by Wendy Davy
James moved to stand in front of Victoria and said in a low, controlled voice, “I’m taking him in to the station. He may be the key to tracking down the rest of them.”
Victoria reached out to his shoulder but didn’t touch it. “You need to have this looked at.”
“I will.” James turned to the paramedic. “Take her to the hospital, she needs x-rays. Take good care of her,” he said with an underlying warning.
The young man looked a little nervous under James’ scrutiny. “Yes, sir.”
Gramps shuffled from one foot to the other, his agitation evident as he asked, “Do you think all of this is over now?”
“We’re about to find out, Gramps. I’ll let you know soon.” James turned to Victoria and surprised her by planting a firm kiss on her lips. Before she could react, he turned from her without another word and headed to the SUV.
Victoria spent the rest of the morning in the Henson County Regional Hospital. The nurses and doctors treated her with kindness and remained extremely courteous. She wondered if James had placed a call to ensure her proper treatment, or if the staff was always this nice and friendly.
The x-rays showed no broken bones. She only had a sprain. The nurses alternated hot compresses with cold ones on her ankle as she waited to be discharged. The pain medication they had given her made it hard for her to stay awake and after a while she gave up and drifted off into oblivion.
Fortunately, the nurses let her sleep undisturbed and she felt much better after her nap. The pain in her ankle had slowed down to a dull, low throbbing.
As Victoria absently flipped the TV channels, her thoughts drifted to James and the odd stalker man. She wondered what kind of information James got out of the guy and how many more of the madmen were out there, wanting to harm her or Gramps.
She caught a glimpse of a uniformed officer outside her door and heard him mumble something to a nurse before entering her room.
“Sean!” Victoria sighed in relief to see a familiar face.
Sean came ambling into the room with a smile pasted across his lips. She knew he was going to say something smart before he spoke a word, just from the way he was looking at her. His smile turned mischievous as he said, “Good to see you haven’t gone and run off on me now. James would have my neck in a noose if you had gotten away from me.”
At the mention of James’ name, she flushed. “Ha. Ha. I won’t be running anywhere for a while, thanks to the crazy stalker guy.”
Sean’s expression turned serious as he looked at her ankle. “The nurse said it wasn’t broken. How does it feel?”
“It’s better now. What’s going on with James? I thought he would come and take me home.”
“Ouch. You’re disappointed it’s me and not him?” Sean placed a hand over his heart and fell into a chair in a dramatic gesture. “And I thought I was your one true love.”
“Very funny. You should’ve been a comedian.”
“I always thought so too.” Sean said then leaned forward in the chair. “Seriously though, James asked me to come and get you.”
“Okay. Get the doctor to discharge me and we’ll get outta here.”
“Is James still at the sheriff’s office?” Victoria asked once they were on the road heading toward the cottage.
“No, he took off hours ago with Tyler.”
“Where to?”
“He didn’t tell me. He did say to tell you he’d be by later.”
“Where is Gramps?”
“He’s still at home.”
“Alone?” The outrage in her voice was unmistakable.
“James assured us that he’d be okay. He must feel the danger is over.”
Victoria nodded her head. If James felt it was safe for them to be there alone, it must be okay. She realized with a jolt how easily she had accepted James’ assessment. She really did trust him and his judgment.
“I could stay if you would feel more comfortable.” Sean offered as they got closer to the Connor residence.
“No, Sean. If he says it’s okay. I trust him. You need to get home too. Have you talked to Ashley lately?”
Sean’s cheeks ripened. “Yeah. I’m driving down to see her next weekend.”
Surprised, Victoria smiled. “I’m glad to hear it. You two make a good couple.”
“So do you and James,” Sean spoke up as he turned into the long driveway.
Victoria wanted to agree but stayed silent. If the intruder had led James to the root of the moon-shining operation, his assignment would be over and he would be leaving soon. The emptiness that surrounded her heart at the thought consumed her. She spent all of her remaining energy holding back her tears as Sean put the vehicle in park.
She was relieved when Gramps came outside and said, “Hi ‘darlin.”
“Hi. Are you okay?” Victoria asked as she used her crutches to volley herself up the porch steps.
“I’m fine.” Gramps led her into the house after they said goodbye to Sean. “I was just sitting down to watch the news and I caught a glimpse of something interesting.” He guided her to the sofa. “Sit here darlin’,” Gramps offered and whisked off to the kitchen mumbling something about hot chocolate and whipped cream.
Victoria smiled at his retreating back. A cup of hot chocolate piled high with whipped cream was always what her grandmother had offered to her when she had been upset and needed to be cheered up. Gramps returned shortly and handed her a steaming cup of the soothing liquid.
Victoria began to feel at ease for the first time in days as she sat with Gramps in the familiar surroundings. She gathered her grandmother’s crocheted afghan around her shoulders as an added comfort as she sipped the hot chocolate. She nearly dropped the cup in her lap when she saw what had interested Gramps on the news.
A breaking story about a busted moonshine operation in Henson County flashed across the screen. The video came from a helicopter flying over a large wooded area. It showed several masked A.T.F. agents swarming around a secluded compound, and showed a huge moonshine still being roped off by yellow crime scene tape.
