by Cindy Bell
“Oh dear, I’m sorry. That’s quite rude of me isn’t it. I wanted to check if you wanted the cupcakes with or without caramel popcorn.” She squinted at the young man still held against the car, and before Mario could reply she spoke to the waiter. “It is very busy in there, you should really go in there to help. The other waiters are running around like crazy trying to serve everyone. The customers are pretty upset, you should really get back in there.”
“Yes, I should.” The waiter edged away from Mario’s men. “I’m sorry, Mr. Mazzalli.” He ducked his head and rushed for the restaurant. Mario grimaced, then glared at Ally.
“What is it that you want?”
“Whether you wanted popcorn on the cupcakes.”
“Just give me a variety.” He scowled.
“Okay. Did you know Shane well?” Ally asked casually. “I heard that you paid for his funeral. That’s so generous of you. I just thought you must be friends.”
“No, I didn’t know him very well. He just filmed my daughter’s wedding. But I like to keep a positive image in the community and my daughter thought this would be a nice way to do that.”
“Very smart and nice of you. Thanks, Mr. Mazzalli.” As she headed back towards the restaurant her grandmother stepped outside.
“Are you okay? That waiter looked terrified.”
“I think he had good reason to be. I think Mario was going to hurt him, maybe even kill him. We need to get to the bottom of this, today, we can’t wait any longer.”
“The restaurant will clean up anything that’s left over. We should go back to the storage place and see if we can get Keith to open the box now that we have Mario on our side,” Charlotte said.
“Ugh, I don’t know if he is on our side and I hate to think of that man being on our side.”
“You know, we may be jumping to conclusions about him. Just because he and his family are portrayed as being violent, doesn’t mean that he killed Shane. We have no proof that he’s ever been involved with drugs, other than rumors.”
“Maybe not, but Luke thinks he and his family are very shady and dislikes him, and I tend to trust Luke’s opinion on things.”
“What did you think of him when you spoke to him?”
“Honestly, I thought he was going to hurt that waiter right in front of me. He’s a scary man. But that doesn’t necessarily make him Shane’s murderer. Although after Professor Shumer’s eulogy today I find it even harder to believe that he could have killed Shane.”
“Well, let’s hit the storage place and see what we can find. But first I need to stop at the shop. There’s a tray of cupcakes I made at the last minute. I set them aside to go home with Shane’s parents. I left them there because I wanted to make sure they were cool enough.”
“Okay, we’ll stop there first.”
“Ally, can I talk to you for a minute?” Luke walked up to her from the parking lot.
“Luke, I didn’t think you would make it today.”
“I hadn’t planned to, I’m on duty, but I need to talk to you.”
“Okay.”
“Why don’t I go ahead and grab the cupcakes then I’ll come back and get you, okay?”
“Okay thanks.” Ally handed over the keys.
“I’ll be back fast.” Charlotte flashed Luke a smile before she walked away.
“What’s up, Luke?” Ally turned back to face him.
“I got a call from one of the rookies who saw you talking to Mario.” He slid his hands into his pockets. “What’s that about?”
“Oh, it was just…”
“I warned you, Ally, he’s a dangerous man. He’s from a dangerous family.”
“I didn’t do anything to upset him. I just spoke to him about a cupcake order he placed and I asked him about the key card I found by the bird blind.”
“What key card?” Luke asked. Ally cringed as she realized that she hadn’t told him about the key card.
“I found it at the cabin. I didn’t want to bother you about it until I knew whether it was important.”
“And, what is it for?” Luke clenched his hands into fists at his sides.
“A box at Mazzalli’s Box Storage in Geraltin. Keith and Ken who are Shane’s ex’s brothers, work there. Keith wouldn’t let me into the storage box.”
“Ally.” He looked into her eyes. “What if Mario was the one who doesn’t want you in there? Then you just revealed to him that you are the one who is causing him problems. He won’t hesitate to get rid of anything he thinks is a problem.”
“Maybe he’s the one that sent the thug to scare Mee-Maw at the shop.”
“What thug?” Luke narrowed his eyes. “You never told me about that.”
“Oh, things have just been so crazy.” Ally pressed her hand against her forehead. “Oh no, if Mario really is the one responsible for the drugs, or Shane’s death, he might really see us both as a problem.”
“Which means that you are both in danger. You need to stop looking into this now, Ally. If there is some connection to Mario in all of this you’re going to have to trust Geraltin PD to find it.”
“Luke, Mee-Maw is at the shop alone. What if they go after her?” Ally’s heartbeat quickened.
“We need to get to her and fast. I’ll call a patrol car to see if they can get there faster.” Luke dialed his phone as he and Ally ran for his car. On the drive to the shop Ally could barely take a breath. Even though the shop was only a few minutes away it seemed so much farther when she knew that any minute her grandmother might be in danger. As they pulled into the parking lot Luke hung up the phone and peered through the windshield.
“Your car is here, but I don’t see any lights on in the shop.”
“Maybe she just didn’t turn any on.” Ally’s heart raced. She jumped out of the car and ran for the front door of the shop. When the door swung open with ease her stomach twisted. She could already sense that something was very wrong.
