It’s beautiful out here.’ Emma craned her neck, looking out of one window then another. Not an easy task as she sat in the middle of the back seat, Ranger sitting upright on one side and Morgan on the other.
‘It is. All these beautiful oaks and pines. Right now it’s dry. We haven’t had rain in I don’t know how long. I feel sorry for the cows. They don’t have much grass left.’ Mary had twisted a little in her seat to see Emma.
‘It’s still beautiful but it’s a long way out of town. This is where my father and my uncles grew up?’
‘Right down this road.’ Ellen turned onto the dirt road by the old red barn. Right ahead of them was the gate that led into the Grady property. The gate was open.
‘They must be here. This place is locked up tighter than a fortress when they’re gone.’
‘Should we close it?’ Emma’s voice sounded tight, as if suddenly she was on guard. The relaxed, interested quality had disappeared and the policewoman awareness had taken its place.
It was that, more than anything else, that tightened the knot in Mary’s stomach. Why were they doing this? If she was right, Heath and Gabe Grady were dangerous. They could … but they wouldn’t. That was why they’d all come. Safety in numbers and, in this case, that was true. The Gradys were nothing if not smart, and it wouldn’t be smart to kill three women, one a policewoman, one the wife of the chief of police, and an old woman. They’d have to get rid of Tommy as well and the three dogs. They might get rid of them all but it wouldn’t be anything more than ushering them off the property. That would be fine with Mary. She clutched Millie tighter.
The driveway, if you could call it that, made a slight turn and came out between two oaks onto the dirt-packed yard Mary had visited before. The barn was on one side of the yard, the house straight ahead.
There was a sharp intake of breath from the backseat. ‘Is that where my father grew up?’
Horror and shock were in Emma’s voice. ‘It’s a shack. How could …’
‘Not a shack.’ Ellen brought the car to a stop and they all stared at the house. ‘It’s a house. It has bedrooms and … everything.’ Her voice faded away as she looked through the driver’s window at the empty front porch.
The screen door still hung by one hinge, the screen in shreds, keeping out nothing. The front door was pushed open, barely visible in the dim interior. There was no sign of life anywhere.
‘It’s just a little rundown, that’s all.’
‘A little? One push and the whole thing would fall down.’
Still clutching a wiggling Millie, Mary looked around. The pickup she’d seen the other day was parked under the lean-to that bordered the barn. The paneled van was nowhere to be seen. Where were the Gradys? Where was Tommy?
‘We might as well get out.’ Ellen opened her door then walked around to the back and let Morgan out. She held onto his leash tightly, keeping him closely by her side. For protection or because of his obvious interest in the ground squirrels that darted freely around the yard, Mary didn’t know.
She also got out, making sure Millie was close beside her.
Emma slid over and exited by the other door. She let Ranger out but left her side door open. Ranger looked around and sniffed the air. The hair on the back of his neck stood up. A low rumble started in his throat. He seemed oblivious to the ground squirrels. Instead, his attention was glued on the barn door.
‘What’s the matter with Ranger?’ Ellen looked at the dog, took a step back and pulled Morgan even closer to her side. She looked at the barn then at the house.
Mary thought she looked poised for flight.
‘Ellen.’ Emma didn’t look any more relaxed and Ranger looked downright dangerous. ‘Can you get cell phone service out here? I didn’t realize how isolated this was.’
Ellen nodded. ‘They put in a new tower about a year ago.’
The fact they weren’t entirely cut off from the rest of the world didn’t seem to make Emma feel better. ‘I don’t like this. Where is everybody? They must have heard us drive up.’
As if on cue, Gabe Grady strolled out of the barn, cowboy hat pushed back on his head, cigarette hanging out one side of his mouth. He looked them all over, especially Emma, and smiled. The smiled died as the rumble in Ranger’s throat escalated.
‘Well, this is a pleasant surprise. What brings you lovely ladies way out here?’ He took the cigarette out of his mouth and flicked it away, never taking his eyes off the dog. ‘What’s the matter with him?’ The smooth as butter tone in his voice hardened as he stared at the dog.
‘He doesn’t like hats.’ Emma smiled, a little stiffly, Mary thought, but still, a smile. ‘You invited me out to see where my father had lived and, since Ellen was coming out to …’ she glanced at Ellen out of the corner of her eye, ‘… look at a piece of property, I thought I’d tag along.’ She looked around, holding tightly to Ranger’s leash. ‘Tommy said you were bringing him out here so we thought we’d pick him up while we were here – save you a trip back to town.’
Gabe pushed his hat farther back on his head, keeping his eyes on Ranger, whose hair was standing straight up. ‘That dog doesn’t seem to like me much.’
‘I told you. It’s the hat.’
‘Well, I’m not taking it off for some damn dog. Why don’t you put him back in the car?’
