“I thought it was me!” He shouted, a sudden outburst, his voice intense. “Me the whole time who caused her to die. But it was you all along. You killed her!”
“I didn’t—” A desperate sob choked her. “I wasn’t,” she whispered.
“What? Turn slight right, hard left. Too hard!” The car leaned up on her right. She cried out, disbelieving.
The car evened out. Engine returned to idle. She held her breath, strained her ears, listening for him over the blood pumping through her eardrums.
“Speak,” he barked.
She shook her head. “Why?” she mumbled. “You won’t believe me.” Her voice diminished.
“Does it matter? You’re not going anywhere until I let you.” The engine revved. The car rocked from the fierce torque.
“It was the door actuator!” she cried, reflexively pumping the brake, hands clinging to the wheel. Desperate for direction.
The engine eased back. Her body shivered. “It was the actuator,” she whispered, repetition her breathing force.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean—”
Her words were cut into by a grunt. Metal clanged against metal. She felt nothing in the car. Her breath stopped. Muffled voices were . . . outside? Her body complained as she flexed her every muscle, strained to be free, to see. Couldn’t focus.
Her blood pulsed along her limbs, down her back, away from her head.
A thump against something hard reached her ears. It’d been heavy, whatever had crumpled. The engine idled.
Nothing else.
Her shallow breaths came faster. A loud hydraulic noise flowed over her. She was dropping. The car was lowering. Too slow, she wasn’t falling off a cliff. Her heart vaulted.
“Amanda? Are you hurt?”
Uncle Jay! He’d found her. The car settled on the ground, suspension cushioning final contact.
“Amanda.” The door beside her was opened. Fresh air rushed over wet skin. She shivered. Something brushed across her front then the car shut off.
“Uncle Jay, I—”
“Shh, you’re all right now.”
“How?”
“I came with Ryan. It seemed he was having truck trouble. The owner at the junkyard knew the guy who took you.”
“Who?” The cloth was pulled from her face. Taking quick breaths, never so relieved, she blinked away watery obstructions then squinted.
Once focused, her eyes searched wildly over her surroundings. Inside a car, she’d known, except now in a strange shop, on a car lift.
As Jay worked on the straps holding her, she spotted Germ’s sprawled body. A cell phone rested on the ground near his hand. He hadn’t been beside her, but how—? In the center console, she spotted another cell phone nestled in a cup holder.
Why? He said he had thought he’d killed Danielle but then was convinced Amanda had? But how—the questions overwhelmed her, coming all at once. She turned her head back and forth against the headrest, freeing herself of them. She was safe.
The pressure of the tie straps lifted from arms and body.
“Come on.” Jay eased her out of the car. “We’re taking you home.” She gained focus on her uncle’s eyes. They were clear emeralds again, sought to comfort.
She shook her head. “I can’t.”
“Your father will be worried sick. We need to keep you safe. There’s nothing here worth dying over.”
“Right,” she whispered, conceding the argument, answering exhaustion. Her uncle was right. She’d found enough.
She curled up in the far corner of the Rover’s passenger seat. Jay pulled the seat belt across her body. Her eyelids persisted in staying closed. She’d driven half of the night and, now with what she’d learned and the Rover transmitting the steady hum of tires through her sun-warmed leather seat, she fell into thoughtless slumber.
~ ~ ~
A car door slammed then gravel crunched under tires as somebody drove a vehicle out of the shop’s parking lot. Germ shook his head, ridding it of wooziness.
On the cement floor of the shop, he propped up on his elbows. It was time to pack. He scanned the shop. His eyes stopped on the black sedan in front of him. An air filter box and empty oil bottle remained where they’d fallen. He’d thrown them at the car while Amanda was inside. There was the wire brush he’d scraped against the driver’s side.
Coming to his feet, he strode past the discarded items, ignored them as he held his head. It was throbbing. Anger started anew. His plan hadn’t involved him having more pain, physical or otherwise.
