Jason smiled complacently as if Annie were no bigger than a child. “A snob I may be Miss Brown but I can assure you I’d rather be sitting in my position than yours right now.”
The reminder of our precarious position didn’t go unnoticed and Annie paled visibly. My hands clenched tightly on my lap. Bet his smug attitude goes south when the police arrived. At least that was something to look forward to.
“Hey boss, the shipment’s almost ready to go. Do you want to send the first truck out or wait until they’re both loaded up?” one of the workers called out.
Crap! I needed just a few more minutes…the police had to be close by now, right?
“Wait! I have a few more questions to ask...,” I stammered as Jason stood from the table.
Holding up a hand he shook his head. “Sorry Miss Andrews, no more questions. I believe this concludes our interview.”
As he spoke the barn door opened and Tom Kincaid strolled in. His face slackened in surprise upon seeing Annie and I there. Guess he missed the memo for our little board meeting.
“What the hell are they doing here? What’s going on here?” he demanded, his face growing red.
Jason sighed and held up a hand, giving him a dismissive wave. “This is nothing, just a small detour in the plan. It’s about to be taken care of.”
At his words our two thugs appeared on either side of Annie and I, dragging us out of our seats. Think Taci think, my frantic mind shouted as we were dragged towards the doorway. The sight of Kincaid’s face as we passed made something click in the back of my mind.
“Does Kincaid know you’re going to cut him out of the deal once the project here is done?” I shouted.
Kincaid grabbed the thug’s arm who was trying to wrestle me out the door, jerking us both to a stop. Thug two holding Annie stopped as well.
“What’s she talking about, McAllister?” he demanded.
Jason gave a laugh. “She’s not talking about anything Tom, just trying to throw you off track is all. Alex, Jonah, please take the women outside and be done with it. They’re starting to get on my nerves.”
“Do you honestly think he’s going to keep you around when you’re of no use to him? Think about it Kincaid, when Rosehill is done how will he ship the drugs in town? He’s only using you until the project is done then he’ll cut you out and move onto the next cover,” I insisted. I knew it was a long shot but it made sense. Jason was a user, always had been and always would be. What use would a man like Kincaid have for him after his cover was gone?
Jason glowered at me, striding across the room to where we were standing. Drawing back a hand he slapped it across my face with enough force to send me sprawling onto the dusty floor. Annie cried out and reached out, struggling when the thugs restrained her from reaching me.
“I always said that smart mouth of yours was going to get you in trouble. You just don’t seem to know when to shut up,” he said tightly.
Using my sleeve I wiped the corner of my mouth, cringing at the crimson color of blood staining the material. Rising to my feet I gave Annie an encouraging smile before turning to face Jason again.
“She’s right, isn’t she? Damn it answer me McAllister, I think you owe me at least that much,” Kincaid all but shouted, his face furious.
Jason sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his finger and thumb. “The only thing you need to know, Tom, is where the shipment needs to be delivered to and how you’ll get your last payment. Anything else could be a risk to your health.”
Kincaid glowered even darker. “You can’t threaten me. If it weren’t for me you wouldn’t even have your little operation out here. I helped you build this empire and I can help tear it down if I have to.”
Jason took a step towards him, jaw clenched. “Have you forgotten who you’re dealing with? I’m not some punk kid on your payroll Tom, I’m a man capable of making you disappear with a snap of my fingers. I have connections in higher places than you’ve probably even heard of. Trust me, I’m not the kind of man you want to mess around with.”
As he spoke thug one and thug two left Annie and I alone, moving to stand next to Jason should their boss need assistance. The barn, which had been noisy with last minute preparations was eerily silent as everyone stood watching the exchange between the two men.
I slowly reached down and grabbed Annie’s arm, inching us back towards the door. I had a feeling this wasn’t going to end well and I sure as hell wasn’t going to be around when it hit the fan.
