Riding Tall: Fencing You In Part 21

He ignored her and walked up the stairs to a door. Beside it was a keypad and he punched in numbers or letters-there was no way to tell from where she lay. The door swung open and he stepped outside.

The door slammed shut behind him.

Tess turned away and looked up at the ceiling as tears rolled down the sides of her face. By now they would be looking for her. How was Jenny? Her sister and friends must be beside themselves.

And Gage.

Please find me, she whispered in her mind. Please find me.

Chapter 34.

Gage drove down to the police station, with Jo and Megan following in Jo's car. When they got to the station, John set them up in a room where they could examine the tapes. Gage helped with identifying people they knew who were at the club that night. Each person they recognized was called down to the station to be interviewed.

The entire time Gage felt wound so tightly he might explode. It was going so d.a.m.ned slow and he had no idea where to start looking. If someone showed up who had seen the man in the hoodie or had witnessed the man taking Tess, and recognized him, then they'd have something to go on.

And they'd have a tough time keeping Gage from killing the b.a.s.t.a.r.d if Tess had been hurt one d.a.m.ned bit.

Because they'd both lived in Prescott for their entire lives, Jo and Gage recognized several people. Megan and Tess had lived in the town for less than two years, but due to running a restaurant and bar part-time, Megan was able to identify a few individuals whom Jo and Gage didn't know.

Detective Reese McBride, another one of Gage's cousins, stepped in with his partner, Detective Kelley Petrova. Reese was as big and tall as Gage and the rest of the McBride men while Detective Petrova was a pet.i.te woman, a lot like Tess.

Reese allowed Gage, Megan, and Jo to listen in on the interviews through the one-way gla.s.s, and Gage's frustration grew as almost everyone who was interviewed stated they hadn't even noticed the man in the hoodie. A couple of people remembered seeing him, but hadn't recognized him.

As he listened to each person speak, Gage continued to push away thoughts of the tremendous ache in his thigh and shoulder.

A cowhand named Casey Daniels arrived at the police station in the afternoon. The man leaned back in the chair, arms folded, as he studied the tapes. When he saw the image of the man in the hoodie, Casey nodded.

"Yep," Casey said when John pointed him out. "That's Harvey Norton-I got a good look at his face when I b.u.mped into him. Was surprised to see him. I thought he was still in prison."

Everyone went silent and cold rushed through Gage.

Harvey.

The name echoed in Gage's head as thoughts flashed through his mind. He remembered the night he'd thought he'd seen Harvey watching him and Tess out in the parking lot of Nectars.

"Find out where Norton lives," Reese said to one of the police officers, Pablo Suarez, who nodded and headed out of the observation room. Reese turned to James Taynor, another officer, and instructed him to obtain a search warrant.

"What about an arrest warrant?" Gage asked as anger burned through him like raging flames.

"All we see is a man in a hoodie walking out with Tess," Reese said. "And Casey Daniels can't know for sure that the man leaving with Tess is the same man he ran into. Harvey. We can't arrest him based solely on that."

Gage balled his hands into fists. "What if he hurts her before you get your d.a.m.ned search warrant?"

Reese looked grim. "We'll head on out there now to question him, and hope that we get the search warrant not too much longer after that."

Clenching and unclenching his hands, Gage said, "I'm going, too."

"You're going to stay out of the way." Reese eyed Gage steadily. "Let the police handle this."

Gage narrowed his eyes at his cousin. "Tess is my woman."

"That's exactly the reason why you're not going." Reese's expression was hard. "I don't want you going off half-c.o.c.ked." He nodded to Gage's shoulder. "Not to mention, with your injuries, you'll just be in the way."

"I'm going with you." Gage barely kept his voice calm. "And you're wasting time arguing with me."

Officer Suarez walked back into the room. "He's renting the old Anderson place."

"Let's go." Reese arranged for two cruisers to head out to Harvey's home as backup. Reese turned to Gage who started walking out with them. "You," Reese said, "can ride in our car." He nodded to Detective Petrova. "That way I can keep an eye on you."

Gage winced from the pain in his body as he started following the two detectives out of the room. Fine by him-one way or another, he was going.

