by K. J. Dahlen
Sebastian didn’t hesitate. “I know that and I was wrong to accuse you earlier. I know you love Wyatt almost as much as I do. Blame it on a father’s love, or on the fact that I’ve had a hell of a week and I was in a lot of pain. Don’t worry, we’ll find him, we have to. I can’t imagine anything else. Just fax those photos right away.”
“I will, and Sebastian,” Alec paused. “If you get your hands on the bastard, kill him once for me. Do not let him go.”
Sebastian huffed. “I don’t think escape is even an option. He has a lot to answer for and when I find him, he’ll pay.”
He then went over the Robin Myron case again and again while he waited for the photos from Alec to come in. Somehow, the two cases were related but he didn’t know how. Sandy Danvers’ killer had been her ex-boyfriend Toby Rains. That had been a case of domestic dispute gone bad. What possible connection that case had with this one escaped him. He’d gone over and over the crime scene photo’s until he couldn’t look at them anymore and still there was nothing he could find.
Sebastian got up to check the computer and his photos were already there. He printed them out and took them back to his desk then checked each one over carefully. He even looked over the fine detail with a magnifying glass. If there was something there, he didn’t find it. He threw the glass down in frustration.
He took a deep breath and got up to get a drink. A cup of coffee would taste good right now and he needed the stimulation. He saw Jesse just leaving the station and wondered if there was any news on Wyatt yet. Sebastian turned to check with Ian and found Jesse standing in the office door. He was stunned as the realization hit him. He turned toward the door and began running, calling out for the others.
Sebastian shoved the door open and hit the streets. Looking both ways, he thought he saw the telltale black cowboy hat down the street to his right. Rob, Jesse, and Ian were right behind him with their guns drawn.
“What’s going on?” Rob asked from two steps behind Sebastian.
“Tucker Briggs just paid us a visit,” Sebastian told them as he dodged the people on the street. He didn’t want to lose sight of the cowboy hat, but the traffic on the street was making it impossible to keep it in his line of vision.
When they got to the corner, Sebastian looked around again. The black cowboy hat was nowhere in sight. Frantically, he looked again, but the hat was gone. “Damn, where did he go?” He grabbed his chest wincing in pain as he tried to catch his breath.
“Whoa, wait a minute.” Ian grabbed his arm. “What did you say before?”
Sebastian turned and jerked his arm out of Ian grasp. “I was at the coffee pot and I looked up and thought I saw Jesse just leaving the building. I turned around to go back to your office and I saw Jesse standing in your doorway. The Jesse I saw leaving could only have been Tucker Briggs, so I gave chase. Now I’ve lost him again. Damn it.” Then he turned to Jesse. “Unless you have another cousin or brother that looks exactly like you and wears a black cowboy hat?”
Jesse put his gun away and sighed deeply. “No, that would be Tucker. I wonder what he was doing at the station.”
Rob and Ian put their weapons away as well. “Let’s go find out.” Rob said.
If the man had been Tucker Briggs, he was getting bolder almost brazen. His behavior was certainly unexpected.
When they entered the station house, Sebastian strode up to the front desk and asked the man behind the desk, “Did Jesse Cooper leave anything with you just a few minutes ago?”
Officer Larry Paulson nodded and reached behind him for the envelope Jesse had just left. Handing it over he said, “I thought it was strange that he would leave it with me.”
Sebastian pursed his lips. “It wasn’t Jesse that left it, it was the killer we’re after.”
Larry looked from Sebastian to Ian and Rob.
Rob just shook his head and followed everyone into Ian’s office to read the letter.
Sebastian ripped open the letter and began reading it. By the time he finished, he was scowling. Handing the letter to Rob, he simply walked away. He was in a dangerous mood right now and he didn’t want to hurt anyone. He went back to the desk he was using and glanced down at all the paperwork he’d been doing. The magnifying glass had fallen just right, and through it, he found himself looking at a man helping someone into a car. The woman looked like she was sleeping but what caught Sebastian’s attention was the black cowboy hat the man was wearing.
