19
A bottleneck slowed traffic on the bypass around Corning to thirty-five miles per hour. Only ten miles and Maria would be safely on the plane. Danny glanced in his side mirror. Nothing stood out. If they were being followed, it was at a distance. Maybe they weren’t being followed at all. He glanced toward Angel in the passenger seat. “See anything unusual?”
“No.”
Danny glanced at the passengers in the backseat. Maria dozed in Solana’s lap, and Bailey seemed lost in thought. He shifted his gaze back to the road. “You know, we haven’t seen any evidence that the Calatrava followed us out of Mexico. Don’t you think they would have made a move by now, if they were here?”
“It’s too soon to tell. My gut says they’re just waiting.”
“So you’d prefer for Maria to fly to Logan Point?”
“Yeah. I’m not ready to relax my guard.”
Once they were past the jackknifed semi that had narrowed the highway to one lane, Danny gunned the SUV to sixty-five. “You said something about piloting the plane. How long have you been flying?”
“Fifteen years, since I was eighteen.”
“Ever fly a Cessna 172?”
Angel grinned. “Cut my teeth on one—my flying teeth, that is.”
“So how did you get into flying?”
His grin faded. “When my uncle kicked me out of the house, a friend of my dad’s took me in. The same friend my father entrusted the letter to. He provided private chartered flights for wealthy tourists around Mexico, and he taught me how to fly.”
“Is it possible you’re wrong about your uncle?”
“Don’t let him fool you. He’s like a chameleon—you only see what he wants you to see.”
The exit to Collegedale appeared, and Danny checked the traffic behind him again. Everything looked normal. It’d be interesting to see if anyone exited with them. He slowed for the ramp, then turned left at the light. No one followed them, and he breathed a little easier.
“I’m hungry,” Maria said.
“I am too,” Bailey chimed in. “Those sandwiches are long gone.”
He wished they had taken Kate up on her offer to make sandwiches for them to have on the drive home. “I don’t see anywhere we can get food.”
“There’s a place,” Bailey said.
The “place” was a hole-in-the-wall diner beside a truck stop, and he pulled in. Thirty minutes later when they pulled out, he really wished they’d brought the sandwiches. The restaurant had been a true greasy spoon. They’d all be lucky if they didn’t get sick. Ten minutes later he turned in to the small airport.
The wind sock flew straight out from a cold north wind as Danny removed the chocks around the wheels, then climbed up on the wing and unlocked the cabin door. Back on the ground, he tossed Angel the keys. “Enjoy the flight. The keys to the convertible are under the mat. I’ll call the airport manager and let him know you’ll be picking it up.”
A grin spread across Angel’s face. “Thanks, amigo.”
After he and Angel went over the preflight, Angel helped Maria up on the wing, then Solana before climbing up himself. “See you in Logan Point.”
Danny waved, then hooked his arm in Bailey’s. “Looks like it’s just you and me, kid.”
She laughed and leaned into him. “So it does.”
With Bailey on his arm, he waited until the plane took off, then they walked through the terminal to the SUV. Once back on the highway, Danny turned the radio on low, and classical music played softly in the background.
“I think today went well.” Bailey rested her head against the back of the seat.
“Yeah, and Joel didn’t act like such a stuffed shirt. Did he ever tell you where he went last night?”
“I didn’t ask him, and he’s not a stuffed shirt. He’s a good guy.”
“Whatever.” For communicating, driving was much better than flying, and he didn’t want to waste time talking about Joel. He glanced her way and saw she had her eyes closed. “Tired?”
“Some.”
“Late date last night?”
A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
“Did you mean what you said at the barn?”
Bailey’s eyes flew open. He thought that would get her attention.
“What do you mean?”
“You said some pretty serious stuff, like you love me, among other things.”
She sighed, and his heart took a nosedive. It wasn’t the kind of sigh he wanted to hear. “I do love you, Danny—”
“I hear a but in there.”
“I don’t want to hurt you, but now isn’t the time to push me for anything.”
“I’m not pushing you.” He ignored his father’s voice in his head, warning him of this very thing. “I just asked a simple question.”
“Simple?”
