Dark Horse

by Melissa Pearl

  Closing her eyes, her mind drifted to Nate. She couldn’t help thinking about the afterlife and what that really meant. Would she find him there? Could they still be together even after death?

  In a weird way, the idea was a comfort.

  But then she thought of her family.

  They’d be devastated by her murder. She could picture each family member, imagining how they’d cope with it. It was horrible and she didn’t want them to suffer that way. She had to survive. Somehow, she had to make it.

  “This is bullshit! I don’t like it!”

  Sally tensed as the shouting voices rose in the adjacent room.

  “I don’t give a shit what you like. We’re in it now and we’ll soon be driving away with a million dollars, so get the fuck over yourself.”

  “We’ve never killed anyone before!”

  “We easily could have. Where the hell is your spine? This, plus the money I already have, will set us up for years! We can disappear to wherever the hell we want! But not if we’re left with a witness.”

  “I’m not comfortable with it. She’s done nothing to hurt us.”

  “You are pathetic!” Oscar roared.

  Sally could tell it was him. Although the voices were similar, she’d managed to pick them apart. Oscar was definitely the harsher of the two. He’d shed his British airs the second he shot Nate and since then, he’d been nothing but a hard ass. The other one seemed to at least have a soul.

  She strained to hear the rest of the argument.

  “What? What did you just say? She looks like her?” Oscar again, his voice sparked with disbelief. “How many years ago was that now? You lovesick fool. Get over it!”

  “You are such a heartless prick!”

  “You don’t like it? Walk away. I’ll take the money for myself, and you can get busted by the cops.”

  “Hey! I showed up because you needed me to! You’re just gonna turn around and abandon me?”

  “You abandoned me.”

  “You told me to! You think I haven’t been haunted by the fact that you took the fall?

  Sally held her breath as she waited for Oscar’s reply. She wondered who she looked like. Oscar’s brother must’ve loved someone in the past. Oscar, on the other hand, seemed to be fueled by a bitter rage that stopped him from feeling anything more than sick contempt and arrogant pride.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” Oscar snapped. “I’ll kill her. Okay? You don’t even have to watch.”

  “When?” The other guy sounded nervous.

  “As soon as you get the money, give me a call. I’ll do it and dump her body in the woods. Then we’ll meet up where you suggested and take off from there.”

  They’d stopped shouting at each other, but their voices grew louder as they left the room and stopped outside her door.

  “I still don’t like this,” Oscar’s brother said.

  “Look, I know it’s not perfect, but it was the best plan I had at the time and we have to go with it now. Harden up already. She’s just a woman.” The word was spat with pure contempt. “Think about the money.”

  The door clicked open and Oscar walked into the room.

  Sally tensed, squishing herself against the wall until she realized that it wasn’t Oscar. It was his double.

  He crouched down in front of her with a soft smile. “Thought you might want another drink.”

  Gently peeling back the tape, he lifted the straw to her lips and let her have a few sips. She took advantage and sucked down as much as she could. It could mean she’d have to pee, which was a pretty disgusting thought, but dehydration would only make things worse. She needed to stay alert if she wanted any chance at all.

  When he pulled the straw away, she licked her lips and decided to play on her strengths.

  “Thank you.” She smiled at him.

  He paused, guilt flashing over his expression as he placed the water bottle down beside her. Pressing his lips together, he reached for the duct tape.

  “Actually, do you mind not…?” She winced. “My lips are really hurting from the tape. I promise I won’t scream.”

  He looked uncertain and glanced over his shoulder.

  “Please,” Sally whispered. “Please, help me.”

  His head whipped back to look at her and she stared him in the eye, silently begging for a little humanity.

  “I can’t stop this now, but…” He yanked the rest of the tape off her face and scrunched it up in his hand. “It won’t matter if you scream. No one lives around here. August just didn’t want you saying anything on the video.”

  Sally nodded, tucking the name away for later.

  So Oscar was August.

