Fool's Deadly Gold, page 24
“I think you’re nuts,” Ian said. “But I’m with you all the way. I mean most of the way. I want the gold. You can have the man.” He chuckled. “Just remember, half of what we find is mine. You and Tansey will have to split the other half.”
Viola made no comment to that, but at that moment, she very much disliked this man.
***
The following evening, there was a small gathering at Dade’s house. He and Lizzie had picked up both Lauralyn and Darlene and taken them to dinner. Then he’d taken them all to his home where they planned to play games together. Dade’s intent was to let Lauralyn and Darlene get to know each other. He felt like they could become good friends.
Indeed, they were all relaxed and having a good time. They were gathered around the kitchen table with treats and a game spread out on it. Lizzie was right there with them, seeming to enjoy the company of three adults that she seriously adored and happily munching on the goodies.
“So, Dade, you started to say something about the cameras at your mine when we were at dinner. But you didn’t finish,” Darlene said.
“That’s right. I’ve got to go back up there and look at them again. Well, I guess I don’t have to, but I would like to.”
“So they’re still there and will film anyone who comes into the area where you have them pointed?” she asked.
“That’s right. I taught Mikel how to run them and asked him to turn them off if he wanted to in the unlikely event any of his people needed to work there for a while.”
“Who’s Mikel?” Darlene asked.
“Oh, sorry. He’s the man in charge of the archaeological dig,” Dade said. “He’s a good man and one both Roger and I trust. Anyway, I asked him to make sure they were not messed with by anyone else and that he tell no one about them. I’ll check them again sometime. Who knows, maybe some folks might try to sneak in at night, and those cameras can film it all. I bought ones that will still work with very little light.”
“When are you going back?” Darlene asked.
“I have no idea,” he answered honestly. “Lizzie and I still want to go camping and hiking up there again. But until we know for sure who messed with the girls,” he said, eyeing Lizzie who was coloring and listening to music with headphones at that moment, “it will have to wait.”
“Could it have been the man your deputy friend arrested or the guy who was murdered?” she asked, also glancing to make sure Lizzie wasn’t tuned in to their conversation.
“We honestly aren’t sure, so I guess the next trip to the mine will have to wait.”
Just then the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” Dade said. “But I wonder who it could be.”
“Your ministering brothers, maybe?” Lauralyn suggested.
“Possibly, but not likely. They usually make an appointment, and more often than not, they come on Sunday afternoons. You guys go ahead without me while I see who’s there.”
Dade answered the door and stood there in shock as he looked at Viola Pero, grinning, all dolled up, and looking, well, not exactly pretty but not too bad, he had to admit. And her perfume. It was an unforgettable odor. He remembered how much it bothered him when he had taken her out those few regrettable times in college. He invited her in, but his stomach was churning. What could she want? he wondered. But he had a feeling he knew. She wanted him and his gold, but she was going to be disappointed, for she would get neither. But he could at least be nice to her.
As she stepped through the door, noxious perfume and all, he couldn’t help but smile to himself. She was about to meet two women who were both good friends of his, and he couldn’t wait to see her expression when that happened.
***
Lizzie gasped and went totally pale before Dade had even brought the visitor into the kitchen. She opened her mouth, but before she could scream, Lauralyn grabbed her and carried her quickly from the room, her hand over her mouth. Once she had her in her bedroom with her toys and other familiar things, Lauralyn said, “Now don’t scream Lizzie, please.” She took her hand off Lizzie’s mouth, and when she made no attempt to scream, Lauralyn asked, “What’s the matter, Lizzie?”
“He kidnapped us,” she said, sobbing and trembling as she spoke.
“But you said you never saw either one of them or even heard their voices,” Lauralyn said as she held her tight. “And you didn’t see that person just now either.”
“But I smelled that smell,” Lizzie said. “Every time those terrible guys were by us, I could smell it. I’m scared, Lauralyn. They’re after me again.”
