Carolina Key

by Elizabeth Truiett

Ch. 22

  Phillip

  During the next two weeks, Ken continued to search for Stacy and Daniel and to research anything he could find on someone named Tong. There were several different leads he was working on, but since Candace didn’t know his last name, his search was painstakingly slow.

  One evening, when Ruth and Candace were hosting a sewing class at the camp, Phillip was sitting on the porch after filling Hope’s hummingbird feeders. The house was quiet and he couldn’t stand to be inside. Ken’s patrol car came screeching into the driveway with the lights blaring.

  “Get in!” he shouted.

  Phillip stood up in shock and ran to the car door. “What is it? Is it them? Are they ok?” he asked, a frantic look on his face.

  “We have located Stacy’s house in Waco. It took this long but after we got the photo of the tattoo we took it to the bank who drafted the loan and a loan officer recognized the tattoo. Tong’s last name is Pham.” Ken said.

  The drive took a couple of hours and the men made it without stopping. They neared the house at dusk and Ken reached into the glove compartment for his extra flashlight and ammo.

  “Stay behind me at all times. Remember you are a private citizen, not a lunatic father. “

  “I’ll remember,” Phillip said grimly.

  Ken’s knock at the door could have woken the dead six counties over. “Mountain Creek Police

  Department. Open the door, please.” His booming voice had no sooner ceased than his black boot was planted squarely in the door. With a powerful kick the door swung inward, revealing a dark empty living room. Again, he shouted, “Mountain Creek Police!”

  Ken walked through the dark, heat filled rooms with Phillip right behind him. In one bedroom

  Phillip sank to his knees and picked up Grace’s red bible. He knew it was hers. He had overheard her tell Hope one day when she thought they were alone,

  “Mom, I hate it when I don’t have my good bible on me, it’s like not having your good bra on, nothing goes right!”

  Hope had laughed along with her and he could still hear the sound of their laughter. Would he ever see them again?

  “Look inside. Maybe she left us another message.” Ken suggested.

  Phillip rummaged through the bible looking for a note. There were several pages torn out. They were the book of Ruth. Grace had highlighted the verse:

  “Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.”

  As he read the passage he shook his head. “I’m sure she is trying to tell us something, but I’m not quite sure just what.”

  The men looked at each other with sudden understanding dawning on their faces. “She’s

  going to Ruth’s!” Ken handed the bible back to Phillip and reached for his radio, “Mountain

  Creek, be advised the house is secure and empty. Suspect is nowhere to be found. Need contact with Port Aransas Police Department, repeat, Port Aransas, TX.”

  Ken looked at his watch. It was now 9:30 p.m. “We can be there by morning. Let me call Linda.” He turned away and pulled out his cell phone. Phillip read again the verse from Ruth. When Ken came back Phillip said, “If I know my daughter she’s converted Daniel’s mother. Wouldn’t that be crazy?”

  “Yes, but I agree it would be just like Grace.” The men left the house and got into the cruiser.

  Phillip put through a call to Ruth to tell her and Candace of their plans. The women insisted on coming and could, under no circumstances be persuaded to stay behind. They jumped into Ruth’s brand new silver Impala and after a quick stop at the camp to get Charlie’s favorite toy, they began their journey to the coast.

 

  Ch. 23

  Hope

  Hot Springs

  About 7:30 p.m. Saturday evening, I was carrying some bags of French fries to the walk in freezer. It was dark in the storage area and I stopped suddenly, wondering as I crumpled to the cement floor just what I had managed to hit the back of my head on. I awoke at 9:30, squinting at my watch in the dim light, wondering why I felt such fear. Rosa was gone, I knew. Her son had a baseball game and I had volunteered to help Marla stock supplies. The museum closed at 8:00 p.m. and I doubted if Marla were still around. She had been in the gift shop ordering supplies with the gift shop manager.

  I sat up feeling dizzy, a stinging lump at the base of my neck. What could I possibly have hit my head on? I struggled to stand. A shuffling noise made me realize I was not alone. My breath caught in my throat. “Who’s there?” I said. A man cleared his throat. “Mrs. Stephens?”

