Finding Amy (6 page)

Chapter 7

Carson walked into the highway patrol office, showed his identification and told the front desk he had come to pick up Amy Summers.

“She’s in a holding room. I’ll call Officer Marshal to take you back.”

“Thanks,” Carson said. He didn’t look forward to this. He knew she would be mad as hell. Maybe after he explained everything to her, she would get over being arrested. He had his doubts.

“Ranger G
arrett.” Carson turned and stood eye to eye with a rail thin man with dark black hair that looked blue under the lobby lights. Dye job, Carson thought
.
Carson shook the right hand the man offered. “I’m Officer Marshal. I’ll take you back where Miss Summers is being held.” He keyed in a code to enter the locked door and Carson followed him down a narrow hall. They stopped in front of a closed door and he turned to Carson and frowned. “I just want to warn you, this young lady is not a happy camper.”

Carson pressed
his lips together and shook his head. “I was afraid of that.”

Marshal swung the door open and Carson
saw her with her arms wrapped tight around her middle and looking out a widow with bars. When she heard the door open, she swung around.

“Carson,
” Amy screamed, ran across the room, and jumped into his arms. This is what he had dreamed about all the way from Cody. He wanted to hold her close until she knew everything. If they could back up twenty-four hours, he would have done things differently. But in his line of work he had experienced a couple of incidents he would like to do over.

Carson knew better
than to spend so much time watching her. He could protect her from any danger that might arise. He should’ve handled this assignment by the books. Instead, the more he knew about her, the more he wanted to know. She intrigued him and stirred emotions he had never experienced before. Holding her like this is what he’d thought about of all the way from Cody. Amy depending on him for answers. If he could keep her like this, safe in his arms, it might not be such a blow when she knew the truth.

“They told me I stole Bess’ car and I’m wanted for questioning for a crime in Texas and a Ranger is coming—,”

Carson placed his index finger over her lips to stop her rambling. “Shh. I know all about it, Amy.”

He
r body stiffened and she jerked out of his arms. Crossing her arms over her chest, she backed up and glared at him. “You’re the Texas Ranger, aren’t you? You knew all along and didn’t tell me.” Her bottle green eyes clouded with unshed tears. She turned away from him and whispered, “Why?”

Carson pulled a chair away from the table. “
Please, sit, Amy, and let me explain.”

****

The blood rushed through Amy’s veins faster than any train she had ever been on. She wouldn’t cry even though tears threatened to flow. Releasing her arms, she raised her right hand and brushed away any sign of tears. What choice did she have at this point? Sure he’d deceived her. He’d lied to her and led her to believe he cared. She refused to admit she had any feelings for him. Her hands doubled into fist, itching to punch him until he begged for mercy. Even if she did hit him, what good would it do? Her only option would be to sit and listen. Nothing he had to say could make her change the opinion she had of him.

“Amy
, I came to Wyoming to find both you and your sister and bring you back to Texas.”

Amy grinned and
shook her head. “You’ll never find her. I won’t tell you where she is.”

Carson pulled another chair close and sat. “You may after you
hear what I have to say.”

Amy crossed her arms
over her chest again and leaned against the back of the chair. “So why don’t you tell me?” She smirked.

“We
’ve been investigating Martin Kenner for the past three years. The rangers believe with your sister’s help, we can send him away for a very long time.”

“
So you came all this way so you could get a witness?” Amy questioned. “She won’t do it, and I don’t blame her.”

“
She might when she hears the worst of it, Amy. Kenner has sent someone else to find you and your sister. He doesn’t intend to take either of you back to Texas, alive.”

Amy gasped and
covered her mouth. This can’t be happening. Is he telling the truth or trying to get a conviction? Could Martin be that ruthless? This only happens in the movies, not real life.

Carson co
ntinued, “It is imperative I get to your sister and get you both into protective custody before any harm can come to either of you. Whether she agrees to testify or not is irrelevant. Both of your safety is top priority.”

Amy slapped her hand on the table and leaned toward Carson. “Why are you just now telling me this? You could have told me a week ago. Why didn’t you?”

