“Shut up, Hailey!” Nelson growled.
“But…but, I got rid of the policy,” Tori stammered.
“What?” both Nelson and Hailey shouted at the same time.
“I wasn’t going to leave it to Vanessa and certainly not to Thomas. So…so…I cancelled the policy.”
“Great, just fuckin’ great! You cost me half a million dollars!” Hailey screamed.
By now, Nelson had turned the car down a narrow, gravel road, tall trees on either side. Glancing to the side, Tori acknowledged she had no idea where they were. Not having been a Baytown native, she realized how little of the area she actually knew. Feeling her phone still in her hands, she hoped Mitch would be able to locate her. How does that work? Does the phone have to be on? Shit! Why don’t I know these things? Unsure, she silently pressed the call button while holding down the sound. She had no idea if Mitch would be able to tell she called him or where it was coming from, but she hoped it helped.
Stopping next to a farmer’s field, Nelson put the car in park. Turning to Hailey, he said, “Let’s get out here. Give me the gun.”
Nodding, she turned the gun over to him before getting out of the car. Tori sat, rooted to the seat, her legs not willing to move her. Expecting Nelson to shout for her to get out as well, she jolted violently when the gunshot rang out.
Eyes wide, mouth open, she panted as her mind attempted to accept what she had just witnessed. Hailey’s body crumpled to the ground, blood pouring from her chest. As Tori’s horrified gaze looked down, all she saw was the expression of shock on Hailey’s face as she lay dead in the dirt.
“Get up front,” Nelson ordered, the gun now pointed back to her. “Climb over the seat.”
Forcing down the bile that threatened to rise, she pulled herself over the seat and console, her muscles quivering, to move into the front. Nelson climbed back into the driver’s seat, starting the car with one hand while holding the gun on her with the other.
Answering her unspoken questions, he said, “Hailey was only good for one thing and that was to get her hands on the money from the insurance policy. No policy, no need to keep her around with her big mouth to fuck things up for me.”
Tori’s mouth opened and closed several times, but no words came forth. Her mind was still filled with the image of Thomas’ fiancé, who looked so much like herself, lying in the dirt.
Finally finding her shaky voice, she said, “But you’re rich…I don’t understand.”
Sneering, he replied, “Got too much money tied up in a deal that rests on you dying, dearie. I needed that insurance money to keep my creditors at bay.”
Nelson drove for ten more minutes along several winding dirt roads, heading toward the bay. Coming to a stop at an old hut with a small pier sticking out into the water, Nelson got out of the car and walked around to her door. Opening it, he held out his hand. “Let’s go, Victoria.”
Unable to fight with the gun still pointed at her face, she slid her phone in her purse and stepped out of the vehicle, keeping an eye on him as he walked around behind her. “What are you going to do?” she asked, unsure her voice could be heard over the pounding of her heart. No answer came other than the feel of the gun pressing between her shoulder blades.
Chapter 30
Mitch and Grant were minutes away from Baytown, when the call came in. Mildred’s voice cracked, as she relayed the information.
“10-39, 10-50.” Mitch’s heart rate increased at hearing of a body being reported. Rattling off the address, Grant flipped on the siren and the SUV turned quickly. As close as they were, it only took a few minutes to make their way down the farm road. Seeing a man standing to the side of the path over a body, they pulled to a halt. Recognizing Thadeous Maelstrom as the farmer, the two officers immediately jumped from the vehicle, weapons drawn.
As they neared, Mitch saw a woman lying in a pool of blood, her long reddish hair spread out on the dirt. His knees buckled as all thoughts of procedures flew from his mind and he ran to her, throwing himself to his knees by her body. With shaking hands, he turned her slightly, bracing himself.
Hailey Bernard…not Tori! His breath left his chest in an audible whoosh.
“Mitch?” Grant spoke behind him, gaining his attention. Mitch looked up, realizing Grant and Thadeous were staring at him.
“It’s Hailey Bernard,” he replied, his voice barely a croak. Allowing Grant to question the farmer who had found the body, Mitch took a moment to pull himself together, but then quickly began to work the situation. Nelson’s turned on his accomplice. He’ll have nothing to lose by going ahead and killing Tori. Especially if he thought no one would find Hailey’s body for a while.
