Gold Flake Chocolate Murder (A Maple Hills Cozy Mystery Book 6) Page 3

  “A play of hands,” Lidia agreed. “Make the town the convicts are gathered in look like a hot spot for a couple of days, and then they come out and play when the coast is clear. Smart.”

  “The only question is, why this town?” Nikki asked. Looking out the front window, she saw Agent Ringston glance at her as he tossed his cigarette butt down onto the ground and stomped it out. Suddenly, a horrible feeling struck her. “The man I saw standing on the side of the road wearing the black suit—he wasn't an FBI Agent. He was one of the escaped convicts.”

  “Honey, let's go to the hospital, wake Herbert up, and drive home. Please,” Lidia begged.

  “I agree,” Tori said, becoming anxious. “Nikki, we're three women. We're not strong enough to fight twenty-four convicts who are armed and deadly.”

  Before Nikki could speak, her cell phone rang. Snatching it out of her purse, she studied the incoming caller. “It's Hawk,” she said, closing her eyes and saying a quick prayer of thanks. “Hawk, are you okay?”

  “False lead,” Hawk answered. He leaned against his jeep and stared up at a two-story wooden cabin surrounded by dark trees; he closed his eyes and imagined Nikki's beautiful face. “We found a homeless teenager living in the cabin. He broke in through the basement.”

  “I thought that might be the case,” Nikki said, wishing she were at his side. “I'll explain what I mean later. Hawk, I'm taking the girls back to the hospital. We're going to get Herbert and drive home. I need to talk to you.”

  “I'll be waiting,” Hawk answered. “I think I know what you want to talk about, too.”

  “Not on the phone.”

  “Got it. Hurry home.”

  “I will...and Hawk?” Nikki hesitated.

  “Yeah?”

  “I love you, too. Bye,” Nikki replied and ended the call.

  Lidia and Tori glanced at each other. Nikki shrugged her shoulders. “What can I say? He has grown on me.” She smiled. Putting her cell phone away, she saw Eric walk up, carrying their meal on a brown dinner tray. “Dinner is served,” she announced in a hungry voice.

  Eric carefully placed three white plates down onto the table as Melissa walked over with three glasses of soda. “Please, enjoy your meal,” she said through gritted teeth. Putting the sodas down, she quickly hurried away.

  “Thank you, we will,” Nikki called out.

  Eric sighed. “Her parents divorced last year. She's a very bitter young lady.”

  “We understand,” Lidia assured Eric.

  “Thanks,” Eric said and turned to walk away.

  “Uh, please, I have a question,” Nikki said to him.

  He paused. “Okay.”

  Nikki braced herself. Glancing out the window, she saw Agent Ringston staring at her. “Act like you're talking about my order,” she urged. Lifting a burger into the air, she pointed at it. “Eric, how long has Mayor Brown been mayor of this town?”

  Eric caught sight of Agent Ringston and Warden Wayberry. “Over twenty years.” He answered Nikki in a voice that let her know he was on her side. “I can spot a Fed a mile away. And if I'm not mistaken, that's Warden Wayberry standing outside.”

  Nikki put down her cheeseburger and picked up a hard, red plastic glass. Lidia leaned forward and dropped a straw down into the glass. “Twenty years is a long time,” she said, taking a sip of her soda.

  “This town is a creature of habit,” Eric explained, picking up Lidia's dinner plate. Pretending to examine the cheeseburger, he eased his eyes out into the night again. “Ladies, you're in shark-infested waters. Get out of town. I wasn't eavesdropping, but I did hear you say you were going back to the hospital. Please, do that and leave.”

  Nikki lowered her glass. She was shocked to hear Eric speak so openly. The man was in possession of very valuable—if not dangerous—information. Calmly, she spoke her phone number. “Call me tomorrow morning. We need to talk. I'm coming back here with Detective Hawk Daily. Are you willing to fill us in with more details?”

  Eric shook his head. “I wish I were on a wild, strong horse that was willing to chase after outlaws,” he said in a regretful voice. “I have my granddaughter to take care of. Both her parents have disowned her. They blame her for their divorce instead of taking responsibility themselves. I can't walk into a den of snakes. I'm sorry.”

  “I understand,” Nikki replied sadly. “Please, tell no one we spoke.”