They headed outside to the detectives' unmarked car and Gage folded his large frame into the back. He gritted his teeth as Reese drove to the place that had belonged to the Andersons before they'd moved to Texas.

Emotions rushed through Gage like a summer storm, his gut clenching with every thought. Fury with Harvey beyond anything he'd ever felt. Fear for Tess.

Did Harvey have her? Was she at the Anderson place? Had the man hurt her?

The dirt road to the house Harvey was renting wasn't well maintained but the car they were in handled the ruts well. When they reached the house, Gage saw that an old truck was parked out front. All of the shutters, curtains, and doors on the house were closed tightly.

"Running the license plate," Detective Petrova said as they closed in on the house. The two cruisers were behind them. Reese parked the car and they waited a heartbeat before Petrova said, "The truck is registered to Harvey Norton."

"Stay in the car," Reese said to Gage. Gage ignored him and climbed out of the vehicle when the two detectives did. Reese blew out his breath. "So help me, Gage. If you get in the way I'm going to kick your a.s.s."

"Just worry about Harvey," Gage said in a low growl.

Pain continued to work its way through Gage's shoulder and leg as he followed Reese and Petrova. His pace was stiff and he gritted his teeth in frustration.

He waited about fifteen feet behind the detectives as Reese knocked on the front door. "Prescott Police Department," he said as he banged on the door a second time.

A few moments later, Gage heard the sound of a bolt lock being opened and then the k.n.o.b was turning. The door swung open and Harvey stood in the doorway.

He looked at the officers and gave one of his good ol' boy smiles. "What can I do for you?"

"h.e.l.lo, Harvey," Reese said. "If you don't remember me, I'm Detective Reese McBride." He turned to Petrova. "And this is Detective Kelley Petrova."

"Of course I remember you, Detective." Harvey's smile broadened. "How's life treating you?"

"I need to ask you some questions." Reese took a notebook out of his pocket. "May we come in?"

Harvey stepped out of the house and pulled the door shut behind him. "What can I do for you?"

Reese maintained a calm expression. "Do you know Tess Grady?"

Harvey gave a casual shrug. "I know a Tess, but I don't know her last name. She works at Nectars downtown."

"Ms. Grady was last seen in your presence at Jo-Jo's last night," Reese said. "Is Tess here with you?"

With a surprised look that Gage was sure the man faked, Harvey said, "I haven't seen Tess for some time now. I don't know what you're talking about. I wasn't in Jo-Jo's last night."

Reese studied Harvey. "Do you mind if we take a look around?"

Harvey smirked. "You need a warrant for that, officer."

"Detective." Reese kept his gaze on Harvey. "There's a warrant on the way. You might as well let us in now."

With another shrug, Harvey folded his arms across his chest. "We can wait."

Gage felt a burn deep in his chest. He wanted to climb up the stairs and drive Harvey to the ground with one punch and let him have it until Harvey admitted what he'd done with Tess.

"You said you weren't at Jo-Jo's last night," Reese said, "yet we have a witness who places you there shortly before Ms. Grady's disappearance. Can you explain that?"

Harvey shrugged. "Had to have been someone who looks like me."

"Where were you last night between nine and midnight?" Petrova asked.

Harvey jerked his home over his shoulder, at the house. "Home watching TV."

"What was on?" Petrova asked.

"The news and then I fell asleep in my chair," Harvey said. "I'm not sure what was on afterward as I was asleep."

"Was anyone with you?" Reese asked.

Harvey gave a lazy smile. "Just me and the TV." He looked from Reese to Petrova. "I gotta take care of a few things. When you get your warrant, you just let me know."

Reese grabbed Harvey's arm before the man could turn away. "Don't go anywhere, Norton. We're going to be taking you down to the station for questioning."

Harvey narrowed his gaze "I don't have to go anywhere."

Reese gave a tight-lipped smile. "We can take you now and do our search with you at the station, or you can stay and chat with us."

Harvey folded his arms across his chest and gave that same s.h.i.t-eating grin. "If that's what it takes to get rid of you."

Gage remained tense, his entire body tightly coiled and aching as he watched Reese continue to ask Harvey question after question, intending to trip him up. Harvey was good, though. He just brushed it off and had an answer for everything.

