“That’s ridiculous!” Jacob said. He’d never claimed to be a perfect judge of character, but something about the wringer that he and Grace had gone through in the past few hours had left him with a pretty good sense of some things. Like that she had a good heart that cared about people. And a strong mind that wouldn’t willingly do something that foolish. “Grace, don’t worry. I’ve got your back.” He turned to Warren. “I don’t have a clue what’s been going on since I’ve been gone, but you and whoever’s saying Grace Finch had anything to do with three killers breaking out is wrong. Grace didn’t have anything to do with the prison break.”
“Hey, I didn’t say that she did!” Warren’s shrug was so huge that his arms practically flapped. “I have a lot to fill you in on and I hate this whole situation as much as you do. But getting the civilian who’s wanted for police questioning to stop illegally waving around a criminal’s gun seemed like a good thing to do before the conversation continued.”
Fair. But not good enough. Jacob blew out a breath. He glanced quickly at Grace to make sure he wasn’t about to cut her off or talk over her. But her lips were pressed together and her arms were crossed so tightly she looked like she was trying to disappear into herself.
He just prayed she trusted him enough to let him handle this.
“Well, she’s done what we’ve asked and handed over the weapon, and chosen to trust us...” No... She’s chosen to trust me... “Which, considering she’s the one who had her life threatened, more than once, by criminals in the past twenty-four hours, is no small ask. And clearly I need to be briefed.”
“In front of Grace?” Warren asked.
“We’re in the middle of the woods,” Jacob said. “For who knows how long. So yes, in front of Grace.”
Warren rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. “We got a substantial tip from an anonymous source that Grace has been exchanging letters with Turner and she made plans to meet him in the woods, create some big false media narrative about The so-called Elders really existing, and aiding him and the other prisoners to escape.”
He heard Grace’s sharp intake of breath. He didn’t dare look in her direction and get knocked off course again by whatever it was in her eyes that had tossed him around like the river’s current when she’d told him that she trusted him. But even when he couldn’t see her, he could feel her standing just off to his left. Scraps of the conversation they’d had earlier filled his mind. You’ve got to promise me that whatever I tell you...isn’t going to be repeated... Please... Jacob... I’m taking the biggest risk of my life trusting you...
And he’d told her, no. That he hadn’t been able promise.
“Grace has already spoken to me about the Hal Turner situation,” Jacob said. “I don’t believe she knew anything about the breakout, let alone assisted in it or planned to help Turner spread some baloney story about The so-called Elders. But she confirmed that he contacted her and asked her to come to a cabin in the woods. She says he didn’t say anything about the breakout and she had no forewarning it was coming. He just said there was evidence in the cabin related to his case.”
“Was there?” Warren asked.
And Jacob found himself very thankful he’d phrased the question that way. He wasn’t ready to discuss Faith’s locket yet. He wasn’t sure why. After all, Warren must’ve been fourteen when Faith had died and they’d gone to the same district high school. It’s not like Faith’s death was a secret to him. Even though they’d never talked about it. Jacob didn’t talk to anybody about it. Except his family, if they brought it up first. And Grace. He’d opened up to Grace. And now she probably thought he was betraying her. And I’m not. I’m a cop. A cop first, with a job to do.
“No,” Jacob said. “Nothing related to Turner, the other escaped convicts or the prison break. Turner did accost Grace this morning in the woods and threaten her life. But all he did was repeat his usual lies that The Elders set him up for the crimes he was convicted of. Now, he’s also accusing The Elders of being behind the prison break and trying to kill Grace.”
Warren just gaped. Jacob didn’t dare look at Grace. He felt like he’d let her down somehow—and he probably had—but what other choice did he have?
