Wrecked (Josie Gray Mysteries #3)(88)
Delores stood and walked quickly into the kitchen. She brought back a chair and sat next to Sheila, who was sobbing now. “This isn’t about a fight between you and your mother. Or even about whether Wally is a good or a bad person. The police have to find him. If they don’t get that money back, Dillon Reese will be killed.” Delores felt the hitch in her own voice, even saying the words.
“He’s hiding, here in Artemis, but I don’t know where for sure.”
“How do you contact him?”
Sheila wiped tears from her face and struggled to catch her breath. Delores got up and grabbed a tissue box from the bathroom. Sheila finally calmed down enough to speak.
“He calls me, maybe once every few days. He just says he’s nearby. That he’s waiting until he can get Hec and get him out of town to safety.”
“Is he camping by the river?”
Sheila gave her a pained expression and groaned. “He made me swear I wouldn’t tell anyone.”
“Come on, Sheila. A man’s life could be saved. Where along the river?” Delores insisted.
“I don’t know exactly. He’s staying in an old barn where he can keep watch over Hec. That’s all I know.”
Delores grabbed both of Sheila’s hands in her own and waited until the young woman made eye contact with her. “Promise me that you won’t contact him. That you won’t tell him we had this conversation. Even if he calls you tonight. Promise me that?”
Sheila nodded. “I do. I promise. He’s gone too far. I didn’t know all of this. I really didn’t.”
Delores squeezed her hands. “You did the right thing. You may have just saved a life tonight. Maybe even Wally’s.”
*
Once Delores was back in her car she found her cell phone in her purse and turned it on. She hardly ever used it, but Otto had convinced her to keep it with her as a safety precaution. He answered on the first ring.
“Delores?”
“Otto, I’m sorry to call. It’s about Wally. Have you found him?”
“No. What’s going on?”
“I talked to Sheila, Maggie’s daughter?”
“Yes, I know her.”
“She’s dating Wally. Drove Maggie just about crazy. They won’t even speak about it.”
“Delores, what did she tell you?”
“She says he’s staying in an old barn by the river.”
“You’re a saint. Sit tight. I’ll call when I know something.”
Delores could hear the pride in Otto’s voice at the information she had just provided, and she knew she had made the right choice.
*
Ten minutes later Josie and Marta appeared on the road, dark shadows against the night. They had found nothing and came back to check in. Otto filled them in on his conversation with Delores.
“There’s a barn back behind the Camp and Kayak. I saw it, but the roof’s caved in. If he’s staying there he can’t see the yard. He’d have to move down during the night. But it would provide good cover,” said Marta.
They got into Otto’s jeep and drove to the Rankins’ house and parked in the tree-lined driveway. Marta knocked on the door and Lisa answered in sweatpants and a T-shirt, her hair in a ponytail. Marta came quickly to the point of their visit.
“Has anyone been in the barn over the past month? Any of your kids play out there?” Marta asked.
“No, that thing needs to be bulldozed. We just haven’t dealt with it. The kids are forbidden to go near it. It’s old and already partially caved in.”
“We believe Wally Follet may be hiding out there so he can keep an eye on Hector.”
“On our property?” Lisa asked, shuddering. She made a noise of disgust. “I hope you find him, lock him up, and throw away the key.”
“I just want to make sure you’re all safe and accounted for. Are you and the kids all inside right now?”
“Yes, we’re all inside.” She furrowed her brow in worry.
“I want you to lock the doors and stay inside and away from the windows until you hear from us.”
“Should we leave?”
“No, precautions are in order, though. Keep the kids inside. We’re going to check the barn out. We’ll let you know.”
Shortly after they left, they noticed lights in the house being turned off.
The Rankins’ property was a long strip of land sandwiched between the road and the river. It was only about a hundred yards deep, but a half mile long. The house and a quarter mile of man-made beach were open to the river. To the left of the beach area a small grove of trees and dense scrub brush blocked the river from view. A dilapidated wooden hay barn about twice the size of the house sat in front of the trees. It was located far enough down the road from the house that Wally could easily hide inside it. The outside walls were caving inward, but it was intact enough that someone could enter it and take cover in the center.
It was decided that Josie and Marta would check the barn first, while Otto remained by the road with a clear view in case of an attempted escape. They had all agreed that Wally wouldn’t cross the water; they were fairly certain that he had already scoped out Medrano’s men, situated just over the other side. If Wally wasn’t in the barn, they would try to find the route that he most likely took from the barn to the river when he observed the Medranos and Hec.