The Bogus Biker (16 page)

“Who was the mother?”

Travis shrugged. “That’s not important. Nobody you’d know.”

“Do you know?”

“Don’t turn the screws, Opie. Of course, I know. Anyway, according to Ames, Mother persuaded Uncle Travis to give the woman a set amount every month until the boy turned eighteen, in return for signing some sort of legal papers that would’ve gotten her indicted for extortion if she’d ever tried to get more.”

“Smart thinking.”

“When Uncle Travis died and left everything to charity…”

“To atone for past sins, right?”

Travis gave her a look of pure disgust. “When he left everything to charity, Danny put the bite on me. I told him he wasn’t going to get one red cent. He threatened to take me to court, and I told him to go ahead. Then I thought about Brad and what it would do to him to be dragged
through a trial, so I asked Danny how much he’d settle for.”

“Half a million?”

“Good lord, no! I don’t have that kind of money, at least not cash on hand. I offered him two hundred thousand if he’d agree to sign a waiver that he wouldn’t contest my will when the time came. But he wanted more. He wanted to use the landing at Pembroke Point for a drug shipment. He said it would be a one-time thing, and he’d make enough on that, plus the money I gave him, to disappear for good.”

“So that’s why there was half a million dollars in your safe.”

Travis leaned across the table. “You went into my safe?”

“When I thought you were one of those bodies in the gin, I felt like I had to get what would go to Bradley. I knew the house had probably been searched, and it had. It was a mess.”

“Damn.”

“I wanted to be sure your will left everything to our son. I took the money, too, because I didn’t know what else to do.”

“Where is it?”

“Hidden.”

“At the B&B?”

“Yes, but Bradley will know where to find it if…”

An expression of pain passed across Travis’s face. “It was government money, I guess. Somehow they—FBI, DEA, I don’t know—got wind of my connection to Danny and the fact I was going to pay him off and let him use the landing in the bayou. Somebody contacted me and asked if I’d take part in a sting.”

“And you said yes.”

“I’d have sold my soul to get rid of any threat to Brad.”

Penelope bit back the words that came to mind and waited for him to go on.

“Some guy named Bart set up the whole thing.”

“Bart—six-foot something, gray hair, Yankee accent?”

“That’s him. How…?”

“How did you know he wasn’t a dealer himself? Did he show you some official ID?”

“No, but I was running out of time. The cotton money hadn’t come in, and I put most of my profits in trust for Brad, so I couldn’t cash them out. Not in time anyway. That’s part of the reason I told Danny he could go ahead with what he wanted to do.  But I knew if I helped Danny and got caught, I’d go down, too. So when Bart offered me the chance to do the thing and get off scot-free, I agreed. Bart told me there wouldn’t be a bust until Danny was away from the Point—away from Amaryllis. The fire wasn’t supposed to happen.” He ran his fingers through his hair which, Penelope noticed for the first time, was streaked through with gray. “I’ve got insurance on the gin, but until it’s rebuilt, I’ll have to use another place, and that’ll be expensive.”

“I’m sorry about the gin.
And about Roger.”

“Roger was a small-time dealer. I knew about it and warned him he was going to get busted, but he just laughed at me. You know Roger.”

“Well, I
knew
Roger.”

“He got wind of what was going on—not the sting, of course—and he wanted a piece of it. I told him no. But the night of the fire, he came back again and tried to strong-arm me. I’d been turning over crates to various people who’d been coming to the landing in small craft every night for a couple of weeks. They’d give me the money, and I’d put it in the safe. Danny was supposed to come for it the night of the fire.”

“Did he come?”

“Oh, he came, and I couldn’t wait to get the money out of the safe and be done with him. But that’s when he put the screws to me about more shipments from the landing. Before I could say anything, Shana came in and
said Roger was sitting outside in his car. That’s when Danny said, ‘He’s waiting for me’ and walked out.”

“So they knew each other?”

“Apparently. They walked off down toward the gin, I followed them just to keep my ears open. That’s when I realized things were happening before they were supposed to. A whole army came out of the woods. Assault weapons, flak jackets, the whole bit.”

“But Bart said nothing would happen on your property. Were they good guys or bad guys?”

“That’s what I had to find out, so I ducked out of the gin the back way. That’s when I saw Shana come flying out of the house heading for the woods, and I saw someone on her tail. I figured I could cut her off, and we’d hide out in the cellar of the old cabin, but someone grabbed me and put something over my face, and I went out like a light.”