Annie followed my lead and inched herself backwards, taking care not to make any large movements that might draw attention. Just before we reached the entrance her boot backed into a metal gas tank. The loud clang echoed through the room as the tank tipped over, spilling its contents across the dusty floor. Everyone turned to look at us, staring almost in awe as the gasoline fumes began to intermingle with the stench of powdered meth.
“Son of a…get that cleaned up, now! And get those women back here,” Jason all but snarled. Thug one and thug two scrambled in our direction and I took off running, pulling Annie close behind. Flying through the barn door the sound of a gun being fired registered in the back of my mind followed by a loud explosion. The force of the explosion lifted Annie and I off our feet, tossing us several feet away from the barn.
Sitting in the back of the Medic I surveyed the scene beyond the open doors. I was alone at the moment, only temporarily so. I’d sent the paramedic out to find Annie to reassure me that she was really alright. It wasn’t confirmed yet, but they assumed with the gasoline tank spilling over and the high concentrate of crystal meth powder in the barn it had caused a charge when the gun was fired, causing the explosion. The good news, Annie and I survived the explosion with only a broken wrist for myself and Annie all scraped up. The bad news, Jason, Kincaid and their whole crew had been wiped out. While I didn’t hold any remorse for the lost lives I did feel sorry, once again, for Valerie. I really hated it when I did that.
On the bright side I hadn’t caught sight of Tony among the emergency responders, a bright light in the dark night. As the thought left my head Tony came into view, causing my gut to clench. So much for that thought. He spoke with one of the EMS drivers who gestured in my direction before quickly weaving his way through the crowd of fire fighter’s and EMT’s on the scene until coming to a stop in the doorway of the Medic.
“So, is this what you do for fun on a Monday night?” he asked dryly.
“Actually no. Our normal Monday night consists of driving around town and painting obscenities on the sides of buildings,” I responded.
“You know, I always wondered who was behind all the vandalism in town,” he replied.
He was cracking jokes; that was a good sign, right? The paramedic who’d been taking care of me returned, coming to a sudden stop at Tony shadowing the open doorway.
“Hey Parsons, didn’t know you were working the scene tonight. Did you just get here?” the friendly medic asked, climbing into the back of the truck to check on my wrist. I grimaced as he removed the ice pack wrapped around, it surveying the swelling. The fracture had been obvious by the wrong direction my wrist was twisted so they decided to reset it quickly to help with the swelling. I was told I’d still be going to the hospital for x-rays and final assessments but needed to wait until the police chief’d had a chance to speak with me.
Tony watched me quietly, his jaw clenched at the site of my discolored wrist. “My shift wasn’t scheduled until 6:00 but after hearing the report on the scanner I decided to come in earlier to see if my help was needed.”
I flushed, not missing the directness of his words. I could only imagine what had been reported on the police scanner; that and how pissed he’d been when my name had come up.
Sensing the direction of Tony’s stare the paramedic gave a reassuring smile, misunderstanding his meaning. “Don’t worry about this, the bone’s already been reset and I’m pretty sure it was the major damage caused by the trauma. It should heal up n
icely for her. I’d say she and Mrs. Hastings made out pretty good, considering what could have happened.”
If it was possible for Tony to get even tense then I’d say that did the trick. I blew out a small resigned sigh.
“How’s Annie?” I asked, anxious to draw the subject away from me.
The paramedic smiled as he rewrapped my wrist before turning towards the I.V. bag hanging next to my table. “She’ll be fine, just a little bumped and scraped up is all. The chief is talking to her then she’ll be taken to the hospital to get checked out.”
Another dose of pain medicine was shot into my I.V. and within a few minutes I began to get that floaty feeling I’d had earlier.
“Better?” he asked, turning back towards me. I leaned comfortably back against the raised up bed behind me, giving a happy smile.
“Yeah, thanks,” I replied. I really wanted to close my eyes and drift off but now wasn’t the time. If the Chief was talking to Annie now then he’d be here next. Not to mention I could still feel Tony’s glowering gaze on me. Jeez, he really knew how to kill a good buzz.
