Secrets Among the Cedars (Intertwined Book 2) (18 page)

"So she hasn't located it yet?"

"No, but we're almost positive we know where it's at."

"Go to her, son. Call me later, and let me know how things go. Do you have your gun?"

"Yes, sir."

"Be prepared to use it."

Chapter Eighteen

Kathryn couldn't reach her phone in her pocket before it went to voicemail. She had to get to Phil. She'd actually found the gun. He wasn't going to believe this. She pulled out of the driveway and headed east on 7
th
Street. Should she go to Phil's house or just go back to the rental? She'd go to Phil's first.

Kathryn's phone rang again, and she dug it out of her pocket. She unlocked the screen. "Hello."

"Where have you been?"

"I'm sorry! I couldn’t get to my phone. I'm on my way to your house."

"Why? I was meeting you back at the rental."

"Because I—I mean…what's wrong?" She sat at the stop sign, which was barely visible amongst the cactuses and shaggy palms.

"Why did you leave Airport Road? You know you shouldn't be out by yourself right now. Drew and Barney could be anywhere, and the way they looked at you earlier, I—"

"Phil, listen to me! I found the gun!"

"What? How?"

"I came—came back to the tree house because I—"

"You did
what
?"

"Don't treat me like I'm your child, Phil!" Her shoulders and neck pinched up into a knot. Four days with this man and already he was trying to dominate her. This is why she stayed clear of relationships with men.

"I'm not. I'm sorry. It's just...it's not safe."

She relaxed her shoulders and waved a car through the intersection that waited for her to move. "I know. But did you hear me? I found the gun."

He sighed and then groaned like an unidentifiable beast. "I heard you. Where are you now?"

"I'm on my way back to Airport Road since you weren't home."

"Okay. Hurry! I'll meet you there."

Kathryn pressed the gas pedal to the floor. "Okay."

"Where was the gun, by the way?"

"You're not going to believe it. It was in the well in the backyard at the tree house."

"The well? How did you find it?"

"I started thinking about the fact that there had to be a clue somewhere. Something I'd missed. So I went back over there, and I looked at everything. The one thing I'd missed was the guest book on the end table. I looked through it and sure enough, the last entry was from someone claiming to be on a honeymoon. They left hints about the well."

"I can't believe this."

"I know." A giggle escaped Kathryn's lips.

"So you think it wasn't Drew or Barney that hid the gun?"

"No, but I think one of them is responsible for using it."

"Were you able to get it without smudging fingerprints?"

"Yes."

"Good. Who signed the guest book?"

"Uh, someone named Mario and Angelista."

"That's my grandparents."

"Your grandparents hid the gun?"

"No, they're dead. Someone I'm related to used their names."

#

Phil stopped at the 7
th
Street stop sign and jumped when Drew tapped on his window with his scarred knuckles. He pressed the button and rolled down the window with a sigh.
The air was still and muggy, as if a storm brewed out at sea.
"What are you doing here? You following me?"

"Maybe. You trying to go somewhere you wouldn't want me to know about?"

"What I do is none of your business, Drew. Whatcha want?"

He twirled a lit cigarette between his forefinger and middle finger of his right hand. "I need a minute of your time."

Phil tapped on his steering wheel. "Well, I'm kind of in a hurry to meet someone. I got behind in my schedule earlier moving the furniture." His eyes watered, and he tried to hide his panic and guilt-by-association from Drew.

"This is island life, Cuz. You're sure not takin' it easy like Jimmy Buffet sings about."

Phil let out a nervous chuckle, trying to remain calm and to hide his worry about Kathryn. "I wish I could. Sometimes it's as hectic as the courtroom." A shadow blocked the stream of sunlight shining into his SUV, and he turned to find Barney standing at the passenger door.
"What's going on here?"

"Nothing, man." Drew jerked open his door and yanked him out of the vehicle by his left arm into the street.

Barney rushed around the front of the vehicle and grabbed Phil's right arm.

Phil tried to break free, but his cousins had a death grip on him. "Drew, unhand me. I've got to go—and my SUV is rolling."

Drew released Phil, but Barney squeezed his arm tighter. Drew reached in and jammed the SUV into park, removing the keys, and slamming the door.

"Barney! Let go of my arm!" Phil yanked his arm out of Barney's grasp. Something was up, and there wasn't a lot Phil could do about it. Two against one, he'd learned as a kid, was no good. He turned around to face his thick-necked cousins.

