Losing Ladd

by Dianne Venetta

  “Sounds like a great idea.” Placing a hand to Casey’s shoulder, Nick said, “Give Troy my sincerest thanks, will you? I know he’s done a lot for the animals, and I can’t tell you how important that is to me.”

  Casey nodded. “He loves those animals.”

  “I know he does. It shows in everything he does.”

  As though uncertain whether or not to broach the subject, Casey ventured softly, “How’s Travis?”

  “Still in surgery.”

  “Lacy called,” Annie said. “She said Delaney is out and doing well?”

  “So far it looks that way,” he continued. “Only time will tell, but I’ve got all the confidence in the world in her. Delaney’s a fighter. She’ll pull through.”

  Annie released a tight sigh. “Oh, good. We’re planning on stopping by the hospital on our way to Fran’s later.”

  “I know she’ll appreciate it. Felicity, too.” Clearing his throat, Nick switched gears. “Cal, can I have a word with you before you?”

  “Sure.” Leaning down, he kissed the top of Emily’s head. “Listen, you girls go take good care of those horses. I’ll meet up with you later.”

  Annie nodded, steering Emily toward the door with Casey in tow.

  “You riding with the baby?” Nick asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

  “No. I’m going up to visit with Troy before he takes them out on the trails.”

  “Sounds like a good idea.”

  “Have fun.” Cal waved them off. Waiting until the women were out the door, he asked, “What’s up?”

  “I want to know where Jillian is.”

  “I don’t know. Haven’t seen her since yesterday when the police came to question her.”

  “Do we know if she’s still here?”

  “No.”

  “Can we check her room?”

  The mounting urgency Cal heard bothered him. Nick sounded like he was ready to check for himself. “I can ask housekeeping if they’ve been to her room today.”

  “How about I do one better? What room is she in?”

  “You’re going to her room?”

  “You have a better idea?”

  Better than infringing on the privacy of one of their guests? Jillian or not, the idea of Nick barging in unannounced could not bode well. “How about we call up to her room?”

  Nick visibly bridled, clearly on the verge of refusal, but said, “Fine. Call her.”

  Cal went for the house phone by the fountain and dialed Jillian’s room. He knew the number by heart. It had been ingrained on his psyche since she checked in, as he prepared himself for potential trouble. It was ringing. “No answer.”

  “Doesn’t mean a thing.”

  “You can’t go up there, Nick. I mean, think about what you’re doing.” Cal was beginning to feel like Malcolm. Nick was clearly not in a state-of-mind where he should be confronting Jillian. “What are you after? Do you think she’s going to confess to you?”

  “No. But I will be able to detect the lie in her eyes.”

  “And then what? You going to drag her down the stairs and take her outside for a whooping?” Cal hated to overstep his boundaries with his boss, but the hotel was under enough duress at the moment. Images of Nick and Jillian in a screaming match on the third floor would only incite the situation.

  The blunt question seemed to shake the cobwebs from Nick’s brain. “She’s guilty. The police need to arrest her before she leaves town.”

  Cal hadn’t thought about her skipping town. She seemed pretty comfortable around Officer Griffin yesterday when he was questioning her. Then Jack waltzed in and the two were nothing but a cozy couple. Jillian appeared to be flying above the fray on this one. “The police are doing everything they can. Forensics is tying the evidence together, and if Jillian is guilty, they’ll be able to prove it.”

  “They said the call came from Jeremiah’s phone.”

  “That’s what they said,” Cal said, realizing Nick didn’t buy it.

  “Do we know if the police have picked him up yet?”

  “For what? The shooting?”

  “I called Malcolm and told him to make the report.”

  Cal had been here for the conversation. “He called but I haven’t heard anything since.”

  “Damn it,” Nick burst out. “Don’t they get that these people can skip town? Are they even competent at their jobs?”

  The pace of rural living did not keep up with a man used to getting his way and getting it on demand. It had only been two days since the fire, two hours since the shooting. Cal wasn’t going to fault the police department for taking their time and getting it right. “Listen, I hear what you’re saying. If I see Jillian, I’ll let you know.” Cal understood a man’s need to do something, but sometimes action did more harm than good.

