Читать книгу Trail of Secrets - Sandra Robbins - Страница 12

THREE

Callie rose in bed and pounded her pillow again in an effort to get more comfortable. Her statement that she wouldn’t have any trouble falling asleep had come before a strange car had stopped in front of her uncle’s house. Even though she had watched it drive away, every time she closed her eyes, she either relived the gunshot blasting into the car, the scene of a man with a pillow over her uncle’s face or a dark car with its engine idling in front of the house.

She glanced at the cell phone lying on the bedside table and sighed. Four a.m. It would probably be sunup in an hour or so, and she hadn’t slept a wink. Groaning, she sat up on the side of the bed and rubbed her tired eyes. She wouldn’t be able to keep her eyes open at the hospital when she went back later today, but she couldn’t help it. Her raw nerves refused to let her relax, and she climbed out of bed.

She put on her robe, slipped her cell phone in her pocket and went downstairs. Maybe a glass of warm milk would help her fall asleep. After heating some milk, she carried the cup into the den and sipped at it as she stared out the window into the backyard.

The tree she’d climbed as a child seemed to wave its branches at her as she stared into the darkness. She smiled, remembering the times she had called for her uncle, who was usually busy in his office next to the den, to come watch her climb one branch higher. He had always answered her summons. She still had trouble believing he’d been just as devoted to an unsolved case.

She paused in remembering and turned her head to stare at the door leading from the den into the office. That room was where he kept all his important papers. Could there be something in his desk that would help her understand his obsession with the case she’d learned about tonight?

Easing into the room, she switched on the light, placed her cup of milk on the desk and sat down in the chair behind it. She spread her hands out over the smooth wood on the desktop and closed her eyes for a moment. She could almost feel the presence of the man she thought of as her father.

After a moment, she opened the right-side top drawer, but there was nothing inside except a collection of pens and pencils along with a stapler and an assortment of rubber bands. The drawer below held odds and ends, too. When she opened the bottom drawer, which looked to be the deepest, there were only a few papers lying inside.

She was about to close it when something strange caught her eye. The drawer appeared deeper than the two above it, and yet it had little room inside to hold items. She leaned closer and stared at the interior before pulling the papers out and tapping on the bottom of the drawer. A hollow-sounding noise told her the drawer had a false bottom.

She grabbed a letter opener from the desktop and slipped it between the edge of the bottom and the side of the drawer. The bottom of the drawer sprang open to reveal a large three-ring notebook inside.

Her heart pounded as she pulled out the notebook and laid it on the desk. With shaking fingers, she opened it and gasped at the picture of a woman, her eyes closed in death, on the first page. Tears filled Callie’s eyes as she read the caption written in her uncle’s familiar handwriting underneath the picture.

Hope

You will never be forgotten.

Callie swallowed her tears and turned the page. Entries that followed described the discovery of the body on the banks of the Mississippi River, the medical examiner’s report and facts about the investigation. It seemed every detail that had been known about “Hope” at the time of her death was listed on the pages. What pricked Callie’s heart was the fact that nothing about her identity had been added in the years since.

She turned to the next section and read through what appeared to be hundreds of reports on missing persons near Hope’s determined age who had disappeared from various parts of the country about the same time as she had. Each entry contained notes on the victim, her uncle’s contact with the families and his conclusion that this wasn’t a match to the woman he was looking for.

She frowned as she leafed through the thick stack of reports. He’d spent endless hours through the years tracking down dozens of leads, but nothing had yielded the identity of the one he’d buried in Memphis twenty-five years ago.

Callie had never stopped to think about the number of people who disappeared in this country every year. Her uncle had known, though, and he had cared. She turned back to the picture of Hope and stared at it again. Who was she? Where had she come from? And how did she end up dead in the Mississippi River? Those thoughts must have run through her uncle’s head every day.

She noticed a piece of paper that looked different from the others sticking from the back of the notebook, and she turned to it. It was a flyer advertising a homeless shelter near downtown. The name Dorothy Tipton, written in her uncle’s handwriting, was paper-clipped to the flyer. What was that about?

She turned another page and frowned at the names listed with phone numbers beside them. She read through the names, but she’d never heard of any of them. One near the bottom had a check mark next to it, and she stared at it. Melvin Harris. Who could he be? She made a mental note to ask Seth if he knew the man.

