BIG SKY SECRETS 01: Final Exposure
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“But if anything happens to me, they’ll remember the photos. They’ll be eager to tell the police, hoping there’ll be clues among the photos I took. So the police will intercept the package for sure.”
He pulled back a fist and slammed it into the side of her face. Pain exploded through her head in a dizzying explosion of stars. “Someone smart as you oughta know when to keep her pretty mouth shut. You know what? Maybe you and me will go for a little drive. Far as everyone knows, you’ll be off visiting a sick uncle. I’ll even put a note in the store window to tell them—and once I collect my photos it won’t matter what anyone finds.”
He grabbed her elbow and jerked her to her feet. “Let’s go.”
If she went through that door, she knew it would be over. There’d be no more chances. She glanced wildly back and forth, searching for an escape route. A weapon. If only she could free her hands.
“Ohh,” she moaned, letting her knees buckle and her body fall like dead weight to the floor. Caught off balance, Patrick stumbled into a stacked display of soda 24-packs and fell sideways when the display gave way.
He cursed and awkwardly lurched to his feet—close enough that she could coil and slam her hard-soled shoes into the back of his knees with every ounce of strength she possessed.
He fell against the broken glass of the cooler and screamed. “You’re dead, sister! You hear me?”
Again she wrenched her wrists against her bonds until the cord cut deep into her flesh—but this time, she gained enough slack to free her hands.
Praying he couldn’t see her well enough in the shadows on the floor, she grabbed a five-pound bag of ice-cream salt from a bottom shelf near her head and ripped a wide hole in the plastic.
From the corner of her eye she saw a flash of movement outside the window. Someone heading for the back door. Jack? Or did Patrick have an accomplice? Let it be Jack, Lord. Please, let it be Jack.
Patrick staggered back to her, and even in the dim light she could see the blood dripping from his hands and the gash on his cheek. “Get up!”
“I…I can’t—my shoulder!” She scrambled sideways, moaning. “Please, loosen the rope. It hurts so much!”
“I said, get up!” Patrick screamed, brandishing a small revolver that he’d pulled from his waistband. “Now!”
She saw the faintest crack of light appear through the back door. Now or never.
She jumped to her feet and spun around, throwing the salt into Patrick’s face. He reeled back, choking and coughing and crying out, clawing at the wound on his face—
And then a massive white form hurtled through the store and launched itself at his back, snarling and snapping, slamming him to the ground. Charlie?
The gun exploded as it flew out of Patrick’s hand, filling the air with the hot, pungent scent of cordite.
In an instant Jack was there, sweeping up the gun in one hand and training it on Patrick’s chest as he reached for the dog’s collar with his other hand.
Charlie fought the grip on his collar, then reluctantly backed away, his body rigid and eyes pinned on Patrick as if begging for a chance to attack again.
Blood pooled beneath Patrick’s leg. His eyes shifted wildly between the dog and the gun as he clutched at his thigh, writhing in pain.
“Can you hear that? Help is on the way,” she said softly, listening to the sound of approaching sirens. She moved over to take hold of Charlie’s collar. “You’re lucky, Patrick, because this dog would really like to tear you apart, and I just hate to deprive him of such pleasure.”
Patrick scrabbled away from Charlie until his back hit the wall. “You wouldn’t…you wouldn’t let him.”
“Of course not. I think the courts will have a heyday deciding on the future you deserve.”
“You got nothing on me.”
“Sounds like murder and attempted murder to me,” Jack said mildly. “Just for starters.” He glanced briefly at Erin, then focused on Patrick. “Are you all right?”
She looked up at him, and her heart swelled with emotion until it felt too big for her chest. “I was so afraid you were one of his friends…”
“And I have never prayed so hard in my life.”
Swirling lights flooded through the front windows of the store as patrol cars pulled up outside. “Well, it sure must’ve worked, because I think the cavalry has just arrived.”
By the time the sheriff and his deputies completed their paperwork and an ambulance had taken Patrick away, it was nearly two in the morning. Erin still felt as if she was buzzing on an overload of adrenaline.
“I just can’t believe it’s over,” she whispered, leaning against Jack’s chest as they sat on the porch swing. Charlie had crawled into her lap and was now draped across both of them, snoring softly. “This sort of thing happens in the movies, not in real life.”
“I still think you should’ve let the EMTs take you to the hospital so you could be checked out.”
“I’m fine—just a few cuts and bruises.”
“Your shoulder might not be so fine.”
“Right now, I’m just sort of numb all over. I knew he planned to kill me, and when I thought I saw you coming, I was terrified that you might walk through the door and he’d shoot you, as well.”
“And he would have if you hadn’t distracted him.” Jack tucked her closer into his embrace and kissed her cheek. Charlie whined in his sleep, his paws pedaling briefly as if he, too, was reliving the terrifying evening. “It’s sort of ironic that Patrick is the only one who was shot and that he did it to himself.”
She ruffled Charlie’s fur. “I guess the three of us make a good team.”
“But God was right with us, too.”
Surprised, she looked up at him. “I thought you two weren’t on speaking terms.”
