Page 53 of Valor (Long Hot Summer: Christian Romantic Suspense #2)

GIBSON

The car is a dead end just as Deputy Brown said it would be.

“I’m sorry there’s not more,” she says softly as she shakes her head. “I truly wish there was.”

“Thanks. No one saw the car get dumped?”

She shakes her head. “Like I said, I asked around. Checked with neighbors. No one even remembers ever seeing that car in or around town.”

“Out of towner?” Lance questions.

“Maybe. But my gut says no.”

A truck pulls off to the side of the road, and Elliot and his wife Nova get out. “No luck at the hospital,” she says as they cross over toward us.

“We smelled a lot of people,” he says. “No floral perfume.”

“Floral perfume?” Deputy Brown asks.

“Lani said her abductor smelled of flowers,” I tell her.

“Oh, and you think it might be perfume?”

“Maybe,” I say. “It’s a lead we’re running with.”

Deputy Brown nods and leans back into the car.

“Could be that whoever took her was just not there,” Bradyn offers. “Given that she’s holding Lani.”

“Everyone showed up for their shifts both this morning and afternoon,” Nova says. “And with how short-staffed they are, everyone who’s on payroll was there at one point or another today.”

“Making it less likely it’s someone who works there.” I run both hands over my face in complete frustration. “No evidence here. No evidence at her apartment. What are we missing?”

“Maybe we need to start back at square one,” Deputy Brown says. “You told me during training that sometimes the best way to move forward is to go back.”

She’s right. It’s exactly what I would do if this were any other case. But it’s not any other case. It’s Lani. And right now, all I can think about is how terrified she must be. Did she see her dad get shot? Is she fearing for her own life even as she wonders what happened to his?

“You go back to her apartment. Talk to neighbors.”

“You got it, Sheriff,” she says with a nod, then heads back toward her car. As she’s passing, though, I get the faintest hint of wildflowers. It’s subtle, and only noticeable because of the breeze blowing this direction as she passed by.

Flowers.

I smelled flowers.

Surely not.

My body grows cold as the blood drains from my face. Is that why we’ve always been one step behind? Because the person who took her has been a part of the inner circle since the beginning? “Deputy.” My hand instinctively goes to my belt. Bradyn, Elliot, and Nova all sense the shift. I see it on their faces and the way they change their stances.

“Yeah?” She turns toward me.

“How did you say you found the car?”

Honestly, as much as I want to find Lani, I hope I’m wrong. Because if I’m not, then I let the monster in this time. I let her close enough to get away with taking what matters most.

“I caught a glimpse of it from the road as I was driving by.” She’s about three yards from her car, and if I don’t play this right, she’ll be gone before we can get to our trucks.

“It’s shielded pretty good,” Lance says. “Were you driving slow?”

“I guess.” She looks from him to me. “Why?”

“Just trying to figure out how the person who dumped it got away without being seen,” I reply. “You’re going to head to Lani’s apartment?”

But I see it. The subtle hint of unease in her gaze that tells me she’s unsure of my motives now. And that’s enough to seal the guilt. “That’s where you told me to go.”

“Good. I think you’re right. We really need to start back at the beginning.” I say, keeping my voice calm.

She’s armed. And clearly capable of murder. And if I don’t play this right, I know we’ll never find Lani. Because one of the reasons I hired Deputy Brown is her ability to keep calm under the harshest of pressures. The woman won’t crack.

Not in time to save Lani.

“I think it’ll work. We’ll find her, Sheriff,” she says with a smile, then heads up the embankment. I force myself to turn away so it doesn’t look like I’m following.

I close the distance between me and Elliot, then reach into my pocket and hand him my keys. “I need to borrow your truck. You head back into town and get Deputy Lenson. He’s working the desk. Wait for my call, and I’ll tell you where to go.”

“What’s going on?” he asks as he takes my keys and hands me his.

“I’m going to tail her. Lance, Bradyn, you’re with me.”

