by Lee Taylor
Sage made a sound of agreement, but he saw that she was less enthusiastic about her crab cakes.
“You should eat.”
“I know.”
She forked up some more of the crab cakes, then took one of the onion rings.
Frank had brought it up earlier, but now that they were in town, Ben asked, “Does Laurel have any friends she could move in with?”
“I don’t know.” Sage thought for a minute. “And if she did, wouldn’t she still be going to work?”
“I’d assume so. Unless there’s something going on we don’t know about.”
They ate the rest of the meal in silence.
When Sonja came back to clear their plates, he told her they didn’t want dessert. “Just the check, please.”
“Certainly,” she said, and he had the impression she was glad to see them leave.
As he paid the check with a credit card, Ben noticed the older couple was still looking at them.
“It’s too late to do any more poking around,” he said. “We’ll start again in the morning.”
“I want to go back to my mother’s.”
“And accuse her of lying?”
“I won’t put it that way, exactly,” Sage answered, but he wondered what she would do in the heat of the moment.
oOo
Police chief Everett Judd drove several hundred yards down a gravel road that led to a vacant house. He cut the engine, turned off his lights, and waited in the darkness under the shade of an old maple tree. He didn’t like being ordered to a meeting at the pleasure of the two men who had summoned him, but he’d gotten himself into this situation, and he didn’t see an easy way out.
They’d lived in Doncaster all their lives. He’d moved here after answering an ad for a police chief. The community had seemed like a good place to settle down. A backwater where his duties wouldn’t be too taxing, and the job had come with the hint of extra income.
For a few years, he’d been happy with the arrangement. Lately, he’d been thinking about moving on. If that was still possible.
And would anywhere else be better than Doncaster?
He’d asked himself that question a lot recently.
After a few minutes, he glanced at his watch in annoyance. The two men who paid him a lot of cash under the table were late. The bastards were usually late, maybe because they wanted to make it clear who had the upper hand.
Judd would like to leave and let the latecomers stew in their own juices, but he knew that wasn’t really a good idea.
When he finally heard the sound of another vehicle crunching down the road, some of the tension eased out of his chest. Still he waited with his hand on his gun until he made out the shape of the Mercedes SUV approaching. A Mercedes SUV. What a dumb idea, but he guessed that a guy with money to throw around could get anything he wanted.
The vehicle turned around and pulled up so that the two cars were positioned with their drivers’ windows facing each other.
It was dark inside the other car, but Judd could easily picture the two men. Both in their fifties. Both too caught up in the elevated lifestyles they’d come to enjoy. And both drunk on the power they wielded in town. Big fish in a small pond who were sure they had a good thing going.
When the driver rolled down his window, Judd did the same and got a blast of expensive cigar smoke along with warm night air.
No hello or nice to see you. The meeting started with a question. “Where are they now?”
No need to ask who the question referred to.
“At dinner.” He cleared his throat. “My guy says they spotted him tailing them.”
The driver answered with a string of curses. “He’s the one who went up to Beltsville?”
“Yeah.”
“You don’t have anyone better?”
“He’s okay. It’s just that the detective with her, Ben Walker, is sharp.”
“You have plans for them this evening?” the driver demanded.
“Uh huh. Some pointed discouragement.”
“Well, use a different vehicle.”
“I plan to.” He cleared his throat. “The woman’s not going to just walk away without looking for her sister.”
“You have any idea where the little bitch went? If we could just find her—dead or alive—that would solve all our problems. I mean, if she’s dead, couldn’t it be from a drug overdose or something? That could happen anywhere.”
Judd winced. These guys were extending themselves beyond his wildest imaginings. But one thing he knew for sure: They weren’t paying him enough to cover up murders. Didn’t they know the medical examiner in Baltimore would determine the cause of death?
For the moment, he only said, “I don’t have anything on her so far. What about your sources?”
“If somebody we know has her, they’re not saying.”
The other man in the SUV made an angry sound. “This is just what we need right now.”
“The group will back us, ‘cause they’re scared of bad publicity.”
“That only goes so far,” Judd answered.
“I’d like to find that damn girl, strangle her myself and leave her beside the highway for her nosy sister to find,” the car’s passenger growled.
“Do you know where the sister and the detective are staying?” the driver asked.
“Not yet. I tried to get him to tell me, but he only gave me his card—with his cell number.”
“Just great.” The man started his engine and roared away, leaving his cloud of cigar smoke behind him.
Cursing, Judd closed his window. There was something going on in Doncaster that he didn’t know about. Something these guys didn’t know about either. Unless they were lying to him.
oOo
As they were leaving the Crab Shack, Ben noticed that the older couple was hurrying to follow. As he and Sage stepped outside into the twilight, Ben gave them a chance to catch up.
The gray-haired woman approached him. “I couldn’t help overhearing you talking about that girl who works here.”
