Roy jogged after them and down the front porch steps. “What are you going to do if you find Howard?”
“When,” Josh corrected.
Kane was two steps ahead and at the car door. “If we’re lucky, kill him.”
Roy stopped in the middle of the driveway. “If you’re not lucky?”
“We just arrest him.” But Kane hoped for luck this time.
Chapter 27
They drove for what felt like forever. Behind the dark windows of the large sedan, Annie watched miles of shrubs and rocks disappear as the car climbed the twisting road up to the canyon. For forty minutes they drove on, passing only a few cars and no houses or people.
She saw signs for pull-offs to scenic lookouts. She knew from her study of the area that the canyon stretched for miles and sat at the northern end of Kokee State Park. The deep cavern cut by water through volcanic rock spanned two miles across and dove thirty-five hundred feet down to the river below.
The canyon walls were not visible from the drive, but she knew the landscape. Few people other than hikers. Only a few cabins, and all of those occupied by park rangers. Miles and miles of sheer rock colored brown and red and green from the elements. Wind sheers that could topple the average man.
Howard skipped all that and kept his eyes on the road and his mouth shut, except for an occasional show tune hum.
With her hands and ankles tied, the doors locked from his side and nothing but air above her and a steep cliff below her, Annie didn’t have anywhere to go. As uncomfortable as she was, her seat beat Derek’s. He remained locked in the trunk.
They finally turned off the main road and followed a muddy and uneven lane back to a cabin. From the route, Annie guessed they had stopped on the northeastern rim of the canyon.
There was not a human in sight. She scanned the area, looking for a tourist, a hiker, even a lost dog. Every now and then she heard the buzz of a helicopter touring the canyon. The noise always retreated before reaching them.
Howard turned off the car. “We have arrived at our desination.”
“Since you’re going to kill me anyway, tell me why Chester Manning had to die. What was the exposé?”
“You’re not in a position to issue orders.” Howard pocketed his keys and tightened his grip on the gun. “Unless you don’t care about poor Derek and his diminishing oxygen supply that is.”
She’d thought of nothing but Derek. And Kane. His face refused to leave her mind. Anxiety ate away at her stomach as she sat there in the leather seat, knowing Derek could be dead just feet away. Knowing the anguish Kane would suffer if he lost Derek.
She wanted to believe Kane would mourn her. She knew for sure if Howard succeeded, Kane would add two more deaths to a conscience already overburdened with guilt. How much pain could a man take before more than his emotions shut down? Until everything inside him failed.
“Let Derek out. Please.” Begging Howard for anything made her sick.
“I make the decisions.”
Wind whipped up the canyon and rocked the car. She hated waiting with Howard, sitting there and having to refrain from scratching his face. Hated not knowing if Derek had enough air. But, being outside the car scared her even more. Between the cold air and the almost guaranteed trip Howard intended for her into the base of the canyon on her head, she felt safer in the car.
“I’m going to come around to your side and get you out. If you try to run or cause trouble, I will shoot a hole into the trunk and keep shooting until you behave. Do you understand me?”
She understood he was a damn madman. “Yes.”
“I knew we’d get along together, Annie. We both saw your mother for who and what she was. We’re a lot alike, we are.”
She refused to believe that was true. “We’re nothing alike. You’re a disgusting user and liar—”
The slap came out of nowhere. One minute she sat there venting her rage, knowing Howard intended to kill her. The next her head flew to the side from the force of his palm against her cheek. She tried to rub the sting away, but her bound hands made that difficult.
“That was your only warning. Unlike your mother, I do not tolerate disobedience.” Howard slammed the door and stalked around to her side of the car.
He yanked on the handle. Crouching down, he dragged her feet out onto the gravel. “I need you to walk, so I’m going to break the tie around your legs. If you do anything, and I do mean anything, to upset me, I will shoot you, then start shooting into the trunk. Do you understand that, Annie?”
When she didn’t answer, he pressed the barrel of his gun into her stomach. “I asked you a question.”
If it were just her, she’d knock the gun away and take the risk. But, it wasn’t just her. “Yes…yes, I’ll do whatever you say.”
“Good girl.” He snipped the band and then pulled her to her feet.
The jerking movement sent her ankle in one direction and her sore knee in the other. A flash of pain shot up her leg as her left leg buckled underneath her. She would have fallen on her face if Howard hadn’t caught her at the last second.
Bent over, her knee throbbing and her arm on fire from the stranglehold he had on her skin, she let out a moan. The cry was real, but she drew it out in order to give herself time to look around the area for a weapon of some kind.
Grabbing her chin, Howard twisted her neck until she looked up at him. “I am running out of patience with you. We are going down this trail to a rock ledge about a hundred feet below. We can do it the nice way or the hard way.”
She glanced down. If there was a ledge there, she couldn’t see it. “The nice way.”
With a tug, he brought her back to his side and started walking.
“Why not the house?” She kept looking back at the car, hoping Derek would pound and scream. Anything to signal he was alive. “And what about Derek?”
“I have a meeting. Then I’ll take care of Derek.”
