Ring of Fear (Quickreads Series 2)

RING OF FEAR

Janet Lorimer

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SERIES

2 The Accuser Ben Cody’s Treasure Blackout The Eye of the Hurricane The House on the Hill Look to the Light! Ring of Fear The Tiger Lily Code Tug-of-War The White Room

Development and Production: Laurel Associates, Inc. Cover Illustrator: Black Eagle Productions Copyright © 2002 by Saddleback Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. Reproduction of any part of this book, through photocopy, recording, or any electronic or mechanical retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, is an infringement of copyright law.

Three Watson Irvine, CA 92618-2767 Website: www.sdlback.com ISBN 1-56254-421-7 Printed in the United States of America 07 06 05 04 03 02 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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Jack Mallahan spotted two cop cars parked at the curb. Then he saw a crowd gathering near the pier. What was happening on the beach? He limped as fast as he could across the parking lot. Reaching the sand, Jack tried to work his way through the crowd. He was so eager to see what was happening that he didn’t look where he was going. “Hey, watch it!” Jack glanced down and saw a pretty young woman sitting on a beach mat. She brushed away the sand he’d accidentally kicked on her and glared up at him. “Hey! Pick up your feet and watch where—” she said. Then she noticed the road map of scars on Jack’s bad leg. Her cheeks turned bright red. 3

“Oh—sorry,” she muttered. “I’m the one who should be sorry,” Jack said cheerfully. He put down his metal detector and leaned over to help her brush away the sand. “Guess I was too interested in what’s going on over there.” He nodded toward the crowd. Shuddering, the girl glanced toward the pier. “Someone said they found a dead body. Ugh! That’s the last thing I want to see!” “Can’t say that I blame you,” Jack said, gazing toward the crowd. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a station wagon pull up next to the cop cars. The call sign letters of a local TV station were painted on the door. A good-looking woman climbed out on the passenger side. Jack recognized her at once. Margo Cole was one of the station’s best reporters. The young woman on the mat recognized Margo, too. “Wow!” she exclaimed. “Isn’t that—” Jack nodded. “Yeah, it sure is. This 4

must be a big story. I wonder who the dead person was.” The sunbather turned away and picked up her book. “I’ll wait to find out at six,” she said. “They don’t show the gory stuff on the news.” Jack straightened up. The young woman glanced at his injured leg, then quickly looked away. Jack was used to that. Lots of people were uncomfortable around his disability. He grabbed his metal detector and started to move carefully around her. “Hey,” she said, pointing at the metal detector. “Does that thing really work?” Jack grinned. “Sure does. I find all kinds of good stuff.” Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Lost treasure?” she asked. Jack laughed. “Mostly lost junk. But sometimes I get lucky. You ever use a detector?” She shook her head. Jack tried again. “I come here a lot. I—I don’t remember seeing you here before.” The 5

moment the words left his mouth, Jack felt a little embarrassed. He didn’t want her to think he was being nosy. “No,” she said with a smile. “I was just curious.” She turned over on her stomach and picked up her book. As he limped away, Jack wished he’d had the courage to ask for the pretty girl’s name. But he was afraid she wouldn’t be interested in him. What girl in her right mind would want to go out with a lame guy?

Jack sighed and got back down to business. He put on his headphones and switched on the metal detector. That was why he’d come to the beach in the first place. Limping slowly across the sand, Jack moved the metal detector back and forth in front of him. But he wasn’t paying as much attention to the sand as he was to 6

the crowd. Then the detector suddenly began to beep. Jack gazed down at the sand. Something gleamed from inside a pile of dead seaweed. Jack looked closer. It was the gleam of gold! He reached into the pile and pulled out a ring. At first he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The ring was large and heavy—a man’s ring. A fiery red stone flashed from a handsomely carved setting. Brushing away the sand, he peered at the inside of the band. The only thing that could be used to identify the owner was a date: August 12, 1993. The red stone sparkled. Jack wondered if it was a real ruby. “It’ll be just my luck if this is a fake,” he thought. Then he grinned to himself. Fake or real, he might get a reward for finding it. And if no one came forward to claim the ring, he could probably sell it. Either way, it was money in his pocket! Jack stuffed the ring into the pouch 7

at his waist. He glanced at the pier just in time to see the crowd break apart. Two workers were coming through, carrying a body on a stretcher.

