Sadie shuddered. Rubbed her arms.
Shana focused on Sadie. “You were her friend, weren’t you? Are you the one who was in Indonesia on a research trip?”
Smiling, Sadie nodded.
Shana returned the smile. “She told me all about you. I’m glad you’re back and you’re here now to help them find out who killed her. I still don’t understand why.”
“If you could find out about the test results on the water sample she brought in,” Gage said, “maybe that will give us information we can use. There might be a connection.”
Shana’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, right. Maybe I can help you with that.”
“While you’re looking into it, mind if we take a look in Karon’s office? It was locked.”
Nodding quickly, Shana rose and moved to the door to peek out. “I only have a key because Shana and I were close and we looked out for each other. Okay, the coast is clear.”
Why would the coast need to be clear? Sadie wanted to ask that, but she let Gage do the talking. They followed Shana to the next office. Shana’s hands trembled as she jiggled the key into the lock and opened the door. “I’m going back to my office to look up some files. If I can’t find the information you need there, I’ll have to go down to the lab. So wait for me in my office, okay?”
“Mind if I talk to some other of her coworkers?” Gage asked.
Frowning, she hesitated before responding. “I wouldn’t do that just yet. Wait until I get back.”
“What’s going on here?” A man stood in the doorway. “What are you doing in Miss Casings’s office? No one should be in here.”
SEVEN
At the panicked look on Shana’s face, Gage quickly stepped up to diffuse the situation. He flashed his badge. “I’m CGIS Special Agent Sessions. We’re here to ask questions about Karon Casings.”
“Why wasn’t I informed of this?” The thirtysomething man lifted his shoulders higher. Definitely cocky and arrogant.
“Who are you exactly?” Gage asked.
“I’m Denver Epson, Karon’s boss. You should have gone through human resources.”
Gage didn’t want to argue with the man and probably should redirect him, but he couldn’t help himself. “Why on earth for? Unless someone in human resources knows something pertaining to Karon’s murder? I’m not applying for a job. I’m investigating Karon’s death.”
Epson visibly paled. “Murder?” He glanced at Shana then back to Gage. “But I...I thought...”
Gage waited for him to finish what he would say.
“We heard she drowned.” He fell back against the wall. “Who would do something like that?”
“That’s what we’re here to find out. Will you excuse me for a second? I need to have a word with my colleague.” He pulled Sadie out of the office and down the hall. “I’m going to talk to this guy and while he’s distracted, would you get the water sample or the results from Shana?”
Sadie scrunched her face. “Why don’t you just ask him?”
“Obviously Karon didn’t want anyone to know about it. She came up here at night. And Shana acts wary. I want to see what it is before too many more people know about it. Otherwise the likelihood it could get destroyed or tampered with will increase.”
“Good idea.” Sadie nodded and approached Shana, drawing her away from her boss.
Epson’s demeanor had changed and he became more than willing to help. But the interview with him didn’t reveal anything suspicious or out of the ordinary. The guy saw Karon at work and that was it, according to him. He seemed truly distraught that she had died, and especially upset to hear about the cause of death. But maybe the guy was a good actor. Gage talked to a couple of more employees that Epson said knew Karon, and then he donned gloves and searched her office for anything that might connect her to the drug runners or to her murderer, but found nothing. Either Karon had been extremely careful and diligent to leave nothing evidential behind, or there was nothing here to find. Crowley had mentioned calling in the state boys on this, so he’d leave them to decide if cordoning off her office was warranted, and instructed Epson to leave everything as it was, for now. Interesting the company had left her office intact even after two weeks. Someone certainly could have removed evidence during that time.
Gage went in search of Sadie, hoping she’d gotten the results of the water test, and found her alone in Shana’s office.
She sat in a chair reading a magazine and slapped it closed when she saw him. “Are you ready to go?”
He leaned close and lowered his voice. “Did you get the goods?”
Without a direct answer, Sadie stood and grabbed his arm. She led him down the hall until they were out of Shana’s general work space. “I’ll explain when we’re out of here.”
He slowed up until she couldn’t make him budge. “I’m not going anywhere without it.”
“Yes, you are,” she whispered. “Do you trust me or not?”
Fists on his hips, he said, “I could just go back and ask for it.”
Sadie looped her arm through his and tried to encourage him forward. “I think we both know it’s not that simple.”
Gage acquiesced and together they exited the building. Neither of them spoke again until they were at his SUV.
“This had better be good.” He tugged the keys out and unlocked the doors.
Once inside, he started the vehicle and waited. Sadie buckled her seat belt. Buying herself time to come up with a good explanation?
Her chest rose with her deep breath then fell again before she looked at him with her crystal-blue eyes. They could do him in if he let them. But he had to keep eye contact. “Well?”
“Shana was afraid to look for it. Or even go down to the lab. She didn’t want her boss to see. So she’ll give it to us later.”
Gage reached for the door. Sadie gripped his bicep. He really wished she wouldn’t do that. He turned to face her as she leaned on the console, putting her face much closer to his. Her pretty lips formed a soft smile. “Gage, listen. If she meets us later, she is more likely to give us additional information, don’t you think?”