“So who set the fire?”

“I don’t know. It couldn’t have been an accident, because I’d finished ginning and cleaned it out like I always did. Anyway, I woke up in some derelict hotel in Little Rock with a suitcase full of clothes, five thousand dollars in cash, the key to a rental car, and a note telling me to lay low up here in Eureka Springs until I was contacted.”

“Bart?”

“I don’t know.”

“I know him as Sam, but that’s another story for another time. He brought Shana to me, stashed Daddy I don’t know where, and sent us up here, too.”

“What a mess.”

“A real mess.”
Penelope straightened in her chair. “I don’t think you could’ve done anything but what you did, Travis. You protected Bradley, and that’s all that’s important.”

“I hope he’ll know the truth someday. I don’t want him to think his old man was a drug dealer as well as a…” He closed his lips. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes, Opie, and I can’t even tell you why. The two I most regret is what I did to you and Brad and now to Shana.”

“She’s young. She’ll bounce back.”

“I hope
so.”

“So do you have any idea why we’re all put away for safe-keeping like eggs in a carton?”

“The only thing I can figure is, Danny was just a small cog in a big wheel, and the others want their money. They’ll go after anybody they think can help them get it. You, Shana, me, even Jake.”

“Bradley?” Penelope’s heart began to pound.

“I think he’s safe enough, being a cop and all.”

“Do you think it was really a sting? This Bart or Sam or whoever he is could still be one of the bad guys, couldn’t he?”

“To have access to false IDs and all, he’d have to be a Fed or pretty high up in some cartel with connections, I think.”

“Do you think we’re just sitting ducks for him?”

Travis reached across the table and took her hand. “I don’t know, but we’ll figure something out.”

“What about Daddy? I don’t even know where he is.” Her voice broke, and tears stung her eyes.

“He’ll be okay.”

“Maybe he’s already dead.” Tears spilled down Penelope’s cheeks.

Travis squeezed her hands. “Stop it, Opie, you’re stronger than that. You’ve got to believe it’ll all work out.”

“But how?”

“Let’s go upstairs to your room and fill Shana in on all this. I think she deserves to know—and to know I did try to go after her that night. I’m not a total cad.”

“We both know that, Travis.”

“Let’s go upstairs, talk this thing out again, and decide what to do. There’s got to be something.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

“What could’ve exploded in the gin?” Penelope asked once they were in the elevator.

“A lot of things. Lint for one. But I told you’d I’d just finished cleaning—or having the ginners do it. There’s always some around though, so if a spark hit it just right, it could’ve gone up, but maybe not exactly like it did. The fertilizer shed is another story. Ammonium nitrate is a component of fertilizer that’s also used in explosives.”

“You said the men coming out of the woods were geared up for battle.”

“Not exactly, but…”

“Grenades.
A grenade tossed in the gin, and one in the shed...and those go with weapons and uniforms.”

Travis grinned. “You’re getting into this, aren’t you?”

“I got into it against my will, and now I just want out. But a law enforcement person isn’t going to toss a grenade—is he?”

“Surely not into a building he knows is occupied. That’s murder.”

“And you said Bart—or Sam—promised the take-down wasn’t going to be on your property, so…”

Travis staggered against the side of the elevator as the full impact of her words hit him.
“My God!”

“Don’t be profane.” The words came automatically.

“Those sorry scumbags were part of the whole deal. Danny bragged about how the bunch he was with ran big-time guns and…they were double-crossing him! And I was supposed to be in the gin, too. We were both set up, and Roger…I don’t know the connection between Danny and him, but they took him out, too.”

“If they’re still out there somewhere, especially if Sam’s one of them, they know you’re not dead, and they
still want their money.” Penelope touched Travis’s arm. “And I’ve got the money.”

Travis took her arm as they stepped out of the elevator. “We’re getting out of here.”

Penelope opened the door of the hotel room and poked her head inside. “Are you decent? Travis is with me.”

“Yes. Come on in.”

Travis put the deadbolt on the door, shoved a chair against it, and sat down before he said, “Hello, Shana.”

She nodded at him.

“I want you to know I came after you that night, but I got taken out before I could get to you.”

“Oh.”

“I’m glad you’re all right.”

“I’m fine, thanks.”

Penelope sat down on the foot of her bed. “Do you want to tell her what we think is going on?”

“Sure.”

Shana’s face was a study in sheer terror when Travis finished his story. “We can’t lose our heads,” he said, looking from one woman to the other.

