The Right Call (29 page)

Ethan felt light-headed, the severity of Brill’s phone call beginning to sink in. How involved could he get in this mess before he could be charged with obstruction of justice—especially when he had a working cell phone and a direct line to the police chief?

He hated that he was being intimidated into doing something he knew wasn’t right. Could he really look Brill in the eye and deny that Stedman came to him with this story? Could he let an innocent man get the death penalty and Drew’s killer live happily ever after—without at least telling the police what he knew?

Then again, Stedman wasn’t exactly innocent. Didn’t he admit he had planned to kill Tal Davison? What if he did kill him and was lying about it? What if he did what Grant Wolski had asked so he could get out from under his gambling debt—and then panicked that Drew might know something and decided to kill him, too?

What if Stedman fabricated the elaborate story about being framed, hoping Ethan was gullible enough to help him convince Brill? What if he got in his truck and ran down Grant Wolski so the guy couldn’t contradict his story?

Ethan picked a piece of bark off the tree and held it in his fingers. That didn’t add up. If Stedman was guilty, why would Win Davison bother sending one of his goons to intimidate Ethan?

Lord, give me wisdom. If Stedman’s telling the truth, what’s happening to him is wrong. I can’t just wash my hands and walk away.

“Hold it right there! Put both hands behind your head.”

Stedman seemed to appear out of nowhere, and Ethan was staring down the barrel of his gun.

“Come on, man. You know I’m not armed,” Ethan said.

Stedman patted him down. “Sorry. I can’t be too careful right now. I wouldn’t put it past the cops to talk you into taking me back at gunpoint.”

“The cops may be the least of your worries,” Ethan said. “It’s already started. Grant Wolski was killed this morning by a hit-and-run driver.”

“What?”

“Oh, it gets worse—the police think
you
did it.
And
they found something in Grant’s car that convinced them you shot Tal Davison and my cousin. They’re turning Sophie Trace upside down looking for you. There’s an APB out for your arrest. They think you killed five people.”

Stedman seemed to stare at nothing. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. This is probably the nail in my coffin. Grant was sure there would be consequences for his failure to delete that email from Davison and for keeping a record of what was said in the meeting. But this is brilliant. Davison must’ve decided he could get rid of Grant in the hit and run, make it look like I did it,
and
plant evidence in Grant’s SUV that made the police think I was the shooter. Do you even know what the evidence was?”

“Brill didn’t say.”

“I thought you said you didn’t talk to the cops.”

“I didn’t. Brill’s left me a detailed phone message. And she’s called two more times. I’m going to have to return her calls at some point.” Ethan looked over Stedman’s shoulder and saw nothing but trees. “Is there some place we could sit and talk?”

“Sure. The waterfall Grandma told you about isn’t far. Follow me. I’m sorry I pulled you into this, man. I just thought you were the one person who could get the cops to listen. But now that Davison and his cronies have succeeded in framing me, there’s no need for you to get involved. They got what they wanted. They won’t bother you anymore.”

“Don’t count on it. I’m the only other person who knows they pulled it off. Which makes
me
the threat.”

Chapter 34

Brill
sat next to Trent on the couch in Ralph Langley’s living room, her eyes fixed on a handful of feisty hummingbirds fighting over the feeder outside the window, her ears attuned to Trent’s questioning of Ethan’s uncle Ralph.

“How long has Stedman worked for you?” Trent said.

“He started eight years ago this month. He’s a good employee. About the only thing I’ve ever gotten on his case for is coming in late. He likes to play around on the casino sites on his computer and doesn’t always know when to call it a night.”

“So he’s a gambler?”

“Yeah, he is. Anyone who’s been around Stedman for long knows that about him. But like I said, he’s a good employee. It doesn’t really interfere with his job that much.”

“And what is his job, Mr. Langley? Is he foreman?”

“No, I still manage things on-site. But Stedman’s the highest paid employee on my payroll. He’s a big asset, especially since he also speaks enough Spanish to help me with my Hispanic workers.”

Trent gave a nod. “Ever hear him mention a guy named Grant Wolski?”

“Not that I recall.”

“Ever hear Stedman talk about playing high-stakes poker?”

Ralph tented his fingers and seemed focused on them. “I don’t think poker’s legal in Tennessee.”

“That’s not what I asked you, sir.”

