by Lynn Shannon
Janet opened her mouth, but Lacey cut her off with a glare.
“No, Ms. West just had a few questions about our products. Unfortunately, we aren’t able to help her.” Her mouth tightened. “Now, if you’ll excuse us.”
She scooped up her phone and steered her sister away. Katherine passed a glance over her shoulder toward Janet as the two women crossed to a man standing near a large easel. Something about him looked familiar…
He turned to brush a kiss across Katherine’s cheek. Janet gasped.
It was Lee Maxwell, Officer Winston Maxwell’s brother.
Katherine said something, and Lee cast a glance over his shoulder. Janet was frozen, caught in the moment like a deer in the headlights, when he spotted her. His expression hardened and Lee’s glare iced her blood.
He’d recognized her.
Six
Todd’s hands tightened on the steering wheel as the sign for Sweetgrass appeared. He debated continuing on the freeway. The urge to put distance between Janet and whatever she’d stumbled into was overwhelming.
After seeing Lee Maxwell with the Huntington sisters, they’d gone to the state police. The special agent was a friend of Janet’s brother, and he’d promised to investigate further. It did little to ease Todd’s nerves. They couldn’t be sure who was involved or to what extent. Lee’s brother worked for Sweetgrass Police Department and Todd wasn’t willing to ignore the possibility the two siblings could be working together. Involving the state police, while the right thing to do, might’ve made Janet more of a target.
In the passenger seat next to him, Janet scowled and huffed an exaggerated sigh. She switched the cell phone to her other ear.
“I’m not flying to Nashville, Grady. Lauren already has you there. One pesky sibling is enough.” She paused. “No do not call Mom and Dad. They haven’t been on vacation in ten years. It’s their wedding anniversary. I’ve already called my friend Tara, and she’s agreed to spend the night. Todd will also stay at the house, so we’ll have protection.”
There was a bit more negotiating before Janet sighed again and said, “Grady wants to talk to you. Do you mind if I put him on speaker?”
“No.”
“Todd, I’ve heard good things about you from my folks, but Janet’s my kid sister. If she gets hurt—”
“I won’t let that happen, Grady. You have my word.”
A deep-seated anger had been building inside him from the moment he’d discovered Janet drugged in her vehicle. Finding Valerie was only part of the equation. Todd wasn’t going to stop until the man who’d put his hands on Janet was in a concrete cell with bars. It was his mission and one he gladly accepted.
He wouldn’t let anyone hurt her.
Grady was silent for a beat. “Good. I expect if something happens, you will keep me updated.”
“Of course,” Janet answered, rolling her eyes. “Bye, Grady.”
She hung up and tossed the phone in her bag. “Brothers.”
“He cares about you. He’s worried.”
“I know.” She rubbed her forehead, as if a headache was forming. “It didn’t help matters when he found out Lee Maxwell could be involved. Since Katherine and Lee are engaged, there’s a direct connection between Valerie and someone from Sweetgrass.”
“Do you think Lee is capable of kidnapping a woman and holding her for ransom?”
“I don’t know.” She bit her lip. “The Maxwell brothers came from a wealthy family, but their father had a gambling problem and lost it all. After the bank repossessed their house, my father offered them both a job on our ranch.” She knotted her hands together in her lap. “Things started disappearing afterward. Some cash here and there, my mother’s watch.”
“They were stealing from you.”
“Yes. They also placed a couple of items in a ranch hand’s room to frame him for it. I was the one who caught them and ratted them out.”
He hit the steering wheel. “That little weasel Winston had the gall to accuse you of lying. I was mad about it then, but I’m furious now.”
“Being a jerk isn’t against the law. And, while stealing is serious, it’s a far cry from kidnapping a woman and holding her for ransom.”
As much as he didn’t want to, Todd had to agree with her. Still…the kidnapping theory made sense, and Lee’s connection to the family through Valerie’s stepdaughter couldn’t be a coincidence.
