Secret Delivery (13 page)

Alana looked over his shoulder and spotted the dark blue car stopped just on the other side of a cattle gate. There stood the ranch hand on the phone. He’d apparently prevented the car from getting any closer to the house.

“All right,” Jack said a moment later. “Let him in.” He hung up, slipped the phone back into his pocket and drew his gun from his shoulder holster.

“Who’s out there?”

“Special Agent Parker Howell, Margaret Vargas and your brother. Parker says he wants to talk, that he knows who’s behind the plot to kill you.”

Jack kept Alana behind him and his gun ready when he opened the door.

Yes, Parker was a federal agent, but Jack didn’t trust the man any more than he did the pair that Parker had brought with him. But Jack didn’t want that to get in the way of Alana and him learning the truth.

Parker froze when he spotted the gun and his left eyebrow shot up. “Is that necessary?”

“Yeah, it is,” Jack snapped.

Three suspects were on his porch, and he wasn’t about to let down his guard. In fact, he had no plans to let them in, period. Parker stepped forward, but Jack blocked his path.

Parker huffed. So did Sean, while staring at his sister. But Margaret was looking around as if she expected someone to gun her down at any moment. Since that might not be too far from the truth, Jack decided to get to the point.

“You said you knew who was trying to kill Alana,” he said to Parker.

“Yes.” Parker looked around, as well. “But I don’t
think it’s wise to discuss it out here. I have proof that Eldon Thatcher is in the area. A credible eyewitness put him at a convenience store just outside Willow Ridge.”

Jack didn’t doubt it. In fact, he believed Thatcher had fired those shots earlier and had probably murdered Ted. The trick now was to find out not only where Thatcher was but how this trio of visitors fit into what was happening.

“I think Thatcher’s trying to kill me, too,” Margaret volunteered. “That’s why I asked Parker to put me in protective custody. I think Thatcher will come after me because he might believe I can connect him to the Sauder Facility. I saw him near the place not long after Alana escaped.” Margaret looked nervous, but Jack wasn’t completely buying it. She could be faking to throw suspicion off her.

“Did you set us up?” Jack asked her when she didn’t continue. “Because I think it’s more than suspicious that Alana and I were nearly killed on the way to meet you.”

The woman frantically shook her head. “I didn’t have any part in that. I just wanted to meet with you. To talk. And to ask for protection.”

“She’s terrified for her life,” Parker added. “Now, can we come in?”

Jack didn’t have to think about this one. “No.”

“No?” Sean challenged. He shoved his way around Parker but stopped when Jack put the gun in his face.

“No,” Jack repeated. He didn’t lower the gun until Sean stepped back. “Here’s how this’ll work. You three will give me answers and then leave. I don’t want you near Alana any longer than necessary.”

“I’m your brother.” Sean aimed his narrowed eyes at his sister.

“Yes,” she agreed. She maneuvered herself to Jack’s side so she was facing Sean. “But I don’t trust you. Someone stole a lot of money from me while I was drugged and locked away at that so-called institution.”

“Well, it wasn’t me,” Sean insisted.

“Nor me.” Margaret was adamant about it. “I didn’t know you were sane when you there. The commitment letter said you were delusional and violent.”

“And you didn’t see anything to indicate otherwise?” Jack asked.

Margaret dodged his gaze. “Sometimes, when Alana was heavily drugged, Ted would have her sign papers. I asked him what that was all about, but he said it was just routine, that the owner of the institution required it. I thought that was odd. I mean, Ted was just a guard. Plus, if she was truly insane, then her signature wouldn’t have held up in court or anything.”

Alana folded her arms over her chest. “Why didn’t you get me out of there? Or at least question what was going on? Instead, you turned a blind eye and collected a paycheck.”

“And now I might have to pay for that with my life.” Margaret swallowed hard, turned and headed back toward the car. “I’m not standing out here in the open any longer. Thatcher is nearby,” she whispered, her voice a terrified warning. “Can’t you feel him?”

Jack didn’t have the woman’s same eerie premonition, but the lawman in him made him take a look around. There was no sign of Thatcher, but he didn’t like the idea of this outdoor meeting going on much longer.

“We’ll follow the money trail,” Jack told Parker. “It’s not easy to hide a sum that large and not set off alarms.” He aimed an accusing glare at Sean.

Parker nodded. “The FBI’s already investigating it. In fact, we’ve learned something that will lead to an imminent arrest. I plan to make that arrest as soon as I leave here. I just wanted to come out and speak to Alana first, so I could update her on the case.”

