One Hot Forty-Five

by B. J Daniels

  Lantry swore. “She lived in that house. Of course, her fingerprints—” He saw that he was wasting his time with this tack. “Won’t you at least check into Frank Chamberlain’s background? Find out if he really was involved with Tamara Fallon in the security business and if there were other burglaries as Dede says. Would you at least do that for me?”

  “If you promise me you’ll go straight to the ranch,” Shane said. “The folks are worried sick about you. They won’t be satisfied until they see for themselves that you’re all right. And if you should hear from Dede—I hope I don’t have to warn you how much trouble you’d be in if you help a woman who is not only wanted for questioning in her ex-husband’s murder but an escapee with a growing criminal record.”

  “No,” Lantry said with a brusque shake of his head. “You don’t have to warn me.”

  “Get some sleep. You look like hell and you’re cranky,” his brother said as he squeezed Lantry’s shoulder.

  He knew how much he’d worried his family and his brother—even more since Shane, the former Texas Ranger, knew just how dangerous these types of situations could be.

  “So there hasn’t been any word on Dede?” he asked, before getting out of the patrol car.

  Shane shook his head. “We have law enforcement and border patrol looking for all three of them. If they’re still in this part of the county, we’ll find them.”

  That’s what worried Lantry. It would be just like Dede to resist arrest. With everybody so worked up and her armed, she could get herself killed.

  The irony wasn’t lost on him. Dede was convinced that if she went back to the state hospital she’d be dead. Now she could be facing the death penalty for murder in Texas.

  Lantry racked his brain as to what to do next as he drove back toward the Trails West Ranch. He couldn’t just sit back and not look for Dede. She hadn’t killed her husband. The eyewitness was mistaken. Or lying.

  If Frank was involved in that burglary and that necklace was still missing, then wasn’t it more likely that his buddies Ed and Claude had killed him?

  A thought struck him.

  At the top of a rise, Lantry stopped the pickup and reached for his cell phone. Good, he had service.

  Dede had been so damned sure that Frank had given him something for safekeeping. What Lantry couldn’t get past was that all her reasoning made sense. Frank would have trusted him. If the man really had something he wanted kept safe, why not give it to his lawyer?

  Dede might have lied about riding a horse, but as he hit the number on his speed dial, he thought of his wrecked Lamborghini. He couldn’t discount everything she’d told him.

  “WHAT A NICE SURPRISE,” VIOLET said from behind the wheel of the SUV as she gunned the engine, shooting down the narrow track of road. “Been enjoying your stay in our pleasant little community?”

  “Not particularly,” Dede said from the backseat.

  “Oh?” Violet was studying her in the rearview mirror. “Didn’t find that man you were looking for? Corbett, wasn’t that his name?”

  Dede met Violet’s crazy eyes in the mirror. How had Violet known that? Dede hadn’t told her, and it was doubtful Violet could have heard through the Whitehorse grapevine.

  She felt her pulse jump. Violet had been carrying two Santa suits the night they escaped, Roberta only one. Violet had been planning on taking a third person out with her and Roberta all along.

  Dede had thought taking her along on the escape had been impulsive on Violet’s part. Now she doubted that. Hadn’t she been surprised how easy it had been for them to escape? She’d known it had to have been an inside job.

  She’d just never considered Claude had been behind it. But Violet had known she was on her way to Whitehorse. Known she had been going there to talk to Lantry Corbett.

  “A large man with gray hair and a scar was behind my escaping from the hospital here in Montana, wasn’t he?” she asked now. “Calls himself Claude. Or at least he did. What else did he tell you?”

  Violet met her gaze in the rearview mirror. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Don’t you?” Dede challenged. “Well, consider this. Everyone at the hospital will be under suspicion because of the escape. Claude really wouldn’t want the truth coming out. So how do you think he plans to keep the three of us from telling on him, hmm?”

  Violet’s gaze narrowed. She shot a look at Roberta, who was also looking worried.

