Justice Overdue: A Private Investigator Mystery Series (24 page)

Jake looked around uneasily. Something didn’t seem logical.

His fear for Annie’s safety increased and he tried to think clearly. If the kidnapper had meant to harm her, why’d he keep her locked up, rather than killing her immediately? What would be his reasoning?

What was his plan, and where could they be?

Chapter 51

Sunday, 8:33 AM

ANNIE STRUGGLED against the stubborn ropes that held her firmly to the column. If she could get loose from them, there were no padlocks, doors, or shutters, between her and freedom.

She had tried rubbing the ropes against the stalagmite but it was uneven, and the cord seemed to be wedged into a natural groove, not willing to budge in either direction. It kept her from sliding the ropes up the column to attempt a standing position and she was forced to stay in one spot.

She recalled her conversation with Varick Lucas. She’d tried to hide her fear from him, putting on a brave face, but the truth was, she was terrified. His unpredictable actions made it difficult for her to judge what his plans were. But whatever they were, it wasn’t something she relished being a part of.

Any attempts she’d made to call for help were futile, only resulting in a hoarse throat. Lucas was right, she might as well save her strength. No one would hear.

She shifted her weight, uncomfortable on the hard stone surface, and then pulled up her knees to soothe her cramping legs. The unyielding bonds allowed little room for movement, and she was starting to ache all over.

Jake, Matty, and Kyle’s safety were foremost in her mind. She was comforted by the thought there was no reason to believe any harm had come to them yet. Lucas’s game might be underway, but she had confidence Jake was sharp-witted enough to anticipate the lunatic’s actions. Surely Jake and the police were scouring the forest, searching for her even now.

~~*~~

JAKE STEPPED BACK into the forest out of sight of the cabin. He looked around for a sturdy weapon, something he could use against the killer if he was so lucky as to come across him. Everything was rotten, or rotting, and unsuitable for any kind of protection.

He saw a low hanging branch, wrenched it off by sheer strength, and then snapped it off until it was about the size of a baseball bat. He hefted it. It would have to do.

He looked around for a safe place to wait, a spot where he wouldn’t be seen from any direction. He found a tight area between two bushes where he could watch for anyone coming, yet remain out of sight.

He hunched down and waited. He was used to stakeouts, but he was up against an unknown enemy, and unsure if the killer would return. If, as he suspected, the brutal murderer was aware they’d found the cabin, he might have vacated the place, planning never to return.

Half an hour later he suspected his suspicions were true and he might be wasting valuable time. He was puzzled. He had no clear plan of action, nothing to go on, and no one else to turn to.

He ducked from his hiding place and circled the cabin once, twice, then several more times in an ever-increasing radius. The unmistakable sound of a nearby stream caught his ear. He followed the sound, ducked through the undergrowth and stepped onto rich fertile soil, populated with weeds, wildflowers, and struggling grass.

It was a beautiful spot, and on any other day but today, he would have enjoyed it immensely. But today, it was just one more place in the endless wilderness.

He walked a hundred feet up the edge of the stream, then back the other way and stopped, frustrated and angry. He was getting absolutely nowhere. He might as well return to camp and see if the police had arrived.

On his way back he stopped at the cabin again. The door was still locked, the shutters were still fastened, and everything was the same.

He made his way back to the cave where he’d left the frightened kids alone, and crouched down by the entrance. He let out a breath of relief at seeing Holly and the boys, still safe.

Matty looked at him expectantly. “Dad, did you find Mom?”

Jake shook his head slowly and crawled inside. Exhausted, he dropped his club near the wall of the cave, sat beside his son and looked the boy straight in the eye. “Sorry, Matty. I couldn’t find her.” He felt like he was letting his son down, along with everyone else. “She wasn’t in the cabin when I got there.”

Matty cocked his head. “But I heard her.”

“I know you did, but she’s not there now. I banged on the door and there was no answer.”

Kyle looked fearful. Holly noticed and put her arm around him, drawing him close. He looked up at her. “It’ll be all right,” she said in a soothing voice. “We’ll find her.”

