Fugitive Trackdown

by Sandra Robbins

  Adam strode from the house to his car. When Claire climbed into the passenger seat, he gunned the motor, and they roared out of the driveway and headed back into the city. He glanced at her from time to time, but she stared straight ahead without speaking.

  After a few miles, he took a deep breath. “I’m sorry that I spoke to you the way I did. It’s just that I hear all that talk about God from my folks and Jessica all the time. I didn’t expect to hear it from you, too.”

  She turned her head and stared at him. “I thought you knew that my faith has always been important to me. I don’t know how I would have survived after my father’s death if I hadn’t had it.”

  “I respect that. It’s important to you, but it’s not for me. Can we just leave it at that?”

  She smiled, but her face held a hint of sadness. “If that’s the way you want it.”

  “It is,” he said and directed his gaze back to the highway.

  She reached over and tuned the radio to the station she’d listened to last night on the way back from Mississippi. The music of a Christian rock band filled the car. He gritted his teeth and didn’t say anything.

  An hour and a half later they arrived at the road that led to Peter’s cabin, and Claire directed him to the spot where she’d parked her car the night before. Her heart sank when she spotted the vehicle.

  Adam stopped behind it, and they both got out to inspect it. The windows and windshield were shattered, and all four tires were pierced with bullet holes. Claire propped her hands on her hips and sighed. “It looks like they took out their anger on my poor car.”

  Adam squatted beside one of tires and ran his finger over the surface. “They probably did this when they fired at us in the cabin. If I’d checked before I left to take you to the hospital, we could have contacted someone this morning to haul your car back to Memphis.”

  “Do you know a company that could transport it for me?”

  Adam rose to his feet and brushed his hands together. “I have some friends that I can call. They should be able to get the car back to Memphis. I’m not sure if it can be repaired though. There are bullet holes in all the doors and the hood.”

  She nodded. “I suppose they wanted to send me a message in case they hadn’t killed us. They probably wanted me to know they hadn’t given up.”

  “Don’t think like that, Claire. These guys aren’t going to get to you. I’ll see to that.”

  “I should have known better than to think I could stand up against Peter Willis. He’s killed at least once, and he was ready to do it again last night. If it hadn’t been for you and Jessica, I’d be dead now.”

  “But you’re not. And I’m going to see that nothing happens to you.”

  She shook her head. “I’ve already put you and Jessica in enough danger. I don’t want you risking your life to take care of me.”

  He grinned. “You don’t have anything to say in the matter. We’re going after Willis and Lester, and we’re going to make them pay for what they’ve done.” He pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “Now I’m going to call the wrecker service and tell them where to find the car. Then we’re going to Arthur Kendall’s office.”

  Claire let her gaze travel over the car again and back to him. “Thanks, Adam. After everything that’s happened in the past twenty-four hours, I know I really should have come to you in the first place instead of trying to do it on my own.”

  Her words surprised him. As long as he’d known her, she’d been independent and would hesitate before accepting help for anything. But she seemed to understand she’d crossed a dangerous line last night, one she wished she hadn’t.

  He watched her climb back into his car, and a strong desire to protect her overcame him. He’d tried to tell himself he was helping her because his sister asked him to do it, but he knew that wasn’t true. He was doing it for himself.

  No matter what he’d said to her years ago at his parents’ home, he’d never been able to forget how beautiful she’d looked that night and how he’d felt when he kissed her. It did him no good, however, to dwell on that night because there was no going back and undoing the damage his hateful words had caused. If he could keep her safe and help her find the man who’d killed her father, maybe he’d be on the path to gaining her forgiveness. Then the only problem would be figuring out how he could ever forgive himself for destroying something that could have been the best thing that ever happened to him.

  * * *

  Claire glanced around the bank where Peter had worked as they stepped inside. Tellers busied themselves with customers and didn’t look up when they headed to the elevators that led to the upper floors where the bank’s offices were located.

  The elevator doors opened as they approached, and a bank employee who had been waiting stepped inside. He held the door for them to get on and smiled. “Which floor?” he asked.

  “Three,” Claire replied.

  “Me, too,” he said. He stared at Claire for a moment. “I think I’ve seen you before. Are you a bank customer?”

  She shook her head. “No, I was in last week to see Mr. Kendall, and he wasn’t here. I hope he is today.”

  The man nodded. “He is. In fact, I’m on my way to his office to take him some papers. I’ll be glad to direct you there.”

  Claire smiled. “Thanks. What is your position here at the bank?”

  “I’m a loan officer.”

  She glanced at Adam and then back to the man. “Then I suppose you knew Peter Willis when he worked here.”

  The smile on his face disappeared, and he cleared his throat. “We worked on different accounts, so I didn’t see him all that often. But I did know him.” He frowned and studied Claire for a moment. “If you aren’t a bank customer, how did you know Peter Willis worked here?”

  “My father’s bail bond company posted his bail. Now he’s disappeared, and we’re out the money we paid the court.”

  The man’s eyebrows arched. “Oh, I see. Then I suppose you’d like to recover your money.”

  “I would, but I have to find him first.”

