Burn Out

by Traci Hohenstein

  “I need seed money. Literally. About ten thousand dollars to get us started. We split profit fifty-fifty. You put up the money and I’ll take care of everything else. Your hands stay clean.”

  “Ten thousand?” Paul looked at him hesitantly. Ken knew he would be a hard sell, but he also knew Paul loved money. Firefighters didn’t make a lot of money and most of them had second and third jobs. This would be an easy, almost fail-proof way to make a buck. And Paul was all about the easy buck.

  Paul had a small inheritance from his dad and he once confided in Ken he was going to use part of it as a down payment for a new house. A fixer-upper he found which was a good deal. He was going to try and make extra money flipping houses, just like all those mega-rich real estate agents did.

  “You will get it back after the first sell. We are talking six months or less.”

  Paul didn’t say anything. He just stared at plants.

  “Come on, man. I have two kids, a wife and a good job. I know the risk. You are a single guy – no one depends on you.”

  Paul looked hurt at this last comment.

  Ken didn’t want to beg, but he knew of no one else who he could trust. “This is a great opportunity. All you have to do is put up the money.”

  Paul took a look around at the barn. “What about Sam?”

  Ken looked confused. “What about her?”

  “Does she know?”

  “No. I don’t plan on telling her. She never comes out here. For all she knows, I’m working on building some furniture for the girl’s room.” Ken picked up one of the plants and held it up to the light. “Let’s say we do it for one year and when we make a little money, then you can quit. You’ll get your ten K back with 100 percent interest. You can buy that house you want and sock the rest away for a rainy day.”

  “Let me think about it. I’ll get back to you. Let’s go back and finish off that six pack.”

  Paul eventually came around and a few months later, they were in business. And now his wife was missing and he just may be the cause of it.

  Ken hit his fist against the cinderblock wall and cursed. All because of him, his family was suffering. He would find a way to make it right. He had to.

  Chapter Nine

  Santa Rosa Beach Tuesday 11:00 AM

  Rachel entered the address to Nora’s house into her GPS. After taking several dirt roads off the main highway, she found the place. Nora lived in a double-wide trailer on the outskirts of town. She pulled up to the trailer, anxious to get started. She talked with Janine on the way and gave her the go-ahead to call the police chief to get permission to put together a search around the warehouse. She would need Peter and the rest of the team to head up here. The quicker they found a missing person, the better the chance of a good outcome.

  Two women were sitting on a deck in worn lawn chairs sipping drinks. Rachel got out of the truck and walked toward them.

  “Be careful of that first step. It’s a little wobbly,” the older lady called out. “You must be Rachel. Thank you so much for coming here. I’m Nora and this here is Tammie.”

  Rachel cautiously walked up the stairs onto the deck. It looked like the whole thing could cave in at any second. “Hi. Thanks for meeting me today.”

  “Have a seat. I’ll get you some iced tea. It’s hot today,” Nora said in her slow, southern drawl.

  Nora looked far beyond her fifty-five years. She had perfectly coiffed, bleached-blonde hair and her face was caked with heavy makeup, despite the heat and humidity. She wore Capri stretch leggings with a long, sleeveless purple tunic top covered with rhinestones which spelled out Beauty Queen.

  Rachel sat down on one of the saggy lawn chairs, its plastic fiber frayed around the edges, as Nora went inside to get her drink.

  “So you’re here to help find Sam?” Tammie studied Rachel, looking her up and down. “Nora told me all about you.”

  “Yes, I’m here to help. You’re a friend of Sam’s?”

  Tammie nodded her head. “Sam and I go way back. We’ve been friends since the fourth grade. Anything you need to know about her, I can pretty much tell you.”

  “That’s good to know. The more I know about her, the better chance of finding her quickly.”

  Nora came back out and handed Rachel the tea, the glass already sweating with tiny beads of water rolling down the side.

  “Wasn’t sure if you liked lemon or not. It also has a little mint in it.”

