Flood Zone

by Dana Mentink

  The pieces were beginning to fall into place, Dallas thought. “You recognized your husband in the picture.”

  “Yes, that’s why I went to see Peter Finnigan. I read the paper’s account of how Finnigan supposedly tried to save Susan’s husband that day. I can’t prove it, but I think Thomas was giving Finnigan money, paying him to stay quiet. I found an envelope of cash one time, addressed to P. Finnigan at his Mountain Grove address. Thomas explained it away, but I always wondered about it.”

  “Did Peter tell you anything?” Mia asked.

  “Nothing. As a matter of fact, he snatched the photo and tossed me out, but I didn’t do anything to harm him. And now you say he’s dead? Are you sure?”

  Dallas nodded. He would never lose the memory of how Finnigan lost his life.

  “Why kill Peter?” Catherine mused.

  “Both were involved in Asa’s death,” Dallas said. “Peter must have threatened to tell, so Elias killed him.”

  “After all these years? Why?”

  Mia hugged herself. “Something went wrong.”

  “Susan’s no innocent in all this, you realize,” Catherine spat. “She kept quiet about Thomas’s involvement all these years instead of going to the police, not to mention the fact that she got millions when Asa died.”

  “But she can bring Dr. Elias down now.” Mia shivered. “So he’ll need to kill her, too.”

  “I didn’t want to see it.” Catherine looked up at the cloud-washed sky. “I mean, I knew about the other women. I’m not so blind that I couldn’t figure that out. I didn’t want to believe there was anything else.”

  “Why didn’t you go to the police?” Dallas said. “If you’re an innocent in all this?”

  She turned haggard eyes on him. “I’m leaving him as soon as I can get my things together. He’s a manipulator and covering up whatever he did in the past, but the man is the father of my children. Whatever Thomas has done, they don’t deserve to live with his sin. Can you understand that?”

  Mia clutched Catherine’s hands. “Yes, so you can understand why I need to find my daughter. Please, Catherine, you’ve got to tell me if you know where he might have gone.”

  “I don’t,” she said, detaching herself.

  “Where’s your cabin?” Dallas watched her mouth tighten.

  “He wouldn’t abduct a child. He’s a lot of things, but he has his own children. He wouldn’t hurt Gracie.”

  “But he did,” Mia said. “Your husband called me and told me he had my daughter. You have to face it, just like I had to face the truth about Gracie’s father.”

  “This can’t be possible. I would have known I was married to a murderer.” Catherine looked away. “What kind of woman wouldn’t know?”

  “A woman like me,” Mia said. “I misjudged my husband, too, Catherine. You feel stupid, vulnerable. And then—” she shot a look at Dallas “—you forgive yourself and you move on.”

  “I loved him.” A tear rolled down Catherine’s cheek. “I really did. Maybe I still do.”

  Mia knelt next to her and took her hand. “Believe me I understand, but your husband has killed and killed again, and now he has my baby.” Her voice broke on the last word. Dallas put a hand on her shoulder, trying to squeeze some comfort into her.

  “But Thomas is a father himself,” Catherine said. “How could he?”

  “I think you know deep down that we’re right,” Dallas said. “That’s why you were getting ready to burn this file, isn’t it?”

  “All the others are shredded. This one only has the clipping left. I...I figured whatever he’s been up to, the less evidence the better for my kids.”

  Mia did not release Catherine’s hand. “Even if you can’t accept it, would you throw away Gracie’s life? A mother couldn’t do that to another woman’s child.”

  Her face crumpled. “I’m not a bad person. Really, I’m not.”

  Dallas sensed they were near to breaking through her defenses. “Then tell her.”

  Tears cascaded down Catherine’s face. “The cabin’s near the reservoir, on Sentinel Hill Road.”

  “Thank you.” Mia clutched Catherine in a desperate hug.

  “Here,” Catherine said, shoving the file folder at Dallas. “Take it. Maybe it will help you prove he’s guilty.”

