by Nora LeDuc
Too bad. He’d enjoyed the girl, but her disappearance had brought more law enforcement to the area than he’d expected. Forget them. He was ready for his prize, Lucy Watson. “It’s you and me together, the way it was meant to be.”
Then he’d head out and disappear into another person. He’d become one who people trusted and admired, but in the end, regretted in their soul that they’d met. Just like Lucy did.
Chapter 31
“Why plant the tracker on your roof?” Lucy tilted her head upward, imagining someone climbing on Liam’s truck.
“Because the person who put it on up there thought I’d never look for his device on top of my pickup, even if I became suspicious.” Liam closed his fist over the dime-sized circle.
“You mean, they wanted to hide the GPS in the open?”
“That seems to have been the plan.”
She glanced around. “I wonder how long you’ve been tracked.”
“After I punch out whoever’s responsible, I’ll ask him.” He hopped inside his pickup. Sullivan most likely smirked each time he imagined Liam always within his grasp. The man wouldn’t be gloating after Liam’s next visit.
“Where are you going?”
“To find Sullivan.”
“What? No.”
He keyed the engine and hit the pedal. Out of the corner of his eyes, he caught sight of Lucy grabbing the passenger handle. What was she doing? He jammed on the brake, and the truck jerked to a stop. Her door swung open wide, and she dove inside.
“You could have killed yourself.”
“Me? What about you? Consider what will happen if you attack an officer of the law.”
“I’ll feel great satisfaction.”
“Sullivan will throw you in solitary.”
“Sorry to disappoint you, no solitary in Barley.”
“I wouldn’t bet on it after you attacked the police chief, and we don’t have proof he planted the GPS.”
“You’re right.” Liam frowned and shifted the truck into park. A new place to stash the tracker struck him. In fact, a lot of places floated into his mind.
“Why are you grinning?”
“I’m going to listen to your advice and play it cool. Thanks, Luce.”
“Be safe, not cool, Liam. Get legal counsel and— Why are you still smiling?”
His eyes darkened with emotion. “You remind me of the old Lucy.”
“Focus, McAllister. Promise me you’ll speak to an attorney.”
“I will. Take care and stay around the Moose while I’m gone.”
“I think you should worry about yourself.” She shook her head. “I need to take Target outside. I’m surprised he’s not upstairs barking.” She climbed out from the truck and went inside.
Liam reached down to grab the shift, and his gaze fell on the piece of paper sticking up between the two seats.
Pulling it out, he stared at the one-way bus ticket to Manchester. The stamped date showed she’d bought it yesterday. Lucy was really leaving Barley. He fought the urge to toss the receipt out the window.
He stuffed the voucher in the glove compartment, slamming it shut. Well, he’d known it would happen. He’d leave the ticket at the bar for her. Someday. Meanwhile, he’d head to the roadside search center.
* * *
After Liam left, Sallie arrived and said she’d work the rest of her shift. Lucy took Target into the lot for his walk. He strained at his leash, but she’d promised to stay close. After she came back inside with the dog, she settled in Liam’s office. Working in his room gave her sensations of comfort and security.
“Lucy.” Bella, dressed in jeans and an eggshell-blue fleece jacket, stood in the doorway, her eyes wide. “I wasn’t sure you were in here. Can we talk?” She entered before Lucy answered. “I saw Ryan last night, and I can’t get the conversation out of my head.”
On the couch, Target wagged his tail and then went back to sleep. Lucy rolled her chair to the side of the desk and faced the young woman. “I understand. Every day I notice something Ryan will miss or never experience again.”
“Has he visited you recently?” Bella crossed the room to Lucy.
“No, he hasn’t.”
“He told me the girl, Ali, is being punished for being with him.” Tears trickled down her cheeks. “I thought he loved me. Why was he with her?”
“Bella, dreams aren’t real.”
“No, Ryan came to me in the night. It wasn’t a dream. I asked him why he was with that girl. He didn’t answer me. You have to find out for me.”
