“I tried to cut it smaller when I was in the machine shop, but it was too hard. You can’t cut through bone, you know? I tried to hide her torso in different places. I even found a hollowed out tree log and climbed inside with it. I just didn’t feel comfortable leaving it out there. It was too big.”
Yeah, that was the problem with this story.
“So I left everything out there and wrapped her torso back up and put it back in the bin. The next day, I went back to the machine shop and hid it on the roof. I figured that even if they searched the machine shop, they wouldn’t look on the roof.
“My mistake was throwing everything away there,” Brian said. “I didn’t realize they weren’t picking up the garbage regularly because the shop was shut down. I thought I was already safe until I saw the shop on the news. Until I saw you on the news.”
My guess was that he didn’t exactly have warm and fuzzy feelings for me. “I’m sorry I ruined things for you.” I didn’t mean for it to come out as sarcastic as it did, but my nerves were pretty raw at this point.
“Oh, you will be,” Brian planted his gaze on my face. The malice in his eyes was clear.
Thirty-Two
“What are you going to do with me?” I really didn’t want to know, but it seemed like the question to ask in this situation.
“I haven’t quite decided yet,” Brian said honestly.
“Why did you even bother to come get me?”
“I don’t know. I just figured you were responsible for ruining everything.”
“You could have taken Steffi and the kids and ran?”
“Not after you turned her against me.”
Uh-oh. He knew Steffi had agreed to meet up with Eliot and me. “She told you she was meeting us?”
“I heard her talking to your little boyfriend.”
“Still, you could have taken the kids and ran?”
“That’s no life for kids,” he said practically. I was surprised he actually realized that. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad father – just a bleeding tragic husband.
“Who is with them now? Steffi?”
“No, Steffi is not with them. They’re asleep. They’re fine.”
“You left them alone?” So much for father of the year.
“Your boyfriend will find them.”
“That’s why you called Eliot? To take care of your kids?”
“I Googled you after you left. I read about your family restaurant. I remembered what you said about dinner. After I heard Steffi on the phone with Eliot, I confronted her. She tried to deny it, of course, but it was too late.”
“What did you do to her?”
“I brought her with us.”
I looked around the interior of the SUV. It wasn’t easy given the way I was bound, but I was fairly certain no one was in the back seat.
“She’s in the hatchback,” Brian supplied.
“Is . . . is she in a bin?”
“I had never taken it out of the car, so it was easier.”
“Is she alive?”
Brian shrugged. “Probably not anymore.”
I felt a rush of panic. He had clearly lost it.
“She never should have betrayed me,” Brian said.
“You called Eliot from the parking lot of the restaurant?”
“I was hoping to get you alone, but when I saw him with you I knew that I would have to do something to separate the two of you.”
“So you didn’t really send him to your house to take care of your kids?”
“It’s just an added benefit.”
I let the ominous silence in the vehicle that followed spread until I wasn’t almost completely incapacitated by fear. Then I started to let the anger creep in. This guy was as much of a tool as I originally figured he was.
“Everyone knew from the beginning,” I told him. I was done being nice.
“Knew what?”
“That you killed her.”
“No they didn’t,” he protested. “I had everyone fooled. I was a distraught husband looking for the wife that abandoned him.”
“You only thought that,” I challenged him. “We told you that to your face, but behind your back everyone was saying you did it. The cops thought so, too. That’s why they kept having press conferences out at your house and letting you talk to the media whenever you wanted to. They were giving you enough rope to hang yourself with.”
“That is not true! You ruined this for me!” Brian wasn’t even pretending to be calm anymore. I preferred him in his natural state.
“You didn’t fool anyone – except maybe yourself. Why do you think the cops have been keeping such a close eye on you? Why do you think they’ve let a simple missing persons case completely monopolize the evening news? Think!”
“I did think! I had this all thought out until you ruined it!”
“And what were you going to do when they found her body?”
“They would never even have looked for a body if it wasn’t for you,” he pointed out.
“Maybe, but you can’t be sure of that.”
“It doesn’t matter now, does it?” Brian said grimly. “It’s over for me – and it’s over for you.”
“So, where are we going?”
“Sarah’s family has a cabin up in Traverse City. I figure they won’t think to look there for a couple of days at least. We’ll be able to spend some time together. Alone.”
That sounds fun – or crazy.
We made the rest of the trip –a full two and a half hours – in complete silence. I figured that Eliot had figured out what had happened by now and that he’d called Derrick and Jake. They would have no idea where to look for me, though. I couldn’t rely on them. If I was going to get out of this situation, I was going to have to do it myself.
Once we got off the highway, Brian started checking the GPS on his phone. I could only hope they were tracking his GPS – or mine. I tried to shift to feel if my phone was still in my pocket. I felt it buzz with an incoming text – and was momentarily relieved I had set it to silent when my mom’s texts started going into stalker territory. Even if they couldn’t track Brian’s phone, they could track mine – as long as Brian didn’t find it.
