No Greater Hell (Lost and Found, Inc. Book 4)

by Jerrie Alexander

  “But later he discovered he was wrong and hadn’t killed me?” Holly’s knees grew weak so she sunk down to a chair.

  Holly closed her eyes. “She had no idea where I’d gone.”

  “I can only speculate as to what happened,” Rey said. “Maybe she woke up and caught the bastard going through her purse. It was upside down on the floor.”

  Jake tightened his grip on her hand.

  “Holly, what could Suzanne have told him?” Rey asked.

  Old conversations with Suzanne flashed through Holly’s mind. “We shared a lot of details about our pasts. She knows…knew….” Holly paused at the realization her friend was past tense. “She could have told him where I live. She knew Kay Wolfe.” Holly stopped to consider everything they had shared. “The three of us had lunch and went shopping a few times.”

  “Family?”

  “None in Texas. My mother fell in love while on a cruise and never came back. She’s remarried and living on a small winery in Italy.”

  Jake dragged his fingers through his hair. “Why has this crazy bastard turned finding Holly into his mission? Angel is dead. There’s no reason to kill the witness. You can’t identify any of the others, right?” Jake turned to her. “Walk us through that day behind the school.”

  “I already told you everything I could remember. It happened so fast.”

  “That’s actually a good idea,” Rey said. “Sometimes, a few days later, things do come back.”

  Jake touched her hand. “Close your eyes and think back to that day.”

  Holly nodded and did as he asked.

  “Try to see the alley and the woman.”

  After a few seconds, she opened her eyes. “He said, ‘she’s mine.’ It was almost as if he was frantic. The woman said that he lied. That he was supposed to take care of her. “

  “None of this makes sense,” Rey grumbled. “There’s a reason the shooter didn’t come one floor up and try to kill me. He knew I was unconscious when you left and had no personal knowledge.” The frustration in Rey’s voice was heavy.

  “I can’t believe Suzanne told him anything.” Holly fought to keep her tone level even though her stomach churned.

  “You’d be surprised what a person will blurt out when they are terrified.”

  “I don’t believe she told him anything.”

  “Rey,” Jake said. “This Angel, what have you learned about him? The autopsy proved my theory that he was stoned out of his mind?”

  “His toxicology screen came back with traces of your run-of-the-mill narcotics, but the surprise was the traces of loxapine in his system.”

  Jake’s head turned her direction. His eyebrows rose in question.

  “That medicine is for one of many psychotic disorders, but if there was only a trace, maybe he hadn’t been taking his meds,” Holly said.

  “That explains why he’d grab you with all those people around. In his mind, he was ten foot tall, bulletproof, and invisible,” Jake said.

  “In the meantime, Dalton contacted a friend with the Feds. We sent the video from the school’s entrance and the parking lot to their crime lab. FBI is going to run Angel through their facial recognition program. If he’s there, we’ll dig into his background and get some answers. If he’s not in the system, we’re still chasing our own tails.”

  “How about you? Are you healing okay?” Holly asked.

  “Yeah. I’ve been through worse.” Rey coughed. Holly doubted the chief was telling the truth. “The longer you stay out of sight, the more frustrated this bastard will become. When that happens, he’ll make a mistake.”

  “Angel’s fingerprints weren’t in the system?” Jake asked.

  “No. That makes me worry that the FBI’s facial recognition program won’t come up with a match. Our state lab is too backed up to rush DNA results, so the Feds are helping with that too.”

  “I knew he’d come in handy.” Jake looked at her and grinned.

  “Look.” Rey’s voice took on an official tone. “I’ve asked the FBI to take this case. Dalton will act as a go-between. Five people were found murdered on a ranch outside of town. And my hands are full.”

  “Damn. That sounds like an entire family,” Jake said.

  “It’s not. It’s the older couple who lived there, two unidentified men, and a reporter who’s been missing a couple of days.”

  “Reporter?” Holly started piecing things together. “Do you think the two cases are connected?”

