Kee Patterbee - Hannah Starvling 03 - The Priest Who Ate a Poison Petit Fore (29 page)

“Didn’t answer?” Hym asked, his voice more awake.

“No.” Hannah thought for a moment more. “I’m worried.””

“Yeah, I kind of got that. Why?”

“Just my gut. Maybe it’s off.”

Hym sat up and slid over to the edge of the bed to sit beside his wife. He slid his arm around her and gave a concerned look. “Your gut instinct, huh? Have you tried Al’s?”

Hannah dialed again. After it rang several times, she held it up for Hym to listen. His eyes narrowed a bit.

“Voice mail.” Hym scratched at his chin. “Well, it is early, but you’d think one of them would answer, if only because of that reason. What do you want to do? I could call Twilight General, and see if they’ve had any emergency admissions.”

Hannah swallowed hard. The thought that she had sent them to see the twin of a suspected killer crossed her mind. Though he purported himself to be a religious man, she knew that this did not mean he acted as such.

“We don’t have many options. You call them. I’ll call Chief Malloy and see if he can send one of his men over to check out the cabin.””

Hym gave Hannah a questioning expression. “He’ll do that for you?”

“I’ve done him a few favors, so he still owes me.”

“Of course he does. What was I thinking?”

Both husband and wife picked up their phones. After some quick internet searches, they found numbers and dialed. Though unhappy about the hour, Malloy, as predicted, agreed to send over a patrol car to the Janus’ rented cabin. Hym reported no admissions to the local emergency room. Hym eyed the small coffee maker in the hotel room. “I’ll make some,” he said picking up the pot. “It’s going to be a bit before they get back to you I’d imagine.”

A half hour later, after Hannah finished off her second cup, her phone sounded. She grabbed it and put it on speaker so Hym could listen in. The voice of an older gentleman came on.

“Hannah, its Paul. Listen, I sent a car out like you asked. Your friend Alvin Hayes was inside.”

Hannah’s eyes widen and she gulped in air, trying to breathe. Malloy’s next words seemed an eternity in coming.

“Someone tied him up. Gagged and blindfolded him, too. They also stunned him at some point, but otherwise, he’s okay. They took him to the hospital just to check for sure, but your other friend…”

“Cate.”

By this time, Hannah’s legs were growing weak. She staggered back and almost fell, but Hym managed to steady her.

“Yes. This Janus fellow took her. Do you have any idea why he would just take her? Or where he would?”

Hannah let out a burst of air. Her hand came to her chest as Hym helped move her to the edge of the bed.

“Hannah?” Malloy asked. “You there?”

“I…I am. I don’t know for sure. She’s been helping me on this case.””

“You said this was about an investigation when you called earlier, but give me details.”

Hannah gave a nervous, brief summation of the case to the Twilight police chief. He said nothing but listened until she finished.

“Okay. Well, you said this Sheriff Borden already had an APB out on this woman, Ruth Wormwood. I did the same for Raymond Janus. Law enforcement across the state is looking for him and Ms. Jordan. I’d imagine from what you just told me that he’’s headed to wherever his sister is.”

“But we don’t know where she is,” Hannah responded in a despondent tone.

There was a silence on the line for a moment before Malloy continued. His voice was sympathetic.

“I know, but there’s not much more we can do until we find them. Just stay put and I’ll keep you apprised.”

“Will do. Thank you, Paul.”

“Always, Hannah.”

The line clicked off.

Hym, who again sat beside his wife on the bed looked over at her but said nothing. He reached over, pulled her into his arms, and held her as tears hit his arms.

“I don’t know what to do,” Hannah said, near sobbing. “For the first time in forever, I don’t know what to do.”

Hym pushed her from his chest and looked straight into her eyes. “You get dressed. We go tell Buster and Magdalen, then Sindee and Jayland. We get in touch with Al and make sure he’s okay. Then we start figuring out where this jackass took our friend.””

Hannah gave Hym a hug and agreed.

