Page 37

Thirty-six

REACHING KAYENTA , they drove through the Navajo Nation town, checking the parking lots as they passed.

“I’m betting they drove out a ways,” Riley said. “It’s what I would do.”

“There’s not much outside of Kayenta. Let me look at a map.” Grey pulled it up on the laptop, continuing to use his phone as a hot spot.

“If I were on the run, I’d go around the Four Corners area,” she said.

“Because?”

“It’s less than an hour’s drive from Kayenta, and the towns there get such a flux of tourist traffic from Monument Valley that it’d be easy to disappear in the throng of tourists.”

“To the Four Corners, then?” he asked.

“Yep.” She headed north at the next juncture, hoping they’d lost Kevin and Steve for good, though men like that were relentless. The question was, Who were they being relentless for? Who was the man Kevin had referred to as the boss?

****

Jared opened the motel room door and helped Kelly inside. She winced every few steps, so he aimed her straight for the bed.

“What if someone recognizes your 4Runner in front of the motel?”

“One step ahead of you. I’m going to ditch it and get us a new pair of wheels. I’ll be back soon.”

“I thought a stolen car would put too much heat on us? That’s why you had us hitch a ride with that hiker back to the 4Runner in the first place.”

“I think it’s necessary now.”

“Why?”

“Just trust me.”

“Fine.” She sighed, something far more important on her mind. “Before you go...” She attempted to sit up but winced hard and lay back down.

“Yeah?” Jared asked, his hand on the knob.

“I figured out why the locket looks familiar.”

“Oh?” He came and sat on the bed.

“Do you remember that heiress, Kathryn Buford, who went missing in Vegas, not long after Claire joined the cult?”

“Oh yeah, her picture was all over the news.” His eyes widened. “Her parents said she had a star-shaped locket she never took off. She was wearing it when she went missing, according to friends who were with her on vacation there.”

“The locket in the safe had the initials K. B.” She swallowed. “What if she was part of the cult?”

“Because Lance had her locket in his safe?”

“Yes, plus Claire said there was a woman who left the cult not long after she arrived. She only learned later that Lance didn’t allow anyone to leave, so she knew the lady must have broken free, and it gave Claire the courage to do the same.”

“You think that could’ve been Kathryn?”

“I don’t think we can rule it out.”

“I don’t remember the news mentioning anything about a cult.”

“They probably had nothing to tie the two together then.”

“Then?”

“While you were stashing the car, I did some digging. Kathryn’s body was found here last year while they were doing new construction,” she said, pulling out her phone and showing him the general region by the cult house.

“It’s a solid mile away.”

“Who knows how far Lance’s property extended.”

“Good point.”

“She could have been recruited just as Claire was. I looked back at the news reports, and Kathryn’s friends said she met a guy she really liked. The next day they saw her leaving with a man who didn’t fit Lance’s description.”

“Maybe Lance used a courier.”

“You know ... the man they described who was seen with her...”

“Yeah?”

“I think Alvin fits the description her friends gave. Tall, muscular, dark curly hair, and brown eyes.”

“The very opposite of Lance with his blond hair, lanky build, and one-love kind of style. At least back then.”

“Alvin was from Vegas, and he has the creep factor. What if he was Lance’s courier all those years ago?”

“You think Lance killed Kathryn because she tried to escape?”

“I believe Lance would do whatever he had to do to protect his enterprise. Swindling money out of rich women like Kathryn while sucking the life from them. Denying Claire the kidney medicine she needed under the guise of healing her. If Kathryn left and told authorities what was happening there, it would ruin it all, and he’d go to jail for swindling.”

“And for running the cult.”

“Unfortunately, cults aren’t illegal.”

“Are you kidding?”

“No, but the point is if anyone told the police about scamming money away from these women and practically or actually holding them captive, he’d go away for a long time. It’s why, when Claire made it free and called the police, by the time they got to the cult house to question Lance, he was already in the wind. The two other cult members they did find after the fact were still so brainwashed they only protected him.”

“That’s messed up.”

“Yes, but now we have proof to tie Lance to Kathryn. And whoever else the other items belonged to.” Her eyes widened. “You don’t think they belong to other women he killed?”

“Knowing him and how evil he is, it wouldn’t surprise me.”

“And now he’s doing it again. Trying to kill us off to protect his assets and hide the evidence that could put him away for life. We need to tell the cops,” she said, straightening on the bed.

“That’s a discussion for later. Right now, you need rest, and I’m going to lose my SUV and get us a new set of wheels.” He handed her the Glock before standing. “Don’t open this door for anyone. Someone comes through it without me announcing it’s me, you shoot first, ask questions later.”

She nodded.

“And try to get some sleep. It’s been days.” He kissed her on the forehead. “Put the chain on behind me.”

Like a chain would stop Brent, but crossing the room, she put the chain across the door and double-checked the lock, then sat on the bed with the Glock aimed at the door. She wouldn’t be sleeping a wink until Jared returned.