High-Stakes Inheritance

by Susan Sleeman

  She turned toward the door like a wooden soldier. She’d tried to open her heart and let him in but what did she get? The same treatment. Maybe she was so unlovable she was destined to be alone. Maybe God really did want it that way and if Ryan was right about how God operated, He would have His way and she had no say in the matter.

  TWENTY

  Mia may have struck out again with her father and may even end up alone in life, but Eddie didn’t have to suffer the same outcome. She would make certain of that. She entered the trailer. Chuck and Eddie leaned over a table at the far end of the space. Her life was far from what she hoped it might be, but it cheered her to see Eddie bonding with someone. Even if they couldn’t retrieve a photo from the camera, she’d accomplished the best goal of all. Getting Eddie involved in something with the hope that he might finally want to talk about his problems and work toward healing.

  Chuck looked up. “Hey, Mia.”

  She waved, and Eddie’s head popped up. When they made eye contact, he groaned and returned his attention to their work. She was intruding. But she wouldn’t leave. She sat at a table by the door to wait for a better time to join in.

  Watching their profiles, she enjoyed the contrast of coloring. Eddie’s hair, blond and long, Chuck’s dark and buzzed. Seated on opposite sides of a workbench, their heads pressed together over the camera. Eddie held the camera body and Chuck a small tool.

  “Now, where were we?” Chuck asked.

  Eddie shot a quick glance at her. “Not with her here.”

  “No sweat,” Chuck said. “You don’t have to talk about it anymore if you don’t want to.”

  “I just don’t need the stuff she always gives me about opening up and talking about my feelings.”

  “Like I said. No need.”

  “Nah, man. I mean, I like talking to you. You’re cool.” Eddie slipped needle-nose pliers around something Chuck held out. “It’s just, you know, all these counselors harassing me gets to be too much.”

  Chuck looked up. “Maybe you should listen to them. Tell them the same things you told me.”

  “Why?” Eddie’s voice held challenge.

  “Because they’re trained to help you. I’m just a guy who likes cameras and they thought working with me would help you feel more comfortable around them.”

  Eddie set his tool on the bench and stared at Chuck until he looked up. “So you’re saying you’re only working with me because they made you do it?”

  Chuck glanced at Mia, his eyes wary.

  “Don’t look at her. This is between you and me.”

  Chuck pulled his hefty body upright and ran a hand around the back of his neck. “Look, man. It doesn’t matter. You got the chance to work on the camera instead of doin’ those sissy group things. Just let it go at that.”

  Eddie shoved his stool back so hard it toppled and hit the floor. “No way. You tell me why you’re doing this, or I’m outta here. Right now. For good.”

  Chuck planted his palms on the bench. “Fine. I wanted to work on the camera alone, but Ryan convinced me to let you help. All right?”

  Eddie looked around, his eyes wild and angry. He let them linger on Mia, burning a hole in her.

  She met his gaze, but didn’t know what to say. He was really freaked out. Not a surprising reaction for Eddie, whose emotions simmered just beneath the surface waiting to erupt with little provocation. And not surprising when he’d expressed frustration over people not having pure motives in helping him.

  “Look, man,” Chuck said, drawing Eddie’s attention. “No biggie. Let’s get back to work.”

  “Dude, I knew she would sell me out. But you…I trusted you.” Eddie’s last few words came out in a scream as he lunged at Chuck, fists flying.

  She rushed at them. “Eddie—please. I know you’re hurt but this won’t help.”

  He spun on her. His face was contorted with rage like she’d never seen. She took a step back. Chuck got up and reached for Eddie. The teen charged at Chuck, shoving him to the side. He fell hard. Eddie dropped on top and pummeled Chuck.

  “Mia, get some help,” Chuck shouted. “I don’t wanna hurt him.”

  Eddie might calm down or this might escalate, but she couldn’t take the chance on it intensifying. If he pushed this, Chuck had to defend himself, and both of them could get hurt.

  Ryan could help. She rushed out the door and ran for the rec center.

