She didn’t press the matter, and they worked in silence for a few minutes. It was Devon who pierced the uncomfortable quiet. “Mom, I’m not mad at you for bringing me here.”
It was a simple, short statement, but it was all Annie needed. She felt a lock open and fall free from her heart. Of all the things she had worried about most these past few months--their finances, her husband’s affair before his death, the fact that she had been forced to uproot their tiny, broken family and try to piece it together again so far away from the life that Devon had grown up knowing--her biggest worry had been whether or not Devon would blame her for all of it.
“Oh, honey, you don’t know how much I’ve worried about how all this has affected you,” she replied, dropping the weeds that she’d pulled into a growing pile at her feet. “I mean, I can’t imagine how hard it must have been on you these past few months. Losing your father wasn’t easy on either of us, but for you--”
“Oh, I’m still mad, but not at you,” he clarified. “I’m mad at Dad for dropping dead and leaving us with hardly any money. And I’m mad at whoever is trying to ruin things for us now. I may not have been thrilled about moving down here with Grandma, but our house is pretty cool and Rory is really nice. It’s just not fair that somebody’s trying to mess with that after we lost everything in New York.”
Annie pulled her son into an awkward hug, both trying to avoid getting caught in the briars that surrounded them. “Nobody’s taking anything from us, not if I can help it.”
Devon hugged her back, then released his arms and cleared his throat. She thought she detected the glistening of a tear in the corner of his eye. He was already learning to be a tough guy, and it broke her heart just a little. “Let’s make this old graveyard really pretty again,” he suggested. “I think it’s really cool that there’s so much history in this place. People are going to love it when we get it all fixed up again.”
His optimism made Annie smile. She was so glad that Devon had taken after her side of the family when it came to personality. Looking back on her marriage, it was clear only in hindsight that her husband had been a person with a negative outlook and absolutely no sense of loyalty. Of course, it was possible that her opinion of him was colored greatly by the revelation that he’d been cheating on her for who knows how long before he died and left them in a financial bind, but either way, she was extremely relieved to see that Devon had such a positive outlook on their future here in Coopersville.
They continued pulling weeds, but with only one pair of gloves between them, it was slow going. Annie stopped to inspect the palm of her one ungloved hand (Rory had suggested they each wear one to at least have some protection) and saw that she was getting the beginnings of a blister at the base of one finger. Letting out a sigh, she wondered what could be taking Rory so long.
Devon had fallen silent, so Annie rose from where she was kneeling and stretched her legs and back before calling out to him. “Devon, do you want to go down the hill and see what’s taking Rory so long? Maybe we should both go--my back needs a break.” She turned around, expecting to see her son lounging on the fallen tree or examining some bit of rock in the hopes that it was the grave that they were looking for. She didn’t see either of these things.
Devon was still standing, but someone now stood behind him. A hand covered Devon’s mouth and another was holding a gun, which just happened to be pointed at Annie.
“I don’t think you’re going anywhere, Ms. Richards.” The voice of Daniel Tremaine was different than Annie remembered it being just an hour or so before. Gone was the polite politician-like drawl, replaced by the cold hiss of a liar and a con man. Annie thought very briefly that she’d found a snake in the grass alright--a snake who wore tailored suits and drove an expensive car. And one who, it seemed, had murder on his mind.
25
A Very Bad Man
Annie stared at the gun as if it were a living creature. For a moment, she couldn’t speak, but when she found her voice, it was that of a mother lioness. “Daniel, let my son go.” She stood very still, willing him to let Devon walk away, but he tightened his grip on the boy.
“I don’t think I’ll do that right now, Annie. You see, our previous conversation ended on such a sour note. I’d hate to think that you underestimated me when you insulted me earlier. I don’t know who you think you are, but I won’t be fobbed off by some uppity New York wannabe.
