by Amy Gaudette
Chapter 26
Brady went off to his room when they returned. His dad, Gabe and Sam were talking in Gabe’s room. He wanted to be alone. It was time. If they were going to sit around and shoot pool, he would find Megan himself. One evening, eight years ago he let her go into the woods by herself. All so he could have that stupid baby rabbit. He had been too scared to go in with her. The woods always seemed like a dark and creepy place. Strange noises, one could get lost easily.
He had caused the cascade of events which changed everyone’s lives forever. Megan had been sent away because of him. Well, there was no standing at the edge of the woods this time. Megan was in there, and he was going to find her.
“Sam, we need to talk.” Gabe’s face was unusually grim. Doug had just left.
They sat at a coffee table in Gabe’s hotel room. Brady slept in a room next door that his dad had paid for. Doug had agreed to Brady’s request to stay with Sam and Gabe for the next few days.
Papers covered the table, styrofoam coffee cups piled up, and two laptops were up and running. Doug had handed over copies of files he had printed from his office. He had also given them the password for his own files, but Gabe felt without an official search warrant, some of what they had would be inadmissible. Mostly, what they found were seemingly legal businesses and properties Richard owned. Sam rubbed his hands through his disheveled hair, his attention completely on what Gabe was saying.
“First, it needs to be made clear to both Brady and Doug that neither can take files from the computer that aren’t their own personal property. Again, we need to follow procedure. Some of this will help, but most of it will need to be analyzed by some of my men that are skilled at this type of work. It will take some digging to find dirt here.”
Sam nodded.
“The night you found Megan in the park with Brady and Doug?” Gabe sighed. “It wasn’t a setup by Richard. The detectives from Rogan’s Pass orchestrated the whole thing.”
“I don’t understand.” Sam felt mystified.
“Richard has been flying under the radar for years. No one has been able to pin anything on him. Misuse of public funds, embezzlement, extortion. Possibly even murder. He’s like teflon. Nothing sticks. The guy is a genius. When he announced his run for governor, two officers inside Piedmont Police Department who hadn’t been treated well by Richard decided they would throw a wrench into his plans. They hate him so tipped us off as to some of his not-so-clean dealings. In the past they had been paid to look the other way . . . until Richard got a little too aggressive with one of their wives who wouldn’t bow to him. So they went outside the department to us. We were far enough away where Richard would not have had any influence over us. We started looking into him, the department, the chief, and decided to go after Doug. Doug had a great weakness, gambling as well as possible extortion, and a deal was made with him. They wanted to set a trap for Richard. A few people believed he was the main suspect in the disappearance of a woman named Tina Parks eight years ago. And some believed Megan saw it happen.”
“The day of the picnic at Thomas Park.”
“Right. It had only been twenty-four hours after she had been reported missing.”
“But I saw men hiding out at the park when we were there. I thought it was Richard and his guys.”
“No. He never took the bait. That was my men from Rogan’s Pass. We wanted Doug to bring Megan back to the park, watch out for her with our men in the background. We made sure that Richard knew. But he never came.”
Sam was shocked. Information tumbled around his mind like a tornado.
“Why did he drug me?”
“I don’t know. Maybe he panicked. He might have thought you’d get in his way. He’s in so deep and trying to play too many parts.” Gabe stood up.
“We’ve hit a roadblock, Sam. We have a lot of circumstantial evidence, but believe me, in order to pull down someone made of money and power like Richard, we need a person who isn’t afraid to talk and who witnessed a crime firsthand. Richard has kept meticulously clean records. He must have a double set somewhere else, not on the computer system. Doug was our best bet. But Doug was kept in the dark and only moved into a position close to Richard a few years ago. My guess is he doesn’t know what happened to Megan in the woods that evening, though I believe he suspects something. Shortly after that, he was given a promotion, money, exclusive upgrades to their neighborhood until Richard had them over a barrel. The Stantons are in debt up to their eyeballs. Most of it owed to the mayor. And they aren’t the only ones. We have a list of businesses and people who owe Richard a lot of money.”
