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