"The only place you're going is with us." Drew pointed to his car.

Phil's eyebrows knotted at the bridge of his nose. "Where?"

"Don't worry about it."

"Tell me where, and I'll drive and meet you there." Phil reached for his car door handle, but Barney blocked his way, and grabbed his arm again.

"No, you're riding with us. I'll even ride in the backseat with you to keep you company."

Phil swallowed down a giant dry lump in his throat. This wasn't going as he'd planned, and he had no way to warn Kathryn that his cousins had the advantage in this game they were playing. "Whatever you say, Barney. Just let me
move my car out of the road."
Phil wiped the sweat from his stubbly upper lip and tried to calm his nerves by reminding himself that he wasn't in this battle alone.

"I'll get it." Barney jingled the keys in the air and pulled the Range Rover into the parking lot of a kayak rental shop then rejoined Phil and Drew.

Drew led the way to his Mercedes. Barney shoved Phil in that direction and then shoved him into the backseat. The cigarette smoke inside the car mixed with his cousin's cheap cologne churned his stomach. And so did the realization that he was about to go for a ride he'd never forget.

#

Kathryn stopped at the last stop sign before the rental. There to her left was Phil's SUV parked at a kayak rental place. She yanked the steering wheel in the direction of the shop and slammed her car into park when she made it to the parking lot.

A fair-skinned blonde woman in a mint-green jumper with white sneakers and a straw hat passed her on a bicycle. Kathryn pressed the button to lower her car window, but nothing happened. She pushed it a few more times, but the window refused to acquiesce. "I should've had them take a look at this when I had the oil changed the other day." She opened her door, climbed out, and ran over to the SUV. The doors were locked, and there was no sign of Phil.

"Excuse me," she yelled to the woman before she got too far away. "Did you happen to see the driver of this vehicle?"

The woman circled back around, stopped pedaling, and rested a foot on the pavement for balance. She slipped off her sunglasses and smiled. "You mean Phil Tag? Yeah, I saw him a few minutes ago on my way up the street."

Kathryn chewed on her thumbnail. "What was he doing?"

The woman studied Kathryn for a moment with a raised eyebrow, as if measuring her motives. "Uh, he was with two guys."

"Did they leave together?"

"Yes, and something must've been going on because I waved at him, but he didn't wave back. Normally, he's friendly. Even when he's busy. He's a nice guy. Cute. Kinda keeps to himself though."

Well, that was more information than Kathryn needed right now. "Okay, thank you." Fear shot through her. Drew and Barney had taken him. But where could they have gone? She jumped back into her car and headed toward Phil's house in case they were there.

She arrived within a minute, but they weren't there. She walked around to the back to check on Phil's boat. It was tied to his dock. She left his house and went back to the rental on Airport Road. They weren't there either. He'd disappeared.

Kathryn slid out of the car defeated and went inside to Sadie, who was unharmed, as were her case files. She placed the gun underneath the kitchen sink to hide it in case Drew and Barney returned.

So they hadn't been here. Where were they then? Discouragement and worry ate away at her like saltwater on a piece of metal. She should've never left Phil's side. She'd had no way of knowing he'd been in as much danger as she'd been in, but still she shouldn't have left him.

She threw herself down onto the sofa and patted her lap for Sadie to join her. It was time to call D.A. Schwartz and risk disbarment for interfering in an investigation she wasn't assigned to. She waited for him to answer, aimlessly brushing Sadie's fur with her hand.

"Hello."

"Hello, Mr. Schwartz."

"Kathryn, how is your time off going?"

"Well…I haven't had much of a vacation. I've been dodging two of Louie Ezzo's nephews the whole time."

"You should have come on back to Georgia then."

She twirled the ends of her hair. "I know, but you told me to stay. Besides, something kept haunting me about this case, and I couldn't leave. I've got some news for you."

"Okay, what have you got?"

"First of all, and most importantly, I found the weapon."

"You what? Why were you looking for it?"

"Because I knew it was here. That doesn't matter right now. What matters is that I found it."

"Have you got it in your possession now?"

She could feel the excitement in the D.A.'s voice, like the charge of energy in the air after a summer storm. Without the gun, it would be next to impossible to convict Louie Ezzo or anyone else of the crimes. "Yes, sir."

"Okay, and you're coming home?"

"I was planning to, but now I don't know."

"Why?"

