“Nobody will recognize him, so he’s going to play tourist in Woodstock and trail her, figure out where she’s going and when. You know, what her pattern is. When we’ve got that, we can make a believer out of her. She’ll give us the flash drive.”
Sid hung up, feeling considerably better about the situation. He leaned back in his soft leather desk chair in his office. Blue rings circled upwards while he puffed on his cigar. No matter how often his doctor told him he should quit, it wasn’t going to happen. He reached for the phone again. Shit, he’d talked to Richardson more in the last couple of months than in all the previous years that they’d worked together.
Greg picked up right away. “Hey, Sid. Got good news?”
“Yes and no, kid. We’ve eliminated several places Barlow could hide the damn flash drive. You had her Fort Worth house searched, and I’ve taken care of where she lives and works in Vermont. We’ve also eliminated her purse.”
“Car?”
Damn he hated when Richardson was right. His people overlooked her vehicle. “Good idea, kid. I’ll get my guys on that right away. We’re still clear in the FBI office?”
“Yeah, we’re square.”
“Good.” Cranston ended the connection. This was going to work out. He’d get Peterson and Judson to check out the car first. Maybe they’d find it there, and he could put this whole thing behind them. A little less than a year and half before the Texas Legislature would meet again in Austin, and they’d finally get their casino gambling bill through. He smiled in anticipation of the dollars rolling in.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23
Mitch’s funeral took place a week after his murder. Jill attended but she sat in the rear and didn’t go to Anne’s house afterwards. The whole town showed up at First Congregational Church, mostly out of respect for Anne, and the rest of the family. Mitch hadn’t endeared himself to many.
After the services for George and her father, Jill couldn’t face another funeral gathering. Every person in Texas behaved like the bereaved needed to hear from them. Well, she hadn’t.
She sent flowers along with notes to both Anne and Jerrod. Nobody in the Phillips family would want to see her. She bore responsibility for Mitch’s death.
Another light dusting of snow fell overnight. To hear everyone talk, the big one was only days away. The forecasters projected a storm headed their way before or right after Halloween. Jill looked through her winter clothes. The fabrics proved more than adequate for the short term, bone-chilling blue northers of Fort Worth, when temperatures dropped from sixty-five to twenty-three degrees in a matter of hours.
The deep freeze never lasted more than a couple of days, followed by moderate weather. But here? It was past time for a shopping expedition to get the right clothing, so she could survive the long Vermont winter. Jerrod Phillips would learn she was made of tough stuff.
Jill walked out the front door of her house and toward the pitiful excuse for a garage. She seldom drove anywhere much and looked forward to taking Karen on a road trip. The shed door stood partially open. She pulled it back the rest of the way. Grey light didn’t do much to illuminate the shed, but her driver’s door stood open.
“Damn how careless. I hope the battery is okay.” She peeked in the open car door. The seats had slits cut through the leather and stuffing was strewn onto the floorboards. Chill bumps pebbled along her spine. She gulped back a scream battering at the roof of her mouth. Her fingers curled into fists. If she hadn’t worn gloves, she’d have cut her hands with nails digging into the palms.
Her stomach pitched. She pulled her cell from her pocket yanked off a glove and punched in the sheriff’s name.
“Woodstock Public Safety, Clara Hicks.”
“This is Jill Barlow, Clara.”
“Can you speak a little louder, Jill.”
“I—I need to talk with Sheriff Hardwick, please.” Silence. Damn. Hadn’t she made herself heard?
“Sheriff here, Ms. Barlow. What can I do for you?”
“I think I’ve had another break-in, not that it took much to get into the old shed. My car door is standing open, and the seats have been vandalized.”
“Where are you right now?”
“Still in the garage.”
“I want you to get to your house. Do you think you can do that, Jill?”
“Umm.” Could she leave the relative security of the shed?
“I’ll stay on the phone with you.”
“Okay.” She peeked into an empty yard. With the cell clamped to her ear, she made a mad dash from the garage straight for her house, expecting at any moment someone would grab her. When would this stop? She let herself back inside.
