Only by Death

by Herman, Kathy;

  Jesse ducked behind the tree and turned around, feeling as if his back were cemented to the trunk. The deeper he went into the woods, the less chance he had of finding his way back. If Liam meant him no harm, then why was he carrying a gun? Jesse was curious about the note. And the fifty thousand dollars. But not enough to show his face.

  “How about it?” Liam said. “Can we call a truce and talk business?”

  “Put down that gun first,” Jesse hollered. “If you’re serious about not hurting me.”

  “Okay, I’m going to set it here in this hollow log.” Jesse watched from behind the tree as Liam turned his back and pretended to do what he said, but instead tucked the gun in his waistband. He turned around and raised his hands. “Okay, no more gun. I’m unarmed.”

  Liar. Jesse didn’t bother answering and moved away from Liam, quickly and quietly into the dark unknown.

  God, You saved Abby and Jay from that crazy mountain man and brought Riley back home to us. I know You can keep me safe from Liam Berne. But I’m really scared.

  t

  Hawk sat in the Jeep, his fingers tapping the steering wheel. Why wasn’t Jesse here at ten, as they had agreed? His brother was usually punctual to a fault, especially when fishing was involved. He wasn’t in the sporting goods store. Hawk and Mr. Evans had checked thoroughly. No one saw him leave. Of all times for Jesse to have left his cell phone in the car.

  “The kid couldn’t have just vanished,” Hawk mumbled to himself. He glanced at his watch. He would have been angry had he not been so concerned.

  Mr. Evans walked outside the store and waved at Hawk, then hurried over to the driver’s-side window of the Jeep.

  “I thought of something,” Mr. Evans said. “One other customer was in the store at the same time Jesse was. Maybe he saw something that’d help you find him. Might be worth a jingle. Here’s his name and home phone number.”

  “Thanks.” Hawk took a slip of paper from Mr. Evans. “I’ll call him right now.”

  “Let me know when you find Jesse.” Mr. Evans patted Hawk’s shoulder. “I need to get back and mind the store.”

  “Sure. Thanks again.”

  As Mr. Evans walked back to the front door, Hawk read the name on the paper. Liam Berne. Wasn’t that the guy whose mother had drowned? Talk about coincidence. Calling him would violate the agreement the Cummingses had with Sheriff Granger. But under the circumstances, what choice did he have? He keyed in the phone number and let it ring. And ring. And ring. He started to hang up when someone picked up the phone.

  “Hello,” said a woman, sounding out of breath.

  “May I speak with Liam Berne?”

  “Liam’s not here. This is his sister, Colleen. Can I take a message?”

  “Yes, ma’am. This is Hawk Cummings. You know my mother, Kate Cummings, from church. Is there any way I can reach Liam? Maybe a cell phone?”

  “You sound upset. What’s this about?”

  “I’m trying to find my younger brother, Jesse. He was at Evans’s Sporting Goods this morning and was supposed to meet me at the car at ten. He didn’t show. Mr. Evans said Liam was in the store at the time and might’ve seen where Jesse went. I’d just like to ask him.”

  Hawk waited for several seconds, but she didn’t answer. “Ma’am, you there?”

  “Uh, yes. I–I’m here. Are you aware that I’ve been instructed not to have contact with Jesse—or anyone in your family?”

  “I just want to ask your brother if he saw where Jesse went,” Hawk said. “Please … this is important.”

  “All right, Hawk. Give me your number. I’ll get Liam on the phone and have him call you right back.”

  Hawk gave Colleen his cell number, relieved when she ended the call without further conversation. He glanced again at his watch. If this call didn’t yield anything useful, he would have no choice but to involve his mother.

  t

  Liam wandered through the woods, unable to evoke any further response from Jesse. He was tired of fooling around. He wanted answers. And he wanted them now. Maybe the kid didn’t know about the note. But he’d told somebody that he’d seen Liam in the river, and Liam needed to know who.

  His cell phone vibrated. The call was coming from home. “Hey, Colleen. What is it?”

  “I just got a call from Hawk Cummings, of all people. He’s looking for Jesse.”

  “Why would he call you?”

