by Mary Stone
“I’ll stand,” they replied in unison.
“What do you want?”
“We’re here about a trip you took a little over five years ago.”
Steve nodded, sniffed, and rubbed the back of his hand across his nostrils. “Ghana? Man, that was something. We had the best time.” He paused, the whites of his eyes flashing. “I didn’t do nothin’ illegal there, I swear. I was a different person back then.”
“Cocaine?” Ellie asked.
“It’s a helluva drug.” Steve chuckled, scratching his arm again. “But I guess that’s not why you’re here.”
“We’re wondering about these women.” Ellie handed him a copy of the picture of the two together. “Do you remember them?”
He squinted hard before shaking his head. “I don’t, but there are a lot of things that are sort of fuzzy these days.”
Ellie forced a smile, her shoulders tensing. She shot Jillian a look and knew the other woman was thinking the same thing. It was going to be next to impossible to get anything useful out of this junkie, especially when he was in desperate need of a fix. “Mabel and Tabitha. They were a couple. They were the only ones who signed up together.”
He started to shake his head and stopped, his face a mask of concentration. “Wait. The names ring a bell. I think they were on the register and were the ones who didn’t show. That happens a lot. People get all stoked about helping others, then as the trip gets close, it starts to sound like work.”
“So, they were signed up to go but didn’t show up?”
He scratched at his neck before moving to claw at his cheek. “I think so. I think they were at the first meeting. There were a lot of people on that trip.”
“Just fifteen.”
“No. There were like, twenty, I think. Me, Katarina, and the three guys from the volunteer tourism group, and the guide and stuff.”
“Katarina?” Ellie pressed at the new name.
To her surprise, Steve blushed, scratching himself even harder. He inhaled deeply and let out the long sigh of a man dissed by a woman. “Man, that woman was something else. Flirted with me hardcore. Then we got back, and she didn’t return my texts.” His eyes were glossy with unshed tears when he looked back at Ellie. “Straight up ghosted me. It’s like we didn’t share a love so deep that it crushed my soul when I called and her phone was disconnected.”
“I didn’t see anyone named Katarina in the pictures.”
“That’s because she had a contract.” When Ellie arched an eyebrow, he explained. “Modeling. She signed with a big agency, and part of her contract was that she couldn’t be photographed by anyone until her campaign debuted. Every time a camera came out, she found a way out of getting her picture taken.”
Ellie glanced at Jillian, who was writing so fast the tip of her pen on the paper was a blur. “Go on,” Ellie said to Steve. “Where did you recruit Katarina from? For the trip, I mean.”
“I didn’t recruit her. She’s the one who approached me and offered me a job organizing the volunteers for the trip. It was a sweet gig, and it paid bank.” He pursed his lips together. “She brought me cash. You know, so I didn’t have to claim it on my taxes.” Steve’s lips parted, and he let out a little breath. “You’re not with the IRS, are you?”
“We have no interest in your financials,” Ellie assured him. “But why isn’t Katarina on the roster anywhere? And did Katarina bring the tourists to you, or did you find them?”
“Katarina wasn’t a guest. There was no reason to write her name down. But she gave me all the names and told me how to word the email so people would be interested.”
“Do you still have the email from her?” Ellie glanced around for a laptop, not having any luck.
“From her? No. She didn’t email me. She stood over my shoulder, telling me exactly what to write. It was hard for her to communicate in writing, and I wanted her to be happy. English wasn’t her first language, and she didn’t want her email to sound stupid.”
“So, she came here?”
“No. I went to her apartment.” He looked down at his hands, closing his eyes for a long moment before he opened them and continued. “We made love, and she told me about the trip she was organizing, but she needed help. I told her she didn’t have to pay me, but she insisted that her bosses had deep pockets.”
Excitement caught in Ellie’s chest. “Do you remember where her apartment was?”
“Yes, but it doesn’t matter. Everything was gone when I went over there. I asked a couple people if they knew where she’d gone, and no one had any idea who I was talking about.”
“I hate to sound rude, but are you sure you went to the right place?” Jillian asked, pausing in her notetaking.
Steve laughed, snorted, then coughed and scratched the back of his head. “I get it. You don’t believe the junky, right? But I was clean then. Katarina made me this way. She came out of nowhere, and suddenly my life was complete. She even promised I would have a job when we got back.” He scoffed and looked close to tears.
“But you didn’t?” Ellie didn’t like the sound of this Katarina.
“We were going to host people in locations all over the world. Doing good and making a difference. Together.” Steve let out a shuddering breath. “I was going to marry her. When she disappeared, I spiraled bad. I lost my house and my car, and I ended up here.” He gestured around the room. “Started selling when shit got real bad, and I couldn’t get my job back.”
“Where did you work before?” Jillian held the pen poised, having forgotten she was technically the secretary on this run.
“In a great job in tech. Everything I dreamed of my entire life, and I worked really hard to get where I was. But man, when she offered me all that dough…” His grin was lopsided, a touch of sadness in his eyes. “I flipped my boss off on the way out the door. Seven grand a month and an all-expense-paid vacation every six weeks? I was ready for it.”