It was a good forty-five minutes before Reese got a call. He drew out his cell phone and moved away to take the call. In a moment he pocketed his phone and turned back to Harvey. "Subpoena will be here in fifteen minutes."

Harvey didn't budge.

Within twenty minutes, a cruiser came up the dirt road and an officer brought the folded up subpoena to Petrova who slapped it against Harvey's chest. Harvey grasped it then looked it over as Reese, Petrova, and four police officers entered his home.

Gage followed a distance behind then tried to make it up the porch steps without flinching with each step as he put weight on his bad leg and held his right arm to his side.

"Where are you going?" Harvey narrowed his eyes as Gage reached the porch.

Gage lowered his voice. "So help me, Harvey. If you've hurt Tess, I will kill you."

"Threatening me?" Harvey smirked. "If anyone's going to die, it will be you."

For a long moment Gage looked at Harvey. "You had me shot, didn't you." He said the words as a statement before the thought had even fully formed.

Something flickered in Harvey's eyes. "If I'd wanted you shot, you'd be dead."

"That's the problem, isn't it," Gage stated. "You sent someone to kill me and he failed. So you've taken Tess to get even."

"Don't flatter yourself." Harvey leaned up against a post on the porch, his arms folded. "I don't give a s.h.i.t what happens to you. Though I can't say it would have hurt my feelings any if you had died."

Gage gave Harvey a hard look then turned to go into the house. Harvey blocked him with a hand to Gage's wounded shoulder. Pain screamed through him. He stepped into Harvey, elbowed him in the gut and swept his foot beneath Harvey's.

With a shout of surprise the man went down, hard. "You sonofab.i.t.c.h," Harvey said. "I'll-"

Gage was already in the doorway of the house. He looked over his shoulder at Harvey who was getting to his feet, his face red with anger. "You'll what?" Gage asked. "Kill me?"

He turned his back on Harvey and walked into the house.

The police were tearing it apart, looking for Tess and searching for clues.

"Where are the keys to your truck?" Petrova said to Harvey and Gage looked back at the man.

Harvey had a smug expression as he dug the keys out of his pocket and tossed them to the detective who caught the set and pa.s.sed them on to a police officer.

Gage went into the house, looking for something that would tell him Tess was here. He knew it with everything he had that she was somewhere around this place. He hoped to G.o.d she was all right.

The house looked like it hadn't been updated in decades. There was still dark wood paneling on the walls and the couches were dark brown corduroy, the carpet gold s.h.a.g. There were no pictures on the walls but there was a mostly empty bookcase with just a few newspapers and magazines stacked up on one corner.

Almost everything was coated in a layer of dust with the exception of the paneled walls, which looked relatively clean.

Gage walked around, staying out of the officers' way as he searched what he could with his gaze and avoided touching anything.

He realized his chest was aching, a pain there that had nothing to do with his injuries. It was a pain he knew wouldn't go away until they found Tess.

After he looked over the living room, he went on to the kitchen, which was spa.r.s.e. Dirty dishes filled one sink, a used frying pan on the stove that looked like it had the remnants of hash browns in it. And on the counter was a large plate of what looked like egg salad sandwiches with an unopened package of chocolate cookies next to it.

Gage frowned. Why would Harvey need an entire plate of five sandwiches? The man couldn't eat that many, could he? Gage moved his gaze to the nearly full pitcher of iced tea on the counter with two plastic tumblers. One of the tumblers had a lid with a straw through it and the other one was filled with tea. Sweat rolled down the sides of both tumblers as well as the clear plastic restaurant-style pitcher. Harvey was expecting someone.

Reese walked into the kitchen. Gage looked at his cousin. "Looks like Harvey might be planning on entertaining," Gage said.

With a thoughtful nod, Reese examined the food and pulled on a pair of rubber gloves. "It certainly does." He frowned as he looked at the cup with the straw and picked it up. "Feels full and it's cold," he said and pried off the lid. "It has ice."

He put the lid back on and turned to Gage as he set the cup on the counter. "We've turned this house upside down. No sign of her."