“No, she’s alone.”
“Okay. Thanks, Will.”
“Sorry, man.”
Ben clicked off. So Julie was leaving Jupiter Point. But she wouldn’t leave while Felix was missing. She must know something. Why was she cutting him out? Why wouldn’t she tell him, let him help?
Didn’t matter.
This time, he wasn’t a kid anymore. He was a grown man who could handle a fucking setback. And he wasn’t about to give up on Julie, not until she looked him in his face and told him to go away. This time, he was going to trust their relationship. He was going to keep the faith that Julie loved him, and she was shutting him out because she had to.
But that didn’t mean he couldn’t provide backup.
He strode toward his truck. Savannah spotted him and tried to wave him over, but he gestured toward his phone, as if it was an important call he couldn’t get out of. Until he knew what was going on, he didn’t want any reinforcements—at least any that weren’t named Knight.
His brothers—that was another matter.
He called Tobias, who was circling in the chopper above the property looking for anything that might help. “T, I need you to make a little flyby over Highway 29.”
“What am I looking for?”
“Red Jetta. Julie’s car. Last spotted heading east on 29.”
“Ten-four. Stand by.”
God, he loved it that in a time of crisis, he could ask his brothers for anything and they didn’t argue. He got into his truck and started it up, ready for whatever Tobias might find.
“Yup, got her. She’s pulling into that gas station outside of town. What do you want me to do?”
Ben thought fast as he started up his truck. He was a good fifteen minutes out, but he could shave some time off that. In the meantime, he didn’t want to freak Julie out. “Can you hover discreetly? I don’t want to set off any alarms, but I want to know what’s going on.”
“Okay, I might need a few more details here. This isn’t more of your Ben-and-Julie relationship drama, is it?”
He let out a snort of laughter, then felt guilty for finding any kind of amusement in this situation. “Yeah, I’m using up our precious fuel stalking my ex-girlfriend. Totally normal. Honestly, I don’t know what’s going on but I have a bad feeling. Can you just trust me?”
“Yeah, I can trust you, but discreet hovering ain’t a thing, pal. Oh, hang on. She’s out of her car. Looking around, like she’s meeting someone. Shit.”
“What?” Ben nearly drove into one of the cypress trees lining the drive. “What’s going on?”
“It’s Felix. Some man has him. He’s wearing a hat and scarf and sunglasses, hard to tell who he is. Looks like a disguise. But he’s definitely got a tight grip on the kid. Damn. I can’t tell if he has a weapon, but I don’t think so. Okay, what now, Ben?”
Shit. Ben slammed his foot on the accelerator. He needed to be there, now.
“Gain altitude. I don’t want them to suspect anything. Let me know what happens.”
“Got it. Gaining altitude.” The background noise shifted as Tobias pulled up on the collective.
Ben reached the highway and floored the accelerator. The pine trees whipped past, punctuated by telephone poles passing at a rate that felt like the beating of his pulse. Get to her. Keep them safe. Please, Lord.
“Julie has Felix now,” said Tobias. “The bad guy is walking away, back into the gas station.”
The gas station must have a security camera. They could find out who the guy was—maybe. He’d call it in to Will as soon as he got off the phone.
“Now Julie’s hugging Felix. They’re getting in her car. Driving away. Heading out of town. What’s going on, Ben? Why are they leaving?”
“I don’t know.”
“We need to call the cops. Call 9-1-1, call the state troopers. Call everyone!”
“And tell them what? That Julie now has her kid back? Tobias, something is going on but we have to trust her. If she isn’t communicating, there’s a good reason. Promise me. Give me an hour, that’s all I ask.”
The drone of the chopper filled the silence that followed. “One hour,” Tobias finally said. “Want me to keep on her tail? Or stick with the man at the gas station?”
“Gas station. I’ll go after Julie. The dude is probably going to ditch his clothes for something else, so keep a sharp eye out.”