“Do you think Katherine and Lee are working together?”
She spread her hands. “It’s possible. They’re engaged. Of course, Lee could also be working on his own and Katherine has no idea.”
“What about Lacey?”
“I think she knows her stepmother is in trouble. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn she’s the person the kidnapper has been demanding a ransom from.”
Todd turned onto the street leading to Janet’s house. “Why wouldn’t she go to the police?”
“Maybe she’s scared. The kidnapper may have threatened to kill Valerie if she involved the police. Honestly, I’m not sure we should have gone. I know the special agent promised to keep the investigation quiet, but I’m worried we made things worse.”
“There’s no way to know for sure. At least now there are more people looking for Valerie.”
Janet nodded. “Can you drive past my house onto the back road? Valerie has been gone for a week, but I ran into her two days ago. If we are right, and she’s been kidnapped for ransom, she must have escaped that night.”
When Todd arrived at the location, she hopped out of the truck and studied both sides of the tree-lined street. “Valerie was running from somewhere and the attacker was chasing her. So where did they come from? And where did they go?”
“The chief mentioned the search dogs didn’t pick up on anything, so they might not have left on foot. Is it possible there was a car but you didn’t hear it?”
“I suppose. There was a thunderstorm and I was focused on helping Valerie. If it drove up with the headlights off…” She stared at the asphalt and frowned.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Valerie was trying to tell me something.”
She took a few more steps, close to where Todd recalled her jacket being in the road on the night of the attack. Her shoulders stiffened. “What was it? Mail? Fail? No, none of that makes sense.” She hit her thigh with a balled fist. “Why can’t I remember?”
He closed the distance between them and clasped her shoulders. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You were drugged and terrified.”
“Valerie’s being held by a monster and I can’t help her.”
She turned, and Todd pulled her into his arms, brushing his hand over her riot of curls. They were silky against his palm. Her body trembled and it ripped at his heart.
“You aren’t in this alone, Janet. We’ll figure it out.”
She lifted her face from his chest. Tears raced down her cheeks, smearing her makeup. Todd cupped her face and brushed them away with the pads of his thumbs. Her breath hitched, and the touch between them shifted from comforting to something different. Something electric. His heart kicked into high gear when her gaze dropped to his mouth.
Todd couldn’t resist her any more than he could stop pulling air into his lungs. For the first time since he was sixteen, he ignored all common sense and his fears.
He kissed her.
Seven
Janet was in dangerous territory.
The warmth of Todd’s lips, the gentleness of his touch, seared into her. The birds chirping in the trees, the rustle of the wind scattering the dried leaves, the horrible memory of the attack all melted away. In his arms emotions ruled, and there wasn’t room for anything else.
She needed to tread lightly. Her feelings for Todd went far deeper than she’d allowed herself to admit. But he was leaving Sweetgrass, and if she wasn’t careful, he was going to take her heart with him.
A branch broke in the woods behind Todd, and a flash of blue ducked behind a bush. She stiffened, any sense of
momentary security fleeing.
“Buck,” she whispered.
Todd peered into the woods before pushing her toward the vehicle. “Let’s go.”
He didn’t have to tell her twice. Buck spying on them was beyond creepy. Todd’s truck rumbled to life, and Janet let out a sigh of relief when her house came into view.
“Is it possible Buck’s involved in Valerie’s disappearance?” Todd asked, as he shut off the engine. “He showed up in town right after Valerie went missing, he’s guarding the property like he’s got something to hide, and he’s watching us. It’s weird.”
“I don’t see how. Buck and the Maxwells don’t get along at all. I can’t see them working together.”
“Maybe we’re making the wrong assumption and the Maxwells aren’t involved at all.”
“But Buck doesn’t have a connection to Valerie.”
“How do you know?” he asked. “How much do you really know about him and where he’s been in the last few years? Houston isn’t far from Sweetgrass. It’s conceivable Buck and Valerie could’ve crossed paths.”
