Chapter 70

SEVENTY

I pry Jack's hands off the steering wheel, and Ronnie gets in the back of my vehicle with him. It takes a minute for him to stop babbling, talking to himself mostly. My phone rings. It's Lucas.

"What are you playing at, Detective Carpenter? I thought we had an agreement."

I prepare myself to get the riot act. "Mrs. Marsh will be in some real danger now but I guess you can't be bothered. You were supposed to call me when the kidnappers made contact. I should go to Sheriff Longbow with this and have you two escorted to the county line by an armed deputy. You're done here. Do you understand me?"

I can't help but think of some of the old Westerns where the sheriff would say, "Get out of town by sundown. And don't come back."

I say, "Why are you only worried about what we're doing instead of getting off your high horse and doing something yourself?"

The line goes dead. Ronnie says, "You hurt his feelings."

I'll hurt more than that if he messes with us. "I was out of line. I'll apologize after we get Victoria back safe."

Jack's head is down in his hands. He sounds ashamed. "What have I done? I should never have let you, any of you, get involved. I should have left the money and waited for their call. I demand you stop at once."

What the hell?

Ronnie turns on him. "And what would you have done when they got your money and killed Mom? What if they had killed you? You were sure glad when we came along to save you. Weren't you, Daddy? Tell the truth. You need us. All of us."

I don't think her dad was prepared to be basically told to shut the fuck up. He doesn't protest.

Ronnie calls a wrecker for his car and tells them to tow it to Cougar Point and leave it in the driveway. There will be no police. There will be no report. She gives them a credit card number.

Jack says, "They called. It was a woman, this time. She told me to leave the money twenty paces in the woods. Over there. She said I'd find a bag and I should put the money in it and go home and wait for their call. I got here and put the money in another trash bag and left it where they said, but I couldn't leave until I knew Vicki was safe. Next thing I knew a truck pulled off the road a little ways behind me. A man with a ski mask ran into the woods. The whole thing seemed unreal and I started to get out and confront him and he shot at me. The only reason I survived was Vinnie."

"Vinnie?" I repeat. This is moving way too fast for me. "Where did Vinnie come from?"

"He must have followed me. He knew I was going to make the drop and he must have been hoping they'd lead him to Vic. Anyway, he broke cover and knocked me out of the way. Another guy with a gun showed up, took him away."

I get out and check Jack's car. There are two holes in the passenger side quarter panel. Two small holes in the passenger window, and the driver's window was a jagged hole. There were at least four shots sent his way. Idiot. I get back in my vehicle in time to hear Ronnie say, "It's okay, Dad."

He responds, "It's not okay. I've killed her. They got their money and now she will pay for my stupidity. Why do I do this? What's wrong with me?"

"They could have shot you, Dad, but they didn't. There's still a chance Mom will be released."

I ask, "How long ago did this happen?"

He says, "I'm not sure. Maybe ten minutes."

"A wrecker is coming for your car. You can ride home with them. Go home, Dad," Ronnie insists.

"I want to be there when she's found. They've got my phone number if they want to call."

Ronnie reminds him, "They've got the money. They were supposed to release Mom. She might get home and you won't be there."

Jack says, "In other words you don't need an old man who screws things up."

"The smart thing to do is go home. You and Rebecca will be there waiting for her. Rebecca is going out of her mind with you taking off like you did. We'll keep looking but I can't do my job if I'm worrying about you and Mom and Rebecca."

Ronnie's making perfect sense. Jack may be a hotshot attorney but he's out of his league here. And just when I think he can't be any more mistaken, he says, "I think it's time to call the FBI."

Ronnie turns on him. "No. It's too late. You've done enough. Now you have to trust us. We're your best hope. Maybe your only hope. Just look how far we've come. You shouldn't have stayed behind to confront them. You never let anyone else tell you what is best. Now I'm telling you. You're going home. I'll call you a Lyft and you go straight home. Don't call anyone. Especially Lucas."

Jack looks defeated.

Ronnie calls a Lyft for her dad and he gets out. "I gave them your phone number, Dad. They'll be here shortly. I'm sorry but you're grounded."