by Keene, Susan
It took Mr. Wu nearly ten minutes to come in. Ryan spent his time wondering around the massive office. I sat facing the door. Wu’s absence made me nervous.
“Well.” The voice came from behind me. “Mrs. Nash, did you come to visit me alone?”
Ryan began walking toward us. “No, she didn’t.”
“Mr. Meade, good to see you again. I take it you have news about the paintings stolen from my warehouse the other night.”
“Yes, we do.”
Wu sat down at his desk. Ryan took one of the chairs facing it so I got up and took the other chair.
“Well, don’t keep me in suspense. Have you found my thief?”
“We think your burglar is Lizzy Smith.”
“Preposterous!” he shouted.
He stood up, walked around the desk, and leaned back on it. I wanted to move my chair back. We all had a personal space, and he invaded mine. I glanced at Ryan who seemed to be relaxed.
“Not the response I expected,” Ryan said.
“And why is that? Miss Smith has no need to steal. She and my daughter are close friends. If she wanted a painting, Jasmine would give her one.”
“Have you seen Jasmine lately,” I asked.
“Heavens, no. My daughter and I have been estranged, almost three years now. I have no idea how she is spending her time or with whom. Since Jasmine’s accident, she’s been difficult. You know about her injuries, don’t you, Mrs. Nash?” He leaned over, his nose only inches from my face.
I felt myself flush.
Ryan must have seen my reaction. “I was there, too.”
“Why, yes, Ryan Meade, you owned the building where the inferno took place. Small world, isn’t it?” He wasn’t trying to hide his disdain for either of us. Thank goodness, he moved away from my face when Ryan spoke.
I took a deep breath.
“Although the Meade Trust owned the building, it was leased to White Enterprises,” Ryan said. “Shawn White was two years into a five-year lease when the fire occurred. We were not to blame.”
“So they told me when I tried to add your name to the lawsuit for Jasmine. Tearing down the building and building a park was a nice touch.”
I hoped my nerves didn’t betray me. “Of all of the detective agencies in the area, why did you hire me to track down your thief?”
“Curiosity. I have followed your career ever since you left the police department because of the murder of your husband. That is why you left, isn’t it?”
I didn’t answer. He was letting us know he was involved in the murders, at least I thought he was. It was bizarre. The hair stood up on the back of my neck.
Ryan stood. “What is it you actually want of us, Mr. Wu? I have known Lizzy Smith for many years, and I assure you, it was her on the tape. She walked up to your warehouse, unlocked the door with a key, and ten minutes later, she walked out with two paintings. She left in a late model blue Mercedes.”
“I find this all extremely interesting. I don’t believe I will need your services any longer. Did the check I wrote cover your expenses, or will you require more?”
I stood next to Ryan. “No, we can just call it even.”
“Oh, Kate, we will never be even.” He turned and walked out the rear door.
No one escorted us through the warehouse this time. We walked out alone. Neither of us spoke until we reached the car.
“Don’t touch the car.” Ryan took out his phone. “Billy, are you close?”
I didn’t hear Billy’s side of the conversation.
Ryan nodded. “Come over to the warehouse parking lot and scan my car for bombs and recording devices. We’ll be waiting.”
Within ten minutes, Billy gave Ryan the all clear, but not before handing him a GPS tracker he found attached to the inside of the rear fender.
“Let’s get out of here,” I said.
“Agreed.” Ryan got in the car and started the engine.
“The man hates us,” I said. “You don’t need to be a genius to see it.”
“I am convinced he intends to kill us,” Ryan said calmly.
“Ryan, I don’t like this. We need to get proof and find out how Lizzy fits into all of this.”
“What’s next on your list?”
“Well, I wanted to follow Wu, but since Amy took a few days off, I want to go to Belleville to the Wiccan Coven that Lizzy might be part of.”
“We can do both.” Again, he called some of his men. “Tail Stanley Wu. Use five or six different cars so he won’t pick up on it. There’s no address for him except for the warehouse. He has to live somewhere. When you find it, give me a call. Someone stay around and keep an eye on him.” He hung up. “There, that’s done. Do you have any idea where this place is?”
