Beyond Innocence Read online

  “We’re not certain that he will,” said Pete quietly. “You know that.”

  Tate’s eyes were fierce. “You won’t convince me that they’re dead. That’s not Calvin’s style. He’ll want me to suffer—that was why he beat me up on that mountain, you know. A bullet between the eyes would have been too quick for me. By some twisted logic he blamed me for all the misery in his life, so I was supposed to suffer the consequences. So he’ll keep them alive to torture me…and then he’ll want me dead. If he kills them he’s lost his bargaining chips. He will have lost his power over me.”

  Pete made a placating gesture with his hands. “Okay. Okay. I’m sure you’re right.”

  “You’ve never had a kid,” muttered Tate. “You can’t understand.”

  “Maybe not.” Pete couldn’t stop himself. “But I had a good friend. And thanks to you I lost him.”

  An electric silence settled over the room as Tate and Pete sized each other up. Tate looked on the verge of pouncing and Pete was just itching for a fight. Pete wanted to make somebody pay for Sam, and in the absence of Calvin, despite his conflicting feelings toward the man, Tate was the best available candidate. He chose to ignore the surreal possibility that Tate missed Sam as much as he did.

  A loud crunch shattered the silence and everyone’s eyes turned once again to Kyle. He munched and swallowed. “I thought a little comic relief was in order.”

  Before Pete could rip the cracker box out of Kyle’s hands, the phone rang.

  Tate snatched it up before the echo of the first ring had died away. “What!” His eyes narrowed as he listened to the other party. “Calvin, you piece of worm shit! If you hurt one hair—”

  After the interruption the color drained from Tate’s face and his knuckles whitened around the receiver. “You bastard! I swear I’ll—”

  Pete ripped the phone from Tate’s hands, which were trembling with rage.

  “Calvin?” asked Pete smoothly. “I’m taking over now because Tate is a little overwrought.”

  The other end laughed mirthlessly. “I’ve got him by the short and curlies, don’t I?”

  “Yes, I dare say you do.” Stroking Calvin’s ego was much more effective than threats. “Now that you have us where you want us, what is it, exactly, that you want?”

  “Two things.”

  “Yes?”

  “First, I want Tate.”

  Pete rolled his eyes. “Are you proposing an exchange? Because you know we can’t condone that.”

  “I don’t give a shit what you condone. I want him and access to all that lovely money that he hid so good. Either that or the actual cash. I’m not picky. I figure three or four hundred thousand ought to do it. You give me what I want or I put a bullet in each of their brains. But only after I do unthinkable things…to both of them.”

  “Hang on.” Pete stifled his own outrage at what Calvin was suggesting and decided not to pass that little tidbit on to Tate. The thing of it was, considering Calvin’s history, it was not an empty threat.

  Pete covered the receiver with his hand. “Just like we thought. He wants you and the money in exchange for their lives.”

  “Money? There ain’t no damn money!”

  “Tate. This is not the time—”

  “I’m telling you the truth.” Tate’s voice had taken on a desperate edge. “It’s gone. I-I used it. I had other…investments that went bad.” He raked shaking fingers through his hair. “Christ! He won’t believe it, though! What the hell am I gonna do? There is no money!”

  Pete knew there had been no investments. Tate was still hiding something, but he did believe there was no money. He placed the receiver to his ear. “Okay, Calvin. We don’t like it, but Tate’s insisting we do it your way. Where and when?”

  He took note of the instructions and two minutes later hung up the phone.

  “Are you crazy? I don’t have that kind of money.”

  “It doesn’t matter. For our purposes he only needs to believe you do.”

  Tate sank down onto the couch beside Don. Almost absently, Don laid a hand on Tate’s shoulder. They were sharing something profound, and for a brief instant Pete’s heart bled for both of them.

  “Christ,” said Tate, his eyes focused on the floor. “He said he’s already had Marnie’s blood on his hand.” He raised his eyes to meet Pete’s, and the vulnerable, helpless Tate was back. “I can’t lose her. I can’t lose either of them, Pete. I just can’t.”

  “You won’t.” He motioned to Kyle. “We’ll see to it.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  New Jersey shoreline

  The darkness was absolute.

