Page 439 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

Addie moved to the open door and looked in. Barely bigger than a closet, a figure sat in a chair. Secured to the arms. She studied the decomposing body until she spotted a centipede moving around.

She turned back to her colleagues. “That’s Hank’s mother.”

“Tied to a chair and left like that?” Stella said.

“We need to find Jacob and Mona.Now.” It was more urgent than ever Addie had to get to them. “Where are they?”

She wasn’t sure which of them could answer the question but had to ask it at least. Maybe it was a prayer.

A cry for help.

Addie’s phone rang. “It’s McCauley.”

Stella said, “Maybe he heard already.”

Addie put the phone to her ear. “Special Agent Franklin.”

“I looked into the hunting thing.”

“And you found something?” Addie asked.

“Hank doesn’t have any property,” McCauley replied. “And his truck doesn’t have any GPS we can get into. But I found something.”

She wanted to scream at the phone to get him to say it already.

“His stepdad had a cabin he would take Hank to. The chief remembered it,” McCauley said. “I looked it up, and I have the address.”

“Send it to me. We’ll go check it out.”

“Remember Austin?” McCauley asked. “I’ll send you the address. And I’ll meet you there.”

Addie wasn’t sure about that. “Captain?—”

He cut her off. “This guy…thiscophas been lying to all of us. I’m not going to let him take more lives.”

“Fine.” She hung up and told Kyle and Stella. Addie prayed they’d find Jacob and Mona. “Let’s go.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

“He’s going to kill Addie.” Mona paced in front of Jacob. She shook out her hands, her legs a motion of jerky movements.

“We won’t let that happen, right?”

He didn’t try to move. Blood continued to seep through his shirt. Eventually he’d grow lightheaded, and he wouldn’t be able to walk. It wasn’t going to take long for him to get to that point. Walking was pretty much out of the question when it would only slow down Mona.

He could get her killed.

Poison to her future, the way he’d been poison to everyone else.

“You need to go.” The words spilled from his mouth as a croak.

Mona spun around. “You meanwe, right? But how do we get out of here?”

“We need Hank to come in.” Jacob already knew what he was going to suggest. So did she, given the shift in the expression on her face. Before she could argue, he said, “You hide behind the door. When he’s distracted, run out.”

It wasn’t a great plan, but what other choice did they have? He wasn’t going to survive this. But if he could make sure she did, then it counted for something. Addie would know he’d done everything—given everything—for her sister.

For her.

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