The gas station was up ahead. He was tempted to pull over and see if he could spot anyone who matched the description Tobias had given, but it didn’t seem as important as finding Julie. What if she was being threatened or coerced in some way? What if she thought she was safe, but she wasn’t?
Tobias came back on the line. “Another car just drove away from the gas station, going in the same direction as Julie. I don’t know, Ben. Could be nothing. But something about the way he’s driving looks fishy. Keep an eye on a gray Taurus, okay? Just to ease my mind.”
“Got it. Thanks, T.”
Shortly after Ben passed the gas station, he spotted the gray Taurus. He wanted to get a look at the guy, but without giving himself away. He rummaged for his gym bag, which he kept in the backseat. He had a sweatshirt in there, one with a hood. Once his head was covered, he waited for a convoy of semis to catch up with him. As they passed on the left, he picked up speed and slipped between two of the big trucks.
He risked only a quick glance at the driver as he passed the Taurus. The man, probably in his fifties, now wore a cowboy hat and big aviator glasses, with a hefty growth of beard. Definitely not recognizable, at least to Ben. Maybe it wasn’t the same man who’d taken Felix. He certainly didn’t pay any attention to Ben. He stayed in the right-hand lane, keeping a sharp focus on the road ahead…and the splotch of red that Ben quickly realized was Julie’s car.
The semi slowed down, forcing Ben to do the same. The Taurus slipped past him. He changed to the right lane, keeping far enough behind not to draw attention.
It was getting close to evening now. How far was Julie planning to drive? Assuming she’d filled up at the gas station, she could go for a while. But Felix was a kid, and he’d get hungry before long or have to pee, or something. Other worries multiplied like rabbits. What if the man in the Taurus had noticed him? What if he was the wrong guy?
Thirty minutes later, Julie pulled into a rest stop.
The Taurus followed.
30
Just get out of town, Julie kept chanting to herself. Figure out the rest later. It wasn’t much of a plan. She had to let everyone know that Felix was safe. She had to come up with some kind of explanation that made sense to everyone. Felix had a meltdown, he wanted to go home. Sorry for all the trouble.
She still couldn’t pin down where she knew the man from. Either her musician’s ear was failing her or she didn’t know the man very well. Maybe she’d just heard him in passing around town.
But most importantly, Felix was okay.
“Did he hurt you, kiddo?” Julie was trying to keep her cool, she really was. But her hands were shaking so hard it was difficult to steer.
“No. He just surprised me, that’s all. I climbed out the window because I didn’t like it there. As soon as I got to the ground, he grabbed me. I tried to scream but I couldn’t make any noise with his big hand over my mouth.” Felix made a face of disgust. “I can still taste his glove.”
“I’m so sorry that happened. Jeez, Felix, I was scared out of my wits. Everyone’s searching for you back at the Reinhards’, even your mom.”
“Mom came?” Felix’s pale little face brightened as he adjusted his glasses. “She really came?”
“Of course she did. No one knew where you were. We were terrified. I’m still a little terrified.” She touched his arm lightly, not enough to bother him. “I will be until we get home.”
“One hundred percent rayon with leather strips, size twelve, made in China,” Felix said. “Do you think he’ll ever give me my phone back?”
“I wouldn’t count on it. We’
ll get you a new one. What’s that about China?”
“The man’s gloves. Remember when you said I should pull a Felix? Right after that I saw the tag on his gloves.”
She grinned at him, delighted. “Good work. Maybe you’ll actually crack this case. I want that man off the streets.”
“Do you think he’s on the streets?” Felix asked seriously. “Right now?”
“Figure of speech. I don’t know where he is, and I don’t care, as long as he’s nowhere close.”
“When we left, he was going back inside the gas station, but maybe he was buying gas. Or going to the bathroom. I have to pee.”
Julie’s heart sank. Of course he did. He was a kid, and kids always had to pee at the most inconvenient moments. The man’s instructions had been to drive straight to LA and not stop for a hundred miles. But did that pertain to bathroom breaks? Exactly how would he enforce that? She checked the odometer. They’d only driven sixty-two miles since they’d left the gas station.
