“All in good time, Emma. All in good time. First, we need to make something clear. Vivian’s bruises, along with her dip in the river, was a message. I’m capable of harming everything that is dear to you.”
Goose bumps broke out across Emma’s skin. This entire scenario was a setup, designed to terrify her into submission. “You didn’t need to bother. I would do anything for my daughter. If you wanted me to follow orders, all you had to do was call.”
He chuckled. It was cold and manic. The thought of sweet Lily being with this monster made bile rise in Emma’s throat. Reed met her gaze. In the depths of his blue eyes, she saw the strength she needed to hold it together.
“I’m glad we understand each other,” the voice said over the phone. “Now, listen closely. Something very important to me was found on your property and I want it returned.”
She frowned. “Bonnie’s bracelet?”
“That’s right. I want it back.”
He was crazy. Absolutely nuts. “I don’t have it. The police—”
“Took it to the state lab. I know. That’s why I need you to get it back for me.”
Reed waved a hand, indicating she should stall. Emma swallowed. “That’s difficult. I’m not allowed to handle evidence.”
“Don’t insult my intelligence,” he snapped. “Reed can get it for you. And you better pray he does because your daughter’s life depends on it.”
Anger vibrated in his voice. Emma swallowed hard. “Okay. Okay. I’ll get it. Just please don’t hurt her.”
“Don’t make me. Do as I say and everything will be fine. Bring Bonnie’s bracelet to the lake on your property in an hour. You will come alone. No bullet-proof vests and no tricks. If I see the sheriff or any of his men, there will be a penalty.”
“I’m in the middle of the woods. I’ll need more than an hour.”
“One hour or else.”
A click punctuated his words, followed by the sound of a dial tone.
NINETEEN
A soft pink glow from the rising sun shimmered along the trees. Emma parked her car along the back road separating her property from Joshua’s. She glanced at her watch. Ten minutes until her hour grace period was up. She needed to move fast. It would take time to traverse the path through the woods to the lake.
Leaves crunched under Emma’s ballerina flats. They were slippery and a poor choice for a hike, but she had little choice. Her tennis shoes were still floating down the river. Vivian had been taken by ambulance to the hospital. Emma wanted to be there with her, but she hadn’t had an option about that either.
She gripped the burner phone provided by the killer in her left hand. It was untraceable. She knew. They’d already tried. Cooper was fit to be tied. Reed, too, for that matter. Neither one of them had been comfortable obeying the killer’s orders. Emma knew the two men were trying to protect her, but nothing was more important than getting Lily into safe hands. She would not risk her daughter’s life by having a SWAT team surrounding the lake.
Her gaze darted around. The hair on the back of her neck rose. A nearby bush rustled. Emma spun in time to see a squirrel dart across the path. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Fear threatened to cloud her mind. She wrestled it back. Her jean pocket bulged with Bonnie’s bracelet. It’d taken a trooper, even with lights and siren going, forty-five minutes to travel the distance between the state lab and Heyworth.
The trees thinned, revealing the clearing and the lake. Bird flittered above her. Emma hesitated. Once she stepped into the clearing, she’d be exposed. There was little doubt her stalker would be watching. A single shot was all it would take.
You can do this. You have to do this.
Her hand drifted to the zippered pocket of her light jacket and brushed against a familiar lump. Lily’s lamb. She took another deep breath to settle her nerves. Saying a quick prayer for her daughter’s safety, Emma stepped into the early morning sunshine.
The burner phone rang. She answered it, her voice cracking. “Yes.”
“You’re late.” Same voice distorter, but Emma sensed a desperation in the man’s voice that hadn’t been there before. It fueled her anxiety. Desperation could cause him to make drastic decisions.
Keep calm. Keep him talking. Stall.
Reed’s advice replayed in her mind. Thinking of the handsome sheriff threatened to shred the last of her frayed emotions. Emma wanted him with her. Right next to her, holding her hand. She hadn’t realized until now how much comfort she drew from Reed’s quiet strength. Emma was tough, she could stand on her own, but she didn’t want to anymore.
She forced the thoughts back and cleared her throat. “Sorry for the delay. It took time to get the bracelet.”
Could Cooper and his team in the van a mile away hear her through the listening device hidden under her shirt? She had no idea. Having an earpiece to hear them would’ve been nice. It was also too risky. They didn’t know how close she would get to the killer.
“Where is it?” he demanded.
She tugged Bonnie’s bracelet free from her pocket and held it up. The diamond cross winked in the sunlight.
A sigh came over the line. “Good. That’s good.”
He was definitely watching. She scanned the trees again but saw nothing out of the ordinary. “Why do you want it?”
“What difference does it make to you?”
“My daughter was kidnapped for it. Color me curious.”
He chuckled. “I’m sure you are, but that’s not part of our deal. Now, I want you to take the bracelet and put it back in the fishing shed.”
Her gaze darted to the building across the clearing. Was this some kind of trap? Was the killer in the shed? She couldn’t make heads or tails of this. “I want Lily back first.”
“No. I told you. I get the bracelet, then you get your daughter. Don’t make me angry,
