Mitch shifted forward, lowered his voice. “But we have to organize one. There’s no way around it. I’m not cancelling everything I’ve worked out. This has to be the next step. The presser is a perfect opportunity to get attention from the media, which is what we need. We don’t have the luxury of waiting any longer, which means we’ll need a spokesperson. My vote’s for you, big brother.”
“Make it two,” Garret chimed in, grateful he hadn’t been pegged for the job. “As the oldest, Jackson gets to talk to the press.”
“But…it should be Mitch. He’s the one who reached out over the phone.”
Mitch shook his head. “I’m too volatile. You know it’s true. You’re the levelheaded one, the scientist with the logical approach to a problem. I’m the reactor.”
“More like the enforcer,” Jackson corrected, combing his hands through his hair. “Great, just great. So I guess if nothing else, we scour the town for the minivan and try to come up with a witness, someone who saw them leave on Thursday. Are we in agreement there?” Jackson sent a look toward Mitch, then Garret.
After getting nods out of them, he went on, “Good, because there’s something else. I think we should ask the volunteers to look for Tessa’s brother’s Honda Civic while they’re at it. In my announcement I’ll add Ryan’s name to the mix. We should include missing posters of him along with those of Livvy, Walker, and the kids. Tessa already has some printed up. Don’t fight me on this. It’s the right thing to do since Tessa’s down here on her own. We have each other to lean on and yell at. She’s got no one. Imagine going through this kind of thing without family. I’d be lost.”
Mitch nodded. “That’s a given. How serious is this thing you have for her?”
Jackson’s back went up. “I just met the woman today. Don’t be an ass. But even if I wanted to take her back to her hotel and spend the night, it’s none of your business. So butt out.”
Garret drained his beer in time to play peacemaker. “Doesn’t matter. We don’t have time for those kinds of complications. And it wouldn’t be right to hang Tessa out to dry by leaving out Ryan. The guy’s poster should be included in the press packet.”
“Okay then, we get some sleep and get up in the morning prepared to hit the ground running.”
Chapter Six
Jackson had known Nathan Hollister for most of his life. The two had met on the playground of the day care center down the block at the age of four. Through the years they’d argued over Matchbox cars, fought over video games, clobbered each other roughhousing, suffered through a pesky outbreak of lice together, and that was all before beginning kindergarten.
In first grade they’d broken out with chicken pox days apart and recovered in time to join the same Cub Scout den. They’d slept in the same tents during camping trips where the summer humidity felt like a sauna and poison ivy was part of the packaged deal.
They got into fights with the same group of bullies who either became fast friends or common sworn enemies. They shared their dreams about what they wanted to be when they grew up. They consoled each other when they struck out in Little League with bases loaded, and later in life, when neither one could get a date on a Saturday night.
It was evident early on the two leaned toward sharing the same nerdy interests, which probably was the reason their bond hadn’t ended at high school graduation. They were friends on Facebook, shared regular email updates, and remained close despite the fact Jackson lived fifteen hundred miles to the north.
Even though it was a Sunday morning, he met up with his childhood buddy in the back parking lot of the First National Bank building in the heart of downtown. The area was almost deserted—too early for anyone to be out and about heading for church—the beach maybe, but not church services. Those wouldn’t start for another three hours.
At six thirty-five Jackson followed Nathan through the back door and into an office.
“Thanks for doing this,” Jackson said as Nathan waited for his desktop computer to boot up.
“Anything for Livvy. Anyone finds out what I’m doing, though, I could lose my job. So remember, you owe me. If I end up in the unemployment line, you’re paying for my health insurance.”
“Duly noted. Does your wife, Wendy, know you used to steal stacks of Penthouses from Junior Morrissey and sell them under the bleachers after football practice for a dollar apiece? I was gonna use that dark secret to my advantage if you hadn’t agreed to do this.”
