Anytime Darlin' (10 page)

Killing William Franz would make it better. Hunting him down like that rogue grizzly would make it a whole lot better. Jake hadn’t enjoyed watching the bear die, but it was necessary. It had been the bear or his father’s cattle. William Franz was something else altogether. He preyed upon helpless women. He was a monster and deserved whatever he got. Jake hoped the authorities in Thailand managed to track him down soon. Otherwise Devlin would be looking over her shoulder for the rest of her life. Jake wondered who else he might hurt, who else he might have involved, like this Betsy or Betty person. Was she another one of his victims?

Shauna’s voice interrupted Jake’s thoughts. “What did you do then?”

“I-I laid there. Just laid there. I couldn’t think, couldn’t move. After a while, I heard the front door slam and his car drive away. That noise sort of shook me, kind of brought me back to myself, I guess. The belt was still around my wrists, and I had to get it off. He’d been pulling it tight, but when he let go and got off me, it loosened up. I was able to use my teeth to get it off. I put my clothes back on and crawled up the stairs. The door was bolted, but I wanted to find out if my aunt was all right. I called to her, and she answered right away. I think she was sitting on the other side, on the kitchen floor. I asked if she could let me out, but she said he’d taken the key, and she didn’t have another.”

“We talked for a few minutes, and for once, she was clear, really clear, on what I needed to do. We both were. She said she would turn off the alarm system and shut off the motion sensors, you know, those automatic lights. If I could get out a window, no one would see me. I begged her to leave him, to come with me and go to the police, but she refused. She thought she could keep him from coming after me for a few days, stall him, and give me a chance to get away from him. I told her it was too risky. He’d be furious and hurt her. I wanted to kill him.” Devlin paused, as if considering her words. “What I mean is, I wanted her to let me back in the house so I could get his Smith and Wesson, and when he came home, I’d shoot him. I’m a good shot. I wouldn’t miss. But she refused. She wouldn’t let me back in.”

“Where did he keep his gun?” asked Shauna.

“He had two, one in his office, in the top right-hand drawer of his desk. He kept the other in the nightstand on his side of the bed, in the top drawer. They were always loaded.”

“How did you know about the guns?”

Devlin shrugged. “He bragged about what a good shot he was, and he talked about his favorite pistols. I looked for them. He didn’t try to hide them. Like I said, he wasn’t home much. I wanted to know where they were in case I needed to use one. But I-I waited too long. I should have killed him before…before it got so bad. I thought, I hoped…stupid of me, I guess, but I was hoping that when I turned eighteen I could leave. But when I found out about the money, I knew he’d never let me go. I found out about the money that night, leaning against the basement door. That’s when my aunt told me. Until that moment, I had no idea. She hadn’t said a word.”

“How did you get out?”

“I used a broom to break the window above the washing machine. I poked out as much of the glass as I could. Then I grabbed a towel from a pile on the dryer. I threw it over the broken pieces on the bottom of the sill so I wouldn’t get cut. Even standing on the dryer, it was kind of hard to pull myself up. There wasn’t a stool. The window was pretty high. Even for me, it was a tight squeeze, but I didn’t have much choice. I found an old Denver Broncos sweatshirt in the dryer, so I threw that out first, because I didn’t have a coat. I knew it would get pretty cold. I was lucky there wasn’t any fresh snow. He could have followed me, at least for a ways, if there was snow. This way, he didn’t know which direction I went. I cut through the woods in case he came back home. I didn’t want to take a chance that he might see me on the road.”

“What did you do for three days, Devlin?” asked Cherie.

“I got as far away as I could. I didn’t want to be anywhere he might spot me. I don’t really remember exactly, but I kept away from my school. I walked all night, to get across town and to keep warm. I didn’t have any money, so I didn’t eat. I stopped at McDonalds to use the bathroom, get a drink. Then I sat in the alley behind Kmart, where they throw the empty cardboard boxes, waiting for a chance to get inside.”

“Devlin, earlier you said, if you hadn’t gotten sick, you’d have killed your uncle. Is that why you didn’t leave Denver?” asked Shauna. “You could have hitched a ride out of town.”