Jack’s mouth tipped into a wry grin. “I’m sure God was still trying to speak to me. It was me who was holding the grudge. After Janie’s death—” he swallowed “—I had a hard time. But I’ve never felt God’s presence more than I did tonight. It was as if He was with me every step of the way. I was just so afraid I was going to lose you.”
“I was praying at the same time, believe me.” She threaded her fingers through his. “For your safety and for Patrick to make some kind of error that would stop him before it was too late.”
Jack stroked the dog’s fluffy white fur. “Charlie helped with that.”
“So I had two heroes tonight,” she teased.
“I’m just glad Max fell asleep before Isabelle even arrived. He’ll never even have to know what happened.”
“Is he still sleeping?”
“When I last checked, he was, and Isabelle was snoozing on the couch under an afghan or two. I think I’ll just let her stay there till morning so she can get a good night’s rest.”
Erin looked up at the brilliant stars strewn across the black velvet sky. “How is your investigation coming along?”
“I’ve found some possible links to offshore accounts that Ted might have set up, but also found out that he was seen in Copper Cliff a few weeks before he died. I’d guess he came up here to go into hiding and filter some of the money into the local banks under false identities, then he panicked. Who knows what he was thinking, but I guess we’ll never know. I contacted the sheriff up here and the investigators back in Texas, and they’ll be taking over the investigation from here on.”
“Shouldn’t they have handled it from the beginning?”
“They have—to a degree. But this isn’t their only case, and I just couldn’t sit back and do nothing, not when Ted managed to nearly destroy everything I’d ever worked for. I knew there’d always be higher-profile cases taking manpower away from this one.” Jack shook his head slowly. “None of the authorities even knew he was here in Montana. At least now I can go back and start to clear the name of my company.”
Tonight she’d felt terror, and shock, and utter relief. And now a sense of sadness and loss crept around her heart. She tried for a casual s
mile and hoped he believed it. “So you’ll be able to go back to Texas, then. That’s wonderful.”
He studied her face for a long moment. “I guess so.”
She felt a corner of her heart start to fracture at hearing those words spoken aloud.
He had to leave, and she couldn’t go—but then, he hadn’t asked her to, either. Whatever she might have imagined about the possibilities God could have in store for her with this wonderful, incredibly desirable man, had only been a dream.
Why had God brought something so beautiful into her life, only to take it away?
Erin awoke at six and went to the store to begin cleaning up the mess. Broken glass littered the floor. Merchandise displays had been overturned.
But it was the blood that brought back the horror of the night in vivid relief.
Suddenly feeling faint, she moved to the front door and opened it wide to the crisp, early morning mountain air.
And there was Jack’s SUV parked in front of the rental house, like always. Only, all of its doors and the hatchback were open; suitcases and boxes were stacked nearby.
Oh, no. Her heart contracted painfully, leaving a huge, empty place in her chest.
Was he just going to leave the keys on the table and drive away without even a farewell? How had she been so terribly wrong about him, about them both?
Maybe he’d seen the emotion in her face last night and was trying to avoid a messy, emotional confrontation—the embarrassment of a crying, clinging woman trying to hold on to a man who only wanted to leave.
Well, that would never be her.
She leaned a shoulder against the door frame, taking in the progress he’d already made, then turned, carefully relocked the front door and made sure the sign in the window said Closed.
With all of the damage in the store, it might be wise to make a trip to her main supplier up in Billings, because the regular delivery truck wouldn’t be coming through this area for almost a week.
And staying around to exchange stilted goodbyes didn’t sound like a good idea at all.
SEVENTEEN
Jack eased his SUV onto the two-lane highway leading to Cody. There were no straight routes from Lost Falls to Dallas.
There were more than twelve hundred miles to go.
And the silence in the car was deafening—though the expression on Max’s face needed no words.
“Are you hungry?” Jack smiled and cut a glance toward his nephew in the rearview mirror. “I’m sure there must be some good places to eat in Cody.”
The child mulishly turned his head to stare out the window at the incredible red bluffs that soared above the highway on both sides.
“We’ve got another good hour to go, and then I think we’ll stop, anyway. What about hamburgers? We haven’t seen a fast-food place since we got to Lost Falls.”
“I want caramel rolls.”
Not the answer Jack had hoped for, but at least the boy had broken his silence. “I’m sure we can find those, too.”
“Not someplace else. Where Charlie and Erin live. And the pony and Iz-bell.”
When Jack glanced back again and saw the tears glistening down Max’s cheeks, he pulled over into a scenic overlook, got out and opened the back door, knowing exactly how the tyke felt but feeling more at a loss than ever. What could he say that could fix this?
Nothing.
He had to go back to Dallas. They both did, so Ted’s mess could be straightened out once and for all. So there’d be a decent income in the future and a secure, comfortable life for Max.
Max was crying in earnest now, the sobs shaking through him and tears pouring down his cheeks.
Jack unbuckled the car seat and Max launched himself into his arms, then rested his wet cheek against Jack’s neck. The child’s sobs ricocheted through Jack’s soul as he embraced him.