Ralph’s cheeks were suddenly flushed. “I overheard him setting up games over the phone a few times. I figured it was his business. It’s not like he has a casino in his garage. It’s just a bunch of competitive guys who like to play for money.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I guess because that’s what Stedman said. I’m not a gambling man myself. I really didn’t pay much attention to it. Am I in trouble for not reporting him?”

“Mr. Langley”—Brill turned her gaze to him—“we’re just here to find out what you know about Stedman.”

“What’s he done? Why are you asking these questions?”

Trent glanced over at Brill and then at Ralph. “We have reason to believe he was involved in the shootings—and a hit-and-run death this morning.”

“Stedman? No way!”

“The evidence suggests otherwise, sir. Let’s stay focused. Do you know any of his friends?”

Ralph’s face was suddenly expressionless. “He had a girlfriend, Holly something—Miller … Morgan …
Morton
. That’s it: Morton. They broke up months ago. I never really met his guy friends.”

“In eight years, you’ve never met any of his buddies?” Trent said.

“I really haven’t. I met his grandmother—Audrey Reeves. She rents him half her duplex.”

“What kind of relationship does Stedman have with her?”

Ralph raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I think Audrey’s his conscience. She’s quite a character and keeps Stedman on the straight and narrow. He’s not on speaking terms with his folks, and I’ve never asked why. I don’t like to pry.”

Trent wrote something on his ruled pad. “Have you noticed any mood changes in Stedman lately? Did he seem tense to you?”

“Now that you mention it, he’s had trouble staying focused. Forgets things. Has to be told more than once what needs to be done. He’s had a couple of those bad headaches he gets every now and then. Hasn’t been very social with the work crew either.”

“How long has this has been going on?”

Ralph scratched his chin and seemed to be contemplating. “Several weeks. Definitely worse in the last two. I cut him some slack. Like I said, Stedman’s been a good employee for eight years. I figured he was just working through something.”

“What kind of relationship does he have with Ethan?” Brill said.

“Good. They worked together all last summer, and they’re off to a good start this year. Stedman’s been very sensitive to Ethan since his cousin was killed. There’s just no way I can believe that Stedman shot any of those people. There has to be some mistake.”

“Do you know if Ethan and Stedman pal around outside of work time?”

Ralph looked from Brill to Trent and back to Brill. “You’re kidding, right? Every second Ethan has off the clock, he spends with Vanessa. You see him more than I do. You probably should be talking to him about this. Stedman might confide things in Ethan he’d never say to his employer.”

“We’re trying to get in touch with Ethan,” Brill said, “but he’s not returning the calls. I know he had something personal he had to take care of today regarding Drew.”

Ralph’s eyebrows came together. “I don’t think so. He’s spending the day with Vanessa. He told me himself, right before he left the house this morning.”

“What time was that?”

“Seven, seven fifteen. I thought it was early for him to be intruding on you folks. Ethan was so eager to get going that he didn’t even want his aunt to fix him breakfast.”

“The thing is,” Brill said, “Ethan planned to come over much later than that—around noon—but he sent Vanessa a text message and said something had come up concerning Drew and he had to cancel.”

Ralph sighed. “I’d sure like to know what’s going on.”

You and me both,
Brill thought. She looked at her watch. Why hadn’t Ethan returned her phone calls? She’d already left three messages. Maybe he turned his phone off.

Ethan sat cross-legged on a large, flat rock, watching the spring runoff spilling over the top of Deer Path Falls and plummeting twenty feet into a clear, round pool, rainbow mist cooling his face.

“How did you and your grandmother find this place?”

Stedman sat facing him, his gaze intrusive. “It’s been so long I don’t even remember. Someone she knew owned the property.
We
named the falls Deer Path. Hardly anyone even knows it’s here.”

Ethan smiled wryly. “I had a map, and I couldn’t find it.”

“Could we just cut to the chase?” Stedman said. “Before I can figure out what I’m going to do, I need to know what you’re going to tell Chief Jessup.”

“Did I mention that in her phone message she said you were considered armed and dangerous and not to approach you?”

Stedman’s eyes turned to slits. “So why
did
you?”

Ethan picked up a twig and drew a heart on the rock, Vanessa’s perfume pervasive in his memory. “I don’t happen to think you’re dangerous. And I don’t think it’s right to let the wrong guy go to prison—or get the death penalty—for this. You agreed to do something despicable, but when it came down to it, you couldn’t pull the trigger—because you’re not a killer. You might be charged with conspiracy to commit murder, I don’t know. What I
do
know is you shouldn’t be charged with capital murder in the deaths of five people.”

