by C A Phipps
Gran had been there first thing in the morning, but Maddie had been unable to keep both of them calm and asked her to go home so that Luke didn’t find out what they were up to. She would have liked him to go as well, but the baking wouldn’t do itself.
For this first time ever, Maddie’s hands shook as she baked. Nothing she did made it any better, so she decided to step away from the kitchen until she had the money organized for the ransom.
“Laura, I’m heading over to the bank before it closes.”
Her friend gave her an understanding look, but said nothing. Luke was in the shop using the counter space to pack up the order since the bakery wasn’t open to the public.
She collected her bag and made the short across Maple Lane and through a walkway. There were the usual amount of people around for a Saturday, with some taking advantage of the new opening hours to do their banking.
Claire, a recent addition to the staff was behind the counter.
“Going on a shopping trip?” Claire asked, as she carefully counted the money.
“I’m not sure.”
She placed the money into an envelope and passed it through the grill. “I didn’t mean to pry.”
“That’s okay.” Maddie took the money and stowed it inside the largest handbag she owned. “I have a few things to get, so we’ll see how far the money goes. You know how it is.”
Marjorie grinned. “I do. Never far enough in my book.”
Maddie left quickly, before there were more questions. She was in such a hurry that she bounced into Ethan’s broad chest as she came out onto the sidewalk.
His hands grabbed her upper arms, making sure she didn’t fall. “Where’s the fire?”
“No fire.”
“Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“No ghost.” She pushed passed him, but he followed her out into the sunshine.
She figured he would go, since she obviously wasn’t encouraging the conversation, but as she headed back to the shop, he kept pace beside her. She stopped and turned, hands on hips.
“Can I help you with something?”
Ethan gave her an appraising look. “I’m all good. I suspect you aren’t, so I’m walking you home.”
“Don’t be silly. I’m fine.”
“When you say fine, I know you mean anything but fine.”
He knew her too well. She shrugged. “It’s hard to pick one emotion at this point.”
“I get it.”
His words were gruff, yet she could see he was making sure she was okay. It seemed they both had a lot riding on tonight’s outcome. When she got to her shop, she hesitated.
“I have fresh scones, if you’d like one?”
“How is that even a question? Let’s go.”
She couldn’t help a tight smile. Ethan soothed her jitters. It was going to be a long day, and a distraction in the form of the handsome sheriff wouldn’t hurt at all.
Laura was in the shop with Luke, checking the order. She gave them a smile of relief when she saw they were together. Perhaps she thought Maddie might get robbed, which had crossed her own mind. This business was affecting them all.
“Ethan’s staying for a bit, then I’ll close up. Are you okay to drop off the order?”
“Of course. Luke said he’d drive me.” Laura said with a telling look.
“Thanks, both of you. And, for all the work you’ve done this morning.”
Luke gave her an awkward smile and took out the last boxes to his car.
Maddie walked her to the door.
“I told him you need a car, so I’ve left my car keys on the counter, and it’s parked outside.” Laura suddenly embraced her, whispering in her ear, “Stay safe, Maddie.” Then she bolted down the path, a hand to her mouth.
Maddie took a moment to compose herself, before turning to face Ethan. “Coffee?”
“Please.”
She bustled about, placing a plate and knife in front of him and set a place for herself. He sat watching her and she felt a little self-conscious as she handed him his coffee. “I’m just going to warm the scone for a few seconds since they were made early this morning.”
“Will it come with melted butter?”
She forced a grin. “You sound like Angel.”
That made him laugh.
“Soon she’ll be baking her own. You know, I had considered joining your class, if you get another one going.”
“You?”
He waggled an eyebrow. “I hope that’s not a sexist remark, Ms. Flynn?”
She shook her head. “The thing is, I don’t know if my ladies would be able to concentrate with a man like you around.”
His cheeks turned slightly pink. “I’m not sure whether to be flattered or insulted. Perhaps my role as Sheriff could make them feel intimidated.”
Intimidated hadn’t been the word she was thinking of. “I hadn’t considered that. Good point.”
He smiled wryly. “It’s a shame though. It would have been one way to spend more time with you.”
Maddie collected the scone and placed a butter dish in front of him along with his coffee. He was still waiting on an answer and she couldn’t respond with the one he wanted. “Ethan,” was all she said by way of a warning. One he wasn’t about to heed.
He slathered his scone in butter and took a healthy bite, clearly his appetite wasn’t compromised.
She poured herself tea but elected to stand. “Something’s wrong with Luke.”
He shut his eyes, as if she were driving him crazy. Nothing new there, she thought.
“Tell me.”
She grimaced. “He apparently knows Beth.”
“It’s a small town.”
“They were arguing.”
He put down his cup. “You think he’s the one hurting her?”
“I don’t. But I get the feeling he knows something.”
“And, you didn’t ask him? That’s a first. There’s no time to do that now.” He frowned. “So you picked up the money?”
She answered, knowing he knew why she had been at the bank, and suspecting that Ethan had been keeping track of her for some time. “Yes. It’s in that bag.”
