California Schemin' - Kate George [61]
“What now? The car won’t make it down this track.”
“We have to walk in from here. It’s not too far, a quarter mile or so. Let me out of the back, and I’ll show you the way.”
Somehow I didn’t see the Senator as the type of guy who would want to walk into his ski cabin. If it was a hunting cabin, maybe, but if I’d heard Fogel correctly, this was their base for hitting the slopes. They’d have all kinds of gear to carry besides suitcases, food and beer.
“No, I think I’ll leave you here. I don’t want to have to watch you while I’m helping Beau get back to the car.” I rolled up the privacy window and looked at him in the mirror. His face was red with fury. He began pounding the window. He turned and kicked at the door, but this car was built to keep people in. He was trapped.
I wasn’t about to crack open the privacy window, so I found the button for the intercom and pressed it on.
“I take it this isn’t where your cabin is located? I’m going to back out of here. If you don’t take me straight to Beau, I’ll take you straight to Fogel. I take that back. First I’ll call the Sacramento Bee and tell them my story, and then I’ll take you to Fogel. You may be able to get him to hush things up, but you’ll have a hard time hushing up every paper in the state.”
The cabin, when we reached it, was about what I’d expected, a scaled-down ski lodge built above a huge two-bay garage. A group of people in jackets and beanies were sitting on the deck, enjoying the late afternoon sun. Beau wasn’t among them.
I cracked the window and called out.
“Hey! Can one of you come to the railing, please?”
A rough-looking man of about forty walked over. He managed to look menacing just standing there. I took a look at his face and realized it was the city boy I’d seen from the tree. He was the suit from the river.
“What do you want?” he asked.
“I’ve got your boss in the back of the car. He needs you to bring Beau down.”
“I’m not bringing anybody down until I talk to the senator.”
I cracked the back window, just enough so he could see the senator’s face, and spoke into the intercom.
“Tell him to bring Beau down to the car.”
“Bring our guest out to the car,” Wallace said, “and make it quick. I’m in a hurry.”
“Are you sure, Senator Wallace? This wasn’t in the instructions.”
“Plans change, bring him out.”
I sat on pins and needles as the minutes ticked by. The longer it took, the more antsy I got. Finally I pushed the intercom button.
“Where were your guys keeping him? You got a dungeon under this place?” If they had damaged a hair on Beau’s head I was going to be really upset.
“I have no idea what’s taking him so long. Not my idea, I assure you.”
We sat a minute more before the door opened onto the deck, and Beau walked out followed by the senator’s henchman. My heart leapt. Beau was on crutches, but otherwise he looked normal, at least at first glance. When my eyes lit on his face, I knew something was wrong. His mouth was tight and jaw clenched. That was when I saw the gun.
“Good man, Guy.” I could hear the smile in Wallace’s voice.
“Bastard. Shit.” I locked the doors, and my mind went into overdrive trying to figure out how I was going to get Beau away from Guy. I started the car and revved the engine and put it in gear. I could miss Beau and hit Guy, couldn’t I? Guy put the gun to Beau’s head, and my stomach clenched.
For one crazy moment I imagined myself throwing the car into gear and taking the bastard out, but it was fleeting. I couldn’t risk Beau. On a whim I reached over and opened the glove compartment, but unless I could knock Guy on the head with the owner’s manual, I was out of luck.
Beau was yelling at me to drive away, but what was the point? If I drove Wallace away, chances were they’d hurt Beau. He didn’t deserve that. Crap, crap, crap. I could drive Wallace to Fogel. There was a chance that Beau would be okay.
“You put that limo in gear, I shoot