Chapter 18 #3
Jesse stopped in the center of the floor, struck by a sudden realization. “Now I think Victoria was trying to frighten me out of town because she was worried my repairs on the bar would expose my dad’s body.”
“Why would she care after so long?”
Another question without an easy answer.
“Maybe because my dad would no longer be a missing person. He would be a murder case, with no statute of limitations. If someone actually started investigating what happened.” She stopped with a frown.
“I mean, someone who wasn’t Adam Tillman.
Then her secrets would be revealed, and people would start asking uncomfortable questions.
I hate her, but she’s not stupid. She would have to know once his body was found I would do whatever was necessary to uncover the truth. ”
Bea shook her head, her fingers once again twisting together. “I can’t believe she’s alive.”
“I can,” Jesse said dryly. “She’s like a cockroach.
She’d probably survive a nuclear explosion, crawling out of the rubble without a scratch.
” A low vibration shimmied up her lower back, interrupting her grim memories of her stepmother.
She reached around to pull her cell phone from her pocket, swiftly skimming the text.
“It’s from Eric Walker. He’s on his way to pick me up. ”
Bea widened her eyes. “Why do you need a lawyer?”
“Sheriff Tillman is demanding that I give him a statement.” Jesse felt a wave of sickness at the thought of being trapped in a small room while Adam forced her to recall every horrifying detail about finding her dad’s skeleton. “I’m not talking to him without a lawyer.”
“Oh my dear.” Bea bit her lower lip, as if battling back tears. “I hate this, I really do.”
“Yeah, I hate it too.”
Bea sniffed. “I wish I could bring him back.”
Jesse impulsively moved to wrap her arms around the older woman. Who else besides Bea had truly loved Mac Hudson? Who else could share her grief ?
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t give to have him here with us.”
Bea patted her back. “Do you want me to go with you?”
Jesse reluctantly stepped away, her gaze moving to the lump that was still visible on Bea’s forehead. She’d forgotten the poor woman was recovering. Yet another of Victoria’s victims.
“No, you go home and rest. I’ll be fine.”
Bea furrowed her brow. “You’re sure?”
Nope. Not at all. The words whispered through her mind even as Jesse firmly moved to pull open the front door.
“Absolutely. I’ll call you when I’m done.”
Bea reluctantly nodded, walking slowly out of the house and down the front porch steps. Jesse watched until she’d disappeared behind a hedge before closing and locking the door.
Her conversation with Bea was a warning.
Her theories might make perfect sense in her head, but when she spoke the words out loud it sounded more like a bunch of wild guesses strung together by desperation.
And while she didn’t expect Adam Tillman to believe anything she said, she had to convince him that she had enough evidence to go to the state officials who had the skill and technology to investigate a cold case.
That was the only way he would get off his ass and try to find out what happened.
She needed to collect her thoughts so she could lay them out in a concise, logical manner.
Closing her eyes, she forced herself to take in deep, calming breaths, trying to clear the clutter from her mind. She had no doubt she would eventually crash and burn from an overload of emotions. But her nervous breakdown would have to wait.
She was focused on easing the knots from her stomach when she heard the soft purr of an engine. Eric. Or at least she assumed it was Eric. She’d been wrong before.
Once again taking the proper precautions, Jesse moved to the front window to peer out.
As she’d expected, a car had pulled into the driveway, and even from a distance she could make out Eric’s silhouette.
On the point of turning to grab her purse and head out the door, Jesse found herself frozen in place.
There was a warning bell clamoring in the back of her mind. As if trying to warn her of approaching danger.
What was wrong?
She remained frozen in place as Eric impatiently honked the horn, and then at last climbed out of the car, wearing his usual tailored suit.
Car. That was it. That was what was wrong. A silver BMW.
Jesse’s mouth was dry as she stepped away from the window. She had no way of knowing if it was the same vehicle that tried to run her off the road the night before, but it was close enough to make her heart thunder in fear.
A knock shattered the thick silence, followed by the rattle of the doorknob.
“Jesse?” More rattling. “Are you in there? Jesse!”
The rattling stopped, and Jesse cautiously tilted to the side, peering out of the window. A part of her told herself she was acting like an idiot. There were lots of silver cars in Canton. That didn’t make their drivers demented stalkers. Besides, she’d already decided that Victoria was guilty.
A larger part of her, however, whispered that there was no use in taking any chances. Once Eric drove away she would send him a text to meet her at the courthouse. If he was somehow involved, then there was no way he could do anything when he was in the sheriff’s office, right?
It felt like a good plan. At least until Eric didn’t turn around and head back to his car.
Instead, he reached up to skim his fingers along the top of the doorframe.
He was looking for the spare key. And, intimately familiar with how most people treated security in Canton, she didn’t doubt he was going to find one.
“Jesse, are you okay?” he called out before she heard the scrape of the key in the lock.
Panic jolted through her. Without giving herself time to leash the impulsive urge to flee, she was racing through the house and out the back door.
More than likely she was overreacting. Eric was probably just worried when she didn’t answer the door.
Of course he wanted to check on her. But her nerves were too raw to take even the slightest chance there might be another reason he was breaking and entering Noah’s home.
Bending low, she was swiftly across the back veranda and down the stairs, nearly tripping over her own feet.
She’d never been coordinated, and right now her knees were trembling so badly, she could barely stay upright.
Veering toward the side of the house, Jesse abruptly changed her mind and darted down the tree-lined path toward the back of the property.
She would call Noah to come pick her up from the access road he had mentioned that went along the back of the lake.
He was the only one she trusted right now.
Trying to ignore the tingling sensation that she was being watched by unseen eyes, Jesse rounded the long curve in the pathway, at last slowing her hectic pace.
Her heart was thundering so hard it hurt, and her breath was coming in short, painful gasps.
Obviously she needed to find a good cardio workout when she got back to Chicago.
It was embarrassing to be huffing and puffing after a few minutes of running.
Of course, in her defense, the fear she was about to be murdered didn’t help.
Near the end of the pathway, Jesse stopped in the shadows of the trees, sucking air into her tight lungs as she pulled her phone from her pocket.
She’d left behind her purse, but that didn’t matter.
It wasn’t like she needed money for an Uber or to catch the bus.
Either Noah came to get her or she was walking.
Pressing Noah’s number, Jesse’s gaze skimmed her surroundings, and she wondered how it could be such a bright, beautiful day. It should be dark and gloomy, with lightning streaking across the sky.
Instead, the sunlight glittered off the nearby lake, nearly blinding her.
Blinking against the glare, Jesse impatiently waited for Noah to answer. Nothing. She cursed as the call was dropped into voicemail. Then she was distracted by a shadow flickering on the distant side of the lake.
Was someone there?
Hoping it was Noah, Jesse shaded her eyes, trying to make out details. Immediately, any hope that it might be her friend was crushed. The form was not only too short and slender, it was obviously female. And, weirdly, it was dressed in black, with a veil over the mystery woman’s face.
Jesse shoved the phone back into her pocket, watching the woman lean forward to toss a handful of flowers into the water, as if performing some sort of religious rite.
What the hell?
Abruptly deciding that she couldn’t wait for Noah to come to rescue her, Jesse turned to the side, intending to head to the courthouse. In that same moment, there was the loud crack of a branch being snapped off a nearby tree.
The sound pierced her heart with terror, and Jesse braced herself. She already knew that whoever had snuck up behind her was going to use the branch to knock her unconscious.
She was right.