Hiding in Plain Sight

by Mary Ellis

  ‘This is your last chance to come out and talk,’ he hollered from behind the white beam. ‘I won’t be so nice in the future.’

  This guy considers shooting at people and forcing cars off the road as being nice? When the beam moved over her area of marsh, Kate didn’t twitch a muscle.

  Not when the cold water chilled her to the bone.

  Not when mosquitos feasted hungrily on the back of her neck.

  Not even when something spiny crawled over her bare foot.

  ‘Fine. Have it your way.’ The man switched off the spotlight, throwing Kate into darkness except for the weak light of the moon.

  As an engine roared to life, Kate lifted her head in time to see the van ram the back of her Mustang. Once, twice, then with the third hit, the van pushed her convertible down the ramp into the waterway. Helplessly, Kate watched her beloved car slide deeper until only the top remained visible. After another moment, even the roof disappeared below the murky surface. Tears filled Kate’s eyes as her most valuable possession sank to the bottom.

  ‘Here’s a little reminder to make sure your new job doesn’t go to your head.’ Without warning, her mysterious adversary fired several shots into the marsh. One bullet cut through the tassels a foot above her head, giving Kate more to worry about than a waterlogged car. Then she heard car doors slam and the van sped off without switching on its headlights until well beyond the marina. From her marshy vantage point, she had no better view of a license plate or the van’s occupants than on the highway.

  TWO

  Kate counted to ten and pushed herself stiffly to her feet. A mass of black seaweed dropped from her arm as she waded through the water, fearful of crab-infested holes that could twist an ankle along the bottom. When she reached the parking lot, she waited with dripping clothes and chattering teeth. Surely someone had heard the gunfire and would come to investigate, or at least call the sheriff’s department. After five minutes, when no one arrived and she heard no sirens, Kate started walking up the marina road.

  Suddenly, she remembered her cell phone in her pocket. Could it have remained dry during her foray into the Georgia wetlands? Spending the big bucks for a waterproof cover and impact-resistant case proved worthwhile when the screen lit up with colorful apps. Cold, scared, – and for what it’s worth, hungry – Kate punched in Beth’s number.

  Her co-worker answered with a snarl. ‘Where are you, Weller? The chicken kabobs are gone and the reggae drummer is flirting with a blonde as we speak.’

  ‘Beth, could you come get me or send someone?’ Kate tried her best not to sound like a child.

  ‘Why? What’s wrong with your car? Don’t tell me you ran out of gas between here and Savannah.’

  ‘No, someone forced me off the highway. I had to turn down a dead-end road to a boat ramp. They were shooting at me from a black van.’ Kate’s chattering teeth made speech almost impossible.

  Silence spun out for a few moments. Then Beth asked quietly. ‘Who was shooting at you? Did you call nine-one-one? Are the police there with you now?’

  ‘No, I called you first. I’m here by myself. Whoever was in the van left.’ Kate’s voice cracked, revealing her emotional state.

  ‘Are you hurt?’ Panic etched Beth’s words. ‘Because if you’re not, jump in your car and get out of there. Those guys could come back.’

  ‘I’m not hurt, but my car is at the bottom of Lazaretto Creek.’

  ‘OK, don’t worry about the car. Find somewhere to hide until Michael and I arrive. We’ll call the police along the way. Are you at that marina on the left just past the Tybee Bridge?’

  ‘Ye–esss,’ she stuttered. ‘But what about your party?’

  ‘Never mind the party,’ Beth screeched like a parrot. ‘Just find a safe place to wait for us. We’re on our way.’

  After they hung up, Kate glanced around the eerily vacant boatyard. Shadows seemed to leap and grow as she scanned her surroundings. But one thing was for certain, she wouldn’t crawl back into the marsh even if the van returned with a grenade launcher. Instead, Kate staggered to the deserted office, unscrewed the sole security light, and plopped down on the steps. At least if she couldn’t see anything, no one could see her.

  Since the Tybee Island Police Department was closer to the marsh than Mrs Doyle’s house, two patrol cars arrived a few minutes later, lights flashing and sirens blaring. One vehicle slammed to a stop with headlights facing east while the other faced west. An ambulance arrived moments later. When several officers jumped out with guns drawn, Kate rose from the steps and approached with her hands raised. She wanted no mistakes made regarding who’s the victim and who’s the perpetrator.

