Chapter 37

Please note - this will be the last entry before I close the blog to the public!! For copyright reasons I need to know who is reading the ending :) We're getting close (only 16,000 words or so left) so for that reason and because I do plan to submit this to publishers I will make this a private blog.

To avoid missing out on the ending please e-mail me: dorindanelson@comcast.net to be included in the invitation to see the rest! You don't have to know me personally to keep reading and you are welcome to pass it along to anyone I just need to know who they are.

Thanks!!

Now for Chapter 37

Ashley gripped the steering wheel of Michael’s Toyota Camry as she weaved in and out of traffic. She glanced back at Kyle who was gripping the door with his good arm. “Sorry bud, I’m doing the best I can.”
“It’s okay Miss Ashley.” But his pale white face and gritted teeth said otherwise.
She slapped the steering wheel repeatedly with her open palm. “Come on, come on, get out of my way.” Then to Kyle, “Are you sure this is the way?”
“Uh-huh.” Kyle gripped the door tighter as Ashley swerved around a slow-moving Lexus. She scanned the sidewalks and the streets as she drove. She was heading south on 19 towards Clearwater Beach; rows and rows of strip malls and stores on either side of her. So far no SunTrust banks.
Wait.
There was one. Ashley glanced behind her and seeing no one sped across two lanes of traffic and into the parking lot. Though it was certainly impossible Kyle’s face was paler then before. Ashley forced a smile on her face. “Is this it? Is this your bank?”
Kyle slowly loosened his grip on the door handle and sat up straighter so he could see out his window. “I don’t know. I don’t think so.”
“Can you sit there for a second while I run in and ask?” Ashley attempted to make her smile even bigger. “I promise I’ll be right back. I just need to ask a question.”
Kyle nodded in large up and down motions his blue eyes wide with pain or terror she couldn’t tell. Ashley patted Kyle’s leg and smiled again. Kyle wasn’t buying it. Ashley climbed out of the car grateful that for once she had thrown on her Puma sneakers and Lucky jeans instead of her normal stilettos and skirt.
Twenty minutes later Ashley was back in the car. This wasn’t the right bank. This branch didn’t even have safety deposit boxes. The teller indicated a larger branch that did and gave Ashley directions. She hoped that would be the right one. Michael had been gone a while. If he beat her there she would lose the evidence and Nate might never get a chance to close the case.
Ashley couldn’t let that happen.
She put Michael’s car in reverse grateful that this family had enough money for three cars. The car Gina had been in was still at police impound. Hopefully Michael wouldn’t mind that Ashley had borrowed their back-up car.
Ashley pulled back into 19 traffic and continued her trek south. She would need to cross the Tampa Bay Bridge and head into Tampa to find the correct SunTrust branch. At a red light Ashley eased to a stop. She grabbed her purse and began digging in it to find her cell phone. Finding it at the bottom she flipped it open and dialed Nate’s cell.
“Special Agent Zimmerman.”
Ashley suppressed a smile at his title. “Zimmie, it’s me.”
A sigh. “Ashley?”
“Yes.”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m on my way to SunTrust bank.”
“You’re what? Ashley what are you doing? How did you leave the house? What car are you in? Where’s Kyle?”
“Relax, Kyle’s with me. I borrowed Michael’s third car…” She bit her bottom lip. Nate wasn’t going to be happy about her slipping her protective custody.
“And where’s Jane?”
Ashley didn’t respond. Nate knew he was referring to Officer Jane Brumagim who she’d left sitting out front watching the house while Ashley had driven out from behind the house.
“Darn it, Ashley, that’s not safe. She’s there for your protection.”
“I know that Nate, but she wouldn’t understand. It’s my fault that Michael got a hold of that key and I intend to find him and get it back.”
“You can’t do that. We have it under control. We have him under surveillance.”
“Do you know where he is?”
“Not yet but we will.” The light turned green and Ashley pushed on the gas to propel them forward through the intersection.
“Nate, I can find him.”
“Where are you?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“No, it does matter. Where are you?”