Sam wore a frustrated look. “Was anything found that day Megan was at the park with the Stantons? Were forensics called in?”
“I can’t say for sure what was and wasn’t done. Richard had a lot of power at the police department even back then. Could the place have been scrubbed clean? Possibly. It poured that night, and that didn’t help.”
Gabe sighed hard. Clicking his pen emphatically, he threw it down and began pacing. “I think we’re going to find that most people near him owe him big time.”
“There has to be a weak link.”
“There is, and it’s Megan. We need to find her, and hope she remembers everything.”
“If Richard hasn’t . . .” Sam would not say it.
“Remember, she could be running.”
Chapter 27
Rose drove until fatigue took its toll. I’m not as young as I used to be. She pulled into a cheap motel, convenient to the highway, and hoped they took dogs. She checked in, got her key, and pulled up in front of her room. Bear jumped out, wagging his tail, communicating his relief at freedom from the confines of the car.
Rose brought in a small carrying case and Bear’s food. She wanted to call Sam and give him a heads up, but old buried fears had resurfaced. Rose opted to proceed in the shadows. Sam would know everything she knew soon enough.
After a restless night’s sleep on a lumpy mattress, Rose loaded up Bear, and headed out. She knew Sam was staying at the Hampsons Inn, so she entered the address into her GPS. Her mind and heart battled with each other, faltering between trepidation at facing what had long since been buried, and determination that no matter what happened to her, if it helped Megan, it was worth it. She had hidden out in her gardens, within the safety net Sam had provided until now. It was time to step out, and maybe, just maybe, the dragon would lose his head in the process.
Late morning, Rose pulled into the parking lot at Hampsons Inn. The sun had given way to dark, heavy clouds. It was time to call Sam.
Two rings and Sam answered. “Rose, how are you?”
“I’m fine, just fine. I . . . uh . . .” Rose found herself at a loss for words. “I’m sitting in your hotel parking lot. I’m here with Bear, and . . . well, I need to talk to you. There are some things that I need to talk to you and Gabe about.”
A moment of hesitation, and Sam responded. “Of course. Do you want to talk in my room? I’m here with Gabe but he was about to leave.”
“I think I would like it better if you were both there. If he could hang on for a few minutes I would really appreciate it.”
Sam’s voice mirrored the seriousness of Rose’s. “We’re in room twenty-seven. It’s on the second floor. But I’ll meet you at the front desk.”
“Thank you, Sam. I’ll leave Bear in the car for now.”
Rose met Sam downstairs in the lobby, and they went up. She couldn’t hide the burden she was carrying. Her steps were slow, deeply troubled. Rose felt she had aged a decade overnight. She lightly touched Sam’s arm, offering a weak smile. “Megan’s a fighter. She’s okay. I know it.”
After unlocking his door, he led Rose in. Gabe pulled a chair up for her, and offered to get her something to drink and eat. Rose declined.
“It’s time to talk. I’ll make this as quick as possible, while being as thorough as I can. Even though this happened twenty-five years ago now, I remember it as though it were yes
terday.”
Rose took a deep breath. Grit and determination drove her on.
“I knew Dick. You know him as Mayor Richard. Back when he was the owner of the largest car dealership in the city, he pretty much ruled the roost then as he does now. He was the property owner of two of our banks. He owned the land the town offices sat on. He had privately loaned out near one million dollars to local start-ups, as well as seasoned business people. He even owned the city’s most popular restaurant. His hands and eyes were everywhere, and if you wanted to get anywhere, it was done through Dick — I mean, Richard. I worked for Moserts Accounting Services. We basically were his private accountants. There were four of us. He told Bill, the owner, to jump and Bill would ask how high. He had many, many people in his back pocket. The general public only saw his philanthropic side. Donations to the local charities, purchase of land for the baseball team. He even helped bail out the city once when a large corporation moved out, taking their tax money with them. He was the hero of the common people. But our Richard was a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”
Rose stopped. Her cheeks were red hot, and her voice had begun to weaken.
