Breaking Steele (Sarah Steele Legal Thriller)

Chapter 40

I laid out the pictures on the table at my bed-and-breakfast and unfolded the note. Mandy stood at my shoulder and Rick was lying on the bed, stunned by what he’d seen in the pictures. I was in full-on business mode, analyzing the pictures and notes.

Miss Steele,

You wanted to play with me, and now here we are. This is Angela—say hi. She’s in love with me and I with her. Will you stop our love? You have until 5 a.m. If you fail, she and I will play … You like to play, don’t you?

HW

 

P.S. Oh, and if you go to the police or your pal Dan, game over. This is our game—no cheating!

 

I read the note three times and looked at the four pictures. I wanted to get the police involved and call in every connection I had, but I knew that if this was real, if Hank Williams had kidnapped her, my decision could cost her life. He had unlimited resources, and for all I knew he was watching me now.

“Four hours,” I whispered. Picking up my phone, I set the alarm on it. Beep. It began counting down. Every second that went by meant that Angela’s chances were getting slimmer.

How had the pictures gotten on my car? Had someone been following me this whole time? I thought about Hannah, how she said she would break me. It had to be her. She probably called Glen or Hank when she left and told them where I was.

“You need to go to the police,” Mandy said. There were tears in her eyes. “They’re equipped to handle things like—”

“Shh,” I said harshly. Spreading the photos out and putting my lamplight directly on them, I snapped a picture of each one with my phone. Then I took a picture of the note.

“How can you do this, Sarah? You’re an attorney, not a detective.” Her voice shook in anger.

“I can do this,” I whispered, more to myself than to her. Opening up the envelope, I breathed in the scent again. Cherry. No doubt about it.

Rick sat up. “There’s no room for error, no chance at forgiveness. You make a mistake and Angela’s dead. Now take the photos to the police.” His voice was stern.

Some of my old confidence returned. At the sight of Angela tied up and hurting, I’d shut off everything about me and made it all about her. This was bigger than me now. It was time to meet Hank Williams face-to-face. And I wouldn’t mind getting Glen Williams behind bars in the process.

“I’m not taking the pictures to the police,” I said evenly. “I have to study them. I have to find out where she is.” I looked up at them. Their expressions were frantic. “I have to play the game.”

Mandy turned her back to me and slammed her hand against the wall. “You’re going to get that girl killed.”

I stood up so quickly that the chair fell over backwards. Mandy’s eyes widened and Rick tensed up. “I can’t think when it’s so quiet.” Going over to my computer, I turned on an old screamo album to its loudest volume. Mandy gave me a strange look. She knew me better than that. She knew I couldn’t think unless it was quiet.

I picked the chair back up and sat down, bending over the pictures again. This time, I motioned for Rick and Mandy to come close. Rick stood and slowly came toward me, as if he was afraid I would do something. Mandy leaned in right away. Her red hair blended with my blonde on the table.

When Rick bent over the two of us, I mouthed to them with a mixture of hand motions. “Take—” I pointed to the pictures, “to police. Place could be bugged.” In a motion, I slit my throat. “Don’t come near me again.” And then I looked up at them, my soul in my eyes. “Stay safe.”

Rick nodded solemnly. Mandy winked at me and then said loudly. “Fine. If you want to sentence her to death, I’m not going to be a part of this. See you at the funeral.”

I handed her the envelope with everything inside and blew her a kiss. She hid the pictures inside her purse.

When they walked out the door, I’d never felt so bereft.

And so intent on finding Angela. The clues were at my fingertips—I could feel it. My whole body tingled with tension. Now it was my turn to hunt down Hank Williams.

And I had less than four hours to do it.