Goose bumps pebbled across her arms, and she hugged herself. “That’s true.”
“Valerie could be on the Bertrands’ property.”
Her throat clogged as the memory of the attacker covering her mouth swelled. The cab of the truck closed in. Her hand shook as she fumbled with the door handle before clambering out.
What was happening to Valerie right now? Had she been hurt when the SUV hit her? What about afterward?
Todd came around the vehicle. “I’m sorry. I have the sensitivity of a two-by-four.”
“No, you didn’t say anything I wasn’t already thinking. It’s just horrific. All of it. I feel so helpless.”
“Would prayer help?”
She let out a breath, and tears burned the back of her eyes. “Yes, it would.”
They joined hands, bowed their heads, and Janet poured all of the mixed emotions into her prayer. The weight crushing her shoulders lifted. Valerie was in God’s hands. It didn’t mean Janet would stop trying to find her or pushing law enforcement to help, but there was only so much she could control. The rest she had to give to the Lord.
After the prayer was done, she hugged Todd. “Thank you. I needed the reminder.”
Arms wrapped around each other’s waists, they walked to the house. Janet opened the door and silence greeted her.
“Callie?” Her heart skipped a beat, and she took several steps into the living room. The dog bed was empty. The curtains in the living room fluttered. Janet whirled and raced into the kitchen. Todd called out to her, but she didn’t stop.
The back door was open.
She grabbed the counter for support as the room tilted. Mud smears marred the freshly laid tile, but with growing horror, she realized none of them were paw prints.
Janet bolted from the kitchen into the yard. “Callie!”
Todd caught up with her and grabbed onto her arm, halting her progress forward. He scanned the trees bordering her property. “Janet, it’s not safe.”
“I’m not leaving without my dog. She would never go far on her own.”
She yelled again and again, Todd joining in, but Callie didn’t appear. Tears blurred Janet’s vision. If someone was willing to kidnap a woman, and attack another, what would he do to a dog?
“If she was somewhere outside, and heard me, she would come running.” She swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat. “We have to organize a search for her. She could be hurt, or worse.”
“Don’t panic yet. Let’s start in the storage sheds. If someone came into the house and let her outside, she may have gone exploring and gotten herself trapped. She’s done it before.”
It was logical, but Janet was beyond reason. Callie was a member of her family, and she had the horrible feeling something bad had happened to her beloved pet. She pitched forward, urgency fueling her strides.
Todd grabbed her hand. “Stay with me. I know you’re scared for Callie, but it’s safer if we’re together.”
“Okay, but please hurry.”
They crossed the yard together. The rickety storage sheds sat along the tree line in a corner of the property. Todd’s gaze scanned the area once more before he turned his attention to the first shed’s windows. They were grimy with years of dust.
Janet wrapped her arms around her middle and stifled the urge to scream. Todd swung the door open.
Empty.
They moved to the next one. Janet’s shoulder muscles ached and her teeth ground together, but a tingle on the back of her neck caused her to turn around. She scanned the tree line. Nothing. Behind her, the shed door creaked open and Todd inhaled sharply.
She whirled. Golden fur stood out against the cement floor and Janet pushed past Todd.
“Callie.” Tears ran down her face as she dropped to her knees. Her poor dog had been hogtied. Duct tape was wrapped around her muzzle. Callie whimpered, and Janet hugged her.
“Todd, find me something to cut her free.”
“I’ll have a knife in my truck. We’ll tend to her there.” His voice was thick with emotion, and when he hefted the sixty-pound animal into his arms, fierce anger shimmered in his eyes. “Let’s get out of here, Janet.”
She rose from the floor, her gaze moving from Callie and Todd. She gasped and took a step back, banging into a collection of discarded brooms. They clattered into bits of broken lawn equipment before crashing to the floor.
