Inevitable Sentences (23 page)

“Thanks. You make damn sure you do that.” Max hung up the phone. He doubted the officers would make speedy headway in this weather.

Max had hardly a moment to think through his options when he heard shouts coming from the hall outside his room. He looked at the time. Nearly eleven. Who or what was causing all the commotion? All of a sudden the door to his room banged open, slammed against the wall, and shuddered from the assault.

Don Eagle burst into the room, followed by a night shift nurse yelling, “You can’t go in there. Visiting hours are over, and Mister Whitefeather needs his rest.”

If it was Hooper tailing Eagle, she would have tackled him and had him tied up in no time. That was, if he could have even gotten past her in the first place.

“Look, lady.” Eagle spun around to face the nurse.

“My name is Ms. Alexander.” She stood with legs spread apart and hands on her broad hips.

“Ms. Alexander.” Eagle’s expression was equally as determined. “This is really important. It’s a matter of life and death. I must speak with the warden.”

“Big deal,” Alexander shouted back. “I cope with life and death every day, including the warden’s.”

“Max. My name is Max Whitefeather.” Max waved. He also cringed at the title Eagle insisted on using. “You might as well let Deputy Eagle say his piece, because he won’t leave until he does. He’s as stubborn as any mule I’ve ever encountered.”

“You need your rest,” the nurse persisted.

“Too late. I’m wide awake.” Max shrugged and flapped his hand at her to leave.

“This is against hospital regulations.” The nurse stood her ground.

“I’ll be out of your hair tomorrow. He will, too.” Max thumbed at Eagle. “Believe me. I won’t squeal on you. Please, let us get this conversation over.”

“Humph,” Ms. Alexander responded. She turned on her heel and stomped from the room.

Max rubbed his forehead several times. “How can I be this lucky to get two visits from you in one day? What do you want at this hour?”

Eagle’s small round eyes seemed even more pronounced tonight and his forehead knitted in alarm. “Chad Wilbanks escaped sometime around five today. I wanted to let you know in person. This was the first I could get away. I told you something bad was going to happen if”—he stopped, stared at Max, and continued—“if we didn’t do something about Stump.”

“If you didn’t do something. How many times do I have to tell you not to include me in Hawk Haven matters? Have you forgotten that I gave you my advice? I’m sorry it was too late to prevent the escape. You have no idea how sorry.” Max sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. “I’m more concerned about where Chad is right now.”

“We don’t know in what direction he went. We do know he had to have inside help.” Max had no idea the usually taciturn Eagle could speak so fast.

“We think it was Lizzie Chatfield.”

“Why do you suspect her?”

“The food service truck she drives is missing. Her own pickup is still parked at the prison.” Eagle rubbed his forehead several times.

Max stretched his neck. Then he lowered his head and massaged his neck. “I know where Wilbanks is.”

“You know where he is? How—?” Eagle shrieked the question.

“Help me get dressed.” Max pointed to the clean clothes hung out for his morning departure.

“What are you doing, sir?”

“Since you drove all the way here to tell me something I had already heard from the sheriff, I’m going to let you drive me to the lighthouse.” He pointed and nodded at his clothes.

Eagle grabbed the garments and piled them on the bed next to Max. “You can’t up and leave. And I’ve got to get back to the prison.”

“Why can’t I?” Max slipped the hospital gown off and pulled a T-shirt over his head. “I’ve been completely unplugged.” Max showed Eagle both arms and circled one arm in front of him pointing out that all the monitors had been wheeled away. “I’m scheduled to be discharged on Monday, and that’s one hour from now. By the way, you’ll probably be sent to where we’re going anyway. You might as well go with me.” He stood up and pulled on his undershorts with little red hearts spattered over them. He chuckled, then checked Eagle and stopped abruptly. They were the ones Celeste had bought him for Valentine’s Day last year.

Eagle glanced down at the underpants and quickly looked away, his face reddening slightly. Although Eagle’s shocked look amused Max even more than the sight of the hearts, he decided not to explain his choice of underwear. The idea he’d wear such an undergarment would be great fuel for gossip that Eagle could spread, if the straight arrow was capable.