You know more than you’ve been letting on about what I’m looking for, and you’re going to tell me right now or your son is going to meet his father very soon.” He tapped the gun lightly against Devon’s temple, and the teen gasped but didn’t scream. Annie was both terrified and proud of her son for not begging for his life, but she was going to make sure that he didn’t have to fear that any longer.
“Let’s talk. But first, please let Devon go. He hasn’t done anything to you; he doesn’t even know you.” She gestured towards the fallen tree. “Let him sit there where you can see him. I’ll talk to you as long as you want me to.” Daniel’s eyes glinted with ice. “Please,” she added, hoping that he would sense her helplessness and do as she asked.
Daniel thought it over for a moment, then pushed Devon towards the tree. “Sit right there and don’t you dare move. I’m going to have a little chat with your mother, and then we’re going to go for a little walk.”
Annie had no idea where he intended to take them, but she knew that she was not going anywhere with the crazy, gun-toting lunatic. She glanced furtively down the hill, hoping to see Rory or her mother. She prayed that Rory would see what was going on and have the good sense to call the police rather than try to save them.
“Are you expecting someone?” Daniel asked, catching her glance and sneering. “I hardly think some old woman and your lapdog of a contractor are going to be any help. If either of them try to come up here or try anything heroic, well, let’s just say that they can watch you take a bullet before I give them each one of their own.” There was none of the politeness from before in Daniel’s demeanor now. He was still as arrogant, but now he was almost egomaniacal.
“Daniel, please just tell me what it is you want.” Annie hoped that she could talk him down off the hill. At least if she managed to get back to the house she might be able to get to her phone and call for help.
“Don’t play dumb with me, Annie. Suzy knew something was up the minute you refused to sell this dump.” He shifted his weight on his feet, straddling some briars that threatened to tangle in his expensive trousers. “Who turns down an offer for more than a property is worth unless they know that there’s something very valuable hidden there? Her uncle was pretty close, I’m sure, but he didn’t quite have the happy ending he hoped for.”
“I didn’t know anything about any treasure when Suzy tried to buy this place,” Annie replied calmly, trying to keep both Devon and Daniel in her sights. “I only started finding out about it when you and the police told me about Suzy’s uncle.” She didn’t want to tell him everything she knew, not yet, but she couldn’t tell if he believed her.
Daniel eyed her suspiciously while he rolled her words over in his mind. “You know, Suzy and her uncle weren’t the only ones searching for treasure here. My father and I were avid followers of a very specific theory. Dad was convinced that Edward McKinney robbed Fort Charlotte and stashed some of his loot right here, where his beloved Rose lived.” Annie tried not to stiffen or act surprised, but she was shocked that Daniel knew so much about the stolen bounty.
“We’ve looked all in the house, Daniel, and we’ve certainly found nothing of value there,” Annie began. “You are more than welcome to go and have a look for yourself.”
Daniel’s mouth twisted into a vulpine grin that made him look as though he was a fox entering a nice, full henhouse. “Oh, Annie. I think you know as well as I do that there is nothing in your house that can help me. Unless, of course, you mean Rose Cooper’s diary? Of course, that old thing could be packed full of lies, for all we know, h
mm?” He waited to see Annie’s expression at this revelation. “Of course, I had a good read of it while you were down visiting with the Chief of Police. I had to get you out of the house somehow, and planting the murder weapon in plain sight was just too easy. A little whisper in Officer Plemmons’ ear planted just enough suspicion to cast Rory as the most likely villain, and caused Emmett Barnes to become curious enough to take the bait.”
Bile rose in Annie’s throat as she realized that Daniel had been inside her house, pawing through her things, looking for John’s ill-gotten treasure. “If you read the diary, then you’ll know it doesn’t mention anything about a treasure.”