The roads we were now traveling down were completely dark. There were no street lights in sight. We were really in the country now. I hated the country even when a madman wasn’t kidnapping me, so this was essentially my worst nightmare. The only thing that could have made it worse was sharks.
Brian turned down a dirt road at one point, and we were now going pretty slowly. I figured we were close to our destination. When he finally stopped the car, I saw a small cabin – which couldn’t have been more than two rooms total – in front of us.
“This is the cabin?”
“Yep.”
Brian got out of the car and came over to my side of the vehicle. I considered running, but I knew I wouldn’t get very far. He led me to the back of the SUV, opened the hatchback, and grabbed a bag.
My eyes fell on the blue bin, which was tightly sealed. Could Steffi still be alive?
Brian seemed to read my mind. He opened the top of the lid and peered inside. Even under the dim light of the interior of the car I could see she was dead. Her sightless and terrified eyes were fixed directly on me, but she couldn’t see me.
“I guess she’s dead,” Brian shrugged.
“You seem real heartbroken about it.”
“Like I said, she shouldn’t have betrayed me.”
“You’re a real prince,” I grumbled.
Brian grabbed my arm roughly and led me to the cabin. He unlocked the door and shoved me inside. I couldn’t see in the dark and crashed into an end table and then fell on the floor.
Brian flicked the light on, locked the door behind us, and stepped over me. He didn’t bother to help me up. He dropped his bag on the floor and immediately turned the small television set on before sitting down on the couch.
I glared at him from my positioned on the floor. Instead of trying t
o get back on my feet, I rolled to a sitting position and remained on the ground. I didn’t want to be any nearer to him than I already was.
Brian flipped through the channels before settling on the local news stations. I wasn’t surprised to see the exterior of his house on the screen. We may have been hours away from the scene of the crime, but this was still big news.
I saw Devon come on the screen and explain that police had found Brian Frank’s children asleep and alone in the house. They were now in the custody of their aunt – Sarah’s sister.
“Great, that bitch has my kids.”
“At least they’re not alone,” I grumbled.
Brian ignored me and turned back to the television where Devon was explaining that police were now searching for Brian Frank and Steffi. There was no mention of me.
“It looks like they don’t even know you’re gone yet,” he crowed.
I doubted that was true. When I didn’t show up at Eliot’s apartment, he would have started looking for me. I had felt a few more texts silently vibrate in my pocket. I had no idea who they were from, though.
“So what now?”
“Now? Now I’m getting some sleep.”
“What about me?”
“Now you’re going to shut up.”
Not likely.
Brian must have read the intent in my eyes because he pulled a handkerchief out of his bag and gagged me with it, leaving me on the floor. He then switched off the lights, laid down on the couch and proceeded to fall asleep within a few minutes.
Only a complete psycho could fall asleep in a situation like this.
I couldn’t get comfortable – and I was trying to focus on the fact that I had to go to the bathroom – so I didn’t drift off for hours. Unfortunately, when I finally did fall asleep, I still had no idea how I was going to get out of this situation.
Thirty-Three
The next morning I woke up feeling every muscle of my body cramp in abject pain. At least it was keeping my senses sharp.
Brian was still asleep on the couch, so I took advantage of the situation and tried to wriggle my arms free. My wrists were essentially chafed raw, but I kept at my task. It was my best chance at this point.
To my surprise, I felt the ropes slacken a little bit. I have small wrists, but my hands aren’t especially big, so I tried to see if I could pull my hand free. I felt it shift a few inches. If I could just get it to shift a few more inches, I would be free. I kept maneuvering my hands, biting my lip to keep from crying out in pain. I was surprised when my hand popped free.
I looked up at Brian Frank in startled shock. He was still asleep – and I was free.
I tried to get to my feet, but they were numb from the position I had been in over the past few hours. I quietly rubbed them, trying to restore circulation. The pricks in my soles were painful, but I ignored them.
When the pain started to subside, I carefully got to my feet. I almost fell over when I felt the blood rush to all of my extremities, but I managed to keep my footing. I moved towards the door, casting the occasional glance over my shoulder to make sure that Brian was still asleep.
I took a deep breath and flicked the lock. It made a loud “thwack.” I swung around to see Brian Frank in a sitting position and staring at me.
“You’re not exactly graceful,” he said. He hadn’t made a move to get to his feet.
“That’s not one of my strengths,” I acknowledged.
“I saw you and your friend that night in the bushes,” he said.
I was surprised. He had been the one sitting in the blue SUV in the dark. The one watching us.
“You flipped me off,” he continued.
“I figured you were some demented pervert getting off on two girls rolling around on the ground together,” I shot back. “Looks like I was right.”
“Where do you think you’re going to go?”
“Away from here is fine for right now.”
“I can’t let you go,” he said simply.
“You can’t make me stay.”
Brian set his mouth grimly. “That’s where you’re wrong.”