Stedman’s eyes brimmed with tears, and he looked down and began cracking his knuckles.

“This goes way beyond my wanting Win Davison to pay for killing Drew,” Ethan said. “It’s a matter of principle. I can’t turn my back on an innocent man because I’m being threatened.”

“Believe me, the threat’s real.”

“I’m sure. The guy was very graphic about what he intended to do to us. He also said that I couldn’t win this hand, that I should take his advice and fold before I lose everything.”

“Sounds like good advice.”

“I guess that depends on what you’ve got in your hand.”

“What do you mean?”

Ethan looked at the round pool beneath the waterfall and remembered how clean he felt the day he made his profession of faith and was baptized. Why should a King’s son cower in fear when he had been granted the power of his Father’s authority? Didn’t he have angels protecting him? Wasn’t every step he would ever take recorded before he was born? Didn’t his heavenly Father have a purpose for his life? Was he going to let those pathetic pawns of darkness bully him into silence? He looked into Stedman’s eyes. The guy wasn’t perfect, but he wasn’t evil like them. And Ethan wasn’t going to sacrifice him without a fight. If right was right, it was right all the time—not just when it was convenient.

“You may not understand this,” Ethan said, “but I believe in playing the hand I’ve been dealt. You know I’m a Christian. I gave my life to Christ, and I belong to Him. Nothing happens to me that He hasn’t allowed for a purpose. I’m not going to be intimidated into doing the wrong thing.”

Stedman’s eyes widened. “Look, I agreed to kill a man. I’m no better than they are. You don’t owe me anything.”

“I owe you the truth. It took courage for you to admit what you
almost
did. We need to tell Brill the truth and let her take it from there.”

“Don’t be a hero, Ethan. It’s dangerous.”

“It’s the right call. Let’s put our cards on the table and see who’s got the stronger hand. That’s the last thing Win Davison is expecting us to do. God’s on the side of truth, Stedman. Right now, that’s the best defense we’ve got.”

“Come on, man. If the cops get their hands on me, it’s all over.”

Ethan looked out into the forest. “I said we should put our cards on the table. I didn’t say where.”

Chapter 35

Vanessa
walked barefoot along the flower beds in the backyard, sprinkler hose in hand. Why did this Memorial Day seem so long without Ethan being there with her? After their mutual declaration of love last night, could his absence be any more disappointing? She heard the screen door open and shut.

“There she is. There’s Mommy.” Emily strolled toward her with Carter clinging to her like a chimpanzee. “He just woke up from his nap.”

Vanessa took Carter into her arms and gave Emily the sprinkler hose. “How’s my handsome baby boy?” She kissed his nose, and he flashed a smile the size of the Grand Canyon.

Emily held the hose on the flower bed and put her hand in the spray. “Are you sad Mom had to leave and won’t be here when we eat her yummy casserole?”

“I’m always a little sad any time Mom can’t be with us on a holiday. But if they think Stedman Reeves is the shooter, she has a good reason to be working.”

Emily locked gazes with Vanessa and seemed to pry the lid off her comfort zone. “Did Ethan call you back yet?”

“Emily, don’t be a pest.”

“That’s what little sisters are for.”

“Not today. He hasn’t called, but he’s sent me three text messages. He must be thinking of me.”

“Ethan’s
always
thinking of you. He sold you Park Place, for heaven’s sake. Who else would do that? It practically guaranteed you would win.”

Vanessa smiled. “True.”

Vanessa’s cell phone chimed, and she took it out of the pocket of her sundress. It was a text message from Ethan
. I’m stepping out in faith. Pray for a good outcome. I need you to trust me and Him. I love you. Ethan.

“What did he say?”

“He said, ‘Tell Emily to mind her own business.’”

“I’ll bet he said something mushy.”

“No, he didn’t.”

“Then why are your eyes all twinkly?”

Vanessa smiled without meaning to. It was the fourth time that day he’d said he loved her. Was her sheer delight that obvious? “Here, take Carter. Why don’t you play with him in the pool?”

“I can’t right now. Jasmine’s coming over, and Dad’s letting us make peach ice cream.”

“All right. Would you mind turning off the water? I think I’ll take him out in his stroller.”

