In Seconds
- Автор: Новак Бренда
- Серия: Bulletproof #2
- Год: 2011
- Язык: французский
- Жанр: Остросюжетные любовные романы
Электронная книга - «In Seconds». Краткое содержание книги:
Laurel Hodges has changed her identity twice. She's been on the run for the past four years, trying to outdistance the gang members who blame her for the death of one of their own. She's finally found peace and stability in the small town of Pineview, Montana. But just when Laurel thinks she and her children are safe...the nightmare starts all over again.
The Crew, a ruthless prison gang with ties to Laurel's brother, will never forget and they'll never forgive. And now that they've finally tracked her down, they'll stop at nothing.
Sheriff Myles King, who happens to live next door with his thirteen-year-old daughter, appoints himself Laurel's personal guardian. His growing attraction to her could change his life—Myles is beginning to picture marriage and family. But it could also end his life. If he can't save her, everything he's built, everything he wants, could be destroyed. In seconds...
“Nothing but the clothes on their backs.”
“They tell you where they were hoping to go?”
“Pineview.”
He stood. “I mean once they got there. Did they mention a motel, a campground, some place to eat?”
“No.”
Myles kicked a pebble across the road. “They had to give some reason for needing a ride. There aren’t a lot of hitchhikers around here.”
“Said their truck broke down a ways back. That’s all.”
“You didn’t ask why they didn’t ride with the tow?”
“I didn’t know they’d been able to call one.”
Of course. How would he know Myles had found them on the side of the road and called Harvey? “What did you talk about while they were in your truck?”
“The weather, mostly. After we were driving for a bit, I brought up Pat’s murder. They asked me if the police had any leads on who did it and I said no.” He spat at the pavement. “But you suspect they killed Pat, right? That’s why you’ve been passing out flyers like the one I saw at the coffeehouse this morning.”
“That’s right. I’m pretty sure it’s them. Did you happen to notice the shoes they were wearing?”
“Tennis shoes.”
“What brand?”
He shrugged. “Couldn’t tell you. Didn’t pay close enough attention. They all look the same to someone who prefers boots.” With a proud gleam in his eye, he lifted one bowed leg to show off his fancy snakeskin boots.
“Nice,” Myles said, but scarcely glanced at them. He was too intent on what he was doing. “Did they both have on the same kind of tennis shoes?”
Ned’s eyebrows slid up. “Now that you mention it, I think they did.”
Would it do any good to search the area? It’d been yesterday afternoon that Ned had seen them…?.
Myles figured he’d check with Allen at least, and take a peek in his outbuildings. “Is there anything else you can tell me, Ned? Anything that might give me some idea where to search?”
He spat again and shook his head. “Wish I could. They pretended to be searching for someone themselves, and I stupidly believed them.”
“What do you mean?”
“The young guy told me he’d come to town hoping to reunite with his biological sister, who was adopted out at birth. Woman by the name of Laurel…something. Asked me if I’d heard of her. I told him I hadn’t and that was about it.”
Vivian… Because this was taking much longer than planned, Myles called the office and asked Deputy Campbell to ride over to Pineview and sit in front of her house until he could get there himself. “What’d they look like?”
“The one guy had tattoos everywhere, just like it says on the flyer. He didn’t say much. His younger friend did all the talking.”
“They give you their names?”
“Ron Howard and Peter Ferguson. Seemed like nice guys. I never would’ve guessed they were wanted by the police.” He offered Myles a grim smile. “Or that I was lucky to get away with my life.”
“Thanks for coming forward,” Myles said.
As Ned left, Myles knocked on Allen’s door. But he didn’t learn anything new. Allen insisted no one had stopped by. He hadn’t seen two men rambling around, and he doubted there was anyone on his property, but he helped search just in case.
“Where else do you think they might’ve gone?” Myles asked when they were done.
“Who knows? If it were me, I’d make my way to town. A man’s gotta eat.”
“Yeah.” Frustrated that he’d come up empty, Myles let Allen go on about his business, but he was reluctant to leave. There had to be some way to find Ink and the little asswipe who was with him before anyone else got hurt. He just needed to think like they would. There wasn’t much out here for two people without even a tent. Not only would they need food, they’d need shelter. It was easiest to come by those things in town. Town was also where they’d have a better chance of locating Vivian. And yet…this was where their trail had gone cold.
He drove around to a few cabins in the area but could document no other sightings. By the time he called it quits, it was getting dark and he felt like a bloodhound who wouldn’t give up on a scent.
Deputy Campbell checked in by radio just as he was getting into his car.
“How’s she doing?” Myles asked.
“Don’t know. She hasn’t come back.”
“What?”
“I’ve been sitting here all afternoon but haven’t seen a soul. I’m thinking she spent the day in Kalispell.”
That was a possibility. Lord knew anyone would be hesitant to return to the situation going on here.
“Let me know when she arrives.”
“Will do,” Campbell promised.
Myles looked at the clock. He needed to get back and relieve his deputy, who had a young family waiting eagerly for him. He was on his way. But he was close to where Marley was staying, so he decided to swing by and pick her up first.
Music blared from the house as he approached the front door. He had to ring the doorbell three times before he managed to rouse anyone, but eventually Alexis, Elizabeth’s sixteen-year-old sister, answered. Dressed in a spaghetti-strap T-shirt and the shortest shorts he’d ever seen, she smiled up at him as if her chest wasn’t all but falling out of her shirt. “Hey, Sheriff.”
Myles avoided looking anywhere below the neck. As far as he was concerned, she was still a child. “Hi, there. Looks like you’ve gotten some sun.” Her red face contrasted sharply with the circles of white around her eyes, giving her an owl-like appearance.
“A little.” She pressed her cheek to show him just how bad it was. “I spent the morning on the chaise. I didn’t realize I was getting burned because it wasn’t that hot.”
“Some aloe vera should help.”
She shrugged away the suggestion. “I’m not worried about it. It’ll turn into a tan by tomorrow.”
“Hope so. Hey, can you grab Marley for me?”
A frown tugged at the corners of her mouth. “I was afraid you were going to ask me that. She’s not here. The girls went to Kalispell with my mom.”
“For what?”
“Shopping.”
Marley had left town without telling him? She knew damn well that she was supposed to ask. She’d say she “forgot” to call—how many times had he heard that excuse?—but she’d probably decided to ask forgiveness instead of permission. She always wanted to go with Elizabeth’s mom. Those excursions meant more to her than any others. He suspected being with Janet reminded her of being with her own mother.
Wondering whether to leave word that Janet should bring Marley home, since she’d taken her out of town without his permission, or come back and pick her up, he cleared his throat. “What are they shopping for?”
“School clothes.”
“But it’s only June. School just got out.”
“My mom starts early,” Alexis said with a laugh. “And I think they wanted to get away, have a girls’ day out. They talked about seeing a movie, too.”
That meant it could be late when they returned. He’d have to ground Marley for disobeying him, but no doubt she’d think it was worth the sacrifice. “Why didn’t you go?” he asked, still trying to figure out what to do about this.
“I already had plans with my boyfriend.”
That would explain Jett Busath’s truck in the driveway. He and Alexis had been an item since Christmas. Their relationship had so captured Marley’s imagination that it’d been all she could talk about for weeks.
“Your father home?” Myles wanted to alert him to what was going on, tell him there were people running around who’d busted out of prison and were very dangerous, but he suspected Henry was gone, and Alexis confirmed it.