*****

Chapter Twenty Four

Ten minutes later, Hym and Hannah headed down the hall to Buster and Magdalen’s room. They had checked into the same hotel, much to the consternation of Gran. Papa Jay informed his wife that “Until this resolved, ain’t nothing gonna happen no how” and “to get over it.” Rather than argue the point, Gran acquiesced.

After rousing Buster and Magdalen, Hannah informed them of the situation. Buster, hearing that his adoptive cousin was now hostage responded with contained fury. Upon hearing the news, the large framed, handsome actor rose to his feet and clenched his fists into solid balls. In a methodical, calculated voice, he said, “If he hurts her……in any way…I will kill him.” He then stepped away to look out the window. Hannah walked over beside him and stared out into the night as well. For a while, Hym and Magdalen sat on the edge of the bed watching the two. After a while, Buster readjusted his stance. “I’m not kidding. Prison, no prison. I don’t care.”

Hannah reached over, took hold of his hand, and squeezed. “I know you’re not. Just one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“I get to help.”

Buster agreed with a nod.

Hannah gave one more squeeze of the hand. “Now, get dressed. We need to wake Gran and Papa Jay. Let them know. I also need to get in touch with Sheriff Borden. Then we call Al.” She glanced down at Buster’s boxer shorts. “Rocket ships?”

“Yeah. Some days, even my lucky underwear doesn’t help.”

Though the circumstances seemed dire, Buster’s remark made her give a half chuckle. If nothing else, Hannah thought, he always makes me laugh.

*****

After giving Papa Jay a call and waking them, the elder Starvling agreed to pick the four up at the hotel. A short time after doing that, the group, all gathered in the Starvling’s RV, which Papa Jay parked in front of the Medical Center. Borden soon joined the group inside. Stepping in, Hannah apologized for waking him.

“Are you kidding me? The only real police work I get to do for the most part is track down stolen farm equipment or break up brawls after the football games.” Taking in the spacious interior of the RV, the lawman also commented that he was ““in the wrong business.”

Inside, everyone gathered around a small center table. Buster sat petting the jet-black cat, Casper. Papa Jay held the Yorkie named Gigantor. Gran sat next to him, petting the small canine, and Hazelnut lay between Hym and Hannah on seat along the vehicle’s wall. Borden stood just to the side of all. An uneasy truce existed between the beasts as the rest listened to the phone.

“Just a stun gun,” Al said. “Two small burn marks is all. But Cate…”

“We’re working on that,” Hannah informed. “Trying to find out why he took her. I need you to give every detail that you can remember.”

All could hear as Al let out a breath. Hannah could tell from his voice that he was on edge. Cate was Hannah’s best friend, and Buster’s adoptive cousin. However, it was Al that she was in love with, and he with her. Hannah recalled how she felt when a murderer took Hym hostage during a case early in their relationship. It about killed me, she noted. He’s feeling helpless. She tried to reassure the man.

“Al, I will do everything I can for her.”

“I know you will.” He cleared his throat.

“Okay, listen to me. I need every detail so, as strange as this is going to sound, I need you to close your eyes and try to relax.”

“You’re trying to hypnotize him?” Borden responded in a disbelieving voice.

“No, just helping him recall. Trust me.”

“Can do.”

After a pause, Hannah began.

“Breathe deeply through your nose. Let it out through your mouth. Three times. Then begin. Picture it in your mind. Brief, short sentences. Tell us what happened. Remember every word.”

“Okay, we pulled up. Knocked on the door. Father Janus came to the door. We explained who we were. He asked us in.”

“How did he act?” Hannah inquired.

“Uhmm. Nervous, but friendly.”

“Good. Keep going.”

“He offered us a seat. Went to the kitchen and came back with two table chairs. I sat on the left. Cate on the right.”

“Where did Janus sit?”

“Across the way from us on the couch. Cate asked him about Ruth Wormwood.”

“Did he seem upset at the mention of her name?”

“No, he just looked at her, and then she asked if it were his sister. He squirmed a bit and asked how she knew that. She said you asked her to look into him. I think it made him mad. His expression changed. Angry like. He demanded to know where you were. Cate said you were in Happiness, checking on Whipson. That’s when I blacked out.”