“You know what I mean.” He cut his gaze toward her. Tears wet her cheeks as she pressed her hands against her eyes. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“Well, you did.” She opened her purse and pulled out a tissue. “Remember when we used to go to the maze out on Whitten Road? And how no matter which way we turned, we couldn’t get out?”
“Yeah.” A memory of her crying in the cornfield flashed through his mind. “Is that how you feel? That there’s no way out of your situation?”
“Something like that. I feel like I’m butting my head against a wall. That I’ve wasted my whole life.”
“No, don’t feel that way. Look at what you’ve done for Maria. If it hadn’t been for you, she would have been kidnapped.”
She leaned her head back against the seat again. “There is that.”
“And a whole lot more. Those kids at that school where you teach. I bet they all love you.”
She smiled. “Maybe.”
“No maybe about it. How could they not love you?”
She raised up. “Thanks.”
“For what?”
“Making me feel better. Could we not talk about anything serious for the rest of the way home?”
“Your wish is my command, m’lady.” Her mouth twitched as she stared straight ahead. He took a deep breath and said, “Remember that time we went skinny-dipping—”
“Danny Maxwell. I have never been skinny-dipping in my life.”
“That must have been . . .” He shot a quick look again.
She was trying not to laugh but lost her battle. “You’re something else, you know that?”
“Yeah. But I like hearing you laugh.” He checked his mirror. Would he ever not watch behind him again? “Do you remember . . .”
They spent the rest of the trip reminiscing, and when they reached the bed-and-breakfast, Bailey seemed to be in a better frame of mind.
“Why do you suppose Ben is here?” Bailey asked as they pulled past his car to the back of the house.
“Let’s go see.”
They went in through the back door and found everyone in the kitchen, except Maria and Charlie. “Well, I see all the usual suspects are here,” Danny joked, only no one laughed. “What’s going on?”
Angel folded his arms across his chest. “The guy we went to see yesterday is dead. Murdered.”
Geoffrey Franks dead? Bailey covered her mouth with her hand as the greasy lunch threatened to come up. After what happened this week, she didn’t know why violence surprised her anymore.
She closed her eyes, picturing him when he’d been a couple of years behind her in college. Skinny and wearing horn-rimmed glasses and a bow tie. A glance at Danny made her wince. The color had drained from his face.
“What do you mean, dead?” Danny shifted his gaze to Ben, and the sheriff nodded. “What happened?”
“Shot. At close range. The neighbors said you and another man”—Ben glanced toward Angel—“that I am assuming was you, were at his house yesterday.”
“We were,” Danny said. “I thought since he was going to walk anyway, he might talk to me.”
“Did he?”
“He pulled a gun, ordered me off his property. And I left. Haven’t been back.”
Exasperation flew across Ben’s face. “But I told you to stay away from him, and I know the DA told you the same thing. That I would handle this case. I didn’t need you going off half-cocked.” Ben took out a pencil and pad. “Where were you last night?”
Danny’s eyes widened. “You think I might have had something to do with it?”
“You just admitted to going there. Did you take a gun with you?”
“Maybe.”
Ben pressed his lips in a thin line. “What kind of gun do you have?”
“Nine millimeter Glock.”
“Have you fired it recently?”
“Not in a month. Target practicing then.” Danny’s voice had gone flat.
“Then you won’t mind getting it for me.”
“Are you sure you didn’t fire it when we were at the airport in Mexico?” Bailey said.
“No. Angel did all the shooting.”
Ben shifted toward Angel. “How about you, do you have a gun?”
“Ben Logan!” Bailey fisted her hands on her hips. “I cannot believe you’re questioning Danny and Angel about a murder.”
“It’s my job, Bailey.”
Kate spoke up. “Not telling you how to do your business, Ben. But neither one of these boys killed anyone.”
He nodded, looking uncomfortable. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Next thing I know, you’ll be asking me questions.”
He shifted his gaze to Kate. “Actually, you’re right. Can you tell me if either of these two left last night?”
Kate put her hands on her hips. “Do you seriously suspect them of killing that rat? And speaking of rats, have you questioned Gresham? He’d have the most to gain from Franks’s death.”
Bailey glanced toward Angel. Why didn’t he tell Ben that he’d left in Danny’s SUV last night?
Beside her, Danny stepped toward Ben. “Why not just ask us? I didn’t leave the property last night.”
