“Poor woman,” Amanda said sadly.
“Frank made an anonymous call to the Park Ranger Service,” Sophia continued. “After he made the call, he untied me and threatened to kill me if I didn’t leave town. He shoved some money, a fake ID, and a plane ticket in my pocket and told me to fly back to New York.”
“You didn’t leave, obviously,” Sarah said.
“I did leave,” Sophia confessed. “I left my diary in its hiding place and flew to New York. But when I had a close friend of mine check on Conrad and she found out the guy had been transferred to Snow Falls, I knew I had to come back. Conrad betrayed me... and we’re over...but I still care about him. I’ll never love the jerk in the same way again, but I can’t let Frank kill him.”
“You just tried to save Conrad, didn’t you?” Sarah began looking for her coat.
“Frank has Conrad and Mitch at his rental cabin. He’s going for Gatti when night falls. McQuire will be here tomorrow,” Sophia explained. “Gatti thought he was smart putting himself behind bars until McQuire arrives, but Frank will get to him.”
“Frank was the one who shot at us yesterday, right?” Sarah asked, grabbing her coat.
“Yes.”
“Amanda, I’m going to pay Steve Mintfield a visit. You stay here with Sophia.” Sarah gingerly slid her coat on over her bruised arms. “Sophia, where is Frank’s rental cabin located?”
Sophia looked down at her feet as she told Sarah the location. “I tried to save Conrad, honestly, I did,” she said. “Frank caught me and tried to kill me... Conrad saved my life. He tripped Frank as he came at me, giving me enough time to escape out the front door.”
“Watch her,” Sarah ordered Amanda. “If she tries to leave, deck her in the face.”
“You bet I will,” Amanda said and pointed at the couch. “Park it, sister.”
With her head throbbing in pain and her body begging for rest, Sarah opened the front door and looked out into the raging snowstorm. “How am I going to get to Steve Mintfield’s?” she asked herself, fearful of the deep snow and deadly winds.
Sophia reached into the pocket of her ski pants and pulled out a key. “Take my snowmobile. It’s parked in your backyard.”
Sarah turned and looked at Sophia. “You’re not a bad woman,” she told her. “But you really messed up.”
“I know... and I’m willing to pay for my mistakes.” Sophia tossed Sarah the snowmobile key. “Hurry, okay? Conrad may be a jerk, but... save him for me.”
“I will,” Sarah said. “Amanda, if I’m not back by tonight...”
“I’ll call for help,” Amanda promised.
Sarah gave Amanda a weak smile and stepped out into the snow, closing the front door behind her. The winds immediately began stealing her body heat. “Hold on Conrad, I’m coming.”
Holding her head with her left hand, Sarah trudged out into the deep snow and made her way around to the back of her cabin, where a red snowmobile sat waiting for her.
Chapter Nine
Conrad watched the man with dark, wavy black hair—much like his own—pace back and forth in front of the cold fireplace. “You thought you were smarter than me, didn’t you?” Frank yelled at Mitch. “But I was smarter. I waited you out. I had McQuire cancel your bank card and started to starve you out. I broke you, boy!”
Mitch shook his head. “Being hungry didn’t weaken me. I remained here because I love Sophia. I have always loved Sophia and I always will. It’s because of me that McQuire tortured her. If... she would have just given me her diary, I could have ended this stupid game.”
“Don’t play games with me,” Frank yelled. He pointed a gun at Mitch. “I want the diary. Sophia told me she gave her diary to you, so don’t play with me. I tracked you to the woman cop’s cabin, didn’t I? I figured it was only a matter of time before you went to her, and I was right. So don’t play with me, boy. I want the diary and I want it now!”
Conrad looked at the gray ski suit Frank was wearing. The guy was ready to kill and run. The living room he and Mitch were in, tied to two wooden kitchen chairs, was empty except for a sleeping bag shoved into the far right corner. It was clear that Frank was ready to clear out at a moment’s notice. “Mitch told me he has Sophia’s diary,” Conrad said.