She rubbed away the pounding behind her eyes. "Well, Phil, Phillip Tagliaferro, Louie's nephew, has been kidnapped by his two cousins."

"What?"

"I don't know for sure, but I suspect that's what's happened."

"Why do you suspect that?"

"He was on his way to meet me at the rental unit I'm staying in, which he owns. I just talked to him on the phone a few minutes ago. He should be here, but I found his SUV abandoned, and a woman said she saw him leave with two men and that he didn't seem like himself. His cousins are very intimidating! They want him to defend Ezzo. I'm sure they've taken him."

"Does he know you found the gun?"

"Yes."

"And you don't suspect that he duped you?"

"No, sir, I don't."

"Do you think they could force him to go?"

"Phil seemed to think so. And he wouldn't have gone with them willingly, not without telling me. I have no idea where to look."

"Okay, normally I'd tell you to get yourself home, but I don't want you traveling alone. Stay put where you're at for right now. Let me make a few phone calls and see if I can get a detective to escort you home."

"Thank you. But what about Phil?"

"Can you give me a description of all three of the men?"

"Sure."

"Okay, tell me what they look like and anything you know about their vehicles, and I'll contact local law enforcement. We'll see if we can track them down."

Kathryn gave D.A. Schwartz a thorough description of the Ezzo men and Phil and then allowed herself to weep until no tears remained.

Chapter Nineteen

Drew turned off Whiddon Avenue then onto Gulf Blvd. and finally onto Airport Road. Phil's heart plummeted to his stomach. They'd figured it out, and now they were taking him to Kathryn, where they'd no doubt kill them both. How could his life end this way? He'd stepped away from the unscrupulous dealings of his family, had a career he could be proud of, and had finally found a woman he wanted to spend more time with, and it was going to end before it could even start? He gritted his teeth and clinched his jaw.

The shadows of the mid-afternoon sun flickered through the palms and mangroves, and Phil's hopes began to dwindle. Drew and Barney rambled on about something, but all Phil could think about was how disgraceful he'd look to Pops and to the rest of the family. They'd look at him like a prodigal son returned by force. They'd never respect him, as if they ever had, and he'd be forced to represent every crook known to the family.

Of course, Pops had sounded like he’d shifted his support in Phil’s favor when he told him to protect Kathryn. He’d taken his word about her trustworthiness. Or was that a trap? Was that Pops’ way of finding out what Kathryn knew? It didn’t matter. He couldn’t waste his thoughts or energy worrying about Pops right now.

They passed the driveway to his rental, and his heart skipped a beat at the sight of Kathryn's Honda parked beneath a stately Live oak. She was there and was probably frantic by now. They weren't going after her? Then where were they going? Drew pulled right into the airport, and Phil's heart plummeted again. "What are you doing, Drew?"

"What do you think I'm doing? I'm taking you to talk to Uncle Louie."

Phil reached for the door handle, but Barney had a gun shoved against his ribs before he could get the door open. He released the handle. "I'm not going! I told you I'd call him."

"Yeah, you've been saying that for days. We're gonna make sure you see him."

As much as Phil didn't want to fly to Georgia or see Louie, this would distract his cousins from Kathryn long enough for her to get the gun to authorities. He had to get word to her that she'd be safe to move forward with the two thugs out of Cedar Key. But what about the guys from the grocery store? Maybe it would be best if Kathryn stayed put until he returned.

Drew got out of the car and opened Phil's door for him. He tossed the keys to Barney.

Phil looked back and forth from Drew to Barney. "What's going on, Cuz?"

"Barney is staying here to watch out for the D.A. You're going with me." Drew yanked Phil's arm and dragged him toward a waiting twin-engine plane, black and white with blue and gold stripes down the side.

"I told you, she's not on the case anymore. Why do you have to keep looking for her?"

"What's it to ya?"

"It's nothing. I just think you guys are wasting your time here. Go back to New York and be with your
precious
family!"

Barney rushed up behind Phil and yanked him by his hair. He punched him in the stomach and grabbed his jaw. "You listen here, Cuz. The next time I hear you make a comment like that about our family, I'm going to make sure you take a long dirt nap. Capisce?"

Phil yanked away from him. "Capisce." He turned to Drew. "Let's get this over with."

In the Beechcraft Baron six-seater private plane, Phil sat on the left side, behind and facing the pilot. Drew sat on the right side diagonal to and facing Phil, as if he needed to watch him to ensure he wouldn't escape. Where could he go at 20,000 feet?

