Exponential
Page 66
*
Mike awoke with the worst headache he had ever had.
“The doctors say you’re going to be alright,” came a masculine voice from his left. He tried to turn towards the voice, but winced at the pain. “Mild concussion, possible hairline fracture, but that’s about it. You should be getting out of here today.”
Mike turned enough to notice a nice looking, tall gentleman in his early thirties. “Who are you?” was all he could rasp out through his lips.
“My name is Dell Taylor. I’m an investigator for the Bedford Police Department.”
Mike cleared his throat some more and replied, “Where’s Annette?”
“She’s fine. Perhaps a better question is, ‘Where’s Mara?’”
“What do you mean?”
“The police are pretty much closing this case since they caught you and Annette on the scene. Trespassing. It won’t be much of a sentence if you are found guilty. The people at the Sander’s place – the security rent-a-cops and Damian Sanders – are really quite accommodating. I don’t know what you were trying to do there, but oddly enough they don’t seem to concerned and are just sort of walking away. However, your partner, Annette, has told me a rather tall tale.”
“It’s all true – you must believe her. But, what do you mean ‘Where’s Mara’? Don’t you know?”
“Well, since you two could not have corroborated a story due to your being unconscious, let’s just see how well your story matches hers.”
Mike began from the beginning. He described how the company was getting ‘exposed’ somehow and that it apparently was being done by someone with access to private information in some way. He described their eventual discovery of a gray market service that sells information from an entity called I-Data. Then the incredible discovery of Mara and her story. Finally the surveillance operation and the fact that they had all the evidence they needed in the recording of the video of Damian’s phone conversation.
“Well, I don’t know about any ‘evidence’, but we didn’t find anything in your van but a few tools, cables and some sort of electronic gear. From our perspective, it looks like the two of you were up to no good and there is no evidence to say otherwise.”
Dell winced a bit from his injuries as he stood up and Mike suddenly realized with a start that this was the cop Mara told them about. The one who betrayed her, turned her over to the bad guys. Now he had just opened his mouth when he should have kept it closed. Where did all the equipment end up? Where was the media card with the recording of the conversation? Did the police have it? Or did Damian’s people get to it first. Either way, with no evidence to bail him out it didn’t look good.
Dell continued, “Listen, I believe both of you. We must find Mara because her life is in danger.”
Mike replied somewhat caustically, “I didn’t realize until you stood and it dawned on me that you were the cop that Mara said not to trust. She told us about you. You were the one that betrayed her. A so-called ‘public servant’ no less!”
“Betrayed her?! No! I was attacked! Is that really what she thinks??” He unbuttoned his shirt and showed him the bandages from the stiletto attack. “I was left for dead and they took the card from my pocket. The card she gave me with the address of the motel on it. I was trying to help her. As soon as I could manage we had people go straight to her motel to help. I don’t believe she is guilty of anything. I think rather that she is the victim here.”
Mike considered this for a moment. First, he wanted to know where the media card with the recording was. If the cops really didn’t know where Mara was, it means she could have escaped. Did she escape with the media card? More likely she was captured and taken into the house before the cops arrived and Damian and his goons were happy to have her. They could discredit Mike and Annette as mere criminals who were trespassing with the intent to do harm. If she really was captured, then tragically, she was likely dead. Especially if she had the card. Most likely the only hope she would have of surviving would be to let the police catch her. He was gripped with indecision, but finally realized that her only hope was with the authorities. He would have to believe and trust the cop – at least for now.
“If she’s still free, she should be going to Fiddler’s Rock.”
“What do you mean, ‘if she’s still free’?”
“I mean if they didn’t get to her before you guys showed up. If they did, they certainly wouldn’t turn her over to you. She knew everything about what was going on there. She told us everything and I am going to be sure they are exposed. Hopefully it’s still not too late for her.”
Mike could see that this made Dell uncomfortable. Perhaps he really was telling the truth after all.
With grim determination, Dell asked in a low and even tone, “Where is this ‘Fiddler’s Rock’?”
“Unfortunately, I don’t really know.” Mike explained the e-mail she received the night before supposedly from her brother claiming he wanted to meet her there. She felt it was safe because only the two of them understood the actual location.
“It has to be some sort of a trap.” Dell responded. “Did she say anything about this place? Any details?”
“Just that it was a place they used to go to as kids. A big rock with a pool of groundwater in front of it that they would pretend was a wishing well. The rock reminded them of an old fiddler, hence the name. It’s got to be in the area where they grew up.”
“When was she going?”
“The message said to meet him there any of the next three nights, I think she said seven. Actually, how long have I been in the hospital?”
“You came in just last night and have been here just so far today… Hey, listen, I don’t have much time if I’m going to drive up to New Hampshire to try to find this place before seven, so I’ve gotta get moving. I’ll let you know what happens.”