THIRTY-FIVE

Janie stumbled and landed on her knees when the stranger pushed her into the cabin. Jonathan reached down to give her a hand. “You really shouldn’t have come, my dear.”

She grabbed hold as he lifted her to her feet. Giving him a daggered glare she brushed off her pants. “Don’t clean much around here, do you?”

Jonathan let out a guttural laugh, but then his face became stone-serious. “You have complicated things a wee bit.”

She pointed toward the door. “No, your goon here has. Mitch is lying out there in the dirt. How are you going to cover that one up? Pull out his teeth, too?”

He rubbed his finger across his eyebrow. “She does have a point. Let’s see. Can’t dunk him in the river or send his car down the cliff. Repetition will cause suspicion.”

Janie’s mouth dropped open.

The stranger jammed a finger under Jonathan‘s nose. “Shut up, Gates. It’s your fault they tailed you.”

Jonathan’s face reddened. He shoved the stranger’s chest. “Don’t lay all of this on me. You left enough bread crumbs to bring every cop in a fifty-mile radius.” He threw his hands up. “Idiot.”

“What’cha call me?”

Jonathan spun on his heel and pointed to Janie. “If she can track us, who else can?”

Janie plopped into a camping chair, one of two in the room. The canvas let off a musty, smoky odor. She gave a small cough. “When did you last wash this thing?”

The other man growled. “Zip it, lady.”

Janie stared at him first, then at Jonathan. “Actually, I followed Mitch. He’s the one who must have put it all together.”

“See?” Gates shot Arnie a narrow-eyed glance and sat in the other chair. A moment of stale silence filled the room. Gates let out a deep sigh. He reached over and ran a finger down Janie cheek. “Sorry, my sweet. We have to make sure you don’t lead anyone else here.”

She recoiled.

The other man rocked on his feet. “What’s the plan?”

“Tie her up and gag her for now. There’s duct tape in the trunk.” He tossed the man his keys.

Janie bolted to her good foot. “Wait a minute.”

Jonathan pushed her back into the lawn chair, which made it creak and wobble. “Hush.” He unbuckled and removed his belt.

She scoffed. “What are you going to do? Beat me?”

“I almost feel like it. You really disappoint me.” He yanked her arms behind her chair and wrapped his belt around her torso and forearms. The leather tightened her skin against the canvas as he pulled and buckled it, securing her to the chair. She wiggled back and forth.

He laughed. “Go ahead, you’ll just land on your side. Then what?”

She snorted her disgust. “I thought better of you.”

He pulled the other chair around to face her. “I’d hoped wooing you would keep you off my trail. Guess I need to work on my charms.”

“I’ll say.”

He pouted. “The lonely widower and the widow, joined by the police force. Sounded like a match made in heaven.”

A shot of bile raced into her throat. She swallowed down her disgust. “How could you?”

He leaned back and rested one foot on the other leg. “Even asked Blake for permission to court you. Nice touch, huh?”

“I actually started liking you.” She turned away and blinked back a rogue tear.

He stood as the other man returned with the silver roll. He pulled out a long piece and slapped it over her mouth, squelching her scream. Gates held her squirming legs as his buddy bound her feet and knees. Then he held her shoulders as his cohort wound the tape around her chest and arms. He loosened his belt from around her and slid it back through the loops on his pants.

She watched in utter disdain, tears dripping onto the silvery gag.

The stranger tossed the rest of the roll to the ground. “OK, now what?”

He snatched the pistol from the man’s waistband, wiping it with his handkerchief. “We knock her out, shove her and Hornsby into her car, put this in her hand and let the police figure it out. They should be here shortly.”

“What?”

“Come on, Arnie. You don’t think Hornsby called this in?”

“She’ll sing as soon as she comes to.” Arnie pointed at her face. “Won’t you, lady?”

Janie blinked.

Jonathan harrumphed and began to pace. He swung his hand toward her. The pistol whacked her in the face.

Her neck snapped back to the right. Her whole head tingled as the room turned to black.