In the Worst Way (Mercy Watts Mysteries Book 5) (50 page)

“What?”
 

I pointed at Gerry. “You get Robin. Contain her. Do not let her out of your sight.”
 

“I’ll do it,” said Tiny, looking much stronger.
 

“I need you here. Gerry go.”
 

Gerry nodded and dashed off without a question. He was the only one. Everyone from Tiny to Phelong pelted me with questions.
 

“Quiet!” I yelled at them. “Oliver, where are the boys?”
 

“Down at the fields. Why?” he asked.
 

“Are Enrique and Parker down there?”

A deluge of questions hit me from all sides.

I put a hand up and told them to be quiet. “Who’s down there with them?” I asked Oliver.
 

“Josh and Martin,” he said. “Do you want me to call them?”

Cory howled again and I yelled, “Yes,” over the pathetic complaining. Cory probably thought he was tough. But shoot him in the rear and all toughness vanished.
 

Oliver put a hand over his ear and walked away, talking into his cellphone. Everyone else lobbed questions at me again, which I ignored, except Anthony, who stayed silent. He rubbed his knuckles, slightly reddened from punching Bill, who was eyeing him while keeping his distance and twisting his cap in his hands. Anthony couldn’t have cared less about Bill. He watched me with quiet appraisal. A calmness had come over him. He wasn’t frantic and shocked like everyone else. He paid no attention to Cory, howling like a moron on the floor. For Anthony, it was over.
 

Oliver walked back. “All the boys are there. What do you want me to do?”
 

“Have them get Parker and Enrique and bring them up to the castle. Don’t let Tim near them.”
 

Robin ran back, dragging Gerry with her. She grabbed my arm and sloshed my hot chocolate over my fingers. Aaron gasped and took the mug from me with a reproachful look at Robin. How dare she waste chocolate? I put my hand down and Pick cleaned my fingers. He was almost useful.

“What did you say?” she yelled. “You have no right.”
 

“I have every right. Tim’s going to grab Parker and run for it,” I said.
 

Mouths dropped all around me.
 

“But Tim didn’t do it. He has an alibi,” said Sorcha. “It’s on the map. He was with Robin.”
 

“I know. John, lock all the gates.”
 

John got on his phone and a minute later he showed his first real expression, a frown. “One of the gates just opened.”
 

“Which one?” I asked.
 

“The gate to the Shut-ins.”
 

Dr. Watts touched my shoulder. “But he doesn’t have the boys.”
 

“Tim wouldn’t leave us,” said Robin. “He didn’t do anything. Parker didn’t do anything.”
 

“You know he did,” I said. “Oliver, do they have the boys? Are you sure?”
 

He nodded. “They’re walking back right now.”
 

John’s phone dinged. “My head of housekeeping saw Tim near the spa.”
 

“The spa?” asked Robin. “He wouldn’t go to the spa.”
 

“Oh my god,” I said. “Anthony, where’s Lane?”
 

Anthony stiffened. “The spa.” He turned and jetted down the hall. Gerry started to go after him, but I stopped him. “She’s not at the spa. Tim’s got her. I need a car. I need a car!”
 

“Go! Go! Go!” yelled Uncle Morty out of my phone. I stuffed it in my back pocket and spun in a circle, spotting Tiny’s .22, still on the floor, and grabbing it.
 

“We don’t have a car,” said Jilly.
 

I grabbed Leslie. “Give me a car. I need a car.”
 

“A car won’t help. It’ll take a half hour to get there by car,” he said.
 

“A golf cart,” suggested Dr. Watts.
 

“I can run faster than that,” I said.
 

“Do something!” yelled Uncle Morty out of my pocket.
 

“You’ll never catch him on foot,” said John. “It’s too far. I’m calling the park rangers.” John walked away.

“What’s happening?” yelled Robin.
 

“Tim’s got Lane, idiot woman,” said Dr. Watts. “He’s going to kill her.”
 

Robin shook me. “No. Tim said she’s Parker’s girlfriend. He wouldn’t hurt her. She’s a child.”
 

“And she’s Parker’s alibi,” said Sorcha. “She told us she was with him all night.”
 

“She
was
his alibi,” I said. “I think she was drinking and fell asleep when her mother was attacked in the rock garden. She couldn’t believe that Parker would hurt her mother so she said he was with her. Lane isn’t going to stick with that forever and Tim knows it. The Shut-ins are perfect for Lane to have an
accident.
If she dies, her statement stands. She’s worth more dead.”
 

“That’s insane,” said Robin. “My son wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
 

“He would if it helped his brother.”

John walked back to us. “They’re going to keep an eye out.”
 

“That’s it?” I asked.
 

“They’re forest rangers. What do you want?”
 

“He’s going to kill her!”
 

“I’m aware.”
 

“Go! Now!” yelled Uncle Morty.

“What else have you got? Four wheelers? Motorcycles?” I slapped my forehead. “Horses. Duh. You have horses.” I pointed at Leslie. “Call Jamie and have him bring out Sly Dog.”
 

“He’ll kill you. That horse is insane.”
 

“He’s a racer. He’ll get me there,” I said, thrusting Pick’s leash at Tiny and running off toward a random door.
 

“Wrong way!” yelled everyone.
 

“Dammit!”
 

Leslie waved to me and I darted back to him. We took left turns and right turns and somehow magically came out of the castle close to the stables. Jamie came out leading Sly Dog, who was prancing in anticipation. I tucked the .22 in my waistband and did a quick prayer that it would stay there.
 

“Get me a horse!” yelled Leslie.
 

“No time.” I grabbed the reins and flipped them over Sly Dog’s head before leaping on.
 

“Mercy!” yelled Leslie.
 

“Call the real cops!”
 

