One Little Lie Page 24

  “He’s dead.” Brian’s voice was even.

  Reid stood and looked toward the darkness of the woods. “Did you see what happened?”

  Brian still had his gun out and gestured toward the woods with it. “A guy came out of the trees with his gun blazing.”

  Reid tried to remember how many shots he’d heard—two or three maybe? Was the shooter even now circling to attack Jane and the senator?

  Brian glanced toward the water. “Where’s Jane?”

  “She went to check on the senator. Fox was facedown on the dock. I don’t know if she was hit or not.” Reid gestured to Brian’s mic. “You might let her know what’s happened here.” It would reassure him just to hear Jane’s voice.

  “I don’t want to give away her location. She’ll join us when she can. There could be a shooter watching them.”

  Reid looked at the prone figure on the ground. “There’s nothing we can do for him, so we’d better go help Jane. You know there are at least two men out there. Jane’s alone.” He turned toward the water.

  “No.”

  Reid turned back at the hardness in Brian’s voice. He was aiming his gun at Reid’s chest. “Brian?”

  “Drop your gun, nice and easy.”

  Reid eyed his face and knew he had no chance to fire first. “You killed Paul?”

  “He needed killing. Now drop the gun.”

  Reid let the weapon fall to his feet. “Why would you be part of this?”

  “Kick it toward me. Gently.”

  Reid did as he was told but didn’t kick it too far. He might be able to dive for it.

  Brian gestured to the woods. “That way.”

  At least Brian wasn’t going after Jane, but that didn’t mean someone else wasn’t. Or was Boulter in this alone? Maybe there weren’t any other shooters.

  Reid glanced down at the man on the ground. “What about Paul?”

  “There is no Paul. He’s gone, man. Now move.”

  With a last glance at the unwavering gun, Reid started for the shadow of the forest. “Where are we going?” Please, God, keep Jane safe.

  “You’ll see soon enough.”

  “You’re part of the plot to kill the senator?”

  “I’m not part of it—I am it. I’ve been planning it a long time, and no two-bit journalist is going to ruin it for me.”

  It was cooler in the trees, and mosquitoes quickly buzzed Reid’s ears and swarmed his arms. As Brian forced him deeper into the woods, he searched for some kind of weapon. A tree branch, a rock, anything. While he saw possible items he could use, there was no real opportunity to attack.

  At least if something happened to him, Will knew the truth. Jane would take good care of their son. He didn’t want to leave his boy, but if it happened he had peace about it.

  “Do you have Harry and Fanny or are they dead?”

  He shrugged and didn’t reply.

  Reid clenched his fists. “Why take him?”

  “Leverage.”

  The path to the beach was just ahead, and Reid expected Brian to take them to the boat. Instead, he pointed out what appeared to be a deer trail that veered deeper into the forest. The brush was thicker here, too, and there was barely enough room to force their way through. Brambles tore at Reid’s skin, and Brian swore several times behind him. Maybe this would be a good opportunity to make a run for it.

  The idea had barely formed when Reid heard a cough just up ahead. Too late for action.

  “Elizabeth, that you?” Brian called.

  Elizabeth? Charles’s girlfriend? Reid strained to see through the darkness and made out the faint glow of a lantern.

  “Over here, Brian.”

  They broke through into a clearing that held a cabin. Moss grew on the shake roof, and the lean-to porch lurched to the right as it still maintained contact with the structure. Another light shone through the dirty window of the tiny house.

  Elizabeth was sitting on a four-wheeler, and she wasn’t alone. The other seat held Daryl Green. Jane’s intuition had been spot-on.

  Daryl frowned when Reid stepped into a shaft of light. “That’s not the senator. Why’d you bring this guy? He’s of no use.”

  “He was about to wreck the whole plan. I had to bring him. And Paul’s dead.”

  Elizabeth bit her lip. “No one else was supposed to be hurt. We had it all planned out. What happened?”

