The Black Feather (22 page)

He’d have to use Bobbett to go in Conway’s room and talk to her daughter. He also had to figure out a way to take care of the old man without anyone being wise to him. He started back to the cafeteria just as his phone rang and saw the caller was the security guard at the front gate. He’d bought the man’s willingness to help by paying him every time he gave out any useful information.

“What’s up?”

“Novak’s on his way. I couldn’t call you sooner because I had to check in a couple other people.”

“What the hell is he doing back?” David grumbled.

“I told him I was surprised to see him since I’d heard he was off the case. He said he wanted to come and see how Wendell Conway is doing.”

“I’m not buying that. I know Novak. He’s got more on his mind than a friendly visit. He could be here to question Conway himself. I may be leaving sooner than I wanted to if he’s going to be hanging around.”

David shoved the phone into his pocket. Thad could turn out to be another complication he didn’t need on top of everything else right now. He pushed the door open to the cafeteria. Quick strides took him over to Bobbett’s table. She looked at him before going back to her eating.

“I want you to find out if Suzanne’s made any progress with her father. I also need to know if there’s anyone else in the room with him besides her and Muriel.”

“You’ll have to wait until I’m done eating.”

His eyes flashed with impatience.

“Must I remind you that you were the one who wanted to get her life back? The sooner I find out where those phones are, the sooner you can get out of here. Work on your daughter. Get her to stop babying her father. How tough can it be to get him to say a few more words? He’s already given us part of the equation, now we just need a little bit more to solve the problem.”

“Don’t plan on any miracles. My daughter and I aren’t exactly on chummy terms in case that’s escaped you. The gap between us is too big to change things.”

“I’ve noticed. But I’m counting on you to close that gap enough to get the information I need. Do this for me my beautiful Bobby, and I’m going to make it worth your while. I’ve been promised a huge bonus if I can get those phones.”

She put her fork down and gave him a speculative look.

“How much money are we talking here?”

“Enough to treat you like a queen.”

“Now you’re talking.” Bobbett wiped her mouth on her napkin, tossed it onto the table, and stood up.

“It looks like I’m about to become my daughter’s new best friend.”

“I’m more interested in you becoming her confidant.”

Twenty-two

“How’s he doing?” Thad asked the security guard sitting outside Wendell’s room.

“Coming around and showing good improvement according to what I hear.”

“That’s great news. I think I’ll go in and pay my respects.”

“You’re supposed to check with the doctor, but I won’t say anything. By the way, is this a personal courtesy call or are you on the case again?”

“Both. I asked to be reassigned.”

“Welcome back.”

“Thanks.”

Muriel gave Thad a dubious look when he entered the room and introduced himself. “I thought Suzanne said you were gone.”

“I was, but now I’m back. Where is she?”

“She went outside to get some fresh air. Is she expecting you?”

“No. I thought I’d surprise her.”

“I’m sure you will. I just hope it’ll be in a good way.”

“So do I.” He looked at Wendell. “I understand you’re making good progress.”

“Getting there.”

“I’m glad. Mrs. Harold called and told me you left the phones at her house. I realize you haven’t always trusted me, but I want you to know I’m willing to do pretty much anything to gain that trust.”

Wendell eyed Thad for several seconds with wavering suspicion before exhaling a tired sigh.

“I hope to God you mean it because I don’t have much choice right now except to take you at your word.” 

Muriel entered the conversation, knowing how difficult it was for Wendell to talk too long.

“Suzanne and her mother went with David to her godmother’s to find the phones. Wendell hid them inside a stuffed toy horse there, but he forgot to tell them he put the toy in Mr. Harold’s golf cart, instead of the house.”

“Mrs. Harold told me about the Pegasus, but obviously she isn’t aware of its location. Does Suzanne know about this latest development?”

“Yes, but she must not have told David yet. Otherwise, I’m sure he’d be pushing her to leave right now. He’s very anxious to get back to the island.”

All eyes turned to the door when Bobbett chose that moment to enter the room. She stopped when she saw Thad. Good looking, well-built men always caught her attention, especially if they were younger than her. She puffed out her chest, wet her lips, and gave him her most flirtatious smile. 

“Well, who do we have here?” she cooed walking over to him with a provocative sway to her hips.

Muriel made the introductions.

“Mrs. Conway, this is Thad Novak. He used to be the man looking after Suzanne before David came here.”

