My Sister's Fear

by T. J. Jones

  "I'll pass on the handshake." I muttered, backing away.

  "I already told Foster my plan, but feel free if you don't believe me. And thank you Eric, for saving Maria and those kids that night. It was a wake-up call for me, it really was."

  The bastard had done it, I almost felt sorry for him. I backed from the room and walked outside into the cool morning air, feeling nauseous and unclean. Maggie and Susan were leaning against my old pickup. Maggie didn't look any better than I felt.

  "I told Susy what he said. He's not allowed outside, no phone or any way to communicate with anyone, rotating guards. If they find him, they're more likely to kill him than invite him back into the gang, don't you think?"

  "If they're smart." Susan said. "No offense Maggie, but I wouldn't trust your uncle as far as I could throw him. He told me the same story he told you, that he wants to kill Dinar. He's not getting away from us, and if he did, they would shoot him on sight."

  "He got what he wanted, talking to Maggie, so maybe he'll testify like he agreed to do." I said.

  "We're going to sit on him for a while, until we can bring charges against the higher ups in the organization. I wish that could include Dinar, but I doubt it."

  "I think we shook him up some. He had no idea Davey was his nephew."

  "Maybe that will be enough motive to testify, his brother and nephew, both dead. You would think he would want to put the people away that are responsible for that."

  Maggie snorted. "All he has to do is look in the mirror to see who's responsible. Come on, Slater. I have to get home and help with the birthday preparations."

  "Whose birthday?" Susan asked.

  Maggie gave me her first real smile of the day. "Slater is old! Forty. You're invited to the party if you want to come. It's Sunday afternoon at my house. You could meet my sister Angela. She has Davey's eyes."

  "Thanks, but I have to go to Miami."

  "Stay safe, okay?" I put in. "You wouldn't be the first undercover cop to end up on the wrong end of a gun."

  "I can take care of myself. I can't shoot as good as you can, but I'm not bad. I am definitely going to start wearing my vest, just in case."

  "Do you think he knew?" Maggie asked. We were in my truck, heading back to Point Road.

  "Knew what? About Angela, or Davey?"

  "That I wouldn't pull the trigger."

  "Honestly, I'm not sure if he cared. And for the record, if you pull a stunt like that again I'm taking your gun away. It's Slater and partners, remember? You shoot somebody and I'm liable, I have the license."

  "Yes sir, boss." She grinned at me, and I did my best to look serious.

  "I don't think he knew about your Dad and Angela, or the fact that Davey was his nephew. He looked really surprised. Are you going to tell Angela that he's alive? It seems like she has a right to know, but it's hard to tell if she could handle it."

  "I'm going to hold off for a while. Maybe he'll testify, that would make him seem less horrible. Do you think there's a family curse, like Gary said? Am I going to lose it at some point? I have to wonder if that rage that my uncle talked about is going to come for me or Angela at some point."

  "Angela has to deal with being bi-polar, plus everything your father did to her. You're stronger than she is, you always have been. I don't think you have that kind of anger in you."

  "Funny, that Gary would value family as much has he professes to, but not have the slightest remorse for what he did to Rosalyn or so many of those other girls."

  "Not so different from Levi Davis. He has a different set of rules for people that don't look like him. Rosalyn Cabello wasn't from a good southern family, so she didn't matter to Gary."

  "Well, Karma's a bitch, because now he doesn't matter to me." I didn't say anything. I wasn't sure if it was true or if I wanted it to be.

  I'm not a guy that likes parties, especially when I'm the guest of honor. Fortunately, the party that Maggie and the girls were organizing wasn't going to be very big. I'd been away for a lot of years and most of the guys I hung out with from school were long gone. Davey Templeton had been my best friend, and he was dead, a fact I tried to push from my mind as I contemplated the second half of my life. The reality that he had been robbed of the second half of his had been weighing on my mind after seeing Gary Jeffries again. If it took another forty years, I intended to make the people who had killed Davey pay.