Closing the notebook, she sat there a moment thinking about what she’d found out tonight. Even though the news of her uncle’s secret case had surprised her, she had a different feeling toward it now. Hope had been a real person to him, a woman whose dreams and desires had been cut short by a killer. He wanted justice for her, and he’d tried to give it to her. Now he might not get to do that. Before, she’d felt only worry for her uncle, but now she understood a little better how much this case had meant to him. She was glad to think that Seth could continue her uncle’s work. She’d turn the notebook over to him when he came by in the morning.

She took the last drink of her milk and was about to return the notebook to its drawer when the sound of shattering glass from the direction of the kitchen ripped through the house.

She bolted to her feet and glanced wildly around to see if anyone came charging into the den. Another crash split the air, and a new fear engulfed her. She grabbed the edge of the desk to steady herself. Hissing and popping sounds mixed with the odor of an accelerant could only mean one thing.

Someone had thrown a fire bomb into the house.

Cold fear washed over her as smoke curled around the corner of the door. Callie grabbed the notebook and ran from the room toward the house’s front door. Before she could reach it, another firebomb crashed through the window to the right of the door. A trail of flames fanned across the entry as a combustible liquid spread across the floor. Another bomb slammed through the window to the left of the door. With a loud whooshing sound a giant wall of fire rose to cut off her exit.

She clutched the notebook to her chest and stared in horror as she realized her escape routes had both been cut off. It only took her a moment to remember what Uncle Dan had taught her years ago when she’d come to live with him.

Holding tightly to the notebook, she dashed up the staircase into her room. She raised the window and stepped out onto the roof of the garage that joined the house at a ninety-degree angle. Uncle Dan, always mindful of her safety, had assigned her this bedroom so she would have an easy escape route in case of a fire on the ground floor.

Callie climbed out the window onto the roof and ran to the end where she shimmied down the gutter drainpipe at the corner of the garage. When she was on the ground, she ran to the back of the yard before she stopped and stared at the house now engulfed in flames.

Tears ran down her face as she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed 911. “Nine-one-one,” the operator’s voice answered. “What is your emergency?”

“My house is on fire!” she screamed.

“Are you at 1901 Willow Springs Road?”

“Yes.”

“Help is already on the way. Someone called it in.”

In the distance she could hear the sirens, and she relaxed. “Thank you. I hear them. They’re almost here.”

Callie disconnected the call and stared at the house where she’d grown up being devoured by flames. Someone was determined to make Uncle Dan suffer. First they’d shot him, then tried to kill him in the Critical Care Unit, and now they’d burned his house down. What more could they do to him?

Her eyes grew wide as the truth hit her like a bolt of lightning. Uncle Dan hadn’t been home, and they knew it. They hadn’t come with the intention of hurting him. She was the one they were after. She could identify the person who’d tried to kill her uncle, and someone didn’t intend for that to happen.

What more could they do to Dan Lattimer? They could kill his niece.

* * *

Seth slammed on the brakes a block away from Dan’s house and jumped from the car. Fire trucks and police cars blocked the middle of the street, and he zigzagged through the obstacle course they created as he raced toward the burning house.

He stumbled when his foot struck a fire hose, slamming him against the side of a hook and ladder fire truck parked next to the curb. Taking a deep breath, he pushed back to his feet and ran toward Dan’s front yard.

Smoke poured from the burning building, and he stopped in the driveway of the house next door to survey the scene. In spite of the valiant efforts the Memphis firemen were waging, it was evident there was no way this house could be saved. At that moment the roof gave way and crashed to the ground.

Seth scanned the gathered crowd, but he couldn’t spot Callie anywhere. Captain Wilson stood in a group of firefighters a few feet away, and he moved over to them. The captain acknowledged his arrival with a nod. “Can you believe this?” he said.

Seth shook his head. “How much more is going to happen to Dan and Callie tonight?”

The captain exhaled a deep breath. “I don’t know. This is the busiest night we’ve had in a long time, and a lot of what’s happened has centered on Dan.”

“I know.” Seth glanced around the bystanders. “Where is Callie? I don’t see her anywhere.”

Captain Wilson pointed toward his cruiser, which sat about halfway down the block. “She’s in my car. Of course she was wearing her robe and pajamas and wasn’t able to save any of her clothes. I told her to sit in there until we could figure out what to do.”