Then

Jack saw Margo Cole starting to work the crowd. She was thrusting a microphone in people’s faces and asking questions. This was her trademark. No matter what story she covered, Margo liked to get some local feedback. Jack turned his attention back to the sand. If he’d found a ring, maybe his luck would hold and he’d find some coins, too. Or a watch. Or— He kept on working his way down the beach. Then all of a sudden, Jack had the weird feeling he was being watched. He looked up. Margo Cole and her cameraman were standing just a few feet away. As 8

Jack slipped off his headphones, Margo put out her hand. “Hi,” she said, “I’m Margo Cole from—” “I know who you are,” Jack said shyly, shaking hands with her. He introduced himself. Then he gestured toward the pier. “What’s going on over there?” “I’m afraid the excitement is over,” Margo said with a grin. “A body washed up on shore this morning. A couple of fishermen found it.” “What a shame. Do they know who it was?” Jack asked. Margo nodded. “Benjamin Greene.” Jack gasped. “You don’t mean the Benjamin Greene? Greene Towers? Greene Plaza? Greene—” Margo laughed. “Yes, the Benjamin Greene who developed most of this city.” “What happened to him?” Jack asked. “How did he die?” “The cops aren’t saying a word until after the autopsy,” Margo said. “It’s hard to say. Could have been an accident. But 9

Greene had more than a few enemies. So—” She shrugged. “I know,” Jack said with a grin. “Film at eleven.” Margo smiled. “I think we’ll have film by six.” She paused for a second. “But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. Actually, I’m more interested in you and your metal detector.” Jack’s eyebrows shot up. “Me?” “Sure,” Margo said. “I noticed you combing the beach a while back. I saw you pick something up. Would you let me do a feature story on you and what you found in the sand?” Jack stared at her. “Me?” was all he could blurt out again. The word came out in a high squeak. Jack felt his face turning red. Margo laughed. “Take it easy,” she said. “I like to do stories about ordinary folks—people like you, Jack. Developers, movie stars, and politicians always get a lot of press. But I find that ordinary 10

people are usually more interesting.” She hunkered down, studying the metal detector. “Have you found a lot of good stuff using this thing?” Jack pulled the ring out of his pouch. “Well, this morning I got lucky,” he said. Margo took the ring and examined it. “Hard to believe anyone could be so careless. This looks like the real thing. I wouldn’t wear any valuable jewelry if I was hanging out at the beach.” “Yeah,” Jack said, “but a lot of people do. It’s really amazing the things I find. Usually, you can’t see the good stuff. It’s buried under the sand. That’s when the detector comes in handy.” Margo straightened up. “This is great material, Jack. I think our viewers would love to know more. So, how about it? Can I do that story?” Jack finally agreed, although he felt a little uncomfortable. He’d never faced a camera before. Margo put him at ease with her questions and comments. 11

Before he knew it, Jack was talking excitedly about some of the interesting things he’d found, including the ruby ring. While he talked, he held up the ring for the camera. “There’s a date engraved inside the band,” Jack finished. “But I’ll keep the date to myself for the time being. Viewers can reach me at the Second Chance Store. It’s a little place on 14th Avenue. If you tell me the correct date, the ring is yours.” When the interview was over, Margo gave Jack her business card. “Let me know if you find the owner,” she said. “I’d love to do a follow-up. Our viewers are crazy about happy endings.”

True to its name, the Second Chance Store carried secondhand goods. The store was located in a shabby part of town just two blocks from the beach. The owner paid Jack a small salary to 12

run the shop. And he let Jack live in a small apartment at the rear. It was a great arrangement. Jack was on a first-name basis with most of his customers—college students, poor families, and the elderly. Two nights a week he took classes at the local community college. One night a week he attended a martial arts class. On his days off, Jack hung out at the beach with his metal detector. Jack told himself he was content with how things were going. His lifestyle wasn’t fancy, but his world was safe. He didn’t have many friends, but the people who knew him didn’t stare at his leg. None of the people in the neighborhood asked him embarrassing questions. That meant a lot. After Jack said goodbye to Margo Cole, he went home. Since it was his day off, the store was closed, but Jack had other chores. While he ran some loads of laundry and cleaned the apartment, 13

he thought about his morning at the beach. Margo said his story would be on the evening news. That made Jack both excited and nervous. Margo had warned him that he might get a lot of crank calls about the ring. “Keep it in a safe place,” she’d warned. “Sometimes a TV story like this brings out the weirdos!” Jack watched the six o’clock news while he ate dinner. He had to keep track of the time. His martial arts class started at 7:00—and to get there, he had to catch a bus to the community center. Benjamin Greene’s death was the lead story. “According to the coroner, Greene was murdered sometime last night,” Margo told the viewers. Jack whistled. So Greene had been murdered! Toward the end of the program, Margo was back with her story about Jack. He gazed at the screen. It felt so strange to see himself on tape. At the 14

