“I hoped she’d just stay put at Mandy’s family cottage until I was able to reach her,” Zoe said. “Honestly, I have no idea what’s going on.”
“The Rhodeses’ cottage has been compromised,” he said. “Some masked men have been going from cottage to cottage, ransacking them looking for some kind of trunk they’re willing to kill and kidnap for.”
Zoe’s eyebrows rose. Alex paused. Theresa would be back at the cottage, alone, wondering where he was. But he’d just reunited with Zoe. Their client was safely asleep upstairs. The snow was coming down so fiercely it made driving fairly impossible and walking pretty close to it, providing a short-term protective barrier against Castor. It was the first moment since he’d seen Castor break down the door and charge at Theresa, through the window of a laptop screen, when he didn’t feel he was running and battling against the criminals turning the lake he’d grown up loving into a battle zone.
He leaned against the child’s table. “Okay, I want to have a really fast five-minute strategy chat before we join Theresa. Okay?”
Zoe’s eyes opened wide. But she nodded and sat down beside him. He caught her up in quick, bullet-point form on everything that had happened, from the first attack and the death of Brick, to the damage at the Pattersons’ cottage, to finding Howler’s body in the crashed car and Gnat holding Theresa at gunpoint, to the explosion at the safe house and finally crashing the snowmobile through the ice. Everything but the two spontaneous kisses he’d shared with the woman he’d once given his youthful heart to and from whom his adult mind knew he was in no position to ask anything in return.
When he was done, Zoe just let out a long breath. “Wow.”
“I know.” He crossed his long legs at the ankles. “I’m pretty sure that whoever these guys are, they didn’t expect to be running into any other people up here this weekend and thought they could just ransack, grab and go. We threw a pretty big wrench in their gears.”
“Is it possible that Theresa is their target?” Zoe asked. “You mentioned that two of the men tried to force her to help them search for the trunk. Plus it sounded like Castor was tormenting her pretty specifically. Is it possible she actually does know something about the trunk?”
“Possibly.” Alex leaned back. The table creaked beneath him. “Certainly the criminals seem to think that she does. But for now Theresa is as in the dark about what this trunk is or what it contains as I am. Neither of us have been up here in eight and a half years. Theresa’s convinced that Castor, or one of his men, has a connection to Cedar Lake.
“I know Corey Patterson had some trouble with the law for drug dealing when he was younger,” he added. “It’s entirely possible his life went downhill from there and he has deadbeat friends he met in jail who he could convince to help ransack cottages. He could’ve hidden money or drug paraphernalia up here recently. Theresa mentioned Paul Wright, too, mostly because he’s the same age as these guys. But honestly, the person I’m most suspicious about right now is Tanner Mullock. April, the little girl Theresa was talking to on the radio, said something about Castor or somebody else threatening to kill him. Which could mean he’s one of the guys Castor brought up here. Or Tanner could be Castor, and April overheard somebody else threating to kill him and blowing his cover.”
“Castor can’t be Tanner,” Zoe said. “He was in a really bad car accident in Toronto about a week ago. His car spun out on the ice. He ended up in the hospital with some kind of internal injury and needed a lot stitches. He had to move back in with his grandparents while he recovers. He’ll be on bed rest for weeks. I can’t imagine him having the strength to ransack a cottage. Mandy’s mom pulled me aside and mentioned it as I was heading out the door, sort of as a reminder to be extracareful.”
Considering how overprotective Mandy’s parents were, hearing somebody else’s kid had spun out was exactly the kind of thing likely to kick their fear into overdrive.
“Then once we get a connection to the outside world we call the Mullocks and see what we can get Tanner to tell us about all this,” Alex said. “Also wouldn’t hurt for Daniel to get them some extra security. Tanner could be Castor’s next target.”
There was the soft thud of another branch or hunk of ice falling into the thick snow outside. Now that he’d found Zoe, he was in no hurry for the storm to end. They could all hunker down in the cottage overnight and figure out how to get to his truck back at their cottage and escape the lake in the morning. He just hoped the truck was still there, and that they wouldn’t run into Castor and his men.