  Betrayal shone like an exposed wound deep in her eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  She waved him away. “I won’t be here when you come back. If what you say is true, I’ll never come back.”

  Mia and Dallas left her staring at the fire pit.

  SEVENTEEN

  Mia was panting hard by the time they made it to Dallas’s truck, having had to stop twice to avoid detection by the security people. She still had twigs tangled in her hair from their leafy hiding spots and a new catalogue of scratches. Once Juno was finally convinced to move to the backseat, he could not stop pressing his wet nose to her neck, snuffling her hair until she batted him away.

  “Stop, Juno. That tickles.”

  He responded in doggie fashion by licking her along the hairline which made her laugh.

  “I think you blew his mind showing up like this when he was all set to locate you out in the woods.”

  “Sorry,” she said, giving Juno a rub under the chin. “You’ll just have to find me some other time.” When she’d gotten Juno down to an occasional slurp from the backseat, she called Antonia and put her on speaker phone.

  Her big sister alternated between giving her a tongue lashing and expressing heartfelt relief that Mia was now in the company of Dallas and Juno. “I’m still waiting for the chief. Susan’s gone to see if she can find a room somewhere for us, but the town is full of evacuees.” She huffed. “It’s driving me crazy. Every minute I’m thinking about you and Gracie and I want to be doing something to help.”

  Mia heard her sister start to sniffle. “Don’t cry, sis, or I’ll start, too. We’re going to get her, Antonia, we got some info from Catherine,” she explained, giving her sister the location of the doctor’s cabin. Saying it aloud spread an eagerness inside that she felt would burst out.

  “You can’t go. This is too dangerous,” Antonia said.

  “What choice is there? He’s got Gracie, and I’m a fugitive.”

  “We have to tell the police where you’re heading,” Antonia insisted.

  Mia’s head spun. “No, I won’t risk it. I can’t.”

  She looked to Dallas.

  “You know where we’re going, Antonia.” He checked the time on the truck’s dashboard. “Give us a two-hour head start, then tell them everything.”

  If we’re not back...if we’re too late. Suddenly she could not get enough oxygen. There was no outcome possible except that they would find Gracie, unharmed and get her away from Elias. Forcing a breath in, she grated out the words. “Tell whoever will listen, but you and Susan need to stay there where it’s safe.” She paused.

  “Okay,” Antonia said.

  “I don’t know if Susan is trustworthy,” Mia said quietly. “She’s unstable, and she benefitted from her husband’s death financially.”

  Antonia lowered her voice. “If she was involved in the murder, why would she come back and blame it on Elias?”

  “It makes no sense to me, but I wanted to warn you. I can’t stand anything happening to you.” She scrubbed at a spot of grit on the knee of her jeans. “I wish I could do this by myself and not endanger any more people.”

  “You’ve got help now, Mia. You’re not alone. Dallas is there, and Reuben’s flying here as we speak. He’s devastated about Cora and...and Gracie.”

  Deep breaths. “I’m going to get her back, Antonia.” Mia clutched the phone. “I am going to get my daughter back.”

  “Be careful, sister.”

&nb
sp; “I’m used to dealing with criminals remember? I used to be married to one.” The joke fell flat. She was about to hang up.

  “And I wanted to say—” Antonia rushed on “—I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Dallas. Reuben and I...”

  “Were trying to protect me.” She sighed. “And so was Dallas. I understand.” And she did. Though Dallas did not look at her, she knew from his kiss, from his willingness to risk everything, that he was with her because he cared for her. With a stab of anguish, she also knew there could be no future for them. When she found Gracie, she would move back to Florida and be the best possible parent to her child. She would play it safe and humbly accept any help from her sister and brother-in-law. No more striking out on her own. No more independence at all costs.

  And Dallas? He would continue to bounce around the country finding the missing, and living the kind of unfettered freedom that was exactly what Mia and Gracie did not need. He found lost souls and returned them home. She would always picture him that way, even when they had separated for the last time.