Gramps hollered, “Yee Haw! They got ‘em! I guess we don’t need to be making any moonshine do we darlin’?”
“I guess not.” Gramps enthusiasm was not lost on Victoria, even though her reaction remained more subdued. Should she dare believe it was over?
The reporter excitedly explained that a multimillion dollar moonshine operation had been uncovered in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains on Reginald Bentley’s sprawling property. As the helicopter swooped over the land, multiple buildings came into view. The reporter explained that the raid took place this evening based upon information gathered from undercover A.T.F. agents that had been working in the area for months. Several arrests had been made so far, with several more expected as the evening progressed. Some suspects had been injured during the raid and one federal agent was reported to have been shot during an exchange of gunfire. As they prepared for a commercial break, the reporter promised more details would be included in the eleven o’clock news broadcast.
Victoria’s stomach dropped at the mention of an agent being shot. Her imagination took control over her rational thoughts. Fears came to wreak havoc on her emotions. What if James had been the one shot? She prayed for the injured agent, and at the same time she prayed it wasn’t James.
Gramps looked over at her. “There are a lot of agents out there in them woods. Chances are it ain’t him that’s been shot.”
“You’re right Gramps. There are a lot of agents out there. Surely, it wasn’t James.” She tried to sound more positive than she felt. After all, he’d already been shot once today, wasn’t that enough?
“He’ll come tonight. You’ll see.”
Victoria cast a glance toward the door, willing James to come through it.
“They said it was a multimillion dollar operation,” Victoria said in amazement. “Have you heard of Reginald Bentley?”
“I know the name. He’s a prosperous landowner ‘ro
und these parts. I think he owns land down on the lake somewhere too.”
Victoria nodded her head and set the remaining hot chocolate down on an end table. She held any further questions back, knowing that Gramps knew no more than she did at the moment.
Exhaustion took its toll on her and she let her eyes drift closed as she cuddled on Gramps’ sofa. Lord, please let it be over and please keep James safe. A sudden thought tormented her. What if James had been the one that was shot and she had not told him she had forgiven him? This thought chased her for the next few hours.
The eleven o’clock news gave another account of the evening’s raid on the Bentley’s property. Despite promises of more details, the information had mostly remained the same. One agent had been shot and several suspects injured. No specific names had been released. She grew more agitated as the minutes ticked by with no word from James and no further information.
It was nearly midnight when a car door slammed. Victoria was still on the sofa and Gramps snored lightly from his armchair across from her. A brief knock on the door woke Gramps up from his slumber and he scooted across to the door. “Who is it?” he asked in a groggy voice.
“James.” The weary reply filtered through the thick, wooden door.
Victoria sat up with a surge of adrenaline. He’s alive! Thank you God!
Gramps let him in and James crossed the floor in several long strides. Victoria looked him over in one sweeping glance. His shoulder had been bandaged. Apparently, he had kept his promise to have someone look at the bullet wound. She didn’t see any other visible wounds and was relieved when he appeared as strong as ever. The initial adrenaline rush seeped away from her, leaving her completely drained.
Victoria adjusted her position on the sofa and winced when she moved her ankle. She had forgotten for a moment about her own injury and pain tore through it once again.
James must have seen her expression because he looked down at her ankle and asked, “How is it?”
“It’s okay. I just forgot it for a moment and moved the wrong way.”
James seemed satisfied with her answer and he sat on the sofa, opposite of her and perched on the edge of it. He launched into an explanation as Gramps settled back into his chair.
“The man I apprehended today is a skilled mercenary for hire. He has several aliases but his real name is Red Miller. He is on the F.B.I.’s most wanted list for many heinous crimes. They were real happy to get a hold of him after I was through with him.”
“A mercenary? What did he tell you?” Victoria asked as a shiver produced goosebumps up and down her arms. She tugged the warm afghan around her shoulders again.
“Not much at first. But I can be very persuasive.”
Victoria didn’t want to know the underlying meaning behind his words. So she sat and listened with no comment.
James looked at Gramps. “Red Miller is the person that originally contacted you. He’s been the only one to communicate with you through the notes under the mailbox.”
“So the Bentley’s hired him to acquire supplies for them?” Victoria asked.
James looked at her and replied with a question of his own. “You’ve been watching the news about the Bentley’s?”
“Yes. We heard about the raid on the Bentley property.” Victoria admitted as she studied James. “We heard an agent had been shot. But we really don’t know much about what has happened.” She took in his attire. He was wearing a black A.T.F. jacket and cap and knew he was one of the masked agents she had seen on TV. A strong sense of appreciation coursed through her at the thought, along with a more encompassing fear for his safety.
She thought of the men and women who had to live with this fear everyday for their loved ones. She said a quick prayer for the military and their families and all in law enforcement, for each individual that put their lives on the line for others.
James spoke again and broke Victoria out of her thoughts. “Red Miller wanted us to believe that the Bentley’s hired him. The Bentley’s deny it. They claim that this man approached them and offered them the supplies.”