  ‘I’m Kate Weller, a PI with Price Investigations. My partner, Beth Kirby, is the one who called you.’

  The cops lowered their weapons but illuminated her face with their flashlights. ‘Are you alone, Miss Weller?’ asked a husky voice.

  Temporarily blinded, Kate shielded her eyes with one hand. ‘To the best of my knowledge. Could you lower that light please? I’m seeing nothing but spots before my eyes.’

  With their beams refocused on the ground, the officers closed in and rattled off questions:

  ‘Do you need medical attention?’

  ‘Who was shooting at you, Miss Weller?’

  ‘Did you get a look at the shooter or maybe a plate number? What type of vehicle were they driving?’

  The police peppered her with questions faster than Kate could answer. ‘I’m not hurt, only cold,’ she said. ‘I had to hide from them out in the marsh. That’s why I didn’t get a good look at them or a plate number. The vehicle was a black paneled van. I don’t know the make or model.’

  The female officer stepped forward. ‘You said “they and them.” That implies several people were shooting at you. How many, exactly?’

  ‘I have no idea,’ Kate snapped. ‘Forgive me if I’m not choosing the correct pronoun, but I was just belly-down in the muck while someone emptied their clip over my head,’ she screamed with a voice bordering on hysteria. ‘After their van ran me off the road,’ she added.

  ‘Tompkins,’ said the tallest cop. ‘Go get that thermos of coffee and a blanket from my trunk. And you two canvas the area,’ he said to the others. ‘Look for shell casings, tire impressions in soft ground, skid marks, anything we might be able to use.’ Then the officer turned his attention back to Kate. ‘I’m Lieutenant Myers of Tybee Police. You said you’re not hurt, but there’s blood in your hair.’ He gently turned her chin with one finger.

  Kate reached up to pat her blood-matted scalp. ‘Superficial cuts from when he, she, or they shot out my window. It’s nothing.’

  ‘Where is your car now, Miss Weller?’

  With the life-saving burst of adrenalin gone, Kate felt overwhelmingly fatigued. As though too tired to speak, she lifted an index finger and pointed at the ramp down to the creek. ‘Somewhere out there, underwater, courtesy of an unknown number of perpetrators.’

  A hint of a smile softened Myers’ face, until a flashy, high-performance Charger squealed to a stop a dozen feet away. Scattered pebbles flew in their direction, hitting the lieutenant’s legs. ‘What’s the matter with you?’ he barked at the driver’s window. Myers trained his flashlight on the car’s occupants.

  ‘Take it easy; those are my friends,’ Kate said with tears streaming down her face. She hadn’t cried since the bullets started flying, but seeing her co-workers’ expressions put Kate over the edge. Beth Kirby and Michael Preston sprang from the car.

  ‘Good grief, Kate. What happened?’ Beth scanned her from head to toe and then wrapped her in a tight embrace.

  ‘Tell us what you want us to do.’ Michael crowded in next to his fiancée.

  ‘I’ll tell you what to do,’ said Lieutenant Myers. ‘Back up and let me finish interviewing the victim. I’m from Tybee Island Police and y’all can catch up later.’

  ‘With all due respect, Lieutenant, this incident could be connected to a case we’re w
orking on.’ Beth whipped out her identification and a business card, but stepped back as Officer Tompkins returned to wrap Kate in a blanket and pour her some coffee.

  ‘You’ll have time to determine any connection after I finish doing my job.’ Lieutenant Myers’ tone left no room for discussion, but he tucked Beth’s card into his pocket and then semi-recounted the sequence of events until her Mustang took the big swim to the bottom. When he finished, Myers jotted down some notes.

  Standing side by side with their arms crossed, Beth and Michael exchanged a look. ‘How many shots were fired?’ asked Beth.

  Kate ran her fingers through her tangled hair. ‘I don’t know – more than five but less than ten.’

  Myers looked up from his notebook. ‘After the shooting stopped, what happened next? Did they say anything?’