Sebastian grabbed the picture and looked at it again. The man he now knew as Tucker Briggs was standing there as big as life. That was what the connection was between the two cases and why Tucker had come after him in the first place.
Sebastian turned to go back into the office. His earlier rage was still there but now he had a reason why Tucker had zeroed in on him. “I got the creep. Now I know why he came after me.”
“Why?” Jesse asked as Sebastian handed him the photograph.
“I caught him on film at another crime scene. He’s helping his next victim into her own car. This picture was taken at a Fourth of July picnic, and it was three days later we found the woman in the car dead. That was exactly two weeks before he murdered my wife.”
“But how would he know that you got his picture?” Jesse asked.
“He was at the park when someone discovered a dead body. He could have heard the commotion when someone called out to call 911. I was there at the park that day with my family. I rushed to the scene and announced that I was a cop and he could have noticed I was taking pictures of everything and anything that day.” Sebastian shrugged. “Maybe he couldn’t take the chance that I didn’t take his picture that day. I didn’t exactly hide the fact I was a cop and it looked like the skies were going to dump rain on us at any minute. I took those pictures just before it rained. Rain has a way of washing away any evidence that may or may not be there.”
Chapter Seven
“Give me that damn letter again,” Sebastian demanded. When Jesse handed him the letter, Sebastian reread it. When he finished, he looked at the others, “The letter said to go back to the beginning, I wonder if he meant go back to where we first met.”
“That would be the park where you took his picture,” Jesse stated.
“I have to be there by midnight.” Sebastian looked at his watch. He had just enough time to make it back to New Orleans before the deadline.
“You can’t drive all that way, by yourself,” Ian told him.
“Why not?” Sebastian asked.
“In case you haven’t noticed, you’re bleeding again.” Ian pointed out.
In the rush to catch Tucker, Sebastian’s chest wound had started leaking. The front of his shirt was stained with fresh blood. “Damn,” Sebastian swore as he felt a wave of nausea coming on. He had to sit down quickly. He fell against the sofa in Ian’s office and had to wait for it to pass. He hated being this weak.
“Let me go,” Jesse suggested.
“No. I don’t want to jeopardize anyone else’s life and I don’t want to lose the only chance I may have to get my son back alive.” Sebastian shook his head. He still didn’t trust Jesse. For all Sebastian knew, the cousins could be working together.
“At least let me drive. That way you can rest on the way,” Jesse offered.
Sebastian nodded. “Okay, you can drive, but we have to leave now. I don’t want to be late.” He fished the keys out of his pocket and tossed them to Jesse. Looking at Ian and Rob he told them, “Be careful. This may be a trap.”
Rob nodded. “I was about to tell you the same thing.” He hesitated a moment. “You do realize that your son might already be dead and that this might be Tucker’s way of getting to you as well, don’t you? If that’s what he has in mind this time, he won’t let you live.”
Sebastian thought about the words he’d been too afraid to say out loud, “Yeah, I’ve thought about it, but he’s my son, the only family I have left. If I didn’t go and Tucker killed Wyatt because I wasn’t there, I don’t think I coul
d live with that. I know how big a chance I’m taking, but I don’t really have a choice, do I?”
Rob shook his head. “I see your point. Good luck.”
Rob and Ian watched as Sebastian and Jesse left.
Ian reached for the phone and called Sebastian’s partner in New Orleans then explained the situation to him. He grabbed his coat and told Rob, “What are you waiting for? He’ll need backup if he’s going up against this creep and I’m not going to wait to hear about it in the morning news.”
Rob grinned and grabbed his jacket.
* * * *
Darkness had long ago fallen by the time Sebastian and Jesse got to where they were going. The park was empty and just a little bit eerie as they drove through the gates. They could only drive so far and then they had to walk but Sebastian had rested most of the way, so he felt stronger. Pulling into the parking lot, they didn’t see any other vehicles.
