while I was on my cell, you were concentrating on driving like hell, but I promise you, I told both the nine-one-one operator and Nate everything that happened—absolutely everything we know. Nate should have no problem lighting a fire under Hawkins after this. But if we go to the station they’ll confiscate this file as evidence.” She lifted her purse. “The police won’t have any idea which of those clippings would have meaning for Simone, but I might be able to figure something out.”
Anna scanned the area surrounding the car. “Besides, the shooter obviously followed us to the library. Now that we’ve lost him, I can’t see marching into the station and filing a complaint. He’s expecting us to drive straight to the authorities, and that will give him a perfect opportunity to get back on our tail. Boots is probably staking out the station right now, waiting for us.”
“ Boots —that’s what we’re calling him?” Motherfucker seemed like a better fit, but he supposed he could go along with whatever shorthand Anna chose. “Okay by me. But if we’re not going to the station, where are we going?” No safe place immediately sprang to mind.
“How about my father’s old hunting cabin? It’s an hour’s drive—isolated. And there’s always a chance that’s where Simone took Bobby. I should’ve remembered it before, although I doubt she’d go there. She always hated that place.”
Thinking, he pressed his fingers to his eyelids. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. If Boots knows your family, he may know about the cabin.”
“Four years ago, my father wrapped his car around a tree…” Looking at him like she was unsure how much information she needed to fill in for him, she paused.
Nate had already told Charlie the story. A few years back, Anna’s father tied one on and plowed into a tree. “I heard your dad lost the use of his legs.” His hand found her knee. “I’m so sorry, Anna.”
“Thanks.” She kept her tone matter-of-fact. “He hasn’t had a drink since. My point is this: Since the accident, Daddy’s been unable to work. Nate stepped in and paid off his home mortgage, but we all agreed it was best to let the hunting cabin go back to the bank. We haven’t owned it for years.”
“But if you don’t own the cabin anymore—”
“Then no one will expect us to hide there. The couple who bought it from the bank planned to tear it down and build a luxury vacation house on the property. But the guy must’ve lost his job or something because they’ve never done a thing with the land. I think we’d be safe at the cabin. At least long enough to get our ducks in a row.”
He hated to burst Anna’s bubble, but a row of ducks wasn’t going to stop a cold-blooded killer. Without cutting the engine, he opened his door, flicking off the overhead light just as it flashed on. “I’ve got an HK 45 and ammo in the trunk. I’ll be right back.”
Chapter Seven
Near Tangleheart: Tuesday, 2:00 A.M.
A NNA TRIPLE - CHECKED THE front door of the cabin, making sure she’d engaged the deadbolt. Luckily, the new property owners never bothered to reset the combination on the electronic lock. The cabin and its contents were of no interest to them—they only cared about the land—and that had saved Anna and Charlie the trouble of breaking a window.
Not counting the thick layers of dust, everything inside seemed just as her family had left it, though she couldn’t be certain until morning. Without electricity, they’d had to search the cabin using the flashlight feature on their cells, and now their batteries were so low they couldn’t afford to use the phones as reading lights. The clippings would have to wait a few more hours—until the sun came up. The part of her brain that operated on logic told her she’d have more luck with the clippings after a few hours rest, but her breath released in a frustrated rush anyway.
“No sign of them.” She hadn’t really expected to
Anna scanned the area surrounding the car. “Besides, the shooter obviously followed us to the library. Now that we’ve lost him, I can’t see marching into the station and filing a complaint. He’s expecting us to drive straight to the authorities, and that will give him a perfect opportunity to get back on our tail. Boots is probably staking out the station right now, waiting for us.”
“ Boots —that’s what we’re calling him?” Motherfucker seemed like a better fit, but he supposed he could go along with whatever shorthand Anna chose. “Okay by me. But if we’re not going to the station, where are we going?” No safe place immediately sprang to mind.
“How about my father’s old hunting cabin? It’s an hour’s drive—isolated. And there’s always a chance that’s where Simone took Bobby. I should’ve remembered it before, although I doubt she’d go there. She always hated that place.”
Thinking, he pressed his fingers to his eyelids. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. If Boots knows your family, he may know about the cabin.”
“Four years ago, my father wrapped his car around a tree…” Looking at him like she was unsure how much information she needed to fill in for him, she paused.
Nate had already told Charlie the story. A few years back, Anna’s father tied one on and plowed into a tree. “I heard your dad lost the use of his legs.” His hand found her knee. “I’m so sorry, Anna.”
“Thanks.” She kept her tone matter-of-fact. “He hasn’t had a drink since. My point is this: Since the accident, Daddy’s been unable to work. Nate stepped in and paid off his home mortgage, but we all agreed it was best to let the hunting cabin go back to the bank. We haven’t owned it for years.”
“But if you don’t own the cabin anymore—”
“Then no one will expect us to hide there. The couple who bought it from the bank planned to tear it down and build a luxury vacation house on the property. But the guy must’ve lost his job or something because they’ve never done a thing with the land. I think we’d be safe at the cabin. At least long enough to get our ducks in a row.”
He hated to burst Anna’s bubble, but a row of ducks wasn’t going to stop a cold-blooded killer. Without cutting the engine, he opened his door, flicking off the overhead light just as it flashed on. “I’ve got an HK 45 and ammo in the trunk. I’ll be right back.”
Chapter Seven
Near Tangleheart: Tuesday, 2:00 A.M.
A NNA TRIPLE - CHECKED THE front door of the cabin, making sure she’d engaged the deadbolt. Luckily, the new property owners never bothered to reset the combination on the electronic lock. The cabin and its contents were of no interest to them—they only cared about the land—and that had saved Anna and Charlie the trouble of breaking a window.
Not counting the thick layers of dust, everything inside seemed just as her family had left it, though she couldn’t be certain until morning. Without electricity, they’d had to search the cabin using the flashlight feature on their cells, and now their batteries were so low they couldn’t afford to use the phones as reading lights. The clippings would have to wait a few more hours—until the sun came up. The part of her brain that operated on logic told her she’d have more luck with the clippings after a few hours rest, but her breath released in a frustrated rush anyway.
“No sign of them.” She hadn’t really expected to
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