by Liz Bradford
Patrick couldn’t stand for this. He wouldn’t let them forget him so easily. Something had to be done. He wanted to kill them himself, but he couldn’t wait for his plan to unfold. It was taking too long. If nothing else, he could at least throw a wrench in the wedding spokes. He twisted ideas around in his head and devised a plan to send to Chet when Frank came back around.
Chet owed him big and so did that mechanic who almost killed his friend. Between those two guys, they’d have to commit murder to pay Patrick off. Gavin and Jocelyn would not get their happily ever after.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
One week! In one week, Jocelyn would be his wife. Gavin pushed open the door of the flower shop and held it for Jocelyn. He followed her out. This stop had taken longer than they had anticipated, and Jocelyn was looking tired. He put his hand on the small of her back. “Are you doing okay?”
“My feet hurt, but I’ll put them up once I’m back at Becca’s.”
He wanted to just sweep her up into his arms and carry her, but that would be ridiculous.
His phone rang. He pulled it off his belt. It was Becca. “Hey. We’re just headed back to your house.”
“Well, don’t. We got a call to come out to the woods on the northside of town, and we were requested. You could probably drop Jocelyn off first. She looked tired today.”
“We’re already halfway there.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll text you the address.”
“Thanks.” He put his phone back on his belt.
“No rest for the weary I guess.”
“Sorry, babe.”
She shrugged, and they walked to the passenger’s side of his truck. He opened the door, but before Jocelyn could climb in a horn honked behind them. Ella’s Corolla appeared in the parking lot.
Ella rolled down the window. “Hey, can I steal Jocelyn for a bit?”
“School’s out already?”
Ella nodded.
“If you must, but she needs to put her feet up.”
Jocelyn swatted his chest and walked toward Ella.
He kissed her head and opened the car door. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
She climbed in, and they disappeared down the road.
The truck felt empty without her, but at least she wouldn’t have to go to the crime scene with him. After programming the address into his GPS, he pulled out of the parking lot and headed north. He rolled down the windows and let the warm September breeze blow through the cab.
After driving only a mile, he was out of town and on a curvy country road. He increased his speed to match the higher speed limit. Though a familiar section of road, he hadn’t traveled it much in recent years.
He approached a sharp curve. When he was in high school, a group of classmates had taken this turn too sharply, careening down the embankment into the trees and creek. No one survived.
Gavin lifted his foot off the accelerator.
His truck began to slow down but not enough, so he put his foot on the brake. The brakes began to engage. He pushed a little firmer, but the pedal hit the floor. He lifted his foot and slammed it down again. No resistance.
The curve was coming fast. He couldn’t slow down. He steered the truck around the curve, but it was too sharp. The passenger side tires went off the asphalt and hit the dirt. He fought to turn the truck more, but he wasn’t going to make it. Dear God, protect me!
The truck veered farther off course no matter how much Gavin turned the wheel. The driver’s side wheels met the dirt. He’d engage the emergency brake, however that would just send him sliding down the embankment even sooner. But it was coming soon either way.
He gave the truck a little gas in the hope that he would be able to get back on the road. It didn’t work. The passenger side tires found the edge. The truck flipped.
Becca kicked a pinecone that sat on the forest floor. This was proving to be a complete waste of time. “Do you see anything, Jackson?”
Officer Logan Jackson looked up at her from where he was searching twenty yards away. “Not even a dead squirrel.”
“Then what on earth did you call in?”
“I got here two minutes before you.” Logan’s eyebrows furrowed. “It was an anonymous report.”
“A dead goose chase. This is stupid. And where is Gavin?”
“How am I supposed to know? He’s your partner.”
She let a heavy breath out through tight lips. Logan was starting to irritate her. She wandered a little further. The call had indicated there was a dead body along the side of the road, but the two of them had walked up and down the road and into the brush a ways, but there was no evidence of any body.
Becca checked her watch. Gavin had said he was on his way. He should have been here by now.
Logan’s radio crackled on his shoulder, but he was far enough away that she couldn’t understand the dispatcher’s words.
“Unit 245. Detective Palmer and I are close. We’ll check it out.”
“What’s going on?”
“Someone called in a possible vehicle crash off the bluff on blind-man’s corner.”
“That awful turn on Durand Avenue?”
“Yep. Group of kids died when they went off when I was a kid.”
Maybe Gavin stopped to help, and that’s why he wasn’t there yet. But what if… Oh Jesus, please let Gavin be okay…
She ran to her car and shouted to Logan. “Let’s go! Gavin would have been driving right through there.”
Jumping in her SUV, Becca fumbled with her keys, trying to get them in the ignition. She mounted her phone in its holder on the dash and told it to call Jared. He picked up on the third ring.
“Hey, Becks. Any lu—”
“I think Gavin’s been in an accident.”
“What?”
“There was a call of an accident on that really curvy road leading to the nonexistent crime scene. What if—”
Jared stopped her. “Don’t. Just get there and see what’s going on. I’ll be praying.”
“Thanks. I’m almost there.” She made the final turn before “blind man’s corner.” The bluff came into view. “Oh, dear Jesus!” Her hands tightened on the steering wheel.
