Killing Weeds (22 page)

“Can he hold out that long after he was shot?” Tucker asked.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “We just have to hope.”

Columbine

Columbine flowers are edible. The flower’s meaning is seduction. There are more than 60 species of this plant, probably because they adapt well to almost every growing condition.

Chapter Thirty-one

They called the search off at dark. There were very few lights in the area, and it was too risky taking the chance that someone could fall in the lake or hurt themselves on the sharp stone outcroppings.

Peggy died a little inside when the sheriff announced that the search would go on in the morning, but it would probably be a recovery effort. Most people there didn’t believe that Sam would survive the night.

She and Steve booked a local motel for themselves and the FBI agents who’d come out from Charlotte. Al did the same with the CMPD officers who’d stayed the night to get an early start in the morning.

Every effort was being made to find the Potting Shed pickup, but nothing had showed up as of eight p.m. when they called off the search. It was as though Diane and Sam had disappeared.

Peggy unwound enough to take a warm shower and get into the pajamas that Paul had brought back from Charlotte for her. He’d also fed Shakespeare and taken him for a walk.

She knew she was a mess when she got out of the shower. Her face was bruised and swollen. So were her neck and shoulders. Her arms, legs, and back had been cut and burned by the stinging nettle.

The expression on Steve’s face said it all.

“I know,” she said. “I left the mirror steamy so I couldn’t see what a horror show I am.”

“I got some food while you were in there,” he told her. “I thought you might not want to go out.”

“Thanks.”

“I’ve got some bandages and antibiotic ointment too, unless you want to head over to the hospital.”

She responded with a frown and raised brows.

“That’s what I thought.” He put the plastic bag with medical supplies on the table. “You should probably eat something first. Then let’s take a look at the damage.”

There were a few deep lacerations on her legs and back where the sharp stones had torn into her flesh. Steve said they weren’t deep enough to need stitches and applied the ointment gently, adding a bandage where it was necessary.

“You’re very good at this,” she said, lying lazily on the motel bed. “I should hire you full-time.”

He smiled as he helped her up. “I think we already did that. How do you feel?”

“Tired. Disgusted. Stupid.”

“Why stupid?” He sat beside her on the bed.

“Because I should’ve seen this coming. I should’ve recognized Diane—I was carrying Ruth’s image around in my brain thinking she was responsible—her daughter resembles her. Why didn’t I see it?”

“That’s being kind of hard on yourself, isn’t it? How would you have thought of Ruth having an illegitimate daughter who wanted revenge? And as for her dragging you and Sam out here, no one could’ve seen that coming.”

“I don’t know.” She got up and paced the floor, rearranging the dusty, plastic columbine plant on the table. “I feel like I led Sam into this. If he’s dead—”

“We don’t know that yet.” He carefully put his arms around her. “Don’t borrow that trouble, Peggy. It will be here soon enough tomorrow.”

They turned off the lights and went to bed. Peggy fell asleep right away.

Her dreams were troubled by the actions of the day—except for one dream about John.

In her dream, they were together, drifting down a river in an elaborate houseboat.

“This is the life, huh, Peggy? Just floating, sleeping, catching a few fish. What more could anyone want?”

“You’re right,” she murmured. “This is perfect.”

Sam went by them in a canoe that was suddenly out of control as it approached an area of rapids leading to a waterfall. He called again and again for her help. Peggy smiled and closed her eyes, ignoring him.

Then she and John were in the whitewater too. They were struggling to stay afloat. Ruth and Diane had turned into mermaids with sharp teeth. The women grabbed at them with clawed hands, trying to pull them under.

Peggy sat up, gasping for breath. She was grateful for the daylight that was pouring in through the motel windows. She realized where she was and went to get dressed.

All the volunteers looking for Sam met in the motel restaurant. Hunter and her parents were there too. The police had no doubt called them as Sam’s next of kin.

Please let him be alive.

The county sheriff had begun speaking as Peggy made her way around the group to where Hunter and her parents stood.

