The Negotiation

“You’ve got that right.”

He didn’t need to ask Suzy to clarify her viewpoint. It didn’t make sense that Rachel and Lonnie had been targeted. Even if it had been a crime of opportunity, abducting two people in broad daylight in a public place was brave.

And stupid.

The worst kind of combination when it came to the criminal mind.

“And how are you doing?” she asked. It was Dane’s turn to raise his eyebrow. She clarified. “Not one but two reminders of the past all within one morning? That has to be interesting for you.”

“It definitely wasn’t how I thought today would go,” he admitted, hedging on a concrete answer. “But I guess part of living in and around small towns means that eventually we all run into our pasts. One way or the other.”

Suzy surprised him with a laugh. “If I was Deputy Ward I’d tell you that you sound like a fortune cookie.” She got up and patted her stomach with another laugh.

“Good thing you aren’t Deputy Ward,” he deadpanned.

Suzy waved him off. “You did good today, Captain. Just make sure you don’t stay here all night. Like your cowboy friend said, we’ll keep you in the loop if anything happens. Until then let’s trust our women and men out in the field.”

“Sure thing, Suzy.”

Dane watched her disappear into the hallway and finished off his water. She was right. It had been years since the Saviors of the South had terrorized the department. In the time after, he’d managed to limit how much exposure he had to reminders of that fateful day. Even when it had been hard.

His thoughts went back to a pair of blue eyes.

Angry blue eyes.

Dane pulled out his phone. He went to Recent Calls.

Who were the men who had gone after Rachel?

And why?

* * *

HER NEIGHBOR MARNIE GABLE was front and center the moment Rachel drove up to her house later that night. No sooner had her door opened than she was enveloped in a tight, teary embrace. Marnie’s wild hair of curls even seemed to be trying to pull her in.

“You could have died,” she squalled.

Rachel rubbed her back and smiled. “But I didn’t.”

Marnie pulled back so Rachel could see the shine in her eyes but didn’t let go. “But—”

“But I didn’t,” Rachel interrupted. “I’m here and okay.”

Marnie was a ball of energy at any given time, but as Rachel gently pulled away from her, she saw that the girl was barely holding it together. She had really been scared.

Rachel felt a tug at her heartstrings.

Marnie wasn’t just a neighbor, she was the daughter of her neighbor. Rachel had somewhat adopted the young woman, just twenty-one now, as a friend when she was a teen. Her parents often traveled for work and Rachel had been the ideal babysitter, if only for location. Both of their houses were out in the most rural part of Darby. It was a fair drive from town no matter where you were coming from. There was even a good distance between their two houses. Marnie used to ride her bike over. Now she drove her beat-up green Beetle.

Marnie didn’t seem to believe her claims of being okay. She detached herself and moved to the side so the security light could help her see Rachel better. Her eyes widened when they took in her bandaged wrist and bruised knuckles.

Rachel beat her to addressing them.

“Just some minor aches and pains,” she hurried to explain. “Nothing too bad.” Rachel tried on a reassuring smile and walked around the woman to the front porch. She pulled out her keys.

“I just don’t get it,” Marnie said, following. “Who were those creeps? What were they doing?”

A burst of cool air pushed against them as they moved into the house. Rachel felt tension she didn’t realize she’d been holding start to seep out. From the back of the house a string of meows started.

“That’s the mystery of it all,” Rachel responded. She made a beeline for the kitchen at the side of the house. The sliding-glass door that lined one wall showed the soft glow of the garden lights she’d set up along the side deck. It was comforting in a way. “It’s still an open investigation.”

June the Cat’s meows got louder. Rachel pulled her dry food from the pantry and headed for her bowl. She paused before pouring. “Wait, how did you hear about what happened?”

Marnie managed to look sheepish. “I heard about it on the radio, or at least, they said something had happened at the school. After that I kind of went into snooping mode. Called a few people until I found someone who knew something.”

Rachel gave her a stern glance. “What have I told you about looking into the gossip mill?”

Marnie huffed but answered.

“That the answers aren’t worth the trouble,” she said. “And just looking for those answers usually only makes more gossip for others.”

Rachel nodded. June the Cat looked up at her with mild interest.

“Well, I was worried,” Marnie grumbled. “So sue me.” She went to the breakfast bar and plopped down. Rachel took advantage of the silence to reheat some leftover lasagna. She cut an extra piece and slid it to her guest. It was enough to get the young woman talking again.

“I just can’t believe it happened is all,” she said around a bite. “And they haven’t even caught the men? I mean, what if they didn’t just try to grab you because you were out in the open? What if it’s you they wanted to begin with?”

Rachel was already gearing up to combat Marnie’s worries but came up short. Not because what Marnie had said made sense—she’d already entertained the thought, though she’d pushed it away just as quickly—but because light moved across the deck.

Headlights.

“Your mom wasn’t coming over tonight, was she?” Rachel asked, hopeful.

Marnie put her fork down. She shook her head.

“She’s in Tennessee for the week.” Rachel pulled out her phone.

“Great,” she muttered. It was dead. The battery rarely lasted an entire day without needing a charge. She’d been meaning to get a new one for months.

Marnie peeked over her shoulder. “Are you expecting anyone?”

“No, but I also wasn’t expecting you.” Rachel gave her a quick smile but it didn’t stay long. She left her plate and hurried into the bedroom and straight to her closet. She bent in front of the safe David had insisted they have and typed in the combo. When Rachel turned around holding a handgun, Marnie was there to gasp.

“Stay here,” Rachel warned.

Marnie’s eyes were the size of quarters but she listened.

Rachel went into the hallway, slowly moving across the hardwood to the front of the house. Her earlier insistence that she was okay started to fade away. The weight of the gun in her bandaged hand helped remind her that things could have turned out a lot differently this morning. And they still could. Every step she took toward the front door ate up her calm.