Max buttoned only half his shirt before he drew a sweater over his head. His lack of strength made his movements far slower than he liked. Before he put his coat on, he tucked the packet of nitroglycerin tablets in his pocket. It was only a precaution. He didn’t think he’d really have to use them. Max faced Eagle and said, “Let’s go. We are running out of time.” What he really thought was that Celeste could already be out of time. His only hope was that Chad wanted to see Celeste languish in terror for a while. Hope? How could he want that? Maybe Chad would want to keep her alive for as long as he believed he would need her as a hostage and a bargaining chip. Even that consideration was more than Max could bear. With those thoughts banging around in his head he tried to move faster.

“But … but …” Eagle stammered.

“I’ll explain everything to you on the road. Get a move on.” They headed for the door but didn’t even get to the hall before the phone rang. “Damn. Now what?” Max snarled. It had better not be bad news about Celeste. He lifted the receiver.

Duke Hunter was on the other end. “We found the food service truck we think was used in the escape,” he said.

“Where?” Max paced the room, checking the clock several times. He wanted to act surprised about the truck to keep Hunter from knowing Eagle was with him. If Hunter knew about Eagle he might also surmise that Max would leave the hospital. Hunter would move heaven and earth, and Ms. Alexander, to stop him.

“Out at Dead River Falls,” Hunter said. “A powerhouse employee went there to check the place to make sure everything was in working order because of the storm and the power outages. The electrical company is trying desperately to restore the power to the area’s residents.”

“Other than the electrical problems, is what you’re about to tell me good news?” Max wanted to hear that the deputies on the scene also found Wilbanks stuck there.

Hunter didn’t answer at first.

“Are you going to finish telling me what you know?” Max sounded as irritated as he felt. Time was ticking and he had to get out to the lighthouse.

“The deputies found two victims in the cargo area.” Hunter paused. “One is Lizzie Chatfield …”

“Damn,” Max interrupted Hunter. “Not Lizzie. Dumb girl.”

“You know her?”

“Yeah. She’s a food service worker whom Deputy Eagle had thought was mixed up with Wilbanks.” Max’s eyes locked onto Eagle’s.

Eagle raised his eyebrows in question. Max shook his head to let him know he would tell him later.

“You said victims. Is Ms. Chatfield dead?” Max asked.

“Yes. Shot in the back of the head at close range. It’s not Wilbanks’s usual style. As you know, he likes knives. I guess he couldn’t be picky and used the weapon he had.”

“What about the other victim?” Max could feel his blood pressure rising. He didn’t need to hear about Wilbanks’s weapon of choice at a time like this.

“She’s alive but barely hanging on. We found her body draped over Lizzie’s. She confirmed Wilbanks killed Lizzie. Her ID says her name is Jane Sinclair. But …” Hunter took a deep breath. “That’s not who she is. Jane Sinclair is one of Wilbanks’s dead victims from over ten years ago. And the address on her driver’s license is occupied by an elderly man.”

“Using another victim’s name is a cruel joke.” Max sighed. “Do you think Chatfield had anything to do with Wilbanks’s escape?”

“Had to,” Hunter said. “Someone got him a gun and street clothes. His prison uniform is piled inside a cabinet on the truck. Also the powerhouse worker passed an SUV about a mile away on Forestville Road leaving the area. Someone had to get a vehicle out there—a rental. The truck would have been easily spotted. The powerhouse worker thought it was odd for anyone to be in that isolated area, especially in the storm. He didn’t expect to find two victims, though.”

“My God. This gets worse by the minute.” Max checked the time. “How do you know that SUV is a rental?”

“Adrian got the plate numbers from an SUV off the road near the lighthouse. We traced the license to Rent-a-Wreck. The owner wasn’t too happy about having to go back into the office.”

“Who cares?” Max shouted.

“Anyway, a Jane Sinclair leased it this evening. The description fits the vehicle the powerhouse employee saw.”

“Who is the woman playing Jane Sinclair?” Max didn’t expect an answer. He assumed if Hunter knew he would have already said.

“We don’t know. You should know one other odd thing.”

“What’s that?” Max wasn’t sure he wanted to hear it.

“It looks like Wilbanks stuffed a pack of cigarettes in Chatfield’s mouth.” He paused. “What do you make of that?”