  Feet pounding, heart racing, she charged into the room and up to Ryan who sat behind a long table, head bent over a project.

  “We need you at the trailer.” She breathed deep.

  “Be with you in a sec. Almost done here,” he said.

  She didn’t want the others in the room to know what was going on but she needed to get Ryan to move quickly. “Now! It’s Eddie!”

  Ryan’s head flew up, and he quickly got to his feet. He jogged across the floor, and she fell into step beside him.

  “What’s going on?” he asked with concern.

  “Chuck and Eddie got into it, and Eddie’s raging mad. He attacked Chuck.”

  Ryan mumbled something under his breath that Mia couldn’t make out, and he upped his pace. In far better shape and without any injuries, he took off, reached the trailer and disappeared inside.

  Her side ached from the round trip. She stopped to catch her breath.

  All was quiet. Good. Maybe they had stopped fighting. She listened. Heard footfalls.

  Ryan came to the door.

  “You got your cell?” His eyes were strained, and his mouth flattened in a tight line.

  She nodded, her stomach starting to sink.

  “Call 911.”

  She stepped closer to the door. “What happened?”

  Ryan stared into the night. “It’s Chuck. He’s dead.”

  Ryan wanted nothing more than to get away from the lights of the police cars screaming through the night. Not to mention the stunned and terrified expression lodged in Mia’s eyes.

  She’d called 911 and then drew into herself and had barely said a word. He’d tried to comfort her, but she’d shaken off his arm and snapped at him. He knew she was blaming herself for Chuck’s death, and wasn’t herself right now, but her rebuff hurt.

  However, he had a more pressing matter to deal with right now.

  Sighing with resignation, he braced for more upheaval as he watched Russ storm toward them snapping off latex gloves as he walked. His face was fixed in a deep scowl and he had his sights set on Mia.

  She wrapped her arms around her waist and backed up as if trying to run away before he arrived. Ryan wanted to intervene, but he had to let Russ do his job.

  He stopped in front of Mia. “You’re sure the camera was here when you left?”

  “Positive,” Mia said. “They were working on it before the fight broke out.”

  He stuffed the gloves into his back pocket. “Well, it’s gone now. Most logical explanation is that the kid hit Kowalski with the camera then took off with the murder weapon.”

  “No.” Mia shook her head side to side. “Eddie’s not a killer. A mixed-up kid who got angry, but not a killer.”

  “For what it’s worth,” Ryan said, offering Mia a nod of acknowledgment, “I agree with Mia. Since Eddie’s parents died, he values life too much to kill someone.”

  Russ scrunched his eyes as if mulling it over. “You could be right, but he split, casting suspicion his way.”

  Ryan held up a hand. “Not so fast, bro. Eddie most likely ran because he thought we’d send him back to juvie after going off on Chuck.”

  “Possible. The kid remains my number-one suspect, but I’ll look at other possibilities, too.”

  Mia stepped closer and clutched Russ’s jacket sleeve. “What other possibilities?”

  “For one, it might have been Pope coming back to get the camera because his picture is on it.”

  “How would he know who had the camera?” Ryan asked.

  “I don’t know. Maybe he’s kept a better watch on things aroun
d here than we thought.”

  Mia shuddered, and Ryan wanted to pull her close, but the look in her eyes forbid him from doing so. “Say it was Pope. He took the camera. So why kill Chuck?”

  “Simple. He’s not sure if Kowalski saw the picture of him and can ID him so he has to kill him.”

  “Yes, that makes sense.” Mia’s tone bordered on hysterical. “You should go after Pope and leave Eddie alone.”

  “Can’t do that, Mia. Until I have proof Pope is our guy, Eddie Cramer is wanted for the murder of Kowalski.” Russ pulled in a deep breath. “You both can go. I’ll call if I need anything else.”

  “Go? Where can I go to get away from this mess?” Mia burst into tears.

  With a sympathetic look for Ryan, Russ fled back to the trailer.

  She lowered her head. “This is all my fault. If I didn’t get the two of them together, Chuck would be alive.”

