“No.” Maggie tried to lift her head, but stars swam in front of her when she tried to move. “No one will believe it.”
“Well, of course they will. Especially when Preston’s fingerprints are found on the gun.”
“Oh.” Her mind took in the information, but it was as if her body refused to be upset by it, and respond accordingly. Unconsciousness clawed at her once more, stealing her thoughts in flashes. “How?” she asked.
“Not to worry, my dear, that’s going to be very simple. I’m going to tell Preston to swallow a few of those pills I gave you, or else I’ll shoot you. Then, after he’s swallowed the pills, I’ll kill you anyway, while he’s still conscious enough to see it. And then, once he’s passed out, I’ll simply plant the gun in his hands. And the entire world will think he killed you. I, of course, will claim to have left you alive and well in this cabin after the sale of the stock.”
His words sounded slurred and Maggie fought to stay awake. She had to stop Andy somehow.
“There now.” He patted her on the hand. “You took that pretty well. You’ll be dead. Preston will be in jail, and Ty-Ken stock will plummet so low I’ll be able to buy up the rest of the company so cheap it will make paying you market price well worth it.”
She tried to think of something to say or do. She should be doing something to escape, but she didn’t seem to possess the energy to make herself even care. Her eyes were mostly closed now and her eyelids felt so heavy again she wanted to close them all the way.
“Go to hell,” she said, and slipped back off into oblivion.
Chapter 80
Deputy Harlan Granger leaned forward in his swivel chair. He was a tall man, and lean. People always told him he should have been a basketball player. As if he’d never thought of that. Let them try breaking into the NBA sometime. He pressed down on the intercom buzzer on his desk. “Lucinda, could you come in here a minute, please? I think we might have a problem.”
Lucinda was a short, Cuban woman about half his height, but she had enough spitfire in her to go toe-to-toe with him anytime. “What’s the problem?” she asked. “You don’t like something I’ve done?”
He laughed and winked at her. “That’s not it at all. You know I think you’re the greatest thing since peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. All I meant is I’ve just gotten another telephone call about Andy Clarke and possible trouble out there on Big Pine Key.”
She lifted an overly plucked eyebrow. “From the English man again?”
He shook his head. “No. Preston Tyler’s uncle this time. Seems Mr. Tyler and Miss McKenzie are both missing from the party now. Could you get Bobby Ray on the phone and have him go over to Big Pine Key and check things out?”
“Sure, boss. You want him to do a door-to-door?”
“No. Just have the island patrolled and look for anything suspicious, okay? Have him radio in right away if he finds anything.”
“You the boss.” She tapped her pen in the air in a mock salute before leaving.
Ordinarily, he would be laughing at her antics, but not tonight. Tonight, his gut told him, would not soon be forgotten.
Chapter 81
Preston found the cottage back from a dirt road, two miles down the highway, exactly as Andy had described it. The house was completely dark, except for a tiny bit of light flickering in a far away window. A dark colored sedan parked in front of the house on a dirt driveway. He knew as soon as he saw the place Andy was in there. And so was Maggie. Somehow he had to disable Andy without endangering her.
He drove past the cabin at first, as though he had no intention of stopping. Once he had driven a safe distance down the road, he shut off his headlights and got out of the car. Nearby, the rumble of the ocean splashed onto the shore. Crickets chirped without interruption in a melody that seemed to set the movements of the ocean to music. As he stared into the distance and the dark shadows of the cottage, he tried picturing the scene inside. Andy would have Maggie in the room with him, most likely tied up or restrained somehow.
His gut clenched thinking about the sick comment Andy had made about the gators eating her flesh. And the damn bastard had a gun.
The more he thought about it, the more it seemed he had the odds stacked against him. Andy had Maggie. Andy had the weapon. And Andy knew he was coming. The only weapons he had were his wits, a Mercedes with remote access and a cell phone. Just the thing a guy needed to fight an armed, stark raving lunatic. James Bond would be so proud.
So far, however, he still had the element of surprise. Andy knew he was coming, but he didn’t know when. And maybe ….
An idea scrambled to him like some secret cache of cunning his brain had been hording until needed. He had a car. Therefore, he had tires. And, along with tires, he had a tire iron. Now that could be a weapon. A real weapon. Also, because of the distance between the cottage and the road, Andy would be looking for headlights pulling up into the driveway. He wouldn’t hear the car unless it drove close to the house. Maybe not even then. And, with no headlights on and a moonless night, Andy might not be able to see the car until it got close to the house. If he drove to the house without headlights, and if he didn’t pull up too far, maybe Andy wouldn’t see him at all.
Moving quickly, but as quietly as possible, Preston got the tire iron from the trunk. Next, he disconnected the car’s dome light, and then confirmed the presence of his cell phone and remote access in the inner pocket of his tuxedo jacket. With his supplies gathered and his wits about him, he backed slowly up the road and pulled forward into the drive, stopping just short of halfway. He turned off the car and opened the door just enough to slide out. After grabbing the tire iron and switching his headlights back to auto, he slipped out of the car.