Nathan narrowed his eyes at the attempt at humor. “Blackmail works both ways, buddy. I know enough about your past to take the dirty details straight to your mother. I can just see your mom’s eyes bug out when I tell her about the times you forged her signature on school notes after multiple offenses. Then top it off with how many times you used to fill your pockets at the Pack N Save with pilfered candy. I doubt that would go over too well with your old man.”
Jackson grinned and held up a hand to stop. “No need to dredge up the sordid history on either side.”
“You say that now but your seedy past was a lot worse than mine. Let’s just do this thing and get out of here. I actually snuck out of the house before Wendy woke up because I didn’t want her asking where I was going. If she asked I thought about telling her I decided to take up jogging.”
“Not a good idea. That’s a lie you’d have to draw out for at least a couple weeks.” Beginning to realize what Nathan was jeopardizing, Jackson shifted his feet. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to tell too many people about this.”
“Well. Duh.” As Nathan logged onto the system, his nervousness caused him to feel the need to make more small talk. “How’s the research project going in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy?”
“Still taking samples of the estuarine environments impacted by the heavy rainfall. It’s amazing how much soil and sediment were washed away and how many pollutants ended up in the coastal and marine interior. Even looking back and studying the devastation of what Hurricane Agnes did to the Chesapeake Bay in 1972 we weren’t prepared for Sandy’s damage to native grasses, or the change in habitat of the crab and fish. Sandy wrecked marine life that will take years before the coast is able to completely recover.”
“Listen to you, the scientist speaks.”
Jackson shrugged. “It’s what I do. Look at you. Who would’ve thought you’d get off on debits and credits. And to think I tried to talk you out of majoring in finance in college.”
It was Nathan’s turn to smile. “I timed it perfect when I graduated from FSU and found out old man Savage was retiring. The bank needed a junior exec and I fit the bill. Since then, I’ve worked my way up.”
“Yeah, lucky you.” Jackson looked around at the dull, gray interior walls. To him, the bank’s cubicles represented a confined jail cell. “I’m glad I get out in the field. I can’t imagine spending eight hours at a time, five days a week in here.”
“Hey, don’t knock it. I get to help customers secure their futures. I help them with their car loans and home mortgages and CDs.”
“Sounds exciting. Not.” Standing behind Nathan, Jackson spotted the screen come up with Royce’s account information. He went line by line reading the details until he found what he was looking for. “So Ryan Connelly did come into the bank at 11:25 to cash his five-thousand-dollar check. This is the same morning he left the hotel around eleven o’clock.”
“If the trustees find out I’ve done this, they’ll have me fired for sure,” Nathan groused.
“Since when did you become such a worrywart? Besides, this is a significant clue. Did you bring this up to Jessup Sinclair when Connelly turned up missing?”
“I spoke to Sinclair maybe once. But he didn’t ask me anything about a Ryan Connelly. Besides, have you any idea how many people walk through that door after a major holiday to cash a check? It’s pretty routine and not possible to keep track of one missing guy’s whereabouts. For all Sinclair knew the guy could’ve marched out of here and hit the Hialeah Park Race Track or dropped th
e entire amount at the nearest casino.”
Jackson thought of Tessa’s efforts to find any information about her brother and refused to accept a lazy assumption. “That’s one way to look at it. But Nathan, the man had five grand on him in cash and you didn’t think to, at the very least, follow up with Jessup about it? What if this was a member of your family who went missing? What if your relative couldn’t be found? Did you ever consider the possibility that Ryan might’ve been robbed somewhere along the way before he could leave town?”
“Sure, make me feel guilty why don’t you? But Sinclair never directly came in to my office and made an official inquiry about it or ask to see specific details.”
That just pissed Jackson off more. “So while we’re standing here arguing the point, can you look and tell me if Livvy or Walker withdrew any large amounts of cash from any of their accounts?”