  “Shh. This isn’t your fault at all.” Ryan ignored her warning look and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “You know as well as I do Eddie didn’t kill Chuck. If Pope wanted to find Chuck, he’d have found him no matter where he was.”

  “But I took the pictures of Pope. And I gave the camera back to Chuck.” Her voice fell off into a silence that hung eerily in the heavy night air.

  He held her tightly against his chest as her body shook. Her sobs pulled at his heart. He had to find a way to help her through this. He’d hold her until she got the initial shock out of her system, then they could talk and he’d do his best to help her see she was not to blame. He lifted his head and prayed for the miracle it would take to help Mia recover from this nightmare.

  Mia stood to the side and watched the medical examiner drive off with Chuck’s body. Ryan had mothered her, urging her to leave the scene and get some rest, but she didn’t want to go in case word about Eddie came in. She couldn’t handle the tension radiating around them, and she’d snapped, shooing Ryan away. His eyes had creased with the pain of her snub, and she instantly wanted to take it back, but let him go anyway. In this mood, she was poison to herself. She didn’t want to infect him with it, too.

  Every few minutes her eyes drifted toward him. Right now, he chatted with his crew, offering them the comfort she’d refused. He’d chosen his profession well. The staff members gazed at him with respect and appreciation for his compassion. He would make a fine life companion, but the earlier call with her father showed her she could never let go of her past. And if her past continued to haunt her, she’d never fully trust Ryan.

  He caught her gaze, and excused himself from the group.

  “Have you decided how I can help?” His voice was gentle, caring. Inviting her to let him help.

  She couldn’t give him the chance. “This is my problem. I caused it, so I need to fix it.” Her tone was harsher than needed, but if she let him have any opening, he would be sucked into her world. A world that could only cause him more pain.

  He crossed his arms. “Just like that, huh? I thought we’d gotten beyond our past. Now, a little trouble comes and you shove me out of your life.”

  She hated hurting him but that couldn’t be helped. “I’m sorry but I’ve pretty much been on my own for ten years, and I like it that way.” She sounded so convincing, she almost believed it herself.

  “Right, like I buy that.” He rested on a fence rail. “If you’d talk to me about how you feel, it could only get better.”

  Ohh, feelings.

  Her imitation of Eddie’s sarcasm in their counseling session made the tears prick her eyes again. She turned and walked to the end of the fence so Ryan wouldn’t see her cry. He’d only push harder if he did.

  She looked at the stars and the vast night sky, her tears sliding down her cheeks. She was just like Eddie. Ryan could no more help her than she could help Eddie, unless they chose to let someone into their closed-off world.

  Ryan’s soft footfalls coming closer sent her into panic mode. She had to either give in to him completely—or send him packing.

  She spun and did what she did best. “I need to be alone. I’ve been feeling vulnerable since I got to town, but I’m better now.”

  He stared at her, long and hard, until she looked to the side. “It’s a funny thing, Mia. When I see someone crying, I don’t think the person is okay.”

  She swiped her sleeve across her face. “Well, I am. Please, just go.”

  Slowly he turned and took a few steps where he paused and looked back at her. “This time, I’m gone for good. Unless you ask me to come back.”

  Their eyes locked. “I won’t ask,” she said and returned her gaze to the sky as if it could help her.

  Maybe she was searching for God up there. Ryan said God was supposed to fix everything. Why would He fix this when He allowed it? The worst thing she could imagine had come to pass and it was her fault. She might as well have killed Chuck herself for as bad as she was feeling.

  Ryan drew a huge breath and let it out slowly as he glanced at Mia standing near the trailer. He couldn’t believe she just sent him packing when he wanted to help her so badly.

  Had he misread her actions today? Did she really want to be alone for the rest of her life, or did she just not want to be with him? And he never got a chance to help her see God was still here. He hadn’t deserted her no matter their relationship.

  A cue Ryan needed to follow right now. God hadn’t given up on her so neither could he. She may have put distance between them, but he would do his best to be sure she stayed safe, giving him another chance to help her see her need for God. While she cooled off, he’d talk with Russ about the safety of his staff and students.