“I have an address.”
He pulled over and set the GPS.
The Coven headquarters sat on some acreage outside of the city of Belleville, Illinois. There was a lodge, so we went in. “Hi, is this the Figure eight Wiccan Coven?”
“It is. Are you here for the meeting?”
“Actually, no. We need some information.”
The woman walked toward us. “Sure, what can I answer for you?”
“Do you know this woman?” I held up my phone and showed her a picture of Lizzy?
“Sure, that’s Lizzy, Lizzy Smith.”
“Is she here?” I asked.
“Oh my, no. She hasn’t been around in years.”
“Do you know why she stopped coming?” Ryan asked.
“I do, but I’m not sure I should tell you.”
“I’m Kate Nash.” I gave her my card. “We’re trying to find Lizzy. She’s been missing for nearly two weeks. She’s an old and dear friend.”
“Oh, my! She came here because she wanted to have a baby, and we’re all about fertility. Haven’t seen her for about three years. We heard her lover died and fertility was no longer an issue.”
“Did you ever see him?”
She took another step and leaned on the counter that separated us. “No.”
“Do you know his name?”
“No. Lizzy was very private about her personal life. She talked about her work, but not much else.”
“Thanks for the information. If you happen to see Lizzy, please call me.”
We were almost out the door when she said, “I don’t think you know Lizzy as well as you think.”
I stopped. “What do you mean by that?”
“Sorry, not my story to tell.”
What a day!
On the way home, we stopped at Pitcher’s Sports Bar and Pizzeria. The food came to us hot and fresh. We ate pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, baked beans, and drank beer. The noise level ranked up there with a rock concert. The Cardinals were on TV and every time they scored, the crowd went crazy.
I didn’t want to talk so the noise didn’t bother me. I wanted to curl up in a big ball and sleep for days, but since I knew that wasn’t possible, just being alone with my thoughts would have to do.
One of the men stayed with the car and two more were in the club having a beer at the bar. Bodyguards, Wiccans, GPS trackers, the entire thing weighed on me.
Ryan seemed to notice my mood. On the way to the car, he stopped and hugged me. “It’s all going to work out. We’ll find out what’s going on with Lizzy, we’ll stop that psychopath, Wu, and get to the bottom of this.”
“Okay, if you say so.” I walked around to my side of the truck. Ryan followed and opened the door. That’s when I saw it, a piece of paper lying neatly folded on the seat. Ryan reached for it. I grabbed his hand. “It’s time we began running this like a police investigation. Don’t touch that in case it has finger prints on it. Send one of the guys inside to get a to-go box. We’ll put it in there and take it straight to Rodger.”
“Sounds like a good idea, but we’re not sure what it is.”
“I’m pretty sure it refers to me and evil and retribution.” He put his hand on my shoulder. “I’m all right,” I said. “I’m just
tired and frustrated with the case and myself. Someone’s trying to kill me and those closest to me. It’s time to put an end to all of it.”
“You’re beginning to sound like the old Kate. I like it, to a point. Not so much as to send these guys away.” He nodded toward his men.
I didn’t bother to answer.
One of the bodyguards handed me a to-go box. I took a Kleenex out of my pocket and picked the note up by the corner, using the tissue to avoid smudging anything. After it was in the box, we headed toward downtown St. Louis. Ryan drove. I held the box in my lap, as if it might explode.
Donny Chrisman--a tech from the lab, who I worked with for years--put on gloves, opened the box, and unfolded the note. It read pretty much like I thought it would. Your family and friends are in peril because of your evil ways and lack of concern. It is too late to make amends. Evil begets evil.
I looked at Ryan. “Do you think my mom is safe in Florida?”
“It’s no trouble to have someone watch her. Let me make a few phone calls. I think I can have someone at her house within ten minutes. Call her and make sure she’s okay.”