“All true,” Grace said, before Warren could ask. Jacob glanced her way. Her hands were propped on her hips. That incredible fire that was like a mix of guts, determination and courage flashed in her eyes. “I got a letter from Turner claiming there was evidence that he was set up in a cabin in the woods. My boss, Olivia, has been bugging me to take time off and I like camping. So I thought if I was going to take a couple of days in the woods, I might as well try to visit the cabin and see what was inside. I’m curious like that. I found nothing in the cabin.”
Jacob noticed she carefully left out whether or not he had found anything.
“Turner got the jump on me this morning,” she went on, throwing down her words like a hockey player shedding her gloves. “I pulled a gun on him—the gun you just made me surrender—and Turner ran. For the record, Turner now claims he never sent me the letter but that The Elders set him up for that too. I had no idea about the prison break before I went on this wild goose chase, because I’m not dumb enough to go roaming off into the woods alone with three killers on the loose.”
She rolled her shoulders back and tossed her head. Neither man spoke.
“Now, I know you’ve got a lot more you guys want to talk about,” she added, “but I’m about ready to get out of these woods. Especially if I’m going to now be questioned by police when I get home. So, do we wait here for a rescue helicopter? Or do we want to canoe to my car? My SUV is parked at the southwest parking lot. Because of how the river’s swollen, it took us a lot less time to reach the wreckage than I was expecting. Judging by the speed of the current and the fact that there’s three of us, it should be an hour. Maybe less, if it turns out the water’s risen so high that we can skip some of the portaging.”
Only then did she stop talking and silence fell, punctuated only by the rustle of the trees and the sound of the river flowing by. She was angry. Sure, she’d reined it in, but he could feel it building under the surface of her words. He didn’t blame her. He was frustrated too.
Beyond frustrated.
“No, a rescue helicopter’s not coming,” Warren said. “Because when I managed to get to the radio and call in the crash, they decided to ground the whole fleet until they could be seen by a mechanic crew. First, the entire Search and Rescue crew gets so sick that a whole bunch of people are hospitalized for it. Then the one guy who manages to hop in a helicopter has his bird drop out of the sky and is forced to jump out. So, yeah, everyone’s grounded.”
And these woods were quickly beginning to feel like some bad joke, where everyone who rushes in on a rescue mission just ended up getting stuck there too. This whole situation was ridiculous and had gone on far too long. What had been happening since Jacob had been gone? Search and Rescue had come down with food poisoning. Helicopters had been grounded. His contact Liam’s cover had been blown and then he’d been shot.
His sister’s locket had been found in the cabin Grace had been sent to by Hal Turner.
God, help me figure out what’s going on. Is there some pattern and connection between all these things? Is there something I’m missing?
It felt like he was somehow breathing underwater and everything would be distorted until he could surface again. “Yeah, canoeing sounds great.”
Within a few minutes, they were back in the canoe and paddling down the river. The canoe was more stable with three onboard and the river was indeed running faster. Warren took up the stern and Jacob knelt in the middle.
“So, what else am I missing?” Jacob asked after they’d been paddling a while.
“I think you’re up to speed on everything,” Warren said. “Kevin hovered in the air as long as he could and flew us back on fumes. That night, the sto
rm hit. Massive flooding. Power went down everywhere. Both landlines and cell towers are down. And then everybody on the Search and Rescue team got sick. It was a nightmare. The last thing we need is to be short-staffed in a crisis. As soon as the airport reopened, RCMP and military started flying in from everywhere to help.”
Yup, that matched what Trent had said. Sounded like he was returning home to chaos. But at least for him, chaos was business as usual and part of what he’s signed up for when he joined the RCMP. He couldn’t imagine what Grace was thinking, knowing she was going to be facing police questioning. His eyes traced down the lines of her shoulders and along her back. She hadn’t turned around to glance his way once since getting into the canoe, leaving him staring at the back of her head the entire journey.
He couldn’t begin to get his head around why she had done what she had. Why had she come to the woods alone when she got Turner’s letter? Why hadn’t she told Jacob sooner? Why hadn’t she called out to him for help when Turner grabbed her? Why had he held her in his arms? Why had he kissed her? Something in his heart kept pulling him toward her. But it’s like he had a stumbling block in his brain.
