"Not gonna be a next time."
"If you continue writing mysteries..." He shook his head, laughing.
Before she had a chance to respond, his phone rang and he snatched it off the table. "Forest."
A loud voice sounded from the phone, and Caleb's eyes went wide. He glanced at Destiny then turned his back to her.
"Are you sure?"
"Caleb, what is it?" Destiny didn't like the sound of his voice or the way he'd pulled away. When he didn't answer, she stood and moved around him to see his face. "What is it?"
He shook his head then spoke in the phone. "I'll be right there." He stuck the phone in his pocket. "Get your coat."
"What happened? Please…tell me."
He put both hands on her shoulders. "It's Laurel. She's been in an accident. They don't think she'll pull through."
"No." She shook her head. "No. She can't."
"Destiny, sweetheart, we have to leave now."
He pulled her into the living room, grabbed her jacket off the coat rack, and shoved her purse in her arms. He led her out the door then locked up her house.
Destiny walked around the car and got in without waiting for him to open her door. They had to get there. They had to save Laurel.
He started the car and turned on his flashing lights and siren. It was loud, much louder than Destiny thought it could be. Too loud for her to talk so she started texting everyone she knew. Pray. She tweeted her fans and put a message on her facebook. Within minutes, she knew thousands of people would be praying as the message was forwarded through all the social networks. At last, she dropped her phone in her lap and stared out the window.
Lord, you've done some amazing things in my life. I love you. I will never be able to thank you enough for bringing Lorelei back to me. I'm asking that you cover her with a hedge of your protection and send angels to stand guard over her and keep her in all her ways. Give the medical personnel your supernatural wisdom. That every person around her brings comfort and healing. By the stripes of Jesus, we are healed. I confess that over her now. Psalm 107:20 says you send out your word and heal. I declare complete healing from the top of her head to the bottom of her toes. Holy Spirit, I ask you to encompass her with peace and inundate her with your presence. And that no plan of the enemy will take root and grow in her life. In Jesus' name.
Caleb took her hand, and she met his troubled gaze. "You can pray if you want, Destiny."
"I am."
He nodded but didn't say anything else. When he pulled into the driveway of the emergency entrance, he flipped off the siren but left his lights on.
Destiny jumped out of the car when he stopped in a no parking zone. In seconds, she was at the desk. "Where is Laurel Blake? Is she here yet?"
Zack stepped around the counter and touched Destiny's shoulder. "This way. She's asking for you."
They barreled through double doors with Caleb right behind them and ran down the hall toward the operating room. A gurney went sweeping past with Laurel on top. There was blood dripping from her hair to her face, and a cut on her brow, but she shrieked when she caught sight of Destiny. "Stop!"
"Your artery is perforated," said the nurse. "You don't even have minutes."
Destiny lunged at the gurney to run beside them and grab Laurel's hand. "I'm here. I'm praying."
"Our...code." Laurel barely choked the words out. "Jeffrey used. Stop him."
Then she was rolled past the doors and out of their sight.
Destiny stood there, staring at the cold metal that separated her from Laurel. What in the world did Laurel mean? Behind her, Zack and Caleb were already discussing the accident.
"I'm telling you, Caleb, Seymour tampered with the traffic lights. I was right behind her car. One second the lights were green, and the next, they were red. Just like that. There was no time to react."
"What do you mean he tampered with the lights?"
"As if an emergency vehicle had pointed at the control mechanism and flipped the lights back to red."
"What about the car that hit her?"
"A Hummer. Practically crushed her little car, but they barely got a scratch."
"Did you get a chance to speak with the driver?"
"While they were cutting Laurel out. The other guy said the same thing. One second his light turned yellow then red then immediately back to green. He never slowed down."
Destiny heard their heated conversation, but she couldn't get Laurel's message out of her head. Our secret code. Jeffrey used it. How? How had he used the code? Without Laurel's help, there was no way Destiny could figure it out. She knew nothing about hacking.