“Oh! I’m so glad to finally meet you and have this opportunity to thank you for watching over my little girl.” She glanced around the room.

“Where is she, by the way?”

“Getting some fresh air,” Muriel said.

“Why don’t you and I get better acquainted Mr. Novak, while we’re waiting for Suzanne? Or may I call you Thad? It’s such a strong, masculine name and I can see it suits you very well. You must call me Bobby like all my special friends do.”

Wendell let out a soft snort from his bed while Thad shifted his attention back to Muriel.

“When do you expect Suzanne to return?”

Muriel glanced at her watch and frowned.

“Actually, I expected her to be back by now.”

This latest development meant more running away. But Suzanne knew she had to get back to Nanadoo’s without David. Everything her father did to keep the phones safe would be for nothing if David got his hands on them. Were there other moles inside the clinic working for the Montane family?

She had no way of finding out right now, which meant she’d have to be very careful who she talked to.

She squatted behind a bush outside the clinic keeping her eyes on a laundry van. The bags of soiled laundry would be her hiding place if she could get inside. She eased herself closer to the back doors the driver left standing open. She waited until he was inside the clinic before she ran, climbed up, and dove into the stacks of cloth bags. She burrowed deep, wrinkling her nose at the disagreeable odors.      

The driver came out of the building a few minutes later and tossed in a couple more bags. Suzanne heard him slam the doors shut. She felt the van move, drive a short distance, and stop at the gate. She prayed the guard wouldn’t insist on doing a search. Her fingers unclenched from a fabric bag when the vehicle started moving again leaving her safely nestled among the dirty linens.

Suzanne settled back and began to concentrate on how she could get to the phones before David.

She doubted he would waste much time staying at the clinic when he couldn’t find her. She had to alert Muriel to get extra protection for her dad. If only she had her phone, but she hadn’t wanted to go back for her purse and take the chance of running into David or anyone else who may be helping him.

Her fingers gripped one of the laundry bags again remembering how David had talked about killing her father. He was more of a monster than the Montanes. At least they didn’t pretend to be good. Suzanne forced her thoughts back to the phones. David would probably take a helicopter to get back to the island. That option of even taking a ferry wasn’t available to her until she could get hold of some money.

The best way to beat him to the colonel’s golf cart would be to have someone who was already on the island go and get the phones. It would have to be someone used to looking after themselves in difficult situations. The only person Suzanne could think to call was Dewey.

She just hoped he was still on the island. Suzanne wasn’t sure if he’d be willing to help her. But she knew Dewey had no love for the Montane brothers, so that could work in her favor. She needed to get in touch with him. Her fingers toyed with the string of a nearby bag, as she sat there thinking. Maybe she could somehow get the driver’s cell. If she was lucky enough to be successful with that, then she’d have to hope Dewey could be trusted to either bring her the phones, or turn them over to the police himself.

Suzanne bit her lip. There were so many holes in her plan it made her think of Swiss cheese. If only Thad was here. His absence felt like a missing limb that throbbed with phantom pain. Suzanne listened to the sound of the tires. His name began to repeat itself over and over inside her head to the rhythm of the tires on the road.

Thad. Thad. Thad.

Thad rallied every available person to search the buildings and grounds for Suzanne when it became obvious too much time had gone by without her returning. No one had a way to get hold of her because she’d left her phone in her purse sitting in her father’s room. Muriel offered to dump the contents out in the hopes they might be able to find a clue to Suzanne’s disappearance.

When Muriel opened the tissues and found the black feather she dropped it as though she’d touched a hot coal. She didn’t have to explain the significance to either Thad or Wendell. Both men knew what it meant and in that moment the fear for Suzanne’s safety escalated to new, terrifying heights, especially when Wendell told Thad she’d received other feathers.

Thad walked out into the hallway when he heard David shouting at the security guards.

“How the hell could Suzanne just disappear? What kind of show are you people running here?”

“Cut them some slack,” Thad said. “She has a talent for vanishing, and I speak from experience.”

“I know, but Jesus!”

Thad looked at the guard from the front gate.

“What other vehicles left here besides passenger cars.”

“The laundry van. The driver has clearance, so I didn’t do a search.”

“Are you thinking she could have left in that van?” David asked Thad.

