Page 20 of The Last To Know (Hallowed Halls Series #2)

“O h, Miss London, this came for you.” The desk clerk stopped Hannah before she left the hotel.

Frowning, Hannah went over to the registration desk. “For me?” Only her team and Bert knew she was here.

“Yes, ma’am.” The young female clerk retrieved a folded piece of blue parchment paper with Hannah’s name on it and handed it to her. “It was here when I started my shift.”

Hannah unfolded the note and almost dropped the paper when she read those familiar words.

Beloved, now that I’ve found you again, I will never let you go. You will be with me soon. Now and always.

“Is anything wrong?” The young woman’s smile faded.

“Who was on duty when the note was delivered?” The same wording as the note found on her kitchen table shattered her hopes that this might all be some juvenile prank. Someone had deliberately tracked her here to Grand Island. For what reason? Seeing it in the light of not being kids’ pranks, the threat in those words scared the daylights out of Hannah.

“I’m sorry, there was no one on duty overnight. I have no idea who left the note.”

“What about security coverage?” Hannah pressed. Most hotels had video surveillance around the lobby.

The young woman told her she’d tried searching through it. “It appears the storm took the system down for a while. ”

The storm or the person who left the note . . . just like the person they were chasing had dismantled the security systems belonging to his victims.

Her gut told her this wasn’t the same person, but she couldn’t be sure.

“Anything wrong?” Cooper asked when he got a good look at her worried expression.

Hannah stuffed the note into her shoulder bag. “No, nothing.” She couldn’t tell Cooper the truth. Not yet. She still wanted to believe there was some simple explanation that she could contain.

She thanked the clerk, who obviously thought it odd the way Hannah reacted. She’d probably seen a lot of strange things while working at the hotel.

Cooper searched her face. “Are you sure you’re okay because—”

“I’m positive.” She cut him off sharply, and immediately regretted it. “We should be on our way. There’s a lot of property to search.”

He slowly agreed. “Alright.”

Zeke waited for them near the door. He tossed Hannah a look as if to say, “What’s going on with you?”

Hannah ignored her brother’s concerns and stepped from the hotel. The note had her rattled. She was being stalked. Soon, she wouldn’t have a choice but to tell her team about the possible danger the person stalking her might pose.

Now that I’ve found you again . . . seemed to hint at a relationship that didn’t exist. At least, not as far as Hannah remembered.

She searched around the all-but-empty parking lot and couldn’t dispel the feeling of being watched.

Hannah thought about Lewis. The note at her house couldn’t have been left by him. Lewis lived outside New York City. He sold windows for a firm there and travelled around the state. He’d worked the same job for two years. Before that he had a string of menial labor jobs until he seemed to have found his groove selling windows. Lewis didn’t have so much as a parking ticket. Maybe he was just the type of person that gave off bad vibes.

Whatever was going on with Lewis, it wasn’t connected to the person leaving her notes. They’d followed her somehow to the hotel where she was staying. That was alarming in itself. She’d have to let her team know about the potential danger soon. Before the stalker took his tactics to the next level.

“Want me to drive?” Zeke asked.

Cooper shook his head. “Naw. It will give me something to keep my mind off what’s ahead.”

Hannah slipped into the passenger seat and waited while he rounded the front of their new SUV. Lord, he needs You.

She’d struggled with her faith after losing Ellie. She didn’t understand how God could take someone so good when there were so many bad people doing bad things to others. Embalmer and his copycat were a prime example along with the multitude of other cases waiting for them once they finished this one.

Cooper was hurting. She’d put her anger aside for him.

“Ready?” He looked her way.

Once more, Hannah was blindsided by this handsome man who meant so much to her. After more than nineteen years without a major hitch, she’d felt invincible. She’d thought perhaps she would be one of the transplant patients who lived a long life. Perhaps she could let love in.

And then Ellie died. Everything changed. She realized she was living on borrowed time.

“Hannah?” He shifted toward her. It was just the two of them, and the tension that had taken a hiatus returned.

“Yes, I’m ready,” she murmured and focused ahead.

Seconds ticked by. She could almost imagine Zeke shaking his head.

Cooper started their replacement vehicle, a Nissan Armada, and left the shelter of the portico while Hannah struggled for calm. They had a case to solve. She had to focus on that.

“When was the last time you visited your great-grandparents before . . . ?” She didn’t have to finish. Like her, Cooper’s life was divided into before and after segments.

His hands tightened on the wheel then relaxed. She wondered if it was because of the tension between them or the memory from the past. “Maybe a couple of weeks before they died.” He merged onto the highway that would take them off the island. “Looking back, I see there was stress between my parents. I’d catch them bickering. When I’d come into the room, they’d pretend everything was fine. I think my mother suspected my father was cheating on her.” He laughed, a bitter sound that resounded through the vehicle. “I guess he was, only not the way mom thought.”

