Moonlight Road (Virgin River #11)(100)

“I don’t have any idea! I just got here! What the hell are you doing here? What do you want?”

“I’m waiting for Aiden. I need a little money,” she said.

Marcie opened her purse. “You can have whatever I’ve got. I must have fifty dollars, at least.”

The woman laughed and it contorted her face. Her lip was swollen and split, her eyes were black and her face appeared a little lopsided. “Really?” she said. “Fifty whole dollars?” She laughed again. “Well, little girl, if we multiply that by about a thousand, we’re talkin’.”

“Ohhh,” Marcie said, holding her middle. “I need water or something,” she said. “I’m not feeling at all right….”

“Help yourself. Then sit down and take a load off. You might come in handy.”

“I might be in labor,” Marcie said. “Which would be a very bad thing.”

“Not my problem.” She shrugged.

“I need to use the phone…”

“Not happening, chickie. Get your water and sit.”

“Oh, God,” she moaned.

The woman smiled evilly. “Not at this address, babe,” she said coldly.

Erin and Aiden spent a couple of hours in the morning riding their bikes along the Eel River in Fortuna, had an early lunch of seafood salad on the patio of a local restaurant and then went to Luke’s to spend a little of the afternoon. Erin was caught up in holding the baby and helping with his bath, when Aiden said he was going with Luke to drop Art at Netta’s house and run some errands. He promised to be back by five at the latest.

The baby was settled for his nap at around two when Shelby answered the phone and handed it to Erin. “Your brother-in-law?” she said by way of a question.

Erin grabbed it. “Ian? Is Marcie all right?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “She was worried about you and left me a note—she decided to drive to Virgin River to see you.”

“Worried about me? But why?”

“She heard something in your voice,” he said. “I can’t explain—but you know Marcie. She said she’d call when she got to Virgin River, but she hasn’t. She should have been there by now, but there’s no answer at the cabin.”

“I’ll go over there right now and wait for her. The minute I see her, I’ll call.”

“I’m on my way up there now and when I get there, if she’s all right, I’m turning her over my knee.”

“Ian, call the highway patrol,” Erin said. “If she should be at the cabin by now and isn’t, have them watch for her car on the off chance she’s had car trouble along the way. Tell them the exact route she would’ve taken.”

“Will do. Call me when you get to the cabin.”

Erin hung up and turned a puzzled look at Shelby. She shook her head in confusion. “How weird. Apparently Marcie decided something is wrong with me. I told her everything is fine—but maybe I sounded a little stressed on the phone. Anyway, she decided she had to drive up here and see for herself. I’m going over to the cabin to wait for her.”

“Want me to go with?” Shelby asked.

“Take advantage of the baby’s nap and maybe get one of your own. I’ll see you later. Just tell Aiden I went home.”

When she pulled up to the cabin a little later, there sat Marcie’s car. “Well, thank heavens,” she said to herself. “The little scamp!” She walked in the door and spotted Marcie lying on the leather sofa. She stood right over her and said, “What the hell were you thinking?”

“Uh, Erin?” Marcie said. “We have ourselves a situation….” She tilted her head, indicating the other side of the room.

Erin turned to see a battered Annalee sitting in a chair on the far side of the room, well out of reach, with a small handgun resting leisurely in her lap. She gasped and jumped back in such surprise, she almost fell on top of her reclining sister. For a second she wasn’t sure what had shocked her most—the fact that Annalee was there, the condition of her face or the gun.

She righted herself. “What the hell is this, Annalee? What can you possibly hope to gain with this little show?”

“Money,” she said with a shrug. “Things have gone south on me, so I’ll need some money.”

“I didn’t see your car anywhere….”

“Parked behind the cabin, out of sight,” Annalee said. “Now, shall we just get down to business?”

“How much?” Erin said. “I’ll write you a check.”

“Right.” Annalee laughed. “It’ll have to be a little more liquid than that, I’m afraid. A cash transaction.”

“And you’re going to take hostages? Is that your plan?”

She laughed again and Erin actually winced at what that did to the appearance of her face. “Hell, no, that would only slow me down.”

“Well, if you hold a gun on my pregnant sister while I go after cash, that would qualify as taking a hostage. I can’t think of any other way you’re likely to accomplish it. Aren’t you in enough trouble?”

“Wait till you hear this,” Marcie said. “It’s actually pretty slick.” Erin frowned at Marcie. “But it is.”