I climbed over her and knelt down, feeling for a pulse. I found it. Thank heaven. I didn’t dare to try and move her, since she was lying at an odd angle. I bent down, putting my hand on top of her head. “Caroline, it’s me, Ruth. I’m here. Jeff is on his way. Hang in there.” Caroline’s eyes fluttered, and she stared up at me.
“Levi . . .”
“Is he down here with you?” I asked, looking around. I had assumed that the car with the Vermont plates was Wallace’s.
“No. Wallace . . .” Caroline squeezed her eyes shut, opened them, and looked up at me again. She was looking more awake, but her color was still terrible.
“Wallace what?” I asked.
“Wallace might not know who he is. He’s desperate. I don’t think he’d hurt Levi, but maybe? Wallace wasn’t done looking yet.”
“Looking for what?”
“For the notebooks I brought to you. If only I’d kept them here he’d be gone now. Levi would be safe,” she said, grimacing in pain.
“Did you tell Wallace where they were?” I said, crouching beside her and carefully smoothing her hair away from her face.
“I told him I wouldn’t tell him anything until he promised to leave us alone. We were fighting about it when you drove in.”
“So you called me? How?”
“You’re on my speed dial. I took out the phone and hit the button. I wish I could have called Levi and warned him to stay away. I never should have invited you out here for dinner. If I hadn’t, you wouldn’t be here, trying to help me. It’s all my fault. Everything’s my fault.”
I blinked back my tears and did my best to hold my face in a neutral position. Pity wouldn’t serve Caroline, and she wasn’t looking for sympathy.
Caroline tried to sit up, but I held her back. “Don’t move, Caroline. Something could be broken. So after you called me, what happened?”
“Wallace grabbed my phone and hit me.” I winced. “It wasn’t the first time, of course. He saw you get out of your car, so he threw me down the stairs.”
“I wonder why he didn’t kill me when he had a chance?” I said.
“He doesn’t know you.”
“Gee, Caroline, thanks. To know me is to want to kill me?”
“No, of course not.” At least I got her to smile a little. “Wallace has a terrible temper, but his wrath is saved for those who have done him wrong. Besides, he needs you alive. He’ll figure out that you have the books soon enough.”
“Do you think he’ll try and kill you? Or Levi?”
“Not Levi. Never Levi. Believe it or not, he loved his son. He may not recognize him though.”
I didn’t argue with Caroline, not then. But I had to wonder if telling Levi that his father was dead had really been the kindest thing. Surely now Levi would have to learn what the truth was. There would be time to talk to Caroline about that later. First we needed to get out of this basement.
“I wonder where Jeff is?” I asked. “I know the state police are a ways away, but they were supposed to call him. He should be here by now.”
“What do you mean?”
“I texted him and left him a voice mail. He may be ignoring my messages until he is less busy.”
“Busy?”
“Oh, Caroline. There’s no easy way to say this. Tuck Powers was attacked tonight.”
“Is he—” She shifted her weight and groaned.
“He’s not dead. Just stay still, Caroline. He’s at the hospital.” Caroline began to cry softly. I put my hand on her arm and rubbed it slowly.
“We’ve got to get out of here,” I said. “Wallace will kill us. First he killed Mark, then he tried to kill Tuck. And right now he’s getting angrier and angrier looking in vain for books that are in my shop . . . I really hope Jeff got my message. I’m sure he did. But just in case he doesn’t get here for a while, we need to make a move.”
“How? That is a solid steel door. There’s no other way out.”
“No other way out that you know of, you mean. Of course there’s another way out. Two, in fact. One is the window over there. But I haven’t tried that since I was about twelve. I don’t think I’d fit. You could probably fit.”
Caroline tried to sit up again. I tried to stop her, but she shook me off. When she attempted to move her arm she cried out in pain.
“All right, stop. You’re hurt. I guess we’ll need to use the secret passage.”
“Secret passage?”
“When my grandparents built the porch off the living room, it meant that they had to get rid of the bulkhead that led to the cellar.”
