“No! What about my dream?” She tried to picture the man walking away from the women’s restroom. Too vague to know if he was a police officer with the SCPD. “I don’t know for sure, but every time I think of talking to the police, my stomach clenches and my heart races. I don’t know why, but…” Her throat closed around the rest of the words she wanted to say. Just thinking about the dream left her shaking. She hugged her arms against her chest.
Luke touched her chin and drew her head around. Their gazes embraced, such a tender expression in his eyes that she felt a wave of calmness ripple through her. “I won’t do it if you don’t want me to,” he said in a soft voice. “We can revisit it later. Because of the rough terrain, we should leave right before dawn tomorrow. By the time we get there, it’ll be light enough to hike to the cabin. We’ll use Liliana’s truck in case someone’s on the lookout for my SUV. Lady should stay here with Liliana, but I’m taking Shep.”
“I agree. She isn’t trained like him.”
“If nothing else, he’ll alert us if someone comes near the cabin.”
“Whereas Lady would alert everyone within a mile’s radius of the place.” She attempted a smile that failed.
“I wish we could get into your school building and check the restroom near your room. It could help you remember if anything happened in there.”
She stiffened at the thought of going inside the bathroom. “What if my dream isn’t real?”
“Then we can rule it out. Our minds can play tricks on us. But that would mean letting Chief Franklin in on what occurred unless you have a key to the building.”
She usually put her two keys—one to the entrance and the other to her classroom—into her pocket. That had to be what Liliana was referring to earlier. Megan surged to her feet. “Where’s the laundry room? I think the keys are in there on a table.”
Luke rose. “Let’s go see. Nadine should have dinner ready before she leaves for the guesthouse on the farm.”
Earlier in the day, Megan had met Nadine, an older woman who had worked for the Michaels’ family for twenty years. She ran the house and supervised two maids who came in twice a week to clean. According to both Luke and Liliana, Nadine was a great cook, and if that was all she did, they would still keep her as an employee. But she did much more than that—like a family member.
In the kitchen, the short, petite woman in her late forties turned from stirring something in a big pot—it smelled like beef–to face them. “I can tell something’s wrong. Was it the visit by the sheriff?”
“Yes. He’s looking for Megan,” Luke said as he moved further into the room. “I didn’t want to put you in the middle of this, but the police in Sweetwater City are looking for her.”
Nadine’s eyes grew round. “Oh, my. What’s going on?”
Luke gestured to the table. “Sit down. I’ll explain while Megan goes to the laundry room for her jeans and shirt. Have they been cleaned?”
“Yes, and ready to go upstairs.”
“Megan can take care of them while we talk.” Luke glanced back at her, silently conveying he wanted to tell Nadine the news.
Megan trusted his judgment and nodded. She left to pick up her clothes and take them to her bedroom. The past thirty-four hours had bled away her energy. She wished she’d slept longer. Would she even be able to tonight?
After Lady greeted her with licks, she scooped her dog into her arms and sat on the bed, needing some quiet time to think. She closed her eyes and lay back on the coverlet with her poodle snuggling against her.
If only she could remember the face of the man she thought she’d seen leaving the women’s restroom in the dark hallway. She couldn’t shake the feeling that he was a police officer and that was the only reason she didn’t want to talk to Chief Franklin. Everything in her life was clear except the past thirty-four hours. She even remembered she had an apple with peanut butter for breakfast before she left the house on Thursday. Her eyelids slid closed while she delved deep into her memories. What did she do after that? Her mind went blank.
Frustrated, she opened her eyes and held Lady above her. The sight of the red of her dog’s collar grabbed her attention. An image materialized in her thoughts—her hand flat against a door as she slowly pushed it into the restroom and automatically flipped the light on. A few feet inside, she froze, her gaze seized by the pool of blood in front of her.
Chapter Six
After dinner with Megan and Liliana, Luke excused himself and went to his home office. He needed to make a few calls since he and Megan would be leaving for the cabin early tomorrow morning. His sister and foreman would take care of the farm and any business that came up. It wouldn’t seem odd to anyone that he would be gone because he often left for days or weeks at a time. He’d wished Megan could stay at the farm until the case was solved, but the visit by the sheriff earlier still bothered him.
First, he called Lieutenant Clay Moore of the Kentucky State Police. They had grown up together and had been friends for most of their lives. If he could trust anyone, it was Clay, and Luke needed help. It wasn’t about his safety but Megan’s.
“What do I owe this call to?” Clay asked with a chuckle. “Boredom?”
Luke smiled. “Definitely not that. Remind me never to confide in you again.”
“You’re the one that decided to retire at the old age of thirty-three.”
“Just from my first job. Did you ever imagine me working on Wall Street for a long time?”
“No. So what’s up?”
“I need your help. Can you come over tonight? I have someone I want you to meet.”
“A woman?” Clay asked with a laugh.
“Yes.”
“You’re kidding! You’re dating again? I thought I would never hear you say that. Who is it?”
