Love Inspired Suspense June 2021--Box Set 1 of 2, page 38
“You’ll be fine. Just take it easy. You’re free to go.”
“Thank you.” Nathan nodded so vigorously Trey thought the kid’s head might bounce off his neck.
“He’s gonna kill someone!” Will used his Stetson to gesture at the pickup.
“Sir, you must calm down.” Trey focused on Magnum and spoke the cease command. “Nein.”
Will clamped his mouth shut, fury in his expression.
“Will’s harmless,” Justine whispered.
Maybe so, but Trey never second-guessed Magnum’s instincts.
“I didn’t think you’d be here until morning,” Justine said.
“Finished at Yancy’s early.” Will’s eyes stayed on Magnum.
Justine smiled. “Great. I’ll get on the road sooner.”
The roar of the diesel’s engine captured their attention as Nathan performed an excruciating forty-point turn near the garage. After several near misses—including the barn, fence and a tree—the dually rumbled at a snail’s pace from the property.
“Yancy better pay up his auto insurance,” Will grumbled, appraising Trey with obvious disdain. “Who’re you?”
Trey bristled and bit back a smart answer, extending a hand. “Trooper Trey Jackson. Is Will short for William?”
“Wilbur.”
“Trey and I know each other from a long time ago,” Justine replied. “He’s here on a professional visit.”
“In the dead of night?” He harrumphed. “I’m heading to bed.”
“Okay. List is on the fridge.”
Will grunted, hefting his backpack. With a final adjustment to his Stetson, he walked to the barn.
The guy bugged Trey, giving rise to a hundred probing questions. He started with the most significant. “He doesn’t stay in the house?” The farther the proximity to Justine, the better.
“No. His accommodations are in the barn.”
“What’s Will do?”
Justine lowered her voice and waved Trey around the porch to the front door. “He works part-time for me and other ranches in the area wherever the labor takes him. I’d hire him full-time, but that’s not possible right now.”
Was Will involved in Justine’s kidnapping? “How long have you known him?”
“About nine months.” She raised a hand and brow. “Don’t go there. He cares for the boys when I go out of town.”
“Seems like a real animal lover.” Trey didn’t try to hide the sarcasm in his voice.
“That’s a defense mechanism. He’s a softy and a hard worker.”
“Let’s talk in private. After I take your full report, I’ll explain why I was coming to see you this evening.”
She hesitated by the door. “Can I borrow your flashlight? I think the kidnapper messed with my fuse box to lure me into the basement.”
“I’ll reset it. Point me in the direction. I’d like to clear the house.”
She folded her arms, but her tone held relief. “Basement door is in the hall on the right.”
“Magnum, stay.”
The dog whined but obeyed. Poor guy loved building clearance, but with the stairs in the multistoried farmhouse, Trey couldn’t risk a reinjury.
He started with the upper level, making his way to the basement, avoiding the personal items and an abundance of file boxes spread across the floor.
Finally, he located the antiquated fuse box and the fuse the subject must’ve removed. He inserted the fuse, illuminating the musty space. Trey collected a butcher knife and broken flashlight from the ground and returned to the kitchen, where Justine stood, Magnum dutifully keeping watch.
The lights made the destruction worse than he’d first glimpsed, and by her pained expression, it was a shock to Justine. “He was busy while I was in the trunk.”
“What was he searching for?” Trey placed the knife and flashlight on the counter.
“Hard to say.”
Except her mannerism said otherwise.
She led him to the sofa and perched on the far edge. “It’s late. What do you need to file the report?”
He sat and Magnum lay at his feet with a sigh. Trey withdrew his notebook. “What happened right before you walked down to the basement?”
“I was reading, and the lights flickered, then went out.” She hesitated, hand on her khaki shorts pocket, drawing attention to the small book-sized bulge he’d noticed before. “Wait. Why were you coming to see me?”