  She wondered what this man’s name was, but didn’t get a chance to ask, because Oscar…August…appeared in the doorway.

  “She’s beautiful, I’ll give you that much.” He leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed as he stared at her with those dark, heartless eyes. “Have her if you want to. We’ve got time.”

  Sally’s insides pitched, revulsion spreading through her system like a virus.

  Thankfully the man beside her let out a grunt of disgust and walked away from Sally, stopping to eyeball his brother at the door. “You’re sick. You know that?”

  August smirked at his brother. “You can’t tell me you don’t enjoy a little ass every now and then.”

  “Only if they’re willing,” the man gritted out.

  August snickered. “They’re good for one thing, and one thing only, brother.” He turned his dark gaze back onto Sally and licked his lips like a hungry crocodile.

  Sally’s insides curdled. Backing further up against the wall, she looked at the floor and prayed he’d walk away. The thought of that bastard touching her was too much to bear. She’d rather be shot in the head than have to endure that degradation.

  Closing her eyes against the burn of tears, she kept her head down and wished for Nate. It was illogical. He wasn’t even a possibility anymore, but maybe he could help her from beyond. Her family and the AFPD would no doubt be working overtime to bring her home, but it was Nate’s arms she wanted to fall into. It was Nate’s determined face she wanted to see charging through the door. He was her true home. He always had been.

  40

  Sunday, May 27th

  7:20am

  Blaine placed another coffee within Nate’s reach and moved around to the other side of the desk. They’d pulled an all-nighter, sifting through meager information, trying to find something on Oscar Plymouth while they waited for the photo recognition to come through. Problem was, if he wasn’t a past offender, he wouldn’t pop up on any law enforcement radar, so they had to work other angles while they waited.

  The board on the wall was covered with notes, small pieces they were trying to merge into a trail.

  Nate had printed out an image of Oscar from the Richmond Construction website.

  It was cheesy and irritating, a spot for Nate to seethe at when his emotions got the better of him.

  The fight to stay calm was growing with intensity.

  Jessica, Higgs and Cam had gone out door-knocking through the early hours of the morning, waking disgruntled citizens to find out anything they could. They’d questioned workers on the apartment project, phoned any business Oscar may have had contact with, but many of them were still closed and they couldn’t get access to the personal numbers they needed. Unless the business had a mobile number on the website, they were screwed.

  Nate had called Kellan hourly since arriving at the station, but Michael Richmond was still convinced that Oscar was innocent, and he was working to pull the ransom money together. He asked to speak to each family member individually, but Yvonne was too emotional to talk, and Michael refused to let his family be harassed.

  Nate’s frustration worked against him every time he got off the phone, and eventually Blaine told him to quit it already. “Stop trying to fight a losing battle and focus on what we’ve got.”

  A new day had daw
ned, but Nate couldn’t see any light through the dark storm clouds enveloping him.

  He gazed down at his watch, having to blink twice before registering the time.

  Fourteen hours left.

  “Shit,” he murmured. “We’re running out of time.”

  He thumped the desk and sat back, fisting his hair and wanting to unleash a scream.

  Cam walked into the room, distracting him with a slap to the shoulder. “Drink your coffee.”

  He jerked forward in his chair. “Anything new?”

  “Not about Sally. Sorry.” She gave him a sad smile and perched her butt on the edge of her desk. “I just got off the phone with the owner of Highland Timber. He said Oscar was a nice, polite guy who he’d only ever spoken to on the phone. Pretty much the same thing every other Aspen Falls contact has said. Because Richmond vouched for him, no one thought to look any deeper.”

  Nate let out a disgusted sigh. “Michael Richmond is an idiot.”

  Cam tipped her head, then slapped him with the manila folder in her hand. “Is that really the way you should be talking about your future father-in-law?”

  Nate’s expression buckled, desperation surging through him.

  “We’re going to get her back, Nate,” Cam reassured him. “And then you’re going to marry her and have lots of babies with her and the Richmonds will eventually see the truth.”