Lucy jumped up to face Bella. The girl needed a reality check. “Ryan’s gone. He can’t come home, and if he said he loved you before he died, he did. Forget Ali. She was a young kid. You’re confused.”
“No, I understand what’s going on.”
What did she mean? Lucy chose the words with care. “When we’re emotional, it’s tough to be rational.”
Bella bit her lip. “I have a feeling about where Ali is.”
“Feeling?” Nausea shot through Lucy.
Bella nodded. “Can you get me a drink of water before we talk more?”
“Bella, are you done working?” Hank was in the open doorway. “You’re early. You shouldn’t bother Lucy.”
“I had to leave the shop. My head ached too much for me to think. Was I interrupting?” Bella massaged her forehead and winced.
“I was going to take a break anyway,” Lucy said.
“Hank, will you drive me home? I hate walking alone. Ali’s kidnaper might grab me.”
“Let me ask Sadie to watch the bar for a few minutes, and I’ll run you up the hill.” The door swung shut behind him.
“Maybe your doctor will prescribe meds to help you sleep,” Lucy suggested.
Bella grabbed Lucy’s wrist. “I can’t go sleep. I have to find out what went on between Ryan and Ali. Ryan can give me the answers.”
Pain shot up her arm from Bella’s grip.
The young woman’s eyes lit with a glassy glare. “Do you understand?” Bella leaned forward into Lucy’s face as though willing her to accept Bella’s compulsion to stay awake.
Alarmed, Lucy pulled free.
The door opened. A frowning Hank glanced at his sister. “Ready to go?”
“Don’t forget to ask Ryan,” Bella whispered and turned to join her brother.
Lucy released a breath of relief when they left. She sat at the desk for another five minutes, but couldn’t concentrate on work. “Target, we’re going upstairs.”
Then she’d shake the unease her visitor had stirred. She closed down the computer. What did Ryan know? He was gone and in a grave.
No one sat in the bar area as Lucy and Target headed up the rear stairs. Inside the apartment, she threw a glance out the front window. A dark vehicle slowed and crept past. The vehicle’s tinted glass protected the driver from identification. Wasn’t that the car that had followed them to Ryan’s house? No wonder Liam had figured out someone was tailing him.
Outside, the car disappeared from sight. She turned away and remembered she’d left her phone downstairs. “Be back in a minute, Target.”
At the bar, Sadie poured herself a Coke. Hank was still absent. Sadie faced Lucy as she approached. “You missed your company. Your ex-sister-in-law stopped by a second ago. She wanted to remind you to drop off her dog and to make it after five o’clock today, when she’ll be home.”
Why had she thought ignoring Clarissa was a solution? The woman enjoyed tormenting people.
“I offered to call you, but she was in a hurry to get to the club. Is she a cocktail waitress?”
“She works at a gym. Clarissa is delusional. I’d never hand over Target just so her boyfriend’s kid can play with him once a month.”
Sadie eyed her. “Her boyfriend’s the confused one if he wants a life with Clarissa. That woman is colder than Jack Frost stranded on an iceberg.”
“I agree. Sadie, have you noticed a black sedan driving around like they’re looking for someone o
r something?”
The cook hopped up on the stool. “Yup, that’s the FBI. The police have been using them as consultants. Didn’t they tell you?”
“I heard rumors,” she mumbled.
“More of them showed up today. Ali’s parents demanded the chief bring in”— she made air quotes— “‘professionals’ to search for their daughter. They’re probably driving around getting the lay of the town.”
Hank walked in and nodded to them as he stepped behind the bar. “Thanks, Sadie.”
“No problem. I’ll go stare at the zero screen orders.”
“How’s Bella doing, Hank?” Lucy asked after Sadie disappeared.
He shook his head. “She’s been talking more and more about Ryan. I don’t know if she can’t accept he’s dead or what’s going on with her.”
“Did you notice the black sedan on the street?”
“Yup, the feds are crawling all over Barley.” He moved closer to Lucy. “Want a tea?”
“No thanks. How did you hear about them?”
