Devil's Food Cake (30 page)

“You promised me a story,” Jane said again, her eyes narrowed through the hair still stuck to her forehead.

“And if you can work as a team with the rest of us, and respect the circumstances we all find ourselves in, you’ll get more than you’d ever get otherwise.”

“What circumstances?” Jane questioned, seeming to soften a little bit.

Sadie hedged, but then realized she was too far in to start backing out now. “You said when you left the hotel they were going crazy trying to find someone, right? Well, that someone was probably me. They kind of arrested me for interfering, but then I got away. Meanwhile, my son had grabbed Josh Hender and tied him up. We’re trying to gather together as much information as possible in the hopes that we can clear ourselves once the police catch up.” Sadie paused. “Come to think of it, maybe you’d rather not come. You might end up in just as much trouble if you do. I could call you and tell you what I find out, if you’d rather do that.”

“Huh,” Jane replied, watching Sadie thoughtfully. “I have to say you’re a lot more interesting than I ever imagined you’d be. I’d called you in hopes of getting a little history on Thom Mortenson, and instead I get all this.”

Was that supposed to be a compliment?

“I need your assurance that you can be a part of this team, and that you know what you’re getting into,” Sadie said.

Jane nodded. “I get it. And I am at your command.”

Sadie felt she had no choice but to accept Jane’s agreement to her terms. She nodded and started driving again, not realizing until they turned on Morning Glen that she’d pass the Hender home on her way to Eric’s. She sunk in her seat a little when she saw a police car parked in the driveway. Luckily, there was no one in the car at the moment. Which meant they were inside. Was Thom still there? What was he telling them about the woman who had made him nachos? Was he drunk from those blasted mini-bottles?

Her heart was pumping, but she also felt a shot of validation. Someone had listened to her and sent an officer to the Hender home. Hopefully, that would give her more credibility when it came her time to face the local law enforcement.

She pulled up beside the RV in Eric’s driveway and turned off the car. “I’ll have Shawn bring in the files,” Sadie said to Jane as she opened her door. “And I’m sure Eric will have some dry clothes you can change in to.”

“I can’t wait,” Jane said in a cheery voice.

Sadie was disturbed by the wide grin on Jane’s face. Why did Sadie feel like she was adding jalapeños to cake batter by bringing this woman here?

Chapter 38

It took almost ten minutes for Jane to take a quick shower and change into a pair of Eric’s sweats and a flannel shirt. Meanwhile, Sadie explained to Shawn about the files—outside of Josh’s hearing—and sent him to bring them into the house and put them in the den. Josh was at the kitchen table reading through last week’s newspaper. Shawn said Josh had eaten every bite of his Evil Chicken. Sadie was glad he’d liked it and hoped it would foreshadow his cooperation once she was ready to start talking to him. When she’d left to pick up Jane, she’d had no idea she’d be gone for nearly an hour. Sadie imagined that if Josh had ever thought he might one day be kidnapped and held against his will, he would have never guessed it would be quite like this.

She was watching Josh when Eric stole her attention. “I found the lock.”

He’d spoken so quiet and casual that it took a moment to realize what he’d said and why it was important.

“You found the lock!” She hurried to stand behind him so she could look over his shoulder at the computer screen. There was a small, square photo in the upper corner with a picture of what could have been the exact key she’d found at Josh’s, other than the numbers were different.

“That’s it!” Sadie said.

“I know,” Eric replied. “That’s why I said I found it.”

Sheesh, he was suddenly so sensitive. Sadie leaned in, trying to get a feel for this website. “What is this?”

“Locksmith nerd heaven,” Eric said, typing into a message field at the bottom of the screen. “It offers repair information, changes in lock technology, and a message forum for other things—like trying to track down a specific type of key.”

“Wow,” Sadie said, rather impressed. Who knew locksmiths had these kinds of resources? “So what does the key go to?” She glanced at Josh. He was watching them carefully. She straightened and directed her next question to Josh rather than Eric. “Unless you’d rather tell us.”

Josh shrugged and went back to his paper, shaking it out slightly as if to verify his extreme interest in the events that had happened in Colorado last week. “Knock yourself out,” he said. The tightness of his shoulders and the glance he stole when he thought Sadie had already looked away betrayed that he was paying very close attention. Why?

As she turned her attention back to the website, she noticed Jane standing in the doorway.

“Good, you’re done,” Sadie said, smiling a smile she didn’t feel as she wondered how long Jane had been standing there. She tapped Eric on the shoulder, “I’ll be right back.”

Eric nodded and kept typing.

Sadie led Jane into the den where Shawn had set a huge pile of rainbow-colored files in the middle of the floor, which, Sadie noted, really needed to be vacuumed. Stray papers were everywhere and she frowned. This could take awhile, but at least having an extra pair of hands would speed up the process.

“Jane, this is Shawn, my son. He could use your help going through the files. We’re looking for one on Damon Mortenson.”

Jane looked over her shoulder, toward the doorway that led to the kitchen. “I’d really prefer to talk to Josh.”

“I’m sure you would,” Sadie said. “But right now I need you to go through the files.”