“That one, over there?” Caroline asked. “I always thought it was stairs to nowhere.”
“G.T. was obsessed with safety. He hated the idea of only one way out of here, so he actually built a trapdoor in the porch.”
“Really? Your family is fond of trapdoors and secret hideaways, aren’t they?”
“We are,” I said. “I’m still finding more and more hideaways in the shop. Pat and I found a new one last week. I’ll show it to you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” Caroline said. She sounded doubtful.
“Are you going to be all right here for a few minutes?” I asked.
“I’ll be fine. Go get help. Before Levi arrives.”
chapter 33
The trapdoor hadn’t been used for years, and it protested being recommissioned. I pushed it up, fighting the rug that kept me trapped below. I tried to keep quiet, but moving the rug upended a small table. I closed the trapdoor again and counted to three to see if Wallace had heard me. No footsteps. I reopened the door, pushing harder. I had to get out. Hauling myself up was another reminder that my twelve-year-old self was well behind me. Yeesh, I really needed to go back to the gym. New Year’s resolution. New Year’s. A couple of days from now. For a second, I wondered if I’d see the New Year, but I shook my head and got rid of the thought. Of course I would. First I needed to get out of here. Easier said than done. After a fashion, I finally found enough footholds and hauled myself up and out of the hatch.
I stayed on my hands and knees, below window level, listening. I didn’t hear anything so I crawled off the porch into the living room, silently thanking Caroline for leaving the door open. The lights were still on in the living room. I looked around for any signs of Wallace. What was he doing now? From my vantage point it seemed he wasn’t here. I rose up a little on my knees, taking a sweep of the room. No one was here. I’d made a mistake earlier, thinking that nothing was amiss. On closer inspection, it looked like every item in it had been moved. The books were all askew, in different places, some resting sideways. The room was searched, but not destroyed. From a quick glance, all the clocks were in their rightful places.
I crawled toward the hallway leading to the kitchen. There was a half bath on the left. The door was closed, and I opened it to peek in. Empty. I slowed down and peered around the corner toward the front door. Dark, empty. A few more steps and I was in the kitchen. Empty. I stayed crouched down, which was a bit of an effort. My legs were sore, but rest wasn’t on the agenda. Not yet. I opened a few drawers and peeked in. I couldn’t find a knife or pair of scissors anywhere. Maybe there was something in the upper cabinets, but I didn’t want to risk standing up. I didn’t have time to look for a weapon right now. I needed to get help.
I looked around for the phone, but it wasn’t on its base. Caroline wasn’t the type of person to not return the phone where it should be. I slid into the dining room, staying close to the wall. I went up the stairs and made my way to Caroline’s room. The phone was gone. Drawers were open, books were askew. A picture of Caroline and G.T. was lying on the floor, the glass on the frame crushed.
I hurried to the guest room, but wasn’t surprised to see that that phone was gone as well. Wallace was being very careful. The room had been prepared for Levi’s arrival, but a search had taken place. Books askew, drawers open.
I looked out the window, toward the barn. What should I do? Wallace hadn’t killed m
e when he had the chance. But he’d thrown me down the cellar stairs and must have plans to come back. Seeing Mark lying at Ben’s Barbershop flashed through my mind. I felt sick. Caroline was vulnerable. I couldn’t leave her, but I needed to if I was going to get help.
The barn door was open. I could see Wallace pacing around the workshop. He had a full view of the kitchen from there—I couldn’t risk him seeing me trying to find a knife. Wallace looked like he was shouting. I thought about the guest apartment. I’d given Caroline a hard time about the landline she insisted on running out there, but I wouldn’t do that again. There was a separate entrance to the apartment, and a hidden key. Should I go there, or try to get away?
A car pulled up into the driveway. It barely stopped before the driver had opened the door and turned off the lights. I didn’t recognize the car. I tried to cry out, but before I did the figure went into the barn. Was that Levi? Probably. Who else could it be? Jeff Paisley would have shown up with lights blazing. Oh, Levi.
