by Mark Mueller
My demand was answered with a gunshot through the door. A bullet screamed past my head so close that it should have asked me out on a date. It was almost as if whoever was behind the door could see me.
“You did not just do that,” I growled. All bets were off now. I kicked at the door, just under the door handle with everything I had. The handle latch gave way like a two-dollar lawn chair, and the door swung open.
I looked in. Charlie was directly across the room. She looked at me and I could tell by her surprised response that she had recognized me. I couldn’t tell how much, but at least it had shown in her eyes. She stood up. I put a finger to my lips and hoped she wouldn’t say anything. I then put up my hand to signal to her to stay where she was. I pointed to the door and motion-asked if someone was behind it.
Before Charlie could respond, another shot came through the door and almost grazed my left arm. Charlie screamed and started to whimper. I knew I had just one chance to connect with her and gain her trust. I got her attention again and motioned for her to get down on the floor.
Once I could see that she was as safe as I could get her, I turned my attention to the door. I held my pistol with both hands and kicked the door the rest of the way open. As I entered the cabin, I came face to face with someone who I’d never imagine to be a kidnapper, let alone someone I’d expect to know how to use a gun.
I was stunned, and shook my head.
Beth Henry was pointing a revolver at my chest.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“What are you doing, Beth?” I challenged as I took a furtive step toward her, pointing my pistol at her face. I looked into her eyes and could see that she was frightened out of her mind. She was breathing in a hitching, half sobbing way. Her hands were shaking, which worried me that her revolver could go off at any moment, whether she wanted it to or not. I took another step forward.
“Beth,” I said. “Put the gun down. We can talk about this.”
“No.” She continued to aim her revolver at me.
“Beth, come on, back off. She’s a little girl. She doesn’t need to see this. Put the gun down and I swear I won’t tell anyone about this.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?” I took another tentative step forward.
“Stay back, I’m warning you.”
“If this is about you and me, fine. Just deal with me. Let her go.”
“It’s too late.”
“No it’s not. Whatever’s going on, we can work it out. Nothing’s impossible.”
“He’s coming back.”
“Who is?”
She didn’t answer.
“Beth?”
“I just can’t, okay? You have to leave.”
“No, Beth. Not without Charlie.”
I took another slow step forward. I was less than five feet from her, almost close enough to knock the revolver from her hands. I knew I had to be careful because I didn’t want her gun to go off and hit Charlie by mistake. I was more worried about that than I was about getting hit myself.
It was then that I realized, with that thought, I had without question become something more than just some guy who dated Charlie’s mom several years ago and got lucky one night. At that moment, I became her father, her protector, the man who, from that point going forward she could count on no matter what.
“Charlie,” I said, keeping my eyes on Beth.
She didn’t answer.
“Charlie?” I said again. “Can you hear me, kiddo?”
Still no answer. I glanced over and could see that she was going into shock. I had to act now before this escalated into something I regretted. I turned back to Beth.
“Okay, Beth” I demanded. “This is what we’re going to do. You’re going to put the gun down on the table next to you. Then, I’m going to take Charlie home, okay?”
“You don’t understand,” Beth shrilled. “If he comes back and she isn’t here, he’ll kill me.”
“Who’s going to kill you?”
Beth wouldn’t answer, not wanting to admit with whom she was working. Or working for, for that matter.
“Listen to me, Beth. This ends now. Charlie belongs with her mother. Not with you, not with me, and certainly not with whoever it is you’re involved with. I’m going to take her home now. And if you don’t want to get caught up in the aftermath, I suggest you get in your car, change your identity and head for the hills. You’re in way over your head and I’m not going to let you keep this little girl from her mother.”
“Her mother is in the hospital.”
An idea occurred to me. “Beth, did you shoot Maddy Wuhrer?” Absurd or not, I had to ask. I had to know.
“I… I… no. I… I didn’t mean to.”
In an instant I was so furious that I almost threw my pistol at her head.
“Why did you do it?” I demanded. “What in the name of all that’s holy would coerce you into going to someone’s house that you didn’t know and shoot at an innocent woman? Why? What were you thinking?” I was shaking in umbrage. “Why, Beth? Tell me! Tell me now or so help me—”
“I’m sorry!” she cried out. “I didn’t mean to shoot her. I didn’t know she was in the living room!”
“What do you mean you didn’t know? You’re not blind. And you’re not as stupid as you sound.”
Beth began to cry, but still pointed her revolver at me.
“What happened, Beth?” I badgered.
“I was… I was supposed to—” Her voice hitched as she tried to talk between her sobs. It was infuriating.
“Come on, Beth, what were you supposed to do?”
“I was just supposed to shoot through the bay window to scare you.”
“What did you mean when you said you didn’t know Maddy was in the living room?”
“I saw through the window. You were in the kitchen and then went upstairs. I went around to the front of the house to break the window, that’s all. I didn’t know you went back down to the living room while I went around the house. I swear I didn’t mean to shoot anyone. I was just supposed to scare you.”
