Midnight Sacrifice

by Melinda Leigh

  Lights flashed in his rearview. Danny glanced at the mirror, then down at his speedometer. Nope. Not speeding.

  Turning the stereo volume down to nothing, he pulled over and rolled down the window. A stocky cop in a tan-and-brown uniform stepped up to the side of the car. He removed his mirrored sunglasses and hooked them in his chest pocket. Under regulation short hair, small blue eyes glared down from a mean face. Danny bristled. He remembered this jerk from his last visit. Steroid Steve, aka Lieutenant Doug Lang, had been nasty to Danny’s sister. Sullivans didn’t forgive or forget when their siblings were concerned.

  The cop leaned a veiny forearm on the open car window. “Heard that you were in town.”

  Danny glanced down at the badge pinned to the cop’s shirt. It still read POLICE LIEUTENANT. Despite the death of the former police chief, the town had chosen not to put Lang permanently in charge. Good thinking on their part, but it still had to sting.

  “Just for a couple of weeks.”

  “Staying at Reed’s place?”

  Danny hated it when people asked questions when they already knew the answers. “Yeah.”

  “Heard that, too.”

  Danny waited. Cops like Lang rubbed him rawer than a fresh blister. Small-minded men exploiting their power.

  Danny breathed. Green grass and pretty girls. His mantra had gotten him through two tours in the desert and one year of complete hell. Surely it could stand up to one giant asshole.

  The cop flexed an oversize bicep. “Where were you this morning?”

  “Just running an errand.” Did Lang know where Danny had been or was he fishing for information?

  “You wouldn’t be thinking about digging into Nathan’s case, would you?”

  “How the hell would I do that?” Danny flexed his sore hand. “The entire state of Maine can’t find him. No one even knows who he was sleeping with.”

  Surprise flickered in the lieutenant’s eyes, but he blinked it away in a second. “Well, I’m not done with my own investigation, and I won’t tolerate any interference.”

  Danny would bet a hundred bucks this was the first Lang had heard about Nathan’s unknown girlfriend. “I doubt I’d be any threat to your case. I hardly know anyone around here, right?”

  Lang’s brows knitted. He tapped the window frame. “I just want to make sure I’ve made myself clear.”

  “Crystal.” Danny nodded. “Are we done?”

  Lang’s face pinched. “I suppose.” He stepped away from the car. “Just remember what I said.”

  “How could I forget?” Danny swallowed his annoyance. Green grass and pretty girls might not cut it today.

  Lang walked away, and Danny rolled up the window.

  He turned Guns N’ Roses back to full volume and wished it was warm enough to put the top down. A little sunshine on his head wouldn’t hurt.

  The cop car pulled out onto the road and drove off.

  Why was the town cop interested in Danny? Weren’t they on the same side?

  Whatever. Obviously the guy enjoyed jerking people around. Today, Danny was his choice puppet.

  He drove into town and pulled into the mini-mart gas station combo. While he filled his car’s bottomless tank, he scanned the store’s interior through the plate glass. The white-haired clerk stood behind the counter. Two other people perused the trio of aisles, the red-coated real estate agent and a tall, lanky guy who also looked to be in his fifties. The real estate agent spotted him at the pump. She bumped the arm of her companion and nodded toward Danny.

  Not in the mood to socialize, he was tempted to skip the store, but the thought of coffee prompted him to suck it up. Besides, the real estate agent seemed nosey. He bet she knew a lot of things about a lot of people. He strode into the store. She pounced as he grabbed a shopping basket.

  “Mr. Sullivan.”

  Danny looped the basket over his left elbow. “Ms. Fitzgerald.”

  She gestured to her companion with the can of cat food in her hand. “Let me introduce you to Dr. Ian Chandler.”

  “Nice to meet you.” The doctor juggled a banana, a granola bar, and a cup of coffee to shake Danny’s hand. “I remember your sister. Brave young woman. I hope she’s well.”

  “Jayne’s OK, thanks,” Danny said.

  “Glad to hear it.” Dr. Chandler set his items on the counter.

  “Let me know if you have any problems with the house.” The real estate agent paid for her cat food and headed for the door. “Bye, Ian.”