Forcing his legs to stand, he moved over to Grant and Thadeous as the ambulance came careening to a halt. Seeing the look of horror in Zac’s eyes, he hastened to identify the body. Colt and one of his deputies came next, bringing their equipment with them, and started to process the murder scene.
“Colt,” Mitch greeted. He filled him in quickly and gained the North Heron Sheriff’s cooperation.
“I’ll call in more of my men to come here and I’ll go to Baytown with you,” Colt promised.
Thirty minutes later, Mitch was standing in the middle of the workroom, already filled with people as soon as he arrived. Sam, Burt, Grant, and Ginny were all in attendance as well as most of their friends. Aiden, Brogan, and Katelyn all came together after picking up Jillian. Zac, Callan, Jason, and Gareth crowded in as well. Colt was also in attendance, as well as the small town of Easton’s Chief, Hannah Freeman. Mitch heard someone else come in and he looked up to see his father standing in the doorway with his mother right behind. His father said nothing, but held his son’s gaze for a moment and, with a nod, indicated he was going to assist in any way possible.
Sucking in a deep breath, Mitch turned to Gareth and said, “Bring everyone up to speed.”
“Mitch had me check to see which companies own a condo in The Dunes Resort and it didn’t take long to find out that Hurkamp Financial Group was an owner.”
“Honest to God, when I had Gareth check, I thought it was going to be Thomas’ realty company. I felt as though it would have given him a perfect opportunity to be in the area without being seen around town and he would have dune access to be able to watch and shoot Tori. But I was looking at the fucking wrong person.”
“Son.”
Mitch looked over at his dad and knew he needed to pull his shit together. All those times I worked case…but was never involved…now I understand. My friends who worked for the Saints…when their women were in danger…now I get it. Oh, hell. Sucking in a cleansing breath, he nodded. “Right. As it turns out, it appears we’re looking for Nelson Hurkamp. His accomplice, Thomas’ fiancé, Hailey Bernard, is dead.”
“What the hell?” Jillian bit out. “How did those two hook up?”
Shaking his head, Mitch said, “Not sure, but Gareth has been able to dig into Nelson more and more.” Jerking his head toward the PI, he indicated for Gareth to explain.
Gareth continued, “Here’s what we’re supposing. He met Vanessa and on a trip to visit her grandmother he saw a huge potential in the Inn. If he could get his hands on it, then he’d turn it into a money-maker. I’ve been able to find at least three emails between he and Silas Mills. Can’t find that Silas did anything wrong, but Nelson was already planning on the feasibility of how to make the most for the property.”
Looking at the stunned expressions from the crowd, he continued, “Nelson Hurkamp has already sold condo sites here in Baytown…condos that haven’t been built yet. He expected his wife to inherit the property here…or at least half. He probably always expected to get rid of Tori. He’s now strapped for money and living in a house of cards, ready to fall at any time. He can’t make good, he’s facing financial ruin and prison.”
“I knew I didn’t like that new town manager,” Mitch’s mom groused, gaining a shushing sound from her husband, then quickly soothed when he tucked h
er into his side.
“How can we find them?” Jillian wailed. “They could be anywhere. Even back over the bridge.”
Shaking his head, Mitch said, “No, I had the State Police and the Bridge Police checking for Nelson’s BMW. It hasn’t gone back over the bridge, so we’re going to assume he’s got her here. What we have going for us is that he doesn’t know he’s being sought. We have the element of surprise.”
Jillian cried out, “Yes, but then he could just kill her and—”
Mildred rushed in, interrupting the group. “Got it!”
Mitch explained, “We’ve had a GPS trace put on Tori’s phone but we had to go through the Commonwealth Attorney’s office.”
Gareth immediately sat at his laptop filled with his specialized programs. Turning it so no one could look over his shoulder, he began. Glancing up at a few questioning gazes, he shrugged. “A few of my programs aren’t exactly…um…legit…”
“Just search,” Mitch ordered. “We’ll worry about legalities later.” As Gareth worked, Mitch turned back to the group and clarified. “While I’m authorizing Gareth to find a trace on her phone in any way he can, we have to do this by the book. When we go in, we have to do everything exactly legal. I do not want this slick-shit to get away. And you can bet he’ll lawyer up, so no fucking up!”
