SPIRIT OF CONSEQUENCE (A Spirit Walking Mystery Book 1) (36 page)

I took his hand and he raised mine to his lips and kissed it.

“I’m glad to meet you.”

“No, the pleasure’s all mine, Miss Gerald.”

The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it. He was very well dressed, so he was probably a lawyer. “Do you work for Uncle George’s law firm or the Foundation?”

“Neither,” he said, his lips turned upward.

“One of the companies I own?”

“Nope.” His smile broadened.

“Okay, that leaves the town of Gold Camp. I’d know if you lived there.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Anyone as handsome as you, I would have known.” I smiled.

He laughed and bowed his head. “Thank you.”

I turned toward him. “Okay, give me a hint.”

“I’m a reporter.”

“A reporter?” I asked. His name hadn’t been on Dodge’s list.

“Well, not exactly. I collect information for a reporter.”

Then I remembered where I’d heard his name before. “Cyrus Clancy’s article titled, ‘The Bitch Burned?’”

He laughed. “Yes, my brother does have a way with words, doesn’t he?”

My back stiffened. “It wasn’t a very flattering article.”

Bret laughed again. “If you read any of my brother’s stuff, he
never
writes anything good about anybody. It’s just his way.”

“I shouldn’t take it personally?” I asked.

“No.”

I laughed and he joined me.

“What is he going to write about this time?” I asked.

“I don’t know. This is a very nice party – food’s fabulous, band’s great, and you, my dear, look lovely.”

“How about I give you a tour of this place? It will give you some different information to tell Cyrus. I could take you to the stables and he could write that I beat my horses.”

Bret laughed. “Oh that would be perfect. He’ll love it.”

It was always better to know what would be written than to be surprised when it came out. I stood. “Come on, Bret, I’ll give you the grand tour.”

“You’re a real trooper, Miss Gerald.”

“Call me Samantha.” I took his arm.

First I gave him a tour of the house, avoiding the security room and Dodge, and then Uncle George’s five-car garage.

“Where are the stables?” he asked as we walked away from the garage.

“I lied, we don’t have stables.”

Bret laughed.

“Do you want to see my banged-up car?” I asked.

“The one from the accident?”

“Yes.”

“You had it fixed?”

“Nope, it’s still in the condition that it was when they towed it here.”

“I’d love to see it.”

Bret and I strolled, arm in arm, down the pathway to the bottom building. As we went in the side door, I flipped on the lights. Bret followed me.

I touched what was left of the hood of my car.

Bret came up and stood by me. “Wow, it’s a mess.”

“Yes.”

“It’s amazing that you survived, Samantha.”

I shrugged. “Just lucky, I guess.”

He walked around the car, just like Dodge had. I wondered if he’ll see the stab marks on the tires. He shook his head as he came around the car and back to me.

“What?” I asked.

“I never make mistakes.”

“Excuse me?” I said. What was he talking about?

“In all my years, I’ve never made any mistakes. No forensics, no trace evidence, nothing, and you survive two blown tires and a bomb.”

My heart stopped. I reached up to touch the pendent. It was gone.

Bret laughed. “I got rid of that a long time ago. Those two inept cops, Dexter and Dodge, and Carl have been listening to that dim-witted Cheryl Feeny for awhile now. She’s probably screwing some guy at the moment. I’d love to see their faces about now.”

I swallowed. I was face to face with the killer, alone in this isolated building. I broke and ran toward the side door. Bret caught my arm before I could get there. He pulled me over to the door, locked the padlock, then dragged me back and threw me on the floor in front of my smashed car.

I put my hands up, expecting him to hit me. When he didn’t, I yelled, “What the hell do you have against me?”

He started pacing, running his fingers through his hair. “Actions and consequences. Everything is connected, Samantha, and everything you do affects other people.”

“What did I do?” I pleaded.

