As Love Blooms (43 page)

Reese would have hugged the woman, but the arrival of the butler stopped him.

“Mr. Edward Ferrell is here to see you, ma’am. He says it’s urgent.”

Edward! Reese’s blood boiled. He had been the one to try to force Tessa into helping him. He had to be in on this. Why else was he here?

Following Aunt Sam into the foyer, he balled his fists. Edward stood with an envelope clenched in his hands.

Aunt Sam nodded a greeting. “I’m surprised to see you so late. What’s so urgent?”

He held out the envelope. “This was on my car seat when I left the Motordrome tonight. It’s about Tessa.”

Reese stepped close as Aunt Sam opened the missive. She with
drew the letter, and even though he knew it was rude, Reese read it over her shoulder. He recognized Tessa’s handwriting from the scrapbooks she’d shown him and from the garden designs. Someone had taken her, and if they ever wanted to see her again, Aunt Sam would have to pay.

“Why was it in
your
car?” Lincoln asked from behind Reese.

Suddenly, it all made sense. Tessa hadn’t helped Edward, but he’d still needed the money. What better way to get it?

White-hot rage consumed Reese. He grabbed Edward by the shirt collar and thrust him against the wall. The picture frames rattled. “Where is she?”

Lack of sufficient oxygen darkened Edward’s face. “I don’t know. I promise!”

Lincoln clamped a hand on Reese’s arm. “Let him go.”

“Do you know what he did to Tessa?”

“Yes. Hannah told me.” Lincoln pulled on Reese’s arm. “It doesn’t make him guilty. Besides, if he is in on it, we’ll never find her if you kill him.”

After giving Edward another shove for good measure, he released his hold on the man’s shirt.

“Reese, I believe Tessa has sent you a clue,” Aunt Sam said.

“Me?”

She held up a flower. “I don’t know who else she’d hope would get this.”

As if it were a treasured jewel, Reese cradled the tiny blossom in the palm of his hand. “It’s an orchid.”

“Come now, Reese.” Aunt Sam placed her hands beneath his. “You know our Tessa. She wouldn’t send you a common orchid. What’s special about it?”

Pressure welled in his chest. If this was a clue, what if he couldn’t figure it out? No, he wouldn’t think that way. He refused to let Tessa down again.

He met Aunt Sam’s gaze. “I need better light.”

In the parlor, she directed him toward the Tiffany gas lamp on the end table. He dragged an armchair over and sat down with the flower pinched between his thumb and forefinger.

“What can you tell?” Joel loomed over him with Lincoln by his side. Edward, thankfully, stood on the other side of the room, still insisting on his innocence.

“Gentlemen.” Aunt Sam nudged them aside. “Please step back and let Reese have some room.”

Reese looked at the flower. Like all orchids, this one had three sepals and three petals. “See this?” He pointed to the lower petal. “This one is oblong. The base is shaped like an arrowhead.”

Lincoln leaned in close and squinted. “If you say so.”

Reese prayed to recall all that he’d learned, then studied the flower again. There was a thick tubercle on the upper surface near the base. That was it! That alone separated this flower from all the look-alikes.

“Do you know what it is?” Joel asked.

“It’s a tubercled rein-orchid, and it’s hard to find. Very hard.” Reese turned the flower over in his hand. “It prefers wet meadows and prairies or sandy areas in marshes.”

“Sand?” Aunt Sam held out the envelope. “Look inside.”

Reese poured the contents onto a copy of
Redbook
. The white sand sparkled against the black letters on the cover.

“It’s another clue.” Aunt Sam smiled.

“White sand is everywhere in Minnesota.” Joel raked his hand through his hair.

“But not white sand and that orchid.” Aunt Sam locked eyes with Reese. “The clue is for you. She knew you’d be here. She knew you wouldn’t let her down. Where could she be?”

Reese closed his eyes. He had to think. He saw hundreds of flowers every day. How could he remember just one?

The image of the flower came to his mind. He’d seen those flowers, but where?

He was certain there were some by Cozy Lake in Como Park, but there wasn’t any of this white sand there that he recalled. Besides, where would they keep Tessa hostage?

In the back of his mind, he recalled Mr. Nussbaumer once pointing out a cluster at Phalen Creek in Swede Hollow, and there were some old shacks that would make a good place to hide Tessa, but the two of them had never visited the area.

Still, she believed he’d recognize the flower. Why? Where had they gone where this orchid might have been present?

A thought hit him like a medicine ball to the gut. He sucked in his breath, his heart racing.

Please, Lord, let me be right.

“I think I know where she is.”