  “It’s too early to say for sure, but if I were a betting man, I’d cover the yes card.”

  “I may be overreacting, but if Holly is tracked to this ranch, I want to be ready. I’m not rolling the dice with her safety. I’ll ask Nate for help. He and his men will guard Holly better than any team the Feds can pull together.”

  Rey broke into a cough that went on for seconds. Holly didn’t like the sound.

  “Chief?” she asked.

  “I’m here.”

  “You checked yourself out of the hospital, didn’t you?”

  “I have responsibilities.”

  “None more important than your health. You need to go back to the doctor.”

  “I will. I’m sorry about your friend Suzanne.” Rey’s change of subject didn’t hide the fact he sounded weak.

  “Thank you. You’ll stay in touch even while you’re working those other homicides?”

  “You bet I will.” Rey ended the call.

  She leaned across the table toward Jake. “Rey worries me. His cough doesn’t sound like he’s well enough to work. His voice sounded as if his energy is low. It takes a long time to come back from a bullet wound.”

  Jake pushed her glass of tea in front of her. “This is a convoluted mess. I’m convinced calling Nate for professional help is the right thing to do.”

  Jake picked up the phone and was able to key in a few digits before Holly placed her hand over his.

  “Their business has grown, Jake. After the new office complex was complete, things picked up. Nate’s taken on a lot of contracts, so many that he’s hired a staff of former military men.”

  “Do you really think he won’t clear the deck and pitch in?”

  “What about Kay? She needs him.”

  “He’ll tell us what he can or can’t do. If we’re lucky, Marcus and Diablo are available.” Jake pulled free of her and finished entering the number.

  “Wolfe,” Nate said. Holly assumed he was being cautious because his caller ID read unknown.

  “This is Jake.”

  She tugged the phone away, put it between them on the table, and clicked on speaker. “And Holly.”

  “I take it you spoke with Chief Santos.”

  “We did.”

  “Holly, how are you? I’m sorry about your friend.”

  “She’s pretty broken up,” Jake answered before she could.

  “I know you, and you’re blaming yourself. Check those emotions, because there’s nothing you could have done to prevent her death.”

  “You’re right there. She’s trying to carry this entire thing on her shoulders.”

  “Stop it.” She frowned at Jake. “I can speak for myself.”

  Nate’s laughter rumbled through the phone. “Yeah. I can testify to that. I’m glad you called. Kaycie picked up on your anxiety when you two talked. She’s been threatening to find your aunt’s ranch and just show up.”

  “Tell her Holly is in good hands.” Jake again took the lead. “Nothing is going to happen to her.”

  “You two stop talking around me.” Holly would not be ignored. “I can speak for myself.”

  “You can for sure do that,” Jake said. He’d snapped her out of the dark hole she’d been wallowing in, which had been his plan, judging by the grin on his face.

  “Well, of course she can,” Nate said. He laughed, easing the tension.

  “You two think you’re pretty smart.” Holly leaned back in the chair.

  “Damn right, we are,” Nate said.

  “B
ack to Kay. She shouldn’t be worrying about anything.”

  “The doctor says it could happen any day. Mother and baby are fine.”

  “Do you know the baby’s sex?” Holly asked. “Are you keeping it a secret?”

  “No secret. It’s a boy. We’re going to name him after her brother, Kevin.”

  Jake’s eyebrows lifted. “Kevin?”

  Holly realized Jake didn’t remember. She started to explain but Nate started talking.

  “Kaycie had a twin brother named Kevin.” Nate spoke as if Jake not remembering was unimportant. “He had a car accident the night they graduated from high school, and Kaycie took the blame so as to not affect her brother’s football college scholarship. He died a few days later, but their dad never forgave her. She finally told him the truth years later, but even then he refused to believe her.”

  “Thanks for explaining. I’m sorry I don’t remember.” Jake ran his hand through his hair.

  “It’s not a problem, but you two didn’t call me twice in one day just to chat. Tell me how I can help.”

  “Rey is turning the investigation over to the Feds,” Jake’s tone had returned to all business.