  I looked over the cars as I pulled up. Luis, my foreman was there, and Edith Templeton, Davey's mother, had made it. Tommy Ackerman and his wife were there, and Maryanne Thatcher, Jasmine's grandmother. I didn't see Jasmine's car or the Bagboy's flashy new Mustang. Him I could do without. Hopefully Jasmine rode with her Grandmother. I was pretty sure Maggie's Mom had left for Spain. She wasn't a demonstrative woman, and attending my birthday party probably wasn't high on her list of priorities. Adding Maggie and Angela to the guest list would mean ten people, tops. I could handle that.

  Maggie kept alluding to a special birthday present. That sounded good, but I wasn't sure we were talking about the same thing. I was hoping for more than a new shirt for my birthday, and all the ear biting had aroused more than my curiosity.

  She greeted me at the door, her long chestnut locks falling softly around her face as she slid against me and gave me a long kiss. "Happy Birthday Slater." She said and winked secretively. "Let's make it a special one, okay?"

  "I'm all for that Red." I wasn't sure if there was innuendo or not. I have misinterpreted a woman's intentions before.

  Angela rushed up and gave me a none too subtle kiss. She laughed when I pulled away. "It's your birthday Slater, Maggie gave me a pass today. I get to smooch you as much as I want."

  Maggie bumped her shoulder playfully. "I did not say that! I've got my eye on you two."

  There had been a time when she might not have been kidding, but we were past that.

  Edith Templeton scurried up and wrapped her arms around me next. She buried her head against my chest and gave me a warm hug. "Happy Birthday, Eric. I wish Davey could be here to see you with Maggie! He laughed about how she used to follow you around when she was a little girl. He said way back then that she had a horrible crush on you."

  "I wish he was here too Edith, but he is in spirit. I'll bet he's proud of you for taking care of those girls the way you have."

  Davey Templeton had been running a rescue operation the last few years of his life, saving girls from a life of forced prostitution at the hands of people like Gary Jeffries and Rashad Dinar. When he was killed, he had left behind a small fortune that Edith was distributing to many of the victims, helping them to get on their feet and get their lives back together.

  "Rosalyn has become a phone friend, and she has forgiven Davey for his part in what happened to her. She's helping other girls get off the streets. I hope I can meet her someday." Edith said.

  "She realizes now that it was the Diablo Blanco, and that Davey wasn't to blame. We'll get the people responsible, sooner or later." Gary's name was on the tip of my tongue, and it almost slipped out. Nothing good could come of that.

  "You be careful Eric. I lost a son to those vile people, and you're the next best thing. Now that you proved Davey was murdered, maybe the police will do their job."

  "The squeaky wheel gets the grease Edith. I'm going to keep pushing until we get results. We know who was responsible, we just have to be able to prove it and get a conviction."

  "You'd make a good lawyer, Slater." Tommy Ackerman wheeled up to us. "I see guilty people walk out of court every day because there isn't enough evidence. Happy Birthday. Uncle Wally would have been here, but he's up in Charleston for a few days."

  "Seeing the Muse? Lilly has a very understanding husband."

  "They're both very good to him. He needs to spend time with her while he can, his health is getting worse, and his memory. He did tell me to say hello to you and Maggie."

  "Probably our most successful case to date. I have my partner to thank for that."

 
"Slater!" Maryanne Thatcher wished me a happy birthday then looked at her phone. "I wonder what's keeping Jasmine?"

  "Is she bringing the Bagboy? What's his name, Jessie?" I remembered.

  "Not your favorite person?" She laughed.

  "He's okay. Just not good enough for Jasmine, that's all." I grumbled.

  "From what she said, they aren't getting along the best, so he might not last. I kind of agree with you though, he's a little too smooth or something."

  "Slick. Too good looking and self-entitled."

  "Dare I remind you of her last boyfriend? At least Jessie's her own age and somewhat normal. She needs normal for a while. The whole thing with her Mom and meeting her Dad is bothering her."

  "Her Dad is a real piece of work, and his girlfriend is bad news. She goes out of her way to cause trouble. It sounded like Divine might have mislead Jasmine about them and the sister in California."

