“Were you expecting McGowan the evening you were kidnapped?” Chief Kincaid had taken a notepad from his pocked and was jotting down Gabriella’s answers. When she didn’t respond right away, he looked up and said, “It’s my understanding that you had a prior intimate relationship with Mr. McGowan. Is that information correct?”
Gabriella glanced at her husband, then her shoulders slumped and she nodded. “Yes. I had had an affair with Mac, but I’d ended it a few months ago, and I was surprised to see him Saturday night. He’d never come to the house before. But when I opened the door, he pushed his way inside.” She turned to Elliot. “I’m so sorry. The kids were gone and you were so tied up with that stupid wildlife park. Mac made me feel beautiful, but I knew it was nothing compared to what we have. I was weak.”
“It’s my fault.” Elliot tightened the arm he had around his wife. “We’ll start over. I’ll be more attentive. I’ll never neglect you again.”
Studying Elliot, I wondered how long he’d be able to keep that promise. If Jake’s explanation about his obsessive-like personality was correct, in a few months or maybe sooner, something else would catch his interest and Gabriella would be right where she had started. He might love her, but he just didn’t seem like he’d ever be able to put all his energy into a relationship with his wife. I hoped I was wrong, but I doubted it.
“Were you kept in the same place the whole time you were missing?” Chief Kincaid refocused Gabriella’s attention to his questions.
“Yes.” Gabriella trembled. “At first it seemed that I was alone. Mac only interacted with me to feed me and let me use a bucket in the corner for a bathroom. But the past couple of days I think he was there all the time.”
“How did you get away?” Chief Kincaid asked. “Did he let you go?”
“No.” Gabriella shook her head. “When he came back last night with the money, he said he’d release me in the morning just before he took off. It was late and he wanted to get some sleep before hitting the road.” She took a quivering breath and continued, “But when he woke up and untied me, I saw that he had a gun in his jeans. I knew then that because I could identify him, he wasn’t going to free me.”
“He planned to kill you.” Chief Kincaid made a note. “How did you get away?”
“I . . . I . . .” Gabriella dropped her gaze to her lap. “I suggested we have sex before he left. For old times’ sake. And when I got close, I grabbed the gun. I started to edge toward the door, but he rushed me and the gun went off. When he staggered back, I ran outside and into the fields behind the house. And I continued running until I came out on a road that I recognized, then I headed to town.”
“Can you lead us to where you were held?” Chief Kincaid asked.
“I got lost and turned around several times before I found a familiar road.” Gabriella shook her head. “And I’m not too good with directions to begin with.”
“Did McGowan come after you?” The chief asked.
“I never saw him.” Gabriella buried her face in her hands. “Do you think I might have killed him?”
“If you did, it was self-defense.” Elliot glared at the chief.
Gabriella tugged her husband’s head down and whispered in his ear.
He nodded several times, then looked at the chief and said, “Gabriella’s been through enough. I’m taking her home.” As he led his wife away, he added, “If you have any further questions, contact my lawyer.”
CHAPTER 20
I stared at the Winstons’ backs as they walked out of the dime store. That had been odd. What had Gabriella said to her husband to make him decide to end the interview? Was she hiding something?
Jake and Chief Kincaid had been silent as the couple made their exit, but now the chief grabbed his radio and instructed the dispatcher to advise the officers searching for Mac that they might be looking for a body instead of a suspect. He also directed the dispatcher to call the county sheriff’s office to ask if any recent gunshot wounds had been reported by the hospital or the local doctors.
Once he was finished giving his staff orders, he turned to Jake and me and informed us of his displeasure in our actions—past and present. Among the litany of our transgressions were Jake’s failure to inform the chief about the ransom drop and our stupidity in bringing Gabriella to the dime store instead of the police station when we’d found her on the street.
Jake and I waited until Chief Kincaid wound down, then Jake said, “You know that I had to honor my client’s wishes. I’ve only been able to share the results of my earlier investigation with you because Winston gave me permission to do so.”
Chief Kincaid grunted, then demanded, “Why didn’t you call nine-one-one when you saw Gabriella on the street? Bringing her to the store was foolish.”
“She collapsed a few feet from my door,” I explained. “She was nearly nude. It seemed best to get her inside and then call for help.”
“Why didn’t you ask for an ambulance?” Chief Kincaid crossed his arms.
“When she said she was unharmed, I assumed you’d want to talk to her sooner rather than later.” Jake raised a brow. “And if she went to the hospital, it could be hours before the doctors allowed you to speak to her.”
“I see. You’re certainly correct about that.” Chief Kincaid’s disapproving expression relaxed. “Tell me about the ransom drop.”
Jake and I went over last night’s comedy of errors, which seemed to put the chief in a better mood. He actually chuckled when we described where I’d been hiding and what had happened to the pumpkin.
When Jake finished his account of the evening, he looked at the chief and asked, “So what’s your plan? Do you believe Gabriella’s story?”