end of the story, the phone number of the Second Chance Store appeared on the screen. A minute later, the phone rang! Jack took several calls from people asking about the ring. But none of them knew the date etched inside the band. Finally, Jack just let the answering machine pick up his calls. He had to get to his martial arts class. When he reached the community center, several of his friends came up to talk to him. They’d all seen him on TV. Jack felt like a celebrity. He’d never been the center of attention like this before. Then out of the blue, he spotted a familiar face.

“Hey, Beach Mat Girl!” Jack called out. The young woman turned to him. “Hey, Metal Detector Boy,” she replied with a grin. 15

They both laughed. Then Jack introduced himself. He wasn’t going to let a golden opportunity slip away again. “And you are—?” he asked. “Sara Guzman,” she replied with a big smile. “And what are you doing here, Sara Guzman?” Jack asked. “I’ve been thinking about getting back into martial arts,” Sara said. “I decided to check out this dojo, and—” She grinned. “And here you are! So what are you doing here?” “This is a judo school—I’m studying martial arts,” he said. “Duh!” They both laughed—but Sara’s laugh seemed a little forced. “I didn’t know that—” The color rose in her cheeks. Jack knew what was on her mind. He sighed. Better get it over with. “You’re wondering how I can take a martial arts class with this bad leg,” he said flatly. Sara looked even more uncomfortable. Jack knew it was up to 16

him to put her at ease again. “The fact is, I was born with it,” Jack said. “I’ve had a lot of surgery over the years, but I think this is about the best they can do. Besides, I can’t really afford to pay any more doctors’ bills.” “I’m so sorry,” Sara said. “Don’t be,” Jack said with a grin. “I’ve learned to compensate. But you’d be surprised what I can do, bad leg and all. Come on, let’s get on the mat and I’ll demonstrate.” Time seemed to fly by. Jack and Sara were fairly equally matched. Before they knew it, the class had ended. After they stepped off the mat, Sara said, “You are good, Jack! Really good! I’ve got to thank you. That was a great workout.” Jack grinned. He was glad he’d had a chance to show her that his bad leg didn’t get in his way. Sara offered to give him a ride home. “You don’t have to worry about catching the bus tonight,” she told him. “Your 17

place isn’t very far from mine.” “How do you know where I live?” Jack asked, as they climbed into her car. Sara smiled. “I saw the story about you on the news. So I looked up the address of the Second Chance—” Then she broke off, flustered. Jack could hardly believe his good luck. She’d actually looked up his address! That could only mean Sara was interested in him! “Seeing myself on TV was weird,” Jack said. “And then the phone started ringing off the hook—” Within a minute or two, their conversation turned to the ruby ring. Sara seemed really interested in it. When she dropped Jack off in front of the shop, he noticed her glancing around nervously. “Be sure you roll up your windows and lock your doors,” Jack warned. “How far do you have to drive?” “Not far,” Sara answered. “I’ll be okay. I was worried about you and the ring. I 18

hope you put it in a safe place.” “A very safe place,” Jack said. “Sara, do me a favor, will you? When you get home, please give me a call. I—I want to know you got there okay.” Sara smiled. “Thanks, Jack. It was really a great evening. I had a wonderful time.” “Getting thrown about on a mat?” Jack teased. Then he added, “There’s a martial arts competition coming up this weekend. Want to go?” Sara nodded. Jack’s head was spinning as he watched her pull away from the curb. In one day he’d met a really neat girl and she’d agreed to go out on a date. Well—kind of a date. As he unlocked the shop door, he wondered if she might say yes to dinner, too.

A s Jack entered the apartment, he saw the red light flashing on his answering machine. When he played 19

back the tape, he was stunned. It was filled with messages about the ring. Jack listened carefully, even though most of the messages were crank calls. As he rewound the tape, the phone began to ring again. “Sara!” Jack thought, grabbing the receiver. But after he said hello, there was only silence. “Sara?” Jack said out loud. But still, no one spoke. Jack could hear only the soft, scary sound of someone breathing. “Who is this?” Jack demanded in an angry voice. But all he heard was a soft click as the caller hung up. Jack slammed the receiver into its cradle. Almost at once the phone rang again. Annoyed, Jack picked up the receiver and shouted, “This isn’t funny!” “Jack?” It was Sara’s startled voice. He groaned and apologized. Then he told her about the breather. “I hate calls like that,” he said. “I should have known I’d get some of those—along with a lot 20

more calls from assorted oddballs.” “If things get too weird, would you let me know?” she asked. “Maybe you should talk to the police. Are you sure you’ve got the ring in a secure place?” “I’ll be fine,” Jack promised. But after they hung up, he suddenly realized how alone and vulnerable he felt.

