by Beverly Long
“It’s a pleasure, Laura,” Seth said. “I hope.”
He was brash and a little refreshing. “I’m not usually a screwup,” she said. “But I’ll admit that I might have crossed the line this time.”
“Can you still see the line?” he asked.
The imaginary line between right and wrong. “I don’t know,” she said honestly.
“Then I suggest you hang on to Rico. He’s a Boy Scout.”
“Hey, listen,” Rico interjected, probably to stop his friend from going down that road. “I need you to find everything you can about Hodge Rankin. Most recently, we believe he was married to Ariel Collins. They lived in Nashville on Appleton...” He looked at Laura. “Street or avenue?”
He had remembered the name from Hannah’s one-time comment that their dog had been named after Appleton, where they had lived. He was amazing. “Avenue,” she whispered.
“Appleton Avenue. I want everything you can get.”
“How much time do I have?” Seth asked.
“We’ll take whatever you can get in a couple hours,” Rico said.
“Okay. Anything else?”
“No,” Laura said. “And thank you, Seth. I know we’re asking for a lot here.”
“It’s no problem, Laura. Just know that I’m not nearly as much of a do-gooder as my boy there. And not nearly as forgiving.”
“Thanks, Seth,” Rico said and hung up.
“I get the feeling that he may hunt me down if things go badly.”
“His bark is worse than his bite. Usually.”
“That’s comforting,” she said.
Forty minutes later, Rico pulled into a long lane that led to a much bigger house than what he had. It was an appealing combination of frame and brick and everything from the fall wreath on the front door to the freshly painted mailbox made it look as if it was lovingly taken care of. “Jennie’s?” she asked.
“Yeah. I don’t expect her to be home but she said Paddie and her granddaughter Ari should be here.”
The front door opened and two large black dogs bounded out of the house. Barking. That, of course, set Lucky off and Hannah, who’d been sleeping peacefully, woke up. “Everyone’s barking,” the little girl said.
“Not me,” Rico teased. He got out of the front seat and opened the back door to help the little girl out. “I’m tickling.”
“No,” she squealed.
They were still laughing when they reached the front door. But Rico sobered up fast when he saw that Jennie was there. Behind her was Paddie and Ari.
The look on her face told him something, and Laura didn’t think it was good.
“What’s wrong?” he said. He immediately pulled his phone, likely to look to see if there were any missed calls, that perhaps there had been a change in his dad’s condition. But when he put his phone back in his pocket, she knew the bad news was something else entirely.
Jennie smiled at Hannah. “Why don’t you and Ari go play in her room?”
She was pretty sure the bad news had something to do with her and Hannah. Once the little girls were both out of sight, Jennie motioned for Laura and Rico to follow her back to the kitchen, which was a big room that had a wall of windows that looked at the mountains.
Rico pulled out a chair for her, then sat, his elbows resting on the table, his hands clasped. He wasn’t going to hurry Jennie but she thought he might be preparing himself for whatever bad news she had to share.
She sat on her own hands, slipping them under her thighs. She didn’t want anyone to know that they were shaking.
“About ten minutes after I talked to you, so that would be about fifty minutes ago, I got a visitor at the store. An officer from the Moreville police department. Officer Rexnor.”
“Okay,” Rico said.
“And he was asking if I was acquainted with you and if so, if I happened to know where you might be.”
“What did you tell him?”
“I told him that I knew you had a cabin in the area, that you stopped in for groceries from time to time, but that I hadn’t seen you for some time. Of course, I added that didn’t mean all that much because I didn’t spend all that much time at the store at my age.”
Jennie had lied to the cop. For Rico.
“Did he say why he wanted to talk to me?”
