by Marlow Kelly
“I see your admiring my houseplant.” Zoe stood next to her.
A chill ran down Dana’s spine. The flower by itself wasn’t enough to arrest Zoe, but as the investigating officer, Ramirez would want to know about it. He had information Dana didn’t and, besides, this could be nothing. For all she knew, there were lots of people in Hopefalls with deadly shrubs in their living room. They were sold all across America as houseplants, for God’s sake.
Act natural. Even as she thought the words, she remembered her initial gasp. Had she telegraphed her suspicions? “I’m doing up my grandmother’s house. I’d love to get a plant like this. What’s it called?”
“They call it the angel’s trumpet because of the shape of the flowers.” Zoe ran a perfectly manicure nail over a pink petal. “It’s widely available at any garden store.”
Damn. Dana walked to the front door. She tried not to look at the plant or display any facial cues. Details flooded her mind. Zoe visited the nursing home. Had she overheard Ben talking to Jack? But what had she heard? Why would she poison Ben? Dana needed to leave now and call Ramirez before the fire destroyed the evidence.
She reached for the door handle. “If you’re not going to evacuate, then I should leave. I have a lot of people to help.”
Zoe followed her. “Before you go, there’s something I want to ask.”
Dana turned. “Yes.”
Zoe removed a Smith and Wesson 9 mm from her jacket pocket and thrust it into Dana’s ribs. “You know, don’t you?”
Chapter Forty-One
“We’re going to walk to your car,” Zoe said through clenched teeth. Her unblinking eyes were hard and cold.
“The police know you didn’t mean to kill him.” Dana held her hands in the position of surrender as she stepped through the door, Tim’s truck directly in front of her.
Zoe stayed close. “Stop.” She freed Dana’s SIG Sauer from her belt and threw it across the lawn out of reach. Then she nudged Dana, silently, ordering her to walk. “I didn’t kill anyone. Everyone knows Tim Morgan killed Ben North over that stupid Colt.”
“No. The police know Ben was already dead when he was shot.” All Dana had to do was keep Zoe talking. Hopefully, her common sense would kick in and she would realize the insanity of her actions. With any luck, she would become distracted and drop her weapon, or she might see the futility of kidnapping a cop. “The medical examiner’s report says that Ben died of a heart attack, which was triggered by poisoning, specifically brugmansia, extracted from the plant known as the angel’s trumpet. The same one you have growing in your living room.”
“It’s only in the living room for the winter.”
Dana stopped and turned to stare at her captor before continuing on. The position of the plant wasn’t important, but it was a good indication of Zoe’s warped state of mind. So much for her common sense and sanity. The woman was unhinged.
They had made it to Tim’s truck. “I’m going to reach into my pocket for the keys,” she shouted, hoping Tim could hear her. She didn’t want him to get shot trying to save her, but at the same time she needed him to go for help.
“No, I’ll do it. Which one?
“My front, left side.”
Zoe jammed her weapon hard into Dana’s back as she reached from behind and slid her hand into the pocket. She retrieved the keys and placed them in Dana’s raised hand.
“Don’t try any funny business. I will shoot you.” Zoe stood with her feet wide. Both hands held the Smith and Wesson steady, her gaze locked on Dana. There was no hesitation and no doubt about Zoe’s intent.
She opened the passenger door. “Get in here and slide over. That way I can keep an eye on you.”
Dana climbed across the seats. She needed to stall for time. Sooner or later Tim would notice she was in trouble and sound the alarm. “What will your husband say about all this? Does he know you killed Ben?”
Zoe waved the gun. “Once this is over, he’ll lose interest in that whore and come back to me. Start driving and don’t try anything clever.”
“What whore? Does she have a name?” Stalling hadn’t worked, and now they were in the truck. The engine had a loud rumble. Tim had to have heard her start it up.
“Paul’s hooked up with some rich bitch called Lucy Portman. She’s the one who got him into this Molly’s Mountain deal. He thinks I don’t realize what he’s up to when he says he’s away on town business, but I know.”