The muscles of his upper arm complained, having been overextended when his arm had been twisted behind his back.
He didn’t know the man, but he recognized the car he drove and guessed he didn’t come to Bayfield alone. Ryan was back in town, and he’d brought along some more of Amanda’s family. For a moment, Germ had thought he’d been arm-locked by Jim Hudson, but the man had been too tall. The resemblance was enough, and Germ knew what they were doing. They wanted to make Germ the bad guy by protecting her. Amanda was no flower to be sheltered and deserving of devotion. Ryan really needed to face the facts, and Germ still owed him thanks for starting everything.
From his little corner in Jim’s shop, Ryan had seen it all but was too damn dumb to connect the dots until the part fell right into his lap. Josh could’ve mentioned something sooner. And both of them were on the way to his trailer. He’d enlighten them just as he’d provided Amanda an education. Her sobs proved the nourishment he’d needed. Danielle would finally be at peace, an untarnished memory within him, by the time he was done. He’d take her with him, when he finally kicked the dust of this town from his feet, and take her where she truly belonged.
He strode to the front reception area to check on Phil who was right where Germ had left him, in his office, slumped over a desk full of paperwork.
Don’t worry, Boss. He glanced at the first aid kit on the wall and sneered. There’s plenty of aspirin for you when you wake up.
“I won’t be in on Monday, Phil. Good luck finding that competent employee of yours.”
Chapter 18
Germ’s eyes narrowed as he turned away. What’d she mean about the actuator? Nothing. All she spoke were lies, stories by a scheming murderess. Tossing his tool bag on the passenger floorboard, he rounded his truck under a spotless, glaring sun and climbed up behind the steering wheel. He never brushed off the dirt in which he’d been dropped; he hadn’t left town yet and didn’t feel the need to tidy up for his next stop. What he had to do wasn’t about to be pretty.
A block before reaching Ryan’s shop, Germ parked on the street. He stepped out and searched the area. The corner of his mouth lifted when no life stirred on the street.
Hands in his pockets, he took a leisurely stroll, ended up back under the window of Ryan’s shop, his own personal confessional. A quick peek had revealed that the quiet woman and Amanda’s Jeep had managed to come to a complete stop, without the assistance of an immovable object. Germ now had something, or someone, to use against Ryan.
“We need to bleed the air out of the brake system,” Ryan said. Germ spotted him on the floor under the left front fender, focused on the brake caliper.
You mean you did not want a squishy pedal? My bad.
“I need you to pump the pedal when I say. Okay, that’s it.” He carried the wrench a half turn. “Damn. Wait a sec! The bleeder screw snapped.”
He climbed out from under the Jeep and stood. “Would you mind running over and picking one up from Josh? Looks like we’re going to need more brake fluid, too.”
“Sure.” Her voice sounded sweet, seemingly innocent. She stepped down from the Jeep.
The clicking of heels died out as she crossed the parking lot.
Germ had arrived
at a most opportune moment.
With Ryan again bent over in the Jeep’s wheel well, Germ headed in through the back door. He grabbed a nice, heavy crescent wrench off the pegboard. It was meant to be used on diesel trucks, but it would suit Germ’s purpose, too. He had to control the hit. Ryan had to be merely stunned. Germ didn’t want him to miss a thing.
He stepped gingerly around a tool cart. The radio played “Money for Nothing” over the heartbeat pulsing in Germ’s ears. He raised the wrench over Ryan’s head.
Ryan started to turn. Germ clocked him at the base of the skull. A grunt and Ryan fell forward, hugged the tire.
Quickly, Germ dropped to his knees and cable-tied Ryan’s wrists. The plastic strips clicked around until they bound hands then dug into skin. Ryan was secured.
Germ climbed back to his feet, searched out the shop. Ryan needed time to re-gather his senses anyway, and it gave Germ a chance to snag an aerosol can, air hose, and a pneumatic hammer.