  The only question that remained was why Claude would help her escape. Because he thought it would be easier to kill her outside the hospital? He knew she couldn’t possibly have whatever he and Ed were looking for.

  Her blood turned to ice. Was it possible they’d hoped she would lead them to Lantry Corbett—just as she’d done?

  THE PHONE RANG TWICE, AND Lantry was starting to wonder if the office was closed for the rest of the week because of the Christmas holiday.

  “Mr. Corbett’s office.”

  Of course the office was open just days before Christmas. Divorce never took a day off—especially during the holidays, when there were always more domestic disputes than any other time.

  “Shirley, it’s Lantry.”

  “Merry Christmas,” she said pleasantly. He could imagine his elderly secretarial assistant in her prim business suit sitting, back ramrod straight, behind her immaculate desk. “How is everything in Montana, or are you back in Texas?”

  “I’m still in Montana.” He told himself this was a fool’s errand. “I need to ask a favor.”

  “Of course, Mr. Corbett.”

  “I need you to send me everything you have from the Frank Chamberlain case, anything he might have given me.” He heard her hesitate and felt his pulse jump.

  “Everything?” she asked uncertainly. “Does that include the large box he left for you?”

  Lantry’s heart pounded so hard he had trouble hearing, let alone breathing. “What box is that?”

  “I was sure I mentioned it….”

  “It’s all right, Shirley. I’m sure you did. I just forgot.” Or he hadn’t been paying attention because the case was over and he couldn’t have cared less about some gift Frank had given him.

  Usually he told Shirley to open the boxes that were clearly gifts. If the box contained chocolates, he told her to keep them. Or share them around the office.

  The booze found its way to the partners’ lounge, since it was usually the really good stuff. Lantry never kept any of the gifts.

  He was just thankful he hadn’t told Shirley to get rid of the gift. “Would you mind opening the box?”

  “I’d be happy to.”

  “It’s not ticking, is it?” he asked belatedly, but Shirley was already off the phone. He could hear her in the background opening the box. He held his breath, suddenly afraid that the box didn’t contain evidence—but some form of detonation device. All the packages coming into the building were screened, but what if somehow this one had gotten in another way?

  “Shirley? Shirley!”

  ED INGRAM SAT IN THE GREAT NORTHERN CAFÉ sipping his coffee and listening to the group of local men talking at the table in the back. Regulars, from the way the waitress had greeted them as they came in.

  The talk in Whitehorse was Violet Evans, one of the women who had escaped from the state mental hospital. Apparently, no one knew the other two.

  From his table, Ed could see all the commotion at the sheriff’s office. Cars had been coming and going all morning. He watched as a nondescript van with the state emblem on the side parked across the street.

  Claude got out, looked both ways, then crossed the street toward the café. Ed noticed that Claude had put on a little weight, hadn’t been taking care of himself like he should. A big man like that needed to watch his diet and get more exercise.

  Ed turned his attention back to his coffee as Claude came in and took a seat at the counter close by, then turned on his stool to glance around the small space.

  “Gonna be another cold on
e,” Claude said in Ed’s direction. “This normal weather for here?”

  “Sorry, I’m just passing through on my way to Canada,” Ed said.

  “Canada, huh? I’ve never been up there,” Claude said, getting up and coming over to the table. “I heard it’s even colder up there. Are the roads open?”

  “Last I heard, but there’s another storm coming in tonight,” Ed said. As his food arrived, he added, “Would you like to join me?”

  “You don’t mind? I do hate to eat alone.” Claude took the chair across from him and glanced at the men in the back. One of them had been watching but turned back to the others, his interest spent.

  Claude smiled, then turned his attention to the waitress, who’d just asked, “What can I get you?”

  “Biscuits and gravy, two eggs sunny-side up and a side of bacon,” Claude said.

  Ed sprinkled berries over his oatmeal, watching Claude doctor his coffee with three packets of sugar and top it off with cream.

  “What?” Claude asked quietly.

  “Eating like that is going to kill you,” Ed warned.