  “Charles figured it out. He called Jane and told her the senator was in trouble. Jane tried to call Fox and heard she was going alone to her retreat. Paul knew where the house was, and here we are. The best-laid plans.”

  “She’ll be looking for you.”

  Brian shook his head. “She has no idea I killed Paul. She’ll think the killer took me and Reid.” He grinned. “And she’s half right.”

  “That just means she’ll be searching for this guy even harder. She has a soft spot for him.” She gestured toward the deer trail. “Maybe you can lure the senator away from Jane?”

  Reid took a step forward. “Jane won’t fall for that. She’ll do whatever it takes to protect the senator. Besides, Baldwin County deputies are on their way. Your little plot is over.”

  Brian laughed. “You don’t think I really called them, do you?”

  Reid took a step back. “You lied.”

  “Yep. No one was on the other end of that call.” Brian glanced at Elizabeth. “He’s right, though. The senator’s safety will be Jane’s first priority. She won’t bring her to us. I’ll take care of Reid and go get Jane and the senator.”

  “No!” Elizabeth wet her lips. “I never agreed to be party to all this murder. Paul is dead, and now you’re going to kill the senator and Jane. I only went along with this to stay out of jail. This has grown into something much bigger and more serious.”

  “You’re in too deep to back out now.” Brian smirked at Reid and reached behind Elizabeth for a coil of rope. “But killing him can wait, just in case we need him.”

  * * *

  Crouching down, Jane dashed to the fallen senator who lay unmoving on the dock. She knelt at her side and touched her back. “Senator, are you hit?” Parker was on the senator’s other side, and he whined and nosed at the senator’s hand.

  Senator Fox lifted her head a fraction. “No, I’m okay. What’s going on?”

  “My dad told me it was a trap. I think our phone connection was cut off before I could tell you. We’ve got to get you to safety.” Jane helped her up. “Stay low. We’ll try to make it to your boat and move offshore.”

  She strained to hear anything from the direction Reid ran, but there was nothing. He had to be okay. So did her officers. Pushing away her worry, she turned and looked out to the water. No boat lights as far as she could see, but that didn’t mean someone wasn’t out there with their lights off. It was a gamble, but she had no choice. The senator was an open target here.

  The senator stared toward the house. “I can’t leave if there’s a chance Harry and Fanny are in there. Have you checked inside?”

  “No, but I doubt the kidnappers brought them. There just would be more details for them to track. The main goal here was to get to you.”

  “Why? What do they want?”

  “I don’t know that answer yet, but I’m going to find out. Do you have state police officers on their way?”

  The senator bit her lip. “The caller said if I came alone they wouldn’t hurt my family. They said they meant no ill will toward me or my family and just wanted to talk. But they clearly lied. I felt a bullet whiz by my head.”

  “Shots were fired on the south side of the house too. I’ve got an officer down.”

  “Oh dear.”

  Jane’s sentiments exactly, especially when there was nothing more from Brian or Reid. She tried to wrap her head around an intelligent woman like the senator coming out here in the middle of nowhere without backup. The police had surely told her not to trust a kidnapper’s word. She must have been so driven by love that she didn’t care what happened to her.


  But would Jane have acted any differently if she’d thought she could have saved her baby? No matter how high or hot the flames, she would have plunged back into that cabin in a heartbeat if she’d thought her son was in there. A mother’s love overcame any fear.

  Jane felt exposed out here on the pier and tried to stand in a way to block line of sight to the senator. The shooter could be creeping around for another try.

  She gestured to the boat. “You get in the boat and take it out into the bay. I’ll see if I can find your family.”

  “By yourself?”

  Jane guided her toward the boat. “We have to keep you safe. I don’t have a signal here so if you can get one, call the Coast Guard when you get offshore and let them know where you are. I don’t know how big this is or what’s going on. And stay alert for any boats cruising without lights. Ask the Coast Guard to notify the state police as well. We need backup.”

  Senator Fox nodded and stepped into her boat. “I’ve got a gun.”

  “Keep it ready.”

