Page 95 of Exposure of Murder

“I asked her to come down to the house,” Tanner said. “Leah will be over soon, and they’ll keep each other company.”

“Thanks.” One problem solved. Now they just had to find Jane. Ethan prayed she’d still be alive and unhurt when they did. Time was ticking, and every second she was missing meant trouble.

Forty-Nine

Jane’s head throbbed as she tried to open her eyes, but her lids felt like lead. They refused to obey. Her mind struggled to remember what happened, but each effort was met with a sharp pain in her skull and a wave of nausea.

In the background she heard a murmur, a voice that sounded muffled as if she were underwater. Jane tried to move, but her arms were numb and bound tightly behind her back. Panic surged through her. Where was she? The room smelled musty and something else.

The voice grew louder and more familiar. Victor. Who was he talking to?

“I’ll find the damn ledger,” he said. “She’s going to break. They always do.”

Who was going to break? Her?

What ledger? Her sluggish brain tried to piece together the conversation.

“I know it’s time-sensitive,” Victor continued. “I’ll get the information from her one way or another.”

Focus, Jane.

She pushed through the fog. She had to get away from Victor. He was evil.

The world tilted as someone abruptly grabbed her and hauled her upright, their rough hands digging into her arms. Her eyes fluttered open, saw the evil in Victor’s eyes, and she squeezed them shut.

“Oh, Janey, you can’t hide,” he whispered. His breath felt hot against her skin, and her stomach churned.

She had to be strong, to think of an escape—just as soon as she could open her eyes long enough to focus.

“What do you want from me?” Jane hated how her voice trembled. She’d only written about violence like this, never experienced it.

“I want the ledger,” Victor said. “Thornton thought he was so clever teasing me about hiding it in the barn, telling me that I’d never find it.” He chuckled. “Look where that got him.”

She felt a breeze as Victor left her side. She gingerly opened her eyes and glanced around. Where the hell was she? It looked like a small cabin. She could see pine trees out the window and rain falling.

The walls were made of exposed logs. There was a pot-bellied stove in one corner, and a couple of armchairs and a small sofa were arranged around it. The lights were on, so it had electricity.

In the corner was a small kitchen with a wooden table topped with papers and two chairs. It looked like there was just one door in the front. She was tied in a chair in the middle of what could have been a dining room at one point. This must be Victor’s lair, but where exactly was it? Would Ethan be able to find her?

Victor sat on the sofa reading a piece of paper.

She struggled against her bindings, but her wrists were bound tight. Her stomach growled, but she had a feeling Victor wasn’t serving lunch. Or was it dinnertime? How long had she been out? Since she didn’t know where this ledger was, Janefigured there would be no last meal. She wished Ethan would hurry and find her.

The phone rang again, and Victor answered it. “Yeah. No. They’ll be here soon, and we’ll deal with the problem.” He hung up and winked at her.

Oh God. Who will be coming soon?

Jane had a funny feeling she was the problem that was going to be dealt with. This was going from bad to worse. There was no way out. Even if she could get free with only one door, she’d have to go through Victor. That wasn’t happening.

The door burst open. Maggie Thornton rushed in, her voice high-pitched and frantic.

“Victor,” she said. “The sheriff is looking for you. You need to…”

She stopped short, her eyes widening in shock when she saw Jane tied to the chair.

“Maggie,” Victor said calmly. “I didn’t expect you to stop by. I told you I’d see you in a day or so.”

“What the hell are you doing?” Maggie demanded, stepping farther into the room. “Let her go. This isn’t part of our plan.”

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