A Fair to Die For (32 page)

Edie’s whole body jerked and, once more, she started to turn toward Liz Harley, but Carrie quickly put an arm around her as both comfort and restraint.

“I don’t believe that.”

Liz Harley laughed again. “Oh, too bad. Believe what you want, but he had a wife in McAllen. That woman was my grandmother. In Texas, their name was Emerson, and your father had a son born in Texas, my father.”

Liz stopped talking and, under Carrie’s protecting arm, Edie began shaking. “I . . . I don’t . . . ” she began, then was silent.

Carrie was doing some quick calculating. “So, you and Edie are related? You are Edie’s niece? Can you prove that?”

“You want birth certificates? I could provide them if I wanted to, but why? Maybe my dear Aunt Edith would rather not see concrete proof.”

Carrie said, “And you want those papers because they, somehow, prove who you are? I’m sure you’re aware any supposed second marriage would be bigamy.”

“I need the papers because they prove my grandfather and my father were working two sides of the road. Grandpa Emerson laid out the names of double-dealers on paper, documenting many of their activities. He wrote mostly about the men he worked for, but my father was just beginning his career then, and there are a few details about his business associates as well. Grandpa made a record of as much of it as he could, thinking it would serve as insurance for him and Dad. Then he leaked information about the documents, letting it be known the names of many dealers were included, along with proof of their activities. He also let it be known the papers were secure unless or until something happened to him or his son.

“Seems our family likes living dangerously. Grandpa was killed in spite of the papers, and my father died in a gun battle ten years ago. Who knows if the papers could have saved them, but they never came to light.

“Now I want those papers before they fall into the wrong hands. I want to protect my mother and myself from reprisal. If the wrong people read them now, I don’t doubt they’ll kill both of us.”

“How do you know what they said?” Carrie asked. Edie was still shaking and seemed incapable of speech. Carrie began rubbing a hand up and down her cousin’s back.

“Because I saw the originals. My father had them after Grandpa died, and said he would keep them safe. He said Grandpa had sent copies to his Embler wife. I don’t know what happened to them after that.

“See, Aunt Edith, your experience has not been so different from mine. I’m certain you understand now why I must find and destroy Grandpa Emerson’s papers. They could harm you as much as me, and if you don’t have them, who does?”

Edie still said nothing. After a quick shudder when Liz said “Aunt Edith,” her face and body went stone still—unmoving and hard. For at least a mini-second, watching her cousin, Carrie wished she had the means to permanently silence Liz Harley.

Chapter Thirty-Five
WHO CAN SAVE CARRIE THIS TIME?

Liz stopped talking, but Carrie could occasionally hear a rustle in the leaves at the edge of the forest, so, other than continuing to rub Edie’s back, she didn’t move. There was still that gun.

Finally, deciding to take a soft path, she said, “It seems to me, if copies of the original papers you describe ever existed, they’re long gone, and you’re free from reprisals.

“When I told Edie about the men searching for papers in the room where she’s staying, she said her dad did have a safe deposit box, and she and her mother opened it after his death. It held family papers, passports, her birth certificate, but nothing at all like you describe. There were no papers unrelated to personal family matters.”

Carrie waited for a response from Liz, but none came, so she continued.

“Edie and her mother live together. They’ve been in the family home for something like fifty years, and have never seen papers related to Mr. Embler’s business. If anyone who might harm you had knowledge of dangerous papers, wouldn’t they have taken advantage of that long before now?

“You can leave here safely. Neither Edie nor I will bother you. I haven’t seen you, therefore I can’t identify you, and neither can Edie. We’re no threat to you.”

The silence went on so long, with only soft rustling in the leaves, that Carrie decided Liz Harley had pondered her options and decided to walk away. She was about to stand up and turn toward where Liz had been when two gunshots and shouting from across the road stopped her.

NO! Not yet, not now. She’s leaving us.

Liz Harley’s sudden oath was too close by for comfort and, in an instant, she had grabbed Carrie’s arm and pushed the gun barrel against her cheek. She began moving back into the stand of trees, pulling Carrie with her. “I don’t know what’s going on,” she said, “but I know you’re coming with me. Aunt Edith, stay where you are, or this friend of yours will die in an instant and you’ll be the one leaving here with me. Don’t think I won’t kill her. I’ve learned killing people is surprisingly easy.”