But when you had to go, you had to go. Felix wiggled back and forth in his seat. With a sigh, Julie gave in and took the next exit, which led to a rest stop. She grabbed the parking spot closest to the men’s bathroom, which wasn’t difficult because the parking lot was empty. Tourist season was still a month away.
“Make it as quick as you can, Felix. And I know you won’t like this, but I’m coming in with you.”
“What? That’s stupid.”
“I’m not letting you out of my sight, buddy boy, not unless you can hold it until we get to LA. You can have all the privacy you want back home.”
“I can’t hold it that long,” he grumbled. He hopped out of the car and stalked to the men’s room.
“Wait. Let me check it first.” She peered under the doors of each stall while he hopped from one foot to the other. When she was sure it was safe, he marched inside a stall and banged the door shut. She leaned her back against the main door and scanned the space. Rest-stop bland, with two screened-in ventilation windows too high to reach. Perfectly safe. God, she was paranoid.
Felix emerged from the stall and went to the sink. He always took a long time washing his hands. Julie suppressed the urge to ask him to hurry. He’d been through enough today; if washing his hands soothed him, she’d give him all the time he needed.
“I want to go back to Jupiter Point,” he said as he squirted soap on his hands. “I don’t want to leave.”
Trust Felix to be contrary.
“I know it’s sudden, but we didn’t have a choice. Don’t worry, we’ll call everyone as soon as it’s safe. You can say goodbye properly.”
“No, I mean I want to go back now. I want to see Mom. And Tanaka is having a birthday party tomorrow at the bowling alley. I’ve never bowled but I think I’d be good at it. I already have a present for him. I’m going to give him my old calculator.”
Julie stared at the back of her young godson’s head. His neck looked so thin and vulnerable as he bent over the sink, obsessively washing his hands. “It’s not safe, Felix. You heard what the man said. We can’t go back.”
“But what about Ben?”
“Ben will understand. He wouldn’t want either of us to get hurt.”
Felix squished the soap between his fingers, carefully coating each finger with slimy bubbles. “That’s not what I mean. Ben is strong and tough, and so are his brothers. They’ll watch out for us.”
“Yes, but as long as that man is running around free, we’d never be completely safe. They can’t watch us all the time.”
“So we should catch him. You said to pull a Felix, and I did. Not just with the gloves. I figured out a lot of other things, too, about his clothes and his car and his disguise. He doesn’t really need glasses, that’s one thing. Julie, I really want to go back. I want to catch him and put him in jail so he can’t hurt anyone. What if he tried to scare Sarah or Tanaka or one of the other kids? I hate him!”
That fierce statement gave her a shock. Felix might be an undersized, unusual kid, but he was a lot tougher than he appeared.
“I know how you feel. I swear I do. I don’t want to leave Jupiter Point either. I love it there. I always have. But I love you more, and we can’t risk it.”
Felix swung around and stomped his foot. “I’m not getting back in your car. I want to see my mom. I want to go back!”
Oh God, just what she needed right now, an epic Felix emotional breakdown. “Sweetie, we’ll call Savannah as soon as we can and she’ll come to us. I promise. I’m just trying to keep us safe.”
Felix didn’t answer, just crossed his arms over his chest and set his face into the mulish lines that meant “no deal.”
God, was she going to have to overpower him? Lie to him? Physically drag him into the car? Then he’d have an even bigger meltdown and they’d be in a moving vehicle.
She dug her fingernails into her palms, fighting for calm.
This situation was her and the Reinhards in a nutshell. All the Reinhards. They decided what they wanted, and she went along.
What must it feel like to fight for what you wanted, even when everything seemed lined up against you? What must it feel like to claim your own power? Like Ben said…when are you going to go after what you want?
What did she want?
She wanted to stay in Jupiter Point. With Ben.
Of course, she also wanted Felix to be safe. But damn it, Felix was making some good points. Between Ben and Will and Tobias, and even the Reinhards, they had a lot of backup. And if Felix really had learned everything he could about his kidnapper, why not try to find the man and get him arrested?
