Almost Dead (Lizzy Gardner #5)(73)

Lizzy sighed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Your lucky little pet detective stunt. You and your sidekicks stumble into the dognapper who happened to steal a pug belonging to one of Sacramento’s most beloved citizens.”

“Jacque Mason is a beloved citizen?”

He grunted. “You’re telling me you had no idea who she was?”

“Not a clue.”

“Yeah, well, the phones are ringing off the hook. I guess you made your one call?”

Lizzy nodded.

“Did you tell one of your misfits to call the media or did you do the honors yourself?”

“No,” Lizzy said, “I didn’t call the media.”

“Well, somebody told them what’s going on, because suddenly I’m getting dozens of calls from fired-up citizens who think you should be given a pass considering all you’ve been through.”

Lizzy said nothing.

“And I don’t suppose you had anything to do with the Melony Reed story being leaked?”

“Again, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” But Lizzy knew that meant Derek Murphy had done his job. The rookie journalist must have pulled through and gotten his boss at Sac Bee to publish a story about the Ambassador Club.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “You’re not going to be able to break into any more houses or cause any more trouble while you’re behind bars.”

“I don’t care if you let me go or not, Detective. I just want you to arrest Dana Kohl before she kills anyone else.”

“Because you found a steel box under her bed?”

“Yes. A steel box that contained hundreds of pills and a firearm.”

“It’s legal to own a gun.”

“I understand that, but—”

“She has HIV.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Dana Kohl has been taking upwards of eight pills a day for years.”

“Why does she keep them under the bed?”

“I don’t know. You don’t store anything under your bed?”

“She’s a biochemist.”

“So you want me to go after every person in Sacramento with a major in chemistry?”

“It would be a start.”

He expelled a long breath.

“So what now?” Lizzy asked. “We’ll both sit here and twiddle our thumbs until another dead body turns up?”

He’d given up on using intimidation three conversations ago. Now he just looked tired. “You need help, Gardner.”

“Don’t we all?”

“I’ve already got a call in from your good friend Jimmy. But I could get a call from the president of the United States, and I wouldn’t let you out today. I think you need at least one night behind bars to think about what you’re doing.”

“You’re making a mistake.”

“So you keep telling me.”

“Why not be the hero for once . . . just once. Aubrey Singleton and Chelsea Webster are in danger.”

He shook his head and then opened the door. “Take her back to her cell. We’re done here.”





CHAPTER 52

Shelby’s wrists were bound with duct tape behind her back, and her ankles were also secured tightly with tape. She rubbed her wrists against the wood paneling behind her, frantically, like a Boy Scout might rub together two sticks in hopes of making a spark.

The cabin her captor had brought her to was tiny: one room with a built-in twin-sized bed covered by a flimsy mattress that looked as if it had been dragged in from beneath a woodpile. Every once in a while she’d find a bug or a spider crawling up her leg.

Across the room from her there was a sink and a wood counter, but no other appliances.

From far away, when they had trudged up the mountain earlier, the cabin had looked warm and inviting, reminding her of happier times. That was the moment she’d realized they were very close to the place she’d vacationed with Ben and his parents. The moment she recognized the massive rock feature up on the face of the mountain, she knew this was the same exact area. She and Ben had used the rock formation as a landmark to find their way along the trails. They called it Two-Face Rock. If you were west of it, you saw the profile of a rugged man’s face; from the east, it resembled a kid with its mouth open as if laughing.

If she could get free, she would know where to go. If she could free herself, she could get off this mountain. Ben loved to hike. He’d taken her all over this mountain, taught her how to boulder hop. They weren’t too far from Lake Clementine near Auburn.

Excitement and, best of all, hope made her work faster.

Her captor had left hours ago.

The minute he’d walked out the door to drop off the letter, she’d begun the process of rubbing the duct tape against the rough wood. She could feel the tape loosening. If she could free her hands, she could then work on the tape around her ankles and run.

On their way up the hill, she’d seen tinplates on the roof. It was raining now and each droplet made a loud tinny sound that was annoying as hell.

A section of the tape around her wrists came apart. It happened so fast, it startled her. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she pulled her arms free.

She wept tears of joy.