My eyes then went to the wall to my left. The poorly lit room revealed a man with a black cloth hood over his head. His body was pressed spread eagle up against the stone wall and restrained with heavy metal chains. Almost in the same position he would have been if a St. Andrew’s Cross had been used. From the grunts, he was making I could tell he likely still had a ball gag in his mouth. The noise he made was a combination of crying and attempts at screaming, his words indistinguishable. Marks on his back and legs indicated he too had been a victim of slash knife play. But someone had taken a cane to him as well and beaten him in a way that the wounds would never fully heal. Blood oozed from the red areas where the skin was split open.
The smell in the room was an overwhelmingly nauseating mix of blood and urine. I felt my gag reflex start to take over and immediately started breathing through my mouth to lessen the stench reaching my nostrils.
I felt like my mind had detached from my body and was floating freely, trying to find a place to land. I had never seen anything this violent before. This must be what it feels like when you die, I thought, a total disconnect between body and mind.
Law and Jordy stood next to me, looking at the spectacle in front of us. But they had gotten past the initial shock and were trying to figure out how to handle the situation.
“Let’s step back outside,” Law said, and we backed out of the room. “I think I’m going to have to call Ray.”
God, Ray must have found out they had ties to law enforcement. He was going to kill me. But I hadn’t asked for this type of treatment. These people were almost dead.
“Law, what the hell?” I asked. “What happened?”
Shaking his head, he looked at his shiny black shoes, then back up at me. “I had Jordy put them in here about two hours ago. We came looking for you, but you were busy having a good time, and we didn’t want to interrupt. So, we tied them up, left them gagged, and figured we’d wait for you to surface. When I came in to check a few minutes ago, this is what I found.”
“So you guys didn’t do this?” I asked without thinking it through.
He looked at me as if I had lost my mind. “No!” he exclaimed.
“How bad is Lee’s face?” I asked. “Who could have done this; who has access except for members?”
“No one. No one at the party has access to this area,” he said. “Jordy and I circulated to see if anyone had bloody knuckles before we came to get you.”
“Let me see Lee’s face,” I said.
We moved back into the room, and Jordy took off the hood. I almost fell to the ground as Ben’s beaten face turned to me with an accusatory look. The way he hung from the chains, unable to hold his body erect, I felt he was at a dangerous point between life and death. His breathing was more regular than the woman’s, but it wouldn’t surprise me if one of his lungs was bruised or worse.
My mind disengaged, and things tumbled out unfiltered from my mouth. “Oh my God. Oh my God! That’s Ben Hightower, my old boss. What the fuck is he doing here?”
“What? What do you mean? These aren’t the stalkers?” Law asked, pulling Ben’s head back by his hair to get a better look at his face. As I shook my head “no” in horror, he let Ben’s head flop back down.
Law stepped away and tilted his head to the side to indicate we needed to step out.
“We’ve got to call Ray. This is too big. These people could die. That bitch is barely alive. Stay here; I’ll be right back.”
I wanted to go back in. But what good would it do? This was such a mess. Who had done this and why? Was someone after me too?
Before I could think through anything, Ray stormed through the door with Law. “What the fuck? Tell me this wasn’t you, Fi,” he demanded.
“Oh my God, Ray, no! Why would I do this; how could I do this? Look at these people; someone way bigger and stronger than me beat the ever-loving shit out of them. How would I be able to string Ben up like that? How?”
He evaluated the situation. Then it hit him. “Wait, ‘Ben,’ as in your ex-boss Ben Hightower?”
“Yes.”
“Then who’s she?” he demanded, pointing at the crumpled woman on the floor.
“I have no idea, Ray.” I felt as desperate as I sounded.
He told Jordy to unchain Ben and put him in a chair. Jordy did as he was told. Ray took Ben’s chin between his fingers and examined his face. “Not so bad. It might need a few stitches. But his back and legs will need serious treatment.”
I stood there, unsure of what I should do or say.
“I know you can hear me, Hightower,” Ray said to Ben who raised his eyes to him.
“Law, go get me a piece,” he said to Law who nodded and quickly returned with a .22.
Ray looked down at Ben and said, “You made a serious mistake coming here, Mr. Hightower. Now, if you want to live, this is what’s going to happen. I can have a doctor here in minutes to take a look at you and patch you up. He’s a qualified emergency room doctor. If he says you need further care, we’ll take you to a hospital. If that happens, you tell them you were mugged by MS-13, and you don’t know what happened to your companion; she left earlier. I don’t care what you say. Am I making myself clear?” he asked.
Ben didn’t answer.
I inwardly cringed. That wasn’t the way to stay alive in Ray’s world. You said yes, thank you, and never showed your face again.
“Law, give me your gloves,” Ray said, snapping his fingers. He put the thin leather gloves on and held his hand out for the gun. Then, in what can only be described as surreal-fast motion, Ray fired two rounds into the woman’s head. Gunpowder now added to the stink of urine and blood. As blood leaked from the gunshot wounds and started to spread around the woman’s head, I heard Ben start to gag.