“You liar,” Mitch growled at Conrad. “Stop lying. I told you all that I know, Frank. Sophia backed out on me. She called Gatti and informed him that you were going to try and put him in the dirt. She wanted Gatti to offer her protection against McQuire. But Gatti isn’t stupid. He knows going against McQuire would be a huge mistake.”
“Gatti came here searching for Sophia and you,” Conrad told Frank. “I didn’t realize that until last night. Gatti knew that Sophia wasn’t dead all along, but he knew that he had to take her out, along with you.”
“Gatti is history,” Frank snapped. “I have everything worked out with McQuire. McQuire is sick of Gatti and Sarti. I’m the new man in town. Only McQuire doesn’t know he’s going to eat a bullet along with Gatti.”
“You’re insane,” Mitch said. “You’re going to cause a war.”
“Exactly,” Frank grinned, looking at Mitch with his gray, bloodshot eyes. “When my war is over, I’ll have control over everyone.”
“McQuire set Gatti up and fed him false data. But he had help. A certain Chief Cunningham seemed to take a quick vacation, didn’t he? How much did McQuire bribe the Chief?” Conrad asked. “But the Chief isn’t stupid... scared and weak, but not stupid. He changed the weather conditions on the death report, leaving that as a clue for me. I thought the Feds had changed the weather around on the report, but it was Chief Cunningham, trying to tell his people something was amiss.”
Frank gritted his teeth. “I'll deal with that old man later.”
“Not on my watch,” Conrad promised.
“And what are you going to do?” Frank yelled, aiming his gun at Conrad. “I should have killed my sister when I had the chance. But I had to use her. I knew she was going to call Gatti. I needed Gatti to become suspicious of McQuire.”
“Gatti will never kill McQuire,” Mitch warned.
“Is that so?” Frank asked. “Gatti bought McQuire’s headstone the moment he found out my sister was alive.”
Conrad stared at Frank in disgust. “You killed an innocent woman. Life doesn’t matter to you. You’re going to pay.”
“I killed a two-bit actress working local plays for pennies,” Frank said, sounding pleased with himself. “I took that failed woman, tied her up to a tree, waited for her to freeze to death, and then placed her body next to a rock. And who will know? Who will care? Where are the reporters flashing her name all over the news, Spencer? Huh? I killed a woman with no family and no life. I did her a favor.”
“You’re going to pay,” Conrad repeated. “I’m taking you all down. Gatti, McQuire, Sophia, all of you.”
A sudden knock came at the front door. Frank tensed up. “Who’s there,” he yelled, backing up to the fireplace.
A tall, thin man with short gray hair wearing a thick black coat walked into the cabin. “I’m here,” Agent McQuire announced. “And so is Gatti.”
Conrad saw that McQuire was pressing a gun against Gatti’s back. “You’re all dead,” Gatti roared.
“Inside,” McQuire ordered him.
Gatti walked further into the living room. McQuire kicked the front door shut with his right boot. “Okay, Frank, it ends here. I want the diary in exchange for Gatti.”
Gatti looked at Conrad and then at Mitch and said nothing. Mitch shook his head at Gatti. “You’re going down, Gatti. You’re going to prison.”
“Shut up,” Gatti warned. “Next time I’ll sink you in the river myself.”
Conrad looked past Gatti at the living room window. The daylight outside was turning dark. “I have Davis and Young taking Gatti’s boys back to New York,” McQuire informed Frank. “The hicks at the police station were given a Federal Order releasing Gatti into my custody. We’re in the clear. Now, giv
e me the diary and I’ll look the other way and let you create your war.”
Struggling against the ropes holding his wrists together, Conrad knew that he had to act, but how? “Untie me, Frank,” he yelled, “and we’ll wrestle man to man.”
Frank shook his head at Conrad. “Shut your mouth,” he said and focused back on McQuire. “Okay, McQuire, here’s the diary.” He pointed his gun at McQuire.
“What do you think you’re doing, Frank?” McQuire asked, without any fear in his voice. “You dare betray me?”
“I’m in control now.” Frank grinned and began to fire. As he did, a rock smashed through the front window.
“I have the diary!” Sarah yelled through the broken window.
