Ever Present Danger (36 page)

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Nick Sanchez said. “Why
would
you suspect Barton, Morrison, and Richards? Even the feds working the case thought the Hadley boy had been kidnapped.”

Flint sighed. “Yeah, I know. But it makes perfect sense when we put all the facts together.”

“Which is exactly what we did. But we need to pull Ivy Griffith back in here ASAP and pursue this angle.”

“Tonight?” Flint glanced at his watch. “It’s already nine-thirty. She goes to work at the crack of dawn.”

“Tough. We can’t afford to work on her schedule. Let’s get her down here.”

“Okay, I’ll call the house. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to swing by and pick her up myself. You realize her father isn’t going to let her talk to us without an attorney present?”

“Whatever. Just get her here where I can see her reactions. I’ll put on a pot of coffee.”

Flint went over to his desk and dialed the Griffiths’ number, then popped two Tums into his mouth, thinking there was no way he was ready to break it to Elam that his daughter was a murder suspect.

“Hello.”

“Elam, it’s Flint. Sorry to call so late, but I need to talk to Ivy. Would you put her on the phone, please?”

“She’s not here. She’s out with Bill.”

“Any idea where we can find her?”

“Not really. She said she wouldn’t be late. What’s so important you need to talk to her tonight?”

“We’ve had a breakthrough on the case and need to ask her some more questions.”

“I’m not letting you grill that girl again without Brett Hewitt there.”

Flint exhaled into the receiver. “You hired
Hewitt?
”

“You better believe it. I know the DA can’t stand him, but Hewitt’s the best. If you think I’m going to sit back and let Ivy get railroaded, think again. She had nothing to do with the shooting, and this is starting to border on harassment.”

Flint paused, his eyes closed, and then said, “This isn’t about the shooting, Elam.”

“Then what?”

“This is regarding the Hadley case.”

“Hadley? What about it?”

“Just have Ivy call my cell number when she gets in. I don’t care what time it is. I’ll swing by and pick her up.”

“This is crazy!”

“Sorry, Elam. But that’s the way it is. Call Hewitt and give him a heads-up if you need to, but the feds want Ivy down here tonight.”

Ivy sat in one of the ugly gold chairs, her nose itching and her hands tied behind her, and watched as Bill took a wet towel and attempted to remove a thick layer of dust that seemed to cover everything in sight. At least he had untied her long enough for her to use the bathroom.

“This place could use a woman’s touch,” Bill said. “Too bad it’s not ours so you could fix it up the way you like. I’ll get my cleaning supplies in here when I can work in the daylight. I’ll have it immaculate in no time.”

“How long are we staying here?”

Bill turned to her and smiled. “The owners aren’t coming for summer vacation until July.”

July?
Ivy tried to get her hands free, but to no avail. “How do you think we’re going to survive if you can’t work? You can’t go back to Jacob’s Ear or you’ll be arrested.”

“I’ve got plenty of money saved.”

“When they figure out you’ve taken me, they’ll freeze your bank accounts.”

“I have cash for whatever we need.”

“And where are we supposed to go when July comes?”

“You ask too many questions, sweetheart. Let’s just enjoy the time we have together. I suppose I should go get us some groceries.”

“Please, just take me home,” she pleaded.

Bill squatted next to her chair, his hand on her knee. “But you are home. You’re with me.”

Ivy tried not to show her revulsion. “You’re right. You should probably go get groceries so we can have breakfast in the morning.”

“Okay, but I’ll have to tie your ankles while I’m gone. I’ll leave the gag off this time. There’s no one out here to hear you, even if you wig out again. Just relax, sweetheart. Everything’s gonna work out fine. You’ll see.”

Bill tied her ankles, then pressed his lips to her cheek. He put on his jacket, a pair of horned-rimmed glasses, and pulled a stocking cap down over his ears. “Wouldn’t want anybody recognizing me now, would we? Okay, I’ll see you in a while. Try to get some rest.”

Ivy watched him walk out the door and heard him lock it. Seconds later, the van started, and then she heard the tires crunching on gravel. She wondered how far Bill would have to drive to find a grocery store up here—and how much time she had to come up with an escape plan.

Carolyn Griffith stood at the front window, aware of the grandfather clock striking eleven. “It’s not like Ivy to stay out this late when she has to get up at four-thirty to get ready for work.”

“She and Bill seem to like each other,” Elam said.

Carolyn went over and sat on the couch next to him. “That’s just it. She told me earlier today the relationship wasn’t going anywhere—that Bill was sweet but not her type.”

“I doubt if Ivy even knows what her type is. I just hope she’s not sleeping with him.”

“She’s a grown woman, Elam. We can’t control her behavior.”

“Could we ever?”

Carolyn sighed, her mind flashing back to Ivy’s life before Pete Barton. “She’s trying really hard to make a fresh start. She loves Montana and really wants to be a good mother.”

“I know.” Elam took her hand in his. “That’s why I’m so upset about this totally unnecessary harassment coming from Flint’s office. They know darned good and well she wasn’t involved in that shooting. So why are they pulling her into the Joe Hadley investigation—because of her drug history? I mean the girl hardly knew Joe. What could she possibly offer them toward solving his murder?”

The phone rang.

“I’ll get it.” Carolyn walked out to the kitchen and picked up the phone. “Hello.”

“Carolyn, it’s Flint. Has Ivy come home yet?”

