Playing for Satisfaction [Satisfaction Texas 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 13

  He put the truck in gear and floored it. Fifteen minutes later he was pulling off the south service road. He could see the sheriff’s cars and Ellie’s truck. He came to a stop far enough away not to interfere with the scene.

  Dace took off his hat and wiped his brow. Then he walked over to Bram and Ren.

  “Don’t even think of getting out of that truck or I swear I’ll arrest you both for interfering in my investigation.”

  “So, is it an official investigation now?”

  “Yes.”

  “What have you found?” Ren demanded.

  “Not much. No sign of an accident or a struggle or anything. The road is paved so there are no tire tracks, but the shoulder does show the edge of a set of tires, not enough of the tread to know the type which could lead us to the vehicle make, but it looks like someone pulled up behind her after she stopped.”

  “They must have taken her!”

  “No sign of a struggle. It looks like she went with them voluntarily.”

  “They could have had a gun or knocked her out or drugged her. Hell, there are all sorts of possibilities, Dace!”

  “I know and I’m considering them all. I told you. The investigation is now official. We’re going over the truck now. Her suitcase is still in the back and the picnic basket is in front. It hasn’t been touched except for the thermos. We gave it a sniff test and it seems like it has one of those energy drinks in it.”

  “That doesn’t make sense. Not only does Ellie not like those things, if she was going to drink one, why pour it in a thermos? Have you talked to Candy about it? Did she provide the thermos?”

  Dace looked at Bram.

  “You know, you are smarter than you look. I’m stretched kind of thin. Why don’t you two head over to Candy’s and ask?”

  Bram hit the gas.

  * * * *

  Ellie found herself waking up again. The room was darker now. The sun had moved in the sky and wasn’t shining directly in the window, but it was not yet night. She looked around. She wanted another drink of water but she worried that he’d spiked it with whatever it was he’d forced into her mouth. She sat up slowly. Her head was less congested than last time and cleared more easily. Must have been a smaller dose.

  The room was pretty bare. It looked more like a cabin than a home. She guessed that it was pretty isolated or he wouldn’t have left her in a room with a window. She looked down at her restraints. Unlike the leather cuffs Ren and Bram used on her, Trace had used steel manacles. He’d left her arms free and one of her ankles so she could move around, but her right ankle was attached to a chain and the chain seemed to have been anchored into concrete. She gave it an experimental tug. It wasn’t coming free without a key, a blow torch, or a hacksaw. She looked around, but he hadn’t been thoughtful enough to leave any in the room with her.

  There was a chair beside a small table with a pitcher of liquid on top. Water? There was a plate with a sandwich, an apple, and a note. She carefully stood up. She swayed but then got her balance. The chain was about four feet long, just enough to get to the table and sit in the chair. She picked up the note. He assured her of his love and devotion and also that the food and water wasn’t drugged.

  Ya, right. She’d trust him. Totally.

  But her stomach growled and her mouth was so dry. She shrugged mentally. She needed to keep her strength up and even more than food, she needed liquid. She decided to take a small sip and wait fifteen minutes. Whatever he’d given her before had worked a lot faster than that. If she felt okay after that, she’d take a nibble of the sandwich and wait again. If she still felt okay, she’d eat and drink her fill.

  After sipping the water, she looked around the room. With the chain, she couldn’t even reach the door, let alone try to find a way out.

  She checked her watch. Fifteen minutes and she felt fine. She took a bite of the sandwich making sure she had some of the filling. Egg salad. Her favorite. Trace was just so thoughtful, if you didn’t count the fact that he’d kidnapped her.

  Fifteen minutes later she was sitting at the table devouring the food and guzzling the water. She had to force herself not to drink it all. She wasn’t sure when he’d be back with more. One part of her hoped he’d never be back, but another feared that if he didn’t return, she’d die here, chained to the damned bed.

  It would be an ironic end for a practitioner of BDSM.