Ethan climbed up the side of the rock formation, Deer Path Falls visible on his left. Stedman reached the top and offered Ethan his hand, then pulled him up the rest of the way. The two climbed over some large boulders and onto a smooth, flat oval rock that looked about six feet across at the widest point. The spring runoff moved swiftly past them, crashing into the boulders in the stream, creating swirls of white foam before plummeting over the edge of the cliff.

“So this is where the waterfall originates,” Ethan said.

Stedman nodded. “The cell signal is clear up here, but we have to deal with the water noise.”

“Sorry your phone’s dead.”

“I forgot to charge it when I got home last night. I had other things on my mind.”

Ethan sat for a moment and caught his breath. “This is incredible.”

“You sure you want to do this, man? Once you make that call, there’s no turning back.”

Stedman was right
.
This was the point of no return
. Was
he sure? The words of Ephesians 6 resounded in his head and seemed almost audible.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Ethan said. “Let’s dig our heels in and tell the truth. What these guys are doing is worse than wrong—it’s evil. We can’t let them get away with it.”

“I can’t believe you’re helping me.”

Ethan took his phone off the clip and looked at it for a moment. “Let me pray before we do this.” He put his hand firmly on Stedman’s shoulder, feeling more bold than embarrassed.

“Lord God, you are the way, the truth, and the life. You’re
always
on the side of truth. Of that we can be sure. What’s happening to Stedman is a lie—a scheme right out of Satan’s handbook. It’s evil. It’s destructive. It has to be stopped.

“But the two of us are no match for these guys. And the minute we talk to the police, things are going to get dangerous. Lord, we can’t do this without You. Protect us from evil. And help us convince Brill that Stedman didn’t kill those five people. Let truth prevail and justice be served. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”

Ethan took his hand off Stedman’s shoulder. “I didn’t ask if you minded me praying. There’s just no way I’d open this door without getting God involved.”

Stedman’s face was flushed. “It’s okay.”

Ethan took a deep breath. “All right, here we go.” He pulled up Brill’s voice message and then pressed the number eight to reply. He glanced over at Stedman. “It’s ringing. Let’s hope it doesn’t go to voice mail—”

“Hello, Ethan! I’ve been trying to reach you. Did you get my messages?”

“I did. Sounds like you had a big break in the case.”

“Then you know we’re trying to find Stedman Reeves. Do you know where he is?”

“Actually I do. He’s here with me.”

“With
you?
Where are you? Is he holding you against your will?”

“No. We’re sitting on a rock next to a rushing stream. It’s a little hard to hear you.”

“Ethan, what’s going on? This is serious. This man is dangerous.”

“What if I told you that Stedman’s been set up—that he didn’t do the shootings and didn’t kill Grant Wolski?”

“I’d say you don’t have all the information. You can’t believe anything he tells you.”

“But isn’t it possible
you
don’t have all the information? Brill, I was threatened by some guy at knifepoint and told not to say anything about this—that if I did, they’d kill Vanessa and Carter. That’s why I didn’t come to you with it.”

“Who threatened you?”

“I didn’t see his face. But he sure didn’t want me to back Stedman’s story.”

“What story? Ethan, talk straight with me. What are you trying to say?”

“That
Win Davison
is behind the shootings. He ordered the hit on Tal when he found out he wasn’t his biological son—
and
because Tal didn’t really want to work for him. He had Tal’s biological father killed too. A guy named Paulson McGiver, who wanted a million dollars not to go public with it. He also ordered the hit and run on Grant Wolski and planted evidence to implicate Stedman. And he killed Drew because he thought he knew that Tal didn’t want to work for Davison Technologies. It’s all connected.”

“Do you know how preposterous that sounds?”

“I do. Brill, you have to hear this from start to finish or it won’t make sense. It all started with a poker game. Stedman got in over his head and lost sixty thousand dollars to Grant Wolski, and—”

“Did you say
sixty
thousand?”

“I did.”

“That’s an exorbitant bet for a young man who probably makes half that in a year. Not to mention it’s illegal.”

“It’s illegal, but you know it goes on. Look, Stedman was holding four jacks and bet money he didn’t have. He never thought in a million years he would lose that hand. He was ruined. Later, Grant came to him and told him what he could do to pay the debt. That’s where the setup began. Here, I’ll let him tell you himself.” Ethan handed the phone to Stedman. “Just tell the truth.”