Andy would be alert for any out of the ordinary noises, such as slamming car doors, so Preston left the car door ajar. Crouching to his knees, he moved toward the house, opposite the window with the flickering light.
It was candlelight, he realized now. That had to be the room where Andy was holding Maggie hostage. The room was to the left of a door and the window looked out over a ground-level porch, open in design and supported by four wooden posts. This part of the house faced the driveway, where his car was now parked.
Preston rounded the side of the cottage to the front yard, which looked out onto the water. The place was small and getting old. Probably built in the forties or fifties. The front door was padlocked on the outside. So much for that thought.
He continued around the front of the house. He remained crouched, moving so slowly a crawl would seem fast. Looking through a front window, he could see the room Andy was in now, through a hallway and an open door. The room was dark inside, almost as pitch black as the night outside, except for the flicker of the burning candle and the circle of warm light surrounding it. Bathed in that circular glow of light was Andy Clarke. He sat with his back to Preston, staring out at the driveway from the opposite window. Obviously, still looking for the headlights.
Preston scrutinized the scene further; making out what details he could from the candle’s dying glow. What appeared to be a prescription bottle of pills sat on the dresser, next to the mostly burned candle. Maggie had to be in that room, but outside his field of vision.
He crept slowly around the corner of the house, thinking another window on the side of the house near the porch would provide him with a better view. Inching his way toward the side window of the room where Andy sat vigilantly waiting for headlights to appear, he prayed for a miracle. As he moved forward, he kept several yards between himself and the house to keep out of earshot, which prevented him from seeing inside with as much clarity as he would have liked. He could see Maggie now though, lying still on the bed inside. She looked ghostly pale in the barely lit room. Adrenalin flooded his body the instant he saw her. If only he could get a better view of her. Make sure she was at least breathing.
Pulling his cell phone from his pocket, he took in the rest of his surroundings. He had an advantageou
s view of the side of the porch, and now had his car back within the perimeter of his vision. Somehow, he needed to get Andy outside where, if all went well, he would be able to take him down with a surprise attack.
Opening his phone, he pulled up Andy Clarke’s cell phone number from his menu of recently received calls. Andy’s cell phone rang inside. He jerked his gaze away from the window to his pants. He stood and held his hand in mid-air, as if reaching for his pants pocket, but uncertain about whether to continue.
The phone rang again. Andy looked back to the window, then back to his pocket.
Come on, you asshole, pick it up.
The phone rang a third time, and this time Andy pulled the phone from his pocket, scowling, hit a button and put the phone to his ear. “What?”
“Do you always answer your phone so graciously, Andy?”
“Tyler, is that you?”
“Yeah, Andy, it’s me. I’m parked in the driveway. Can’t you see me?”
Andy’s head moved from one side of the window to the other as he peered outside. “Oh, there you are, you filthy bastard. Thought you could fool me by driving up with your headlights off, didn’t you?”
“I don’t have to fool you, Andy. You’ve done a fine job of fooling yourself.” Preston purposely kept a mocking tone to his voice. He needed to draw the man’s attention away from Maggie and back to his desire for revenge. All he had to do was get Andy so angry he’d forget about Maggie and come after him instead. “Everyone knows your daughter was fucking every man in town, Andy. What the hell makes you think I would have ever married a slut like her?”
Andy raised his fist in front of the window. “Don’t you dare speak that way about my daughter.” His voice rose with every word. “I’ll kill you with my bare hands. I swear it!”
“You sure about that?” Preston taunted. It sounded like the bastard was going for it. “You don’t need me to get a cane for you to chase after me with, do you?”
“How dare you get smart with me?!”
Andy stepped out of Preston’s sight, but he couldn’t tell if it was in the direction of the door or not. He shut off his cell phone and slipped it back into his pocket. That’s right, you fucking weasel. Come on out and get me.
He expected to hear the front door open right away. But, after a full minute had passed, and Andy still hadn’t emerged from the house, Preston started to worry. Damn it, he’d shut off the phone too soon. He reached into his pocket and was about to take the phone back out, when he heard the front door open. Finally.
“I’ll kill the bitch, Tyler.” Andy came out onto the porch, his back turned at a forty-five degree angle to Preston. He had Maggie slumped over his left arm, dragging her unconscious body out onto the porch with him. His gun was pointed at her head. “Now you just step out of that car so I can see the look on your face when I do it.”
No! Preston despaired. This was not the way it was supposed to go.
“You take back what you said about my daughter, and you beg me for forgiveness,” Andy demanded. “Right now. Or I’ll blow this bitch’s brains out right here, right now, and to hell with the rest of my plan.”
Damn it! Preston gripped the tire iron with sweaty palms, planning what direction he would stage his attack from. He couldn’t see Andy well in the dark, but rather, saw his darkened form. This was not the reaction he’d been hoping for. What the hell else did the bastard have planned?
“Do you hear me, Tyler?” Andy ranted like a mad man. “Do you want to see the bitch die?”
No! Preston almost screamed it out loud. Fear stirred chaos in his mind and seemed to suck the oxygen out of the air around him.
“What kind of a pussy-ass are you, Tyler? You just going to sit in your car and let me shoot her?”