  * * * *

  “Thermos? I didn’t put a thermos of energy drink in the basket. Let me ask Noah. He packed it.” Ren watched impatiently as she hurried off, returning quickly, shaking her head, and her face grin. “Noah filled the thermos with water. I don’t understand. How did it get filled with energy drink? No one touched it but Noah, me, and Trace. Maybe she stopped on the way and bought one and filled it herself?”

  “Trace?”

  “Yeah. We were getting busy and I left it with him. I remember seeing her come in. Then they chatted for a minute and she came over and thanked me and left. He carried the basket out. I didn’t see anything else. Maybe Trace could shed some light on the situation?”

  “Yes, maybe he can. Bram, I think we need to talk to Trace again. Time to head back to Whips and Spurs.”

  Ren’s phone rang and he settled into the truck. Ren put the phone on speaker. It was Dace.

  “As you know by now, Mr. Martindale bought the flowers, except he claims that his card is missing. He went through his wallet in front of me and I’d say his puzzlement was real. He didn’t yell or make excuses. He claimed the card was in his wallet but when he pulled it out, there were about a dozen cards but not the one we were looking for.”

  “Could he be pretending?”

  “It’s possible, but I don’t think he’s that good of an actor.”

  “Are you going to take him in for questioning?”

  “No, because I don’t think he had anything to do with it. I think someone stole his card and tried to set him up if anyone wondered about the flowers. Or maybe this was just supposed to be a distraction. And the young man certainly isn’t mooning over Ellie. He’s on his way to the airport. He and his cronies are headed to Vegas and he’s grousing that his daddy won’t let him use the company private jet.

  “He’d planned to be there by now, but daddy was using the jet for actual company business and then they couldn’t get first class seats and on and on and on. Boy, can that boy whine. He’s flying commercial and he has to change planes in Phoenix, which makes it worse. The boy is not happy about it at all. And I checked. The trip’s legit. So’s the cancellation of the use of daddy’s jet. Jasper even talked to the company travel coordinator. She really doesn’t like him but she did her best. She also confirmed the delay. He’s got two cronies cooling their heels while we speak and they tell the same story.

  “So, he’s headed back to the flower shop to see if Rosie or any of her neighbors have security cameras.”

  “Forget it, Dace. She said all the orders came in order the web except one. The teddy bear order was called in. She said that she was surprised to find out Tobias was only twenty-one. She said he sounded a lot older.”

  “Shit! She didn’t tell me that. I’m going to get Quin on this. Maybe he can use his contacts to trace the IP or the computer the order was placed at or maybe trace the source of the call. I’ll be in touch when I have something.”

  Ren disengaged the call. “Back to the Whips and Spurs, Bram?”

  “Yup.” He put the truck in gear and they were off. Again.

  Chapter 17

  Ellie paced back and forth. She was not helpless. She could take care of herself. She was not going to wait to be rescued. She was going to get herself out of this mess. And then she’d find something big and heavy and she’d used it to pound Trace into the ground.

  But what could she do? The chair was one of those flimsy plastic ones that people put on their lawns in the summer. Likewise the table. She couldn’t remove a leg to hit him with. And even if she hit him with the whole chair right across the head she was doubtful that it would go any good. They were useless as weapons.

  He was plumb crazy, trying to rescue her from the two men she loved. She snorted. Did she really think she would fall in love with her kidnapper? She looked around and sighed, dropping heavily onto the bed. She heard the spring creek. She bounced again. It was nice to hear another sound other than her thoughts. She started to bounce again and then stopped.

  Springs. Metal. Flipping up the mattress on its side, she saw the springs. This was more promising. If she could just get them undone, she might be able to use it as a weapon. It could hurt if she could get him in the eye. Even more importantly, they might be usable as a lock pick.

  She knelt. It wouldn’t be easy. She gave an experimental tug. Ouch. She grabbed the sheet and used her teeth to tear it into strips. She wrapped it around both hands. It was going to be slow going. She paused and checked her watch. It was Sunday and if Trace worked his usual shift, he’d be off in an hour. She wasn’t sure how far she was from town, but given the area, she couldn’t count on it taking him more than twenty or thirty minutes to get back to her.