“Hello, Chief Jessup.”

Ethan sat and listened, praying silently as Stedman told Brill every detail of what had happened from the time he made the deal with Grant to kill Tal Davison until this morning when the man with the knife was snooping around his duplex.

“But without the memo I saw,” Stedman said, “I can’t
prove
anything I just told you … no, ma’am, I can’t come in and make a statement. You don’t understand. Davison doesn’t need me anymore. He won. You all think I did it. You’ll have to arrest me, and I couldn’t make bail even if it was offered, which I doubt. Once I’m in jail, Davison will find a way to have me killed, and that’ll be that. Except for one thing:
Ethan
knows … yes, I believe the threat is real. The guy’s already responsible for six killings. Ethan won’t be safe if Davison thinks he’s a threat, and neither will your daughter and grandson, so—”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Ethan felt a bullet whiz past his ear and looked over at Stedman in time to see him lunge forward and the cell phone slide down the rock and into the water.

Vanessa nestled on the couch, Carter content to cuddle in her arms. What was it about riding in the stroller that turned him into such a little lovebug? She heard footsteps, and then her father came into the living room.

“Honey, we’ve got a situation.” Kurt’s face was ashen, his eyes wide. “Your mother just called, and—”

The doorbell rang.

“That’s probably the police,” Kurt said. “I need to answer it.”

“What?” Vanessa said. “Dad, what’s happened?”

Kurt hurried to the door, and Vanessa heard voices. It felt as if her heart had stopped. Had someone died? Had something happened to her brother in Costa Rica?

Ethan’s text message came rushing back to her.

I’m stepping out in faith. Pray for a good outcome. I need you to trust me and Him. I love you, Ethan.

Vanessa sat frozen. What had he done? She felt her heart pounding against Carter’s chest and held him tightly, dreading the next voice she would hear.

“Hello, Vanessa.”

Officer Rachel Howell came in the living room and sat on the love seat across from her.

“Your mother asked me to come over and stay with you until we’re able to check some things out.”

“What things?”

Kurt hustled Emily into the living room, and they sat on the couch next to Vanessa.

“Ethan and Stedman Reeves just called your mother and gave her new information that might lead to the arrest of the person they allege is responsible for the shootings
and
today’s hit and run.”

“But isn’t Stedman your suspect?”

“We have reason to believe he may have been set up.”

“Why are you here?” Vanessa said.

Rachel shot Kurt a glance and then held Vanessa’s gaze. “Before your mother had finished listening to Stedman’s side of the story, she heard gunfire. The phone went dead. There’s no signal.”

Vanessa felt as if someone had reached inside her and pulled her heart out. Finally she found her voice. “Didn’t they tell Mom where they were?”

“Ethan said they were sitting on a rock by a rushing stream. That’s it.”

Kurt sighed. “That has about a million possibilities.”

“I’m sorry,” Rachel said. “Without the GPS locator in his BlackBerry, we have no way of knowing where they are.”

Emily reached over and took Vanessa’s hand, looking up at her with the most compassionate blue eyes Vanessa had ever seen. “Don’t be scared. I just prayed for a guardian angel to be with him. I did that when we didn’t know where Mom was, and
she
came home.”

Vanessa brushed off a tear that trickled down her cheek.

“The good news,” Rachel said, “is we’re working this case concurrently with the sheriff’s department. An APB has been issued, and Sheriff Parker has his deputies searching for their vehicles. Every available law enforcement officer in the county will be helping.”

“Honey, Ethan’s smart,” Kurt said. “He’ll use good sense.”

“I still don’t understand why Rachel’s here.”

Rachel folded her hands in her lap and cleared her throat. “Late last night, Stedman shared with Ethan his concern that he was being framed for the shootings and said it involved someone high profile. He wanted Ethan to take his concerns to Chief Jessup under the radar.”

“Why didn’t he do it himself?”

“Stedman feared for his life. He had been warned to keep his mouth shut. I don’t have all the details. But I do know that Ethan was threatened at knifepoint and told that, if he opened his mouth”—Rachel lifted her gaze—“you and Carter would be killed, and so would Ethan.”

Two gunshots reverberated in Vanessa’s mind, and for a split second she relived the horror of that dreadful moment when Drew was gunned down and she fled with Carter, terrified the shooter would come back for them.