Speed Trap (18 page)

Aaron squatted and held out his hand. “It's just a dog. He's kinda cute. Don't he look like the pup we had when we was kids?”

Mike's eyes never left Garrett. “I hated that cur. He bit my leg.”

“Yeah, yeah. Come here, boy,” Aaron coaxed, patting his thigh.

As much as Garrett wished Wiley would morph into an attack dog, it didn't happen, but neither did he venture near Aaron. He stayed at Garrett's side.

Aaron looked at Garrett. “What's his name?”

“Wiley.”

“Like the coyote.” Aaron smiled. “I like that.”

Mike reached out and took Garrett's cell phone from his shirt pocket. He handed it to Aaron. “Make the call, then get outside and hide the van.”

With a disgruntled glare at Mike, Aaron took the phone and left.

Mike gestured with the gun toward a chair in the center of the room. “Take a seat and don't try anything stupid. Behave and your kid lives another day.”

Impotent rage threatened to choke Garrett. He struggled to stay calm. He might be able to rush the man and overpower him, but if he got himself killed, there wouldn't be anyone to protect Colin.

“If you do anything to harm my son—” Garrett bit off the threat.

Mike walked behind Garrett and shoved him down into the chair. “Didn't I make myself clear?
You
are the one who will get him hurt. Now, shut up and get comfortable. We've got a while to wait.”

Who or what were they waiting for?

Sudden blinding pain exploded through Garrett's skull. He felt himself falling—then nothing.

M
andy saw the tow truck parked beside the filling station as she drove into Timber Wells. It was hard to resist the urge to stop and search it. Nothing she found would be admissible in court without a warrant or clear probable cause. She didn't want this case thrown out on a technicality and she didn't want to spook the perpetrators into destroying evidence by showing undue interest in the place.

She slowed down as she drove by, hoping to see an obvious reason to stop, but the place was quiet.

When she turned into the department parking lot at the rear of the courthouse, she frowned. Both squad cars were gone. Why weren't Benny and Fred waiting for her?

She hurried into the building and saw Donna at the desk. “Where is everyone?”

“Fred just radioed in a bad car wreck east of town. Benny is on his way to help.”

“Fatalities?”

“I don't know. Sheriff, there's something else. I just took a call from Garrett Bowen. The man has flipped out. He's threatening to kill himself and his son.”

Mandy stared at Donna in stunned disbelief. “You can't be serious. Garrett would never hurt Colin.”

“All I know is what he told me.”

“Are you sure it wasn't a prank? Someone claiming to be Garrett?”

“The call came from his cell-phone number. He really sounded desperate. I think he's serious.”

“Who's responding?”

“I haven't given it to anyone. That's what I'm telling you. It
just
came in.”

Mandy had to hear for herself that it was Garrett. “Play the tape back for me.”

“I can't. The recorder has been malfunctioning since last shift. I told you we needed to replace it.”

Mandy grabbed her phone and punched in Garrett's number. It rang a few times, then went to voice mail. Frustrated, she tried his home phone with the same results.

She snapped her phone shut. “Is my warrant ready?”

“Not yet. The judge was tied up in court.”

“I'm going to the Bowen ranch. Get hold of the pastor at our church and tell him to meet me at Garrett's ranch as soon a possible.”

“Right away.”

Once she was back in the squad car, Mandy switched on her lights and siren and stepped on the gas. What had happened to drive Garrett to such despair?

Miss Compton's stories about the breakdowns suffered by adult survivors of child abuse flooded Mandy's mind. Many of them couldn't deal with the shame and guilt, but Mandy believed Garrett was strong. He had Colin to live for. He had
her
love even if he didn't know it. Was it enough?

Please, God, let it be enough.

The prayer echoed over and over in her mind until she reached the ranch. Braking to a sliding stop, she saw his truck
parked beside the door. Suddenly, she realized her breath was coming in harsh, short gasps. She needed to be calm.

Garrett would need her to be calm.

Stepping out of the vehicle, she called his name and waited for an answer. None came. All she heard was the whistling of the wind past her ears and the hammering of her own heart.

Please, God, let him be okay.

