Christy Barritt - Squeaky Clean 04 - Dirty Deeds (28 page)

A branch broke behind me. Before I could turn, I heard, “I thought I told you that you were no longer welcome here.”

I flung myself around. “Bentley?”

He held a gun, pointed at me, with a smirk on his face. “I think you lost your shoe.” He held up my flip-flop, the one I’d lost that night as I ran from the masked man in the breezeway.

This wasn’t exactly how I saw my Cinderella story turning out.

I licked my lips. “You’re the one behind all of this?”

He stepped closer and scowled. His forehead glistened with beads of sweat. “You couldn’t just leave it alone, could you? You had to keep pushing and pushing.”

Riley nudged me behind him. “We can talk this out.”

I barely heard him as facts clicked together in my mind. “You’re stealing these cars because you want to buy your family’s business back.”

“You’re smarter than I thought,” he mumbled.

Why did my brilliance always hit me about five minutes too late?

“You recognized Jackie from the investigation, which stemmed as far south as Georgia, and were afraid she’d figure out who you were. So you followed her. You knew the whole time that she hadn’t really been kidnapped. As soon as you saw your opportunity, you killed her and made it look like Clint was guilty.”

“It’s too bad your nosiness is going to get you killed tonight.” Bentley still had that gun pointed at me.

“You planted that necklace in my hotel room so I would get kicked out. Only, Ajay didn’t take the bait. He didn’t press charges like you’d hoped.” Bentley had probably had my suitcase stolen also, for that matter, and then erased the security footage.

He sneered and stepped closer. “And you somehow found a way to stick around and continue to cause trouble. Now things are really going to have to get ugly. I want all three of you to get on that container.” He pointed with his gun toward the maintenance building.

I glanced at the truck. I pictured the three of us in that big metal box … for weeks and weeks on end as we traveled across the ocean with no food, no water, no air.

We’d die.

Of course, that was probably part of Bentley’s plan. When someone was already in this deep, what were three more murders?

“No way.” I shook my head.

He cocked his gun and aimed it at Deanna. “Then your friend dies.”

I glanced at Deanna. Her eyes were as wide as saucers.
We should all run in different directions. He can’t get all three of us that way.

Did she remember her own advice? I was the one Bentley wanted—not Deanna or Riley.

I gave her a slight nod.

Then I came up with my diversion. I pointed at Bentley’s feet and screamed. “Snake!” I remembered Deanna mentioning off-handedly that he hated the creatures. My knowledge of useless facts sometimes came in handy.

Bentley looked down, and that gave us just enough time to split. Only Riley didn’t split from me. He stayed by my side.

We darted through the woods. The nighttime was dark around us. I could only imagine one of those gulches appearing out of nowhere, and Riley and I nose diving to our deaths.

A bullet screeched by. Riley reached for my hand and pulled me along faster.

Wilderness surrounded us. Trees stalked us. Blackness closed in.

My legs burned. My lungs screamed for air. My life flashed before my eyes.

Riley’s grip on my hand was the only thing that kept me sane. I felt hunted, like a deer in open season. No matter how fast we went, Bentley was always just a few steps behind.

Thankfully, he was a horrible aim. He fired bullets like some people hurled insults. The ammunition hit trees, hit the ground, hit the air.

Finally, Riley pulled me behind a thick patch of trees. My heart thudded in my chest as I gulped in deep breaths of air. Bentley would find us. It was only a matter of time.

I just needed to catch my breath, gather my surroundings, tell Riley how much I really did love him.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” Bentley chanted, not terribly far away and sounding more and more diabolical by the moment.

Where was Deanna? Safe, I hoped.

A noise floated toward me. The waterfall. That meant the gulch was close. One wrong step and …

Riley squeezed my hand. We were going to have to run again. Soon. We had no choice.

But before we could, a stick crunched beside us. Bentley stood there. Winded. Sweaty. But as devious as ever.

“Perfect. I can make this look like an accident. Just like I did with Maurice,” Bentley muttered.

“Let me guess—he was the bellhop who died in the kayaking accident,” I said, buying time.

Bentley smirked again. “I didn’t give you enough credit.”