Ellie fought to not roll her eyes. “What about the other excursions you hosted?”
He shrugged. “I guess that’s how they found me, but those weren’t for Katarina. That was just volunteerism, man.” He pounded his chest once with a closed fist. “You know, from the heart. I did it because I wanted to do some good in this world. But shit when downhill when greed got in the way.” The fingers of his left hand were trembling, and a nervous twitch had started at the corner of his eye.
“And you didn’t get any pictures of her? Or maybe the modeling campaign he told you about?”
He shook his head, sadness welling into his eyes.
“Could you describe her if I sent over a sketch artist?”
He lifted a shoulder. “Yeah.”
Ellie nodded at Jillian and took a step toward the exit. “You’ve been a great help.” She handed her card to him. “If you think of anything else, give me a call, okay?”
“How will you pay?” Steve said as Ellie reached the door.
Ellie turned and frowned. “Pardon?”
“If I give you info over the phone, how are you going to pay me?”
“We’ll figure something out.”
He nodded, and Ellie hurried Jillian out of the dilapidated house and down the uneven walkway. They were on the highway before either of them spoke.
“He wasn’t serious, was he?” Jillian’s face was aghast. “What a creep. And did you hear the way he talked about that Katarina girl?”
Ellie narrowed her eyes as she drove. “Do you think she was real?”
“I don’t know, but I know he was hurting really bad. You think he does more than just cocaine?”
The last time Ellie checked, cocaine didn’t make a person itch like a dog with fleas. “Maybe meth, but I didn’t see any marks on him to suggest he shoots up.”
“Do you think he’s telling the truth?”
Ellie shrugged, taking the Lockwood Drive exit and letting out a long sigh. “I don’t know. His story is wild, and he’s all over the place. At one point, he was probably a fine, upstand
ing citizen.”
“Do you think he killed them?”
“I don’t know that either. But I think there’s more he’s not telling us, and he was involved somehow.”
“Agreed,” Jillian said.
When they went through the front door, Fortis was walking down the main hall toward the entrance. He stopped, eyes narrowed. “You’re something else, Ellie. I hope this little trip was worth the trouble?”
Ellie gave him an innocent look. “You said to never go alone again.”
“I’ll have to be more specific next time. Find anything?”
“Yes, sir. Our victims didn’t make it out of the country. They were killed before the group left.”
“Who’d you talk to?”
“The group leader.” Ellie breathed in through her nose, pressing her lips tight. “He’s a junky with a wild story about how he ended up on the trip in the first place. I’m not sure how much we can believe, but I’m certain Mabel and Tabitha never made it on board the plane. Not that Steve Garret was paying enough attention to notice. They were on the register, but he can’t remember seeing them at all aside from the first meeting.”
“You think he did it?”
Her instincts were telling her there was more there, but that Steve wasn’t a murderer. “Hard to say. I think he knows more than he’s letting on.”
“Well, keep on him, maybe he’ll crack.” Fortis headed toward the door again. “And Kline?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Excellent work.” His gaze caught on Jillian, and he smiled. “You too, Reed. Thanks for keeping her out of trouble.” His laughter echoed through the hallway as the front door closed behind him.
“That went better than I expected,” Ellie said.
Jillian smiled, blowing out a breath. “What’s next?”
“Well.” Ellie led the way onto the elevator. “First, we’re going to verify everything Steve Garret told us. Then, we’re going to find this mystery woman.”
“Do you think she really exists?”
“I don’t know, but if she does, I’d bet she can tell us the cold truth.”
“And if she doesn’t?” Jillian pressed the button to the basement multiple times, as if that would get them moving faster.
“Then Steve Garret will have to answer for that. And if so, we’ll bring him in.”
25
“Thank you so much for your time,” the man said, lingering in the doorway with a wide grin on his face.
“That’s what I’m here for,” I responded. “I’ll see you in two weeks.”
My patient paused. “Is it possible to move to weekly appointments?”
“You don’t need them,” I assured him. “In fact, I think once a month would be better.”
“I’d really rather come once a week.”
I felt the familiar tingle of anger running up the back of my skull, but I made sure my smile remained firmly in place. “You’ve made some impressive headway. Let’s not ruin it.”
Sadness swept across his face, then barely contained rage. “Did I do something wrong?” he demanded.
“Not at all.” I remained calm, cool, completely in control.
“I’m the client, aren’t I?”
“Of course,” I assured him.
“I would like to see you once a week. That’s how this works.”
I sucked in a deep breath just as my assistant appeared, his soft brown eyes wide, mouth tight. “Gabe. Please make sure to update Mr. Pritchard’s address. I’m not sure it’s correct as we’re having some billing issues. He’s only approved for twice a month. Let’s see if we can get him a more regular schedule.”
I longed to slap the satisfied look right off Pritchard’s face, but Gabe didn’t miss a beat. He swooped in with his perfect smile and gently took Mr. Pritchard’s arm, leading him away from my office. “Let’s get all your information squared away and make sure things are in there correctly, shall we?”