  Danny tossed pretzels and bread into the basket, then moved to the coffee station at the back of the store. The weight of the basket dug into his left arm. The elbow seized suddenly. Danny set the basket down. He pushed it along on the floor with his foot and carried his coffee in his right hand. Getting in line behind Dr. Chandler, Danny set everything on the counter and massaged his elbow.

  The news played on a small television behind the counter. On the screen a reporter stood in the woods holding a microphone. A river rushed in the background. “Tourist Kevin Dougherty and his ten-year-old son, Hunter, disappeared this morning while on a family fishing trip. When last seen by his brother, Mr. Dougherty and Hunter were angling on the banks of the Long River. Local rivers are unusually high and swift this year due to heavy rains. This morning’s search of the immediate area yielded no clues, except a pile of belongings on the trail that leads to the cabin. With no sign of the father and son, rescue crews are concentrating their efforts downstream, where the river empties into Lake Walker. This incident serves as a reminder to stay out of floodwaters and be aware of unusually strong currents. Mr. Dougherty is an insurance salesman from New Jersey. His wife and three daughters anxiously await news on the search.”

  The reporter stepped closer to the camera. “This is Karen Stevens, reporting for Action-Packed News.”

  Unease trickled down Danny’s spine. Tourists probably went missing every season. But as the cop said, disappearing people were never a good sign.

  “You all right?”

  Danny jerked. The doctor stared at Danny’s hands. The fingers were doing their thing again. Shit.

  “Fine, thanks.”

  “My office is right off Main Street if you need anything.”

  “That’s not necessary.”

  Dr. Chandler pocketed his change and stepped aside. But he didn’t leave. He waited by the door until Danny completed his transaction. They stepped out into the cool morning air together.

  The doctor gave the Challenger a wistful whistle. “A car like that brings back a whole bunch of memories.”

  “She’s a beauty.” Danny opened his car door.

  “I was serious about you coming into my office.”

  Danny studied the asphalt under his running shoes.

  “Look. I’m the only game in town. I treat everything, and I’ve seen addictions before.”

  Danny’s eyes snapped up. The doctor thought he had the shakes because he needed a fix? “I’m not an addict.” Danny shoved his twitchy hand in his pocket while the doctor gave him a that’s-what-they-all-say look. Danny sighed and pulled his hand out. He pushed the cuff of his jacket up a couple of inches to reveal the edge of the deceptively thin scar that ran from his wrist to his elbow. “It’s nerve damage. Last year in Iraq, my patrol was hit with an IED.”

  “Oh.” The lights went on in the doc’s eyes. He pulled a card out of his coat pocket and held it out. “Well, the offer stands; if you need anything, call me. My office is open until five today, but I’m pretty much available all the time.”

  “Thanks.” Danny accepted the card.

  Dr. Chandler walked toward a beat-up SUV. Danny looked down at the business card. The doctor had likely treated Nathan at some point. Dr. Chandler probably knew more about the residents of Huntsville than anyone else in town. He didn’t seem like the type of guy to blab on his patients, but maybe Danny could wheedle some info about Nathan’s family out of him. As Mandy had pointed out, Danny didn’t know squat about Nathan or this town.
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  Unfortunately, Danny’s statement to the annoying lieutenant was all too accurate. Danny had a better chance of winning the lottery than finding Nathan, especially without Mandy’s help.

  Somehow, Danny had to convince her to work with him. She’d lived in Huntsville all her life, and she’d worked for Nathan part-time. She must know personal stuff about her former boss. Who knew what might provide a clue to his current whereabouts? Or who he’d been sleeping with.

  Danny picked up his pizza and ate a slice as he drove toward the Black Bear Inn. Guilt twisted in his gut. Mandy was in for another reminder of the night she wanted to forget.

  Mandy stowed the last clean pan and glanced at the clock on the oven. Eleven thirty.

  The back door opened, and a tall, spare woman in her sixties let herself into the kitchen. Gray-streaked hair was pulled back in a severe knot from her ruddy face.

  “Hello, Mrs. Stone,” Mandy said.

  “Good morning.” The inn’s only employee, Mrs. Stone, closed the door with red hands that had seen decades of hard work. She stowed her handbag in the closet. “How many rooms today?”

  “Eight.”

  “Terrific.” Mrs. Stone nodded. “You’re nearly full. I was worried that ugliness over the winter would affect business.”

