FORRESTER WENT TO HIS TRUCK before leaving town. All his belongings had been thrown hastily onto the passenger seat by the hotel staff, on the sheriff’s orders. He put on a warm leather jacket, some leather gloves and his sunglasses. It wasn’t much to protect himself from the mountain cold but it would have to do.
He got back on the bike and rode out of town without looking back. Elle was out there, somewhere, and he had to find her. He didn’t know much but he wouldn’t allow himself to fail. He’d seen Gris’s vehicle when it had rammed him from behind. It was a black Camaro. He sped down out of the mountains on the only road leading out of town, rounding the sharp corners much faster than was safe. All he could think about was reaching Gris before he got on the Interstate. If they reached the Interstate, he’d have to call Grant, Jackson and Grady. They had access to all sorts of data. He could give them Elle’s name, and Gris’s, and they’d pull up an address for him. He’d do that if it was necessary, but for now, all he could do was keep riding. With every passing second, he grew more and more afraid that he’d lose Elle. Every moment that she was away from him, that she was with Gris, was agony.
He had to get her back. He had to make her safe.
After all, he’d told her she was going to have his baby.
About forty miles down the mountain road there was a gas station and he pulled into it. He needed to fill up. He also needed to warm up.
An attendant came out and asked him what he needed.
“Fill her up,” Forrester said.
“Ain’t it a little cold to be riding a bike?”
“It is,” Forrester said, rubbing his hands together. “You got coffee in the store?”
“Sure do,” the attendant said. “You go on in and pour yourself a cup. I’ll be right behind you.”
Forrester didn’t need to be told twice. He went into the store and found the coffee pot and poured himself a big cup. Then he sat at the counter and grabbed a pack of jerky and started eating it.
The attendant came back and rang up the gas.
“You rode all the way down from Stone Peak?” he said.
“Yes, sir,” Forrester said.
“How was the weather up there?”
“Probably a little colder than down here.”
The attendant nodded, rang up the coffee and jerky, and gave Forrester the bill. Forrester paid and continued sipping his coffee.
“How far to the interstate?” he said.
“Just another thirty miles or so,” the attendant said.
“You got a phone?”
“Sure, there’s a payphone over there in the corner.”
Forrester checked his pocket for change and asked the attendant to break a five dollar bill. Then he went to the phone and dialed the number for home.
Lacey picked up.
“Forrester, where the hell have you been? I’ve been trying to contact you.”
“I just got into something, Lacey.”
“Are you all right?”
“I’m always all right,” he said, and he rubbed a hand over the bandaged ribs. They hurt like hell.
“Well, I’m glad to hear from you. Jackson and Grant were going to come out there tomorrow if we didn’t hear from you.”
“No need, Lacey. I’m fine.”
“You’ve met a girl, haven’t you?”
“I may have. I just need to find her.”
“What do you mean?”
“Her ex forced her to go with him.”
“Her ex? You mean she didn’t want to go with him?”
“Yeah, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer, apparently.”
“Are you sure this girl didn’t choose to go with him?”
Forrester smiled. “I’m sure,” he said. “This is the real deal, Lacey. This girl belongs with me.”
“So how are you going to find her?”
“You got a pen?”
“Sure.”
“Take this down. Elle Barclay, twenty-three years old. And Gris something. I don’t know his second name. He’s about thirty.”
“I’ve got it.”
“Get Grant to run that through the system. I’ll call back in a couple of hours and he can give me the address.”
“Be careful, Forrester.”
“I will, Lacey.”
“We all love you, you know.”
Forrester held the receiver to his face for a moment, pressing it against his cheek. “I know, Lacey.”
He hung up and went back to the attendant. “You didn’t happen to see a black Camaro come through here, by any chance, did you?”
The attendant looked up at him. “As a matter of fact I did. They parked outside for the night. I saw them there when I closed up for the night, and I saw them there this morning too.”
“They slept in the car?”
“Far as I could tell.”
“Did you talk to them?”
“Nope. I don’t mind people parking for the night. If you’re tired you’ve got to get off the road. And they didn’t come in for gas. They pulled off a little while ago.”
“Heading toward the Interstate?”
“Yes, sir,” the attendant said.
Forrester put another ten dollars on the counter as a thank you for the information, and left.
Chapter 41
Elle