Matty didn’t look so sure. Fear showed through his determined exterior. “Where’s the game warden, Dad? Why didn’t he come back?”

“I don’t know, Son. I hope he’ll be here soon.”

Holly spoke in a whisper. “Should we try to hike out of here?”

Jake had no reason to encourage the girl to stay, but didn’t want to dissuade her from leaving if she was determined. “I advise against it,” he said. “It’s a long way, but I won’t keep you here if you want to go.”

“And you?” she asked.

“I’m not leaving without Annie,” he answered in a firm voice.

“Then I’ll stay too,” she said flatly.

Jake saw determination mixed with fear in her eyes. “It might not be safe and we might be here awhile.”

“I’m staying.”

Jake nodded slowly, his mouth a grim line. The girl was being braver than she looked. “Ok,” he said. “We’ll stick together.”

Holly glanced at Matty then back at Jake. She looked troubled. “Should we do something about Rosie? I … I don’t like to leave her there alone.”

“There’s nothing we can do,” Jake answered slowly. He hadn’t told the boys about the brutal murder and he tried to keep his answer as vague as possible. “She would be no better off here than there.”

Holly dropped her head. “I guess you’re right.” Then her voice took on a tone of sadness and she added, “She wasn’t so bad.”

“Yeah,” Jake said quietly, and then looked dubiously at Holly. “You don’t think those boys you were with have anything to do with this, do you?”

Holly thought about the question a moment, and then shook her head slowly. “I can’t say for sure, but I’m truly convinced it wasn’t them. They got along good with Rosie, and I believe they’ve known her awhile. I’m the newcomer to the bunch. As annoying as they can be sometimes, they’re really good-hearted.” She repeated, this time more sure of herself, “No, it wasn’t them.”

Jake managed a foolish grin. “Yeah, I’m just grasping at straws.”

Matty spoke up, giving no indication he’d gleaned anything sinister from their conversation about Rosie. “What’re we going to do now, Dad? About Mom, I mean.”

Jake’s heart ached—ached for Annie and ached for Matty. He didn’t have an answer. At least, not one he was satisfied with. “We’ll find her soon,” he said.

Matty looked dubious. “How?”

That was the question Jake had asked himself over and over. How? All he could say was, “The police will find her when they come. They will bring dogs and they can track every move she made.”

For once, Matty looked hopeful.

Chapter 52

Sunday, 9:18 AM

RCMP SERGEANT LANCE BREWER flicked off his car radio and answered his cell phone in a curt manner.

“We might have something, sir.” The caller was Corporal Loy, one of his team, and a dedicated cop.

Brewer straightened up, concentrating on the conversation. “You have my full attention, Loy?”

“A hooker, sir. She came forward when she saw Lucas on the news. She said she knew him from way back when.”

“What does she have for us? Anything we can go on?”

“Not yet, sir. She just came forward a few minutes ago. They called me and I called you immediately. Figured you’d want to know.”

“You figured right, Corporal. Where is she?”

“She’s at the local police station. We haven’t interviewed her yet.”

Brewer looked at his watch. “I’m almost there. Give me about half an hour and I’ll interview her myself.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Oh, and Corporal.”

“Yes, sir?”

“Make sure she doesn’t leave. Keep her comfortable. Give her whatever she wants.”

“You got it, sir.”

Brewer hung up and pushed the gas pedal closer to the floor. The tires whined on the asphalt as the car’s speed increased.

This could be the break they needed—he needed. The testimony of a hooker was notoriously unreliable, but not always. He had a feeling about this one. Or maybe he was just hungry to get Lucas back behind bars. Whatever it was, he had to get there ASAP.

In a few minutes less than the estimated half hour, Brewer pulled in front of the police station, shut down the vehicle, and jumped out. His car blocked access, but he didn’t care. The sticker in his windshield would cover him.

He pulled out his ID as he ran up the steps, presenting it at the duty desk. “RCMP Sergeant Lance Brewer,” he said in a gruff tone. “You have someone here I want to interview. A hooker. Came in awhile ago.”

The duty officer grinned. “Yeah, we have her.” Then he laughed. “All the cops here are eager to lend a hand. Keep an eye on her, you might say.”