I rammed my heels into Sly Dog’s side. He leapt forward and went into a full out run down the trail to the fields, the place where Jamie said never to ride that horse.
 

Here goes everything.

Chapter Twenty-Two

SLY DOG STRETCHED out to his full length and galloped toward the baseball fields. The boys and the remaining coaches stopped what they were doing to watch us. I had the reins in my hands, but I didn’t need them. Sly knew where we were going. Joy radiated off of him. No more gentle rides for delicate tourists. He chose the more difficult path, jumping gullies and threading through a small stand of saplings just because he could.
 

The boys poured out of the dugouts and pointed at a spot beyond the ballfields. Sly Dog went in that direction without a nudge from me. At some point, it occurred to me that the gate might be closed and with Sly going full out, how would we stop? The fence was too high to jump and electrified. Cory knew my code, not me. Just when I was about to pull back, I saw the gate, buried in a blackberry bramble. The gate was open. Thank god. Sly slowed on his own, but we were there in a blink. He slipped through the gate. It was so narrow my legs brushed the sides. If Sly noticed, he showed no sign. He cantered down the slim trail past a sign.
 

Johnson’s Shut-ins State Park

3/4 mile

Tim had a good head start, but he didn’t have Sly chewing up the distance with every hoof beat. I hoped Lane hadn’t gone with Tim willingly and that would slow him down considerably.
 

Up ahead I saw blue skies through the thick trees.
 

Uh-oh. Drop off.
 

I squeezed with my thighs and pulled back. Sly wasn’t interested.
 

Oh shit!

That thoroughbred pain in the ass knew what was coming and I felt a thrill go through his withers when I screamed. He launched us through the air over a set of stairs. It had to be fifteen down at least. Sly’s position was perfect. Mine was less so what with me screaming and grabbing his mane. If horses could laugh, I’m sure he would’ve.
 

Sly hit the trail and in two paces jumped a tree that had fallen across our path. I didn’t scream that time. Sly could do anything. He continued to canter down the trail, dodging small boulders and the occasional stump. At the end of the trail was a split-rail fence and another sign announcing that we’d arrived. The parking lot and campground beyond was empty. I could hear the sound of rushing water in the distance. The water must be super high to make that much noise.

Sly’s muscles bunched and he jumped the fence instead of going through the opening. Showoff. Then he galloped through the Shut-ins campground toward the camp store and ranger station. A ranger stood on the deck watching us. The access gate was closed with a sign across it saying “Extreme conditions.” I pulled up and Sly surprised me by actually obeying. He danced in a circle as I yelled at the young ranger, “I’m from the castle. Have you seen a man and a sixteen-year-old girl? She may be unconscious or in distress.”
 

He shook his head. “I got the call, but I haven’t seen anyone today. My boss went down to the water to look.”
 

I nodded and gave Sly a light kick. He didn’t need another invitation. He took off for the closed gate and jumped it easily. In the air, my phone started vibrating. No time for that. It stopped as we cantered down the trail and then vibrated again.
 

“I’m busy!”
 

We passed the last outhouse and the trail narrowed. The roar of dozens of waterfalls intensified. My phone vibrated again and I stood in my stirrups to get a better view of the water through the trees to the left. It was super high, up the banks and rushing around the trees. I’d never seen it like that. When I’d been there before it was always low and fairly calm. That day it was anything but calm.
 

I didn’t see Tim or Lane. I urged Sly to go faster and we nearly mowed down a grizzly old ranger when we raced around a turn.
 

“Whoa there, ma’am!” he yelled after he jumped out of the way. “This isn’t an equestrian trail.”
 

“Sorry. I’m from the castle. Have you seen my kidnapped vic?” I asked, breathless.
 

He retucked his shirt and straightened his name that said Silver on it. “No sign of anyone. You can’t get any farther on that horse. The trail’s too skinny.”
 

Sly pointed his nose at the underbrush. No more low branches, thank you very much. I slid off his back and he snorted at me.
 

“If you see them, detain him,” I told Silver.
 

“You really think he’s trying to kill that girl.”
 

“Definitely.”
 

Should I yell for Lane or not? By alerting her, I’m alerting Tim. I don’t know. I don’t know.
 

“Well, they’re not here,” said Silver. “I would’ve seen them come in. Not much happening with the park closed.”
 

I scanned the water and my phone sang out, “Oh I swear to you, I’ll be there for you.”
 

Silver looked around. “What was that?”
 

“Chuck,” I whispered and my hand went to my pocket as a scream echoed through the trees.
 

“Oh shit!” said Silver.

“Which way? Which way?” I couldn’t tell. Was it behind us or up ahead?
 

A flash of black zipped by us and darted into the brush.
 

“Was that a poodle?” Silver peered into the brush.
 

“Yes!” I dropped Sly’s reins and dashed in behind Pick. Another scream ripped through the air. I chased Pick through the brush to the beginning of the large rocks. He disappeared between two boulders as another scream came from up ahead. I knew where they were. The pool below my favorite sunbathing spot. I went right and took another path, slipping and sliding on the gravel in the forest of stone.
 

“Lane!” I emerged beside the rock tower and saw a flash of white. “Lane!”
 

Pick barked as I jumped into the rushing water. It was up to my knees where it was usually dry. Pick ran past me, jumping from rock to rock. I yelled for him, but the rushing water was so loud I couldn’t hear myself. I climbed up on a tiny point of a rock and saw them downstream. I pulled out the .22, but I was too slow. Tim and Lane were both in the river being carried away by the force of the water through sluices and down waterfalls. They tumbled into a roiling pool and Tim lunged for Lane, dragging her under. Pick launched himself off a rock to land in the pool with a huge splash and came up swimming and snapping.