  After a lengthy drive, Marnie and Tanner had been led to this isolated dock on the New Jersey shore. A high-powered motorboat was tied there, apparently waiting for them. With a grin and glimmer of evil in his eye, Calvin had lifted them into a rough wooden crate at the far end of the pier and closed the lid.

  It was so dark Marnie couldn’t see her hand in front of her face. The point was moot, however, since her hands were still tied tightly behind her back. Calvin had checked the bindings just before depositing her and Tanner in this cramped box. When he found that the knot had changed and the ropes loosened, he had descended on Faye like a hyena on carrion. Despite her fervent pleas and explanations it had taken several telling blows in order for Calvin to exact a satisfactory payment for the deception. Only then had he ceased his tirade and admitted grudgingly that her explanation actually had some merit. That one gesture of humanity had garnered Faye a fresh black eye and possibly a cracked rib or two. The depravity of this world continued to astound Marnie.

  She tried to straighten her legs a little but with no success. She and Tanner had been deposited in the crate in order to keep them out of sight and out of trouble. She wasn’t sure how long it had been but it was long enough that her muscles were beginning to cramp and rebel against their unnatural and prolonged positions.

  The darkness had made her sense of vision useless, but she could hear and she could smell. The rhythmic lapping of water and the pungent scent of dead fish at least gave her something to focus on. Occasionally, she would hear a low murmur of voices or the click of heels on wood as Calvin and Faye paced the dock.

  The waiting was torturous. For all of them.

  “Marnie?” The voice was small and fearful. Tanner’s veneer was finally cracking under the strain.

  “Yes, Tanner?” she whispered.

  “What’s he going to do? I don’t want Dad to die again.”

  The tiny sniffle in the dark cut her as deeply as a razor. She longed to reach out to him, but her hands were bound and only their legs were touching. They were facing each other, their backs against the outer walls of the wooden box. What could she say? Should she reassure him and make promises that she had no possible way of keeping? Tate’s fate, as well as theirs, was out of her hands. She couldn’t bear to think of Tate falling into Calvin’s clutches. But she had to admit to herself, if not to Tanner, that it was a possibility. She had no doubt that if it came down to sacrificing himself for his son, Tate would do it.

  “Just hang on,” she whispered at last. “He’s not alone, you know. The police are helping him.”

  “They won’t help.” Tanner’s voice was bitter. “They hate him.”

  “You’re wrong, Tanner. I know you’re wrong. Sergeant Gruber and his partner are good men, and they’ll do everything they can to keep us all safe.”

  Tanner was silent, and without seeing his face she had no way of telling whether or not he believed her. At the very least, perhaps she had given him something to think about.

  “Where the hell are they?” Calvin’s voice was close and he sounded anxious, and that couldn’t be good.

  “They’re only ten minutes late,” soothed Faye.

  “They better not—”

  Marnie strained to hear what he said next but a moment later she realized he had stopped talking because a car was approaching. She heard the distant purr
of an engine and closed her eyes for a quick, silent prayer. She had never prayed so much in her life. She hoped God wouldn’t hold it against her.

  A tiny voice from the darkness interrupted her plea for mercy. “Do you know how to be a mom?”

  The words struck her speechless, but she finally managed to sputter out, “I guess so. I take care of my niece sometimes. Why?”

  “Cause I wanna get out and I want Dad to marry you.” He sobbed openly and she ached to hold him tight and give him the comfort that had been so lacking in his relationship with his mother. “I want a real mom. And I want to go home.”

  “I know, Tanner.” She didn’t know what else to say. “We all just want to go home.”

  * * * * *

  Tate and Pete slipped out of the car simultaneously. Tate had to restrain himself from double-checking the weapons concealed beneath his clothing. Pete had given him a crash course in how to fire a Beretta Cougar after he’d made it clear in no uncertain terms that he had no intention of being helpless when it came to defending his family.

  It was strictly against procedure but Pete had admitted with a sly grin that it wouldn’t be the first time he had ignored the rulebook. Kyle had politely turned away and whistled a few bars of taps.

