Landry's Law (15 page)

Unfortunately, Seth had Angelica on his list. He dialed her number and got Vincent.

“I’m looking for Junior Baumgartner,” he said.

“He was here a few days ago, but I haven’t seen him since.”

“Listen, Vincent,” Seth said in his most official tone. “If he was in the house, then he’s the one who planted the gems in Ms. Seagal’s studio.”

“You mean Junior is the killer you’ve been looking for?”

“He’s a suspect. And this morning he disappeared with Savannah Wyatt. Did Junior ever speak to you or Miss Seagal about a favorite place or someplace he liked to go when he was stressed or unhappy?”

Vincent didn’t know of any such place, but put the phone down to go ask the mistress of the house. That too was a dead end.

Seth dialed the next name on the list. That client also had no idea where Junior might go.

“I heard he kidnapped that pretty girl from his mother’s shop. Is that true?”

“Yes.” Seth hung up and called the next number and the next, and the next. He continued to get non-answers. Apparently, wherever Junior liked to go, he kept it close to the vest.

“Olive has to know,” Cody said. “I spoke to three
clients who had appointments with Junior yesterday. He canceled.”

“And?” Seth asked.

“They covered the time of the shooting, including travel.”

“So?”

“So it was Olive who told us that he had been out on appointments when you were shot. I read the police report on the Grayson shooting. Olive swore that Junior was with her at nine o’clock. I say we go gang up on her.”

“D
O
I
HAVE
to be shackled?” Savannah asked. The chain and cuff he had pegged into the floor and attached to her ankle was painful. Just like her ribs and her mouth. Lord, how she wanted to get her hands around his thick neck, if for nothing else than for shooting Seth.

“Yes,” he answered as he stood over the ancient sink and peeled vegetables. “I’m making stew, so I can’t keep my eyes on you.”

Savannah paced in a circular motion, which was all that her restraint allowed. The cabin was drafty and Junior had taken her coat and her shoes. She was freezing and couldn’t get close enough to the fire to get warm. She knew that if she asked for privileges, Junior would either say no or hit her, hard. How had such an angry man hidden behind gentleness for so many years?

“Have you always been this angry?” Savannah asked when she couldn’t stand the sound of him whistling as he cooked her dinner. It made it seem as if he thought she was a guest instead of a woman he’d kidnapped, beaten and now was freezing half to death.

“I had a difficult childhood,” he answered. “My father died when I was thirteen.”

“I know. I’m sure that was very difficult on you and your mother. It’s one of the reasons you’re so close.”

Junior dropped the partially peeled carrot into the sink and came over to backhand her.

He hit her so hard that she landed on the cold wooden floor, banging her head hard enough to literally see stars.

“You don’t know anything,” he grumbled as he glared down at her.

Savannah curled into a fetal position, afraid he might kick her with the pointed toe of his cowboy boot.

“So explain it to me,” she fairly pleaded.

“She didn’t give me a chance,” Junior said.

“Who? A girlfriend?”

“Mother.”

“What didn’t she give you a chance to do?”

“Anything, except be her personal servant and companion.”

“Why?”

“Because she would have told the police what I did. Made it look like it was my idea from the start.”

“Tell the police what, Junior?”

“That my father didn’t die in a hunting accident. I shot him because she told me to.” He pulled his foot back and kicked her, catching her in the tender upper thigh. “He was a good man but she didn’t like being married. All of you women are like that. You act one way in public, then do other things in private. Just like you did with Seth.”

Savannah reached into her pocket to rub her sore thigh. That’s when she felt the small pill Chance had given her the night before. If she could knock Junior out, she could steal his keys and get herself away from the murderous lunatic. She just needed to figure out how to slip him the pill before he either raped her or killed her.

She wasn’t sure which alternative was worse.

The Landry brothers stormed Olive’s Attic like an invading army.

“Why are you doing this to me?” Olive sobbed. “I haven’t done anything.”

