Page 17 of Haunted Horror on Halloween

She helped him to his feet. As the officers walked him away, he looked back and Jackson smiled.

Angela had a way with people. She could learn things that others might not because she knew when to be fierce.

And when to let empathy be her guide, to offer understanding and care.

“She’s good!” Trent whispered, watching as the man was escorted away.

“She is,” Jackson agreed, “I’m just wondering if there isn’t more that he can tell us.”

“Well, on the one hand, Darrell Manderley might have given that man a fair amount of money to do his bidding—and the fellow could be a hell of an actor getting out of this mess,” Angela said. “And,” she went on, looking at Jackson, “I would have suggested that we be the ones to keep questioning him, except—”

“He doesn’t know more than what’s he’s told us, and I have them taking him to Krewe headquarters where our people can find out more if there is more,” Jackson said, nodding. “Okay, so, he left in one of the stolen cars with both women. But I don’t see where he might have taken them into a city—or even a smalltown public strip, a hotel . . .”

“He’s doing something with Halloween,” Angela murmured. “Let’s get out to the road. The dogs can’t help us, but I’m wondering just how far he might have driven. I still can’t believe he wanted out of the forest. This place is vast and huge, some private, fences, walls, and thousands of acres . . .”

“And we have forest rangers, police, agents, everyone out there,” Jackson reminded her. “Here’s the determination that we must make now—do we head out to the road and search for the car along the forest, or—hang on.”

His phone was ringing. Jackson quickly answered it; Bruce.

“On speaker,” he said.

“Good. The local police have already found a dark SUV that had been reported stolen, and they’ve got CSIs working on it now. But as soon as the officer called it in, they reported back on what they’d discovered. He abandoned the car, or sorry, the SUV, about half a mile up from the coffee shop and drove it into a ditch in the embankment. He either had another vehicle there or he dragged his victims back into the forest,” Bruce told him.

Jackson looked at Angela.

“He’s in the forest. He’s . . . he’s doing something—or has already done something—very Halloween,” Angela said. “Bruce! Keep every agency out there searching through the forest. I know he’s out there, and we know he’s capable of getting help, twisting anyone he can. And if that fails, he threatens their lives. I’m willing to bet our missing women aren’t the only people he’s already kidnapped or . . . or taken to work on whatever his plan may be. They’re bringing you a man, William Jenkins. We caught trying to hide Darrell Manderley’s trail. He’s pathetic, or worthy of an Oscar, one or the other. Get someone feeding him and appealing to his better side—I think he’s given us all that he might, but . . .”

“You never know,” Bruce said. “We’re on it.”

“He’s really hungry—feeding him will help,” Angela said.

“Food. We can manage that!” Bruce promised. “And you’re—”

“He’s in the forest,” Angela said with determination. “We’re headed to the spot where the SUV was discovered and we’ll go from there.”

“Be careful,” Bruce warned. “This guy is . . .”

“Different! But they have me!” Trent Fielding’s spirit assured Bruce, causing both Jackson and Angela to smile as they looked over at him.

“Yep. We have the best,” Jackson agreed. “Keep us up on anything.”

“Got it.”

“All right, back track, get our vehicle, get to the SUV,” Angela said.

“And then . . .”

“Into the woods again,” she told him.

“I’ll lead the way and try to warn you before your pathetic little mortal feet make you trip over any of the roots!” Trent told them lightly.

“I have pathetic big mortal feet,” Jackson assured him.

Trent laughed softly but hurried through the trees, tracking them quickly back to the coffee shop parking lot where they found their vehicle—actually a dark SUV, too, but a brand new model.

There were agents and police officers on duty at the coffee shop.

They got a nod from the agent in charge and therefore didn’t need to see to it that all was well within.