Part 20 (1/2)
Genny supposed Jerry Lee must have contacted every man in Cherokee Pointe and probably implied that anyone who didn't join his little search party would have his masculinity called into question.
”If you're a Fed, why aren't you with Jacob and the others?” Jerry Lee asked Dallas.
”Because I know Sheriff Butler and his men can handle this job without any interference from me...or from anyone else.”
Genny's gaze traveled over the entire group of men, one man at a time. There wasn't a face in the crowd of about twenty-five that she didn't recognize. Farmers, mechanics, and truck drivers. Mail carriers, sanitation workers, and teachers. Dillon Carson; Reverend Stowe; Dr. MacNair; and even Brian MacKinnon.
Had the entire male population of Cherokee County simultaneously gone crazy? The local citizens were in a panic now that they knew a third victim had been kidnapped; and G.o.d only knew how this pack would react if Misty was found dead.
Genny caught a glimpse of Brian just as he moved away from the others, took his cell phone out of his pocket, and began talking rapidly. She suspected what he was doing. Calling in a story to his newspaper. And probably sending for a news crew from WMMK.
Jacob knew time had run out, but he tried not to think about it; tried to hang on to the possibility that they weren't too late to save Misty. As they reached the barn, the sun peeked over the mountain crest. Surrounded by brilliant pink and purple offshoots spreading across the eastern horizon like floating liquid, the upper curve of the fiery ball banished the darkness. Jacob's gut knotted painfully as he approached the crumbling structure that had once been a barn. The others spread out around the site, circling the weathered wooden bones of the building. Sally's dogs had found what they'd been sent to find. Howling their success, they stood alongside their prey. The double barn doors hung open, like a mouth frozen in a dying scream. With his gun drawn, Jacob moved closer to the entrance. What he saw stopped him immediately. He shut his eyes for an instant, praying that he hadn't seen what he thought he had.
He opened his eyes. Misty Harte's naked body lay sprawled out on top of a makes.h.i.+ft altar that was nothing more than a couple of sawhorses topped with a piece of plywood. Even from ten feet away, he could see the blood and gore. h.e.l.l, he could smell the blood. Fresh blood.
G.o.d d.a.m.n it! Bile rose to his throat. He took several tentative steps forward, then paused. Think straight, he told himself. There's nothing you can do for Misty now. The killer might still be here. Don't forget your training just because the woman lying there ripped apart from b.r.e.a.s.t.s to pubic bone is someone you screwed only hours before she was abducted.
After making a clean sweep inside the dilapidated structure and finding no one else there, Jacob called his men. When Bobby Joe approached the open barn doors, Jacob grabbed his arm to stop him.
”You don't want to see,” Jacob said.
”Yes, I do. I gotta see.” Bobby Joe pulled free and rushed into the barn.
Tim Willingham came over to Jacob. ”Is it Misty?”
Jacob nodded.
Bobby Joe let out a piercing yell and dropped to his knees beside the altar. Every man in their group stood perfectly still and remained silent, each one knowing how he'd feel if the victim had been his sister.
Jacob forced himself to do what had to be done. He radioed the other units to notify them Misty had been found. Found too late. And he had to tell them that the killer had escaped. Then he ordered a forensics team to get to the site ASAP.
He'd have to keep the crime scene as pure as possible, but before he secured the site, he had to take care of Bobby Joe.
Just as he put his hand on his deputy's shoulder, Sally called out to him. ”The boys have picked up a scent.”
Jacob snapped his head around and looked directly at the old woman. ”The killer's scent?”
”Could be,” she said. ”They're heading out the other side of the barn. Best we follow them before they get too far ahead of us.”
Chapter 16.
Erin Mercer roused from sleep and wondered what had awakened her. Then she heard someone pounding on the door of her rental cabin. Who in the world would be out and about at this time of the morning? She opened her eyes, turned her head, and, without her gla.s.ses, tried to make out the numbers on her digital clock. Farsightedness was a curse of people over forty-five and she had pa.s.sed that birthday four years ago. The insistent pounding continued. Erin forced herself into a sitting position, dragged the clock closer so she could see the face, and realized it was almost seven o'clock. An unG.o.dly hour for a woman who seldom rose before eleven.
