by Diane Bator
“How do you know he taught me to shoot?”
“Donovan Wild,” her father said. “He told us a lot of bad things happened before you left town. He said you went to a shooting range with Maddox a few times. Do you have a gun?“
She thought about the fancy red glass cookie jar. “Yes.”
“Would you shoot it if you had to?”
“I could.”
“Good,” her mother said. “Then go ahead and shoot the bastards.”
“Mom!” Katie gasped, stunned her uptight kindergarten teacher mother had just told her to shoot someone.
“You’re my daughter and I can’t be there to help you, so you need to protect yourself.” Her mother’s voice quivered.
Katie pictured her five-foot-tall mother brandishing a pistol the size of her head at Al or Chevy. A frightened smiled curved her lips. Her mom was about the same size as Hilda. Her dad always teased she had to put rocks in her pockets to keep her feet on the ground when the wind blew in off the lake.
“Paulina,” her father said, “they already know where we live. Your friends Al and Chevy make regular visits to our house to see if you’ve shown up yet. They’ll figure out you called us because you have nothing left to lose. We need to stick together to face these clowns.”
Katie tried to keep the next wave of tears in check.
“Get some sleep, Paulina,” her mother said. “No matter how it seems, you’re not alone.”
The phone hummed in her hand when her parents hung up. While she sat and blubbered, they’d probably call Ray then ride into town to save the day. A huge wave of dread washed over her. This was one battle she needed to fight alone.
Before she moved the phone from her ear, there was a distinct click as a third receiver disconnected. A knot formed in her stomach. The only other person in the house was Hilda. Had her landlady listened in on her conversation?
Something was going on in Packham that went deeper than Margaret, Maddox and their band of merry men. She had a sinking feeling Hilda, Ray and Danny were all in the middle of things along with her.
Chapter 38
Katie
Katie crept out of bed and tiptoed to the top of the stairs.
“I know.” Hilda’s back was to the stairs. Her voice was low and frantic. “I’m only telling you what I heard.”
When she strained to hear more, Katie’s throat tightened.
“We have to move soon.” Hilda’s voice raised an octave. “Get the others together.” There was a brief silence until she snapped, “Don’t argue with me. I’m running the show.” She let out a long sigh and her voice softened again. “Stop whining. If you’re hungry, get some food.”
She crept down the stairs along the wall, avoiding the squeaky boards. Her damp palms slid along the railing. If Hilda had eavesdropped on her call, who was she so desperate to phone the instant Katie hung up?
Hilda turned and ended her call in a louder voice. “Give me a call if you need anything, okay? I’ll check in on you in the morning. Bye-bye.”
Katie walked into the kitchen for a glass of water. She flinched when the kettle whistled, but her gaze never left her landlady’s face. “Is everything okay? Is your friend having more problems?”
“She saw her doctor and took her medication. She’s feeling much better now.” Hilda wiped her hands on the tea towel hanging on the oven door. “I told her to have some dinner and get some sleep. I’ll see her in the morning.”
“That’s good. I must’ve dozed off. I didn’t hear the phone ring.” Katie faked a yawn, which turned into a real one. “It’s been a crazy day. I guess I’m more tired than I thought. Maybe I’ll just go up to bed.”
Hilda reached for the kettle. “I need another tea and brandy. I walked to Gloria’s earlier then to the pharmacy for her medicine. My feet won’t warm up and I can’t sleep with cold feet. Why don’t we catch up on the news then call it a night?” She rinsed out the teapot and took out two clean mugs. “Could you be a dear and get me another bottle of brandy? This one is empty.”
“Sure.” Katie wandered into the living room toward the liquor cabinet. The flash of headlights caught her attention through the front window. She shuddered and slid the drapes shut then paused to steady her hands before returning to the kitchen. There was no point in making Hilda even more suspicious.
“Has Ray heard from his nephew yet?” Hilda asked.