  “This is fine, thanks.” She took a sip of the tea. It was delicious, nice and sweet the way her mom made it. There was nothing like sweet iced tea on a hot day summer day.

  “Tell me more about Sam.” Rachel said to Nora. “When we spoke on the phone, you said you didn’t think Sam would leave on her own accord. Why do you think that?”

  Nora adjusted her heavy frame in the chair and wiped the sweat from her brow with a damp paper towel. “Sam was over here the morning before she went to work. I watch Bella and Gracie while she works at the fire department. That morning, she came a little earlier than usual because she said she wanted to borrow my newspaper and look through the classifieds to see about getting another job.”

  “Why was she looking for another job?”

  “The fire department put her on probation when she got arrested as an accessory. Even though the charges were dropped, I think the department was waiting on the outcome of Ken’s trial to see what they were going to do with her. She wanted to go ahead and find something part time to help pay the bills and as security just in case. The lawyer fees were costing them a lot of money and they were tapped out. They already took out a couple of loans on the land and the house.”

  “What else did she do while she was here?”

  “Well, I heard her on the phone talking about selling the house. When I asked her about it, she said she had called a real estate agent because she wanted to get an idea of what it would sell for. We got in an argument about it.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Her daddy and I gave her the land when she married Ken. It has been in the family for a long time. I didn’t want her to sell it.” Nora wiped the sweat from her brow again, smearing some of her makeup in the process. “Why would she do that if she was planning on leaving? And the most important thing, she loves her kids more than life itself. She would never leave them. She would never leave me.” Nora started to tear up. “Sorry, I’m just so worried about her.”

  Rachel leaned over and patted her on the knee. “It’s understandable. I know what you are going through.” She sat her tea glass down on the deck. “Would Sam make any money from selling her house?”

  “Not with the market the way it is. Beside, the IRS froze their bank accounts because of the dope mess Ken got them into. I doubt she would make anything at all.” Nora finished her tea in one long gulp. “Sam was never a person to run from her problems, if that is what you’re thinking. She always took care of her responsibilities.”

  Nora started to tremble, her words coming out slower and unsteady. “I’ve already lost so much,” she cried. “Excuse me, I’ll be right back.” Tammie helped her up and watched as she walked into the trailer.

  Tammie sat back down in her chair. “She has been through a lot these past few years.” She told her Nora had lost Breck, her oldest son, in an accident and then her husband shortly after that to a heart attack.

  “How awful.” Rachel said.

  “It’s getting hot out here. Let’s go inside and check on her.” Tammie got up and Rachel followed her into the trailer. The living room had a large bookcase which was covered in trophies and ribbons. There were pictures of Sam dressed in pageant gowns and bathing suits. She was a beautiful girl with long blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes. Her smile was huge and bright. Rachel got a closer look.

  “Samantha won more pageants than any other little girl in Florida,” Nora said quietly.

  Rachel swirled around to find Nora sitting on the couch wiping her tears away with a handkerchief.

  “Before th
e accident she was a happy, little girl. We travelled all over the south going to beauty pageants. Samantha won every one of those pageants, hands down.”

  Rachel looked over at Tammie, who was propped up against the kitchen bar. She nodded her head at Rachel.

  “The accident changed everything. It took my beautiful girl away from me. But it didn’t take her spirit.”

  “What accident?” Rachel asked, confused.

  “Sam was in a boating accident when she was twelve. She got cut up pretty bad by a boat propeller blade. She almost died.” Tammie told her.

  “Wow, I’m sorry. I had no idea,” Rachel said. “So, Samantha has scars from her accident?” The more she knew about scars, tattoos and any other body markings, the better.

  “Yes. She had several reconstructive surgeries. You can still see the faint scars on her face and body.”

  “Do you have any current photos of Sam?” Rachel would use the photos to put on the Florida Omni Search website as well as to show her team.

  Nora got off the couch and walked into another room. She came back a few moments later with a couple of pictures. “Sam didn’t like her picture taken much after the accident. I only have these to give you.”

