Читать книгу Mountain Captive - Sharon Dunn - Страница 15

Lacey screamed when she awoke in total darkness, sensing that someone else was in her room. A footstep thudded in the darkness moving toward her.

Heart pounding, she fumbled for the bedside light. It didn’t click on. The storm must have taken out the electricity. Her flashlight was in her backpack across the room. The curtains were pulled tight. She couldn’t see anything. The darkness and being awakened from a deep sleep left her disoriented.

She could hear someone moving around the room.

“Who’s there?” She cleared her throat, trying not to give away her fear in her voice. “What are you doing in my room?”

She swung around and let her feet fall on the carpet. What obstacles lay between her and that flashlight? She couldn’t remember. She took two steps before she hit a piece of furniture.

A body brushed up against her. Terror paralyzed her in her tracks. She could sense someone moving very close to her. Her heartbeat drummed in her ears.

Hands wrapped around her neck.

She twisted to one side before the attacker could grab hold of her.

Her heart beat so wildly, it felt like it would jump out of her chest. The man or woman reached out and tugged at her shirt, probably trying to grab her again or feel their way in the darkness. She whirled away, crashing into more furniture.

Someone pounded on the door. “Lacey, is everything okay in there?”

It was Jude.

She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Terror had stolen her voice.

She could hear the intruder fumbling around. Jude was shaking the doorknob.

“Lacey, come on, open up.”

She stumbled across the dark room, feeling along the wall until she found the doorknob. She unfastened the dead bolt and swung open the door.

Jude shone a flashlight into the room. “What’s going on?”

The light bounced around the room. Lacey got only a glimpse of her intruder before he exited out of the other door on the other side of the room. All she could say for sure was that he was a tall thin man. Not the broad-shouldered man she’d seen on the mountain.

Lacey grabbed Jude’s flashlight and ran in the direction the man had gone. The door where the intruder had escaped was ajar. The place was so low security it had been unlocked. She entered an adjoining room that was not occupied but must have been part of a suite that connected to her room at one time. She shone the flashlight all around. The man was gone.

Jude came up behind her. “What’s going on and can I have my flashlight back?”

“Sorry.” She handed it back to him. “There was somebody in my room.”

“I’ll see if I can catch him.” Jude’s footsteps pounded up the hallway and then faded.

She was left in the dark. A rush of terror over the assault, which may have been an attempt on her life, caused her knees to turn to mush.

Jude returned. “I couldn’t see anyone. I don’t know the layout of this place. There are a bunch of boarded up areas. I searched as best I could. I think he must have escaped.”

“I’m sure there is more than one door he could have slipped out of.” Her voice still vibrated with fear.

Jude’s words filled with compassion. “I would have gotten to you faster from my room. It took a minute to find my flashlight in the dark. Why don’t you come back and sit down?” He led her gently back into the room and pointed her toward a chair. He stood at the window and pulled back the curtain. “Looks like the power is out all over town.”

She stared out the window. Her room faced the back of the hotel, so they were looking at residences. All the windows in the houses were dark. She saw only the occasional tiny glow of light coming from a flashlight or a lantern or maybe even a candle.

She wrapped her arms around herself, still trying to process what had just happened.

Jude patted her hand before sitting in the chair opposite her. “Did you get a look at him? Was it the man who came after me?”

She shook her head. “I didn’t see his face. But he was the wrong build for the man we saw on the mountain.”

“Hate to say it, but sometimes people take advantage of blackouts and decide to rob people,” Jude said.

“I suppose I would be a prime target since I’m not from around here.” She touched her neck, remembering that the man had tried to grab her or maybe he’d just been fumbling in the dark. But she was not able to shake off the fear that had sunk into her bones that the attack was connected to what had happened on that mountain road. “Or the man who came after you has an accomplice.” She couldn’t stop shaking.

Jude touched her shoulder. “Hey, it’s all right now. You’re safe.”

She appreciated his kindness, but her heart was still racing.

Footsteps pounded on the stairs and Ray, the old man from the lobby, appeared in their open doorway holding a camping lantern. He held it close to his cheek, so half his face was in shadow and the other half was lit up. “You two are awake. Heard a ruckus up here.” He looked at Jude. “You the fella that left a note?”

Jude nodded. “Yes.”

“What’s all the noise about?” Ray leaned forward to peer in the room.

“Someone was in Lacey’s room,” said Jude. “Did you see anyone?”

“No,” said Ray. “Only two other people are staying at the hotel.”

Ray stood still, holding the lantern, studying both their faces while his was still half-covered in shadow. Did he think they were making this up?

“All I know is someone attacked Lacey,” said Jude.

Ray took a step back. “Electricity is out all over town. Got a fire started in the ballroom and some snacks,” said Ray. Without waiting for their response, he disappeared down the hallway. The old man either didn’t believe him or didn’t want to deal with another problem right now.

The wind rattled the windows. Lacey got to her feet. “We might as well go downstairs. I’m not going to fall back asleep.”

The signs indicated that the ballroom was in the west end of the hotel. The room was huge with wooden floors. Two chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Lacey could picture the parties, dances and banquets that must have taken place here.