“It’s my life I’m concerned about losing,” Penelope snapped.
“And Shana’s.”

“Let’s take this one step at a time.” The old Travis, firmly in charge, was back. “How much cash do you have on you?”

“About nine hundred dollars. Most things have gone on the credit card.”

“He gave you a credit card?”

“Under the name of Ann Taliaferro, so it can be traced pretty quickly, I guess.”

“Whoever grabbed me left me with five thousand, and I had a thousand in my wallet. I owe the hotel about seven hundred.”

“Which one?”

“This one.”

“Sam said you weren’t staying here.”

Travis frowned. “I’ve been here since day one.”

“What were you doing at the Crescent?”

“You saw me there?”

“The other night. We’d been on the Ghost Tour. You were coming across the parking lot as we were leaving.” Penelope watched him think that over.

“The truth of the matter is, as strange as it seems, I got spooked sitting here and decided to go out that night. Then I decided to see if I could find another hotel, but they were full up, and it was late, so I came on back. I wonder why he—Bart—would tell you I wasn’t here?”

“I wonder why he’s done a lot of things,” Shana said. “Like not press Mrs. Pembroke to tell him where she hid the money in the B&B.”

“
He’s  probably torn the place apart,” Penelope said. “I just hope he fed Abijah.”

“We’ve got about six thousand plus between us,” Travis said. “I can make some phone calls. I have a friend in Florida with a couple of beach houses.”

“Our room phones are probably bugged,” Penelope said. She fished her cell from her purse. “Take this one. That’s the first thing I did—buy two of these so Shana and I could keep in touch if we got separated.”

“Good thinking. When I woke up in that hotel in Little Rock, I didn’t have mine, but I could’ve left it in the study that night. I just don’t really remember the last time I had it.”

“Poor Abijah.” Penelope’s voice trembled.

Travis reached over and patted her hand. “Cats can get by better than we think.” Then he stood up. “If Sam—or Bart—is with the government, he’s not out to kill us. We’re all prime witnesses. Or at least, I am. But if he’s with a drug cartel, that’s another story.”

Shana shivered. “I feel like somebody just walked on my grave, as my granny used to say.” Then she brightened. “Granny! When she died, she left me her house way back in the hills of West Virginia. Nobody would ever think of looking for us there.”

“That depends on who’s looking for us.” Travis looked around as if expecting to see the answer. “Prime witnesses or pawns, I vote we don’t wait around to find out.”

“I’m with you,” Shana said.

“We’d have to show ID to fly,” Travis said, coming back to sit down again. “We’ll take one of the rental cars.

“That can be tracked, too,” Penelope reminded him.

“It’s a chance we’ll have to take. Look, I’ll go upstairs and
pack, and you two do the same. Check out, put your luggage in your car, and I’ll meet you in the parking garage.”

“Why check out?” Penelope said. “They’ve got the credit card information. They’ll get their money when they realize we’re gone.”

“I have to pay cash though. Well, it doesn’t matter. I’ll check out and meet you. Say thirty minutes?”

He started to hand the cell phone back to Penelope, but she shook her head. “Keep it. Shana’s number is the only one programmed in there, so you can call us in an emergency.” She stopped. “What about Daddy? I can’t go off and leave Daddy.”

“I don’t like the idea any more than you do, Opie, but you can’t do him any good from six feet under. Look, we’ll hole up in the hills for a while. I’ve got some contacts here and there. I’ll find somebody to nose around and see what’s going on…maybe even contact Brad without giving away where we are.”

“Do you think Bradley’s in any danger?”

Travis didn’t answer immediately. “I think he’s too visible, if you know what I mean. Nobody’s going to go after him, not as long as he stays in Amaryllis, and there’s no reason for him to leave. As soon as we get settled, I’ll contact him one way or the other.” He walked to the door and moved the chair. “Lock this behind me.”

“Do you trust him?” Shana asked when he’d gone.

“I don’t know.”

“I don’t know either, but we’ve got to get out of here.” Penelope pushed herself up. “Let’s get cracking.”

****

The women shoved their luggage into the elevator. “The parking garage is a pretty dark place,” Shana said. “Travis could be setting us up.”

“When I said I didn’t know if I trusted him, I just meant there might be more he wasn’t telling us. But I know he’s not trying to get us killed, Shana. I do know that much about the man.”

“Well, you knew him longer. He did say he came after me that night.”

“I believe that. It’s a long-standing southern thing—a real man doesn’t leave a woman in danger, no matter what.”