“Ally wait, get behind me.” Luke pulled her back from the doorway of the shop. With his gun drawn he inched his way further into the shop. Ally followed right behind him. The wooden art and masks that lined the shelves and walls of the shop cast eerie shadows from all directions. The only sound was the echo of the bell above the door and the subtle hum of the large refrigerator and freezer.
“I don’t think she’s here, Luke.” Ally walked past Luke towards the counter.
Across the counter was a streak of what looked like blood.
“Luke! Someone hurt her!” She shrieked. Luke rushed up beside her and looked at the red streak on the counter.
“That’s not blood, Ally.”
Ally looked at it again.
“Oh, thank goodness.” Ally sighed. “It’s the raspberry filling for the raspberry white chocolates.” Something caught the corner of Ally’s eye. She looked towards it to see her grandmother’s purse on the floor and whatever relief she felt vanished. She picked it up and looked inside. It looked like everything was there except for her cell phone. “Where is she?” Without waiting for Luke’s instruction or protection she pushed past him to the back room. All of the drawers hung open as well as the cabinets with several pieces of equipment scattered across the floor. There was no question that someone had searched the place.
With a trembling hand Ally opened the large refrigerator. To her relief she found nothing inside, but what she expected to be there. Beyond the panic of her mind she heard Luke on the phone requesting back-up, and heard the squeal of patrol cars as they pulled into the parking lot.
“She’s going to be okay. We’re going to find her.”
Ally pushed him away with tears in her eyes. “You don’t know that.”
“Ally.” Luke looked into her eyes. “Do you have the copies of the flash drives?”
“Yes.” Her heart skipped a beat. “They’re here.” Ally opened the register with her key and took them out from under the tray.
“What they want are those copies. They already destroyed the originals.”
&
nbsp; “What do you mean?”
“I just called Geraltin PD to let them know what was happening here and they said someone got into the evidence locker and stole the flash drives.”
“Didn’t they make copies?”
“Their system was hacked into and wiped clean. Someone is trying hard to get rid of that evidence.”
“This is horrible.” Ally wiped at her eyes.
“No, it’s a good thing. We still have what they want. I don’t mean to upset you, Ally, but if they wanted your grandmother dead they would have killed her on the spot.”
“Luke! Don’t even talk like that!”
“I’m sorry. But it’s true. The fact that they took her means that they intend to keep her alive. They want the copies of the films. As long as we have them, your grandmother is going to be safe.”
“You assume.” She bit into her bottom lip. “I hope that you’re right.”
“I’m going to stay with you tonight.”
“I want you out there looking for her. I won’t be able to sleep anyway.”
“All right, if that’s what you want.” He frowned. “I’m going to put a car in front of the cottage though.”
“Yes, okay.” Ally teared up again. “I need to go home and see if maybe she is there. I need to get out of here, Luke.”
“Okay, I need to evaluate the scene, but I can have one of the patrol cars take you and then stay stationed with you, okay?”
She nodded, but couldn’t bring herself to speak.
Chapter 18
The first thing Ally noticed when she unlocked the door to the cottage was how quiet it was. Normally, as soon as her key hit the lock she would hear a squeal, and a hiss and meow as the two animals in the house fought over who would get to the door first. Instead there was silence and the distant hum of cars on the main road. She turned the knob slowly and peered inside the house. The officer who dropped her off promised to return after he checked on a nearby call.
“Arnold? Peaches?” She pushed the door open a little further. From the bedroom she heard a snort and what sounded like a scuffle. Had they trapped themselves in the bedroom somehow? Her hand shook as she reached for the light switch.
“Don’t.”
The voice from the darkness made her freeze. Someone sat on the living room couch. All she could see was an outline.
“Who are you? Do you have my grandmother?”
“Who I am, doesn’t matter, and yes, I do have your grandmother.”
“Ally, don’t worry, I love you!” Charlotte’s voice carried through the dark living room. Ally’s heart jumped with excitement until she realized the voice was coming from a recording device that he held up into the air.
“Yes, try not to worry, Ally.” He chuckled. “She’s just tied up in a basement somewhere, and you’re her last hope. I know you handed the drives into the police which we have now, but I know that you made copies. I need those copies. All you have to do is give me the copies and she’ll be safe.”
“I don’t believe you. No one is safe with people like you.”
“Ouch, that’s really insulting. Do you think I would hurt a grandmother?”
“Yes, I do. Just like you hurt Shane.”
“Watch it.” He stood up from the couch. She recognized his bright red hair and realized then just how tall and broad he was. “You shouldn’t make accusations, especially not in this delicate situation that we’re in together. Do you want to see your grandmother alive again? If so, then you know what you have to do.”
“I don’t have them with me.”
“Why not?”
“When I made the copies I knew I had to keep them safe. I put them in a safe deposit box.”
“Stupid. Stupid!” He growled and moved so close to her that she was sure he would put his hands on her. “Now you’re going to put your grandmother through even more trauma. I want you to know that for every hour I have to wait for those copies, she is going to be the one that pays the price. I guess I was mistaken when I thought you two were close.”