“Why did you want to scare us?” I asked, exasperated. I knew Beth wasn’t from Spruce Run or even from Hunterdon County. She didn’t know Maddy or her family, and she didn’t know me until I hired her. It made no sense.
“Who are you working with?” I asked. “Who put you up to do this?”
She didn’t answer.
“Beth?”
Still no answer.
“Fine,” I said. “Don’t talk. You’re finished, you little waste of oxygen. I don’t care what happens to you now. I’m taking Charlie with me now. Stay away from her and stay away from Maddy. And stay the hell away from the Bugler. Your ass is fired.”
Still pointing my pistol at Beth, I turned toward Charlie, forgetting that Beth’s revolver was pointed at me.
“Noooo!” Beth screamed. A bullet screamed past and crashed into the wall behind me.
You little bitch. I pivoted back around and squeezed off three rounds in rapid succession. The first bullet slammed into the cabin door. The second caught Beth in the abdomen and tore through her before exiting out her back and striking the wall behind her. The third grazed her left ear. Not bad, considering I wasn’t standing still.
Beth dropped her pistol and wobbled for a moment. Her face looked like a rubbery, confused, drunken Halloween mask. For a split second, I thought she was going to say something, but instead she collapsed in a clumsy heap to the floor.
Standing frozen for a moment, I kept my pistol pointed at her and waited for her to move. She whimpered a little, but otherwise didn’t move. She was bleeding out, but I didn’t bother to help her. I didn’t care. I was focused on protecting Charlie at all cost. Besides, she shot at me first. I knew Ducky would believe me when I told him.
I holstered my pistol and went to Charlie. She was in shock and I had to get her out of there and to the hospital. I didn’t know how she was processing the horror she just witnessed, not to mentio
n what she’d been through during the past couple of days.
“Charlie,” I said.
She sat frozen to the chair.
“Charlie,” I said again. She wasn’t responding and I started to panic. This wasn’t good. It was a two-mile walk to my Charger. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and saw that it was still active from when I had sent Ducky the 911 text. I turned it off and saw that only eight minutes had elapsed since I had texted him.
I hunched down close to Charlie.
“Okay, kiddo,” I said. “I need your help. I’m going to take you to your mom now, okay? But you see, my car is a bit of a walk. I think you can walk that far. Will you come with me? Your mom wants to see you.” I smiled as I talked.
She nodded but didn’t say anything.
“That’s my girl. Come on, let’s go see your mom.” I took her by the hand and got her to her feet. On impulse I hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. She didn’t hug me back, but I could sense that, in a small way, I was connecting with her.
I took her by the hand and we left the cabin. I was glad to get out of there. I didn’t like the idea of shooting Beth Henry, but when push comes to shove, I had to safeguard Charlie and I wasn’t about to opine over someone who had kidnapped her. And I couldn’t have cared less about her motivation.
When we got out to the main hiking path, I could hear someone in the distance coming toward us, but they were still some distance away. Ducky must have put out an all-county assistance notice as soon as he received my text and phone call. I was glad that someone was close and had gotten to us as fast as they did. I hoped that whoever it was could get us an ambulance. Although I wanted to get Charlie to the hospital as safe as I could, I knew an ambulance would be best. But I had my Charger to get her there in a pinch if I had to.
Since the path was so narrow, I had Charlie walk in front of me while holding her hand. We were making better time than I thought we would, considering her condition. Maybe we could get out of the woods within thirty minutes if we continued at this pace.
Whoever was coming toward us was almost upon us. I had to hand it to Ducky. He was a mover and I owed him big. We came around a curve in the path and I could see someone coming toward us but couldn’t yet identify who it was. The thicket was too dense. We pressed forward. I looked at my cell phone and noted that we had been walking for almost ten minutes. We were making progress, slow as it was, but at least we were moving forward.
Coming around another curve, we came to an abrupt stop. I couldn’t believe who was walking toward us as if they hadn’t a care in the world. It was so surreal that my mind was slow to process. It didn’t make sense. It was the last person on earth I had expected to see out here in the middle of the woods.
On impulse, I stepped in front of Charlie and shielded her with my body.
Chapter Forty
“What are you doing here?” Hugo Wuhrer asked.
“What am I doing here?” I said, incredulously. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m checking up on my granddaughter.”
“So, it was you all along.”
Wuhrer didn’t answer. Instead, he mugged an ugly, clownish mask.
“Why?” I asked.
“You need to leave, Mac.”
“You’re damn right I’m leaving. I’m taking Charlie home.”
“No, Mac. You’re leaving alone. Go.”
I pulled my jacket open just enough to show my pistol.
“Not without Charlie. Step aside.”
Wuhrer reached behind his back and brought out a pistol so fast that I didn’t have time to react. I knew right away that if I went for my own pistol he wouldn’t hesitate to use his.
“Hugo,” I pleaded. She needs to be with Maddy. And she needs medical attention right away. I don’t care what you do to me, but come on, she’s your granddaughter.”
“The cabin,” he instructed. “Now.”
I hunched down and looked at Charlie. She looked like a zombie, and I could tell I was losing her. I shook my head as I stood up again and held onto her hand. I gawked at Wuhrer for a moment. Then we turned and headed back to the cabin.