  Rachel took the photos from her. Sam was still very pretty. Her blonde hair was now cut shorter and framed her face. However, her eyes seemed a little dull and her smile not as big. Rachel could see the faint scars that made a trail down her face. “Thank you, Nora. I will make copies and give these back to you.”

  “Anything I can do to help find my baby.”

  Rachel swung the conversation back around to Sam’s disappearance. “I heard all charges had been dropped against Sam for the marijuana operation. Was she worried about any repercussions from local drug dealers?”

  “She was worried about the safety of her and the kids,” Tammie answered. “When Ken started dealing dope, he pissed off a lot people, especially the drug dealers he put behind bars.”

  “Did she receive any threats?” Rachel asked.

  “No, not that she told me. It was rumored Ken had stashed some of the cash he got from the drug dealing. Sam was scared people would come after her for the money thinking she would know where it was. But she didn’t have a clue what Ken did with the money – if there was any truth to it,” Tammie said.

  “Was there anyone else Sam was close to that she may have confided in?”

  “She and Mack got pretty tight. But they always have been. She leaned on him after Ken was arrested. I came by her house a few times to help watch the kids and Mack was always there. Of course, they work the same shift at the fire station and you know those people are like a second family to her.”

  “Ok, thanks for all the information.” Rachel looked at her watch. “I need to get things started. I’m going to coordinate another search around the warehouse. The police department may have missed something the first time. Nora, you might want to think about having a press conference. It would be good to get Samantha’s face out there. Someone somewhere may have seen something and we need all the help we can get. I can get that coordinated for you through the police department.” “Sure. Whatever you think will help find Samantha. Thank you so much, for coming down here to help us.” Nora walked her to the door. “Believe me when I tell you something happened to Sam. She wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye.”

  “I know. I’ll do everything I can to find her.” Rachel gave Nora a hug. “I’ll check in with you tomorrow.”

  Rachel treaded lightly down the steps and walked back to her truck.

  Tammie yelled at her. “Hey, Rachel. Wait up for a sec.”

  “Yes?”

  “I didn’t want to say anything in front of Nora. Is there any way we can talk in private later?”

  “Sure. What’s on your mind?”

  Tammie looked back at the trailer. Nora was sitting on her chair, with another glass of tea and watching them.

  “There is something about my last conversation with Sam that’s bugging me. Here’s my number. Call me later so we can talk.”

  Rachel took her number and promised to call her. As she drove down the long driveway, she picked up her cell phone and put it on speaker while she checked her voice mail. There was only one and it was from Janine.

  “I just wanted to let you know, you are all good for tomorrow’s search. Peter and the rest of the team are on their way up. And I have talked with Chief Gladstone and he wants to coordinate with you. Call me back for more info.”

  Rachel pressed the end button and put her phone away.

  This would be the most intense search she’d ever had. She didn’t have much to go on. Questions about what happened to Sam went through her mind. Did Samantha plan this fire as an escape from her life? Or did someone else plan this fire as a means to kill or kidnap Samantha? Revenge and retaliation from the drug cartel? Or her husband who was in jail – did he have something to do with it? All she knew was the answers would come in time. They always did.

  Chapter Ten

  Santa Rosa Beach, Wednesday 7:00 AM

  It was seven in the morning and the heat was already intense. The Florida sun was bearing down and sweat trickled down Rachel’s back. It was early August and still the dog days of summer.

  Rachel was always amazed at the number of volunteers that turned out for searches. All she had to do was put the word out to the local media, which is what she did after meeting with Nora yesterday. She also contacted Chief Gladstone and got the ball rolling on a coordinated search of the warehouse grounds where Sam was last seen.

  The volunteers included members of the police department, local firefighters, plus members of the public. Rachel was happy to see Mack Dixon and Jeff Stanton even made it out for the search.

  Red and Janine had sent up their main search team which was specifically trained in forensics to round out the volunteer list. Florida Omni Search used specialized equipment in their searches. In Sam’s case they were using search planes, ATV’s, and sonar equipment.