“I did until she suddenly clammed up and Winston whisked her out of here quicker than my hound dog trees a squirrel.” Chief Kincaid rubbed his jaw. “Now I’m wondering what I missed.”
“Maybe Gabriella just panicked when she realized she might have killed a man,” I offered. “Up until you asked her about Mac following her, it’s possible she never thought about why he didn’t come after her.”
“Could be.” The chief headed for the door. “We won’t know a damn thing until we find the place she was being held. I was hoping she could retrace her steps with one of my officers and lead us there.”
“Let’s give the Winstons some time to calm down, then I’ll go over and see if Gabriella would be willing to show me as much as she remembers,” Jake said. When the chief frowned, Jake, as if to stop the other man’s protest, held up his palms and said, “It may not be ideal, but I think it’s our best shot.”
“Well . . .” Chief Kincaid exhaled unhappily.
The chief was clearly in a quandary. It was obvious he hated the idea of Jake doing what he considered the police’s job. But he was a practical guy and he knew that Jake was right.
“And if Devereaux will go with me, that might be the tipping point for Gabriella,” Jake added. “Because Dev was here to take care of her when we first found her, she probably feels some bond with her.”
“I don’t know about that.” The chief studied me and shook his head.
Jake explained, “After her experience with McGowan, Gabriella probably wouldn’t be comfortable alone with me or one of your officers. However, if Devereaux is with her, the poor woman might feel safe enough to at least try to find the building.”
“Fine.” Chief Kincaid’s steely gaze zeroed in on me. “But since you aren’t employed by the Winstons, even if Jake’s clients tell him that he can’t give me a full account, I expect you to report back to me.”
I glanced between the two men. Did I want to do this? Gabriella was safe. Either her kidnapper was dead or would soon be found by the cops. There was really no good reason for me to get involved.
Except, there had been something off about Gabriella’s story. And there was no way my OCD mind would all
ow me to forget about it until I’d figured out what didn’t add up.
Heck. The baskets were finished. My store was closed for the day. Why not spend the afternoon with Jake? Even if that meant tracking down a kidnapper’s lair. It was better than getting the oil changed on my Z4, which was the only other item on my to-do list.
And the last time I’d taken my BMW to the local service station, an overgrown hamster with tobacco wads in both cheeks had greeted me as I stepped out of the car. I’d asked the guy to check for a fuel leak.
An hour later when he came back with my keys, he said the vent line had been goobered up, but they’d fixed it. I’d asked the meaning of goobered up. After chewing his cud for a moment, he shrugged and said goobered up was just goobered up. But it was okay now.
Resisting the urge to slap him until he spoke in a language I understood, I’d paid and left. I wasn’t looking forward to another round of trying to translate Redneck into English.
* * *
Once I had reassured the chief that I’d give him the full rundown and he left, Jake and I finished our nearly forgotten lunch, and I locked up the store. As we drove to Country Club Estates, I kept replaying our rescue of Gabriella and all that came afterward, but I couldn’t figure out what was bothering me.
Jake had texted Elliot that we were coming over, and he was on the front step when we pulled into the driveway. Jake helped me out of the truck, and we made our way up the sidewalk toward Elliot.
“I want to speak to you before we go inside,” Elliot said, looking over his shoulder. “Please don’t share this with Gabriella.”
“Okay,” Jake drawled, and I nodded. “What do you want to talk about?”
“Your suggestion that perhaps Gabriella could retrace her path to where she’d been held got me thinking,” Elliot said slowly. “If McGowan was killed when he and my wife struggled for possession of his gun, the ransom money might still be there with him.”
“True,” Jake said with a patient expression on his face.
“If Gabriella is able to lead you to the building where she was held, I want you to look for the money before you notify the cops.”
“I can’t do that.” Jake’s lips thinned.
“Who knows how long the cops will keep it as evidence, and I need it back right away.” Elliot lifted his chin. “Now that Gabriella is home safe, I still have a chance to get the wildlife park opened on time. But only if I have that million back.”
“In most instances, since you’re my client, I’d do what you ask regarding the police.” Jake scowled. “But I can’t remove evidence.”
“Let me take you for a ride through the wildlife park.” Elliot tugged on Jake’s arm. “I’ll show you why it’s so vital that it opens.”
“Sorry.” Jake freed himself from Elliot’s grasp. “I can’t do anything illegal.”
“Then you might as well leave.” Elliot turned to go. “Gabriella won’t cooperate with either you or the police department.”
“She might if I tell her why you want the ransom back,” I snapped, then could have bitten my tongue. I needed to keep my mouth shut. This was Jake’s case, but Elliot’s pigheadedness bugged me.
“Wrong.” Elliot smirked. “If you tell her what I’m going to do with the money, she’ll never show you or the cops where she was kept.”
Damn! He had a point. I glanced at Jake, whose expression should have scared the crap out of Elliot. At least if the man had any sense.
Apparently, Elliot lacked even the most basic of survival instincts, because his posture remained defiant. Scowling, Jake took my hand and led me back to his truck.
