you. I don’t plan on taking her, but I appreciate her sentiment. She’s a lot like me. Only not as good a liar.
Fifty-Eight
We get back to the office. I don’t automatically look into the trees for a stalker. They’ve made their play. It’s time for me to make mine.
Ronnie is using her technical genius to try and locate Dan’s phone, or the location it last called from. Sheriff Gray is out of the office. Most likely getting a cake and drinks for the after-swearing-in ceremony.
I sit at my desk. My mind is on fire. I’m afraid for Dan; I care more for him than I realized. I would give anything for him to not be involved in this. I would trade places with him. I know Rader doesn’t want that. He wants me dead but he wants me to suffer. It wouldn’t hurt so bad if I didn’t care. If I never had a relationship. My friends and family are my Kryptonite. I try to think of someone who is precious to Rader. Someone I can take and hurt and make him suffer. The two people I know he cared about are dead. I killed them.
Even if I knew of someone he could be manipulated with, I don’t think I’m quite that far down the rabbit hole. But I’m getting there. I have an idea.
“Ronnie, are you getting anywhere?”
She looks up and I can see by the look on her face that she has found nothing.
“I have an idea,” I say. “I know you looked into Michael Rader. Do you think we can find any relatives?” She already knows about Marie Rader being murdered and Alex dropping off the map. Looking for family is something I failed to do.
“I can try,” she says. “I’ll check the obituaries. There are next of kin on those.”
I hadn’t thought of that. “Also, can you see if we have fingerprints available on Michael Rader?” I’m pretty sure they would have been turned up by the crime lab when we left the container of rat poison. But it’s worth a try. I want to compare the fingers I have in my pocket to the fingerprints. I don’t know why. I doubt that Michael would cut his own fingers off, but he’s half past crazy and full of anger. I don’t blame him. I only wish I thought of it first. I have no idea who these fingers belong to.
Ronnie will be sworn in tonight. I can’t be here. I will be at Rader’s motor home. My hands are shaking. Not from fear, but from anticipation. I have to find Dan and free him. I have to find Rader and end him. I know Rader’s had time to set traps. His motor home is in the perfect setting. Secluded. One way in and one way out. If he sees anyone but me, he’ll kill Dan. Of that I have no doubt.
It’s been unseasonably warm for March but the sun still sets at the same time. It will be dark in an hour. I don’t want to be late. I get up and start for the bathroom, which is down a hall. Ronnie looks, then goes back to staring at her computer. There is an exit in the back of the building just down from the bathroom. I reach the bathroom and open the door. Then shut it loud enough for Ronnie to hear. I creep down the hall and gently open the door. It opens soundlessly.
I shut the door quietly behind me and make it around the side of the building to my car. Ronnie’s sitting in the passenger seat of the Taurus.
“Okay. You can come,” I say. “But remember, you will do what I say, when I say.”
“Where are we going?” Ronnie asks.
“Don’t ask.”
I drive to Anderson Lake Road and take it to SR-101. The drive will take an hour and a half at least. I have that long to figure out how I’m going to ditch Ronnie. She doesn’t need to be part of this. I can’t protect her and get the job done.
We’re outside of Port Angeles.
“We’re going to the motor home. Is that where he’s going to meet you?”
It’s dark so I say, “He said there would be a signal. A flashlight on and off in the woods. On your side. You have to duck down. I’m supposed to come alone. If he sees you, he said he’ll kill Dan.”
Ronnie scrunches down in the seat where she can barely see out. “I