“In the meantime, Tanner’s out as a Castor suspect, and we can add the fact that April heard his name to the big list of things we can’t currently understand.” Alex ran his hand over his chin. Like why Castor would kill his henchmen, why Castor hadn’t searched the Rhodeses’ cold cellar for Theresa and why Gnat thought Theresa knew something about the trunk. “It doesn’t help that every time someone mentions this infernal trunk all I can imagine is some pirate’s chest filled with sparkling doubloons.”
“My first thought was that it could either be a dress-up trunk,” Zoe said, “or one of those garish things filled with cheap plastic toys in restaurants.”
“Which nobody would either kill for or hire thugs to find. My first guess was some kind of war medals or something military-related that Josh’s grandfather had passed down to Mandy’s side of the family. But that’s a stretch now that at least two people have died over this. Obviously drugs, weapons and money are the three main things that criminals kill each other over.”
“It could also contain the deed to a property,” Zoe suggested. “Or something antique, like coins or jewelry. Old toys or comic books can be really valuable. Or even a diary that contained important information.”
He hadn’t thought of any of those.
“All good ideas,” he said. “But why would anyone keep that in a trunk at Cedar Lake?”
“I have no idea,” she said. “The idea is so crazy that I’m tempted to believe Castor is searching for something else entirely and made up the whole story about the trunk to hide his real agenda. Why would he think that Theresa knows something about it? And again, why would it be at a cottage?”
His eyes slid to the long box in the corner of the room. She rolled her eyes.
“I’ve already checked it,” she said. “It’s just beach toys. There are more toys and some blankets upstairs.”
The question of the trunk sat between them in the dark air of the children’s bunkhouse. He checked his watch. He’d been gone almost twenty minutes. “I should get back. Theresa is probably wondering what happened to me.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Theresa being up here with me,” Zoe said. “I didn’t mean to hide anything important from you. Obviously, Daniel knew. But we never imagined there’d be a reason for you two to ever run into each other.”
“It’s okay.” He squeezed his sister’s shoulder. “I know our deal. I didn’t want to talk about it, but you and Daniel both thought she was great at what she did, so we agreed that when you consulted with her you’d keep me out of the loop. I can see now that you weren’t wrong about her. And nobody could’ve predicted any of this happening.”
He ran his hand over the back of his neck. Zoe nodded.
“I didn’t know her parents had declared bankruptcy and lost their cottage,” he said. “Let alone that they lost their business and their house. Zoe, how did I possibly miss that? How could I have been so blind? You know her dad loaned me the money for the engagement ring? And I just threw it on the floor in the boathouse in anger without even thinking of repaying him for his kindness. I had no clue there’d been a bankruptcy auction. Where was my head at, that I missed all that happening?”
“I thought you knew.” She shrugged. “Guess we all figured she’d told you. The bankruptcy auction was Labor Day weekend in September. You were grieving prett
y hard and really angry, too. You’d put us all under strict orders to never mention Theresa’s name ever again. My understanding is the Pattersons bought most of the company assets. The Wrights bought the cottage. A bunch of strangers got the furniture. Dad and Mom went. Josh went with his dad. I didn’t go. I was pretty mean to her back then, to be honest. I was every bit as mad at her as you were, and thought I’d never forgive her for your breakup. It was just a big, sad, terrible mess. I don’t think anybody knew what to say or do about it.”
“Including me,” he said. He stood up.
His sister’s hand brushed his elbow. “But are you okay seeing her now?”
“I’m exhausted, in pain, overwhelmed and shaken up. But that’s due to the circumstances. None of that is her fault.”
“Understood. I’m going to go wake Mandy.” Zoe crossed the room behind him.
He stood in the doorway and stared out at the snow, with half of his heart pulling him toward the cottage where he knew Theresa was and the other half wanting to stay out in the tiny, cold bunkhouse until he knew what to do.
For a moment he’d thought Zoe was about to ask if he still had feelings for Theresa.