  Kyle was annoying but he was starting to grow on Tate, and considering what Kyle was up to at that moment, Tate couldn’t help but worry about him a little. Tate just hoped that the man knew what the hell he was doing.

  Tate and Pete strolled slowly to where the dock met the shore. There they stopped.

  At the far end stood Calvin and Faye. Faye was a couple of feet behind and a little to the right of Calvin. In the dim illumination from the one overhead floodlight, Tate could see that she was battered and bruised. It astounded Tate to realize that he still had the ability to feel for her. Perhaps it was only pity, but maybe he didn’t hate her as much as he thought he did. She was just weak, and that was an affliction that was all too common in the human race.

  Calvin, on the other hand, had no such excuse.

  “You bring the money?” shouted their target.

  “It’s in the car.” Pete’s bellow was strong and clear. “You don’t lay eyes on it until we see Marnie and Tanner. Where are they?”

  Calvin kicked a large wooden crate that sat on the dock. “Right here. Safe and sound.”

  Pete glanced at Tate in a silent warning to keep quiet. During the long drive, Pete had told Tate repeatedly to keep his mouth shut and let Pete handle things. He was worried that if Tate allowed himself to react he’d fly off the handle and lose his cool, jeopardizing everything. Tate had rolled his eyes, but had secretly admitted that Pete was probably right. Tate hated it when cops were right.

  “So, get ‘em out! Now!” yelled Pete.

  “You sure you’re alone?” asked Calvin suspiciously.

  “Christ, Carter!” Pete spread his arms wide. “What do you think? You think I got a SWAT team up my sleeve?” The shoreline was wide open and empty. There was a battered cabin behind them that had been boarded up for years, but other than that there was nowhere for a cruiser or a motorcycle or some secret SWAT team to be hiding out. Actually, Calvin had surprised them with his resourcefulness. His plan was not, however, foolproof. “Now, let’s get on with it!”

  Grudgingly, Calvin opened the lid of the box, and Tate’s heart raced like a freight train in anticipation of seeing his loved ones again.

  Calvin bent down and lifted Tanner out of the box. The light was bright enough that Tate could make out a few key details.

  Tanner was bound hand and foot and his face was grimy and his eyes swollen from crying. Tate closed his eyes to block out the image and allow himself a moment to even out his breathing and slow his pulse. His jaw ached from the strain of clenching his teeth together.

  When he opened his eyes again Marnie had appeared beside Tanner on the rough planks of the ancient dock. He could see that her lip was swollen where Calvin had no doubt struck her. A rage as fierce and hot as the center of the sun burned through him but he managed to quell it. At least, outwardly.

  “Okay,” said Pete evenly. “Untie them so they can walk to us.”

  Calvin pointed the pistol directly at Tanner’s head and Tate almost lunged for him. But he caught himself in time.

  “Show me the money first.” Then Calvin chuckled evilly. “Isn’t that line from some movie? You can quote me later to the papers if you want. Say I thought of it first.”

  “Shut up, asshole.” Pete motioned to Tate, who returned to the car and reached in for a prepared satchel. It bulged with fake bills. One way or another, Calvin wasn’t going to get far enough to be able to check it.

  Tate returned and held up the bag. “Here it is. Now let’s get on with this,” he yelled, ignoring Pete’s instructions.

  Calvin pushed the gun a little more firmly against Tanner’s head. Tanner turned pleading eyes on his father, and Tate felt himself teetering on the edge of his waning self-control.

  “I don’t know, partner,” taunted Calvin. “I kinda wonder if it wouldn’t be worth it just to watch your face when I pull the trigger.”

  Tate was so paralyzed by hate and fear that he couldn’t speak.

  “Cut it out,” yelled Pete. “Leave the kid alone. Besides, you know I’d blow you to kingdom come.”

  “You’re armed?” demanded Calvin.

  “You think I’m an idiot? Of course, I’m armed. But you’ve got hostages, remember? I thought you had it all figured out for once, Carter. Now let’s finish this.”

  Calvin scowled at the sarcasm, but he relented and withdrew the gun. Tanner’s eyes were dry but Tate imagined he could see the fear in them. He longed to comfort his son, but then he noticed Marnie whispering to the boy. Gradually, Tanner calmed and his shoulders relaxed.