“Not that I know of. He’s worried Maddox will kill Danny.” She set the bottle of brandy on the counter with a clunk and tried to sound casual. “You didn’t happen to see Danny after we were at Hannah’s did you? He got a phone call at dinner then drove Ray home. No one’s seen him after that.”
Hilda’s arm twitched. She missed the teapot and splashed boiling water onto the cupboard. “I haven’t seen him since we were at the garage. Have those nasty boys in the fancy suits been around again?”
“Chevy and Al? No. I haven’t seen them either. Last time they were here, they planned to throw me in the trunk of their car and give me a ride to the city. They haven’t been back since.” Al and Chevy wouldn’t let her get away without a good reason.
Hilda merely smiled. “You should be happy they forgot about you then.”
“What’s strange is I don’t seem like a priority anymore. On the news this morning, they said Dunnsforth’s wife and kids were missing.” She paused to let her words sink in. Did they know Donovan Wild was in town?
“You don’t think Maddox killed them, do you?” Hilda paled. “I’ll bring the tea. You turn on the telly. There has to be something on the news about what’s going on.”
Katie flicked on the television. The top story featured the latest political scandal. Right after that, an image of the tanned and beautiful Heather Lewis-Dunnsforth flashed onto the screen. She turned the volume up.
“Police released new information tonight regarding the murder of Kenton Dunnsforth and the disappearance of his wife and children.” The female newscaster had a long neck and Botox-enhanced lips. “Heather Lewis-Dunnsforth turned herself into authorities in Greece seeking protection in return for her full cooperation. She will testify against the remaining owners of DMR Architectural in their upcoming money laundering trial.”
“She took the money and ran off then had a change of heart? That’s odd.” Hilda frowned and handed Katie a cup of tea. “Drink up, it’ll help you relax.”
Acid rose in the back of Katie’s throat. She washed it down with a mouthful of tea and brandy much stronger than the previous cup. “Holy cow, Hilda. I think I’d rather have plain tea. This is making my eyes water.”
“It’ll help you sleep. Drink that then I’ll make you a fresh cup with no brandy.”
Against her better judgment, Katie agreed and welcomed the surge of warmth. “I wonder where her kids are.”
“Her kids? Oh dear.”
The anchorwoman continued, “Police are still actively seeking thirty-four-year-old Paulina Chourney in the same case. Chourney is sought for questioning in connection with Dunnsforth’s murder as well as the embezzlement of twenty million dollars. If you see Paulina Chourney or come in contact with her, please call police.”
Katie sagged onto a wing chair, stifling the frightened scream that grew deep inside of her. Her knees weakened, but her mind whirled. “Call the police? I don’t get it. When I turned myself in to Bobby tonight, he told me not to worry. I did everything but put the handcuffs on myself.”
“You did?”
“Chevy and Al cornered me like a rat and threatened my life. All of a sudden they don’t seem too concerned about me,” she ranted. “And Danny—”
“Danny?” Hilda straightened and stared. “What about him?”
Katie sat back and pursed her lips. She needed to keep talking until things made sense. Her mind churned with the force of a tornado. How much should she tell Hilda, especially after she’d eavesdropped on the phone call to her parents?
“Danny’s a cop and undercover private detective. He’s b
een in the middle of things since the start, but now he’s missing. You eavesdropped on my phone call and I’m in the middle of it all. I supposedly know everything, yet...I’m confused.”
“I what?” she gagged. “What do you mean I eavesdropped?”
“I heard you hang up.” Katie sipped her tea.
Hilda stared at the television. “I see. Do you think Maddox has something else keeping him occupied?”
“You mean like Dunnsforth’s wife singing like a canary to the police? I guess anything’s possible. Al and Chevy said their boss was a woman. Maddox’s wife sat in on so many meetings and knows a lot more than even Dunnsforth did. If she’s taken over DMR, I wonder where that leaves Maddox in all this mess.” She sipped her tea and brandy then made a face. “Are you trying to get me drunk? What did I ever do to you?”
“What gives you that idea?” Hilda asked.
“This is potent stuff.”
“My hand slipped when I was pouring it. I thought I gave you the weaker one.”
