The Last Move
Page 71
She barreled down the driveway, hoping she didn’t blow a tire.
Restless energy and raw fear burned in Mazur as he paced by the abandoned car. His phone rang. It was Santos. He cursed. “Tell me you have good news.”
“I looked over the list of properties associated with William Bauldry. I have two locations with large enough water sources for fishing.”
As Mazur scribbled down the addresses, his phone rang with a second call. Without a word, he took the other call. “Detective Mazur.”
“Police, police!” the frantic woman yelled.
“Who is this?”
“Police. This police?”
“Yes. Who is this?” In the distance he could hear traffic and a horn honking.
“Miss Kate said to call. Said to give you this address.” She read off an unfamiliar address.
“Give me that again.”
She repeated it as he scribbled onto a notepad. “Who is this?”
“I work for Mr. Bauldry.”
He snapped his fingers to get Palmer’s attention. She turned and moved toward him. “You’re his housekeeper, Mrs. Lopez?”
“Yes. The FBI lady came by the house and couldn’t find him. But he could see. And then he called.”
Adrenaline cut through his body. “Where are you now?”
“In the city, at my brother’s bar. This is his phone. I’m not going back to Mr. Bauldry’s. Miss Kate is going to that place I told you about. She wrote emergency.”
His heart tightened. “She said emergency?”
“Yes, sir.”
Jesus. “Are you sure about these details?”
“Yes, I think so.” Her voice trembled, and she paused to mutter a prayer. “Yes, I’m certain. That is what she gave me.”
He didn’t dare hope. “How long has Kate been gone?”
“About fifteen minutes. She’s very brave, I think.”
And she was just crazy enough to go after Bauldry alone.
“Where’s your brother’s bar?”
“Don’t tell Mr. Bauldry.”
“I won’t.”
She rattled off the address.
“Stay at your brother’s bar, okay? I’m sending Detective Palmer. She’ll take care of you.”
“Yes, sir.”
He hung up and looked at the addresses he’d scribbled down. One was a match. He had a target.
“Palmer, I need for you to go to this address and find a Mrs. Lopez. She works for Bauldry.”
“What’s going on?” Palmer asked.
“While Kate was at Bauldry’s house, she received a call from him. He has Alyssa. I’m going to follow this lead, but call Santos and have him check out the other location.”
“Consider it done.”
“Good.” Mazur got in his car, backing out so quickly he nearly hit another cruiser. Pressing his foot on the gas, he flipped on his lights.
William lifted the groggy girl out of the back of the 1971 Buick that he’d swapped for the Lexus. The old cars were some of the best. Granted the gas mileage was terrible and their safety records questionable, but there was no GPS. He yearned for the simpler days.
She moaned, and her smooth brow wrinkled as she tried to open her eyes. “My dad will come.”
“Ah, you’re awake.” He held the girl close, enjoying the way she felt in his arms. “No, no, he won’t. But Agent Kate is riding to the rescue.”
“Kate?”
“My Katie is headed our way right now.”
She tried to wriggle free, but she was still too groggy. She slumped back in his arms. If only she knew that tomorrow she would awake inside a box.
The door to the barn opened, and light silhouetted Drexler’s tall frame. “Is that my girl?”
“It will be soon.”
Drexler hurried over to him. Sawdust peppered his freshly shaved scalp and his plaid shirt. “Where’s the other one? You said to build two boxes.”
“She’ll be here shortly.”
Drexler studied the girl’s body, running his hand along her thigh to her ankle. “The dimensions you gave me were too small.”
“You’ve worked around that problem before.”
Drexler smiled. “Yes, I have. Can I have her now?”
He held back. “Not just yet. It can’t be a party until Katie arrives.”
Kate killed her headlights, using starlight to maneuver slowly down the dirt road. Dust kicked up around the car; gravel crunched under her tires. In the distance were the lights of a ranch-style house.
Her tire hit a rut, jarring her and forcing her to grip and turn the wheel to keep the car on the road.
She looked in her rearview mirror at the endless stretch of darkness behind her. This house was a needle in a haystack, and without an address, impossible to find quickly. She could only hope that Mazur had received her address and her message.