Gabe brought her a bottle of water.
“Thank you.” She took a deep breath. Keep going. “I was not immune to his charm. Nor did I look like this almost twenty-five years ago. He had tried to reel me in a number of times, wining and dining me, but I feared him. I kept my distance. I knew of at least one, if not two women who dated him, only to move out of town overnight. I always wondered what happened to them. Anyway one day, my sister, Beth, five years younger than me and a rare beauty was in the office with me when Richard strolled in. He took one look at her, and I knew we were in for trouble. What he wanted, he got.”
Rose had difficulty going on.
“Do you want to take a break, Rose?” Sam put his hand over hers.
“Yes. But I think I should get this over with.” She pressed on. “So, Beth began dating him. She was the assistant manager of one of the town banks. He didn’t date anyone that didn’t benefit him somehow. I tried to warn her, but she thought I was jealous. I should have done more. They became serious quickly. About a month after they had started dating, he took her out on his yacht. He had a private yacht that very few knew about, and even fewer knew where. We only knew because of the line of work we were in. We were also sworn to secrecy on every bit of paperwork that came through there. My sister came back from that trip with a black eye, and two broken ribs. She told me she slipped on the dock.”
At this Rose broke down. “That was only the beginning. One month later she confided in me that she was thinking of leaving town. I was so upset. I yelled at her to go to the police, but she was vehemently against it. She said I was not to worry about her, that she would be in touch.” Rose’s broken heart lay bare. “The next night, I received a visit from the police. She had been in an accident, and her car lay at the bottom of a cliff. It was packed with her personal possessions and it seemed she had indeed been leaving town. My Beth was dead.”
Rose wiped tears from her face. “They said the death was suspicious. But nothing ever came from the investigation. They closed the case after Richard said she had been deeply depressed because he had broken up with her.” Rose’s pain was palpable.
“Five years ago, when I moved to your folks’ lakehouse, Sam, I found my sister’s journal buried in a box of my books. I have no idea how it ever got there. Here it is.” She handed a worn, flowered notebook to Gabe. “It’s no slam dunk for Richard’s arrest, but there are a lot of awful details that led up to her sudden departure . . . that may help.”
Sam moved to her side and pulled her close.
No one spoke. She looked up after several moments. “I did this for Megan. Though I haven’t known her very long, I think of her as my daughter.”
Gabe reached out for her hand. He settled his attention on her. “Rose, I am so sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine how painful that was for you.” Gabe’s eyes held nothing but compassion. “I need to head out. I’ll find out if there are any new developments. Thank you for this.” He held up the journal. “Sam, have you heard from Doug?”
“No. I can’t get hold of him. Brady insists he works for Richard now. He’s at his house now, talking with his mom. She’s basically been AWOL with this whole thing.”
“I know. I haven’t been able to meet with her at all.”
“Brady thought he would be back here around six. If you’re back, let’s order out for supper and update each other.”
“Sounds good. Thank you again, Rose. I’ll see you all later.”
Sam blew out a sigh. “Rose, you look like you’re about to drop. I’ll see to Bear. Let’s get you a room, and let you rest for a bit. You can join us for supper if you’d like.”
“Thank you, Sam. I’ll take you up on that offer. I must admit I am a bit fatigued.”
Within a short time, Sam returned with a room key for Rose. “You’re right across the hall from me.”
“See you for supper, Sam.”
Rose opened her door and stepped inside her room. Emotionally spent, she uttered a prayer of desperation, climbed into bed, and fell into a dark sleep.
Chapter 28
Richard’s demons played havoc with his mind. The chess game continued, his move, their move, until chaos was about to crown itself king, and all other players bowed to its authority. Richard loathed chaos. It was too hard to control. He needed to dismantle chaos before the final trumpet sounded. It was time to remove players. Doug was a weak link. The information had been planted. He would be removed. There were too many players, too many chess pieces. It was time to start removing those that were unwelcome. Stupid pawns that were causing control to slip out of his hands. And Richard knew where to go next, Megan. It was time to remove Megan.