What could she say to them? It was her fault that their wonderful son was in danger, or worse. Still she felt obligated to say something. They were Sam’s parents no matter what. She didn’t want to just ignore them.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Ollson.” Peggy kept her voice to a whisper as the sheriff outlined the areas on a map where they would be searching for Sam. “I’m sure we’ll find him today.”

Mrs. Ollson—very tall and blond like her children—turned on her with murder in her blue eyes. “Why are you here? You destroyed Sam’s life. That wasn’t enough. You had to expose him to enemies of yours who wanted to kill him. Stay away from my family.”

Hunter pulled Peggy away from her mother. “You can’t talk to her right now. She’s crazier than usual. Has there been any word at all about Sam?”

“Not as far as I know.”

The sheriff finally ended his report on a grim note. “I’m afraid we doubt that Mr. Ollson is alive this morning due to the extent of his injuries. But let’s bring him home for his family. Be sure to check every inch as carefully as possible.”

A few members of the local press had joined them. “What about Mr. Ollson’s killer?” A short, thin woman with a large microphone pushed forward to reach the sheriff. “Have you located her?”

The sheriff grimaced. “We have no comment on that right now. We’ll keep everyone informed as word comes in.”

Steve’s phone rang. Peggy saw him step out of the group that was conferring with the sheriff’s department. He had an odd look on his face. She was already moving toward him, around the crowd packed into the restaurant. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest.

Steve beckoned to her across the room. Was it finally good news?

She reached him. “What is it? Is it something about Sam?”

Her words had been louder than she’d anticipated. Everyone stopped talking and stared in their direction.

“It’s Selena,” Steve told Peggy, his brown eyes riveted on her face. “You should talk to her.”

Peggy started to ask why she hadn’t called her cell phone and then realized it was because her cell phone was dead. Her hands shook as she took the phone from Steve, wondering why he’d interrupt the meeting for a phone call. It had to be important.

“What’s wrong, Selena?” All eyes were on her now.

“I’m at the shop. You know how you said I should check on the alarm system this morning.”

Peggy had completely forgotten with everything else that had happened. “Is it working?”

“Yes. I almost couldn’t shut it off.”

“But I guess you did,” Peggy said. “Thank for going in.”

“I got this weird message on my laptop. It actually came from the phone in The Potting Shed.”

“Selena, I’m sorry. I guess no one told you about Sam.”

“Sam? Was he in an accident? Is that why the wrecker service is calling about the truck? What happened, Peggy? Why am I always the last to know everything?”

Gingko

Ginkgo comes from the Japanese word ginkyo, which means "silver apricot," a reference to the fruit, frequently eaten in Japan. This beautiful, hardy tree with its attractive, fan-shaped yellow leaves, was once thought to be extinct but was rediscovered in China during the mid-1700s. It is now planted as an ornamental tree around the world, with no danger of extinction.

Chapter Thirty-two

“Wrecker service?” Peggy grabbed Steve’s hand. “Where is it? What did they say?”

“I’ll text you the number. Why aren’t you answering your phone?”

“Text it to Steve. I’ll fill you in, I promise.” Peggy handed the phone back to Steve.

“Would you care to share with the group, Dr. Lee?” the sheriff asked.

“A wrecker service has my truck—the one that was missing from the scene at Lake Tillery. It’s possible they know something about Sam and Diane.”

Everyone started toward the door at once.

“Hold on now. Let’s give the wrecker service a call before we all run out there,” the sheriff suggested. “Agent Newsome? Could you relay that information?”

“Gladly.” Steve pushed the phone number that Selena had just texted him. He put the phone on speaker, and the room became deadly quiet.

“A and R Wrecker Service,” a man’s voice said. “This is Arnie.”

“This is Agent Steve Newsome with the FBI. I’m looking for information about a green Ford pickup you picked up. It has the words ‘Potting Shed’ on the side.”

“Oh yeah. It’s a mess. Took a header into a tree. Was it involved in a drug deal or something? Because I haven’t done anything to it except go through the information in the glove box to find someone to call about it.”

“What about the driver?” Steve asked.

“The driver was in pretty rough condition, according to the highway patrol. They’d already taken him and his passenger to the hospital by the time I got there. I don’t know anything about that. Sorry.”