Before he opened the shop door the next morning, Jack saw a crowd of people waiting outside. As soon as he opened the door, they streamed into the shop. The news story had given the Second Chance Store good publicity! Jack was kept busy helping customers all morning. Finally, about noon, the crowd started to thin out. Jack was bagging a set of used dishes when he spotted Sara coming in the door. He waved to let her know he’d seen her while he waited on the customer. Until Jack was free, Sara hung out 21

around a display of secondhand clothes. “I thought I’d come by and see how you were doing,” she said. “I’m glad you did,” Jack said. “I could use a break.” He took a deep breath. “Are—are you free right now? I—I mean, would you like to go get something to eat?” He hoped she hadn’t noticed his nervous stammering. “Sure,” Sara said. “I’m on my lunch hour. I saw a coffee shop just down the street. Is that a good place to eat?” Jack nodded. “They make terrific sandwiches,” he said. He locked up the store and they made their way to the coffee shop. After they’d ordered, Jack asked, “Do you work around here?” “I do temp work, so I’m all over the place,” Sara said. Her tone was casual, but she looked away, as if she couldn’t face him. Jack had a funny feeling that she was hiding something from him. It made him nervous. 22

“A ny

more calls from the breather?” she asked, quickly changing the subject. Jack shook his head. “The phone was pretty quiet all morning. Mostly, the calls were questions about the stuff we carry in the shop.” While they ate, Jack tried to get Sara to talk about herself. She told him about her favorite foods, her hobbies, and even her cat. But she wouldn’t talk about where she lived or where she was from. And she didn’t mention anything about her family or if she was involved with anyone. Jack felt frustrated. After lunch, they walked back to the shop. Then Sara seemed to freeze in her tracks. “Jack, you didn’t leave the front door unlocked, did you?” “No!” Jack exclaimed. Then he turned toward the front door of the store. It was standing wide open! Jack limped inside as fast as he could. 23

Sara moved ahead of him. She stopped when she stepped through the doorway. Jack heard her groan. Peeking over her shoulder, he saw why. The inside of the store was a mess! Someone had done a thorough job of tearing the place apart. “The ring,” Sara gasped. “Is it—” “It’s safe,” Jack said. “The ring was never in the store.” Sara breathed a sigh of relief. “You need to call the police,” she told him. “This is getting too dangerous, Jack!” Then they heard the faint sound of a telephone ringing. Jack plunged through the shop toward his apartment in back. Sure enough, the vandals had torn his rooms apart, too. He found the phone buried under a big pile of magazines and he grabbed the receiver. “Jack? This is Margo Cole. I’ve got news for you.” Jack sat down on the floor. “Go 24

ahead,” he said, gazing at the overturned furniture. His whole body felt numb. None of this seemed real. “We got an anonymous tip that the ring belongs to a man named Todd McGuire,” Margo continued. “Do you know who he is?” “No,” Jack said, only half-listening. He was peering into the shop, wondering where Sara was. Margo’s next words caught Jack’s attention. “The word is that Todd McGuire is a local hit man, Jack,” Margo said. “I told you that Benjamin Greene had a lot of enemies—remember? The cops think McGuire may have had something to do with Greene’s death.” “The ring!” Jack exclaimed. “Exactly,” Margo said. “It certainly proves that McGuire was on the beach about the time that Greene was killed. I talked to the police a few minutes ago. They’re sending someone over to collect the ring. I’m sorry that there won’t be 25

any reward money for you. But if you hadn’t found the ring—” “Oh, that’s okay,” Jack said. “I’m just glad I could help.” But Margo’s voice sounded worried. “Jack—be careful who you give the ring to,” she warned. “McGuire will be wanting the ring back, too.” Jack gazed at the mess of overturned chairs, the tangled piles of clothes, and the mountain of smashed dishes. Icy slivers of fear slid up his spine. “I’ll be careful,” he managed to say. As he hung up, Jack heard a rustling sound behind him. But when he glanced over his shoulder, no one was there. Goosebumps popped up on his arms.