“...so you’d better be prepared to work overtime for the next few days.” Warren’s voice cut into his thoughts.
“My brother Trent is getting married tomorrow,” Jacob said.
“Oh, right.” Warren laughed. “I forgot today was Friday already. I’m Detective Albert’s plus one. I guess I’ll be seeing you there.”
They lapsed back into silence for the majority of the canoe ride, with little more conversation than “Rock to your right” or “Watch out ahead.” After a while, a path loomed to their right, and Grace slowed her paddling while Warren steered toward it. Then they pulled the canoe onto the shore and took turns carrying it back through the woods. But still, they barely spoke and the longer they went, the more Jacob realized he missed the sound of Grace’s voice. It was amazing how much a part of him—after everything they’d gone through—almost wished that Warren hadn’t found them, that they hadn’t been growing closer and closer, by each paddle stroke and step, toward saying goodbye. Finally, the trees parted and the parking lot lay ahead. A single black sports utility vehicle sat alone.
He wasn’t exactly sure if that was a good or a bad sign.
“That’s my car,” Grace said. “I figure once we get the canoe loaded up, I’ll drive you guys back to Toronto.”
Jacob shifted the canoe on his good shoulder and glanced at Warren. “Do you mind giving me and Grace a minute? Maybe you can hang back, make a call and figure out where things are at with Search and Rescue.”
Warren’s eyes searched his face, but all he said was, “Sure thing.”
They set the canoe down, Warren pulled out his phone and Jacob turned to Grace.
“Come on,” he said. “Let me walk you to your car. Well, just as soon as I do a quick visual for hostiles.”
She nodded. “Go ahead.”
He slid his good hand onto his weapon, stepped out into the parking lot and scanned the area. It was empty. He turned back to the forest’s edge. Grace stood there alone, looking at him. He walked back to her.
“Once Warren confirms that someone’s on their way to pick us up,” Jacob said. “I want you to get in your car and go.”
He hadn’t even finished his thought and already her head was shaking. “No, of course I’m not just taking off and leaving you here, even if the prime minister himself personally assures me help is on the way. You guys can come in the car with me.”
“I can’t leave this area until the Emergency Response Team gets here, and I can brief them on the fact that Cutter, Driver and Turner are somewhere in these woods.”
“Then I wait until they get here,” Grace said. “They’re going to want to talk to me too. I’m wanted for questioning.”
“I know,” he said. “That’s what I’m trying to protect you from.”
He could see her arms about to cross and suddenly he found himself reaching for her hand and to his surprise, she let him take it. Her fingers slid into his, fitting comfortably there in a way that no one else’s ever had. He somehow doubted anyone else’s ever would.
“Look, I respect your authority as a cop,” Grace said, “but I don’t need you to protect me.”
“I’m not saying this as a cop.” Jacob tugged her fingers closer into his. Did she really think he’d be standing here, holding her hand, if he was thinking in the slightest like a cop right now? “I’m saying this as a...friend.”
“Friend,” Grace repeated the word, as if it sounded as ill-fitting to her ears as it did to his.
And sure, the word didn’t seem to quite work and fit the situation, and the way he felt about her, but what other word was there?
“Yes, friend,” he repeated. “As your friend, who also happens to be a cop, I’m reminding you that being wanted for questioning by law enforcement is not the same as having a warrant out for your arrest. And while I’m sure the police have a lot of questions for you—” And I still have questions for you... “—you’re still entirely within your rights to wait. You’ve spent over twenty-four hours stuck in the woods and once the cops start questioning, you have no idea how many hours they’re going to want to keep you. You’re exhausted. You’re sore. Go home. Turn off your phone. Have a long bath and a few hours of sleep. Then talk to your boss, call your newspaper’s lawyer or another lawyer you know. And then go talk to the police when you’re refreshed and ready, on your own terms.”