“Where are you located?” Steve asked.

“I’m in Norwood, right downtown, if you want to get the truck. I’ll be here all day.”

“Thanks, Arnie.”

A cheer went up from the searchers. Sam’s parents broke down in tears.

But Peggy knew it wasn’t over yet. Were they sure it was Sam? How could he have been driving in the condition he was in? What if it wasn’t Sam and they took the valuable time away from the search?

The sheriff was already on the phone with the highway patrol.

“Didn’t anyone check with the hospitals around here?” Al asked.

“That was one of the first things they did,” Steve said. “We checked too. It has to be that the highway patrol found the truck later.”

The sheriff held up his hand for quiet.

“I’ve been in contact with the highway patrol. They did find the wrecked vehicle off in the woods late yesterday. A man and woman were taken, alive, to the hospital in Albemarle. We’re getting an update on their status now.”

One of the sheriff’s deputies shook his head, his cell phone to his ear. “They have three accident victims from yesterday with no ID. Not sure if they’re who we’re looking for or not. Someone is gonna have to go down there.”

The sheriff dismissed all the search groups from the county since none of them knew Sam. He thanked them for their time and effort.

It was happening so fast—Peggy was terrified and wanted to call them all back.

What if it isn’t Sam?

Al and Paul with the officers from CMPD were still there with the FBI agents and about a dozen sheriff’s deputies.

“Agent Newsome, maybe you can come with us. One of the relatives can ride along with us since you can make a positive ID,” the sheriff said. “Which one of you wants to go?”

“Dr. Lee is really the best one to go since she can also ID the woman who attacked her and shot Sam Ollson,” Al said. “I’ll take my people back to Charlotte and save the city some money.”

Paul wasn’t happy with that plan. He didn’t want to leave Peggy until it was over.

Steve traded spots with Paul in the back of the sheriff’s car. “I’ll take my people back to Charlotte too and come back for my wife.”

Peggy was good with that plan and ready to go. Sam’s parents and Hunter had already left for the hospital.

All the sheriff’s deputies left the motel. The sheriff waited for Peggy and Paul.

Steve kissed Peggy and made her promise to call as soon as she could.

She hugged him. “Thanks for letting Paul go.”

“He needs to be there to see the end of this.” He squeezed her hand. “Be careful.”

She hopped into the back of the sheriff’s car with her son. “As soon as I know something, I’ll call.”

One advantage to riding with the sheriff was that he put on his lights and siren and traveled down the highway toward the hospital at eighty miles an hour. They passed Sam’s parents in only a few minutes—even with Hunter driving.

“Don’t be disappointed if this doesn’t work out the way you hope,” Paul whispered. “I don’t know what we’ll find when we get there.”

“It has to be Sam. No one mentioned anyone being dead from the wreck,” she said. “I have high hopes that I refuse to let go of for now.”

He smiled. “Me too.”

They were at the hospital in downtown Albemarle about twenty minutes later. Gingko trees, bright with yellow leaves, lined the sidewalk and the front of the building.

Several of the deputies who’d been at the motel had come to join them.

Peggy was surprised to see them until Paul reminded her that this would be a big collar for the local sheriff’s department.

“I’m sure they’re excited to be here.”

“But what about Nita Honohan’s death? She was in Mecklenburg County with William Joseph.”

He shrugged. “I’m sure they’ll work it out so the credit is spread around—if Ruth’s daughter is still alive.”

The sheriff hurried into the hospital with Peggy and Paul beside him. Four deputies followed them. At the patient services desk, the sheriff paved the way for them to visit each of the patients without ID who’d been brought in during the last twenty-four hours.

Peggy was so nervous. She almost forgot how sore she was. Her legs protested as she stood waiting for the hospital administrator to come down and okay their request.

Paul held her hand, but his face was grim, no doubt thinking of facing the woman who’d tried to ruin his life and wondering what kind of condition Sam was in.

The hospital administrator shook hands all around and instructed his staff to give them the access they needed. A nurse picked up four charts and escorted them to the first room.