Hunting Fear by Kay Hooper Read Free Book Online

lost—at least for the moment—as the sheriff and his detective returned to the room.
    “Any progress?” Lindsay asked cheerfully.
    Jaylene murmured, “Not so you’d notice.”
    Lindsay lifted an eyebrow at her, but said to Samantha, “If there’s nothing else you can tell us, we won’t keep you any longer.”
    “Yes, you will.” Samantha sat up straighter in her chair and looked at the sheriff. “You’ll put me in your jail or under house arrest with a couple of watchdogs—or I’ll sit out in your damned lobby where everyone can see me.”
    “Why?” he asked warily.
    “Because there’s going to be another kidnapping. And considering the way people are beginning to look at me around here, I’d really rather not continue to be a suspect in anybody’s mind.”
    Lucas was on his feet immediately. “Another? Christ, why didn’t you say something before now?”
    “Because she’s not in danger yet,” Samantha replied.
    “How do you know that?”
    “The vision. I saw her tied to a chair in what looked like a small, windowless room, and on a desk nearby was a newspaper with this coming Thursday’s date. I think he’ll send a photo of her with the newspaper, to prove she’s alive when he demands the ransom. I think he’ll expect to be doubted, especially after Callahan was found dead.”
    “So you know he’ll have her on Thursday,” Lucas said. “What’s to stop him from grabbing her tonight or tomorrow?”
    “He never does, does he? Grabs them late on Wednesday or early Thursday, and always makes the ransom demand on Thursday to give the family just enough time to get the money.”
    “That’s the pattern,” Lucas said grimly. “Want to tell me how you know about it?”
    “Wait a minute,” Metcalf interrupted. “Do you know who she is? What she looks like?”
    “This time I made damned sure I found out who she is.”
    “How?” Lucas asked.
    “In the vision, she was wearing a shirt with the logo of a local softball team on it. Turns out she’s the assistant coach. Carrie Vaughn. She lives out on Highway 221. I tried to warn her a couple of hours ago, but I got the feeling she didn’t believe she could be in any danger.”
    “Get somebody out there,” Metcalf said to Lindsay. “I’d rather be embarrassed than sorry later.”
    Lindsay nodded and hurried from the conference room.
    Lucas said, “Answer the question, Samantha. How did you know what the kidnapper’s pattern has been?”
    “Lucky guess?”
    “Not funny.”
    Samantha’s smile twisted. “Oh, you’re wrong about that. It is funny. In fact, this whole thing is a cosmic joke. You just haven’t heard the punch line yet.”
    “How did you know about the pattern?”
    She looked at him for a long moment, expressionless, then said, “We’re staying at that little motel near the fairgrounds. If you’ll go there—”
    “I thought you people stayed in those campers and RVs,” Metcalf interrupted.
    “Usually we do. Sometimes we like hot showers in bathrooms large enough to turn around in. Some of us are at the motel. Okay?”
    The sheriff shrugged. “Just wondered.”
    “We’ve paid in advance, if you were wondering that.”
    “It had crossed my mind.”
    “Yeah, I figured it might have.”
    Lucas said, “Will you two please stay on the subject and stop sniping at each other? Sam, what’s in your motel room?”
    She didn’t let herself react to the shortened version of her name. “Check the top drawer of the nightstand, and you’ll find a handkerchief in a plastic bag. He dropped it at the carnival, probably yesterday. When I picked it up late yesterday afternoon, I had the vision.”
    “And?”
    “I told you what I saw.”
    “What else?”
    “Flashes of the others. The other victims. Ten, twelve of them. Men and women, different ages, nothing in common. Except him. I knew what he was doing, what he’s been doing all these months. His pattern. And I knew why.”
    “Why?”
    “Sure you want to know,