They lifted off the ground, and Phil squeezed the armrests, his knuckles white from the force of his grip. Take off was his least favorite part about flying, and in a plane no wider than his Range Rover, his fear level had just doubled.

When they leveled off, he eased back into the leather bucket seat and stretched out his legs until they touched the seat facing him. If he had to be taken somewhere by force, this piece of luxury was the way to travel. He adjusted the air control above his head and focused his attention on the scenery outside the window since the interior of the plane contained his moose of a cousin.

As the pilot circled around Cedar Key, Phil directed his gaze to the rental house. Was Kathryn still waiting for him there? Was she panicking because she couldn't find him? What would she do? Would she go back to Georgia without saying goodbye to him? He'd send her a text when they landed to let her know he was in her county, if he could break away from Drew long enough to do so. He'd wait for her there, if she wanted him to.

He closed his eyes and prayed. All hope couldn't be lost. God would watch out for him even in this plane, and he'd watch out for Kathryn. He rubbed his face and scratched the stubble on his jaw. "Where are we going?"

"Cobb County Airport at McCollum Field."

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"Nope. I told you I’m taking you to see Uncle Louie."

“Then why not fly out to the Paulding County airport, Drew? That’s a lot closer than McCollum.”

“Because I wanted to fly in to Kennesaw. That’s why.”

Phil slapped his legs. "This is unbelievable. Where's Barney?"

"I told you that too. He's staying back to make sure the lady D.A. doesn't pull any funny stuff." Drew twirled a cigarette between his fingers then tucked it behind his right ear. "We know you know her, Phil. Did you think we wouldn't find out?"

Phil grabbed the armrests and jerked his body forward to the edge of his seat. "Captain, land this plane! I need to get out now."

Drew laughed. "Ha, I hired him. Not you. He only takes orders from me. Don't worry though. We'll land in an hour and thirty minutes. We'll be at the jail by 4:00 p.m., and back to Cedar Key before sunset."

Phil sat back in his seat, clamped his jaw shut, and stared out the window. There was nothing he could do about his predicament now. However, when they landed, he'd give Drew a fight as he'd never given him before, one to make up for all those times of bullying as kids.

#

Kathryn walked Sadie around back to avoid Drew or Barney spotting her, the hum of a small plane circling in the air above their heads beckoning her to join its passengers. If only she could escape this impossible situation on a private jet and fly to somewhere peaceful and trouble-free. Cedar Key could be that kind of place, but it wouldn't be until this murder case was closed and Louie Ezzo and the cousins were behind bars for a long time.

Kathryn slipped into the house and locked the door behind her. Sadie danced around for a treat, and Kathryn laughed. No matter what the situation, Sadie always thought of her belly first. Kathryn's stomach growled as Sadie chewed on her treat, and she clasped her hand over it. Had she really not eaten since the light breakfast she'd shared with Phil?

She uncovered the steaks and pulled the salad out of the refrigerator. She might as well eat. She couldn't go searching for Phil. He'd be angry with her if she did. Surely, he was okay. Maybe he was stalling his cousins.

Kathryn heated one steak, wrapped the other one in foil, and placed it in the refrigerator. She prepared a small salad in a wooden bowl, added ranch dressing to it and then sat down at the bar. Sadie whined and begged at her feet. "You already had a treat, Sadie. Go get on your bed. I'm not in the mood for you right now."

Kathryn nibbled on a cucumber and sighed. "God, if you're listening, please protect Phil. He's been my protector while I've been here in Cedar Key, and now he needs protecting. I don't know a lot about the way you work, but from what I've seen, you really take care of him, and you've let him take care of me the last few days. I hope you'll take care of him now."

Kathryn cut a piece of steak and took a bite. Savory. Juicy. Phil knew how to pick a good steak. Phil knew a lot about a lot of things.

"God, I don't know where my life is going. I don't know if I want to be a Senior Assistant D.A. I'm pretty sure I don't want to be a judge or Supreme Court Justice. When I talked to Phil about doing dental work for underprivileged people, my heart started to tingle in a way it hasn't in a long time. If you care about what I do, will you show me if you want me to leave the legal system? I think you might care for me the same way you care for Phil…although I don't deserve it. I haven't gone to church, and I haven't done things right in my life. But I'd like a second chance."

