That damned treasure had been the balm to his ego at first.
Then it had been the price of his soul.
Now it was going to cost him everything.
Chapter 134
It was raining again. Always raining. Forecasters were already stating it was the wettest August in Texas history. Clay drove slowly. Bailey knew he was concerned about her. The man always was.
“I’m ok, you know. Nothing traumatic happened.” Her lips quirked. “I’ve slept with men before.”
He shot her a look. “I don’t want to discuss that, thank you very much.”
Bailey grinned at him. “Told you I wasn’t a virgin.”
“I’m not listening.”
His face was so...cute. And disgruntled.
“We’ll get you a bag or two. You can stay with me in town until things...settle down.” He wasn’t fully involved in the conversation, his attention on the road. And Bailey had certainly been with him enough to know when she had his full attention or not.
“What if that takes forever?” It slipped out before Bailey could turn on the filter.
“That, too. We can come out next weekend and get the rest of your stuff if you want.”
He hadn’t even looked at her, concentrating on avoiding the flooded potholes that cropped up without warning.
Bailey just stared at him. “You realize what you said?”
He shot her a typical Clay look filled with irritation. “Of course, I do. I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it. As soon as we get a chance, you’d better believe I plan to get your things from Bert’s and get you with me. Where you belong.”
“Don’t you think you’re rushing things a bit?” She kept the smile from showing, but it was hard.
She wasn’t certain she was ready for forever, but the knowledge that he wasn’t discounting the idea triggered a response she hadn’t expected.
It hadn’t just been the heat of the case, or the adrenaline of the storm.
It had been Bailey and Clay. Just the two of them.
Some of the uncertainty that had been eating at her evaporated.
“Nope. I’ve been waiting a year, a month, and four days.” He shot her a killer smile. “It’s you who’s taken your own sweet time figuring things out.”
“Just drive. We’ll figure things out together later.”
Chapter 135
Lou looked at Charlie. The man wasn’t going to make it; Lou was convinced of it. Guilt for what he’d done had him choking up a bit—that and he’d been yelling at Glen for a while now.
Charlie had dozed off again, after rambling on about that girl of his. And regrets. Saying he was sorry over and over again. To his girl—and to Bailey.
Lou appreciated that. The thought. His friend wasn’t a bad guy, not deep down. He felt guilty for what Pete Holte had done to Bailey, too.
So now Lou had to decide what to do. He had to make things right.
And Charlie wanted to see his girl again before he died.
Lou was going to make that happen.
He knew where the girl lived. Value was a small town, after all.
Her car was right there. The place was ablaze with light.
Lou looked at Charlie. The guy was pale as a damned sheet. Lou had seen corpses that looked better, both on the job and in prison.
And he was getting blood all over Lou’s van. Lou would have to clean that up before he took off to parts unknown. Or to Nevada. The slot machines might be a nice change. And if he won some cash, he could send it back to Bailey. For his grandchildren, at least.
He might even send some back to Charlie’s girl. For that little boy of hers that Charlie was so gung ho over.
It would be the right thing to do.
But now...the least he could do was give Charlie his last wish.
To see that girl one more time.
Chapter 136
They ended up packing her three bags. Bailey would have been fine with two, but Clay got it into his head that she was going to come back and get them all later anyway.
He’d had a bit too much fun packing her underwear. Bailey was half convinced she’d get to his place and have three bags full of silk and lace—even though she didn’t own that many pieces of underwear.
And she wouldn’t be wearing them that long when she did.
She took one more look around her bedroom at Bert’s. She wasn’t just leaving Bert, Jake and Liam. She wasn’t. Once this case was finished, she would make her decision.
Then, like the adult she was, she’d sit down with Bert and Jake and tell them.
Whatever her decision was, anyway.
They’d just loaded the back of the Tahoe with her bags when a call came over the radio. Someone had gotten caught in floodwaters near Bracker’s Mill Road and McGareth Road. They needed a ride, as the nearest tow truck was going to be tied up for a day or so. It was actually mired in some clay clear across the county.
It took them a while to find the man and take him the fifteen miles up the road to his son’s house.
Then they were back on the road—and back on the clock.
He didn’t mention her underwear again.
But there was a look in his eyes when he passed beneath the streetlight. One that told her he hadn’t forgotten.
It was just a matter of time.
“Inside, Deputy Moore. Dinner is on me.” He shook the white takeout bag and pointed inside.
Bailey passed in front of him. Close enough to smell him over the scent of cheeseburgers and French fries. He smelled worlds better.
“Aye-aye, Sheriff. Your wish is my command.”
“I’ll remember you said that.”
Chapter 137
Celia was laughing at the baby when Jake stood and grabbed his crutches. Her hallway was a bit too narrow for his chair. He’d have to walk the rest of the way to the couch.
Once he had her in there—if Liam would cooperate—Jake was going to enjoy some quiet time with the first woman he had been seriously attracted to since Liam’s mother.