  “I heard. They have the manpower and equipment he doesn’t.”

  “How booked up are you?”

  “Dumb question. If you need something, you’ve got it.”

  “I want to hire you. Kay will need you when the baby comes, so you have to stay put. If Marcus isn’t on assignment, he’d be a big help. The quicker this crazy bastard is locked up, the sooner Holly can come home.”

  “Did you think we’d stay out of this? As soon as we heard, Marcus contacted Dalton. And don’t insult me by offering money. Whatever you need, and I don’t mean just a safe house. We’re in this.”

  Nate’s insistence meant a lot to Holly. Judging by the tension disappearing from Jake’s face, it meant a great deal to him too. He hadn’t forgiven himself, so it was natural for him to believe that none of their old friends had either. She longed to help him see that none of his old friends harbored hard feelings toward him. They’d bent over backward to help him get well and ensure he was a free man. Jake had already lived up to their faith in him.

  He pulled his hand from hers. The tension in his face had returned. She’d been rubbing her thumb across his knuckles.

  “I appreciate that, but I want you and Kay to stay out of it.”

  “We’ll be fine.” Nate’s tone was firm. “You haven’t been home in a long time. This place is like Fort Knox.”

  “So I’ve heard.” The nerve in Jake’s jaw had always jumped around whenever he made up his mind about something. It was doing a dance right now. “Look, right now we’re running blind, and I need a contingency plan in case we have to move Holly. If you can find a place, one that could be available on a second’s notice, that would be great.”

  “You’ll bring Holly here. I have a place where you can sleep too. If we reach that point, your ranch will be compromised, and your aunt will need a safe place.”

  “That’s not going to be easy. There are cows and horses that need taking care of.”

  “Then I’ll send a couple of men who know how to do that.”

  “She might go for that. Listen, this sounds paranoid, but I’m destroying this cell when we hang up.”

  “Good idea. There’s no such thing as being too safe.”

  “But we don’t know the killer will continue to search for me.” Holly leaned forward, rubbing her forehead with her fingertips.

  “We don’t know that he won’t,” Nate answered. “Is your license to carry valid?”

  “Yes. You know it is.”

  “I figured as much.”

  She laughed a soft agreement. “You should.”

  “Nate, once again I owe you,” Jake said as he stood.

  “Bullshit.”

  Jake chuckled and picked up the phone. “He hung up.”

  Alice’s footsteps on the back porch drew their attention. Holly stood and walked to the screen door. She pushed it open. Alice opened her arms to Holly and she gratefully accepted the hug.

  CHAPTER 17

  Ivan ordered from the room service menu, positioned the soft-cushioned chair next to the window, and then opened the journal. He’d chosen this hotel because it sat directly across from the hospital where Holly and Suzanne had worked.

  Before he could start reading, his cell phone rang. For the second time in as many days, he turned down a job from an arms dealer who was pissed and needed a competitor removed. This client wasn’t willing to wait, so Ivan reluctantly referred him to a competitor.

  That Holly bitch was not only responsible for Angel’s death, she was costing him money.

  Room service delivered his food, placing it on a small table next to his chair. He grunted, begrudging the man a small tip. Then he settled in, and tried to read while he ate. Unable to concentrate, he pushed away the half-eaten sandwich and fries. He put his feet on the ottoman and went back to the journal.

  On the front page, he read Suzanne’s return address and wrote it on a notepad. He read all her quips, antidotes, complaints, and comments. She’d hooked up with a couple of men who had turned out to be losers. He scanned that drivel, completely uninterested in who she’d fucked.

  Things got interesting about halfway through. She’d met a newly hired nurse named Holly. Suzanne’s comments indicated she’d hit it off immediately with the novice. She’d even made notes about where they had lunch and which mall they liked to shop. As he read, he paused and jotted down the things that seemed helpful. After he wrote his last note, he placed the book on his bedside table.

  Nothing Suzanne had written made Ivan care that he’d cut her throat. He dealt with collateral damage all the time. That she hadn’t mentioned Holly’s last name pissed him off.