  “I’m going up to the stables,” Nick said. “Call me if you hear anything.” Without waiting for a response, he headed for the door.

  Cal watched him go, debating whether or not a return to the scene where Nick’s wife nearly lost her life was such a good idea. It seemed the stables were the last place Nick should be. But Cal turned, and walked back to his office. It was Nick’s hotel. He could go wherever he wanted.

  Nick made it to the top of the hill, disturbed by images of blackened walls and yellow police tape. As he paused, a sickening nausea rolled in his gut. He hadn’t seen the place in the daylight. He’d only seen the swell of orange-red flame as it raged against a night sky. In the clarity of day, the sight of collapsed walls and sunken metal roof broke his heart. This was Delaney’s second home. This was where she lived and breathed and wanted to be. Nick didn’t doubt her love for him but he understood and accepted that her heart dwelled here.

  Steering clear of the investigation area, he was mindful of the professionals sifting through the embers in search of clues. Nick knew from experience they would find their clues, isolate the point of origin, piece together the blaze and follow it straight back to the culprit responsible. Nick would love to save them the time and energy and deliver Jillian Devane to them on a silver platter, but Cal was right. It was better to let the authorities handle the details. If Jillian ran, he’d follow her. He’d hunt her down to her home in South America or wherever she decided to flee. She might have gotten away with setting a blaze to burn out her competition in Brazil, but she wouldn’t do so here. This was his jurisdiction. The U.S. was Nick’s territory and he would drag her back kicking and screaming to face the charges she deserved.

  In the distance he could see several of the horses gathered outside the barn. Nick imagined Troy was saddling them for his family’s trail ride. Visions of the kid running into the burning stables to save the horses burned deep in Nick’s heart. He owed Troy. He didn’t even think about the animals. The second he saw Delaney lying on the ground, everything else vanished. A sharp pain wrenched his heart. His first thought had been: she was dead. Her body had been lifeless. Her stables were on fire and she lay on the ground. Only death would keep her from her horses.

  Nick kicked himself to move. Extinguishing the images from his mind, he warned himself to get away from the building. Move. There would be time to rehash the fire and chain of events once he knew Delaney was safely on the road to recovery. Until then, Nick would flatten anything that stood in his way between here and justice.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Malcolm checked his watch again, the silver hands on the navy dial warning it was growing late. He didn’t want Felicity to feel like he was counting the minutes but in fact he was. He needed to get back to the hotel. Cal should be with his family. He should enjoy his daughter’s first visit to Tennessee, not stand around and hold the fort for his boss while he sat doing nothing at the hospital. Lacy and Emma Jane could stay with Felicity. Malcolm glanced over at his wife as she held their daughter. Emma Jane was sound asleep in Lacy’s arms, her long black lashes a standout against her creamy white skin. The child was a beauty. Reaching over, he caressed the butter soft skin
of her tiny hand. Everyone thought their babies were beautiful but Emma Jane truly was. From her ruby-pink lips to her full head of jet-black hair, the girl was perfection. Like her mother, he thought, moving his gaze from baby to woman.

  Emma Jane was going to grow up and look just like Lacy, their coloring identical. He hoped so, anyway. Lacy was beautiful, inside and out. The layers of black hair had grown out from her pixie cut, the ends textured into points around her ivory-skinned neck. Despite living in a small town, Lacy kept her appearance stylish, on the cutting edge of fashion. The fitted royal blue halter dress and black strappy heels were the bounty gained from a few quick trips to New York and Los Angeles. But Lacy would look good in anything. Petite and curvy, she was more beautiful than any glamorous model yet maintained her country girl charm. And that’s what Lacy was, he mused. A country girl, through and through. When family called, she answered. When the going got rough, she dug in her heels and picked up a shovel. Lacy was youthful, vivacious, yet strong as an ox and not afraid to get dirty. Malcolm still couldn’t keep up with her when they hiked up the mountain, but he enjoyed trying. Staring at her now, Malcolm didn’t think anything would slow her down, not even baby number two. Excitement rippled through him. “What about our travel?” he’d asked her when she broached the subject of a second child. She merely laughed. “Don’t think any babies are going to slow me down!”