She called again. “Garrett, it's Mandy. Where are you?”

Walking toward the house, she heard Colin begin crying and she rushed forward. The front door was open. Through the screen, she saw Garrett lying on the floor. A gun lay beside his outstretched hand.

“Dear God, no!” Her knees buckled and she grabbed the wall for support. The roaring in her ears drowned Colin's cries. Only her years of training kept her from crumpling to the floor.

Struggling to breathe, Mandy pulled open the screen door and rushed in.

A familiar voice behind her said, “Hold it right there, Sheriff. I don't want to shoot you if I don't have to.”

 

Garrett heard his name being called from a long way off. He opened his eyes, but the light shot blinding pain through his skull.

He tried, but couldn't remember what he'd done to make his father so mad this time. Was his mother okay?

“Garrett, please wake up.”

It was Mandy's voice pleading with him. She sounded so worried. He could hear Colin crying furiously. His son needed him. Garrett tried once more to open his eyes and succeeded in spite of the pain.

Mandy's beautiful face swam into focus. Tears stained her
cheeks. His head was pillowed on her lap. After one false start, he managed to croak, “What's wrong?”

“I'm so sorry.”

“He's awake, little brother,” a voice called out behind him.

Garrett's memory returned in a flash and with it helpless rage.

“You're brothers?” Mandy asked in surprise. She was sitting on his kitchen floor with her back against the cabinet, holding his throbbing head. Wiley was snuggled at her side and licking Garrett's hand.

Aaron laughed. “Yeah, ain't it a hoot?”

Garrett pushed the dog away and moved to sit up beside Mandy. The effort made him gag, but he fought down the nausea and forced himself to survey the room.

Aaron, leering at Mandy, rose from where he'd been straddling a chair. Mike paced back and forth outside on the front porch.

“Are you okay?” Mandy asked Garrett quietly.

“I've been better. What are you doing here?”

“I got a call that you were threatening suicide.”

“And you believed that?”

“You didn't answer the phone. I had to come check. When I got here and saw you lying on the floor, I walked right into their trap.”

“What do they want?”

Aaron raised the gun he held. “I want you to stop talking.”

Mike quit pacing and shouted to Aaron, “Can't you do something about that crying brat?”

“Like what?” Aaron snapped back. “We can't get rid of him, you know that.”

They weren't going to hurt Colin. Garrett sagged back against the counter.
Thank you, God.

Looking at Mandy, he saw the same relief written on her face. He loved her so much. Why hadn't he told her?

Lord, if You get Mandy and Colin out of here, it doesn't matter what happens to me.

Calmly, Garrett said, “He's hungry. There's a bottle for him in the fridge.”

Aaron backed toward the refrigerator, his gun still trained on them. He opened the door and pulled out Colin's bottle. Wiley, who'd been sitting quietly beside Garrett, padded over to sit in front of Aaron. “Sorry, pup, I got nothing for you.”

Sidestepping away, he held out the bottle toward Mike. “Give him this.”

Coming in through the door, Mike stopped short. “Are you crazy? You're leaving your prints are all over the place.” Wiley scampered under the table at the harsh sound of his voice.

Pulling a red shop rag from his hip pocket, Mike wrapped it around the bottle and carried it into the other room.

“Giving it to him cold will make him sick,” Garrett said, praying the men would find compassion in their hearts for his son.

Aaron's smile sent shivers crawling down Garrett's spine. “If it gives that witch's brat a bellyache, that's fine with me. If she hadn't recognized Mike that morning, none of this would have happened.”

Icy coldness settled in Garrett's blood. “You killed Judy?”

“I heard you killed her.” Aaron smirked, dividing his attention between watching them and checking on his brother's activity in the living room. A few seconds later, Colin quieted and Mike brushed past Aaron as he walked back out on the porch.

“If it's a hostage you want, take me and let Garrett and the baby go,” Mandy said quickly,

Garrett cringed in fear for her. He took hold of her arm to silence her.

“I said no talking.” Aaron walked back toward her, brandishing the gun.

“You're going to kill me anyway.”

“True, but I'd rather not do it yet.”

