Dead and Gone by Jack Patterson (universal ebook reader .TXT) 📕

turned and stared at Rattlesnake Hill already filling up with spectators. He considered a new approach.

“Look, how do you think I even got in here? One of the guards recognized me from being here all week and didn’t have a problem with it.”

The guard stroked his chin. “And that’s why he’s out there and I’m here. They put the best guards on this gate. Now scram back to your hotel and get your pass or beat it. I don’t care.”

Forget this.

Burns shifted to the side and sprinted through the gate past the guard. He didn’t get more than twenty feet before his legs buckled and he crashed to the ground under the weight of the guard.

The guard stood up and yanked Burns up to his feet. “Let’s go, buddy.”

“Get your hands off of me,” Burns said. He pulled the tape out of his pocket. “I’ve got proof of who killed Carson Tanner.”

“Save it, will ya?” the guard said as he refused to release a fistful of Burns’ shirt.

“Ned Davis is covering this up. Carson Tanner was murdered!”

“Enough!” the guard said. He marched Burns out of the gate. The scene created enough of a distraction that Burns heard the rumor mill cranking up around him.

“Did you see that?”

“Is that Owen Burns?”

“What’s going on?”

“Is he drunk?”

The guard radioed for assistance and requested that someone escort Burns off the premises.

Burns hung his head and boarded the tram under the watchful eye of the guard. Once they reached the outside, the guard shoved him off the tram and told him not to come back until he had proper credentials.

“This ain’t no Mickey Mouse show,” the guard growled at Burns.

***

JACKSON HOLMES WALKED into the Davis Motorsports Team trailer and began looking over the checklist. He’d always dreamed of an opportunity to serve as a crew chief, though he never anticipated it coming in a situation like this.

Ned Davis walked into the trailer with two cups of coffee in his hand. “Long night?”

Holmes nodded. “Just wanted to make sure I’ve got everything ready to go here.” Davis handed him a coffee. “I really appreciate the opportunity, sir.”

“Well, you’ve been a faithful member of this crew and the one with the least amount of baggage. I figured it couldn’t hurt to give you a shot with these last two races this season and see how you handle everything.”

“I’ll do my best. I don’t know if I can do any better than Burns.”

Davis chuckled. “Let’s hope so. He was always the problem.”

“You think so?”

“Absolutely. And if you ask me, he’s gone a little nutty lately.”

“How so?”

“He’s convinced that all those reports are true about someone on this team sabotaging the car last week. I know all of you guys—and he’s the only one I’d ever suspect.”

“Yeah, he’s been acting a little strange this week. I even saw him screaming outside the garage this morning.”

“Burns?”

“Yeah, he tried to sneak past a guard, who took him down. The whole time Burns was screaming something about having proof that that car was sabotaged. He was waving something in his hand.”

“Thanks, Holmes. I’ll take care of this. You just focus on the race.”

Holmes stared at his checklist while he strained to hear Davis, who’d stepped a few feet away and was talking softly into his phone.

“Burns is still out there and causing trouble,” Davis said. “He took a tape from here last night and is claiming he has proof that Tanner’s car was sabotaged last week.” A pause. “I need you to take care of it.”

Holmes swallowed hard and tried to focus on his list.

CHAPTER 49

FLANKED BY JESSICA, Cal settled into a chair across from Deputy Livingston’s desk. Cal straightened the stapler hanging cockeyed off the desk and moved the nameplate flush with the edge. He glanced around the office for the deputy but didn’t see him.

Cal reached for the deputy’s coffee mug and felt it. “It’s pretty warm,” he said to Jessica. “He’s not going to leave this here for long.”

A few moments later, Deputy Livingston emerged from a room down the hall and strode toward his desk.

Cal stood up, as did Jessica. They both offered their hands as they greeted him.

“Have a seat,” Livingston said. Everyone sat down and the deputy began scanning a folder on his desk.

He closed the folder and folded his hands. “So, what brings you two down here today?”

“I told you we’d talk soon,” Cal said.

“You did, but you didn’t tell me what about. I’m hoping this has something to do with Ronald Parker.”

“It does, but there are also some other things involved.”

“Such as?”

“Such as last night’s manhunt for me.”

“Come again?”

Cal cleared his throat and sat up straight. “Last night, I borrowed a rental car—which I’ve already returned, I might note—when someone was trying to kill me.”

Livingston’s eyes narrowed. “Why didn’t you go to the authorities?”

“Long story, but I didn’t have time. The people after me were watching my wife and threatened to kill her if I talked to you about it.”

“And now it’s suddenly okay?”

“My wife handled things on her end—with a cast-iron skillet. But that’s not the main reason why we’re here.”

Livingston pulled his handcuffs off his belt and placed them on his desk. “I heard about that chase last night. Why shouldn’t I charge and book you right now since you’ve admitted to this?”

“Well, I think it’d be a waste of your time and resources since the car was never stolen, I returned it and paid for a day’s rental plus gas—and I think you’d rather bust the Goldini gambling ring.”

“Wait a minute. What does any of this have to do with the Goldini family?”

“Are you a NASCAR fan?”

Livingston shook his head.

“Me neither. But I am a conspiracy nut—and there are plenty of stories about the Goldini family and how they’ve made numerous attempts to infiltrate NASCAR.”

“They always skate.”

“Yeah, but I think you can take out some of their people today if you’re interested—and solve the Ronald Parker murder in one fell swoop.”

Livingston pulled out