This time, maybe running was not the answer.
She whooshed out a deep breath, hoping she was doing the right thing here.
“You know something, you’re right, Felix. I mean, you’re also wrong. It’s not cool what you’re doing right now. I’m really unhappy with you. Except that I’m also extremely happy you’re okay, so I can’t even be mad. And I’m starting to think you have a good point.”
“I do have a good point.”
God, the confidence of a Reinhard. Maybe some of it would rub off on her.
“Let’s go back to Jupiter Point. I’ll take you to your mom, we’ll go see Will, and you can tell him every detail you picked up about the bad guy.”
Slowly, Felix’s stiff form and clenched fists relaxed. He pushed his glasses farther up his nose and took in deep breaths, the way he’d learned when he needed to calm himself.
In typical Felix way, he didn’t apologize or gloat, but simply said, “Let’s go then.”
She laughed ruefully, then opened the door and led the way outside.
As soon as she set foot on the pavement, something hit her from the side. Rough arms grabbed her, and a hand came over her mouth.
A man. Not just a man…the man. She remembered everything about how this felt—the powerlessness, the meaty push of his chest against her, the heavy weight of his arms digging into her sides.
Not just his arms—something sharp as well, pricking at her ribs. A knife?
“Why won’t you ever fucking listen to me?” he growled in her ear. “Why can’t you just go away and stay away? I didn’t want to hurt you. But now I have to.”
31
She kicked at him, but his legs were as solid as tree trunks. She squeaked again, hoping to keep his attention on her instead of on Felix, who was hopefully still in the bathroom.
“You know what your problem is? You’re weak. You were a scared little girl back then, and you’re not much better now. You let a kid tell you what to do and where to go? Jesus!”
Where did she know him from? She couldn’t pin it down, but she knew his voice from somewhere. Not well. But enough.
He dragged her away from the restroom. The world tilted like a funhouse ride—she saw the restroom, the vents that must have enabled him to eavesdrop, cars in the parking lot.
Cars. One of them must belong to this man. But the others…if she could just make a so
und loud enough to be heard…
She tried to scream, but his hand was so tight over her mouth that only a squeaky breath came out.
“Give it up, little girl. I’m done with you. I didn’t want to hurt you, I just wanted you gone. But you know what happens to people who get in my way.”
Horror seized her. Was he talking about the murder of Robert Knight? Oh my God…this man was the killer. A killer who really didn’t want her in Jupiter Point.
If she could just get her mouth free, not to scream but to ask him some questions…he was probably dying to tell his story. Wasn’t that what they did on TV shows, goad the suspect into boasting about their evil deeds? But how were you supposed to goad when you could barely squawk?
He dragged her toward the wooded area behind the rest stop, where the leaves of birch and aspen trees fluttered in the breeze. To make matters worse, it was almost sunset. Felix was all alone back at the rest stop. He didn’t have a phone or the keys to the car. Please let someone at the rest stop be a Good Samaritan type. Please be smart, Felix. If only she’d given him her phone.
If only…if only…if only she could have seen Ben one more time. Just one more chance to feast her eyes on him, to soak in the bliss of his presence. Okay, might as well be greedy…one more time to get naked with him, to travel to that intimate place where they were the only two people who existed.
The man grunted harshly in her ear and his grip loosened, just a bit—enough for her to break away. She lost her balance and stumbled to the ground. She heard the thump of flesh on flesh, along with a vicious curse. She scrambled to her knees to see what was happening.
Ben.
Ben was happening. His fury made him seem ten feet tall as he loomed over the man and slammed a vicious blow into his kidney region.
“Who are you?” Ben demanded. “What do you want with Julie? Why’d you take Felix?”
The man cowered away from him, shielding his head with his arm. He was wearing a cowboy hat that by some miracle hadn’t flown off yet. Julie wondered crazily if he’d glued it to his head somehow. He’d planned everything—the change of disguise, Plan B in case she didn’t follow instructions, a weapon—
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