Too Many Secrets (14 page)

By hooking one elbow, then the other, over the windowsill, Jennie gained enough leverage to pull herself up and poke her head through the window. Then her chest. For the first time since junior high, Jennie was glad she didn't have much cleavage to brag of. Lisa would never have made it through there.

Lisa wouldn't be crazy enough to try
.

She'd gotten about halfway in when she heard footsteps in the hall.
Don't come in … please don't come in
. When she heard the heavy footfall on the stairs she started breathing again.

Jennie managed to crawl the rest of the way in, hoping her entrance didn't sound like a thunderstorm to anyone but her. Once inside, she crept down the hall to the bedroom where Joe and Dan had kept her. The streetlamp provided barely enough light to see the lumpy dark form of a human body stretched across the full length of the bed. Jennie eased forward, leaned against the bed, and turned the body over. Ryan.

She pulled off the gag and untied his arms and feet. “What …”

“Shhh. It's me,” Jennie whispered. “Are you okay?” Ryan sat up and rubbed his wrists. “I … I think so.” He touched the bruise on his forehead and winced. “Got a heck of a headache though.”

“Can you walk?”

Ryan swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood. “I'm not sure.” He swayed and sank back onto the bed, pulling Jennie down with him. She put an arm around his back to keep him propped up.

“What's going on?” His voice was slurred.

Jennie told him what had happened at the cave and after. “I'll fill you in on the details later, but right now we've got to find Gram and get out of here.”

This time when Ryan stood, he seemed stronger but still had to lean against her for support. Gram was in the bedroom across the hall. Jennie rushed forward and undid her gag while Ryan loosened her hands and feet.

“Jennifer Kathleen McGrady,” she whispered, “what in the name of heaven are you doing here?” They wrapped their arms around each other. She'd lost weight, Jennie noticed, but she was alive and strong enough—she hoped—to escape.

“You shouldn't be here,” Gram reprimanded her, still keeping a loose hold on her granddaughter's shoulders.

“I had to come. I couldn't let them kill you. Sheriff Taylor, Joe Adams, Dan, and a guy named J.B. are downstairs right now. They have the diamonds.” As quickly as she could, Jennie told Gram and Ryan that she'd given the diamonds to J.B. and then found the newspaper clippings. “I came to warn J.B. about Sheriff Taylor, then realized he was in on it too. I'm so sorry, Gram. I thought J.B. was your friend. I trusted him. And he's as big a crook as the others.”

“You were right to trust him, Jennie. If he's won Sam Taylor over we're as good as rescued. Joe's on our side too. He's been working undercover … trying to keep us safe and to get enough evidence on Sam and Dan to convict them. With me having the diamonds that's been hard to do.”

Her explanation was interrupted by footsteps on the stairs. “Quick, into the closet—both of you. Stay out of sight.”

“But …”

“Go!” Gram quickly twisted the ropes back around her feet and hands.

Ryan still looked dazed, so Jennie grabbed his hand and pulled him into the closet just as the bedroom door burst open. She watched through the narrow slit between the hinges.

Sheriff Taylor stepped up to the bed, holding one of the diamond bracelets in Gram's face. “Looks like we won't be needing you to tell us where the diamonds are after all. Your friend here couldn't resist my offer.” He laughed. “Too bad he won't be able to enjoy his share.”

“Mr. Bradley …” Sheriff Taylor lifted his gun from its holster and pointed it at J.B. “Have a seat next to Helen.” He turned and shoved the gun into Joe's side. “Hand over your gun, Joe. Nice and slow. That's it. Now, sit on the bed with the others. Move!”

“What's this all about?” Joe lowered himself to the bed on the other side of Gram.

“Did you really think you two could pass yourselves off as crooks?” Sheriff Taylor snorted and shook his head. Jennie leaned back against Ryan for support. His arms went around her. They were going to die. All of them. When Sheriff Taylor and Dan shot Gram, J.B., and Joe, she would scream or cry, and they'd know she and Ryan were there. The sheriff would kill them too.

Get a grip, McGrady. You won't cry. You'll handle it. No. You won't have to handle it because it's not going to happen. You won't let it happen. You're going to come up with a plan
.

Right. A plan. Create a diversion. Yes. That could work. It did in the movies. She'd wait for the right moment, then do something that would distract Sheriff Taylor and Dan so the others could get a jump on them. Jennie pressed her face against the door frame to watch for the right moment.

Sheriff Taylor lifted a hand to stroke Gram's cheek. “We would have made a great team, you and I.” He sounded sad, wistful, as though he really cared about her. “You could have been a wealthy woman, Helen. I'd have taken right good care of you. But you couldn't be satisfied sharing it with me. You had to have it all.” He stepped back beside Dan.

“Sam,” Gram shook her head. “Don't do this. Give yourself up before it's too late.”

He laughed. “It's already too late. You shouldn't have taken the diamonds. In a way, I'm glad you double-crossed me. It makes what I have to do easier. It won't be hard to explain having to shoot you. You being a thief and all.”

“I didn't double-cross you. You know that. I took the diamonds so I could return them to their owners and talk you out of this nonsense. We've been friends for years, and I couldn't stand by and see you destroy your life.”

Sam laughed. “What life did I have to look forward to? Retirement on an $800-a-month pension? That's barely enough to pay the rent.”

“I had hoped I could reason with you,” Gram said. “But you've changed, Sam. You've become as greedy and ruthless as the criminals you helped put behind bars.”

“Maybe,” Sam said. “But I'm a whole lot smarter. The way I figure it, these two officers cornered you and you shot them, but not before one of them shot you. The tragedy of it all was that when you died, the location of the diamonds died with you. I'll retire as planned—maybe head on down to Mexico. Dan,” he beckoned to the man behind him, “let's get this over with.”

