Blood Ties (26 page)

"Buck?" Abbie called. "What's happening?"

"Stand back out of the way," he called.

"Abbie?" the stranger shouted. "It's me!"

Flashlight bobbing, she plunged into the tall reeds,
followed by something big and black that looked like
a bear.

"I told you-" Buck began.

Will's dogs began to bark furiously.

Buck's warning was cut off by Abbie's surprised cry.
"Daddy? What are you doing here?"

"Bailey?" Lucas's precise, emotionless voice came
softly over the phone. "Are you there?"

"Yes, I hear you." Her mouth was dry; black specks
blurred her vision. "Go on."

"This is a private conversation. I'd hate to think
you'd share it with Daniel."

"Why wouldn't l?"

"Let me say that it would be"-he paused-"unwise.
Dangerous for all concerned."

She sank into a chair, gripping the handset so hard
that her fingertips felt numb. "You're threatening me.
Don't. I'm not afraid of you."

"A lie. You disappoint me, Bailey."

"Why would you think I'd betray Daniel?"

"Self-interest is hardly betrayal. We're wasting time.
Time that neither of us has. Either you're interested in
my proposition or not."

"Why should I believe you?"

"You don't understand me at all, do you?"

Biting her lip, she glanced toward the hall. She
could hear the shower running. "What do you want?"

"You aren't a stupid woman."

"Money."

"Affirmative."

She shivered. "Why should I trust you? You've already said that I'm not stupid."

"Tuttut. Do I detect a note of righteous anger?"

"You don't know me if you think I'd be party to injuring an innocent child!"

"I told you that I'm not a monster. I don't, as a rule,
murder civilians."

"But you'd kill Daniel's son?"

"The boy is attractive. I have other options."

"How much?"

"Two hundred thousand."

"You asked Daniel for five. Why would you settle for
two from me?"

Lucas chuckled, and his dry sound of amusement
was somehow more frightening than his threats. "Because I intend to collect the five hundred thousand
from him as well. Our arrangement would be a separate business proposition."

"What would keep you from taking my money and
giving the boy to Daniel anyway?"

"Bailey!" Daniel called from the bathroom. "Could
you get me another bottle of shampoo from the
pantry?"

"He's coming," she said to Lucas. "I can't talk any
more."

"Are you interested or not?"

"Let me think about it. I'd need time to raise that
much cash."

"Very well. Keep in mind that we have only a few
days."

"How can I contact you?"

He laughed again. "Don't try to be too clever. I'll
call you."

"I have to go," she said.

"Remember, not a word to Daniel."

"I said I'd think about it," she repeated sharply. "But
you have to swear that the boy won't be harmed."

"Word of honor."

Bile rose in her throat. "I'm serious, Lucas. Don't
hurt him or you'll never see a cent."

"I'll be in touch." He broke the connection.

Bailey clapped a hand over her mouth. She wanted
to scream, to call Lucas every foul name she'd ever
heard. Instead, she picked up the glass of iced tea
Daniel had made for her and flung it against the stone
fireplace. The glass shattered, and bright shards showered the hardwood floor. Tea splattered across the
hearth and braided rug, and the section of lemon
spun and bounced, finally coming to rest under the
kitchen table.

"Bailey!" Daniel came down the hall, a bath towel
knotted around his midsection. "You're bleeding!"

She looked down at her ankle. A thin sliver of glass
was sticking out of her leg. Oddly, she didn't even
feel it.

Daniel pulled the splinter out and stanched the
bleeding with a corner of his towel. "Did you fall? Are
you cut anywhere else?"

"No." She shook her head. "No, I'm not." Trembling, she rose and threw herself into his arms. "Hold
me just hold me."

"What's wrong?"

"We have to talk." Tears stung her eyes. "Lucas ...
He called me while you were in the shower."

"Not on my cell. I had that-"

"On the house phone. It was me he wanted."

"What did he say? Did he threaten you?"

"Daniel," she murmured against his chest. "He is a
monster. He thought I would pay him to murder a
helpless little boy."

"This is your father?" Buck lowered his weapon.

The dogs whined and barked and circled each
other, sniffing and wagging their tails. The Newfoundland's tongue lolled as he wiggled all over with excitement.

"Vernon Night Horse."

Abbie threw her arms around him and he embraced her. "Daddy, what are you doing here?" she repeated.

"Strange damn way to come visiting, I say," Will
grumbled.

"Damn strange way to welcome visitors," Vernon
snapped back.

"Come in out of the rain." Abbie tugged on her father's hand. "You too, Buck, Will." The rain was coming down in sheets and she had to raise her voice to be
heard.

"Tight quarters, that little tent," Will said.

"It's dry." She glanced at her father. "Dad, this is
Buck Davis, the police chief. And this is Bailey's uncle,
Will Tawes."

Will's gaze flicked from Abbie to Vernon. "Guess
you two must be kin all right. You look enough alike to
be. But it doesn't answer why he'd be sneaking
through the marsh on a night like this."

"I was worried about her safety." Her father moved
closer and put his arm around her. "I've hired a private investigator to look into my wife's death, and he
believes that I have reason to be concerned."

"Can we please get in out of the rain?" Abbie said.

"I'll just mosey on home with the dogs," Will said.
"A hot cup of tea would do me a world of good. You
can fill me in later, Buck," He looked at Abbie's father
and held out his hand. "Sorry about this. No hard
feelings?"

Her dad shook Will's hand. Buck and Will spoke
too low for her to make out the words, and the older
man strode off into the night with his dogs. Buck,
Abbie, and her father made a dash for the campsite
and ducked into her tent. The beam of Abbie's flashlight had passed over Buck's sagging shelter, and it
was all she could do to keep a straight face when her
father asked how many of her staff were staying on
site.

