Speed Trap (10 page)

“I like that one,” he admitted.

She grinned and held up a tiny white shirt with a red plaid vest, a matching bow tie and a pair of red pants. “Now, this one will be perfect for wearing to church.”

Garrett didn't respond until she looked at him. He said, “Colin won't be going to church.”

Mandy frowned. In her mind, attending worship was as
natural as breathing. To imagine Colin would be raised without knowing God's love and mercy was deeply disturbing.

“How do you know what size to get him?” Garrett asked.

“Baby clothes sizes are based on age. Always get them a little big because he'll grow out of them in a hurry. May I ask why you don't plan to take Colin to church?”

“I don't go.”

Prayers that Garrett would undergo a change of heart were definitely being added to her daily conversation with God. She folded the outfits as she debated a moment before voicing what she was thinking. “Maybe this isn't any of my business.”

Garrett tipped his head toward her. “Has that ever stopped you before?”

She grinned. “No. As a matter of fact, it hasn't.”

 

Once again Garrett found himself entranced by Mandy's smile. It was as fresh as a sun-drenched spring morning. He wouldn't mind basking in the glow for as long as she cared to bestow it.

She was out of uniform today. Casually dressed in a mint-green shirt over a matching tank top edged with lace and tan shorts, she looked carefree and happy. Like any other mother or wife enjoying a yard sale. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but a few wisps danced at her temple when the wind teased them.

The bruises on her face were beginning to fade, but seeing them still caused him a pang of distress. She wasn't his to worry about, but he hated the idea that her job put her in danger.

Her smile slowly faded as she studied his face. Finally, she said, “Reverend Spencer mentioned it was important to Judy to have her child raised in a Christian home. He said her faith-
meant a lot to her at the end. Don't you think you should take her wishes into consideration?”

Garrett's euphoria evaporated. Her interest was in Colin, not in him. He had no business thinking anything else. Imagining she might care about him was a quick trip to heartache. A place he'd been too many times.

“I haven't given it much thought,” he replied.

He didn't need Mandy reminding him that Judy thought he was unfit to raise his own son. He still didn't understand why she felt that way. With her dead, he probably never would.

Maybe she saw something in him that reminded her of her own abusive father. As hard as Garrett had tried to hide it from her, maybe Judy knew he was flawed inside and that was why she wanted to keep Colin away from him.

“Do you believe in God, Mr. Bowen?” Mandy was still watching him with those intense blue eyes that saw and catalogued every detail.

She would see it soon, too, his flawed soul. She'd uncover his cowardice. Then she'd look at him with pity or worse—with repugnance.

“I believed in God once.”

“But not anymore?”

“You have a job that deals with the dirty, cruel side of people. Why do you still believe in God?”

“Because for every evil thing that men do, a hundred men do the right thing. Good things. Why? Because God gave us a free will. God is like a loving father. He
is
a loving father. He's always with us no matter how hard life is.”

“Not every father is loving, Sheriff.”

“Sadly, that's true. We live in an imperfect world. Cruelty, poverty, disease, they all exist and they always will.”

“I thought you were arguing in favor of God's existence.”

“I am. No matter what afflicts us, God's love is there to help us bear it. That's what gets me through the hard days.”

There had been a time when he'd wanted, needed God in his life, but God had been busy elsewhere.

“I get myself through the hard days,” he said with a conviction he didn't feel.

“I guess that is my point,” Mandy said. “You don't have to do it alone. Our Lord was asked which was the greatest commandment. He replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'

“Church isn't just about worshipping God. It's also about caring for each other.”

Garrett fought the pull of her words. To depend on someone. To be loved and cared for by someone. Did she even know what she was offering? How could she? She had no idea what it was like to be alone—to pray for help that never came.

Garrett turned away before she read in his eyes how much he wanted to believe in what she said. Folding up the stroller, he tucked it under his arm. “Is there anything new on Judy's murder?”

“No. Nothing new.”

“Thanks for everything you've done so far.”

“I wish it could have been more.”

That he did believe. With a nod in her direction, he crossed the lawn to the table where the woman with the cash box sat, paid for his purchase and left.

Mandy watched him drive away, then looked down at the clothes she held. She could have given them to Garrett to take home, but she hadn't. Now, she'd have to drive out and deliver them in person.

As an excuse to see Colin, it might be a bit lame. Just so as long as Garrett didn't think it was an excuse to see
him
again.

Even if it was.

He claimed he didn't need help, but she sensed a loneliness about him that drew her to him as she'd never been drawn to another man.

Had anything she said about faith gotten through to him? Colin deserved to grow up knowing God.

Mandy was willing to let the subject drop for now, but not for long. She paid for the baby clothes in her hands and walked to her truck.

After leaving the yard sale, she had just enough time left to stop at the market and pick up her groceries before she headed home to change.

An hour later, she entered the office to find Benny laying a sheet of paper on her desk. He said, “Here's the information you asked for on Global Shipping.”

“Anything interesting?” She picked up the paper and gave it a quick scan.

“Not much. It's a small operation based out of Wichita. Can I ask why you're interested?”

“Someone mentioned this company had been making a lot of deliveries to the apartment complex on Maple Street. Maybe it's nothing, but I thought I'd look into it.”

“You don't really think someone's shipping meth in or out of town in delivery vans, do you?”

