It All Falls Down: Rose Gardner Investigations #7 (Rose Gardner Investigatons)

by Denise Grover Swank

  I drew in a sharp breath, and just like that I knew. The idea of the abandoned warehouse bringing things full circle didn’t just fit Dora and me. For Kate, I was unfinished business. What better way to get me there than to use my baby as bait?

  “You know who has her?”

  “Malcolm,” I blurted out, knowing he’d press me for a name, likely literally. If he thought James had her, it might give him more incentive to storm the church.

  He grinned. “You don’t say. What’d you do to piss him off?”

  “The fact that I’m breathin’ is enough,” I bluffed in disgust.

  “You don’t look so scared anymore,” Carmichael said. “You think your kid has a better chance with him than me? I plan on shootin’ it first chance I get.”

  Carmichael had just won the title of worst possible villain. We’d been right about stopping him—he was as bad for this county as dark chocolate was for a dog. I only hoped the Feds would show up soon enough to snap him up.

  “You’ll have to kill me first,” I said, only realizing after the words left my mouth that it was stupid to goad him. Sure, he claimed to have a use for me after this was all put to bed, but he had to know I’d never do anything for him if he hurt Hope.

  Did that mean he’d planned on killing me all along?

  They drove past the church, which looked abandoned from the front, but as soon as they drove past it, we could see cars and trucks gathered in the back.

  “Hot damn,” Carmichael said in awe. “She might have gotten the time wrong, but the location was spot on.”

  They drove another quarter mile, turning down a dirt side road before circling around and parking on the other side. A field of alfalfa was on one side of us, woods on the other.

  I waited for the other cars and trucks to park with us, but no one else turned down the road. Clyde turned off the engine and killed the lights, plunging us into darkness, the only light from the glow of Carmichael’s phone. It only took a couple of conversations between Carmichael and his man over the phone to establish that the others were scattered in a perimeter around the church.

  The scouts moved into place, confirming this was the location. From the conversations they’d overheard between James’ men, who were milling around outside, both groups were expected any time.

  Hours seemed to crawl past, but in reality, it had only been ten minutes.

  Ten minutes my baby had been with Kate.

  I had to get away before the action started, otherwise I might never get to her in time. My only chance was to run through the woods and use my phone to call Joe or 911. The darkness and the trees would hide me, but first I had to get out of the car.

  Releasing a moan, I clutched my stomach. “I’m gonna throw up.”

  “Swallow it,” Carmichael grunted.

  I’d make myself throw up if necessary. I leaned forward and made gagging sounds.

  “Jesus, Carmichael,” said the guy in the passenger seat—Austin, based on what had been said on those phone calls. “I can’t handle that sound. She’s gonna make me barf.”

  “Fine,” Carmichael snapped. “Bring her to the side of the road, but make it quick. They’re gonna show up at any minute, and we’ll need to peel out.”

  The man grunted and the sound of the door unclicking nearly made me cry with relief. I quickly opened my door and practically fell out of the car, still playing my ruse to the hilt. While I’d gotten out of the SUV, I was well aware that I was still in Carmichael’s clutches.

  I stumbled to the other side of the road, near the trees, and bent over, making gagging noises. Cicadas croaked in the trees overhead.

  The guy lumbered toward me. I could barely see his face, but he looked like he was going to be sick himself. “Can you throw up more quieter?” he grumbled.

  “I’ll try,” I said sarcastically, casting a glance at the Range Rover. Carmichael was studying his phone, and Austin was so grossed out he wasn’t even looking at me.

  It was now or never.

  Taking a deep breath, I reached down to my ankle and slipped out the small handgun. I could make a run for it and hope that Austin didn’t catch up or shoot me in the back, or I could buy myself a short lead.

  Hope’s life was depending on me.

  Without hesitation, I pointed the gun at his thigh and fired.