She couldn’t imagine how difficult that day must have been for him. “Did your great-grandparents ever mention anything about Pennsylvania?”

“Never. They treated my father like he was theirs. I never thought anything about the age difference. They were all about us having fun when we were there . . .” He stopped suddenly, and she looked at his profile. He’d remembered something.

“What is it?”

“There was something strange that happened once. My father and great-grandfather were in the barn talking. They didn’t know I was there. I heard them arguing about someone. Grandpa said, ‘He’s got to go. He’s causing problems.’ They were looking at the gelding Grandpa kept. I just assumed he meant the horse was acting up and he’d have to trade him.”

“Maybe he was speaking of someone,” Zeke interjected. “Like the person in your father’s drawing.”

Cooper shot him a look through the rearview mirror. “It’s possible. My father and great-grandfather never seemed to have a disagreement before, but they were arguing about something or someone that day.”

Hannah’s cell phone rang. “It’s Isobel.” She answered, putting it on speaker. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m not sure. I tried to reach my police protection team, but they’re not responding. I can see them sitting in their patrol car—all of them in one vehicle. They’re not moving, Hannah.”

“Lock the doors and keep your shotgun close.”

Isobel didn’t respond.

“Isobel! Isobel, did you hear me?”

A scream reverberated through the phone.

“He’s got her.”

Zeke tried to call the officer in charge. “He’s not answering. I’m calling backup to the location.”

“We have to go there now,” Hannah said, her voice shaken.

Cooper didn’t hesitate. He whipped the Armada around and headed for the interstate, flooring the gas pedal.

“We’re on our way to you now. Stay inside and keep the doors—” The call with Isobel ended abruptly. Hannah tried it again. Straight to voicemail.

“Jack and the team are meeting us there along with local police.” Zeke had been on a call with the team.

“This is bad. This is so bad.” Hannah kept trying Isobel’s phone, praying it had all been a mistake. Yet with every unanswered try, her fear grew. Isobel was no longer able to answer her phone.

It felt like forever before they reached Isobel’s house. By the time they arrived, the local police were there already canvassing the scene.

Cooper shoved the SUV into Park. Hannah identified herself and her team to the chief. “Are they alive?” The police cruiser was swarmed by law enforcement.

Chief Killian’s grim expression was all the answer she needed. “I’m afraid not. They were all stabbed. I’m guessing Douglas and York were killed first. Then Harper and Tennison.” He blew out a breath. “This is a terrible thing. They were good men. I’ll need to notify their families soon.”

“What about the woman inside the house?” Hannah’s heart sank when the chief confirmed Isobel was missing.

“There had to be more than one person involved to take out my officers without them getting a chance to fight back. I’ve called in the state police. They’re shutting down all roads leading into the area. Hopefully, we can catch the perps before they leave the county.” Chief Killian looked over his shoulder as the medical examiner arrived.

“I’m so sorry for your loss, Chief,” Cooper told the lawman. “Do you mind if we take a look inside the house?”

“Go ahead. Crime scene is in there now.” The chief started toward the medical examiner.

Before they went inside the house, the rest of their team arrived.

Zeke brought them up to speed. “Chief Killian seems to believe the killer is acting with someone else. What do you think, Cooper?”

Cooper struggled visibly with his emotions. He swallowed several times before responding. “There was no proof my father ever worked with anyone. He was the only person responsible for the murders, despite his claim of being framed.”

Hannah agreed with Cooper. She was certain the killer would want to act alone to claim all the glory for himself. “It doesn’t make sense that the copycat who has followed your father’s MO almost religiously would suddenly bring someone else in on the murders.”

“If not, then he is cunning enough to take four trained officers down.” Jack looked up at the house. “Let’s see if anything jumps out inside the house.”

After they’d slipped booties over their shoes and put on gloves, they went inside, where the county’s crime scene unit was busy collecting evidence.

“I’m going to speak to the tech in charge.” Jack stepped away. The ERT unit would be taking over, but they could use the locals’ assistance.

Hannah looked around at signs of a struggle. “She fought him. Perhaps we’ll get lucky on DNA.” The blood droplets left at Veronica’s house had been determined to belong to an unknown male.

Jack joined them once more. “Bob’s people are on their way. In the meantime, let’s stay out of the way as much as possible but fan out. See if you can find anything useful in locating the doctor.”

“We’ve got the living room.” Sierra looked to Zeke, who agreed.