It wasn’t a question, nor was it a request. It was an order. Mary’s breath caught in her throat. She didn’t know Gabe very well but he’d always been pleasant, breezy and funny. This was a side she’d never seen and she didn’t like it. Her grasp on Millie’s leash tightened.
‘He’ll bark.’ There was steel in Emma’s voice. ‘Where’s Tommy?’
‘In the barn with Heath. In our office. They’re having a meeting and they’re not done yet.’ He smiled at them. At least, Mary thought he tried to but it looked more condescending than friendly. ‘Why don’t you ladies run along? I’ve got some business in town so I don’t mind bringing ol’ Tommy back one bit.’
‘Why don’t we ask Tommy before we leave? See if he’s finished?’ Ellen used her sweetest voice but her knuckles were white as she clutched Morgan’s leash. She didn’t really have to hang onto him that hard. He sat by her side calmly, unlike Ranger, who looked like he was ready to go on attack any minute. Millie paid no attention to any of them. Her total concentration was on a ground squirrel who got closer to the Gradys’ front porch with every hop.
‘You can’t go in there.’ Gabe took a step back and spread his legs, as if he could guard the barn door from them. Why? What was in the barn that he didn’t want them to see? Or did he not want them to get to Tommy? Gabe took out another cigarette, lit it and threw the match on the ground. Ellen took a step to the left. Morgan got to his feet. Emma took a step to the right, Ranger tight beside her.
‘Tommy. We’re out here. Do you want a ride home?’ Emma’s voice rang out loudly in the otherwise still country air. She tried again. ‘Tommy?’
One of the sliding doors of the barn was pushed back. Tommy appeared. ‘Hey.’ He shielded his eyes from the setting sun with his hand. ‘What are you doing out here?’ He took a better look. ‘All of you. Mrs McGill, Mrs Dunham. I sure didn’t expect to see … Hey, Ranger.’
Ranger’s head came up, his ears pricked forward and, with a joyous yelp, he lunged toward Tommy, almost yanking Emma off her feet. At the same time, Millie evidently decided the ground squirrel was too close to the house and she, too, lunged but not at Tommy. She yanked the leash out of Mary’s hand and ran toward the squirrel. Startled, the squirrel bypassed the van, leapt on the porch and headed for what it probably thought was safety. It ran through the loose screen into the Grady house, Millie hot on its heels, her leash flying after her, barking and yelping at full throttle.
‘Millie, no!’ Mary started after her at what she thought was a brisk trot.
Tommy was way ahead of her. He crossed the yard in a full gallop, Ranger happily running beside him and Emma still holding onto Ranger’s leash, trying to keep up.
Tommy slowed down at the stairs, trying to avoid the cracked and broken steps. Ranger didn’t bother with the stairs. He gave a gigantic leap, landed on the porch and crashed through what was left of the screen door. Emma, who’d let go of the leash, paused at the foot of the stairs, watching as Tommy disappeared behind the dog.
Ellen, Morgan and Mary all arrived at the same time, Morgan tugging at his leash, determined to catch up with Ranger. Or maybe he wanted his turn chasing the squirrel. Mary wasn’t sure but she was sure she needed to retrieve Millie. She took hold of the railing and, careful of where she set her feet, started up the stairs.
‘Shall we?’ Ellen murmured to Emma.
‘We’ll never get a better chance.’ Emma grabbed Mary’s arm and almost lifted her up the last two stairs. ‘Get in the house.’
Mary didn’t pause to wonder why the urgency. She pushed what was left of the door aside and ran in, Ellen right behind her, trying to keep Morgan in control.
‘You can’t go in there!’ Gabe sounded somewhere between fury and fright as he screamed at them. ‘Keep out of my house.’
‘What the hell is going on out there?’ The voice roared louder than a lion with a thorn in its paw.
It was Heath. Mary could see the doorway to the barn through the front window of the house. He’d pushed both barn doors open and stood directly in front of the paneled van, his legs apart and hat pushed back, as Gabe had. The difference was he carried a long-barreled rifle. Mary had only enough time to see the scope on the barrel and wonder if it was the gun Dan was looking for when she felt someone grab her and pull her back.
‘Why were you standing there? That idiot has a rifle. You could have been shot.’
Ellen looked more shaken than Mary could ever remember seeing her, and no wonder.
Heath had lifted the rifle to his shoulder, ready to shoot someone, and now Gabe came thundering into the room, shouting and waving his arms. ‘Get out, get out!’
‘So Heath can shoot us? I don’t think so.’ Emma had her own gun out and shoved it in Gabe’s face. He was up against the wall before he knew what happened, Ranger in front of him, lips drawn back, ears flat, just waiting for someone to give him the OK to attack.
‘Do you greet all your guests like this?’ Emma’s voice was filled with anger. ‘Yelling, screaming and trying to shoot them? Or just the ones you think might arrest you for grand larceny and murder?’