“What is it?”
“Gavin’s truck. It’s at the bottom of the embankment. It’s not good.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
Jocelyn leaned her head back and laughed. Ella had taken her to get a pedicure, and they had been giggling the whole time. The woman giving her the pedicure sat back down with the polish Jocelyn had chosen.
Ella’s phone rang. She picked it up, and her smile took over her face. “Hey, you.”
Must be Adam.
Ella’s face went ashen. “What?” Her voice barely left her lips. “Oh, sweet Jesus. Can you come get us?”
Jocelyn’s lungs compressed. What was going on?
“See you shortly.” Ella let the hand holding her phone fall to her lap. She lowered her head, eyes closed.
“What’s going on? Was that Adam?”
Ella didn’t look at her.
Jocelyn’s heart thudded against her ribs. “Ella?”
Ella finally met Jocelyn’s eyes. “It was Adam. He said there was an accident. He’s coming to get us.”
“Accident? Who?”
Ella’s eyes were wide. “Gavin. Adam said Becca is on the scene.”
Jocelyn’s stomach turned over. No. “Like a car…”
Ella nodded.
“But Gavin’s such a safe driver. What—”
“I don’t know, Joc.” Ella reached over.
Jocelyn accepted her friend’s hand. God, please let Gavin be okay. She wasn’t sure she could handle it if he wasn’t.
Gavin tried to open his eyes.
“I have to!” Becca’s voice sounded so far away.
“At least let me grab the rope I have in the trunk.” A second voice.
Gavin recognized the male voice but couldn’t quite place it, not through the pounding in his head and the ringing in his ears.
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He finally got his eyes opened. He shoved the airbag out of his face. The small part of the window he had left up was gone. He wiped the glass from his lap. At least his arms were working fine. He tried to shift his legs, but his right one was pinned. Pain? His head hurt too much to tell how badly his leg hurt. His left one moved though. At least I’m not paralyzed. Or dead. Thank You, Jesus.
“Gavin!” Becca called.
He looked out and up the steep embankment. Becca, with a rope tied around her waist, was climbing down the path left by his truck. How had the truck missed the trees?
Logan Jackson held the other end of Becca’s rope. How had they found him? How long had he been out?
“Gavin!”
“I’m alive.” Pain etched his voice more than he expected.
“Oh, praise Jesus!” She slid the rest of the way to his truck. “What happened?”
“My brakes just gave out.”
“Did you have them worked on recently?”
He shook his head and immediately regretted the movement.
“We’ll investigate later. First, how hurt are you?” Becca positioned herself to open the door. It didn’t want to budge, but she tried again. “I will get this door open.”
“Just wait for the fire department. You did call them, right?”
A tense chuckle slipped from Becca’s lips. “They called us actually. Well, we were at the nonexistent crime scene when a call came through. I believe someone who lives in the house down the way heard the crash.”
“Becca, the proper southern phrase is ‘over yonder.’”
She shook her head with a smile. “Glad to know you aren’t too hurt.”
“Just my head and my leg won’t budge, but I don’t think it’s too bad.”
Sirens echoed through the ravine.
Becca tried the door again.
Gavin reached through the window and touched her shoulder. “Just wait. I’m fine.”
Becca looked past him. Her eyes grew even wider than normal. “Gavin, where’s Jocelyn?”
His pulse quickened, and he jerked his head to the passenger’s seat. Pain surged through his head and blurred his vision. Jocelyn. Ella. Thank God.
Peace rushed in. His eyes regained focus. The entire passenger’s side was gone. A tree had stopped his descent and taken up residence in the passenger’s seat. If she had been there… His stomach lurched, and he lost his lunch on the tree.
“Oh, Gavin…” Becca’s voice shook.
He wiped his mouth on his jacket sleeve. “She wasn’t in the car. Ella picked her up.”
“Thank God.”
“Seriously, Riley?” A new voice joined them. AJ Jackson rappelled down next to Becca. Ty was right behind her. Brennan and Caleb held their lines at the top of the hill.
Gavin said, “Didn’t want you firefighters just sitting around eating Twinkies and napping all day.”
AJ poked her head around the edge of the window. “Ha. Ha. Why don’t you just shut it and let us get you out of there?”
“I guess that’d be okay.”
Becca moved out of the way and let the two firefighters get to work. They asked him a zillion questions about how he was feeling as they pried the door open.
A scream came from the top of the hill. Jocelyn. He met her eyes. Even from the bottom of the ravine, he could see that she had been crying. Now he had to get out of the wreckage. It no longer seemed that AJ and Ty were working fast enough.
“Sit still, Riley.” AJ pressed her hand against his shoulder. “We almost have you out. But you’ve got to relax. We’ll get you up to her as soon as we can.”
The seconds ticked by at an irritatingly slow speed before they were able to pull his leg free from the engine block and console. They splinted the leg.
He put his hand on AJ’s arm. “I don’t think it’s broken.”
“That’s not for you to decide. Brennan and Caleb can take it off you if they think it’s fine.” A basket rescue stretcher appeared.
“You are not putting me in that.”
“Riley”—Ty looked him square in the face—“no choice.”
