This wouldn’t be easy. Her dad never gave up information easily. “Mom told me some other information, Dad. I didn’t remember that we’d been in another compound before going to Mount Sinai.”
He straightened, and a lock of shaggy white hair fell onto his forehead. His brows came together. “You were young.”
“I decided to go to Cumberland, Dad. On our way back from Maine.”
Red ran up his neck and his eyes bulged. He rose and stalked to the window. “You had no right.”
“Your dad is dead, but Edward is still there. He’s joined up with Gabriel.”
Her dad whirled to face her. “That’s impossible. Divine Rights and Liberty’s Children have very different philosophies.”
“Edward is running things. He’s very arrogant and unlikeable.”
“Just like Dad.” Her father’s eyes narrowed, and he pressed his lips together. “Lawless, full of self-importance.”
“Why does Edward hate you so much? I mean, he hates you. He ordered us off the property and told us never to come back.”
“Water under the bridge,” her dad said. “It’s not important any longer.”
“But what if it is?” Reid said. “We already know Gabriel is here because of something Kim did. What if there’s more to it? I know talking about the past is hard for you, Charles, but Will’s life might depend on it. We need to know what’s going on. If you love Will as much as you say you do, you’ll tell us.”
Heat radiated from her dad’s face in waves. He was holding his rage in check, and she knew pushing him was dangerous. But she had to for Will’s sake.
“Dad, what happened when you left Kentucky?”
“It has nothing to do with Will.”
“And what if it does? You’re a lawman. You just told me we need to talk to Gabriel, that he might be involved in this. What if Edward is too?”
The fire ebbed in her dad’s eyes, and he went back to his chair and nearly fell back into it. He dropped his face in his hands and sighed before looking up again with such an air of defeat that pity squeezed Jane’s throat. If it weren’t so important, she would tell him it was okay, that he didn’t have to talk about it. But she had to know.
“I couldn’t stand the lawlessness. My dad and brother loved power, and they took anything they wanted from the towns around us. I’d thought we were doing God’s work and found out we were doing my father’s. We had an argument, and I left with you and your mother. I wanted to find a different way of life, one that didn’t feed on the weaknesses of others.”
“From the frying pan into the fire,” she said softly.
“I know that now, but Mount Sinai seemed different at first. It wasn’t, of course, but I was young and full of zeal.”
“I can understand why your father was upset, but why is your brother still so angry?”
Her dad rose and went to the door. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
The door slammed behind him, and rain began to strike the windows as the storm picked up.
Jane exhaled. “Let’s go talk to Gabriel. Maybe there’s more here than we realize.”
If she could only get him to talk.
* * *
Reid and Jane huddled under the canopy as the police motorboat battled the wind and waves. The covering did little to protect them from the rain that poured down in sheets. Water sluiced down Reid’s face and drenched his clothing. Jane was soaked through as well. The warm temperature kept them from any real chill from the inclement weather.
“Maybe we should have waited.” Jane lifted her voice over the sound of the wind. “The waves are ferocious.”
Reid shook his head. “If there’s any chance at all Gabriel orchestrated framing Will, we need to figure it out. If we can find proof he’s behind this, Will could be free today.”
He’d felt so helpless and useless the past few days. At least now he was doing something.
The island grew closer, and he peered through the windshield to search for signs of movement, but all he saw was the wind whipping the bushes and tree limbs. The weather had erased any marks in the sand, and the rain obscured any boats that might be hiding in the vegetation.
“I don’t see the inflatables that were here before,” Jane said.
“Maybe they pulled them farther into the trees so they wouldn’t blow away.”
If Gabriel and his men were gone, what would they do next? They needed to talk to him and see what he knew about Lauren’s death, if anything. It could be a wild-goose chase, but they had to find out for sure.
“I texted Augusta about our plans.” Jane handed him her phone, then went to the starboard side. “We’ll need to drop anchor out here and wade in. It won’t be easy in these waves.”
He nodded and let the engine putter slowly as close as he dared to the land. When Jane made a cutting motion with her arm, he killed the motor. She tossed the anchor over the side, then sat and pulled off her boots.
He took off his shoes and stowed Jane’s and his phones, then went back to attach the ladder. The waves slammed the hull and the boat rocked hard. He grabbed the railing to avoid falling.
“I’m not sure you can withstand the waves, Jane. Let me go in by myself. I know him better anyway.”
With her hair slicked flat to her head, she looked even smaller and more fragile, but she lifted her chin. “I don’t trust him, Reid. You’re not going there alone. I’m a strong swimmer.”
“It’s the current I’m worried about. There’s a bad riptide. Look.” He pointed out a main rip along a rocky outcropping and a feeder current running parallel to the shore. “So if we’re going in, stay away from that area. I’ll hang on to your hand. Let me get in the water first.”
She nodded, and he climbed down the ladder. His toes touched bottom, and he braced his knees against the surge. The water was chest high, and salty waves pulsed into his mouth and nose. He choked and sputtered before swallowing it.
Jane peered down at him. “You okay?”
“Yeah. It’s going to be over your head, and you won’t be able to take your gun. I’m going in alone.”
He’d barely gotten the words out when he saw the splash and her head bobbed just above the surface. “Stubborn woman,” he muttered. He reached out and grabbed her hand as the current started to drag her away.