A surge of love and protectiveness seemed to come from Jack’s very bones as Max melted against him for the first time—with no reservation, trusting him to make things right. “I’m so sorry that you’re this sad.”
“I—I wanna go back. Please. I wanna go back.”
The counselor had been dead wrong about this trip. Instead of providing a chance for healing and bonding, the poor kid had become attached to a new place and new people, only to be uprooted yet again.
Jack closed his eyes and held Max tighter. “I know it’s hard, buddy. But we have a house back in Texas, remember? And when we get home, we’ll find a puppy and a pony there, too. Texas has lots of them, I promise. And there are great preschools, so you’ll have friends, and we’ll find someone nice like Isabelle.”
“But not Charlie. And not E-Erin.”
The boy was right on that score.
Except that Erin had made it crystal clear that their departure was just an early end to the lease agreement. Nothing more. And though he’d figured he needed just a few weeks back home to take care of business, he’d come to realize that maybe a complete break would be the better course—before it hurt even more to leave.
After Elana’s abrupt ending of what he’d thought was a lifetime commitment, he knew when to cut his losses and run.
“We can’t go back to Erin’s, buddy,” Jack said gently.
“You can turn around.”
He made it sound so simple. “We have to go to Texas. For my job and our house. Remember the swimming pool in back? And the big trees? You have that nice blue bedroom with the Sponge Bob bedspread, and all the toys.”
It was hard enough to try to explain. But when Max sighed with utter defeat and silently laid his head against Jack’s shoulder, it felt like the twist of a knife aimed straight at his heart.
God…I don’t talk to You that much. But You were there with me when I begged for Your help—I could feel Your presence.
And now I’m asking for one more thing. Help me to do what’s right for this child. Help me be the right kind of parent for him and to make the right choices. Because I know I can’t do this alone.
He stood still for a moment, willing God to give him some sort of answer. But when none came, he carefully put Max back in his car seat and buckled him in.
And then he headed for Dallas.
EIGHTEEN
The days turned into weeks, then a month rolled past.
Erin methodically went about her business at the store, welcoming the new customers who had heard about the reopening, thanks to the news articles about Patrick and the time he’d spent hiding in the area.
But despite being busier now, the empty house next to the store echoed the empty place in her heart, and she hadn’t been able to bring herself to move there. Not just yet.
“I’m done sweeping,” Ollie said proudly.
“You always do a great job,” she said with a smile. “And now that you’re done, there’s someone in the café who’d like to talk to both of us. Is that okay? You can have your coffee and rolls while we visit.”
Ollie shook his head vehemently. “Bad lady,” he whispered, glancing at the front door as if debating making a run for it. “Bad. I saw her.”
“She’s a social worker, Ollie.”
“She tried to take me away.” He gripped the broom handle tighter, his hands trembling. “Won’t go. I won’t.”
“It’s okay, I promise. We’ll just talk.” She took the broom from him and set it aside, then led him to a table in the café where Betsy Peters waited, her hands folded on top of several files. The silver-haired county social worker had met with Erin to discuss Ollie’s situation several times during the past two weeks, and with luck, this meeting would go well.
He jerked to a halt when he saw her. “Not going,” he said, his voice rising. “I won’t!”
“We’ve tried convincing him to move to the county home for years, but he wouldn’t go.” Betsy smiled at Ollie. “But this is something different. Just have a seat, okay?”
He warily sat down, ignoring the coffee and caramel rolls that Erin set down in front of him. He gave her an accusing look.
He bowed his head. “Mama’s house.”
“But you’ve lived there alone for how many years? At least ten or more. It’s no longer safe.”
He didn’t look up.
“The house is actually in need of demolition. And with all the years of unpaid taxes, well…something just has to be done. Do you understand, Ollie?”
When he didn’t answer, she gave Erin a quick glance.
“Your mama would want you to be safe and warm, Ollie,” Erin said. “That house is terribly drafty, and it isn’t insulated. And though the church ladies bring you food sometimes, they can’t do it if the weather is bad. And then what?” She took a deep breath. “But we’ve got exciting news! There’s a brand-new group home nearby that was finished just this year. It’s about halfway between Barry’s greenhouse and this store, so you could work at either place if you wanted to and you’d be really close.”
He lumbered to his feet, his eyes filled with panic. “No!”
“You’ll always have three good, hot meals a day—with your very own room and comfy living room with a TV.” Betsy smiled warmly. “You could always go and come whenever you like. No one would make you stay inside. And you’d have people there for company. Friends. You wouldn’t be alone. And you wouldn’t ever go hungry.”
“And there’s even a nice little barn in back with gardening tools and lawn mowers.” Erin rested a hand on his arm. “Your cats could come along, too, and stay out there.”
His lower lip trembled.
“But the best part for me is that you’d be nice and close for visiting, Ollie. You could come here for coffee anytime.” Erin said a swift, silent prayer. “Betsy says I can go see it today, if you’ll come with us. Please? I’d love to do that. I hear the empty bedroom is the nicest one of all.”