Once we were out of earshot, Jake said, “Winston has us in a bind.”
“He does,” I agreed, not sure where we were headed with this conversation.
“I’m going to let him show us the park and agree to recover the ransom for him,” Jake said, surprising me. Then he added, “But if we find the place Gabriella was held, I’ll call the police.”
“You have no choice.” I could see how much Jake hated having to lie, so I tried to lighten the mood. “You’d better get a check from him for the rest of your fee before we leave.”
Jake looked at me like I’d gone crazy. Then I winked, and he smiled.
We walked back to where Elliot was waiting, and Jake said, “I’ll look at your park.”
Fifteen minutes later, I was riding in the back of Elliot’s Land Rover admiring how much he’d accomplished in his preparations for the refuge. There was already a massive fence surrounding the acreage, insuring that the neighboring properties were completely safe.
Elliot pointed out the expansive grasslands where bison, deer, llamas, and camels would roam, as well as various shelters for the animals. He also showed us where an administrative building and information center would be located. And the spot reserved for the nursery where any animals born on the property would be boarded.
As Elliot continued down the road, heading toward the back, I assumed we would see more pastures. Instead, we came to another heavily fenced area, but this one was electrified. He got out of the SUV, opened a gate with a key, drove through, got out, and locked it behind us.
“This location has been designed for the large predators,” Elliot said, gesturing to the enclosed acreage. “They’ll be free to roam the grasslands. And although you can’t see them, dens have been dug forty feet underground for the animals to take shelter from extreme temperatures. It’s not exactly living in the wild, but it’s close.”
“Nice,” I said. “But wouldn’t putting them back in the wild be better?”
“Definitely,” Elliot said, then his tone regretful, he explained, “However, that’s not always feasible. Or even the best choice for certain creatures born in captivity. Our animals will be rescues from illegal or inhumane confinements. Many will have reached the point where, if a spot can’t be found for them, they are too ill to be released and would have to be euthanatized. Here, we’ll provide medical treatment and, when possible, integrate them into social groups.”
“But you’ll still allow people to view them,” I said, trying to recall the article that I’d read that had listed all the negatives about wildlife parks. “Won’t that cause undue stress?”
“We will allow visitors,” Elliot said, then pointed to the left. “But see that? We’re building elevated walkways that will wind throughout the sanctuary.” He beamed. “The boardwalk will ease the trauma of having humans at eye level. This way, the animals’ territory won’t feel as if it’s being invaded.”
“Are there really enough animals to fill a place like this?” Jake asked. “It seems like a lot of property for a few homeless critters.”
“A thousand times over.” Elliot’s expression turned grim. “I’ve already received more than fifty messages from various zoos attempting to locate a good home for their overflow of wild animals.”
“How in the world will you fund the park once it’s up and running?” I asked. “The food and staff will cost several million a year, and there’s no way you’ll have enough visitors to run in the black.”
“That’s certainly true.” Elliot nodded. “That’s why most of the costs of the refuge will be covered by donations, both money and food, and a lot of our staff positions will be filled by academics volunteering to care for the animals in order to study them.”
As Elliot showed us the rest of the park, I had to admit, I wished there was a way for Jake to rescue the ransom money in time for the park to go forward. This sanctuary was clearly Elliot’s dream. Something he’d been envisioning and working on for a long time.
The wildlife refuge was almost in his grasp, but he’d sacrificed his life’s ambition to save his wife. And he’d done it even after he’d been told about her infidelity. Elliot’s devotion, despite Gabriella’s betrayal, was what true love was really all about. He might get obsessed with a proje
ct and not always show his feelings, but he did love her.
Suddenly, it felt as if one of Elliot’s future tigers landed on my chest and settled in for a nap. I stared at the back of Jake’s head. He had done the same for me that Elliot had done for Gabriella.
First, Jake had taken an early retirement from the U.S. Marshals so he could live in Shadow Bend. Yes, he’d said it was because he feared his injured leg would compromise the safety of his team, but he could have stayed on in a support or training position.
Second, even though I had denied being bothered by it, when he realized how much having his mentally ill ex-wife living at his uncle’s ranch upset me, he’d figured out a way to both help her and make things okay for me. He’d put my feelings first, assuring me that he’d send her back to St. Louis if that was what I wanted. If that’s what I needed.
Third, he’d worked out a way for us to spend more time together. He hadn’t asked me to carve a window in my already busy life, he’d made the change. He obtained his private investigator’s license and rented the office space above my store.
And to top it all off, although he clearly didn’t enjoy seeing me in danger, he’d welcomed me as a part of his PI firm. It was unofficial for now, but he’d talked about me getting my license.
I wasn’t sure when or how it had happened, but I loved him. Maybe it was when he’d refused to give up on us all through my vacillating between him and Noah. I realized that Jake’s love made me feel free rather than trapped. Even more than that, it gave me a sense of security that I hadn’t felt since my world exploded when my dad went to prison. Not only did I love Jake, I trusted him.
Lions and Tigers and Murder, Oh My Page 19