In the Blink of An Eye by Jerry Baggett (ebook reader for surface pro TXT) 📕

“Samantha,” Hunt said. “Answer truthfully. Do you, or have you ever had an offshore bank account in the Bahamas?”

“That’s a definite no, Agent Hunt! Until now, I’ve never had enough money for a decent bank balance here at home, much less one out of the country. Why do you ask?”

“Do you know if Doctor Peyton has an offshore account in the Bahamas?”

She said, “I don’t know, but it wouldn’t be a surprise. He’s a very wealthy man.”

“How do you know that, Samantha?”

She hesitated, with eyes on Dick. “Doctor Peyton attempted to influence my decision to end our relationship by showing me some of his investments. He claimed to be worth millions. I was impressed but that didn’t influence my decision. I’ve never had much, but I’ve never been that insecure, either.”

“How well do you know Doctor Peyton’s nurse, Angel Mendoza?”

“We’ve worked together for as long as I’ve been there. She went to part time after I started. She’s very bright and a fine nurse. I think she’s about ready to retire.”

Hunt cleared his throat. “You’re aware our investigation into methamphetamine sales. It’s far reaching. A great many people in the medical field have been looked at, including you, Doctor Peyton and nurse Angel Mendoza. Did you or Commander McGowin know that Angel Mendoza held the long-term lease on the McGowin ranch near Andalusia, Alabama, part of the family trust?”

“That’s hard to believe, Agent Hunt. Not in a million years would I have guessed that. She never mentioned it once, nor has Doctor Peyton, if he’s even aware of it.”

Dick said, “I’ve met Angel, even had lunch with her and Sam together. Why would she hide that from her friends?”

Hunt said, “According to your trust attorneys, Angel terminated her lease, effective at the end of the month. You didn’t know that, Commander?”

“We had no idea who held the lease. We stopped by for a look at the property, a few days ago, and decided not to disturb the leaser because we couldn’t contact them by phone. I think it’s time for a visit to that ranch house.”

“I won’t try to stop you from visiting your property, but we may ask for a search warrant after our investigation’s completed. We’ve surveyed the property by air recently. Give me a call when you get there. I’d prefer you not disturb anything until after our visit.”

“You’ve got my curiosity up now, Agent Hunt. We’re going to head back there tomorrow, after a little rest.”

Dick walked back to the car. “The gate’s locked. I don’t understand. There are no cattle loose inside the ranch compound and the gate was unlocked before. Maybe they left the premises early. The phone number given isn’t answering again.” He pointed at Sam’s phone. “You have Angel’s number. Give it a try.”

She looked up. “Her number’s no longer in service. It’s time to call Agent Hunt again,” she said.

Dick leaned against the car and stared at the house and buildings in the distance. “There doesn’t appear to be anyone around the buildings. Go ahead and call Hunt. No, wait! You have Doctor Peyton’s cell number. Call him first. Maybe he has another number for Angel.”

Samantha said, “I can’t believe this. His number’s dead too. What do you think’s going on?”

“Go ahead and call Hunt. Maybe he has some ideas. I don’t like this sudden disappearing act everyone’s pulling. Hunt’s on to more than he’s sharing with us.”

“I had a hunch you’d find the gate secured,” Hunt said. “I suggest you drive away and wait for our search warrant. We won’t have it before tomorrow. Information we’ve been gathering all year’s coming together in meaningful bits and pieces. I believe you know the risk you’ll be taking if you enter without assistance from law enforcement.”

Dick said, “I checked the chain on the gate. It can be breached without much of a problem. As representative of the property owner, I feel a need to make sure the buildings are safe and secure from damage by vandals after the leaser vacated the premises. We wouldn’t like having another house burn on trust property.”

“That’s your call but consider this,” Hunt said. “The gate may be locked to protect someone inside, rather than to keep someone out.”

“I get what you’re saying,” Dick said. “We’ll have a quick look around and leave. We have the local sheriff’s number if we need it. Thanks for your advice.”

“Give me a call after you’ve seen what you want to see.”

Samantha said, “We can wait, don’t you think? I’m afraid of what we may find in there.”

Dick kicked the gate hard, at the point where the rusted weld attached the chain to the gate frame. The chain dropped away and the gate swung away under its own momentum. He handed her the Glock. “Keep this in your jacket pocket with your finger above the trigger, once we’re out of the car. Remember everything I said before. Shoot to kill if you know there’s a threat to either one of us. Don’t threaten, just shoot. You’ll recognize a threat if it comes.

“We don’t need to enter the house. We’ll drive around the barns and some of the smaller outbuildings first. If we see something out of place, we’ll investigate without going inside. If everything seems quiet and normal, we’ll leave.” He wedged the gate closed and drove toward the out buildings.

“Wait, Dick! That barn door’s standing wide open. Something’s going on. There appears to have been a lot of activity around here recently. Should we have a look?”

Dick stopped the car in front of the door. “There’s a couple of vehicles inside. That warrants a quick look. Stand behind me with the Glock. Keep it hidden until it’s needed.”

He inched closer, turned and motioned for her to join