Terror and Temptation_A Romantic Suspense Novel

by Vella Day

  After two failed attempts, she succeeded in getting onto the mattress, only this time with multiple bruises for her effort. Next, Tessa busied herself getting her legs free.

  When the last piece of tape came off, she sagged and wiggled her feet, reveling in the freedom.

  What was her next move? When Charley opened the back, he’d be royally pissed she’d undone his bindings. She’d failed to loosen the tape on her wrists, so a surprise attack was fairly useless.

  Hold on a minute. She could replace the leg tape, only this time not as tight in order to give herself some slack. When the opportunity presented itself, escaping again might be easier.

  Buoyed by her new plan, she curled up again and rewrapped the tape. This time she let part of the tape go over her jeans instead of on her delicate skin to give her a better chance at freedom.

  Using her teeth, she dragged the tape he’d used to cover her mouth next to her. When he stopped, she would roll on top of the tape to replace it. Maybe he wouldn’t notice she’d tampered with his work of art.

  The truck hit a pothole and she bounced off the mattress again. Dammit! Her elbow smashed into the hard metal, and pain shot up her hip. Then he hit another hole and another. Shit, shit, shit. Tessa bit her lip to keep from crying out. The truck made another turn onto a dirt road.

  She prayed they weren't going to his trailer—his all-too-hidden trailer where no one would ever find her.

  Think, Tessa, think. She’d let him take any out-of-date food to feed his animals in his hunting trailer. Where did he say it was? Crap. She couldn’t recall.

  Then the engine died, and her heart sank to her stomach.

  Dominic paced Captain Leffer’s office floor. “I can’t sit here any longer. I’ve got to look for Tessa.”

  “Calm down. We’re doing everything we can to find the girl.”

  Her name was Tessa, but Dom held his tongue. “You know the statistics as well as I do. It’s been over three hours since she disappeared. If she isn’t found soon...”

  The Captain’s phone rang and held up a hand. “Leffers...There was? Who?...Did you get a statement?...You’re sure?...If he’s willing, absolutely...Thanks.”

  Leffers looked up and his pinched brows relaxed. “We have a lead.”

  “Tell me.” Dom dropped down to the seat.

  “Apparently, there was a twelve year old kid who was on one of the boats at the dock behind the Blue Moon. He said his folks had gone for food after they found the restaurant closed and told him to stay with the boat. Bored out of his skull, as he put it, he was watching out one of the portholes when he saw a woman being dragged outside by a large, bald man. He shoved her into the back of his camper.”

  Dom’s hands gripped the chair and his legs flexed, ready to spring. “I’ll speak with the kid.”

  Leffers waved a dismissive hand. “His parents are bringing him in now.” The Captain stroked his mustache. “But you’re not on the case anymore.”

  Dom shot up. “The hell I’m not.” Tessa had called him and asked him to save her. He needed to be there for her.

  His captain raised one brow. “Sit down, Dom.”

  Dom’s fists balled at his sides. “You can’t take me off the case.”

  “You almost killed Frank as he came through the door at the Blue Moon.”

  True, but he pulled back in time when he realized it wasn’t Ralph. “I wasn’t expecting the team to barge in.”

  “Did you expect them to knock?”

  He didn’t answer the rhetorical question. “Fine.”

  He had other clues to follow—like finding Annie and seeing what she had to say. Dom pushed back his chair and almost knocked it over.

  “Go home. Get some sleep, and forget about the girl. We’ll find her,” Leffers said. “Besides, you’ve got lots of other murders that need your attention.”

  Dom understood the threat in his tone, though he didn’t plan to heed the warning. His job meant everything to him, but so did Tessa.

  Before he left the station, Dom grabbed the file folders and waved them across the room at Leffers. He wanted to appear as if he was following orders.

  Dom patted his pocket to be sure Tessa’s cell phone was secure. Once he charged it, he’d find Annie.

  “You said you called 9-1-1 after Ralph left?” Dom asked Annie as he paced his home office, cell phone in hand. Why hadn’t Leffers mentioned Mandy was safe with Annie, which would have saved him a lot of anguish?