“I beg to differ,” Seth said. “We stopped on the way over here and checked out the evidence room at the courthouse. The same shell casings were found at Savannah’s and at the site of your husband’s supposed accidental death.”

“It
was
an accident!”

“We’ll know soon,” Seth said. He motioned for J.D. to bring the portable fingerprint kit over.

“What are you going to do?”

“We found two sets of prints on the shell casings. One is Junior’s, which have been on file since his father’s death, but we don’t have a match for the other set.” He glared at her. “Yet.”

Olive’s motherly persona seemed to evaporate. Her eyes burned with hatred as she said, “Don’t bother. I’m sure they’re my prints. Frederick used to make me reload his shells for him.”

“And you made enough for Junior to still have them around twenty-five years later?” Seth demanded.

“I told you, my son stopped hunting after the accident.”

Cody stepped forward and said, “We’re going to petition to have your husband dug up and reautopsied. I have a feeling we’ll find evidence that it wasn’t an accident. Forensics have changed a lot in a quarter century.”

“What do you want from me?” Olive tearfully pleaded.

“The truth,” Seth said. “You told me the night of Bill Grayson’s murder that Junior was back home with you by nine.”

“That’s right, he was. We watched television together.”

Seth bent down so that his arms rested on the arms of her chair. He was just a few inches from her face. “That’s a lie and it makes you an accomplice to murder.”

“Murder?”

“We have conclusive evidence that Junior killed Grayson. He escaped through the inn’s ventilation system but he dropped something on the way out. Something with his fingerprints.”

“Grayson provoked him,” Olive now claimed. “He made several lewd comments about what he hoped would happen after his dinner with Savannah.”

“And Whitlock?” Seth pressed. “What excuse do you have for that one?”

“He didn’t do that,” Olive insisted.

“Try again. We have a witness who identified him as the shooter.”

Olive dropped her head into her hands. “This is all my fault.”

“I’ll make damned sure it is if you don’t tell me where he has Savannah.”

“You don’t understand. He never would have killed those men if I hadn’t set Savannah up on those dates. I didn’t know how he really felt until after Bill Grayson died.”

“He didn’t just die,” Seth challenged. “Your son killed him.”

“Junior knew how men could be. He saw the way his father abused me. He was only trying to protect Savannah from unwanted advances.”

“My advances weren’t unwanted,” Seth reminded her. “But he came within a few inches of making me an organ donor last night.”

“He was just mad that you and Savannah had started something. He’s been jealous of you for years.”

“Over what?”

“Ruthie,” Olive said. “They were friends and he knew that you were only using her just like his father had used me.”

“Who actually killed your husband?” Sam asked.

Olive blinked. “I could never do anything like that. I needed Junior to help me.”

All of the brothers looked at her with unbridled disgust. “You made your thirteen-year-old son kill his own father?”

“I couldn’t live with Frederick. He wanted so much from me and I’ve had poor health my whole life.”

“And what do you think Savannah’s life is like right now?” Seth asked. “Is she even alive?”

S
AVANNAH WAS
shackle free while she joined Junior at a rickety table he’d set with candles and china she recognized as being from the shop.

The stew was warm, even if it wasn’t one of her favorite foods. She didn’t touch the chilled champagne. She was so cold her teeth were chattering.

“Drink up,” Junior said. “I want you to be completely relaxed for later.”

She almost gagged. This lunatic was going to play this like some seductive dinner, then rape her, then in all probability kill her just like he’d done to the others.

“I can’t take anything cold, Junior. I’m freezing. May I please have my shoes?”

“Drink!”

Sensing noncompliance would result in more beating, she took a sip of the champagne. Then she downed the entire contents of the glass. If she was going to suffer, she’d rather not have all her faculties about her.

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Junior asked, seemingly pleased.

“I would have preferred coffee,” she said.

“After our meal,” Junior promised as he refilled her glass and again ordered her to drink.

Two drinks in such a short period of time had an almost immediate effect on her. Her brain fogged and she was losing the ability to plan. Still, Junior gave her a third glass and this time she only sipped. She needed one or two of her wits to be in working order if she was going to get out of this.