“Come to lunch or to Trivia Night. Everyone is talking about the suits. They’ve got the fire department dragging Squawking Geese Pond this afternoon and then the river in the center of town.”
“The ice isn’t out yet.”
“Guess they located a few spots where it looked like someone or something went through.”
Squawking Geese was near the spot where they’d found Ali’s phone and a mile from the castle. “I think I’ll check in with Liam.” Why hadn’t he mentioned the water search? She walked to the front window, glanced outside, and pushed Liam’s number. He didn’t answer.
When the beep alerted her to leave a message, she rambled out her fears about the FBI stalking him, staying away from Sullivan, and Ali in the freezing water, and then hung up.
* * *
Liam let up on the gas when he reached the town line. Another check in the mirror confirmed his tail was nowhere in sight. The GPS in his pocket rubbed against his thigh as a constant reminder that Sullivan was tracking him like he was prey. He’d heard the whispers and recognized the covert glances thrown his way when the searchers had gathered. What bothered him most was Lucy’s new voicemail.
Her message irritated him. Okay, she warned him not to do anything to get the FBI’s attention or get arrested by Sullivan. Reasonable request. On the other hand, what did she believe he’d do? Revisit the scene of his crime? Too late. He’d gone back to Ryan’s house with her and without her.
What really ate at him was her bus ticket. Until he’d held her ticket, he’d enjoyed fantasies of Lucy staying in Barley. Now he realized his chances with her grew less and less each day.
Then there was Sullivan. Again. Did he suspect Liam of some involvement in kidnapping Ali? Did he think Liam pretended to discover her phone in the woods because he was playing a game with the cops?
Liam drove past the search headquarters set up on the edge of Ryan’s wooded drive. He headed to the pull-over where he’d found Ali’s phone. At the bottom of the hill, a cruiser sat across both lanes, blocking the way. Hitting the brake, he slowed his pickup until he stopped before the vehicle.
Liam rolled down his window. The young officer who had shown up when he’d called in Ali’s cell phone approached him.
“Sir, the road is closed to traffic. You’ll have to detour around the back side of the mountain.”
“Is someone hurt?” The fire station’s pumper sat in the pull-over, a short walk to Squawking Geese Pond. At this time of year, a snowmobiler who stuck to the trails risked sinking into the mud or slipping into the trees. If they dared to cross the pond, they were guaranteed a trip through the ice.
“Search in process,” Officer Gary said, approaching the truck. “You’ll have to turn around.”
They were searching for Ali’s body. Liam nodded and reversed his pickup. In his rearview mirror, he spotted the Barley uniform retreating to the side.
The officer was on his phone, most likely, confirming that Liam McAllister had returned to another site connected to a crime.
Chapter 32
March 29
Liam spent the next morning in his office rereading online articles written about Father Matt Hastings. The press had released his picture as a person of interest in Ali Smith’s kidnapping.
The last time he’d read about Hastings, he’d become too disgusted to digest the facts. Now he was prepared.
The real Hastings had died after his acceptance into seminary school. Cause of demise was a head injury he suffered in a car accident.
His death was not a big event. He had no family or close friends to notice his rebirth. One article described the deceased as the perfect age and possessing the same physical attributes as the current, pseudo Matt Hastings. With the discovery that Matt of Hawick Falls was an imposter, the death of the true Hastings was being reexamined.
Liam absorbed each word about the torture and punishment suffered by Lisa Grant, Lucy’s friend and another teen Matt had captured. The knot in Liam’s gut tightened and hardened.
Images formed in his mind of chains and pain. At least Lisa had survived. The other abducted girl, Kara Linn, had not lived. Liam switched gears. He pulled up the stories about Ryan’s murder. Could the crimes be connected? One thing he knew with certainty: he wanted to punish Hastings for the girls, for hurting Lucy.
The knock on his door broke his concentration. “Come in.”
Lucy entered. She paused a few feet from him and clenched her hands together. “Sorry to interrupt. I talked to Hank at the bar…”
“We’ve met, Luce. What’s happened?”