  He put in a call to a hacker friend and put him to work digging into Suzanne’s online usage. He could worm his way into any database, and Ivan wanted all the information he could gather on Suzanne Richards.

  He took a quick shower, and then dressed in faded jeans, an oversized golf shirt, and a ball cap, an unlikely outfit he’d picked up at a roadside flea market during his drive from Connersville. Normally, he wouldn’t be caught dead looking like this, but today it served his purpose. His pistol—with the attached silencer —was cumbersome, so he purchased the loose clothing to hide it.

  He popped a pill to help keep him sharp, grabbed his car keys, and left the hotel. He punched Suzanne’s address into the GPS and drove away. Grieving people often said things without thinking. Somebody knew Holly’s last name and how to reach her. He just had to get them to talking.

  Ivan stopped at a red light and rubbed his eyes. The pill hadn’t kicked in and his senses were dull. He hadn’t been sleeping well. His dreams about Angel lying in a cold morgue alone and unclaimed were relentless. He’d finally figured out what his brother was trying to say. Ivan had made promises. Promises to always be there. Promises he should have kept. And he broke them all. Angel deserved to live, deserved to be protected. But having failed his little brother in life, now all Ivan could do was ensure a proper funeral. How could Angel rest in peace without one?

  It was a short drive to the apartment complex that Suzanne had written about in her journal. He parked in front of the office and walked inside. Five minutes later, he emerged with the apartment number written on the back of a business card and the information that a couple of Suzanne’s family members had arrived this morning.

  Ivan left his car in the visitor’s area and walked to 1304. Up the stairs he went, full of determination. Before he could knock, the door opened. A short middle-aged woman with swollen eyes looked up at him.

  “You must be Mr. Montgomery.” She offered a forced smile. “The manager’s office called to let us know you were on the way up.”

  “Call me Carl, please.” He took her outstretched hand and held it tightly. “I had to come when I heard the horrible news.” Ivan pulled the woman in for a h
ug. “I’m so sorry for your loss. For our loss.”

  “Mother, let the man come inside,” a female voice said.

  “Of course, come in.”

  The voice belonged to a younger version of Suzanne. Judging from the firm set of her jaw, she was the one to win over. “You must be Elizabeth.”

  “And you were a friend?” Her skepticism was showing.

  “Yes.” He released the older woman and extended his hand. “Lizzie, you and Suzanne looked a lot alike.” Her eyes blinked. He knew immediately that she’d taken the hook. “I’m sorry. That was her pet name for you. I had no right to be so informal.”

  “No. Lizzie is fine.” Her bottom lip trembled.

  Ivan didn’t hesitate. He walked to her and hugged her too. “I won’t keep you. I just had to offer my sympathies.”

  “Nonsense.” The older woman took charge, but her voice was weak and raspy. “Stay. Tell us how you knew Suzanne.”

  “For a minute,” he said, taking the spot on the couch she was patting. “I met her through a mutual friend. If I remember correctly, it was right after she went to work at the hospital.” He had intentionally not mentioned Holly’s name, hoping one of the women would fill in the blanks.

  “Holly Hoffman?” the younger woman said.

  “Yes.” He delivered his most sincere smile. “You’ve met her?”

  “A few times. We’ve been expecting to hear from her,” Lizzie said.

  “I’m getting a little worried. She called to tell me about this horrible tragedy, but I haven’t heard a word since. I have no idea what’s going on.”

  “We’re in the dark too. We can’t get answers from anyone. Mother received the phone call that told us what that monster did. We’ve heard nothing since. I pray the bastard gets the death penalty.”

  So there it was. Other than having Holly’s last name, he was no better off than yesterday. If these people didn’t know where Holly was, they were of no use to him. Maybe searching the apartment would be more fruitful.

  “Well,” Ivan said with a heavy sigh. “I called our mutual contacts and no one has heard from Holly. Is there anyone you can think of that I missed?”

  Both women shook their heads.