“Yeah. Just had a few questions for you. He said he was following up on a report of a car that was stolen in Nashville, Tennessee. That the only reason the report had caught his eye when he’d been scanning the plethora—his word, not mine—of information that came across his desk was that his wife wanted the same kind of car. He said it was a sixty-five Mustang. And then he recalled that he’d recently seen such a car right in Moreville. And he further recalled talking to a nice gentleman on crutches and believed Rico Metez to be that gentleman given that the hotel security cameras had picked up the front plate on his SUV.”
“Okay,” Rico said.
Definitely not okay, she thought. But Rico was probably a good card player.
“I decided that this was information that I didn’t necessarily want to communicate to you in text or on the telephone and I left the store in Milly’s capable hands and came on home. I only beat you here by fifteen minutes or so.”
“The Mustang is the car Laura has been driving,” Rico said. “It’s parked in my garage right now.”
Which did not have any windows so even if the cop had found his way to Rico’s house, there was no way he could have seen it. Would he let it go or would he pursue it?
They had intended to spend the night at the cabin before heading back to Tennessee, but the idea of the police coming back, with search warrant in hand and catching them, was so scary. If she pulled her hands out from beneath her thighs right now, they’d be fluttering fast enough to create a small breeze in the otherwise silent kitchen.
Everybody was just sort of looking at everybody else.
“I suspect that you wanted the trailer so that you could get that car back to Tennessee without anybody seeing much of anything,” Paddie said.
Rico nodded.
“So like always, you’re trying to do the right thing,” Jennie said. “And I’d like to help you do that. Which is why I have a couple suggestions. You’re a grown man, Rico, and you don’t have to do what I tell you to do anymore, but just hear me out.”
“Always,” Rico said, giving her a soft smile.
“It’s going to be dark very soon. But Paddie can still take the snowmobile and do a few pass bys of your place, just to make sure that nobody is sitting down the road a ways, just waiting. Once we know it’s clear, Paddie will park his snowmobile in your garage and drive the Mustang back here. Then we’ll load it in the trailer and the two of you can take off, driving my SUV. We’ll keep yours in the shed.”
Laura felt as if she might vomit. There was no end to the number of people who were being sucked into her drama.
“Are you sure?” was all Rico said.
“Of course we are.” Paddie spoke for the two of them. “And we’ve got another suggestion. Two adults traveling almost always makes better time than two adults traveling with a small child. Not as many bathroom breaks or need for a regular meal. And a lot less noticeable, too. People tend to fawn over children, especially pretty little girls. We’d be happy to have Hannah stay with us for a few days. Ari and she get along nicely and I think they’d have a good time together.”
Leave Hannah? With people who were virtually strangers.
There was no way.
But they were right. About both things. Anybody traveling with a child got more notice and a child definitely made you less agile. Children functioned best under routine.
But...
“It’s totally up to you, Laura,” Rico said. “Whatever you’re comfortable with.”
Rico had known these people sin
ce he was a kid. He trusted them. They trusted him. They’d already gone out on a limb for her and Rico and were willing to do more.
“Let me talk to Hannah,” she said, pushing back her chair.
Chapter 18
In the bedroom, she found Hannah and Ari playing with Ja-Ja and several other dolls. “Having fun?” Laura asked.
“Yes. Can we stay for a while?”
“Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. How would you feel about staying for a couple days with Ari and Jennie and Paddie? Rico and I have some errands to take care of. Adult errands, and it might be kind of boring for you.”
“Where would I sleep?” Hannah asked.
“With me,” Ari said, pointing to the double bed.
“How many nights?” Hannah asked.
“Not more than five.”
“That’s how many days a week I used to go to daycare.”
“Exactly,” Laura said. “So, is it a good plan?”
“It’s a great plan,” Hannah said.
Laura pulled her close and took a deep breath, pulling her little girl scent deep into her lungs. She was going to miss Hannah terribly, much more than Hannah would miss her.
“Okay. Then come say goodbye to Rico. He’s going to want a hug, too.”