Sebastian and Jesse drew their guns as they got out of the car.
The park had several trails for people and bikes and if you didn’t know where you were going, you could easily get lost. But Sebastian knew this park. He asked Carolyn to marry him here and together, they had brought Wyatt here as a family. Now he was here to catch the man that murdered his wife and stole his son.
Sebastian slowed down as they approached the area of the Danvers murder. This was where Sebastian snapped the incriminating picture of Tucker Briggs. He squatted down behind a bush and dragged Jesse down behind him. He didn’t want to give Tucker a target. He wanted the element of surprise on his side.
His eyes canvassed the entire area. Nothing seemed to be out of place. The moon was big and bright and there didn’t appear to be anyone around, but that didn’t mean that the shadows were empty. He motioned for Jesse to stay put. Sebastian, using the bushes for cover began making his way around the other side of the trail.
Sebastian kept a keen eye out for any movement or sign that someone might be nearby. He didn’t see or hear anything. He almost gave up when he heard a twig snap. His head jerked around to where he heard the noise. His eyes narrowed and his ears picked up the sound of footsteps coming down the path toward him.
Sebastian waited with his gun drawn. He could hear the footsteps hesitate.
“Hello?” called out a frail voice.
Sebastian frowned and dared raise his head over the top of the brush he was hiding behind. An old man stood there on the path. He was dirty and had a scruffy beard. The cap on his head had seen better days as had his clothes. They hung on his frame and were covered in filth. His stance told Sebastian that he was probably a drunk. He could barely stand up straight. Sebastian noticed the top of a bottle sticking out of his coat pocket.
“I’m looking for Sebastian, is there anyone there?” the old man called out again, his words slurred.
Sebastian stood up and put his gun away. He knew that this could very well be a trap and that Tucker could be hiding nearby but he wasn’t going to pull a gun on a drunk. He stepped out of the bushes and onto the path.
When he cleared his throat, the man whirled around and almost fell over. “Geez man, you scared me. Is your name Sebastian?”
When Sebastian nodded, the older man smiled. “I have something for you.” He told him. Reaching inside his overcoat the older man pulled out a package and handed it to Sebastian.
The package was a large manila envelope.
When Jesse saw the exchange, he too, put his weapon away and stepped out from where he was hidden. When the old man saw Jesse, he was confused. He looked back the way he had come and then looked back at Jesse
Sebastian ripped the envelope open and dumped out the contents. There was a picture of Wyatt holding today’s newspaper and another letter. He looked up at the old man. “Who gave you this?”
The old man looked at Jesse and pointed at him. “He did. I was sitting over at the other end of the park and he walked up to me and gave me the envelope. He told me all I had to do was walk down here and give it to you. He even gave me ten bucks.” The old man turned to Jesse. “Why would you do that if you were already here? Why didn’t you just give it to him yourself?” He frowned as he swayed and stared at Jesse. “I ain’t giving you the money back.”
Jesse shook his head. “I don’t want it back. Did I say anything else?”
The old man thought for a moment then shook his head.
Jesse looked over at Sebastian. They both knew it wasn’t Jesse that gave the old man the package. Tucker had done it again. He had once again, become Jesse if only for a moment.
“What does the letter say?” Jesse asked.
Sebastian ripped open the letter. As he read it, he became breathless. “He says that he’s going to keep Wyatt with him a while. He doesn’t know for how long but when he gets tired of him, he’ll call me and let me know where to pick him up.” Sebastian looked over at the old man. “Did you see where the man that gave you this letter went?”
The old man nodded. “Yep, he’s standing right there.” And he pointed at Jesse. “Can I go now? I gotta piss real bad.”
Sebastian heard more footsteps coming down the path. He grabbed his gun and turned to face whatever or whoever was coming. It was when he heard a familiar whistle that he relaxed his stance and called out, “Alec, is that you?”
Alec Hunter, Ian Nevell and Rob Gillette stepped out of the shadows.