  ‘No,’ Kate lied. ‘But I heard car doors slam and an engine start up.’

  ‘Did you distinctly hear more than one door slam, as though one after the other?’ asked Myers.

  Kate squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself to remember. ‘Yes, I distinctly heard two different doors slam.’ She exhaled with relief.

  ‘So there was more than one person in the van,’ concluded Michael.

  ‘Obviously.’ Myers sounded annoyed with her co-workers. ‘Otherwise how could someone shoot at Miss Weller from the passenger side while the van was speeding down Route Eighty?’

  ‘We would know that if you’d let Kate tell us the whole story.’ Beth sounded as annoyed as Myers.

  ‘You’ll get your chance right now.’ Myers snapped his notebook shut. ‘Take Miss Weller over to the EMTs to have those scalp lacerations looked at. Then take her home so she can warm up and put on dry clothes. I’ll notify the harbormaster and owner of the marina about the submerged car. Tomorrow, Miss Weller, you’ll have to come to the station to finish giving your statement. At that time we’ll arrange to have your car towed from the creek.’

  ‘My Mustang won’t be any good any more,’ Kate moaned.

  ‘True, but it can’t stay where it is. It’s a hazard to boats.’ Myers softened his voice. ‘And your car might contain paint chips from the van so we can identify who tried to kill you.’

  With hands on her shoulders, Beth pointed Kate toward the ambulance. ‘We’ll get her to the station first thing in the morning. And if you’ll allow us, Michael and I would like to assist Tybee Police with their investigation. Nobody tries to kill a Price employee and gets away with it.’

  ‘We’ll discuss your participation tomorrow, Miss Kirby. Right now, I want Miss Weller to get medical attention.’

  After the EMTs poked, prodded, and soaked her entire scalp with antiseptic, they bandaged her up like a mummy. Kate staggered toward Michael’s shiny Charger. ‘I’m too dirty to ride in your car,’ she said.

  ‘Don’t be silly.’ Michael opened the passenger door. ‘Beth can crawl into the pet-sized back seat and you climb in the front.’

  Too tired to argue, Kate tried to be as small as possible on the leather seat. Michael followed the ambulance out of the parking lot while the police continued to process the scene. ‘I can’t thank you enough for coming here so fast.’ Kate swallowed hard before continuing. ‘But I must make something clear. Price Investigations won’t be assisting Tybee Police with their investigation.’

  Michael drove slowly up the hill. ‘Why is that?’

  ‘Because there will be little to help with. I know who ran me off the road and trashed my car.’

  ‘I thought you couldn’t see much from the swamp,’ said Beth from the back seat.

  ‘I didn’t have to see them to know who was sending me a message.’

  Michael braked to a sudden stop. ‘And you chose not to share this information with the police?’ He stared at her.

  ‘I can’t. It would jeopardize someone’s life.’ Kate looked out the window to avoid his gaze. ‘I don’t want the cops pursuing this.’

  ‘Is that why you called us and not them? Someone tried to kill you, Kate. The next time they might succeed.’ Michael sounded both baffled and disappointed.

  ‘If these people wanted me dead, I would be. That was a warning.’

  Michael drove to the stop sign. As he waited for the highway traffic to clear, he glanced at Beth in the rearview mirror. ‘I take it by your uncharacteristic silence you know what’s going on.’

  Beth leaned forward between the seats. ‘Not all of it, but enough to know we should trust Kate.’

  Michael frowned. ‘Does the boss know what’s going on? Is this why nothing added up in your résumé but Nate hired you anyway?’

  ‘Yes, but he doesn’t know everything, not yet anyway.’ Kate dropped her face into her hands.

  ‘Nice to know I’m not someone either of you can confide in.’ Michael’s disappointment was quickly turning to anger.

  Beth started to argue, but Kate interrupted. ‘Don’t blame Beth. I insisted she not tell anyone, not even you. The less people who know, the safer my brother will be.’

  ‘Your brother?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes, my brother, but please don’t ask me anything more.’ Kate swiveled on the seat to face him. ‘Believe that I know what’s best.’