Good thing Clay didn’t see Luke roll his eyes. “Just come over, and you’ll find out who. It has to do with what’s happening in Sweetwater City the past couple of days.”
“I’ll be there in half an hour.”
After disconnecting with Clay, Luke punched in Chief Franklin’s cell phone number.
“You never told me you knew Megan Witherspoon,” was the first thing out of Joe’s mouth when he answered the call.
“Only casually.”
“You came by and took her dog. That doesn’t sound casual to me.”
“You know how I feel about dogs. Someone needed to take Lady, especially if Megan’s dead. That’s what you believe, isn’t it?”
“Maybe. But nothing official yet.”
“What in the world is going on? Sheriff Clinton didn’t tell me much when he came by the farm earlier. Do you need Shep and me to help with a search?”
“If we find Shelly Baird’s car, yes. Right now, we don’t know her last whereabouts. She was supposed to go to Lexington, or at least that’s what her husband said. I’ll keep you and Shep in mind if we need a search dog.”
Something didn’t feel right. Joe’s voice sounded strained. But the police chief wasn’t used to having one dead body in a burnt house and another woman missing. “How about for Megan?”
“Everything points to the body in her house being her.”
“What was the cause of the fire? The news report didn’t say anything about that.”
A long silence greeted Luke.
“Joe?”
“It’s because the fire chief suspects arson. He not sure, so I didn’t want that reported until he comes to a final conclusion. I expect you to keep that to yourself.”
“Of course. You have one woman possibly murdered and another missing. For Sweetwater City that’s a big deal.”
“Yeah. The last murder here was over a year and a half ago.”
“If you need us, call. I’d like to help, especially since I was acquainted with Megan.”
Luke ended the call with Chief Franklin, not sure if he could trust the man or not. At this point, he couldn’t take a chance. At least he hoped Clay could help Megan.
A light r
ap on his office door drew his attention. “Yes?”
Megan entered the room with his dog at her side and closed the door behind her. All color drained from her face, she made her way to the chair in front of his desk. “I think I saw Shelly’s dead body on the school restroom floor on Thursday.”
“Think?” Luke skirted his desk and took the chair next to Megan.
She nodded. “I was trying to remember something to help me figure out what happened during that twenty-two hours when I lost my memory. A vision popped into my mind. I pushed the door open to the restroom and turned on the lights. That’s when I saw her on the floor, her throat slit, blood pooling on the tiles. I turned to get help…” Her voice trailed off.
He clasped her hand to get her attention. “And? What happened?”
“I don’t remember. I think I was knocked out.” She touched the left side of her head. “It’s sore and tender to the touch. I thought it was because of being tossed off the bridge, but I don’t think that’s it.” She lifted her thick, heavy hair to show him the wound.
He frowned. “That could have been made by a butt of a handgun.”
“My body hurt all over, so I didn’t think too much about it until I took off the wig and looked in the mirror a while ago.”
“If Shelly was killed in the bathroom, as you think, then there should be forensic evidence to that fact. I have a good friend, a lieutenant with the state police. He’s on his way here. I’ve known him all my life, and I trust him. Maybe he can go to the school and check the restroom for any evidence.”
“He knows I’m here?”
“Not yet. We need help figuring this out, especially if we aren’t going to see Joe Franklin.”
She shuddered when he said the police chief’s name.
He clasped her hand between his. “I’ll keep you safe. Clay can investigate for us and help us figure out what’s going on. It won’t be long before Chief Franklin figures out the dead body in your house isn’t you.”
“It could be Shelly. We’re about the same build with blonde hair. If they put her in my burning house, it’s because they wanted the police to think I murdered her and disappeared. Case solved.”
“That’s what I think, too.”
The doorbell chimes resonated through the house.
He stood. “That’s probably Clay. Stay here. I’ll bring him back here. If it isn’t Clay, I’ll get rid of whoever it is.” He paused at the entrance to the room. “Shep, guard.” He hurried down the hallway and into the foyer. After he checked to see who it was, he quickly opened the front door. “Thanks for coming, Clay.”
His friend stepped into the house. “So, what’s going on?”
Luke remained in the foyer. “I saved Megan Witherspoon’s life this morning. Two men threw her off a bridge with her body weighted down with chains.”
Clay rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “No wonder you were eager to see me. Does she know who tried to murder her?”
“No. We’ve been talking in my office though. She’s been recalling some images of what she thinks happened yesterday.”
“Good. I’ve heard Chief Franklin asked for dental records to verify that the body found in Megan’s home is hers. The arson expert just moments ago ruled the fire was deliberately set using gasoline, mainly in the area where the body was found. That’s why dental records are about all they can use to make an identification. Neither woman ever had any broken bones. Nor did the burned victim, so that rules out that method.”
Luke slowed his steps down the hallway to his office. “Who’s feeding you this information?”
“Lieutenant Will Samson. Will’s an excellent cop. I’ve worked with him on some task forces, and whenever I need information about Sweetwater City, he’s the one I call. Don’t worry, though. I won’t tell him about Megan.”
