Pied Sniper, page 26
“Haha,” snorted Sam. “You sound like a cannibal.” He nudged his mom. “I didn’t do anything silly tonight. Do I still get a treat later?”
Traci glanced from Serena to Lily, then at me, then my mom. “Sure, honey,” she said. “You definitely get a treat tonight.”
“Asshole,” said Victoria.
Chapter Nineteen
“I know Serena is your sister but she’s such a Class Triple A jerk,” said Lily.
“She is, and she is,” I agreed. “She was the most supreme jerk she’s ever been tonight.”
“I don’t mind that she called me trashy but she insulted Poppy! Poppy is nothing less than awesome.”
I opened the car door so Lily could strap Poppy into her car seat and when she finished stuffing the little octopus into her restraints, I said, “You should mind. You aren’t trashy. And nothing Serena said was true. Sure, you’re a bartender but you also own the bar. Besides, what’s wrong with being a bartender? It’s honest work. And if she wants to insult Jord’s profession, well, she’s just insulting our whole family. Plus, your mom is an ambassador, so you’re hardly trashy.”
“You could have said all that inside,” yelled Lily, pointing at the house.
“I would have if everyone hadn’t raced for the door!”
“Fine. You’re forgiven. Get in the car.”
“Thanks.”
“And now you can tell me why you got all light-headed.”
“I know you want to hear I’m pregnant but I’m not. I was just a little dizzy all of a sudden.” I paused before I added, “But we are still trying to get pregnant although last night we were both too tired.”
Lily squealed so loud a neighbor’s light came on. She clapped a hand over her mouth before checking on Poppy. Poppy was happily snuggled into her carseat and fast asleep. “That’s so exciting,” she said. “Does Solomon know?”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course! Since he plays such a crucial part in the proceedings.”
“Oh, yeah,” she giggled and just like that, all the horrors of family dinner disappeared. She quizzed me all the way back to my house on our pregnancy endeavors. “As soon as the case is over, we’re going to brunch,” she said, “and I can give you all my tips.”
“I can hardly wait,” I said, slightly horrified.
“I meant cribs, buggies and maternity clothes, not those tips but if you want me to send Jord over to have a man-to-man talk with Solomon, I could make that happen too.”
“Heck, no!” I hopped out of the car. “Bye!” I waved before Lily drove off, then jogged up the steps and let myself into the quiet house. I set the box of dessert my mom insisted I take on the counter and checked my phone. No calls yet. I was feeling left out of the loop. I switched on the TV but none of the channels featured Tiffany’s parents so I clicked it off and tossed the remote on the coffee table. My thoughts drifted to Davy Morris. He didn’t strike me as the type to ditch the police by climbing out a window but it made sense that he fancied himself Tiffany’s savior. Clearly, nothing could stand in the way of that. Doing it right after Abigail Swanson did the same thing must have been galling to Garrett. I just hoped Davy would recover from the rejection Tiffany would almost certainly mete out to him once she was freed. I couldn’t fathom what that would do to him on top of losing his life savings. Perhaps he would be satisfied just to have Tiffany returned alive. I couldn’t imagine she wouldn’t be, considering how suspicious I was now of her involvement.
I knew it was a long shot, but I had Davy’s number. I called him three times before he answered. “Where are you?” I asked as I paced the length of the house.
“Ugh! I thought you were them. You’re that PI, um…”
“Lexi Graves. Where are you?”
“Downtown. The kidnappers sent me a message with an address,” he said.
“Did they ask for the money?”
“Yes, but they said there would be more instructions on where to drop it.”
“And you have it all?”
“Yes. Your friend padded the bag with fake bills. I’m going to find the location where they want it taken and wait for them.”
“What’s the location?” I asked.
“A diner on Burlington Street. They said to go to the last booth and I’ll find further instructions there.”
“Did you tell the officers who were protecting you?” Davy hesitated. “I know you didn’t,” I added. “Special Agent Maddox is looking for you and so is Lieutenant Graves. They had a plan and you’re deviating from it. They’re worried.”