Hanging on to her, he fought the waves and current a few inches at a time. His thighs burned, and his knees ached with the effort of keeping his feet planted and the two of them upright until the water was shallow enough for Jane to stand. She staggered through the water, chest deep to her and waist deep to him, as the land drew closer. They reached the beach, and she sank to her knees in the wet sand. He was winded himself, and they both paused long enough to gulp in lungfuls of air.
The rain was still coming down hard enough to make it difficult to see. He rose and tried to get his bearings. He thought the pathway through the underbrush to the settlement was to their right.
Jane took his hand to get up, and she shielded her eyes from the rain with her hand. “That way, I think.” She pointed in the same direction he’d been considering.
“Let’s get into the trees. Maybe there will be enough shelter from the rain to be able to see.”
She clung to his arm as they rushed along the vegetation. The path had to be close. He spotted it and veered into it. In a few feet they were under a large canopy of trees that broke the deluge assaulting them.
He stopped and wiped the water from his face as Jane did the same. “The path looks well worn. They’re probably still here.”
She nodded. “Got any idea what to say?”
“How about we tell him we spoke to your mother, and she gave us what he wants? We’ll give it to him, sight unseen, if he helps us prove Will’s innocence.”
“I’m not sure I can. That time in my life was awful, Jane. Losing my mom, then losing you. The camp totally destroyed by fire and my dad dead. It’s all a nightmarish jumble I’m not sure I want to relive.”
She hugged him around the waist and stared up into his face. “I understand. I don’t like to think about it either, but there might be some leverage in the pictures we can use if he refuses to help us.”
“Okay.” He embraced her and rested his chin on the top of her head. Her hair smelled of the sea and rain. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” He lifted his head and dropped his arms from around her. “I’m ready to do this.”
* * *
The mishmash of lean-tos and tents looked even more dismal in the rain. Reid wiped his dripping face and studied the clearing. The scent of mud and wet leaves swirled around them in a suffocating stench. He didn’t want to leave the trees’ shelter until he was sure of the lay of the land. It was too risky to Jane. While she might think Gabriel would be amenable to their request, Reid knew him too well to assume anything.
He leaned over to whisper in her ear. “I saw movement in that big tent on the right.”
He narrowed his gaze on the entry to the large tent and saw a figure lift the flap and step out into the rain. Before he could say it was Gabriel, something rustled behind them, and he turned to see a man with a rifle trained on them.
Reid lifted his hands. “We’re here to see Gabriel. He’s expecting us.”
The man gestured with the rifle’s barrel. “I’m sure Gabriel will be glad to see you. Move.”
Reid and Jane tramped through the mud to the big tent, and Reid wished there had been some way to bring their guns with them. Or even their phones. But the immersion in seawater would have been problematic. Maybe they should have risked it. Jane had texted Augusta, but by the time she realized there was a problem, it might be too late.
Gabriel gestured for them to step inside out of the rain. The scent of cooking meat filled the tent, and he glanced around. A small propane cookstove occupied the center of the space, and several cots topped by sleeping bags hugged the canvas walls. Camp chairs circled the stove, and Gabriel, who stood staring at them, was the only occupant.
He handed them each a towel, and Reid mopped at his hair and face. Gabriel still hadn’t said anything, and Reid took the time to gather his thoughts. He’d feel easier about the tough conversation if Jane hadn’t insisted on coming along. He had to protect her as well as get to the bottom of this mess.
Gabriel gestured to the camp chairs. “Have a seat.”
Reid guided Jane to the seat farthest from the one Gabriel dropped into. Reid eased into the chair beside the other man and tossed the towel on the floor.
Jane continued to dry her hair, and Reid didn’t like the predatory gleam in Gabriel’s eyes as he watched her.
“So, pretty lady,” Gabriel said. “Did you see your mother?”
Jane dropped the towel to the tent floor. “We did. She was . . . surprised to see me.”
He grinned. “I’m sure she was. What did she have to say about my demand?”
“Kim gave us a safe-deposit key. She said the box contained pictures of you and my dad killing my mother.”
Gabriel’s expression remained impassive. “She said? You didn’t look at the pictures?”
“We haven’t had time to go to the bank,” Jane said. “But you’re not getting the key either unless you help us clear Will.”
Gabriel glanced away for an instant before he gave a quick shake of his head.
Reid felt a sickening rush of intuition. “You didn’t frame Will. You’re using his predicament to try to gain possession of the pictures.” Reid rose and held out his hand to Jane. “We’re done here.”
“What about the key? I’ll take it, and you’ll never see me again.”
Reid started to tell him he couldn’t have it, then remembered they still had to get out of here in one piece. What was to stop Gabriel from killing them and sinking their bodies into the sea?
“It’s back on the boat. We’ll go grab it.”
“You go fetch it, Dixon. The little chief of police stays here.”
Reid crossed his arms across his chest. “Then you don’t get the key.”
“Sure I do. My men can find it.”
“Let them try if you like. It’s little and you have no idea where it is. We both go or you get nothing.”
Gabriel’s lazy smile flattened, and his eyes went cold. “No funny business. Walter here will have his gun on you the whole time. One hint that you’re double-crossing me, and you’re both dead.”
If they played it Gabriel’s way, they’d both be dead anyway. Reid nodded, and they filed back outside. The rain had changed to a sprinkle, and the hint of more light told him the storm was past. The one above them, at least.