I swallowed the bile that was rising in my throat. Levi was in trouble. I had to go out to the guest house and hope the phone was there. If it wasn’t, I needed to figure out how to help Levi, before it was too late.
Time was running out.
chapter 34
Just as I was about to slip out the front door, I remembered the motion-sensor lights. After G.T. died, Caroline was nervous about staying at the cottage by herself. Now that made more sense to me. I couldn’t imagine what it had been like for her all these years, looking over her shoulder, living a double life. Trying to keep her son in the dark. For the umpteenth time, I wished G.T. and I had had a chance to talk. What did he think about Caroline’s past? I’d never be able to ask him, but I could do what he’d want me to and protect Caroline.
I’d had Pat Reed come out and install the motion-sensor lights. The lights in the back had already showed Wallace where I was. I turned the light off. The last thing I needed was a spotlight while I was trying to be stealthy. I should have pushed harder to have an alarm system put in the house. Budgets had been tight, and that was a next-summer project. After tonight, I’d move it up. But first, we needed to get through tonight.
I went out the front door and crossed over toward the barn. The building was lit up like a Christmas tree. To avoid the light I scurried through the front yard, looping back toward the back of the barn. I walked by my car. The alarm light blinked inside. Hitting the alarm button was a habit from living in the city. As was not putting a Hide-a-Key on the car itself. Pat Reed always teased me about the habit, but given all that had been going on, the habit was a good one. Not very helpful at this particular moment. I didn’t want to touch the car and scare Wallace Struggs away just so he could come back again and inflict revenge. We needed him behind bars again for Caroline to be safe.
The back of the barn was windowless, with one door for access. The windows were on the lake side of the building so the occupants of the guest apartment could have a nice view. Tonight the water was flat and dark, no moon reflecting on it. Ice hadn’t formed yet, but would soon.
There was a key hidden in a false rock that had been part of the landscaping. Caroline had told me about it when I moved back to Orchard. The crushed-gravel walks that wound around the property had breaks that featured native plants, small bushes, mulch, and rocks that made it look like it had been there forever. I’d tried to avoid the gravel paths because of the noise, but after I tripped for the third time, I decided to risk it. I held my breath. I was near the back of the barn. Where was the stone? I got down on my hands and knees, riffling through the mulch to the right of the door. No fake stones over there. I moved to the left of the door and found a clump of three stones. My hands were numb, so it was hard to tell which stone was the hiding place for the key. The second rock was the right one. My fingers had difficulty grabbing the sliding door, but I finally did it. When did it get so cold?
I stood up shakily, leaning on the side of the barn to hold me up. I pulled the storm door open and blocked it open with my body. I felt my way to the door handle and found the lock. I fumbled with the lock a couple of times, desperately afraid I’d drop the key. I finally got it in and turned the door handle.
I pushed the door open. I took a deep breath, grateful for the smooth operation of the hinges. I hoped that no one felt the frigid air flowing by me. I walked in. I closed both doors behind me, keeping my hand on both to ensure silence. Thankfully there was light from the barn that illuminated the lake side of the barn. I took a step into the room and again let my eyes adjust for a moment.
If the house had been searched, the apartment had been destroyed. Furniture had been overturned. Lamps were on the floor, the kitchen table was askew. All of the chairs were tipped over. The apartment had two large closets. One was cedar lined, and used for off-season clothing. The other was lined with shelves, and used for family storage. Their doors were wide open, and it looked like every box had been taken out and opened. Heaps of clothing and detritus were piled all around the room. I hurried across the room to the landline. Damn, the base was empty. I should have been prepared for that, but I was still crushed. I ran to the kitchen, sliding open the cutlery drawer. The knives were gone. I looked over at the knife block. Empty.