“I can vouch they both were here when I went to bed,” Kate said.
“And you didn’t hear anyone go out?”
“How about Charlie? Reckon he would know?”
“He might. He’s keeping Maria occupied. Do you want me to go up and get him?” She wiped her hands with a towel.
“No, not just yet.” He nodded to Danny and Angel. “You were getting your guns.”
When Angel left to go upstairs and Danny to his SUV, Bailey turned to Ben. Should she tell him about Angel and Joel leaving last night? “Do you have any other suspects? You know Danny didn’t do it.”
“Come on, Bailey. You want me to do my job, don’t you? And I don’t mind telling you that Jonas Gresham is my primary suspect, but I have to look at everyone who might have a grudge against Franks. And Danny has made no bones about not liking the man after what he did.”
“How will this affect Gresham’s trial?” Kate asked.
“I don’t know. I heard earlier this week that his lawyer has asked for a change of venue for both trials. Claims he can’t get a fair trial here.”
“What do you mean, both trials?” Bailey asked.
“Dogfighting and gunrunning. With a couple of his comrades turning on him, we have him dead to rights on dogfighting. With Franks dead, he might get a not guilty on the gunrunning.”
She hadn’t read about the dogfighting. For that one, he should be put under the jail.
She turned as Angel came into the kitchen and handed Ben his gun. “I don’t know what caliber gun was used, but here’s mine—it’s a 9mm and hasn’t been fired since Wednesday in Mexico.”
Ben examined the automatic. “Do you have a permit to carry this in the States?”
Angel answered him with a curt nod. “Texas. And I believe Mississippi honors the Texas permit.”
Ben handed the pistol back to him. “I don’t know yet what kind of gun was used, but if it turns out to be a 9mm, I’d like to compare a bullet fired from your gun to the slug taken out of Franks. Same for you, Danny,” he said as Danny returned to the kitchen.
“What time was Franks killed?” Danny handed Ben his pistol.
“Hard to say. Heat was turned off and the back door left open. With the temperature dropping below freezing last night, I’m sure determining the time of death will be much harder.” He sniffed the gun and handed it back to Danny. “Unfortunately, no one saw him after you two were there.”
Bailey’s heart sank. Ben actually viewed Danny as a suspect. And why didn’t Angel speak up and tell Ben he went to see Chavez last night?
“Have you questioned Joel and my uncle?” Angel asked.
“Would they have a reason to want Franks dead?”
“That would depend on whether or not one of them was Franks’s Mexico contact.”
“You have a point. Where can I find them?”
“Joel is in Corning with his parents,” Bailey said. “His father is having surgery tomorrow, so he probably won’t be back before tomorrow afternoon.”
“And Edward Montoya is probably still at Maxwell Industries,” Danny said.
“There’s one more person you might be interested in,” Angel said. “Sergeant Chavez.”
“Him I’ve talked to.” Ben leveled his gaze at Angel. “He’s staying at a motel here in Logan Point, said you came to see him last night.”
Bailey swallowed hard. Ben knew all along Angel had left the house last night. Now it looked as if all of them were hiding something.
“I did, but I came right back here. I don’t even know how to get back to Franks’s house.”
“So you say.” Ben jotted something down in his notebook. “What motive do you think Chavez would have to kill Franks?”
Danny answered for him. “The same as anyone who might fear being exposed as the Mexico contact.”
“Noted.” Ben looked from Danny to Angel. “You two aren’t planning on leaving Logan Point any time soon, are you?”
“No.” They answered in unison.
“And the guns you showed me are the only ones you have?”
Angel nodded while Danny hesitated.
“Danny?” Ben said.
“I have another Glock. It’s in my SUV.”
“Would you—”
The door from the hallway flew open, and Charlie burst into the room. “This girl needs a doctor. She’s burning up with fever.”
A tremor shot through Bailey. Maria’s pale body lay limp in Charlie’s arms. She reached for the child, but Angel was faster and took her from Charlie. “She’s so hot. How can she be sick? She was playing an hour ago.”
“She just started throwing up and said her head hurt real bad,” Charlie said.
“I’ll call our family doctor,” Kate said. She made the call, nodding as she talked with someone, then hung up. “The doctor just left for the day, and the nurse said to take her to the ER.”
“I’ll drive you,” Danny said.
