Page 46 of Finding Chaos

“This picture was taken a long time ago,” Destiny said, shoving out of her chair. “Walker’s picture wasn’t put up yet.”

“Okay, what does it matter?” Mercy asked.

“It means I hadn’t had any break-ins and that the person who took this picture had a key.” Her brows dipped. “And there is only one person in town that fits that description.”

“You’ve lost me,” Mrs. Wellers said.

“You better call your son. You’re about to have a dead body on this property.” Destiny clutched the picture tight and stomped out of the kitchen toward the room with the large front picturesque window that highlighted the mountain.

“Putnam,” she called out, turning the corner and expecting to find him, but only the camera crew remained, looking ready to leave.

“He had a call and stepped outside.”

Destiny yanked open the door, glancing up and down the street looking for Putnam. His voice drifted out from the alley alongside the inn. She headed around the side of the building but paused out of sight when she heard the one word that could stop her in her tracks.

Senator. She hadn’t heard the entire sentence, but she’d heard enough.

“Tell the Senator that Destiny found all of them. You wanted me to warn you, and now it’s too late. She found the Pit and the bones as you feared and she’s led the damn police to the site.”

There was a pause, and she held her breath, hoping he didn’t hear the sound of her racing heart or the blood rushing in her ears.

“Hang on! I got close to her just like you paid me to do. It’s not my fault she broke up with me.”

There was another pause as anger stirred in her gut.

“I’ll see what I can do. It may be too late to destroy the evidence of the bones, but a woman came out of that Pit, a woman about Destiny’s age. You didn’t tell me about her.”

Acid rolled down her spine. She stepped back, debating her need to run versus the anger thrumming through her body, demanding answers.

Putnam turned. His eyes widened. “I’ll have to call you back.”

“How could you?” she growled.

An evil smirk twisted on his lips, rendering him unrecognizable. He pocketed the phone and pulled out a gun from beneath his jacket. He pointed the black muzzle at her. “Get in the van, Destiny.”

She took another step back.

“I wouldn’t do that unless you want the senator to kill your new boyfriend, and how about the nice lady in the inn? You seem fond of her.”

“You wouldn’t,” Destiny said, knowing, deep down, he probably would.

“I would, and the funny thing is I’d get away with it too. Your father is a very powerful man.”

“He’s not my father,” she said with a harsher tone.

“You’re so stupid. People would kill to be in your position and to have a father like him. They’d kill to take your place.”

“Like you?” she asked as her heart threatened to jump out of her chest.

“Get in the van, Destiny, or I’ll shoot everyone in that building and then pin it on you.”

She walked to the van, her steps reluctant as she desperately sought an escape.

Putnam kept the gun beneath his tweed jacket and out of view from whoever might be looking from inside. He gestured to the driver’s seat. “You’re driving. Get in.”

She slid into the seat as Putnam yanked open the door to the back of the van and got inside.

Destiny dropped the picture in her hand on the ground as a last-ditch breadcrumb, hoping someone would care enough to notice she’d been gone before she wound up like the bones on the mountain. She slammed the door shut.

Putnam leaned forward; his breath hot on her ear. “Drive.”

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