“And the person you’ll be arresting?” Jack asked.

“Dr. Keith Bartolo.” Parker seemed very confident about his answer. “I can’t get into specific details yet, but the FBI believes he’s the one who’s trying to kill Alana.”

Jack and Alana exchanged glances. “How does Thatcher fit into this?” Alana wanted to know.

“At first I thought Thatcher might be operating alone, but now I think he might be working for Dr. Bartolo. That’s what the financial records seem to indicate, anyway. Someone is definitely paying Thatcher, and the money seems to be coming from an offshore account set up by Dr. Bartolo.”

Hell. If it was true, then Alana’s attacker had had hands-on access to her. Bartolo had even been alone with her.

Alana folded her arms over her chest. “Why exactly would Dr. Bartolo want me dead?”

Parker shrugged as if the answer was obvious. “Because he didn’t want to go to prison for an illegal diamond deal. When the deal backfired, I think he drugged you and took you to Sauder. And I think he set up the institution so he could milk your accounts and keep you from going to the authorities.”

“I think Bartolo took out the money slowly, over several months, so I wouldn’t get suspicious,” Sean
piped in. “If he’d emptied the accounts all at once, the bank would almost certainly have contacted me.”

True. But Jack still wasn’t sure all of this added up. It was possible that the answer was very simple, that Thatcher had acted alone. That Thatcher had drugged Alana and put her in Sauder and that it was Thatcher alone who wanted her and Margaret dead so all loose ends would be tied up. With Ted dead, he’d have no witnesses to his crime. Thatcher could even have set up Bartolo to take the blame.

But Jack didn’t want to risk Alana’s life on a theory.

Any of the three in front of him could have put this plan together. Three million dollars was a huge motive to hold a woman against her will and commit murder.

“Earlier you said Eldon Thatcher was trying to sell illegal diamonds,” Jack tossed out to Parker. And he waited.

Parker didn’t react to that. “He tried. Why do you ask?”

“Because I heard some contradictory information.”

“Really?” There was a flicker of emotion in his eyes. “I’d be interested in the source of that information.”

“I’ll get back to you on that,” Jack countered. But it wouldn’t happen soon. Not until he was sure Parker was clean and Alana was safe.

Parker reached out to Alana, but then withdrew his hand when she recoiled. “Alana, I want you in the FBI’s protective custody, at least until after Bartolo and Thatcher have been arrested.”

She shook her head. “I’m staying here.”

“Don’t you see what you’re doing?” Sean cursed. “You trust this local yokel because you’ve let your heart get in the way of making a sound logical decision. Or
maybe you think cozying up to him is the fastest way to get your son back?”

Alana stepped closer and met her brother eye-to-eye. “I trust Jack.”

“Really? And what about your life? Your business? Your future? You trust him with that, too?”

“Yes.” She spoke so firmly that Jack looked at her to see her expression. It was firm, too. This was no longer the frightened woman who’d staggered into his office.

Sean cursed again. “You’re making another mistake.”

And then he did something that surprised Jack. Sean reached out and tried to hug his sister. However, Alana jerked away from him. “The biggest mistake I could make would be to allow you to worm your way back into my life.”

“I’m your brother,” he reminded her again.

“We share common DNA, but you don’t know the meaning of the word
brother
. Rather than inconvenience yourself, you turned your back on my son. He nearly became a ward of the state because of you. And the whole time I was in Sauder, you didn’t even try to find me.”

“I did try. And you’re not thinking straight. Alana, you’re not yourself.”

“You’re wrong. I am myself, and I know what I want. I want you out of my life.” She turned and went back into the house.

Good. She was out of the line of fire, both literally and where her brother was concerned. Alana had some bad blood with Sean, and Jack didn’t want her to have to deal with that on top of everything else. Still, it’d probably done her some good to stand up to him.

“You’re sure about keeping Alana here?” Parker asked.

Sean didn’t wait for the answer. He stormed back to the car.

“I’m sure. Besides, she shouldn’t have to be in protective custody too long if you’re right about Dr. Bartolo and you can arrest him.”

“Oh, I’m right.”

“You know where he is?” Jack didn’t let the conversation distract him. He glanced around the yard to make sure Thatcher wasn’t there.

“Not exactly. But I have someone out looking for him. He’s not answering his phone, and he’s not in his office. Any idea where he could be?”