“The suicide call was a clever way to get me here. Was it your idea?”

“Somebody else came up with that one.” He chuckled to himself.

Mandy sat back with a quick gasp. “How could I have been so blind?”

It was clear she had figured something out, but Garrett didn't have a clue. He heard a car approaching. Aaron glanced toward the door, then back at them. “Looks like the gang's all here.”

Outside, a car door slammed. Garrett caught the sound of heavy boots on the steps and a glimpse of a blue uniform through the door. His surge of hope was cut short when Donna Clareborn walked into the house.

Aaron wagged his brows at Garrett. “Say hello to Mom.”

 

Donna's smug smile made Mandy sick to her stomach. “Hello, Sheriff. I see you've met my stepsons.”

All the pieces had fallen into place for Mandy, but not soon enough. It was a mistake that would cost her her life. Shaking her head in disbelief, Mandy asked, “Donna, why are you doing this?”

“I
was
making a lot of money until you started interfering.” She tapped Aaron's arm. “Give me the gun and go help your brother.”

“Yes, Mommy.” Aaron flashed a wide grin at Mandy and laughed as he went out the door.

Mandy needed time to think of a way out. She decided to keep Donna talking as long as possible. “You always wanted
to know where your people were. I've got to hand it to you. You had me fooled.”

A cold, calculating smile curved Donna's lips. “What better way to make sure my stepsons stay safe than to know where the police are all day long? Don't feel bad, Mandy. They didn't figure it out in the last two towns we worked in, either.”

“Why meth?”

“Cheap, easy to make if you have the right stuff and very, very lucrative.”

“Your TV shopping was just a cover to get ephedrine shipped right to your door.” Mandy couldn't believe she'd been so blind. She'd trusted this woman.

“The Internet is a wonderful invention,” Donna said. “A few clicks and a dozen boxes of cold medicine are on their way to me or the boys from Mexico. And, of course, a new handbag or two. I really do love bags and shoes, but I knew as soon as I saw you talking to my delivery man that you'd figure it out. You're such a little bulldog. It's too bad that fool of a truck driver didn't get rid of you the way I wanted. If he had, Mr. Bowen wouldn't have to die, too.”

“Why implicate me?” Garrett demanded.

“It was just another red herring for our diligent sheriff. As long as she was looking for small cooking spots in outlying areas, she wouldn't be looking for a big one.”

Mandy felt like such a fool. “The salvage yard.”

Donna grinned maliciously. “That's right. Gas line additive, batteries, propane, all things the boys use in the business right in one spot. You didn't know we have a refrigerated truck inside the garage to store our finished product, did you? We've got a delivery system of drivers headed to all parts of the country, even our contaminated trash gets shipped out inside chopped-up cars with no one the wiser.”

Mandy closed her eyes and dropped her head. “All you needed was the anhydrous ammonia. No wonder the thefts always took place when we were busy elsewhere.”

“Finally, she's getting smart. By next year, my industrious boys will be expanding their business. They're going to start selling fertilizer, too. Well, some of it.” She chuckled and Mandy knew then how insane she was.

“Even if you silence me, Fred will figure out what you've been doing.”

“You aren't going to get away with this,” Garrett added.

“Oh, but we are. Fred and Benny are out at another meth lab explosion as we speak. I'm sorry, Mandy, but the judge and the pastor never got your messages. No one knows you're here.”

“You're forgetting the kids you put in the hospital. Ken's brother will testify that he bought the meth from J. J.”

Donna pressed her hand to her chest. “Oh, poor J. J. Didn't I mention he died in the explosion that Fred and Benny are investigating now? It turns out that J. J. was actually cooking meth for Mr. Bowen. Spike will testify to that for immunity, plus a few thousand dollars in cash that I've put away for him.”

Mandy's fingers clenched into fists. Under the table, Wiley whined, sensing the tension in the air.

Tsking
and shaking her head, Donna said, “It's too bad you rushed out here to confront Bowen without waiting for backup after you were tipped off. Of course, everyone knows how concerned about that baby you are. You died a hero—just like your father, but at least you got off a shot and killed Garrett before you died.”