“And I’ll provide an escort,” Ben said.
Bailey grabbed her purse. “I’m coming too—you’ll need the power of attorney Joel gave me in case something like this happened.”
“I will stay here,” Solana said. “Too many will be in the way.”
Two hours later, the emergency room doctor asked permission to draw a small sample of spinal fluid. “There’s a possibility it’s meningitis, and the only way I can be sure is to draw the fluid and test it. If it is, and it’s bacterial, we need to start treatment right away.”
“Meningitis?” Danny said.
“How dangerous is the test?” Angel demanded.
“While there is a slight risk of complications, it’s much more dangerous if we don’t do it and she has bacterial meningitis. And it’s not painful, merely uncomfortable.”
“Could it be food poisoning?”
The doctor turned his attention to Bailey. “Have you all eaten the same food?”
She tried to think what they’d eaten in the past twenty-four hours. “Yes, except for lunch today. We ate at a diner, and Maria had a hot dog.”
“Did anyone else eat a hot dog?”
“Solana did,” Danny said. “And she’s not sick.”
“We’re testing for food-borne diseases, but we’ll lose precious time if we wait for the results and it’s meningitis.”
“Then do the test,” Angel said. “I’m her father, and I’ll sign the waiver.”
Bailey exchanged looks with Danny. Angel might be her father, but he had no legal rights.
“Maybe Bailey should sign as well,” Danny said.
“Yes,” she echoed and shifted Maria’s bag of clothes to her other hand. She still held the necklace she’d removed when they first arrived and tucked it in a side pocket in her purse.
After a hesitation, Angel lifted his shoulder. “As you wish.”
After the waiver was signed and the doctor left, she pinned Angel with what she hoped was a determined look. “I’m going to give Joel a call.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s her legal guardian.”
“But she’s my daughter, and I owe Joel nothing. If he hadn’t informed the wrong people, I would not have been shot and my wife would still be alive.”
“You don’t know that,” Danny said. “What if he’s not the one responsible for what happened that day in the warehouse?”
Bailey folded her arms across her chest. “He loves your daughter, and he’s cared for her since Claire died. He didn’t have to do that, you know.”
Angel scrubbed the side of his face. Finally, he gave her a curt nod. “I know when I’m outnumbered. And now I need some coffee. Anybody else?”
The thought of coffee soured her stomach, and she shook her head as she found a chair to sit in and took out her phone. A list of incoming emails popped up when she turned it on, and she scanned through them. One was from Pastor Carlos. As soon as she talked to Joel, she’d see what he wanted.
Joel answered on the second ring. “Good evening, lovely lady.”
“I don’t feel very lovely,” she replied. When did she get so tired? “Maria is running a fever and vomiting and I’m at the hospital with her. The doctor is doing a spinal tap right now. As soon as I know the outcome, I’ll call you.”
“What happened?”
“I don’t know. How’s your dad?”
“Holding his own. Look, I’m leaving and will be there as soon as I can.”
Bailey felt better that he was coming. She didn’t like being the one to make decisions, especially if something else came up. “Good. I’ll let Angel know.”
“Are you sure you’re all right? You don’t sound like yourself.”
“I’m fine, just tired. I’ll see you when you get here.” She disconnected just as Angel returned with his coffee. “He’s on his way,” she said.
Angel nodded. “How is his father?”
“Like he was when we were there.”
“Maria’s doctor is coming now,” Danny said, nodding toward the door.
A smile stretched across the ER doctor’s face. “It’s not meningitis. The fluid came back clear. I’m glad to be wrong, but when meningitis is suspected, you don’t want to take any chances.”
“What do you think it is?”
“With meningitis ruled out, I think it’s probably the hot dog. I’d like to keep her overnight for observation.”
Bailey’s cell phone rang. It was her mom. “Hello?”
“We’re bringing Solana to the ER. She’s throwing up and looks as bad as Maria did.”
“I’ll tell Angel. We’re still in the emergency room.” She hung up and told the others.
“And you said she ate the same thing Maria did?” the doctor asked.
“Yes—hot dogs,” Angel said.
“That pretty well confirms it’s food poisoning.” He turned to Bailey. “Call your mother back and have her bring your friend to the ambulance entry. That will get her treatment quicker.”