Carson placed his hand over hers. The warmth of his skin sent heat up her arm. She wanted to grab his hand and hold on. The security he offered appealed to her, but would they be safer with him than on their own? After all they had been in hiding for eight months.

“As soon as we
were informed that Kenner had hired someone to kill Jamie, we started searching for you both. I only learned recently who the man is and that he is in the area. Tonight I caught him following me, and I believe I lost him, but I’m not taking that for granted. We need to get to your sister and leave Wyoming immediately.”

Amy stood
and shoved the chair back with her legs. “You mean he followed you and you still led him to me?”

“Amy, I don’t think he knows yet that you’ve been arrested. I’m counting on it. If, by chance he did outsmart me and saw me pull into the Highway Patrol off
ices, he certainly wouldn’t follow me in here.” Carson stood next to Amy and took her arm. “Are you ready to go now?”

“What if he’s still out there and follows us?” Even in the custody of Carson,
he still hadn’t convinced her Jamie and Trish would be safe. She couldn’t risk their lives.

“I’ve thought of that and that’s why we’re going to try and throw him off track. When we leave here, we’re going to go back toward Cody. I think
Jamie is living somewhere close to Lake Hebgen. It’s the long way around but we’ll pick up Highway 89 south to Jackson then cross over into Montana and make our way back up the state to Hebgen Lake. That is unless Jamie is somewhere else.”

“How did you
—,”

“You mentioned the lake
at IHOP. I’ll get your things. It’s a long way around so we need to get going,” Carson interrupted.

Amy followed Carson to the
front desk where she signed for her personal items. He carried her suitcase out to the truck and lifted it into the back. After turning the ignition, he flipped the heat on. When they were buckled up, he keyed in their destination to Jackson, Wyoming and it took a second to show they had a five hour drive. Then there would be another 125 miles back up to Hebgen Lake.

“It’s going to be a long drive. Try to get some rest. There’s a blanket and a couple of pillows in the back seat.” She couldn’t sleep in moving vehicles
, but she would pretend to keep from having to talk to Carson. The anger raging through her hadn’t dissipated an ounce. She reached over the seat, retrieved the blanket and positioned both pillows against the passenger side door, nested her head into the softness and pulled the blanket up to her neck.

With her temporary bed made, Amy couldn’t do anything but think. She had never seen Martin get violent with
Jamie. She found it hard to believe he would stoop to hire a killer. What had Jamie done to him to cause this much hatred? Or did Jamie know something about him that might be damaging if she started talking?

Jamie
had always been the wild one. Trouble followed her where ever she went, and she had counted on Amy for help. But on graduation night when Jamie had told her she and Martin were eloping, Amy had done everything she could to talk her out of it.

“He’s
twenty years older than you. You’re only eighteen and haven’t experienced life yet, Jamie. Why don’t you wait? If it’s true love, it will still be there in five years.”

But
Jamie wouldn’t wait. She had left after the graduation ceremony leaving Amy to break the news to their parents. Mr. and Mrs. Summers hadn’t taken it well.

“Call the police, D
ave. Have her picked up.” Dorothy Summers had ordered her husband.

Mr.
Summers had shaken his head. “She’s eighteen and considered an adult, Momma. We don’t have any say in what she does.”

Within six months,
Jamie had contacted Amy, crying uncontrollable about how unhappy she was. Jamie told her Martin had changed from the man she had fallen in love with.

“He’s doing something illegal, I just know it.”
Jamie had cried to her twin.

The call came
during Amy’s shift at the hospital. She had eased into an empty room and shut the door. “What do you mean, ‘illegal’, Jamie? Like, gambling, threatening people, what?”

Jamie
sighed and lowered her voice. “No, something a lot worse. I don’t want to talk about it over the phone.”

“
Why don’t you leave? You can stay with me until you decide what you want to do.”

Jamie
sobbed harder. “I can’t, Amy. I’m pregnant.”

Amy learned later that
Jamie had lost that baby and things seemed to get better with Martin, so Jamie stayed. Trisha Lynn came along a year later. Jamie had confided to Amy that she knew too much about Martin’s business to leave him.