“I’ll go check on her. Maybe I can help.”

Captain Wilson nodded. “Thanks.”

Seth jogged down the street and stopped at the squad car parked there. He opened the front door and leaned in on the driver’s side. Callie sat huddled against the front passenger side door, her head resting against the back of the seat.

“Callie, are you all right?”

She opened her eyes and sat up straighter. “Seth, what are you doing here? You should be home getting some rest.”

He shook his head, climbed in the car and closed the door. “Captain Wilson called me when he got here, and I rushed right over. I wanted to check on you. How did you get out of the house?”

“The way Uncle Dan taught me when I was a child. Out my window, across the garage roof and down the drainpipe to the ground. I used to get tired of him making me practice, but now I’m glad he did. Otherwise I might be burned to a crisp in that house.”

“Do you know how the fire started?”

She gave a wry chuckle. “Well, it wasn’t faulty wiring, that’s for sure.”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I’m sure the firemen have already discovered the smell of accelerant in the flames.”

His eyes grew wide. “Are you saying the fire was set deliberately?”

“Yes.”

For the next few minutes Seth listened as Callie related what had happened after he’d left her at the house. His heart sank when she described the flames racing across the entry and how she’d had to leap over some of them to get to the staircase. When she’d finished, she directed a somber stare at him.

“I keep thinking about how Uncle Dan acted after he picked me up at the airport. It was as if he knew somebody was after him. Why else would he have tried to get me to stay at the Peabody Hotel rather than at home?”

Seth nodded. “The fact that he said he needed to tell me something makes me think he probably had gotten some new information, something that might lead to solving this case. That would mean the shooting attempt was a way to keep him from ever revealing what he’d found out.”

“Yes, but Uncle Dan didn’t die.”

“And you foiled the second attempt on his life.”

Callie let out a long breath. “And now somebody knows I can identify the man who tried to kill Uncle Dan tonight. They want to shut me up for good, too. If I hadn’t escaped the burning house, I’d be dead right now.”

Seth raked his hand through his hair and he gritted his teeth. “This is my fault. I should never have left you alone. How could I ever face Dan again if I let anything happen to you?”

Callie reached over and placed her hand on his arm. “None of this is your fault, Seth. I should have known I’d be in danger after seeing the scar and tattoo on that man in Uncle Dan’s room. But I have to admit, I’m glad I was able to find this before they torched the house.”

He glanced at the notebook that sat in her lap. “You found Dan’s notebook.”

“Yes. Have you ever looked at it?”

“Yes. He showed it to me several times. He would be down in the dumps for days after finding out that his latest lead had gone nowhere. Sometimes I’d go over to his house, and he’d have it open to the woman’s picture. I think he spent a lot of time looking at it and wishing she could tell him her secrets. But of course she couldn’t.”

“I’m glad I was able to save this. Maybe we can look through it tomorrow. There are several things I want to ask you about, but I’m too tired tonight.” She stifled a yawn. “I couldn’t go to sleep earlier, but I feel like I could now. The only problem is I have nowhere to sleep—not to mention no clothes and no money. My wallet burned in the fire. I have no idea where I’m going to stay.”

“I do. You’re going home with me. My sister’s room is empty since she got married, and my mother and I would be happy to have you stay with us while you’re in Memphis.”

Her eyes grew wide. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. Your mother probably hates me because of what happened between us, and I’m sure it would make you feel uncomfortable to have me in the house, too.”

His face grew warm, but he tried to laugh. “I thought we had this settled. Our relationship was over a long time ago. I accepted that and so did my mother. Besides, with all Mom’s activities, she’s gone quite a bit.”

Callie smiled. “So she’s still trying to enjoy life to the fullest.”

“Yeah. I never know what to expect next from her. I don’t know if she’ll be volunteering at one of the hospitals, going on a mission trip to Ecuador or off on a camping trip with her friends to the Smokies.”

“I always liked her. Are you sure she won’t mind my staying there for a few days?”

“She’ll be happy to have you. So, which will it be? I can pay for a hotel room or offer you the hospitality of the Dawtry household.”

She studied him a moment before she smiled. “Thank you, Seth. It’s easy to say we can let the past go, but it’s really hard to do. I know you’re only doing this because you promised Uncle Dan you’d take care of me, but I appreciate it.”