  It was Daniel. For a moment the light blinded me and I could see only his silhouette in the doorway. The freezer was to my right. I was too stunned to react. I heard screaming then my fists were clutching the neck of Daniel’s shirt.

  “Where is she? Where is she? What have you

  done to my daughter? Where is Grace?” I screamed, and pounded his chest with my fists.

  “I didn’t kill Shirley. I swear I didn’t. Please come with me and I can explain everything in

  time. I had to do what I did. But I want you to know I didn’t kill Shirley.” Daniel’s voice was frantic.

  “Where is Grace?” I continued to scream until I heard a deep voice snap, “Shut her up!” It was hard to see in the storeroom. The light coming from the snack bar dining room was bright and two tall figures stood before me. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and I stepped closer, desperate to make out a face. He turned sideways and I saw the long ponytail tied with a black band. It was the Asian man from the street I had seen a couple of weeks ago. He flipped on the light and I had to close my eyes for a moment. He held a gun in his hand and on his arm was a

  dragon tattoo.

  “Shut her up, I said!” I flinched, his voice echoed harshly. He handed Daniel a roll of duct tape and he tore off a piece. He turned me around and taped my hands. I began to panic. I twisted and fought them both. I knew this was going to be my last chance to save my daughter. If Grace wasn’t with Daniel then where could she be? I waited for the right moment, and amid their pushing, pulling on my arms, and cursing, I seized the opportunity and sank my teeth into the man’s hand. I bit down until I tasted blood, then as he let go I pushed him with all my weight

  and ran.

  With my hands tied awkwardly behind me and the tape flapping around my mouth, I slipped and slid over the stairs. Somehow I made it to the ground floor. I burst into the lobby yelling,

  “Help! Help! Security! Security!” The man with the dragon tattoo was slowly making his way down the stairs. He smiled lazily at me. “Officer Smith has unexpectedly retired.”

  I closed my eyes. He was referring to our elderly security guard the day camp students affectionately called “Mr. Bill”. Every day, he would stand at the door and greet each child and if they would shake his hand he would give them a piece of candy.

  “You killed him?” I cried.

  “He is, shall we say, just resting.” he laughed, exposing yellow tar stained teeth. He grabbed my

  arm roughly and held my elbow in a vise like grip.

  “I want what’s mine and I want it now.” he said, his voice low and his mouth close to my ear.

  “Now, where did you hide it?” he whispered. I stared defiantly at him until he began to twist my arm painfully.

  “Don’t!” I cried.

  “Tong! Stop!” Daniel was standing beside me, pulling me away. He put his hands on my shoulders to make me look at him. “Please, Mrs. Stephens. You have to tell Tong where the gold is. Grace is with my Mom. She’s safe. You have to take us to the gold.”

  I tur
ned away and started to protest but Daniel grabbed my chin with his hand. There was a

  desperation in his voice as well as his eyes.

  “He’ll kill you if you don’t.”

  He looked over at Tong for a moment and then said softly,

  “He’ll kill me, too.” I nodded my head and he

  pulled the tape from the side of my face.

  “Ok, but we have to go back to Texas.” I said and thought of my dear friend Rosa. I would never see her again or get to say goodbye to her.

  “Where did you park?”Daniel asked Tong.

  “East Entrance.” was his curt reply. The Botanical Gardens were outside the East entrance. Keeping me between them, we slipped out the door and hurried through the garden when we heard a shout.

  “Freeze! Hold it right there. You are trespassing unlawfully and I do have the authority to detain you.”

  Daniel put his arm around my shoulder,

  “Run! He’s got a gun!”

  I didn’t know if he meant the security guard or Tong but I ran anyway. We crashed into the jungle plants as we climbed over rocks and slipped and slid over the waterfall. We were trying to get as far away as possible. I heard several shots ring out but I couldn’t tell just which direction they were flying. Tong was crouched down behind a large boulder with a raft of pink elephant ears covering his face. I was

  looking his way when he fell over backwards and tumbled into the torrent of swirling water. It bubbled against his face and he looked up at me with an amazed expression.

  “Where is it?” he whispered, as the current swept him past me.