Sebastian raised an eyebrow at the sight of all three of them. As he was putting his gun away, he asked, “To what do I owe this pleasurable reunion?”
Before anyone could answer, the old man asked again, “Can I go?”
Sebastian looked at him. “Where can I find you if I need to get a hold of you?”
The old man smiled. “I’m usually in the park somewhere. I like watching the kids. I don’t hurt them or nothing. I just like to watch them play. They all know me and my name is Joe.” Joe turned to leave, when he remembered something else. “Say, you should tell that man over there not to leave his son standing by himself like that. Somebody could snatch the kid.”
Sebastian grabbed Joe by his jacket. “What did you say? What kid?”
Joe’s eyes grew huge and he held up his hands as to ward off an attack. “I’m sorry mister, I didn’t mean nothing.”
Sebastian shook his head and took a deep breath as he tried to calm down. He let go of Joe’s jacket. “No, I’m sorry. You were just trying to warn me. What did you mean by that warning? Did you see the kid? Where was he standing?” Panicked, he grabbed the picture Tucker had left for him and showed it to Joe. “Is this the kid you saw?”
Joe took the picture from Sebastian and looked it over. “Yep, that’s the kid. He was standing all alone over by the merry-go-round. He walked away from the kid to find me and was gone for quite a while.”
Sebastian closed his eyes in relief. At least Wyatt was still alive. He knew exactly where the merry-go-round was and he started running toward it. He heard the others following but he didn’t care. Maybe Tucker had left Wyatt there and he was waiting for Sebastian to come and get him. As Sebastian turned the corner and saw the merry-go round, he looked around. Crushing disappointment settled in him. Wyatt wasn’t there. Sebastian didn’t know if he could take this seesawing emotional trip anymore. He fell to his knees and his eyes burned with unshed tears.
It was Alec who helped Sebastian up off the ground when the others joined him in front of the merry-go-round. He could see the pain in his partner’s eyes and knew what Sebastian was going through. “Sebastian, you can’t let him win. You have to be strong for Wyatt’s sake. Don’t let him win.” Alec tried to brace his friend against the tide of emotion he knew he would be facing.
Sebastian looked at Alec. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take. First, he took Carolyn, and killed her mother, now he has Wyatt. Why doesn’t he just kill me and get it over with?”
Alec was at a loss for words. He didn’t know what to say to make it any better.
It was Jesse that put it in pers
pective. “If you fold now, you’ll never see Wyatt again. Not alive anyway.”
Sebastian and Alec turned to look at the man who looked so much like the man they both hated. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Sebastian growled.
Jesse held up the letter Tucker left for Sebastian. “I think I know where he’s going. And if you don’t follow him, he might kill Wyatt out of spite. Then you’ll never know where he is or where to find his body.”
Sebastian stumbled away from Alec toward Jesse. “Where? Where is he going?”
Jesse straightened his jaw. “I think he’s going to a place we played at as kids, before all this started. I think he’s going home.”
“And where exactly is home?” Sebastian growled.
“Tucker’s parents live in St Louis but I think Tucker is taking Wyatt to our Grandfather’s farm. It’s just outside of Hannibal, Missouri.”
Sebastian looked at Jesse distrusting him. “What makes you think that?”
“In the letter, he says he wants to go back to a time of innocence and dreams. We used to dream about being Huck Finn and traveling down the Mississippi River on a boat, in the hayloft of our Grandfather’s barn. I’d forgotten about that until I read the letter. I guess Tucker never forgot.”
Sebastian looked at Jesse and wondered if he could trust him. His son’s life hung in the balance and there had been times over the last few days when his gut instinct screamed at him not to trust the other man. When the mistrust reared its ugly head Jesse came through with just enough information to bring him back into the investigation. Sebastian wondered if he sensed the mistrust or if he were really innocent and just wanted to bring his cousin in.
Alec pulled him aside and warned, “This could be a trap. This man, Tucker Briggs is playing a dangerous game with you.”