“I know but I don’t have any choice. Please don’t tell them you spoke to me. I know they want to be involved but the kidnappers were very specific. If they see any cops, they’ll kill Tiffany! They said you already tried that and this was the last chance before she got shot,” he sniffed.
“If you’d told Lieutenant Graves and Special Agent Maddox about being contacted, they could have set everything up without being spotted. This is a bad idea. Where are you now exactly?”
“Outside the diner. I have to go.”
“Wait!”
“I’ll call you.” Davy disconnected.
I sighed and called Maddox. “I spoke to Davy,” I told him. “He’s an idiot but he has good intentions.”
“I know. I’m watching him now.”
“You are?”
“Sure. We stuck trackers in the bag and on his car; plus, I’ve been pinging his phone. He wasn’t hard to find.”
“That’s such a relief.” I paused, then said, “You expected this?”
“Sure did. We weren’t taking any precautions after the last mistake. Although he went too fast for us to pull together a decent sting. What did he tell you?”
“That he’s going into a diner to get instructions about where to go next. They’re taking every precaution.”
“I’m not surprised. Abigail’s attempt at paying them off was a shit show. How was everything at your mom’s house after we split?”
“Tense. Lily and I left soon after you guys. Dad keeps talking about a tiger. Mom looks depressed. She insisted I take home a hefty serving of your dessert. It smells so good.”
“Hope you enjoy it. I enjoyed making it. I enjoyed the entertainment too. Your sister is certifiably nuts.”
“Tell me about it.”
“I gotta go. Tell Lily her aim is awesome.”
“I will.”
I grabbed a spoon and the to-go box, plonking myself on one of the tall kitchen stools before digging in. The Pavlova was rich and creamy, and it required extra willpower to resist eating all of it. While I savored it, I thought about the case. So much effort was being invested into a woman who appeared enormously self-centered, and, even worse, probably responsible for the whole nightmare. Yet, it didn’t seem to matter what awful thing Tiffany did. So far, she always came out on top. Was it finally falling apart for her? If she were the brains behind this, she had to be super desperate for money. If she landed on her feet afterwards, it would be the ultimate two fingers to karma. She could get into her giant Range Rover and drive off into the sunset, leaving all the chaos behind her.
The Range Rover! What was it Grace said about Tiffany driving somewhere by herself, to a place she refused to tell anyone about? I hopped off my stool and checked my purse. I still had the set of keys Abigail gave me. With everyone else occupied, now was a great time to run over there and check out the GPS log in her car! It was probably nothing. She could have gone shopping or out for a peaceful drive where she wouldn’t be bothered by fans or to talk to Flavia without being overheard. But the idea that she had a secret kept niggling me. I reached for my own car keys and sighed. I didn’t have them yet. I couldn’t call Lily because she would have already put Poppy to bed; and Solomon and Delgado were probably doing some kind of damage control for whatever trauma the Buschs’ interview created. Meanwhile, I had nothing to occupy my mind except another pass at Tiffany’s emails. I was pretty sure she was careful not to leave a trail there. Plus, if my hunch came to nothing, I didn’t want to call one of the guys out for no real reason. I grabbed my jacket and stuffed my wallet and the knife my mom gave me into the pockets. I considered taking my gun, but decided against it; I wouldn’t need it in the parking garage. I tapped the taxi app on my phone and called a car to drive me to Tiffany’s apartment.
