What Janie Saw(129)

                A tiny pin, an angel. Patricia’s missing pin. It was stuck on the bottom of the backpack on the floorboard of CeeCee’s car.

                Patricia had trusted CeeCee, and she’d died as a result. CeeCee had been so uncaring that she’d taken the one thing that Patricia cared about.

                Janie moved her tongue. The gag seemed to have a mind of its own and grew, filling her mouth even more. Quietly, she blew out, pushing with her tongue, not minding as saliva ran down her chin.

                When she finally managed to spit out the rag, she took a breath. It was enough to draw Chad’s attention. He said a bad word, hunched over the seat and thrust the rag right back in her mouth.

                She felt nausea rise. Because of the rag, she couldn’t retch, and she gagged instead.

                “She’d better not throw up in my car!” CeeCee spat.

                “She’s going to.”

                The car came to a shuttering halt. CeeCee was out of the front seat in no time, dragging Janie by the legs. Janie fell to the hard gravel road, landing on her knees, feeling the ground bite into her skin. Janie tried to crawl, wanting to get away from the car, but her strength was gone. Instead, she lost all control and threw up. The rag flew out, almost hitting CeeCee’s shoe.

                CeeCee backed up.

                Right into the grip of Nathan Williamson.

                * * *

                NEVER BEFORE HAD Rafe used cell-phone tracking to prevent a kidnapping. Or a murder?

                Jasper had searched all of BAA. Janie wasn’t there. One of the maintenance men had seen her go off with a woman, possibly mid-thirties. He said they appeared to know each other.

                Janie knew CeeCee.

                Candy kept a running dialogue as to what Janie’s cell phone was doing. The best news was that he was very close to her now. Meanwhile, Candy gave him the scoop on Nathan’s divorce.

                “His wife was a decade younger, quickly got bored with being home alone a lot, and got into drugs. He tried everything. He even took a leave of absence. Apparently, he really loved her, was devastated when she left him.”

                “I wonder when he figured out it was her?” Rafe said.

                “Maybe he didn’t. Maybe something else happened.”

                “No, he’s figured it out,” Rafe said.

                “She’s stopped moving,” Candy announced. “You’re just two miles away.”

                CeeCee would hear his vehicle, but Rafe wasn’t sure how to prevent that. Maybe she’d have second thoughts about hurting Janie if a car approached.

                It wasn’t safe to go any faster. Rafe wanted to, but he’d be of no help if he overturned in some ditch. The road weaved to the left and then made a sharp right.

                Rafe almost slammed on the brakes as he noted the scenery: tall trees, deserted road.

                Janie’s drawing.

                Brittney’s murder.

                He gripped the steering wheel hard. Derek had claimed in his art book that Chad had managed to park the car off the road, so if they were at the same place, he should be looking both right and left, not just on the road.