“Yes, thank you.” My client allowed Gabe to lead him out in the hall, nodding in my direction.
As Gabe walked away, I marveled at how he’d learned to anticipate my every need. It was the only reason he’d lasted as long as he had.
Shaking with rage, I poured myself a shot of dark bourbon and downed it. I closed my eyes as the heat spread down my throat, and let out a sigh. Pritchard wasn’t the first to sink in adoration at my feet, but his obsession was unwelcomed. I chose my consorts carefully, and the oily, peevish man was useless to me.
The phone rang and an all too familiar number flashed on the screen. “Speaking of useless,” I muttered. “What?” I demanded when I snatched the phone out of the cradle.
“She went to talk to Garret today.”
I sat up straight, my heart quickening, as close as I came to feeling unsettled. “Why would she do that?”
Ernest scoffed through the phone. “Why else would she? She must know something.”
“Did you listen in on their conversation?”
There was silence, then his voice was hesitant. “The little weasel is paranoid or something. None of the bugs we planted work.”
“Why wouldn’t you bring this to my attention before now?”
“W-when we tested them, they worked fine. I’m not sure when things changed, but the bugs could just be malfunctioning.”
“All of them?” I was barely able to get the words out from between my clenched teeth.
“Yes, sir.”
“He’s likely using a signal interrupter. That works on a variety of devices. It’s doubtful he even knows about the planted bugs.”
“Sir?”
I began to pace, pissed that I was forced to explain. “A signal interrupter will prevent things like baby monitors and short wave satellites from picking up his conversations. It’s preventative only and is a broad spectrum tool. If he knew about the actual bugs in his house, he would’ve removed them or worse. Don’t worry about it. He doesn’t know.”
“All right, but Ellie still went there today and spent quite a bit of time inside. That can’t be good.”
I poured another shot of bourbon, refusing to be bothered by this news. “His name was bound to come up in an investigation.”
“I’m not worried about him, so much as what he might say.”
“Such as?” I asked.
“About Katarina?”
I closed my eyes as the name rang through my brain. “What would he tell Ellie about her that would yield any information?”
“I don’t know. But they were in there a long time and if he didn’t tell them about Katarina, then why were they in there for so long? What else could he have been telling them?”
“They?” I paused with the shot glass nearly to my lips, wondering if I should risk making myself fuzzy around the edges.
“Jillian Reed was with her again.”
“Reed is a desk clerk, not an officer, much less detective.” The mousy little librarian turned desk jockey didn’t seem like the type to risk her neck. But then, I hadn’t thought the rebellious redhead with the bouncing curls would make detective.
I licked my lips, envisioning the way her hair had stretched and coiled like perfect, fiery springs with every movement of her head. She was luscious, bold, and I longed to share the same air with her again.
“Did you hear me?”
I blinked, scowling. “If you wouldn’t mutter, there would be no issue.” I injected my voice with disdain to cover up the fact that my mind had wandered. “Say it again. This time without sounding like you’ve a mouth full of marbles.”
“As far as I know Reed hasn’t made officer, but she’s still helping Ellie. If you don’t want to deal with Ellie, perhaps Jillian could stand to—”
“Don’t!” I snapped, then I lowered my voice, checking the doorway. “I will tell you when and if I want you to do anything.” I gave a snort of disbelief. “If you haven’t noticed, everything you touch turns vile. Don’t make a move on either woman. I’ll take care of this.”
“Sir, I-I’m…” He tripped over his own tongue like a bumbling buffoon. “I’m sorry.”
“Altered behavior is the only apology I’ll accept. I’ve more important things to consider than your constant attacks of conscience.” I paused and sighed dramatically. “Perhaps you’re not the man I thought you were.”
“That’s not true,” he hurried to say. Backed into a corner, he could agree with me and prove he was incompetent, or he could argue with me and prove the same. There was no right answer.
Glee rushed through me, and for the first time since I’d woken that morning, I felt pure joy. He remained silent and I remained superior. It was the one thing that I loved about him. “You’ll await my instructions. Until then, try not to trounce around Charleston in a panic. It’s unbecoming.”
I hung up before the boot licking could commence. If I wanted my ego stroked, Gabe was far better at it than any other.
I sat in the chair for some time going over my options. For once, the sniveling loon was right about Ellie. She was getting far too close and something needed to be done. The fact that she went to Garret meant that she was on the right track. As much as I enjoyed observing her without getting my hands dirty, action was needed.
The man I dialed answered on the first ring. “Sir,” he said, his voice brisk. I imagined him snapping to attention.
“The time has come to make good on our debt.”
“Understood.”
I relished the feeling of being in command, and paused for a moment to let the tension build. “I need you to take care of a little problem for me.”
“I’m listening.”
“There’s a mess that needs cleaning. A man by the name of Steve Garret.” I rattled off Garret’s address. “It needs to look like an accident.”
“I can do that, sir.”
“But before you kill him, give him a message for me. Tell him ‘Dr. X sends his regards.’ Nothing more. Just that.”
“As you wish.” The clipped words were music to my ears.
“It should be done quickly before he spooks and takes off.”
