“I’ll have a knife in my truck. We’ll tend to her there.” His voice was thick with emotion, and when he hefted the sixty-pound animal into his arms, fierce anger shimmered in his eyes. “Let’s get out of here, Janet.”
She rose from the floor, her gaze moving from Callie and Todd. She gasped and took a step back, banging into a collection of discarded brooms. They clattered into bits of broken lawn equipment before crashing to the floor.
Hanging from a wooden beam by a noose was a doll with an uncanny resemblance to Janet. Curly hair and a heart-shaped face dressed in jeans and cowboy boots. Duct tape sealed her mouth and in her hands was a sign.
SHUT UP.
The message was written in blood.
Eight
Chief Jackman’s face was etched in granite when he exited the shed with Todd. Janet watched the men cross the yard from the window, Callie at her side. The Labrador mix had been thoroughly checked by the vet and, other than being a bit dehydrated, was unharmed. Unable to stomach returning home, they’d spent the night at her friend’s house, but Janet’s sleep had been restless.
Footsteps on the kitchen tile preceded their entry into the living room. She tensed, turning to greet the chief with a glare. “Now do you believe me?”
“I always believed you.”
“Actually, your officer accused Janet of lying.” Todd came to stand next to her, patting Callie on the head before placing his hand on the small of her back. His jaw clenched as he glared at the lawman. “And you insinuated she hallucinated the entire thing. From where I’m standing, it sure seems like you didn’t believe her.”
His words, along with the warmth of his touch, soothed the raw edges of her nerves. Janet didn’t need him to fight her battles, but it was nice to have him as backup.
Jackman frowned. “There is still no evidence of the attack other than Janet’s statement. I don’t even have an ID on the missing woman.”
“It’s Valerie Coons.”
“The state police went to speak to the Huntingtons last night. Both of them admit the woman in the sketch resembles their stepmother, but they swear can’t be Valerie because she’s traveling in Europe.”
“Did the special agent talk to Valerie?” she asked.
“No. They promised to pass on the special agent’s phone number and have Valerie call him as soon as possible.”
“That’s not good enough.”
He threw up his hands. “What would you have me do? They’re her family and they haven’t reported her missing.”
“Regardless, there is a woman out there being held by someone. Why won’t you look for her? Are you afraid of what you will find if you do?”
He glowered. “I don’t take kindly to you accusing a member of my department without evidence.”
“Lee Maxwell is engaged to Valerie’s stepdaughter, Winston is his brother, and I nearly ran over a woman who bears a striking resemblance to Valerie. What more do you need?”
“Actual physical evidence.” His mouth pursed. “I will have a forensic team come out to the house. I’ll also send the sketch to law enforcement all over Texas. Maybe someone will recognize her.”
Janet crossed her arms over her chest. “Don’t be surprised if you get calls identifying her as Valerie Coons.”
Todd’s leg bounced up and down as he waited for his friend, Charlene “Charlie” Greer, to doctor her coffee. The private investigator used three spoons of sugar before drowning the dark brew in milk.
“How did you ever make it in the army?” he asked.
“I can rough it, soldier, if I have to.” She smiled, flashing perfect white teeth before biting into an oatmeal raisin cookie. “Yum. This is amazing.”
“Thank you.” Janet placed a hand on his leg to stop the motion, and he took the opportunity to hold her hand. Their fingers interlocked. She edged closer to him until her shoulder brushed his. “So, how do you know Valerie has been kidnapped for sure?”
“Because Lacey Huntington has been sending money for the last two weeks to an offshore account. Not enough to draw attention, although the contact I spoke to said it was highly unusual activity for her.”
Todd didn’t know whether to feel sorry for the woman or be enraged she was hiding important information from the police. “Lacey’s trying to handle this on her own.”
“Looks like it, and although I can’t be sure, I do have my doubts about Lee Maxwell’s involvement.”
“Why?”
“Because Katherine Huntington is a wealthy woman in her own right who doesn’t believe in prenups. Once Lee marries her next month, he’ll be set for life.”
Janet sat back in her chair and sighed. “Well, there goes my number-one suspect.”
Charlie licked cookie crumbs off her fingers, reached into her bag, and pulled out a file folder. “Well, let me replace it for you. Buck Bertrand and Valerie Coons are connected. After his last stint in prison—for aggravated assault, mind you—he worked for a landscaping company. One of their clients was Valerie.”
She flipped to some documents. “According to work records, he went to her house every day for nine months, starting last year. He disappeared for a while afterward. I’m still tracking down where he was during that time. However, we do know he mysteriously arrives home after two years just as Valerie goes missing.”
Todd pulled the folder closer and scanned the pages. Charlie’s research was thorough. He flipped through Buck’s criminal record. “He’s been in and out of jail a lot.”
“Most of his adult life. Not all of the charges stuck, but several of them are violent offenses. He’s bad news and, in my opinion, capable of holding a woman for ransom.” Charlie popped the last bit of cookie in her mouth and rose. “I’ll keep digging, but I hope this helps.”
“It helps a ton, Charlie.” Janet hugged the other woman. “I’ll forward this on to the special agent we talked with at the state police. Maybe it’ll encourage him to follow up with the Huntingtons.”
Todd opened the front door. The porch light flickered on and