  She didn’t have any time to waste. She got back to work.

  * * * *

  “Hey, guys. How’s it going? You hear from Ellie yet?”

  “Nope, Trace, not a word. Not a clue. She’s just disappeared. But there’s something we wanted to ask you. As you know, you were the last person to talk to her, other than whoever took her, of course.”

  “Have you found that kid, Martindale yet?”

  “Yeah, they got him just before he was heading out to Vegas,” Ren confided. “They don’t think it’s him.”

  Bram watched Trace’s expression. It seemed to him that Trace was a bit surprised, but then his concerned expression was
back. He wasn’t sure what that was about. Maybe nothing, but it seemed odd.

  “Can I get you something to drink? You look like you could use it.”

  “Thanks, Trace, but I think we are going to head back to Ellie’s. Maybe there’s a clue we missed,” Ren replied.

  “Well, good luck, guys. And please let me know if there’s anything I can do. You know how much I like her. I’ll be off in an hour. I’d be happy to help search of whatever I can do to help.”

  “Thanks Trace. There’s nothing right now, but we appreciate the offer, and we’ll definitely call you if we need help.”

  They walked out the door and got back into Bram’s truck but he didn’t start the engine.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m not sure. There’s something bothering me. Trace. Did you notice he seemed surprised that Dace was able to talk to Toby? What was that about? Why would he be surprised? Did he know about the trip to Vegas? And if so, why didn’t he mention it?”

  “Are you sure you weren’t just imagining it? Trace, well, I’ve always thought Trace had a little crush on Ellie, Bram. He wouldn’t hold anything back. He’d do anything to make sure she’s okay. In fact…I guess I’m kind of surprised he’s at work and not tearing the county apart looking for her.”

  “Yeah. I haven’t known him long, but I’ve seen it, too. He’s always looked out for her and I liked that, but now I’m wondering…”

  Ren’s phone rang, cutting off Bram’s thought.

  “We’re having a powwow in my office in fifteen. You two can come if you like.”

  Dace hung up, clearly not needing an answer. Dace’s office was only a few blocks from the Whips and Spurs and it only took a few minutes to get there. Then they had to cool their heels for ten minutes waiting for him. He parked in his usual spot and was walking toward them when Jasper pulled up.

  He led them into a conference room and then looked at the phone, waiting. Bram raised an eyebrow but Dace shook his head. Finally, after five minutes, it rang. He punched a button and put the call on speaker.

  “What do you have?”

  “Luckily Rosie has a sophisticated computer setup. I was able to get the IP of the computer that placed the order. It traces back to the Whips and Spurs.”

  Bram felt his stomach drop. “And the phone the teddy bear order confirmation placed from?”

  “The same.”

  “Trace!” He and Ren spoke at the same time. They turned to leave but Dace was there first and blocked the door.

  “Don’t do anything rash. He should be still at work. We don’t want to alarm him, if he’s the perp. We’ll follow him and find her.”

  “Oh, it’s him all right. He had the opportunity to take the kid’s credit card. He lied about not knowing where Toby was when he clearly was surprised to find out that he hadn’t left for Vegas yet. And he’s been in love with Ellie for ages. I used to think it was a harmless crush, but clearly it’s something more. He was okay when she and Ren didn’t seem that serious, but now that I’m in the picture and we’re all moving in together…he’s obviously become unhinged.”

  “You are jumping to conclusions, Bram.”

  “I don’t think so.” Ren sounded calmer than he had since this whole thing started. “Who else could it be? The orders were placed from the Whips and Spurs. That means Micah, you, Trace, Tanner, or a half dozen other folks. I’m willing to give you and Micah a pass since you are both nuts over Nicola. As for Tanner and the others. Sure, you can investigate each and everyone one of them, but in the meantime, time’s a wasting. If it isn’t Trace, I’ll apologize, but if it is, I’m not letting him get away with whatever he’s got planned.”