He laughed again, but this time it exuded no happiness, just hate. “You don’t even know and that makes it worse. You destroy lives and you don’t even know it.”

“This sounds like your brother’s article!”

“Actually, I write them.” Bret laughed, although it sounded more like a growl. “He just puts his name on them. It’s easier that way. He’s in prison, you know.”

“San Quentin?”

“Yes.” He shook his head. “Everything is connected. Do you know who taught me that?”

“No.”

“My mom, before she died.” He pointed at me and said, “And you killed her!”

Chapter 36

I drew my head back. “What do you mean, I killed her?”

“Your foundation pulled the funding on an experimental cancer treatment. It was her only hope. She died.” He pointed at me and snarled, again, “It was your fault.”

“I’m sorry, Bret.” I didn’t know what else to say. God, maybe this
was
my fault.

“The connections evolved. Dodge, that bastard, arrested my brother and they put him away. Life without parole. He’s my only family, and I have to visit him through a glass window.”

“You know Dodge?”

“Shut up, Samantha!” He struck me across the face. Pain shot threw my head and I went flying toward the floor. “I told you everything is connected!”

I grabbed my face. There had to be a way out of this. “Bret, we can work this out.”

“What? You think your money can get you out of this?” He shook his head and paced. “Not a chance.”

“I’ve got tons of money and I know a lot of people in power. Maybe I can get your brother moved to a different facility, one where you can visit him without the glass partition.”

Bret stopped pacing and looked at me. He laughed, a rich, full sound that sent shivers up my spine. “Still trying to buy your way out? Forget it, Samantha. This is it. It’s the end of the line for you.”

Keep him talking, I thought. Maybe somebody will miss me and start searching for me. “There must be something you want, something I can give you.”

“There’s nothing I need, Samantha.”

“Everyone needs something, Bret. Think about it, all my money and power, I can do anything.”

He seemed to contemplate my offer for a moment and then his smile turned to a sneer. “Don’t tempt me. Actions and consequences, remember that!” He pulled out several pieces of plastic from the inner pockets of his tux and started screwing them together. When he was finished, he leveled the gun at me.

Okay, twice in one night I had someone point a gun at me. This time – I didn’t know what to do or say to stop him.

“Let’s see.” He waved the gun at me. “I really had planned to kill Dodge before the party but you two had that stupid fight and he took off. Maybe I should have kept that little listening device. He would have come and tried to rescue you and then I could have taken care of both of you.”

Whether this was my fault or not, there was no way I would let him hurt anyone else. I only had one card left to play. I thought about my time as a ghost and all the things I’d done without giving it a second thought. That was the mind-set I needed now. I stood up, letting my leg slip between the slits on the right side of my dress. “Bret, there must be something you want or, maybe, something that I can do for you. . .”

He tiled his head and raised his eyebrows. “Offering yourself, Samantha? That’s a new low even for you.”

“I don’t want to die, Bret,” I said as I stepped toward him. “I’m willing to do anything.”

He was silent for a few minutes. The insides of my body quivered as he looked me over, starting at my stiletto heels all the way to my eyes.

“You’ll willingly go and stay with me?”

“Anything you want, Bret.” I nodded, thinking it was better to be alive with time to escape later than to be dead now.

“Actions and consequences, Samantha. If you try to escape, I’ll kill George, Jed, and Dodge.”

“No!” My stomach dropped as the reality of this situation set in. My choices were not going to get the people I loved killed. “I’ll go with you and stay. I’ll do anything you want and you can spend my money and enjoy all the power that goes with it.”

“Well, well, this might have possibilities.” He walked over and stuck the gun to my temple. “Kiss me, Samantha. You better make me believe that you’re going to behave like a good little girl.”

My insides crawled but I kissed him like I was kissing Dodge. When I pulled away, he smiled and lowered the gun. “Very nice.” Then he licked his lips. “In fact, very tasty.”