  “Yes, but I waited until Tony came home. I’m sorry I didn’t call earlier. I wanted to help Tessa, but I couldn’t put my family in jeopardy. It was Tony who made me see reason.”

  “Tell him thank you.”

  “And thank your captain for sending a man over to keep watch over our house.”

  Dom ground his teeth. “I will.” Assuming I talk to the man again. “Did you ask this person for identification?” he asked, worried the supposed cop outside her house might be impersonating an officer.

  “Yes, Detective. I even verified his identity with your captain. Running the women’s shelter has taught me a thing or two about deceit. Now find Tessa, please.”

  “I’ll do my best.” Dom disconnected.

  Royally pissed Leffers conveniently forgot to mention Mandy was safe and that he’d stationed a man at Annie’s house, Dom’s conscience eased. Orders or no orders, he wasn’t going to sit back and let the bastard take Tessa without a fight. To hell with his job.

  Every crime scene held clues. Even crime scene units overlooked some obvious pieces of evidence once in a while. Dom hoped he might spot an item out of place since he’d been there before the crime. When he first checked out the place, he’d been too distraught over losing Tessa to thoroughly check the Blue Moon.

  He grabbed his gun and dashed to his car. On his way to the restaurant, he called the hospital to check on Chelsea’s progress. The nurse told him Chelsea had awoken briefly but had slipped back into a coma. She was hopeful Chelsea would wake up again soon.

  He hoped so. Possibly she knew something that would help him find Tessa.

  Hoping Leffers hadn’t told Phil about him being taken off the case, he called his partner.

  “Phil Orloff.”

  “Phil, what do you have?”

  “Nada. I searched the bartender’s apartment, but come up empty-handed. Sorry. You learn anything?”

  “There was an eye witness, a kid, who saw some big bald guy drag Tessa into a truck with a camper top. Sounds like the bartender’s our man. I’m on my way to the restaurant now. I’m thinking I must have missed something.”

  “I’ll join you.”

  Dom hesitated for a moment. “Just so you know, Leffers took me off the case. I don’t want you to get into hot water by joining forces with me.”

  “I’m just meeting you for a drink, I’ll say.”

  His partner was A-Okay. “At a closed bar?”

  “Why not? See ya soon.”

  Dom disconnected the call as he pulled into the parking lot. His lights illuminated a red sports car, and the backs of two women stood at the front door.

  They turned. Dom’s spirits lifted immediately when he recognized them. He cut the engine and slipped out, keeping on his headlights to further illuminate the darkened restaurant parking lot.

  “Ladies, what a pleasure to see you again.”

  Madge and Eleanor shielded their eyes. “That you, Dominic?” Eleanor said as they headed toward him.

  “Yes. What are you two doing here?”

  “What we always do. We came for a drink. But obviously the place is closed. We’re in shock. What’s going on?”

  “Like the sign says. The Blue Moon is temporarily closed. With three of her patrons dead, Tessa thought it wise to close the place until the criminal or criminals could be brought to justice.”

  “Poor Tessa. She must be beside herself,” Madge said grabbing her chest.

  Eleanor took a step toward him and planted her hands on her hips. “Spill it, Detective.
We want to help, and we can’t if we don’t know the details.”

  Ethically, he shouldn’t disclose any information, but if these two ladies could shed light on where Tessa might be, he was willing the bend the law.

  He told them about the trip to Ohio, the subsequent kidnapping threat, Tessa’s frantic phone call, and the boy’s observation.

  “You think it was Charley who took Tessa? That’s ridiculous. Charley’s not the only bald man in Tampa,” Eleanor said. “Why he was always so nice. He gave me extra gin all the time. Besides, he adored Tessa.” Madge nodded her agreement. “Why would he kidnap her?”

  “I wish I knew. I can’t think of a motive.”

  The women stood there, Eleanor wringing her hands and Madge searching her purse for something. A moment later she pulled out a tube of lipstick.