“That doesn’t make sense. Who do you believe?”
“There is no reason the Bentley’s would have to hire a killer to gain supplies for their operation. It doesn’t even make sense when you think about it. Victoria, they had enough people in their organization to get supplies for them. They had been distilling moonshine for years. They didn’t need Gramps to buy anything for them in these past months, they had everything they needed already in place.”
“I don’t understand. Then why all the threats? Why ask Gramps to buy sugar in the first place? And who hired Red Miller?” Victoria fired the questions at James in quick succession.
“That’s what I intend to find out.”
“So it’s not over then.”
Victoria’s hope faded at James’ next words. “No, it’s not.”
Victoria looked at Gramps and asked, “Who would want to do something like this to us?” Victoria thought briefly of the sheriff and his abusive nature. She also knew he had hated the Connor’s for years, claiming that some ancestor had taken the Randolph’s land. She knew the allegations were not true of her family, but wondered if the sheriff’s beliefs could result in such a complicated scheme for revenge.
Gramps answered before she could voice her suspicions, “I don’t know darlin’.”
“We’ll find out, Victoria. I assure you,” James promised.
“How?”
“Someone wanted you involved for a reason. When they see us pull out of town and leave you and Gramps free to go about your lives, I have a feeling the culprit will show up sooner or later.”
“You’re leaving us?”
James reached across the length of the sofa and squeezed her hand gently. “I only want it to appear that way. We’ll get you’re basement cleared out,” James looked at Connor then at Victoria, “and you’re spare bedroom. Make it look like we left you out of all of the arrests and indictments because of your cooperation with us. We’ll disappear then we’ll see who slithers to the surface.”
“How will you ‘disappear’, yet still be close enough if anything happens?”
“We still have the rental house across the lake. We’ll keep watch from there.” At Victoria’s doubtful look, James added, “It’s only two minutes by boat. We’ll keep the alarms up and we’ll know if anyone is close by.”
“Someone got past the alarms today, James.” Victoria pointed out.
“Yes, but they won’t know we’re still here with our equipment. The killer knew what he was looking for. The chances are slim that anyone else would even notice the alarms. Tyler has them well hidden.”
“Why can’t you just stay hidden inside the house like you did last night?”
“We don’t know how long it’ll take the person who hired Miller to show up. We can’t stay hidden in the house and cottage for days. There’s too much of a chance we would be spotted.”
“So what do we do?”
“In the morning, we’ll make a show of packing up and leaving. Just in case anyone is watching. We’ll say goodbye and be on our way.”
“But you won’t leave us?”
“No.” James assured her. “I won’t leave you.”
Victoria leaned back in her seat. The details of the day’s events were becoming jumbled in her mind and she fought to stay focused. She rubbed her eyes and ran a hand through her tumbled hair.
“It’s getting late. I’ll get you settled in the cottage and come back in the morning. I’m sure we can get this straightened out soon, Vic. Then you’re lives will be normal again. Gramps, you’ll keep your land and all charges will be dropped.”
And you’ll leave and I’ll spend the rest of my life missing you. Victoria kept her thoughts silent as a sudden sadness overwhelmed her. When she first fell in love with him and thought he was a handyman, she thought she might convince him to stay in Henson County and work. There was enough of a demand for a handyman in the area to
keep him busy. But since she learned the truth about his past with Danny and his true profession, she knew she could never ask him to give up his career and stay here with her.
As James carried her to the cottage she held on to her mobile sticks, the crutches clanked together reminding her of her limitations. She wanted to tell him that she had forgiven him now that they were alone, but the words stuck in her throat. After all that had happened today, she didn’t think James was up to talking about it tonight. So, instead she asked, “How is the agent who was shot?”
“She’s tough. She’ll survive.”
“Good.” Victoria was relieved that no fatalities resulted because of the raid. She thought for a moment as James continued to carry her to the cottage. “You know James, I’ve been thrown over your shoulder and carried around more times in the last few days than I care to admit.”
He chuckled. “I don’t mind at all.” He held her closer to him and took her inside her cottage.
“Will it work?” Victoria turned questioning eyes on James after he set her down.
“I think it will, Vic. It takes big bucks to hire a rogue mercenary like Red Miller. There’s no reason for me to think the culprit would let his investment go to waste.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, the person who wanted you two involved won’t be at all happy that you have gotten off the hook. He wanted you and Gramps out of the picture.”
“But why? We haven’t hurt anyone.”
“We catch the one who hired Red Miller and we’ll find out why.”
A Matter Of Trust
A Matter Of Trust
Chapter Twelve
More and more details were revealed each day that followed the raid on the Bentley’s property. A total of twenty-three people had been arrested so far. Most of them had some direct relation to the Bentley’s. It turned out that almost the entire Bentley clan was involved in one way or another. Hundreds of gallons of moonshine were confiscated within the property lines. It was big news in Henson County and the local reporters feasted on the information. Thankfully, the Connor’s were left out of all the reported allegations. Victoria knew James had protected them from the onslaught and had thanked him on more than one occasion.
