Suspicion At Sea (21 page)

“Suzy,” I roar, stepping over the body and running to her bedroom. “Suzy!” I bust through the door.

“Suzy!” Now Ellie and Cody are calling for her. Cody runs outside with a flashlight and starts calling her name.

She's nowhere to be found, and our car is still here.

“This is all your fault,” Denny growls through gritted teeth, kneeling next to his dead partner. He slowly moves his head up toward me with hatred in his eyes. My heart is beating a mile a minute. My sister has been taken and this asshole is blaming me.

Ellie is on the phone. I don't know who she is talking to, but she is telling someone we have an agent down and to put out an APB on Suzy. Her words start to fade away when she starts describing what she looks like.

The room is hazy as Denny slowly stands, facing me. His body is tense, his head still down toward Lyle.

“Shot execution style,” he mumbles under his breath. “Do you know who does that?” His lifts his head ominously to stare at me.

I just stare back, my thoughts are muddled as I think of poor Suzy in the hands of one of the most dangerous criminals in the world.

“Answer me,” Denny screams. Before I can judge what is about to happen, he charges me, slamming me into the wall with his forearm on my throat.

“Denny!” I hear Ellie shout as she rushes in.

“He has my sister,” I snarl, his face as red as his hair. I don't fight back, not yet. We stare each other down waiting for the other to make a move.

“Get off him!” Ellie is pushing on Denny who doesn't budge. He is so focused on me he doesn't even seem to notice she is there.

“Guys,” Cody comes in from outside, “this isn't going to help anything. And you’re messing up the fucking crime scene.”

“How did they know about this place?” Denny is so close to me I can feel his breath. His lip curls and his eyes narrow.

“They have my sister,” I repeat, now pushing him off me. He flies back, knocking into Ellie and he turns around like he's going to start swinging. That's when I move, grabbing his arm just before it makes contact with her. Wrapping his arm around his back, I push him to the floor with one knee on his back. His face is sideways smashed into the floor, breathing hard as he fights for air, trying to get up.

“I'm only going to say this once,” I bend down more so I'm right in his ear. “My fucking sister is missing. You can help us or you can be handcuffed to a chair,” I state, my words hard and direct. “If you ever so much as think about touching Ellie again I. Will. Put. You. Down.” I dig my knee deeper into his back and he groans. Spit flies out of his mouth as he tries to breathe. I let him loose, and stand, wiping the sweat from my brow.

Cody and Ellie are standing in shock watching us. Denny takes a few seconds before pushing himself up onto his hands and knees, coughing as his breathing returns to normal.

“This is not over,” Denny spits, standing again. “Don't think for one minute this is over.” He walks toward the bathroom and slams the door shut.

I turn toward Ellie, and tears well in my eyes.

“Justin, we will find her.” She runs to me, wrapping her arms around my waist, laying her head flat against my chest.

“She's so helpless, she has no survival skills,” I mutter, I don't even know where to go from here. What do we do? Where do we start looking?

“I promise you, we will get her back.” Ellie grabs my face in her small, strong hands. I just nod, placing my hands over hers.

Chapter 43

Ellie

“Tommy, we need to know where that feed is coming from, now,” I order into the phone. I called in and reported about Lyle and Suzy. State patrol arrived shortly after the incident between Justin and Denny. Lyle is still on the floor with a sheet covering him. I walk away from the scene to the front deck to focus on what Tommy is saying.

“I have an address, you're not going to like it,” Tommy voice cracks. He and Lyle were close, and I can tell he is trying to stay strong, but Tommy is not a big tough guy. He doesn't lash out and try to beat someone up when he's sad and angry.

“Where?” I ask, trying to ignore my emotions. I have to find Suzy, that is most important right now.

“The main feed is coming from the B&B you were staying at.”

“What...are you sure?”

“Yes,” is all he says.

While on the phone it's like the cavalry has arrived. More FBI agents, local police from the surrounding counties, and many more state patrol.

I search out Justin in the hoard of men in uniforms and FBI jackets and see him talking to his father. Ben Bennett has his head down, his thumb and forefinger pinching the bridge of his nose. Justin puts his hand on his father's shoulder in an awkward attempt at comforting.

He raises his head, looking straight at me, like he knows exactly where I am. He doesn't have to search the crowd like I did. I walk out the door to where they are standing in the yard.

“Sheriff, I assure you we will use every resource we have to find your daughter,” I address Ben when I reach them. I need to get to Cody and tell him what Tommy has found out. I look through the crowd and see him by the van on his cell.

“We have a lead,” I whisper in Justin's direction before I walk to Cody.

“Dad, I will keep you updated,” I hear Justin say as I walk away. “I'm going with you.” Justin catches up to me.

“Hey, so that was Tommy,” Cody says as I reach him. It is just reaching dawn and the sky is lightening.

“Yeah, he told me. Let's go, I don't want to waste any time.”

“We need to be smart about this. I'm sending Richards and Nelson to stake out the warehouse.”

“Fine, I'm going to the B&B.” I turn to head to the back of the van. Grabbing two bullet-proof vests, I hand one to Justin then put mine on. Pulling out a 9 mm and a holster, I also hand that to Justin.

“Whoa,” Cody says, grabbing my wrist as I head for a black SUV. "What is your plan?”

“I'm going in there and kicking down the door...”

“Ellie, going off half-cocked like this could get Suzy killed,” Justin says as non-confronting as he can.