“I won’t let anyone hurt you,” Lauralyn promised as she pulled her phone from the pocket of her jeans and dialed.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“I’ll leave you two to talk about old times,” Dr. Fletcher said after a few moments with Dade and Viola. And she left, heading through the same door that Lauralyn had carried Lizzie through. It led into the hallway and on to bedrooms and bathrooms.
Dade was hoping she’d stay, as it was most uncomfortable being alone with Viola. And he wondered what had become of Lauralyn and Lizzie. He also noted that Darlene had not left the way she would have if she was truly leaving his house. He didn’t know what that was about, but it was certainly concerning. Then again, maybe she was just using the bathroom.
“Let’s go in the living room where it’s more comfortable,” he told Viola as those worry vibes radiated throughout his whole body.
Once seated there, Viola said, “I’m sorry that I haven’t gotten back with you since the last time I was here. I’ve been rather busy, to say the least. And I’m sure you have been as well.”
“Yes, I have,” he said. “And as you saw, I’m not alone this evening.”
Viola smiled. Dade was sure it was meant to be a sweet smile, but to him it was a little bit off. That was confirmed when she said, “Darlene Fletcher. I remember her. She’s the girl you dropped when you met me. She must have been brokenhearted. What is she doing here?” she asked, a touch of anger in her voice now, even though the smile was still in place, having slipped only a little.
“She came for the same reason you did,” Dade said. “She found out that I had lost Bridgette, and she came to console me.”
“Hmff!” Viola snorted. “She probably came to try to win you back.”
Dade supposed that could be possible, but he didn’t think so. Still, he wasn’t about to admit it to Viola of all people. “No, she just came to tell me how sorry she was about Bridgette’s death.”
“Well, maybe that’s what she said, but we both know better,” Viola said. Her smile had slipped a little more, but she propped it back up and went on. “I won’t lie to you, Dade. I want you back. I love you. I have from the first time we went out, and I will always love you. But I realize it will take some time for you to get over your little Bridgette. I am patient, my love. I’ll give you time, but there is certainly nothing wrong with us seeing each other from time to time until you’re ready to move on with your life—your life with me.”
Viola’s voice was dripping with honey now. Between her voice and that horrible perfume, Dade felt almost sick. He had to do something. He had to get her out of here. He stood up and said, “I really do need to check on Darlene.” He didn’t mention Lauralyn since Viola had not seen her. Again he wondered what she was doing and why she’d disappeared with Lizzie before he had even escorted Viola into the kitchen.
“Where is her vehicle?” Viola asked, the honey turning to vinegar.
“I brought Darlene here,” he said, moving toward the door. “Lizzie and I were glad for the company.”
“Lizzie?” she asked, trying to look puzzled but not quite achieving it.
“My daughter,” Dade said. The anger he was feeling started to come out in his voice.
“I see. Well, my darling man,” she said, honey suddenly back in her voice. “I will keep you company from now on.”
He was sick of all the terms of endearment she was piling on him. He was sick of her. He’d been sick of her for a long time. And even though his wife’s killer was in jail, he didn’t trust this woman at all. He reached for the door and before his hand touched the handle, the bell rang. He opened it, surprised to see Detective Koltun standing there, his face grim.
“I need to go,” Viola said before Roger had uttered a single word. “I’ll be in touch, dear.”
She tried to slip past Roger, but he quickly grabbed her arm. “Not so fast, Ms. Pero,” he said. “I need to speak with you.”
“That’s very nice, but you will just have to go with your need unfulfilled,” she said nastily. She tried to pull away, but Roger was not letting her go. Dade could not figure out why.
He stepped back, and Roger more or less dragged Viola, who was now very angry and struggling to free herself from him, into the living room and to a chair.
“Sit down,” Roger ordered.
She spat at him, a gob of saliva hitting his cheek. That did it. “You’re under arrest,” he said.
“For what? I’ve done nothing wrong. Dade and I were just discussing our future as a couple when you showed up. Dade, tell him about our love.”