“Wait!” Edie said. “Take me instead. If you do, I’ll tell you where to find the papers.”

Liz’s backward motion stopped. Her left arm snaked all the way around Carrie, holding the two of them together so tightly that Carrie’s every breath struggled against the confining arm and her words came out in gasps. “No, Edie. No!”

“Carrie, I really do think I know where they could be, if they exist. But she will have no chance to find out if she takes you. She has to take me instead.”

Edie stepped over the bench and came toward them as she said, “Liz, don’t give up this last chance to find what you’re looking for.”

Carrie sagged against the front of Liz Harley’s body, hoping to throw her off balance.

It didn’t work, the woman didn’t budge an inch, but at least her movement toward the trees had stopped.

Jo Marshall was right. Liz Harley has a well-padded chest.

Stupid, useless thought. There has to be something productive you can do or say, Carrie. THINK!

It was quiet everywhere. No more sounds from out front or across the road. No party noises. No nothing.

What’s going on? Shouldn’t we hear people shouting, or at least talking? A car door slamming? Where is Henry? Where is everyone—Shirley and Roger, Milton? Are they all involved in whatever is taking place out front? Why hasn’t someone come looking for us? There were two shots. What, WHAT is going on?

Liz hadn’t moved.

She must be thinking over Edie’s offer. But Edie convinced us all there are no papers. Isn’t that the truth? If it is true, Edie’s doing this for me. Oh, please.

Carrie began, “Edie . . . ” then couldn’t think what else to say.

Liz’s indecision continued to convey itself through her inaction. She still held Carrie tightly, and now they both seemed frozen in time and space.

It lasted long enough. There was another rustle in the forest floor leaves. The gun moved away from Carrie’s face when a voice behind them said, “Put the gun down, Lizzie. The party’s over”

Chapter Thirty-Six
STRANGER IN THE WOODS

“Don’t—call—me—Lizzie!”

The gun was pushed against Carrie’s head again, and she fought an urge to scream, wail, cry over this repeated danger.
How long can I manage to endure, to stand strong?

“Why not, Lizzie? It’s Lindie and Lizzie. Momma liked that.”

“I don’t care if she . . . what are you doing here?”

“Checking up on you, baby sister. Seems you’ve backed yourself into a corner.”

That voice. Pitched lower, tougher sounding, but . . .

Liz, still facing away from the newcomer, said, “I have not! You’re the one in trouble. House arrest, or something like that? Seems like always clever Lindie got away though, which is handy for both of us.”

As Liz continued talking, Carrie thought,
She knows who this woman is, and I think I know. Sisters?
She felt a wisp of hope.

“Could you see what’s going on at my distribution center? Did you hear the shots?”

Liz was now breathing so heavily that Carrie’s body moved forward and back with each gasp.

“The party out front was a cover for drug busters. They watched until they knew your people were inside the buildings, surrounded the place, and that was it. Arnie had just come back, and was in the mood to resist. He shot a deputy, then of course someone shot Arnie. They’ve called ambulances.”

Carrie had never heard such a string of foul language in her life. It finally stopped, and Liz said, “Dead?”

“Neither of them, at this point.”

Silence. More heavy breathing, then Liz turned partly toward the woman in the woods. Carrie didn’t feel ready to face the woman, and kept her head turned away. Edie, who had started walking toward them when the newcomer appeared, was now taking slow steps back. Liz didn’t seem to notice, and the stranger didn’t comment.

“We just got a shipment,” Liz said.

“Uh-huh, so no problem with them finding evidence. They’re all inside your place now, probably having a good ol’ time. I didn’t dare try to see in, but of course they’ve already found your drugs. I don’t know what they’ll end up doing with the cases of hollow dolls and toys, or the special books on CD meant to go to your truck stop customers. Maybe the sheriff will have a big garage sale. The money ends up in law enforcement accounts, of course.” The voice laughed, low, melodious.

Liz gasped, “You—shut—up.” After taking a couple of moments to control her breathing, she spoke again. “How did they know to look over there?”

