02 Outwitted Read online

  "I like your earrings, Sadie. My Mom has earrings, too."

  "Would you like to wear one?"

  "Really? You mean you'd let me?" Sally stood still while Sadie removed the tiny ring in her ear and replaced it with three red dangling baubles.

  "You look snazzy."

  Sally beamed as she tilted her head back and forth. She grabbed Sadie's outstretched hand. Together the fashion queens skipped back to Cabin 14, giggling as the beads tinkled a hollow tune.

  "Look, Jed," Sally said, running up the steps and across the porch floor. She tapped on the baubles. "Do you like it?"

  "You look gorgeous, Miss Sally."

  "Do I? Do I look as good as Sadie?"

  Jed grinned. "Better. Much better."

  "I want to look just like Sadie when I grow up."

  "Dear Lord," Jed mumbled, bending down and brushing dirt from Sally's knees. "You gave us a scare by wandering off. I don't want you disappearing again. Is that a deal?"

  "Okay. Deal. I made a new friend, but she won't share. She wouldn't let me play with her doll."

  Jed's brows sagged in empathy. "I'll bet you shared your dolls."

  "I never had a doll."

  "You never had a doll?" Sadie shifted her gaze toward Jed.

  Sally kicked at a ridge in the flooring. "I got one last Christmas from Dad, but Mom took it to the pawn shop. She said she'd get it back. She never did."

  "I'm sorry, Sally. I'll bet you loved your dolly." Pity filled Sadie.

  "I did. My doll had long hair and a pretty white gown. She was a princess. Mom told Dad I lost it by accident."

  A glare of contempt passed between the adults. "Knowing your father, he didn't get upset," Sadie said.

  "Dad told me there are no accidents." Sally stopped and looked up at Jed. "I never got to say good-bye to Dad. Mom said he left because he doesn't love me anymore."

  "That's not true, Sally. Your dad loves you. I agree with him about there being no accidents. Everything happens for a reason." Jed lifted her off the ground and hugged her. "Your dad just had to go away for a while, that's all."

  Sadie smiled softly. "I'll tell your dad how much you love him next time I see him."

  Sally tried to wriggle free from Jed's grasp. "I want to go back to the cabin with Belly."

  "What cabin?" Jed caught the back of Sally's shirt and pulled her back to his side.

  "Cabin 12. Mr. Bakke's old cabin," Sadie explained. "I found Sally trying to help Belly take the screen off the crawlspace."

  "Why?"

  "I don't have a clue. It's probably cool under there. You know Belly always looks for a good place to nap."

  "Did you ever check out what's under the cabin?"

  "No. Too many spiders. Besides, what could be under there?"

  7

  Sadie clicked on an internet icon and waited for the site to connect. "Has it really been five years since you've seen your dad?"

  "Yeah," Aanders said. "Sometimes it's hard to remember what he looks like unless I look at his picture."

  "He doesn't call?"

  "Once in a while, but he's usually drunk." Aanders skewed his lower lip. "At least that's what Mom says. She gets mad and won't let me talk to him."

  "Is he still living near Minneapolis?" Sadie stared at Aanders over the top of the laptop screen.

  "The last time he called, he lived there. Mom said he got a job driving a cement truck."

  "At least he's working."

  "Yeah." Aanders' body pulsed with each foot kick when his toe connected with the table's pedestal. "Can I go with you to the nursing home to get Jed?"

  "Sure."

  "Do you think he had any luck finding someone on the brink?"

  "I hope so." Sadie raised her head to zero in on the bifocal portion of her lenses. She keyed letters into the prompt bar and waited for the information to appear.

  "Jed didn't like it when I explained what he had to do to cross over." Aanders cast a puzzled look toward Sadie. "He told me he didn't want to hang around the dying or go through their light. How come he doesn't want to cross over?

  "That's not uncommon. It'll make more sense when he sees the tunnel form around someone near death. Most crossers think we're making this up until they experience it."

  "Will you let me drive the shuttle when I'm old enough?"

  "Of course," Sadie said. "What a good idea. Then you can gather the crossers." She nodded in approval. "Smart thinking, young man."