* * *
Rico hadn’t been all that confident that Laura was going to let Hannah stay. It was a generous offer from Jennie and Paddie and probably a really good idea, so he was grateful when Laura and Hannah came back in the room and Hannah stretched her arms up for a goodbye hug.
He held the little girl in his arms and wondered how she’d so quickly worn a path directly to his heart. “I used to stay at Jennie’s and Paddie’s house when I was a little boy,” he said. “I know you’ll have a great time. And I’m going to leave Lucky here, too, for you to play with.” Lucky could be useful as a watchdog, which was a reason to let him go along. But an animal also required some regular care and maintenance that potentially could slow them down or make them more memorable. It was better he stay with Hannah. “Go play, sweetie,” he said, putting her down. “We’ll see you real soon.”
Once the little girl was out of the room, Jennie spoke. “Let’s get your SUV in our shed. We moved our SUV out of the garage and into the shed earlier, just in case. It’s already hooked up to the trailer.”
They’d been pretty sure of themselves that he was going to accept the plan. Probably because it was a good one.
Jennie got up and fished a key fob off a hook near the door. “Here’s the key,” she said.
“Better give them the extra one, too,” Paddie said.
She gave Paddie a patronizing smile and opened a drawer. Stuck her hand inside. Then tossed a second fob to Rico. “Paddie is not letting me forget that I misplaced my keys on one of our last trips. He’d taken the second set and you’d have thought he was the second coming.”
Paddie just smiled.
Rico appreciated that they were trying to keep it light and easy. As if it wasn’t a big deal for him to have to borrow their vehicle because he was hauling a stolen vehicle and the police might be looking for him.
“The two of you can wait there while Paddie checks out the roads near your property and brings back the Mustang. I’ll stay here with the girls.” She looked at Laura. “Hannah will be fine. I raised five children and now I’ve got seven grandchildren. I know what I’m doing.”
“There is no one that I would trust more,” Laura said. He saw a hint of tears in her eyes before she leaned in to hug Jennie. “Thank you for being such a good friend to Rico,” she added.
His own throat felt a little tight. He wasn’t used to accepting help and it was a humbling experience. “I won’t forget this,” he said, looking at both Paddie and Jennie.
“We know that,” Jennie said. “Now the three of you need to get going.”
“Can I have a hand towel?” he asked. Paddie grabbed a couple from a kitchen drawer and then held the door open for him and Laura. He and Laura got back in their SUV while Paddie walked to the shed that sat fifty feet behind their house. Paddie must have had the opener in his pocket because the big overhead door started to rise. Rico pulled in and parked his black SUV next to Jennie’s red one that was hooked to the black trailer. He killed his engine. Then he tossed Paddie his garage door opener so that the man could get to the Mustang.
In just minutes, Paddie had pushed the snowmobile out of the shed and had closed the door behind him, leaving them in the dark. They heard the roar of an engine and knew he was off.
As the noise faded, it became very quiet in the shed. Rico turned to Laura. “Are you really okay with this?”
“I have to be. It makes the most sense. You’re the one who should have misgivings. If we get stopped by the police for any reason and they see the Mustang, you’re going to be in as much trouble as me.”
“We won’t get stopped. We’ll do the speed limit. There won’t be any reason for them to stop us. There’re lots of SUVs on the road, pulling trailers.”
“Will we try to drive it straight through?” she asked.
“You did it once,” he said.
“I don’t know how,” she said.
“We’ll make it.” He looked at his watch. “It’s almost six thirty. We’ll be in Nashville by noon tomorrow.”
“Are we just going to park somewhere and drive the Mustang out of the back of the truck?” she asked.
He smiled. “We might not be quite that blatant about it. We don’t want anybody getting too curious and taking a picture of Jennie’s license plate. But we’ll figure out a safe way to leave the Mustang once we get there, in a spot where it will be found relatively quickly.”
“A police lot,” she said, her tone clear that she was joking. “With a note. Something like, I think you’re looking for this.”