“I’m on my way to Michael’s bank in Tampa. I’m positive this key goes to a safety deposit box and I plan to get it back.”
“We know what it belongs to but I don’t have a judge to give me a warrant to go in there and open it up. We don’t have enough probable cause,” Nate said.
“Then I’ll get it for you.” Ashley sped up through an orange light determined not to allow Nate to stop her. A black SUV pulled in front of Ashley. “Get out of my way.”
“Ashley, I’m not in your way.”
“Not you, there’s an SUV in my way.” She swerved to the lane to her right but with no success. The van followed her. “Come on, buddy, what are you doing?” She swerved back to the left but again the SUV followed her over. How did it know where she was going?
“Ashley, I need you to come back. Forget Michael and the key, leave it to me.”
“I’m sorry, Nate I can’t do that. As soon as this van gets out of my way I’m going to the Tampa branch and finding Michael. I will talk him into getting what you want I promise.”
“Ashley, don’t do it.”
The way he kept repeating her name was grating on her nerves. She wasn’t a child. She was a grown woman. A woman he had called to come into this case and now she was a part of it whether he liked it or not. It was her fault he didn’t have the key and she was going to get it back.
“What is up?” Ashley said louder then she had intended.
“What’s the matter?”
“This SUV just will not get out of my way…”
“Ashley, stop.”
Too late.
The SUV stopped short in front of her and Ashley could not swerve around it. She collided into the back. A loud crunch filled the car.
“Ashley! Ashley!” She vaguely heard Nate’s voice coming through the phone she had dropped onto the floor in front of her. Her nose throbbed with her heartbeat as liquid dripped down onto her chin. Tasting iron she knew it was her blood.
“Kyle, are you okay?” Ashley attempted to sit up and look back at Kyle but her neck sent a sharp pain down her spine. “Kyle?”
The boy’s silence made Ashley’s heart beat faster. Had she killed him? She vaguely heard Nate’s voice through the phone still yelling her name. She didn’t care about him. She had to get to Kyle.
Slowly she pushed open the driver’s side door, cars moving slowly around her. Had no one stopped for help? Sunlight blinded her and she cupped her hand over her eyes to be able to see in front of her.
“Miss Ashley!” The scream caught her by surprise and she turned sharply to see Kyle scooting to the driver’s side in the back seat. He didn’t seem to notice his arm which was surprising since fresh blood had begun pooling out of her wound. Why had she brought him? She should’ve left him home with Jane.
Something hit the back of her head. The pain adding to her disorientation. She grabbed the car’s roof to keep from falling over. She looked away from Kyle and saw a black figure coming towards her.
“No! No!” Ashley screamed and tried to walk away but the black figure wrapped large arms around her and lifted her off the pavement. “Put me down. Put me down. Kyle!” As he lifted her off the ground she attempted to kick him in the legs and mid-section but he was too big for any of her blows to hurt.
Another black figure moved around in front of Ashley and reached into the back seat. It was certainly a large man but she could make out no distinguishing features. He wore a black ski mask, black turtleneck, black jeans and black gloves. Even his shoes were black.
This was it. She was going to die.
She had read the stories in the paper. She had seen the pictures. Nate had told her. All the women were murdered after their cars were in an accident. She had seen Marie Lambert’s body. Then she thought she was the lucky one. The lucky one not to live to be without her daughter. But now she wasn’t sure. Is this how it ends? She wasn’t ready to die. She didn’t even know where she’d go if she did.
And Kyle. She couldn’t lose him too. She had lost Aidan, she didn’t want to lose Kyle. But instead of a bullet in the skull the strong arms opened the back door to the SUV and threw her onto the floor of the vehicle. She hit the carpet with a thud, pain shooting through her arm, blood from her nose dripping onto the carpet.
The second black figure was more gentle with Kyle and set him beside Ashley. His small face covered in tears and snot. Please God not this!
“We warned you not to mess with us,” the black figure said and slammed the doors at the back of the SUV.