I watched with morbid fascination as he pulled a knife out from his bag. It wasn’t just any knife either. It was one of those long hunting knives that men use to gut their prey. Nice. I swallowed hard.
“It will be easier if you don’t run,” Brian said.
“I’m not easy,” I said, and then I opened the door and bolted through it. I didn’t stop to get a sense of my surroundings. I knew I had to keep ahead of Brian, so I ran headlong into the woods.
I had no idea what direction I was heading. I had no idea where the road was. I had no idea if I was about to topple over a cliff. All I knew was that I couldn’t let Brian catch up to me.
I could hear him entering the woods behind me. I didn’t figure he was in any better shape than I was – and we were both desperate. Adrenaline is a great equalizer, so I ran.
You might think this is the first time I’ve ever been in the woods. You would be wrong. When we were kids, Derrick and I spent hours playing G.I. Joe. We strategized, plotted and tracked each other through the dense trees. I was pretty good at it.
This wasn’t exactly childhood games, but Brian Frank wasn’t exactly Cobra Commander either.
As I was running, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket again. My phone! I had forgotten it. I reached into my pocket, slipping behind a tree and out of sight, to look at the screen.
It was a request on FaceTime – from my mom. I didn’t hesitate, I clicked the accept button. I was never so happy to see anyone in my entire life.
“Why haven’t you called me back?”
“Because I was kidnapped,” I snapped back.
“I thought that Derrick made that up,” my mom said dismissively.
“Well, he didn’t,” I said grimly. I scanned the woods behind me for Brian, but I didn’t see him.
“You need to tell Derrick that I’m in Traverse City at Sarah Frank’s family cabin.”
“They’re already up there,” my mom scoffed. “They tracked your phone.”
“Then where are they?”
“Have you looked at yourself? You’re filthy.”
“I’m hiding in the woods from a guy with a big knife,” I pointed out.
“Then maybe you shouldn’t be talking on the phone,” she chided me.
“You called me,” I reminded her.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay,” she said finally. “Are you really hiding in the woods?”
“Yes.”
“Then why are you getting cell phone reception?”
That was a pretty good question.
“I must be near a highway.”
“Maybe you should hang up until Eliot and Jake find you.”
“They’re both here?”
“That’s what Derrick said. He went with them.”
The relief that washed over me was immense. It was also momentary. Where were they?
“Who are you talking to?”
I looked up from my crouching position behind the tree and saw Brian staring down at me. He was sweaty and red-faced – and he looked really angry.
“My mom,” I said honestly.
“Who are you talking to?” My mom asked irritably.
“Brian Frank.”
“Is that really wise?”
“Probably not,” I ceded.
“You should probably run,” she said pragmatically.
“Probably.”
I watched in mute horror as Brian reached down and took my phone from me. He looked at my mom’s disgusted face for a moment before throwing the phone against a tree. I watched it shatter helplessly.
I got to my feet and faced Brian resolutely. “They’re coming for me,” I informed him.
“They won’t make it.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure.” I turned when I heard the snap of a twig and about fell over when I saw Eliot standing there. The look on his face was terrifying, although thankfully
it wasn’t pointed at me. He also looked exhausted. He was wearing the same clothes from the night before. They were disheveled, and his hair was a mess, but he was still the best thing I had ever seen in my life.
Brian reached for me fervently. I stepped back in surprise, falling backwards and tumbling onto the ground.
Eliot moved towards Brian ruthlessly. He was going to kill him. I had no doubt.
“I’ll kill her!” He screeched. He was steadily shrinking in the face of Eliot’s furious anger.
“If you lay one hand on her, I’ll let Eliot crush you with his bare hands.”
I looked up to see Jake stepping into the clearing, leveling his gun at Brian. He looked as irate as Eliot – and just as tired.
“How did you find us?” Brian was flummoxed.
“We tracked the GPS on Avery’s phone.”
“I didn’t even know she had a phone.” Brian was mostly talking to himself at this point.
Eliot and Jake were both holding their ground. Neither had made a step towards me, but they were poised to spring into action if the situation warranted it.
“It’s over, Brian,” Eliot said with barely contained rage. “We need to know where Steffi is.”
“She’s dead in the back of the SUV,” I supplied.
Eliot shifted his gaze to me. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, but I really have to pee.”
Jake shook his head, but he seemed relieved despite everything. “Where is Sarah?”
Brian didn’t seem to hear Jake. He was completely lost in his own world.
“He cut her up and put parts of her body in the woods and parts on top of the machine shop.”
“On top of it?” Jake looked confused.
“On the roof.”
Eliot’s face was a mask of unexpressed rage at this point. “So you killed two women, left your kids alone at home and decided to take my girlfriend on a camping trip?”
Jake grimaced at the word “girlfriend” but he didn’t make a move to interrupt Eliot.
“Why don’t you tell me why I shouldn’t just kill you right here?” Eliot asked. He wasn’t joking.
3 Buried Leads Page 18