Nathan eyed his buddy with a snarl on his lips. “You’re pushing it, Jackson. Isn’t it enough that I already cooperated with the state investigator by giving him Livvy and Walker’s bank records? Some guy named Hawkins looked over the transactions and determined no money’s been withdrawn from any of their accounts since they went missing, nothing.”
“What’s the balance in each of Livvy’s and Walker’s joint accounts?”
Reluctantly, Nathan hit several more keys and brought up another screen. “Main checking has about twenty-five grand. Savings still has another twenty grand. They have several money market accounts with an equal amount, which rounds out to be about forty thousand more.”
It didn’t sound to Jackson like Walker would’ve had a problem paying Ryan what he owed him. “Could I take a look at the individual transactions on their main account?”
Protectively, Nathan shielded the computer with his hands. “I can’t do that. I told you there was no activity since they went missing. The last was from the Winn-Dixie in the amount of seventy-five dollars when Livvy bought groceries. You’ll have to take my word for it because I’m not letting you see more than that. I’ve already broken the law for you. Don’t ask me for more.”
Since he’d gone this far, Jackson ignored the declaration. “Exactly. So letting me get a peek for myself won’t hurt a thing. Come on, Nathan, a glance, that’s all I’m asking.”
Nathan gave in again and adjusted the computer screen so Jackson could get a better look.
Jackson frowned at what he saw. “Now see, what you told me isn’t entirely correct.”
“What? Of course it is.”
“Nope. The very last transaction was Wednesday night at six-fifty when Walker made a deposit in the amount of seven hundred and fifty-eight dollars. Cash deposit. I’m assuming that was probably the take for the day from the store.”
“So? I thought you were interested in purchases not deposits,” Nathan explained. “What difference does it make?”
“About three hours. The surveillance at Winn-Dixie lets us know that Livvy checked out at four-ten with her groceries. This seems like a routine stop by Walker to swing by the ATM to make a deposit at the end of the day. In other words, Livvy’s shopping trip was completely normal. She intended to cook dinner. No big deal. Walker’s stop by the bank before heading home for the day was another ordinary thing. Which means that whatever happened to make them leave, happened while they were all four inside that house.”
“That’s good, right?” Nathan asked. “That’s something you didn’t have before this minute.”
“It’s something. I’m not sure what yet. This information is just another part of the puzzle. But if Walker and Livvy were planning on leaving town why wouldn’t they take some cash with them? In fact, why doesn’t Walker keep the cash he has in his hand instead of depositing it into the business account? If he intended to take a trip he’s right there at the ATM machine. He could have withdrawn more money then. If they were headed out of town, why wouldn’t he take out extra cash from his personal checking account? I mean, yesterday when my mother called and said I needed to come back home, the first stop I made on my way to the airport was the ATM machine for a little traveling cash. Why wouldn’t Walker or Livvy have done the same?”
Nathan scratched his chin. “That’s a good point. Is that significant?”
“Sure. But it’s also disturbing. If they didn’t leave town without getting cash ahead of time and there’s been no activity since Wednesday night then where the hell are they without access to their money?”
“Maybe they had an additional account somewhere else?”
“Hmm, it’s possible, I guess. We do sit in the middle between Key Largo and Key West. I’ll have to ask Mom and Dad to see if Livvy ever mentioned opening up another account.” Jackson chewed the inside of his jaw. “I need to see if they chartered a jet out of the same airstrip that serves the area. One thing I’ve learned about this is that I make a piss-poor investigator. That’s the first time I’ve thought of looking into alternative transportation out of the area.”
“The more you think on this, the weirder it gets. It is strange that Walker didn’t keep the money he had on him. What exactly do you think happened to them?”
“I honestly don’t know. Which reminds me, Mitch has rounded up volunteers for a search of the area beginning at eight o’clock.” Jackson glanced at his watch. “I’ve got an hour to pick up Tessa and get some breakfast and make it there on time. Are you and Wendy coming to help?”
“Absolutely. Who’s Tessa?”
“Ryan Connelly’s sister.”