  “He didn’t,” Colleen said. “He called for you. Apparently Jesse’s missing. Mr. Evans told Hawk that you and Jesse were at the sporting goods store at the same time this morning and that you might have seen Jesse leave …” Colleen said something else, but her voice broke up. The cell signal was down to one bar.

  “Colleen, listen,” Liam said. “You keep breaking up. If you can understand me, call Hawk and tell him I didn’t see Jesse. I didn’t even know he was in the store … Colleen? Colleen, can you hear me?”

  She said something indistinguishable, and then he heard a whooshing sound. And then nothing.

  Liam crouched behind a tree, his heart racing almost as fast as his thoughts. He quickly removed the battery from his cell phone. He couldn’t stay off the radar for long without raising suspicion. Nor could he escape the inevitable, ugly as it was. He was sure now that Jesse knew his identity. The kid had to be silenced. This time for good.

  Chapter 24

  Kate stood at the stove, stirring in the extra basil and oregano she had added to the pasta sauce she’d made for Saturday’s spaghetti dinner. She put the tasting spoon to her mouth.

  Mmm. Perfect.

  She put the lid on the pan and sat at the table, savoring the wonderful aroma that had filled the house. The phone rang and no one else answered it, so she grabbed it on the fourth ring.

  “Hello.”

  “Mom, it’s Hawk. I didn’t want to have to call you, but we’ve got a problem. I’m at the sporting goods store. I left Jesse here to look at lures while I walked down to Bella’s to say hey to Laura Lynn. Jesse was supposed to meet me back at the Jeep at ten o’clock sharp. He didn’t show. Mr. Evans and I searched every inch of the store. He’s not here. I went in all the shops nearby and no one’s seen him.”

  “Did you call Jesse’s cell?” Kate heard the front door open and close and Elliot’s cheerful voice calling her.

  Hawk sighed. “He left his cell phone in the Jeep. His battery was low and he wanted to recharge it. I’m sorry. I never thought he’d leave Evans’s. I checked, and he hadn’t made any calls since he talked to Dawson on Wednesday night.”

  Kate’s heart sank. “Are you sure he didn’t walk over to the arcade? He might have lost track of time.”

  “I checked the arcade, but no way would Jesse lose track of time when we were going fishing. And get this: Mr. Evans gave me the phone number of a customer who was in the store at the same time. Turned out to be Liam Berne, Colleen Berne’s brother. I called to see if he saw Jesse leave the store, and Colleen answered the phone. Talk about awkward. Liam wasn’t home. She called him on his cell and then called me back. Liam told her he didn’t even see Jesse at Evans’s. I’m out of options.”

  “Well, let’s not panic.” Kate saw Elliot in the kitchen doorway and motioned for him to come in. “I’m putting you on speaker so Elliot can hear you. Any chance Jesse misunderstood where he was supposed to meet you?”

  “What’s to misunderstand? I parked the Jeep in Evans’s parking lot, right next to the front entrance. All he had to do was walk outside and meet me there at ten o’clock.”

  “Maybe he’s playing a trick on you.” Kate stole a glance at Elliot, who seemed to have picked up on the seriousness of the conversation. “What if he walked to the river and knew you’d figure it out and meet him there?”

  “That’d be pretty lame.” Hawk sighed. “But that’s one place I didn’t think to check. I’ll drive down there right
now. It’ll take me ten minutes to get there and another twenty to park the car and walk out to the flat rock. If he’s not there, we need to call the sheriff.”

  Kate cleared her throat. “Hawk, there’s something Elliot and I have been keeping to ourselves.” Kate felt Elliot’s hands on her shoulders. “Virgil isn’t convinced that Jesse made up the story about seeing a man in the river with Dixie Berne. He has a real concern that Jesse may have been coerced into recanting his original statement.”

  “And you didn’t tell me? Why?”

  “Virgil asked us not to tell anyone, not even family. He had a deputy watching Jesse anytime he left the house. Even Jesse didn’t know.”

  “Then the sheriff can tell us where he is.”

  “No, he can’t!” Kate said, her voice shaking. “Virgil stopped the operation yesterday—after they’d watched Jesse for a week and didn’t see anything unusual.”