“There’s a barn at the back. Cooper, why don’t you and I see if there’s anything back there?” Hannah stepped outside, still reeling from the brazenness of the killer.

She and Cooper headed toward the barn, where they’d first met Isobel.

“I sure hope the state police were able to get roadblocks set up in time.” Hannah tried to hold onto hope, and yet there were literally dozens of small roads around the county. They couldn’t barricade them all.

Inside the barn, nothing appeared out of place.

Cooper looked around. “He didn’t come in here.”

Something caught Hannah’s attention. A box sitting on the floor had been opened. She went over and peered inside. “It’s a journal.” She looked over her shoulder at Cooper. “I think she left it this way on purpose. Isobel wanted us to find this.”

Hannah opened the journal. Words jumped off the page.

He’s alive.

“Who do you think she’s talking about?” She flipped the page.

“My father,” Cooper murmured, his tone flat. “My father’s alive.”

Hannah jerked his way. “That’s not possible. He was stabbed in prison. There’s a death certificate.” As she continued to read the journal it soon became clear Cooper was right.

“He faked his death. Oliver’s injuries were serious, but not fatal. Isobel declared him dead and signed his death certificate partly because she thought herself in love with Oliver but mostly because she was afraid of him. She gave him a drug to slow his breathing tremendously.” She scanned the page. “The effects of the drug only lasted a short time. Oliver’s brother took possession of him. She never saw Oliver again.” Hannah closed the journal. “He didn’t die in prison.’”

“We’ve got to tell the others.” Cooper headed for the door. “We’ve got to get to him before he kills Isobel.”

Hannah followed him outdoors.

Cooper told Jack what they’d discovered. “He’s alive. Isobel helped him fake his death.”

Shocked, Jack took the journal from Hannah and read the confession. “Unbelievable. This changes everything. We need to let the state police know they’re looking for a convicted killer as well as his accomplice, which is possibly Ellison’s brother. How would he get her out of the area without using any of the main roads?”

Cooper shook his head. “He obviously wouldn’t use the way we came in.” He tried to bring up Google Maps, but the service was sketchy.

Hannah found the chief and updated him on what they believed. “Are there alternate routes less traveled to get out of the county?”

He pointed toward the road. “This leads out of the county, but there’s some rough terrain ahead. You wouldn’t get there by using a car without four-wheel drive capability.”

Hannah thanked him.

“What are you thinking?” Jack asked once they were out of earshot of the chief.

“I think it’s worth a try. We’re wasting our time here. Jack, I’d like permission for Cooper, Zeke, and myself to try and cut off Ellison before he gets away.”

“Go.” Jack didn’t hesitate.

Zeke overheard his name and came over. “What’s going on?”

“We’ll explain on the road.” Cooper shed his booties and gloves and got behind the wheel.

Zeke climbed in behind him.

Once Hannah was in the passenger seat Cooper fired up the Armada.

Hannah couldn’t imagine how frightened Isobel must be seeing Ellison again. She was clearly terrified of him.

Cooper turned the vehicle around and headed for the road while Hannah explained what they’d found in the journal.

“Wait—you’re saying Ellison, the original Embalmer, is still alive?” Zeke was just as stunned as they were. “How is that possible?”

“Isobel was the doctor who treated him. She declared him dead. The warden and the rest of the team would have trusted her.”

“Why would she do it?”

Hannah had wondered the same as Zeke. “I think she was too frightened to stand up to him.”

“I can’t believe that monster is still alive.” Cooper appeared in a state of shock.

Hannah touched his arm.

It didn’t take them long before Hannah saw why the chief had warned about the road.

Deep snow still littered the road where little sun penetrated.

“Tire tracks.” Cooper pointed ahead. A single set of imprints confirmed they were on the right track.

“I’m calling it in.” Zeke grabbed his phone.

“Looks like he’s using tire chains.” Hannah leaned forward to get a better look.

“You’re right. They came prepared, and they have a head start on us.” Cooper met her gaze. Hannah knew what that meant. If they lost the vehicle, Isobel would die.

There were spots that made it impossible to go more than a few miles an hour.

“State police are on the way to head Ellison off.” Zeke read the text from his phone. “I don’t like this one little bit.”

Hannah felt the same way. If Ellison and his accomplice had taken Isobel, they’d probably been watching her for a while. They’d know the route to take to get away from her house quickly.

Cooper braked suddenly, drawing Hannah’s attention to him.

“Why are you stopping?”

He pointed to the road ahead. A tree had gone down in front of them.

All three got out and examined the damage.

“It’s been cut,” Zeke pointed to clear evidence a chainsaw had been used to down the tree.

The Embalmer had known they’d come after him and had effectively taken them out of the chase.