CHAPTER 31
Duncan spent a few minutes talking with Peter Harris, Justin and the Chief of Police. He convinced them that he had been successful tracking people before, and even though Beth's father was desperate with worry, he trusted MacLeod.
"Do you think you can find my daughter?" Mr. Harris asked.
"If he really did take her to Europe, then I believe the resources I have will be the best chance of finding her. No offense to local law enforcement intended, but the minute he took her out of the country, he made this an almost impossible task."
The chief agreed. "We are a small town force, and even if I pulled in our resources from Nashville, it probably wouldn't help if they are in another country. But it doesn't mean we won't do everything we can."
Duncan knew that with immortals involved, this was not a place local officials needed to go. But he had to be careful not to offend them. "This was a pretty elaborate scheme. And Garrett didn't leave the party until we did." He reminded them. "I can't believe he didn't have help pulling this off."
The other men agreed.
"Do you have anyone in particular in mind?" Justin asked.
Duncan couldn't tip his hand so he shook his head. "No, but whoever it was knew the area and may still be here. I'm afraid if word gets out that Leandra left a second message, it could be bad for her."
"I hadn't thought about that, but you are right. And if they believe no one is really searching for her, then maybe Garrett won't be as careful." The chief replied. "Maybe it would be better if we kept this information just between us."
Duncan was relieved that the man saw it that way.
"But I feel funny not doing something." The man continued. "I don't really know you, or that you can do what you say."
"Duncan and his friends are the ones who saved my daughter when the FBI and the Witness Protection program failed her." Peter Harris confided, giving the chief a brief synopsis of the events. The man raised his eyebrows, obviously impressed.
"I do need your help." Duncan replied, explaining that it would be quicker to run checks on Garrett and any of his accomplices if he could have official access to databases.
"Consider it done. But I'll need you to keep me posted regularly on your progress."
Duncan nodded. He could do that. Of course there might be details he will need to leave out.
After the police had gone, Amanda walked back over to where Duncan and the Harris men were talking. "Excuse me, but did a law enforcement officer actually agree to back off and let Duncan handle the investigation?" she was dumbfounded.
"We're a small town, and he's known my daughter since she was a child." Peter Harris explained. "He's had his fill of red tape when he's worked with the state police before. And it's not likely they would find her anyway."
"The chief's been around for a long time. Every few years someone runs against him, and every time he wins the election because he's not into the power thing. He doesn't have a big ego and the people here in Ridgetop can count on him." Justin continued to explain. "I just hope you can do what you say, because we all want to get her back."
"I can't make promises, but I won't stop looking for her . ever." Duncan promised. "And I will need your help too. I'll need you to tell me everything you know about Garrett, his family, his friends and any place you can think of he might hide out. We can't be 100% certain he left the country. He might have mislead her to make sure no one followed."
Justin nodded. "Anything. We can go back to the house now and get started."
"I have one lead I'd like to follow up on first . a hunch." Duncan replied. "But I will meet you there a little later.
"Now we go to Rick's?" Amanda asked when they were back in the car.
Duncan nodded.
When they arrived at Rick's, he was packing his flight bag. "Got a call about half an hour ago. I've got to take one of the company big whigs to Minneapolis." He explained.
Amanda exchanged a frustrated look with Duncan.
"I've got some questions that need answering first." Duncan insisted.
"Then I suppose you're going to have to give me a ride to the airport, because I can't be late." Rick replied.
"Don't you get it?" Amanda's frustration was evident. "Our friends are missing because of your student."
Duncan gave her a look that said to be careful about what she told him and Amanda understood.
Rick didn't like being ordered around or pushed. He turned to Amanda. "Your friends are missing because one of them decided to leave with Garrett and the other couldn't handle the rejection. And he is not my student. I just helped him out some."
"She's just frustrated." Duncan told him. "We're worried about Adam and we don't understand what happened with Leandra. You have to admit it's a bit strange that she'd go to the trouble of marrying him just to dump him the same night."
Rick played the understanding friend to the hilt. "It's strange all right." He replied. "And I don't mean to be flippant about your friend. I'm sure he was crushed by the news. But really, if you want answers from me we need to get going."
Amanda jumped into the back seat so Duncan could question Rick more directly.