“Laurel Baker?” he asked.
“Yes.” She looked like she was about to say something when a dark-colored sedan pulled across the parking lot and sat with its engine idling nearby. The woman’s husband hurried over, took her by the arm and steered her away from Ben and Sage. He watched them climb into their car and drive away as the sedan continued to idle nearby.
Sage glanced at him, then pressed her lips together as they walked to his car and got in. When the door was shut, she finally spoke.
“That woman was going to tell you something.”
“Looked like it.”
She turned around and stared at the car that was still in the parking lot. “And she decided it wasn’t a good idea.”
“I’d like to know why your sister’s disappearance is such a big deal in Doncaster.”
“You think there’s some kind of conspiracy?”
“I don’t know. But we’re going to find out what’s going on,” he said, hearing the determination in his own voice. He’d come down here thinking that maybe Laurel had run away. Now he was sure there was more going on. Was she involved in something bad? He hoped not, for Sage’s sake.
He tried to get a look at the license plate, but the light was out, and like with the pickup truck, the numbers and letters were obscured by dirt.
As they drove out of the restaurant parking lot, he said, “Show me where the rich people in town live.”
“There are a lot of estates along the river. And some new developments. One is at Pine Fairways.”
Sage directed him to the river road and pointed out the estates where William Hinton, the mayor, and Martin Kendley, the bank president, lived.
“There’s so much planting, you can’t see their houses,” Ben commented.
“I guess they like their privacy. But we can get a good look at Chief Judd’s house.”
She directed him to a less prestigious but still pricey area of town. The chief lived in a
bungalow that had been recently updated with new siding and a large detached garage. The lot was large, with plenty of trees and lawn.
“I’d say he’s living above his means,” Ben said. “With that new siding and his fancy truck. It would be interesting to know where he gets the money and if he paid taxes on it.”
Their next sightseeing tour was to the golf course, where large houses had been built on well-tended lots along the edges of the fairways.
“George Myers, the owner, lives here, of course,” Sage said, pointing to a beige brick Tudor. “And Phil Davis who sold most of the lots is also here. He still has a financial interest in the development.”
As they continued their tour, they picked up a tail. This time it was a white jeep with a yellow dome light on top. A security vehicle.
“This place is well patrolled,” Ben said.
“I guess it’s part of the membership fee.”
When they exited the golf course and turned back toward their motel, a big sedan appeared in back of them and stayed there.
As they hit a deserted stretch of road, the other car sped up so that the headlights behind them were almost blinding.
Sage twisted around in her seat, then straightened again, a look of panic on her face. “What are they doing?”
“Riding our bumper.”
Driving fast on the dark, narrow road wasn’t smart but Ben had no choice when the car behind them edged up closer.
The other vehicle was larger and more solidly built than Ben’s Honda, and it began pushing them toward the side of the road where only a narrow shoulder separated them from a swampy area.
The road curved, and Ben fought to stay on the blacktop, but the other car wasn’t giving him much room, and his right wheels hit the shoulder. The vehicle began bucking on the uneven surface, then skidded, heading toward the swamp.
Chapter Six
“I put my gun in the glove compartment,” Ben shouted to Sage as he pulled the car out of the skid and back on the roadway.
“What?”
“My gun. Get it.”
She opened the glove compartment and took out the Sig he’d pulled at Gary’s, holding it like it might be a live grenade.
He snapped his attention back to driving as the big sedan once again zoomed up and forced them off the road. If they hit the swamp they’d be sitting ducks.
From the other direction, headlights of oncoming cars illuminated the game of tag. It wasn’t just one vehicle coming toward them but a string of them, all in an excellent position to witness the scene on Ben’s side of the road.
It was enough to give the driver of the sedan second thoughts. Instead of forcing them into the swamp, the other car dropped back and finally turned onto a side road before disappearing from view.
Ben let out the breath he’d been holding and eased back onto the shoulder, then stopped the car and cut the engine.
Lifting the gun from Sage’s hand, he put it in the door compartment beside him.
“What was the gun for?” she asked.
“I didn’t know what they had planned if they’d driven us into the swamp.”
She winced. When he didn’t start the car again, she asked, “What are we doing now?”
“That shoulder was pretty rough. I want to check the tires.”
When he turned toward the door, her hand shot out and clamped on his arm. “This is a dangerous place to get out of the car. I mean, they could come back. Or someone coming in our direction could hit you in the dark.”
He reconsidered. “Yeah.”
She leaned across the console toward him, and it felt natural to reach for her. As soon as he touched her, he felt her shaking.
When he pulled her toward him, she sighed and came into his arms, holding tightly to him.
“I’m sorry,” she breathed as he pulled her to him.
“For what?”
“For the way this is turning out. I dragged you into something I didn’t understand. In a few hours with me, you’ve been hit over the head, had a gun pointed at you, and almost been run off the road.”