"They're all volunteers," she explained as she
handed each man a dry blanket and stowed their wet
shirts at the back of the tent. "Buck's here for the same
reason you are. He was worried about me too, so he
came out to make certain I was all right."

"I'd appreciate it if you'd tell us what your investigator found that alarmed you," Buck said. He'd found
the thermos of hot coffee and poured each of them a
cup.

"Ray Zerillo," Vernon said. "Twenty-five years with
the Philadelphia police force. My attorneys in Oklahoma City arranged the contact. He comes highly recommended. Do you know him?"

"No, sir, afraid I don't."

"Seems a good man. I've only spoken to him three
or four times, but he must be legitimate; his fees are
high enough." The Newfoundland whined, and Vernon lifted the door flap so the dog could get his head
in. "Nice dog. Yours?" he asked Buck.

"Abbie's. His name's Archie."

"He is not mine!" she protested.

"Been telling her she should get a dog," her father
said. "A woman needs a dog."

"Just what I told her, sir."

Abbie elbowed him. "It's not my dog." Archie wiggled his shoulders inside, and her father squeezed
over. The smell of wet dog enveloped the small space.
"Dad!" she protested.

Her father drained the thermos cup and handed
the empty container back to Buck. "Ray Zerillo knows
people still on the force. It's odd that neither Karen's
ring nor her pistol were stolen during the attack. If it
was some punk out for a quick score, why didn't he
take them?"

"Isn't that just what I've been saying?" Abbie interjected. "And Buck's just learned that the young man
Anati and Bailey found on the beach died under suspicious circumstances."

Buck scowled at her. She knew that he hadn't wanted
her to share that information, but she didn't care. Her
father had a right to know what was going on.

"It doesn't explain why you're here in the middle of
the night," Buck said.

"I've been worried about Abbie I called, but I
couldn't get through. Don't you have phone service
on this island?"

"We do, but the signal isn't great," she said. "How
did you even get here?"

"The usual way. By plane. Jerry flew me into Salisbury airport. I rented a car and drove to ... Crisfield,
is it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Got some fisherman to bring me out to the island."

Buck glanced at his watch. "At this time of night?"

"Well, it wasn't this time when he dropped me off.
Karen had told me the location of the site. The fisher man dropped me off at some private dock and drew a
map that showed how to get here. It's not like this spot
is a secret. The captain knew just where I wanted to
go.

"And you came without a raincoat or a flashlight?"
Abbie asked.

"I thought I'd be here long before dark. And I
didn't know it was going to rain."

"Me either," Buck admitted.

"Anyway," her father continued, "I got turned
around back there in the swamp. Then those devil
dogs got on my trail, and Daniel Boone came after me
with a long rifle."

"I believe it was a shotgun." She tried not to smile.
"And he could have killed you. Will Tawes isn't anyone
to take lightly."

"Would you mind clearing something up for me, sir?"

"What's that? And my name's Vernon."

"I understood thatyou and Dr. Knightwere divorced."

Abbie rolled her eyes. "It's confusing. Everything
about their relationship is confusing."

Her father's impassive features softened. "Karen always told people that. She lived her life as though she
was single. Truthfully, Karen filed for divorce when
Abbie was small. I didn't want it, so I never signed the
papers. She never pushed. We simply avoided the subject. My wife and I had our differences, but ..."

"They loved each other. Daddy would have done
anything for her." She handed her father a towel,
and he dried his face and wrapped the towel around
his braid to soak up the water dripping down his
back.

"But legally you were still man and wife?" Buck
pressed.

Surprised, she said, "Why does it matter? You're not
suggesting that Daddy-"

"I'm not suggesting anything, Abbie. I just need the
facts for my files."

"I didn't have her killed, if that's what you're thinking.
We may not have shared a bed in years, but we shared a
lot more. And the oil wells are mine. I had nothing to
gain and everything to lose by Karen's death."

"I didn't mean the question as an insult."

"I hope not," Abbie said, attempting to hide her annoyance. What was Buck thinking? She couldn't blame
her father if he took offense.

"I'm just doing my job. I have to-" Buck's cell
phone rang. "Excuse me." He turned to answer it.

Her father passed back the damp towel. "How can
he get a signal out here and you can't?"

"I told you, it comes and goes." She poured him the
remainder of the coffee, hoping he wouldn't notice
that the tent contained two sleeping bags. She'd
passed the age of consent a long time ago, but Vernon
Night Horse wouldn't see it that way. Her father could
be very old-fashioned where her honor was concerned, and she didn't want to involve Buck in what
could become an embarrassing situation.

"All right. I'll look into it first thing in the morning." Buck tucked the phone into his pocket and
glanced at her. "That was Matthew. He claims the
church has been robbed."

"The church? Was anything of value taken?"
"Matthew says his photo album is missing. The
binder containing the only pictures of the missing
Irish artifacts."

Emma carried a pot of coffee from the kitchen. Forest,
Buck, his brothers Harry and Bowman, Abbie, and
Vernon were seated at the dining-room table for Sunday breakfast. "I can't go to church," Abbie said. "I don't have a dress. I don't even have a pair of decent
slacks."

"I think you look beautiful." Buck passed her a stack
of blueberry pancakes.

"Yep, me too," Harry agreed.

Forest smiled. "I'll second that."

"Buck has to be there," Bowman put it. "Bailey
wants you and your dad to come. She told us she'd kill
us if you didn't show."

"To your church?" Abbie looked at her father.
"Dad, I-"

"Thank you." Vernon paused in buttering a biscuit.
"I'd like that. Bailey was your mother's friend. It would
be rude to ignore her invitation." His dark eyes flashed
with amusement. "Plus, a little religion wouldn't hurt
you."