The woman made a good point. “But she could also destroy the test results. Maybe she doesn’t want us to see those. And you just risked our chance to get them.”
“Oh, come on, she wouldn’t have brought that up if she didn’t want us to know.” Sadie edged away from the console, putting distance between them, and leaned against the seat.
That was better. She wasn’t so close, but Gage found himself wishing for her nearness again. He focused back on task. “True. There must be something more to tell because she was definitely nervous about being seen talking to us. Did she say when and where she would meet us?”
“Tomorrow morning in Vickson. There’s a little mom-and-pop restaurant. Can’t remember the name.”
“Why there?”
“Because I didn’t think you’d want to drive all the way back here to Rollins in Olympia tomorrow. Vickson is halfway between Coldwater Bay and Olympia. I forgot that I’m not staying with Aunt Debby so that I could stay anywhere. We could have stayed in Olympia, even. I didn’t think about it at the time.”
“That’s fine.” Gage nodded and steered from the Rollins Environmental parking lot. He needed to speak with Deputy Crowley. Gage hadn’t learned much of anything yet. Until they saw the results of the water sample to discover what Karon was looking into, they had no idea if it was connected to her murder or to Gage’s drug runners. If it was connected, there could be a motive buried in there somewhere. Gage couldn’t help but wonder what investigative angle Deputy Crowley was taking, since he hadn’t visited Karon’s employer. Still, Gage would call him after they met with Shana in the morning.
“We’ll head that way then and find someplace to get a couple of rooms, unless you want to go back to Coldwater Bay. It’s not that far. Yo
u never told me where you were planning to stay to be safe. I still vote for your uncle Joe’s with your aunt.”
“Maybe I will end up there. But I’m kind of hoping we can find the guy who did this to Karon before I have to move in with Uncle Joe and Aunt Neta along with Aunt Debby.”
He kept his attention focused on the two-lane road that snaked around the mountains, hedging a deep gorge on one side. His shoulder and neck muscles grew tense. He didn’t feel as if he’d gained any ground at all. How was it all connected? Karon, Sean, Sadie and the maritime drug runners? Who was the man who’d questioned Debby? There was much more going on here, and he needed to catch a break while keeping Sadie safe.
“Don’t forget it’s not only about finding Karon’s killer—but someone tried to kill you. You have to stay alert.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll never forget.”
Without thinking about it, Gage reached over and put his hand over Sadie’s on the console between them. She didn’t pull away. What are you doing, man? He’d never done this when they had hung out in college. Never put his hand over hers in a tender way. Comforted her when she’d gotten her broken heart, sure, but this was purely impulsive on his part.
“I hope this will end soon and then one day you can truly put this behind you,” he said.
“Me too, Gage, me too. But there’s one part of this I don’t want to put behind me.”
“Oh, what’s that?” His heart skipped a little at her tone.
“I’m glad we reconnected. I’m glad you’re in this with me. I wouldn’t want anyone else. I’m not sure I could even trust anyone else with my safety as much as I do you.”
The weight of that responsibility pressed on him already, and her words heaped more pressure on him. Gage wasn’t sure how to react or what to say. He’d warned himself away from this woman. She’d never once looked at him in “that way,” but now her tone, her words, had his heart tumbling all over.
Lights from the vehicle behind them flashed in his rearview mirror, approaching them much too fast. “Hold on!”
Gage tried to accelerate, but it was too late. The vehicle rammed into the back of his SUV.
* * *
The force threw her forward, the seat belt holding her body in place, but her screams escaped.
The SUV fishtailed. Gage corrected and accelerated. She risked a glance his way. Caught the deep furrows of his face and his tight jaw. His iron grip on the wheel and tensed body.
His demeanor added to her terror. Her heart would crash through her rib cage.
“What’s going on?” Stupid question.
“You know as much as I do.” His brows dove even lower.
She hoped for some reassurance, but that had been a long shot. As Gage accelerated, driving much too fast for comfort on a curvy mountain road, she gulped for breath and sent up continuous silent prayers for help and protection.
She thought she might hyperventilate. Someone wants me dead. Someone doesn’t want me to find the truth out about why Karon was murdered.
But they weren’t going to scare her away. She wouldn’t give up. She would never give up until justice was served. She just hoped Gage wasn’t in more danger because of her.
Tires squealed as he whipped the SUV around a corner, the vehicle leaning precariously to the side. Sadie held on to the handgrip with all her strength. Tried to steady her breathing. On the right side, beyond the guardrail, the road dropped down a hundred feet or more into a ravine, crystal clear water flowing out of Olympia National Forest. She couldn’t see that now since dusk had fallen, but knew it was there.
“I need you to call 9-1-1 for me. I can’t take my hands off the wheel.”
“My cell is in my bag and that’s down on the floorboard. I can’t reach it without unbuckling.”
“Don’t do that. Just use mine.”
She snatched his cell and hoped for some bars. Got one, but that would have to do. Sadie entered the numbers...