“I’m in the house, Sheriff. I’ve locked the door and set the security system.”
“Good. I’ve sent people your way, and I’m right behind them.”
“Thanks.” She disconnected, took several deep breaths and gulped a glass of water before putting in a call to Karen explaining they’d need to reschedule the trip.
“Oh, my God. Not again. I’m coming right over. I don’t want you to be by yourself.”
“No. Stay at home. You don’t need to worry. Reinforcements are moments away, and I promise you I’m okay.” Not that she could tell that by the speed of her heart rate. “I’m okay.” She repeated the words to calm herself as much as Karen.
“How did this happen? Didn’t Jack assign one of his deputies to drive by the house?”
“He did. I’ve seen the car.” Noises outside drew her to the front window. “I’ve got to let you go, Karen. One of the patrols has pulled into the driveway, and the sheriff’s right behind him.”
“Keep me posted.”
Jill went to greet the sheriff and his deputy. It would be an understatement to say she was relieved to see them. Because it was broad open daylight, this intrusion spooked her.
“Thanks for coming, Sheriff.” She led them to the shed. A shiver ran across her shoulders. Jill relived the moment she stepped into the cold, possibly killing air, as if a spotlight focused a target on her back the whole time she ran to the house.
After a quick check, Hardwick showed her the disabled car alarm.
“No telling when this was tampered with,” he muttered.
“I drove last week sometime.”
“You haven’t seen anything suspicious, Satterfield?” the sheriff asked the patrol officer.
“No sir. I’ll check with Burns who has the night shift, but he hasn’t said anything.” The young deputy went back to his car.
“Hope you’ve got good insurance, Ms. Barlow. I’d say repairs are gonna cost you a pretty penny. Damn.” He hit his hat on his thigh. “I expected you’d be okay here with our official cars keeping an eye on you. I’m sorry.”
“At least they didn’t try to get in the house.” Shaking wracked her body.
“You know if someone tries that, we’ll get him, because you authorized your security company to immediately notify our office if a breach occurs.”
She nodded. Small comfort. Her stomach pitched with rapidly growing fear and dread.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31
A week and a half had passed since Mitch’s funeral. Liz said her grandmother was managing. Jill understood. Pain welled in her middle and shot up through her throat, where it gagged her. How you went on after the loss of a child, albeit a difficult one, she couldn’t imagine. She’d only talked with Jerrod once. He was sticking close to his mother. He expressed relief at hearing the deputies continued to make drive-byes of her house.
Mike Riley returned to Fort Worth after the funeral, promising to keep in touch and requested she do the same. He was a nice man, a good man. She’d never told him how much she appreciated his coming to Vermont when she called.
Despite Mitch’s murder and the business with the vandalism of her car, miraculously, things returned to normal, whatever normal was for her. She’d even been able to get Mrs. Cooper’s sculpture to her. Officers found several pieces unharmed in Mitch’s
truck.
She went into work several days a week but never closed at night alone, and she developed a habit of frequently looking over her shoulder. Mary Ann came back to the shop. Jill found comfort in knowing if she left Woodstock, Mary Ann would help Sally. Jill resumed her Pilates sessions, which helped her deal with stress. Trick-or-treaters added to the ordinariness of her life.
Working with Karen on Historical Society events took on a familiar feel, a simple existence, reminding Jill of the normal life she’d lived in Fort Worth. Before all the tragedies struck. A lifetime ago.
She gave in and told her children about the break-ins at her Fort Worth house, the store, and her rental property.
“My God, Mom. What were you thinking? You should’ve told us when these problems first surfaced.”
“I’m all right, Ethan.”
“I can get emergency leave and come up there.”
“Absolutely not. You already took time when your grandfather died and for my birthday. Wait for Thanksgiving. If you can only come one time, I want you here for the holiday.”
“You can count on Ellen and me being there, Mom. In the meantime, I’ll check with the sheriff to make sure he’s doing everything to keep you safe.”