  He chuckled. Nothing slowed Lacy down.

  Glancing over at Felicity and Travis’ parents, Lacy whispered, “What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing.” This wasn’t the time or place to be running through the positives in his life. Not when Nick and Felicity were hurting so deeply. “I’m sorry, it was just a fleeting thought I was entertaining. Listen...” He leaned close, momentarily distracted by the rich perfume she wore. Decadent, a supple blend of violet and suede, it was a sophisticated woodsy floral and his absolute favorite. As he kissed her near the ear, wisps of hair tickled his nose. “I need to get back to the hotel. Will you be all right by yourself?” Ashley hadn’t made it on account of Albert’s appointment running long.

  “Of course.” She shooed him off. “You go on. I’ll stay with Felicity.”

  “You don’t think she’ll mind?” Malcolm asked.

  Lacy summoned a quick smile and patted his hand. “I don’t think she even knows you’re here. She won’t miss you but I will.”

  She winked and he pecked her cheek. “Thanks.”

  A nurse entered the room and Malcolm rose, instantly wondering if they had news on Travis.

  “Mrs. Parker?” she asked the room at large.

  Travis’ mother raised her hand. “That’s me.”

  “I have your son’s things,” she informed her and walked over, handing Mrs. Parker a white plastic bag imprinted with the hospital’s logo.

  “Thank you.” Mrs. Parker set the bag in the chair beside her.

  Felicity registered the delivery but didn’t utter a word. In the center of silence and grief, Malcolm had a sinking feeling. Had Travis died? Is that why they were returning his possessions? When the nurse exited the room, Malcolm hurried out after her. “Miss?” he asked, despite her obvious forty-plus years of age. “Do you have any word on Travis?”

  Her eyes filled with the detached compassion of a professional. “No, sir. His mother simply asked for his things.”

  “Oh.” Relief floated in. “Thanks.”

  She smiled and continued down the well-lit corridor, her rubber-soled shoes noiseless on the spotless Linoleum flooring. Returning to the room, Malcolm wondered at the contents of the bag. Was Travis’ phone inside? The photos he’d taken were the only solid proof they had as to the identity of Jeremiah’s cohorts. Malcolm wanted to run the images by Felicity for a positive identification before taking them to the police, and while he was sensitive to the timing, Malcolm knew the police would need any and all evidence they had to make charges against Jeremiah stick.

  Approaching tentatively, Malcolm called out softly, “Mrs. Parker?”

  She looked up at him and the pain in her gaze took a gash out of his heart. But Malcolm was on a mission that would ultimately serve her son. The rationalization alleviated the stab of guilt he felt at asking, “May I see if Travis’ cell phone is in the bag?”

  Mrs. Parker stared up at Malcolm while her husband asked, “Why?”

  “I think there might be evidence in the way of photos.” Darting a peek toward Felicity, he said, “Travis used his phone to snap some pictures of Jeremiah. There were two men with him. I’d like Felicity to take a look and see if the men are the same two that were with him this morning.”

  Giving a silent okay, Mr. Parker nudged his wife to check. She rifled through the bag and pulled out a cell phone. “Here.” Mrs. Parker glanced over at Felicity and Malcolm felt a strange tension pull. Then it occurred to him. Mrs. Parker wasn’t blaming Felicity for what happened, was she?

  Shaking the absurd thought, Malcolm took the phone from her and said, “Thank you.” It was insane for him to even think it. Taking a seat by Felicity, he asked gently, “Do you mind?”

  She shook her head. Malcolm searched Travis’ phone, scrolling through his photo album. When he located the photos, he handed the phone to Felicity. “Were these the men with Jeremiah?”

  Peering at the image, she said, “Yes, it looks like them.”

  “Can you zoom in on them, just to be sure?” She’d only glanced at the photo and Malcolm needed her to be sure. He wasn’t going to mention it to the police if she wasn’t absolutely positive that these were the same men.

  As though surprised by his request, Felicity did as he asked. Nodding, she said, “Yes, that’s them.”