“My pleasure,” Dan said as he lifted his gun from its shoulder holster and aimed it at Gram's head.

“No!” Jennie screamed and threw open the door. The room exploded with gunfire.

Ryan yanked her to the floor and fell on top of her. Joe staggered against the wall as a bullet ripped into his shoulder.

Gram leapt at Dan, kicking him hard in the groin and knocking the gun out of his hand. He groaned and doubled over. J.B. punched Sheriff Taylor so hard he collapsed against the wall and sank to the floor.

It was over. Ryan rolled away and Jennie sat up. The whole thing had been so unreal, she half-expected a movie director to bounce in and yell, “Cut. It's a wrap. Great job everyone. Jennie, D-a-w-ling, you were spec-tac-ular.” And they'd all laugh and go home and everything would be like it was before.

But it wasn't a movie.

J.B. and Joe had Sheriff Taylor and Dan sprawled out, belly-down on the floor, while they searched them for weapons and slapped handcuffs on them. The closet door had taken the bullet meant for Ryan and her. The splintered hole was as big as a baseball.

“Are you children okay?” Gram pulled Ryan and Jennie into a three-way hug.

Jennie opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. Now she knew what it felt like to be scared speechless … or was that spitless. Either way worked for her.

Gram lowered her arms and got that I-think-you-and-I-better-have-a-talk look on her face. It was going to be a long night. The look was replaced by one of concern as her gaze shifted from Jennie to the men. “Joe, you're bleeding.”

Jennie spun around, remembering that he'd been shot. Aiming his gun at the sheriff and Dan, Joe held his left hand tight against his right shoulder. Blood had leaked from the gunshot wound onto his shirt and between his fingers. “J.B., how about … giving me a hand with these two. I think …” he winced, “you'd better drive. Helen … I'll need your statement just as soon as you can get to the courthouse. Jennie … Ryan, you too …” Joe's voice trailed off and he buckled.

J.B., Gram, Ryan, and Jennie all moved at the same time. Jennie got to him first.

She placed her fingers alongside his neck, the way she'd been taught in the Red Cross first aid training class, and pressed her other hand against the wound. “His pulse is still okay, but we'd better stop the bleeding.” Ryan pulled off his shirt and helped make a compress. J.B. tended the prisoners while Gram went downstairs to call 911. Minutes later sirens pierced the air.

Between getting Joe to the hospital, taking the prisoners in, and giving their statements, it was three hours before the police in Lincoln City released them. Before heading home they stopped back by the hospital to see Joe. He was in surgery. The doctor had assured them that after he removed the bullet and repaired some muscle and tendon damage, Joe would be fine.

It was after midnight by the time they got back to Gram's. They were all so tired they could hardly stand. J.B. said he was going to his hotel room to sleep for two days. Gram said she was taking a long bath and planned to sleep for a month, then added, “I'll see you in the morning.”

“Want some hot chocolate or something?” Jennie asked Ryan after Gram had gone upstairs.

“Not really,” he said, falling back on the couch. “I think I'm too tired to lift the cup.”

Jennie sat next to him, leaned her head against the cushioned sofa back, and closed her eyes. She felt a little deflated—like a balloon gone flat. Glad they had made it through—glad it was over. But somehow she wasn't ready for it to end.

“You were great tonight,” Ryan said.

Jennie turned her head and looked at him. “Spec-tac-ular.” She laughed and added, “You were pretty great yourself.”

He squeezed her hand. “Want to go agate hunting tomorrow?”

“Love to.” She smiled and closed her eyes again.

Tomorrow
. All of a sudden she loved that word. She had come too close to losing all of her tomorrows.

Tomorrow morning Gram and Jennie would sit down at the kitchen table, or on the patio overlooking the ocean if it was nice, and talk about the case. Gram would lecture her about the dangers of sleuthing and then she'd hug her and feed her blueberry pancakes and bacon and peppermint tea.

Tomorrow they would go to the hospital again to see Joe—they'd take him some flowers and tell him how wonderful he was.

Tomorrow Ryan and she would hunt for agates and shells and play tag in the surf. And he would kiss her and tell her he loved her … maybe.

And tomorrow she would see Mom and Nick … and Michael … and Aunt Kate, Uncle Kevin, Lisa, and Kirk. Tomorrow her family would all be together again. And Gram would be with them. She'd tell the whole story like she did when she came back from Mexico, and no one will believe her—except Jennie, Ryan, and maybe Lisa.

Jennie glanced over at Ryan. He'd fallen asleep. She lifted his feet onto the couch, tucked a pillow under his head, and covered him with a light blanket. After turning out the lights she headed upstairs, past Gram's room, to the spare bedroom.

It didn't take long to get ready for bed. She said her prayers, realizing that God had answered most of hers in the last few days and had kept them all safe. In a way, he'd also answered her prayers about Michael and Mom. It was up to Jennie to set the date for their wedding. She wondered what they'd say if she told them to wait until the end of summer … if she told them she wanted to find Dad first.

Maybe this was God's way of giving her more time to find him. Hope swelled inside her again. “Thank you, God,” she said. “For everything.”

Before turning out the light, Jennie had one more thing to do. She pulled her journal out of her pack and began to write.

Dear Dad,

You'll never believe what happened. I solved my first mystery … okay so I had some help. It was scary—no, make that terrifying. I thought we were all going to die. You should have seen me, Dad. I hung in there like a true McGrady.

I'm going to talk Gram into looking for you, but with Joe in the hospital and J.B. visiting and everyone coming down this weekend I don't know when I'll get the chance.

I will though … you can count on it.

I'll love you forever.

Jennie

Jennie turned off the light and thought about flying to Florida. Maybe they'd be somewhere over the Rockies when she would turn to Gram and say, “Gram, I've been thinking about Dad …”