Now it was completely empty except for a table, couch and comfy-looking chairs that surrounded the crackling fire. The air smelled like wood polish. Another lantern had been set up on the table. Store-bought cookies, cold cuts, cheese and crackers had been set out. There was also a camp stove with a teakettle on it. All the fixings for cocoa and tea sat beside the stove.

A moment later, two men entered the ballroom and found a seat. Lacey’s heart fluttered. Both the men were the same build as the man who had attacked her. Come to think of it, so was Ray.

The older man pointed to the younger. “I’m Eddie and this is my son Jonathan. Looks like we are in for a long night.”

Lacey and Jude introduced themselves.

Lacey grabbed a paper plate and some food. When she sat down in a high-back chair, the heat from the fire calmed her. The men made small talk while Lacey stared at the fire.

Ray entered the ballroom. “Things have gotten even worse in the last twenty minutes. It’s whiteout conditions outside. A man could walk only a few feet, get disoriented and freeze to death,” said Ray. “Until this storm subsides, you cannot go outside. You’d be taking your life in your own hands.”

Lacey’s throat constricted. “So if someone was in the hotel, they couldn’t leave, right?”

“Not unless they wanted to risk death,” said Ray. “Nope, the smart thing to do is to stay put until this thing dies down.”

The cookie Lacey was nibbling didn’t taste so sweet anymore. She stared at all the men. The only one who was off the hook for attacking her was Jude. He’d come to the door and spoken while the other man was running away.

It was possible too that the three men were innocent and the attacker was hiding somewhere in the hotel. Both alternatives sent a wave of terror through her.

As he snacked on his cheese and crackers, Jude noticed a shift in mood for Lacey. She stared at the fire and gave one-word answers when anyone tried to include her in the conversation. She rubbed her feet together as though nervous.

He felt a little restless himself. How was eight-year-old Maria doing? Was she safe? Was she alone and hungry? His only comfort was that if he was trapped, maybe the kidnapper was too. Once the storm broke, he might still be able to search the houses that connected with that road. Maybe Maria had even been in the car when Jude had been shot at. The kidnapper could have brought her down here and was hiding her somewhere. There were too many unknowns. All he knew was that the longer he was delayed, the colder this case got and the less of a chance that Maria would be returned alive.

Maybe Lacey was right. Maybe the kidnapper had an accomplice. Lacey could identify him, but Jude was the one who had been on his tail. Jude figured it was only a matter of time before he became a target too.

When there was a lull in the conversation, Lacey bolted up from her chair. “You know, I think I’ll go upstairs. Are you coming, Jude? I need to talk to you about something.”

“Sure.” What was she up to?

Jude nodded his goodbye to the other men and then walked with Lacey across the expansive wood floor.

Once they were out of earshot in the hallway, Lacey turned toward him. Desperation filled her voice. “Help me search the hotel.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Ray said there was no way anyone would go out in this. Whoever attacked me must still be hiding in this hotel. He must have snuck in before the storm got so bad,” she said. “I want to know what he was doing in my room. And I want to know that it won’t happen again because he’s been caught.”

He heard the fear in her voice. “Sure. It’s not like I have a busy social schedule.” He hoped the attack on Lacey wasn’t connected to the kidnapping. It was a thin hope at best. He didn’t like the idea of Lacey being in danger after she had risked her life to save his.

“Okay, come with me so I can get my flashlight out of my room,” she said.

She headed toward the stairs, moving outside of the cone of illumination his flashlight made.

“I don’t want the others to know we’re looking. Just in case it was one of them who was in my room.” She stepped on the first stair and turned, waiting for him to come toward her with the light.

They hurried upstairs. While Lacey got her flashlight, Jude retrieved his gun from the nightstand drawer. He shoved it in his waistband at the back and untucked his flannel shirt so it would be covered.

Had Lacey been chosen at random to be robbed? Had she been chosen because as a woman she was more vulnerable? Or was this connected to what had happened on the mountain?

They met in the hallway, both of them holding flashlights. “Let’s search this floor first,” she said. “He ran off this way. At the time, I just assumed he took a back entrance and escaped out into the night.”

He spoke in a low voice as they made their way down the hallway. “Is there something controversial about your research?”

She swung the flashlight back and forth after stepping into an area that may have been some sort of meeting place for hotel guests. There was a fireplace in the center of the room and a very dusty-looking oriental rug. A couple of cardboard boxes were stacked in a corner.

“I don’t think there is anything controversial about my research. If anything, it helps hunters and campers. Why are you asking?”

“Just trying to figure out a motive for the attack.” He really wanted the attack to be unconnected to the kidnapping.

“Motive for the attack? You sound like a cop.” She shone her flashlight in his direction.

“I used to be.” The comment was friendly enough, but he could feel himself retreat emotionally. “Let’s just leave it at that.”

“Sure, Jude.” She swept past him and up the hall, then looked over her shoulder. Even in near darkness her auburn hair had a glossy sheen to it. “I told you everything about my job, but you don’t want to talk about yours.”

He hurried after her. “I said I used to be a cop.”

“So why did you stop being a cop?” She stood in front of an ancient-looking elevator with an out-of-order sign. Her gaze rested on him, waiting for a response.