By the time Ryan had gotten to his feet, Germ stood in the shadows near the open bay door. He held an aerosol brake cleaner pointed at Ryan, a lighter poised at the nozzle, ready to ignite the highly volatile and flammable liquid.
Ryan shot him a murderous look. “What is this, Germ?”
“Playing dumb again, huh? Not gonna work this time.” Germ shook his head. “You knew. You could’ve told me the other day when you had that Clip in your shop. Or a dozen times before then!”
“I don’t kno—”
“It wasn’t me.”
“Wasn’t you what?”
Germ clenched his eyes shut. “Stop it.” He opened his eyes. His thumb toyed with the gear on the lighter. “Who killed Danielle?” You have to answer to someone. Answer to me.
Ryan’s eyes widened then narrowed into slits. He shook his head. “No one did, Germ. Her power steering pump crapped out.”
“Wrong. You’re trying to protect her. You thought I suspected Amanda. And now I finally know. You failed.”
“What have you done to her?”
“You should thank me. I think I managed to scare some sense into her.” Germ closed his eyes and shook his head, disgusted. His eyes whipped open. “All it took, Ryan. All you had to do was ask a few more questions. But you didn’t want to see Amanda for what she was. She had to be innocent.”
“Germ, you’re—”
“Too late. All you get now is to find out what it felt like, but how?” He took pleasure in feeling a grim smile spread out on his face. “I know. We wait for her.”
Ryan’s eyes turned to icy jade, the brown in them sharp enough to cut. “No.”
Germ nodded. “Oh yes, there it is, hate and fear.” He shook his head, shifted his weight. “This is your fault, Ryan. You have as much guilt as the rest of us. You withheld the information. You knew more than anyone.”
Germ’s head jerked at the sound. The click of high heels reached his ears and brought on another smile. But he dropped a heavy glare on Ryan. “You run, and I throw to knock you out. You’re no good to her then.”
Ryan’s lips parted. Germ had bet on Ryan trying to yell a warning. The air hammer paid off. Germ hit the trigger. The vibrations cranked deafening sound waves.
Ryan shut his mouth. His lips tightened and a muscle in his jaw jumped.
Germ released the trigger, feeling satisfied. Yes, he’d made two helpless souls in one day. They’d left him hopeless without ever knowing, caring, until now. “So what do you think, Rye?”
At one corner of his mouth, Ryan’s lips curved.
Germ’s eyes narrowed. “What?” Had he picked the wrong girl? Didn’t she mean anything to him? To be that cold-hearted caused bile to churn in his gut.
“You wouldn’t hurt her.”
“You think so?” Didn’t the man get it? I have nothing left to lose. “And why wouldn’t I?”
Ryan leveled his gaze on Germ. “Because of the B.F.H. in her hands.”
“And how do you know she has a—” Germ followed Ryan’s eyes when they moved off him. A shadow fell across his eyes, a dark object descending. After it connected, the ground rose up to meet him for the second time in one day.
Chapter 19
Ryan’s heart thundered against his ribcage. He choked down breaths while Rebecca’s eyes stayed focused on Germ’s limp form. The massive, rubber hammer was ready to drop another blow.
“Rebecca.”
Her face whipped to Ryan’s, silver eyes wide and alert.
How could he take it in, what she had done? She’d risked herself for him. And she stood there, safe and sound. Relief flooded his system. The desertion of anxiety leaked support out of his muscles.
High heels continued to click.
Josh stepped into view, a grimace on his face. Ryan’s gaze dropped to Josh’s feet squeezed into Rebecca’s heels then returned to the man’s face. He arched a brow at Josh’s wry expression.
Josh shook his head. “Heels do not make the man.” He stepped out of Rebecca’s shoes, hurried to her side. She handed him the dead blow. One last glance at Germ then she rushed over to Ryan.
Standing in front of him, she met his eyes, hers a cool gray, searching. He wanted to cup her cheek as he shifted against his bonds.
