Chapter Twenty-One

It was after seven when Vince unlocked the Escape parked at search and rescue headquarters. He had tried calling Tammy as soon as he picked up a phone signal, but the call had gone to voice mail after six rings. Maybe she was in the shower or busy with something else.

It was better if he gave her the message about her brother in person. Or maybe she already knew. That might explain why she hadn’t answered the phone. She might be with her mother. Vince had told Declan and Ryker about Elisabeth as soon as he reached the top of the canyon, and they had radioed the information to the sheriff and started the search for her. They would have reached out to Mrs. Patterson and Tammy too.

“Vince, wait up!” He looked up and let out a groan when he saw Bethany jogging toward him.

“I don’t have time to talk now,” he said.

She stopped in front of him. “This won’t take long. I just want to apologize for being so, well, awkward around you.” She studied the ground between them. “I came to town to make a fresh start, right? I was trying to be all independent, going after what I wanted and that kind of thing? And I thought you were cute and nice and would be a fun date. But I should have realized you were already involved. I was so embarrassed when I found out you were already with someone. But I just wanted you to know I won’t bother you anymore. And no hard feelings—I hope.”

“Sure. No hard feelings.” She looked so sad, standing there with her head down. Harmless, and probably lonely too. “Are you okay?”

She looked up, a forced smiled on her lips. “I’m fine.” She shrugged. “Being alone in a new place is hard, but I’m starting to make friends.”

“Count me as one of them,” he said. “Me and Tammy.”

The smile became more genuine. “Thanks.” She took a step back. “I’ll let you go now.” She turned and hurried away, this time with her head up.

Vince drove to his condo and parked. Tammy had left the outside light on for him. Keys in hand, he moved toward the door. But it wasn’t locked. Not good. Maybe she had forgotten in her distress over her brother, but with V still at large, it wasn’t safe to leave the condo unsecured.

The hallway was dark. He left his jacket and pack on the hooks by the door, then almost fell over a bicycle. What was that doing there?

“Tammy?” he called.

“Vince, don’t— Ahhh! ”

He sprinted toward the living room but skidded to a stop when he saw Elisabeth standing by the sofa, one hand gripping Tammy’s arm, the other holding a gun pressed to the side of Tammy’s head. Blood trickled from Tammy’s temple.

“Don’t worry. I just tapped her with the gun barrel this time,” Elisabeth said. “But if you don’t cooperate, I’ll shoot her.”

“You shot Mitch,” he said.

“Am I supposed to tell you you’re a clever boy because you figured that out?” She sneered. “Vin, Vin, Vinnie, Vince.”

He almost staggered under the weight of the knowledge that hit him then. Elisabeth was from Omaha, Nebraska. The town where his father had seen a young woman who looked like Valerie. She had shown up in Eagle Mountain about the time the messages from V began arriving. Her hair was darker than Valerie’s, but she had the same slightly upturned nose and the same dimple in her left cheek that he had. “Valerie, what are you doing?” he asked.

“It took you long enough to recognize me. I shouldn’t have to tell you how insulting it is that you didn’t even know who I was. Your long-lost twin. The one you had supposedly mourned all these years. Such hypocrisy.”

“What do you want from us?” he asked.

Valerie looked at Tammy. “You see how he gets right to the point? He doesn’t care what I’ve been up to for the past fifteen years. He just wants to know the bottom line. What will it take to make me go away again?”

“That’s not what I meant,” he said. “And I do care—”

“Shut up! Don’t waste my time with more lies. As for what I want from you, that’s easy. You and Mom and Dad—mostly Mom and Dad, but I blame you too, because you were their favorite and you didn’t do anything to stop them—took away my life. The life I could have had, anyway. Now you get to pay with your life.”

Vince glanced at Tammy. She was pale, but calm. Strong. “Let Tammy go and I’ll do whatever you want,” he said.

“Let her go right to the sheriff? I don’t think so. No, you two are the buy-one-get-one special today.” She shoved Tammy onto the sofa. “Sit down over here beside your girlfriend, and we’ll talk about what happens next.”

Vince sat. He wanted to keep her talking. As long as she was talking, she wasn’t shooting. And every word bought a little more time for the sheriff and his deputies to figure out that Elisabeth was V. She had shot her boyfriend and come after him and his family. “Why did you shoot Mitch?” he asked.