Devlin sighed. “That was my plan. I just needed some food, some warm clothes, and a few hours of sleep. That’s why I snuck into the Kmart. I had to wait four days, because I wasn’t sure my aunt would let me back in the house, but the gardener would. He came by every Thursday morning. He had a house key since he took care of the plants inside the house too. Every Thursday my uncle left for racquetball at seven in the morning. The gardener was always nice to me. All I had to do was tell him that I’d lost my key. He’d let me in.

“I knew my uncle wouldn’t change his schedule, just like I knew he wouldn’t call the police to report me missing. He couldn’t take the chance. He’d just hope I’d taken his threats seriously, the threat that he would kill my aunt, that he would kill me, and that I’d keep my mouth shut. Every day he didn’t hear from me, every day the police didn’t come by or call, would make him feel more confident. So he’d go play racquetball, like always. I planned to watch from the woods to make sure. Once I got in the house, I’d get one of the guns and wait for him. I’d aim for his chest. It’s a bigger target than the head.”

“How could you be certain he wouldn’t move the guns? Just in case you came back?” Shauna asked.

Devlin laughed. Jake heard a touch of hysteria in her voice. “You’re kidding, right? My uncle thinks highly of himself. He’d never even consider the possibility that someone might get the better of him. He wouldn’t move the guns.”

“Why didn’t you come to us?”

“Because he would have just killed her sooner. I hoped, by waiting, I’d have a chance to kill him first.”

Scott spoke up. “Do you remember anything else? Anything at all about the woman you heard your uncle mention?”

“No. Just that her name began with a
B
. I’m pretty sure it was Betty or Betsy.”

“Do you have any idea why he might have panicked?”

“No, I don’t. Maybe the school called? Honestly, I don’t know.”

Devlin closed her eyes, leaning heavily against Jake.

“I’m sorry.” Her voice sounded hoarse. “I’m too tired to answer any more questions.”

Shauna shut off the tape recorder. Laying a hand on Devlin’s arm, she said, “I’m sorry this happened. I wish we had known.”

Shauna and Scott left the room, but Cherie hung back. She approached the bed, speaking directly to Devlin. “In a couple of days, we need to talk about your future. I wish I could say this is the last you’ll see of me, but I’m afraid it’s not. For now, you get some rest. I’ll see you later.” She followed after Shauna and Scott.

Jake realized that Devlin couldn’t stay awake much longer. He lowered the head of her bed, piling some pillows behind her. She smiled a brief, exhausted smile at him as he laid her down. She was asleep in a heartbeat.

Jake stood up from the bed, running a tired hand through his hair. He felt as exhausted as Devlin. Mike laid a hand on his shoulder. As Jake glanced up, Mike tipped his head toward the door. Jake followed him out of Devlin’s room. They stopped at the desk to let Dr. Walters know Devlin was asleep. He reported that Mary had taken her mother home. They’d be back first thing in the morning. Amy stood nearby, drawing up a syringe of medication for another patient. She promised to keep a close eye on Devlin.

“I need some fresh air,” commented Mike.

Jake agreed. They caught the elevator and headed down in silence.

“Pretty rough,” said Mike when they got outside. “Really tore me up listening to her. How you doing?”

“I’m not sure I know how to answer that.”

Mike rubbed his jaw. “Son of a bitch needs a good killing.”

“How’d he get out of the country so quickly?” asked Jake.

“Hopped a flight to San Francisco before we even knew who we were looking for. He had maybe a twenty-four-hour head start. Caught a flight to Hong Kong before we could trace him, then disappeared. His name showed up on the passenger manifest of a Cathay Pacific airliner that landed in Bangkok, but there was no warrant. Nobody knew to stop him. The FBI and the State Department are involved now. There’s more to it than Devlin and her aunt.”

“The title company. He was using his clients’ money. Illegal borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, I guess you’d say. Using the escrow money to make his own investments. He was living way beyond his means. He needed Devlin’s money.”

“You mean he needed her grandfather’s money,” corrected Jake. “You heard what she said. You saw her face. She put it together tonight. I think up until now, she was too busy surviving to even wonder about the cause of the accident. Will Shauna follow up?”

“I’m guessing yes,” Mike replied. “But suspecting that he tampered with the van is one thing. Proving it is another, especially since I read in the report that the vehicle was totaled. I’m betting that, once the guys in Nebraska or Iowa or wherever it was finished with it, it ended up as scrap. As far as they were concerned, it was a hit-and-run. Just a tragic accident.”

