Page 65 of Dangerous Secrets
He laughed like the idea held appeal.His shadow on the wall showed him shrugging off a backpack.Heunzipped a pocket and held up an object even as he bit off anothermouthful of the Slim Jim.She hoped he choked on it.
“See this?It’s assholeMcGrath’s beanie.Had to break into his cabin again to get itwithout letting that little shit of a dog bite me.Thought I’dkilled him before, but I didn’t have time to do the job righttonight.Another day.But the trouble will be worth it when I frameMcGrath for what I’ll do to you.
“But you want to know theproblem with framing him?”He waited, breathing heavily.“No idea?Well, I’ll explain.I’ll have to use condoms.Don’t want any of myDNA left behind, right?I figure I’ll keep you alive for a few daysand enjoy myself while they’re madly searching for you.But I’m toosmart for those assholes, and I’ve disguised the mine entrance soyou can hardly tell it’s there.Someone could walk right by and noteven see it.I’ve been squirreling away water and food for a whilenow, so me and you’ll have a good time.”
His “explaining” sent another chillskating down her spine.She glanced at the tunnel walls, wishingthey were wider so she’d have a chance of darting aroundhim.
He continued talking, seeming to wanther to appreciate his preparations.“But once I’m done with you,this beanie will be found at the murder scene and they’ll go afterthat fucker.It’ll have his hairs on it, then they’ll arrest himfor your assault and murder and he’ll be right back where hebelongs, behind bars.Who knows, maybe this time he’ll get thedeath penalty.”
She vowed then and there that whateverhappened, she’d make sure the bastard talking to her left DNAevidence behind.She’d cut him, scratch his eyes out if she had to,but Walker wouldn’t go to jail for what this man was planning.Shetried to speak, but her mouth felt like dry cotton.She wasdesperately thirsty.
Clearing her throat, she tried again,her voice coming out in a croak.“Who are you?”
“Who am I?”He laughedwildly.She suspected he was on some drug-induced high that had himbabbling.“Your wildest sex fantasy, that’s who I am.”He giggledlike he’d told a funny joke.“Been dreaming about this for years.Ithink we’ll start with you putting your mouth around my cock andsucking.Oh yeah, just talking about it gets me hard.”
Her stomach rolled and she swallowedagainst the nausea that wouldn’t go away.Telling herself to showno fear, she forced strength into her voice.“Since I don’t thinkyou’ve ever starred in any woman’s sex fantasy, ever, I still don’tknow who you are.”The only plan she’d come up with was to delay,keep him talking, and do whatever necessary until she could figureout how she was going to stay alive.
His voice hardened, losing thesingsong quality.“You’ll pay for that, and this time there aren’tany assholes around to save you.I’ll give you a little hintbecause I want you to know who’s the genius here.I pulled you overone evening and god damn, was I looking forward to getting you onyour knees and getting the blowjob I deserve.
“And who ruined it?Thatasshole McGrath with his asshole old man.I should’ve shot themboth dead and gotten to the business at hand.Can’t say the wait’sbeen worth it, but fuck, I’m looking forward to this.”
Good humor apparently restored, hehummed a little as he cast the light around the tunnel, his shadowhuge on the wall behind him.“My idea of bringing you here isbrilliant.Used to party up here when I was in high school.Betkids today don’t even know this place exists with their headsburied in their damn phones the way they are.But in this mine likewe are, nobody’s gonna hear you screaming when I rapeyou.
“I could keep your body uphere for years and no one’d know.But if I want Fucker McGrath tohang, I’ll have to drop some clues.Neither him or his assholebrother are smart enough to figure out what happened to you withoutit being spelled out for them.”He moved to a niche in the wall.“Let me just set this here and we’ll get down to it.”
When Jerod Fetterly turned to set downthe lantern, Delaney didn’t hesitate.With the rope now danglingfrom one wrist, she swooped low and grabbed what she’d kicked inthe dark minutes before, a pickax left by some long-agominer.
Swinging for all she was worth, sheaimed for his head.He caught sight of her and reared back.Insteadof his head, the pointed end caught him in the throat.He staggeredback, knocking over the lantern and extinguishing the light.Notwaiting to see if she’d killed him but hoping she had, she let goof the pickax and ran into the deep black of the mine.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Walker came across the Chevy Malibuparked haphazardly at the end of the trail.The car was quiet withnone of the ticking to indicate it had been recently driven.WithCallie on a leash, he’d searched the orchards and every outbuildingon the farm.The only time the dog had alerted to a scent had beenon the road to the mill at the spot where he’d found Delaney’sphone.She’d followed the scent, nose to the ground, until comingto a stop when they’d reached the creek.Asshole had probably wadedinto the water to throw off anyone following him.
After three hours, they were no closerto finding her, and he took Callie back to the house.She was allheart and would’ve kept going until she dropped, but the old dogwas exhausted.
He’d handed her over to a distraughtClara and set out again.Sawyer reported that all roads from thesouth side of the mountain, the side facing Sisters, were covered,which to Walker meant if he wasn’t holed up somewhere, Fetterlywould go around Payback Mountain to hook up with a road cuttinginto the Sierras to the north.
But if he was as out of shape as Camhad indicated, Walker thought it more likely the fucker would hideout somewhere he didn’t think he would be found.With thatassumption, Walker had expanded his search to follow roads andtrails farther into the mountains.He’d already checked a coupleold miner’s cabins with no luck.
With the eastern sky behind theSierras beginning to lighten and Orion fading above the craggypeaks, he’d found a car he was dead certain belonged to JerodFetterly.
Walker opened the unlocked passengerdoor, shining a flashlight over the trash littering the floor.Theguy was a slob.He yanked open the glove box and pushed around abag of sunflower seeds and a bunch of receipts to find theregistration card.The name on the registration was John Smith.Notparticularly original for a fake name.
At last check-in, Sawyer had reportedhe’d found food wrappers and scattered sunflower shells under atree on the slope behind the north orchard.Why hadn’t Laney cometo him when she thought she was being watched?
She’d been pissed at him, that’swhy.
A vibration in his pocket had himpulling out his phone to see an unknown number on thescreen.
Phone to his ear, he snapped, “Who’sthis?”
“Keeley Montaigne,Delaney’s friend.”
“Busy here, Keeley.”Histone was abrupt.He didn’t have time for a chat.
“Listen, Walker, Mateotold me Delaney’s missing.He said there’s a rumor it could beJerod Fetterly and law enforcement thinks he might be holed up inthe mountains with her.If it’s him, I have an idea where he mighthave taken her.”
“Listening.”
