborate punk-you for the bookish new girl in class? Maybe he was waiting until she fell crazy in love with him, and then he’d unceremoniously dump her. She didn’t really believe that, but it seemed possible considering her history.
Sophie hadn’t been even remotely popular at her high school in Seattle. She considered herself sort of an ugly duckling with her unmanageable curly brown hair and her skinny, shapeless build. Plus, she was taller than nearly half the boys in her class. “A beanpole,” is how someone described her in an online Rate Your Classmates post some sadistic A-lister had concocted. Other descriptions of her in the post included: Pirates Dream = Sunken Chest, Two Peas on a Breadboard, and Who?
Next to Sophie’s name, another classmate had written: “Perfect Candidate for a Makeover,” and Sophie took that to heart. She went to Macy’s cosmetic counter for an honest-to-God makeover, and the result had her resembling a Kiss band member. Then there was the hair-straightener that left her hair limp and greasy-looking. There was the expensive fake tan in a bottle that turned her face tangerine, and a padded bra that prompted snotty Denise Berry to post on Insta-gram: “Falsie Alert on Gretchell! Could those things look more fake? Did she really think we’d believe she suddenly grew boobs during one three-day weekend?” Finally there was the cheerleading tryout that was a disaster. No matter how many times Sophie tried to reinvent herself, she didn’t click with any clique.
Still, she had her books and one good friend since fourth grade, Barb Riddle, to keep her company. It really didn’t matter that she wasn’t winning any popularity contests or dating anyone. But then in the middle of sophomore year, Barb moved to Boulder.
So when Sophie’s parents announced they’d bought a winery in Leavenworth, she thought, Fine with me.
When she saw how isolated they’d be at the winery, Sophie decided to volunteer for different after-school activities—mostly tutoring kids and reading to toddlers at the public library. She’d given up trying to be popular. She just wanted to keep busy. She’d also given up on trying to tame her curly hair and slouching so that she didn’t tower over half the boys in her class. Besides, now that she was a junior, most of the boys were starting to catch up or they were taller than she was. Sophie actually started feeling better about herself, but not so confident that she didn’t still have some doubts.
Sometimes she thought Matt—along with the rest of her new classmates—would soon catch on that she was nothing special, and then he’d drop her. Maybe that was why she kept him slightly at bay. She didn’t want to get hurt. She also refused to let her sudden popularity go to her head.
Still, Matt was handsome, with wavy black hair and green eyes. He was the alternate quarterback on the varsity team. And for a jock, he was surprisingly considerate and sensitive.
All in all, Sophie was pretty content sitting in the passenger seat of Matt Brunelle’s banged-up Corolla. A piece of duct tape kept the glove compartment from flopping open. A Go, Cascade Kodiaks! sticker decorated the back bumper. And Coldplay was on the radio.
Once he dropped her off, Matt would have to turn around and head back to the school.
“You really don’t have to drive me all the way home,” Sophie said, watching the raindrops accumulate on the windshield. “You can let me off at the bus stop. I mean, either way, I’ll still make out with you a little when you drop me off.”
Eyes on the road, Matt chuckled, “Just a little, huh?”
That was as far as they’d gone—some heavy making out and a little petting. Sophie was still a virgin—and not especially eager to change her status, at least, not until she was sure Matt was serious about her.
Then again, maybe that was why he was driving her home from school—to show just how serious he was.
“I mean it, Matt,” she said. “Last time you took me all the way home, you were late getting back for football practice and Coach Martinson chewed you out in front of the whole team.”
Matt glanced at his wristwatch. “I’ve got plenty of time. Besides, I want to make sure you’re safe.”
“I’ll be fine. I sincerely doubt the Singleton killers are hanging around Leavenworth.”
The murders on Lopez Island were all anyone had talked about at school that day. It seemed practically everybody in her class knew someone who lived on Lopez or they claimed they were friends with someone who knew one of the Singleton kids. Sophie had hardly slept a wink since Saturday, when she’d heard about the gruesome murders. And now, the suspected killers had escaped—and they were believed to be somewhere in Washington State.
So of course, practically everyone in school assumed the killers were somewhere around Leavenworth.
The city, tucked near the Cascade foothills, was a popular tourist destination because the center of town intentionally resembled a quaint old village in the Bavarian Alps. Even the Starbucks and McDonald’s had a Ye Olde look to their storefronts. There were a ton of touristy shops, restaurants, and a couple of beer gardens. A Christmas store was open all year around. The hotels and inns looked like chalets. The town had a big festival when the Christmas lights were lit each year, and Sophie had to admit, it looked pretty gorgeous at night.
Leavenworth seemed like the last place on earth two fugitive killers would hide out. And yet, despite her brave façade, Sophie was on edge. And she wasn’t the only one. Her dad had texted her around lunchtime today, worried that something might have happened to her mom—who wasn’t answering her phone. He hadn’t said anything about the Singleton murders, but Sophie was pretty sure he’d been thinking about them.
