Todd pressed Janet up against the wall and edged his way down the corridor toward the shaft of light. Each silent step brought the voices closer.
“I’m telling you, things are getting too hot. We need to take the money we’ve gotten from Lacey and let Valerie go.”
“No! You promised me, Lee.”
Janet tugged on the back of his shirt. She’d also identified both men by the name and the cadence of their speech.
Winston and Lee Maxwell.
“What we’ve gotten so far isn’t enough. We were supposed to replace the fortune that would have been mine if Dad hadn’t gambled it all away.”
“And I will,” Lee argued. “You’ll have to be patient. At some point, after I’m married, Katherine will loosen the purse strings. Then I can slip you money.”
“You mean you’ll give me crumbs while you sit high on the hog. No thank you. We made a deal, and I expect you to stick to it.”
Todd’s fingers ached from holding the knife handle, and he flexed his fingers. Was either man armed? Chances were, as an officer, Winston was. The blade would do them no good in a gunfight.
“What will you get if you’re in prison, Winston? That West woman is poking around. Things are liable to spin out of control if we aren’t careful. I’ve convinced Lacey to keep doing as she’s been instructed by the kidnapper, but I’m afraid she’s going to crack and tell the police everything.”
“I already sent Janet a warning she won’t forget. If it doesn’t scare her into silence, then we’ll get rid of her.”
Todd’s body temperature skyrocketed, and he ground his teeth together. Winston Maxwell was done.
Done.
He would make sure of it.
“What do you mean you sent her a warning?”
The panic in Lee’s voice was palpable, but Todd felt no sympathy for the other man. He’d made a deal with the devil and now he was paying the price.
“Never you mind,” Winston said. “Let’s keep the lovely Mrs. Coons for two more weeks and we’ll up the ransom amount. It should tide me over until you can start slipping me money from Katherine’s pile.”
Lee was silent for a long beat. “Fine. But, remember, no one gets hurt.”
Winston made a noncommittal sound. “If you had just killed Janet to begin with, we wouldn’t be in this mess now.”
Behind him, Janet inhaled sharply. So it had been Lee who attacked her the night Valerie escaped. He sent up a silent thanksgiving to God. If the circumstances had been different and Winston had been chasing Valerie, things would have gone a very different way.
“Let’s get out of here. I’m starving.” Winston’s footsteps echoed down the corridor, moving away from them. “Is she locked up tight?”
“Of course.”
“We’ll send the email demanding more money tomorrow—”
A sneeze interrupted him. With horror, Todd realized it had come from Janet. She buried her face in his back and sneezed again.
Silence.
“Did you hear something?” Winston asked.
Ten
Janet’s hand was slick against the plastic handle of the flashlight. The instinctual urge to flee battled with her rational common sense to stay as still as possible. Todd urged her closer behind him, until she was wedged between the concrete wall and the hard muscles of his back.
“I could have sworn I heard…”
“Come on, Winston. We’ve got to hurry before Buck comes back. He’s been checking the property ever since the escape.” Lee huffed. “Hasn’t been home in two years and he shows up now. It’s like we’re cursed.”
“Get a grip. He’s an ex-con. All we have to do is threaten him.”
Their footsteps faded, followed by the slam of a door. Janet released the breath she was holding.
Todd turned his head and whispered, “Let’s wait a few minutes and make sure they are really gone.”
Time stretched into an eternity. Her muscles tightened until she was afraid they would snap and crumble into powder. Finally, Todd inched along the wall bringing them closer to the light. The path dead-ended into a holding cell with a broken and rusted door.
The corridor continued on her right, but to the left was a door with a small window in the upper half. Janet grabbed the handle and tugged. To her surprise, it flew open, revealing a small room.
Valerie Coons was chained to the floor.
Valerie’s eyes widened as her gaze darted back and forth between Janet and Todd. Her hair was dirty and tangled, her clothes muddy. The room reeked of sweat, waste, and stale french fries. For a long heartbeat, no one moved.
“I prayed and prayed…” Tears streamed down Valerie’s face. “You found me.”
“Yes, we did.” Janet rushed to her side. “And now we’re going to get you out of here.”
She lifted her hands, bound by heavy chains. “I can’t get these off.”
“We need a bolt cutter,” Todd said. “I have one at the house.”
Valerie clung to Janet, clutching the fabric of her clothes in her hands. “Please don’t leave me.”
Even if she could wrestle herself free, could she bear to leave the other woman in the room, alone, for one extra minute? No. There wasn’t a choice.
“Todd, go back to the house and get the cutter. Hurry. I’ll stay here with Valerie.”
He hesitated but seemed to recognize arguing would be futile. He grabbed the flashlight from her outstretched hand and kissed her on the mouth. “I’ll be right back.”
Todd disappeared. Janet rearranged herself into a more comfortable position next to Valerie, keeping her arms around her. It was freezing cold in the room.
“He’ll come back, right?”
“Absolutely. Are you injured?” She rubbed Valerie’s arms up and down, trying to warm her. “Did I hurt you when I hit you with the car?”
“You didn’t hit me. I thumped against the side of the vehicle when I fell. The drugs they gave me made it hard to run and my body couldn’t go anymore.” She licked her lips. “Other than a few bumps and bruises, I’m okay.”
A knot uncoiled in Janet’s chest and she breathed deep. Valerie was alive.