By the time she dragged herself out of bed, donned her robe, and made it into the living room, she heard a deep male voice bellowing.
”Erin, dammit, woman, are you in there?” Big Jim Upton shouted loud enough to wake the dead.
What was Jim doing here? Why was he so upset? Since the beginning of their affair, he'd seldom visited her more than a few times each week, and never in the mornings.
”Are you in there? Are you all right?” Fright deepened Jim's already robust baritone voice.
Hurrying across the room, she called, ”I'm here, Jim. And I'm just fine.”
She undid the lock and jerked open the door. Without saying another word, Jim lifted her off her feet in a bear hug and kissed her so soundly that he cut off her breath for several seconds. When he ended the kiss, he set her on her feet, and, keeping a tight hold about her waist, walked her backward into the cabin. Lifting his big booted foot, he slammed the door shut.
He cupped her face with his large, weathered hands. ”The killer has struck again. He kidnapped Misty Harte, a waitress at Jasmine's. Jerry Lee gathered up a group of men to help the lawmen scour the countryside looking for her.”
Erin placed her hands over his. ”And you came to check on me because you were worried about me. Afraid I might be next.”
He flung off her hands and released his tender hold on her face, then grabbed her hand and gazed into her eyes. ”I just found you, honey. I couldn't bear it if I lost you so soon.”
She squeezed his hand. ”You aren't going to lose me.”
”Yeah, I will. One of these days you'll look at me and see an old man, then move on to greener pastures.”
”You're being ridiculous.” She stood on tiptoe to plant a quick kiss on his lips. ”I happen to be in love with you, Jim Upton. Haven't you figured that out yet?”
Jim shook his head, then speared his fingers through his thick white hair. ”I'm too d.a.m.n old for you. I'm old enough to be your daddy.”
”If people knew about us, they'd think you're my sugar daddy.”
Jim grinned. ”Shows you what people know.”
”How'd you get away from the house so early in the morning? Won't Reba wonder where you are?”
”I left a note. Explained that I would probably join up with the search team Jerry Lee had put together.”
”You said another woman has come up missing. Does the killer have her? Is-is she dead?”
Jim nodded. Erin could tell something else was bothering her lover, something more than his concern about her safety. From the first moment she met him-in, of all places, church-she'd felt drawn to the big, gruff man with the beautiful blue eyes. He was twenty-five years older than she and married. She'd never fooled around with a married man. Not ever. And if she had waited for him to make the first move, she'd still be waiting. She had immediately decided to learn everything she could about him, and deliberately set about running into him wherever he went. She couldn't explain exactly why, but she'd wanted him in a way she hadn't wanted anything or anyone in a long time. People might think she was after his money, but she wasn't. She didn't need Big Jim's fortune. She had a sizable fortune of her own, a trust fund from her grandfather since she was twenty-one. That wealth had allowed her to pursue her dream of being a painter. But here she was, nearly fifty, and success in her chosen field still eluded her.
”Come on in and sit down.” Erin led the way to the sofa. She sat, then patted the cus.h.i.+on beside her. Jim eased his big frame down on the plaid couch. ”What's wrong?” she asked.
”I told you-with a killer on the loose, I'm worried about you living here all alone.” He reached out and lifted a strand of her hair and curved it around her ear.
She loved the way he couldn't keep his hands off her. Whenever they were together, he was always touching her, as if that simple act gave him immeasurable pleasure. He'd touch her hair, her face, her hands. And when he made love to her, he didn't leave an inch of her body untouched. He was the most considerate, caring lover she'd ever had.
”Jim, we might not have known each other for very long, but I've become acquainted with your moods well enough to know when something is bothering you.” She caressed his cheek. ”If you need someone to talk to, I'm here. Talk to me.”
He closed his eyes, and a look of pure agony strained his features. Erin's heart jumped into overdrive. That terrible look of pain on his face scared her.
”My Lord, Jim, what is it?”
He slumped forward, braced his elbows on his thighs and rested his chin against his cupped hands. ”I want you to tell me that I'm crazy for even suspecting...I feel that just thinking what I'm thinking is wrong. How can I believe him capable of anything so horrible?”
She laid her hand on Jim's back and rubbed comfortingly. ”You aren't making any sense. What are you talking about? Who do you suspect of what?”