It turned out her mom was okay, of course.
Still, everyone was a little jumpy.
“That bus drops you off at least half a mile from your driveway,” Matt said. “And it’s cold and rainy and getting dark out. I’ll feel better taking you home.”
“You’re sweet, Matt,” she said. “Thank you. But you shouldn’t worry. Like I say, I don’t think those two psychos are anywhere around here.” She figured if she kept saying it out loud, she’d actually start to believe it. “They’re probably out of the state by now.”
Switching on his windshield wipers, Matt cracked a smile. “You can’t be too sure. I mean, for all we know, they might have gotten yodeler hats, strapped on some lederhosen, and are hiding in plain sight in the center of town this ve
ry minute.”
Sophie didn’t quite hear him because she’d just noticed her brother, Liam, standing alone at the bus stop near the town center. He was skinny and pale with wavy brown hair that had at least three cowlicks at any given time. He looked slightly pathetic in his blue jacket that was one size too big. Sophie figured he must have missed his school bus. No surprise there. He was a bit spacey at times, in his own little world.
At his school in Seattle, Liam had been King of the Sixth Grade Nerds. At least, that was how Sophie thought of him. He’d had an entourage of geeky friends over at the house practically every weekend. He was a movie nut, and he kept a stack of film magazines by his bedside. He was quite skilled with video equipment and would go on and on ad nauseum about the way scenes were shot in Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. He’d read somewhere about a group of teenagers who remade Raiders of the Lost Ark shot for shot. So Liam had talked his nerd buddies into doing the same thing for Psycho. Though half his crew hadn’t even heard of the movie, Liam had figured there would be a minimum of sets and stunts. So he made them watch the Hitchcock film at least ten times. They’d started filming, but he had to abandon the project when they moved to the winery. So, unlike Sophie, Liam really regretted leaving Seattle.
“Could we pick up my brother?” she asked Matt. “Would you mind? He’s right there at the bus stop.”
Matt slowed down and signaled. “But this means we can’t make out in the car when I drop you off!” he groaned.
She laughed. “Oh, c’mon, like we were really going to park in front of my house at four o’clock in the afternoon and tongue-wrestle—with my mom home, no less.”
“I was kidding, Sophie,” he said, pulling over to the bus stop.
“Thanks,” she said, putting her hand on his arm for a moment. Then she lowered her window and called to her brother: “Hey, little boy, would you like a ride? I have candy in the car . . .”
Liam frowned at her. “That’s so creepy!”
She nodded at the back door. “Get in, dopey.”
Liam climbed into the backseat. “Thanks, you guys!” he said, shutting the door.
Matt pulled back into traffic. He shot a glance in the rearview mirror. “Hey, dude.”
“Hey,” Liam said. “Don’t you have football practice or something?”
He chuckled. “You sound just like your sister.”
Sophie half turned in the passenger seat. “What happened? Did you miss the school bus?”
“Yeah,” Liam answered, opening his backpack. He took out his Sony camcorder and checked it. “This eighth grader almost beat me up.”
Matt laughed. “Listen to how laid-back he sounds about it!”
Sophie wasn’t surprised. Liam could sometimes let things just roll right off him. “What happened exactly?”
Her brother aimed the camcorder out the car window and looked through the lens. “Well, this guy, George Shayner, he came after me. I thought for sure he might’ve broken my camera, but he didn’t.” Liam put the camera down in his lap for a moment. “Anyway, he was mad because I asked his girlfriend, Kristin Farrow, if she’d be Janet Leigh in my Psycho remake. I told her she didn’t have to be naked for when she got stabbed in the shower, and she could shoot the whole scene in a bathing suit. But for the opening scene, I’d need her to look like she was in her underwear, but she could do that in a bathing suit, too, like a two-piece . . .”
Sophie shook her head and sighed. “God, the poor little girl probably didn’t have a clue what you were talking about. You probably traumatized her. That’s the kind of thing they’d send you to the school psychiatrist for.”
Matt was grinning as he took the turn onto Rural Route 17. “What did she say?”
“She said I was mentally defective and I should get the hell away from her.” Liam checked his camera again. “Then later, after school let out, and I was walking to the bus, I saw Kristin with this guy George Shayner by the side door, and I waved at her. She whispered something to him, and all of a sudden he came charging toward me. He grabbed my backpack and threw it aside. I really thought he might have broken my camera . . .”
“You’re lucky he didn’t break your neck,” Sophie said.
“I tried explaining to him that it was a real compliment, because Kristin is blond and pretty like Janet Leigh. But he wasn’t really listening. He pushed me a couple of times and called me a ‘little perv’ and stuff like that. But he really didn’t hurt me. Y’know, I don’t think he or Kristin has ever seen the movie. It was all just kind of a misunderstanding. Anyway, so I got detained and missed the school bus . . .”