I brushed back tears of frustration. I hadn’t found Levi but I had to go for help. I couldn’t stay here any longer worrying about what Wallace’s next move would be. This area was busy in the summer months, but there were only a few hardy souls who stayed during the winter, despite the beauty of the landscape. Most of the houses weren’t winterized. I racked my brain. Was Jimmy Murphy here or did he go down to DC to spend the holidays with his son? Why couldn’t I remember? He was the closest neighbor, but if he wasn’t home, then I’d have to double back to get out to the main road. Unless I could break into his house. People were notorious for leaving keys around. Better to—
What was that noise?
I looked around the room. No one had come in. I heard it again. A breathy grunt. I looked down at one of the piles of clothes on the floor. It moved, and groaned again. I walked over carefully and realized that the heap was actually a person. Wallace. He was out cold. I put two fingers against his neck. He had a pulse, but his eyes didn’t open at my touch. I ran my hand along the back of his head and felt something warm and sticky. Blood.
“Wallace?” I whispered as softly as I could, right into his ear. He didn’t flinch. When did this happen? Did Levi do it? I almost called out, but stopped myself. I hadn’t really seen who got out of the car. I scanned his body quickly, patting his pockets. His gun was gone.
I stood and headed for the door. My boots weren’t perfect for running, but running they’d do, because I needed to go and get help. And I didn’t even know whom I needed to be saved from anymore.
As I opened the back door, the door from the main space flew open, flooding the room with light. I looked up and saw Rina Sanske at the same time she saw me.
“Could this day get any worse?” she said, flipping her perfect ponytail. She moved her hand toward me. The shadows played games, but the shape of the gun was clear.
chapter 35
“What the hell are you doing here?” Rina asked me.
“I could ask you the same thing,” I said, almost tripping over myself as I backed away from her.
“Beckett doesn’t even know how to do his own laundry,” she said. “Yet again, I’m cleaning up his mess. I guess you know the story behind this family reunion.”
“I do,” I said. Unlike Wallace, Rina wasn’t out of her mind. She was steady, focused, and reasonable. Which made her even more deadly. Better to keep her talking.
“How long have you known about Caroline’s troubled past? Longer than me, I’ll bet. Amateurs. I can’t believe I got this idiot out of jail so he could live out his own revenge fantasy.”
“You got him out of jail? How?”
“You’re a curious one, aren’t you? Let’s just say I was able to help Wallace make a deal with
the authorities that got him an early release. I fed him some information that he could use as leverage.”
“So he came back here?”
“We needed him back here to help us run part of the operation. Or, I thought we did. I should have known that Orchard was too good to be true.”
“What do you mean?”
Rina paused, and shrugged her shoulders. “May as well tell you. You won’t get a chance to tell anyone. My business partners decided to use Orchard as one of the nexus points for our operation,” she said, sounding bored. “Close enough to Boston and New York, but far enough away to be out of the limelight. Wallace was the one who suggested it. Idiot. I’m surrounded by idiot men. Was your ex-husband an idiot too? I’ve heard all about your little sob story. Gossip is seriously the only thing that has kept me sane in this sleepy town.”
“What did you do to Wallace?” I asked.
“I didn’t do anything,” she said. “He did it to himself. If he’d done what he was supposed to, and gotten the documents, we’d both be on our way up north now.”
“Documents?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, Ruth. You’re smarter than most of the people in this godforsaken town. Here, make yourself useful. Tie the idiot up.” Rina reached over and grabbed the roll of duct tape that was sitting on a box, tossing it toward me. I caught it and walked over toward Wallace. With the lights on, I could see more of his injuries. His lip was bleeding and his right eye was swollen shut. The man who had tossed me down the stairs was gone.
“You’re pretty tough,” I said, looking over my shoulder at Rina. “He’s almost twice your size.”
“I am used to being underestimated. It used to piss me off, but now I use it to my advantage. Play the helpless female and get a bunch of men to do my bidding. And take all the risks. Get to it—tie him up.” She motioned to him with the gun.
I tore off a long piece of tape and bound Wallace’s feet together. “That’s good enough. Now get up and come with me. I’ll deal with him later.”
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