“No, you weren’t. I will do anything to protect her.”
“Really? Because you’re not doing a great job of it right now. Where are the copies?”
“Like I said, they’re in a safe deposit box. I can’t get them out until the bank opens tomorrow. You have to be reasonable.”
“Reasonable?” He shook his head and stepped forward. “If you had never made those copies none of this would have ever happened. You put yourself in this position, as well as your grandmother. So now you’re going to come with me, until the bank opens tomorrow.” He grabbed her by the arm and thrust her towards the back door. She held her breath as she tried to decide whether to scream or not. Instead she brushed her fingertip along the emergency button on her cell phone just before he ripped her purse from her shoulder and threw it to the floor. She had no idea if the alert went through or not, but it was too late to check because she was already outside the house and pushed into the backseat of a car.
He climbed in behind her, and someone in the front of the car started the engine. He put a blindfold over her eyes before she could get a glimpse of the driver. As the car rolled forward she tried to memorize different things about their journey, like the sounds of traffic, and the bumps in the road. After about thirty minutes passed, the car came to a stop. Without a word he jerked her from the car. Her knees buckled with fear as he pulled her away from the car.
“Stop making things difficult, all you’re going to do is scrape up your knees.” He huffed and pulled her to her feet.
“I’m scared, I can’t see where I’m going.”
“You want to see?” He pulled the blindfold off and she was shocked to see that she stood right in front of Clara Davis’ house.
“What are we doing here?”
He chuckled as he guided her towards the door. “I guess you’re about to find out.”
Once inside she noticed how dark it was. Most of the lights were off except for one over the grand stairwell and one off to the side in a room which she guessed was a study.
“Where’s my grandmother? Where is she?”
“We’ll get to that in just a minute. Clara, your other guest has arrived.”
Clara appeared at the top of the steps. She gazed down at Ally with an indifferent expression.
“Lovely. Put her with the other.”
“Whatever you say.” He pushed her towards the study. When he opened the door Ally spotted her grandmother right away. She sat on a stiff couch with one wrist tied to the wooden arm and one ankle tied to the leg.
“Mee-Maw, are you okay?” Ally tried to go to her, but the man shoved her down on the other side of the couch and began to tie her up.
“Oh no, Ally. I’d hoped you would be safe.”
“I’m sorry this happened, Mee-Maw.”
“Sh, don’t say too much.” She glared at the man as he straightened up. “He and his partner are animals.”
“Are we now?” He laughed and brushed his hands together. “I guess some might consider me that. You two visit, enjoy some quality time together, first thing in the morning we are going to the bank to get those copies.”
The man stepped out of the room and closed the door.
“Mee-Maw, did they hurt you.”
“No darling.” She smiled. “You should see the other guy who brought me here, though. If they were going to take me I had to put up a fight.”
“Oh, I was so worried.” Ally smiled slightly. “Let’s see if we can get out of these ropes.”
“There’s no way, I already tried.”
“Maybe we can pick the couch up if we both stand up. Want to try?”
“Okay, let’s give it a shot.”
Ally grabbed one arm of the couch and Charlotte did as well. They both lifted as hard as they could but the couch didn’t budge.
“Ugh, it’s no good, Mee-Maw. It’s bolted into the floor.”
“Who bolts their couch into the floor?” Charlotte sighed.
“A master criminal, that’s who. I can’t believe that Clara was behind this the whole time. How awful!”
“Do you really think that she’s involved?”
“Mee-Maw, we’re tied to her couch in her house, of course she’s involved.”
“I don’t know, she just doesn’t seem like a criminal.”
“Then how do you explain this?” She pointed to the rope, then tugged at it again. Somehow it was tied so tight that she couldn’t get it loose. Even if the emergency call did go through there would be no way for the police to know that she was in Geraltin, tied up in Clara Davis’ mansion.
“I don’t know how to explain it, but I do know that we have to get out of here. You didn’t put those drives in the bank did you?”
“No, but I knew if I gave them up then there would be no way to save you. I thought it would buy us some time if I said they were in a safe deposit box at the bank.”
“It was a clever idea, but what are we going to do when the morning comes and there’s nothing at the bank?”
“I’m not sure yet.” Ally sighed. “That’s why it’s probably best to get out of here before daylight. So how are we going to do that? You don’t have your phone do you?”
“No, he tossed it out the window of the car. I heard it hit the ground. I don’t even have my purse.”
“Don’t worry we found it at the shop.” Ally bit into her bottom lip and looked around the room again for anything that could provide a way out. She noticed there was a small window that could be accessed if they got untied. However, she had nothing to cut the rope with, and no way to move the couch anywhere. She wriggled around on the couch and used her free foot to push hard against the wooden arm of the couch. Then she kicked it. A burst of pain filled her ankle, but the wooden handle didn’t move.
“Easy Ally, you’re going to hurt yourself.” Charlotte stretched her hand out, but couldn’t quite reach her granddaughter.
“What’s the difference? If we don’t get out of here we’re both going to be hurt.”
“Try not to think that way, sweetheart. We’ve been in tough spots before.”