The Advocate (The Advocate Series) (27 page)

“Remember, I told you Steve had a riddle on the case he was trying to solve. I found the riddle on the notepad Steve kept on Elizabeth’s case. It read:

Color, a pretty, bright red

In the darkness, toward the light;

Circling, circling the head

Blinding speed, causing sheer fright.

Also, Steve left a note stating he had figured it out. He said it was a red bat.”

After a moment of silence, Sabre said, “So you think whoever let the bat loose in my office has something to do with the Murdock case?”

“Well, you have to admit, it’s a pretty strange coincidence. And another thing . . . You don’t find those red bats in California; they live east of the Rockies. Someone went to a lot of effort.”

“I don’t know what to think,” Sabre said. “Maybe those thugs who took Elizabeth are after me. But why?”

“I don’t know. Just be careful until we figure this out. One more thing – I found a phone number indented in the paper with the riddle. We’re checking it out. It may be nothing, but I’ll keep you posted.”

Joe and Brett stayed at the office most of the day waiting for some action. Joe spoke with Howard Martin in the late afternoon. He had wasted no time contacting Internal Affairs. Martin provided them with the information on Davis and as much as he could from the FBI file. Between the FBI and Atlanta Police Department, they made twelve arrests, rounding up thugs connected to the gambling ring, but an arrest of Davis had still not been made.

28

Sabre packed for the holiday weekend. Both her mind and body ached for some respite. She looked forward to playing with Ron’s dog, Patches, sleeping in, baking pies, and spending time with her mother. The house would fill up on Thanksgiving Day. Uncle Chet and Aunt Victoria would be there with the twins. The girls, both married now, had five children between them. She looked forward to seeing the newest baby. Of course, she’d have to put up with all the remarks and questions about when she would follow suit. Nevertheless, she looked forward to the change.

When she finished packing, she drove to see Alexis. She planned to visit with her, stop to see Carla, and then head out of town.

When Kathy, the attendant, brought Alexis out, her eyes lit up. “So nice to see you, Miss Sabre,” Alexis said.

“So nice to see you, Miss Alexis,” Sabre retorted. She turned to the attendant. “Thank you, Miss Kathy.” Sabre looked around. “Where’s Jamie?”

“He has a little stomach ache and is taking a nap. Did you want me to wake him?” Kathy asked.

“No, don’t. I’ll see him next trip.”

Sabre and Alexis went into the interview room. Alexis told her all about the things planned at Jordan for Thanksgiving Day, including the special turkey dinner and the kids putting on a play. Alexis had a large part in the play and spouted off every word without a script. “Can you come to my play?”

“I’m sorry, Alexis, but I’ll be out of town. I’m going to see . . .” She didn’t want to tell her about the visit to her mother. She imagined how many times Alexis must wish she could see hers. “. . . relatives in another city. They’re fixing a big Thanksgiving dinner, much like you’ll have here.”

“It’s okay. You’ve heard my part anyway,” she said, but Sabre heard disappointment in her voice. “And it’s the best part. Jamie and the other little ones are the turkeys. They have feathers for their tails and goofy beaks we made in art class, and they go around gobbling. They’re sure funny look . . .”

The door opened and Gaylord Murdock stepped in. “Hello, Alexis, Sabre,” he said. “How are you two today?”

He reached out his arms for Alexis to come to him. She gave him a hug. “Hello, Father. I thought you weren’t coming until tomorrow.”

“Well, I missed my little girl, and so Kathy said I could come today.”

Sabre was surprised to see him walk in. This was highly irregular and inappropriate. She’d have a talk with Kathy before she left, but right now she needed to deal with the situation without making a scene in front of Alexis.

“Hello, Mr. Murdock,” she said. “Where’s Kathy?”

“She’s out there,” he said, tilting his head toward the door. “She said since you were in here she didn’t need to be, and she had a lot of other things to do this evening.”

“Well, Alexis and I have just started our visit. Would you mind waiting outside for a little while so we can finish up?”