Now! His thoughts screamed at him. Do something. Jabbing his hand back into his tuxedo pocket, Preston pulled out his remote access. Working fast from plenty of practice, he started the engine, automatically switching on the headlights. Enough light to distract a person and make them blink.
Instantly, Andy dropped Maggie and swung his hand up to shield his eyes.
Preston sprang on him at the same moment, covering the distance between them in seconds. He swung the tire iron as he moved, impacting it with Andy’s skull the exact moment he came within reach. The sound of the tire iron hitting Andy’s skull made a dull thud. He gasped in shock and jerked forward with a violent thrust. Then dropped to the ground like a limp dishrag.
He fell forward, on top of the hand holding the gun. And as he hit the porch, face first, the gun went off, its discharge muffled by the body now covering it. Andy landed with his head twisted to the side, his glassy eyes staring out at Preston, the question how etched forever in his gaze.
Preston ran to Maggie’s side. She was out cold, but still breathing.
The headlights of newly arriving vehicles pulled up into the driveway. Henry and Nick sprang out of the car. And behind them came the sound of sirens and the flashing lights of a police car.
Chapter 82
Maggie woke up to the sound of footsteps. Someone was outside. She could hear them. Could Andy hear them, too? Where was Andy? She didn’t see him in the room. The effects of the drugs were wearing off now and she could move, albeit sluggishly. How long had she been out? The room around her came back into focus. The dresser with the candle burning on it, now a mere stub and no longer burning. The wood walls that smelled of smoke. And the twin bed with the lumpy mattress she laid on.
She listened again for the footsteps she’d woken up to. She heard them again, squeaking the porch boards outside. It was a single pair of feet making the sound, she realized. And then realized with a crushing disappointment it must be Andy’s footsteps she heard.
The door swung open and Preston stepped inside. He smiled at her. “You’re awake.”
Relief bordering on euphoria overcame her. “Preston!” she squealed, and tried too fast to sit up. Her head spun, forcing her back down.
Preston was at her side in an instant. “Easy now.” He sat on the edge of the bed beside her. “You’re still feeling the effects of the valium Andy gave you. An ambulance is on its way. I’ve already given my statement to the police and Nick and Henry are out there talking to them now.”
He wore the widest smile she had ever seen, but he looked tired. She had a thousand questions for him, but only one came out of her mouth. “What happened?”
He kissed her gently on the cheek. “I’ll tell you all about it later. After you’ve had a chance to rest.”
“What about Andy?”
A faraway look came to his eyes. “He’s dead.”
“Dead? Did you ….?”
Preston shook his head. “No. The gun went off accidentally. He shot himself.”
“Oh.” Without reason, she suddenly felt like she wanted to laugh and cry all at once. She threw herself into Preston’s arms. “Please hold me,” she said. “I never want to be away from you again.”
He kissed her again. This time a warm kiss on the mouth that made her awakening body tingle all the more.
“Marry me,” he whispered in her ear. “And you never will be.”
She smiled and burrowed further into his embrace. “Is that an official proposal?”
“Almost. There’s just one thing you have to know first.”
“What’s that?”
“Supporting the sale of Ty-Ken to Nick isn’t the only thing I’ve been up to lately. I’ve also taken the first steps to try and adopt Scott, the little boy we met at the shelter in Miami.”
“You’re kidding.”
Excitement danced in Preston’s eyes. An excitement she hadn’t seen since they were children.
“No. I finally get it, sweetie. I see now what’s most important to me, and it’s not some corporation. It’s family.”
She smiled. “Think you can be happy without the high profile rush of running a Fortune 500 company?”
“I think I can be happy anywhere as long as I have th
e people I love and care about with me.”
“I guess there’s just one thing left to do then.”
He stroked the side of her face. “Start shopping for a wedding dress?”
“Oh, yes, well then, make that two things. I was talking about selling the bar.”
His jaw dropped. “You? Sell your bar? I thought that bar meant everything to you.”
“I guess you’re not the only one who was putting your career first,” she admitted. “I’ve been stubborn, Preston, and hiding the pain I felt from my father’s neglect behind a dislike for the company I felt kept him away from me. I was running a business as opposite from Ty-Ken as I could find, but I’m ready to put that in the past. Family is what’s most important to me, too.”
“So, you’ll finally, really, marry me then? Impending fatherhood, unemployed and all?”
She laid there, taking in the warmth of his body, hearing the wail of an ambulance make its way up the road. “You just try and stop me.”
“Well, if there’s one thing I know about you, Maggie McKenzie, once you’ve made your mind up about something, there’s definitely no stopping you.”
The End.
Other Books by Clara Grace Walker
If you enjoyed Gratification, be sure to pick up Gossip – Book #2 of the Desire Never Dies trilogy. Coming in the spring of 2014 – Redemption – Book #3 of the Desire Never Dies trilogy.
Connect with Clara Grace Walker
Looking for ways to connect with Clara Grace Walker? Find links to Clara at Twitter, Facebook and all of her social media sites; plus news and upcoming events; as well as links to her other books on her website: http://www.claragracewalker.com
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GRATIFICATION (Desire Never Dies) Page 31
