Evans Creek Book 2: In Good Hands

Chapter 38

"I figured as much." Carl smiled and clapped Rowdy on the shoulder before following him quietly down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Coffee?" Carl offered as he headed to the pot that was always full.

"No, thanks. I'd better try to get a little sleep. I think it's going to be a long day tomorrow."

"It will be." Carl frowned. "I've asked the chief to get the local media out to cover this. I'm going to call in a few favors to get this story out on national syndicates. I want this man's face on every paper, every television, laptop and cellphone."

"So that he can't hide."

"Exactly."

"You figure he still has Suzie?" Rowdy held his breath.

He knew what answer he hoped for.

"I do. It will be easier for him to hide if he travels with a woman. Especially if he can scare her into behaving friendly toward him, so they can travel as a couple. That way, even if somebody recognized him, they would dismiss the suspicion."

"Because they expect a kidnap victim to be nervous or frightened. If she acts like she belongs with him..." Rowdy frowned.

He didn't want to think about what would make Suzie afraid enough to behave that way toward the man that tried to kill her before he kidnapped her.

If Suzie hadn't thought to leave Brody and the lipstick note...

His fear carved deep lines in his face.

"Drink some tea." Carl held out a mug of hot water. "You need to relax if you're going to sleep. And you're right. You do need to try to get some sleep. You're going to be holding those boys and worrying to death about Suzie."

"That won't take much acting." Rowdy accepted the mug and took a teabag from the canister on the counter.

"No," Carl sighed as he sipped his coffee. "I don't suppose it will. But it will tug at every heartstring from New York to L.A. and that means people will remember the story. They'll talk about it."

"Carl, you said if Suzie was afraid..."

"Jack Shepherd is Jonathan Gregory Price. He's wanted for murder in Philadelphia."

Dear God.

"Jack's background check came back clean. It's normal except for a gap of several years with no activity. No taxes or credit. We did a little digging and discovered that Jack Shepherd died five years ago."

"Did this guy kill him and assume his identity?"

"We don't think so. He just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Jack, the real Jack, died in a car accident. Jack, the guy we're after, stole the deceased wallet from the real Jack's brother. Our guy showed up on the brother's doorstep with a sob story. He got room and board in exchange for manual labor around the place. Then one day he just disappeared."

"With the real Jack Shepherd's wallet. After that it was probably easy to get new ID made. Did he kill the brother before he left?"

"No. Until the incident in Philadelphia, our guy wasn't violent. And he hasn't been until your Suzie. That made me look closer at the case in Philadelphia. I don't think it was premeditated. But the girl is dead, and there are suspicious circumstances. Then, of course, he ran."

"And now he's got bank robbery and kidnapping charges..."

"He definitely escalated. I am afraid that he won't hesitate to kill Suzie if he thinks it will benefit him. But she's a smart girl. She'll cooperate with him, and she'll stay alive."