Jane shifted her focus to Sadie’s face, held her eyes for a moment and then shrugged. “Whatever you need, boss.” There was no sarcasm in her tone, but Sadie felt it in her word choice anyway.

“Okay then,” Sadie said. “Let me know what you guys find.”

Jane sat cross-legged on the floor and reached for the top file, her back toward Sadie.

Sadie waited until Shawn looked up at her, then mouthed the words “Watch her” and pointed at Jane.

Shawn nodded, then looked at Jane carefully as he took a file too.

Satisfied the situation was under control, Sadie returned to the kitchen. “Sorry about that,” she said as she moved to stand behind Eric. “Now, where were we?”

“I was getting to the good part—where I tell you what the key goes to.”

“Oh, right,” Sadie said, unable to keep the excitement from her voice. She noticed Josh’s eyes were trained—unmoving—on the paper. He wasn’t reading. He was listening. “So, what’s it to?”

“A storage unit,” Eric said triumphantly. He turned the key over and pointed at the numbers on the back. “I’m betting this is the code to the exterior door. It’s not very secure, writing it on the key, but I’m not complaining.”

“Do you know which storage company it’s for?”

“Advanced,” Eric said. “But they used to be owned by Sunrise, whose logo was orange, hence an orange key. This storage unit must have been rented before the sale, which is why the key still matches Sunrise, not Advanced, whose colors are blue and gold.”

“I thought storage units required you to provide your own lock?” Sadie asked while mentally trying to remember where Advanced was located. By the railroad, she thought. Then she had another thought: Josh was only twenty-six, so why did he own a storage unit?

Eric shrugged. “
Self
-storage usually does. But Advanced is just storage. And it’s inside units rather than outside ones. More secure, but not as easily accessed.”

“Do you know when Advanced bought Sunrise?” Sadie asked.

“Six years ago,” Eric said.

Eric continued discussing protocol for re-keying storage units when businesses changed hands, but Sadie was watching Josh, waiting for him to react to their discovery, maybe even try to stop their discussion. Strangely enough, he made no protest at all, but seemed deep in thought instead. After a minute she put up her hand, cutting Eric off.

“You didn’t know it was to a storage unit, did you?” she asked Josh.

Eric looked at the young man at the end of the table as well.

Josh tried to shrug off her question.

“You don’t,” she concluded. “Where did you get the key?”

His jaw moved, but he didn’t answer.

“Look,” Sadie said, feeling her frustration rise. She stood up straight and put one hand on her hip. “You’re in the soup, so to speak, and holding out on us isn’t doing you any good at all.”

“Except I’m not helping you, which totally works for me.”

“Why?” Sadie asked, exasperated with his stubbornness. “You said you didn’t kill Mr. Ogreski. What else is there to hide from us? Why insist on being so unforthcoming?” She wasn’t sure that was actually a word.

“Um, well, let’s see,” he said, making an exaggerated face and tapping his chin with his free hand. “I was kidnapped, and now I’m currently tied up and being held prisoner by a bunch of total psychos. Geez, I can’t imagine why I wouldn’t want to make things easier for you. Weird, huh?”

Sadie narrowed her eyes. “We are not psychos,” she defended. “We’re trying to do a good thing here.”

“By breaking the law?” Josh asked. “You’re like this modern Bonnie and Clyde vigilante gang, honking about justice and truth while ducking the cops yourself. And now you want me to answer all your little questions just to be nice?” He shook his head and raised the newspaper again. “I don’t think so.”

Sadie needed to come at this from another direction. Then she remembered the camera bag. “I guess it’s time to pull out the big guns,” she said ominously.

“More guns?”

Sadie looked up at Jane, standing in the kitchen doorway. She tried to swallow her irritation at being interrupted.

Jane raised both eyebrows. “We found something you need to see.” She turned back to the den before Sadie had a chance to answer.

Eric pushed away from the table. “We’re not going anywhere, Bonnie,” he said.

Bonnie?
It took Sadie a moment to get the reference.

“I think I’ll finish off that chicken stuff. It was really good.” He looked at Josh. “Wanna split it with me?”

Josh looked torn between the lingering power of his refusal to cooperate and the temptation of Evil Chicken. The Evil Chicken won out and he nodded.

“I’ll be right back,” she said to Eric, turning away from her captive and hurrying into the other room. If they’d found Damon’s file already that might help this whole process.

Jane plopped herself back on the floor once they reached the den. Shawn sat on the edge of a recliner a few feet away from her. The sticky smell of garbage now permeated the room and Sadie wrinkled her nose. Shawn and Jane seemed to be used to it, though, and Sadie hoped she’d quickly acclimate as well. It really stunk.

“Did you find Damon’s folder?” she asked.

Shawn shook his head and held out a file.

“No?” She was confused. What was more important than finding Damon’s folder? She took the file from Shawn and turned it over so she could read the handwritten tab.

After reading it once she blinked and read it a second time, wanting to make sure she had read it right.

Mark Ogreski—literary agent

Why on earth did Diane have a file on him?

Chapter 39