  “Yeah? But what a way to go.”

  The locals wandered out, leaving the small café empty.

  “Any news?” Claude asked after checking to make sure the waitress was in the kitchen out of earshot.

  “According to the locals who were sitting in the back, so far no word.”

  “Nothing from your end?” Ed asked Claude.

  “Just waitin’.”

  Ed knew Claude wasn’t good at just waitin.’ And it worried him. Claude made mistakes when he got antsy. They all did.

  The waitress slid a huge plate of biscuits and gravy onto the table along with a plate of bacon and eggs. Claude unwrapped his silverware, tossed the napkin to the side and dove into the food.

  Between bites, he said, “You got to hand it to Dede. She really is something else. I suppose you heard what she did over here at the jail.” He chuckled. “Took the deputy’s weapon and Corbett at gunpoint.”

  “Dede is much smarter than Frank ever gave her credit for,” Ed agreed as he watched Claude devour the food as if he hadn’t eaten in a week.

  “You know she’ll warn him.”

  “Yes, but how likely is he to believe her? The woman is clearly unbalanced. After all, she took him hostage at gunpoint.” Ed shook his head. “I’m not worried about that.”

  “What if they don’t catch her?”

  Ed scoffed. “With every law-enforcement officer in Montana looking for them?” He grimaced as he watched Claude clean his plate, sopping up the last of the gravy with a chunk of biscuit.

  “You eat like an animal,” Ed said with distaste as he finished his oatmeal and blotted his lips with his neatly folded napkin.

  Claude laughed. “I’m just a man with a good appetite.” His cell phone rang. He dropped his fork to check it. His gaze shot up to Ed’s as he took the call. “Claude here.” He listened. “Uh-huh. Okay. Got it.” He snapped off the phone and looked over at Ed. “Lantry Corbett’s been found. Dede got away again. Looks like you’re going to have to revise your plan.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Mr. Corbett? It’s a boat.”

  “What?” Lantry felt weak with relief.

  “The box held a small wooden boat.”

  “The package was screened downstairs, right?”

  “Of course,” Shirley said. “The boat looks like a collector’s item. Unless I miss my guess, it’s homemade and quite old. Even…valuable, if you don’t mind me saying it.”

  He smiled, his heart rate dropping a little. “Shirley, I need the boat and Chamberlain’s file overnighted to me. It’s important that you do it immediately. Would that be possible?”

  “I will see to it myself. You know you can depend on me.”

  He had for years. “I know. Thank you. Also, let’s keep this between the two of us.”

  “Confidentially as always.”

  Lantry realized that he’d offended her. “Shirley, have I ever thanked you for being such a loyal and competent assistant?”

  “With a nice bonus every year, Mr. Corbett.”

  “But have I ever said it before?”

  She sounded flustered. “Well, no, not exactly, but—”

  “I’m sorry I haven’t done that before now. I apologize. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

  “That is very kind of you. Is everything all right, Mr. Corbett?”

  “Fine.” He made a mental note to make sure Shirley was taken care of financially when she retired, which he guessed wasn’t far off. He’d always dreaded that day. Now he realized she would retire only if he ever quit.

  “I’ll get that package off as soon as I hang up,” Shirley said. “You want it sent to Trails West Ranch?”

  “Yes. Thank you.” The moment he disconnected the call, he punched in his brother Shane’s number.

  “Shane, I need you to call off the cavalry. Just give me some time to find Dede and—”

  “Lantry—”

  “I think she might be telling the truth. I just need you to—”

  “Lantry! I’ve got news.”

  He braced himself for the worst—that the men after Dede had found her.

  “The three escapees have been spotted,” Shane said. “We just got a call from a rancher who saw them drive by.”

  “Three?” Dede was with the other two? How was that possible? “That can’t be right. The rancher has to be wrong.”

  “I have to go,” Shane said.

  “You’ll let me know when you find her.”