“I’m awful sorry I didn’t tell you I took that woman’s book,” Steve said from where he stood behind a tree next to Sarah. “I just didn’t want those FBI guys getting to it. I could tell they were bad. I guess I talked a bit too much yesterday morning.”
“It’s okay,” Sarah said. She nodded at the rifle Steve was holding. “You just get ready to cover me.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Steve promised.
Sarah turned to Andrew and Edwin and instructed them to cover the back exit of the cabin. She looked down at the brown diary in her hands. She opened it and began to read page 1 in a loud voice. “ ‘Today I heard Gatti and Frank talking about holding up a cash shipment...’ ”
“Way to go, Sarah,” Conrad whispered.
“She has the diary,” Frank yelled at McQuire. “Sophia gave the diary to that stupid cop woman! We have to stop her!”
Sarah kept reading as Andrew and Edwin circled around to the back of the cabin with their guns at the ready. When she came to the end of page 1, she stopped and called through the window, “Frank, send Conrad out or I’ll send this diary to every news agency in the country.”
Frank exploded. He ran to the living room window and began firing into the snow. Gatti spun around and faced McQuire. “Shoot me or give me a gun,” he growled.
McQuire shoved Gatti down onto the floor and hurried over to Conrad. Yanking a pocket knife out of his front coat pocket, he began to cut Conrad loose. “Get out there and get me that diary or you’re all dead,” he ordered Conrad.
“What are you doing?” Frank yelled.
McQuire pointed his gun at Frank. “Drop your gun, Frank. Now.”
Conrad broke free of his ropes and stood up. McQuire nodded at the front door. “Get outside,” he repeated and began to back away from Conrad. As he did, Mitch threw out both legs in front of him. McQuire tripped and stumbled backward. Gatti was on him before he even hit the floor.
Frank released the clip from his gun and went for the second clip in his coat pocket. Conrad rushed at Frank before he could reload and took him down to the floor. Frank began struggling with Conrad. “You’re nothing... you’re weak!” he yelled.
Conrad raised his right fist into the air and knocked Frank unconscious with one hard hit. “And you’re through,” he said, scrambling to his feet. As he did, Gatti stood up holding McQuire’s gun.
“Who should I kill first?” Gatti asked.
“Coward!” Mitch yelled. “I almost defeated you. All I needed was Sophia’s diary.”
“Send Conrad out,” Sarah yelled from outside. “Frank, this is my last warning.”
Gatti stared at Conrad. There was a pause, and McQuire, who had been pretending to be hurt, seized the opportunity. He eased his hand into his coat pocket and pulled out a small pistol. “Gatti,” he growled and fired the pistol.
Gatti grabbed his right shoulder and dropped the gun in his hand. Conrad dived to the floor, grabbed the gun, and got off a shot at McQuire just as McQuire prepared to fire at him. McQuire dropped his pistol and grabbed his right hand with his left. “My hand,” he cried out.
“Sarah, get in here!” Conrad yelled out through the living room window.
“Stay here,” Sarah told Steve and hurried through the deep snow toward the front door of the cabin.
Conrad opened the front door and smiled at her. “You arrived just in time, Detective Garland.”
Sarah smiled back at Conrad and hugged his neck. As she did, Andrew and Edwin came bursting in through the back door and charged into the living room. “They’re all yours,” Sarah told Andrew, pointing at Frank, Gatti, and McQuire. “And this,” she added, turning to Mitch and holding up the diary, “is all yours.” She tossed the diary into Mitch’s lap. “Go write your story.”
“But...” Andrew began, confused. He was tired, covered in snow, and half frozen. The last thing he needed was more questions.
“Unless we let Mitch write his story,” Conrad warned, “these three thugs will come back for us in full force when they get out of prison. We have to let the press take them down.”
“You’re all dead,” Gatti promised.
Mitch smiled proudly. “No, Gatti,” he said, “you’re the one that’s dead. By the time I’m finished with you, there will be absolutely nothing left but a few scraps for the prison dogs to eat.”
Gatti stared at Mitch, and for the first time in his life, he knew that his threats meant absolutely nothing.