Pops said relationships were like bank accounts. You had to deposit trust before you withdrew. “Kayla Nolan’s cold case.”
“You’re not the investigator.” Her accusatory tone bit, and he absorbed the blow. She winced. “I didn’t realize you worked cold cases.”
Trey glanced at Magnum. “We’re on a hiatus until his paw heals. Besides, the original investigator retired a long time ago.”
“Isn’t there a conflict of interest?”
Why the third degree? A chance to fling guilt knives for his failure to protect Kayla? Trey shoved away his defensiveness. He’d own his failures. “Sergeant Oliver assigned me and sends his apologies for Callista’s behavior.”
Justine’s posture softened. “She wasn’t very nice.”
“Don’t take it personally. She was in a hurry to get out of the office on a Friday afternoon. Anyway, what made you call in?”
Justine bit her lip.
Trey’s impatience won out. “We’ll get a lot further if we put down the shields.”
She pulled a brown leather journal from her pocket and held it up but out of his reach. “I found Kayla’s diary this afternoon, moving stuff from the Dog House. No clue how it’s gone unnoticed all these years or why it was in my things. Although, Kayla stayed at my place a lot before...” Her voice trailed off. “Anyway, she must’ve left it by accident. Based on some of her entries, I’ll develop a profile to help identify the killer or narrow down possible suspects. I’m certain they were acquaintances.”
“Her case is identified as a suspicious death, not murder.”
“Semantics. And no matter what they said, Kayla didn’t use drugs.”
Was Justine in denial about her friend’s addiction? She knew Kayla better than he, though Trey didn’t recall witnessing Kayla in an inebriated state during their social gatherings. “Who else knows about the diary?”
“I told Kayla’s parents when I contacted them about reopening the file and asked to meet with them.”
Wealthy and prominent in the Lincoln community, the Nolans weren’t exactly down-to-earth folks, from what he’d heard. “Did they agree to speak to you?”
“After some persuasion.” Justine fidgeted with a thread on the couch. “I’m sure my call came as a shock.”
“I’ll take that as a no.”
“I’m not quick to judge. Like some people.” She narrowed her eyes. “Trauma affects people in unique ways. Dredging up old memories is painful.”
Trey noted the Nolans on his list of possible suspects.
Magnum’s ears perked up, and he got to his feet, sniffing the air by the open window. He roved in deliberate precision around the room before pausing by the door.
“Hey, Mags, what’s up?”
“Probably needs out,” Justine said.
Trey didn’t agree. Magnum’s actions indicated unease, but he didn’t want to scare her. “I’ll be right back.”
Trey glanced out the side window before opening the door.
Fireflies flickered in the distance, and the porch light illuminated a small area. Had the kidnapper been stupid and returned?
Stranger things had happened. “Lock the door behind me. If I’m not back in ten minutes, call 9-1-1.”
THREE
Trey set Magnum on the grassy area beside the porch steps. “Have at it.”
Magnum took off at a modified pace in full-search mode. Perhaps he should’ve leashed the dog, but giving him free rein on the property seemed to energize him.
The Belgian Malinois ducked into the tree line on the north side of the expansive ranch.
“Magnum!”
Traversing the uneven ground in the dark was challenging, but Magnum appeared undeterred and determined. He actively sniffed his way into a thicket of overgrown weeds, bushes and dead branches.
Trey activated his weapon’s attached flashlight and swept the beam across the darkened area. He spotted Magnum’s tail as he disappeared into the thick brambles where ticks and other things Trey preferred to avoid lived in abundance. “Ah, dude, do you have to go in there?”
He groaned and caught up with Magnum, slowing at the forest opening. Long branches heavy with green summer leaves hovered like arms. Bushes reached up in a wild stretch of thick briars restricting his entrance. A breeze rustled the foliage and something buzzed past Trey’s ear. He swatted it away.
“Magnum.” Worry niggled through him. Trey called louder, “Magnum.”