“Oh.” Her body grew numb. She should stop drinking, but the taste had grown on her. At least she could finally relax and think, although she wasn’t so sure either was a good thing. Thinking made her paranoid. Drinking made her forget both the thoughts and the paranoia.
Hilda was apparently lost in her own thoughts. “Dunnsforth’s wife would be a distraction, but isn’t he better off getting rid of you first?”
“Maddox? Yeah, he would be.” Katie’s brow furrowed. “I’m scared Heather let her guard down just long enough and they grabbed her kids. They probably want her to testify against me and have a set of phony books to incriminate me. Maddox can plea bargain, get a reduced sentence and lock me up for life.”
Or kill her and leave the country.
Hilda gasped. “I’ll be a goose’s grandma. What are you going to do?”
“Dunno.” The alcohol in the tea made Katie sleepy. A warm buzz spread over her body and heated her from head to toe. “I’ll be on trial right beside him no matter what.”
“Then you need some evidence against him.”
Katie laughed then laid her head back against the chair as another piece of the puzzle fell into place. A tear rolled down her warm cheek. “I do have evidence. I have a ton of evidence, only it’s all gone missing.”
“Excuse me?” Hilda, now a blurry blob of color, asked.
Katie blinked several times to refocus, but to no avail. “Danny’s the only person in the world who can keep me from going to jail. Danny is Donovan Wild. He’s been in the middle of everything the entire time. He witnessed and listened and gathered information and now...” She tried to look Hilda in the eye but found it hard to choose from the six she suddenly had. “If Danny’s dead, I’ll be in jail for the rest of my life.”
“What are you talking about?” Hilda’s teacup danced on its blue flowered saucer that was pinched between her fingers. “Danny set you up to be killed by those men.”
“No! No! That’s the beauty of it.”
She pressed her lips together, her face pale. “Of what?”
“Danny did set me up. He set me up to draw Maddox and his goons out. Don’t you see? That’s why Bobby Holland wouldn’t arrest me. Danny’s a cop. The police are in on it.” Katie spewed out every idea while her brain connected the zigzagging dots. “Danny made me bait for the bad guys.”
“That’s not possible. How did he know you were here?”
“Through Ray. Danny met me by accident because of the bookstore. My parents knew what was going on and that I was safe because Maddox hired Danny—Donovan—to find me. Donovan went to my parents and he made sure they knew I was okay. Why would he do that if he wanted me dead? Maddox didn’t want me to escape. We were supposed to run off and create a new life together, but his wife must have found out. She’d want me dead or gone no matter what.”
“Oh, dear.” Hilda dropped her teacup on the pale pink carpet. “How clumsy of me, I should clean that up.” She grabbed an old towel from the kitchen and mopped up the spill.
“What? Are you okay?” A knot reformed in Katie’s stomach.
“Fine. Let me get you more tea. I think both of us need it.”
“I don’t need more tea.” Katie tried to stand up. She lost her balance and fell back into the chair. The last cupful had turned her legs to pudding and made the room spin. “I think I’m allergic to brandy. And death. I definitely think I’m allergic to death.”
Her teacup was magically refilled and she took another sip, more out of habit than need. Forget plain tea, there was just as much brandy in this cup as in the last one. Enough to make her eyes water and her throat burn. She both welcomed the numbing sensation and hated herself for it. “I think I’ve had enough. This is going to knock me out.”
“You need to sleep, dear.” Hilda watched with eagle eyes, her smile stiff. She hadn’t refilled her own cup. “Things will be much brighter tomorrow.”
“Nope. They’re gonna be pretty nasty tomorrow too.” Katie’s words slurred horribly. “Why are you getting me drunk? Why are you keeping secrets from me? You listened to my call. I think you know more thinks than I think you’re telling me. That didn’t make sense.”
Despite the fact she’d probably forget everything within five minutes, Katie needed to know. That damned liquid amnesia again. The alcohol numbed her body and slowed her brain. Why had Hilda rendered her helpless?