“That’d be my guess, unless she climbed into someone’s trunk. But knowing her, I have a feeling she’s been up to her old tricks and fled the clinic with the dirty laundry.”

“She might be going back to the island to get the phones.” David frowned. “I can’t figure out why she thought she had to go alone. I think it’d be best if you stayed here in case she returns. I’ll go to the island, meet her at her godmother’s place, and return with her and the phones.”

Thad didn’t answer right away. He was too busy mulling over his own concerns. He agreed with David that Suzanne may be trying to get the phones by herself. But why? It didn’t make sense. Her father swore he hadn’t advised her to go alone. He knew as well as Thad there was always the chance that one of the Montane’s so-called associates could still be watching the house there. He didn’t need the black feather to remind him they were always waiting in the background. If Suzanne was discovered to be on her own God knows what they would do to her knowing she didn’t have anyone protecting her.

Indecision warred inside Thad. Should he go directly to the island himself and save the woman he loved from a possible death sentence? Or should he go to the laundry first and try to catch her before she left for her godmother’s? David’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Novak? Did you hear what I said? I’ll leave right now for the island. You’ve already had to chase after Suzanne enough. You don’t need this aggravation. Let me go. What do you say?”

“I’ll have to think about that. Right now I’m going to call the laundry to inform them that their driver could unknowingly be carrying a hitchhiker.”

David glowered at Thad.

“You know, I really don’t have to ask for your permission, since you were assigned to another case.”

“Well, I’m back now and for the record, Suzanne is more than just another case to me.”

The van finally stopped. Suzanne heard the driver come to the back and open the doors. She peeked out from her hiding place and waited until he walked away carrying some of the bags before she climbed over the rest and scrambled out of the van. She sucked in some much needed clean air.

She hurried to the van’s cab muttering under her breath, “Please let his phone be in the front seat.”

The urge to give a whoop of happiness almost burst out of her when her wish was granted. Suzanne opened the door, grabbed the phone, and ran around the side of the building to hide. She began tapping in Dewey’s number, thankful that she actually remembered it. Now she had to hope her luck would hold and he’d answer her summons.

“I’m out cleaning up after someone as usual. Leave a message.”

Never had a voicemail sounded so unwanted. She ended the call without leaving a message. Maybe it was just as well for Dewey that he couldn’t help her. Suzanne didn’t know what would await him if he went to her godmother’s. She didn’t want to be responsible for sending him into danger and have that on her conscience along with all the other guilt she was juggling.

Man and violence. A volatile combination. The need to wound. To dominate the weak. To draw blood. She’d become a part of unleashing more of that violence even knowing she was trying to do something good. What choice did she have but to follow this dangerous path to its uncertain end? She knew the ugly images would still be burned in her brain even when this nightmare of a journey ended.

She started to call Muriel when the sound of the van driver’s angry shout caused her to peek around the corner. She saw him standing by the vehicle.  He did not look happy.

“Did one of you borrow my phone?” he yelled toward the open doorway of the building. No one answered. “Hey! Where’s my phone?”

Suzanne stepped out into the open.

“I have it.”

He whirled around to face her.

“I’m not stealing it. I left mine back at the clinic and I needed to make an urgent phone call.”

“Who the heck are you?”

“My name is Suzanne Conway. My father is a patient at the clinic. I had to get away from a man back there who wants to kill my dad and come after me. I hid in your van to escape. I needed to call someone. I’d like to use your phone again if that’s okay. It’s an emergency,” she added.

His gaze shifted to look over her shoulder. “Do you think the guy followed you here?”

“No. He doesn’t know I left in your van. Please, may I use your phone for my call?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Thank you.”

Muriel answered.

“Suzanne! Everyone is looking for you. Where are you? Are you okay?”

Suzanne interrupted the stream of questions.

“I’m fine. Is David Hamilton still at the clinic?”

“Yes and he’s very upset with you. I also think you should know . . .”

Suzanne sliced through the words before Muriel could say that Thad had returned.

“Muriel, please listen to me, David is . . .”

“He’s outside the door talking to the guard. I’ll let you explain to him why you ran off.”

Was the guard an accomplice? Suzanne almost dropped the phone in her haste to cut the connection.

David would be leaving the clinic once Muriel told him she’d called. He’d probably figure out she left in the van. That meant he could be on his way to the laundry at any moment. She had to get out of here. Suzanne handed the driver his phone.