  Lacy craned her head to look as Felicity handed the phone back to Malcolm. “Thank you. I’m sorry to ask, but this will help the police locate them.”

  “Let me see them,” Lacy said.

  Malcolm hesitated. Lacy was beautiful and wonderful but she was also nosy.

  “C’mon, now.” She jabbed out an open palm. “You never know if I might know them.”

  Doubtful, considering she’d spent most of her adult life living in Atlanta. But resigning himself to the inevitable, he handed the phone to her. Why not? She was spending her day sitting in a room doing nothing. Might as well give her something to look at.

  Lacy peered at the image, her blue eyes those of an eagle honing in on its prey. Awkwardly she tried to zoom in, but cradling Emma Jane in her arms was proving an encumbrance. “Let me help you.” Reaching over, Malcolm took his daughter from her mother’s arms.

  Lacy released her child without looking up, riveted to the small cell phone screen. “I’ve seen these men before.”

  Malcolm’s antennae shot up. “What?” Hugging Emma Jane to his chest, he peered over her shoulder. “What do you mean you’ve seen them before?”

  “Yes, yes.” Pressing her lips together, she zoomed in on each man’s face as closely as she could. She gnawed on her lower lip as if she thought staring hard enough would force the recollection. “Yes!” she cried out, nodding vigorously. As she flipped her heart-shaped face to his, Malcolm’s heart took a leap. “I thought I saw Robby Ladd the other day.”

  Malcolm gaped at her. “What are you talking about?”

  “At the gas station, the other day. I wasn’t sure at first. He looks so different with his beard and mustache. But I remember having a funny feeling, like I knew him from somewhere.” She glanced back at the image and nodded. “But looking at it now, I’m sure of it. That’s Albert’s oldest boy, Robby.”

  Beside him, Felicity came to life. “Uncle Albert’s sons?”

  The Parkers had tuned in as well.

  “Yes,” Lacy announced, “but they’ve been gone for years. Word was, they robbed a gas station and Billy was sent to juvie for it, but Robby ran out of town.” She fixed her gaze on Malcolm and a pang of remorse swept into her gaze. “It was around the same time I left town with Jeremiah.”

  Malcolm stiffened. “Jere
miah and these guys were in trouble together back then?”

  She nodded, darting a guilty glance toward Felicity and the Parkers. “It was never proven and Jeremiah denied it, but that was the story. He helped them with the robbery and then left town. I wonder what they’re doing back?”

  Wonder? Malcolm wanted to explode. They were back in town on account of Jeremiah! “How do we find them?” he asked her quickly. “Any idea?”

  “Oh, heaven’s no.” She feathered a hand to her breast. “I haven’t heard or seen either one of them since my move to Atlanta.”

  “They have any other common friends?” Malcolm prompted, eager for any lead he could get. “Men that Jeremiah and the Ladd brothers would know and connect with?”

  “Not that I’m aware of. I can ask Annie. Maybe she’d know, but as far as I can remember, the boys were loners.”

  “Do you think Albert would know?” Felicity asked, suddenly engaged in the conversation.

  Malcolm turned to her, a sleeping Emma Jane rousing at his neck. “I doubt they’d contact their father, especially if they’ve hooked up with Jeremiah.” Delicately prying Emma Jane’s grip from his collar, he exchanged Emma Jane for the camera. Energized by the new information, Malcolm stood. “I need to get this to the police.” Now that he had a positive ID, it would be possible for the police to draw a straight line between the Ladd boys and the hair sample and prints they collected from his office. Pecking Lacy’s head with a kiss, he said, “Thanks, sweetheart. You might have busted the case wide open.”

  She beamed, her blue eyes glittering with happiness. “Oh, good!”

  “Call me when you know something about Travis, will you?”

  “Of course,” she exclaimed and wriggled her fingers. “Toodles!”

  Malcolm strolled into the office, a new vigor sweeping in with him. “We’ve got our first lead.”

  Cal glanced up from a letter in hand, briskly re-folding it as he asked, “We do?”

  “Lacy positively identified the two men Jeremiah has been meeting with.”