“The sedan never turned up?” asked Jake.

“Not so far. According to the report, nothing in the metropolitan area was reported stolen. There were no damaged rentals. Nothing found abandoned. There were only a few witnesses who were pretty far back. All of them stopped at the scene. Everyone said pretty much the same thing. The van was speeding. I guess they had to make up time after trying to get the station wagon started. The brown car looked like it was passing the van, then turned right into it. One witness claimed the driver slowed down for a split second and got out of the way when the van swerved, but took off. Nobody followed because the accident was just too bad. One of the witnesses drove to the closest pay phone to dial 911. Devlin’s little brother was thrown from the car too. He was dead at the scene. I don’t think Devlin knows.”

Jake blew out an angry breath, and a cloud of frost wreathed his head. “That goddamn motherfucking son of a bitch!” He headed to his pickup, Mike trailing behind.

Suddenly Jake stopped. “What about here?”

“Here, what?” asked Mike, confused.

Jake turned toward Mike. “What about a stolen car here, in Denver? Or a rental? Or maybe the asshole bought a used car and never registered it. It’s not a long drive to Omaha. Shit, I could do it in seven, eight hours if I had to. But he wouldn’t have been speeding. And he would have had plates on, at least until that morning.”

Mike stared at Jake. ”You’re right. William Franz could have leased, stolen, or bought a car here in Denver and then ditched it somewhere. Or he could have stuck to the back roads, driven home unnoticed, and returned it to a rental agency, or even abandoned it in Denver.”

“I bet he’s got a personal assistant,” continued Jake. “And I bet money that personal assistant keeps a date book. You find out where he was that week, and you’ll find out where he got the car. Then you let me know.”

He and Mike stared at each other in silence for a moment. Jake turned toward his truck.

“You okay to drive? I don’t want you killing someone.”

Jake unlocked the driver’s door and looked back at his friend. “I’m not okay, but I’m not gonna kill anyone, tonight anyway. I gotta clear my head. I’ll see you.”

* * * *

Mike watched Jake back out of the parking spot. Tires squealing, he turned onto the main road. He shook his head. He and Jake had been like brothers since they were eighteen years old. He’d never seen him like this. Mike knew Jake had a big heart—he was the most generous guy he’d ever met. But Jake preferred to play his cards close to the vest. Except for his family and a few close friends, he kept to himself. This was different.

No question about it, Mike thought, nobody should have to go through what Devlin had gone through. He felt something for the girl too. She was not your usual teenager by any stretch of the imagination. But it went deeper with Jake. There was a connection there, between the two of them. It wasn’t just a matter of Devlin depending upon Jake. That didn’t strike Mike as particularly strange. Jake had that effect on people, especially female people. No, whatever it was that Devlin felt, Jake felt right along with her. He might be fighting it because she was so young, but he felt it all the same.

Mike sighed and headed to his car. Devlin may have been able to tell the story, but she had a long way to go. Her aunt’s body waited at the morgue. In the eyes of the court, Devlin was still a minor. And despite the fact that he was a rapist, murderer, and thief, her uncle was currently her legal guardian.
Shit,
Mike thought. He needed to talk to Shauna and Scott. It was gonna be a long night.

Jake drove for a while, in no particular direction, preoccupied with everything he’d heard tonight. Devlin’s voice played over and over in his mind, convincing him that she was supposed to die that day on the bridge. If it wasn’t that day, it probably would have been another. That’s how desperate, how evil, William Franz was. It was only fate, or God, or who knows what, that kept her alive after the accident. She had ended up in Franz’s hands anyway. Jake pulled over to the curb and stopped. He pounded his fists on the steering wheel.

He looked around, realizing the neighborhood was familiar. Janice lived two blocks away. She’d take him in, no questions asked. Jake threw the truck in gear and drove to her house. He parked across the street. Her lights were on, the curtains only partly drawn. She was home. All he had to do was get out and walk to the door. One night in bed with a willing woman, that’s what he needed. To gain some distance, some perspective, plain old work off some steam.

Sitting there, Jake told himself to get out of the truck.