“She’s pulling away,” Nova says.

“Good. Let’s go.”

Elliot and Nova head up the embankment, rushing toward my truck. They get in and take off back toward town. They’ll be behind her for a few miles, but when they turn off toward the Sheriff’s office, my hope is she’ll see that and keep on driving past Lani’s apartment to wherever she’s holding her.

I climb behind the wheel of Elliot’s truck. Bradyn hops in the passenger seat and Lance climbs into the back.

“You suspect the deputy?” Lance asks.

“I smelled flowers when she walked by,” I tell him and Bradyn as anger burns through every rational thought I have. “And combine that with the fact that this person has been one step ahead of us at every turn—I’d say it’s as good a lead as any. If it is—” I trail off.

“It won’t make it your fault,” Bradyn tells me.

“She was right there. Right under my nose.” I slam my hand into the steering wheel as I try to remain a good distance back from her patrol car. Far enough that she won’t notice anything off.

“Maybe it’s not,” Bradyn says. But his tone tells me that he’s putting pieces together too.

I hand him my phone. “Call the station and put Jenny on speaker, please.”

He does and after two rings she picks up. “Pine Creek Sheriff’s Department, this is?—”

“It’s Sheriff Lawson,” I tell her.

“What can I do for you?”

“Elliot and Nova Hunt are on their way in my truck. Have Lenson gear them and himself up, then have him ride with them. They know where they’re going.”

“Will do. Is everything all right?”

“No.” I start to end the call, but a thought pops into my mind. “Where do you get those flowers? The ones you’re always arranging all over the place?”

“Deputy Brown,” she replies. “She has a fantastic flower garden in her backyard. Brings them in fresh every day.”

And there it is. The piece I was waiting for. It’s not just that she would have picked up the floral scent at the office—it’s in her car. Her home. “Thanks, Jenny. Get with Lenson. Please. We don’t have a lot of time.” I end the call.

“She’s holding Lani at her house,” Lance says from the backseat.

“We’re about to find out.”

White knuckles grip the steering wheel as I fight the urge to follow her into Lani’s apartment building and force the answers out of her—by any means necessary.

But that will likely cost us precious time we don’t have to spare.

So I don’t.

“Call Elliot. Have them head over to Lani’s apartment and keep watch. We’ll move in as soon as we’ve cleared her house. I don’t want to spook her just yet.”

Lord, please lead me to Lani. Please let me find her again before it’s too late. God, I can’t do this without you.

* * *

“There’s not much here,” Lance says as he surveys the living room.

“Her room is clean, too,” Bradyn replies.

I stare out the back window at the flower garden thriving in her backyard. Her house might as well be a flower shop given there are fresh bouquets everywhere. There’s no doubt in my mind that she’s behind this now. The question is, where is Lani? Did she bring her here? Or are we wasting time?

“Elliot says she’s still at Lani’s apartment. He’s watched her go into half a dozen of the neighboring apartments.”

“She’s playing it safe,” I say. “Honestly, she might know we’re onto her.”

Lani, where are you?

We’ve scoured this house. Inside and out. I even checked the potting shed in the back, and there’s been no sign of Lani.

“Tucker just texted,” Bradyn says. “She doesn’t own any other property in the area.”

“She didn’t own the last place Lani was held. Can you have him look for any more places that fit the profile of that first cabin? Anywhere she could stash Lani and we wouldn’t know?”

“On it.” He turns and fires off a text.

I step onto the back porch again. The backyard is a maze of stone pathways weaving through colorful blooms. Fresh mulch lays in bags near the door, alongside two empty bags.

It all seems so normal for the home of a killer. What could have pushed her to do this to Lani? What possible reason could she have for doing something like this?

“Gibson, you’re going to want to come look at this.”

I glance back at Bradyn, noting the fury on his face. “Is it?—”

“It’s not Lani. But we found her stuff. Hidden behind a false wall in the back of the deputy’s closet.”