  “Me, too.” The bookings had been a big sigh of relief to Mandy, and the guests actually showing up had been even better. It was hard enough to make ends meet with a ten-room inn. Winter was slow because Huntsville wasn’t convenient to any of the major ski resorts. Three seasons of decent bookings barely generated enough income to keep the inn afloat. Luckily, tourists didn’t have many options in this area. Last winter’s killings had been written off as a bizarre, random event. But if Nathan turned up again, tourists might decide to try their hunting or fishing luck elsewhere.

  And the Black Bear Inn would be in deep trouble.

  “I’d hate to lose the supplementary income. Social Security just doesn’t cut it these days.” Mrs. Stone grabbed her bucket of cleaning supplies and headed upstairs.

  Mandy wiped down the counters. Masculine voices drew her gaze to the window. Danny’s convertible was parked next to Jed’s truck. Jed was still on the ladder trimming branches. Danny stood at the base of the trunk, looking up at Jed.

  What were they talking about? Would Danny’s questions bring back awful memories for Jed? He didn’t appear to be upset, but Jed excelled at concealing his reactions with a blank face. His lack of expression was one of the reasons most people discounted him as less than intelligent. But Mandy knew that behind Jed’s poker face was a sharp mind, and that he’d had plenty of practice hiding his emotions. When Jed was growing up, his home life had been the main reason he’d spent so much time in the wilderness.

  Opening a notebook on the counter, Mandy scanned her meal plan for the week. She went to the pantry and started taking inventory. Fifteen pounds of flour went on the grocery list. Everything that came out of the inn’s kitchen was made from scratch. As she counted ingredient staples, she tried to summon up some anger for Danny but couldn’t. Whatever irritation his persistence caused was canceled out by the excited flurry in her belly. Why was she glad to see him? He was a threat to her family. Danny and his questions were dangerous.

  Hadn’t she had enough risk?

  Danny approached the ladder and stared up at the thin man pruning Mandy’s tree. Next to the ladder, pieces of brush littered the lawn. “Hey, Jed.”

  Jed glanced down. Surprise, but not shock, flashed in his eyes. Mandy must have had told him about the previous day’s visit. “I’ll be done in a second.” He trimmed the remaining two branches that extended over the inn’s gutter. Thin tree limbs fell to the ground. Jed climbed down, wiped his hand on his jeans, and held it out.

  Danny accepted the shake. “It’s good to see you.”

  “Yeah. You, too. Thanks again for what you did. I wasn’t exactly awake when you came by the ICU.”

  “Hey, I know what that’s like.” Danny stared at his arm for a few seconds. Images of his own hospital stay, full of pain and fear, intruded on the beautiful day, and a needlelike sensation worked its way down his forearm. “I’m just glad I was there.”

  “I hate to think of what would’ve happened if you weren’t,” Jed said.

  For a minute, the only noise in the yard was the squawk of an angry jay. Danny glanced at the back of the house. Would Mandy be alive if he hadn’t been in that alley, totally by chance, looking for his sister? He doubted Jed would’ve made it. From the look on Jed’s face, he knew that, too.

  “Mandy says something’s up with the case?” Irritation edged Jed’s tone. He nodded at the inn. “The detective didn’t call either of us.”

  “I imagine he only called us as a cop-to-former-cop courtesy thing,” Danny said. His sister’s fiancé, Reed, had once been a homicide detective. “Reed’s been really edgy lately. I think the pressure of having Nathan still on the loose is getting to him. He doesn’t let my sister out of his sight.”

  “I can appreciate that.” Jed glanced at Mandy. “I worry about Nathan coming after Mandy. I’ve offered to stay at the inn, but she’s too stubborn to let me.”

  And why was that?

  “What about you?” Danny asked. “How do you feel about the cops not catching Nathan?”

  “Pissed.” Jed’s jaw sawed back and forth. “If I run into him, I’m greeting him with a bullet to the head.”

  “Sounds reasonable to me.” Danny didn’t have much patience for killers either, insane or not. “If I see him first, I’ll give him the message.”