“ ‘So I got detained.’” Matt chuckled again. “God, I love this kid . . .”
Sophie rolled her eyes. Her little brother was so sweet and unassuming. He didn’t have any grudges against the girl or her boyfriend. And it hardly occurred to him that he might have had the crap beaten out of him. All he cared about was his movie project and his Sony Handycam camcorder, which he’d bought with the money he’d earned mowing lawns all last summer.
For the rest of the way home, Liam shot the scenery along Rural Route 17—or maybe he was recording the movement of the raindrops on the car window, Sophie wasn’t sure. He didn’t put his camcorder back in its case until Matt slowed down to turn into their driveway.
They passed the wine-tasting cottage. “Liam, do me a favor and get out first,” Sophie said. “I’ll be in after you in just a minute or two, okay?”
“Why? So you guys can get all lovey-dovey?”
“Don’t be annoying. We just gave you a ride home.”
“Sorry,” he muttered.
When they pulled up in front of the house, Liam grabbed his backpack and opened the door. “Thanks, Matt!”
“Take it easy, dude!”
Liam ducked out of the car and shut the door. Matt kept the engine on. The windshield wipers squeaked. He put one hand on the top of Sophie’s seatback and smiled at her. “What do you say I blow off practice and the two of us just drive around for the rest of the afternoon?”
“Don’t tempt me,” Sophie said.
He moved in close to kiss her, but then hesitated. Something had caught his attention outside her window.
Sophie followed his gaze and looked over toward the house.
Her mother stood on the front porch with James in her arms. She sort of blocked Liam’s way to the front door, which was only a quarter of the way open. She stared at the two of them in the car.
Matt straightened up and put both hands on the wheel. “What’s the deal with your mom?”
“I don’t know,” Sophie murmured. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for the ride. I’ll call you later, okay?” She opened the door and climbed out.
“Bye, Matt!” her mother called—with a halfhearted wave.
Shutting the car door, Sophie headed toward the front porch. “What’s going on?”
Her mother gave her a tense look and then waved at Matt again. “Bye, Matt!” she said, louder this time.
Her mother didn’t move until the Corolla turned around and started down the long driveway.
Sophie stood there in the drizzle. She noticed her mother’s chin was bruised. “Mom?”
Her mother put a hand on Liam’s shoulder and then looked at her. “Don’t be afraid,” she said.
The door behind her mother yawned open. Sophie saw a stranger on the other side of it.
Suddenly, she couldn’t move.
“Just do what they tell you,” her mother said.
Sophie stared at the man. She’d seen his face on the news this morning—and again, online several times during the school day. His last name was Moles, and he was one of the men wanted for slaying the Singleton family.
She glanced over toward the far end of the driveway. She could see Matt’s Corolla in the distance, turning onto the rural road. The car disappeared behind some trees.
Sophie felt as if she couldn’t breathe.
She turned toward her mother and
her brothers. Behind them in the doorway there were now two men, two strangers in their house. But they weren’t strangers. She knew exactly who they were.
The one named Moles had a gun.
He smiled at her and licked his lips.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Monday—3:56 P.M.
“Well, well, Matt just texted,” Victor Moles said with a smug grin on his face. He had Sophie’s phone in one hand and his gun in the other. He was reading all her recent texts. “Lucky Matt will call you later tonight. And there’s a couple of small X’s here. Isn’t that sweet?”
Sophie had been terrified the two men would tie them up—the same way they’d bound and gagged most of the Singleton family before murdering them.
Victor Moles seemed to be the one in charge. The gray-and-blue striped V-neck sweater he wore looked oddly familiar. With his gun drawn, he’d herded everyone into the living room and had them squeeze in together on the sofa. Then he’d made her and Liam surrender their phones and backpacks. He’d checked out Liam’s camcorder to make sure it didn’t have a WiFi feature.
“Can I have that back when you’re through looking at it, please?” her brother had politely asked. Sophie couldn’t believe his nerve. He was sitting on the other end of the sofa. Their mom was sandwiched between them with James squirming on her lap.
The one named Joe talked his friend into letting Liam keep his camcorder.
But the two men held onto the phones. Sophie noticed Vic seemed to relish peering at her text conversations. She just wanted to scream. It was such an invasion of privacy. He may as well have gone through her bedroom drawers or read her diary. If she weren’t so scared, she would have been furious.
“I’m answering him, ‘K’ with a couple of little X’s,” Vic said, working his thumbs over Sophie’s phone screen. “But, between you and me, honey, when lover boy calls tonight, you might not be picking up the phone.”
Vic kept leering at her. It made Sophie’s skin crawl. But she sat there quietly, obediently.
Now that he had his camcorder in his lap, Liam kept quiet as well. But Sophie half-expected him to try to escape or do something he’d seen in some stupid action movie—only to get himself and the rest of them killed.
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