She’d put in on a shelf by the walk in and they both stared at it like it was the cause of their worries.
“You should probably put it somewhere safe.”
“I can’t imagine anywhere safer than in a room with the Sheriff.”
He laughed.
“Although, it did say no police. What if someone saw you come in here?”
“They always say that, and I’m in here most days, getting food.”
“I know. It’s just that it reminds me of all those letters when poor Denise was murdered and you’re not usually here on a Saturday.”
He pushed his plate away. “Let’s talk about tonight. Are you prepared?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be. Laura’s kindly lending me her car, so I hope that I can keep that safe too.”
He nodded. “It will be fine. I’ll get the license plate and details to make it easy to follow you from a distance. You won’t see me, so don’t panic. I’ll be close by. You do the drop and come straight home. Here. Not Gran’s.”
“I get it. I don’t want Gran or Laura hurt.”
“It’s just a precaution. As soon as you leave, I’ll follow the car that picks up the money.”
“It sounds dangerous.”
“A lot less dangerous than you doing all this by yourself. Besides, I’ve done stuff like this before, and I’ll have my deputies stationed around in unmarked cars.”
“What about the detective?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you worry about him. He’s got his job to do and I am not discussing it with you, so don’t ask.”
He looked adamant. “I’m glad you have backup, but what if they see you? Big Red might be killed and I . . . “
He leaned across the table and took her hands. “This is the best way I can think of to do it, so get your pretty he
ad around it, because I’m not letting you meet a kidnapper, or potential killer, alone. This way, we all have back-up. Okay?”
Her hands tingled in his and Maddie knew this battle was lost. Maybe it wasn’t the only one. With the way they argued she wasn’t sure how a relationship between them might ever be possible, but she was drawn to the idea of it. More so with every day that passed.
Ethan made her feel safe even when the world appeared hell bent on destroying her peaceful existence.
Chapter 26
Maddie drove slowly up the rickety driveway to the rusted silo with Ethan’s instructions running through her head. It had been an incredibly long afternoon once he had left her.
The petnapper was probably out there somewhere, which was scary, but knowing that Ethan was as well helped to keep her calm enough to go through with the plan.
She pulled into a large gravel area, sweeping in a large arc so that she parked facing back the way she’d come. Night had begun to fall, and a beautiful sunset made the sky glow. Unfortunately, the color of blood sprang to mind, thus destroying any pleasantness.
Checking her mirrors and seeing no one about, she slowly opened the door and listened. Apart from the sound of crickets, the country was eerily silent. She got out, hefting the plastic shopping bag she’d put the money in, and walked to the bottom of the silo where she’d been instructed to put it.
A brown bag lay there, partially hidden by dried grass. It was made of very old leather and it was an effort to force the money inside and zip it closed. She pushed it back to where it had been and walked warily back to Laura’s car. Her skin prickled with unease, sensing eyes on her.
She couldn’t wait to get away, and as soon as she got inside the car she locked the doors. Her foot hit the gas a little heavily and she kicked up stones producing a slight skid on her way out of the parking area. Her eyes darted left and right but all she could see was scrub and trees.
A vision of the petnapper jumping from his hiding place had her heart pounding, but she made it to the end of the gravel road without him doing so, and pulled onto the road proper.
“Please catch him, Ethan. Please save Big Red,” she said aloud, her voice strangled by tears. Adrenaline was all very fine until you’d finished with it.
As soon she got home she called Ethan. “I’m back.”
“You did good. I’m proud of you. He has it. Let’s keep the line clear. I’ll call you when I have news.”
“Okay.” Maddie felt warmth at his praise seeping into her, but it wasn’t enough to make her forget the danger he was in. She could tell by the sounds in the background that he was driving; hopefully still tailing whoever had picked up the money. Ethan?”
“Mmmm?”
He was probably ten steps ahead of this conversation, but Maddie had to say something. “Be careful. Please.”
There was a lengthy silence, and she thought he had gone.
“You sound like you care,” he said softly.
In the midst of all of this drama, she hadn’t been expecting that. “Don’t be silly, of course I care about my friends.”
“Right.” He hung up.
Then it occurred to her—what if something happened and she hadn’t told him how she felt. Wait. How did she feel? She certainly cared, but knew it was more than that.
During what seemed like hours while she waited, Ethan had managed to give her something else to occupy her mind. Had he done it on purpose? It was a welcome change, but her anxiety was still through the roof. Thinking about what could be happening out there in Maple Falls, to Big Red and/or Ethan, had her pacing the kitchen over and over.
She couldn’t help peeking through her curtains now and again in between cleaning every surface. In the end she did the only thing that might calm her. She baked.
Cupcakes. She could practically make them in her sleep, and when they were done, frosting them could help to keep her distracted. Ethan could take them to Layla’s for the boys. After he got back safe. Now she had a reason to begin and found out it was hard to bake with crossed fingers.
She was so engrossed in pouring cake batter into the tins that she jumped when there was a knock at the back door. When she looked through the window she could see it was Ethan. Dark outside now, she was thankful she had left on the garden lights.