Dade was inching toward the hallway, ignoring Viola. He had a feeling Roger had not coincidentally shown up. Whatever had caused Lizzie and Lauralyn to leave the kitchen had probably prompted them to call Roger. He had to find out what it was all about.
“You are under arrest for kidnapping,” Roger said, and he proceeded to advise her of her rights. Dade’s journey toward the hallway was stopped cold by what Roger had just said. He looked at his friend, but Roger had his hands full. Viola kicked him in the shin and again tried to pull away. Roger did not let go. “Stop,” he commanded. “You’re only making this worse for yourself.”
Dade’s head spun. He had no idea what was going on, but he would sure liked to have known. “Dade, help me here!” Roger suddenly shouted just a second before Viola punched him in the face with her free hand, smearing the saliva she’d spit there.
Dade hurriedly stepped into the fray. With his help, Viola was soon in handcuffs—behind her back. Roger shoved her into the chair he’d tried to talk her into sitting in just moments before.
Once she was finally seated, Roger stood in front of her, so if she moved again, he could shove her back down. The doorbell rang again, and Dade shouted, “Come in!” Two Roosevelt City police officers entered, hands on their firearms and tension on their faces.
“I don’t know how you guys knew to come, but I appreciate it,” Detective Koltun said. “I need you to help me keep this woman in line.”
The two officers, a man and a woman, moved beside Roger. The last thing Dade heard before he left the room was his detective friend saying, “You are not only under arrest for kidnapping but also for resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer.”
Seconds after those words had been spoken, Dade reached Lizzie’s bedroom. He opened the door, stepped inside, and shut it behind him. Lizzie sat on the bed between Lauralyn and Darlene. They both had their arms around her. “I assume you ladies called Roger,” he said as he knelt in front of his terrified little girl.
“Lauralyn did,” Darlene said. “And when we heard all the ruckus in there, I called 911 and told the dispatcher Detective Koltun needed backup.”
“Thank you, both of you,” he said as he gently touched Lizzie’s tearstained face. “Lizzie, it’s okay now,” he said. “That lady in the other room won’t hurt you. She’s under arrest now and is going to jail. I need to know what happened that scared you when I went to answer the door.”
“That’s who kidnapped me,” Lizzie said. “He came back to take me again.”
Dade was rocked. “How do you know that? You said you didn’t see or hear either of the kidnappers.”
Lauralyn spoke up. “That’s what I asked her too. Lizzie, tell your Dad what you told Dr. Fletcher and me.”
“I smelled him, Dad,” she said firmly.
“Oh my,” Dade said. “She does have a strong odor about her, doesn’t she?”
“But it was a man,” Lizzie said.
“No, it’s a woman,” he assured her.
“It was her, dad, her and someone else—a man,” Lizzie said after thinking about it for a moment.
They never did get to finish the game they’d been playing in the kitchen that evening. An arrested kidnapper trumped what they’d been doing. After Roger talked briefly with Lizzie in her room, he said, “I’ll need to talk to the two of you more in depth in the morning, Dade. But for right now, I need to get Ms. Viola Pero to the jail in Duchesne.”
It had taken all three officers to drag Viola out of the house, kicking and screaming. Dade was glad to see her go. And it was only after she and the officers had left that he ventured outside to look for the red Jeep Wrangler with the new sticker. But what he found was a black Jeep Wrangler, also with a new sticker. She had changed cars. That made sense. After all, since she was one of the kidnappers, she probably didn’t want to be seen in the red Jeep.
Lauralyn had followed him outside while Darlene stayed with Lizzie. “No wonder no one saw her Jeep at the trailhead. It wasn’t there. And I remember Detective Koltun saying he hadn’t been able to find anyone who had seen it at any trailhead.”
“I didn’t know he’d checked.”
“He told me that other officers had checked for him,” Lauralyn said. “What are you going to do about this black one?”
“I’ll call Roger and ask him, but I suppose he’ll want to impound and search it. Who knows what might be in it.”