"Can you tell me any more about that flight to Canada you are so sure Garrett took?"
"I was going to call you with this as soon as I got to Minneapolis." Rick said as he pulled some folded papers out of his jacket. "Garrett used one of my credit cards and an alias I'd set up for myself to book 4 different flights to four different destinations."
Duncan couldn't look and drive, so Amanda took the pages and perused them for detail.
"Toronto . Paris . Sidney . Flagstaff?" she read off the destinations to Duncan.
"And if he went to the trouble of booking those flights, who is to say he didn't book more under another name?" Rick replied flatly.
"We've still got to follow these up." Duncan said. "But I'll need details of your alias . credit cards, possible addresses ."
"That's on the last sheet I gave Amanda." Rick told him, indicating the yellow sheet of note paper. "I'll check on some other possible leads as soon as the blasted trip is over. Can I reach you on that number you gave me last night?"
"That's my cell . it has voice mail just in case." Duncan said, patting his shirt pocket.
"I know you are worried about Leandra, but really . I don't think Garrett would hurt her. And it sounds like she went because she wanted to." Rick told them.
Amanda and Duncan said nothing to tip the fact they knew it was a lie. Duncan didn't believe Rick was involved, but still knew he should err on the side of caution.
Rick shook his head as he watched the two drive away from the terminal. MacLeod would never understand. He knew Garrett had done this because he understood what it meant to be loyal to a friend. Garrett gave up his music, his home and a degree of his freedom to devote himself to the rest of Leandra and her baby's lives. Since it was obvious the woman did not love Garrett, Rick saw his willingness to care for her as a sacrifice that one makes as a true friend to her dead husband.
"One day you will understand sacrifice and loyalty MacLeod." Rick promised as the vehicle disappeared down the ramp.
For almost 60 years Rick had lived with the guilt of surviving when the friends he'd pledged his loyalty to gave their all for a cause they all believed in. He'd been ready at that moment in the courtyard to fight for his friends or face the guillotine beside them. It would have been the most honorable way to die. But MacLeod had robbed him of the chance to save them. He'd been more interested in his own neck and did not share the commitment of he and the others.
"But you will." He promised. "The day is coming when you will."
Duncan spent a few minutes talking with Peter Harris, Justin and the Chief of Police. He convinced them that he had been successful tracking people before, and even though Beth's father was desperate with worry, he trusted MacLeod.
"Do you think you can find my daughter?" Mr. Harris asked.
"If he really did take her to Europe, then I believe the resources I have will be the best chance of finding her. No offense to local law enforcement intended, but the minute he took her out of the country, he made this an almost impossible task."
The chief agreed. "We are a small town force, and even if I pulled in our resources from Nashville, it probably wouldn't help if they are in another country. But it doesn't mean we won't do everything we can."
Duncan knew that with immortals involved, this was not a place local officials needed to go. But he had to be careful not to offend them. "This was a pretty elaborate scheme. And Garrett didn't leave the party until we did." He reminded them. "I can't believe he didn't have help pulling this off."
The other men agreed.
"Do you have anyone in particular in mind?" Justin asked.
Duncan couldn't tip his hand so he shook his head. "No, but whoever it was knew the area and may still be here. I'm afraid if word gets out that Leandra left a second message, it could be bad for her."
"I hadn't thought about that, but you are right. And if they believe no one is really searching for her, then maybe Garrett won't be as careful." The chief replied. "Maybe it would be better if we kept this information just between us."
Duncan was relieved that the man saw it that way.
"But I feel funny not doing something." The man continued. "I don't really know you, or that you can do what you say."
"Duncan and his friends are the ones who saved my daughter when the FBI and the Witness Protection program failed her." Peter Harris confided, giving the chief a brief synopsis of the events. The man raised his eyebrows, obviously impressed.
"I do need your help." Duncan replied, explaining that it would be quicker to run checks on Garrett and any of his accomplices if he could have official access to databases.
"Consider it done. But I'll need you to keep me posted regularly on your progress."
Duncan nodded. He could do that. Of course there might be details he will need to leave out.
After the police had gone, Amanda walked back over to where Duncan and the Harris men were talking. "Excuse me, but did a law enforcement officer actually agree to back off and let Duncan handle the investigation?" she was dumbfounded.