“How?”
Tim was making his way through the trees, heading toward the mayor’s house. Dana made herself look straight ahead. There was no telling what Zoe would do if she spotted him.
“I tailed him. I saw them fondle each other under the table. He even followed her into the ladies’ washroom. It was disgusting. Enough talking, drive.”
Luckily, Zoe was too caught up in her own story to notice Tim running for the truck.
“Where am I going?” Dana did a U-turn as smoke wafted over the street, covering everything with a yellow-gray haze.
“Molly’s Mountain.”
“But it’s on fire.”
Zoe smiled. “Yes, it’s a good place to get rid of a body. Don’t you think?”
Chapter Forty-Two
Tim dashed through the forest. The road curved down the hillside in a multitude of switchbacks. He decided on a direct route through the trees. He cursed as he tripped and slipped, but allowed the momentum to carry him down, skidding on his butt. He ignored his throbbing shoulder and sore ribs. He righted himself as he reached the bottom of the hill. He didn’t know if he’d missed the truck or if it was behind him.
His eyes watered, his lungs burned, and his mouth tasted like he’d swallowed the smoke from a thousand campfires.
He tensed as he neared Officer Robinson’s patrol car. It was a reflex born out of years of fear. For most of his life, he’d been scared of the Hopefalls Police Department. Booley was his boogieman. He’d stolen Tim’s childhood, his home, and threatened his freedom. Now Booley was dead and Dana was in trouble.
Officer Robinson stood in the middle of the road, a red bandana wrapped around his face. Tim ran toward him, nearing the four-way stop sign that marked the center of Hopefalls. His black Ford pickup drove past. Dana was taking her time. Good.
The young cop waved his arms, his actions telling Dana to stop.
Tim hoped she would slow down as she approached Officer Robinson, but instead she sped up and then veered to the side.
The officer jumped out of the way, landing behind his cruiser.
Dana swerved back onto the highway, heading toward Molly’s Mountain and the fire.
“What the hell?” Officer Robinson stood, staring after her.
“The mayor’s wife is in the passenger seat.” Tim reached the roadblock.
The policeman spun around to face Tim. “But she nearly hit me.”
Tim opened the passenger door of the cruiser. “Dana probably did that to get your attention. From what I could see, Zoe Harris has a gun on her.”
Officer Robinson’s jaw dropped, then recovered and sprinted for the vehicle. “Let’s go.” He put the car in drive and raced after the truck.
Tim tried to picture Dana’s face. She hadn’t looked in his direction. She’d stared straight ahead, not making eye contact. She’d been protecting him.
****
Finn sped toward Hopefalls. They’d been halfway to the town when they’d heard about the fire. A low-flying aircraft zoomed overhead, making it feel more like a warzone than a town in mandatory evacuation.
Traffic on the other side of the highway was bumper to bumper. Emergency response vehicles sped ahead of him, their sirens blaring.
Kennedy played with the knobs on the radio, tuning in the scanner. Curt professional voices echoed over the air, relaying the coordinated effort to fight the wildfire.
She froze, listening. “It’s on Molly’s Mountain. That can’t be a coincidence.” She scooped her phone from her pocket. “I’ll try calling Michael.”
/>
Finn navigated through the deserted town and headed for the police station, hoping to touch base with Officer Hayden and the rescue workers.
“The line’s dead.” Kennedy hit the disconnect button. “Do you think this fire was set so someone could get to him and kill him?”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We only suspect his life is in danger. There have been no attempts to kill him.” If only his emotions matched his words. His gut told him Michael was in danger. If the Syndicate hadn’t figured out his true identity yet, they would—soon.
He parked in front of the police station. “Let’s see if they have more information. You never know, this could’ve been caused by a careless campfire or a cigarette thrown from a car.”
The station was empty except for an older woman with short gray hair and Michael. They sat side by side, each of them talking on landline phones, which made sense when he considered how bad cell phone reception was in the mountains.
Finn tapped Michael on the shoulder. “You have to leave now.”