Murdock had his left arm around his daughter and his right hand in his pocket. “No problem,” he said, as he walked toward her. “But first, I’d like you to do something for me.” When he stood within inches of her, his eyes motioned to the hand in his pocket. He pulled his hand up so Sabre could see the tip of a handle on a pistol.

Sabre surveyed the room. She couldn’t reach the phone without going through Murdock. If she screamed he might shoot and kill her and Alexis. “What do you want?” Sabre asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

“Alexis, get Ms. Brown’s bag,” he said. “Now, let’s go out in the square,” Murdock said calmly. Alexis looked confused. “Just do as I say, Alexis,” he said firmly.

Alexis picked up Sabre’s black bag and put it over her shoulder. She and Sabre moved toward the sliding glass door. As they stepped outside, the cold air hit Sabre, and she felt a chill come over her entire body. She saw Alexis shiver as well. Reaching for her, she pulled her close to keep her warm.

“Alexis, show me where you went the night you left here and went to Sabre’s office. How did you get out?” Murdock said.

“Through here,” Alexis said as she walked toward the outer door of another office, slowly opened it, and peeked in. “Wait,” she whispered. Alexis could see the clerk in the back room. As soon as the clerk turned her back, Alexis said, “Okay, quickly.” She stepped inside the door, followed by Sabre and Murdock. They walked through the small room to the other side and out the door. A man came out of a room as they started across a hallway. They ducked around the corner, but the man turned the other direction and disappeared. Walking down the short hallway, they entered another room filled with old file cabinets and boxes. Alexis squeezed between a couple of boxes and behind a file cabinet to a door leading outside. Sabre and Murdock couldn’t fit through. Murdock instructed Sabre to pick up one of the boxes. While she had her hands full, he grabbed the other one and moved it, allowing enough room for both of them to squeeze through.

As they stepped out into the cold air again, Sabre looked around for a way to escape. The sun had already set, but a street lamp illuminated the area. Murdock saw her looking around and stuck the gun in her back to remind her of his power. “Let’s take your car, Sabre,” he said.

“Where are we going?” Alexis asked.

“On an adventure,” Murdock said, putting more pressure on the gun. “Where is your car?”

“Right there,” Sabre said, pointing to the little green BMW.

Murdock looked at the car. “Never mind,” he said. “I forgot you brought the Beemer. It won’t hold all of us. We’ll take my car, but you’re driving.” Murdock directed them about half of a block to his car. Sabre wondered how he knew she had more than one car. She always drove the BMW to court. What else did he know about her? Murdock opened the back door for Alexis on the passenger side. He held the gun above the roof of the car, aiming it at Sabre as she walked around to slide into the driver’s seat. Then Murdock got into the car. “Don’t forget to buckle up, sweetheart,” he said to Alexis. “You, too,” he told Sabre.

Murdock directed her to the freeway. They drove east toward the mountains, the traffic thick; many holiday travelers were already on the road. Sabre considered ramming into a car in front of her. Then they would have to stop and maybe she could get help, but it would just put more people in danger. “This isn’t necessary, you know,” she said.

“Oh, but it is,” he replied. “Just drive where I tell you. No one needs to get hurt,” Murdock said, sounding more like a statement of fact than a threat.

They drove for over an hour, twisting and turning through the back roads in the mountains. Sabre, unfamiliar with the area, tried to watch for every landmark she could, but everything looked the same, just trees and more trees. It had been a long time since she’d seen a street sign or a building. She tried to remember everything so she’d be able to return if she and Alexis could escape.

By the time they pulled off the pavement onto a dirt road, which seemed to lead to nowhere, it had been miles since they had passed any homes. Sabre glanced at the odometer: 32.2. She kept saying it over and over again in her head. They reached a little cabin, hidden by the trees, driving to within about sixty feet of it. She looked at the odometer and saw 33.8.
One point six miles, just over a mile and a half to the road.
She had no idea what direction they were going, though; without the sun, Sabre had no sense of direction. From the time they had left the freeway, she’d tried to keep her directions straight, but they’d made so many turns she really had no idea.