“Pick him up.” Ray then put the gun in Ben’s hand, told him to hold the weapon, and pull the trigger. Jordy pulled his phone out and took pictures as Ben fired the gun into her body.
Ray retrieved the gun, placed it in a bag, and handed it to Law who left with it.
“Now, Mr. Hightower, I’m going to let you live, and I’m going to make sure you get home safely. Why you may ask? Because if you went missing, there would be questions. Right now, it appears you killed your companion. Maybe you took bad drugs; maybe you just went nuts. Go home, and live your life. You’ll never see me again unless you become a problem for Fi or me. Understand? I have friends everywhere; there’s no escape.”
A half hour later the doctor had finished his examination; there were no broken bones. His wounds were cleaned, and some of the edges were closed with super glue. The deeper slash wounds needed stiches. The doctor gave him a shot of antibiotics and some pain meds before he left. Then, Ray made arrangements for Ben to be transported to a safe house where a nurse would monitor him for the night. Once Ben was stabilized, his companion was rolled into a blanket and packed into the trunk of a car for quick disposal.
Annabelle
“How much longer are we going to wait? It’s three a.m., and I’ve had it. We can’t see a thing from this road to the house,” I said. Sitting here, waiting for everyone to leave the party, was just like being on a stakeout.
“Alright, come on, let’s walk up there, but stay in the shadows,” Lee said.
“Is the tracker still on?” I asked.
“No, but if she took off her dress it would disengage. And we have no way to track their phones,” he said.
“Shit. Wait, there’s a black SUV coming out,” I said. Once it passed, we got out of the car and made our way toward the house. We could see the place was dimly lit, and it appeared the guests had left. There were only a few cars outside.
“Maybe we missed them, and they left early,” I said, knowing that wasn’t probable.
“Then why didn’t Hightower call?” Lee asked.
“So, what’s the plan, Sherlock? We’re now trespassing on private property, and—”
Suddenly floodlights came on, bathing the area, and a man came out front and ca
lled, “Can I help you, folks?”
Shit, there must be cameras on the property.
“Sorry to bother,” Lee yelled back. “A friend of mine called and said he needed a ride home; he’d had too much to drink. But he hasn’t come out.”
The large man in a tuxedo walked toward us, and it was evident he had a gun under his jacket.
“Everyone’s left the party. The owner of the establishment is careful not to let anyone drink and drive, so he probably put your friend in an Uber. Or if he was too drunk and at the passing-out stage, he’ll get him to a place to sleep it off.”
“Thanks, I guess it was a wasted trip,” Lee said. The man started walking away, and Lee asked, “Mind if we see if his car is still here?”
“Follow me,” the man said. We followed him to the back area of the house where several cars still remained. Hightower’s wasn’t among them.
“Thanks,” Lee said, and we left.
“OK, so Hightower gave us the slip. He might have left early with his ‘date’ and wanted to finish out the evening with her,” I said.
“Why not call us? Something’s definitely wrong,” Lee said.
“Well, there’s nothing to be done right now. We can’t call the local police, and we can’t comb the city. Let’s pack it in and call it a night. I’m exhausted, and I need a bathroom,” I said.
The drive back to the hotel was quiet. It was evident from the way Lee gripped the wheel that he was anxious and deep in thought. It wasn’t that Benjamin was our responsibility; he chose to go, in spite of our warnings. However, he was in deep over his head, and we were helpless to fix whatever mistakes he might have made.
I reached for Lee’s hand, and he looked over at me with a smile. “So tomorrow we still leave for Seattle? If not, I need to call Seattle and let them know I need to push the meeting off.”
“I’d say we head up. The drive is still in play for the auction, and that’s our main focus,” he said.
We parked the car, entered the empty lobby, and took the elevator up. As soon as the doors closed, he turned and lightly kissed my mouth, which by floor eleven, had turned into a passionate kiss that brought a tingle to my skin.
The doors opened, and we stepped from the elevator as the kiss traveled from my lips to my neck and back.
“My room or yours?” he asked as the hot breath of his whisper tickled my ear.
“Mine,” I replied, eager to return to the promise of a night filled with exploration.
He looped his arm around my waist and mine around his. He touched his nose to mine and gave a light kiss to the tip. Was my heart practically beating out of my chest, or was that his I could hear? I smiled up at him, and we started the walk to my room, quiet in our thoughts.
As we turned the corner, I reached into my bag for my card key.
“Well isn’t this cozy?” a voice asked from ten feet in front of me.
Lee and I both looked up at the same time and froze.
David.
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me,” Lee said, letting go of my waist. He stepped toward David who was sitting in the hall. “Get up.”
The anger in David’s eyes when they met mine would frighten most people. And to be honest, they scared me a little.
“I don’t want to have an argument in the hall; everyone inside,” I said and slipped my key card into the slot.
“Let me start,” I said, once we were all inside. “David, Lee, how about you both take a seat.”
“You come all the way out here,” David said, still standing, “putting your job in jeopardy, and chasing after this washed-out ex-cop. The lieutenant will lose his shit when he finds out you’re out here fucking some lowlife PI’s brains out instead of doing your job,” he spat out, taking a step forward.