  A branch snapped loose from the trees and cracked into the windshield, shocking her out of her reverie. Find Gracie. That was all that mattered.

  “Be careful,” Antonia said. “Please, Mia.”

  She said she would and disconnected.

  Dallas kept the truck at a slow speed which maddened her, windshield wipers slapping out their own relaxed rhythm. “Can’t we speed up a little?”

  “Roads are dangerous right now, and we don’t need any cops or security people taking notice of us.”

  She huffed. “Why do you have to be so...logical?”

  He offered a smile which died quickly away.

  “What’s bothering you? Aside from the insanity which you’ve gotten yourself into?”

  “Finnigan.”

  “What about him?”

  “The way he died. We know Elias killed Asa Norton and Cora. He used drugs in both cases. Neat. No blood. Almost a peaceful way to die. But Finnigan...”

  She saw the explosion in her mind’s eye, the bright flower of flame that blew away Finnigan’s life before the river took his body. “A bomb seems out of place for Dr. Elias?”

  “Maybe I’m wrong.”

  “Could Catherine be lying about everything? Is it possible she killed Peter for some reason and she’s trying to hide it by shifting blame to her husband?” The rest remained unspoken. Could we be driving into a trap right now?

  “That’s part of what’s bothering me. I don’t know if Catherine or Susan can be trusted.”

  “The only thing I can be certain of is Susan didn’t take Gracie and neither did Catherine,” Mia said firmly. “And that’s all I care about right now, getting my daughter back.”

  They ran into two detours which cost them time. It was nearing ten o’clock when Dallas finally started the ascent up Sentinel Hill. Posted signs warned of flooded roads ahead.

  The more Dallas slowed, the more frenzy whipped inside Mia. At the top of a winding road, he pulled to the side. “Hang on. Gonna climb up those rocks and check things.”

  He got out, Juno following. Clouds rolled over the moon, leaving only unreliable patches of light that played across the pile of rocks, marbled with shadows and moisture. Juno sat at the bottom, eyes riveted on Dallas’s progress as he climbed.

  He’d just scrambled to the top when Mia’s phone rang. Dr. Elias.

  She scrambled to press the button. “Hello?”

  “My apologies for making you wait so long, but we developed car trouble on the way.”

  She fought for calm. “Where?”

  “We’re at the cabin, top of Sentinel Hill. Roads are flooded so you’ll have to be creative. Bring the photo. If you aren’t here by midnight, there will be consequences.”

  Consequences. Mia’s nerves turned to trails of ice. “I want to talk to my daughter right now.”

  There was a sound of movement.

  “Mommy?”

  “Gracie.” Tears rained down Mia’s face, her heart rose up and twined itself with those two precious syllables. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you? Mommy’s coming.”

  Dallas climbed down and joined her. With icy fingers, she held the phone between them.

  “We’re going on a boat ’cuz...”

  The phone was yanked away. “Gracie!” Mia screamed.

  “Midnight.” The phone clicked off. Mia stared. “She sounds okay, like he hasn’t hurt her. Yet.”

  Dallas pressed her shoulders. “She’s all right. Hang on to that. Gracie is all right.”

  Inside she repeated the mantra. Gracie was all right.

  Until midnight.

  * * *

  Dallas wanted to reach through the phone line and pummel the man. Mia did not resist when he urged her back into the truck. She clutched the cell as if it was somehow still connecting her with Gracie.

  “He’s desperate for the photo. He won’t do anything to her until we deliver it.”

  She nodded mechanically, like an automaton. He wondered if she would withstand his next bit of news.

  “This area is bisected by a river that feeds into a lake. It’s all flooded. There’s no way I can drive any farther.”

  Some flicker of life in her eyes. “Where is the cabin?”

  “On the other side of that ridge. The place is flooded, and he can’t drive out, either. He’s going to try to boat out of here. He’s probably booked a flight and has his escape all lined up.”