  Eric put down the plate in his hand and shrugged his shoulders. “Burger seems fine to me,” he said and walked away.

  “I wanted my burger well-done!” Nikki yelled loudly enough for Agent Ringston to hear outside. “Jerk!”

  Agent Ringston lit a second cigarette. The last thing he was interested in was hearing Nikki fuss over an undercooked burger. “Hurry up and eat already,” he mumbled. Warden Wayberry crawled back into the sedan the way a snake slithers back into his hole. “Don't worry,” Agent Ringston said, “Nikki Bates is the least of our worries.”

  “Then why did you rush back here so quick?” Warden Wayberry asked, propping his elbow out of the driver's side window. “I say we snatch her and silence the smart-mouth.”

  “No,” Agent Ringston snapped. “We'll play it safe. As soon as Nikki Bates leaves, we'll go to phase two. Right now, our main concern is getting her out of town.”

  “Sure, sure,” Warden Wayberry fussed. Staring at Nikki, he sensed something dangerous about the woman. But what could he do? Agent Ringston was the man in charge of the circus.

  Chapter Five

  Agent Ringston listened to Nikki as a light sprinkle fell. “I see,” he said, allowing Nikki to speak her mind. “I can certainly understand your worry.”

  Nikki faked a smile. “I'm very grateful. I believe it's wise to drive back to Maple Hills as soon as possible.”

  Warden Wayberry glared at Nikki from the driver’s seat of the sedan. “Why the sudden change of heart?” he asked in a gruff voice. “Before you went inside, you asked me why I wasn't at the prison. Now you're in a rush to leave Fall Cliff?”

  “Didn't you hear her?” Lidia barged in like a motherly bear protecting her cub. “Ms. Bates said she needs to go back home to Maple Hills because I asked her to. I want to get my husband and leave this town. I don't feel safe here, and I'm afraid the criminal who mugged my husband may try and harm him at the hospital.”

  “Yeah,” Tori added and quickly lowered her eyes to her worried hands.

  “Gentlemen,” Nikki said in a controlled voice, “I admit, the reporter in me is curious. But, as I explained, I am retired. It was foolish for me to ask you why you were absent from the North Hill Prison, Warden Wayberry. I apologize. You must understand, I moved away from Atlanta to begin a new life. It's true that I was forced into a few last rounds in the match. However, participating in those last rounds was entirely against my wishes. All I want now is to write my books, run a little chocolate shop with my friends, and drink coffee in the peace and tranquility of my new home.”

  Agent Ringston studied Nikki's eyes. Professionally trained to detect deception, he searched for any telltale signals in Nikki's eyes, tone and body language. The woman he was worried about seemed to profess the truth. “Old habits die hard, Ms. Bates. I'm not an enemy of the press, you understand. But certain matters concerning public safety must be handled under the guidelines of careful protocols.”

  “I understand,” Nikki flashed another false smile. The light sprinkle was becoming heavier. The last thing she needed was to catch a cold, and she would never forgive herself if Lidia or Tori became sick. “Please call the hospital for me and arrange for Mr. Green to be woken up and have the discharge process begun for us.”

  Agent Ringston nodded. “Immediately,” he confirmed. “I will also assign a Vermont state trooper to follow you to Maple Hills. For your own protection, of course.”

  Nikki played her hand with a brilliant strategy. “Don't bluff a reporter,” she scolded Agent Ringston.

  Agent Ringston grinned. Relieved that Nikki Bates was a
bandoning ship, he played Mr. Nice Guy. “Stay out of Fall Cliff unless you intend to come back and buy some antiques.”

  “Nah,” Nikki said, opening the door to her SUV, “I didn't see anything I liked. Come on, Lidia. We must drive back and get your car and then drive to the hospital.”

  Agent Ringston watched Lidia and Tori crawl into the SUV. As soon as Nikki pulled away, he walked around the hood of the sedan, sat down in the passenger seat, and pulled out a cell phone. “This is Agent Ringston with the FBI, who am I speaking with? Nurse Amery? Very good. Nurse Amery, please wake up a patient by the name of Herbert Green and begin his discharge papers. His wife will be along shortly to take him home. Yes, thank you... No, not yet, but we'll catch the escaped convicts. Yes, I know it's scary... Of course, yes. Now, please do as I ask. Thank you.”