I took a step back. Could we dart away? Or would his bullet find us if we did?

Bentley made a
tsk
sound. “I know these woods. I grew up wandering around exploring them. If you run again, I’ll find you. Either that, or the wilderness will do my job for me, and you’ll fall to your death.”

“Not so fast.” Ajay stepped out of the darkness. He aimed the gun in his hands at Bentley. “You’re not going to get away with this.”

“An Indian dignitary is going to stop me?” Bentley snorted. “Really? Is this the best you all can do?”

Ajay scowled. “You killed my wife.”

Bentley stared at him unflinching. “The only woman I killed so far was Jackie. You weren’t married to her, were you?”

Ajay didn’t back down. “Your actions have had far reaching consequences that had led me here to investigate.”

I stared at the men in the stand off. How was Ajay involved exactly?

Riley tugged me back as the tension between the men deepened.

Suddenly, Bentley’s gun fired. Right at Ajay.

A figure appeared from the shadows and plowed into Ajay, knocking him out of harm’s way. I held my breath, waiting, watching everything play out.

My stomach sank. Deanna. Deanna had just saved Ajay’s life. Like any good woman with a crush, she’d never given up on her belief in his innocence.

I prayed she’d be okay. That they’d both be okay.

Riley pulled at me again, and I stepped back. We took off in a run through the woods.

With every step, the blackness felt deeper, darker, like a death sentence.

Then there was that gulch. It was close. Too close. I prayed for our steps. I prayed for help, for wisdom, for anything God might be willing to offer us at the moment.

That’s when Riley disappeared. I screamed. I didn’t mean to. Didn’t want to draw attention to us. But …

“Riley?”

“I’m … here.”

I glanced down. Riley. Only his upper body remained above the cliff. He held on to a crevice in the rocks to keep from falling to his death. I dropped to my knees and grabbed his wrists. I locked my legs against a tree.

Even in the dark, I could see Riley’s eyes boring into mine. “Gabby, run before Bentley finds you.”

“No.” I didn’t even have to think about my response. No way was I leaving Riley.

“Gabby, please. He’s going to shoot both of us.”

I squeezed his wrists tighter and pressed myself harder into the tree. “I’m not letting you go.”

Tears rushed to my eyes as the words slipped from my mouth. Not tears of regret or fear. Tears that symbolized my love for Riley. He’d stepped in front of a bullet to save me before. No way was I walking away now. Love like his didn’t come around more than once in a lifetime.

“You’re willing to die for him then?” someone said beside me.

I looked up and saw Bentley standing above me, his gun only inches from my head. I pulled myself together for long enough to nod, despite the cold fear that rushed through me. “Yes, I would. You see, I’ve learned something lately.”

Bentley sneered. “Humor me. What is it?”

My muscles ached. The tree cut into my skin. My fingers felt cramped and slippery at the same time.

It didn’t matter. I wouldn’t let go of Riley. I’d hold on for as long as possible. I was still praying for a miracle.

“I’ve learned that the happiest people in life aren’t the ones who are always looking out for themselves. They’re the ones who put others before themselves. Take you, for example. You may be richer than ever, but you’re more miserable than most of the population.”

Bentley’s sneer turned into a scowl. “I don’t have time for this little lesson in morality.”

Riley slipped farther down. I was losing my grip on him. If a bullet didn’t kill him, this mountain would. I felt powerless to do anything.

As I glanced down, two eyes caught my gaze. Not Riley’s.

No, it was a critter.

A snake, I realized, drawing in a quick breath. A real one this time.

“What are you doing?”

I nodded toward the creature. “Sn … snake.”

“I’m not falling for that one again.”

I stared at the slimy little menace. “No, really, it’s a snake.”

Bentley shook his head and scoffed. “Sure, it is. You must really think I’m an idiot.”

Just then, the snake slithered. The motion was just enough to distract Bentley and cause him to yelp.

I swung one leg around until they collided with his knees. He fell to the ground, only inches from the snake. He stuttered and gasped as he stared face to face at the creature.

I swung my head toward Riley. “Riley—”

“I’ve got this,” he said, his voice smooth, even, solid.