“Stop the car. Turn it off,” Murdock said. He reached over and pulled the keys out of the ignition. “Just sit still. I’m coming around to open your door.”

She was being held hostage and her captor wanted to be a gentleman. Alexis and Murdock climbed out of the car, and he walked around to the driver’s side and opened her door. When she knew Alexis couldn’t hear her, she whispered, “What are you doing? You’ll go to jail for this.”

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go in. It’s cold out here.”

Murdock led them both into the cabin and turned on the light. The large room contained a living room, dining area, and kitchen. On the left, a six-foot-long counter separated the kitchen from the living area. An old, maple dining room table and four chairs sat across the room from the stove and refrigerator. On the right side were a sofa, a couple of easy chairs, and a huge fireplace with a pile of wood next to it. There was no television or stereo in the room, just a bookcase full of books. The old furnishings seemed to have fared well for their age. Across from the front door was a closed door Sabre surmised led to the bedrooms and bathroom. Sabre shivered. It didn’t feel much warmer inside than out. She placed her arm around Alexis to keep her warm.

“Sweetheart, step away from Sabre,” Murdock said. Alexis pulled away and moved to her father’s side. Then, although speaking to Alexis, he kept his eyes on Sabre. “I know you may not like what I’m going to have to do right now, but I need to do it. You need to trust your father, and everything will be okay.”

A chill went down Sabre’s back. For the first time since Murdock had brandished the gun, she feared for her life.
He’s so calm and calculating. I’m going to die.
She looked at Alexis and saw her eyes open wide with fright. Her face solemn, she just nodded. Murdock said, “Good. Now, I may need your help. Come here.”

Sabre looked for a way out, but Murdock stood between her and the door. She expected him to pull his gun and shoot her, or at least knock her out. He opened a drawer and pulled out some rope. He walked toward her, “Miss Brown, I’m not going to hurt you, but I need to tie you up or Alexis and I won’t get any rest. Do you understand?”

As he came toward her with the rope, Sabre darted to the right. He reached out for her. She slipped back behind the table. He came closer. She moved around the table, getting as close as she could to the door. She yelled, “Alexis, run! Run for the door!” Sabre turned and moved toward the door. She glanced at Alexis and saw her standing frozen. She wouldn’t or couldn’t defy her father.

Sabre’s hesitation cost her. Murdock tackled her. In spite of her efforts, she hit the floor. She tried to hold her head up, but she couldn’t. She felt warm, wet blood trickle down her cheek.

Murdock grabbed her arms and put them behind her. Sitting on her hands, he tied the rope tightly around her ankles. He pulled her up by her arm, pushed her into a chair, and tied her hands behind it, as though he’d roped a calf in a rodeo – and he did it all in record time.

Sabre wiggled to free herself, but it only seemed to make the ropes tighter. She wanted to scream, but it would scare Alexis and wouldn’t serve any purpose. She hurt from the fall, and the ropes cut into her wrists. She tried to stay calm and think rationally. “Gaylord, you don’t need to do this. I won’t try to run again.”

Murdock didn’t respond. He double-checked the knots.

“Gaylord, listen to me,” she said. He ignored her. “Why are you doing this?” Her voice got a little louder.

He turned toward her slowly and deliberately. He leaned over and looked her straight in the eyes with the same piercing look he gave her in court when she set the case for trial. He stared at her for what seemed like minutes. Sabre could feel the hatred penetrate right through her. He stood up, smiled, and said, “I need to light a fire. It’s cold in here.” He walked over to the fireplace.

Sabre shivered from the cold dampness in the room and from the fear filling her. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Alexis took a step toward her. She saw her sweet little face, her eyes veiled in sadness. She came closer.

“Alexis, are you okay?”

“Not too close,” Murdock spoke up from across the room. “That’s far enough.”