“I’m sorry, my dear. It’s nothing I won’t share with you in time.” Her face swirled around like a pinwheel in a terrible nightmare.
Katie was dizzy. “What time?”
“When you’re ready to hear it, my dear.” She covered Katie with a blanket and tucked it beneath her chin, just like her grandmother had when she was a little girl. Hilda even kissed her forehead.
A kiss of death? Katie shuddered and wished she was a little girl again. Life was far less complicated when she was six. “Have you done something to Danny?”
“Whatever gave you that idea?”
“You look more scared than me.” Her head lulled to one side and warm drool trickled down her chin. She couldn’t do anything to stop it from soaking the snugly blanket wrapped around her.
“She’s asleep.” Hilda spoke again, her voice low. “Things have changed.”
What things? What the hell was going on? Was Hilda in cahoots with Maddox or with Margaret?
There was a long pause. “Get everything ready. We can’t wait any longer.”
Nausea and déjà vu swept over Katie. She hoped she didn’t wake up naked in a motel room again.
Chapter 39
Danny
Large hands hoisted Danny into a cold chair with arms then tied him down with even more bindings than before. They jostled around him and wrapped something around his chest and mouth. His left eye throbbed. The room flooded with light and blinded him. He suddenly missed the blindfold. Aside from trips to the washroom, he hadn’t been outside in what seemed like days.
Amateurs. He was in a two-car garage duct taped to a chair.
Maddox’s men wouldn’t tape him to anything. Tied him with lengths of rope or chain attached to cement blocks maybe. With Al and Chevy, he knew what to expect. Instant death. He had to find out who his captors were and what they wanted or he wouldn’t stand a chance.
He squinted. His brain hurt and his body sagged like a worn old couch. He couldn’t tell what drugs they’d given him or if their goal was to turn him into a drug addict. If Maddox had nabbed him, Danny would already be at the bottom of the lake, under a skyscraper or pumped full of enough drugs to look like a suicide.
A deafening cacophony of cars, voices and birds blended into one irritating sound. The chair moved. A wheelchair. Someone pushed him down the street. At least he wasn’t in the trunk of a car.
The world around him was unfamiliar until he recognized some of the buildings. Unbelievably, he was still in Packham. All around him, people gloated about the great job they did kidnapping him, tying him to the chair and keeping h
im out of sight. Until now. Now they paraded him around town and laughed. Their voices grated on his nerves.
It wasn’t normal. What kind of freaks were these people? Did Maddox take one too many snorts of cocaine? He tried to look around, but his head was held in place by whatever they’d used to cover his mouth. Probably duct tape. If he wasn’t so angry, he’d be humiliated.
A man in a polyester suit and someone with a cane and who smoked a pipe walked beside him. A hallucination brought on by drugs?
The person pushing the wheelchair wore perfume he’d smelled before. Lavender or lilac. Something purple and available in half-gallon bottles that reminded him nothing of Maddox or his men. Margaret wore designer perfume. This scent was more like his grandmother or Katie’s landlady
Katie’s landlady. Hilda Clayton. Besides being his grandmother’s friend, something about the name rang a bell, but the reason escaped him.
Vehicles drove past and horns honked. He fought against the restraints to get a better view, but whatever held him wouldn’t budge.
The wheelchair made several turns before he recognized Main Street. When they passed Java Jo’s, Danny cringed. His captors were taking him to the bookstore. Now that they’d gotten him, they were after Katie. Unfortunately, he had no way to warn her.
Chapter 40
Katie
A fifty-piece marching band paraded through Katie’s head, and she wanted to vomit. She busied her shaky hands by straightening shelves and moving errant books. Anything to waste time until close. Her mind, however, lacked anything to occupy it other than recent events. Danny’s disappearance, Heather Lewis-Dunnsforth’s sudden reappearance and Maddox’s merry men neglecting to return to load her in the trunk of the Town Car. If Maddox wanted to find her, the bookstore would be the first place he’d look.
Unable to get in touch with Danny, she still had no answers to her burning questions.