I looked at my watch. “It’s almost ten so she might not be up, but I’ll try.” I walked out in to the hall and dialed her number.
She answered on the second ring. She thought something was wrong, but I told her I missed her and was thinking about her and only wanted to say hi. We talked about five minutes and hung up. She was alone, happy, and safe.
I walked back down the hall toward Ryan. “I took care of it,” he said. “She’ll have around-the-clock protection until this is resolved.”
“Thanks.”
Donny called us back to the lab.
“It’s as I expected, no finger prints. The paper’s regular twenty-pound bond, ninety-two brightness, sold at any office supply store, or Walmart, for that matter. I can tell you someone cut it from a larger sheet of paper, and I think the person who cut it was left handed. The way the edge of the paper was cut indicates whoever cut it held the scissors upside down.”
“Stanley Wu is left handed,” I said.
“So is Lizzy.” Ryan looked at me when he said it.
When we got to the apartment, Ryan came upstairs. “After the note, I think I should stay again tonight.”
“No. I need some time alone. Stanley Wu, Lizzy, my mom, Amy, and you. It’s all too much. I’d love to be alone.”
“Should I take this personally?”
“Ryan, do you think if this wasn’t going on that you’d be spending every night at my place and be sleeping naked in my bed?”
He studied me. “Honestly?”
“Yes.”
“I think we might have worked up to it. There’s nowhere I’d rather be.”
“It’s another thing I can’t deal with right now. Try to understand. The deaths of Michael, Roomy, and Andy, and the disappearance of Lizzy might be my fault entirely.” I put my hand on his chest. “You’re a dear man. I need you to help me with this, and your men to protect my mom and Amy. I don’t need it to cloud my judgment and lead me somewhere I might not be ready to go.”
He leaned down and rested his chin on the top of my head. “I was hoping you wouldn’t notice. I’ll leave a couple of men here to make sure your safe. See you tomorrow.”
He kissed the top of my head and turned toward the elevator.
I said nothing else to him, and he didn’t turn around when he got into the car to go down to the street.
CHAPTER 29
O nce I was alone, I soaked in a steaming tub, to which I added salts and soap beads. The apartment was quiet for the first time in days. When I got out, I dressed in my most comfortable flannel PJs, fixed a cup of green tea, and went into my room. With my head propped up on pillows and a legal pad in my hand, I began to take notes of times and days of the events leading up to tonight.
When I finished, I had a time line. I started with Michael’s death and ended with the car bombing and Doug’s murder. Next, I wrote down the things that made me the most uncomfortable, starting with Lizzy’s disappearance, the fact that Jasmine Wu hadn’t sold a painting in three years, and no credit card charges or a cell phone had been detected in that time. Stanley Wu hated me and openly admitted it. The Wiccan told me I didn’t know Lizzy and, somehow, someone put a note in Ryan’s truck while it was being watched by his bodyguard.
Maybe Ryan was right. Lizzy’s kidnapping connected her to Jasmine’s art. Stanley Wu wanted to kill me because I didn’t help his daughter at the fire, but mostly, before he got rid of me, he wanted to watch me suffer as he killed my beloved friends, one by one.
I must have fallen asleep. In my dreams, Michael came to me, but when I opened my eyes to talk to him, he stood before me with a bullet hole through his left eye. Roomy stood to his right. Lizzy stood behind them in a black hat and begged me to save her. I woke up in a cold sweat, my hair matted to my head, and a scream stuck in my throat. I looked at the clock. It was four-fifteen.
I spent several hours looking for a puppy on Craigslist. Maybe I was losing my mind.
The phone rang promptly at seven. It was Ryan. “Hi, did you sleep well?”
“No. How about you?”
“No. But I got some interesting news this morning. It seems Stanley Wu doesn’t have an address because he lives somewhere in the warehouse. I’m not sure where. The guys said he never left and there were no visible lights. They think there must be an apartment contained somewhere, maybe in a basement.”
I got up from my computer. “No kidding. That’s interesting.”