  “I don't trust that weasel,” Warden Wayberry said. “That woman is dangerous.”

  Agent Ringston ignored him and placed a second call. “I need a state trooper to escort two vehicles north to Maple Hills. Have the trooper meet me at the hospital.” Ending the call, Agent Ringston glanced over at Warden Wayberry. “It's difficult being your brother. You run your mouth when you shouldn't. I've got everything under control. Nikki Bates is leaving because she knows what is good for her. It's one matter to tangle with a few small-time crooks, but it's a completely different matter to tangle with the FBI.”

  Warden Wayberry studied the burger restaurant. “If we get caught, then it'll be our butts thrown in prison. The Governor is already breathing down my neck. You better know what you're doing.”

  “Oh, I do,” Agent Ringston grinned and pulled out a cigarette. “Let's get moving. We need to trail Nikki until she leaves town.”

  “What about our missing soldier?”

  Agent Ringston took a deep drag from his cigarette. “Perkins is still missing. But don't worry, that man will face a severe penalty for his actions.”

  Warden Wayberry pulled the sedan out of the parking lot and aimed it towards the hospital. As the sedan pulled away into the night, leaving a trail of cigarette smoke behind it, Eric stepped outside. Looking up into the dark, wet sky, he drew in a deep breath. What was he to do? Inside, his granddaughter leaned against the front counter and checked her phone for any messages.

  Chapter Six

  An hour later, a very grumpy Herbert Green was sitting beside his wife in their car, heading north. “I should have stayed at the hospital for observation,” he complained.

  Lidia rolled her eyes. “Dear, I'm grateful you're okay. I love you deeply. But sometimes you're a big fuss over nothing.” Looking into the rearview mirror, she saw Nikki tailing her. A state trooper was following Nikki. “We'll be home in less than two hours.”

  “Fine,” Herbert said and rubbed his forehead. “Obey the speed limit. It's raining hard, and we don't need any more accidents.”

  “I will, dear,” Lidia sighed and grew silent. She wondered what Nikki and Tori were thinking.

  “Still no internet,” Tori said miserably and put Nikki's cell phone away. “Must be the weather.”

  Nikki focused on her driving. The state trooper was following at a comfortable distance, allowing Nikki room to breathe. “I'm glad Lidia suggested taking the back roads. We'll avoid the roadblocks on the major ones. We'll make good time, Tori. Don't worry about the internet.”

  Tori leaned back in her seat. Full from dinner and a little sleepy, she stared out through the front windshield into the night rain. “Nikki?”

  “Yes?”

  “Are you really going back to Fall Cliff?” Tori asked worriedly.

  Nikki looked over at Tori. She smiled. “It's wonderful having you in my life,” she confessed. “Right now, the last thing I want to do is go back and tangle with a deadly rattlesnake. I would love nothing more than to drive home, get a hot shower, have a hot cup of coffee, cuddle up with a good book, and go to sleep.”

  “But…” Tori said, looking at Nikki.

  Nikki sighed. “If I go back to Fall Cliff, I'm putting the life of my son and everyone I love at risk. But if I remain silent, then I become guilty.”

  “Guilty of what?” Tori asked, confused.

  “If I were to remain quiet, I would be guilty of complicity. Albert Einstein said that,” Nikki replied staring into the rain. “A woman working at the bank in Maple Hills—in our hometown—was shot. Herbert was injured. Innocent people are being harmed. And for what? If I remain silent and do nothing, then I let the bad guys win. If I fight and win the battle, no matter the cost to my own life, then the bad guys take a hit, even if it is only for one day.”

  “You're very brave,” Tori told Nikki in an admiring voice.

  “Not really,” Nikki confessed. “After Hawk and I returned home from Atlanta, I swore that was it no more fighting the bad guys. But the more I looked into the faces of Agent Ringston and Warden Wayberry, the more I knew that something has to be done. Poison spewed from the eyes of those two snakes the way sewage flows from a pipe. If I sit back and let men like that believe they can break the law and hurt people without facing any consequences, then I am complicit in their crimes. But trust me, Tori, I'm scared. I'm always scared.”

  Tori reached over and patted Nikki's hand. “I'm scared, too.” Tori drew in a brave breath. “Nikki, I'm coming back to Fall Cliff with you and Hawk. I want to help.”

