Most Eligible Killer, page 17
“Or it could be a hoax,” Lamar commented.
Bianca straightened in her seat. “I’m telling you what I know. Eddie’s in trouble. There’s no doubt about that in my mind.”
Lamar leaned in closer, elbows resting on his desk. “If we follow up on this, I want you to go home. I’m not taking any chances with you being kidnapped again or held hostage.”
Bianca slipped her phone back into her purse. “I only wanted to tell you what I knew. I was headed home.”
“Hey, Sims,” Atkins called out. “I’ve got something you need to see.”
“What’s that?”
Bianca stayed planted in her seat.
“I decided to keep digging into Isabel’s records. Turns out she had a one-million-dollar life insurance policy. The beneficiary was originally her husband, Miguel, but she changed it to Eddie Talbert two weeks ago.”
Bianca swallowed. Eddie was Isabel’s beneficiary. Did he know that?
“You know all those calls we pinged as coming into Isabel’s phone before she died? Same number that just called Ms. Wallace. Those texts she had? About someone not being happy about being left in her will? This number,” Atkins continued.
Bianca’s lips parted. Being left in the will? “Lamar?”
“What?” he replied.
“When I was at Bill’s Bar and Restaurant with Nicole tonight, I heard Dolores on the phone. She said something about... ‘When we get the money,’” Bianca explained.
“I say we check out this old bait and tackle shop, Sims,” Atkins said to him.
“I agree.” He faced Bianca. “Go home.”
Bianca bobbed her head and stood. Buzz. Buzz. When she opened her purse and saw another unknown number, she immediately thought it was Eddie.
She showed the screen to Lamar.
He stood too. “Put it on speaker.”
Bianca did and answered. “Hello?”
“Bianca?” Eddie’s voice sounded strained, as if he were in pain.
“Tell me where you are. I can get the police to—”
“No, you can’t do that. They’ll kill me,” he said.
“Who?” Bianca asked.
Crunch!
The line went dead. Bianca gripped her phone tighter and stared at Lamar. “Now what?” she asked.
“We check out this abandoned bait and tackle shop.” Lamar grabbed his own phone.
Atkins sprinted to his desk for his belongings too. “Ready when you are.”
“I think I should go with you,” Bianca said. She fell in step with both men, and they headed to the front doors.
“Bianca, we can handle this.”
“But he’s calling me. Don’t you think it’d be better if I were with you the next time he calls?” she pointed out.
Once they were in the parking lot, Lamar paused. Atkins continued to their squad car. Bianca stayed beside Lamar.
Lamar pinched the bridge of his nose.
“I’ll follow behind you both and stay in the car. If he calls again, I can let you know. Give me a signal and I’ll get out of there,” she suggested. “Lamar, what if this is the only way to save Eddie?”
“The minute I see something wrong, I want you to speed home,” he said.
“Okay.” Bianca sprinted to her car while Lamar hurried to join Atkins in their squad car. Bianca quickly slid into her driver’s seat and started her engine. She hoped her hunch was right. More importantly, she hoped they would make it in time to save Eddie.
BIANCA TURNED OFF HER headlights as her tires crunched over the rocks at the forgotten lake in Edenville. The grass, tall enough to reach her knees, signaled the place’s deterioration over the years. If Jerry and Dolores needed a secluded spot to hide Eddie, this was ideal. She stopped her car behind Lamar and Atkins. Their brake lights went out, and both men stepped out of their vehicle. Lamar mouthed, “Wait,” to Bianca, and she nodded. She put her car in park and made sure her doors were locked. Despite her curiosity, she wanted to keep her word and avoid unnecessary danger.
Tap. Tap.
Bianca jerked and faced her window. Detective Williams? What was he doing here? Had Lamar and Atkins called for backup?
He motioned for her to lower her window.
Bianca reached for the button but thought better of it. Wouldn’t Lamar have told her if Detective Williams was going to be there? How did he know where to find them? Bianca remained still. What if the man at the restaurant hadn’t been Jerry? Could it have been... Detective Williams?
“Are you coming out, Bianca?” he asked through the window.