  The gunshot cracked through the sounds of the cicadas, but I didn’t pause to see if I’d made my mark or to look for Carmichael’s reaction. I just ran, leaving Austin screaming behind me.

  The trees and brush were dense, but I ran blindly, trying to put as much distance between me and Carmichael as possible.

  He screamed my name from the road. “I’m gonna kill you, you stupid bitch!”

  You’ll have to catch me first.

  I considered lying in wait to shoot them when they came after me, but I knew I’d have to shoot to kill, and even though Carmichael was pure evil, I wasn’t prepared to do that. Not yet. Besides, for all I knew, his windows were bulletproof.

  So I continued running, barely seeing where I was going, but thankful I was wearing jeans and a jacket to cover my limbs.

  Carmichael was still shouting, but the sound became fainter beneath the din of Austin’s screams. Enough so that I nearly missed him calling Clyde back for “show time.”

  A gunshot rang out, and then there was the sound of squealing tires. The screaming had stopped.

  Had they just killed Austin to tie up loose ends?

  I paused and dug out my phone, shocked to see a video text from Kate. “I have something you want, Rose Petal. I’ll work out a trade, but you have to meet me at our old stomping grounds. Remember?” She shifted the camera so I could see the abandoned warehouse behind her, a low light glowing behind her. “But this deal is between you and me,” she sing-songed. “You have to come alone. If I see a hint of anyone else, little baby Hope won’t see the sunrise.” The phone angled down to show my sleeping baby in her arms before drifting back up to her face. “Trust me on that, Rose Petal. No Joe. No Jed. Just you and me.” Then she blew a kiss and the video ended.

  I stared at my phone in shock. So much for Kate preferring babies to adults. She had my daughter, and she planned to kill her if I didn’t do as she said.

  There was a text from Joe that simply said done.

  Done. Did that mean they were free? They would likely try to come to me at the church, so I sent a group text to Joe and Jed saying I’d gotten away. That I knew about Hope, and she should be their priority, not me.

  My phone rang instantly, Joe’s number on the screen, but I didn’t dare talk to him or I knew I’d break down and spill everything. Kate had made it clear what would happen if anyone else showed up, and I didn’t doubt her.

  I turned my phone off and stuffed it into my pocket. Joe could find the location of my phone, and I couldn’t risk him showing up at that warehouse.

  Slipping my gun into the holster under my jacket, I headed toward the road, figuring Carmichael’s men would be too preoccupied to deal with me if they saw me. Once I got to the shoulder of the country road, I ran my hand over my head, trying to figure out what to do. The warehouse was too far to walk, but I didn’t dare ask someone to pick me up.

  I headed west in search of houses with cars out front. Some people around these parts still left their keys in the ignition, especially if they had a connection to criminal activity themselves.

  I took off running. I’d run nearly a quarter mile when I heard cars coming fast. I moved to the shadows of the trees on the side of the road, my side aching and chest heaving while I watched ten unmarked police cars whiz past.

  They were early, which meant they’d make it.

  I felt an immense satisfaction knowing they were going to bust Carmichael. Part of me hoped he lost his junk in a shootout. Only I couldn’t help but think James would be in there too, a thought that filled me with sorrow. James had put himself in this position, but I still grieved for the man I’d fallen in love with. Even if he hadn�
�t been real.

  When the coast was clear, I took off running again. I’d sprinted several minutes before I reached a small house set back about twenty feet from the road. A small hatchback and a pickup truck were parked next to each other in the drive, and I prayed I’d find keys inside.

  I bent over, taking a moment to catch my breath before I snuck up to the truck. It was old and rusted and looked like the last car any intelligent person would try to steal. Which meant I just might be able to do so. But the driver and passenger doors were both locked, so I crept over to the hatchback, testing its door. It was locked too.

  Hot tears of frustration sprang to my eyes. How far would I have to run? How many cars would I have to try? I’d run all the way to the warehouse if I had to.