“None. In fact, I’m anxious to speak to him myself.”

“Yes, I’ll bet you are.” Parker glanced around, as well. “A word of advice, Jack. This is an FBI investigation now, and I don’t want you to get in the way.”

Jack tried not to let that rile him, but it did. “I’ll get in the way as long as Alana’s in danger.”

“You’re personally involved with her,” Parker concluded. “That could be a fatal mistake.”

Jack couldn’t argue. But he also couldn’t go back and undo those kisses that he and Alana had shared. He could only be vigilant and pray that was enough. Because the stakes were way too high for him to fail.

Jack shut the door, locked it and reset the security system. He looked out the sidelight window to make sure their visitors weren’t hanging around. When the car finally pulled away, he took out his phone.

“Who are you calling?” Alana asked. She went to the window and watched Parker and the others drive away.

“I’m trying Dr. Bartolo’s number again.”

Her eyes widened. “You’re not going to warn him that he’s about to be arrested?”

“No. But I want his side of the story before Parker gets to him.”

He scrolled through the cell phone list, located the number and pressed Dial. He waited. One ring. Two. Three.

Someone picked up on the fourth. But whoever it was didn’t say anything. But Jack could hear breathing. “Dr. Bartolo?” he greeted.

The seconds dragged by. “Yes.”

Jack let out the breath he’d been holding. “Where are you? I’ve been looking for you.”

“I know. I got the messages you left on my voice mail. Jack, I’m in trouble.”

It was a Texas-size understatement, but Jack kept that to himself. “What do you mean?”

“I think someone’s trying to kill me.”

“Welcome to the club.” Inside, Jack wasn’t so cavalier, and he was more than curious. “Who wants you dead?”

More silence. “Last year I got involved with the wrong people. I heard about some diamonds for sale, and I thought they’d be a good investment. The price was right. The deal wasn’t.”

“Go on,” Jack said when the man stopped. He held the phone closer so that Alana could hear.

“I didn’t know the deal involved illegal diamonds. I swear, I didn’t know.” The doctor sounded convincing. But was he telling the truth?

“How did you find out about these diamonds?”

The doctor hesitated again. “Sean Davis.”

Well, Jack had expected that name to pop up. “Alana’s brother?”

“Yes. I met him through friends, and he told me about a collection of diamonds that he could get for me at rock-bottom cost. He wanted to go halves with me, with both of us putting up the cash.”

Jack looked at Alana. She’d gone pale. “Did you have anything to do with Alana’s disappearance?”

“No.” But he no longer sounded convincing. “I didn’t even know who she was until after she’d disappeared. Davis is a common name. When she came to the hospital in labor, I didn’t make the connection. And I didn’t know the diamond deal was illegal until the FBI contacted me days after her disappearance.”

Jack wasn’t sure he believed that, either.

“I think Sean wants me dead now,” the doctor continued. “I think I’m the only one who can link him to the diamond deal.”

“That seems like an extreme reason to murder someone.” But it wasn’t, especially if the diamonds were also connected to Alana’s being held prisoner and having her trust fund emptied.

“Well, someone wants me dead. Someone took a shot at me a couple of hours ago. I’m pretty sure it was that man, Eldon Thatcher. I think he’s working for Sean.”

“You didn’t report the shooting?” Jack knew he hadn’t. If he had, Reyes would have called him immediately.

“No. I decided to get to safety and then contact you.”

“Where are you now?” Jack demanded.

“I’d rather not say. Don’t try to trace the call, either. I’m tossing my cell phone. I need to disappear for a while.”

And with that, Dr. Bartolo hung up.

“Disappear,” Jack mumbled. If the doctor was telling the truth and Thatcher was truly after him, then disappearing might not be possible. Dr. Bartolo could be in grave danger.

“My brother again.” Alana shook her head. “His name keeps coming up at the wrong time.”

“If Dr. Bartolo is telling the truth,” Jack reminded her. “According to Parker, the doctor is the one with the criminal motive.”

“Yes. You’re right.” She paused. “You think Parker will find him and make an arrest?”

Maybe. But he might not find Bartolo before Thatcher did.

The only thing remotely positive about Thatcher going after Bartolo was that it meant Joey and Alana might get a temporary reprieve. They needed it. Alana was beyond exhausted and likely missing Joey like crazy. He sure was. And both of them needed some rest.

Jack took a deep breath and took Alana’s arm. “Come on. I’ll fix us something to eat, and then you can get some sleep.”