Bianca froze. She couldn’t reach for her phone or even scream. The next thing she knew, Detective Williams had pointed a gun at her.
“I think you should turn off your car and come with me,” he said. “I have a friend of yours who’s waiting.”
Bianca stared at his set jaw and stern eyes. She bobbed her head in compliance and cut her engine. Grateful she had slipped her phone into her pocket, she raised one hand in the air and then reached to open the door with the other.
Once outside, Detective Williams grabbed her by the arm sharply.
Bianca yelped from the pain, but he only covered her mouth with his free hand.
“You and I are going to go for a walk,” he gripped her mouth tighter. “Don’t try anything.”
Bianca fell in step with him as he directed her away from the bait and tackle shop, where Lamar and Atkins were searching for Eddie.
“Clever, aren’t you?” Detective Williams whispered in her ear.
Bianca only listened.
“I thought our note would keep you away, but I underestimated you,” he said.
The moonlight shone through the trees as they went deeper into the woods. Would he kill her here? Was Eddie already dead, and was he going to show her his body? Bianca did her best to avoid the rocks on the ground as a few tree branches snapped under her feet. Then they came to a shack made of wood.
Bianca gasped despite her mouth being covered. She’d forgotten about the old clubhouse made by a few kids in town years ago. Like the bait and tackle shop, it was worn down, with several boards missing and tree branches lying on the caved-in roof.
Light came from inside, and Detective Williams led her to the entrance. Once inside, Bianca spotted Eddie on the wooden floor. One large, bright-handled LED flashlight illuminated the large space, while the rest of the lighting came from the moonlight. Bianca noticed that Eddie was unconscious.
How long had he been here? When had they kidnapped him? Bianca never suspected someone kidnapping Eddie. They must have drugged him. He was a strong man and couldn’t be overpowered easily. Based on the cut on his lip and the bruise over his left eye, he must have fought back at some point. Dolores stood a few feet away, pointing a gun in Bianca’s direction too.
“Scream and you die now. Got it?” Daniel told her.
Bianca nodded.
When he released his grip, she made eye contact with Dolores. “Can I see if he’s okay?”
Dolores looked at Daniel for the final word.
“Fine,” he said.
Bianca hurried to his side to see his arms tied behind his back with duct tape. Examining his head, she saw blood coming from his forehead.
“He needs help,” she said to them both.
“He’s taken enough blows to the head in football. He’ll be fine,” Daniel said.
Bianca touched Eddie’s forehead. His eyes were closed, and his lips slightly parted. She looked back and forth between Daniel and Dolores.
“Why?” she asked.
“The money, of course,” Dolores said. “I wasn’t going to let my sister shortchange me. Not after everything I did to help her leave Miguel.” She scoffed. “Isabel wasn’t exactly the girl next door. First Miguel, then Eddie... and of course, you, Daniel.”
Bianca blinked. Daniel and Isabel? “You...” She looked at him. “You strangled her?”
Daniel grimaced. “Isabel was manipulative. She lied to me about being pregnant, only for me to find out it was cancer. She said it was Eddie’s baby, thinking I’d accept her breaking up with me. She made a fool of me.”
“Not to mention, she stole Miguel from me years ago,” Dolores added. “Steal my man and not pay for it? I don’t think so.”
“So, you... killed Miguel?” Bianca asked Dolores. “You caused the accident?”
Dolores continued. “No, that was all Daniel. I knew Miguel had it out for Eddie, so it was the perfect setup. Daniel got away before any witness could see him. Too bad for Miguel. I always... thought he was something special. But let’s face it. His temper was too much. He was so obsessed with winning Isabel back that he couldn’t see she was all wrong for him.”
“She was perfect for me,” Daniel commented, as if he had some remorse for strangling her.
Dolores chuckled. “Come on, Daniel. You think she would have settled down with you? You did us both a favor by getting rid of her.”
Daniel pointed the gun at Dolores. “Shut up!”
Dolores took one step back, suddenly cowed. “Sorry.”
Bianca wondered how she could play the two against each other. “You loved her. Didn’t you, Daniel?”