She slowly walked around the two cops as they discussed the best way to guard Laurel while she was in surgery. She would leave them to deal with that. She had to do what Laurel asked and stop Jeffrey.
As Destiny moved toward the exit, she thought hard about what Laurel meant. He used our secret code. Laurel couldn't possibly expect her to figure out a computer hack so it had to be something Destiny was capable of doing.
She froze with her hand on the door. There was only one thing Laurel could mean, and she'd need a cop to make it happen. Before she could even turn around, Caleb gripped her arm.
"Destiny, what do you think you're doing? You can't go outside by yourself. You nearly gave me a heart attack. I turned around, and you were gone."
"We have to leave. I know what Laurel was going to do."
Zack approached them, frowning. "Where are you going?"
"What did Laurel say when she left this morning?" When he looked at her with a blank stare, Destiny grabbed his arm. "Think, Zack. Did she say anything?"
"She woke me and handed me a cup of coffee. She said we were going in early because she had to do something."
"Anything else?"
Zack stared at Destiny. "She said she had to stop him before he did it again. I didn't think she meant anything specific. She's always focused when she's on a hard case."
"She meant something very specific, and I need a warrant. Will you stay here with Laurel and keep us posted? If I know Laurel, she pushed Jeffrey so she could catch him. Now that he's got her out of the way, we don't have much time."
"I'll call the minute I know anything."
Destiny whirled out the door and dashed to Caleb's car. The lights were still flashing. How long had it been since they left the car and ran inside?
"Destiny, what's going on?" Caleb unlocked the doors and climbed in.
"I need a warrant. Who will give you one the fastest?"
"The judge we've been dealing with. He knows the case. If I can catch him before he goes in court."
Destiny peered at her watch. Not even eight o'clock. No judge went to court that early. She started to pray.
"Caleb, this is what I need you to do."
Chapter 10
If you don't change direction, you'll end up where you're headed. Dead.
After Caleb dropped Destiny at the bank, she wandered the halls until she found the red pull station for the fire alarm. Because there was only one entrance and exit to the bank, she could watch the doors and make a run for the fire alarm if Jeffrey showed up. She checked her watch again. Three minutes after eight. If she was right, Jeffrey would show up soon, and it would all be over.
Five minutes eked past, and Destiny couldn't help tapping her foot on the floor. How quickly could Caleb drive to the courthouse and get back? She couldn't accomplish anything without him.
When ten more minutes passed, she sat on her shaking hands. Why couldn't something happen? Lord, prepare me. Show me what to do and take care of Lorelei…Laurel. Will I ever get used to that?
The door opened, and Jeffrey wandered inside, his head twisting to the right and left. Destiny couldn't let him see her. She grabbed her purse and slipped down the hall to pull the alarm. The instantaneous racket brought her hands up to cover her ears.
With a quick glance around, she ducked behind a column then waited for the noisy customers and bank tell
ers to exit the building. If she knew Jeffrey, the fire alarm wouldn't slow him for long. What happened when an alarm sounded? Did everything in the bank automatically lock down?
Destiny sank on her hands and knees to crawl behind the desks. She had almost reached the bank vault, when she heard a rattling sound. Someone was attempting to get behind the bars of the vault. It had to be Jeffrey. She jumped to her feet and rushed forward. Jeffrey stood before the bars, tinkering with the locking mechanism.
"Whatcha' doin, Jeffrey?"
His head whipped around, and he smiled. "Destiny. What a surprise. I suppose I have you to thank for the fire alarm?"
"You can thank me if you want. What are you doing to that lock? I bet you didn't figure on finding it still barred up. I wonder what time they open the safe deposit vault?"
His eyes widened. "You are full of surprises. I wouldn't have thought you could figure this out. Or, have you been talking to Lorelei? She shouldn't have threatened me."
"I did speak with Lorelei…right before they wheeled her into surgery. She told me everything. She's so much smarter than you."
"She is not! She can't do anything to me. And neither can you." He leveled a gun at her. "Get over here, Destiny."