“But my money isn’t mine until tomorrow,” I told him, thinking of the only excuse I could to delay the two of us leaving. “We can’t go until then.”

“Samantha, your money will be yours tomorrow no matter where you are. It’s not the kind of prize you have to be present to win.”

“People are going to ask questions if I just up and disappear.”

“That’s okay, I have a plan for that. I think there are three judges here at the party.” He grabbed my arm and yanked me toward the door. “Let’s change this welcome back party to a wedding.”

Bret slipped his gun into the pocket of his tux, then pointed it at my side. “Let’s walk back to the party together, love. We’ll find a judge and then have a nice quiet ceremony. No one else will know we got married until my brother prints it in his article tomorrow.”

Now what? I wondered. At least I was out of the garage and still alive. My nerves coiled tight as my eyes darted around, searching for someone to help me. I walked next to Bret up the path toward the house.

When we were within a few yards, he stopped and pulled me back. “Remember, if you try to escape – that means saying the wrong thing, waving to the wrong people, or anything else - I’ll kill the people you care about most. No hesitation and no easy death, either. It will be slow and extremely painful for all of them.”

“Then let’s try to avoid them. Judge Reynolds is probably sitting in my dad’s office. He likes to go in there and smoke his pipe. But sometimes my uncle smokes with him.”

Bret nodded. “Then you better make sure he’s alone.”

We went through the back door. Sylvia stood by the counter steeping a cup of tea.

“Good evening, Sylvia,” I said before she could speak. “You’ve done a great job with the caterers this evening. Remind me to give you a raise.”

“Thank you, Miss Samantha,” she said, frowning and pulling the teabag out of the mug and setting it on a small plate.

“Is my uncle smoking up in Dad’s study?”

“No.” Her eyes narrowed a bit.

I gave her a big smile. “That’s good. I want to show Bret Dad’s pipe collection.”

Sylvia nodded, then followed me with her eyes as we left the kitchen. Uncle George stopped smoking twenty years ago, so I hoped she realized that my words were a cry for help.

I led Bret quickly through the house, stopping a few times to nod and smile at people.

Then up the back stairs and into Dad’s office. Sure enough, Judge Reynolds sat behind the massive cherry wood desk, smoking.

He stood as we came into the room. “Oh, I’m sorry, Samantha. I just couldn’t resist coming in and using one of your dad’s wonderful pipes.”

“It’s okay, Judge. That’s why I don’t get rid of his collection.”

The judge looked from me to Bret.

“Oh, Judge Reynolds, this is my fiancé, Bret.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Fiancé?”

“Yes, that’s why Uncle George made such a production out of signing the annulment papers today. Bret and I want to get married.”

“Well, congratulations, Samantha.” He came around the desk, gave me a big hug and extended his hand to Bret. “Congratulations to you, young man. You’re a very lucky man.”

“I feel lucky,” Bret said and shook his hand.

“Judge, could you do me a favor?” I asked.

“Of course, Samantha.”

“Would you marry Bret and me?”

He smiled. “I’d be honored to, Samantha. When’s the blessed event?”

“Now?” I said.

He raised his eyebrows. “Now? You have your license and everything?”

“No, but I’ll get it and have Bill down at the courthouse mail it to you. You can sign it and get it back to me.”

“Are you…” he hesitated for a moment.

“No.” I laughed. “I’m not pregnant. It’s just that Bret has taken a job overseas for a year and I want to go with him. We want to be married first.”

“What about George and Jed?” Frank asked.

“I’ll have another ceremony when we get back. Then you can do it again and we’ll invite everyone to the ceremony and reception.”

“Well then, okay. I guess I can do it.”

I gave him a big hug. “Thanks so much.”

He shook his head. “You never do anything the traditional way, do you, girl?”

I smiled.

“Well, let’s see. I haven’t done a wedding in thirty years. Your dad probably has a book in here for civil ceremonies. Let me get one.”

