Wilde Thing

by Jannine Gallant

  “Thanks for the update.” Tripp pocketed his phone then climbed out of the car and slammed the door. Frustration ate at him as he headed toward the condo. When Winnie greeted him with a hopeful look as she pushed past his legs, he let out a ragged breath. “Sorry, girl. We don’t have Hannah back yet. Soon.” He wouldn’t let himself believe anything else.

  He fed the dog, but the thought of eating anything turned his stomach. Pacing the limited confines of the condo, he stopped to stare out the window over the kitchen sink. Streetlights illuminated the small courtyard behind the units. Beyond their glow, darkness had descended. Hannah was out there somewhere, frightened and facing the lunatic who’d pushed a woman to her death. He slammed his hand down on the counter.

  When Winnie wandered over to lean against his legs and whine, he found her leash and took her outside. She sniffed along the edge of some shrubs then squatted. Turning his face up to the sky, Tripp closed his eyes and willed as much strength as he could summon Hannah’s way. He couldn’t stand doing nothing for a moment longer.

  His cell vibrated in his pocket. Snatching it out, he glanced at the display and nearly cried. “Vivian.”

  “I didn’t see your message until I got off the plane in Reno. Did the police find my daughter?”

  “No. Who is Murphy working with? Who’s the bastard who has Hannah?”

  She hesitated a moment. “I drove up to Tahoe and went straight to his house to confront him.” Her voice took on a brittle edge. “He’s not here.”

  Tripp gripped the cell so hard his fingers ached. “Who?”

  “Luther. He and Kyle Murphy went to high school together. By the time we were married, they didn’t exactly run in the same circles, but every now and then they’d get together for a beer.”

  “You think he has Hannah? Is he the one who murdered Monica Wright?”

  “When I spoke to him on the phone, he denied it, but there was something in his tone…” She cleared her throat. “I was determined to confront him face to face, and that was before I knew Hannah had gone missing. If he hurts her again, I’ll kill him.”

  The venom in her voice sent a chill through Tripp. “What do you mean again?”

  “I really don’t think that’s any of your business.”

  “I’m making it my business.” He pressed a hand to the back of his neck. “Talk. Now, or I swear…”

  Something in his tone must have gotten through to her. “Monica thought Luther might have…done something to Hannah when she was a little girl. Monica had been abused as a child, and she told me my daughter had that same bruised look in her eyes.” She spoke with gathering strength. “Every time I asked Hannah if Luther ever touched her, she just shook her head. I had no proof, but I couldn’t live with the man after that. I took Hannah and walked out, then I filed for divorce. He blamed Monica for turning me against him.”

  Tripp’s stomach rolled. He breathed hard through his nose to keep from puking. “You think that pervert raped her?”

  “Not raped. I took her in for a physical, and the doctor saw no signs—” She let out a harsh breath. “I don’t want to discuss this. She wasn’t raped, and Hannah never, ever said anything to indicate he’d touched her inappropriately. Over the years, I concluded Monica had been wrong. I felt a little guilty for not believing him. It wasn’t until after Monica disappeared that I discovered Luther had gotten financing for his latest project through her company. She was about to pull the plug. Probably just to spite him. I don’t know.” A shuddering breath came through the phone. “But I wouldn’t let myself suspect him without proof a second time.”

  “Until I mentioned Kyle Murphy.”

  “Yes. I threw all sorts of accusations at him about Monica, and he told me I was crazy. He said he hadn’t seen Kyle in years. I didn’t want to talk to that sheriff until I was one hundred percent certain he was lying.”

  “Luther’s not in Tahoe?”

  “No, I went to his home first then knocked on a few doors before calling you. A neighbor said she noticed Luther’s Hummer leave his house at midday, and he hasn’t returned since.”

  “Shit. Maybe he came down here to meet Murphy after his flunky grabbed Hannah.”

  “Why?” Vivian’s voice rose. “Why would he hurt her now? That’s the part that makes no sense.”

