Caught in the Frame (Ponderosa Pines Cozy Mystery Series Book 3) by ReGina Welling (novel24 .TXT) 📕

times in the last 24 hours.” Javier looked hopeful as he watched Remy skulk out of his room in the opposite direction of the bank of elevators that would have been the easiest way to get to the main section of the castle.

“So what now?” Lila asked. “Where does that course take him?”

“To the west wing, and to the stairs leading down the level our rooms are on.”

Javier was already clicking furiously between files on the main security console, his sharp eyes scanning between several sets of blueprints and security plans, searching for the most likely place Remy would have stashed Baylee. Chloe and Lila exchanged a nervous glance; this was their best chance to find Javier’s sister-in-law. With Nate and Dalton monitoring EV’s attempt to wheedle a confession out of Remy, they had a clear shot at a rescue, and would receive a heads-up if Remy tried to break away.

“There are several unmonitored areas he could access once he entered the turret, depending on whether he went up or down. Some are unusable; others are pending construction, so there’s nothing there to steal, which is why we didn’t install cameras. When we get there, we can split up and cover more ground. If this doesn’t work, we’re going to have to trust EV to pry the information from him, or trail him until he leads us to her. I’d rather not go there; he’s unpredictable and reckless, and I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

Lila wrapped a protective arm around Chloe’s shoulders while they both remained silent and allowed Javier to come up with a plan of attack. Minutes later, he whipped three sheets of paper off the portable printer resting in the far corner of the room and handed them each a map. “He could have gone up or down; I’ll take the bottom floor and work my way up. You two start at the top and work your way down; we’ll meet in the middle. We’ll stay in contact with these,” He passed Chloe a hand-held radio. “This one is set to communicate only with mine, while I will be able to monitor both yours and the same frequency Nate, Dalton, and EV are using. This way, we can stay in constant contact in the event that EV’s plan goes south and Remy tries to make off in this direction. You’ll need to push this button to talk, and this is the volume. Call me with your progress; I will do the same, and I’ll relay to Nate when we find her. And we will find her. Be quick and be safe.”

Javier kissed Lila quickly and enveloped both mother and daughter in a tight hug.

* * *

“You take the left side, I’ll take the right.” Lila nodded at Chloe’s suggestion, took a deep breath and turned the handle of the first door. A once-elegant, now dust-covered sleeping area lay behind the entrance. Light spattered across the room through heavy brocade draperies ravaged by time and a particularly hungry eclipse of moths. No disturbance in the thick layer of dust and dirt caking the floor told Lila this room hadn’t been entered recently, but she stepped a boot-clad foot inside and searched the adjoining powder room and closet anyway.

Halfway down the hallway, Chloe let out a frustrated grunt. “I really don’t think he’s been on this floor. Nothing has been touched here in about a hundred years. It seems like he’d want to be as close as possible to wherever he’s keeping her, which means we’re all starting in the wrong place.”

“I think you’re right.” Lila crouched down, cocked her head to the side, and peered at the stone floor spreading down the rest of the hallway. “There are no footprints anywhere. Just more dust. Let’s go downstairs. I think we’ll have better luck there.”

Chloe keyed up the radio, “No one’s been up here for a very long time. We’re moving down a level.”

In response, she heard a short burst of static, then Javier’s voice, “Noted.”

* * *

Javier, near upon the same conclusion Lila and Chloe had drawn, was making his way through the last of the first floor rooms when the hallway’s connecting door creaked open. Quick as a cat, he assembled himself into a casual stance, silenced the two-way radio, and ambled toward the exit closest the main section of the castle.

From around the corner peeked the curious face of none other than Hannah Frank. Her searching gaze spoke volumes; clearly, the relentless woman had followed him, hoping to ferret out some nugget of useful information. Several thoughts buzzed through Javier’s mind: how much did she know? How long had she been following him? Was she connected to Remy, or just an intolerable snoop?

“Hello, Javier.” She greeted him brightly, as if a chance meeting in a deserted castle hallway was completely normal. “Where is our blushing bride?” Looking past him, her expression turned to one of defeat when she realized Lila was nowhere to be seen. Intolerable snoop, it is.

Javier sighed heavily, his face darkening to convey irritation—he didn’t have time for this, and had hit his limit with the pestering woman. Even as they spoke, Chloe or Lila could be trying to contact him via the two-way radio.

“She’s down in the salon, I think, or maybe she said she was going to take a steam.” Javier pasted on a fake smile and directed Hannah to the furthest reaches of the castle, hoping she’d take the bait and scurry off on the misguided mission.

The unexpected jangle of his cell phone nearly had him jumping out of his own skin. “Sorry, Hannah, but I have to take this.” He barked. Without absorbing the hard edge to his words, she was already headed back toward the exit with a hopeful smile on her face.

“Are you alright?” Lila’s voice rang clear with concern. “Why aren’t you answering on the radio?”

“That damnable Hannah woman was tailing me, looking for you. I think I’ve dispatched her for