Wuhrer followed behind us. He held his pistol pointed at the ground as he walked. I assumed that he’d use it if I tried to do anything.
When we got back to the cabin, I stopped before going inside.
“Beth Henry is in there. She’s bleeding out.”
“Inside. Now.”
I looked at him and shook my head, astonished. “You bastard. Don’t you have any decency at all? You can’t let your granddaughter see what’s in there.”
“Inside, Mac. I’m not going to argue with you.”
I stepped into the cabin and stood by the door. I didn’t want Charlie to see Beth on the floor behind the door. “What’s wrong with you, Hugo? Why are you doing this? Why on earth are you destroying your family like this? Why? What is compelling you?”
Wuhrer stood in the doorway, blocking the only way out. He glared at me, ignoring my question. “This doesn’t concern you. Now leave my granddaughter where she is and leave us.”
“Like hell it doesn’t concern me,” I objected. “She’s my daughter.”
“Only because of what you did to Madge and then left her.”
“It wasn’t like that. Maddy left me.”
“Semantics. You left the picture and Madge raised her daughter without your help.”
“Don’t you dare drop that one on me. The only reason I wasn’t around to help raise her was because Maddy didn’t tell me. How was I supposed to know?”
“Leave, Mac. Now.”
“Not without Charlie.”
“No. She stays here. She’s part of my plan.”
“What plan?” I was exasperated.
“It doesn’t involve you.”
“Yes it does. She’s my daughter.”
“Leave, Mac. I’m warning you.”
“Or what? You’ll shoot me?”
“This is none of your business.”
“She’s my daughter. That makes it my business.”
“Go away, Mac.”
“Make me.” I was indignant.
“Ring,” Charlie said.
I froze. During my heated exchange with Wuhrer, I had let Charlie slip away from me for a moment. Forgetting Wuhrer for a moment, I hunched down and put my arm around her.
“Ring?” I asked. “What ring?”
Charlie didn’t answer.
“Charlie? What ring?”
She looked at me. The glaze in her eyes seemed to have faded somewhat.
“Mommy’s ring,” she said.
“Where’s your mom’s ring?” I asked. I wasn’t sure what she was talking about. A moment ago she was going into shock and now she’s talking about her mother having a ring. What was that all about? Maddy didn’t wear jewelry.
“Mommy doesn’t have a ring,” Charlie said.
Okay, now I was more confused. First she mentions her mom’s ring and then she says her mom doesn’t have one. Which witch was which?
“Charlie,” I said as gently as I could. “Can you tell me where your mom’s ring is?”
She shook her head no. As she did, she looked at her grandfather. The fear in her eyes was torturous. I looked at Wuhrer as I continued to hold Charlie.
“What’s this all about?” I asked. “Maddy doesn’t have a ring, does she? She doesn’t wear jewelry. What’s the deal?”
“I already told you, this isn’t any of your business. Go now and we’ll put all of this behind us.”
I stood up and faced him.
“I’m not leaving Charlie here with you. Whatever business you’ve got going on here, you can do without—”
All at once I understood what Charlie was telling me. In a split second, it all made sense. I glared at Wuhrer and shook my head. Doing this to his family was reprehensible. And he gaped at me as if I was the one who was out of line. What a complete waste of two billion years of evolution.
Charlie
had inherited Polly Krause’s diamond ring, and Hugo Wuhrer wanted it for himself. For reasons known only to him, Wuhrer wanted the ring. But, according to the will, Maddy was designated to hold it in trust for Charlie.
Wuhrer decided he had been left out. His actions were beyond selfish, yet still, they didn’t make sense Maddy didn’t wear jewelry, so she would have given it to him if he had only asked. She wouldn’t have thought twice about it. Maddy was the most generous and giving person I had ever known. She would have given up the ring without an argument.
But instead, Wuhrer had gone through all the trouble of kidnapping his own granddaughter to get the ring. Because of him, Maddy was in the hospital fighting for her life and Beth was lying on the cabin floor in a pool of her own blood. I had a lot of unanswered questions.
“Why?” I asked. “Why all this?”
“It’s none of your business, Mac. We’ve been through this already.”
“Maddy would have given you the ring if you had asked her to. You didn’t have to take her daughter.”
“This conversation is over.”
“You put your own daughter in the hospital.”
“No I didn’t. That girl who works for you did.”
I considered for a moment. “How much did you pay Beth Henry to stalk Maddy?”
“More than what you were paying her, you cretin.”
I snorted and shook my head. “You’re unbelievable.”
“By rights the Lachweiler Stone is mine.”
“Maddy would have given it to you!” I seethed. “You didn’t have to do this!”
“I don’t need to be dressed down by a drunken sot like you.”
That was the last straw. I was so enraged beyond anything I had ever felt before and I wanted to hit him in the worst way. I wanted him to pay for hurting Maddy and Charlie.
I stood in front of Charlie to shield her and drew my pistol. I pointed it at Wuhrer’s chest. “Step aside.”
“No, Mac. I can’t do that.”