  “He must believe she recognized him the evening he killed Monica. I don’t give a crap about his motive. All I care about is finding Hannah.” He ran a hand through his hair and winced. “Where would he take her? Does he know anyone in the vicinity of Granite Bay? You were married to the man. Can you think of someplace remote he’d hold her to…to…” He couldn’t force out the words and closed his eyes. Hannah was safe. She had to be.

  “Luther doesn’t have friends, only business associates. He’s slow to trust.”

  Both eyes opened wide. “He trusted Murphy.”

  “That bond goes way back. If Luther has any personal connections in the Folsom area, I’m not aware of them. The only time we ever went down there was to camp one weekend. It was miserably hot, and the mosquitoes were thick, but Luther wanted to show me the spot where his grandfather had panned for gold on the American River. The old guy had been some sort of hermit and was long dead. Still, Luther had some nostalgic family attachment to this falling down old lean-to on the river.”

  Tripp tugged on the leash to drag Winnie behind him as he ran toward the parking lot. “Maybe he took her there. It certainly sounds like a place where Hannah could scream her head off, and no one would hear her.”

  “The old shanty was isolated out in the woods at the end of a dirt track, but I don’t know that I’d remember how to get there. It was years ago, Luther was driving, and I wasn’t paying much attention.”

  “Damn it, Vivian, you have to remember something.” Tripp hit the remote to unlock the door, lifted the dog onto the passenger seat, then slid inside and started the engine. “This is the only lead we have. If you drove down from Tahoe, where’d you leave the freeway?”

  “Let me think.”

  His molars clamped together. For God’s sake, Vivian!

  “In Auburn. We stopped to buy more ice for the cooler. Hold on, I’m checking maps on my phone. I know we camped somewhere on the North Fork of the American.”

  Tripp put the cell on speaker and dropped it on the center console. He backed out of the parking spot then turned onto the street with a squeal of tires. “That route must be off the Auburn Folsom Road. I’m on my way.”

  “I know we turned onto another road. I vaguely remember shuddering when Hannah made a comment about the name. Here it is, Rattlesnake Road. How could I forget that?”

  “Tell me the fastest way to get there.” Tripp gunned the engine and tore around two slow moving cars then slid back into his lane just in time to miss an oncoming truck. He was silent for several minutes, focused on his driving.

  “It looks like you can cut over on Newcastle Road. Where are you now?”

  “I just passed through Granite Bay. There’s not a lot of traffic, thank God.” He zipped around another car and pressed harder on the accelerator.

  “You have a ways to go. Keep driving.”

  What the hell did she think he was doing? Tripp gritted his teeth and, pushing eighty, passed a pickup. If someone reported him to the cops for reckless endangerment, all the better. He could use the backup. A red light up ahead forced him to slow down, but when the signal changed to green, he zigged through the cars ahead of him and picked up speed. “I just went by an equestrian center.”

  “Have you passed Horseshoe Bar Road yet?”

  “About a minute ago.”

  “Wow, you must be flying. Newcastle Road isn’t much farther. Maybe a couple of minutes at the speed you’re going.”

  Tripp focused on the curve ahead. The Ferrari cornered like a dream. “I see it. How am I going to find the dirt road off Rattlesnake? I don’t want to waste time taking the wrong turn.”

&n
bsp; “I’ve been trying to think. The only thing I remember is a big dead tree where a bunch of idiots had tied old shoes to the branches. It was down a ways past the State Park.”

  His headlights lit up a stretch of unoccupied road. The needle on his speedometer crept up to ninety. “Which way onto Rattlesnake?”

  “Right.”

  “Got it.” The tires squealed as he made the turn. He drove in silence for several minutes, whipping past a scattering of driveways leading to out-of-the-way homes. “The State Park is up ahead.”

  “It was maybe a couple of minutes beyond that.”

  He slowed as he passed the entrance to the park then kept his speed down as he scanned the trees along the road.

  “Do you see the dead tree with the shoes?”

  “No.” He braked to a stop. “There’s a giant root ball on my right that must belong to a huge fallen tree.”

  “There would be a dirt road to your left about a hundred yards farther down.”