Now they were in deeper than Amy would have let them get, had she known the extent of the problem. If
Jamie had been honest with her, Amy would have done things differently and they wouldn’t be in this much danger.

That brought to mind the man Martin
had sent to find and eliminate her and Jamie. Where would that leave Trish? The only place she could be; with her father. They had to get away before anything horrible happened. What if Carson hadn’t fooled the gunman? What if he had already found Jamie and Trish?

Amy threw the blanket off and sat straight up in her seat. “What if he still follows us? What if he’s already found
Jamie? I need to call her.” Amy grappled for her purse on the floor to retrieve her cell phone.

Chapter 8

“Amy, calm down.” Carson slowed the truck. He didn’t want to stop but he would if he thought it necessary. “You’re getting upset over things you don’t even know for sure. I agree you should call her and make sure she is alright. But I don’t think you should tell her anything until we get there.”

Amy held her phone
and prepared to dial, when his last statement dawned on her. “Why?”

Carson pulled the truck over to the side of the road and stopped. “If she gets spooked she may run and
that can be detrimental to her and the child. She needs to hear it from us face to face. There are some things you don’t know and I believe you need to hear them from her. We have to get to her first.” Amy didn’t say anything. “Amy, are you okay?” Carson asked.

“No. But I’m in no position to do anything about it. Don’t worry. I won’t say anything except that I’m coming.”

Carson accelerated back onto the road. “Amy, I have been a Texas Ranger for several years now. Before that I worked for the Texas Department of Public Safety. I know my job and I know criminals. I am here to protect all of you and get you back to Texas safe and sound. You have to trust me.”

Amy nodded and called her twin. Carson
had no choice but to listen to her side of the conversation. As he suggested, she didn’t mention anything to cause Jamie to get suspicious. Hanging up, she curled up against the door but sat back up pulling her seatbelt taunt. “Did you break into my apartment?”

The questions took Carson by surprise. “What?
” He glanced at her before turning his attention back to the road. “No. Absolutely not. That’s illegal and I’m sworn to uphold the law; not break it.”

She seemed to be satisfied by his answer and snuggled into her blanket where she stayed for the rest of the trip.

The sun peeped over the top of the mountain in front of them when the sign for Hedge Lake appeared. Carson located a busy gas station and pulled in. Amy sat up in the seat, ran her fingers through her tousled hair and glanced around.

“Where are we?”

“We’re about three miles from Hebgen Lake. I’ll go ahead and fill up so we can get back on the road as soon as Jamie gets packed. The weather channel on my phone says a storm with possible blizzard conditions is due to arrive later today. So the sooner we head south, the better off we’ll be.” He inserted his card in the gas pump and proceeded to fill the tank.

“I’m going to use the ladies room.” Amy grabbed her purse, climbed out of the truck and entered the station.

Carson finished filling the truck and pulled it up to the front of the station. A few minutes later Amy appeared, holding two steaming cups of coffee. After buckling up, she handed him one of the cups and took the top off of hers. “Thank you.” The caffeine gave him the extra boost needed to keep alert. “We’re getting close; you need to give me directions.”

Amy nodded. “Continue on this road until you get to
Highway 191. Take a right and drive eight miles to Highway 287. There you’ll take a left and I’ll show you which driveway to turn on.”

“Are you getting excited?” Carson asked.

“In a way, I am. But I’m also a little apprehensive. Jamie is not going to like this new kink.”

****

Thirty minutes later, Amy directed Carson to turn right onto a snow covered drive lined with white bark Aspen trees. Her stomach played soccer in her belly. Either hunger had found a spot or her anxiety level had gone off the charts. How would Jamie take the news? Would she relent and go back to Texas without throwing one of her usual fits? Maybe to protect her daughter, she would give in without a fight.

Thr
ough the trees, the quaint little log cabin appeared. The smoke curling out of the chimney welcomed visitors. Carson pulled the white Dodge around the circular drive and killed the engine. A curtain in the window next to the front door moved and a moment later, the door flew open. Jamie stood in the frame of the door with her right arm behind her back.