  "Divine wanted leverage to entice Jasmine to move to New York, and that was just to work me for more money. I don't know what Derrick's angle is, but I think his showing up was a surprise to Divine. She told me to be careful because he might try to fleece me. Ironic coming from her, after the check I just wrote."

  We all stood around talking, mindless chatter about the weather and sports while we waited for the youngest member of the birthday party to make her appearance.

  "What is keeping that girl?" Maryanne wondered aloud. "Maggie, have you talked to Jasmine? What is she up to?"

  "I just got a text, she said there's a big surprise coming."

  "Other than the one we had planned?"

  "It would have to be, Slater's present is all taken care of."

  "Alright, I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

  "I'm starting to get worried." Maggie confided to me after another half hour. "Jasmine was really excited about the party. She said she was going to go talk to Jessie, because they'd had a fight, then come right over. That was two hours ago. Her last text didn’t mention him, just that there was going to be a big surprise."

  "Did you try calling her?"

  "Yeah, it went right to voicemail. Twice."

  "Do we know Jessie's number? Try him."

  "I wonder if Maryanne knows." I was talking with Luis and Tommy Ackerman, but I kept an eye on Maggie. She returned shortly. "She doesn't know his number, but she gave me an address. I can't find him or his parents on Facebook. Who isn't on Facebook?"

  "Suddenly I like him better. Maybe they patched things up and are, you know, being teenagers."

  "She wouldn't miss your birthday party for anything Slater. I'm getting worried. I'm going to run over to his parents' house, it's just a couple miles. I might be able to track their number down, but it will just take a second to go over there."

  "I can go along."

  "It's your party Slater, I'll be back in ten minutes, then we eat with or without her."

  She hurried out the door and her sister walked over.

  "What's Maggie doing? I thought everything was arranged for your birthday present. I think you're really going to like it." Angela leaned against me quickly with a hug.

  "Jasmine is really late, and Maggie's worried."

  "Yeah, I thought she would be here an hour ago. Drama with the boyfriend I would bet."

  "Do you know his parents?"

  "Dean and Kathy Pearson. He's a banker, and she sells Real Estate. I don't know them well, but I might have her card in the office. Want me to look?"

  "Maggie ran over to their house so by the time you found the card she'd be back. She's kind of in a panic about Jasmine for some reason."

  "She's worried about her, the deal with her father and the fact that Cletus Johnson is out on bail."

  "Cletus is out on bail?" The man had shot a hole in my airplane and my girlfriend's leg. How could he not be in jail?

  "I guess. Maryanne, what's the deal with Jasmine's old biker friend?"

  Maryanne had been talking to Edith Templeton. "Didn't I tell you Slater? I was notified that he made bail, and it sounds like he might get a plea deal and not serve any more time. Overcrowded prisons in Georgia, I guess. But I'm told he can't leave Fulton county until his hearing and that he's wearing an ankle monitor. I filed a restraining order, so if he shows up, it's right back to prison. I told Maggie all this a few days ago."

  "She's had a lot going on, it probably slipped her mind."

  "Or she didn't want to worry you." Angela said. "She's used to looking out for me, now it's your turn."

  "No wonder she's worried, Cletus was obsessed with Jasmine. If he's loose, he might be crazy enough to come down and try to see her."

  "Not likely." Tommy Ackerman joined the conversation. "An ankle monitor is pretty foolproof. If he leaves the immediate area his parole officer would know and Maryanne or I would be notified right away."

  "Good to know. I'm sure Jasmine just had some drama with her boyfriend and she'll show up any minute."

  Ten minutes later we heard the squeal of tires in the driveway and Maggie burst into the house, visibly upset.

  "Kathy Pearson said Jasmine was there earlier but that she and Jessie had broken up. He supposedly headed to work and she left over an hour ago. I came back on the Old Farm Road and I happened to glance into the parking area of the rest stop. It's some kind of historical spot, there's a plaque, but that doesn't matter. Jasmines car is sitting there with the windows down and Slater's card is sitting on the dash. What the hell happened to her?"