I glanced at him, looking for the truth in his gaze. He nodded.

Hesitantly, I let go of his wrists for long enough to grab Bentley’s gun. The man was frozen with paralysis as he stared at the snake. I figured the little Lucifer could handle Bentley for a moment.

I forgot my fear of heights and grabbed Riley’s arms. I’m not sure how it all happened, but I pulled and he pushed and somehow his entire body ended up on the mountainside. Safe.

Before I had the chance to say anything to him, the snake coiled and rose up at Bentley. He jumped … and slid toward the cliff.

Not again.

“Help me! Please,” Bentley said.

Riley and I glanced at each other. Was this just another scheme? I couldn’t be certain.

But I couldn’t let the man die, either.

Riley took one of his arms and I took the other, just as the police surrounded us. They stepped in to help Bentley, and I didn’t object. My arms felt like they might fall off.

But I still had enough strength to throw them around Riley. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

His arms wrapped around me, and he squeezed tight. His breathing still came out in quick puffs, and I could feel his heart racing against mine. “I’m glad you’re okay. That was awfully brave, what you did back there.”

“Not brave. I was just following my heart.”

“You always follow your heart. That’s what I love about you.”

I pulled back, and we shared a smile. “We’ll talk later?”

He nodded.

As the police took Bentley away, I glanced around and spotted Deanna. I rushed toward her. The darkness made it impossible to see if she was hurt or not.

“Are you okay?”

She held up her hand. I thought I saw blood there. “Just a flesh wound.”

“Oh, Deanna. You could have been hurt.”

She wagged her eyebrows mischievously. “I’m going to have some great stories to tell the girls tomorrow.”

I smiled. She was probably already trying to think of how she could work this to her advantage. One of the officers examined her arm.

My gaze focused on another figure putting his gun back into its holster a few feet away.

“Ajay?” I asked.

He stepped closer. “I am working with Interpol on these car thefts. I had permission from Interpol Washington to be in the country, on the contingency that I share any information with law enforcement officials here.”

“So you were here investigating the whole time. That whole story about your wife was just made up.”

“Not completely. She did die in a car accident, only it happened in India. The man who hit her was driving a stolen car. It came from America, just as I suspected.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You are a brave woman, Miss St. Claire.” He looked back at Riley. “You are lucky to have someone so strong and beautiful. She reminds me a bit of my wife. I have confidence that you two will have a relationship like we did—only without the tragic ending.”

I caught Riley’s eye, and we shared a smile.

“I didn’t steal your necklace,” I told Ajay.

“I know. Bentley Allen set you up. He was desperate to get you out of here before you ruined all of his hard work.” Ajay extended his hand. “And, since we were talking about being lucky earlier, I must mention that I am so lucky that I had this woman,” he showcased Deanna, “save my life. Would you do me the honor of taking a carriage ride together?”

Deanna squealed before composing herself. “I’d love to.”

“Tomorrow evening, then. We have lots to wrap up tonight.”

“I’ll be ready,” Deanna whispered. “I’ll be ready.”

I smiled. I didn’t see the two of them having a forever relationship. But what did I know? I could see the two of them having a nice, cozy little date here at Allendale. It would probably be all Deanna talked about for months, and she’d smile dreamily every time she told the story. And that would be worth it.

They walked away, and Riley squeezed my hand. “You were wrong about your inheritance, you know.”

“What do you mean?”

“Most of the guests here wouldn’t stand a chance at getting in good with the staff here. You reached out to the employees and related to them, and that made them want to help you. If you hadn’t made that connection with them, this case may have never been solved.”

His words sunk in. He was right. My heritage, for once in my life, had worked to my advantage.

All things did work together for the good of those in Christ. When would I ever fully learn that lesson?

CHAPTER 36

I looked in the mirror and adjusted the little black dress I was wearing. I’d gotten my suitcase back, but I’d decided to pay a visit to that little consignment shop to look for something new.

This was especially appealing now considering that the resort had decided to make my stay complimentary and to refund the money I’d already paid for my hotel room. They’d also offered to take us in the shuttle to the next town over so we could rent a car and get home.