  “Well, I’d say Jesse pulling a disappearing act more than qualifies as unusual.”

  “I know. I know. But we have to stay calm. We need to think,” Kate said, more for her own comfort than Hawk’s. “If you don’t find him at the river, I’ll call Virgil.”

  “All right, Mama. But I’m ninety-nine percent sure Jesse wouldn’t pull a stunt like that. I’ll call you as soon as I know. If he’s not there, I’ll keep asking around town. Someone must have seen him.”

  “I can’t just sit here waiting for your call. I’m going to go out looking for him too.”

  “You’d be smart to let Elliot drive when you’re this upset,” Hawk said.

  “He’s right here.” Kate reached up and took Elliot’s hand and realized hers was trembling. “Call me on my cell. Elliot and I will check the places up here on the mountain where Jesse and Dawson liked to hang out. I’ll have Abby and Jay stay here with Riley and Grandpa, in case Jesse comes home.”

  There was a long moment of dead air.

  Finally, Hawk said, “I can’t believe we’re doing this again. Two years ago, we were out looking for Abby.”

  “And we found her,” Kate said. “We’ll find Jesse too.”

  But as Kate disconnected the call, fear gripped her heart like an iron fist. She wasn’t sure of anything.

  t

  Virgil took the last delicious sip of coffee, and set his blue china cup and saucer with the empty dishes on his breakfast tray. He folded Saturday’s issue of the Northwest Arkansas Times and turned to Jill Beth.

  She sat snuggled next to him, her back against the headboard of their antique mahogany poster bed, the morning sun casting a warm glow on the soft yellow walls. She was perusing the engagement and wedding announcements in the Foggy Ridge Forum, the town’s weekly newspaper.

  “I love it when you spoil me,” he said. “Your cranberry coffee cake was terrific. Hard to believe it was low fat.”

  “I knew you’d like it.” She smiled, never taking her eyes off the paper. “Well, what do you know? Andrew Hardy’s getting married. To some pretty young lady from Bentonville. One of these days, our sons will be featured here.”

  “I’m sure they will, darlin’. But they’re only twenty-seven. Kids today don’t get in a big hurry. Besides, can you really see just one of them getting married? The way they do everything together, we may be in for a triple wedding.”

  Jill Beth turned to him, her face aglow, her cheeks matching her pink cotton nightgown. “I’ve dreamed about it. And about having grandkids staying with us on weekends and holidays. I miss the pitter-patter of little feet around here.”

  Virgil laughed. “We haven’t had little feet since our three musketeers were in sixth grade and measured an inch taller than you. But I do remember the sound.”

  His cell phone rang.

  “This is such a relaxing morning,” Jill Beth said. “Can’t you let it go to voice mail?”

  “Let me take a look.” Virgil picked it up and glanced at the screen. “It’s Kate Cummings. She wouldn’t call my cell unless it was important.” He put the phone to his ear. “Hello, Kate.”

  “Virgil, thank heavens you’re there. Jesse’s missing!”

  “How do you know he’s missing?” He looked at Jill Beth and mouthed Jesse.

  He listened as Kate told him about Hawk and Jesse’s plan to go fishing, where each was to be between nine and ten o’clock, and how Jesse never showed up at their rendezvous point.

  “Jesse was beyond excited to go fishing with Hawk,” Kate said, sounding out of breath. “Trust me, he wouldn’t have lost track of time. Something’s wrong. Hawk looked all over town for him and even called the other customer Mr. Evans said was in the store at the same time as Jesse: Liam Berne, of all people. I know you asked us not to have contact with the Bernes, but Hawk didn’t see another option.”

  “I take it Liam wasn’t helpful?”

  “Actually, he was out running errands. Colleen answered the phone. She called Liam’s cell and got back to Hawk. Liam told her he didn’t see Jesse and didn’t even know he was in the store.”

  Virgil combed his hand through his hair. “Can you think of any place Jesse might have gone?”

  “Hawk has checked them all. Even their fishing spot on the river. No one’s seen him except for Mr. Evans, who greeted Jesse when he came in the store to see all the new fishing lures. Mr. Evans let Jesse browse and was busy doing other things. Jesse could have left without being seen. But why would he? He had ten dollars he couldn’t wait to spend on new fishing lures. He didn’t buy a thing.”