  Ryan crossed over to Russ whose cell phone jangled from his belt holder. He lifted the phone to his ear.

  “What’s up, Reid?” he asked as he took his hat off and clapped it against his knee. His face contorted, and he locked gazes with Ryan. “What do you mean she’s missing?”

  Ryan took a step closer.

  “I’m on my way.” Russ’s face paled to an eerie white.

  Ryan recognized that haunted look from Russ’s last days in Portland when a child was murdered and he blamed himself for the death. Something beyond horrible had happened.

  Dear Lord, what now?

  Ryan was nearly afraid to ask, but he had to know. “Russ, what is it?”

  “That was Reid.” His voice caught. “Jessie’s missing.”

  Mia couldn’t have heard Russ right. He said Jessie was missing, but what exactly did he mean by that? She raced toward him. “Missing how?”

  The fear in the strong lawman’s eyes upped her anxiety.

  He shoved his phone into the clip. “Reid put her to bed about an hour ago. He just checked on her, and she’s gone. I think Pope found out she saw him in the barn, and he’s tying up loose ends.”

  “Pope? But how could he know?”

  Russ shook his head. “I don’t know, and I don’t have time to discuss it.” He pivoted like a precision soldier and faced Ryan. “If Pope is still in the area, I need you to get your staff and the kids into the rec center and lock the door. Mia, you go with them. I’ll post one of my men to make sure you’re all safe.” He returned to his men and barked urgent orders.

  Mia stood woodenly in place. How could this be? Little Jessie in the hands of a killer all because Kurt Loomis embezzled money?

  She should go to the rec center like Russ said, but she couldn’t. This whole tragedy was brought on because Loomis wanted her gone. If she stayed with the students and staff, she might bring danger to their doorstep. She couldn’t do that. And if Pope had Jessie, Mia had to try to find them. To free Jessie.

  She turned and rushed to the John Deere, ignoring Ryan’s calls.

  Hard to believe it had only been two hours since he’d sat next to her as they’d driven to this end of the property. Two hours.

  One death and one kidnapping ago.

  What would the next hour bring, and could she possibly survive it?

  TWENTY-ONE
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br />   Too bad the driveway was unpaved or Mia would’ve burned rubber as she floored the gas in her rental car. She had to find Jessie before Pope did something horrific to the sweet young girl. But where had he taken her? He wasn’t from around here. Still, he’d been living somewhere close. Mia’s best chance to find her was to interrogate the manager of the only hotel in town.

  Back tires skidded, and she eased her foot up to safely make her way to the main road. She was about to turn on to the highway when her cell chimed. Caller ID didn’t display a name, but she answered in case it was an update on Eddie or Jessie.

  “Mia, it’s Sydney.”

  Mia sighed out her disappointment. Nothing to do with Jessie. Sydney was probably calling to gossip about Kurt.

  “What’s up, Sydney?” Mia asked with little patience.

  “Is the documentary crew still filming over there?”

  “Nothing was scheduled tonight, why?”

  Sydney exhaled audibly through the phone. “Nikki got a call an hour or so ago. Said they wanted her to help with the filming. But it’s getting late and she’s still out. I’m starting to freak.”

  Clearly, Nikki had lied; she wasn’t at Pinetree.

  “There’s no filming going on, Sydney. Do you know who called Nikki?”

  “She was acting all secretive. So maybe she just snuck out to meet a boy again. I’m really gonna let her have it when she gets home.”

  “Well, call me when she does.” Mia disconnected and sighed. The last thing she needed was to worry about a missing teen, too. She turned on the signal, but sat at the end of the driveway.

  What if Nikki was connected to this somehow?

  Mia thought back to Nikki’s behavior with the crew and students. She’d flirted with all the boys as Sydney had feared, but now that Mia thought about it, Nikki watched Eddie a lot. Maybe Eddie called her. But his cell had been confiscated. Still, if Eddie was on the run, a fellow teen and an impressionable girl would be a likely person to call. She knew the area and could make sure he had a safe place to hide.