Maybe, if things went according to plan, he’d be able to steal a kiss or two. But only if the baby was asleep.
Liam cooperated, kicking his feet for a few minutes as the opening of the movie played. Then he drifted off. It had been a long day for his son and greatly outside Liam’s routine.
No wonder.
Jake should take him home, soon, but with the rains and the flooded roads and his father still in town somewhere, he wasn’t an any big hurry to get back out on the roads.
He was downright exhausted.
Celia was sitting next to him on the couch. Eventually, she ended up snuggling up to him and hiding her face the instant the first scary dragon ended up on the screen. It was a popular movie that was checked out of the library frequently. He’d been waiting to see it.
Now he was glad he waited. “It’ll be ok, honey. He’s safe now.”
She laughed and looked at him. Jake couldn’t help it; he leaned closer.
Until his lips were on hers again.
He didn’t pull away until they heard the sound of a horn in the drive.
Jake grabbed his crutches and looked at his son. Liam was still sleeping soundly.
“That sounded close,” Celia said, starting to rise.
Jake was already on his feet; he headed to the window.
And that’s when he saw it.
“Call 911!”
Jake did his best to get out of the house and down the four steps without falling. When he made it to the man’s side, Celia had already grabbed the phone and was a step behind him.
Jake leaned down as best he could and felt for a pulse. It was there; but weak.
“TSP are on the way.” Celia went to her knees next to the man.
They rolled him to his back. Jake didn’t think he was dead, but it was damned close.
Celia gasped and jerked back. “Uncle Charlie!”
Jake looked closer. The hair was wrong. The man was thinner. But it was
Charlie Lake.
In the dim glow from the street, Jake could see the man’s eyes open.
Charlie’s hand shot up and wrapped around Jake’s shirt.
It was easier than Jake wanted to think about for the man to yank him down. “He’s insane!”
“Who is, Lake?” If there was anyone in the world that he hated, it was this man. For what he’d done to Celia, to Kyra, and to Bailey.
“Lou Moore!” Charlie coughed after he spoke, but his eyes didn’t leave Jake’s. When the coughing stopped, there was blood on the man’s mouth. But he had more to say. It took him a while to push it out. “Hates Addy. Wants Bailey with you. Trying to kill...Sheriff.”
Then the man turned to Celia. “Baby girl, I...sorry. Always did love you. But I was a stupid man. Selfish. Coward. Forgive...me.”
Charlie passed out in Jake’s arms. Jake didn’t want to care. Just wanted to leave the man there to rot.
But he didn’t. He looked at Celia. “Run inside. Get towels or something. We need to put pressure against the bleeding. I’ll prop up his feet.”
Celia did as he instructed, her terror right there. Jake understood. For all Charlie had done to her, he had been good to her, too.
And she was watching him die in her damned front yard.
Jake leaned over the man and said a little prayer—if the man was going to die, he hoped it was not yet.
Chapter 138
Glen had pissed his own pants. He’d always looked down on his dates when they had done the same thing. When the fear got to them.
He lay face down on the green carpet of the old Chrysler van and prayed to a God he’d never believed in that Lou wasn’t as insane as he appeared.
But what kind of man dumped his bleeding friend out on the lawn of a damned house?
He never should have taunted this man. Glen should have seen how screwed up Lou was. The sonofabitch had almost killed his own daughter. That should have told Glen something.
His head throbbed where Lou had slammed that gun into his temple. He had been lucky it hadn’t killed him outright.
Maybe. Glen half wished Lou had killed him then.
Lou had seemed so calm when he’d approached Glen in the general store parking lot. Almost friendly and confident.
Lou had stabbed him, right in the palm of Glen’s hand when Glen had tried to get the door open. And Glen had wet himself like a child.
Glen tried moving. He couldn’t. Lou was bigger, stronger, and a hell of a lot meaner than Glen. And he had the gun he’d already struck Glen with. It hadn’t taken long for Lou to have Glen secured.
He was stuck right where he was, face down on the carpet, wrapped in his own damned urine.
“I bought this specifically for you, Glenny boy.”
Lou had laughed like an idiot at his own joke. After a few minutes of driving, he pulled over. “You stink.”
Lou dumped the bottle of water over Glen’s face.
Then had wrapped him up again.
Lou had wrapped another layer of plastic wrap around his face and head.
Lou ripped a small hole in the plastic. Glen pulled in as deep a breath as he could.
And then the other man had tightened the plastic around him again. Then he’d made another hole.
He did this four more times. Each time he’d leave the plastic over Glen’s nose even longer.
Just like Glen had threatened to do to Lou’s daughter.
And then Lou yanked him to his feet. “You’re going to go see Bailey now, Glenny boy. Just like you’ve always wanted.”
Chapter 139
Lou was enjoying himself. It was great to have power over someone again. He knew himself well enough to know that was one reason he’d become a cop to begin with. The power rush.