“There’s more. The blue Mercedes with the decals on it belongs to Madison Daily.”
“Who’s Madison Daily?” I asked
“She owns the land the Figure Eight Wiccan Coven use as a lodge and meeting place.”
“The plot thickens.” I tried to say it in my best villain voice.”
“I think we should talk to Miss Daily and find out about her car.” He sounded cheerful.
“I agree. Do you know where to find her?”
“Yes, she’s Belleville’s premier real estate agent. I’ll pick you up in an hour. That’ll give me time to get you a bagel and a latte.”
“Aren’t you sweet?”
“Okay, in an hour then.”
After a quick shower, I put on my favorite pair of faded jeans and a pink tee shirt. I put my shoulder holster on, added my forty caliber, and slipped on a blue blazer to hide it.
While I waited for Ryan to arrive, I Googled Madison Daily and read her impressive resume. Not only was she a rich woman but she was tall, blonde, and beautiful. She reminded me of Lizzy.
Ryan buzzed in almost exactly an hour. I went down. He was dressed the same as I was in jeans and a tee shirt. I could tell he had a pistol in a holster at the small of his back, even though he had on a jacket. People walked differently when they had a gun on them. I couldn’t explain it, but I always recognized it.
I’d lived in St. Louis most of my life yet until recently had only been to Belleville once, and that was last night. We usually stayed on the Missouri side of the bridge. To do things on the east side complicated everything from taxes to taking a chance on breaking an unfamiliar law.
When I finished my bagel, I said, “Did you call ahead and tell Miss Daily we were coming?”
“No. I thought we would surprise her. She reported her car stolen a little over three years ago. That fits into our timeline. I just don’t why the timeline is important.”
I took a sip of my latte. “Me either, but we know no one has seen Jasmine for about three years, Michael was murdered three years ago, and now the car. It must all tie together, I just don’t know how.”
He patted my hand. “I don’t either, but we’ll find out. Every lead brings us a step closer.”
“Just so Lizzy is okay.”
“That’s what bugs me the most. Why was she at the warehouse and who was in that car with her?”
As we pulled up outside Madison Daily’s office, I
noticed a blue Mercedes parked on the side of the building. “Look, do you see that?”
“Yes, I do, but it isn’t the same car. No stickers and this one is new and has tags on it.”
“I see all of that. I think it’s weird she had a blue one stolen and bought another one.”
“You’re assuming it’s hers?” he asked.
“Yes, I am. Years of being a cop has helped me learn patterns. Your tastes in automobiles don’t change just because yours is stolen.”
I was out of the truck before he had a chance to come around to get me. I hated it because I was too short to step down and had to slide out of the seat and onto the running board. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ryan’s men park about a half block away.
Madison Daily sat at a desk on the south side of the room. She got up when we came in. “May I help you folks with anything?”
I reached into my pocket and handed her a card. She read it. If it surprised her that a private detective wanted to talk to her, she didn’t show it. “This is Ryan Meade,” I nodded toward Ryan.
She smiled and reached out to shake his hand. “The Ryan Meade?”
Ryan shook her hand but didn’t say anything.
I, on the other hand, said, “Yes, The Ryan Meade!”
He shot me a look I couldn’t really read, but I took it as embarrassment.
“Please, sit down.” She looked at my card. “Mrs. Nash, Mr. Meade, how may I help you this morning?”
“One of our friends is missing. She was seen a few nights ago in a blue 2011 Mercedes with a couple of identifying stickers on it. After some investigation, we determined it was stolen from you.”
“Well, yes, I had a car like that taken about three years ago. It vanished without a trace. The police couldn’t find it. Strange for it to show up now.”
“Where were you when it was taken?” I asked.
“I own some property on the outskirts of town. It was taken there while I was in a meeting.”
“And you say that was three years ago?” Ryan asked.
“Yes. Almost exactly. There have been rumors the car has been seen from time to time. Most of the reports come from Pogue, Granite City, and East St. Louis.”