She laughed, and he wasn’t sure why. It’s not like he’d said anything particularly funny. It was more like the kind of relieved chuckle he’d heard slip fellow officer’s lips when they’d just survived something traumatic and realized the danger was past.
“Thank you. That...that’s not what I expected you to say.”
Yeah, him neither.
“Look, if Turner contacts you, report it to the police immediately,” he added quickly. “Don’t go running around by yourself, trying to meet with him. Also forward any relevant messages, letters or communication you got from him in the past to law enforcement immediately. Your lawyer can help with that. I’m definitely not recommending you keep anything from the cops. But you’ve already technically spoken to an officer about this. And you’ve gone through a lot. So there is no harm in napping for an hour or two, getting cleaned up and changing your clothes before you talk to the police. In fact, your brain might be sharper if you do.”
No laugh this time. But a smile crossed her lips. It was soft and genuine, and inexplicably made him wonder what it would be like to kiss her.
“So, basically you’re saying I look pretty terrible right now?” Her free hand brushed along her hairline. “Because believe me, you could do with a shower too, bud.”
He laughed, loudly and for real. “No, I can’t imagine you could ever look terrible. No matter what life throws at you. Whatever it is you’ve got, it’s not a surface kind of thing.”
Her eyes slid away from his face and scanned the parking lot. And he felt heat rising to his face. Why did he keep saying ridiculous things around her?
There was a noise to their right. He turned toward it. A light brown camper van with faded floral curtains pulled out of the woods and into the parking lot. A young man sat in the driver’s seat.
“Hey! Hi!” Grace called. She ran toward it, pelting across the pavement and waving both hands over her head, leaving Jacob to run after her. For a moment, he thought the driver was about to ignore her and keep going. Then she leapt in front of it, her hands raised as if trying to stop the vehicle by sheer willpower alone. The camper screeched to a stop. Grace glanced up at the young bearded man at the wheel. “How are you guys doing?”
What was she doing?
Jacob reached her side, but before he could even speak she grabbed his left hand in hers and squeezed it tightly. For a split second he
could see a second person in the vehicle, standing behind the driver. She was young, maybe no more than early twenties with wide eyes and long pale hair. He glanced back for Warren and didn’t see him anywhere. When he looked back, she was gone.
“Hello! Hey!” Grace stood in front of the vehicle, holding onto Jacob with one hand, and waving the other hand widely. “Do you guys happen to have a phone charger?”
Jacob started to tug his hand away, but instead of her letting go, she slipped her right arm around his waist too and pulled him closer. Her lips slid across his cheek, their furtive touch sending shivers down his neck.
“They’re in trouble,” she whispered. “Driver is in that camper. He’s got them hostage.”
ELEVEN
“Driver? Are you sure?” He turned toward her.
“Positive.” Her face was so close to his that their noses bumped. Her breath brushed his lips as she whispered. “Thankfully you and Driver never really came face-to-face, and right now you don’t look like a cop.”
True, he probably didn’t look like a cop right now. But what exactly was Grace planning? To lure the young man and woman out and away from Driver? To convince the killer to let them go?
The camper door slammed open to their right. As they turned toward it, he felt Grace’s lips brush his in a kiss so quick and light he couldn’t tell if she’d done it by accident or on purpose.
“Hey...um... You guys... Sorry... We—we can’t help you.” The stammering voice belonged to the young man who’d been driving. He was heavyset with an impressive beard covering the lower half of a face that Jacob guessed was not much more than twenty-two.
“You—you guys gotta move...” the young man continued. His eyes darted everywhere but their faces. Oh, yeah, there was no way these two weren’t in danger. “We’re kind of in a hurry.”
“Hi, I’m Grace!” She dropped Jacob’s hand and grabbed the door. “We’ve been here since yesterday and we’ve just been canoeing. And you are?”
Cold Case Secrets Page 12