  Seeing a break in traffic, Michael accelerated on to the highway. Ahead the lights of downtown Savannah twinkled in the night sky. ‘Fine, I sure can’t take both of you on. But if I can help, call me, even if I’m not allowed to ask questions.’ Then he stared at the road ahead, while no one spoke for several minutes.

  Beth finally broke the silence. ‘At least your insurance will replace the car.’

  Kate loved how Beth reduced everything to their simplest denominator. She shook her head miserably. ‘When I moved to Savannah, I let all coverages lapse except for liability. Since rates are much higher in a city, my agent said I shouldn’t bother insuring such an old car.’

  ‘Well, we still have each other.’ Beth laid one hand on her shoulder and one on Michael’s.

  Incapable of a verbal response, Kate merely nodded. She didn’t deserve friends like these. Unfortunately, their camaraderie in Savannah was drawing to a close. It was time for her to move on. Or the next bullets might just find their mark.

  THREE

  Kate’s week passed by in a blur. Those friends she thought herself unworthy of rose to sainthood status when they intervened with the boss on her behalf. What business professional in his right mind would permanently hire someone on the run from mysterious assassins, a person who was now without a car? But Nate Price told her to come to the home office in Natchez, Mississippi to discuss matters in person. He wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t plan to hear her out.

  Since Kate was minus a Mustang, Beth and Michael decided to take an impromptu trip back home. While she rode in the back seat of Beth’s Lexus, Kate explained to Michael what she had already shared with Beth a while back. In Natchez she repeated the story a second time, after which Nate Price seemed as eager to hire her as a recently paroled Mafia don. And who could blame him, considering how evasive she’d been in the past? Despite assuring Nate she’d done nothing illegal or even unethical, it wasn’t until Michael and Beth intervened that Nate agreed to keep her permanently.

  Elevated to sainthood status, at the very least.

  While Beth and Michael visited their families and booked wedding venues, Kate was able to meet the office secretary for the first time. She filled out insurance and tax forms and completed the registration for her brand-new firearm. The next two days were spent at the firing range, reviewing what she had learned years ago about gun safety and how to properly handle her new Ruger. Then the three of them drove to the Kirby farm in the country where Beth taught Kate how to shoot tin cans off a fence rail. By the time the sun went down, Kate had reached ninety per cent accuracy.

  Hopefully, old soup and soda cans would be all she ever had to kill.

  That night, while lying in Rita Kirby’s guest bed, Kate contemplated staying in the Mississippi backwoods for the rest
of her life. How could her brother’s cronies find her at a house without a mailbox on a dirt road in a township that appeared on few maps? But her mama didn’t raise any cowards and Kate was done hiding.

  Today, they were leaving Natchez. Michael would drive the Lexus back to Savannah, while Kate and Beth were on their way to Charleston in Beth’s old Toyota. Now Kate’s new Toyota.

  ‘Just so we’re clear about this car,’ she said once they hit the open road. ‘You’re not giving me your Toyota. Now that I’m officially on the payroll, set your price, and I’ll pay you in full within three months.’

  ‘You must be joking. This car was ready for the metal recyclers. I’d planned to donate it to charity and take the tax write-off. I only thought of you because the color was right – green, just like your old Mustang.’

  Kate smiled. ‘Sorry, this particular charity can’t issue receipts, but I am grateful. Now set your price.’

  ‘Fine, let’s say two hundred but take as much time as you need. The registration has been switched to Price Investigations. Consider this a company car that you will keep. For the foreseeable future, Nate will take care of the insurance, but don’t expect a raise any time soon. With your new identity, you should be safe from the Pensacola thugs for a while.’

  ‘I don’t know how to thank you all.’

  Beth made a squawking sound. ‘We’ll think of something when you least expect it. For now, forget about it and tell me about your new case.’ She switched off the radio. ‘I can’t believe it’s in Charleston!’

  Kate nodded. ‘I would prefer being more than a hundred miles from where I’d been living, but I guess Nate can’t pick where new work comes from. Other than the location, I’m going to love this case. And for all we know, the trail might take me far from the Atlantic coast.’ She took a deep gulp of water. ‘An adopted woman is trying to track down any of her natural siblings before she dies.’

  ‘Does she have a terminal illness?’