“I’ve already explained everything to your girlfriend. He was in the way of what I needed to do. Is he dead yet? I figured if the bullet didn’t finish him off, the fall into the canyon would.”

“He’s alive,” Vince said. “He’ll tell the cops everything.”

Tammy let out a whimper. Valerie glared at her, then turned her attention back to Vince. “By the time they find me, it will be too late,” she said. “I know how to change my appearance and my name and melt into the background. Paul taught me all that.”

“Who is Paul?”

Valerie sighed. “Again, I’ve already told Tammy. I don’t like repeating myself. He’s the man who saved me when my family threw me out.”

“He was the camper you saw?” Vince guessed. “The one with the blue tent?”

“Again, you’re smarter than I thought. And a hero to boot, climbing mountains and descending into canyons to save complete strangers. That surprised me when I found out. You were always such a coward. Too bad you didn’t try harder to save me.”

He started to reply, but Tammy squeezed his hand, hard. A warning not to upset Valerie by arguing with her? He squeezed back, letting her know he got the message. “That was you in the casino in Omaha, the time Dad saw you, wasn’t it?” he asked.

“He told you about that, did he? I heard he came snooping around the next day, looking for me. But the manager had a thing for me, so he didn’t mind saying he didn’t know anything about me. I told him the guy asking questions was a creepy old man who was hassling me.”

“Was it you who made those phone calls—the ones saying ‘Help me’ and asking for Daddy?”

She looked away. “I don’t want to talk about that anymore. Stand up, both of you.” She motioned with the gun. “Time to get this show on the road.”

They stood.

“Oh, isn’t that sweet? You’re holding hands. But don’t think the two of you are going to get the better of me. I’ve had lots of time to think about this. Now, get into the bedroom and take off all your clothes.”

He and Tammy looked at each other with a mixture of shock and confusion. “Get going,” Valerie ordered. “It’s not like you two haven’t seen each other naked before.”

They went into the bedroom. “Clothes off!” Valerie barked. “Quit wasting my time.”

Vince sat on the edge of the bed and began unlacing his boots. Slowly. Instead of sitting beside him, Tammy moved to the other side of the bed and took off her earrings. Good idea. The more space between them, the more difficult it would be for Valerie to watch them both at once.

Boots off, Vince turned his attention to removing his belt. He weighed it in his hand, wondering if he could use it as a weapon.

The gunshot was deafening in the small space. He jumped up and saw that Valerie had fired into the mattress. “The next one will be right in her chest if you don’t get moving,” she said, pointing the gun at Tammy.

He draped the belt over the headboard, then moved more quickly, shucking his jeans and socks, then peeling off his shirt, until he was standing in front of her in his boxers. “That’s enough,” she said. “I can always strip the body later.” She turned once more to Tammy. “You lie down on the bed. Vince, you tie her up with those scarves.” She indicated two scarves draped around the bedposts. “One hand to each bedpost. And do a good job.”

Tammy remained standing, also in her underwear. “Why have him tie me up?”

“I’m setting the scene. Vince, depressed over the loss of his dear little sister, kills himself. But first, he kills you. After subjecting you to kinky sex.”

Valerie’s love of drama hadn’t changed. But he didn’t see any way out of doing what she wanted. He believed her when she said the next bullet would be for Tammy.

Tammy lay back on the bed. “Sorry about this,” Vince said, as he knelt beside her and picked up one of the scarves.

I love you , she mouthed, and he nodded, unable to get out any words past the lump in his throat. He tied her wrist to the bedpost, not too tight but in what he hoped was a convincing knot. Then he moved to the other wrist.

“Comfortable?” Valerie asked. She moved to check the wrist Vince had just tied and made a tsking sound. “As I suspected, not tight enough. Just for that, you’re going to get an extra bullet, Vince.”

The teasing tone she used enraged him. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she bent over the knot, the pistol balanced awkwardly in her right hand as she used her ring and pinkie fingers to hold the scarf in place as she tightened the knot.

He left the other wrist untied and grabbed hold of the belt. The heavy buckle hit Valerie hard on the cheek, drawing blood. She juggled the gun and it went off, but the bullet hit the wall. Tammy yanked her hand away and rolled off the bed, landing hard on the floor. Meanwhile, Vince had lunged, both hands around the wrist that held the gun, until he succeeded in wrenching it from her. But she knocked it from his hand, and it fired again as it hit the floor.