He shook his head. “Don’t do that.” He pointed the gun again at Bianca. “Don’t try to handle me. It will get you killed.”
Bianca swallowed. Lamar and Atkins had to be finished searching the bait and tackle shop by now. He would see that she wasn’t inside her car. Hopefully, he didn’t take it to mean she’d wandered off on her own. He knew her better than that.
“I’m not. I... just know how you feel,” she said.
“We don’t need your sob story, okay?” Dolores chimed in. She faced Daniel. “What are we going to do with her?”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed at Bianca. “If she’s good, we may let her live.”
Bianca’s muscles tensed. She prayed Lamar and Atkins would come for her soon.
Chapter 19
Buzz. Buzz. Bianca bit her bottom lip. If she assumed correctly, it had to be Lamar calling her phone.
Dolores jerked as she dug into her own jean pocket with her free hand.
“It’s her,” Daniel said, not taking his eyes off Bianca. “Who is it? Your boyfriend?” There was no way he missed the squad car where Bianca was.
“I don’t know,” she replied. She assumed it was Lamar, but it could have been her sister. Knowing Melanie, if Bianca didn’t answer, she would assume something was wrong.
“Then check!” Dolores yelled at her.
“I call the shots, remember?” Daniel replied to Dolores.
“It’s bad enough she’s here anyway. Why did you—?”
“Shut up!” Daniel shouted. Then he directed his attention to Bianca. “See who it is.”
Bianca reached into her pocket to see Lamar’s name on the screen as her incoming call.
“Well?” Daniel asked.
“It’s Detective Sims,” Bianca said.
“Just great,” Dolores commented.
“Dolores, shut up,” Daniel barked. Then he told Bianca, “Answer it and put it on speakerphone. Try something, and you’re dead.”
Bianca answered, hoping Lamar was looking for her. She’d left her car, so he had to have known something had happened. “Hey?”
“Where are you?” Lamar asked. “I thought I asked you to stay in the car.”
Bianca swallowed. “I did.”
“Bianca? You’re clearly not here. What’s going on... Bianca? Talk to me. What’s wrong?”
Daniel stepped forward with his gun to her head as if warning her not to make a wrong move. How could she alert Lamar that Daniel had taken her captive and was holding Eddie hostage?
“Bianca?” Lamar repeated.
“You know, Lamar, I... um... needed some air,” she said. Not her best story, but she couldn’t think with guns pointed at her.
Lamar went silent for a moment. “Well, if you needed a walk, you need to head back here. It’s late, and I don’t know these woods very well.”
“Uh-huh,” she responded. Maybe she could sneak a text to him when Daniel and Dolores weren’t looking.
Daniel mouthed, “Hang up,” to Bianca. She did, not bothering to tell Lamar goodbye.
“So far, so good,” Dolores commented.
Eddie stirred with a moan escaping his lips. Bianca slipped her phone back into her pocket and touched his shoulder.
“My head.” He groaned. “My knee.”
“You’ll live. For now,” Dolores said.
“He needs help,” Bianca chimed in.
“You don’t get it, do you?” Daniel replied. “He’s our fall guy. He’s taking the blame for everything.”
“You’re insane,” Eddie managed to say.
Daniel sprinted forward and struck him in the face with his gun. Then he kicked Eddie in his right knee.
“AGH!” Eddie cried aloud.
Bianca’s eyes widened. Had Lamar and Atkins heard his cry? The old treehouse wasn’t too far away from the bait and tackle shop.
“Shut up!” Dolores yelled at Eddie. “You brought this on yourself. You just couldn’t leave my sister alone. She didn’t care about you. She cared about no one but herself.”
Daniel stepped back. “Don’t talk about Isabel.”
“Face it, Daniel. She didn’t care about you, either. Why do you think she lied to you about the baby?” Dolores continued.
Daniel marched over to her and stared her down.
“Bianca,” Eddie whispered. “Are you okay?”
She faced him as their kidnappers argued in the corner. “What happened? How did you end up here?” she whispered to Eddie.