The vehicle slammed them from behind.
And the cell flew from her hands onto the floorboard. “Oh, no, Gage. I dropped the phone.” She reached for her seat belt.
“Do. Not. Under any circumstances, release your restraint. That could get you killed.”
“I’m such an idiot!”
“You’re not. It’s not your fault. Just pray. Trust God, and trust that He’ll give me the means to get us out of this.”
Sadie nodded and sent up a prayer. She still felt like an idiot.
The other vehicle pulled up next to them on the two-lane mountain road. She glanced over her shoulder and could barely make out another SUV—full-size. Maybe a Suburban. No wonder the driver was so bold and aggressive. He had the bigger vehicle.
Gage accelerated again to try to pull ahead but the other vehicle kept pace with them.
“Gaaaagge...” Her pitch rose as she said his name. She grasped her armrest on the left, and the grip at the top of the door to her right as though her efforts would save her life if they crashed.
The pursuing vehicle on the left swerved toward them and bumped them over the gravel shoulder. Gage tried to steer back onto the road.
“Why aren’t your airbags working?”
“They’re designed to go off in a frontal crash. The vehicle behind us might have disengaged theirs, considering they just rammed us.”
“They’re trying to run us off the road.” Sadie could hardly think of anything more terrifying—except waking up on a sinking boat. “You know what that means, right? There’s nowhere for us to go except into the ravine. You can’t let them do that.”
Gage said nothing at all, which was fine with her. Maybe he was so focused he hadn’t even heard her. She’d let him concentrate on getting them out of this. He overcorrected intentionally and slammed into the bigger SUV then suddenly slowed. Their pursuer pulled ahead. Gage sped up until the front wheels of his SUV aligned with the back wheels of the bigger vehicle, then he steered toward the back side and gently bumped it. The other vehicle started skidding and whipped around and off the road to the left.
“That was a messed-up version of the PIT maneuver. You’ve heard of that—the police often use it to force a fleeing car to stop.” Gage increased speed, leaving their pursuer behind.
“Aren’t you going to stop and get out? Use your weapon and apprehend the guy?”
“Not with you in the car. I don’t know how many are in the vehicle or what kind of ammunition they brought. He or she or they could be loaded for bear. If you weren’t with me, sure, I’d risk it. But keeping you safe is more important.”
“So you’re going to let them get away just to protect me?”
“Protecting life is always my priority. Especially when it’s yours.”
What did he mean by that? Any other time and Sadie might have let herself ponder his words. But headlights from two vehicles half a mile up headed their way. More trouble? Or passersby that could be put in harm’s way? “I hope this doesn’t cause those drivers any trouble.”
Oh, Lord, this is so awful. Please help us!
Gage stared into the rearview mirror. “Our pursuer is coming for us again.” Gage accelerated and whipped the vehicle around a curve in the mountain road.
Sadie once again held on tight. “Gage, slow down! It’s dark out. You can’t see where you’re going!”
“Then neither can he.” Keeping his focus on the road, he ground out the words.
“You can’t race him, you can’t outrun him. You’re going to get us killed.”
“I’m going to save our lives. Save your life.” He slowed the vehicle.
“What...what are you doing?”
“We lost him for now. We have about five seconds before he makes that curve.” The tires screeched on a hard stop. “Now get out.”
“What?”
“Just do it! Get over by that rock
and hide. Do not move from that spot.”
She hesitated as she tried to wrap her mind around his plan.
“Two seconds left. Hurry.”
She jumped out and scrambled in the dark over to the boulder edging the shoulder. “I hope you meant this one,” she mumbled.
Then he took off again. “Gage!” Wait. Where was he going?”
Oh, Lord, please protect him. She had thought he would get out with her and they were leaving the vehicle to roll on its own or parked at the side of the road so their pursuer would crash into it. But that hadn’t been Gage’s plan at all.
The pursuing vehicle sped around the curve, giving chase. Oh, no. She couldn’t stand by and watch this. Why had she gotten out of the vehicle in the first place? She would rather be with Gage right now—then he might be more protective of himself in order to keep her safe.
But he’d given her precious few seconds to get out or even question him on his plan. Sadie paced near the boulder next to the road, watching the scene unfold before her. She could only see the rear lights of both vehicles, hear tires squealing and engines roaring.
I can’t stand this!
If only she’d brought her cell with her, she could call 9-1-1. But she hadn’t had a chance to think.
Pulse pounding in her ears, Sadie pressed her back against the cold boulder. Gage had put her safely out of the way to risk his life and stop whoever had tried to run them off the road.
God, please help him. Please save him. She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed hard. The sound of cars slowly driving by in the opposite lane drew her attention and she opened her eyes. A car slowed, probably either calling the police about the two crazies on the road or watching what would happen.
In horror, Sadie watched the bright red rear lights of the two vehicles in combat down farther.
Gage against the giant. Tires screeched. Metal crunched. One of the vehicles rolled over and over...
And over.
“No! Gage!” Her cry echoed through the night.
Thread of Revenge Page 7