He reached out and touched the out-of-order sign that looked like it might have been hung during the Carter administration. “Let’s take the stairs.” Jude felt like someone had stirred his insides with a hot poker. Thinking about the past did that to him.

He’d kept all the pain from his past at bay, but here was this redheaded woman showing curiosity about who he was as a man. A part of him wanted to open up to her just to have another person bear the burden with him.

Lacey bounded down two flights of stairs. “He probably wouldn’t hide on the main floor since it is the most used.” At the bottom of the stairs was a large wooden door.

Jude pushed on it. It screeched open, revealing a dark corridor with a series of doors and walls made of stone.

Lacey held the flashlight up to her chin and spoke theatrically. “The belly of the whale.”

He laughed. Her sense of humor was infectious. “You go first, my lady. I’ll back you up.” Maybe too, the humor covered up the fear she must be wrestling with.

They brushed away cobwebs and stepped into the hallway. Their footsteps echoed on the concrete. Each room they searched revealed various items: stored furniture, a broken chandelier and some kitchen appliances. All of it looked like it hadn’t been used in a long time. Lacey stepped into the room where a stove was stored. She shone a light on the dusty surface. Her body went rigid.

Jude stepped toward her. “What is it?”

“This looks fresh to me.” She aimed her light on the dusty stove top where there was a handprint.

Jude shone his light all around the concrete room. All the other rooms had had an abundance of cobwebs but not this one. “Yeah maybe someone was in here recently.”

He saw the fear in her eyes. He patted her shoulder, hoping to comfort her. They continued their search. “It could have been Ray for whatever reason.”

The only room that looked like it was used on a regular basis was the laundry room, which was clean and contained folded linens, three washing machines and two dryers. Some towels hung over a drying rack. They had worked their way down the entire corridor to the other end of the hotel where there was another staircase leading back to the main floor.

“Let’s head back upstairs,” he said.

She rubbed her forehead, still standing at the base of the stairs. “The one thing I know for sure is that someone was in my room and that at one point they had their hands around my neck.” Her voice faltered.

He leaned a little closer to her. “I know an attack like that can be really scary. I think the best thing to do would be to try to get some sleep. If it would help at all, I can sleep in the chair in your room.”

“Thank you. I think I need that.” She turned to face him. “We were strangers less than ten hours ago. I guess we’re in this together for now.”

He did feel a bond growing between them. It was unusual for him to have an instant connection with anyone. His relationships with women seemed to fall apart before they ever got started. There wasn’t much he could do about liking Lacey other than enjoy the time they did have together. His work here would be finished soon enough, hopefully with a happy ending. He’d head back to North Dakota. His gut twisted into a tight knot when he thought about the kidnapped child.

They made their way upstairs, taking a little time to search the main floor. Laughter spilled out from the ballroom. When they peeked inside Ray and Eddie had set up a chessboard. Eddie’s son must have returned to his room.

They stepped away from the ballroom and headed back to their rooms. They stood on the mezzanine looking down on the ornate but worn carpet in the lobby.

The most likely scenario was that whoever had been in Lacey’s room had been there to rob her. All the same, he could not shut off his cop mind. “Is there some reason why someone in this town might be mad at you or your family?”

“I don’t have any connection to this town. I’m from the other side of the state.” She leaned forward, gripping the railing with her hands and staring off into space.

“I thought you said that you moved around a lot?”

“I do. I live in forest service cabins and campers mostly. I grew up in a little town called Jasper.” Her voice faltered. “Haven’t been back there in years.”

There was a depth of emotion to her comment that he could not begin to plumb. He suspected that there was a tragic amount of pain to her statement. “What about your mom and your dad?”

“They’re dead along with my little brother. The only family I have is my grandmother. Honestly, I don’t think my family has anything to do with why I was attacked.”

Jude felt as though all the air had left the room. He picked up on her defensive tone. “I wasn’t prying. I’m just trying to figure this thing out.”

Lacey turned toward him. “Sorry, it’s a time waster to ask questions about my family, okay?”

Just like him she’d grown defensive when talking about the past.

Jude cleared his throat. He stepped away from the bannister. “Why don’t we try to get some sleep. If he is still here in the hotel, I’ll keep watch for him.”

She studied him for a long moment. “Okay...thank you.” She walked the few feet to her room and shut the door behind her. Jude returned to his room to grab his phone, which had a book on it he’d been reading. He knocked on her door. Lacey opened it.

He collapsed into the chair. She got into bed and rolled over.

Jude read for about twenty minutes, dozed and woke up. He’d left the flashlight on to provide some light. A small tattered Bible sat on her nightstand. Maybe her tragic loss had deepened her faith instead of stolen it. It seemed though that both of them had been running each in a different way. Her job meant she didn’t put down roots or connect to a community. After the shooting, he’d quit the force and closed himself off, preferring to put his energy into his work. Lacey was the first person he’d felt any connection to in ten years.

He couldn’t begin to sort through the emotional rupture that had risen up between them. Right now, he needed to focus on keeping Lacey safe. The storm continued to rage outside as Jude struggled to calm his restless mind.