Halloween night brought the snows.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1
After Jill opened the store and turned on the coffee, she called Karen. “Can we set out at noon today? I’ve got to get warmer clothes, or I won’t get through this winter.” Jill prayed staying the whole year proved a reality.
“Works for me, but then when have I ever turned down a shopping trip, particularly one involving spending someone else’s money?”
Her laughter was contagious, and Jill joined in.
“Sally comes into the store about eleven forty-five. We can leave after that, or do you think the snow will keep us from going?”
“No. It’s already slowed down.”
“Good. Can we lunch along the way?”
“Sure. I’ll pull up in front at noon and honk. Be ready to run out, so I don’t have to hunt a parking space.”
“Great. See you then.”
Jill was glad Karen drove. When ice came down in Fort Worth, which occurred more frequently than snow, literally everything closed—businesses, schools, courts, even trash collection. That left her with little experience handling a car in snow conditions. With education and practice, she’d get the hang of driving in the white stuff, which she’d heard was easier than ice. Karen could give her a lesson on the way back today.
At twelve, a horn blared in front of the store. Jill glanced through the window and waved. A delighted fluff of anticipation swirled through her. This would be a fun day.
“That’s Karen. I’ll check with you this evening, Sally, to make sure Mary Ann’s still coming in to help close up.” Jill grabbed her shoulder bag, buttoned up her coat, and headed for the door.
“Don’t worry, Jill. You’ll be exhausted after shopping with Karen. Relax and enjoy. See you tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Sal.” Jill pulled the door behind her to the tune of the chimes which she’d had replaced after the break-in. She hurried across the sidewalk and climbed into Karen’s four-wheel-drive. “Where are we going?”
“I’m taking you to my favorite place to get winter wear in Lebanon, New Hampshire.”
“But that’s another state.”
Karen’s laughter bubbled out. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I knew how you’d react. I did, too, when I first moved here. Tim talked about going somewhere in the next state and plan to come back in one day. States are so small here in New England, it’s no big deal. We’re used to driving for the entire day and not getting out of Texas. Up here in that time, we’ve crossed four or five states.”
“I need to get out on the roads more, so I can get used to the difference in map scale. How long does this trip take?”
“Twenty minutes or so, depending on the traffic and the state of the roads. You’ll love this store. It doesn’t appear to be much from the outside, but they always have the latest and greatest in technology where warm clothes are concerned. Style’s not bad either.”
“This may be an occasion when warmth trumps style.” Jill shivered and redirected the vent more toward her.
“We’ll get you fixed up. You know you must always carry extra blankets, water, and gas during the winter. Tim insists on our cars having all that.”
“I never gave it much thought, particularly since I haven’t had time for many road trips.”
“We’re pretty rural up here, and you have to be prepared for whatever happens. You wait, we’ll get you winterized.”
When Karen and Jill left the store, both were loaded down with bags. Despite the new boots, one foot scooted out from under her. Jill caught her balance before landing on the parking lot.
“Be careful. We’ve had more snow come down. Those boots of yours are good, but you can still take a tumble.” Karen opened the rear door and they loaded in their bags.
“Crank up the heat, Karen,” Jill said as soon as they were on their way. “The temperature must’ve dropped.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised. Late afternoon, almost dark now, add the snow and—” Karen glanced at the temperature gauge, embedded in the rearview mirror. “Wow, it’s down to twenty-five. I didn’t realize it was turning this cold tonight, but we’ll be fine.”
“Shopping was fun, Karen. A relief not to worry about anything for a while. Probably didn’t need those fuzzy earmuffs, but they were so cute, I couldn’t pass them by.”
“You’ll be glad you bought them. Just you wait. You know what they say about us up here? We owe more money on our snow blowers than on our cars.”
Jill burst out laughing, and Karen joined in, but her laughter died in an abrupt huff.
“What the hell is that guy behind us doing? The roads haven’t been cleared yet, but he’s driving like he’s on a race track, for God’s sake.”
Jill looked over her shoulder. A large truck hugged their tail.
