The Chase (21 page)

Doug smiled. “See? It’s a good thing we had Rascal to distract her from the snake experience.”

“We’ll talk about Rascal later,” Anne said, settling close to him and reaching for his hand. “Patrick, do you mind filling me in on what you’ve reported to Doug?”

“Of course not,” Patrick said, adjusting his wire-framed glasses. “I was just telling Doug that we’ve been investigating Zeb McGraw’s family to see whether he might possibly be working through one of them to arrange these incidents. His mother is in a nursing home back in West Virginia, and hasn’t visited Zeb in jail since his arrest, but his sister, Zelda, has visited on occasion.”

He consulted his notes. “Let’s see, the last time she visited McGraw in jail was about a month ago. Zelda is thirty-seven years old, lives in West Virginia, isn’t married, and has no current place of employment. She has one child, a fifteen-year-old boy named Zachary, who dropped out of high school last spring. No one that our man spoke with recalls seeing the boy around recently, and Zelda told some folks around town that Zachary ran away this summer.”

“Did your investigator speak with Zelda?”

“Yes. He struck up a conversation with her in a bar, posing as a traveling salesman. He was making progress, when she received a phone call on her cell and left the bar to carry on the conversation. Unfortunately, she never returned.”

“Any other family?”

“No, that’s it for immediate family. There are a handful of blood relations who live in West Virginia, but it doesn’t appear as if they have been in contact with Zeb McGraw or his family for several years.”

“What about close friends?” Doug asked. “Or a fellow inmate who has been released?”

“We’re checking that out. Friends are obviously harder to track down than family, but we’re working on it. McGraw hasn’t had any visitors other than Zelda.”

Patrick placed his notepad down. “That brings you up to speed on where we stand with McGraw so far. I’m hoping the incident this afternoon with the snake may give us a lead.”

“How so?” Anne asked.

“We’ll interview everyone who was at the kennels during the field trip today. Hopefully, someone saw something that will help us piece this puzzle together, even though he or she may not realize the significance of it.”

“What are the odds that the snake got in Doug’s car on its own?”

“I’d say slim to none.” He looked at Doug. “What do you think?”

Doug shrugged. “It’s possible that it crawled in through the sunroof, but I think it’s unlikely. But if someone put it there deliberately, I have a hard time understanding what he thought he’d gain by that. What’s the point? Black snakes are harmless.”

Patrick nodded. “Sure, but he didn’t know you weren’t afraid of snakes. More and more, I think he is playing mind games with you, not necessarily trying to harm you physically. Look at what he did with the deer. Anne wasn’t in any physical danger from that, but it was sure unpleasant for her to have to see it. And it also made her realize how vulnerable she is in her own home. I think the black snake incident was designed to make the same statement.
He can reach you wherever you go
. And even though you weren’t afraid of the snake, it sure sounds like Samantha was. Perhaps that was his intention.”

“But Doug’s car accident doesn’t fit with that line of thinking,” Anne said. “He almost died.”

“You’re right, but maybe he didn’t intend for it to go that far. Perhaps he only meant to scare Doug.”

“If these events are designed to terrorize us rather than harm us physically, that brings us right back to McGraw again,” Doug said.

“Yes, you’re right. He seemed to enjoy playing a cat and mouse game with you,” Patrick said. “But, of course, he doesn’t have exclusive rights to that type of behavior. Anyone who feels they were wronged by you might play that kind of game. We also shouldn’t rule out the possibility of a copycat, with all the media coverage there was about the McGraw case.”

Patrick stood. “I’ll call and report the snake incident to the Sheriff’s Office first thing tomorrow, and the episode with the deer as well. I don’t expect them to give it much attention, but I want it in their files. I’ll arrange a convenient time for them to come here to take your statements.”

“Fine.”

The phone rang. “I’ll get it,” Anne said, struggling to her feet.

Patrick raised his hand. “I’ll let myself out. You folks have a nice evening.”

Anne picked up the receiver on Doug’s desk. “Hello.”

“Hi, Anne. It’s Kendall.”

“Kendall, hi.” Anne sat down in Doug’s desk chair.

“I’m calling to see how Samantha is after her encounter with the snake today.”

“She seems fine. She’s fast asleep. I think with the excitement of bringing the puppy home, she’s forgotten all about the snake.”

“What do you think about the puppy? He’s awfully cute, isn’t he?”

“All puppies are cute.”

Kendall laughed. “That’s true.”

Anne heard static on the line. “It sounds like you’re on your cell. You’re not coming home from the barn this late, are you?”

“No, I’m driving home from Upperville. I had a dinner date.”

“Who with?”

“His name is Stephen Lloyd. He’s a polo player from Aiken who’s moving up here, or thinking about it anyway.”

“A polo player? Sounds interesting. Do you like him?”

“Yes and no. He’s a nice guy and fun to be around. I enjoyed the evening, but I don’t
like him
like him.”

“Well, at least you went out and had a nice evening.”

“Yeah, I guess. After dinner he asked me to go to the polo match with him at Great Meadow on Friday night. I said yes, but now I feel like that might be leading him on.”