  "Maybe a change of heart?" Maryanne said. "Maybe she patched things up with Jessie and he picked her up? Let's not panic."

  "Call the Safeway, see if he's working." I suggested. "If he lied about going to work, maybe the two of them went somewhere to work things out."

  "Slater, the car's a mile and a half from here. She wouldn't miss your party. If they were going to sort things out, they would have done it here or waited until after. She's been talking about your birthday for two weeks, no way she would miss this."

  "I'll call the Safeway. Did you get Jessie's cell number?"

  "I tried it and left him a message. Something's happened, I can feel it."

  "Maggie, take it easy." I said. She was looking frantic. "Call Mrs. Pearson and see if they are tracking Jessie's phone. Rich, seventeen-year old kid with a car like that, they probably are."

  Maryanne didn't seem alarmed. "She wasn't the least bit distraught about the breakup, but she was worried about how Jessie would take it. They're probably just sitting somewhere having a long heart to heart. God knows her mother put me through worse than this when she was a teenager."

  "She would have locked her car. I'm telling you, she would not miss this party if there was any choice!" Maggie insisted.

  Angela came back into the room. "I called the Safeway. Jessie didn't show up to work."

  "There, see? They're probably parked somewhere, patching things up."

  Maryanne phone chimed and she pulled it out and smiled. "It's Jasmine." In a moment her smile faded and she fell into the nearest chair. "My God! Read this." She handed me the phone.

  Surprise! We have your precious Granddaughter. If you want her alive, don't call the police. We'll be in touch. PS This phone will be going for a swim, so don't bother tracking it.

  Chapter Fourteen

  What do we do? Slater?" Maryanne's calm had disappeared. Her eyes filled with tears and she was shaking. "I've had people try to shake me down before, but not like this."

  "I still think there's a chance this is a prank." I reasoned. "Maybe they went to a keg party and someone got ahold of her phone. Maybe it's just a horrible joke. First thing, we need to track down Jesse and see what he knows, see if she's with him."

  "Slater." Maggie rasped out. "Jasmine absolutely loves you. I told you five times, she would not miss this party for anything. Certainly not for a few beers. I think this is real. I'll try both their phones again, then I'll call Kathy Pearson and see if she can tell us where Jessie might be."

  Everyone looked
back and forth at each other, stricken. Tommy Ackerman wheeled his chair forward. "If this is real, if she's been kidnapped, I have to presume they'll want money. The question will be, do we call the cops, or do we try to negotiate on our own."

  "No cops." Maryanne said. "I know as my lawyer you're obligated to tell me that's the wrong thing to do, but don't bother. Having the police involved would mean the press too. All that attention would just motivate whoever it is to kill her."

  "It might be someone she knows, or it might just be someone who knows you have a lot of money. It would make a difference in how we negotiate if we can figure that out. First thing we do is track down this Jessie clown, see if he knows anything."

  "I have an address." Maggie walked back into the room. "Friend of Jessie's that has a lot of parties. Kathy said if he ditched work, he probably went there."

  "Alright, I'll go over there. Luis, can you ride along?" He nodded.

  I expected Maggie to speak up and she did. "I'm coming too."

  "I have another set of keys for Jasmine's car." Maryanne said. "We'll go over and pick it up and look it over." She drew a shaky breath. "For blood or anything."

  "Just bring it back and try not to disturb things inside too much. There might be fingerprints and if you decide to call the police, they're going to want to go over it. Call us if you hear anything more, but this shouldn't take long."

  Jessie's friend lived a few miles further out of the city. Most people considered it country living, which was fortunate for the neighbors, because the yard resembled a scene from any one of a number of teen movies. There were a couple dozen cars, loud music, and plenty of drunken teenagers. No one looked happy to see us. We spotted Jessie's car out on the road and parked at the end of the line, then walked up to the house.

  A small group of girls stood near the driveway and eyed us cautiously. The tallest of the group stepped in our direction. "Is there a problem? Is the music too loud? I can tell my brother to turn it down. The last thing we want is to make the neighbors mad, but we talked to the Turners and the Petersons and they said they're cool with it."