He tightened his grip. "You would have. I saw it in your eyes the day that we met. You wanted me. And we could've had a great time together. What a waste. I can't believe Pratt is alive."
It had been Bob who'd made the call to her the other day claiming to be Terrell Jardinière, too afraid to alert anyone other than Cara that he was alive. But he'd heard through Audrey that it had been Michaela who was ultimately responsible for discovering who had murdered her uncle Lou the previous year, and he'd hoped that she would do the same thing for Audrey. And she had.
"You've been doing this for years. Didn't you think that you would eventually get caught? You're a chemist. You know that these supplements that you've been producing, first with Strong X and now Eq Tech, can hurt the user. Why not make a product that doesn't?" She hoped to bide time. Keep him talking and maybe someone would save her. She prayed that a SWAT team was surrounding the area now. She had no other idea how she was going to get out of this alive. Even though it was chilly outside on the roof, she felt perspiration trickling down her back. How could she get this maniac to let her go? He had an ego. Keep him talking. That was all she could think to do until a better plan hopefully worked its way inside her head.
"Are you kidding? My products have proven successful. They make people and horses stronger, faster, and sharper minded. It's proven."
"It's also proven that they do harm. Look at Terrell Jardinière."
"Some people had reactions," he growled.
"He is completely incapacitated."
"It can't be proven that Strong X caused it."
"What about the horses? That can be proven."
"You should have minded your own business."
"You shouldn't have murdered my friend. And I know you not only killed Audrey, but Francisco, too. How did you do it anyway? How did you lure Audrey onto the back forty and kill her?"
"I saw it as opportunity. I'd tapped Bob's phone, knew he'd had dinner with her and that he planned to tell her something. I was afraid he told her what he'd found out. So, when I spotted her heading to the track, I called her over. Told her that they wouldn't let her out onto the track. That I'd tried. Then I told her that Bob was missing. I suggested we take a walk and discuss the options. At that point I didn't realize she was clueless, but I couldn't take the chance."
"You killed an innocent woman! You're really sick, Hudson. What about Francisco? Why did you kill him?"
"I didn't. That was something Juan Perez took care of for me. I sent him out to Audrey's ranch to locate that file and lo and behold he ran into Francisco. Casualty of circumstance, so to speak."
Michaela felt her throat tighten. "Why do you want all this blood on your hands? Don't you care at all? Is money and power all that you want? I also know all about Cara's husband, Shawn Klein."
"Oh please. Cara Klein is an idiot and Shawn was a loser. If you ask me, I did her a favor." He grabbed her arm tightly and dragged her to the side of the building. She looked down. It was a long way. Lights from the hotel gardens reflected off the hotel pool. She doubted she could survive a fall.
Michaela flashed back to her conversation with Cara as Hudson pulled her closer to the edge. "Hudson Drake killed my husband, Shawn," Cara told her. "Supposedly Shawn died in a boating accident, but I know that it was Hudson who killed him. My husband was a sailor. He'd been on the seas since he was a kid. It was a clear day, and all he was doing was sailing out to the end of Point Loma, which isn't far."
"Why did he do it?" Michaela had asked her.
"We were both working for Strong X. I was in the marketing department and Shawn was the head chemist. Drake asked Shawn to add a drug called diazepethicone to the recipe, saying that some of the athletes they'd been in discussions with had heard of the drug and how it made athletes in Russia stronger, more vital. The problem is, it's a steroid derivative and as you know, steroid use in most sports is completely banned. Hudson's request of Shawn was to find a way to hide the drug within the supplement so that when athletes were tested it would not show up."
"Did your husband do it, put that drug into the Strong X supplements?"
