"Where, there are two possibilities. Either there's someone totally new lurking around town that followed Devon here from Austin to finish the job or it's someone who has already been here."

Joe pulled out of the parking lot. "Well, Bayport's too small a town to have that many new faces. I'd put my money on someone we already know."

"Rex Avery?"

"Bingo. Something about him rubbed me wrong from the beginning. But if he has then, where would he take them? We don't know that much about him. He could own property all over the surrounding area."

"Pull in at the library. It's closer than going all the way home and I can use their computers to find out about him."

"You and your computers." Joe snorted. "Why don't we go right to his house. Maybe we can find something incriminating there. He doesn't know we suspect him so maybe we can surprise him."

Fran sighed and nodded. "Okay, but we're probably wasting our time. You don't really think he be stupid enough to take Chet and Devon back to his condo do you?"

*****

"So, how are you going to convince anyone that my death was an accident and that Devon killed herself?" Chet worked at the ropes binding his wrists to the chair. The shoulder that he had injured the day before in the wreck was throbbing in pain from the awkward angle Rex had put it in when he had tied him up. But he tried to push the pain out of his mind for now hoping that if he kept Rex talking long enough, Frank and Joe would figure out how to find them.

"Devon's suicide will be easy." Rex promised. "After all, everyone already thinks she tried to kill herself once."

Tears streaked Devon's face. "I didn't try to kill myself. You drugged my supper or something and then while I was too out of it to struggle you force fed me pill after pill."

"And you were supposed to die. But you couldn't even do that right. This time however you won't be able to call in your boyfriend to save you."

Chet narrowed his eyes. "What are you going to do?"

With a menacing laugh Rex began to until Devon. Then he pulled her to her feet. He glanced at Chet. "Hold that thought."

He led Devon out of the living room into the garage. Opening the driver's side door to his dark sedan, he forced her inside and tied her hands to the steering wheel. He then gently caressed her cheek, his eyes wistful. "I'm really sorry about this Devon, I never wanted either DeLaney or you to be hurt. If only you'd gone to that dance things may have turned out differently."

Devon stared at him defiantly. "Mom and Dad would still be dead and you'd still be a murderer."

Rex smiled. "True, but at least you and your sister could have lived to ripe old ages hating their unknown killer."

"Wh..what are you going to do?"

He laughed. "I'm not going to do anything. The way I see it, you conned your boyfriend into helping you leave the hospital. Little did he know how serious you were about killing yourself. He left you alone and came back to find you in the closed up garage with the motor running. He tried to save you but fell and hit his head. He was knocked out and both of you die from the carbon monoxide that filled the garage. How tragic."

"Except people will find it suspicious that my hands are tied. After all, if I'm so bent on killing myself, why would I have to die myself to the steering wheel?"

"I'll untie you before the police find you. Any abrasions you have on your wrists they will assume came from the hospital restraints. I've thought of everything."

Devon began to shake as she realized she and Chet didn't have a chance. She could do nothing but watch as Rex disappeared back inside. He returned a moment later dragging an unconscious Chet with him. Devon could see blood on Chet's forehead. She closed her eyes tightly against a flood of tears when Rex dumped him unceremoniously on the floor.

The car suddenly came to life as the engine sputtered and turned over. Devon opened her eyes again in fear. It was only then that she remembered the button on Rex's key ring that started the engine by remote. Obviously he didn't want to take chances on her having the key nearby even if she was tied up. Devon began to cough as the car fumes threatened to choke her. She stared at her godfather in alarm. Rex didn't look at her as he closed the door to the garage. Devon and Chet were now alone in a rapidly filling gas chamber.

*****

Frank shook his head as Joe pulled into the driveway of the condo. "I still think this is a waste of time. Who knows what Chet and Devon could be going through right now? We should be finding out what properties Avery owns and check those."

Joe shrugged. "Maybe we'll get lucky. Come on let's check and see if anyone's home."

Frank fully expected Joe's knock to go unheeded. Therefore he was shocked when Rex Avery opened the door. Despite his own insistence that they check here, Joe looked just as surprised. Rex Avery smiled at them.

"What can I do for you boys?"

Frank gave the man a concerned look. "Sir has the hospital called you?"

"No, they haven't." Rex Avery shook his head, looking appropriately worried. "Has something happened to Devon?"

"Yes, sir. It seems she's disappeared from the hospital." Joe informed him. He tried to look past Avery into the condo but couldn't see anything incriminating.

Though Avery appeared shocked at the new, neither Frank nor Joe thought the expression was genuine. The man shook his head. "That's impossible. The doctor assured me that she was going to be restrained for her own safety. How could she have left the hospital?"

Frank didn't buy his innocence act one bit but decided they might be able to learn more from him if they didn't know they suspected him. "It looks like she had help, sir."

Rex set his mouth in a grim, hard line. "Your friend Chet helped her, didn't he? What was the boy thinking? I didn't like the idea of her being in the hospital any more than he did but it was for her own good."

Joe had to bite back a sarcastic reply but he knew his brother was on the right track. "Yeah but he really likes her. Chet would walk to the moon if she asked him to. Frank and I were hoping they came here so she could get a change of clothes or something."

Rex shook his head. "No, I'm afraid they didn't. I wish they would have. I could have made sure Devon went back to the hospital. I've been here all morning and I've seen and heard nothing. Now if you boys will excuse me, I need to get to the hospital to see what's being done to find Devon."

"Can we check Devon's room, you know to see if we can find some clue as to where she and Chet may have gone?" Frank asked stalling for time.

"No, like I said, I need to go find out about Devon. Thank you for letting me knows she was missing. Please, if you hear from your friend, please let me know. I'm really worried about Devon."

I bet. Joe thought to himself. Suddenly he became aware of the sound of a running engine. He frowned. The garage door had been firmly shut when he and Frank had approached. Why would Avery have the car running in a closed up garage? Unless he was trying to commit suicide - or murder.

"Frank, they are in the garage." Joe sprinted toward the side door leading to the garage. Rex tried to intercept him but Frank grabbed his arm.

Frank had to duck to avoid the erratic roundhouse swing Rex threw at him. Suddenly the tall man was as determined to get away from Frank as Frank was to hold him at bay. The eighteen-year-old would never have believed the guy would be a good fighter but it was taking all his martial arts skills to keep him from breaking loose.

Meanwhile Joe burst into the garage and almost tripped over Chet's prone form. Joe knelt beside his best friend, coughing from the carbon monoxide that had already filled the room. The gas may be odorless and colorless but Joe immediately felt the affects of it.

Grabbing Chet under the arms, Joe pulled him to the safety of the other room. He was almost glad Chet was unconscious despite being worried about him because he was sure Chet's injured shoulder didn't appreciate the rough handling.

Laying Chet on the ground, Joe checked his pulse and breathing. He was alarmed by the cherry red color of his lips but was glad to find that his friend did have a pulse and was breathing shallowly. He could only hope that Chet would be okay while he went back for Devon.

He took the time to pull his handkerchief from his pocket and tied it around his mouth and nose. Then he made his way to the car. He yanked open the door. Devon's head lolled to one side and her eyes fluttered but didn't open. "Pl'se 'lp me. Don' wanna die."

He grabbed his pocketknife and started to cut through the ropes binding her to the steering wheel. His head was starting to spin despite the handkerchief. Time seemed to slow down as he freed Devon. He knew the deadly mixture of carbon and oxygen was getting to him when he lifted Devon over his shoulder and nearly buckled under the weight. There was no way the small petite girl weighed more than Chet.