Sweeping the light across the thicket, he spotted Magnum sniffing the earth beneath a large oak tree. He circled the wide trunk, disappearing behind the massive circumference of bark. Trey hurried to the space, stomping over the knobby roots and rock-covered ground. He dodged a tangle of low-hanging twigs and gripped a branch before it clotheslined him.
His fingers brushed something thin, and Trey jerked back his hand.
Snake?
Magnum barked, startling Trey and regaining his attention. He shifted the light to the dog. A length of rope dangled from above. Trey traced the braid higher to the leftovers of a makeshift tree house situated between the branches.
Magnum scurried to the opposite side of the trunk, and Trey followed him around the base of the tree to get a better look. Spotting nothing of concern, he leaned down and snapped on Magnum’s leash. “No more of that, mister. We don’t need any further injuries. Sorry, but you’re going to have to stay with me.”
A plank of wood tumbled from the tree house. Trey ducked and turned just as an explosion of pain to the back of his head sent him stumbling forward.
A dull thud and fluttering on the opposite side of the tree had Trey swinging the light downward. Magnum rushed to investigate, and Trey caught a glimpse of something nestled in the tall grass. A soft whizzing emitted.
Magnum tilted his head and swayed slightly.
A snap above drew Trey’s attention. A second plank toppled, striking Trey’s face and exploding pain. He dropped the leash, covering his bleeding nose with his hands.
The plank landed beside him. Trey stepped forward, caught by a tightening around his throat that yanked him back. His fingers groped, desperate to stop the rope from strangling him.
The force dragged Trey against the tree, then pulled him upward.
He kicked, girded his weight and dug his boots into the trunk for leverage. The deathly battle had Trey doing a strange backward climb up the tree to keep from being strangled while groping for his weapon. The criminal pulled higher, cutting off Trey’s air flow. Panicking, he wrapped his hand around the rope with one hand and grappled for his gun with the other.
At last, he tugged the weapon free from his holster.
The perp jerked harder, and Trey lost his grip on the gun. It plunged to the ground, out of reach.
The need to breathe outweighed everything else.
Stars danced before his eyes.
Trey fought to stay conscious as the perp hefted him higher.
Forced to stand on his tiptoes, Trey gasped for air.
He was fading. His body flattened against the trunk.
Where was Magnum? Why wasn’t he barking?
Trey tried to look up, but the hold was too tight. He could barely move. His head brushed against the rough bark, scraping his scalp.
His eyes bulged from their sockets.
Desperate for air.
Desperate to stay conscious. He continued stretching his arms upward, grasping at the rope. It grew tauter.
Justine. He had to stay awake for Justine.
Lord. Help!
Trey’s lungs burned. Gravity tugged his arms and legs down.
The darkness swooped in, consuming him.
Dragging him into the abyss.
Consumed by the shadows, Trey closed his eyes and surrendered.
“Hey! Wake up!” A voice hovered from somewhere far away.
Magnum’s familiar bark.
A slap and a sting on his face jolted Trey conscious.
“Trooper! Wake up!”
A second slap caused his eyes to fly open. Trey blinked against the blinding light, shielding his face from the brightness.
With a groan, Trey shifted, pushing himself up from the hard ground, and took in his surroundings. Magnum barked furiously from beneath a nearby tree. His leash was wrapped around a low-hanging branch.
The light altered, and Will moved in front of him, staring down. “’Bout time you come to,” he grumbled, offering a hand to help Trey stand.
After steadying himself, still woozy, Trey rushed to free Magnum and stumbled over an exposed tree root. “What happened?”
His head swam and a dull headache pulsed at the base of his neck. He leaned down, checking Magnum for any injuries, grateful to find none. But that didn’t explain how his dog had ended up bound so far away from him.
Trey recalled the whizzing sound before Magnum went silent. Had the perp drugged his dog?
He untied the leash, and Magnum shifted protectively in front of him, creating a barrier between him and Will.