He did. He just couldn’t let himself think about them. It’s not like he was in any position to do anything about it.
“Alex, we’ve got a problem.” Zoe’s voice came from behind him. “Mandy managed to get an upstairs window open. She’s gone.”
* * *
Static hissed down the radio line mingling with the crackle of the flames in the fireplace. Theresa’s eyes rose to the clock on the wall. It has been over twenty minutes since Alex had stepped out into the storm and more that that since April has disappeared off the radio. Outside the snow kept growing heavier. The sky kept growing darker.
The door swung open. Theresa leaped to her feet.
“Alex! I’m so glad you’re back, I was beginning to worry—”
The words froze on her lips as a slender woman with tumbling blond hair and a red ski jacket stepped through the doorway. Mandy crossed the threshold and stood on the welcome mat, her limbs shaking like an anxious greyhound. What is she doing here? Instinctively, Theresa’s empty hand stretched out toward her. “Mandy! Wow, am I relieved to see you. How did you get here? Where’s Zoe?”
Mandy didn’t answer. Her eyes darted around the room. “You alone?”
“Yes, I was with Zoe’s brother, Alex, but he went out to investigate a noise.” Theresa set the radio down on the couch and crossed the room. “I can’t begin to tell you how amazing it is to see you.”
“Stop right there. Please.” Mandy’s voice shook. “Don’t come any closer.”
“Mandy?” Theresa froze. “Is everything okay?”
“Hello? Theresa?” April’s voice crackled faintly through the radio behind her. “I’ve got my grandpa. He wants to talk to you. It’s important...”
“Hang on.” Theresa turned toward the radio. “I’ve got to take this.”
“I told you not to move!” Mandy’s voice rose until it cracked. An odd metallic click sounded behind Theresa. She turned.
There was a small handgun in Mandy’s gloved hand.
Fear ran cold like water down Theresa’s spine.
“Hello?” April’s voice grew louder. “Theresa? Can you hear me? Hello? Grandpa, I don’t know where she is. Maybe she’s on another channel.”
“Mandy, please!” Theresa pleaded. “Let me talk to her. They want to help us.”
The radio went to fuzz. Her heart sank.
Mandy stepped across the room, holding the gun out in front of her with one hand like she was trying to keep it as far away from her own body as possible. Instinctively Theresa backed up across the room. Her hands rose.
“Tell me what’s going on, Mandy. You don’t need that gun. I’m here for you and I want to help.”
“I need to get out of here,” Mandy said. “Now. Do you have a car?”
“I’m sorry, I don’t. But Alex has a truck at his cottage, and we can all go get it together when the snow stops.”
“I need to get out of here, now!” Mandy’s voice rose to a yell. “I need to get to Tanner! Or else somebody’s going to kill him!”
The cottage door flew back so hard it clattered.
“Mandy!” Alex’s voice sounded so firm and strong it seemed to reverberate against the walls. “Drop the gun. Now.”
He stepped through the door, followed by Zoe. Relief and confusion jostled with fear inside Theresa’s mind.
Mandy spun toward the doorway. She pointed the gun at Alex.
“Don’t come any closer. Please.” Mandy’s voice quivered. “I don’t want any trouble. I just need to get out of here. I need to warn Tanner that you said somebody’s trying to kill him.”
Alex glanced at Zoe for a fraction of a second. Then, without a word being spoken between them, Zoe slowly slipped sideways, circling around the corner of the room. Instinctively Mandy stepped back toward Theresa.
“Theresa, stay back against the wall and don’t move unless I tell you to.” Alex’s voice was sharp enough to cut glass. “Mandy, look at me. You don’t have to worry about any of that. Trust me, it’s not your concern. Zoe and I are responsible for your safety, and will make sure the correct people are notified about Tanner and everything else that’s happened up here this weekend. But for now, we’re all stranded here in the snow until morning. So here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to drop the gun, right now, and stop this silliness. Because I don’t want to hurt you. But I will if I have to.”