"He did, and he paid the ultimate price for it. Shawn had a bad feeling that what the supplement was comprised of could cause serious damage to athletes, to people in general, but he did what he did because we needed the money and were desperate at the time. I know that sounds horrible, and I won't bore you with the details, but we went through with it. Shawn tucked his ethics way down and became one of Drake's henchmen. Then, Terrell collapsed, and so did a track runner. A kid really, only nineteen, up and coming. His family didn't pursue anything because they didn't put it all together. But Terrell Jardinière's aunt had her suspicions and she started asking questions. Drake agreed to pay her a lot of money to keep her quiet, as well as pay for his medical expenses.
"When Terrell had the stroke, Shawn became scared. He had a bad feeling that eventually it would all blow up in their faces and he'd be the fall guy because he was the head chemist. He decided to deal with it before that happened. He began taking files and copying them, keeping them in a safe-deposit box. He wanted to collect all the evidence he could before he went to the authorities."
"Were you aware of this?"
"No. Not until after he was killed. He made me a video. On it he told me everything that he suspected and what he'd been up to. He also told me where the safe-deposit key was and how to get into it. When I went to the bank, the box was empty. I don't know if he emptied it before he died for some reason, or if they did. Maybe Drake and his crew learned about it and found the key. My guess is someone got on that boat that day with my husband and tortured him or threatened him until he told them where he was keeping the files he'd copied. Shawn was afraid that our phones were tapped and that they were watching him."
"You continued working for them, though, for Hudson Drake."
"I felt I had to. I was too scared that if I stopped working for him that he would become more suspicious of me and kill me. I thought that maybe I could continue putting a case against him together. That was my hope."
"What happened?"
"After Shawn, they started to phase out Strong X and that part of their human line. They began to go into the equine division claiming they wanted to diversify, and after doing a lot of research they also said the equine market could produce millions of dollars, which it's doing. I also think that they figured they were taking less of a risk by dealing with equine athletes like racehorses."
"How did you meet Bob?"
"Once Drake started to phase out Strong X and change direction, Bob was brought on as the research vet. I met him and thought he was a nice man. We had lunches together. He confided in me about his alcoholism. I got sick last year and was diagnosed with stage IV cancer. I only worked another two months before I had to leave."
Cara continued. "Bob came to me, actually. He said that he didn't like the way some of the test results were turning out with some of the horses he'd been giving the supplements to and that it bothered him. He said that when he went to Drake, he was told that the studies looked great, and for him not to be troubled and just keep doing his work. Bob got scared. He said that Drake used a threatening tone with him when they discussed this. That was only a few weeks ago, before I entered hospice care. I became really worried about Bob. We were still seeing each other on occasion. I even went up to Los Angeles a couple of times in the last few months. He knew that I was concerned and I told him what I thought they'd done to Shawn. He then told me that he was also trying to collect evidence against Eq Tech. I begged him to stop, but I don't think he did. That was the last time I heard from him. Until now. Just yesterday."
Michaela had left the hospital knowing that she had some work ahead of her to get Hudson to confess. She thought that if she accused him in front of a roomful of guests and presented the evidence she'd discovered, he'd crack. Oh, he'd cracked all right. Being taken hostage had not been part of the plan.
"Why don't you just let me go?" Michaela pleaded
. "You can get away and no one will find you. I'm sure you've got money in offshore accounts. Do you really want another murder on your hands?"
"I've got plenty of money…and as far as killing you? It won't bother me a bit, sweetheart." Still standing behind her, knife at her throat, he kissed her on the cheek. "You've got your choice though: I can either push you off or slice your throat."
"Great options."
"You should have minded your own business."
Michaela knew she didn't have much more than a few seconds. As her brain scrambled for a way out, she heard a loud bang. Hudson's arm fell from her neck and he grabbed at his leg, the knife falling to the ground. "Fuck!" he screamed. Realizing that he'd let her go, he lunged for her, his leg seeping blood.
Michaela, stunned, didn't think, just reacted, picking up the knife. "Get away, Hudson! Stay away from me!"
He kept stumbling forward. "You're not going to kill me."
Tears stung her eyes. "Get away! I will kill you!"