“He's right, Ellie,” Cody nods. “We're going in, but just need a plan. We have no idea what we are walking into.”

“Fine.” I give up easier than I normally would because what would be the point in fighting Justin and Cody.

“I'm waiting on a call from Carl.” Cody checks his phone. “I don't know why he hasn't called me back.”

“Richards,” Cody yells at Agent Larry Richards who is walking toward the van. “You have strict orders to stay out of sight. Also, do not engage without back-up if something happens.” Richards nods that he understands.

Everything goes silent and we turn to see what is going on. The coroner is rolling Lyle out. CSI has arrived and has taken over the cabin. I already know they aren't going to find anything that is going to lead us to Suzy.

“How did they find this place?” Richards asks after Lyle is in the ambulance.

“Tommy said it was on Suzy's tax returns, that she had it listed as property owned,” Cody answers.

“Wait...she did?” Justin speaks up, shocked by news. “She wouldn't, this is my property, and the title is still in my grandfather's name.”

“That's what Tommy said.” Cody shrugs. Justin is more than bothered by this information.

“I never would have brought her here if I knew that,” Justin says softly to himself. “Why would she do that? It doesn't make sense. It would have been capital gains for her. She would have had to pay taxes on it.” It's like the lines are getting more and more blurred.

“Just another unexplained, Bennett...” Denny shows up smarting off, but stops when he gets all eyes on him.

“Denny, you stay back and help set up at the Sheriff's station. Sheriff Bennett said we can have access to whatever we need,” Cody instructs, and Denny does not look pleased.

“Whatever.” He throws up his hand and walks away.

Chapter 44

Justin

Ellie is chomping at the bit as we wait for instruction from the Deputy Director. I'm trying to stay calm, but I really want to kick some ass right now. After an hour, the van has made it to the warehouse and has reported back that all is silent.

“Cody, let's go.” Ellie is headed toward the SUV. “We are not waiting all day for Carl to decide if it's important enough to call us.” Walking by me she stops and takes my hand in hers, giving it a squeeze. “We are going to get her back.” The look of determination in her eyes is inspiring. Anything my girl sets her mind to is going to happen.

“Fuck, she's right. We can't wait any longer,” Cody admits, getting into the driver side of the SUV. “You coming?” Cody yells.

“So what's the plan,” I ask after I get in. Cody speeds away from the cabin that I will probably never set foot in again.

“There is no plan, we are going in blind,” Cody answers, one hand on the steering wheel the other with his phone up to his ear. “Damn it, voicemail again. What the fuck, he knows how important this is.” Cody slams his phone down in the console.

“Cody, we can't just sit around. Every minute we wait the more likelihood whoever it is will be gone.”

“I know, that is why we are going. Call Tommy, tell him to find Carl and find out what the hell is going on over there.”

“Yes, sir,” Ellie responds to Cody's ordering.

“Sorry, just don't understand what is going on. This all seems so...” Cody stops, like he can't figure out what he is trying to say.

“Coincidental,” Ellie finishes his sentence. Cody is picking up on what Ellie and I are sensing.

“How come you came to Bailey Island?” I ask Ellie and she turns in her seat to see my face. “I mean, it's not like it's a hot tourist spot.”

She has a blank stare for a minute then turns to Cody. The look on her face is like she's seen a ghost.

“Carl,” she whispers. “My boss told me this was a great place.”

“Fuck!” Cody slams his palm on the steering wheel and the car grows silent. I reach my arm up between the door and the passenger seat placing my hand on Ellie's shoulder. I feel her hand touch mine.

We pull onto Orr's Bridge, still no one is saying anything. You can almost hear the wheels of everyone's brain working as we all think what could be happening.

I know what I'm thinking; that just like with LDR, Ellie is being used. I don't want to say it out loud just yet.

“Justin, you and Ellie take the front, I will go around back.” Cody delivers instructions which I agree with. There is no way in hell Ellie is getting out of my sight.

Cody pulls the SUV to a stop on the opposite side of the road and we all get out, not saying a word. Ellie and I wait, hidden from view by the SUV while Cody runs between the houses to the ocean side of the B&B. As soon as he is out of sight we move in, me in front of Ellie. Once we reach the door our guns are out, pointed to the ground.

I enter first, looking around. There is no one, and no sound. Esther doesn't seem to be here. Thank God for that, at least. I see movement coming from the back of the house and notice it is Cody. He is clearing the rooms on the main level. Ellie slides in next to me, heading for the stairs.

I grab her upper arm to slow her down, wanting to make sure the main floor is clear before we go up. She doesn't look happy as she whips around. I mouth to her to wait a minute.

“Clear,” Cody whispers joining us in the main room.

Chapter 45

Ellie

Cody, then I, and then Justin climb the wooden stairs of the B&B. Cody reaches the room I was staying in first and tries the knob. The door swings open and he races in, his gun shoulder level as he clears the room. Justin and I hang back waiting for Cody and he emerges nodding that the room is empty.

The room down and across the hall is the room Esther said the stranger was in. Cody tries the knob, but it is locked. He stands back, looking at us. No words are spoken, but Justin seems to know just what to do. They stand back, and at the same time their knees come up, kicking the door with the bottoms of their shoes. The door flies open and we all enter one by one, guns aimed.

There is a computer on the desk in the back of the room with three monitors set up. Two are the security feeds for the warehouse and one has a file opened. At the top of the screen is the monogram for the DOJ.