  Her eyes were dull, breath coming in harsh gasps. “Mia, are you listening?” Was she going into shock? “We need to hike in and probably swim, there’s no other option. Let me go ahead, with Juno. You don’t have to...”

  She fired back to life, fixing him with a look more ferocious than some of the gang members he’d tangled with. “I’m going.” He was smart enough to know any arguing the point would get him nowhere but left behind. Juno had no complaints either, even though the sky was delivering more rain. The dog would prefer monsoons to the backseat of a truck any day of the week. He didn’t want Juno in danger any more than he wanted Mia to be, but there was nothing to be done about that either. He threw up a prayer and let out a sigh. “Text Antonia. Tell her to fill the cops in on the doctor’s call. Okay?”

  Her fingers flew across the keys. “All right, let’s go.”

  He removed a pack from under his seat and shouldered it, handing her a bottle of water. “Drink.”

  “I’m not thirsty.”

  “Humor me and drink anyway.” He poured some into his cupped palm for Juno, who lapped it up, tail wagging and ready to begin the adventure, and drained a bottle himself. He wouldn’t suggest they eat the snacks he’d stowed in the pack, though his stomach was empty. He had a feeling it was going to be all he could do to keep up with her. From a supply in his stash, he handed her a plastic bag for her phone and two more for the photo which she double-bagged and stowed in his pack.

  Juno gave an excited whine.

  “It’s okay, buddy,” Dallas said. “This time we already know where to find her.”

  The question was, how would they handle it when they did? There was no more time to think about it as they started across the sodden grass toward the top of Sentinel Hill.

  The ground had been transformed to a marsh by the relentless rains. Mud sucked at their feet and shins and each step was a struggle, though Juno seemed to have no trouble with it. There was just enough moonlight peering between the clouds to sufficiently light their way. Some half an hour later they made it to the ridge, flopped down on their bellies and scoped out the cabin.

  It was what surrounded the neat, wood-sided structure that concerned him most. The lake, which was normally a stone’s throw from the cabin, was now engulfing it, clear up to the doorstep. A boat rolled on the rain-speckled
surface, tied to the porch support.

  Dallas whistled low. “This place will be under water in a matter of hours.”

  Worse yet, the cabin was on the far shore, a good quarter mile across the lake. He didn’t hazard a guess about the depth. Didn’t matter. They had no boat and no car. Swimming was the only option.

  She read the question in his mind. “I’m a good swimmer.”

  “A Miami girl? I’d be surprised if you weren’t.” He emptied the remaining water bottles out of his pack, keeping only the first-aid kit and foil-wrapped food.

  She offered the sliver of a smile. “You travel prepared.”

  “Sometimes it takes a few days to complete a rescue. Conditions are bad more often than not.” He felt her watching. “What?”

  “I was so mad about how you ended up in my life and just now, I was wondering if God put you here in spite of me, to rescue Gracie.”

  He reached out a finger and traced the perfect line of her cheek and chin. “Maybe He meant for us to rescue her together.”

  Moonlight captured the tears gathered in her eyes, jewels that she would not let fall. It made them more precious, somehow, the strength that kept them captive there. Mia was a woman of breathtaking courage, who could not see the best things about herself. If she could see what he saw, only for a moment, it would take her breath away.

  “You are an amazing woman, Mia Verde.”

  She blinked, then blessed him with a smile that would live inside his heart with all the most precious memories he possessed. “Coming from you, I take that as a fine compliment. Thank you, Mr. Dallas Black.”

  What he wouldn’t give to kiss her right then, with the rain covering them in glistening droplets and the moon gilding her hair with a million sparkles. He swallowed hard. “When we get across, try for the east side of the cabin where there’s only one window. Okay?”

  She nodded, stripped off her jacket and without another word waded into the lake. Juno, who had been busy sniffing, gave him a comical double take.

  “Yeah, I know it’s a strange time for a swim, but you’re up for it aren’t you?”

  Juno, every bit as silent as Mia, ambled right into the water after her.