“I’ll send a policeman over for surveillance at your place, also,” JB said as he headed over to tell Marcy goodbye.
Truman shook his head. “No need. I’ve already called in a couple of retired FBI agents to give some backup at the property. You all stay focused on Betsy. And while you’re at it—take down whatever the hell Papa C and this group have been doing to my family…and to Crayton.”
Cain understood what Truman said, but he had one, and only one, priority right now. Find Betsy. And nobody better get in his way. Nobody.
JB answered his ringing phone and immediately headed toward the door, motioning others to follow. “Spotters saw the SUV headed toward Papa C’s property outside of town. A black Gladiator followed. Caller said there appeared to be a woman in the passenger seat with her wrist zip-tied to the overhead rail. We’ll head?—”
“Hold up a sec,” Deputy Evans shouted. “911 just took a call that the SUV and Gladiator have split up at the three-way junction. SUV headed toward Papa C’s. Gladiator turned the opposite direction. Busted through a fence and tore out cross-country.”
“The Gladiator’s my chase! Nobody better get in my way.” Cain was out the door, in his truck and gone before anyone could tell him no. For the second time today, his gut battled his brain. “Nobody!”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Betsy’s body ached from slamming back and forth against the side door of the Gladiator. For the past five minutes, the ride had been ragged and rough. One gravel road and then another, winding across the back of the back of the hilly backcountry acreage.
Thankfully, James had left one of her hands free when he’d strapped her other wrist to the crossbar. Being able to brace herself had helped, but her other wrist had been mercilessly jerked as they drove. This guy didn’t know the first thing about driving in open terrain. Cared even less that he might break her wrist. She’d finally been able to pull the seatbelt over and snap herself in.
“Lady, don’t play dumb with me. You know where the two million dollars is hidden,” James said. “Just give me that and I’ll let you go.”
“I think you’ve got the wrong person.”
“You’re Betsy Peyton, formerly Carrington, formerly Peyton, right?”
“Yes.” She needed something to make this more personal. “You know my name. What’s yours?”
She’d been in tricky situations before. Years ago she'd started carrying mace, sometimes even her gun. Today, she had nothing. Just her words and her brain.
“As Mr. Partner said, you can call me James. Now where’s the damn money?”
“I don’t know anything about any two million dollars.” She weakened her voice, let it tremble as if she were scared to death, which was only partly an act. “Tell me why you think I have it. Maybe that’ll help me remember what you’re talking about.”
A crazed look overtook the man’s eyes as he squinted against the blinding sunlight angled right into their faces at this time of day. He held one hand in front of his face as if to protect his eyes from the glaring sun. “Don’t mess with me, lady. And don’t think for one second, I believe Papa C when he says he lost the money gambling. He’s smarter than that.”
“Did that Mr. Partner actually have my dad killed?” Breathing had suddenly become heavy for her.
“He sure did.” James snapped his fingers. “The boss makes decisions on a second’s notice when it comes to his business or his life.
“Why? Why would he kill my dad?” Her insides were raging. Her brain was screaming. Her emotions plowed into her soul. And there wasn’t anything she could do but keep asking questions.
James grabbed hold of her loose wrist and jerked her toward him. “Because Papa C tried to turn on Mr. Partner’s business. Tried to turn on the family, so to speak. The boss found out Papa C had become an informant for the FBI. Had been talking to Agent Link Peyton.”
“My dad?” Betsy swallowed hard.
“Yeah. Partner exploded.” James snapped his fingers once again. “You see, your dad had a good reputation for crime solving. Even worse, your dad was honest. Honest to the core. Everybody in the whole region knew Link Peyton couldn’t be bought. So, Mr. Partner decided he’d just have him killed. Paid someone to shoot him there in Jefferson City—in public, and in broad daylight—to send a message.”
She couldn’t breathe. Tears poured down her cheeks. The land stretching out before her blurred into panic. James shoved her back across the seat and released his hold on her wrist.
“You mean you…you…” For the life of her, she couldn’t get the words out.
All she could think of was Cain. Cain and her. Cain and life. Life they might never have at this rate. She needed to get past the shock of what James had just told her. Needed to strategize. What would her dad have told her to do? What would Cain tell her?
Stay alive. Do whatever you have to do to survive. But bottom line. Stay. Alive!
“I heard you were that DEA dude Cain Connery’s woman.” The killer reached over and touched her hair, then wrapped a handful around his fist, pulling her head in his direction. “That right?”
She stared straight in front of her.
He yanked. “I asked if you were Cain’s woman?”