  “I don’t see… Wait, there it is.” He let out a long breath. “I’m hanging up now. You have Sheriff Barnes’s number. Call him back to report this. He’ll take care of everything from there. Okay?”

  “I will. Tripp?”

  “What?”

  “Find my daughter.”

  “I intend to.”

  * * * *

  Hannah huddled beside a rotted log while a light beam flashed through the forest. She prayed her chattering teeth wouldn’t give away her location. After veering too far north, she’d made her way back toward the track when headlights arched across the sky, reorienting her. The Hummer had probably hit the ditch, which meant she was still quite a ways from the main road. Her hopes of following the track out had been dashed when Luther parked to come back on foot to look for her. Closing her eyes, she willed him to give up and leave.

  “I know you’re out there, Hannah.” Her stepfather’s voice echoed through the trees. “I won’t go away until I find you, so you might as well come out now. You must be freezing in those wet clothes.”

  He was right about that, but she’d risk hypothermia before facing the business end of the pistol he carried. Tears slid down her cheeks, and all she could think about was Tripp. He’d be frantic with worry by now, but unless the police had arrested Kyle Murphy and the man had been convinced to talk, there wasn’t a chance in hell anyone would find her out here. She had only her wits to get her out of this nightmare.

  Luther’s voice faded along with the flashlight beam as he moved off in a different direction. Silence descended. Hannah rose to her feet and maneuvered slowly through the trees, holding her hands out in the pitch dark to ward off low-hanging branches. She couldn’t risk making a lot of noise, but hiding wasn’t going to get her any closer to safety. She’d love to believe Luther had left the keys in the Hummer, but he wasn’t that stupid. Still, once she reached the track, she’d be able to move much faster.

  Stumbling over a root, she fell to her knees. A single sob slipped out as her palms scraped across rocks. Overhead stars sparkled in the moonless sky, shining down on an open stretch of ground ahead. She’d finally reached the dirt road. Straining to hear, she waited in the shadows as the seconds ticked by. Nothing. Where the hell was Luther?

  The back of her neck prickled. Shallow breaths escaped as she rose on trembling legs. Had he turned off the flashlight? Was he there in the dark, only yards away, hoping she’d make a move? She had to risk it. Keeping close to the edge of the track, she forced chilled muscles to move as she picked up her pace. A stick snapped when she stepped down on it, and she cringed.

  Lights glowed across the night sky, and in the distance an engine growled. Had a car downshifted before turning onto the rutted road? Sacrificing silence for speed, Hannah broke into a run. When her left calf muscle clenched in a cramp, she gasped but struggled onward. Something large loomed ahead, a darker shadow in the night. The Hummer?

  “Shit!” A light wavered, and steps pounded the ground to her right. A figure burst out of the woods.

  The flashlight beam caught her in the eyes. Throwing up her arm, Hannah dived behind the big vehicle.

  “Got you now, you little bitch!”

  Staying low, she crouched next to the driver’s side door as Luther approached. Her pounding heart thundered in her ears. Still, the low rumble of the approaching vehicle grew louder with each passing second.

  “Someone’s coming, Luther. Leave now while you still have a chance.”

  “Probably high school kids looking for a place to party. I’ll scare them out of here.” Irritation sounded in his voice. “You aren’t getting away from me this time, Hannah. You move an inch, and I’ll shoot.”

  Stretching out an arm, she grabbed a stout limb lying on the edge of the road. She’d throw it at him and run back into the woods if she had to. But maybe the car grinding over ruts was a police cruiser, not kids with a six-pack of beer. “Please. Please. Please.” She whispered the words as headlights blinded her.

  A car door opened, and feet hit the ground. “Hannah!”

  “Don’t come a step closer, or I’ll splatter your brains across the roof of that car.” Standing between the two vehicles, Luther waved the gun as Hannah rose to her feet.

  “Tripp.” Her voice broke.

  “Stay where you are, Hannah.” He spoke sharply. “The police are on the way. Drop the gun, Vandenberg.”

  “I don’t hear any sirens. I can shoot you both and still get away.”