Apparently she didn’t anger him because he cleared the dishes and put an old-fashioned pot of coffee on the hot plate.

“Can we have coffee in the living room?” she asked. “By the fireplace?”

Junior considered her suggestion for some time, then nodded. He went to the worn sofa and arranged the pillows near the hearth. Then he took Savannah by the hand and arranged her on the pillows. When he reached for the top button of her blouse, she felt
physically ill. Thankfully, he stopped unbuttoning it when her cleavage was visible.

Savannah’s thoughts drifted back to the morning. To the sweet pleasures she’d shared with Seth. No matter what happened,
that
was going to be her definition of intimacy.

Junior went back to the hot plate and poured two cups of coffee, then brought them over to the hearth.

Savannah got an idea. “May I have some cream and sugar?”

Junior eyed her suspiciously. “You always drink it black.”

“Unless I’ve had a full meal, then I like it light and sweet. Kind of like a dessert.”

Junior hoisted himself off the pillows and took her cup back to where he had stored the cooler. Savannah knew this was her only chance. She also knew that if she blew it, she’d be dead in a matter of moments.

She split her attention between breaking the tablet into quarters and watching for Junior’s return. If the things fizzed or smelled, she was dead.

He closed the cooler at the same instant she put the parts of the pill into his coffee. God must have been watching over her because they dropped to the bottom, where hopefully they would dissolve. Then it was just a matter of time. Assuming she had time left.

“S
IX
L
ANDRY BROTHERS
?” Ruthie greeted with a huge smile. “To what do we owe this honor?”

“Junior Baumgartner,” Seth said as he leaned across the counter. Olive said you two were friends.”

“Were,” Ruthie agreed. “When we were in our teens and early twenties. Why?”

“Junior is the one who has been killing Savannah’s dates and he tried to kill me. He took Savannah more than twelve hours ago.”

“Oh, my Lord!”

“Olive won’t tell me where he might have taken her. I was hoping you would be able to help.”

“He likes long drives,” Ruthie said, obviously searching her memory. “He took Cal to an old cabin once when he was about ten.”

“I know it’s late,” Seth began.

“Not for my son. I’ll call him and see what he remembers.” Ruthie was on the phone for less than ten seconds. “He’s on his way.”

“Junior has killed four people that we know of,” he told Ruthie. “I don’t want Cal coming along. It wouldn’t be safe.”

She shrugged. “There’s six of you. He can take you there, but he can’t give you directions. I’m counting on you guys to keep my kid safe. I know he’s no angel, but he’s extremely important to me.”

“I’ll take care of him,” Chance offered. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t get in harm’s way.”

“Thanks.”

Cal strolled in with an excited light in his blue eyes. “We’re tracking a murderer, cool.”

Seth looked at the boy. “Are you sure you can find the cabin? It’s pitch-black out now. No moon, no nothing.”

“Unless you’re planning on driving without headlights, I can find it.”

Lord, but the child was never without a smart retort. However, if it meant finding Savannah, Seth would put up with anything.

If he found her alive, he’d never let her out of his sight again. She was going to stay in Jasper and marry him if he had to drag her to the altar bound and gagged. All he had to do was find her.

“It’s a pretty long ride,” Cal said. “About an hour and a half if you do the speed limit.” He grinned at Seth, apparently guessing they would break all land speed records to find the place.

“You be careful!” Ruthie called. In a slightly softer voice she added, “And safe, Seth. I saw instantly that you’re in love with her. Don’t lose that. I had it for a short time with Cal’s father and I’m not sure you get a second chance in this lifetime.”

Seth squeezed her hand and then led his crew out to the Bronco. He wondered how much time he could shave off the hour and a half.

S
OME TRANQUILIZER
, Savannah was thinking as Junior slathered her neck with wet, messy and repulsive kisses. He had finished the entire cup of coffee and since he hadn’t beat her senseless, the pill must have dissolved.