  “You aren’t thinking about representing her, are you? You’re a divorce lawyer. She’s going to need the best criminal lawyer money can buy.”

  Lantry didn’t need to be told that. Frank Chamberlain had been a well-respected businessman who wielded a lot of power in Houston. Unless Lantry could prove that Dede’s allegations about him were true and that she hadn’t killed him…“Just let me know when you find her.”

  “I THINK YOU’RE JUST MAD ABOUT the last time we saw you,” Violet said as she drove along the narrow, plowed road through the wintry landscape. “I see you finally got out of your costume. You must have done all right by yourself.”

  Dede said nothing, turning to look out at the drifted snow that swept to the horizon. She knew now that everything about her escape and getting dumped on the main street of Whitehorse had been choreographed, and not by Violet Evans.

  Violet had stolen clothing for herself and Roberta, forcing Dede to remain in her Santa suit. No wonder she’d been picked up so quickly by the sheriff’s department.

  All part of the plan? She’d been manipulated, maybe from the beginning. From the moment Frank called her, begging for her help. Her heart ached at the thought that Frank had been in on this. She realized with a jolt that Frank was the one who told her about Lantry’s car.

  They already tried to kill my lawyer by rigging something on his sports car.

  Tears of anger and hurt burned her eyes. Frank could have protected her and Lantry. All he had to do was give Ed and Claude what they wanted.

  “I hope that necklace is worth it,” she said under her breath. That’s all it could be. Frank had helped with the burglary and somehow had gotten away with the million-dollar-plus necklace.

  He’d doubled-crossed his cohorts, and now he must be hiding out while Ed and Claude came after her and Lantry. Had they hoped to use her and Lantry as leverage against Frank to make him come out of hiding?

  Well, it wasn’t working. And Lantry swore that Frank hadn’t given him anything to keep for him.

  “So did you find him and kill him?” Roberta asked.

  “Who?” Dede had to ask since her mind had been on Frank.

  “Corbett,” Violet said. “Lantry Corbett. Your ex-husband’s lawyer.”

  “No,” Dede said, meeting the woman’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “I only made things worse.”

  “I know what you mean,” Roberta said. “Ev
eryone’s looking for us after what happened last night.”

  Dede felt herself start. She recalled how Violet said she was going to Whitehorse to make sure her mother never walked down the aisle. “What happened?”

  “Shut up,” Violet snapped. Her gaze in the rearview mirror wasn’t aimed at Dede though—but to a spot on the seat next to her. “My mother got away last night, but she won’t again. So stop nagging me. You hear me?”

  Roberta made a circle with her finger next to her head when Violet wasn’t looking. “Violet ran her mother off the road last night,” she said. “Guess she’s shaken up pretty good. Now her mother at least knows she’s back in town.”

  “She’ll know a lot more than that when I’m through with her,” Violet said, glaring in the rearview mirror at the spot next to Dede. Roberta was watching her, looking a little worried.

  “Where are we going?” Roberta asked.

  “To hell,” Violet said. “In the meantime, we’re going to pay my mother another visit. But first we need to make a stop, and you, Texas, are going along for the ride in case we need your help. I’d say ‘buckle up,’ but I guess you can’t, can you?”

  Dede looked down from the hill they’d just topped to what appeared to be a ghost town. There were a few houses separated by empty, snow-filled lots. At least one of the houses was clearly abandoned.

  Only one building had steam rising from it—a large barnlike place next to what could only be the one-room schoolhouse. Most of the playground equipment was buried in snow and looked as if it hadn’t been used for a while.

  Dede reminded herself that it was only days from Christmas. Of course the school would be closed.

  “Welcome to Old Town Whitehorse,” Violet said with the flurry of her hand as she pulled down a narrow road that had only recently been plowed, and stopped. “That is where I grew up.”

  “I thought you lived out of town,” Roberta said.

  “Just up the road.”

  Dede heard the irritation in Violet’s voice and saw her frown at the other woman. She’d felt the tension between them the moment they’d abducted her from the mental hospital.