“I wonder why,” Brewer said dryly. “Where is she?”

The officer pointed to the back of the precinct. “Right down that hall. Interview room 1.”

Brewer offered a quick thanks and strode to the indicated room. The door was open and he stepped inside, holding his ID up.

The three cops in the room paid no attention to the newcomer. One leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, while the other two sat forward, their full attention on the girl in front of them who lounged seductively in a comfortable chair. They were laughing, as if someone had told a joke.

“Out,” Brewer commanded in a brusque tone, cocking a thumb back over his shoulder.

The cops looked his way, saw the badge, and reluctantly left the room. Brewer closed the door, kicked one of the chairs away, and pulled the other one back a couple of feet and sat down.

The girl looked like she’d just stepped off the street corner. The typical look—short skirt that left little to the imagination, a revealing top that left even less, and shoes with heels that made her long legs even longer.

He showed his ID and introduced himself. “Sergeant Brewer,” he said.

She held out a hand. “You can call me Modesty.”

He gave her hand a quick shake and got right to it. “Modesty, I understand you knew Varick Lucas.”

She brushed back a strand of dyed blond hair. “I came here on my own time, Officer. I’m a busy lady and my time is money.”

“Don’t worry about it. Call it advertising,” Brewer said, with a gesture toward the door. “You’ll probably pick up a few good customers here.”

Modesty giggled. “They’re mighty handsome.” She looked Brewer up and down. “And you look good yourself, Officer.”

“I’m not an officer,” he said. “I’m a sergeant.”

“Yes, Sergeant,” she said, with a smile and a mock salute.

Brewer sat back. “You can call me anything you want. Now, can we get down to it?”

Modesty wiped away her smile with the back of her hand. “What do you want to know?”

“You knew Lucas?”

“Yes. A long time ago.”

“How long ago?”

“Before he went to prison.”

“How do you know him?”

She smiled. “He was a customer at first, and then we became friends. He actually wasn’t a very good customer. Didn’t like to pay, but as a friend, we always had lots of fun.” She frowned. “Not just sex.”

“So you hung out?”

“Sure. There was always a party somewhere, and we were together a lot. He was ok. I never, ever thought he would kill anybody.” She shuddered. “Who knows, maybe he would’ve killed me some day.”

Brewer ignored the extraneous comments and leaned in. “Did he ever tell you about a cabin up north?”

Modesty laughed. “Sure. I went there once with him, a guy named Otis, and another girl. It wasn’t much of a time. I never went back.” She picked at a fingernail. “I prefer the city life, if you know what I mean.”

Now for the vital question. “Would you know how to get there again?”

She shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Maybe yes or maybe no?”

“I think so,” she said. “Is it important?”

“Very important. We think he might be there now.”

The girl’s eyes widened. “You don’t say.” She leaned forward a couple of inches. “Is there a reward?”

“Don’t you think doing the right thing is reward enough?”

She thought about that a moment. “It’s a start.”

“How about this?” Brewer said. “I’ll guarantee you those cops leave you alone and you can do business all day and all night if you want.”

“You can do that?”

“I can do that.”

She paused a moment, and seemed to be deciding whether or not to trust him. Finally, she sat back, uncrossed her legs, crossed them the other way, and said, “I remember exactly where it is because we stopped at a little town along the way, and it’s just past there.”

Brewer leaned back and smiled. “What’s the name of the town?”

She looked at the ceiling. “San … Sanderson or something like that.”

Brewer jumped to his feet and leaned in. “Sanridge?”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

Brewer pumped a fist and sat back down. “Where is it from Sanridge?”

“We went about two miles or so past the town, then we hopped the fence and hiked into the forest for an hour or so. Maybe more. Maybe less.”

That was good enough. The helicopters and the existing maps would pinpoint the exact location, and then specially trained ground troops would do the rest.

And he was going to be there when the operation went down—when Lucas went down.

Brewer stood and grinned at Modesty. “You’ve been a big help. If we catch this guy, you’ll never see the inside of a holding cell again.”

She saluted once more. “Happy to have been of help, Sergeant.”