  But then I spotted another car to the side of the property, next to a detached garage. It was an old Cadillac that looked like the engine wouldn’t even turn over, but I had to try it. The door handle lifted, and I sucked in a breath as I carefully opened the door. It released a loud creak, and I froze, waiting to see if someone in the house heard and came out to investigate.

  No one emerged, so I climbed into the front seat and nearly burst into tears when I felt the keys in the ignition. Now the stupid thing just needed to start. I knew the engine would be loud, and I wouldn’t put it past the owners to chase me down once they realized I’d stolen their car out from under their noses.

  I had to slow them down. I considered letting air out of the other cars’ tires, but then I caught a glimpse of a utility knife on a cinder block next to the detached garage.

  Guilt coursed through me, and I chanted, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” over and over as I punctured all eight tires. If I lived through this, I promised myself I’d compensate them. Then I hurried over to the Cadillac and shut the door. After saying a quick prayer full of begging, I cranked the engine.

  It ground as though it was hung up on something. I eased off and turned it again, the engine giving a little sputter this time before dying.

  A light turned on in the house.

  Oh crappy doodles.

  I cranked it again, knowing that I ran the risk of flooding the engine, but I was committed to this now. The engine roared to life just as the front door flung open, and a shirtless bearded man rushed out with a shotgun.

  I shot the car in reverse, wrenching the wheel to turn it around, then shifted to drive, digging the wheels into the grass as I headed for the driveway that connected to the road.

  “Stop!” the man shouted, running after me. “Stop or I’ll shoot!”

  I reached the driveway and made a hard left onto the county road, turning away from the big bust going down at the church.

  “Stop!” he shouted again, and a gunshot rang out, blowing out the back passenger window and sending shattered glass all over the backseat.

  I kept driving. Nothing was going to stand in the way of me and my baby.

  That’s exactly what Kate was counting on.

  Chapter 33

  As I approached the warehouse in my stolen car, I started to pull into the parking lot, but then I realized that was what Kate wanted me to do—park next to the building so she would know that I was there, giving her plenty of time to set up for her big production. Because I had no doubt there would be a big production. Otherwise she would have just killed me and been done with it.

  So I drove several hundred feet past the building, parking at the opening of a private dirt road with a No Trespassing sign on a chain at the entrance. I wasn’t sure I’d come back to this car, but I left the keys in the ignition in case Kate searched me and took the contents of my pockets.

  It had been nearly forty minutes since Kate had sent her video text, which was forty minutes too long for her to have my daughter. Everything in me screamed to rush inside, but I knew I had to be smart about this. I needed to sneak up on her.

  I’d been in the building enough times to know the layout. She likely expected me to come through the unlocked door on the front of the building, but that would mean passing through a labyrinth of broken-down manufacturing equipment. She’d hear me coming.

  Instead, I planned to move around the back of the building and climb through the broken massive picture window. I’d used it multiple times before. There was one problem: it led to a large open area, the place where our previous showdown had occurred, so there was a good chance she was sitting there, waiting. If she was by herself, I could potentially shoot her and save Hope, but if she was holding her, that option was out.

  Then I realized what I was plotting—Kate Simmons’ murder. Had I really sunk to this?

  Yes. I would do whatever it took to save my daughter.

  As I walked along the county road, it occurred to me that perhaps the reason I wasn’t in any of Hope’s visions wasn’t because I was dead, but because I was in jail for Kate’s murder.

  The thought of spending years in a locked room still made me sweat, but I didn’t let myself dwell on it. I cut into the edge of the field of tall grass that bordered the back of the warehouse, then approached the area across from the windows. Once there, I squatted in the field and studied the building. It occurred to me that there had been a light on inside the building in Kate’s video, but now the building was completely dark. A dark sedan sat in the back lot.

  Was Kate lying in wait? Was she watching for me out of the back window?

  Just as I was about to slip out of the grass to dash over to the side of the building to peer in, I felt a presence behind me. A hand clamped over my mouth.