And as much as she wanted to wait for him, the image of Sara Fletcher’s face flashed in her head. Waiting gave the monsters more time with Alyssa.
Kate simply couldn’t live knowing that child had suffered because of her. She was ready for this to be a one-way trip if it meant nailing these two beasts before they got to Alyssa.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Revenge is a dish best served cold.
—Gloria’s proverb
San Antonio, Texas
Friday, December 1, 10:00 p.m.
Kate shut off the engine, drew her weapon, and got out of the car. She stood in the cool night air as the gentle breeze reminded her of a calm before a storm. She stared at the lights glowing from the windows of the simple outbuilding constructed of weathered gray wood and a tin roof. A male figure passed in front of a large window, and then the door opened. William Bauldry stood in the doorway. He flashed her a wide grin when he saw her.
“Katie, you made it,” he said, as if this were all friendly.
“William.”
He waved her closer. “Come. Alyssa and Drexler are inside, and they’re just getting acquainted.”
“What have you done to her?”
“She’s fine. Still in one piece for now.” Again he motioned her forward. “Come on. I won’t bite.”
She drew in a breath and took her first step. When she approached him she stopped. “You go first.”
“Sure. You can never say I wasn’t a good host.” He backed away and extended his hands.
Her gaze shifted to him, and she made sure he was at least ten feet away before she glanced around the room. She spotted Alyssa immediately. The girl was in a chair, her chin slumped forward.
Drexler looked more menacing with his long hair and beard shaved. With no distractions from the cold black eyes, his smile looked lifeless. He gently stroked the girl’s hair. “We’ve been waiting for you. And for her to wake up. William said she’d be awake by now, but she’s a real sleepyhead. She has to wake up. It won’t be any fun if she sleeps through it all.”
Sara’s scream echoed in her mind. “William, I know why Drexler does this. What’s your reason?”
“I’ve been dreaming of a day like this for seventeen years,” William said.
Her heart raced, but her voice was steady and even. “But you couldn’t have known Drexler.”
“A happy accident. I saw him circling your mother’s house. I realized we might be of help to each other.”
A chill trailed up her spine. “You were watching my mother?”
Restless energy and raw fear burned in Mazur as he paced by the abandoned car. His phone rang. It was Santos. He cursed. “Tell me you have good news.”
“I looked over the list of properties associated with William Bauldry. I have two locations with large enough water sources for fishing.”
As Mazur scribbled down the addresses, his phone rang with a second call. Without a word, he took the other call. “Detective Mazur.”
“Police, police!” the frantic woman yelled.
“Who is this?”
“Police. This police?”
“Yes. Who is this?” In the distance he could hear traffic and a horn honking.
“Miss Kate said to call. Said to give you this address.” She read off an unfamiliar address.
“Give me that again.”
She repeated it as he scribbled onto a notepad. “Who is this?”
“I work for Mr. Bauldry.”
He snapped his fingers to get Palmer’s attention. She turned and moved toward him. “You’re his housekeeper, Mrs. Lopez?”
“Yes. The FBI lady came by the house and couldn’t find him. But he could see. And then he called.”
Adrenaline cut through his body. “Where are you now?”
“In the city, at my brother’s bar. This is his phone. I’m not going back to Mr. Bauldry’s. Miss Kate is going to that place I told you about. She wrote emergency.”
His heart tightened. “She said emergency?”
“Yes, sir.”
Jesus. “Are you sure about these details?”
“Yes, I think so.” Her voice trembled, and she paused to mutter a prayer. “Yes, I’m certain. That is what she gave me.”
He didn’t dare hope. “How long has Kate been gone?”
“About fifteen minutes. She’s very brave, I think.”
And she was just crazy enough to go after Bauldry alone.
“Where’s your brother’s bar?”
“Don’t tell Mr. Bauldry.”
“I won’t.”
She rattled off the address.
“Stay at your brother’s bar, okay? I’m sending Detective Palmer. She’ll take care of you.”
“Yes, sir.”
He hung up and looked at the addresses he’d scribbled down. One was a match. He had a target.
“Palmer, I need for you to go to this address and find a Mrs. Lopez. She works for Bauldry.”