  The elevator stopped on the third floor, and they got off. The man pointed down the hallway. “Mr. Kendall’s office is the second door on the right.”

  Adam stepped up beside him. “I thought you said you were going to his office, too.”

  “I was. I mean I am, but I need to take care of a matter in Mr. Hamilton’s office first.”

  He turned and hurried down the hall in the opposite direction from them. Claire and Adam stared at his retreating figure, then turned to each other. “He seemed to be in a hurry to get away,” Adam said.

  “Yeah. The mention of Peter Willis seemed to upset him.” She shrugged and turned toward the office. “Let’s go see if Arthur Kendall is any more talkative.”

  They stopped outside the office the man had pointed out and pushed the door open. A receptionist looked up from a computer and smiled when they entered the office. “Come in. May I help you?”

  Claire had to control herself to keep from rolling her eyes when Adam returned the woman’s smile with the one he always used when he was trying to get someone to do something for him. “We don’t have an appointment, but we’d like to speak with Mr. Kendall if it’s possible.”

  “If it’s about a loan, we have employees who can help you with that.”

  Adam shook his head. “No, it’s about one of his employees.”

  The woman darted a glance at Claire then back at Adam. “Which one?”

  “Peter Willis.”

  The woman’s eyes grew large. “Are you with the police?”

  “No,” Adam replied. “We’re bounty hunters who are trying to find Willis and bring him back to jail.”

  “Mr. Willis is no longer an employee here, and Mr. Kendall is in a meeting with our chief financial
officer right now, but I’ll see if he has time to talk with you.” She picked up her telephone and punched a number. “Mr. Kendall, there are two people here who would like to talk to you about Peter Willis.” She paused for a moment before she spoke again. “No, sir. They’re bounty hunters.”

  Before she could replace the phone in its cradle, the inner office door opened, and a man strode through the door. His gaze swept Claire and then Adam. He stuck out his hand and shook her hand, then his. “I’m Arthur Kendall. Miss Hopkins tells me you want to talk to me about Peter Willis.”

  Adam nodded. “Yes. I’m Adam Knight of the Knight Fugitive Recovery Agency, and this is Claire Walker, the owner of Walker’s Bail Bonds. We won’t take much of your time.”

  He motioned toward his office. “Come in. Would you like something to drink while we’re talking? Coffee? A soft drink?”

  “No, thank you,” Claire replied.

  As they entered the office, a man who’d been sitting at a small conference table at the side of the room rose and smiled. Mr. Kendall pointed to him. “This is Whitney Hamilton. We were just finishing up a meeting,” Mr. Kendall continued.

  Adam stopped and turned to Mr. Kendall. “We didn’t mean to disturb you. We can come back later if that would be more convenient for you.”

  Whitney Hamilton shook his head and began to gather up the papers on the desk. “It’s no problem. We’re already through.” He stuck the papers in a folder and moved his chair back up to the table. “Mr. Kendall said you’re bounty hunters, and you’re after Peter Willis.”

  Adam nodded. “Actually, I’m a bounty hunter, and Miss Walker owns the bail bond company that paid Willis’s bail. She would like to see him caught so she won’t lose the money she put up for his bail.”

  He looked at Claire and shook his head. “I’m so sorry, Miss Walker. I hope you find him soon. If I can do anything, let me know. Now I’ll get back to my office and leave you with Mr. Kendall.”

  Before the man could leave, Adam spoke. “Did you work with Peter?”

  “I did. I oversee all the financial operations of the bank, and he was one of our loan officers. We were all shocked when he was arrested.”

  “We may need to ask you some questions later about the loans that Peter approved.”

  Mr. Hamilton darted a glance at Arthur Kendall. “I’m afraid I don’t have the authority to do that on my own, but anything Mr. Kendall tells me to do, I will. Good day and good luck with your search.”

  He walked toward the door but stopped when he got there. “I’ll catch you later, Arthur, about that decision we need to make.”

  Arthur Kendall nodded. “I’ll call you when I get a chance.”

  Mr. Kendall walked over and closed the door behind his employee and motioned for Adam and Claire to sit in the two chairs facing his desk. He walked around to his desk chair and eased into it before he rested his arms in front of him on his desk, laced his fingers together and stared at Adam. “So you’re Adam Knight. I’ve heard of your agency, Mr. Knight. Your bounty hunter organization has been around a long time in Memphis.”

  “Yes, it has.”

  Mr. Kendall frowned. “And how can I help you today?”

  Claire spoke up. “Were you aware that Peter jumped bail?”

  Mr. Kendall’s eyebrows arched. “Yes, but I only found out recently. I couldn’t believe it when he was accused of killing one of our employees. I was sure the police had made a mistake and vouched for his integrity and ties to the community in helping him get bail. I can’t believe I was so deceived.”

  “I’m sorry,” Claire said. “My father posted the bail, and when he tried to apprehend Peter, he was killed.”

  “Are you saying that Peter killed your father?”

  Claire nodded. “I am. Since he’s jumped bail, it looks more incriminating for him on the first charge against him.”