“Maybe. If we’re feeling especially helpful.”
She turned to look at him. “I’ll be feeling especially grateful,” she said. “But I guess car theft isn’t my biggest legal worry.”
“One thing at a time,” he said. It was advice he needed to follow. The idea of her going to prison for abducting Hannah was simply unacceptable.
They sat in silence, each lost in their thoughts. More than forty minutes went by until finally, the door of the shed opened and Paddie drove the Mustang in. With three vehicles and a trailer inside, it was a tight fit. He quickly shut the door behind him.
“Anything?” Rico asked.
“No sign of anybody on the roads,” he said. “I suppose it’s possible that somebody could be hiding in the woods, but I don’t think they’d go to that extreme if they simply wanted to talk to you to see what you might know about the Mustang.”
Rico agreed. “Let’s do this,” he said.
Paddie pulled car ramps off the wall where they were hanging. Got them in place and then Rico very carefully drove the Mustang into the back of the trailer. It was an easy fit with several feet to spare. He used the towels to very carefully wipe down every inch of the car and to make sure that there was no telltale evidence of Laura, Hannah or, now, himself. Before he shut the door, Rico tossed the ramps into the trailer—they would need them when they got to Nashville and had to drive the car out.
Paddie extended a hand to Rico. “Good luck, son.”
Rico shook the man’s hand and then leaned in for a quick hug. Then stepped aside so that Paddie could hug Laura.
“We’ll be in touch. If there’s any need, just call my cell phone,” Rico said.
They climbed into Jennie’s SUV. Rico pushed the garage door opener and took a minute to adjust the mirrors. Then he waved to Paddie and slowly pulled out of the shed.
They were on their way.
* * *
Once they got out of the mountains and a hundred miles south, they were out of the snow. Laura marvel
ed at the difference and how naïve she’d been about mountain weather. Thus far they’d only seen one police car, parked in a highway median, hoping to catch speeders. They’d passed by without even a glance from the cop.
She knew Rico had seen the car but he hadn’t twitched, sped up or down, or in any way exhibited the bone-chilling fear that had immediately spread through her body.
She’d barely settled down when Rico’s phone rang. Her first thought was Hannah. Rico looked at the number and said, “Seth.”
He was hopefully calling with news about Hodge Rankin. “I want to hear,” she whispered.
“Hey, Seth,” Rico said. “I’ve got you on speaker.”
There was a pause on the other end. “Do you tell me that because you’re afraid of what I’ll say if I’m not appropriately warned in advance?”
“Yes,” Rico said. “What do you have?”
Seth laughed. “Hello, Laura. I’m not sure how close you are to this Hodge Rankin but I think his last name might be fitting. Because he’s pretty rank, if you get my drift.”
“How so?”
“He doesn’t seem to be gainfully employed, at least there are few tax records for him, but he appears to live pretty well, in that he has a nice car, travels out of the country frequently, drinks expensive wine that gets shipped in from his favorite winery in Spain once a month, and works through a broker to collect antique stamps.”
She’d done her best to investigate Rankin and knew about the car but none of the other things. “How did you find all that out?” she asked, irritated that she’d been so inept.
“I don’t kiss and tell, Laura. But let’s just say that once I figured out where he banked and that I used to date a woman who still works there, it was pretty easy.”
She raised an eyebrow at Rico.
He shrugged. “For some reason, Seth’s girlfriends all want to remain friendly once the dating is over.”
“Because I don’t feed them a line of crap,” Seth said easily. “They respect that. Anyway, one has to wonder how that kind of lifestyle can be maintained without a steady income. But fortunately, the personal banker made good notes in the database linking several large deposits back to the source. It appears that Rankin has been the beneficiary of two large life insurance settlements. The first payment was a couple years ago. He was the beneficiary of a five hundred thousand dollar policy that his fiancée had through her work. And most recently, he came into almost a million dollars when Ariel Collins died.”