Gabe looked from her to the dog and grew several shades whiter. ‘I never murdered no one. I don’t know what you’re talking about. This is our property. No one invited you. Come on here with a gun and vicious dogs, a man’s got a right to protect himself.’ His voice had developed a little belligerence but he hadn’t moved away from the wall.
‘That’s one of the dumbest arguments I’ve ever heard. We’re here at your invitation. What do you have to hide, Gabe? What are you and Heath up to?’
Ranger still stood in front of Gabe, the hair on his back standing at attention, his lips pulled back to expose formidable-looking teeth. The rumble in his throat intensified. Gabe never took his eyes off him as he sputtered more protests at Emma.
Morgan and Millie ignored the little drama going on close to them. They had the ground squirrel cornered. It was as flat against the wall as Gabe and trembling almost as badly. Mary tore her attention away from Gabe and Ranger when Millie gave one sharp, threatening bark. She was crouched down, ready to attack.
Mary had never seen her dog look like that and was horrified. ‘Millie, don’t you dare!’
Gabe, Ranger and everything else momentarily forgotten, she grabbed Millie by the collar and picked her up. ‘Oh, the poor thing.’
The squirrel saw his chance and ran. He might not have made it around Morgan but just then Tommy yelled out, ‘Look at that!’
They all did.
Mary had taken no notice of the room. Things were happening so fast there hadn’t been time. Now, she did. There was little furniture in what she supposed was intended to be the living room. Instead, it was full of electronic equipment. Computers, screens, copiers, fax machines and a whole lot of other things she didn’t recognize. Except for one wall. It was taken up by a large commercial safe. It stuck out into the room, its weight making the already uncertain floor bow. It might not have taken up so much room when the door was closed but today it stood open, giving them all a clear view of its contents. Gold bars. A tray of gold coins. And another one piled high with gold jewelry. The contents of a smaller, shallower tray sparkled even in the dim light. Diamonds. A latticed crate, stuffed with shredded paper, sat on the floor, half filled with gold bars. The crate’s top was clearly labeled, Fireworks. The Gradys were getting rid of the evidence.
Everyone stared at the safe.
All that gold, Ellen mouthed.
‘From the robberies.’ Emma’s gun dropped from Gabe’s head as she stared at the contents of the safe, then at the crate.
‘I’ve seen a lot of gold,’ Tommy said almost reverently, ‘but never that much.’
Mary couldn’t say a word. She just looked, her mouth slightly open.
Even the dogs looked. Millie had given up trying to escape Mary’s arms when the squirrel disappeared and Morgan and Ranger seemed to be trying to figure out what held the humans so transfixed. No one noticed Gabe until he made a dash for the front door. He was down the front steps, yelling for Heath not to shoot, when they all turned to see nothing but an empty flapping screen.
‘Damn and blast.’ Emma ran for the door and was out on the porch as Gabe reached the van. He was in and the door slammed before Emma could yell, ‘Stop or I’ll shoot.’
The only response she got was the roar of the engine. The brake released with a jerk and Gabe headed for the barn. ‘Get in the van!’ he yelled at Heath, skidding to a halt.
The back of the van fishtailed on the packed dirt. Heath raised the rifle to his shoulder and got off a shot at the house. Emma, who was on the porch, threw herself back into the room, almost landing on Tommy, who was hanging onto Ranger. The dog was straining at the leash, determined to go after Gabe.
‘For God’s sake, don’t go out there again. You’ll get killed.’
‘Not if I can help it.’ Emma’s voice was grim, her jaw rigid. ‘Who has a cell phone? Call nine-one-one. Make sure your GPS is on so they can find us. Tell them to watch out for that van and hurry. Be sure to tell them the fireworks signs are gone. They’re looking for a plain white-paneled van and a man armed with a rifle.’
Mary crept up to the window, standing to one side as she clutched a now-quiet Millie. The van, motor running, still sat in front of the barn. Emma was right. No firework images decorated the van’s sides. When had they taken them off? Why was obvious. Wherever they were going, they didn’t want to be noticed. She barely had time to wonder where that was when Heath came running out of the barn, still carrying the rifle and also a brown briefcase. He opened the cab door, threw in the case then turned and did something Mary couldn’t see. The next thing she knew, the van was roaring through the yard and a ball of red fire was flying through the barn doors. She barely heard the pop over the louder ones from Emma’s gun.
‘What are you doing?’ Tommy sounded breathless and terrified. ‘You’re going to get killed and then what will I do?’
‘I’m trying to shoot out their tires but I missed.’ She turned to Tommy and smiled. ‘I may have gotten their gas tank, though. They won’t like that much.’
‘We won’t like what Heath threw in that barn, either.’ Ellen’s voice was shaky and scared. ‘I think it was a lit firework and now the barn’s on fire.’