  Mr. Kendall leaned back in his chair and stared at her in disbelief. “The Peter I knew was a good bank employee and wasn’t someone you’d ever suspect of murder. That’s why I thought the police had made a mistake in accusing him of Lance Morgan’s murder. The evidence they had was all circumstantial.”

  Adam leaned forward in his chair. “They must have had something or they wouldn’t have accused him.”

  “Maybe so,” Mr. Kendall said. “I just thought they jumped to conclusions before they should have.”

  “What did Lance Morgan do here at the bank?” Claire asked.

  “He was a loan officer, too. He worked with Peter on some of his loans, and I thought Lance would have a great future here. Then the police found him dead in his car in the driveway of his home. I thought it was a robbery gone bad, but the police disagreed.”

  Claire took a deep breath. “Well, you haven’t seen the side of Peter that I saw last night when he told me he killed my father.”

  Mr. Kendall directed an angry glare in her direction. “You shouldn’t make accusations like that, Miss Walker. Not unless you have proof.”

  “Oh, I have firsthand proof all right. He told me he did it right before he tried to kill me.”

  “He tried to kill you?” A look of disbelief flashed across the man’s face.

  “Yes. In fact, he tried to kill both of us.”

  “The things you’re saying don’t sound like the Peter I know. He’s always been an upstanding citizen and a good family man.”

  Adam leaned forward in his chair. “It sounds like you didn’t know him as well as you thought you did. Have you had any contact with Peter since he was arrested?”

  He shook his head. “He came into the office when he made bail, and I told him we were putting him on temporary leave until his legal problems were cleared up. I haven’t seen him since.”

  “What about his friend James Lester?”

  Mr. Kendall frowned and shook his head. “I’ve never heard that name. You say he’s a friend of Peter’s?”

  “Yes,” Claire said. “He was with Peter when he tried to kill us, and then Lester broke into the apartment where I was staying last night.”

  “Do the police know all this?” Mr. Kendall asked.

  “They do. They’re looking for both of them, too. We just need to know if there’s anything you can tell us that could help us track down Peter.”

  Mr. Kendall shook his head. “My relationship with Peter was strictly professional. We didn’t socialize outside of work except for bank functions. His wife attended all our dinners and parties with him, and he appeared devoted to her.”

  “What kind of employee was he?” Adam asked.

  “He was a good loan officer. He was diligent in his work, and I had no problems with him at all.”

  “I see,” Adam said. “What types of loans did he handle for the bank?”

  Mr. Kendall shrugged. “He worked with all types, but he mainly dealt with commercial loans.”

  “Commercial, huh?” Adam glanced at Claire. “Did he have a connection to a company named Serenity that has three wellness spas in the state?”

  Mr. Kendall hesitated a moment before he answered. “I’m afraid I can’t answer that.”

  “Why?”

  He sighed. “Mr. Knight, I’m willing to give you any help I can in finding Peter, but I can’t discuss private bank matters with you.”

  The two men stared at each other as if daring the other to blink. Finally Adam’s mouth curled into a half smile. “Your answer leads me to suspect that Serenity does business with your bank.”

  Mr. Kendall shook his head. “It wouldn’t matter what I said. If I denied it, you would assume I was lying. If I confirmed it, I would be violating the ethics of this institution. Since you’re not with the police and don’t have a search warrant, my best option is to remain silent. If the police want to look at our records, they can get a warrant. I’ll be happ
y to cooperate with them any way I can.”

  Claire glanced at Adam, and he stood and handed his card to Mr. Kendall. “If you won’t answer our questions, then I assume it won’t do any good to talk to Mr. Hamilton.”

  “No, I’m afraid not.”

  “We appreciate the time you’ve given us today. If you think of anything about Peter that you can tell us, give me a call.”

  “I’ll be glad to do that, Mr. Knight. Good day.”

  Adam and Claire murmured their goodbyes and headed toward the door. When they stepped into the hallway outside the office, Claire spotted the young man who’d shown them to Mr. Kendall’s office earlier. He stood beside the elevator.

  As they approached, he took a step toward them and brushed past Claire. “Meet me in the parking lot,” he whispered before he disappeared into the stairwell that led to the exit.

  Claire glanced up at Adam. “Did you hear that?”

  His grim face told her the answer even before he spoke. “Yes.”

  He grabbed her by the elbow and led her into the elevator when the doors opened. Neither spoke as they descended to the first floor of the building.

  They hurried through the lobby and exited the building. Once outside, Claire turned to Adam. “What do you think he wants?”

  “I don’t know, but the way he acted, he doesn’t want anyone to overhear him.”

  Claire scanned the parking lot as they headed to their car. They’d almost reached it when they heard a voice whisper, “I’m over here.”

  The young man stood at the back corner of the bank building. Claire’s heart raced as they walked toward him. Did he have some information that could help them find Peter? Or was he connected to Peter Willis and James Lester?

  She swallowed the panic rising in her throat and glanced at Adam beside her.

  He didn’t take his eyes off the figure standing beside the building. Then slowly he unbuttoned his jacket and let it hang open. She glanced down and caught a glimpse of the gun holstered at his waist, and her heart beat even faster. Adam was ready for whatever might occur.

  SIX