“It may have something to do with the folks who own this place.”

“But how did
they
know
?”
It was almost a whine.

“You can ask the sheriff later. Hmm, what else did you have for them to find? What about John’s birdhouses? Are they still there, or are they gone, now that John is gone?”

“John was a stupid fool. He broke the propane connections in Sales’s RV after I’d searched the place and left. No good reason but spite. He gave those wood animals he told me had coke in them to McCrite, and said they belonged to Sales. What did he think that would accomplish? You know what happened. It got the attention of the sheriff, and the drug army was brought in. So, why did John act like such a fool in the first place? Jealousy. He was jealous of Milton Sales’s craft fair business. Milton always did beat John in dollar amount.”

The woman’s arm tightened painfully around Carrie’s chest, and she murmured an involuntary “Oooo.”

“Shut up. You may become more trouble than you’re worth, even as a hostage.”

The voice in the woods continued. “John was jealous of Milton Sales? Oh, I think it was much more than that, Lizzie. You know what I do think? I think John was tired of the drug business. By the way, it won’t take them long to break into your customer lists. A lot of people are going to be angry at you.”

“Those lists are coded.”

“No matter. The sheriff’s department has really, really good computer whizzes. Oh my, didn’t you know that, baby sister?”

More awful language. Between swearing, Liz made enough sense for Carrie to figure out that she had evidently thought her location here was invincible. While the two women talked, she glanced back at her cousin, who was now inching slowly toward the house. Liz still wasn’t noticing. She was turned half-way toward her sister, and wrapped up in conversation about events across the road.

“Where are Chet, Bobby, and Johnson? Did they get away?”

“No. They’re probably hogtied, wrist and ankle, and lying on the men’s room floor. My bet is that, once they get Bobby alone, he’ll make a deal and tell all he knows.”

“That son of a. . . . . Well, at least I can get away.”

“How, Lizzie?”

“In your car. Did you park it on the road? It’s getting dark now, and I’ve got a hostage if we need her. We can stay in the woods until full dark. I assume no one knows I’m anywhere near.”

“They know.”

“Well, maybe generally, but not that I’m right here. Let’s go.”

“No.”

Liz’s body jerked like Edie’s had when Liz called her Aunt Edith. “Don’t kid around with me Lindie.”

Some family members can be such a problem,
Carrie thought and, in spite of her fear, a giggle tried to bubble out. She started gasping her breath in and out to stop it, and Liz said, “Stop that,” tightening her arm again.

“I’m not kidding. I’m through with you and your business dealings.”

“Don’t be stupid. You’re under suspicion, under guard, and in big trouble, even if you never were directly involved here. Tarred by association, right? I don’t know how you got away from them, but, however it was, you can leave with me. We’ll change our names and start over somewhere else. I have connections, and I always have kept my escape options open.”

“I am on leave from my job, but no one is guarding me. I came to look for you and tell you I’m finished with even a remote connection to your business dealings. My career here is wrecked, but maybe I can still salvage some part of a sane, worthwhile life.”

Liz said, “You can’t get by blaming me for your career problems, and don’t forget, I can put you in jail. You knew I set those fires and didn’t report it. There’s more I could tell them. The decisions you made are all on your plate.”

“Yes, I know that, and I’ll just have to deal with it. Sadly, I put too much importance on family ties. I’ve learned better.”

“Come on, Lindie, let’s get out of here before someone from across the road decides to have a look around.”

“Not a worry for us now, sister dear.”

Carrie wondered if Liz detected the growing menace in her sister’s voice as she continued. “You’ve forgotten one thing, Lizzie. You’ve forgotten those papers.”

Liz’s body jerked again. “You know about them? I thought you said you didn’t.” Her gun hand dropped away from Carrie’s head as she turned fully toward the woods.

Olinda Rosten said, “Well, I lied about that, partly because I was protecting Gran. The papers were supposed to be insurance for Grampa and Dad, so, after they were gone, why not the same for Gran and me? But she decided they were too volatile to hang on to. Dad told me where the originals were, and gave the copies to me. He told me to keep them safe. I did. Grandma and I burned all of them. You didn’t know because you and Mom had left us by then.”