by Joanna Wayne
The monster set the plate of beans he was holding on the floor by the door. “Why so quiet? I know you’re not surprised. You must be as excited as I am about having FBI Sydney join us here in our cozy home.”
Say the right thing. Don’t give up the game. Stay alive until Sydney and the rest of the FBI agents come storming in.
“You’d like Sydney. She’s smart like you are. She figures things out that no one else can.”
“If she were smart, she wouldn’t be strutting around town drawing so much attention to herself. She’s making this so easy on me. So ridiculously easy.”
“How is she drawing attention?”
“Showing your picture to everyone she sees. Asking about you everywhere she goes. Big FBI star, coming to save you.” He laughed as if that were a marvelous joke.
“Maybe you should give yourself up to Sydney and the FBI. I’ll tell her you didn’t really hold me captive, swear my stay here was voluntary. They couldn’t do anything to you if I did that. You could go back to your life. I could go back to mine.”
“You don’t know what’s going on here, Rachel. For an attorney, you can’t figure anything out. I’ll save myself. I’m the smart one.”
“Don’t make Sydney come after you. She never loses. Do you know what she did to the Swamp Strangler?”
“This ain’t no swamp, and if I were you, I wouldn’t be holding my breath waiting on her to ride to the rescue. She’s picked up a cowboy to keep her company. Moved in with him, so I understand.”
Rachel was certain he was lying about that. If Sydney was with a cowboy, it was because he fit into her investigation.
“Have you ever watched someone die, Rachel?”
Once again the monster’s mood had changed in an instant, as if he’d traveled to some dark, Satan-held corner of his mind.
“Yes,” she said honestly.
She’d arrived at the hospital just in time to see her father draw his last breath after being shot in the line of duty. Shot by someone as evil as the monster.
“One minute you’re laughing while they beg you not to hurt them. The next they’re choking on their own blood, terror swimming in their eyes.”
He was totally in the dark zone now, making no sense, his eyes glazed over.
“How many people have you killed?” she asked softly.
“Only the ones Mommy tells me to. I’m a good boy.”
A sickening terror crawled inside her. He was stark, raving mad.
Sydney was the only hope for her and for others who might be imprisoned with her. But the monster had obviously crossed the line to total insanity. At any moment, it could be too late.
* * *
ONE OF PIERCE’S newly hired wranglers was in the horse barn pitching fresh hay into the stalls when Sydney and Tucker returned. While Tucker unsaddled their mounts, she’d made a quick call to Esther. The package containing the USB thumb drive was yet to arrive, but most of the family was already there.
The wrangler had offered to take care of Beauty and the sorrel so they could meet the others at the house.
“I’m not going to dinner looking like this,” Sydney said, as they walked back to the house.
“You look damned cute to me and there’s definitely no dress code on the Double K.”
“I smell like horseflesh.”
“You’ll fit right in.”
“I’m sure my hair is going in a hundred different directions.”
“More like fifty.” Tucker reached down and tucked loose locks behind her ear.
“I promise I’ll make it a quick shower and change. Your family is probably already tired of waiting on us.”
“We’re not late, but you’d best go in by way of your patio or you’ll get ambushed on your way there and never get to the shower.”
“Good idea.”
“Do you need me to go through the house and unlock it for you or did you leave it open?”
“It’s locked, but the key’s in my pocket.”
He walked her to the door and lingered just long enough to make the moment awkward. The kiss was between them now and that changed everything no matter what they told each other.
Another time, another place and things might have been different, but all her focus had to be on rescuing Rachel. A mistake in judgment could be fatal. That bit of wisdom was forever seared into her mind.
She stripped from her clothes, dropping them on the vanity before stepping into the shower. As she lathered the shampoo into her short hair, unbidden memories rushed into her mind. The body of the beautiful college coed, naked, facedown in the murky bayou, waiting to be the next meal of a hungry alligator.
The Strangler’s hands around Sydney’s neck, a second away from death. A lifetime of experiences hadn’t raced through her mind as people often said. The past hadn’t given her the strength to keep fighting. It was the dreams of the future that had made her keep fighting.
Those dreams were forever lost to Sara Goodwin. Sydney couldn’t let them be lost for Rachel and the other captives.
She finished her shower and pulled a blue sundress from the small guest room closet. Casual, not too revealing, not too slouchy.
Now, if she could just ready her mind for family time. A very brief family time before she went back to the work of analyzing what they had so far, hopefully with new data from Dani’s security film.
One solid clue. That might be all it took, but she needed it now.
* * *
SYDNEY HAD ZERO appetite when she joined the women and girls in the busy kitchen. The smell of frying chicken quickly took care of that.
“You made it,” Esther said. “I was worried that horse-riding adventure might have left you plumb tuckered out what with you being up since dawn.”
“I’m fine, just needed a quick shower.”
“I love that dress,” Dani said.
“Thank you. It’s the only dress I brought with me. Everything else is business skirts and slacks and two pair of jeans. I wasn’t expecting to do any socializing.”