Nathan gave him a hangdog look. “Ah. It never occurred to me this guy’s family would show up down here and want to know these kinds of things.”
“Why not? Indigo Key was the last place he was seen.”
Nathan abruptly powered down his computer and changed the subject. “Do me a favor, Jackson. Next time you see Wendy, try not mention that I had the hots for your sister back in the old days.”
“The old days? Hell, Nathan, back then I thought for certain that one day you would eventually talk Livvy into something other than friends.”
“Really? Because there was a time I thought that way, too.”
“I was rooting for you.”
Nathan grinned. “But then Walker came along.”
“Yeah. Walker.”
As if thinking back to the past, Nathan went on, “One thing about Livvy, she hasn’t changed much since high school. She’s still beautiful. No one brightens up a room like she does with that hundred-watt smile of hers. Whenever she comes into the bank, she goes out of her way to be as nice and friendly to everyone, must be that cheerleader personality of hers.” Nathan sent Jackson a sheepish look. “Uh, you might not want to mention that last part to Wendy, either.”
“Now would I turn on a bro like that?” Jackson said as he wrapped Nathan up in a bear hug. “Thanks, man. Thanks for putting your job on the line like this.”
“No problem. Just remember, Indigo, I know where you live and I’m not talking about Quay Avenue.”
“Right back atcha. Catch you later. Don’t forget the search starts at eight.” With that Jackson sailed out of the office and jogged to his dad’s truck to go pick up Tessa.
On the way to the hotel, Jackson sent a text message to Tessa. Ready for breakfast? Got news.
He had to wait several minutes for a reply.
Starving. I’ll meet you out front.
Since he could see the Mainsail Lodge from the bank, the trip took less than five minutes. He didn’t even have to honk the horn when he pulled up in front. She was standing on the steps waiting for him wearing a little sweater top that matched her eyes with just enough contrast to set off the pair of dark jeans she wore.
She popped into the front seat next to Jackson, a million questions firing on all cylinders. “What did you find out?”
He rehashed the fact that Ryan had visited the bank the morning he was supposed to have left town.
“If only we had his cell phone records,” Tessa noted. “How do I go about getting a co
py of his cell activity?”
“If he has an online account with his carrier, you could try to hack into it the same way you did his email account. That way you could bypass getting in touch with his carrier.”
Tessa grabbed Jackson’s arm. “Great idea. I should’ve thought of that. I’m pretty sure he signed up for online payment when he upgraded his last phone. But that was almost a year ago, Christmas, I think. If I’m lucky, maybe he even used the same password he did for his email. I need to look that up as soon as possible. Like right now.”
“Let’s find someplace where we can sit down, grab a quick breakfast and I’ll tell you the rest. I don’t have much time before I’m supposed to make a statement to the media. I do have a question for you, though. Is it okay if I mention Ryan during the presser? Sort of lump both cases together?”
Tessa’s eyes glistened with appreciation. “I hated to be pushy, or to ask last night, but it would be wonderful if you would, if you’re sure it won’t take the focus off looking for Livvy and the kids.”
“You aren’t pushy since I’m the one who brought it up. My brothers and I talked about it last night and we all came to the same decision. It’s the right thing to do. Besides, if Mitch talks Jessup into appearing with us, it might bring law enforcement around to linking the two events together.”
“So you’ve come to that conclusion, too.”
“I have.” Jackson pulled the pickup to a stop in front of the local pancake house known as Go Flip a Cake. He led her through the door and faltered when he spotted a flyer of Livvy, Walker, and the kids taped to the side of the cash register. Jimmy Don’s doing, he decided.
The poster denoted reality. It smacked him in the face before he finally got his feet to move past it. He tugged Tessa toward the nearest booth and signaled for the waitress, a tall, thin woman in her fifties who also owned the place. “Morning, Helen, we’re in a crunch for time.”
[Indigo Brothers 01.0] Indigo Fire Page 9