By the time I got there, darkness had fully descended and only a small crowd of people sat in front of the building. They were gathered for a small vigil with dozens of lit candles crowding the entry. I bypassed them, heading directly for the parking garage. I slipped in through the pedestrian gate and jogged to Tiffany’s car. Beeping it open, I climbed into the driver’s seat and activated the electrics. The GPS popped on and I hovered my finger over the controls, wondering how it worked. A few presses later, I saw Tiffany’s journey from the previous Wednesday. She drove out of town, going around the big country park before hitting the highway that headed out to Lake Pierce. Then she turned toward the opposite side of the park and stopped. According to her GPS record, she spent over an hour here two weeks ago. I scrolled through the records as far back as they went, noting regular trips every week. Sometimes she stayed an hour, sometimes a little longer. As far as I could remember, there was nothing to see on that side of the park. There was a parking lot on the near side with a café, an aviary for injured birds, and the ranger’s headquarters. Several trails began here and also a rustic playground for children. It was made from logs felled in previous storms. My parents took us there as kids and we often picnicked in the woods, one of the traditional things we continue to do with the next generation.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t imagine Tiffany coming out here for a weekly hike. So what was the attraction? Why would she make a secret trip there every week for at least the past month? I pulled out my phone and opened maps, tapping in Montgomery Country Park. I scrolled as far north as I could, then a little south and zoomed in, finding nothing but trees. I scrolled back to the road and a street name popped up. One Hundred Pines Road. Where did I hear that before? I shook my head, failing to remember, then scrolled east, then west. I almost moved on when I spotted a single path cutting between the pines. I zoomed in and followed the trail south until it ended in a clearing with a small collection of buildings I’d never seen before. A Jeep was parked outside. I guessed it must be an old ranger’s house. The new one was built twenty years ago nearer the parking lot, a two-story cabin, on the other side of the park. The first floor was a visitor center, and the top floor was private accommodation. I couldn’t remember anything about the old one. I supposed it was feasible and made sense to have one at the opposite end of the park, given all the miles of hiking trails between them. What failed to make any sense was why Tiffany would go there.
There was only one way to know and that was to check it out. Since I had no other vehicle and this one had a full tank, I gunned the engine, adjusted the seat and buckled myself in. Abigail gave me the keys so it wasn’t theft, I was simply borrowing it for the sake of helping Tiffany. I planned to return the car before anyone knew it was gone.
The drive was smooth and the houses gradually grew wider apart as I left Montgomery behind. With its higher elevation and fancy, heated seats, I could definitely get used to driving a luxury vehicle like this. But my new VW would still be helluva lot easier to park.
As I slowed to round a sharp corner, I noted the speed limit and checked the speedometer. Of course! That’s where I saw the road name! Tiffany’s parking tickets! And now that I thought about it, I would bet a sweet one C-note she received all of them on a Wednesday. I was definitely on to something!
I missed the turnoff the first time due to the overgrowth of the surrounding bushes, but once I realized my mistake, I stuck the car in reverse, backed up and made the turn. I began breathing deeply as the car squeezed through the branches. Now I knew where all the scratches came from. A few feet in, I braked. I had no idea what I was driving into. Did I really want to walk up to the front door, knock on it and demand to know why Tiffany visited every Wednesday? That idea didn’t sit well with me. I wasn’t armed because I didn’t expect to venture beyond the parking lot. The right thing to do was call for backup or drop a text to Solomon but when I checked my phone, I didn’t have any reception. Still, I’d come too far to turn back. All I needed was a little reconnaissance.
There was a copse on my left. I steered the car into it, nearly turning it around and heading back, but I’d come too far for that. I didn’t notice any mailbox on the road but I would definitely check for one as I left. If I could get the names of the occupants, I could run them and look for a connection. What did it hurt to check the buildings out and then get in the car, return it, and head back to the office? I flicked the lights off, zipped up my jacket and eased out of the car. The bushes were so overgrown, I thought about hacking them with my knife but decided it wouldn’t do much good. I jogged back to the narrow road and turned towards the building I knew lay ahead. I jogged half a mile before the road curved and opened onto a weed-cracked, blacktop courtyard. The Jeep I saw in the online map was parked in front of the building and the lights were on in one of the two buildings. One looked like a large cabin or house. I checked the smaller structure first. A padlock secured the barn doors and there were no windows to peep into. The wood looked old, but well maintained and the padlock was freshly oiled and new. I pressed my ear against the wall but I couldn’t hear a thing.