Mandy shook her head as she laid the paper on her desk. “At this point, I'm not ruling out anything. I'm willing to start pulling over carrier pigeons.”

Benny chuckled. “Good luck with that. What's the plan for this afternoon?”

“I think I'll go out on patrol. I don't feel like doing paperwork today.”

Rolling his eyes, Benny said, “Who does?”

Fifteen minutes later, Mandy was cruising down the highway toward the eastern county line. As mile after mile of pastures and farmland slid past, she found herself lulled into a sense of calm. She loved the peace and sense of belonging she'd found among these rolling hills and green countryside. More than ever, she was determined to root out the scum that threatened the people who lived here.

With Your help, Lord, I know it's possible.

She'd gone about ten miles when she first noticed the semi truck behind her. It was a black rig with a bright chrome grill that glinted in the sunlight and it was coming up fast.

Truckers normally slowed when they saw her vehicle. This one didn't. He kept coming, closing the gap between them.

Mandy glanced at her speedometer. She was doing the speed limit. When she checked her rearview mirror again, the semi was blowing past her. It was a cattle hauler.

As the gray, hole-filled trailer pulled alongside, she could see it was empty. Whatever the reason for his rush was, it wasn't because he had a load to deliver. She flipped on her lights and siren.

Okay, buddy, you're going to get a ticket.

She barely had time to form the thought before she felt the impact as the trailer swung back and sideswiped her. Her SUV veered off the road into the shallow ditch. Mandy fought to keep control as she bounced over the grassy sod and tore through a barbed-wire fence. She gripped the wheel with white-knuckled strength.

Finally, she managed to come to a stop. Her heart hammered in her chest as she drew a shaky breath.

The semi hadn't even slowed down.

He was not getting away with this!

Her tires spun as she jammed her foot on the accelerator
and drove back through the broken fence and onto the blacktop.

She grabbed her radio mic as she headed after her quarry. “Dispatch, this is Sheriff Scott. I'm in pursuit of a hit-and-run tractor-trailer heading east on Highway 56 nearing the Bushong turnoff. Patch me through to the Highway Patrol. I'm gonna need some help stopping this guy.”

“Copy that.” It was Ken's voice. “Benny's on his way to you now.”

Gaining on the truck, Mandy quickly relayed information on the make and tag number to the Highway Patrol. Without a unit in her area, the best they could do was to set up a roadblock farther down the highway.

Hanging back, she kept the vehicle in sight, but didn't try to stop it. One sideswipe had been enough. He could plainly see her red lights and hear her siren. It was clear he had no intention of stopping.

Suddenly, the truck ahead of her slammed on its brakes and tried to turn onto a county road. He didn't make it. Jackknifing, the weight of the trailer pushed the cab into the ditch in a cloud of dust.

Mandy quickly stopped and reported her location. She tried to get out, but her smashed door was jammed. She had to scramble across the seat to the passenger's side.

A man in a red T-shirt, jeans and a dark ball cap jumped out of the cab and took off across the field toward a stand of trees before she could get out. Thrusting open the door, she jumped out and drew her gun. A second man stumbled out of the rig with his hands in the air. He sank to his knees.

“Get on the ground. Hands behind your back,” she yelled at him. When he complied, she quickly cuffed him.

“It was an accident,” he snarled.

“Save it,” she muttered as she checked for weapons. Find
ing none, she hauled her captive to his feet and pushed him toward her vehicle.

One look at her smashed rear door and broken window made it clear she couldn't leave him in the Bronco while she pursued his buddy.

Blowing out a breath of pure frustration, she began to read him his rights while she waited for backup to arrive.

Five minutes later, Benny came speeding down the highway and screeched to a halt in his cruiser. Jumping out he hurried toward her. “Are you all right?”

“I'm fine.”

Mandy pushed her prisoner toward him. “Keep this one and take his statement. I'm going after the driver.”

Benny grabbed the man's arm and shoved him toward the car. “I'll take care of him.”

Nodding her thanks, Mandy took off at a lope, following the trail of crushed grass through the knee-high blue stem until she reached the edge of the woods.

Stepping under the thick canopy of hackberry, oak and walnut trees hugging the edge of a tiny creek, Mandy crouched to make herself a smaller target and paused to listen. She heard nothing but the sounds of birds, insects and her own breathing.

The damp ground was littered with decomposing leaves and fallen limbs. Thick clumps of grass and thorny bushes were scattered throughout the grove wherever enough light filtered in to sustain them.

She studied the ground and quickly spotted the direction her quarry had taken. Hoping she could save herself the trouble of tramping through the thorn bushes, she called out. “This is the Morrison County sheriff. Come out with your hands where I can see them.”

No response.

Of course not. Why didn't they ever make it easy?

Moving forward but keeping an eye out for an ambush, Mandy pressed deeper into the timber and followed the course of the creek.

She knew the area. A quarter of a mile ahead, the waterway fed out into a pond in a pasture. After that, the only cover her fugitive would have would be grass and the occasional cow for the next two miles.

The man in front of her had four options. Fight, give up, hide in this strip of trees or try and circle back to the highway and flag down a ride. How smart was he? How desperate?

She had to assume the worst.

Fallen leaves and twigs crackled underfoot as she moved forward. The wind had all the trees in motion, causing shadows to dance and limbs to creak.