“Ah, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one. Thomas Anderson was onto something, but unfortunately for him, someone else knew about it, too.” Daniel was actually grinning as he spoke, as though he was telling a story to an enthralled audience. “You see, my father and Thomas often went looking for ‘lost’ things together. My father knew a great deal about all the forgotten treasures and hidden things in this area. And he didn’t appreciate Thomas Anderson trying to ride his coattails, trying to take advantage of all the hard work and research that my father did for years before Anderson ever became interested in treasure hunting.”
Realization crept into Annie’s consciousness. “Your father killed Thomas Anderson?”
Daniel nodded. “He didn’t want to, but Anderson attacked him first. Thomas Anderson was a greedy little gold-digger just like his niece was. Unfortunately for my father, the research that he’d done hit a dead end. Well, it hit a literal dead end for Anderson.” He chuckled at his joke, then cleared his throat. “My father believed that there is something else still to be found, something that would help him figure out where McKinney stashed his treasure, but he couldn’t find it anywhere in any history books. He couldn’t find it anywhere, and then he died.”
Annie could see that Devon had very carefully pulled himself into a spot on the thickest part of the tree. One roll would send him safely behind the large trunk, hopefully out of the way from any bullets that Daniel might fire. She turned her attention back to their captor.
“I’m very sorry that your father died before he could find what he was looking for,” she said, trying to sound as sympathetic as possible. “If you want to carry on with his work, I’d be willing to let you look inside the house. I’ll help however I can.”
“Oh, Annie, are you really this stupid, or are you just incredibly good at missing the obvious? I’m going to finish his work, but I don’t need your permission.” He tugged at his coat sleeve, flashing the single blue cufflink. “I think you know why I can’t just let you go, don’t you?”
It finally clicked. Annie remembered where she’d seen Daniel’s cufflink before--it had been tangled in Suzy Anderson’s hair when the police had taken her body away. “You killed Suzy.”
“I did.”
Now Annie’s heart began beating in earnest. She thought she’d been dealing with a distraught, deranged man, but now she realized that she was staring into the face of a stone cold killer. Daniel smiled back at her, reveling in her realization, savoring her shock.
“Why? Why would you kill her here? You had to know that there would be a big investigation, that this place would be off limits for a while?” Annie didn’t just want answers; she knew that if she kept Daniel talking she might just buy herself some time for Rory to get help.
“Oh, I planned to kill her anyway. Your place was as good as any for that.” He flicked a burr off of his sleeve with his free hand. “It was fate and fortune that you happened to buy this place. When Suzy told me her history with you, it was almost too easy to pin it on you. However, the icing on the cake happened to be Rory—you simply had to go and hire a convicted criminal to renovate your house. I’ll bet you vote Democrat, too, huh?”
Annie’s mind whirred, trying to weigh her options. She could stand there and try to keep him talking, and hope that Rory called the police. Or, she could try to run, but she couldn’t possibly leave Devon alone with the mad man. A third option began formulating in her mind as Daniel continued talking.
“My father was in your attic years ago. He said that he knew that the treasure was somewhere north of the house, but the barn blocked his view. That’s how he and Anderson wound up in there. But north is a pretty general location when you’re looking for something like a buried treasure. He had every intention of coming back up here later, but he never got the chance. Now, it’s up to me to find McKinney’s treasure and finish what my father started.”
Daniel shuffled his weight again, wincing as a thorn pierced his trouser leg and pricked his calf. Annie knew that she needed to make a move to get away from Daniel, so she tried her third option, praying hard that it would work the way she hoped.
“Rooorrryyyy!” Annie’s scream echoed off the trees as she glanced down the hill. Daniel followed her gaze, lowering his gun for a fraction of a second as he did so.
Daniel looked confused as he realized that Rory wasn’t behind him, and he looked downright shocked as Annie barreled into him, knocking him backward down into the briars and rocks that dotted the slope of the hill.
“Run, Devon! Get to the house!” Annie dove for Daniel’s gun, but he was too quick, and she realized that he was trying to scramble to his feet. If he did, she realized, she was a dead woman. Annie lurched at him again, aiming for his waist this time, and taking him down again. This time, the gun went off, and the sound deafened her momentarily.