“Why did he give you information on the case?”
“He was tasked with briefing me on the statewide search for the two women. I did offer to help if they needed me. What’s got you worried?”
“When I spoke to the chief, I got a funny vibe from him. Usually he jumps at the chance to have Shep and me help him track a scent. Over the past couple of years, we’ve helped him in a number of situations, and we’ve been successful, but he seemed hesitant with this case.”
“You’ve got an exceptional dog. By the way, where is he?”
“Shep’s been staying with Megan, especially since the sheriff paid us a visit earlier. If there’s any trouble, Shep will let us know.” Luke led the way to this office.
Shep had his head in Megan’s lap while she petted him.
She glanced over her shoulder at them, her gaze lingering on Clay. “Thank you for helping me.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you and to help.” His friend shook Megan’s hand and sat in the chair where Luke had been earlier while he half leaned, half sat against the desk.
Luke filled Megan in on the progress in the case.
“The body in my house has to be Shelly.” Megan continued stroking Shep. “I think she was killed in a restroom near my school room.” She recounted part of what she’d told Luke earlier. “It’s only a matter of time before the police figure it out. I’ll be the prime suspect.”
Luke gripped the edge of his desk, hating to hear the panic in her voice. “No, you won’t. I saved you from drowning. I’m your alibi.”
“Not for Thursday when my house was burned down. We didn’t meet until this morning.”
“Someone threw you off a bridge into the Kentucky River. You’re a victim like Shelly.” Luke looked from Megan to Clay. “Right?”
“Technically you can only speak about the time she spent with you today. Megan’s right. She’s a person of interest. She’s in the middle of what’s going on.”
“Someone tried to murder her, and she thinks a police officer, or someone dressed as one, killed Shelly. Tell Clay what you remembered earlier.”
Megan repeated what she’d told Luke about finding the dead body on the restroom floor. “It was Shelly. I never got a good look at the man who left the place. The only light in the hallway was at the end where there were windows by the door. All the classrooms were closed. Most of the fulltime staff take their vacation between summer school and the fall semester, so they were gone.”
Frustration churned Luke’s gut. “Clay, the restroom has to be checked. I know the body won’t still be there, but there could be blood evidence.”
“How are you going to explain that to the chief without telling him about Megan?”
“We aren’t. Megan has a key to the building. We could go there early tomorrow morning while it’s still dark. Then after that, Megan and I can leave for the cabin while you follow up on what we find.”
“I don’t want you two involved. Go to the cabin, and I’ll let you know if there’s anything in the bathroom to support that Shelly was killed there.”
Megan straightened in her chair and shook her head. “I have to see the place. I don’t want to, but it might help me remember what happened to me. I need to remember.”
Clay frowned. “You make a good point. Visiting the crime scene might jog your memory. In cases like this, I would go through the local police.”
“We can’t.” Luke pushed off his desk and began pacing. “I don’t like not telling Chief Franklin, but something doesn’t feel right here.”
“I agree. We’ll bring him in when we know more.” Clay stood. “Okay, Megan?”
She nodded and pushed to her feet. Shep did the same and came to her side. “We should meet at the elementary school on the main campus by five-thirty. What custodial staff there is in the summer will arrive by seven.”
They walked toward the hallway.
“Is the cabin the one we used for hunting?” Clay asked.
“Yes. I’m taking my sat phone so if you need to get hold of me, use that number. I’ll text it to you. I’ll be removing the battery unless I need to make a call. That way tracing us through it will be hard. S
ince I’ll be turning it off, leave a message. I’ll check it a couple of times a day.”
“Let’s hope you two won’t be gone long.” At the door, Clay shook Megan’s hand again. “It was nice to meet you. If you remember anything about the vehicle those two men used to take you to the bridge or anything else pertaining to this case, let me know immediately. That includes you, too, Luke. If you remember the color, even that’s a start.”
Luke flashed back to the scene at the river as the men hoisted Megan over the side. “Black.”
“And I know I was in a trunk, so it wasn’t an SUV or a truck.”
Clay grinned. “It’s a start.”
“I wish I had more. It’s as vague as my description of the two men. I was too busy fighting to get away. I hope I can remember more, especially what they look like.”
Luke held her hand. “You will in time. It hasn’t even been a day since it happened.”
When Clay left, Luke made sure the front door was bolted and then set the alarm. “I hope you don’t mind if Shep stays with you and Lady in your room. You’ll feel better, and so will I.”
“As long as the two dogs don’t take up the whole bed.”
Luke laughed. “Shep can be a bed hog. C’mon. I’ll walk you to your room and get Lady. I’ll take both of them out.” He bent down and rubbed his dog behind his ears.
When he reached the guest room, Megan picked up Lady and handed her to him. “Thanks for everything you’ve done for me. I still can’t believe how much my life changed in less than two days. The police are looking for me. I never thought that would happen.”
Cuddling Lady in his arms, he paused in the doorway. “Most people don’t. Your life can change drastically in a split second.”
Hunted Page 5