“Hank turned on a local channel. The fire department divers are still dragging Squawking Geese Pond. It will be a long process. Because of the freezing water temperature, the divers stay down for only short periods of time.” Her voice was low and husky with emotion. She gulped a breath. “They’re showing a report on Ali after the commercial break.”
“Ali was in the pond?” Liam shoved away from the desk to comfort Lucy, but she held up her hand.
“I don’t know if she’s in the water. No one called you from the search center?”
“The volunteers don’t start for another hour.” He pulled out his cell, debating how much info he’d obtain from a call. He stuffed the phone in his pocket. “I’m headed out for a while.”
“Where are you going?” Lucy’s eyes widened.
“I need to get away. How about joining me? We’ll bring our chaperone and drive like we don’t have a worry and our biggest care is what’s for supper.”
“Sounds good, and Target loves riding in your truck.”
They walked into the bar area, where Hank and Sadie were gazing at the TV. The meteorologist cautioned the audience to be on the lookout for a hailstorm headed their way. The picture switched to the news anchor.
The newscaster commented on the weather and then introduced the next segment. A clip rolled on the screen, and the woman reporter narrated. “This scene was shot yesterday outside homicide victim Ryan Watson’s house, where the police were investigating a stolen vehicle.”
A video played of a tow truck with the out-of-state car on the flatbed. The truck was pulling out of Ryan’s driveway. “The police chief is not responding to requests for information about the Vermont car or how it connects to Ryan Watson. Your Barley news team has learned the car was reported missing from a residential home in Burlington, Vermont.”
A picture of Matt flashed onto the TV. The Moose crew slid glances toward Liam and Lucy.
“Yeah, it’s him,” Liam said, hoping Lucy’s name wouldn’t come up on the broadcast.
On the screen, the newsman’s voice continued. “Authorities are asking the public to be on the lookout for this man, last identified as Matthew Hastings, and to report any sighting to the tip line. Law enforcement stresses you should not approach or speak to him, as he may be dangerous. Hastings is wanted in connection with recent crimes in Barley.”
The camera swi
tched to the image of the reporter standing near the Smiths’ garrison-style home. “In the search for Ali Smith, the fire department is requesting sonar devices used for ice fishing be lent and dropped off at the firehouse. Tomorrow the divers from Barley will join the New Hampshire Fish and Game Dive Team at Squawking Geese Pond. The pond is partially frozen. Ali Smith’s cell phone was discovered in the vicinity, leading investigators to the property.”
“Good luck with that,” Hank said. “The snowmobile trails cross the pond. I remember a few breaking through the ice in the past. One machine must still be at the bottom.”
“I hope they find nothing in the water.” Lucy gripped her folded arms against her chest.
“We should be happy the press isn’t standing outside the Moose.” Liam was even more grateful the reporters hadn’t included Lucy in their news update.
Sadie shook her head. “Can you imagine being that poor girl’s parents? You’re in hell, praying your daughter is found alive. The church is holding a prayer vigil tomorrow night. It’s going to be kinda like a candlelight vigil, but inside. Father Francis will speak. The whole town is attending. Can you come, Lucy?”
“Sure.” Lucy dragged her fingers through her hair. “I seem to miss out on the local news.”
“Count on us to fill you in on anything important,” Liam said, willing her to feel safe.
“Thanks, Liam.”
“I just heard about the prayer vigil myself,” the cook said.
“Hank, how’s Bella today?” Lucy leaned against the bar top.
The bartender grabbed a bottle of water. “I told her she should go to work and think about customers and gifts, but she keeps talking about Ryan and Ali. Now that the police are focused on Squawking Geese Pond, Bella wants to follow everything that happens.”
“Grief does strange things to people,” Sadie said.
“I’m sorry she’s having such a hard time. Let me know if I can help.” Lucy turned to Liam. “I’ll run up for Target and my jacket. I’ll be a second.” With a nod, she left.
Hank opened his water and drank a mouthful. “Boss, when does the search start today?”