“I’m slowing down and pulling over a little, so if the stupid man insists on passing he’ll have space.”
The tires of Karen’s car rumbled on the edge of the road. Jill grabbed the overhead door handle. Metal scraped. The truck hit them. Their SUV lurched and lost traction. Karen pumped the brakes and steered into the slide.
They were too far-gone. Jill’s heart rate ratcheted up. A scream surged through her clamped jaws. The car skidded off the road. Pain shot down her arm. The seat belt gouged her shoulder when they plummeted down an incline. A sickening crunch sounded as the hood crumpled against a tree. Had she passed out for a moment? Jill forced her eyelids to open. Thank God for airbags. Her door popped open. Rescue.
No. A man in a gray ski mask held a knife in his hand. Oh, God. Was he going to kill her? Adrenalin shot fire down her arms and legs.
He hacked her out of the seat belt. She slid out and dropped on to the ground.
Another masked man hauled Karen out and half-carried her toward the front of the car. Jill closed her eyes against the horror. This couldn’t be happening again. Not again. God help her, now she’d put Karen in danger. A moan slid from deep within.
The man holding her dragged Jill toward Karen and his partner.
“Barton’s awake.”
Damn. They knew who she was. A trembling began in her middle and worked its way toward her fingertips. She needed to pay attention to everything. The mask muffled his voice, but it sounded like he had a cold.
The man with Karen held a gun in his hand. Terror shot ice through every vein in Jill’s body. She tried to yank away, but the man shoved a knife at her and sliced down her face. The warm blood welled, making a stark contrast to the cold of her skin. She whimpered at the sting and the horror of what was happening. Was he going to cut her to pieces?
“Now, you listen to me, Barlow,” Gray Mask said. He coughed a couple of times. His hand dug into her arm, cutting off the circulation. “My boss wants the f
lash drive. You’ll turn it over.” He glanced at the other man. “Show her what will happen if she doesn’t follow our instructions.”
The man in the black mask shoved Karen and aimed his gun. Her whole face grew white and filled with dread. She backed up, her hands held in front. “Please,” she whispered.
“Don’t.” Jill yelled and struggled against the man who held her. She jerked at the sound of the blast. Her scream pierced the late afternoon air. The smell made her nostrils twitch.
No sound came from Karen before she slumped to the ground. Oh, my God. Had they killed her? Blood oozed from a wound in her arm. Jill stopped breathing for a moment. If Gray Mask hadn’t been holding her, she’d have collapsed. Her legs unable to support her.
“You follow our instructions when we call or your friend’s dead next time.” The man said through a hacking cough.
He let go of Jill’s arms. She collapsed on the snow-covered ground and prayed her lungs would start functioning and Karen wouldn’t die. The two masked men left to hurry up the incline. She needed to see the license plate, but her legs refused to work, and she dropped back onto the ground. Doors slammed. Tires scrunched in the snow, and the engine revved before they sped away.
She crawled to Karen. Unconscious. A large bump swelled below her hairline. Jill gathered her wits. First things first. Stop the bleeding. Damn, this looks bad. Karen’s upper arm oozed blood from the front and the back. Jill pulled the scarf from around her neck and twisted the material around the wound, tying a knot. Karen groaned. Was it too tight?
The stinging of her face got through to Jill, and she groaned. The slow drip of blood ended in stark red spots in the snow before melting. Her head spun, but she couldn’t pass out. They needed help. She pressed her gloved hand to the place on her cheek.
Gritting her teeth, she fumbled in her pocket for her new cell, always kept on her body since losing the one when Mitch grabbed her purse. She pulled up Sheriff Hardwick’s name. Thank God for coverage.
“Please come. A truck ran us off the road about ten miles northeast of Woodstock. I think on Highway 4.” Her breath hitched. “Karen’s been shot. Hurry.” Tears clogged her throat. She couldn’t say anything else. She’d kept in her terror, but now the sobs pushed their way up from her gut. What if Karen died?
Vermont Escape Page 20