“No telling. Maybe it’s an angry, hysterical reaction. It’s not like Wilbanks. It’s not his usual MO.” Max hesitated for a moment. Apparently Chad had become unpredictable. He wasn’t the same calculating serial killer any longer. He was carrying out a vendetta. “Hey. One last thing, old buddy,” Max said. “Don’t go crashing into the lighthouse before you know if Celeste is okay.”

“You don’t have to tell me to be cautious.” Hunter sounded miffed. “I’ve dealt with serial killers before and I’ve handled hostage situations, just not the two together.”

“I know and that’s the problem.” Max couldn’t hold back his edginess. “This isn’t about a serial killer. Wilbanks wants to settle a score.”

“Do you want to fill me in on what that means?” Now Hunter really sounded annoyed.

“Not at the moment. Anyway, thanks for the update, Duke. I’ve got to get some rest or the doctor may not let me go home tomorrow.”

“Yeah. Take care.” Hunter hung up. Did he sound suspicious of Max’s trustworthiness, that he’d stay put?

Max nearly jogged to the door. “Let’s hit the road, Dep.”

Eagle jumped up and followed. The hall was quiet. There was no one at the nurses’ station so they were able to sneak out undetected. In fact, hardly a sound could be heard in the entire building and the two nurses they met in the elevator paid no attention to the men leaving the hospital.

The parking lot was nearly empty. Eagle had parked his car only a few steps from the entrance, which was a good thing. Max wouldn’t have been able to make it much farther. He’d never let Eagle know, however. “Damn lot of snow falling, eh?” Max lifted his head toward the black sky. “We shouldn’t have to deal with this kind of weather in November.”

Eagle unlocked the doors and both men climbed inside the old four-wheel drive Bronco. “I hope you have good tires on this thing,” Max halfway teased.

Eagle didn’t answer. He turned on the ignition, shifted into drive, and the tires crunched slowly through the ice-crusted snow. How long would it take to get to the lighthouse in these conditions? On good days it was a long ride. Max decided he had to see his situation as a glass half-full. Otherwise he’d simply break down, knowing the life of the woman he loved was in the hands of a serial killer hell-bent on payback.

“Sir?” Eagle interrupted Max’s thoughts.

“Yes.”

“What did you mean that Wilbanks wants to settle a score?” Eagle never took his eyes off the road ahead.

“It’s a long story. By the end of this whole lousy episode, you’ll understand it.” Max once more wished he had been more up front with Celeste about Wilbanks. Again he let those useless excuses bounce around in his brain. His selfishness had gotten in the way of the truth.

He had wanted Celeste to move to the Upper Peninsula to be close to him. To make sure she’d move nearby, he left out that one important historical fact about Wilbanks that might have changed Celeste’s mind about living near Hawk Haven Prison.

Too late to worry about that now. Undoubtedly Celeste would find out from Wilbanks himself before the night was over.

C
HAD STOOD IN THE
open doorway holding a gun that hung casually at his right thigh. Thoughtfully, he surveyed the entire living room before focusing on Celeste. The loathing in his eyes frightened Celeste more than the weapon Chad carried. He didn’t need the gun. Those eyes made it clear he could kill with only his hands.

Snow blew into the living room and circled Chad like a cloud. The rush of air that followed immediately plunged the room into a frozen stillness. When he kicked the door closed, the house quaked from the blow. Chad never turned from Celeste or took his eyes away from hers.

Celeste’s mind spun in every direction. She could still hardly believe that she was with the man who had orchestrated her daughter’s murder. Yet Celeste had always known this day would come. Somehow, someday, Chad would find a way out. Had she moved to the lighthouse to hide? Or had she subconsciously wanted to provoke this confrontation?

Celeste had a brief moment of regret about not leaving the lighthouse with the others. Still, she believed she had to face him. There was nothing else she could do. He would chase her down no matter where she went, and she wouldn’t put herself or others in that kind of danger again. She wouldn’t live her life always waiting for this day.

“You knew I’d get to you one day, didn’t you?” Chad was relaxed, smug. “It took me a while. My mother always told me that good things came to those who waited.” Dressed in a blue wool turtleneck sweater and winter jacket, Chad looked like any regular visitor to the lighthouse. He looked normal.

Celeste didn’t move a muscle. She needed to devise a way to keep Chad calm. She had to keep him talking until help came. Certainly help was on the way by now. She didn’t want to die. Not this way. She wanted to stay alive for the women and children. For Max. For Pilar.