***
At the jail in Duchesne an hour later, Detective Koltun questioned Viola. At first she denied everything, but when he said, “The Tansey girl remembered your perfume,” she began to crumble.
As he suspected she would, she said, “Lots of people wear perfume like mine. That doesn’t prove a thing.”
“It will to a judge and a jury,” he said.
For a long time she sat there silently. “It wasn’t my fault,” she said finally. “Ian Bedoe threatened to kill me if I didn’t help him.”
“And you feared he would?” Roger asked.
“Yes, of course I did. If you saw him, you would understand. He is a terribly dangerous man. But you need to know that he was the one who grabbed the girls from behind and blindfolded them. He was the one who put them in the car. He was the one who tied them up and locked them in that room!”
“What room was that?” Roger asked.
“You know what room. I’m sure those little girls showed you. But I didn’t do that. All I did was keep him from killing them. He was going to kill them. Putting my own life at risk, I talked him out of that.”
“Ms. Pero, why did you take them in the first place?” Detective Koltun asked her.
“I didn’t. I just told you. Ian did.”
“Right, but you were there, weren’t you?”
“You already know why,” she said. “How many times do I need to tell you that I saved their lives from him?”
Roger sighed. “Okay, so why did Ian take them?”
“He thought that would make Dade tell him where his mining claim is located,” she said.
“But no one ever made such a demand. Why not?” he asked.
“That’s simple enough. He didn’t know he’d snatched a cop’s kid. That scared him. He told me that the cops would never give up looking for the kid of one of their own.”
“You demanded that we arrest a guy by the name of Cutler Pike as a term of release of the girls,” Roger said.
“No, Ian said that. He said he knew some guy named Cutler Pike and that he figured he was the one who killed Dade’s wife,” Viola insisted.
“Did he?” Roger asked.
“How would I know? That’s what Ian said,” she insisted.
Although Viola never came right out and admitted that she had kidnapped the girls, Roger knew that what he had was good enough to charge her. And she’d said it all after waiving her right to an attorney.
“When I find Mr. Bedoe, and I will, I wonder what he will have to say.”
“He won’t tell you anything that contradicts what I’ve told you,” she said.
It wasn’t just her words that disturbed Detective Koltun, it was the confidence in which she said it. She sounded not only absolutely sure of what she said, but she sounded cold and unfeeling. He’d already figured out that was true. She was a rough woman.
He had one more question. “Ms. Pero, what kind of vehicle does Ian drive?”
“The last I knew, he drove an old green Subaru Forester. I guess he still does,” she said.
“You changed vehicles,” Roger said. “Are you sure he didn’t do the same thing?”
There was a slight tick in her eyes before she said, “If he did, it was after we went our separate ways.”
“And when was that?” he asked.
“After I talked him into letting the girls go,” she said.
There were two lies in those last two sentences. First, they didn’t let the girls go. The girls managed to escape on their own. And second, they had been seen together very recently on Dade’s mining claim arguing with Mikel Chatard and forest officers. There was photographic proof of that. He let it go. He’d heard all he needed for now. He locked her up in the Duchesne County Jail.
It was very late by the time he was able to inventory the black Jeep Wrangler that he’d ordered towed to the sheriff’s impound yard. What he found was very disturbing, very interesting, and very telling. Criminals could be so stupid. He found a picture in the Jeep that had been printed on computer paper. It showed three girls: Lizzie, Mittie, and his own daughter, Kimber. He knew it was them, although all three of them had blindfolds covering their eyes and rope binding their wrists. They were easily identified by their clothes, the shape of their heads, and so on.
Raw bile rose in his throat at the sight of it, but he knew he had just salted his case away. He had Viola dead to rights. She was going to prison. And when he caught up with Ian Bedoe, he would be convicted as well. He could now proceed on much more than just Lizzie’s word about the smell. He had Viola’s backhanded confession. And better yet, he now had proof that was irrefutable. He also found a cell phone and a laptop in the Jeep. He suspected he would find more compelling evidence contained on them once he got a search warrant.