  Eleanor perked up. “I bet he was trying to save Tessa from her horrible ex-husband. She told us the jerk was out to kill her. If the husband met her at the restaurant, as you claimed, and Charley saw them together, he’d fight to save her. And given how big and strong Charley is, I bet he won.”

  “When Tessa called me, she said her husband was dead.”

  Eleanor clapped her hands. “You see? I was right. Charley is a hero, not a villain.”

  Dom shook his head. “If he killed Ralph, where’s the body? I’ve been inside, and the place was empty.”

  “Detective.” Her patronizing tone surprised him.

  “Yes?”

  “Maybe he took the body with him.”

  “I thought the same thing until the boy claimed to have seen Charley only dragging Tessa to his camper. I didn’t speak with him, but there was no mention of a dead body.”

  “I know where the docks are,” Eleanor said. “The boy wouldn’t have been able to see if Charley left by the front door and dragged the body somewhere. There are lots of construction dumpsters around here.”

  She had a point. “Okay, let’s suppose Charley did kill Ralph, and then moved the body out of sight. Bottom line is, Charley has Tessa.”

  The two women looked at each other in horror. “We don’t know what to say,” Madge said.

  “Would either of you sleuths know where your prince charming might have taken her? Such as a favorite haunt?”

  They seemed to need confirmation from each other before talking. “I bet he took her to his trailer,” Eleanor announced with amazing confidence.

  Dom’s heart sped up. “Where’s this trailer?”

  “Well, I don’t know exactly, but he told me about a pet alligator he had. He mentioned he had a small trailer outside of Lakeland in the Green Swamp. He likes to hunt.”

  “The Green Swamp?” He’d never heard of the area.

  “Yes. It was a Wednesday night, I believe. Oh, about a month or two ago. Hardly anyone was sitting at the bar and we got Charley to open up a little.”

  Madge finished putting on her lipstick. “I remember that conversation. It was rather gruesome if you ask me. Charley has a pet alligator he feeds with the leftover food from the restaurant.”

  Dom tamped down his impatience. The ladies tended to ramble. “Did he give you a specific location for this trailer?” Dom withdrew his note pad from his front pocket ready to write down the information.

  A gust of wind blew Eleanor’s hair across her face, and she brushed it away. “No, but I think Judd’s been there. The hunting is quite good in the area or so I’ve been told, and Judd loves to hunt. Why, he once—”

  “Eleanor,” Madge chastised. “Don’t wander.”

  “Sorry.”

  Excitement raced through him. “Ladies, you’ve both been very helpful.”

  They beamed. “We have?”

  “Absolutely. If you leave me your number, I’ll be sure to call the moment I find Tessa.”

  “I’m so glad we ran into you then, Dominic,” Eleanor said with more perkiness than at first.

  “When all this is done, I’d like to buy you two a drink.”

  Eleanor beamed. “We accept.” She turned to Madge. “Don’t we, Madge.”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to check out the crime scene.”

  “Oh, of course,” Eleanor said. “Come on, Madge.”

  Dom waited until the ladies were safely in their car before he walked to the back of the restaurant. He’d gotten as far as the back door when the sound of an engine halted him. It must be Phil. Instead of having Phil try to get inside, Dom walked out front to greet his partner.

  18

  Ralph’s head throbbed like a bitch. He’d stumbled out of his car about ten miles after leaving the Blue Moon and puked on the side of the road. He still couldn’t figure out where that hulking monster had come from? One minute he was about to have his way with Tessa, and the next a linebacker with whirling fists came flying out of the kitchen and attacked him.

  Playing dead had been his only hope of getting out of the bar alive. By the time he crawled outside, Tessa and the giant had vanished.

  He was too late to follow them, but he knew who might know where baldy had taken Tessa—the detective. With the way Rossi seemed to be keeping close tabs on his ex-wife, Ralph was pretty sure the detective would be out looking for her right now. Why should he expend all the energy when Tampa’s finest would find Tessa for him?

  He’d parked across the street from the detective’s house. The cop arrived home around midnight and stayed home until he left at seven.

  Looked like the guy was headed out of town. Dumb detective couldn’t spot a tail if Ralph bumped into him.