  Jane untied the rope and shoved off the vessel before she turned back toward the still-dark house. She hadn’t heard anything more about her fallen officer, and her lungs felt tight as she went for the trees and sidled closer to the front of the house. Gun in hand, she went into a crouched position and rushed forward. Parker wasn’t growling so she didn’t think anyone was close by. She peered into a dark window and could only make out the rough outline of furniture shrouded in sheets. The senator must not come here a lot.

  Nothing moved inside. She sidled along the edge of the house to the back door. Though desperate to know how the men were, her first duty was to rescue Harry and Fanny if they were here. She eased up the deck steps and approached the back door. When the doorknob turned easily in her hand, her pulse sped up.

  Someone had been here. The doorjamb was busted and the house didn’t feel empty. It could be her nerves on high alert, but she didn’t think so. She pushed open the door and stepped on broken glass as she made her way into a sunroom. The moon streamed through the windows and illuminated the shadowy humps of furniture. She spotted the door into the rest of the house and crossed the space to look into a family room. Nothing moved inside. She opened the door and stepped inside.

  The place smelled stale and dusty. She moved past the furniture toward the open kitchen. She heard nothing, not a cough, not a shoe scuff, not a breath. Maybe they had left here and gone into the trees. The kitchen wall was to her left, and she ran her fingers over the surface until she found the light switch. It was a gamble to switch on the lights, but in the dark she’d never be sure the place was clear.

  No. She withdrew her hand. She’d be an obvious target to anyone outside. She’d have to clear the house in the dark as best she could. At least Parker would warn her.

  Thirty-Six

  The house was empty.

  As she exited it Jane checked her phone. Still no signal. What was keeping her backup from the sheriff’s department? She hoped the senator had a signal and could call for help from the Coast Guard.

  She touched her mic. “Brian, you copy?”

  Only static answered her, and she went around the corner of the house to the south. She stopped and assessed the danger. No sounds but the music of the forest. Nothing moved but the breeze.

  “Brian? Reid?” she called softly. “Paul?”

  She swept her gaze over the tall grass. She drew a sharp breath when she saw the body lying near the trees. On high alert she approached Paul and knelt to touch him. Parker whined beside her, another bad sign. Paul’s skin was already cooling, but she had to be sure and sought a pulse. Nothing. Moisture glimmered on the front of his shirt. He’d been shot in the chest.

  Would she find Reid and Brian dead nearby too?

  She struggled to draw a breath. They couldn’t be dead. And she’d heard no other shots.

  She rose and checked her phone again. No signal. She could get to the boat and summon the Coast Guard by radio, though, make sure the senator had contacted them and was safe.

  She started down the path they’d taken to the house and followed it back to where it wound toward the beach. The cool ocean air touched her face when she emerged from the trees and hurried across the sand to the boat. She hadn’t been sure it was even still here. For all she knew, the shooter could have taken it or shoved it away from shore.

  She and Parker reached the dilapidated pier when something or someone crashed through the vegetation. Dropping to her knees by a post, she brought up her gun and aimed it toward the sound. Parker wasn’t growling so she wasn’t as concerned as she would have been if he’d been bristling. Brian’s broad shoulders forced through the thick brambles, and he stumbled to his knees as he hit the sand.

  Jane leapt to her feet and rushed toward him. “Brian, are you okay?”

  Before she could help him to his feet, he sprang up and came toward her. “I’m okay.” He looked past her to the boat. “Where’s the senator?”

  “I sent her back out in her boat. I hope by now she’s called the Coast Guard.”

  He took a step closer. “Can you stop her from calling? They’re going to kill Reid.”

  A fist closed around her heart. “What are you talking about?”

  “I barely escaped. We have to get back to save him. If they find out more law enforcement are out here, they’ll kill him. Fanny and Harry too.” His eyes blazed with urgency.

  She pulled out her phone. “I’ve got a signal.”

  “Call her and tell her to come back.”

  His story wasn’t making sense, and something in his manner sent chills running down her spine. “I can’t deliberately bring her into harm’s way. You know that, Brian. I’ll call the sheriff’s office myself and see where our backup is, then I’ll go with you.”