Michael shook his head and covered the phone with his hand. “I don’t think so.”
“This fire could be a distraction in an attempt to get to you.”
“Finn, you’re getting paranoid. Besides, Tim and Dana saw the guy who started it. By the description, I’d say it was the same asshole who arrived at Tim’s door with the bloody knife.”
Finn put his hands on his hips. “Damn. You need to leave.”
Michael continued as if Finn hadn’t given him an order. “He killed the police chief.”
“And the chief’s computer is missing,” the gray-haired lady added.
Michael smiled at her. “This sweetheart is Shelly. Shelly, I’d like you to meet FBI Special Agent Finn Callaghan and his partner, Special Agent Kennedy Morris. They’re friends of Tim’s.”
The older woman nodded and then held her phone to her ear, listened, and then said, “No, Hank. You’re not coming back for your boat. It’s a useless pile of junk. It doesn’t float because it has a great big hole in the bottom.”
Michael held an earpiece to his ear, listened, and then tugged off his headset. “There are a lot of elderly people who need help to get out.”
A crackle came over the radio. “Shelly, it’s Xavier. Officer calling for help, critical.”
Shelly frowned and reached for the small black radio with a hand mic attached. “Xavier, this is dispatch. What’s wrong?”
“Dana’s in trouble.”
“Go ahead.”
“Zoe Harris has a gun on Officer Hayden. They’re heading toward the fire on Molly’s Mountain.”
Shelly paled and pointed to Finn, asking silently for his help.
Finn answered with a nod.
“Back up is on the way.”
Finn headed for the door. He stopped as he reached the front desk and faced Kennedy. “Stay with him.”
She nodded. “Got it, boss.”
He marched into a wall of choking smoke. The feeling of spiders crawling down his spine told him trouble was coming his way. He just didn’t know where or how.
Chapter Forty-Three
Tim held his breath as his truck swung off the road and followed a trail through the forest. They tailed from a safe distance. There was a chance Zoe Harris hadn’t seen them in the rearview mirror. It was a risk, one they had to take. Finally, Dana pulled over two hundred yards ahead.
The fire was close. The extreme heat caused beads of sweat to drip down his spine. The flames and wind shot the smoke high into the air, which meant it wasn’t as thick on the ground next to the fire.
Officer Robinson skillfully parked their vehicle, being sure to hide it in the middle of a small copse of young Lodgepole pine.
Damn it. Tim could take Mrs. Harris out with one shot if he had his rifle with him, but he’d left it in Ben’s cabin when he’d set it down so he could attack Moore. He’d have to make do with whatever was available.
“I’m going to need this.” He raised his voice to be heard above the roar of the blaze and pointed to the Remington model 870P shotgun secured to the middle of the dashboard.
Officer Robinson shook his head. “It’s not going to happen. I can’t give up my shotgun to a civilian.”
“I was a Ranger. I’m trained to move undetected through difficult terrain. I can get within touching distance of Zoe Harris without being seen.” His gut twisted and cramped at the idea of Dana getting hurt.
“It doesn’t matter. I still can’t give you a weapon.”
A cold vice tightened around Tim’s chest. For the second time today he was terrified, not for himself, but for Dana. He’d just found her and couldn’t lose her. With her, he saw the chance at a normal life, one where they would fight, laugh, and love. “Okay, here’s what we’ll do. I’ll go around the front and draw her fire. You can then take her out.”
“Have you ever done anything like this?” Sweat dripped from the young policeman’s brow.
Tim wasn’t sure if the officer was nervous or if he was reacting to the intense heat. “Yes, in Afghanistan. I’m going to approach from the front. You’re going to walk toward them from the rear.”
Officer Robinson drew his weapon and grabbed the door handle.
A knock at Tim’s window made him jump. “Finn, dammit.” He opened the door and climbed out of the car, his heart hammering in his chest.
Officer Robinson was out of the cruiser, gun drawn.
Tim made the introductions as the young officer holstered his weapon.
“What’s the plan?” Finn said, getting to the point.