Now Glen knew how all those women he’d hurt felt. The terror.
Not that Lou cared that much about women who’d probably been junkies and whores, but Glen hadn’t had the right to hurt them like that.
And Glen was never going to get near his little girl.
No matter what Lou had to do.
Lou had spent hours deciding what to do about Glen. And then it had hit him.
If he caught Glen himself, then the asshole would never be able to threaten Bailey again.
After that, well, once the sheriff was out of her life Bailey could find the right man for herself. Even if it wasn’t Jake.
It probably would be. The two were already living together, already in love.
So what if he’d seen Jake with Charlie’s little girl? They were practically related, thanks to Charlie’s nephew and Bert’s daughter. That’s all it was.
Family.
A part of Lou knew he was deluding himself, but he didn’t care. He had to do what was best for Bailey for once.
Never mind him.
He was just turning down the road that led to where Bailey was when a trio of TSP vehicles came roaring right at him.
Lou swore and pulled off into the nearest driveway. Someone needed to talk to those boys. They were driving those Tahoes like idiots. They were going to get somebody hurt.
Lou pulled into the parking spot closest to the precinct. He leaned over Glen, still bound like a damned Thanksgiving turkey, complete with a plastic wrap and piss glaze, and opened the door.
Glen wasn’t going to get too far, not trussed up like he was.
Lou shoved Glen out of the van, smirking when the man’s head bounced off the concrete, then sped away—leaning on his horn the entire way.
Chapter 140
Veri was at the desk when the horn sounded. She grabbed the headset—it was an all-hands on deck kind of night, and when that happened she was never without access to the phones—and ran to the front window.
That’s when she saw the van slowing down and then something hitting the pavement. It took a moment for her to process what it was. When she did, she yelled out.
She made it outside steps after Bert down on his knees next to what was immediately recognizable as a body.
The victim was wrapped just like a bad Thanksgiving turkey. Blond hair was just visible in the parking lot lights.
Bert waved her back; Veri stopped immediately.
Bert cursed. “He’s still alive!”
He?
Bert pulled his pocketknife free and sliced through the plastic. “He’s breathing. Just knocked out cold.”
Revealing the battered face of Glen Washington.
Veri could hear the sounds of sirens getting closer. She tried to kneel next to him, but Bert waved her away. “No need for that. Guy’s got a pulse, just a knock to the head. Hand has been sliced, but the guy’s not going to bleed to death. We’re just going to wait until the ambulance gets here. Then you’ll get a couple of deputies to ride with him to Finley Creek County’s prison ward.”
“He’s secured?”
Bert snorted. “Don’t matter if he is. With that plastic wrap around him, he’s not going anywhere.”
The poetic irony wasn’t lost on either of them.
Veri leaned over him. “Yep, that’s the ass who tried to buy me nachos. I’ve lost my taste for them now.”
“Glen Washington. It’s Bailey and Clay’s serial killer. And someone just gave him to us, all wrapped up like a birthday present.”
“We need to get Bailey and Clay back here and figure out who—and why.”
Chapter 141
“How the hell did someone get a jump on Glen Washington?” Clay asked, two minutes after he and Bailey walked into the TSP. “Did anyone see anything?”
“Just an old brown van,” Veri said. “Taillights. It might have been an American made, but I can’t be sure.”
Bert just shook his head. He’d sat over Washington until Clay and Bailey, and two deputies, had arrived. Now it was the deputies who would be responsible for sitting over Washington in the prison ward of the county hospital until the man could be transported.
There were some parts of the job that Bert didn’t miss.
“It’s him,” Clay said. “DNA confirms it.”
“Then there’s someone else out there that knows what he does.” Bert had had one serial killer come through the area during his time as sheriff. And he’d never caught that killer.
He didn’t think this was the same guy.
“We need to find them,” Bailey said, looking pale and overwhelmed. Bert wanted to hug her, but didn’t. This was her job; she’d want to stand on her own now. “I’ll see if we can get video from the traffic camera on Main.”
It was a long shot—the town only had the one streetlight with a camera. If the van hadn’t gone down Main, it wouldn’t help them at all.
“If he has a partner, the partner could have turned on him. Especially if he suspected we already knew,” Clay said. “That changes things.”
Bert sensed the boy was about to say more, but the phone on the desk nearby shrilled to life at the same time Bailey and Clay’s both rang.
Clay was closest to the desk, and he grabbed the dispatch phone.
When he disconnected, his face told an entire story.
Something had happened.
Chapter 142
Lou watched the doors to the TSP close from where he sat in his van. It had been damned easy to drop off Glen, drop off Charlie, and then get right back to the center of town. He was parked in the alley between city hall and the fire station now—easily within surveillance distance of the front of the TSP.
Bert had done exactly what Lou expected him to do. Then that damned sheriff and Bailey had taken off like their shorts were on fire.
He had no doubt where they were going. To get Charlie.
Holding the Truth Page 34