“What’s going on?” Palmer asked.
“While Kate was at Bauldry’s house, she received a call from him. He has Alyssa. I’m going to follow this lead, but call Santos and have him check out the other location.”
“Consider it done.”
“Good.” Mazur got in his car, backing out so quickly he nearly hit another cruiser. Pressing his foot on the gas, he flipped on his lights.
William lifted the groggy girl out of the back of the 1971 Buick that he’d swapped for the Lexus. The old cars were some of the best. Granted the gas mileage was terrible and their safety records questionable, but there was no GPS. He yearned for the simpler days.
She moaned, and her smooth brow wrinkled as she tried to open her eyes. “My dad will come.”
“Ah, you’re awake.” He held the girl close, enjoying the way she felt in his arms. “No, no, he won’t. But Agent Kate is riding to the rescue.”
“Kate?”
“My Katie is headed our way right now.”
She tried to wriggle free, but she was still too groggy. She slumped back in his arms. If only she knew that tomorrow she would awake inside a box.
The door to the barn opened, and light silhouetted Drexler’s tall frame. “Is that my girl?”
“It will be soon.”
Drexler hurried over to him. Sawdust peppered his freshly shaved scalp and his plaid shirt. “Where’s the other one? You said to build two boxes.”
“She’ll be here shortly.”
Drexler studied the girl’s body, running his hand along her thigh to her ankle. “The dimensions you gave me were too small.”
“You’ve worked around that problem before.”
Drexler smiled. “Yes, I have. Can I have her now?”
He held back. “Not just yet. It can’t be a party until Katie arrives.”
Kate killed her headlights, using starlight to maneuver slowly down the dirt road. Dust kicked up around the car; gravel crunched under her tires. In the distance were the lights of a ranch-style house.
Her tire hit a rut, jarring her and forcing her to grip and turn the wheel to keep the car on the road.
She looked in her rearview mirror at the endless stretch of darkness behind her. This house was a needle in a haystack, and without an address, impossible to find quickly. She could only hope that Mazur had received her address and her message.
And as much as she wanted to wait for him, the image of Sara Fletcher’s face flashed in her head. Waiting gave the monsters more time with Alyssa.
Kate simply couldn’t live knowing that child had suffered because of her. She was ready for this to be a one-way trip if it meant nailing these two beasts before they got to Alyssa.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Revenge is a dish best served cold.
—Gloria’s proverb
San Antonio, Texas
Friday, December 1, 10:00 p.m.
Kate shut off the engine, drew her weapon, and got out of the car. She stood in the cool night air as the gentle breeze reminded her of a calm before a storm. She stared at the lights glowing from the windows of the simple outbuilding constructed of weathered gray wood and a tin roof. A male figure passed in front of a large window, and then the door opened. William Bauldry stood in the doorway. He flashed her a wide grin when he saw her.
“Katie, you made it,” he said, as if this were all friendly.
“William.”
He waved her closer. “Come. Alyssa and Drexler are inside, and they’re just getting acquainted.”
“What have you done to her?”
“She’s fine. Still in one piece for now.” Again he motioned her forward. “Come on. I won’t bite.”
She drew in a breath and took her first step. When she approached him she stopped. “You go first.”
“Sure. You can never say I wasn’t a good host.” He backed away and extended his hands.
Her gaze shifted to him, and she made sure he was at least ten feet away before she glanced around the room. She spotted Alyssa immediately. The girl was in a chair, her chin slumped forward.
Drexler looked more menacing with his long hair and beard shaved. With no distractions from the cold black eyes, his smile looked lifeless. He gently stroked the girl’s hair. “We’ve been waiting for you. And for her to wake up. William said she’d be awake by now, but she’s a real sleepyhead. She has to wake up. It won’t be any fun if she sleeps through it all.”
Sara’s scream echoed in her mind. “William, I know why Drexler does this. What’s your reason?”
“I’ve been dreaming of a day like this for seventeen years,” William said.
Her heart raced, but her voice was steady and even. “But you couldn’t have known Drexler.”
“A happy accident. I saw him circling your mother’s house. I realized we might be of help to each other.”
A chill trailed up her spine. “You were watching my mother?”