“He zapped you.”

“No, someone else did from behind.”

Hym leaned back and crossed his arms. “Well, we know where Wormwood went.”

“You didn’t hear anything else?” Hannah asked Al.

“No, next thing I knew, I found myself tied to the chair, blindfolded. I think Cate was gone. I couldn’t hear her. Couldn’t hear anybody. I sat there for a long time.””

“How long?”

“Two hours, maybe. I heard a car pull up. I tried to free myself but just managed to tip myself over. Then this officer untied me, asking if I was okay.”

Hannah wiggled her nose for a second before answering back. “Alright, now listen to me. Stay by the phone in case they call or in case she finds a way to. Chief Malloy will want to put a trace on your phone. Let him. It’s pointless to tell you to relax, so just be strong. I’’ll let you know the minute I hear something. You do the same for me.”

“Alright.” Another pause crossed the space. “Take care of her.”

Hannah produced a sympathetic smile. “I will.” With that, she hung up.

Everyone sat staring at the phone. The frown on Buster’s face told Hannah of his increasing frustration and anger at the situation. Magdalen, looking to Buster, told of concern for her newfound love. Gran held hands with Papa Jay. Her concentration meant she was contemplating the case. Papa Jay’s grimace bore the same meaning as Buster’s. Hym’s visage told of concern for Cate, Magdalen, and Whipson, but in particular, for her. She wondered if what they saw in her expression revealed itself. Fear. Out and out, one hundred percent fear. Looking around the room and thinking of Cate, it came to her just how blessed of a life she led. Loving family, friends, and a wonderful new husband. She could not bear the thought of losing any one of them.

“Woof,” Hazelnut let out in response to the sudden quiet.

“Baroof,” responded Gigantor, ears perked.

The sudden outburst made everyone jump and brought the situation back around.

“How long’s it been since they went out,” Gran asked.

“Just before we bunked in. Ten or so.”

“It sounds like they might need another go.”

How long has it been?
Hannah’s thought.

Gran looked up to see Hannah’s quirk presenting itself. “Well, that brought up something.”

Hannah reached out and picked up her phone. She scrolled back through the calls she made, talking as she did so.

“I talked to Cate while we were at dinner. Around 7:30. She was almost at the cabin. It’s now 1:35.”

Buster produced his phone. “Yes.”

Hannah tapped at her phone. “Assuming they arrived and talked to Janus fifteen minutes or so, that would put the attack at around 7:45.”

Everyone leaned in to try to follow along with the sleuth’s line of listening as she continued with intense focus.

“Stun guns tend to knock someone out for around ten minutes. Al thought he was tied up for about two hours. I called Chief Malloy around 11:00. He sent a patrol out and they found him, I’d imagine around fifteen minutes later or so. That all fits. He called us back around 11:30.””

“Where are you going with this?” Borden asked.

“When Gran asked how long it had been since the dogs went out, it got me thinking about two things. Where would Janus and Ruth go, and how long would it take to get there.”

“We don’t know that,” Borden stated. “Otherwise, I’’d have them in custody by now.”

“True enough, but consider what they did. They murdered people. We don’t know why they poisoned those specific people.”

“But they didn't poison all of them,” Hym noted. “Remember Rhoades?”

“Yes, and that’s my point. Remember what I told you after Cate called the last time. Her mother was the woman who Whipson ran up on while trying to steal the car. Janus and Ruth Wormwood are her remaining children. This is about revenge.””

“Well, yeah,” Gran affirmed, “we get that much.”

“So, revenge is about making someone suffer for their perceived sins. Those poisoned were just collateral damage to hurt Whipson. Their crime was knowing and for being close to the Reverend. But I’m willing to bet you a cookie that they didn’’t know that Rhoades was with Whipson the night their mother died. Otherwise, they would have poisoned him as well. Somehow, Ruth found out Rhoades had evidence linking her to the crimes.”