AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Slapping a hand down on his desk, Forrest fought the guilt surging inside him. If he had paid more attention when he was a kid, he’d know more now. The main thing he remembered was how the Plantation had always been full of young women. They’d filled the third floor and he’d heard them crying through the ceiling in his bedroom. He spun around in his chair, to the wall of shelves filled with various books. He’d never given the books much thought before, but now he scanned the titles. A lower shelf contained a volume that leaped out at him. The History of Money.
Forrest grabbed the book and contemplated calling his mother. He’d come to understand she was his greatest weakness, and he also knew she wouldn’t give him any answers. He knew his second greatest weakness, too. She’d just climbed into her sister’s Cadillac. Twyla hadn’t even questioned where her car had gone. Perhaps Norma Rose had told her they’d given Bronco a ride into town and he’d taken it back to the resort.
Still, Twyla—the Twyla he knew—would have questioned that.
“Blast it,” he growled. She was trying to throw the wool over his eyes. Grabbing the phone, he concluded he was blind enough.
When a voice on the other end answered, knowing the drill, Forrest said, “Roger Nightingale, please. It’s Forrest Reynolds, I’ll hold.”
Roger wasted no time on greetings. “Bronco just delivered Twyla’s car.”
“Was he followed?” Forrest wanted to know.
“No.”
“Twyla, Ty and Norma Rose should be there shortly.” Drawing in a breath, Forrest said, “I need a favor, Roger.”
“You name it.”
“I need a couple of men. Maybe Bronco and someone else. I’ll pay you for their time.”
“Like hell you will,” Roger said. “We’re in this together. Bronco and Tuck will be there in ten minutes. What did you discover?”
“Nothing, really,” Forrest admitted. “But Nick Ludwig was out at your place last night and he was here today. He’d been in jail with Galen.”
“Ty told me that before he and Norma Rose left,” Roger said. “I can’t say I know Ludwig, but if he was here last night, Palooka George knows him. Ninety percent of what happens around here goes through Chicago.”
“Maybe,” Forrest said, “but Galen alienated himself from that stream long ago, which is why he had to go through California.”
“That’s true,” Roger said, “but someone knows something.”
“Ludwig knows something,” Forrest said. “I need Bronco and Tuck to help search for him.”
“They’ll find him,” Roger said. “I’ll talk to George right now. I’ll let you know if I find out anything.”
“Thanks, Roger,” Forrest said.
“I know it hasn’t been easy for you, Forrest, and calling me for help wasn’t easy, either. But I’m glad you did. We’re in this together, son, and this time, I have your back. You can be sure of that.”
Roger was right. It hadn’t been easy to ask for help. If not for Twyla, and fearing what she might do, he might not have called Roger. Disconnecting that call, Forrest dialed another number and flipped open the book while waiting. After three rings a voice answered.
“Hello, Mother,” he said.
* * *
Hours later, the ringing of the phone woke Forrest. It was a moment before he realized he’d fallen asleep on the couch in the office. The book tumbled off his chest as he swung his feet onto the floor. He crossed the room, and the faint light of dawn entering the window made his heart skip a beat as he wondered who could be calling this early.
He grabbed the phone. “Hello?”
“Forrest, it’s Scooter. I thought you might like to know I just saw Dave Sutton’s Chevy drive by.”
Rubbing his head, trying to wake up and make sense of Scooter’s call, Forrest asked, “So?” The whereabouts of Twyla’s uncle was no concern of his.
“Dave wasn’t driving the car,” Scooter said. “Twyla was.”
Forrest was suddenly wide-awake. “What direction?”
“Toward town.”
“Thanks, Scooter.” Forrest hung up and headed for the door.
He cursed all the way to the back door and across the parking lot. This was exactly what he didn’t want happening. Twyla had no idea of the danger she was in. Ludwig was out there somewhere. With Bronco and Tuck looking for him, that left fewer men at the resort to keep an eye on her. Why hadn’t he realized that?
He jumped in the roadster and fired up the engine. Gravel sprayed as he floored the gas pedal and shot around the building, his mind trying to fathom where she’d be going at this time of the morning.