“The last time I saw you, I went back to my hotel, intending to go to the police the next morning. But as I entered my room, someone struck me from behind, hitting my head. They also stomped on my right knee—the one I injured playing football. It aggravated my old injury, I guess.”
Bianca realized this must have been the moment when they overpowered Eddie. Without the injury, he wouldn’t have been an easy target.
Eddie looked around anxiously. “Is there anything sharp here? Try to cut this duct tape off.” He paused, a hint of regret in his low voice. “I had a pocketknife, but Daniel searched my pockets and took it.”
Without hesitation, Bianca scanned the ground, the moonlight streaming through a shattered window guiding her. Shards of glass glittered like dangerous jewels – they might work, but at the risk of injury to herself or Eddie. Her gaze then fixed on a lone screw, its edge looking deceptively sharp. Carefully, she picked it up and started to work, skillfully using the tip to slice through the stubborn duct tape.
Eddie stared behind her, keeping an eye on Dolores and Daniel, who were still arguing. Bianca didn’t know what their escape plan was, but they were off to a bad start.
“Stop,” Eddie whispered to Bianca. She stopped cutting and he rolled onto his back, hiding his hands.
“You were just jealous of Isabel,” Daniel said to Dolores as he stepped away from her.
“Ha! Who would want to be her? She never had a stable relationship. Dating man after man. She had low self-esteem to begin with. Always seeking validation from people,” Dolores obviously didn’t miss her sister.
Bianca hid the screw behind her back, waiting for the opportune time to resume cutting Eddie’s hands loose.
Daniel pointed his long index finger at Dolores. “I’m warning you. Shut up about Isabel.”
Bianca watched as Dolores opened her lips to reply but thought the better of it. Whatever her rebuttal was, she kept it to herself. Bianca’s heart thudded in her chest. She and Eddie needed a plan to escape without getting killed. Was Lamar working on something with Atkins? Had his instincts kicked in that something was wrong, and that Bianca wouldn’t go “walking in the woods” at night? Not with a murderer on the loose in Edenville.
“Fine,” Dolores finally said. “I won’t bring her up. But what about her?” She motioned to Bianca. “She wasn’t part of our plan.”
“We’ll figure it out, okay?” Daniel replied to her. “We’ve come too far to stop now.”
“You see anything?” Lamar’s voice came from outside.
Bianca held back her scream, but she heard their footsteps along the fallen twigs and branches.
“No,” Atkins replied. “But you’re right. That didn’t sound like Bianca.”
Bianca’s stomach calmed, grateful that Lamar knew her so well, but how would they escape?
Dolores tiptoed closer to Daniel as he peeped outside through a window covered with a worn-out piece of cloth.
“What now?” Dolores whispered.
“Now, Bianca,” Eddie whispered to her.
She resumed cutting at his restraints.
Daniel whispered back to Dolores. “We’ll use Bianca as leverage. I know Lamar’s got a thing for her, so he won’t let her get hurt.”
Bianca swallowed, determined to cut Eddie free. When she heard a slight pop, she saw she had succeeded.
“Stay back,” Eddie whispered to her. He didn’t get up right away. He watched Dolores and Daniel carefully at the window.
“You take the left side. I’ll take the right,” Lamar told Atkins outside.
“Bianca?” Eddie stared at her and all she could do was nod.
“There’s nothing here, man,” Atkins told Lamar.
“I’m going to call her again,” Lamar said.
Bianca’s legs felt restless. Buzz. Buzz.
Daniel snapped back and pointed his gun at her.
Eddie kept his hands behind his back, still not showing that he was free.
“It’s coming from inside the shack,” Atkins called out.
“I’m going in. Call for backup now!” Lamar replied.
Daniel motioned with his gun for Bianca to come closer. She quickly stood to her feet, only to be grabbed by the nape of her neck, dropping the screw to the floor. A yelp escaped her mouth without her meaning it to, but the sharpness of the pain couldn’t be ignored.
“You don’t want to do that, Sims,” Daniel called out to him.
“Williams?” Lamar said, clearly taken off guard to hear a fellow police officer inside. “What are you doing?”