  “I thought you might,” Nikki told Tori in a worried but grateful voice. “I have a feeling you're going to be a chip off the old block.”

  “You're rubbing off on me,” Tori confessed. “I see how people look at you in town. I listen to them talking about you. You get mixed reviews, but not a single person in Maple Hills has ever called you a coward. It amazes me how one woman can make that much difference.”

  “Making a difference comes with a price,” Nikki warned Tori. “You make more enemies than friends. Are you willing to travel down that lonely, hard road, young lady? Are you willing to put yourself and the lives of the people you love at risk? Are you willing to fight crime while being treated as a criminal yourself most of the time?”

  “I'm willing to do what is right,” Tori told Nikki.

  Nikki beamed. “That's my girl. Now, here's what I'm thinking...partner.”

  “I'm all ears,” Tori said in an excited voice.

  “Mayor Brown is involved in the prison break. Somewhere back in Fall Cliff, the gang of thieves is hiding out. Now, we have to take into consideration that the escaped convicts are working for—and under control of—one man who is running the entire operation. I think that man is Agent Ringston.”

  “Agent Ringston arranged for the escaped convicts to have transportation and guns waiting for them. That's how the convict who robbed the bank in Maple Hills arrived there so quickly, right?”

  “Exactly,” Nikki congratulated Tori on her brilliant reasoning. “Agent Ringston needed to make red spots on the map to spread out the authorities. And it's as we talked about—he wanted Fall Cliff marked as a red spot to put the town in the clear after the heat was lowered on the stove.”

  “North Hill Prison isn't too far away from Fall Cliff. The drive is about fifty minutes to an hour,” Tori pointed out. “I looked up the distance when I used the restroom back at the restaurant.”

  “Fifty minutes to an hour,” Nikki murmured. “Tori, get Hawk on the phone for me, please.”

  Tori took Nikki's cell phone and called Hawk. Putting the phone on speaker, she held it out to Nikki. “Where are you?” Hawk’s voice came through tired and worried.

  “We're about an hour and a half away,” Nikki told him, grateful to be hearing his voice. “Hawk, out of all the rush and fuss, I never asked how the prison break happened. How did the convicts escape?”

  “Warden Wayberry has not released that information yet,” Hawk confirmed. “Listen, Nikki, I've come across some information that I don't like. I wish I hadn't, but I did.”

  “What do you mean?” Nikki asked.

  Hawk took a deep breath. “
When Agent Ringston ran out of town like a man on fire, I became suspicious. The guy is a slime-ball if you ask me. Anyway, I spent the last hour looking into his records. Ringston spent ten years in the army, in the infantry. He left the army and attended law school and began working for the FBI. Nikki, the guy is squeaky clean, except...”

  “Except what?” Tori jumped in.

  “It's okay, Hawk. Tori is helping me. Tell us what you found out, please,” Nikki begged.

  “Ringston is Warden Wayberry's half-brother, and Mayor Brown is their cousin,” Hawk told them. “Now, Nikki, before you turn around and start racing back to Fall Cliff, don't.”

  “I can't even if I wanted to,” Nikki told Hawk, “a state trooper is escorting us home.”

  “Good,” Hawk said, relieved. “Listen, girls, we need to back off this one. I don't know what Ringston is up to, but it's bad, and he's got a lot of dangerous thugs working for him. I also think he picked up the convict who robbed our bank.”

  Something in Hawk's voice poked Nikki in the gut. “Hawk?”

  Sitting at his desk, Hawk ran an exhausted hand through his hair. “Nikki, Lucy is alive, but she could be dead. The convict who shot her could have easily taken a dead shot, but instead he took a clean shoulder shot. On top of that, the bullet that was dug out of Lucy's shoulder belonged to a 9mm pistol. I saw a Glock 17 in Agent Ringston's shoulder holster.”

  “The convict used Agent Ringston's gun to shoot Lucy?” Tori asked, confused.

  “No, no,” Hawk told Tori in a gentle voice. “How did an escaped convict get to Maple Hills so quickly? How did he get a gun? Why didn't he kill Lucy? And last, why didn't the guy wear a mask?”

  “No mask?” Nikki asked.

  “No,” Hawk explained. “Security cameras got a clear shot of his face. Nikki, my gut tells me this guy wanted to be seen and wanted to leave a message of some kind.”