  Nate forced a calming breath, clasping his hands together and squeezing tight. “What’s that folder in your hand?”

  “Oh, the sketch artist met with Vern Schnyder yesterday. He couriered it over this morning.” Cam flicked the file open and glanced at the picture. “I know you don’t have time to look at it right now, so I’ll just…” Her voice trailed off, her wide lips parting as she stared at the sketch, then jerked her head to look at the board.

  “What?” Nate stopped reaching for his coffee.

  “Holy shit,” she murmured, slapping down the open file in front of him and pointing at the board. “Look familiar?”

  Nate gaped at the pencil sketch, his mind reeling as he compared the two images—the one in the folder and the one on the board. The pencil sketch was definitely a younger version of Oscar, with longer hair and a slightly rounder face, but the similarities couldn’t be denied.

  “What did Schnyder say the boyfriend’s name was again?” Cam asked.

  Nate clicked his finger, forcing his fuzzy brain to remember. “Ja… Jay… Jamie!” He slapped the table, jerking out of his seat and snatching his jacket off the back of the chair.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To talk to Schnyder.”

  “All he remembers is the guy’s name.” Cam made a face. “He had one interaction with him. He can’t tell you anything you don’t already know.”

  Nate raised his hands in frustration. “Then what the fuck do you propose I do?”

  “Talk to me.” A voice at the door made Nate spin. His head jerked back in surprise as he stared at the guy standing in his office doorway. “Hey, asshole.”

  41

  Sunday, May 27th

  7:35am

  “Sorry I’m late to the party.” Xavier raked a hand through his tousled hair. Nate wasn’t used to seeing the guy so unkempt and frazzled. “Getting away from two hysterical women and a delusional father was harder than I thought it would be.”

  “What can you tell us?” Nate kicked out a nearby chair and pointed to it.

  Xavier took a seat. “Look, I don’t know if I’ll have anything enlightening to share. I just want to help. I can’t stand the thought of that fucker hurting Sally. I believe you, 100 percent. Tell me what you need from me.”

  Nate’s chest nearly caved with relief. A small part of him wanted to wrap Xavier in a hug, but he quickly resisted the urge.

  Slumping into the seat opposite him, he said, “Anything you can tell us. You worked with the guy. Did you notice any red flags at all?”

  “I got a hit!” Jessica raced into the office, waving a sheet of paper. “August Cotton. Oscar is August Cotton from Fountain Hills, Arizona. He was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for armed robbery.”

  “When?” Nate snatched the information sheet.

  “Fourteen years ago.” Jessica’s face was alight with triumph. “He was twenty years old and got out early for good behavior at the age of twenty-four.”

  “Then what?”

  Jessica deflated a little. “After his parole he left the state. Higgs is running a license search for us, and I’ve left a message with the Fountain Hills PD. The officer I spoke to thinks their captain might remember the guy. He’s going to call us as soon as he gets in.”

  “Okay.” Nate started pacing, energized by the information. “So he was in prison twelve years ago, which means that he couldn’t have been in Aspen Falls trying to convince Mila to run away.”

  “Which means he has a brother who looks a lot like him,” Cam stated.

  “Is it safe enough to assume that his brother might be his accomplice on this one?”

  “It’s worth following.” Cam nodded, then turned to Jessica. “Get back on the phone or internet, whatever you have to. We need anything you can find us on the Cotton family from Fountain Hills, Arizona.”

  “Got it.” Jessica rushed out of the room, and Nate stopped pacing to stare down at August’s rap sheet.

  “This still doesn’t tell us where they have her.”

  Xavier’s face scrunched and he let out a frustrated sigh. “They wouldn’t have made it to Arizona. They must be close by. Maybe this brother is…” Xavier clicked his finger and pointed at Nate. “The old lady. From the other day. Ms. Parker. She thought she recognized Oscar, remember?”

