Dead in Her Tracks (Rogue Winter #2)(26)

The stash of bills in Bob’s house. Donald gave him cash and oxy in payment.

“Bob knew what I liked in a woman. He’d let me know when one came into the bar alone. At first I’d simply take them to the motel, and they’d leave the next morning, usually embarrassed and angry.”

None of them called the police? Stevie wanted to cry for all the women he’d raped. He must have made them believe they’d simply drunk too much. And that it’d been their fault.

Donald stared off into space. “I wanted more time with them. So many of them just ran off. We decided to bring them here.”

Where were those manners you preached to me about?

“Donald, what did your mother think of this?” she whispered.

Horror crossed his face. “Oh, I didn’t do it before Mother died. Of course not. My evenings were spent with her. She would have been shocked to know that I started going to Fletcher’s.”

Stevie didn’t want to know what he’d done in the evenings with his mother.

He glared at her. “My mother would have hated you if she could see you today. She always thought Patsy’s girls were good girls, but you’re clearly a whore. Whoring around with the chief of police.” He jerked his hand away from her hair, pulling a chunk out of her head.

Tears welled at the sting.

He stood, shoving his chair backward, and strode toward the door.

“Mother will be happy that I can redeem you.”

The door slammed behind him and three locks slid into place.

Redeem me how?



“I haven’t seen Stevie tonight,” Jake stated. “I’m sorry she’s missing, but I don’t know anything about it!”

Zane had the man’s shirt in his grip, pressing Jake’s back against the wall in the dark hallway next to the men’s room at Fletcher’s. It stank.

Jake didn’t look scared; he looked pissed.

Zane searched his eyes in the poor light. He believed him. “Fuck!” He gave Jake a shove to the side and slammed his fist into the wall where the man had stood. The wood paneling cracked.

“Holy shit,” Kenny muttered beside him. “Watch it, Zane.”

Zane counted to ten. “Jake.” He didn’t look at the man. “Someone’s taken Stevie. The same person who killed Vanessa Phillips and possibly a few other women. You know Bob was caught on video putting Vanessa’s body in his SUV. Where was he taking her?”

“Well, you don’t have proof that Bob put—”

“Jake! We have the footage! It’s proof! You claim you were a close friend. You tried to beat up Tony Cooper because you thought he’d killed Bob. There’s a good chance whoever was helping Bob with these women is the one who has Stevie right now. Who else did Bob trust? Who’d you see him with?”

Jake shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at the ceiling, gnawing on his lower lip. “Well, I always thought his conversations with the pharmacist were weird. What did Bob see in that old loser? Each time he stepped foot in the bar, Bob kissed his ass.”

“Donald Montgomery?” Ice shot through Zane’s limbs.

The last person who saw Stevie.

“Yeah, I didn’t get it. I had orders to give the guy all the drinks he wanted on the house. He really wasn’t a big drinker. He’d order one mai tai and nurse it all night. Girly drink. I always wondered if he was gay and Bob felt sorry for him.”

Zane fought the urge to bang Jake’s head against the paneling.

“Bob even helped him with some repairs at his house one summer. He hauled concrete blocks for three days. Said Donald’s basement was starting to crumble. Shit. I asked Bob to help me paint a bedroom and he just laughed at me.” Jealousy filled his voice.

He’ll need a place to hide them. Somewhere he’s comfortable.

That big old house of his mother’s.

Acid emptied into his stomach, and Zane looked at Kenny. “Notice anything unusual when you were over there?”

Kenny shook his head. “Donald seemed real concerned we couldn’t find Stevie. Said to call him if we needed help.” His face cleared. “Security camera. He’s got a camera aimed at the front porch. I noticed one on the corner of the house too, pointing at the side entrance. Think it’s a warning system, not a security system?”

Basement. Concrete blocks.

“Let’s go find out.”





CHAPTER TWELVE





“Let’s get him out of there,” Zane said to Kenny as he drove toward Donald’s home. “Since Donald offered to help with the search, call and tell him we desperately need every extra vehicle on the road. He helped search for Bruce. Tell him we need him again. Don’t let him say no. As soon as he leaves, we’ll go in.”

“Got it.” In the passenger seat, Kenny pulled out his cell phone. A stricken look crossed his face. “We still don’t have a phone number for him!”

“Shit.” Zane mentally shifted gears. “You’ll have to knock on the door again. Convince him we need his help.”

“But what about you?”

“You’ll drive up his long driveway. Let me out at the road and I’ll sneak up in the shadows. I’ll get into his house somehow.”