  “That is odd,” Virgil said. “Where are you now?”

  “Elliot and I are checking Jesse’s favorite hangouts on Sure Foot Mountain. Hawk’s talking to people in town. Abby and Jay will stay with Dad at the house, in case Jesse comes home.”

  “Have you searched the house, Kate?”

  “Why? We know Jesse’s not there.”

  “Are you sure about that?” Virgil said. “I can’t tell you how many times a big search operation was done in vain, because the child was hiding at home. Before I send my deputies out looking, I need you to search every conceivable place in the house where Jesse could be hiding. Check the attic. The basement. Closets. Under the beds. In trunks, boxes, large containers, storage units. I’ll send some deputies to search the grounds and any buildings Jesse has access to. If he’s hiding, we’ll find him.”

  “Is that really necessary? Why would he be hiding?”

  “Has he seemed okay to you? Have you noticed anything odd lately?”

  “You mean, other than admitting he lied, losing his best friend, and feeling like an outcast at school?”

  “I mean does he seem secretive? Is he staying indoors when he normally would be outside? Does he seem unusually jumpy? Or clingy?”

  “All of the above,” Kate said. “I thought it was because of the mess he’s gotten himself into—and feeling a little lost without Dawson. They’ve been best friends since kindergarten.”

  “That might be all it is. But if someone is threatening Jesse, he would probably keep it from you, especially if he threatened the family.”

  “Now that I think about it,” Kate said, “he recently started closing all the blinds as soon as it gets dark. I saw him peeking outside through the slats and asked what he was looking at. He stammered for a moment and said he had watched a spooky movie where aliens hid in the dark, watching their victims through the windows, and that he just feels better with the blinds closed. I thought he was embarrassed. I believed him.” Kate began to cry. “Oh, Virgil … you tried to tell me. I should’ve listened. What if something terrible has happened to him?”

  “Come on, Kate. Don’t assume the worst. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Can you tell me what he was wearing?”

  “Yes. Blue jeans, a white T-shirt with the Razorbacks logo on the front, a hooded denim jacket, and red-and-white Nikes.”

  “All right. I’ll put ou
t an APB. Go home and search the house from top to bottom. If you don’t find him, search it again. My deputies will be at your place shortly. I should be in my office within thirty minutes. If we determine Jesse is not at Angel View, Kevin and I will have a plan. Try not to worry. Most of the time these things turn out to be nothing.”

  “Thanks for being there,” Kate said. “I’ll get Abby and Jay, Dad, and Elliot to help me search the house.”

  Virgil ended the call and told Jill Beth everything Kate had said.

  “She must be scared to death,” Jill Beth said.

  “Of course she is! Can you blame her?” Virgil said a swear word under his breath. “I should’ve listened to my gut and kept an eye on Jesse awhile longer.”

  “You think whoever killed Dixie Berne went after him?” Jill Beth’s eyes were wide and questioning.

  Virgil shrugged. “I don’t know, but I can’t afford not to take a hard look at the possibility. I mean, what are the odds that Jesse just happened to go missing the day after we stopped watching him?”

  “Can you issue an Amber Alert?”

  Virgil shook his head. “It’s premature. We don’t know that he was abducted. And we have no suspect or vehicle description. Amber Alerts can be very effective if used properly, but we’re not there yet.” Virgil kissed Jill Beth on the cheek. “I’m going to get dressed and go down to the office. I need to stay on top of this. Hopefully, it’ll turn out to be a false alarm. Either way, I want Kate to know I’m doing everything I can to bring Jesse home safely.”

  “But what if you can’t, Virgil? What if the killer got to him?”

  “What ifs won’t get it done, darlin’. I need to stay focused and get the facts.”

  Virgil rummaged through his dresser, snatched some clean clothes, and went into the bathroom, trying not to overreact to Jill Beth’s comment and the doubt that still taunted him. He hadn’t been able to bring Micah Cummings home alive. Even Abby and Riley’s safe return couldn’t change that fact.