He continued to wrestle with Valerie, struggling to subdue her. She fought with incredible strength, biting and kicking, scratching at his face and trying to knee him in the groin. Tammy raced from the room and returned a few seconds later with something in her hand. “Hold her still!” she pleaded.

But just then, Valerie bit Vince’s hand, drawing blood. He drew back instinctively, and she lunged, over-balancing him. They both fell to the floor, her on top, both hands around his throat. His vision blurred, and he was sure he would black out.

Then he heard a horrible sound, like a knife cleaving a watermelon. Valerie’s grip loosened, and she fell to one side.

Tammy stood over them, spattered with blood, the ice ax from Vince’s search and rescue pack in her hand.

Pounding on the door reverberated through the house. “This is the sheriff!” Travis shouted. “Come out with your hands up!”

Tammy dropped the ax, and Vince staggered to his feet. He put his arm around her. “Come on,” he said.

“I can’t go out there like this,” she whispered.

He reached back and grabbed the top sheet from the bed and wrapped it around her, then took the bottom sheet for himself. They walked into the living room just as the door burst open and Gage and Travis entered.

Gage took in the bedclothes and their state of undress and frowned. “We had a report of multiple gunshots at this address,” he said. “And Mitch Patterson’s car is outside in the lot. We believe his girlfriend, Elisabeth Rollins, tried to kill him.”

“His girlfriend is in the bedroom,” Vince said. “She shot Mitch, then tried to kill us. And her name isn’t Elisabeth Rollins. It’s Valerie Shepherd.”

Jamie Douglas stepped in behind the Walker brothers. “You two can come with me,” she said.

Tammy was shaking by the time they reached the parking lot, though the temperature was mild. Her eyes were glazed, her skin cold and clammy. “Call an ambulance,” Vince said. “I think she’s going into shock.”

“One is on the way,” Jamie said. “I’ve got a sweatshirt and pants in my patrol vehicle you can put on, Tammy, and Gage will have something that will fit you, Vince.” She retrieved the clothes from the back of her SUV and started to help Tammy unwind the sheet when she saw the blood spatters. “Are you hurt?” she asked.

“That isn’t my blood,” Tammy said. “It’s Valerie’s.” Then she broke down sobbing.

Vince gathered her close while Jamie radioed this information to Travis. More deputies arrived, along with an ambulance and most of Vince’s neighbors. Tammy’s boss, camera in hand, showed up. Vince only vaguely registered their presence. He held on to Tammy, smoothing her hair and murmuring, “It’s going to be all right,” over and over. As if by repetition, he could make himself believe it.

T AMMY SPENT THE night in the hospital, with Vince on one side of her bed and her mother on the other. She hadn’t wanted to stay here, but the doctor had insisted it was necessary, then given her a sedative that made her not care anymore.

When she finally woke, sun streamed through the one window in her room. Vince got up from the chair where he had been sitting and came to the side of the bed. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

“I’m okay.” She reached up and touched the bruise on the side of her face. It was tender, but the doctors had reassured her there was no lasting damage. She trembled when she thought of how much worse it could have been. “How are you?”

“Shaken up. But I’m going to be okay.”

She turned to look at the chair where her mother had sat. “She went down to see your brother,” Vince said.

Her eyes widened as she remembered Mitch. He had been in surgery when they installed her in this room last night. “Is he going to be okay?”

“He’s got a long recovery ahead of him. Another surgery to pin his leg together. But he’s going to be okay.”

“And Valerie?”

“She’s alive. You didn’t kill her. You merely gave her a concussion. And saved both our lives.”

Tammy’s eyes filled with tears. “Your poor parents.”

A tap on the door frame interrupted their discussion. Sheriff Travis Walker entered. “I stopped by to see how you’re doing,” he said.

“I’m going to be fine,” Tammy said.

“I was just down getting a statement from your brother.”

“What did he say?” Vince asked.

“He says the woman he knew as Elisabeth asked him to stop the car by the side of the road because she was feeling sick. Earlier in the day, she had surprised him with the news that she was pregnant, so he thought that was the reason she was feeling ill. He helped her over to the edge of the road. She pulled out a gun, shot him and pushed him over the edge.”