  “Appreciate that.” Jed grinned. He stooped down and gathered an armful of branches. Danny did the same. He followed the hunter to the rear of the property. They piled the small debris behind the garage and made a couple more trips. Then Danny helped him drag the larger limbs to the rear of the yard. By the time they’d finished, his entire left arm was shaking.

  Jed leaned forward and placed his hands on his knees. His face had lost color and sagged with lack of air, pain, and disappointment. “I’ll have to come back tomorrow and cut them up. Just can’t seem to get back up to speed.” He wheezed and pressed a hand to his belly.

  Danny massaged his forearm. Fire shot from his fingertips to his elbow. “I’m done in, too.”

  Jed looked up. A wry smile crossed his face. “Not exactly prime specimens, are we?”

  “Nope.” Danny snorted. “We suck.”

  Jed barked out a laugh and straightened. “I need something to drink. Come on. Let’s see what Mandy has in the kitchen, and you can tell us what the detective had to say.”

  Danny hesitated. He’d come planning on confronting her, but now that he was here, guilt poked him like a sharp stick. “She doesn’t want to see me. She wants to forget the whole thing.”

  Jed shot him a hard look. Hard enough that Danny had no doubt there was some bad shit in Jed’s background. “Well, she needs to face facts. It did happen, and pretending it didn’t is stupid and dangerous.”

  OK then. Jed was a straight shooter, and Danny couldn’t help but like him. Even if he was jealous as hell that Jed had Mandy and he didn’t.

  Danny followed Jed to the back of the house, and Jed used his key to open the door marked PRIVATE. They walked into the dated but clean and spacious kitchen. Notebook and pen in hand, Mandy turned away from the open pantry. Her eyes locked onto him and filled with regret. Danny could imagine what it would be like to be greeted by a smile on her beautiful face, and the fact that it would never happen was a big empty space in the center of his chest.

  He fought the urge to apologize and back out of the room. Jed was right. Ignoring the possibility that Nathan was still around could be deadly.

  “Hey, Mandy.” Jed went to the fridge He walked right past Mandy and did not stop to kiss her. Strange. That’s the first thing Danny would have done. In fact, he wanted to do it right now, and she wasn’t even his girlfriend. His gaze dropped to her lips. What would they taste like
? Jed selected an orange sports drink and offered one to Danny.

  “Thanks.” Danny took it.

  Jed twisted off his cap. “Danny stopped by to tell us about his meeting with the state cop.”

  Mandy gave Jed a what-the-hell look, but behind the laser glare was a whole lot of scared she couldn’t conceal. So why was she so against digging the case up again? Danny had seen her courage. She had plenty to spare. Was she really unable to deal with the strain, or was there another reason she refused to acknowledge the possibility that Nathan was still a threat?

  Mandy said, “I told you both that I didn’t want to talk about it.”

  “You did,” Danny answered, “but I thought you still might like to know what Detective Rossi said. Do you?”

  “Not really,” she said.

  “Well, I sure as hell do.” Jed pointed to Mandy with the bottle. “You’re not the only one at risk here. Nathan gutted me like a brook trout. I won’t rest easy until he’s in the ground.”

  Mandy paled. She clutched her notebook to her chest for a few seconds. She focused on Danny, as if she was turning away from Jed and the memory of Nathan’s attack. “Detective Rossi already told us he thinks Nathan is dead.”

  “That’s just the official line he’s toeing.” Danny told them about the waterlogged SUV and the missing girlfriend, then summed up the rest of his meeting with Rossi.

  Jed whistled softly. “Nathan ditched his wheels awfully close to home.”

  “That’s because every police agency in the state was looking for his truck.” Mandy shook her head. “He’s not stupid. He knew his best chance was going out on foot. There’s still no reason to think he stayed around here,” Mandy reasoned. “Why wouldn’t he have gone as far as possible from Huntsville?”

  “Because he’s nuts,” Jed answered.

  “And hung up on you.” Danny remembered Nathan pointing at Mandy. The crazy man’s words echoed in his head.

  You’re mine.

  Jed chugged his drink. “So, who the hell was sleeping with him?”

  Ignoring Jed’s question, Mandy moved back to the pantry and pretended to count things, but she doubted Danny was fooled. Anything to avoid hypnotic contact with those sea-colored eyes. They made her want to confess everything. Her secret was a breath-robbing pressure in her chest, ready to burst free.