Her eyes abandoned his gaze as she went for his Leatherman, pulling it out of the holster on his belt. She unfolded it as she explained, “When I left to get parts, I looked down the street, and the truck I saw parked there . . . I’d seen it before, while I was driving Amanda’s Jeep.” Her hands trembled against his skin. She worked the tool around Ryan’s bound hands. “I mentioned it to Josh. He told me it was Germ’s. We both had an odd feeling about it being parked there.” The cable tie snapped off. “Well, we came up with a plan, just in case, and—” Ryan caught her wrist, stilled her nervous ramblings with a look. He pulled her into his arms.
Her head buried into his shoulder. She released the last of her panic in an exhale, her body dropping against his. His eyes closed as he breathed in her heightened raspberry scent, felt the brush of her chestnut hair, soft against his cheek.
Before long, he set her back, one hand smoothing the swaying tresses from her face as he finished her explanation, “Then Josh put on your high heels and you picked up a B.F.H.”
“Yeah, I—B.F.H.?”
“Big, uh . . . frigging, hammer.”
“Ah.”
A peeling sound disturbed the warm moment.
Ryan peered over Rebecca’s shoulder to Josh who’d found Ryan’s duct tape. He’d proceeded to restrain Germ. “Someone had better call the cops.”
Cops? Amanda. The two had automatically been strung together during the last five years. He’d always had to keep them away from her. But then he’d flipped like a switch, told Rebecca he didn’t care what happened to her. Amanda had turned him away when all he’d wanted to see was her freed from guilt. And if Germ—what had he done to her? Ryan turned to Rebecca.
“Jay,” he said. “He’d been at the junkyard, knew where Amanda went. We need to call him.”
Rebecca left his arms and went to her backpack. Finding her phone, she tapped on the screen as she hurried back to Ryan. She handed him the phone.
It picked up after the second ring. “Hey, I was getting ready to call you. We—”
“Where’s Amanda?”
“I’ve got her. We’re on our way back to Denver.”
“Is she hurt?”
“No, just exhausted. Why?”
“Germ stopped by my shop. He threatened Rebecca.” A frigid tone entered his voice. Somehow, Germ must have put enough pieces together to implicate Amanda and whatever guilt he’d felt at Danielle’s death, he’d placed at Amanda’s feet, and everyone else ever associated with Danielle’s car or crash. The man was manic. Josh, with Rebecca’s help, had
finished restraining Germ thoroughly. Ankles, knees, wrists, and elbows were wrapped in tape. For good measure, they slapped a strip over his mouth.
Rebecca removed Josh’s shoes from her feet. Ryan felt amazed that Josh had let someone else wear his precious white shoes. Crazy.
“Rebecca? Geez Ryan, you mean to tell me you put my niece in harm’s way? Both of them? Why don’t you—”
“I’m calling the cops. Afterward, we can discuss who did what—Hello?” He checked the screen. Call ended. Reception was never reliable in the Rocky Mountains.
Rebecca stood near him, close enough to touch. And he wanted to with extreme thoroughness. He’d mitigate her quizzical expression complete with frown lines on her forehead. But they had an audience. He sighed, handed the phone to her.
Josh sat on a rag bin, near Germ, scrubbing what seemed an invisible spot on his shoe.
“We need to get back to Denver,” Rebecca said.
He met her gaze, searched the wide, worried storm. Only for her would he rush back into the city.
“Hey, Josh,” Ryan said as he kept contact with Rebecca’s eyes.
“Yeah?”
“You wouldn’t happen to have brought a bleeder screw with you? We need to get to Denver, fast.” If Amanda was willingly racing back to the city, she must have found what she was looking for here. He wondered what it had been and if it had been found at the junkyard or in the hands of Germ.
“No, but I’ll be right back.” He stood and headed for the open bay door.
“Josh?”
“Yeah, Rye?”
“Phone the police while you’re over there?”
Josh glanced back and forth, from Ryan to Rebecca. “You got it, pal.” He checked on Germ then turned and jogged across the street.
A Running Heart Page 19