Shana shrugged. “I guess I wouldn’t know that, being a Yankee and all.”

The door opened to the lobby, but Penelope said, “Wait,” as she scanned the buttons. “This one will take us to the parking garage.” The door slid shut. “Keeping out of sight seems like a good idea right now.”

In the parking garage, only a few lights burned from atop the concrete girders. “Level C,” Penelope said. “We’ll have to go up.”

Shana hoisted her duffle bag to her shoulder. “I’m sticking closer than a grassburr in summer.”

“To me or to George?”

Shana giggled. “Which do you think?”

The sound of the wheels on Penelope’s suitcase echoed in the cavernous garage as they headed up the ramp. Penelope squinted through the gloom, trying to discern the rental she didn’t know nearly as well as her SUV. When she finally focused on it, a single figure stepped out of the shadows and stood with his arms folded in front of him.

“Travis?” she called in a stage-whisper.

“Going somewhere, Mrs. Pembroke?”

Penelope stopped so abruptly that Shana ran into her. “Sam!”

He stepped away from the car. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Shana dissolved in tears. “Just shoot us, and get it over with! I don’t want to play this cat-and-mouse game any longer!”

“It’s not a game, Miss
Bayliss.”

Sam took another step toward them. “I think it’s time you told me where you hid the money.”

“You mean you haven’t found it?” The quaver in Penelope’s voice negated her bravado, but her hand crept toward the clasp of her purse with the intent of freeing George from his confines.

“I haven’t been there.”

“You let Abijah starve to death?”

“Your friend Mrs. Hargrove has been feeding him.”

“She hates him. And I hate you!”

“Where is the money?”

“If I tell you, will you let us go?”

“No.”

“Then why should I tell you?”

“Opie?”
Travis’s voice called from somewhere far away.

At the same moment, Penelope sensed movement behind her, but before she could react, she was face down on the concrete floor with Sam on top of her. Gunfire exploded, first at a distance, then closer. Whimpering, Shana flopped beside her.

“Travis, we’re up here!” Penelope thought she yelled, but her voice came out muffled.

“Shut up!” She felt Sam’s mouth close to her ear. “Shut up, or we’re all going to die.”

As his weight lifted, she heard running feet and Travis calling for her. Then, more gunfire, and finally silence and light flooded the area. She rolled over and saw four bodies littering the immediate vicinity. One of them was all too familiar.

Scrambling to her knees, she began to crawl, crab-like, toward him and realized she was practically
swimming in blood. Hands grasped her shoulders and jerked her upward. Her feet flailed to achieve a solid footing as someone shoved her along almost at running speed. The hands flung her into a dark-colored car which roared to life and spun away.

Putting her face down on the leather seat, she began to pray the Rosary without benefit of beads and resigned herself to death.

****

She didn’t open her eyes when the car slowed. But when the door opened, the antiseptic smell of a hospital encouraged her to turn her head slightly. A man wearing a flak jacket held out his hand. “It’s all right, Mrs. Pembroke.”

Inside, a nurse escorted her to a small curtained cubicle. She noticed the man followed them inside. “I’m not going to undress in front of him,” she said. Then she noticed the blood soaking her jeans and pullover. “On second thought…” Without warning, she retched with a violence that toppled her body from the examining table on which she sat.

Then man stepped outside while the nurse cleaned her up and brought her some scrubs. When she began to shake like a wet dog, the nurse helped her lie down and covered her with a blanket. The man came back. “You son will be here in a few minutes.”

She closed her eyes. “Where’s Shana?”

“In the next room.
She’s all right.”

“Travis?”

“I’m sorry.”

She didn’t ask about Sam, but she wasn’t sure if she didn’t want to know or was afraid to know.

“Mother.”

Penelope’s eyes flew open, and she realized she’d drifted off. “Are you all right?”

Bradley rested a hand on her arm. “I’m fine, and so are you. Shana, too. She’s scared to death, but she’s okay.”

“Daddy…”

“On his way home, though I hear he was disappointed to cut his vacation short.” His humorless smile brought back the horror of the parking garage.

“Your daddy’s dead.”

“I know.”

“None of it was his fault.”

“I know that, too.”

“He loved you. He wanted to save Pembroke Point for you.”

“He did it.” Bradley turned his head for a moment.

“I guess you can’t tell me anything.”

“Not now.”

“When can I go home?”

“Tonight, I think. Are you up to answering a few questions?”