“Best I can tell, her phone is near the coast, north of Baytown, but not quite to Easton.”
“That’s my jurisdiction,” Colt announced, with a firm expression. “I’ll call it in and you can get our full support.”
“Mine as well,” Hannah added.
“The more, the better,” Mitch agreed.
Ginny, sitting at her computer, shouted out, “Chief! I ran a check on a front company name that Gareth linked to Hurkamp. There’s a yacht in the Baytown Marina that’s owned by that company. I just checked and the yacht is out now.”
“Get me the info,” Callan shouted. “I’ll call my superior. The Coast Guard can go out to search for the vessel.”
“There’s a lot of beach there with no one around,” Colt added. “We can spread out and cover more ground.”
“Then let’s go,” Mitch ordered, hoping his voice carried authority and not the fear wrapped around his heart.
Mitch led the group outside of the Police Station, only to be stopped short in his tracks by the small crowd that had gathered outside. At first glance, it appeared to be an impromptu meeting of the American Legion.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to talk—”
“Not here to talk,” one of the men said. “We’re here to help.”
Stunned, Mitch was speechless. “I…”
“I’ve got this, son,” Ed said, stepping up. “You head out. Your mom and I’ll stay here to organize these good people. I’ll send them out to scan the area, give them instructions on what to do or not do,” he assured.
Shooting his father a grateful look, Mitch and the others ran to their vehicles.
*
With the gun at her back, Tori followed Nelson out to the pier and to the end. The tide was coming in and the water swirled underneath them. A small motorboat was tied to the pier and Tori viewed a larger yacht anchored out in deeper water.
“Get in,” he ordered.
Whirling around to face him, Tori felt her momentary bravado flee at the sight of the gun pointed at her chest. Forcing her quivering chin to lift, she said, “Why? What possible reason could you have for this?”
“You have what I want,” he said simply.
“What?” she shouted, her hands involuntarily lifting into the air only to slam back into her sides as his eyes narrowed.
“You have a large piece of beach-front property …that should have been split between you and Vanessa. I had planned on getting rid of you anyway, but when you became the sole owner, I had no choice but to get rid of you.”
“It’s a beautiful inn, but old. I barely make a profit for the year! How can you want that?”
“You really are stupid aren’t you? I thought you had the brains in the family, but I’m beginning to think you’re just as ignorant as Vanessa.” He spared a glance to his surroundings. “Look at this place—completely undeveloped beachfront. The potential is worth millions.” Turning back, he snarled, “I’m already working with the town’s city manager to change the zonings. Once I get my hands on your inn, that quaint dump will be torn down and a huge condo complex will rise.”
Mouth open, she stuttered, “But…but…the town…won’t go for that.”
Grinning, he said, “Oh, the manager and I’ll have it all worked out.” As the grin fell from his face, he snarled, “Now get in!”
Forcing more bravado into her quaking body, she said, “And if I don’t? You kill me and everything goes to my mom…not Vanessa. You still won’t have it.”
Throwing his head back in a sharp laugh, Nelson then said, “And you think I’m not already taking care of that? How’s your mom’s stomach, by the way?”
Her brow crinkled in confusion at his words until it slowly dawned on her and she felt her knees almost buckle. “You’re…oh, my God. You’re poisoning her.”
“So easy for slow cyanide,” he admitted. “She’ll gladly turn everything over to her capable son-in-law and precious Vanessa.” Stepping so close that the barrel of the gun was mere inches from her chest, he stated clearly, “Now. Get. The fuck. In. The. Boat.”
Unable to think of an alternative, she turned and moved to step down into the motorboat. She instinctively knew his plan was to dump her into the bay, somewhere close enough to wash ashore several hours after drowning. She would be dead and he would be long gone by that time. No witnesses. And it’s easy for a man like him to pay for an alibi. Or simply get Vanessa to lie for him.
