The Pact (Kate Burkholder #11.5) - Linda Castillo Page 0,13
the Amish are.”
“Did you confront him?” I ask.
“I called him out on what he did. If you want to call that a confrontation, go for it.”
“Did the argument get physical?”
“No, but if he’d pushed it, I’d have happily beat his ass.”
Tomasetti rolls his eyes. “How did your Jeep get so muddy?”
“I went coyote hunting down to the wildlife area two nights ago. Got stuck out by the creek.”
“Anyone go with you?”
“Nope.” He looks from Tomasetti to me and back to Tomasetti. “Like I said, I didn’t have nothing to do with what happened to Noah.”
“So you say.”
“So I say.” He looks away, zips up his coveralls. “Look, I gotta get to work. Are we done here?”
* * *
Ashley Hodges was running late. Usually, she left her volunteer job at the Buckeye Ridge Home for the Retired at 6:00 P.M. Tonight, Mrs. Henderson, who was legally blind and her favorite resident, had wanted her to read the final chapter of the mystery novel they’d been reading for the last week and Ashley hadn’t been able to say no. Though it was nearly dark now, Ashley didn’t mind. She’d been enjoying the book, too. Besides, staying busy kept her mind off Noah.
She worried about him every minute of every day—and she missed him so much she could barely stand it. She’d called the hospital four times today. Each time the news was the same: He’s in critical condition. Since she wasn’t family, it was all they could tell her. Tomorrow, she was going to ask her mom to drive her out to the Kline farm so she could talk to Noah’s parents. If only he would wake up so she could talk to him, see his smile . . .
She was a few blocks from home, walking fast, embroiled in her thoughts, backpack straps digging into her shoulders, when the shadow came at her out of nowhere. Strong arms wrapped around her, trapping her arms at her sides, and swung her around with such force that she lost her balance.
Ashley yelped. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind. She hit the ground on her back, the backpack jabbing her spine. Then the man was on top of her, straddling her. Panic sparked and then a steady stream of terror had her struggling mindlessly against a heavy body and muscles that were incredibly strong. A tidal wave of horror washed over her at the sight of the mask. It was a skull mask with black eyes and hit or miss teeth.
She screamed, but it was cut short when he slapped a leather-clad hand over her mouth hard enough to cut her lip. “Shut the hell up and listen!” he hissed.
Heart slamming against her ribs, adrenaline pumping pure fear through her blood, Ashley tried to dislodge him. She lashed out, grabbing the material of his coat, and shoving at him with both hands—to no avail.
“Cut it out!” Drawing back, he slapped her.
Ashley went still, breathing hard.
He shoved a finger in her face. “You keep your fucking mouth shut or we will shut it for you permanently,” he snarled. “You got that?”
Ashley stared up at him, comprehension and dread snaking through her. She could barely see him through the tears, the veil of shock. Still, she knew what he wanted, and she nodded.
“Say it.” Giving her face a final, vicious squeeze, he removed his hand. “Do it!”
“I won’t tell,” she choked.
He got to his feet, looking at her, the mask macabre in the semidarkness. He pointed at her, a silent and effective threat, and then he turned and ran.
* * *
I’m in my office at the police station, running the names of the players involved in the Kline case through OHLEG and LEADS, law enforcement databases that will tell me if any of them have criminal records. Noah Kline. Ashley Hodges. Doug Mason. Duke Mason. Benjamin Weaver. Not a single one of them has ever been in trouble with the police.
I’ve filled several pages of my legal pad with names and motives and possibilities. The name that keeps bubbling to the top of the list is Doug Mason. The jealous ex-boyfriend. Is he vindictive enough to have run down Noah Kline? The two boys he claimed to be with at the sub shop after homecoming corroborated his story. Still, there’s an hour or so that’s unaccounted for. Did Doug drive around, listening to some mysterious “tick” in his car? Or did he go looking for Noah Kline and act on some dark impulse he couldn’t