“May
I help you?” Jamie held the door open and yelled from the covered front porch.

Amy hopped out of the truck a
nd walked around to the front. “It’s me.”

“Aunt Amy.” Trish barreled around her mother, nearly knocking her down, ran down the steps and jumped into Amy’s arms, wrapping both legs around her aunt’s waist. “Aunt Amy, I missed you. Where you been?”

“Who’s with you?” Her twin asked, not moving from the porch.

Trish snuggled
in Amy’s embrace and stared at Carson. “Who’s that, Aunt Amy?”

A
my glanced at Carson. “This is Carson Garret. He’s a friend of mine.”

Amy
buried her face in Trish’s silky blond hair and carried her toward the house. “I’ve missed you, too. What have you been doing?”

“Playing. Is it Christmas?”
Trish asked.

“Christmas?” Amy glanced at her sister as she climbed the steps.

Jamie motioned to Carson who stood beside his truck. “Well, come on in, Carson. Any friend of Amy’s is a friend of mine.” Holding the door open for her sister, Jamie explained what Trish meant. “Remember, we told her you would be back at Christmas?”

Amy nodded.
“Oh. You know pumpkin, I missed you so much and I couldn’t wait until Christmas, so I came early. If the snow doesn’t get too deep, I’ll be with you for Christmas, too. How’s that?”

“Can we still nice skate?”

“We have to wait until the lake freezes.” Amy set the child on the floor and caressed her tiny cheek.

S
he and Carson followed Jamie into the house. Amy noticed the revolver Jamie had hidden behind her back. They both knew how to use a gun, their father had insisted on it. But Amy didn’t like them.

“Where did you get that?”
Amy asked her twin.

Jamie
took a key from her pocket, placed the weapon in a drawer and locked it. She stashed the key above the door jamb. “I bought it before we left Texas. We’re out here alone with our nearest neighbor a mile away and I need something for protection.”

“
That’s a good idea,” Carson stated, coming up behind the twins. “Do you know how to use it?”

“Of course
. I took a gun safety course. Now, how about some hot cocoa for you,” she tapped her daughter on the nose lightly, “and coffee for us?”

“Yeah.”
Trish took off, sliding into the kitchen on the polished hardwood floor.

A roaring
fire burned in the rock fireplace that dominated the wall to the left of the entry. When they first toured the cabin, Trish could stand up straight in the fireplace opening. Jamie had purchased a leather sofa with matching wingbacks and positioned them facing the plasma television over the mantel. A narrow walkway behind the couch led into the kitchen. On the right were the stairs leading to the second level that had three bedrooms and another bathroom. Just the perfect size for a family.

T
he group entered the sunny kitchen and Jamie started the coffee to brew. She opened the cabinet above the pot and set four cups on the granite counter top. Trish led Amy to the antique plank dining table and shoved her aunt into a chair. She crawled into the chair next to Amy.

“Mr. Carson
, you can sit there.” Trish pointed to the end of the table.

“Thank you
, Trish. You can call me Carson.” He sat where Trish had pointed.

Jamie
made cocoa for Trish, filled the other three cups, placed then on a glass tray, and carried them to the table. When everyone had settled with warm drinks, she asked, “Is there any particular reason you came early?”

Amy glanced at
Carson then to Trish, who had a chocolate mustache. She picked up a napkin and wiped the child’s face. “Yes there is,” she frowned at her sister, and cut her eyes toward Trish. “The Highway Patrol detained me in Yellowstone.”

Jamie
choked on her coffee and set her cup down. “You what? What does that mean, you were detained?”

Amy shook her head. “Sweetie, Aunt Amy brought you a new Disney movie. Would you like to take you
r cocoa in the living room and watch it?” Amy had bought the movie when she stopped for gas.

“Yes. What
’d you get?” Trish jumped up, grabbed her cup, and took off toward the other room, spilling the brown liquid with every step.

“I’ll get my bag out of the truck.” Amy rose.

