Laurel shook her head. “Nothing. A passerby saw both officers cuffed to the door and bleeding. He called it in.” She plucked at a string on her coat, her voice soft. “The man’s name is Jorge Lewiston, and he checks out. We have CCTV of him leaving the Center Diner and then calling in the shooting, completely panicked.”
Huck swallowed. “We know who did this.”
“We’re not making assumptions,” she said, her blue-and-green eyes sparking.
Fair enough.
Monty soon emerged, his chin up. “Qaletaga identified Jason Abbott as the shooter. He had an accomplice who acted as a sharpshooter during the robbery but didn’t hit anybody.”
“An accomplice?” Huck looked down at Laurel’s flushed face. “Who would want those journals as much as Jason Abbott?”
Laurel rubbed her right temple. “Abigail isn’t that reckless. Is she?”
Huck couldn’t figure out who else it could be. Jason Abbott didn’t have money to hire anybody. “Is Abigail that crazy?” Was it possible? If so, she was probably dead right now as well. “How’s Tso?”
Monty dropped into a chair as if his body weighed too much to remain upright. “He’s going to be okay. Several gunshot wounds but nothing life threatening. Also, Officer Jordan is out of surgery. The doctor said the bullet in her chest actually hit the right side and damaged several ribs, but her prognosis is good as well.”
Relief slammed through Huck. Yet he couldn’t escape the thought that it could’ve been Laurel on the operating table.
There was a predator out there killing people, and he’d take the killer down even if that meant losing his own freedom.
He needed to find Jason Abbott. Now.
Chapter 27
After a fairly sleepless night, en route to interview the Bearing men, Laurel sat in the front seat of Huck’s truck finishing a phone call with Monty. “So both officers are still listed in serious condition? But out of intensive care?”
“Yes,” Monty said. “We have folks back in the woods, and we’ve already found where Abbott was keeping his vehicle. We’re trying to trace it by CCTV right now.”
Laurel’s eyes felt as if she’d rubbed salt in them. She’d tried to sleep but couldn’t calm herself enough. Huck hadn’t fared much better. “Good. We should have somebody reach out to Melissa Cutting to see if she knows anything about this. Although she is Jason’s attorney, she must inform law enforcement if she has knowledge of an ensuing crime.”
Monty cleared his throat. “We’re both down too many team members right now. I might have to ask the locals to help out. Who notified Ms. Cutting about Haylee’s death?”
“We had the Seattle FBI contact her,” Laurel said. “I surmised they could reach her before we could, and I was worried about the news reporting on the death.”
“Good call,” Monty said. “Rachel Raprenzi already has it.”
Just fantastic. Rachel must have a source within either the FBI or Fish and Wildlife. Or both. “Be gentle when you reach out to Ms. Cutting because of her niece’s death, but let her know that Abbott has now committed several additional felonies. She needs to reveal the truth if she has any idea where he is or who any of his known associates might be.”
Monty cleared his throat. “There’s only one I can think of, and I’ve been trying. The crazy doctor who experimented on him.”
Laurel shook her head. “Abbott wants Abigail dead, and survival is always her prime motivation. I did try to phone her, but my call went to voicemail. My guess is that she’s lying low.”
“Smart woman,” Monty said. “I’ll call you as soon as I have anything. Good luck with the interview.”
“Thank you.” She clicked off.
Huck looked tall and strong in the driver’s seat. “There’s a chance Abigail wanted those journals back even more than Jason Abbott did.”
“That’s true,” Laurel said. “If they contain details of how she experimented on him, I might finally be able to build a case against her.” At the same time, Abbott needed to kill soon, and Abigail fit his profile. Was she reckless or overconfident to the point that she felt she could control Abbott?
Huck shook his head. “Those two getting together again is like putting two cobras in a burlap bag and shaking it up.”
“I know,” Laurel said, looking at the Bearings’ stately brick home on Royal Drive as Huck rolled to a stop in front.
He glanced at her. “I should go inside with you to interview the mayor.”
“You can’t,” she said shortly. “You’ve been taken off this case. You probably shouldn’t have driven me here, but I do appreciate the ride.” Her whole body felt exhausted.
