He hesitated, then reached for the pad as his brows snapped together, and his hawk-like eyes speared Coop. “What kidnapping?”
Coop watched him carefully. “Sam’s missing.”
The shocked expression on Anson’s face said it all.
The lawyer didn’t do it.
Painful throbbing pierced her skull as Sam cautiously opened her eyes. A dusty rag was tied around her mouth, and she lay on a grimy sofa, a single light suspended from the ceiling for light. Her hands were bound behind her back and a plastic zip tie secured her ankles. Pain radiated from her wrists upward when she tried to move. She swallowed a groan. Bewildered, her drug-clouded mind tried to piece together what happened. Where am I? How the hell did I get here?
The last clear memory was Frank Arnold coming by the house. Eva. Something was wrong with Eva. No. He lied. Bile rose in her throat and her heart pounded. The gag across her mouth added to her state of near panic. What if I throw up? I’ll choke!
She swallowed hard and sucked in a deep breath. Stay calm. Think.
Groggy and disorientated, she groaned and worked her jaw, trying to dislodge the gag without success. Pain raced up her arms and shoulders as she strained to free her hands. Heart racing, her breath burst in and out of constricted lungs. She bit back a frustrated cry as dizziness swamped her. No! No!
A soft whimper escaped and tears stung her eyes as the darkness descended once more.
Help me, Coop.
Friday morning
Coop stomped into the foyer of the courthouse, preoccupied by a night of troubling dreams, and too little sleep. Peggy’s voice only bothered him once with a single comment: basement.
Sam was being held in a basement? Few homes in Texas had them, and he knew of none locally. But he knew someone who would know.
Alice looked up as he approached her desk. “Morning, Coop.”
Her overly cheerful greeting grated on already frayed nerves. “I want to see JD as soon as he comes in.”
“I just heard about Sam.” Her excited voice edged up a notch. “What’s going on?”
Coop ignored the question as he paced down the hall to his office. Alice hated not knowing things. Stood to reason it was just a matter of time before she picked up something to gossip about. He turned back to her desk, ignoring the hopeful look on her face. “If you so much as breathe one word to anyone about this investigation, you’re fired. Understand?”
She stiffened and glared at him. “You can’t fire me. My daddy’s the mayor.”
He took a step closer, voice clipped and firm. “And if one more person comes back to my office unannounced, you’re fired.” He straightened. “It’s all in the code of conduct you signed when you were hired. Infractions can, and will, result in termination.”
He left her muttering under her breath. It sounded a lot like we’ll see about that, but Coop didn’t care. He’d put up with her for four months. Enough was enough. Mayor or no mayor.
Ten minutes later, the intercom buzzed. “What is it, Alice?”
Her smug reply made his teeth ache.
“The mayor on line one.”
The short and sweet conversation ended with the disconcerted mayor promising to have a talk with his daughter.
Ridiculous. The woman was twenty-five years old. Her father should have talked with her long before now.
Coop barely caught his breath when his cell rang. “Delaney”
“Sheriff? This is Rawlings.”
Coop sat up straighter. Rawlings was the deputy assigned to watch Billy’s house. “What’s up?”
“Billy came home a few minutes ago. What do you want me to do?”
“Nothing for the time being. Let me know if he goes anywhere.”
“Roger that.”
Revitalized by the prospect of getting answers, Coop started to dial JD’s number only to stop when the intercom buzzed. With monumental effort, he maintained a civil attitude. “Yes, Alice?”
“The vet on two. Said it’s urgent.”
“Tha –” He shook his head at the click signifying she hung up, and punched the button for the call. “Is Jack okay, Dr. Adkins?”
The harried veterinarian raised his voice over the uproar in the background. “You have got to come get this dog.”
“Is he all right?”
“He’s mad as hell. Barks and snaps at anyone who goes near him. If I have to keep him any longer, I’ll have to sedate him again. Right now, I can’t get close enough to put the muzzle back on.”