He picked up the phone and made a call. “It’s time to bring in the queen. Proceed as planned.” He hung up. He had them running in circles. A few changes to the chess board and control would be his again. Not even the insidious growth in his stomach could stop him.
✽✽✽
Pain shot through Megan’s head. She felt blood returning to her limbs, but was unable to move. The fibers of an abrasive rope dug into her wrists and ankles. She strained her eyes against the blackness of a blindfold. Breathe girl, breathe. Paralyzing fear gripped her stomach. The drum of an engine and the jolting of her body told her she was inside a car. But this was different, no, it wasn’t a car. She shivered against the wind. Bone-chilling cold from open windows or maybe an open top. Wherever they were, the road’s bumps and dips thrashed her around, punishing her. This wasn’t any highway. The vehicle braked suddenly and her body was thrown forward. She hit something metal and felt blood dripping down her chin. Two doors opened. Large, powerful hands grabbed her and mercilessly tossed her around like a bag of trash. No one spoke. Fear stole her breath. Her eyes wide yet she saw nothing through the blindfold.
Once again, bumped and bruised and roughly carried up a few steps, she heard a door open, maybe to a house? A deep voice cut through the silence. “Bring the package in here. You can drop her in the corner. Thank you, gentlemen. Make sure you return the four-wheeler just the way you found it — right, boys?”
Megan never heard a response. Heavy footsteps receded, an engine started and moved off into the distance.
She couldn’t stop her body from trembling. The voice came nearer along with a foul odor. He leaned over her and whispered.
“Checkmate.”
Chapter 29
Brady tried one more time to convince his mom they needed her help.
“Your dad is not in trouble, Brady. He is probably in a meeting and won’t answer his phone. You know how things go, especially during an election year. It’s all Megan’s fault. If she hadn’t shown up, life would have gone on as it was. She rocked the boat, then took off. That girl has issues, Brady, and you know it. I don’t want you socializing with her anymore. I’m putting my foot down on this one.”
“Anymore, Mom, really? Megan has gone missing. We know Richard wanted her out of the picture, in case her memory ever came back. It was obvious why. You live in another world. Can’t you see what’s going on here?”
Brady’s phone rang. “Hey.”
“Brady, it’s Sam. We’re ordering out for pizza. You in?” Pizza? How could anyone eat pizza now? Are we going to watch a movie next?
Brady gave his mom a hard stare. “I’ll be there in about thirty minutes. But no pizza for me, thanks.” Brady hung up.
“You’re not going anywhere, young man. You are grounded.” Beverly’s voice was adamant.
“Why? So you can tell Richard where I am? Mom.” Brady pleaded one more time. “The boat is sinking, Mom. You may want to jump to shore while you can.”
“Boat? What boat? How do you know about his boat?” Her face had gone ashen.
Brady stared at his mom. What was she talking about? Had she lost her mind?
With that, Brady turned and walked out.
He was glad he had a few minutes to walk off some steam. Anger grew in force as a wave of emotions churned inside. Anger at his mom one minute, anger at his dad the next. Anger would ebb, and fear, inky dark fear caused his hair to stand on end. What was going to happen? He had lost his family, lost Megan. All because of Richard. Hatred grew like a virulent vine, its twisted fingers grasping his heart, infecting his mind. He knew how to get into his dad’s safe. He knew where his gun was. He’d use it, if he had to. If anything happened to Megan, Richard was going to pay.
Brady entered the hotel lobby. Sam was taking three large pizzas up the stairs.
“Hey, Sam, I’ll help.”
Sam greeted Brady and gave him a pizza to carry up. The Italian aroma hit him hard. He hadn’t even realized how hungry he was.
“How are you doing?” Sam glanced at Brady.