“Oh, Kendall, go ahead and go. Polo at Great Meadow is fun, and, who knows, your feelings towards him may change over time.”

“Maybe, but I don’t think so.”

T
he cell phone rang just as Zelda stepped out of the shower, and she snatched it off the bathroom sink.

“Hello,” she said, reaching for a towel.

“Are you sitting down?” Earl asked.

“No, I just got out of the shower. I’m standing here naked, dripping all over the floor.”

“Babe, that’s an image I’ll carry with me the rest of the night.”

She smiled as she wrapped the towel around her. “Why’d you want to know if I was sitting down?”

“How’s this Saturday sound to you?”

“Are you serious?” she shouted into the phone.

“Dead serious. Everything’s falling into place. The only wrinkle is that Cummings got so scared, he hired bodyguards.”

“For the kid?”

“Yeah, and for him and the wife.”

“Damn it! Does the guard go to camp with her?”

“Yeah, but we’ll figure out a way around him. They went on a field trip today, and Zach managed to put a snake in Cummings’s car, even with two bodyguards there.”

“Did Cummings freak at the snake?”

“Not too bad, but the kid did, so it was worth it. Anyway, don’t worry about the guard. He ain’t going to screw up our plan. By this time next week, we should be a million miles away from here.”

“And a million dollars richer.”

Earl laughed. “Ain’t that just like you, to see the financial side of things.”

“It’s not just the money.” Zelda flipped down the toilet lid and sat down. “It’s what the money will buy. It’s my ticket out of this hellhole.”

“I know, babe. You’re only there a few more days. Zach will pick you up Friday night after he gets off work.”

“
Zach’s
picking me up? I thought
you’d
come get me.”

“Sorry, babe, no can do. I have business to take care of Friday night. I’ll see you and Zach at the motel.”

S
amantha opened the door and struggled out of the car with Rascal clutched in her arms. “Come on, Rascal. I’m going to teach you how to fetch.”

Doug closed the driver’s door and smiled as he watched her set the puppy on the lawn and pick up a stick from beneath a dogwood tree. “I’m going inside, Sam.”

“Okay, Daddy.”

As he climbed the stairs to the back porch, he saw Anne wave at him through the kitchen window. “It looks like Mommy is making dinner. Come inside in a few minutes.”

Anne had the door open by the time he reached it. “How was camp?” She stretched up to kiss him.

“Great. I got there in time to see Sam jump her first cross rail.”

“How’d she do?”

Doug grinned. “She’s a natural.” He sniffed as he entered the kitchen. “What smells so good?”

“I put a quiche in the oven for dinner.”

“Will you save some for me? We’ll probably just have cold sandwiches at the meeting.”

Anne frowned. “What meeting?”

“I have a Middleburg Foxhounds board meeting tonight. Remember?” He opened the refrigerator door and grabbed a bottle of water.

She let out a little laugh. “You’re not serious.”

He twisted off the cap and took a long drink. “Why wouldn’t I be serious?”

Anne stared at him. “You should be home recuperating, Doug. No one expects you to be at the meeting tonight.”

Doug set the water bottle on the table. “Maybe not, but there are some territory issues that will be addressed, and I told Richard I’d be at the meeting. I’d like to put in an appearance at least.”

Her expression tightened. “I’m sure Richard would understand your absence, given what you’ve been through.”

“You’re probably right, but I want to be there. The Hunt is important to me.”

“So I see.” She turned away.

“Come on, Anne. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.” He grabbed for her hand.

She shook her hand free and walked to the window.

“
Anne.”

She kept her back to him.

Damn it
. Doug took a deep breath, then crossed the room and slipped his arms around her. “Hey, let’s not fight.”

Anne tilted her head back against his chest. “I just think you’re pushing yourself too hard.”

He tightened his embrace. “I’m fine. You were there when I saw Dr. Hollins today. You heard her say my lung is healing beautifully.”

“I also heard her tell you to continue to take it easy.”

“I am taking it easy.”

She shook her head. “Okay.”

Doug brushed Anne’s hair aside and kissed the back of her neck. “I won’t be gone long.”

D
oug downshifted through a turn, then floored it along the straightaway of the gravel road. He caught a glimpse of the bodyguard’s car in the mirror and felt a twinge of satisfaction as he saw the image disappear in the cloud of dust kicked up by the Porsche. He felt foolish having Mike follow him to the meeting at Margaret’s, but he knew Anne would have been furious if he’d left the bodyguard behind.

The gravel road dead-ended at Route 50, and Doug merged into the heavy stream of west-bound commuters. Traffic crawled at a snail’s pace. He drummed his fingers impatiently on the gearshift knob as he crept towards the entrance to Fox Run Farm. Several horses and riders were in the outdoor arena, and Doug saw Kendall standing in the center of the ring. He gave a quick blast on the horn and waved at her as he passed through the front gate. Doug followed the drive as it wound around the barn, then slowed to cross the metal pipes of a cattle guard as he took the turn between black-fenced pastures towards the back of the property.