Part 20 (1/2)
CHAPTER 64.
Maggie couldn't see a vehicle, but there were enough outbuildings to store several. Had he gone to work already? Or if not work, perhaps he had a cla.s.s. Maybe he was even back at the rock quarry, helping Watermeier and Bonzado. What a pathetic twist. The killer not only returning to the crime scene but helping to process it. Simon Shelby had stood by and watched, actually even helped at times, while they sorted through his mutilations, his butchery.
The acreage was well maintained. All the buildings were whitewashed, the gra.s.s and meadow cut short, no discarded old equipment. One of the buildings looked like it had huge solar panels on its sides, renovated for perhaps a workshop.
She made her way to the back door but hadn't peeked inside any of the windows yet. She decided to knock. Make sure he was gone, despite her certainty. And she slid her Smith & Wesson under her jacket, in case someone answered the door. When no one did, she tried to the k.n.o.b, surprised to find the door unlocked.
She brought out her revolver again and swung the door open. She stopped to listen. Other than an electrical hum of an appliance, she couldn't hear anything. She entered slowly, watching, looking, searching as she eased down the hallway. She came to the kitchen first on the left. She glanced in. Nothing out of the ordinary. The electrical hum was coming from the old chest freezer in the corner. She continued down the hallway. An open stairwell was to her right and she looked up. Nothing.
She could see the living room beyond the stairwell, or perhaps a parlor, furnished like a showroom with what looked like antiques, lace doilies and curtains. She got to the entrance and was paying such close attention to what was in front of her that she didn't hear him come up from behind. She didn't hear him until it was too late.
Maggie turned just as something came cras.h.i.+ng down on the side of her head.
CHAPTER 65.
Luc didn't like waiting.
He wished Agent O'Dell had allowed him to bring Sc.r.a.pple along. He didn't like being without the dog. They went everywhere together. And he really didn't like hearing Sc.r.a.pple's howl of abandonment coming from the living room window as they drove away.
He tried to see beyond the trees. He tried to look down the path where Agent O'Dell had disappeared. He didn't understand why she hadn't driven up, or at least, walked up the driveway. She was being very secretive for someone who kept telling him not to worry. She reminded him of Julia. Before she moved to D.C. his daughter had always been going off checking stuff, stuff she probably shouldn't have been poking her nose into. Maybe that was just what law enforcement people did. Maybe it was in their blood. Although he and Julia did share some of the same blood.
He scratched his head, pus.h.i.+ng back the beret and looking again to see if he could make out where in the world Agent O'Dell was now. He held up the cell phone. She said fifteen minutes. Well, it was close to that now, wasn't it? He glanced at his wrist, only to remember that he had stopped wearing watches long ago when he could no longer understand them. Numbers had become useless to him. He couldn't even write out a check anymore. They probably would have shut off his electricity months ago if he hadn't had the foresight to set up all the automatic withdrawals for his bills. Hopefully the money wouldn't run out before his time ran out.
He looked out the car window again and this time felt a slight panic as he tried to remember why he couldn't recognize anything. Oh, jeez! Where the h.e.l.l was he? He twisted around in the car, trying to find something he recognized. Then he held up the black object in his hand. He was holding it so tight it had to be something important, but d.a.m.n it, he couldn't remember what the h.e.l.l it was.
CHAPTER 66.
Maggie woke slowly. Her head throbbed. Her legs felt numb, tangled, somewhere underneath her. It was pitch-dark despite her attempt to open her eyes. No use. It was too dark. She couldn't move her arms. Couldn't begin to untangle her legs. She could barely move her hands and tried to feel around the small, smooth s.p.a.ce above her. Whatever he had shoved her into, it was too tight to move.
Too tight and cold. So very cold.
That was when she heard the motor kick on. That was when she recognized the electrical hum. That same hum she had heard when she first entered the house.
Oh, G.o.d! He had put her in the freezer.
She couldn't panic. It wouldn't help to panic. She couldn't have been in here long or she wouldn't have woken up. She had to remain calm. She tried to twist her legs out from under her. It was useless. They were shoved in tight. Even her arms couldn't move more than a few inches to the side. It felt like she was squeezing herself down into the chest tighter and tighter. That couldn't be possible.
She needed to stay calm. She needed to breathe. It was already difficult to breathe. How much air could she possibly have inside here? And the cold. G.o.d, it was unbearable.
Her fingers hurt, but she balled them up into fists and pushed on the lid. There wasn't even enough room to pound. She remembered her weapon. Yes, she could shoot some holes in the lid. Of course, why hadn't she thought of that? She patted down her jacket. She tried to feel her pockets. And despair came quickly with the realization that, of course, he wouldn't have tossed her revolver in with her.
It was useless. She started to scream ”help” as loud as she could. Over and over again until her throat felt raw. She shoved at the lid. She slammed her fists, now numb from the cold. She kept slamming them into the lid until she could feel what must have been blood dripping down into her face. And all she could think about was that the only person who might know where to look for her was back in her car with a cell phone that had a dead battery.
CHAPTER 67.
Adam found Maggie's rental parked off the road but no one was inside. Did she know about Simon? How could she? He pulled his El Camino in behind the Ford Escort and jumped out, heading through the ditch until he thought of something. He ran back to the pickup and grabbed the pry bar from the back.
He barely got to the trees before he saw Luc Racine, wandering behind one of the buildings. The old man looked lost. Adam started to call out to him, then stopped, looking around for Simon. He had called the funeral home before he drove out here, hoping he'd catch Simon and be able to confront him in public. But they told him Simon had called in sick, and that alone sent a wave of panic through Adam. Simon never called in sick.
Now he wished he had tried to get ahold of Henry again, but each time he had tried, Beverly told him Sheriff Watermeier was in a very important meeting and could not be disturbed. That his deputy had been instructed to handle any emergencies.
Adam made his way to Luc, staying in the trees and watching for signs of Maggie or Simon. When he was close enough, he called to Luc in a low voice, ”Mr. Racine. Hey, Luc.”
The old man turned around so suddenly he almost tripped. His eyes darted everywhere and Adam worried he might be having one of his blank moments.
”Over here, Mr. Racine.” He came out from the trees and walked to Luc, his eyes watching in all directions.
”Oh, Professor, it's you. You scared me.”
”Sorry. Where's Maggie?”
”I don't know. But I think I heard someone in this cabin over here.”
”Have you seen Simon?”
”No, no, not at all. We need to find Maggie. I just don't have a good feeling. I think she's been gone too long.” He was s.h.i.+fting from one foot to the other, back and forth in almost a nervous dance.
”Okay, calm down. We'll find her. Let's check in here.”
They couldn't see in through the windows and the door was locked with a chain and padlock. Adam used the pry bar, twisting and pounding at it until finally it broke open. The light in the room was dim. Adam thought it looked like a cozy cabin, except for the shelves that lined the walls. Shelves with rows and rows of jars and crocks that reminded him of his own lab back at the university. Then he noticed the bed in the far corner. Someone moved under the covers.
The woman curled up and strapped in the bed jerked awake. She cried out when she saw them, smiling and laughing. Then suddenly she winced and cried out with pain.
CHAPTER 68.