  “Ok. Just to highlight what the Chief said. Stay in your group of four and within your search grid. If you see anything at all that looks suspicious, use your marker and call it in immediately," Rachel said, wiping the sweat from her brow with a handkerchief. She never went on any search without her purple hankie. It was a good luck charm of sorts given to her by one of her first clients – an elderly lady who had Alzheimer’s. She had gotten lost while walking home from the grocery store.

  Rachel glanced at her map of the area. It was a pretty easy terrain – flat, sandy ground with small undergrowth and pine trees. The volunteers would have to pay extra attention to the tropical undergrowth in order to see anything out of the ordinary. Unfortunately, there were a lot of snakes and other vermin to watch out for.

  The police department had searched the night Sam disappeared and again the morning after, but did not find anything other than Sam's helmet discarded by the back door. One theory, Rachel thought, was Sam might have been knocked unconscious by the blast from the propane tanks and her helmet came off. She could have suffered head trauma and wondered off.

  Chief Gladstone came over and asked if she was ready to go. Rachel thought he was a little anxious to get started. He was reluctant when she called him to coordinate the search, but he seemed to be warming up to her. When she came at the families request for help on some of the cases, she never knew how the authorities would treat her. Some thought she was some kind of quack and didn’t like her butting in on their territory and others were grateful for the help. She figured Chief Gladstone was somewhere in between the two.

  Chief Gladstone’s demeanor fit his physical profile. He was a stocky man with thinning gray hair – complete with Donald Trump comb over – and a round, doughy face that was always red, which gave an appearance he was mad about something.

  Getting a large search team together in a short amount of time required a well balanced plan. Fortunately for Rachel, she had a lot of practice. She grouped the people into se
parate categories. The experienced searchers and equipment handlers would be involved in the ground search. The volunteers, who had not received training which Florida Omni Search mandated, manned a relief station with water and snacks. Another group was also set up to administer first aid. The last group was communications and they were responsible for marking the map as groups called in their locations and anything that was found. The area would be marked and the police department would tape off the area and process the scene.

  Rachel would be teaming up with Peter Moore, who was her specialist in ground searching. He had an impressive military search and rescue background. Peter had been with Florida Omni Search since the beginning. He was one of Rachel’s real estate clients and had moved to Miami when he retired from the military. He knew this area well, having been stationed at Eglin Air Force base, which was about forty five miles west of Santa Rosa Beach. He was one of first people Rachel contacted when her daughter disappeared. Also in her group were Chris Cumbie and Darcy Black, another forensic specialist team. They would start their search at the rear of the warehouse, where Sam's helmet was found, while the other teams set out to search the woods.

  Nora had given Rachel some clothing Sam had recently worn in order to aid the search. She handed it off to Rankin Smartz, who was the dog handler. His dog, Max, was an adorable and capable black lab who reminded her of her Maggie. Rankin and Max would start at Sam’s last known position, called LPI by search and rescue people, which was the rear of the building.

  Searching in a grid system was tedious work, but it was also the most effective. After an hour had passed, Rachel heard the crackle of a call come through on the radio. One of the search group members reported finding an object and gave their exact location over the radio.

  "Group five. Stay where you are. We are on the way," Rachel instructed. "Grab the thermal equipment, Chris.” They headed out with Chief Gladstone and his crew. It was a quick walk to where the group was waiting. She was thankful she dressed appropriately today and worn plenty of sunscreen. The weather was humid and her t-shirt was sticking to her chest. She wore her typical search and rescue outfit. The long khaki pants were helpful when searching through dense undergrowth. Most of the low-lying bushes had prickly vines and weeds. Her boots and socks always picked up sand spurs. Even though today’s temp would probably reach ninety degrees, she wore a light, long sleeved t-shirt with the Florida Omni Search logo on it, to prevent sunburn and scratches on her arms. Her baseball cap protected her from possible ticks and other icky bugs.