  His eyes went cold, and he brought up his gun. “They were never called. Toss your gun down.”

  “B-But you—”

  “Pretended to call them,” he finished for her. “I never spoke to anyone. Your gun.”

  She let her firearm fall from her fingers. “You’re behind this? But why?”

  He grinned and didn’t answer. “I’ve got another idea.” He gestured at her with his gun. “Call the senator and tell her we’re coming to get her.”

  She lifted her chin. “No. I won’t be party to this. You’ll have to kill me.” She put her hand on the dog’s head. “Parker, take!”

  The dog whined and looked at her as if to ask if she was sure. Before she could repeat her command, Brian yanked her arms behind her back and tied her roughly with a rope he pulled from his backpack. He took a handkerchief from the other pocket and stuffed it in her mouth. It tasted of cinnamon gum. She tried to yank her arm out of his grip, but he shoved her to the sand, then plucked her phone from her pocket.

  “If you want something done, you have to do it yourself.” He placed the call.

  Parker was dancing around, whining and barking. He didn’t know what to do. Brian was a friend and had often brought him treats. Parker had never been ordered to attack a friend before. It was training she should have made sure he had.

  Jane held her breath. Please don’t answer, please don’t answer. She tried to push the cloth out of her mouth with her tongue, but it was too big.

  “It’s not Jane, Senator. This is her detective, Brian. She gave me her phone to use, but she wants you to stay put until we join you. We’ve rescued your daughter and grandson.” He went silent, listening. “Yes, it’s a miracle for sure. They’re both fine, but they’re asking for you. Yes, I’m sure you’ll be glad to see them too. Oh, did you call the Coast Guard? Uh-huh, that’s good. No reason to bother them when we have this under control. We’ve got a boat, and we’re heading your way with your family. See you in a few minutes.”

  His smirk was wide but humorless when he stuffed the phone into Jane’s back pocket, then pulled the cloth from her mouth. “I knew she’d listen.”

  Jane struggled to sit up and pulled at t
he rope. It was too tight for her to get much wiggle out of it. “Why would you do this, Brian? You’re my best detective. I trusted you.”

  “Yeah, yeah. You don’t really know me.” He grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet, then shoved her toward the boat. “I’ll have to hide you in the hold until I have the senator subdued.” He propelled her along the rickety pier to Reid’s boat. Parker followed, whining the whole time. “You and the senator are going to suffer a little accident at sea. Reid will be assumed dead with you since it’s his boat, and none of your bodies will ever be found.”

  He threw her to the boat deck and ordered Parker to jump. The dog obeyed, but his tail was tucked and his ears were down.

  Stumbling along the deck with Brian, she fell to her knees several times, but he yanked her back up. The boat reeked with the stench of shrimp and fish. He pushed her into the hold. She fell down the steps and banged her shin and arms several times on the way. Stunned, she lay in the darkness for several seconds before she struggled into a seated position.

  If she was going to save the senator, Jane needed to get loose and find a weapon. Parker might be the only weapon she had, but she’d be hard-pressed to get him to attack Brian.

  * * *

  The blasted mosquitoes were going to drive him crazy. Reid shifted on the hard ground and tried his bonds again. Still too tight, but he might have loosened them a little. His face and arms itched almost unbearably, and he was thirsty.

  Elizabeth had a propane cooktop going and was stirring something in the glow of the small flame that smelled like chicken soup. She hadn’t looked at him since Brian left them carrying a backpack. Getting to her was his only chance of getting free to help Jane and the senator.

  The moon came out from behind the clouds and gave him a better sense of the layout. He spied an outhouse and had an idea.

  “That smells great. Do you suppose I could have some water and go to the bathroom?”

  She looked up, and he saw moisture on her cheeks. “So far he’s killed Paul and Gary. He tried to kill Charles, but he missed.” Tears tracked down her cheeks in a steady stream that shimmered in the moonlight.