“Cold blooded,” Vince said.

“Vince has already given me his statement,” Travis said. “Can you tell me what happened before he arrived at the condo yesterday evening?”

Tammy smoothed her hands over the sheets and tried to gather her thoughts. “I’ll try to remember everything,” she said.

Travis took out a recorder, recited her name and his and the time and date. Then she proceeded to tell her story, reliving those horrible moments when Valerie told her about Mitch and threatened her own life and that of Vince and the Shepherds. Vince held her hand while she spoke, keeping her strong. When she was finished, Travis shut off the recorder. “What will happen to Valerie?” she asked.

“She’s in custody now but will be transferred to a mental health unit soon,” Travis said. “The court will determine if she stands trial for the arson and three counts of attempted murder. Not to mention the thousands and thousands of dollars she and Paul Rollins have stolen over the years.”

“Did you find out anything about Paul Rollins?” Vince asked.

“He was a former school teacher in Ogallala, Nebraska. He was fired after accusations of improper conduct with a student. A nine-year-old girl. He left town and fell off the radar for nine months, until he showed up with a girl he called Elisabeth. He introduced her as his daughter. They’re suspected of being involved in various con games all over the country, in Mexico and the Caribbean. They targeted wealthy, older people with either investment or charity schemes. He apparently used Valerie to lull his targets into trusting him.”

“Valerie said he was dead,” Tammy said.

“He died two months ago of an asthma attack,” Travis said. “He had a history of the disease, but when I contacted authorities in Omaha, I learned they are considering opening an investigation into his death.”

“Do they think Valerie killed him?” Vince asked.

“I don’t know,” Travis said.

“She scares me,” Tammy admitted.

“Whether she stands trial for the things she’s done or is committed for treatment, she won’t be free to live on her own for a long time, if ever,” Travis said.

“I’m trying to remind myself that she was hurt by what happened too,” Tammy said. “Whatever this Paul guy did to her, it damaged her mind. I don’t know if someone can ever come back from that.”

“My parents are determined to help her any way they can,” Vince said. “She’s still their daughter, and they’re relieved to know what happened to her, even if it hasn’t resulted in the happy ending they’re hoping for.”

“One day, maybe she’ll realize how fortunate she is to have them on her side,” Travis said. He pocketed the recorder. “You’ll need to stop by the office in the next day or so to sign this statement. And we may have other questions for both of you.”

“Of course.”

“Your condo will be unavailable for a few days,” Travis said. “I can give you the name of a company that will clean it for you before you move back in.”

“Okay,” Vince said. “Thanks.”

Travis took something from his pocket. Tammy thought it would be a business card for the cleaning company. Instead, he handed Vince a key. “You’ll need a place to stay for a few days,” he said. “Someplace quiet, away from the press and nosy neighbors. I have a cabin you can use. Up on Spirit Ridge. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s comfortable.”

Vince stared at the key. “Thanks.”

Travis left and Vince pocketed the key. “That was nice of him,” Tammy said.

“He’s a good man,” Vince said. “He’ll do right by Valerie, whether she deserves it or not.”

“That cabin sounds like exactly what we need,” she said. “When can I leave?”

“Whenever you want, I think,” he said.

She looked toward the door. “I’d like to see Mitch, and I should say goodbye to my mother. What if she wants me to stay with her?”

“The hospital has an arrangement with a nearby hotel,” he said. “She’ll stay there until your brother transfers to a rehab facility.”

She lay back on the pillows once more. “What a nightmare,” she said.

He sat on the side of the bed and took her hand. “It will be a while before I can forget the sight of my sister standing there with a gun to your head,” he said. “I came so close to losing you.”

“You didn’t lose me.” She sat up and pulled him close. “And as awful as the next few months or years might be at times, you don’t have to go through all this alone now.”

“I know,” he said. “That’s the best thing to come out of all of this. Whatever happens, we’ll get through it together.”

Nothing he could have said would have meant more to her. She had broken off her relationship with Darrell because he wouldn’t make a commitment. She didn’t need a marriage proposal to believe Vince would be there for her. She trusted the connection they had would grow. They both knew loss, but out of that shared knowledge, they had found so much.