“Sit still. I’ll get it.” Carson walked toward the front door.

“What’s going on, Amy?”
Jamie’s brows drew together in concern.

Amy sat on the edge of the chair. “There’s a little problem. Let me get Trish settled
first and Carson and I will explain.”

Jamie
’s hands were shaking when she picked up her cup. Amy reached over and hugged her sister. “Everything’s going to be fine. You need to stay calm for Trish.” She rose and left the kitchen to get the movie going for her niece. When
Tangled
had Trish’s undivided attention, Amy and Carson went back to the kitchen table where Jamie sat tearing a paper napkin to shreds.

Amy sat close to her sister
, leaned over, and placed her hands on Jamie’s knees. “Someone broke into my apartment yesterday. Stan suggested I leave town for a few days and take Bess’s Jeep in case it started snowing.”

Fear, stark and vivid, glittered in
Jamie’s eyes. Her face paled and she clasped her hands together until her finger tips turned white. Amy wrapped her hands around her sisters, and continued. “Outside of Yellowstone a State Trooper pulled me over and arrested me for auto theft. Or that’s what they told me at the time.”

Jamie
cocked her head and frowned, “but they told you to take the Jeep.”

Amy nodded. “Yes, I know. They
reported it stolen in order to get me into protective custody.”

Jamie
jumped up and began to pace. “Why would you need protective custody? Unless . . .oh my God. We’ll have to move. We can’t stay here now that Martin knows where we are.”

Amy glanced at Carson. “That’s not all,
Jamie. Carson is a Texas Ranger who has come to find us and escort us back to Texas.”

Jamie
swung around and stared at Carson and started shaking her head. “I’m not going back. He’ll kill me. He told me he would.”

Carson spoke. “I don’t think you have a choice,
Jamie. We can protect all of you in Texas. I have no jurisdiction in Montana.”

“Tell her all of it, Carson,” Amy insisted
.

Carson took a deep breath. “We have reliable information that Martin has hired someone to find you and he doesn’t intend to bring you back alive.”

“I don’t believe any of this. Martin doesn’t know where I am.” Jamie sat and plopped her elbows on the table, glaring at Carson.

Carson removed his hat and placed it on the table.
“Jamie, how much do you know about Martin’s first wife?”

Jamie
massaged the back of her neck. “Not much. What does that have to do with this?” She paused and continued. “According to Martin, she left one day and he never heard from her again.”

Carson walked over to the counter and
refilled his cup. “We have reason to believe he either killed her himself or had it done. We can’t prove it and her body has never been found.” He ran his hand through his tawny brown hair. “You have to trust me on this, Jamie. I can assure you our sources are reliable. I will do everything in my power to see that nothing happens to any of you.”

The room fell silent while
Jamie absorbed the information she had been given. She hung her head and stared at the bright yellow tablecloth.

“When Carson picked me up
at the Highway Patrol station, he took the long way around in case we were being followed.” Amy offered.

Amy
hadn’t mentioned that Carson knew he had been followed, but she wanted her twin to know. Jamie had to trust him. If anything happened, they would be abreast of all details if the killer turned up. Amy let Carson explain.

“I think he followed me from Cody.
That’s why we took the long way.” Carson volunteered.

“If you knew you were being
followed, why did you come here?” Jamie’s voice rose and her face turned red.

Carson
took his coffee and walked to the French doors, leaning his hand against the frame, he faced the two women. “Max Guthrie is a hired killer. I had to get to you before he did. He’s not coming to take you home, Jamie.”

Jamie
gasped and slumped into her chair. “I knew someday he would do it. He’s going to kill me.”

“Not just you,
Jamie. He’s after Trish and Amy, too. I think you may have something he wants.” Carson’s eyes narrowed.

With a trembling hand,
Jamie picked up her cup and coffee spilled over the side. Amy grabbed a napkin, wiped at the stain and waited for an explanation. She stood and wrapped her arm around Jamie’s shoulder. “Do you want to tell me what’s so important to Martin that he is willing to hire someone to take your life?”