“None of that is your fault,” he answered, stroking his hands over her back and shoulders, feeling the tension in her muscles.
“I just thought I was looking for my sister. I didn’t know that we were going to be stirring up . . . I don’t know what.”
“Not your fault,” he said again.
Her voice hardened. “If they think they’re going to drive me away, they’ve got it backwards. This is just making me more determined to find out what happened to Laurel.”
“Agreed.”
She made no move to leave the shelter of his arms. He’d liked the feel of her in his embrace the first time he’d held her. He liked it even more now that he knew her better. It was almost beyond temptation to tip her face up and bring his lips down on hers, but he fought the impulse because getting personally involved with her wasn’t part of his assignment. He had a job to do, and when it was completed, they’d part ways. That was the best thing for her.
“Okay?” he asked.
“Better, at least.”
He eased away from her, and she leaned back into her seat.
After starting the engine and waiting for a car to pass, he pulled onto the blacktop, heading in the direction of the Beach Breeze, glad it was dark because he didn’t want Sage to see the grim expression on his face. This assignment was shaping up a lot differently than he’d anticipated. In more ways than just having her along.
It had been touch and go there for a few minutes. The big car would have driven them into the swamp if the traffic hadn’t come along, providing a bunch of witnesses to the scene.
Beside him Sage sat absolutely still. When he drove past the motel, she jerked toward him. “What are you doing?”
“Making sure they’re not on our tail again.”
“And then what?”
“I’ll turn around and go back.”
“You think they don’t know where we’re staying?”
“If not, I’m sure they can find out,” he answered, glad that he had the gun.
“Who are they?”
“I’d like to know. Best I can say is somebody with a vested interest in driving us out of Doncaster.”
“Just because of my sister?”
“I don’t know, but our asking questions about Laurel obviously touched a nerve.”
He continued several miles closer to town, then used a gas station to turn around.
A few minutes later, he pulled into the motel parking lot and stopped in front of his door.
Cutting the engine, he cleared his throat. “I know we got separate rooms, but there are two beds in each of them.”
“And?”
“And I don’t want you spending the night alone after what just happened.”
She hesitated for long moments.
“It’s safer to stay together, and I’m not going to come on to you, if that’s what you’re worried about,” he added, thinking that the statement might be more convincing if she hadn’t ended up in his arms a few minutes ago.
“All right.”
He released a pent-up breath, glad that she hadn’t put up a substantial argument.
“Stay in the car until I check the rooms,” he said.
After she gave him her key, he retrieved the gun and held it down beside his leg as he climbed out of the car and looked around before approaching his room.
Sage stayed in the passenger seat while he unlocked the door and stepped cautiously inside. He checked the closet and the bathroom. No one was inside and, as far as he could tell, no one had disturbed the room or his luggage.
He repeated the procedure with her room. After he’d brought her bag over to his room, he motioned for Sage to follow him. She came inside, then sat down stiffly in one of the chairs at the round table under the window.
Ben laid the gun on the table and sat down in the other chair, then got out his Smartphone and began to send a text message.
“What are you doing?”
“Asking Teddy Granada at Decorah Security if he can confirm the information about the other two missing girls and give us their names. Then I want to know if he can find any others. And I’d like to know about any other crimes that might be relevant.”
“Like what?”
“Murders. Kidnappings.”
Sage grimaced.
After he sent the message, he decided to get comfortable, so he got out his laptop, then pulled back the spread on one of the beds, kicked off his shoes and propped up a couple of pillows. He laid his gun on the bedside table and sat down with the computer.
Sage kept her gaze on him. “And now?”
“I’m writing a report to Frank Decorah, detailing the scope of what we’ve encountered down here. Starting with the incident at Gary Baker’s house.”
oOo
Sage watched him typing, his keyboard skills economical and efficient. Like the way he’d held the gun—which he kept within easy reach. He seemed equally at ease with the laptop and with the firearm.
“You think the guys in the car are coming here?” she asked.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“For one thing, this room is close to the highway. And someone might see them if they tried to break in. Also, the road incident may have convinced them that a blunt-force assault isn’t the way to go.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I’m a light sleeper. And the gun’s right here.”
When he finished the report, he stayed on the Web.
“What are you doing now?”
“Looking up Chief Judd.”
“And?”
“He’s in his mid-forties. Been in town for five years. He’s divorced. His two kids live with his ex in Raleigh where he was a patrol officer.”
“How did he get to be chief here?”
“It’s not an elected position. The mayor and council choose the chief. I guess they were looking for someone with his qualifications.”
“Which are?”
“Adequate police experience and a guy willing to be accommodating. Including looking the other way when it’s expedient.”
“How do you ask about that in a job interview?”
“You don’t. You have to take the measure of the man,” he said, thinking about what he’d conveyed when he’d applied for a job on the Windward, the ship where his sister had been murdered.