"We're a small town, and he's known my daughter since she was a child." Peter Harris explained. "He's had his fill of red tape when he's worked with the state police before. And it's not likely they would find her anyway."
"The chief's been around for a long time. Every few years someone runs against him, and every time he wins the election because he's not into the power thing. He doesn't have a big ego and the people here in Ridgetop can count on him." Justin continued to explain. "I just hope you can do what you say, because we all want to get her back."
"I can't make promises, but I won't stop looking for her . ever." Duncan promised. "And I will need your help too. I'll need you to tell me everything you know about Garrett, his family, his friends and any place you can think of he might hide out. We can't be 100% certain he left the country. He might have mislead her to make sure no one followed."
Justin nodded. "Anything. We can go back to the house now and get started."
"I have one lead I'd like to follow up on first . a hunch." Duncan replied. "But I will meet you there a little later.
"Now we go to Rick's?" Amanda asked when they were back in the car.
Duncan nodded.
When they arrived at Rick's, he was packing his flight bag. "Got a call about half an hour ago. I've got to take one of the company big whigs to Minneapolis." He explained.
Amanda exchanged a frustrated look with Duncan.
"I've got some questions that need answering first." Duncan insisted.
"Then I suppose you're going to have to give me a ride to the airport, because I can't be late." Rick replied.
"Don't you get it?" Amanda's frustration was evident. "Our friends are missing because of your student."
Duncan gave her a look that said to be careful about what she told him and Amanda understood.
Rick didn't like being ordered around or pushed. He turned to Amanda. "Your friends are missing because one of them decided to leave with Garrett and the other couldn't handle the rejection. And he is not my student. I just helped him out some."
"She's just frustrated." Duncan told him. "We're worried about Adam and we don't understand what happened with Leandra. You have to admit it's a bit strange that she'd go to the trouble of marrying him just to dump him the same night."
Rick played the understanding friend to the hilt. "It's strange all right." He replied. "And I don't mean to be flippant about your friend. I'm sure he was crushed by the news. But really, if you want answers from me we need to get going."
Amanda jumped into the back seat so Duncan could question Rick more directly.
"Can you tell me any more about that flight to Canada you are so sure Garrett took?"
"I was going to call you with this as soon as I got to Minneapolis." Rick said as he pulled some folded papers out of his jacket. "Garrett used one of my credit cards and an alias I'd set up for myself to book 4 different flights to four different destinations."
Duncan couldn't look and drive, so Amanda took the pages and perused them for detail.
"Toronto . Paris . Sidney . Flagstaff?" she read off the destinations to Duncan.
"And if he went to the trouble of booking those flights, who is to say he didn't book more under another name?" Rick replied flatly.
"We've still got to follow these up." Duncan said. "But I'll need details of your alias . credit cards, possible addresses ."
"That's on the last sheet I gave Amanda." Rick told him, indicating the yellow sheet of note paper. "I'll check on some other possible leads as soon as the blasted trip is over. Can I reach you on that number you gave me last night?"
"That's my cell . it has voice mail just in case." Duncan said, patting his shirt pocket.
"I know you are worried about Leandra, but really . I don't think Garrett would hurt her. And it sounds like she went because she wanted to." Rick told them.
Amanda and Duncan said nothing to tip the fact they knew it was a lie. Duncan didn't believe Rick was involved, but still knew he should err on the side of caution.
Rick shook his head as he watched the two drive away from the terminal. MacLeod would never understand. He knew Garrett had done this because he understood what it meant to be loyal to a friend. Garrett gave up his music, his home and a degree of his freedom to devote himself to the rest of Leandra and her baby's lives. Since it was obvious the woman did not love Garrett, Rick saw his willingness to care for her as a sacrifice that one makes as a true friend to her dead husband.
"One day you will understand sacrifice and loyalty MacLeod." Rick promised as the vehicle disappeared down the ramp.
For almost 60 years Rick had lived with the guilt of surviving when the friends he'd pledged his loyalty to gave their all for a cause they all believed in. He'd been ready at that moment in the courtyard to fight for his friends or face the guillotine beside them. It would have been the most honorable way to die. But MacLeod had robbed him of the chance to save them. He'd been more interested in his own neck and did not share the commitment of he and the others.
"But you will." He promised. "The day is coming when you will."