  I started to fight like hell, clawing at the large hand, but instantly stopped when I heard a voice I recognized, even if it seemed out of place.

  “Rose,” James whisper-shouted. “Stop. It’s me.”

  Dear God. Was he part of this? Did he hate his daughter’s existence so much he’d helped Kate kidnap her?

  I fought even harder.

  He pulled my back against his chest hard, his hand putting more pressure on my already tender face as his other hand wrapped around my stomach, holding me in place. “Rose. I’m trying to help you.”

  I froze. Was he telling me the truth?

  “I’m going to drop my hand, but you have to be quiet, okay?” he whispered in my ear.

  Did I trust him? I knew I had to tell him yes regardless of the answer. What I needed to figure out was what to do after he let me go. I decided I could hear him out and go from there.

  I nodded.

  He kept me pressed to his firm body but slowly lowered his hand from my mouth.

  “What are you doin’ here?” I demanded in a hoarse whisper.

  “Where’s Joe?” he asked. “Where’s Jed?”

  I turned in his arms to look up at him but didn’t answer. I didn’t believe he would hurt me, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t hurt the people I loved.

  “Why are you here alone?” he asked, irritation flooding his eyes.

  “That’s none of your damn business,” I snapped. “Why aren’t you at the church?”

  His brow lifted. “So you know about that.”

  “I would be dead right now if I didn’t,” I spat out, “and you didn’t answer my question.”

  “I had a more urgent pressing matter. And why would you be dead?” Then he took a good look at my face, and his eyes turned deadly. “Who did this?”

  I shook my head. “You lost the right to care about me months ago. Now you need to tell me why you’re here. Are you helping Kate?” My voice cracked on her name.

  He didn’t answer right away, and my heart began to shatter when he finally said, “She sent me a message askin’ to meet her here.”

  His story had all kind of holes. Why would he miss the meeting he’d gone to such pains to set up to go talk to Kate, of all people? He knew she was nuttier than a Snickers bar. But I settled for, “Then why are you skulkin’ around in the weeds? Why aren’t you in there?” I motioned to the building.

  “Something’s not right,” he said, eyei
ng me carefully. “I decided to do a little recon first.”

  “Did you know I was comin’?” I asked.

  He hesitated. “I suspected Kate might have contacted you, but I couldn’t be sure.”

  “Why did you think she’d contact me?” I asked. Did he know about Hope?

  “Gut feelin’,” he said. “What did she say to lure you here alone?”

  I was struggling with what to tell him, but my daughter made the decision for me. She belted out a wail that signaled pain or discomfort.

  My heart jolted, and I instinctively tried to sprint toward the building, but James’ arm was still around my back, and it clamped like a vise, holding my chest to his.

  “Let me go,” I snarled through gritted teeth, ready to fight to get away from him.

  “Rose. That’s what she wants you to do. Be smart.”

  Tears burned my eyes as I struggled to break free. “She’s hurtin’ my baby, James. To hell with smart.”

  “Rose Petal,” Kate cried out from the darkness. “I thought you were a better mother than this. If you’re not here yet, you don’t deserve her, and if you are, well, shame on you. Babies’ skin is so tender and easily torn.”

  Hope released a startled cry and wailed louder.

  I fought James like a madwoman, but he tackled me to the ground, lying on top of me with his hand over my mouth again.

  “Rose,” he hissed. “Listen to me. If you go chargin’ in there, what’s to stop her from just killin’ you outright? If you want to save your daughter, you can’t run in there with no plan. It will just get you both killed.”

  I stared up at him in shock and pushed his hand away. “You’re gonna help me?”

  “That’s why I’m really here. She sent me a text sayin’ she had your baby, and unless I wanted her to die, I’d skip the big meetin’ and come see her here.”

  “You came here for us?” I asked in shock. Had he really dropped everything to save Hope?

  He gave a grim nod.

  Another shriek echoed through the window, making me cringe.