What was Alex thinking? She’d told him how emotionally fragile Mandy was. She’d warned him that the very last thing Mandy needed was to be talked down to and treated like a child. Clearly he hadn’t listened. Mandy took another step back until she was only a few feet away from her. Theresa took a small step forward. Mandy was so close. Just an arm’s length away.
“Theresa.” A warning rumbled through Alex’s voice like thunder, as if reading her mind. “I told you to stay back and let me handle this.”
Mandy’s eyes darted from Alex ahead of her to Zoe slowly coming around on her left.
“I’ll shoot you! Don’t you get that?” Mandy’s limbs shook harder. Her voice rose so high it broke. “You all act like I don’t know what’s really going on. But I do. I need to leave, right now. And if you don’t let me go, I’ll pull this trigger”
“Mandy!” Alex said. “Look at me. You’re not going to pull the trigger. You are going to put that gun down. I’m going to count to three and then you’re going to drop it. Got it? One—”
Mandy raised the gun. Her eyes closed.
“Two—”
She pulled the trigger.
TWELVE
Something popped. Theresa leaped, grabbing Mandy from behind and knocking her to the floor. They fell together on the carpet. For a moment Theresa was caught in a tangle of limbs, as Mandy thrashed and fought to get free. There was another pop, this one right beside her ear. Then she saw Zoe yank Mandy back and wrestle the gun from her hands. Mandy scrambled to her feet and dashed out into the snow. Alex groaned.
“I’ll go after Mandy.” Zoe dropped the gun on the table. “You stay with Theresa.”
“Thanks,” Alex said. Zoe disappeared out into the snow. Alex stretched his hand down toward Theresa. “Well, I guess that could’ve gone worse.”
She grimaced. Was he intentionally trying to remind her of what she’d said to him when they’d gone rolling over the hill? If so, she didn’t appreciate it. She grabbed his hand just long enough to let him pull her up, but let go the moment she was on her feet.
“What happened?” she asked. “Where did Zoe and Mandy even come from? How did Mandy get a gun?”
“They were hiding in a bunkhouse in the woods.” Alex picked up the g
un from where Zoe had left it and opened the chamber. Four pellets dropped out into his hand. “The gun was toy, albeit a pretty realistic one. Had me fooled until she tried to pull the trigger. I was briefing Zoe on the main floor and Mandy must’ve overheard some of what we were saying, overreacted and snuck out the second story window. This whole thing’s ridiculous. The last thing we needed was a runaway client on top of everything else.” He tossed the pellets into a metal bucket by the fireplace. “You should never have tackled her. You should’ve listened to me.”
“Excuse me!” Her arms crossed. Why was he talking to her like a naughty child who’d stayed out past her curfew? “I was right behind her. You had Zoe circling around to tackle her, right?”
“Yes, but—”
“But I was right behind her!” Theresa said. “I was already in position. Plus, I’m her psychotherapist. She was clearly upset about something and you clearly were totally dismissing her. You could’ve used me to help calm the situation down instead of barking at me to stay put.”
Alex’s eyes rose to the ceiling. He dropped down on the couch. “With all due respect, I don’t want you tackling somebody who’s armed. You don’t know what you’re doing!”
“And you do?” Even as the words crossed Theresa’s lips she could hear a voice inside her mind telling her to stop. But fear had sent adrenaline pounding through her veins and it was like she couldn’t stop. His eyes opened wide. His lips parted. She didn’t let him get a word in. She’d yielded to Alex too many times. She’d told him far too many times that she wasn’t going to argue. This time he was going to listen.
“You let your client slip out a bedroom window! April came back on the line with her grandpa and we lost the opportunity to talk to her because Mandy was waving that replica gun around. Which I thought was real, too, by the way. You want to blame this disaster on me? You left me alone in here, worried and afraid while you had a private little chat with Zoe for twenty minutes! You could’ve come back, included me in the discussion. You could’ve let me know what was going on. But, of course, you didn’t. Because you never stop and think that what I feel or what I’m going through matters.”
Rescue at Cedar Lake Page 12