  Tanner obviously trusted her. Not many people had earned Tanner’s trust. It soothed Tate marginally to hope that maybe Marnie would continue in the key role of comforter and supporter for his son, even after this whole thing was over. He only hoped she wouldn’t have to face that role alone.

  Calvin bent low, and with a quick, practiced hand he undid the knots and let the ropes fall away from their feet and hands. He stood and motioned for them to stand. Marnie took Tanner’s hand, but when she began to move down the dock toward them, Calvin grabbed her by the hair and wrenched her back.

  “Let her go!” shouted Tate as he took an ill-advised step forward.

  “I just want to be clear on this,” sneered Calvin, his eyes drilling into Tate’s. “One wrong move and I’ll take them both out from here. And then maybe you too.”

  “Fine,” called Pete, obviously trying to draw Calvin’s attention away from Tate and back to the task at hand. “We got it, already. Now let them go.”

  Apparently, it worked, because Calvin swung his gaze over to Pete. “Tate meets them in the middle and Faye frisks him.”

  “I thought you were letting Faye go too.” Tate had surprised himself.

  “You nuts? She’s with me.” Calvin lifted one eyebrow. “She’s with me now. ‘Til death do us part’ and everything. Besides, I need a little extra insurance.”

  So, Faye was a hesitant ally and a potential hostage. Tate was uncertain how to react to that. He hadn’t really considered Faye’s role in this. But now, seeing her there looking desperate and pathetic, he wasn’t sure that she deserved her fate. Then he shrugged it off. He’d do his best to protect her at the critical moment. And that was more than she deserved.

  “Okay,” said Tate at last. He glanced at Pete, whose hand was hidden inside his jacket. He nodded assent, and Tate began to move slowly forward. He watched Marnie and Tanner’s approach with a growing sense of anticipation and dread.

  The dock was narrow, barely wide enough for Marnie and Tanner to walk side-by-side. Calvin was, quite intentionally, keeping the three vulnerable parties between himself and Pete. The only way Pete could get a clear shot at the greasy degenerate was if all three dropped flat at the sa
me moment. And even then Faye’s presence posed a potential problem.

  The water wasn’t particularly deep, and although it was too dark to see through the murky depths, Pete had warned him against trying to grab Marnie and Tanner and diving into the water. The shore wasn’t sandy. It was lined with jagged rocks in a variety of sizes, and there was no way of telling what lay immediately beneath the surface. The safest bet was to stick to the plan…and no heroics! Pete had been almost comical in his determination to rein in the two would-be heroes.

  Don was chaffing at the bit somewhere in the inky blackness behind Tate. He had been mad as a hornet when he was informed of his role. Tate couldn’t deny he was starting to warm to the guy. He only hoped he’d have a chance to irritate Marnie’s brother again.

  As the trio approached the midway point of the dock, Calvin called to Pete. “Once we’re in the boat, we’re gone. And if I see any sign of pursuit I’ll put a bullet in his gut just like before.”

  “You’re planning on killing me anyway,” sneered Tate. “What difference does it make?”

  “Oh, you wouldn’t go through with this if you didn’t think you had a chance to take me down. You’re not such a big hero after all. You just want a shot at me, just like I want a shot at you.”

  “You don’t know me at all, Calvin.”

  “Shut up and stop right there,” shouted Calvin suddenly. Less than two feet separated Tate from Marnie and Tanner. Marnie’s eyes met his and time slowed. A thousand unspoken thoughts passed between them in that moment, somehow carried on the humid, evening breeze. The night seemed unnaturally quiet, the lapping of the water against the rotting wood of the dock the only sound to mar the ominous silence.

  “Okay,” Calvin’s voice sliced through the moment like a scythe. He pushed Faye in their direction. “Frisk him and check the money.”

  Tate dragged his eyes away from Marnie and his son to follow the movements of the woman who embodied everything in his life that he scorned.

  Faye approached warily. She squeaked past Marnie and Tanner, who both looked like they were a breath away from succumbing to exhaustion. She frisked Tate, starting at the torso and working her way down.