Gavin surrendered and let them put him in the contraption and lift him up the embankment.
Jocelyn shook and kept her head buried in Adam’s chest. She couldn’t look. Gavin was alive. She’d made eye contact, but how hurt was he? Would they still be able to get married? What if it had been worse?
“Hey.” Adam pushed her back to arm’s length. “They got him out.”
She turned in time to see two firefighters she didn’t know pull him up over the edge. As soon as Caleb and Brennan had AJ and Ty up, they dove into helping Gavin.
She walked slowly toward them.
“Jocelyn!” Gavin sat up.
“Riley! Settle down.” Brennan all but pushed Gavin back down on the stretcher.
She dropped to her knees beside him.
He shoved Brennan aside and took Jocelyn into his arms. She wrapped hers around his neck.
“I was so sc—”
“I know. I’m so grateful you went with Ella.”
“Jocelyn”—Caleb’s hand rested on her back—“we need to clean him up.”
She nodded and moved away. The EMTs washed up the little cuts on his arms and the gash on his leg and examined his head.
Caleb said, “I agree. Your leg isn’t broken, but you’ve definitely got a concussion. We’ll have to take you in.”
They got him up on the stretcher. Jocelyn took his hand and squeezed it. “Why did this happen? Haven’t we been through enough?”
Gavin tightened his grip on her hand. “You would think. But God’s got us. He’s not the one punishing us.”
Caleb grabbed both of their shoulders. “You’re right, Gavin. God doesn’t punish the same sin twice, and Jesus already took your punishment. That is not what is going on. Sure, there are natural consequences for sin, but this was just an accident.”
“But was it?” Jocelyn looked Caleb in the eyes.
Caleb’s eyebrows lifted. “Do you suspect it was something else?”
Gavin nodded. “I wouldn’t be surprised. But we can’t know until we check out the truck.”
Becca appeared at the end of the ambulance. “I’m on it. You better believe we’ll do a thorough investigation. You get better first. Adam, Amelia, and I have got this.” Becca closed the ambulance door.
Jocelyn rubbed Gavin’s hand. How was Patrick still torturing her from prison? He was behind this, wasn’t he? God, he did this, didn’t he? Will we ever escape his hand? Will You protect us?
Deep inside she sensed the Lord’s presence. He had protected them. That’s why they were both still alive.
Gavin glanced around the lobby and pulled open the squad room door. He was getting tired of looking over his shoulder constantly. It was Monday, four days before he and Jocelyn were going to get married, but only three days since someone had cut the brakes of his truck. By Saturday afternoon they had proof it had been sabotage. He set his coffee on his desk and rubbed his leg.
“Hurting?” Becca leaned back in her chair.
“Only with every other step.” He chuckled and sat at his desk. “So, where are we with this?” He had been out of the loop all weekend since the team made him rest. “Any CCTV footage?”
“Yes. Mike’s working on cleaning it up and identifying the man who slid under your truck while you were in the florist’s shop. So… who would have reason to do this?”
He tilted his head to the side. “Way to ask the question with the most obvious answer.”
“He’s in prison.”
“You don’t think he’s got people loyal to him or under his thumb?”
“Like blackmail?”
“Oh yeah. It wouldn’t surprise me.”
“Do you have proof?”
“Well, no. But I’ve always suspected he did that sort of thing. Once when we rode together on a night shift, he let a guy off on a warning, but he later ‘called in a favor’ with the same
guy. It’s not conclusive or proof, but…”
“Definitely suspicious.”
He picked up his coffee and took a sip. “But there’s no proof. Even if we catch whoever tampered with my brakes, he probably wouldn’t give Patrick up. If he’s willing to commit murder, then Patrick has something pretty big on him.”
Becca just stared at Gavin for a moment. “But answer this: Why is Patrick just now trying something?”
Gavin shrugged. What changed? Oh… “Maybe he found out we’re getting married.”
Three hours later, Gavin stepped into the little viewing area off the interrogation room. Adam and Amelia had found the man who’d tampered with his breaks. Either Patrick had something really bad on this guy, or he was a complete idiot.
“How’s it going?” Gavin took his place beside Captain Baker.
“They just got started. We’ve established his name and his rights, nothing more.”
Gavin let out an anxious breath as Adam leaned on the table in front of the man.
“Now, tell me, Fred,” Adam said, “why did you try to kill them?”
The man’s eyes were wide. He shrunk back. “I… I never did like ’em. Always looked at me funny and… he just deserved it.”
“Why?” Adam leaned forward a little more, his face just inches from Fred’s.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Too bad. That’s what we’re here to do.”
“Kevin is a jerk. He needed to die.”
Adam’s eyes narrowed at the name. “So, what did you do?”
“I cut his brake line enough that they’d last for a bit. Then fail once enough pressure could eat through the rest of the way.”
“Are you sure you tampered with the right vehicle?”
Fred gave a curt nod. “Yes.”
Gavin squirmed. If Fred was so confident he had the right truck, then why didn’t he have the right name?
Captain Baker set his hand on Gavin’s shoulder. “Go in there. I want to see how he reacts when he sees you.”