“I’m glad we thought of your moving in here,” Dani said. “You need real meals. Mental work needs as much fuel as physical tasks. Plus you got a little physical exertion in today, too.”
“It’s all part of the process,” Sydney said. “I go wherever the investigation takes me.”
“Just stay safe,” Esther cautioned. “Let your gun do your talking.”
“Grandma,” Constance said. “You want her to shoot people?”
“If they need it.”
“Perhaps we should change the subject,” Dani said. “Anyone have good news?”
“Well, I was planning to wear a sundress myself tonight,” Grace said. “It’s one I bought just two months ago, but when I put it on, it was a little too snug.” She smiled conspiratorially, pulled her loose blouse tight and patted a small bulge in her stomach.
“Lord a mercy!” Esther squealed. “You’re pregnant! I knew it when you turned that ugly shade of green and rushed from the breakfast table last week.”
“You were right. But it’s official now. Saw the doctor again and I’m in my second trimester.”
The room erupted into hugs and congratulations.
Jaci started dancing around the room and singing at the top of her very healthy lungs. “I already knew it. I already knew it. I’m going to be a big sister. I already knew.”
“You are so lucky,” Constance said.
“I guess that means Pierce knows, too,” Dani said.
“Yes. He’s had as hard a time keeping it a secret this long as I have. He might be a teensy bit upset that I didn’t wait until he was here to make the announcement. But I couldn’t keep it in a second longer. It just bubbled right out of me.”
“We’re gonna have a
baby around here,” Esther said. “I just wish my Charlie was here to see it.” She hummed a lullaby as she went back to transferring pieces of golden fried chicken from a deep fryer to an already-overflowing platter.
Sydney thought about the troubling statement Dudley had made that afternoon. If Dudley didn’t tell the truth in court, Charlie would. He was not willing to see Dudley in prison for his spoiled and irresponsible daughter’s crime.
It was the mark of a good friend. But had it cost Charlie his life? If so, knowing the facts wouldn’t bring Charlie back. But would it ease Esther’s mind or just bring all the pain and grief to the surface again?
Either way, if Charlie Kavanaugh had been murdered, he deserved justice. She’d look more into that later.
“Sydney, would you mind getting the butter from the fridge? I think these potatoes need a bit more.”
“Sure. How much do you want? I’ll cut it for you.”
“Another fourth of a stick.” Dani continued beating a huge bowl of potatoes with a hand mixer.
Grace stepped around Sydney and pulled a pan of fluffy biscuits from the oven. It defied logic that this many women could be cooking in one kitchen and making it seem more like a party than work.
Even the youngsters were busy. Constance sliced bananas with a table knife and Jaci layered a glass baking dish with vanilla wafers, all but the one she’d just slipped between her lips.
“How can I help?” Sydney asked.
“You just sit down and keep us company,” Esther said. “You don’t want to hurt the hand or get the bandage soiled.”
“I’ll change it anyway before I go to bed and the hand doesn’t hurt unless I hit it against something or try to make a fist.”
“You can oversee Jaci and Constance’s project,” Grace said. “The custard is in the saucepan on the front left burner, slightly cooled and ready to pour as soon as the girls have their first layer in place.”
“I think I can handle that.”
Sydney felt at home almost immediately. She’d come from a small family, just her, Rachel and their dad. This was her first experience being even a temporary part of a family this big, boisterous and caring.
Even more amazing, they weren’t your typical family. Esther was clearly loved by everyone but actually kin to none. Jaci was Grace’s stepdaughter. Constance was Dani’s niece.
All held together by love, laughter and no doubt a few tears. She wondered how she’d fit into a family like this when so much of her time was spent dealing with the uglier side of life.
Definitely not something she needed to be concerned about tonight. One banana did not make a pudding. One horseback ride did not make her a cowgirl. One kiss did not equate with forever.
* * *
AN HOUR AND a half later, dinner was reduced to a few leftovers, the kitchen was clean with much help from the men and the film had still not arrived.
Stuffed and ready to relax, the whole family settled in the family den.
Uncle Tucker was clearly the star of the evening. Jaci climbed into his lap. Constance snuggled next to him on the wide leather sofa.
“Uncle Tucker, can you please stay until Saturday afternoon so you can watch me barrel race in our weekly rodeo? Please.” Constance put her hands together in prayer form as she pleaded.
“I’ll do my best,” Tucker said. “Riley told me how good you are.”
“She’s already accumulated more points than some of the seventh graders,” Riley said.
“And I’ve only lost my hat a couple of times all summer.”
“Style is very important in barrel racing,” Tucker said.
“I know. One time the wind blew it off, so you can’t really count that.”
“Absolutely not.”
“And you can watch me do the mutton busting,” Jaci said. “You can watch me, too, Sydney. I think I might win.”
“I hope you win,” Sydney said. “What is mutton busting?”
Jaci’s eyes grew wide and she slapped her hand over her mouth to demonstrate her total shock. “You are a full-grown woman and you’ve never heard of mutton busting?”