  Barking erupted from the car Tripp had been driving. Winnie leaped out the open door and ran toward Hannah. When Luther glanced down, she heaved the stick. It struck him in the shoulder, knocking him off balance. Before she could move, or even think, Tripp lunged forward and tackled him. When the gun went off, Hannah screamed. And kept screaming.

  In the glare of the headlights, blood pooled beneath the two men.

  * * * *

  Sunrise painted the sky in rosy hues as Tripp turned his pickup into the parking lot next to the rental condo. With a tired smile, he glanced over at Hannah. “Too bad they released my truck from the impound lot. Radford’s Ferrari was a hell of a lot more fun to drive. I hope I didn’t do too much damage to the undercarriage on that dirt road.”

  “He didn’t even say a word about the ding in the fender where the bullet hit it.” She let out a long breath. “I’m so thankful you weren’t hurt. When I saw all that blood…”

  He laid a hand over hers and squeezed. “Don’t think about it.”

  “Hard not to.” She closed her eyes and let out a ragged breath. “Am I a bad person for being glad Luther’s dead?”

  “After what he did to you, you’d be a saint if you weren’t.” His voice was grim. “I wouldn’t have had a single qualm about killing him.”

  She turned to face him, her beautiful golden eyes dark with pain. “That detective said it would probably be ruled an accidental death. They surmised it was Luther’s finger on the trigger when you were struggling with the gun and it went off, not yours.”

  “The bastard got what he deserved.”

  “Yes, he did. Luther’s gone, and Kyle Murphy has been arrested. Justice wins.”

  “Thank God the cops caught that asshole before he could get on a plane.” Tripp reached for the door handle. “Let’s go inside. After all those hours at the police station, not to mention a trip to the ER to get you checked out, we both need some rest.”

  “I’m flat-out exhausted.” Hannah let Winnie out of the truck then shut the door and leaned against it. When a tremor shook her, Tripp wrapped an arm around her waist then led her up the walk.

  He tightened his grip as the door to their condo swung open. “What the hell?”

  A middle-aged blond woman wearing a pair of tan slacks and a silk shirt stepped outside. A brief smile twisted her lips.

  “Mom? I didn’t expect to see you.” Hannah’s voice quavered.

  “I drove down after Sheriff Barnes told me what h
appened.” Her voice took on an edge. “A friend in real estate works out of the office where you rented the condo. She gave me the address and a key.”

  “I don’t care how you got in. I’m just glad you’re here.” Stepping forward, Hannah gave her mother a brief hug.

  “I booked a flight out of Sacramento that leaves in a couple of hours, but I wanted to clear up a few things with you before I went home.”

  “I’m sure you have questions.” Hannah’s shoulders slumped as she followed her mother into the condo and headed toward the living room.

  “I’ll make some coffee and feed Winnie.” In the kitchen, Tripp dumped kibble into the dog’s bowl and gave her a pat, then filled the coffee carafe with water and pulled ground beans from the refrigerator. Once the coffee was brewing, he dropped onto a stool at the bar counter.

  Low voices came from the two women, but Hannah’s posture didn’t have the stiff defensiveness he’d noticed before when she was upset. When the coffeemaker gurgled and spluttered, he poured mugs of strong brew and carried them into the other room to set on the end table near a pitcher filled with the battered roses. Vivian must have arranged them.

  “I’ll get the cream and sugar.”

  Hannah gave him a quick smile then patted the cushion next to her. “Don’t bother with that. Have a seat.”

  He eyed her mother’s tight lips. “I can take Winnie for a walk instead.”

  “You don’t have to leave.” Vivian sipped her coffee then let out a breath. “I said what I needed to say.” Taking another swallow, she set the mug on an end table and stood. “I have to go if I’m going to catch my flight.”

  Hannah rose to her feet. “Thanks for coming, Mom.”

  “I may not be good at showing it, but I do have your best interests at heart. I’m sorry…for everything.” Picking up her purse, she headed toward the door. “Maybe I’ll plan a trip up to Tahoe once the weather is better and I’m not so busy at work.” She glanced over at Tripp. “Thank you for caring about my daughter’s safety.”

  The words came easily. “She means everything to me.”