Jack hurried back into the store— but Sara had left. He told himself that she’d probably gone back to work. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t what she seemed to be. 26

Was it just a coincidence that she’d come into his life the same day he found the ring? She seemed awfully interested in it. Was she somehow involved with Todd McGuire? Jack hated himself for even thinking such a thing. And yet— As he straightened up the shop, Jack thought back. Had she come to the shop just to get him out of the way? Had their lunch date made it easy for one of McGuire’s people to break in? Did she really like him for himself—or was she just after the ring? Suddenly the bell over the door jangled. A big burly fellow walked in. He glanced at the overturned racks of clothes and the piles of merchandise on the floor. Then the big man looked squarely at Jack. “Jack Mallahan?” he growled. Jack sighed with relief. It must be the cop! “I’m so glad you’re here,” he exclaimed. “You probably heard there was a little trouble here earlier.” 27

“Yeah, I see,” the man said in a bored tone. “About the ring you found—” All of a sudden, Jack remembered Margo’s warning. “I think you should show me some identification first,” he said a little sheepishly. The man smiled. “Sure,” he said. “You can’t be too careful.” Then he reached inside his jacket and pulled out a gun.

Jack’s eyes widened in shock. The gun was pointed right at him. “But I thought you were a—” Then it hit him. “You’re not a cop!” he said, feeling ridiculous the moment the words were out. “No kidding,” the man said with a hoarse, sarcastic laugh. “Time’s up, Mallahan—give me the ring!” Then a shadowy figure appeared in the doorway behind the man. It was Sara! “Police!” she yelled. The man with the gun flinched, but 28

he didn’t lower his weapon. Jack’s jaw dropped. He couldn’t believe his ears. “Sara?” he gasped. Then, as he watched Sara edging around the man, Jack saw that she, too, was holding a gun! “Todd McGuire,” she said loudly, “put down your gun. You’re under arrest!” “In your dreams, girlie,” McGuire snarled. He didn’t take his eyes off Jack. And he didn’t lower his gun. “How about it, Mallahan—you want to live or die? Where’s that ring?” Jack took a deep breath. “Uh—it’s in the safe in the—” “Don’t jerk me around, kid,” the hit man roared. “I busted into the safe while you were out. The ring wasn’t there. It wasn’t anywhere in the building.” “McGuire, you can’t get away with this,” Sara snapped. “More cops will be here any minute. Give it up!” McGuire ignored her. He took a step toward Jack, waving the gun. “Where’s 29

the ring, Mallahan? Tell me or die!” “Okay, okay,” Jack said with a sigh. “Back off, and I’ll go get it now.” He took a couple of awkward steps toward McGuire, making his limp obvious. But as he closed the distance between them, Jack suddenly gave a loud yell, leaped into the air, and shot out his good leg. Before McGuire knew what was happening, Jack’s foot cracked the startled hit man’s wrist. McGuire screamed in pain, and the gun flew out of his hand. A split second later, Sara had rolled McGuire onto his stomach and was putting him in handcuffs. “Good work, Jack!” Sara cried. Then she straightened up and held out her badge. “Give me a minute to read this idiot his rights. Then I’ll take that ring.” Jack pulled the ring from the pouch at his waist. “You had it with you the whole time!” Sara said. 30

“Yeah. I figured the safest thing was to keep it on me,” he answered. His face looked sad as he handed it over. Sara frowned. “What’s wrong, Jack? You’re the man of the hour! I thought you wanted to put McGuire away.” “Oh, I do,” Jack said. “I was just thinking—” He took a deep breath. “So you’re the cop! That’s why you came to my dojo. And dropped by the shop for lunch. But why were you on the beach?” Sara grinned. “Standard procedure. I was at the beach to keep an eye on interested bystanders. More often than not, a killer returns to the scene of the crime to admire his handiwork. Then you found the ring. When we learned it was McGuire’s, the lieutenant assigned me to protect you. But I soon found out that you can take good care of yourself.” Jack’s face fell. “So it was only business,” he said. “Not—” He took a deep breath. “Not all business,” Sara said with a 31

twinkle in her eye. “Don’t forget that we have a date this weekend.” Jack blinked in surprise. “You still want to go to the competition?” Sara laughed. “You bet,” she said. “You still want to take me?” Jack nodded eagerly. “And—” He took another deep breath. “Afterwards— would you like to go out to dinner?” Sara’s smile grew wider. “I thought you’d never ask!”

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