“Great. I’ve got some reports I need to get filled out. Parsons, can I trust her in your care until I get back?” the paramedic asked, hopping out the back of the truck. Tony grinned, giving a nod. I sighed. I had a feeling his idea of care was completely different than mine.
“I’ll take care of her alright,” he replied, waiting until the paramedic was out of site before climbing into the back of the truck.
I watched him expectantly as he moved to sit next to my bed, waiting for the lecture I knew was about to begin. To my surprise he leaned over and captured my good hand, caressing it softly with the pad of his thumb.
“Are you in much pain?” he asked, concern in his voice.
I shook my head, my throat feeling suddenly clogged. Why was he being so nice? I could handle a tough, bossy and snide Parsons much better than a soft and caring one. How the hell was I going to work with that?
“Want to tell me what happened?” he continued softly.
“Remember the Ammonium Nitrate your buddy at the RPD found on our mannequin friend?” I asked, waiting for his nod before continuing. “Well, I was watching a special on the discovery channel the other night that talked about it being used in farming fertilizers and I suddenly remember that Rosehill was being built on old farm land. Considering the great impression I’d made with the projects foreman I wondered if there was a connection with him.”
Tony eyed me with interest, a slight gleam in his eye. “You watch the discovery channel?”
I stuck out my tongue. “Focus Parsons, focus. I called Annie up and asked her to come with me to stake out the construction site to see if there was anything going on late at night. That’s when I happened upon Jason and his crew of druggies.”
Tony rubbed his free hand thoughtfully over his jaw. “So you’re telling me because of watching the discovery channel you staked out a construction site, came across a drug ring and managed to blow everyone to pieces?”
“It’s not like we blew up the barn on purpose! Annie signaled me that she’d called the police before she was discovered hiding outside so I knew if I kept Jason busy long enough it’d give the police a chance to get there,” I explained.
Tony’s jaw flexed at the mention of Jason’s name; I was instantly flooded with remorse.
“I’m sorry about Jason,” I said softly.
Tony shrugged, shuttering his gaze. “It’s the way of the world, Tace. I knew he was involved in something but I never thought…”
His voice trailed off, leaving us in silence. I could tell he was upset but I knew Parsons well enough to not push the issue. He wasn’t the break down and cry kind of guy; I’m sure later he’d get roaring drunk. He stared down at me, the torture in his eyes making my heart turn over.
“Tony, if there’s anything I can do…,” I said slowly, stopping when he shook his head.
“Please don’t,” was his hoarse reply, the muscles in his jaw flexing from exertion.
“Am I interrupting something?” a deep voice spoke from the bed of the truck. Tony cleared his throat and straightened in his seat, giving a shake of his head.
“Not a thing chief, just checking on an old friend. Feel better Taci,” he said smoothly as if nothing had transpired, giving my hand a squeeze before releasing it.
Once again my throat was clogged as I watched him climb out of the truck, stopping to say a greeting to the police chief before moving out of view. I guess that answered the question of where I stood with Parsons; on the outside looking in.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Pulling to a stop in front of Valerie McAllister’s house I shifted the rental car into park before killing the engine. Lucky for me I hadn’t blown up when the barn exploded. My car, unfortunately, hadn’t been so lucky. It wasn’t completely totaled, which was good news, and the insurance company assured me they’d be picking up the tab since it wasn’t my fault. I just had to resign myself to the little Echo they sent me as a rental car until my Civic was ready.
It’d been a week since Jason’s funeral and I’d put off the inevitable long enough. I knew I’d have to talk to Valerie sometime, if not to tie up some loose ends to my story. The spread in the Riverdale Times had taken national news about the drug ring bust in our little town and more than ever business was good.