Had Will attacked him from the tree house?
Magnum didn’t rush at Will, but his hackles were raised.
Trey needed information, and at the moment, Will was the only one capable of providing that benefit. “Why was my dog tied up over there?”
Magnum emitted a low growl.
“You gonna call him off or not?” Will groused.
Keeping a wary eye on Will, Trey reached for his gun, then remembered he’d dropped it.
“Whatcha looking for?”
“My gun,” Trey confessed.
Will shifted the flashlight, illuminating the area, and Trey scanned the ground for his weapon.
Magnum’s disposition grew edgier. “My dog sure seems to have a problem with you. Any idea why that is?”
Will seemed oblivious to Trey’s concerns, his blank expression as hard to read as invisible ink. “I don’t speak dumb mutt.”
Trey’s gaze moved to a pistol resting in Will’s waistband. Was Will a friend or foe?
“You’re welcome,” Will grumbled. “Look here, Trooper, I just saved your life. Least you can do is call off your dog.”
“You know the funny thing about animals? They tend to pick up on cues and nuances humans miss.”
“That so? They also chase squirrels and bark at leaves.” Will crossed his arms. “And your dog didn’t wake you either.”
Trey chuckled despite his hesitation. “Can’t argue that. Magnum, nein.”
Magnum dropped to a sit beside Trey. “Thank you for helping me.”
If Trey had to guess based on their short interactions and his cop instincts, Will was the kind of guy who enjoyed riling a person, then when he got punched, claimed he was attacked unprovoked. At least he was consistent in his rudeness. Kill ’em with kindness, Pops would say. And right now, Trey needed details. “I’m at a loss, so anything you can tell me would be helpful. Starting with, how’d my dog end up over there?”
“Couldn’t tell ya. He was rabid, and I wasn’t going anywhere near him.”
Magnum was far from rabid, but Trey didn’t correct Will since he was volunteering information. “How did you know I was out here?”
“I didn’t. Your dog barked up a storm and woke me out of a dead sleep. Came out here to give you a piece of my mind and found you sprawled cold under the tree. I figured the mutt wouldn’t let me near enough to release the leash, so I left him tied up over there, then helped you.”
Trey returned to Will, standing where the assault had occurred. Two planks of wood lay on the ground. His gaze traveled up the trunk to the tree house. “There was someone hiding there. He ambushed me.”
“So, that’s where you got the bloody nose.”
Trey glanced down. The dark uniform hid the crimson stains, but his nose ached with confirmation. “Yeah, whacked me with a plank, then tried strangling me.”
Will pointed the flashlight into the tree. A rope swung, tethered by a pulley near the remnants of the tree house. “Why would someone go to all that effort?”
Trey jerked to face the farmhouse. “Is Justine okay?”
“Why wouldn’t she be? Ain’t seen nobody around here, and other than your dog’s rowdy caterwauling, it’s been quiet. I sat here trying to wake your sorry self up for the past fifteen minutes.”
Had Justine told Will about the kidnapping? Trey scoured his mind, recalling the interaction. No. She’d never mentioned it. If Will was involved, was he playing dumb? Or did he not realize Justine was in danger? Anxious to get to her, Trey headed out of the brambles. “How long was I out?”
“Couldn’t tell you.” Will joined him.
“I need to check on Justine.”
“Seems to me you should be more concerned with whoever attacked you.” Will grunted, shifting the light to illuminate a path.
“Unless they did it to get me out of the way.” Trey shot Will a quizzical glance.
“Of what?”
Trey kept walking, unwilling to give him any unnecessary information, still unsure of the man. Magnum remained close to his side, and they cut across the pasture.
“Why are you here, Trooper?” Will persisted.
Trey didn’t look at him, his focus fixed on the farmhouse. No lights shone from inside. Please let Justine be safely asleep. But Trey’s instincts warned that wasn’t true. “Justine and I are working on a case. I’ve known her a long time.”