“Arrest these people,” McQuire ordered Andrew. “And get me to a hospital, now!”
Andrew walked over to McQuire, helped him stand up, and then slapped a pair of handcuffs on him. “You have the right to remain silent, you scumbag,” he said.
Sarah drew in a deep breath. “Well,” she said to Conrad, looking down at Frank, “I can’t say that we won. That man lying on the floor nearly killed all of us.”
Conrad glanced down at Frank. “He was always a clever person. But his temper was his enemy.”
Steve stuck his head through the front door. “Mighty cold outside,” he said. “The storm seems to be letting up a little, though.”
Sarah looked at Steve. It amazed her that a simple cabinet builder, of all people, had taken the diary of this strange and beautiful woman. And who could have known? No one. “Thank you for being an honest man,” she told Steve. “If you hadn’t confessed to taking the diary, I don’t know what I would have done.”
Conrad looked at Steve’s frozen face in shock. “He had Sophia’s diary?”
“I’ll explain later,” Sarah promised, rubbing the back of her sore head. “I think I have a concussion.” She walked back out into the snow. Looking up into the dark sky, she allowed the snow to fall onto her beautiful face and let the feeling of the icy snowflakes on her skin shut down her mind.
“Well, New York,” Amanda said, propping her feet up on Conrad’s desk, “all’s well that ends well. Sophia is back in the Witness Protection Program. Mitch is writing his story. Gatti, Frank, and McQuire, along with all of their thugs, are behind bars. And we’re still alive. I just hate the fact that Sophia’s terrible brother had everyone chasing their tails, looking in every direction but the right one. But, I guess we came out okay.”
Conrad tossed down the pencil he was holding. “Frank was forcing everyone to become enemies while remaining invisible. He knows how to play the game. What he didn’t count on was Sophia turning against him in the end. I guess that woman does have a conscience... somewhere inside of her heart.”
“Thank goodness Sophia started her diary. And thank goodness Mr. Stick Hands decided to give Sophia’s diary to Los Angeles.”
“Mr. Mintfield meant well,” Conrad assured Amanda. “He’s a good man.”
Standing at the office window wearing a warm blue sweater and looking out into the snow, Sarah thought about Frank. “Conrad, are you going back to New York, now that Frank is being sent to prison?”
Conrad picked up his brown coffee mug and took a sip. “No,” he answered. “The truth is, I’ve kinda become fond of this little town. I’m not anxious to go back to pulling bodies out of dirty alleys.”
Sarah smiled. As she admired the softly falling snow outside, she felt a warm spot appear in her heart. Life sure was different in Alaska, she thought. She spotted
a group of teenagers throwing snowballs at each other as they ran down the street toward the diner. “Good,” she told Conrad. “I’m glad.”
Amanda winked at Conrad but didn’t say a word. Conrad smiled and put down his coffee just as Andrew popped his head into the office. His face was urgent and serious. “Park Ranger was found dead out near Clear Diamond Lake.”
Sarah turned away from the window and looked at Conrad. Conrad nodded his head and stood up. “Come on, ladies,” he said. “We’ve got another case.”
Amanda slumped down in her chair. “Jack, hurry up and get home,” she groaned.
Sarah walked to Amanda and patted her best friend on the shoulder. “Come on, June Bug, we’re a team.”
Amanda glanced up at Sarah’s face and then looked at Conrad. Conrad tipped her a wink. “Fine, sure, I’m coming.” She stood up. “But one of these days I’m going on holiday far away from the both of you.”
Without saying another word, Amanda walked out of the office. Sarah and Conrad made eye contact and then followed Amanda out into the hallway. As they did, their hands touched slightly. Sarah didn’t mind, and neither did Conrad.
Far away, riding down a snowy trail on a snowmobile, a man wearing a black ski suit began whistling to himself.
Dear Reader,
Hi there. Thank you for reading.
I hope you’ll leave a review and/or rating at the retail website where you purchased it, I appreciate you and your feedback.
Thanks again,
Wendy Meadows
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Deep in the Snow (Alaska Cozy Mystery Book 2) Page 8