I head back into the house and follow him down the hall, toward the main bedroom. Lance has opened a panel on the wall and is standing in front of it. Lani’s floral dresses hang inside the wall, along with the dress she wore on our date.

And a clear plastic bag full of hair her abductor cut off when she’d been held that first time.

Fury burns through my veins. Igniting a bloodthirsty rage that would terrify me if I was rational enough to really think about it.

This woman was close to me.

My friend.

A deputy in my department.

Why would she do this?

“Call Elliot and have him grab her,” I say. “This ends now.” Turning, I start toward the door, determined to get the information I need out of her. But then I see a pair of black boots by the door.

Black boots covered with dirt. The fresh mulch outside.

Lani. I don’t know how I know it, but the pit in my stomach turns into a canyon at the sight of those dirt-covered boots. After all, if Lani isn’t being held in this house, is it possible she’s outside and I just missed the signs?

I rush out of the room and sprint down the steps of the porch. “Check the flower beds,” I tell them. “Look for anything out of the ordinary. Rip them out by the roots if you have to.” I rush toward the nearest garden bed and start plunging my hands into the soft dirt.

Nothing.

I continue moving, doing my best not to go frantic with the search so I can keep at least somewhat of a level head on my shoulders. That way, I won’t miss something.

Lance and Bradyn are doing the same, scouring the property.

But there are acres of flowers and land here. Acres where Lani could be.

God, where is she? Emotion claws at my throat as I turn in a slow circle, scanning for anything that looks off. And then I note some mulch that has been displaced about three yards from me.

My blood pounds, a drumline in my ears, as I rush forward and start shoving the mound of dirt in the stone-lined flower bed. A plant with bright pink flowers is thrown to the side, and about six inches down, my hands hit something hard.

“Over here!” I yell as I claw at the dirt.

It’s fresh, so thank God it moves easily enough, revealing a wooden box. “We need a drill!” I yell. “A prybar—anything!” I try to pry it open with my fingertips, tearing my nails in the process.

“Here!” Bradyn rushes over with a crowbar and props it beneath one side of the box. He shoves down, and wood splinters. Lance grips part of the box and rips it free, revealing a very pale and unconscious Lani.

“Oh, God,” I whisper. “Please no.” I reach in and wrap my arms around her torso as Bradyn lifts her feet.

We set her gently on the ground. Her eyes are closed, her body limp. I feel for a pulse as Bradyn kneels on her other side and Lance calls an ambulance.

“No pulse. You are not dying on me, Lani.” I toss him the keys to the cuffs at my waist, knowing they’ll fit the ones around her waist, as I start chest compressions. One. Two. Three… It feels like lifetimes before I hit thirty. Closing her nose, I tilt her head back and cover her mouth with mine, doing what I can to force oxygen into her body.

More chest compressions. Bradyn has removed the handcuffs from her and is silently holding her hand, tears in his eyes.

“Come on, Lani,” I urge. “Breathe.”

“The ambulance is on its way,” Lance says.

Two more rescue breaths.

She coughs, her body convulsing as her heart begins beating again. Those beautiful eyes I can’t go another day without seeing flutter open and she offers me a half smile. “I knew you’d come for me,” she whispers, voice hoarse.

“Baby, there’s not a force in this world that could keep me from you.” I pull her into my arms, and Bradyn moves in closer.

“You scared us, little sister,” he says.

“I’m sorry.” She breathes. “Is Dad okay?” she asks. “She shot him. Deputy Brown shot him. It was her. I?—”

“He’s okay,” Bradyn tells her, interrupting her. “And we know it was her. Deputy Lenson, Elliot, and Nova were able to subdue her and are headed to the station. She nearly put another hole in Elliot, but Echo took her down first.”

It’s wrong, but knowing Elliot’s service dog took a bite at her brings me immense satisfaction. Though not nearly as much as I’ll get when I see her behind bars.