“No. We told you we’d call when she did. Why can’t you talk to her tomorrow?”

“The feds have waited around to talk to her tonight.”

“Well, she’s not here. What can I say?” Carolyn hated the sarcasm in her voice. “I’m sorry, Flint. I don’t mean to be rude. I’m just confused about why Ivy is under the gun. The poor thing’s been through the mill in the past month. She really can’t handle much more.”

“Let’s give it till midnight. I’ll check back.”

“Elam told you we’d call the minute she gets in.”

“Okay, thanks. I’ll wait to hear from you.”

Carolyn hung up the phone.
Lord, what’s going on that’s so urgent the FBI is waiting around for Ivy?
She walked back in the living room. “That was Flint.”

“Yeah, I gathered.”

“He was just checking to see if Ivy’s home.”

“Makes me mad he won’t tell me what he wants to talk to her about—other than it pertains to the Joe Hadley case.”

“Well, Ivy’s over twenty-one. From a legal standpoint, I guess it’s really her business and not ours.”

Ivy opened her eyes when she heard a car motor outside. She had no idea how long Bill had been gone, but it had taken her only a few minutes of hopping around the house with her wrists and ankles bound to realize how helpless she was.

After she spotted a box of candles in the bedroom, she went back in the living room and flopped in the gold chair, committed to spending the night in the dilapidated old thing, even if she had to fake an episode of hysteria to keep Bill away from her. Maybe in the morning she could sweet-talk him into letting her cook for him so he would untie her.

She heard a key in the lock, and then the front door opened. Bill came in carrying multiple plastic bags in both hands.

“How’s my girl?”

“Completely miserable. What time is it?”

Bill set the bags on the table and glanced at his watch. “Five after twelve. Sorry I took so long, but there wasn’t much open. Anyhow, I got lots of stuff. We should be good for a few days if this old fridge doesn’t give out.”

I’m not staying here that long!
“Could you please untie me? I’m getting stiff sitting in the same position.”

“I’ll untie your ankles, but I think we’d better leave the wrists tied till I’m sure you’re done bein mad.”

“Leaving them tied just makes me madder! I’m not an animal! You have no right to keep me here!”

He untied her ankles, then reached up and brushed the hair off her forehead. “You’ll thank me after your thinkin’ gets straightened out.”

“You keep saying that. There’s nothing wrong with my thinking, Bill. What woman in her right mind wants to be held prisoner?”

“The only thing in prison is your mind, sweetheart. I just have to break you of all that useless guilt you’re carrying around so we can have a future together.”

Elam jumped up off the couch and started pacing. “It’s two-thirty in the morning. The bars are closed. So where’s Ivy?”

“Honey, calm down,” Carolyn said.

“I don’t want to calm down. I want to wring her fool neck. What is she thinking? She has to leave for work in three hours.”

“She’s not missed a day yet.”

Elam’s eyes turned to slits. “She obviously doesn’t want us to know what she’s doing or she would’ve called. I have half a mind to go over to Bill’s place and see if she’s there. Maybe he’s just not answering the phone.”

“I just don’t see Ivy spending the night with Bill. She didn’t seem at all enthused about him earlier today or even tonight when she left.” Carolyn sighed. “If she
is
at Bill’s, what are you going to do—grab her by the ear and lead her out to your car? It’s not as though we can dictate her behavior at this stage of her life.”

“Well, you can bet I’m going to try! I should’ve put my foot down when she was dating Pete.” Elam stroked his mustache for several seconds, and then said, “Actually, I doubt she’s at Bill’s or Flint would’ve found her by now.”

Carolyn caught her husband’s gaze, her worst fear mirrored in his eyes. “What if they’ve been in a car wreck? Or have gone off the road somewhere and are hurt? I’m not even sure Ivy’s got our address on her.”

Elam opened the closet door and took out his parka. “I’ll head into town and start looking for her. Call my cell if she shows up.”

BRANDON JONES OPENED his eyes and realized Kelsey wasn’t in the bed, nor was the bathroom light on. He glanced at the clock: 2:45. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and put on his bathrobe and slippers, then went out to the living room, where Kelsey sat on the couch, her Bible in her lap.

“Honey, what are you doing up?” he said. “You’re not going to be worth a hoot at work.”

Kelsey looked up at him, seemingly wide-awake. “I can’t get Ivy Griffith off my mind. I have this really powerful urgency to pray for her.”

“I wonder why that keeps happening?”

Kelsey shrugged. “I don’t know, but there’s no way I can sleep.”

“We got sidetracked earlier tonight, and you never did tell me about your conversation with her.”

Kelsey closed her Bible and recounted her conversation with Ivy—and how guilt ridden she had seemed.

“I’m not surprised,” Brandon said, “considering her past and all she’s put her parents through.”

“But I just hate that she feels like a lost cause. And I’m not sure I was able to convince her otherwise.”

“Sounds like you said all the right things, honey. It’s up to God to change her heart.”

Kelsey tucked her hair behind her ear and seemed to be thinking.
“Ivy did say something I thought was odd. She wanted to know if a person hadn’t told the truth about something, would he have to go back and tell the truth if he wanted God to forgive him.”

“That is odd. How’d you answer?”

“I said a truly repentant heart that wants to make things right will do whatever it takes. Someone called after that, and then we got on a whole nother subject.”