"I don't think so." She pulled a gun from her purse. "This is Texas, Jeffrey. I'm carrying, and I know how to use it."
He laughed. "You would never shoot anyone."
"After what you did to Penny, I think I could manage."
"Penny was a stupid woman that couldn't keep her mouth shut. She got what she deserved."
"You admit you killed her?"
"What are you going to do about it? There's no one in the building but you and me, and you're a pathetic wimp."
"Say it, Jeffrey. Say you killed Penny."
"I killed her, and you're next!" He released the safety on his gun.
Before Destiny had a chance to respond, she heard a shot. Thoughts jumbled through her brain. If she'd been shot, why wasn't she in pain? Was she in shock? Then Jeffrey crumpled to the floor. His eyes went wide in question then gazed past Destiny.
As she moved to turn, Caleb's deep voice yelled at Jeffrey. "Drop the gun or the next shot goes between your eyes!"
Destiny looked at Jeffrey again. A wet red spot showed on his shoulder in an ever widening circle. He dropped the gun, and Caleb rushed forward to kick it out of the way and pull Jeffrey's hands behind his back.
"Caleb! You made it!"
"Destiny Knox, if you ever pull a stunt like that again…What were you thinking? I told you to stay out of the way and watch! Where did you get a gun?"
"This old thing? My grandpa gave it to me. You better read him his rights. I don't want him off on a technicality."
"Yes, ma'am."
While Caleb read the Miranda, Destiny dropped into the closest chair. The fire alarm was still blaring in her ears. Her legs felt suddenly wobbly, and she might possibly be ill. She had stared Jeffrey down at the end of a gun. Caleb was right! She was nuts, but it had seemed appropriate at the time. All she could think about was Penny dead and Lorelei in the hospital. She couldn't let Jeffrey win.
"Caleb, did you get the warrant?"
"I did. The bank manager is waiting out front. Why don't you get him?"
From that point forward, everything passed in a blur. The bank manger came in and opened the cage to the safe deposit boxes. Then he took Caleb's warrant, read through it, and pulled a box out. It was then Destiny decided she didn't need to see anymore. She walked outside. The air was still chill, but the sun beat down with a vengeance. This was southeast Texas, after all. It was so nice to get away from the sound of that alarm.
What did she do now? Caleb would be involved for some time with Jeffrey and the awful contents of that box. Following them would give her the perspective she needed for her book, but it was just too personal. She called a cab and went to the hospital. Lorelei needed her more than anyone else right now.
Thank you, Lord. Thank you for courage and for protecting me. Thank you for exposing Jeffrey. Tears welled in her eyes. Oh, God, thank you so much.
She cried the whole way to the hospital. At one point, the cabbie turned and handed her a box of tissues. Poor man. He didn't say a word, but she could tell he was uncomfortable. When they reached the hospital, she offered him a wad of cash.
"Nah, lady. You keep it." And he drove off while Destiny stood at the curb, staring after him. She laughed. Some men really couldn't handle a woman's tears.
"Bless him, Lord."
By the time Destiny discovered where they had taken Laurel, her frustration was rising. No one wanted to help her because she wasn't next of kin. Laurel was in intensive care, and they had strict rules about who could enter. She dialed Zack's number.
"Zack, I'm outside, but they won't let me in."
"Stay there. I'm coming to get you."
Zack opened the door and took Destiny's arm, giving the nurse a dark look. As soon as they passed inside, he paused. "She's going to be fine. They had to give her two units of blood, and she's weak, but she'll recover."
"Is anything broken?"
"No, it's a miracle. The door smashed into her, and the metal cut into her leg, but not being able to get her out kept pressure on it. Otherwise, she would have bled out."
He looked close to tears, a big brawny guy like Zack. Destiny patted his back and took his hand. "Laurel and I have been praying, Zack. God protected her. It was a miracle."
"I guess so." He took a shuddering breath and shook himself. "What happened, Destiny? What did Laurel tell you?"
Destiny glanced around the hallway. Nurses and doctors moved quietly through their routines, but she didn't want anyone to overhear. "Can we go inside?"