  "I really like the new shuttle you bought." A wide grin beamed as Aanders continued, "Who'd have ever thought a hearse would make a good shuttle?"

  "Jane sure didn't," Sadie said with a grimace. "She wouldn't talk to me for a week after I bought the used hearse from your mother." The battle that had ensued between the sisters still evoked chills. Sadie couldn't understand why Jane hadn't appreciated the interior revamping job the local car detailer had done on the hearse. In her opinion, it made a dandy resort shuttle.

  "What's a French whore house?" Aanders continued to kick absentmindedly against the pedestal.

  Sadie's head jerked so quickly to the left, her glasses slipped off the bridge of her nose. "Where did you hear that?"

  "That's what Jane said the remodel job on the hearse looked like. Especially the purple interior."

  "Pay no mind to Jane. She's got no taste at all." Sadie waved her hand in disgust.

  "Take a peek at the screen. Sadie turned the laptop screen so Aanders could see it. She clicked on a drop-down bar and Jane's photo popped up. "I've decided it's time for Jane to start dating again. It's not Jane's best picture, but it'll have to do. It's already drawn some interest."

  "Does Jane know about this?" Aanders leaned closer to read the text below the photo.

  "Not yet. I don't want her to know, either. I've got it all arranged."

  "Jane loved Mr. Bakke."

  "I know she did. She'll always love Mr. Bakke, but Jane needs a man in her life, so I've baited the hook." Sadie grinned at Aanders and patted his hand. "I know what I'm doing."

  "Mom said you have to wait a year after someone dies before you can date."

  "A year?" Sadie laughed. "At our age, that's too long. Six months is more than enough." Sadie pointed at one of the five photos on the screen. "He looks like a good prospect. It says he's a regular churchgoer. Jane will eat it up."

  Sadie nudged Aanders. "Quit daydreaming. What do you think about the man I selected?" Sadie tapped on one of the photos. "His name is Bernie Johnson."

  "Are you doing this so Jane will quit driving you crazy?"

  "Something like that."

  "Mom told me Jane's getting on everyone's nerves. Lon agreed with her."

  "Your mom's right. Jane doesn't have anything to do so she takes her frustration out by nitpicking everyone to pieces. She needs someone to fuss over."

  "She's going to be mad. Really mad." Aanders exaggerated the words as he propped his elbows on the table and settled his fist against his cheek.

  "What do you think of him?" Sadie tapped on the screen with a blue fingernail.

  "He's old."

  Sadie turned a disgusted glare in Aanders' direction. "He's supposed to be old." She ran her finger across the screen under his photo. "Not only does he go to church, but he likes to cook and clean."

  Aanders jerked as Sadie shouted, "Whoo hoo. He's a winner. Can you imagine finding a man who likes to cook and is a neat freak, too? Jane will think she died and went to heaven."

  "Mom says you meddle in Jane's business. She thinks it's going to bite you in the butt."

  "I do not. Well maybe I do. Jane is so wishy-washy she can't make up her mind. So I made it up for her." Sadie tapped her temple. "I'm the one with the brains."

  "Mom said Jane's the one with the brains."

  Sadie's mouth fell open as she stared at Aanders. "I beg to differ. Who solved the Fossums' murder?"

  "You did, but I helped. I'm the one who told you Tim could prove Paul Brinks murdered his dad."

  "T
hat's right. It took some doing, but we managed to solve the case." Sadie patted Aanders' hand. "I'm glad you believed Tim and insisted I listen to what he had to say."

  Aanders looked at the computer screen. "Maybe Jane likes things the way they are. Maybe you should let her find her own man."

  "And continue to watch her mope around all the time? Not on your life." Sadie hit the escape button. "I've arranged for him to check into Cabin 6 this weekend." Sadie closed the lid on the laptop. "I've booked a dinner reservation for them at Yerry's on the Bay. He wants to impress her. If Yerry's on the Bay doesn't impress her, nothing will."

  "I know it's her favorite, but isn't it expensive?"

  "So? I'm not paying for it."

  "Jane's going to throw one of her snit fits and she'll do it right in front of Mr. Johnson. You'd better cancel before she finds out."

  "It's too late. He's already on his way."