 36 

Sleeping with your hands tied behind your back is impossible. Tessa would know. Add the threat of imminent death looming over her head, a rock for a pillow, and a crazy woman holding a gun, and it made for a long night.

On the bright side, Albert the letch was gone.

Clem had come in a few times and whined about the job he’d been assigned and how hungry he was. Marjorie had promptly sent him back out. Tessa had to agree with him on the hungry part. These three had thought of nearly everything they needed to pull this off—except food and water.

She added starvation to her list of reasons she couldn’t sleep.

She might as well strike up a conversation with Marjorie. Maybe she’d learn something useful. “You ride a motorcycle?”

“Of course I do.”

So much for chatting. “How long have you three been planning this?”

Marjorie shrugged. “I guess I hatched the idea about two weeks after the boys started working for Joe.”

“You know, you don’t have to kill me. I’m a good actress. I can tell them I don’t know who held me captive.”

Marjorie snickered. “Like I believe that.”

Tessa sighed and tried a different tactic. “How did you and Joe meet?”

“We went to school together. He noticed I didn’t bring a lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and he started sharing his with me on those days.” She got a far-off look in her eyes. “I’ve got five younger brothers and sisters. We didn’t have enough money for food for all of us, so we took turns on who got to eat.”

“Joe sounds like a great guy.” Tessa licked her dry lips. “I’m sorry you had to go without. I know how hard that is.”

“What does a rich girl like you know about going hungry?”

“Remember, I told you I’m not her real niece. I grew up in Iowa. After my parents died, we lost the farm. It seemed like we lived on beans for weeks.” Tessa chuckled. “Have you ever had bean pie? My sister was trying something new. I wouldn’t say it was her best recipe.”

Marjorie stood up. “It isn’t going to work. You’re not going to make me change my mind about killing you with some sob story about beans. You already said you’re a good actress.”

“I’m not acting.” Tessa closed her eyes and leaned her head against the rock. “But what’s Joe going to say when he finds out the truth about all of this?”

“He won’t.”

“The truth always comes out, Marjorie. Always.”

How had Reese gotten stuck with Edward?

He brought his car to a halt at the bluff top, near the path to Carver’s Cave, and Edward pulled in behind him. After he’d told Lincoln and Joel about the three areas where he thought Tessa might possibly be, they’d decided that each of them should take one spot. Lincoln was convinced Edward wasn’t involved, and since this site was the most likely, he told Reese to take Edward along as backup. He also promised to update the authorities on the ransom note and the orchid.

Reese and Edward drove separately in case one of them needed to go for help.

Climbing out of his car, Reese sighed. This was crazy. Who took the person who might be the perpetrator of the crime to the rescue?

“Stay here,” Reese barked. He reached in his backseat and pulled out his Remington Pump.

“I should come with you.”

“You don’t know the way, and it would slow me down.” He stuffed a fistful of shells in his jacket pocket. “It’s better if you stay up here. See those two motorcycles in the brush? Keep an eye on them. Why would they be here this time of day?”

“What if you need help?”

He shut the door. “You hear shooting? Come running.”

Tessa felt something warm on her wrists. She’d been rubbing them against the rock for almost an hour and only now could feel the rope begin to fray.

At some point in the night, Marjorie had decided to bind Tessa’s feet as well so her captor could sleep. While it frustrated Tessa, it also gave her a chance to work on the ropes binding her wrists without being noticed.

Through the cave entrance, she spotted a glimmer of light. Was it dawn already?

Then she saw a shadowed figure step into view.

“Tessa?”

Her heart leapt at the sound of Reese’s voice. “I’m here!”

Marjorie bolted from her sleep. “What’s going on?”

Another shadowy figure jumped to the earth behind Reese. Clem?

“Reese! Look out!”

But Reese didn’t have a chance. The other man struck Reese over the head, and he crumpled to the ground.

“No!” Tears sprang to her eyes. Had the man killed him?

As he began to drag Reese inside, Tessa saw that it was indeed Clem. Tessa watched Reese’s chest rise and fall and sent up a prayer of thanks. He wasn’t dead—yet.

“Who’s that?” Marjorie demanded.

“Reese King. Her fellow.”

She whirled toward Tessa. “How did he find you?”

“I have no idea.” Tessa shrugged. “He works for the park service. Maybe he saw the motorcycles up top.”

“Tie him up.” Marjorie pointed to the rope.

“We need to get out of here. He may have already alerted the police.”

“I said, tie him up.”

“Clem, you’re right.” Tessa felt the ropes on her wrist finally give way. “You need to get away now if you ever want to see a dime of that money.”

“Don’t listen to her,” Marjorie said. “We have a plan, and we need to stick to it.”

Clem spun and ran toward the exit.