So why wasn’t he tranquil? she wondered. Maybe the coffee counteracted the pill.

“I’m hot,” Junior slurred against her ear.

I’m repulsed,
she wanted to reply.

Junior rolled away from her, which was a huge relief. His weight had been crushing her tender ribs. He was pinching the bridge of his nose, as if to clear a headache. She remained still, not fully sure if he was suffering the effects of the medication, or some other malady that would pass in a minute.

When he moaned, Savannah felt hope well up inside her. Very quietly, she rose to her knees and started backing away from him. Then she stopped. She couldn’t get away without the car keys, which were probably in his pocket.

She grimaced as she pressed the back of her hand against his face. He didn’t move. Next, she poked a single finger into his bare, protruding belly. Still nothing. Gathering her nerve, Savannah reached inside his right-hand pocket. She hit pay dirt. Slowly, so they didn’t make noise, she began to extract the key ring from his pocket. She could just see the top of the ring when Junior’s hand locked on her wrist.

Fear or something gave her added strength. At least enough to yank out of his hold.

“Savvannnah,” Junior slurred angrily as he struggled to his feet and pulled out his gun. “Kill you. You did this to me.”

She could stand there and get shot or she could
take her chances out in the elements. She had heard that dying of exposure was just like going to sleep. That sounded preferable to having Junior riddle her body with bullets.

She ran to the door and reached for the latch when the first shot rang out. It went through the door about two inches above her head. At least she had tranquilized his aim.

Rushing out the door, she ran blindly in the direction she thought was the road. Each step was like being cut with a knife. As she ran, she buttoned a few of the buttons on her shirt and tried to avoid as many low branches as possible. The soles of her feet were already getting numb and her lungs hurt from breathing in the frigid air.

She thought about stopping, then she heard a bullet whiz over her head. Glancing over her shoulder, she could just make out the weaving silhouette of Junior in his overcoat, not far behind her.

She was ready to cry when her body started to show signs of fatigue from exposure. She was slowing and Junior was gaining. Her feet were completely frozen and the rest of her wasn’t far behind. It was getting difficult to put one foot in front of the other.

Savannah felt and tasted tears, amazed they didn’t freeze on her face. She was going to die. It was kind of ironic, she thought as her mind began to wander. She’d spent six successful years hiding from one of
the most dangerous crime families and she was going to end up dead at the hands of a deranged stalker.

She thought she saw a flash of light up ahead, but it disappeared so fast, she knew it had to be some sort of delusion.

“Savannah!” Junior was taunting her. She turned to see he was no more than twenty feet behind her.

He shot again and she felt pressure on her arm.

Then she heard another shot, but this one came from in front of her. She took two more steps and collapsed into a snowbank.

“Savannah!”

Hearing Seth’s concerned voice, she tried to will her eyes open, but it just wouldn’t happen. She knew he had lifted her because she felt the heat of his body.

“Ribs,” she managed in a near whisper.

“Don’t worry baby,” he soothed. “I’ll take care of you.”

I
T TURNED OUT THAT
, all things considered, she was very lucky. Chance explained that her ordeal with Junior had left her with a through-and-through bullet wound in her right arm which was fractured, two cracked ribs, a bruised jaw, a black eye and a concussion.

“Hi,” he said when he peeked into her room and found her awake. Seeing her so battered made him glad he’d killed Junior.

“Hi back. Sure you can stand to look at me?”

Seth moved over and kissed the end of her nose. It was one of the few nonbruised places on her body. Her arm was attached to some triangle thing above her head and he could see the blend of pain and medication in her striking eyes.

“I think you’re beautiful.”

“I
know
you’re a liar,” she laughed, then winced. “So are you going to fill me in?”

Seth carefully sat on the edge of her bed and gently stroked her hair away from her face.

“Junior is dead and Olive is in jail.”

Tears formed in her eyes. “I’m not a very good judge of character, am I?”

“They had us all fooled.”

“Did I hear Cody right? Is Peter White being charged with accepting bribes from the Rossi family?”