Tim assessed the terrain. He wouldn’t have to be quiet. The wildfire was deafening. There wasn’t much ground to cover, but he needed to get close if he wanted to divert Mrs. Harris’s attention. “Give me a minute, maybe a minute and a half. I’m going to get in front of them and distract Mrs. Harris. You two come from the sides. The minute she points her weapon at me, you can take her out.”
He took off running, blending into the forest, not giving the lawmen a chance to stop him. He was doing this whether they agreed or not.
It would’ve been much easier to hide if he’d been wearing a ghillie suit. The camouflage uniforms were designed to help snipers blend into their environment. Using the forest for cover, he circled around the women until he was ten feet in front of them. Then he got on his stomach and crawled through the undergrowth, ignoring the throbbing pain in his ribs. Blood dripped from his shoulder, running down his arm to his elbow. He ignored that too.
The ache in his chest lessened at the sound of Dana’s voice. “So how does your husband having an affair lead to this?”
He wriggled closer, crawling through the dirt and under a huckleberry bush so he was within seven feet of them.
Dana stood in front of Zoe with her hands raised.
“He doesn’t love her. He just wants her money and connections. He needs her to get ahead.” Mrs. Harris’s voice had risen to a shrill squeak. She sounded desperate, unbalanced.
Using a tree trunk for cover, Tim stood.
“I don’t understand. What has Ben got to do with it?” Dana seemed calm, in control.
“He found some rare gold coins on Morgan’s land. I heard him telling Jack. If I had those coins, I could sell them for a fortune, and then Paul wouldn’t need her.”
Ben had died because of some coins. Tim buried the knowledge and focused on Dana. He needed her out of the way so Finn could do his thing. He stepped out into the open. “Why would Ben tell my dad? He has Alzheimer’s. He wouldn’t understand.”
Zoe jumped, a high-pitched squeal escaped her throat, and she swung the small handgun in his direction. “No, but I did. Somewhere on Wind Valley Ranch is a tin of rare gold coins. Ben stole some to pay his lawyer. I gave him devil’s breath so he would lead me to them.”
“So that’s why you drugged him. You wanted control of his mind,” Finn, weapon drawn, came from the right side.
Zoe pointed her Smith and Wesson at F
inn. Her voice rose to a shout. “I’m not stupid. I did my research. Ben would’ve recovered completely. He might remember what I did, but he wouldn’t be able to say anything because he’d stolen some, too.”
“How did you get close enough to give it to him?” Officer Robinson closed in from the left.
She spun toward the policeman, waving the gun. “Don’t come any closer or I’ll shoot.”
Dana held up her hands, telling them to halt. “No one’s going to shoot you, but we need to know. How did you get close enough to administer the drug?”
Zoe changed her focus and aimed her weapon at Dana.
Tim’s breathing hitched. He needed Zoe to hone in on him. “Answer the question.”
She swung the Smith and Wesson in his direction. She seemed calmer, quieter. “It was easy. Ben always was a skirt chaser. I took lunch up to his cabin, flashed my breasts, and then blew it in his face. The stuff was working too, but then—”
“He died of a heart attack. Did you shoot the body?” Dana asked.
“No, I called Booley and told him. He knew what Paul was up to. He comforted me.”
Tim took a step forward. He was amazed at how much information Zoe Harris was willing to share. He was also pissed that neither Finn nor Officer Robinson had taken her out. Had they forgotten the plan?
“Comforted you?” Finn raised an eyebrow in question.
“Nothing like that. I’m not a whore,” Zoe wailed.
Dana moved in front of Tim. “So you called the chief and he came, found the gun, and shot the body?”
Tim wanted to grab her and push her out of the way, but a sudden movement might trigger Zoe to shoot.
“Yes, why’d you have to get the Granite City-Elkhead County Police Department involved? It was a Hopefalls matter. You ruined everything.”
“Because Molly’s Mountain isn’t in Hopefalls.” Dana’s hands were now fisted and raised in a defensive position.