  “Holy shit.” Nate raked a hand through his hair. “I even went and questioned him about it, but he looked so damn innocent. Like he seriously knew nothing about it!”

  “I don’t think he did.” Xavier stood with him. “I caught him that afternoon on the phone. He was shouting at someone, and it was so unlike him. He was saying something about honesty and that the person he was speaking to should’ve told him.”

  Nate’s eyebrows dipped together. “What else did he say?”

  “Not much.” Xavier sighed. “He turned around and saw me watching him. He ended the call pretty quick and then distracted me with work stuff.”

  “Okay.” Nate swallowed. “Okay, so we need to talk to Ms. Parker again.”

  “Are you sure?” Blaine cringed. “Rita’s not the most reliable source in town. I mean, she’s sweet and everything, but…her stories can change.”

  “When I interviewed her last time, her story was exactly the same. I just didn’t think to probe any deeper because I thought it was a dead lead.” Throwing his jacket on, he spotted the bullet hole and felt his chest constrict. He shouldn’t have been so careless. Every lead was important. Every clue. Every detail.

  His voice shook as he glanced at Cam. “Vern Schnyder mentioned catching his daughter with Jamie in an old mill or something. Can you go see him, find out exactly which mill it was? Maybe that’s where they met up in secret.”

  Cam frowned. “Sure thing, but I doubt they’d be stupid enough to take her there. They’re probably not even in Aspen Falls.”

  Nate closed his eyes, feeling sick. “Just…can you do it, please?”

  “Of course.” Cam nodded. “I’ll contact you as soon as I’m done.”

  He turned and pointed at Xavier. “Let’s go.”

  “Me?”

  “You were there when she recognized Oscar. Let’s give her memory as many triggers as we can.” Nate turned to Blaine, who was already looking her up on the computer.

  “119 Hickory Crescent.”

  Cam threw him the keys before he had to ask for them. Grabbing the edge of Xavier’s jacket, he hauled the guy out of his office and headed for the parking lot.

  Time urged him into a run. Xavier kept pace and they were soon heading for Hickory Crescent, the hope of answers burning bright. Na
te had everyone he trusted working on different angles. Surely one of them would yield something useful.

  Ms. Parker answered the door after the second round of knocking. Nate felt close to blowing a gasket as he impatiently paced the porch.

  “Here she comes.” Xavier pointed at the door when a shadowy shape appeared behind the frosted glass.

  The door cracked open and a moment later, Ms. Parker stood there smiling at them. Her smile was sweet and her eyes were a vibrant blue to match the color of her bathrobe.

  “Hello.” Her voice was high and a little shaky.

  “Good morning, Ms. Parker. I’m Detective Nathan Hartford.” He flashed his ID, figuring she might not remember him. “This is my…associate, Xavier Richmond.”

  “Oh, hello.” She smiled at Xavier, her eyes narrowing as she obviously tried to work out where she knew him from.

  Xavier glanced at Nate, his expression hopeful. “I saw you just the other day at Lulu’s Coffee Shop. You were talking to a colleague of mine. An Englishman named Oscar. You thought you recognized him.”

  She frowned and shook her head. “No, I don’t think so.”

  “He had a pale blue pickup truck.”

  “Oh.” She grinned. “The young man. I will never forget him. He and his lady love. They ran away together.”

  Nate quelled his frustration at hearing the same story yet again. The fact that she repeated it word for word made him wonder if it was true, but he had to try. “Ms. Parker, would it be okay if we came in and asked you a few questions about what you saw?”

  “Well, of course.” She pulled the door open wider. “I may be losing my mind, but some things stick, and a love story like that will last me a lifetime. At least I hope it will.” Her expression flicked with sadness as she shakily sat in her seat. Her toes turned in as she rested her hands in her lap, making her look like a little girl with an old wrinkled face. “He would wait outside my house. He didn’t know I was watching. I didn’t want to pry, but he intrigued me. He always looked so sad and restless, and then he’d check his watch and smile, excited, and race up the hill.”