  8

  "Knock it off, Dan," Pam warned. She placed her arm on the back of the driver's seat and strained to look out the back window. Pam wiped her moist palms against her shirt. Dan's reckless attitude frayed her nerves into raw shreds. She watched the highway patrol disappear in the distance. "If you get a speeding ticket, they'll have record of us being in this county. He probably already ran our plates." She peered in the rearview mirror. "We're lucky nothing came of the speeding ticket you got last summer."

  "Quit bitching. You always bitch when you're nervous." Dan hit the cruise control coast button several times allowing the car to slow down to the posted limit. "All you've done for the last hundred miles is criticize my driving."

  Dan reached over and patted Pam's leg. "That patrol car went too fast to get a visual on our plates. Maybe he needed to take a piss." Dan slapped the steering wheel and laughed out loud. He reached over to tweak Pam under her chin. "Lighten up, woman. That's a joke."

  Pam pushed his hand away. "Watch the road."

  "You're acting like my mother. We've rehearsed our plan a million times. It ain't no different than the last one. We didn't get caught then, did we?"

  Pam hated the memory of the last abduction. She hadn't expected to run into a former co-worker. She still worried the woman might reflect on their chance encounter and report it to the police. She hadn't summoned the courage to tell Dan about the near mishap. He didn't tolerate mistakes. The sooner their current task segued into history, the better. "I can't help it. You get so smug before we do a job, you become a different person."

  "You worry about the same thing every time." Dan signaled to turn off the highway. "We're not going to get caught. Relax. When we pull up to the hospital, that's when you should get nervous."

  Dan drove the rental car into the gas bay and climbed out of the vehicle. Bending back into the car, he reached across the driver's seat. "Give me some cash."

  Waiting as Dan filled the tank, Pam whispered, "Why am I doing this?"

  "You're doing it for the money," Dan snarled and dropped into the driver's seat. He grabbed Pam's wrist and yanked it toward him. "I told you there's nothing to worry about. Get a grip, Pam, or I'll do it myself."

  Pulling her hand from his grasp, Pam rubbed her bruised flesh. "You couldn't do this without me and you know it. I'm the one who abducts the babies. I'm the one who earns the money. I'm the one who risks everything. Not you."

  Dan took a deep breath. "You're right. You're right." He cupped Pam's face in his hand. "I apologize. You're the most important player on this team. Let's just chill. Everything's going to be all right."

  Dan eased his way back onto the highway. He reached across the car and pulled his wife to his side. Placing a quick kiss against her temple, he said, "You're good at what you do, Babe. That's why you get away with it. With your Scandinavian features, you blend in like every other blond nurse in northern Minnesota."

  "I'm lucky I fit in, but I'm afraid panic will get the best of me. I might screw up." Balling her hand into a fist Pam tapped her chest. "Last time my heart hammered so hard I almost passed out. I had to bite my lip to keep from screaming."

  "You didn't. That's the point. You didn't. You pulled it off like a pro." He ran his hand along the back of her neck, kneading it gently.

  She pushed his hand away. "You don't understand. I'm not sure I can go through with this anymore."

  When she stood in Reggie's office, she exuded confidence and welcomed the challenge. Thinking back on it, it must have been the alcohol heightening her conviction. Since then, her courage had dwindled to a mere puff of air. The bolder Dan's bravado, the weaker her self-esteem.

  "Then you really won't want to hear my new idea."

  "What new idea?" Before Dan had a chance to take another breath, Pam repeated, "What new idea?"

  "We can keep the money and cut out the middle man."

  "You mean Reggie?"

  "That's exactly who I mean." Dan pulled a sheet of paper from his shirt pocket and unfolded it. "Look what I've got. When I saw this on Reggie's desk, I noticed the name Franzen Kimmer. I remembered the name from when we visited Pinecone Landing last summer. Kimmer is a judge there. We're going to deal directly with him."

  "We don't know the first thing…"

  "It can't be that hard. He's already hooked up with Reggie. Imagine money beyond your dreams. Think about it Pam. We'll buy the house on Lake Minnetonka you've always wanted. I'll buy you cars and clothes and we'll travel all over the world."

  Pam stared into the oncoming lane of traffic as she considered Dan's proposal.