“That’s enough,” I said before Lee could weigh in. “I’m out here working the case on my days off. And you have no right to say anything about my personal life. I know we’re both flying to Seattle, because the lieutenant called me earlier and said that’s what he wants. However, as soon as we get back, I’m putting in a request for a new partner. This has gotten way out of hand.”
“You’re damn right it has,” he said. “If I put one call into the lieutenant, you’ll be riding a desk for a month. That is if he doesn’t fire you on the spot for sharing information with civilians.”
“Is that a threat?” Lee asked, stepping toward him. They were now no more than a foot apart.
David shook his head and snorted. “Take it whatever way you want,” he said. “I’m saying if she asks for a reassignment, it’s going to look bad on me. The captain will want to know why. And trust me, I’m not going down without a fight.”
“David, I really have no words. I think it’s best you return to your room, and I’ll meet you for breakfast tomorrow morning at seven thirty instead of nine,” I said, opening the door for him to leave.
As he left, he turned his head and said over his shoulder, “Screw some sense into her. Detective jobs for women aren’t easy to come by. Her transfer might just involve a demotion.”
Before Lee could reach the door, I slammed it shut and braced the full weight of my body against it. “Stop. I can’t let this get any worse. This is my problem to deal with, so give me some space.”
He studied my face, deciding how to answer, and he turned his head away, obviously struggling to gain control of his emotions. After a few moments, he nodded. He reached for me and enveloped me in a hug that said, “I’ve got you.”
A kiss on the top of my head signaled we were done for the night. Damn that David.
“Go ahead and have breakfast with the shithead; get it out of the way. If he’s still coming with us tomorrow, let’s check out by ten, get to the airport, and get ready to meet with the detective and Ryan. Sound like a plan?”
I was about to answer when his phone rang, and the name Hightower flashed on the screen.
“Quick, answer it,” I said.
He put the phone on speaker and answered, “Stone.”
“Lee, it’s Benjamin,” Hightower said in an awkward tone. It was calm yet clipped.
“Where are you?” Lee asked.
“Well, I had a bit of an accident. I fell down some stairs, and well I guess the jig is up. The host was generous enough to call a doctor and put me up in a place for the night. Once the doctor checks me out tomorrow, I should be good to go,” he said, sounding like he was reading from a script.
“What happened?” Lee pressed.
“I had too much to drink, made a wrong turn, and rolled down some stone stairs. Nothing too bad, but I’m in no position to move tonight with the drugs I got for the pain and all. So, I’m spending the night, and I’ll meet you at the jet ready for takeoff at eleven a.m.,” he said. He was breathing hard.
“You want us to push the time out to one p.m.?” I asked.
“No, we’re on a tight schedule. I’ll see you then. You just show up at the plane,” he said.
It was apparent he didn’t want to discuss Fiona. Was that because he was in too much discomfort or because someone was listening? Either way, he was ready to disconnect.
“OK then, tomorrow,” Lee said, hanging up the phone. “I call bullshit,” he said.
“I agree. But why lie?” I asked.
“He’s alive and ready to meet tomorrow. I’m too exhausted to think this through. Let’s go to bed, get some sleep, and if he calls again, we’ll talk to him together. Maybe someone was standing over him, and he wasn’t able to talk freely. Plus, I’m concerned David might be waiting for me to leave so he can come back again.”
“That works. I’ll shower so you can get one in the morning while I meet David. Go to bed, and I’ll wake you in the morning.” I had hoped for much more tonight but sleeping next to Lee would do it for me. A quick yet lingering kiss was all I had to hold onto for the night.
When I returned from the shower, he was dead to the world, and fifteen minutes later I was as well.
I was the fi
rst to wake in the morning, giving myself time to get ready and pack. As I was about ready to leave to meet David for breakfast, I turned and saw Lee watching me finish up my morning dressing routine.
“You’re a smart and beautiful woman, Annabelle Hughes, and I feel lucky to have found you. Come here,” he said, crooking his finger toward him.
I walked over, leaned down, and planted my lips on his. It wasn’t a quick kiss, or a goodbye kiss. It was more like, “I’ve known you forever, and this is what we do” kiss.
I arrived at the hotel restaurant about five minutes early, and since David wasn’t already seated, I asked for a table where I could watch for him. The server brought a pot of coffee, and I noticed Mary across the room, looking at me. When she saw I’d noticed her, she walked over.
“How long have you been here, and how much coffee did you already drink?” I asked.
“A little over an hour. May I sit?” Mary asked, avoiding the question about the coffee.
“If you think you want to be here when David arrives, sure. He should be here any minute,” I said, gesturing for her to sit.
“David won’t be joining you,” she said.
“You can’t know that.” But from what I knew of Mary, maybe she did know something.
“He checked out forty-five minutes ago.”
I heard her say it, but it didn’t compute.
“Belle,” she said, “I saw him go to that counter, pay his bill, and wheel his luggage out those doors. A van picked him up, and he left.”
I couldn’t believe what she’d just said. “Hold on a moment.”
I walked over to the counter, and told the clerk we were waiting for David, and she said we had just missed him.
The Last Lie She Told (Lies and Misdirection Book 1) Page 19