  “And what are you going to do, Ren? Beat it out of him?”

  “If I have to.”

  “Look, he’s on duty for another hour but before he goes off duty, I’ll give him a call and ask him to come in, say we need his help. Once we’ve got him here, we can keep him busy while Jasper heads out to his place and noses around. If he has her there, we’ll find her.”

  “You really think he’d keep her at his apartment in town, Dace? Really?”

  “He has a cabin, though. He mentioned it once. I have no idea where it is, though,” Ren added. “I wasn’t really paying attention. I was in too much of a hurry to get back to Ellie.

  “You guys keep him busy. I’ll get my folks to see if he has any property registered to him, anything rented. We’ll…”

  “He’s gone!” Bram announced holding up his cell phone. “I just called Micah. Trace left just after we did. He’s on the run. He must have realized that we were closing in on him. He’s gone.”

  “Jasper, you get out to his apartment. Forget a warrant. Get in there and tear it apart. Use exigent circumstances as an excuse. I don’t care. Break the door down if you have to and go through everything, every paper, and see if there’s any reference to a cabin or any place he might have taken her. Bram, you call Micah back and have him ask everyone on staff if they know where this place is. Quin.”

  “On it.”

  * * * *

  Ellie felt like crying. She had finally gotten a coil free after cutting up her fingers, but she was having no luck with the lock. Why did it look so much easier on television or the movies? She forced down the tears. They wouldn’t help her.

  She got back to work. She could feel herself getting closer and closer and then it slipped again, opening up a jagged tear in her palm. In frustration, she threw down the spring. It was useless as a lock pick. Less than useless. It was doing more damage to her than the lock. It should be registered as a dangerous weapon, she thought without humor, throwing it to the ground.

  Dangerous weapon. Dangerous weapon! If she couldn’t use it to free herself, maybe she could use it against Trace. Now where was it? She sighed when she saw how far it had bounced. She’d just have to remove another one.

  She got up and stretched and checked her watch. Another fifteen minutes before Trace got off work and at least that much before he got back here, wherever here was. She took a sip of water and stopped. She could hear an engine. For a second hope surged, but it was soon replaced by fear. Trace. He was early. She had to get that spring. It wasn’t much but it was all she had.

  She reached out. Too far. She pulled off her shoe and sock, stretching her toes. She could just touch it. She stretched further and…aha. She had it.

  But what to do with it? She could hear the front door opening and his heavy tread.

  “Honey, I’m home!” Ha ha. So funny.

  She hurriedly sat down on the bed, placing the spring below her right thigh where she could get to it easily. Then she unwound the strips of sheet from her hands. No way was he going to miss the blood. She tucked crossed her legs and tucked her hands underneath. It was all she could do.

  The door swung open.

  How could someone have such different faces? He was usually kind, easygoing Trace. But now he was tense, crazy-as-a-loon Trace. He was upset. She could see that.

  “Sorry, honey. I had hoped we’d have more time to get you used to the idea of marrying me before we headed north, but no such luck. We have to hit the road. I’m sorry that the first part of the trip won’t be very pleasant for you, but I can’t take a chance of you calling out. Once you accept that you are better off with me, I’ll let you ride up front. For now, I’ve made you a real nice place to rest in my lockbox in the back of the truck. It’s padded and I have oxygen tanks so you can breathe the good stuff while you are sleeping, tucked away all secure.”

  She felt her eyes widen. He was crazy. He was coming toward her with that damned bottle again.

  “Open wide, baby. You’ll just sleep for a while and when you wake up, we’ll be on our way to our new life together. We’ll be so happy. I’ll look after you so much better than they ever did.”

  “You’re crazy! You were my friend. How can you do this to me?”

  He came toward her. She forced herself to wait until he got close, then she struck, missing his eye, but scoring his cheek with the sharp spring. He stumbled back, his hand up to his cheek. It came away bloody. He looked at her, his expression changing.