Bryce had been thrilled with the story I handed him for the final draft but I wasn’t able to share in his excitement. While I had to admit it was probably one of the best pieces I’d written to date I couldn’t help the feeling that there was something missing.
Of course Bryce’s enthusiasm was short lived when the missing Richard Owens showed up. Figuring the McAllister case was nothing more than a fluff piece he’d decided to take off for Vegas with his latest fling under the guise of doing research on the case. It would have worked out pretty good too had he not loaned his cousin his car, who then turned around and used it for some drug deals before dumping it in the river. I guess the cousin figured with the drug involvement going to the police to clear things up wouldn’t have been the smart move. It turned out pretty good in the end though; Owens got canned and his cousin is making new friends behind bars. With that under my belt there was only one more thing that needed to be cleared up and my conscious could leave me the hell alone.
As I sat in the rental outside of Valerie’s two story Victorian Mansion I weighed my options. Option number one I could forget the whole thing, be happy with the story the way it was and just leave it at that. Option number two I could go inside and ask Valerie the questions that were eating me up. Sigh. Decisions, decisions. With much regret I pulled my keys from the ignition, dropping them into my purse before slinging it across my shoulder. Exiting the car I took one last deep breath before walking up the front walk.
The bright red door stood stark against the creamy whiteness of the house and my hand shook a little as I pushed the doorbell. Listening to the chimes I waited, almost hoping she wasn’t home. The tell tale click of high heeled shoes on a polished floor told me I wasn’t so lucky.
The door came open and there stood Valerie in all her glory; fancy hair do, dark blue silky blouse, brown cashmere pants down to a pair of matching brown suede shoes. Her blue eyes widened in surprise, a smile blossoming on her face at my appearance.
“Taci, what a surprise to see you here,” she exclaimed. I paused at her chipper disposition. For someone who’d just lost their husband she seemed to be in a pretty good mood.
“Hey Valerie, sorry to just barge in on you like this after everything that’s happened. I’m so sorry for your loss,” I said sincerely. Despite our past together I didn’t see the sense in being a jerk. Even I’m not that mean.
“Well you know, these things tend to happen. Thank you for coming by,” she replied. I paused again, slightly thrown back by her words. Call me crazy but Valerie wasn’t giving me the impression that she was too torn up over Jason’s death. Then again maybe she was th
e type of person who didn’t allow other people to see her emotions. It sounded plausible enough, but I didn’t quite buy it.
“Well I’m sorry to say that isn’t the only reason I stopped by to see you today. I was hoping you had a few minutes to clear up a few things for me,” I said.
Valerie frowned. “What sort of things? I assumed you had all the details from the story I’d read in the Times last week. By the way you did a really nice job with your write up.”
Her compliment threw me for a minute but I recovered quickly. “Uh, thanks. And no, there were a few details I’d left out of the published story that I was hoping you might be able to tell me about. May I come in?”
“Oh my, where are my manners? Of course you should come in,” she said warmly, stepping back to allow me to pass by.
I stared around the entryway with a somewhat awed expression as she closed the door behind us. The flooring was a creamy polished marble, the kind I’d only seen gracing the homes of people far more richer than I. The room was furnished with oil paintings and artistic statues, complete with a centered staircase that looked like it had come straight out the movie Gone with the Wind.
I quickly recovered my composure as Valerie led me through a beautiful archway into what appeared to be a den. Taking a seat on a small settee I waited while she seated herself across from me.
“Would you care for something to drink? Coffee? Tea?” she asked. I held up my hand, shaking my head.
“No thanks, this won’t take long. I don’t want to take up too much of your time,” I replied.
Valerie nodded her head, glancing down at her watch. “I do hope so. I’m expecting company this afternoon.”
I cleared my throat. No sense in beating around the bush. “Then I’ll get right to the point. Several weeks ago you reported Samantha as a missing person to the RPD. Why did you do that when you knew you’d sent her to your mother’s house?”
Deadly Reunion (The Taci Andrews Deadly Series) Page 16