Zack led her to Laurel's room, and Destiny hovered beside the bed. The pungent scent of antiseptic assaulted her nose. From what she could tell, Laurel had been bathed in betadine. The yellowish-brown pigment stained a good portion of her neck and arms. She glanced back at Zack. "Why all the betadine?"
"There was a lot of blood."
"Has she woken up?"
"Not yet, but they said it would be soon."
Destiny picked up Laurel's hand and kissed it. "I love you, girl. I'm praying."
She turned back to Zack and pointed at the chairs. He sat, leaning forward with his hands clasped between his knees.
Destiny took a deep breath. "When they rolled Laurel by, she told me Jeffrey was using our old secret code. She told me to stop him. I couldn't understand how she thought I could do that. Laurel is the smart one. I know nothing about computer code or how to hack into something. I didn't see how I could find a place that Jeffrey used our secret code."
"What was the code?"
"Nothing." Destiny laughed softly. "It happened one night in youth group. Everyone was talking about that Bible code, how it revealed certain words. Of course, Laurel said it was hooey. But Penny thought it was fun. She thought we should make our own code…for the three of us."
"How did it work?"
"At first we were going to use this big bunch of long numbers from our social security numbers and our birth dates, but Laurel said it was dangerous to put our personal info where people could see it. She was always the rational one…until she went off the deep end because of Jeffrey. Finally, we just used our birth months. One for me for January. Three for Penny for March. And eleven for Laurel for November. Whenever we needed to tell each other something or we signed a note, we put 1-3-11. It was nothing."
"How did you figure out what Jeffrey was doing with it?"
"It was the fact that Laurel told me to stop him, not you or Caleb. It had to be something that only I could do. We'd talked about it. That I didn't really have a skill that would catch Jeffrey. But there was one more thing we talked about…the bank. Two weeks ago I saw him there, and I told Laurel. Only she and I knew that. And it was where I saw Jeffrey that was significant. He was coming out of the safe deposit vault. I could see him through the metal bars. All of a sudden,
I knew what Laurel meant. He put Penny's…tongue in a safe deposit box so no one would find it. I bet he doesn't even bank there. No one would ever have a reason to suspect it."
"Destiny, that's remarkable. That you and Laurel put all that together. What happened at the bank?"
"When we left here, it was almost eight. That's when the bank opens. I figured Jeffrey would go straight there. You know he hasn't been to work since you brought him in for questioning? I called his office after he confronted us at the diner yesterday. He probably waited for Laurel at that intersection this morning, changed the light then left."
"Why would he go after Laurel today?"
"He mentioned something…that she shouldn't have threatened him. I know Laurel. She probably sent him a message when she figured it out. Anyway, Caleb dropped me off at the bank because we couldn't watch for Jeffrey and go for the warrant at the same time."
"Don't tell me Caleb sent you in there to confront Jeffrey alone."
"Not hardly. He told me if he didn't make it back to take pictures so we could prove Jeffrey removed the deposit box." She shook her head. "But I just couldn't let him take Penny's evidence away. I know it sounds rash, but what he did…I couldn't let him leave. He pulled a gun, so I pulled a gun."
"You did what?"
"I have a gun and a permit. I've been shooting since I was twelve."
He surveyed her up and down. "Well, there's no blood. What happened?"
"Caleb shot him in the shoulder because Jeffrey took his safety off and he was going to shoot me."
"Not one day has gone by that Caleb didn't say you were crazy."
She smiled ruefully. "I guess I deserve it."
"Destiny?" Laurel's thready voice drew them both to her bedside.
"We're here, sweetie. You're going to be fine."
"Jeffrey?"
"Caleb shot him…in the arm."
Laurel gave a slight nod then closed her eyes. Zack reached up to smooth the hair from her forehead. Destiny tilted her head to take a closer look at him. His eyes were all soft and loving. The man was goo goo for Laurel. When he picked up her hand and held it, Destiny grabbed her purse.
UNSEEN Page 14