Vanessa. My sister. Whirling around so quickly she almost ran into the gun, she asked, “Vanessa? Does she know about any of this?”
“I was attracted to your sister for her looks…and the way she put me on a pedestal.” Throwing his head back, he laughed, “She’s easy to control. Easy to manipulate. And dumb as a brick. So, no, she has no clue. But she’ll continue to play the dutiful wife. Hell, as long as she thinks we’re the lord and lady of the country club, she’s happy. I did some digging into her social climbing background and discovered she would be in line to inherit beachfront property.” He pierced her with his stare as he confessed, “If your grandmother hadn’t died, I’d have taken care of her also.”
At that, Tori gasped, unable to believe what he was saying. Chest heaving, she hesitated at the end of the pier.
With a jerk of the gun in her direction, she climbed down into the boat, her mind swirling trying to think of a way out. I can’t let him kill me. I’ve got to get to mom. And who’s to say he won’t kill Vanessa once he’s through with her? And Mitch…I want a life with him!
As Nelson worked to start the motor and then began to drive, she looked out to the yacht anchored off shore. If we get all the way out there, it might be too far for me to swim back. Unable to judge the distance, she looked between the yacht and the shore, wondering how far she would be able to swim. But he could run over me with the motorboat! Anger filled her as her hands gripped the sides. Think, Tori, think! An image of Mitch’s face filled her mind…then fueled her determination.
As she focused her attention on Nelson, sitting in the back of the boat, one hand on the motor handle and the other still holding the gun on her, she heard a noise coming from a distance from above. Chancing a glance behind her, she saw a helicopter moving toward them. I wonder if I can wave. Or make a sign? Damn, he’d blow me out of the water before I had a chance!
Turning back toward Nelson, her hands still gripping the sides of the rocking boat in fear, she watched as his eyes moved upward toward the incoming helicopter. His eyes narrowed as he looked into the sunshine, giving her the exact opportunity she had been awaiting.
With a strong kick upward, she made contact with his arm, knocking him backward toward the motor. Los
ing his balance, he slipped off the seat, landing unceremoniously in the bottom of the boat, but with the gun still in his grip.
Not willing to take a chance on a fight, she stood, rocking the boat as he was attempting to right himself. With a quick decision, she dove into the water, thrusting her arms to move as deeply as she could. Mitch’s words to her, almost twenty years ago, flooded back to her as she stroked her way down.
“Swimming in the ocean isn’t easy, but you’re a really good swimmer, Tori. You’re better than most of the boys I know.”
Chapter 31
On the road, Mitch watched the scenery fly by as Grant drove them toward the beach north of Baytown. Listening as various members of the rescue team reported in, his heart leaped as Callan informed him that the Virginia Beach Coast Guard was sending a helicopter over the bay to look for Nelson’s yacht.
“We’re en route,” Zac called and Mitch knew he and some of the CG stationed at Baytown were on the water.
“Goin’ as fast as I can,” Grant said unnecessarily, as the SUV skidded on the gravel road heading between tall pine trees toward the water.
“Helicopter may have visual,” Callan’s voice crackled over the radio. Rattling off the coordinates, Mitch felt his back press against the seat even more as Grant stepped on the accelerator.
Coming to a stop at the end of the road with a small wooden hut nearby, they leaped from the vehicle. The other officers behind them surrounded the structure, quickly ascertaining it was empty. Mitch ran toward the water and out to the edge of the pier.
A small motorboat was out a hundred yards, but was not speeding toward the anchored yacht. Instead, a man was standing in the small watercraft, firing a gun down into the water. While his heart threatened to beat out of his chest, his eyes searched the surface of the water for any signs of Tori.
*
Tori’s lungs felt near to bursting, but the initial ping of gunfire into the water near her kept her swimming. When she dove into the water, she was pointed in the direction of the shore, but knew she needed to surface soon to gain her bearings. Slowly rising, she tried to not shoot upward, but her need for air overrode her desire to not be seen. Popping up, she gulped air, filling her lungs as her arms moved back and forth to keep her in place.
Coming Home: Baytown Boys Series Page 25