"No you won't—"
Another shot rang out as he again lunged for her. An anguished scream rose from Hudson as he fell against Michaela, the knife piercing his stomach. He stumbled backward, trying to pull the knife out. He stared at her, shocked. Then his body swayed as he took one too many steps backward and, leaning to the side, his body fell off the roof. She backed away and felt arms wrap tightly around her. She turned and cried on Joe's chest.
"I'm sorry, Mick. Sorry we couldn't get to you in time."
"It's okay. I'm okay," she sobbed. "Did you shoot him?"
"No." Dennis Smith, dressed in a tuxedo, came forward.
"Smith? You were here?" She pulled away from Joe to see a smiling Smith standing there, gun in hand.
"Yep. Had to keep tabs on Benz and the rest of the shysters. Made myself a nice deal with one of the tabloids. Looks like I'll get my Tahitian vacation after all. And this tops it off."
She couldn't help but smile. Although her leg hurt, she was thankful Smith had been there. "You saved my life. I can't believe that I didn't spot you in there."
He shrugged. "I'm a private investigator. You weren't supposed to see me."
She thanked him and Joe, happy to be alive.
FORTY-SIX
SUNDAY, THE DAY AFTER HUDSON DRAKE'S DEATH, Michaela was back at home with her animals. Ethan had called and found a link between the chemicals and the damage it was causing to the horses; along with Bob they reported their findings to the Los Angeles Times. The story would be a huge one by the following day.
Bob was back at home with Cara; he wanted to care for her during her last days. He'd explained how he'd reached Cara the day before Michaela came to see her, but he'd asked her not to tell anyone that he was still alive, afraid that Drake would find out and finish him off before he could discover a way to put him behind bars. Cara had contacted him after Michaela left, and told him about her visit. They had then contacted Michaela, who with Joe and Bob's help devised what they thought was a foolproof plan to catch Hudson Drake. What they had not expected was the actual turn of events. However, it had all paid off in the end, as Hudson Drake suffered his own horrible death, thanks to Dennis Smith—a memory Michaela would not soon forget.
After the chaos that had taken place at the hotel, Bob further explained about his connection with Bridgette Bowen—indeed, she had a secret to keep and did not want Bob to expose her. When they were at Betty Ford together, Bridgette had come to Bob's room and tried to seduce him, but he'd wanted no part of it, and she hadn't forgotten the incident. Michaela was sure that Bridgette would recover just fine from her divorce and bounce right back, be it with Callahan or some other rich old geezer.
When the Perez brothers learned what had happened to Drake, they'd made a run for the border, only to be caught by the police and placed in jail.
Olivia was apparently on her way to rehab, and Hugh was shocked and dismayed but relieved that the lies had been exposed.
Kathleen and Marshall Friedman were indeed an item. She would get her half of Audrey's insurance policy. Michaela hoped she would use the money wisely, but doubted it.
Hugh had done his best to put the fear of God into Friedman and Callahan to let his daughter out of the contracts with them. Callahan graciously agreed and Friedman threatened suit, but Hugh was confident he'd back down. He wanted his daughter to pursue her dream of becoming a jockey.
Joe was back with his wife and kids preparing for a Sunday feast and had invited Michaela to join them, but she asked for a rain check, needing a day of rest. She did, however, call the woman from the autism center at home and told her that she would take the job. Dwayne was on his way to get her trailer back and bring Geyser home. She planned to head down to the Humane Society first thing Monday morning and claim Audrey's animals.
And with her brother now home, Audrey could truly rest in peace. Although Michaela was still saddened by her tragic death, she knew that Audrey had not died in vain. No more people—or animals—would suffer at the hands of Hudson Drake ever again, and she knew that Audrey would be proud of that.
As for Camden, Michaela located her in the kitchen preparing dinner. When Camden spotted her, she gave her a hug. "You are one crazy bitch, you know that?"