He bit down on his lip and pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “I’ll call Captain Wilson and tell him I’m taking you to my mother’s house. I don’t think there’s any reason for you to stay around here any longer.”

A few minutes later with the message delivered to the captain, the two of them walked back to Seth’s car. He opened the passenger door for Callie and held it for her to climb inside. Before she did, she turned her head and stared over her shoulder at the still-burning fire. He heard a little sob in her throat before she ducked her head and got in.

When he slid behind the steering wheel, he glanced at her. She stared straight ahead through the windshield for a moment before she swiveled in her seat and faced him.

“I’ve always loved my uncle, but tonight when he was almost taken from me twice, I realized how thankful I should have been all these years for a man who devoted his life to me. I feel so ashamed, Seth, for accepting everything he did for me without letting him know how thankful I was for him.”

“You shouldn’t. Dan wouldn’t want that.”

“He wouldn’t, because that’s the kind of person he is. How many people are there who would spend all those years raising their niece or looking for the elusive answers to the identity of a murder victim?”

Seth rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled. “Not many, but then Dan’s not like other people.”

“He’s not. And one thing about him that I tried to ignore but shouldn’t have is that he was always a cop at heart, just like my dad.” She sighed. “I’ve been thinking about what Anthony said about me being able to stand up to the bad guys like my father and uncle did.”

“Why have you thought about that?”

“Because I never thought my temperament was anything like my father’s or Uncle Dan’s. I’m a lot like my mother. She was a very quiet woman. She never forced herself on anyone, and she was quick to ignore things people did to hurt her. Up to a certain point, that is. She would let harsh words or insults go for a while, but then she reached her breaking point. When that happened, I pitied the person she focused her anger on. It was like a dam broke, and all her pent-up emotions poured out.”

“And you say you’re like that, too?” Seth asked.

She nodded. “Maybe not as much as she was, but to some extent. Not many hours ago I flew into Memphis ready to go on a Hawaiian vacation with my uncle, who was about to retire. Within minutes, we were shot at, trapped in a wrecked vehicle and transported in an ambulance. My uncle then endured extensive surgery, was hooked up to life-saving machines and then nearly smothered by an assailant. That was quite enough, but someone wasn’t through. He then attempted to murder me and burned down our house in the process, leaving Uncle Dan with no worldly possessions left. I think that’s quite enough to exceed my breaking point, too.”

Seth frowned. “I don’t understand what you’re saying, Callie.”

She took a deep breath. “I’m saying that because I was there, I’m now on their list, too. Somebody tried to kill me in the wreck and then in the house—not to mention Scarface nearly shooting me before the marshal interrupted.” She gritted her teeth and glared at him. “No way am I going to let these people get away with all they’ve done to my family. Whoever is behind all this has to be stopped. We need to find out who these people are and why they want to kill Uncle Dan and now me. And in finding them, we just might be able to discover Hope’s identity and why someone doesn’t want it revealed.”

Seth stared at her in disbelief. “Are you saying you want to track down whoever’s done these things to you and Dan?” He chuckled and shook his head. “Callie, you’re a college professor. You know nothing about police work.”

She nodded. “I know that, but I’m smart, Seth. And I’m determined. I can figure things out, and you understand how to investigate. I think we’d make a good team.”

“I don’t know, Callie. This is too dangerous for you to get involved in.”

“I’m already involved, Seth. Somebody welcomed me into this case when he pointed a gun at the car I was riding in. I want to know who it was and why he did it. I think the only way to find out who that was is to first find out who Hope was and how she ended up in the Mississippi River.”

He stared at her for a moment before he smiled. “Maybe you’re right. I’d sure like to solve Dan’s case. It can’t hurt to give it a try. But first, let’s try to get a few hours’ sleep before we make any decision on this.”

She buckled her seat belt and smiled. “That sounds good. I just hope I’m able to sleep after facing your mother for the first time since we broke up. I don’t imagine she’s going to be happy to see me on her doorstep.”

Seth started to protest his mother would welcome Callie into their home, but instead he shook his head. His mother loved her children, and she could be as ferocious as a mother bear in protecting her offspring.

Uncertain of what awaited them, Seth started the car and headed toward home.