Stash began to pace in front of the hostages’ feet. Once, he slinked out to the front of the diner, obviously checking what was happening on the street through the front windows.
She glanced down the line of people who had been tied up. Derek Legion seemed calm enough, his expression a mixture of fear and outrage. Katie got the impression he wanted to footballtackle Marcus. Monty looked precisely as he always did, observing the proceedings with an aloof, wry interest. Katie thought if his hands were untied and he had a newspaper, he could have made himself quite content while being held hostage. Errol was growing increasingly antsy in his restraints, but seemed more anxious about being tied up than afraid of what Stash threatened. Nick Brown looked frightened and shocked, but not as much as George Harlan.
Harlan had heard what Marcus Stash said on the phone earlier with Sherona about being shot unless he refused the gambling license to Fordham. Apparently it hadn’t occurred to Harlan that all he had to do was lie to Stash.
People tended to get a bit discombobulated when they heard they were the target of a madman’s bullet.
“We need to try to keep him talking . . . encourage him to let Derek go first, then Errol,” Katie whispered at them.
She looked around anxiously at the sound of Stash reentering the storeroom.
“It’s going to be okay, Errol,” Katie murmured, feeling Errol squirm around beside her “Calm down. I’m right here with you.”
“Why doesn’t that idiot sheriff call?” Stash mumbled under his breath after what seemed like an eternity to Katie, but probably was no more than twenty minutes.
“Maybe you should call Sherona back,” Katie suggested.
Stash’s head snapped around when she spoke. She couldn’t help but recoil at his glance. He looked rabid.
“You could ask her again to have the sheriff call,” Katie said tentatively. “She may not have understood you before . . . out of shock, you know? Maybe you could let her know, since you’ll be calling her anyway, that you plan on letting Derek go. I know you want the world to know that the gambling boat would be a very bad thing for Vulture’s Canyon, Marcus, and I think Sherona would agree with you, don’t you?”
Stash’s feral expression shifted at the sound of Sherona’s name.
“She’d agree,” he muttered. “We always talked about how much she hated the idea of that gambling boat. Vulture’s Canyon is about nature, and the c
lean air, and privacy, not some damn playground for rich people who want to party and drink and tear up this forest.”
Katie nodded sympathetically. “But I’d imagine Sherona’s in a state right now, thinking about her little brother being in here, you know . . . with all that.” She glanced sadly at the dynamite strapped to Stash’s heaving torso. “Don’t you think it’d be best to call her and let her know you’re going to let Derek out the back door?”
Stash seemed undecided between his tough-guy-Rambo role and his adorer-of-Sherona role. He seemed to deflate slightly and he nodded his head.
“Yeah, I’ll do that.”
“That’s the courageous thing to do, Marcus,” Katie assured as Marcus withdrew his cell phone. She increased her efforts to get her hands free as he started to dial. When she noticed Monty looking at her, she nodded her head toward Stash, indicating he should distract him while she tried to break free.
“Do you really think this will work, Stash?” Monty asked evenly. “The only thing that’s going to maybe happen is we all get blown up, and we’re all on your side. Nothing you’ve done will stop the riverboat from coming.”
Katie rolled her eyes in exasperation when Marcus stopped, giving Monty a crazed glare.
“What about Sherona?” Katie prodded, trying to turn his attention back to releasing Derek.
Stash glanced down at his phone. “No service.”
Shit, Katie thought. Damn these hills. She glanced over at Monty, who raised his eyebrows in a “now what?” gesture. Katie winced in pain as she almost got her wrist through one of the rope loops.
“You know, Marcus, I wish I would have known how important it was to you to keep that gambling boat out of the area. I really do. I could have helped you,” Katie blurted out. From the corner of her vision, she saw Monty give her an incredulous look.
“You? Help me? Some fancy girl from California? What could you have helped me with?” Stash asked belligerently. He started to pace again, his gun in one hand and cell phone in the other.
“I may be an outsider, but I have some insider information that I think could have made a difference in Mr. Harlan’s decision.”
“Well, go on; spill it, then. Harlan’s right there. We’re all listening,” Stash said bitterly, obviously not believing a word she said.
Katie glanced to her left and saw four pale, sweat-glazed faces staring at her. Errol was too busy twisting around and looking uncomfortable to notice her.
“It’s just that I have proof that Miles Fordham is involved in offering prostitution services to the men who come to his club.”
Marcus Stash abruptly stopped pacing. Even Errol quit his squirming for a few seconds.