Annie scrambled over Daniel and took off running, but not towards the house, at least, not directly. She glanced over her shoulder to see that Daniel was already up, tripping and stumbling down the hill in his heavy rain boots. He aimed his gun at her, but lost his footing slightly and hesitated. She kept running, heading for the treeline.
She knew that it wouldn’t take long for Daniel to catch up with her, that is if he didn’t just put a bullet in her back instead. Annie prayed that she could stay far enough ahead of him to keep him from getting a clear shot, but she also wanted to keep him on her trail. She heard a door slam and realized that Devon had made it to the house. She was alone with Daniel, and he was going to kill her if she couldn’t get away from him.
26
Keeping Secrets
“I don’t want to shoot you, Annie! I want your help, but if you won’t give it to me, so help me, I’ll kill you and your whole family!”
Annie wondered how he could still be talking--she was gasping for breath. I guess I shouldn’t have stopped going to the gym, she thought briefly, giving into minor hysteria for the briefest of seconds. She pushed her legs harder and was relieved when she saw the precariously fallen tree straight ahead.
Please let this work, she begged silently, and as she reached the tree Annie reached up and grabbed the lowest-hanging branches. She looked over her shoulder to make sure that Daniel was still there, and he was, indeed, gaining on her. He raised his gun, never slowing his pace, and Annie closed her eyes and pulled with all of her might, putting the entire weight of her body on the branch.
At first, she was afraid that nothing would happen. The branch dipped low under her weight, then it stopped. Suddenly, there was an almighty cracking sound, and Annie fell to the ground, scrambling to clear the falling branches, praying that she hadn’t just sealed her fate. Her eyes were closed tight as she crawled away as quickly as possible, and when she finally opened them, she was shocked at what she saw.
Daniel lay pinned beneath the heaviest part of the tree, squirming like a bug caught under an upturned glass. His gun lay a few feet away, well out of reach. Annie took a huge, gasping breath, and dropped onto the grass on her back. She could hear Daniel’s moans and pleas for help, but she really couldn’t care less if he lay there and died. Her family was safe, and that was all that she could think about. She stared up into the now-blue sky, trying to calm her breathing and stop the shaking in her arms and legs.
A familiar face appeared above her, its bushy mustache
twitching with concern. “Annie, are you alright?”
Emmett Barnes had never been more welcome at her house than he was right then. “Oh, Emmett, that man--please arrest him. He just tried to shoot me and threatened my family. Oh, and he killed Suzy Anderson.”
Emmett’s eyebrows rose at this last statement. “Let’s get you into the house, if you can walk. I think I need to have a little chat with Mr. Tremaine over here while we wait for backup and an ambulance. “ He surveyed the fallen tree with some amusement. “Well, good golly, girl, you didn’t have to go and drop a tree on him, did you?” He helped her to her feet, and Annie made her way back to her house.
Her first impulse was to grab Devon and make sure he was alright. Apart from a few scratches, the boy was fine, though he was visibly shaken. Annie’s next instinct was to slap Rory, hard, on the arm.
“Ow, what was that for?”
“That’s for not busting up that hill and saving me,” she said, only half-kidding.
“Now, don’t you be angry at Rory. He did the right thing, staying here and calling the police. He didn’t want to wait here with me, but I made him. I tricked him a little bit, you see.” Bessie proceeded to explain how she had faked a fainting spell when Rory threatened to go up and confront Daniel. In the end, they’d waited together for Emmett to arrive just in time to witness Annie’s heroics.
“I...I didn’t think I was going to make it,” Annie confessed, fighting back tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. “He just kept chasing me and shooting at me.”
“I can’t believe you brought a tree down on him,” Rory laughed, pulling her in for a hug.
Bodies & Buried Secrets: A Rosewood Place Mystery (Rosewood Place Mysteries Book 1) Page 18