  Ralph decided he was finished fucking with Tessa’s head. He wanted her dead—right after he tortured her.

  Tessa’s brother looked bad, wincing every few minutes. The bloating would make anyone want to give up, but Judd seemed to have this will to live. He probably wanted to be a father to Mandy.

  Dominic held up his badge and introduced himself and his partner. “We won’t keep you, but we have a few questions.”

  “What about?”

  “Your bartender, Charley Madsen.”

  Judd coughed and spit up blood. “Is he in trouble?”

  “Should he be?”

  A wave of pity assaulted him. Tessa would be so distressed to see her brother so ill. He tried to blank his mind to Judd’s bad situation.

  “I dunno, you tell me.”

  Dom had been practicing how he’d break the news to Judd. He’d settled on the direct approach, although it bothered him to burden Judd anymore than he had to.

  “We have an eye witness that saw Charley kidnap your sister.”

  Judd’s eyes widened and he grabbed his stomach. “She all right?”

  “We don’t know. We believe he took her to his trailer in the Green Swamp.” Dom still couldn’t get over the name of the area. “Do you have any idea where his place might be?”

  Judd closed his eyes for a moment. “I’ve been there only once. Charley drove. It was one big blur.”

  A nurse whizzed in behind Dominic and Phil carrying a clipboard. “Gentlemen, you’ll have to excuse us. I have to take care of Mr. Redman.”

  “Of course.” He flashed her his badge, but she showed no reaction. “Can we ask one more question, please?”

  “Make it fast. Mr. Redman tires easily.”

  Dom turned to Judd. “Do you remember any landmarks or the condition of the roads or anything about where his place might be? We need something to narrow the location.”

  Judd rubbed his abdomen and sucked in a breath. “I’m trying to remember. His trailer was near one of those bike paths. You know, where you can ride your bike for thirty or so miles. We almost ran some guy off the road as he was crossing from one side of the path to the other.”

  “Sure, like our Pinellas Trail.” Dom had ridden his bike for hours without encountering bothersome traffic. “Anything else?”

  “I remember driving down a long dirt road to get to his place. I couldn’t believe anyone would put a trailer in the
middle of nowhere. There was nothing but swamp, mud, and dense foliage everywhere.”

  Dom’s heart sank. He’d never find Tessa in time. Even if he could requisition a helicopter, he couldn’t do a wide enough search in time to find her.

  “Your time’s up,” the nurse said as she placed her hands on her hips.

  “If you think of anything else, Judd, let us know.”

  Dom pulled out his card, printed his cell on the back and placed it on Judd’s nightstand. Nurse Ratchet tapped her clipboard.

  “We’re going,” Dom said.

  “Find Tessa for me,” Judd pleaded.

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “Officer?” Judd’s voice sounded weaker.

  “Yes?”

  “How’s Mandy?” Judd had the same look in his eyes as Alex had when the two of them were separated by the horrible Social Service woman.

  “She’s fine. Don’t worry about her. I’ll let you know the minute we find your sister.”

  Judd’s smile barely lifted his lips. He closed his eye and the nurse moved in front of him.

  “Now what?” Phil asked once they were out of Judd’s earshot.

  “Hell, if I know.”

  “There has to be a tax record of Charley owning the property,” Phil offered. “It’ll have his address.”

  “Good thinking. Too bad the Green Swamp encompasses five counties.”

  “I’m betting each of the county courthouses will have the information.”

  “Let’s hope. Lead the way.”

  “If we do find something,” Phil said, “we’ll be all the closer to Tessa.”

  Her name evoked a rush of desire, fear, and intense anger. He needed to find her.

  As they exited the hospital, Dom’s phone rang. “Hello?”

  “Mr. Rossi, this is Smithers Watkins.”

  The name wasn’t familiar. “Yes?”

  “I’ve located your brother.”

  Dom stopped in mid step. “Alex? Where?” His heart pounded. He’d waited nearly twenty-five years for this moment. Watkins. Of course. He was about the tenth investigator he’d hired over the years. Dom had all but given up hope of ever finding his brother.