“Here?” She slowed down, trying to see if anyone else might be hanging around the house.
Another helicopter made a run up the canyon. She heard the flap of the blades and could see the dark blob in the distance.
“It will turn around before reaching us,” he said.
Of course. Howard would have checked on that. He was a planner by nature. He made very few mistakes.
“Come along, my dear. I meant to show you the canyon during our yacht excursion. Of course, I expected you to be a real photographer. When that turned out not to be the case, I canceled the side trips.”
“Except for the one into the water.”
“You forced my hand.”
“And I am a photographer,” she mumbled. For the first time in her life she stood on the precipice of stunning natural beauty and didn’t worry about a shot. All she wanted was to race to that trunk, free Derek and figure out how to call Kane.
Kane. Not her camera. Not revenge. No, the only person or thing on her mind other than fear was Kane. She wanted him here to reassure her, joke with her. Love her.
Another first. She’d fallen deep and hard for a man. One who protected his heart by burying it and forgetting he carried it inside him. One who would have to deal with yet another death, probably more, before the day was over. A heartbreaking loss that would convince him to keep everything on an unemotional level.
She hated Howard for so many things. She hated him most for the little remaining piece of soul he was about to steal from Kane. Panic and fear, yeah, she had those for herself. But, the ripple from Howard’s actions extended far beyond her.
“You are doing very well, my dear.”
She limped beside him, grating her teeth together every time she had to put weight on her sore knee. “You should leave. Get out now.”
“Loose ends. No loose ends this time.”
“You mean me.”
“Among others.”
The soles of her cheap sneakers slipped on the pebbles and branches covering the already rough terrain. “How many people do you
intend to kill? Your entire crew—”
“Is waiting for me on a new yacht off Port Allen. That kind of help doesn’t come cheap, but can be bought.”
The hundred feet he’d talked about dragged on for what felt like miles. Every step mounted was a lesson in agony. She struggled not to scream as she fought against the barreling wind. She didn’t know if it was the altitude or something else, but the breeze felt like an Arctic gust in the middle of a storm.
She knew she was going to die. She understood that, but maybe she could save Derek. The question was whether or not she could figure out a way to take Howard with her.
They rounded the corner and stepped down onto a ledge that amounted to an outcropping of rock about twenty feet long and ten feet wide. The perfect place from which to throw a woman over the edge and into the deep valley below.
“There’s no one here,” she said.
“There will be.” Howard sat her down on a boulder. “Be patient.”
He flipped open his phone and pressed a button. “Bring him down here.”
“Who was that?” she asked. There were too many men who could be the “him” in the sentence. Howard could be talking to and about anyone.
“Patience, my dear.”
He dialed again. This time his message was much more brief. “Back up.”
She snorted. “Can I call someone? You know, my last chat since I don’t get a last meal.”
“You can be happy I haven’t killed you. Consider that my good deed for the day.”
“Haven’t killed me yet.” She said the word since it hung in the air. There was no need to pretend.
He made that annoying tsk-tsking sound again. “It’s very discouraging to see pessimism in someone so young.”
She judged the distance from Howard to the edge of the rock wall. One good shove might do it. But, if she failed…She inhaled deeply, trying to calm her nerves. The situation called for one of her stronger traits. She needed to bide her time and wait for the right opportunity.
A huge grin split across Howard’s face. The same smile he’d likely flashed at her mother to win her over. “Some of our company has arrived.”
Howard aimed the gun at the far wall. A second later, Mike stepped onto the ledge, dragging Derek over his shoulders.
Please let him be alive. She tried to get up to help Derek, but Howard stopped her with a curt shake of his head. Pointing the gun at her forehead telegraphed his message as well. She guessed the intimidating move was to ensure he had her attention. He did.
Panting and shuffling his feet, Mike looked up and stilled. “What is she doing here?”
Mike’s shirt had pulled out of his pants. Sweat stained the area under his arms. Streaks of dirt splashed across his ruddy cheeks. The supposedly stable businessman’s gaze looked frantic, almost wild.
In some ways Mike’s appearance here, with Howard, shocked her. In other ways it didn’t. Something had happened to the man. Something that destroyed who he was and altered his relationship with Kane. When Josh took a shot at Mike, Kane had insisted Mike was one of the good guys at one time. It looked as if that time had passed.
“She can’t be here!” Mike insisted in a harsh shout.
“Insurance. Drop the young man over by Annie.”
Mike hesitated, then followed the order. He dropped to his knees and unloaded Derek by sliding him onto the ground.
“We need to get rid of her.”
Howard cut him off. “Quiet.”
“We had a deal.” Desperation filled Mike’s voice.
She heard it in the breathy tone, saw it in the way he rubbed his hands together and shifted his weight from side to side. No doubt about it, Mike’s career in crime was new. Probably one he didn’t enjoy all that much at the moment.
Yeah, well, she didn’t feel too sorry for the guy. If this kind of stuff scared him, he should have stayed in legitimate business.
“The terms have changed.” Howard motioned with his gun for Mike to take the position closest to the canyon. “Over there, and stay on your feet.”