I crept over to the house, jumping when I heard an owl hooting. The Jeep felt cool to the touch. Exterior lights flashed on so I paused, crouching down. After a quick scan of the house, I didn’t spot any security cameras. Windows lit up the front so when the exterior lights flicked off, I crept around the side. Thick tire tracks marred the mud and I paused, frowning. Another vehicle had been here but now it was gone. Since this side of the cabin didn’t have any windows, I took a photo of the tire tracks, then slid my phone back in my pocket. I crept on, stopping when I found a window I could peek in. It was a small bathroom, unoccupied, and the lights were off. I moved on, stopping at the next window. This one was a bedroom fitted out with a double bed, a thick comforter and a couple of pillows all in a dark striped pattern. Several clothes were scattered on a chair. Someone was living here. I squinted. The clothing was masculine in color and size.
I moved onto the next window but the drapes were shut, although I could tell the lights were on. The window next to that also had the lights on but the drapes weren’t as fully closed as the set I just passed. I was cautious as I stretched up on my tiptoes to look in. A man stood at the far side of the room, his back to me and his arm raised. He was jabbing a finger at someone in front of him and shouting. “…the stupidest idea you ever had,” he scolded. “I never should have listened to you!”
“It’ll work, I promise it will,” countered the woman. “Just a little longer, please! He’s got it and he’s bringing it to us. It’s nearly over.”
I winced, wondering if I stumbled onto a couple’s argument like a creepy voyeur.
“That chump can’t even follow basic instructions,” the man continued angrily. “None of this has gone according to plan! You said it would be a piece of cake.”
“He will. He’s already doing what you told him and it would have been easier if you…” She stooped to pick up something and I missed what she was saying.
“He’d better because this is it now—” I lost the conversation again when he turned and sidestepped the woman. Gasping, I clasped a hand over my mouth. In front of him stood Tiffany Rose! She changed the clothes she was wearing when she was kidnapped and now wore an expensive leggings-and-sweater set. Her hair was nicely combed and pulled into a sweeping ponytail. Whatever injuries she incurred seemed to have vanished, although I couldn’t discount a bandage under her sweater. Most importantly, she clearly wasn’t tied up and sobbing in a corner, desperately waiting to be rescued. I couldn’t wait to call Garrett and Maddox to bring their team out here. Tiffany had to be arrested along with her supposed attacker and both fully interrogated.
I squatted down and pulled out my cellphone. Still no service. I’d have to hightail it back to the car and get as close to town as necessary to get some service, then hole up until Garrett and Maddox could come out here. After I thought about it, however, I wondered why they were chasing Davy and the perp who was collecting the money when Tiffany and her alleged kidnapper were here? As we initially thought, there had to be another person involved. He or she must have been the one collecting the cash from Davy. They were the one to leave the fresh tire tracks. Even if Garrett and Maddox arrested these two, there was no guarantee they would reveal the name of their accomplice. He could abscond with all the cash! And wouldn’t it be easy for Tiffany to then turn around and claim this man rescued her or offered her shelter? She could sell her story and capitalize on her fictional suffering. They could all get away with it!
I snuck around to the corner of the house, hunched over and low so I could fit under the windows, but poised to run for the cover of the undergrowth.
“What do you think you’re doing?” said a man blocking my way as I rounded the corner. His eyes narrowed.
“I—” I started to reply. He punched me hard in the face and all I could see was the black sky filled with stars closing in on me as I dropped to the ground.
Chapter Twenty
“Urrrrr...” I groaned. My head throbbed, a trickle of something wet slid down my cheek, and my eyes were stuck together. I was lying on something cold and hard. Nearby, I could hear people talking, their voices low and hazy. It took all my strength to suppress a moan and just lie there, trying to listen while they thought I was still out cold.
“She’s waking up. What’ll we do?” said the female voice. “You said no one ever came out here! I don’t even like coming here. Who the hell is she?”
“No one ever has before! Hardly anyone knows about this place,” said the second voice from a male.
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