Hanging from a wooden beam by a noose was a doll with an uncanny resemblance to Janet. Curly hair and a heart-shaped face dressed in jeans and cowboy boots. Duct tape sealed her mouth and in her hands was a sign.
SHUT UP.
The message was written in blood.
Eight
Chief Jackman’s face was etched in granite when he exited the shed with Todd. Janet watched the men cross the yard from the window, Callie at her side. The Labrador mix had been thoroughly checked by the vet and, other than being a bit dehydrated, was unharmed. Unable to stomach returning home, they’d spent the night at her friend’s house, but Janet’s sleep had been restless.
Footsteps on the kitchen tile preceded their entry into the living room. She tensed, turning to greet the chief with a glare. “Now do you believe me?”
“I always believed you.”
“Actually, your officer accused Janet of lying.” Todd came to stand next to her, patting Callie on the head before placing his hand on the small of her back. His jaw clenched as he glared at the lawman. “And you insinuated she hallucinated the entire thing. From where I’m standing, it sure seems like you didn’t believe her.”
His words, along with the warmth of his touch, soothed the raw edges of her nerves. Janet didn’t need him to fight her battles, but it was nice to have him as backup.
Jackman frowned. “There is still no evidence of the attack other than Janet’s statement. I don’t even have an ID on the missing woman.”
“It’s Valerie Coons.”
“The state police went to speak to the Huntingtons last night. Both of them admit the woman in the sketch resembles their stepmother, but they swear can’t be Valerie because she’s traveling in Europe.”
“Did the special agent talk to Valerie?” she asked.
“No. They promised to pass on the special agent’s phone number and have Valerie call him as soon as possible.”
“That’s not good enough.”
He threw up his hands. “What would you have me do? They’re her family and they haven’t reported her missing.”
“Regardless, there is a woman out there being held by someone. Why won’t you look for her? Are you afraid of what you will find if you do?”
He glowered. “I don’t take kindly to you accusing a member of my department without evidence.”
“Lee Maxwell is engaged to Valerie’s stepdaughter, Winston is his brother, and I nearly ran over a woman who bears a striking resemblance to Valerie. What more do you need?”
“Act
ual physical evidence.” His mouth pursed. “I will have a forensic team come out to the house. I’ll also send the sketch to law enforcement all over Texas. Maybe someone will recognize her.”
Janet crossed her arms over her chest. “Don’t be surprised if you get calls identifying her as Valerie Coons.”
Todd’s leg bounced up and down as he waited for his friend, Charlene “Charlie” Greer, to doctor her coffee. The private investigator used three spoons of sugar before drowning the dark brew in milk.
“How did you ever make it in the army?” he asked.
“I can rough it, soldier, if I have to.” She smiled, flashing perfect white teeth before biting into an oatmeal raisin cookie. “Yum. This is amazing.”
“Thank you.” Janet placed a hand on his leg to stop the motion, and he took the opportunity to hold her hand. Their fingers interlocked. She edged closer to him until her shoulder brushed his. “So, how do you know Valerie has been kidnapped for sure?”
“Because Lacey Huntington has been sending money for the last two weeks to an offshore account. Not enough to draw attention, although the contact I spoke to said it was highly unusual activity for her.”
Todd didn’t know whether to feel sorry for the woman or be enraged she was hiding important information from the police. “Lacey’s trying to handle this on her own.”
“Looks like it, and although I can’t be sure, I do have my doubts about Lee Maxwell’s involvement.”
“Why?”
“Because Katherine Huntington is a wealthy woman in her own right who doesn’t believe in prenups. Once Lee marries her next month, he’ll be set for life.”
Janet sat back in her chair and sighed. “Well, there goes my number-one suspect.”
Charlie licked cookie crumbs off her fingers, reached into her bag, and pulled out a file folder. “Well, let me replace it for you. Buck Bertrand and Valerie Coons are connected. After his last stint in prison—for aggravated assault, mind you—he worked for a landscaping company. One of their clients was Valerie.”