“You can’t—”
“I hold the gun, so I assure you, I can.”
She tapped Derek with her foot. When he didn’t move, she slid down on the rock, desperate to feel Derek’s pulse.
Howard forbade that as well. “Don’t touch him.”
“But he could be injured.”
“Do you really think I care about that?”
Mike gestured wildly, pointing above them and to the side. “Are you crazy? We have to get out of here. Kane will kill us.”
A wind gust raced up the canyon. Rocks and dirt kicked up in a swirling cloud. All three of them turned to the side to evade a full blast in the face.
Howard regained his composure almost immediately. His biggest concern seemed to be the dirt on his jacket lapels. Removing a handkerchief from his pocket, he snapped it in the air with a crack and started blotting off the stains.
“I’m a bit tired of hearing about Mr. Travers and what he’ll do to me. Rest assured he will do as he’s told.”
“You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” Her goal was to stall for time. To figure out how to keep Howard focused on Mike instead of her.
“My information is that he cares a great deal for his nephew. Isn’t that correct, Mike?”
Just when she thought her anger had peeked, it rose again. She faced Mike and vented her rage. “You told him? You put Derek’s life on the line? For what, money? I thought you were Kane’s friend.”
By the end, she practically screamed at him. The anger and disgust were real, but the increase in volume was meant to attract anyone who might wander by. She heard scuffling sounds above them. Probably the wind, but she hoped for a stray hiker or anyone smart enough to know how to call for help.
“Her indignation is cute, but I wouldn’t be offended, Mike. She has a great deal of experience in abandoning loved ones. Those in glass houses, and all that.” Howard tucked the cloth back in his pocket. “Now, I believe you have something for me.”
Mike’s gaze darted to her, then back to Howard. “Not with her here.”
Howard exhaled with a great deal of drama. “You still don’t understand. See, I will be leaving your lovely little island very soon. In order for me to stay quiet about what I know, I need something from you.”
“I have the money.”
“Yes, well, that is no longer sufficient.”
Mike took a threatening step forward until his gaze fixed on Howard’s gun. “You bastard! We agreed.”
“Smart move, Mike. Trusting a con man,” she said.
“The lady is correct, I’m afraid. See, the person with the gun sets the terms. My gun. My terms.”
As hard as she tried, she couldn’t figure out what was happening. Howard clearly had information on Mike. Information Mike wanted kept quiet. If she could get them arguing, get their attention on each other, maybe she could do something. What, she didn’t know yet.
“You’ve moved into blackmail? I’d think that was a lower-class of crime.” Her mocking tone got Howard’s attention.
“You don’t even know what you’ve stepped in, do you?” he asked.
“I know you’re a fraud and a thief. Apparently you’re a blackmailer and a murderer, too.” Wind pushed up the Canyon again, forcing her to close her eyes and tip her head away from the gust.
When she straightened, Howard stood only a few feet away from her. The crowding made her insides tense. If he touched her, she’d make a move to send him over the edge. At this point, there was nothing left to lose.
“It’s Mike’s fault, and yours, Annie, that Chester had to die. What a waste. The man played a fantastic game of polo.”
Everything kept coming back to her. “Me? What did I do?”
“You showed up with him. See, Chester came onto the yacht to tell me about an exclusive. A story he planned to use to build his reputation and have people see him as more than a millionaire playing at publishing.�
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If only Chester had gone to the police with his tip. The if onlys were so easy to see in hindsight. Like, if only she’d trusted Kane a little more. If she had worked with him, not through him.
“Seemed a prominent businessman had gotten himself all wrapped up in the local drug trade. Ice, I believe. Then one of his young dealers got shot.”
“Sam?”
“I believe that’s the name. Mike, can you help me on that?”
“Shut up!” Mike spat out.
Howard disgusted her, but, in some ways, Mike had him beat. Howard knew only one way to live. Not Mike. He seemingly had everything.
“You’re the guy at the top of the drug sales?” she asked Mike.
“Well, he was. Then I was. Now, no one is, thanks to you,” Howard explained.
Mike’s shoulders dropped with every word Howard uttered. With his head bowed, he actually looked contrite. Annie didn’t buy it for a second.
Her head started to spin. So many people. So many sins. “I don’t understand. Why would you do it?”
“Tell her.” From his wide grin, Howard was enjoying Mike’s distress.
“That’s enough,” Mike said.
“I will decide what is enough. Tell her.”
“Stop. Just take the money and go.” Mike tried to be rational, but his agitation put him at a distinct disadvantage.
And for her it provided the perfect distraction. Without Mike and Howard going after each other, she might not have felt Derek’s hand on her sneaker. Might not have seen pebbles and rocks rain down from above Howard’s head.
Her turn to distract. “You may as well tell me. Howard plans to kill me.”
“True.” Howard nodded. “It’s simple, really. Mike found a side business. He ran into some financial problems. Seems he got involved with a phony land deal.”
“By you.”
“Yes, that’s true, too. Mike was an easy target. Rich and, well, easily conned. Once I had his money and his signature on the fraudulent papers, I had my scapegoat.”
Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy Page 21