That morning, Joe had come over and they replayed everything for Camden and Dwayne. "I know."
"You have got to stop tracking down killers. It's not healthy for you."
Michaela laughed. "I guess not."
"Jude has been calling here all day. All week in fact. He knows about what happened and he's worried. The guy really cares about you. You need to call him."
Michaela nodded. She supposed that she would have to do that, but not now.
The doorbell rang and Michaela looked at Camden. "I have no clue," her friend said.
Michaela opened the door; Ethan stood on the other side. "Hey, what's up?"
He beamed. "I was on my way here to tell you some great news, but I have to rush, because I just got more great news."
"What's going on?"
"Real quick. First of all, Halliday looks to be out of the woods. It'll be some time yet before you can bring him home."
"What do you mean, before I can bring him home?"
"He's yours. Kathleen Bowen called the center and said that she was giving the horse to you. That you should have him. Gratis. She said that she felt she had a lot to make amends for. I didn't ask."
"No kidding? What about his expenses?"
"No kidding. Yeah that part, well she did say that she'd cover half, if you would pay the other half."
Michaela laughed. "Of course she did. I'll take the horse." Maybe Kathleen would make wiser decisions when it came to money after all.
"And guess what else?" Ethan said.
"What?"
"I just got a call from Summer. She's been out shopping and she started contractions. Our baby is going to be born today!" he practically yelped. "I'm on my way to the hospital."
"That's great, Ethan. Really great."
"I can't wait."
"Well, what are you doing waiting around here then? You better get going."
"Right." He gave her a quick hug. "I'll call you later."
"You better," she yelled after him.
Camden came up beside Michaela and put an arm around her as she watched Ethan drive away, tears in her eyes. "Let him go, honey. Let him go. It's time." Michaela nodded.
The phone rang. "Will you get that?" she said.
A few seconds later, as Michaela still stood in the doorway; dust from Ethan's truck settling back down onto the ground, Camden reappeared and handed the phone to her. "For you."
She brought it up to her ear. "Please don't hang up." It was Jude. "Look, I'm not calling to lecture or anything like that. I'm calling to apologize. I know what Garcia told you. After your message canceling our date, I started investigating. I knew Garcia was up to no good. She's tried to get me to go out with her since she started here, even accused me of sexual harassment when I told he
r no thank you. She found another way to get at me, though: through you. That's it. That's all. I swear."
Michaela didn't respond.
"Michaela?"
"Yes."
"You have to believe me."
She sighed and leaned against the doorway. "You know what, I do believe you."
"Good, so can we have dinner together?"
She paused. "Yes." She remembered what Joe had told her about living half-assed and decided that he was right.
"Yes? Thank you. I am sorry…" Michaela heard him talking to someone else. "She said yes." Michaela heard Katie whoop in the background. "Sorry, but my daughter has missed you, too."
Michaela couldn't help but smile as she heard the joy in Jude's voice, recalled his kiss, and listened to Katie's laughter. Her bittersweet tears dried on her face.
Author's Note
I hope you've enjoyed "Death Reins In," as much as I enjoyed writing it. I have a passion for horses and since I was five-years-old they've been a huge part of my life. My other passion in life (besides my wonderful family) is my writing. As an author of fiction works, I am fortunate to be able to take fictional liberties. For instance, it's not every day that someone stumbles onto a dead body (at least, I hope not), and for poor Michaela this is now becoming a frequent situation. I am also aware that jockeys and horse trainers are professionals and passionate about the animals. Therefore, it is my desire that no one in the professional equine trade was offended by the fictional liberties that I took with this book. It is my hope that all who read the book had a good time with it and were entertained, and will come back for the third book in the series. Any and all mistakes, I take full responsibility for.
Thank You and Happy Trails!
A.K. Alexander
Tacked to Death
A.K. Alexander
D'Vine Press
San Diego, Ca U.S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
The Michaela Bancroft Mysteries 1-3 Page 44