“No. It’s a good thing I have you to explain it to me.”
“Well, you better come and watch so you’ll know everything about it. First they put a helmet on my head, and then they sit me on the back of a sheep. When they let go, the sheep starts running as fast as it can. I just hang on until I tumble off.”
“Does that hurt?”
“No. Sheep are little. They just like to run fast. It’s fun, especially if you win.”
“Right on,” Tucker said. “Hanging on is the most important part.”
“Speaking of holding on, let’s check out the PBR network and see what the bull riders are doing,” Riley said. He picked up the remote, turned on the TV and switched to the bull-riding channel.
The volume was too low to hear what the announcer on screen was saying, but the caption running below the picture said it all.
Rodeos have moment of silence in memory of Rod Hernandez.
Esther planted her feet and stopped the movement of her rocking chair. “Oh, no. Did you hear that, Tucker? Rod Hernandez. Dead. Wasn’t he a friend of yours?”
“We were close.”
“Did you know about this?”
“I did.”
“Was he killed by the bull?” Esther asked. Her fears for Tucker shook her voice.
Riley turned off the TV. “Maybe we should table this conversation until later.”
“I really need to be going,” Grace said. “Jaci has school tomorrow.”
“Same here,” Dani added.
Tucker said nothing. This was clearly why he’d seemed so distant at times. He’d been grieving the death of his friend and hadn’t wanted to upset her with his problems. Nor had he wanted to give Esther reason to worry about him.
The doorbell rang while they were gathering their things.
“I’ll get it,” Tucker volunteered. Sydney followed him to the door.
The visitor had a star pinned to the breast of his khaki uniform.
The security film had arrived.
Chapter Fourteen
Tucker handled the quick introductions between Sydney and the sheriff and then left them alone.
The sheriff peeked inside the open door. “Sounds like a party going on inside.”
“Esther hosted a family dinner in honor of Tucker’s visit.”
“I don’t want to interrupt your meal.”
“You’re not. We’ve finished and most are in the process of leaving.”
“Good. I need to talk to you about something in private.”
“I have a room of my own. We can talk there.”
“If it’s all the same with you, can we just take a short walk lest the mosquitoes get too bad to stay outside? I’ve been sitting at my desk for the last two hours finishing up some dadburn paperwork the county requires. Too much sittin’ and my arthritis starts acting out.”
“A walk would be fine.”
Once they were down the steps, he took a worn path that trailed around the side of the house. “Jackson Clark speaks mighty highly of you,” Cavazos said.
“I’m glad to hear that. I have great respect for him.”
“He seems like a good man. Reasonable about most things. Here’s the problem I’m having with all this. You FBI people come in here with lots of good ideas and every resource imaginable.”
“It can be very effective,” Sydney answered. Wherever this was going, she doubted she was going to like it.
“You got the know-how, but I know my folks. I know who to push for information, who to back away from. When and where to tread lightly.”
Now she knew exactly where he was going. “Is this about Tucke
r and my visit to Dudley Miles this afternoon?”
“You might say that. It’s about his wife, Millie. She’s a good woman but she’s had a hard go of it these last two years. Family problems that just tore her apart.”
“I realize that,” Sydney assured him. “What’s your point?”
“Dudley says she got awfully upset when you were there today. She’s scared you’re trying to drag up the past and she just can’t take no more trouble.”
“We didn’t even see her. She was supposedly in her room napping. How did she know we were there?”
“I reckon she caught a glimpse of you from her window when you were coming or going.”
“I can understand how she knew Tucker. He’s an old family friend. She’s never met me. How could she know I’m an FBI agent?”
“She’s seen you in town. Everyone has. You’ve been in most every store at least once and were even out at Hank’s a couple of times. Winding Creek’s a mind-everybody’s-business kind of town.”
“And yet no one seems to know anything about the four women who disappeared from this area.”
“Yep. That’s a strange one, which leads me to think that the perp is not from around here. My hunch is that it’s someone who makes deliveries or travels through here for some other reason on a regular basis.”
“We can’t rule out that he is from around here. For one thing, how would he happen to pick all nonlocals for his victims if he didn’t know the area?”
“You’ve got me there. All I’m saying for sure is if you need to see Dudley again, I’d appreciate it if you’d go through me. I can ask the questions for you or he said he’d meet you at my office anytime. He just don’t want to get Millie all riled up.”
“He offered me twenty-five thousand dollars in reward money.”
“He’s bringing the check by my office in the morning. I’ll leave it to you and Jackson to decide how to get the word out.”
“Fair enough. Have you seen any of the security film yet?”
“Not yet, but one of my deputies looked over the portion of the tape I brought you. It covers a two-hour time slot that includes the time period before Rachel entered Dani’s Delights until well after she leaves. He didn’t spot anything out of the ordinary, though he did mention it would be nice to be able to hear instead of just see what was going on. Still, he figured the film was as useless as a knot in a stake rope.”