Having locked up tighter than fort Knox, it took her a minute to unlock everything and remove the chain that Ethan had insisted she get after a break-in she’d had when she first moved in.
“Tell me you have him.”
“I’m sorry Maddie. I swapped tailing with a deputy so he’d be less likely to know he was being followed. Unfortunately, the deputy got a flat tire.”
“You’re kidding me? After all that, we have nothing.” She slumped into a chair.
“I got a license plate. That should help.” Even Ethan sounded jaded.
Just then there was a knock on the door. While Maddie opened it, Ethan stood to one side, his hand on his holster. The precaution wasn’t necessary. Beth was outside looking agitated.
“I’m sorry to come by so late, Maddie. Can I come in?”
She wanted to say no, but the girl looked frightened and kept looking behind her. Then there was her potential link to the person dropping off that letter. “Of course.”
The young woman had only just entered when she saw Ethan. “You have a visitor. I’ll come back later.”
“No, it’s okay I was just leaving. I’ll be in touch soon. Don’t forget to lock-up.” He gave Maddie a knowing look as he went out.
He could have stayed and interrogated her, or taken her to the station, but she was here voluntarily and gently might be the best approach. Maddie offered her a seat at the counter and they sat looking at one another.
“What did you want to talk to me about,” she prompted.
“Big Red.”
Icy fingers gripped her heart. She’d been hopeful, but now she was scared. “Do you know where he is?”
“Kind of, and I know who took him. He took all the animals that have gone missing,” her words came out in a rush, interlaced with tears.
Maddie steeled her heart a little. “How would you know that?”
Beth studied the floor, her hands clasped in front of her. “He’s kind of my boyfriend.”
“Oh, Beth. Not the guy who hurts you? Not Luke?”
“What? You know about that? Gosh no, Luke wouldn’t hurt a fly. He’s been looking out for me, trying to find a way to keep me safe.”
“Keep you safe from who?” Maddie had to know.
Beth looked down, picked at a hangnail, then gulped back her tears. “It’s Johnny, Luke’s brother. I feel so bad I didn’t say anything, but he threatened me and said he would kill all the animals.”
“Are the animals okay?”
“Right now they are, but he’s so mad that not everyone is paying what he wants, I don’t know what he’ll do next. And, they don’t have enough food. I promise that I didn’t have anything to do with taking them,” she ended with a wail.
“Let me call Ethan back.”
All color drained from her face, but she nodded, and Maddie went to the alcove to call him.
“She knows,” was all Maddie offered, before he admitted to being down the road.
She gathered a box of tissues and came and sat down beside the girl, wanting to drag the information out of Beth, that would lead her to Big Red, but seeing how scared she was, Maddie was worried she might run off.
“How did this start?” she asked, while they waited.
“Johnny said that I had to get a job with you, to find out how close the police were to working out who was taking the animals. I was so relieved when you didn’t hire me. I didn’t want to be involved, but I ran away from home the week before and he let me stay in a shed his family owns. There weren’t so many animals at first and I didn’t know they were stolen or about his ransom letters. They were company for me at night. When I realized, I didn’t know what to do.”
“Wh
at changed your mind about telling me about him? You have to know that he’ll go to jail?”
“I hope he does. When he brought Big Red and a few more in one day I knew he was stealing them. Then he ran over Mrs. Oliver, even though she wasn’t nice to me, that was too much. He said it was an accident, and he was in a state about it, but I don’t believe in hurting people or animals. If he hadn’t taken her dog, and made her pay more than once, she wouldn’t have been trying to catch him.”
“Why didn’t you say something?”
“Because he wouldn’t leave me alone. It was like he was watching me every minute of the day and night. I’m terrified of him, but I couldn’t bear it if any animals or someone else got killed. The only way I’ll be safe is if he goes to jail.”
Maddie was flooded with relief. “You’re very brave, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Beth gave her a genuine smile. “I’ve been the one to feed them because Johnny’s scared of the dogs. And Big Red. I took him treats in my pocket so that Johnny wouldn’t notice.”
Maddie grinned. “That’s my boy. Big Red will be your friend for life.”
Ethan didn’t knock, and he was gentle with Beth. He waited until Maddie told him what she knew first. Then turned to the scared teenager.
“You’ve done the right thing, Beth. Now, where can we find them?”
Beth bit her lip for a moment. “I can’t tell you, because it’s not really on a road, but I can show you. The only thing is he’s going to be mighty suspicious when I’m not there since he dropped me off earlier.”
“How did you get back to town?”
She picked that nail again. “I walked, then hitched. Bernie was coming back from dropping someone at the cabins down by the lake. Johnny will do more than hurt me if he finds out I’ve snitched.”
“It’s okay. You won’t be going,” he assured her. “Maddie do you have a map?”
She nodded. There was a stand in the shop for brochures of the town, along with things to do in Maple Falls. In the back of them was a map of the surrounding area and the walks people could do. She flipped one open and handed it to Beth, who was able to pinpoint the place for them.