  "Reggie doesn't have a fancy office because he sits on his ass and shuffles papers all day. He's rich because of us. We take the risks. It's our hard work buying Reggie's toys." Dan slapped the steering wheel. "It's not right he gets the biggest share when we do all the work."

  "I do all the work," Pam said. "I do all the work." She leaned back against the headrest, closed her eyes, and drew a jagged breath. "Do you really think we could do it ourselves?"

  "Absolutely, and you get all the credit for taking the risk."

  The soothing hum of tires against the pavement eased Pam's stress while she pondered Dan's statement.

  "Do you really think we can make enough to buy the house?"

  "Of course. There's no limit. Consider what Reggie owns. Think about his car, his yacht, his mansion."

  Pam threw her arms around Dan and kissed the side of his face repeatedly as he grasped the steering wheel with both hands.

  She leaned forward and looked into Dan's eyes. "This is the last job we do for Reggie? After this we're on our own?" A hesitant smile betrayed her skepticism.

  "Last one," Dan said. "He never appreciated us, anyway. You know what they say. Payback and friendly fire are one and the same."

  "Then I'll do it."

  Several miles passed while Pam stared at the road, contemplating her future.

  "I found a couple more interesting names on the paper I took off Reggie's desk. They're attorneys in California. I looked them up on the internet." Dan's voice rose with excitement. "You should see all the attorneys on the West coast specializing in adoption. We can establish ourselves with some of them. Then when we snatch a kid, we can hop a plane and take care of business."

  Pam pivoted to face Dan. "I'm good at setting things up. I have a flair for business. In fact, when I worked at the hospital, my director complimented me on my organization skills."

  "There's the Pam I fell in love with," Dan said. "Why do you think I'm convinced we can do this? It's because you're good at what you do." He patted her leg and let his hand rest on her warm flesh.

  Giddy with enthusiasm, Pam reveled in Dan's praise. She loved the rush she felt when he expressed his appreciation. Wait till her sister saw her new house on Lake Minnetonka. Pam always knew she had what it took to outdo her sister. Now she'd prove it.

  "Remember you're the one who suggested we drive up to Pinecone Landing to check out the hospital." Dan placed his hand on her thigh and squeezed. "It was you who suggested getting a floor plan when you saw
the new construction. I wouldn't have thought of anything so clever."

  "You're also a genius to come up with those disguises. You know what I admire most about you? You're thorough."

  Pam grinned, soaking up Dan's approval. Her elation abruptly evaporated as two marble pillars supporting the hospital portico glistened in the distance.

  9

  "Where have you been? Your soup's cold." Jane shook a metal whisk at Sadie as she walked through the cabin door. "You should have told me you'd be late."

  "I didn't think I would be," Sadie said. "If Jed hadn't helped with the prep, I'd still be at the mortuary."

  Jed followed Sadie through the door, grabbed a chair, and plunked down. "Hi Mr. Bakke." He tapped the urn, lifted the lid and shook the urn. Ash powder wafted through the air. Glancing sideways at Jane, he quickly brushed the powder off the table with the palm of his hand.

  "Jed prepped his own body?" Jane's jaw hung in disbelief.

  Sadie pulled a screw driver, a spiked dog collar, and a baggie containing a dead mouse from her purse and laid them on the table. "Darn. Where is it?" She rummaged further, retrieving a shiny tube of lipstick. She dabbed it on her upper lip. "What do you think?"

  "I don't think Jed should embalm his own body. You probably broke some kind of mortuary code."

  "It wasn't his body. Are you nuts? Do you really think there's a code saying you can't embalm your own body?" Sadie squinted at Jane in exasperation.

  "What are you doing with a dead mouse in your purse?"

  "I took it out of a trap in one of the cabins. You've never heard so much squealing in all your life."

  "Poor thing."

  "I'm not talking about the mouse. I'm talking about the guest in Cabin 2. I thought we'd have another customer for Nan."

  "Speaking of customers, did you see the newspaper this morning? I see they found Sally's body in the swamp behind the Fertile Turtle. The reporter quoted the sheriff as saying Sally must have wandered off looking for her mother. He said it appears she fell into the swamp when her foot became wedged between two fallen branches."