Tears streamed down Kathryn's face. What was happening to her? Something was budding in her like the hibiscus plant outside the window. If only Phil was with her now, she'd tell him what she was feeling, and he could explain it to her.

Was this something to do with God? The pastor's sermon on Sunday about the treasures of one's heart poked at her thoughts. Phil was a treasure to Kathryn. She didn't want to lose him. "God please help him! Please return him to me."

#

When they landed at Cobb County Airport, Phil excused himself to the FBO's restroom, where he sent Kathryn a text.

Too much to explain in a text. Drew took me by plane to Georgia to see Uncle Louie. I should be back before nightfall. Barney is still there in Cedar Key. Stay in the house.

Kathryn sent a text back immediately.

Wish I could have stopped them from taking you. Please be careful! I'll wait for you.

She was safe, and she'd wait for him. Relief flooded Phil's heart like the tide flooding the shoreline on the bayou in the afternoon light. If she'd stay where she was, and if Barney remained clueless about her location, all would stay well until he returned.

Phil turned off his phone to save his battery and to keep the phone from roaming while inside the concrete walls of the jail.

#

The steel bars slammed shut behind Phil as he followed the uniform-clad female deputy down the echoing corridor to visitation room number nine where Uncle Louie waited for him. Would he be able to get out of there without committing to defend him?

Based on the evidence Kathryn had and the fact that she'd found the gun, how could Louie deny his involvement? In true Louie fashion, he'd blame his employees and his nephews. If his fingerprints were on that gun, he'd still find a way to blame someone for that. If he forced Phil to represent him, he'd have to go over the information in Kathryn's file with more scrutiny than he'd ever before used on a case. His job would be to clear Louie or risk an uncertain future.

What was it Barney had said? Something about clearing their uncle or taking an eternal dirt nap? Phil didn't want to go into the Witness Protection Program, but that might be where he was headed.

He straightened his shirt and stepped into the drab grayness, an oscillating fan blowing air across the room like a wind tunnel. The floors glistened, and the scent of bleach touched Phil's nostrils. An orange jumpsuit replaced Uncle Louie's usual European suit, and he sat at a metal table instead of behind his oak desk. What a contrast.

Wrists handcuffed and fingers interlocked, he gave one nod. "Phillip, what news do you have for me?"

Phil slid into the chair across from Uncle Louie. "Well, Uncle, I was taken by force by Drew and brought here against my wishes. I can't say that I have much of anything for you."

"Abducted? So you don't want to represent me?"

He drummed his fingers on the table. "It's not personal. I gave up practicing law a long time ago."

"No one ever gives up practicing law. Not when there's a family member who needs you. What do you know about the case? What about the D.A.?" Louie opened his hands and then locked his fingers together again. "I hear it's a woman."

"Well—"

"I can't believe they'd let a woman prosecute me." He swung his head like a pendulum and laughed. His laugh crawled up Phil's spine. "I'm as good as free. No woman can win a case against an Ezzo."

"Uncle, I hear she's off the case now. D.A. Schwartz is prosecuting you, so it's not so open and shut as you'd like to think. They've got evidence."

Louie slammed his fists onto the table, and Phil jumped. "You'll find the loophole, nephew. Do you hear me? You'll find the weakest link and pin everything on him. I will not go away to prison at sixty-five years old. I've already been in here two months. That's enough." He pointed at him. "If you want your inheritance, get me out of here, nephew. Or else!"

"Uncle, I don't need an inheritance from you. I'm doing fine on my own."

"Oh, you're that self-sufficient, eh? You shunning me?"

"No, Uncle Louie. I'm not shunning you. And your offer of inheritance is more than I deserve. All of that aside, I need to know how involved you are with these murders."

"Why does that matter?"

"You want me to defend you. You need to tell me the truth."

"I'm not telling you anything. You haven't said you'd defend me."

"I guess we've reached an impasse then, right? I'm not going to defend you unless I know the truth."

"Maybe if you knew the truth, you wouldn't defend me anyway."

Phil held his hands up in surrender. "I think my job is done here." He stood and headed toward the door of the chamber.

"Listen, I need to know how likely it is that I'm gonna go away to prison."

Phil turned around to face Louie. For the first time, he looked like a withered old man, defeated and frightened. His dark eyes glistened with tears, and his brow bore worry lines across it. "Uncle, right now, witnesses are saying that you did it. Unless you've got something to give me that'll help me find the information I need to clear your name, I don't really see what else I can do to help you."