The judge went to the bookcase and started looking for the right book. Bret leaned over, pulled me closer to him, and whispered into my ear, “You are a wonderful liar, Samantha. You could have made a lot of money doing cons if you hadn’t been born with such a golden spoon in your mouth.”

I yanked my arm away from him.

“Ah, here it is,” Judge Reynolds said and brought the book over to the desk. “Okay, you two stand in front of me.”

We took our places.

He opened the book, looked down, and then up at me and Bret, “Dearly beloved,”

Bret interrupted, “Can you skip all that stuff, Judge? Samantha and I have a plane to catch.”

“Sure,” he frowned, but flipped a few pages. “Okay, here we go. If there is anyone who objects to this union let them speak now or forever hold their peace.”

Bret looked at me and smiled.

That’s when Dodge strolled into the room, holding his gun, and said, “I’d have to object to that.”

Bret pulled his gun and yanked me against his body. “We’re leaving here, Dodge.”

“I don’t think so.” He shook his head.

“What the hell?” Judge Reynolds said.

Bret quickly pointed the gun at him and fired. There wasn’t any noise, just a wisp of smoke. The judge fell to the ground and lay still. The gun was back on my temple before Dodge could even move. Bret had killed the judge without hesitation and with very little effort.

He pulled me closer to his body. Suddenly this all felt way too familiar. Hadn’t I been in this exact spot before? But last time, I was a ghost and the bullet couldn’t hurt me. This time was different.

Dodge started to move toward Bret.

“Step back, cop! What? You’re going to let me shoot her? You want to watch her die, too?”

“What do you mean? Watch her die, too?” Dodge said. “Have we met before?”

“Idiot cop!” Bret laughed, then said to me, “How could you love such a moron?”

Dodge looked confused.

“Dodge,” I said.

Dodge looked at me and smiled. “Don’t worry, Samantha. I’ll get you out of this.”

“He’s the man that shot Cynthia,” I said.

“What?” Dodge said, his brows furrowing.

Bret laughed again. “Everything is connected and, eventually, every action has a consequence, remember, Dodge?”

Dodge’s jaw tightened, his anger clearly evident.

“You know what’s really funny, Dodge?” Bret yanked my hair, pulling my head back toward his. “If this bitch had died five years ago, your wife would still be alive.”

Tears stung my eyes as pain shot through my scalp where he pulled my hair. “What?” I struggled to get free.

Bret smacked the side of my head with the side of the gun hard enough to make stars to explode in my head and my knees buckle. He pulled me off my feet and yanked me back. I heard him yell, “Stay still.”

My head spun with waves of nausea and pain and I could feel blood dripping down my face.

I heard him say, “I know you’re not the smartest man in the world, Dodge, so see if you can follow me, okay? This bitch’s foundation caused the death of my mother. My brother had to stop working at a local YMCA and take a full-time job at the auto factory to pay off her hospital bills.”

“What’s that got to do with me or my wife?” Dodge asked.

“Stay with me, Dodge. The Gerald Foundation decided to move that factory to Mexico. I knew if this bitch died, then the business would be given to the employees. Who’d have thought she’d survive a car crash and an explosion? But she did. I didn’t know where she was, but there wasn’t a funeral, so I knew she was someplace. If she’d have just died, then it would have all been over.”

“What?” Dodge looked even more confused than before.

“The factory was moved and my brother was fired.”

“His brother is Cyrus Clancy.” I interjected and saw a flicker of understanding in Dodge’s eyes.

“That’s right. She left him unemployed, with five kids to feed, and hospital bills to pay. He was desperate, so he tried to rob that liquor store and accidentally killed the clerk. If he hadn’t gone to jail, I wouldn’t have had to kill his jerk boss and his family. That ass could have fought the move, or offered to let my brother move to Mexico and continue working, but he didn’t. Everything would have been perfect without Samantha. You, Dodge, would be a father.”

Dodge’s eyes widened.