“You certainly did.” She put her arm around him and rocked the swing. Jackson put his head on her shoulder. “You ready for some lunch? You hardly had any breakfast.”
“Yes! I’m starved!” Jackson was surely ready for something to eat. “Tuna fish?”
“Coming right up. Let’s go.” Colleen took him by the hand, and Buddy followed them to the gate.
“Thanks, Buddy.” Jackson patted him on the head and pushed the buzzer for Ellie to release the gate. “Thanks, Ms. Bowman,” Jackson said to the air around him.
“You’re welcome.” Ellie’s voice came from the speaker next to the gate.
“See you tomorrow.” Ellie realized the irony in what she had just said. Or was it a dichotomy? She could see them, but they couldn’t see her. She had almost forgotten the dynamics. Seeing Jackson sleeping so peacefully with Buddy had helped to ease her mind after the nightmare that had wakened her that morning. She finally made up her mind. She would invite Colleen over. But first, she had to invite Hector into her house. That would only be right. After all, he was the reason she was there. She owed him that much. That is, assuming he cared. She thought about it again. Of course he cared.
Lunch had sounded like a good idea, so she went to the refrigerator and peeked inside. Time to make a shopping list. She took out a few eggs, some milk, cheddar cheese, bacon, and butter. There was a package of crescent dinner rolls in the refrigerator door. She checked the expiration date. There were still a few days left.
Sunday brunch sounded like a good idea. She looked for a split of champagne in the wine refrigerator and some pear nectar. Perfect. She’d make herself a Bellini.
That was something she missed—Sunday brunch with Kara. They would go to a restaurant, have a leisurely brunch, then go to an art exhibit. In the summer months, they would go to the park and listen to live music, usually a jazz combo or an ethnic band from the Caribbean. Once, there was an accordion player with a real monkey. The accordion player wasn’t all that great, but the monkey provided plenty of entertainment. He was a feisty little thing, trying to look up the ladies’ dresses. They wondered who the bigger pervert was, the player or the monkey. Someone must have taught that monkey his tricks. One of his favorites was picking a man’s wallet out of his pocket. But the player would never let the monkey keep the wallet, although once it was returned to its rightful owner, most owners felt compelled to give the monkey a reward. Seemed odd and contradictory, getting a reward for returning something that you had stolen. But it was all in good fun. Those were happier days, for sure. Maybe one day she would have happy days again. Baby steps.
She took her Bellini and one of the burner phones into her walk-in closet and made her weekly calls to her mother and Kara. Mom was first.
“Hey, Mom! How are you?” Ellie was feeling pretty chipper.
“Hey, sweetie. I’m doing fine. How’s my super-spy daughter doing?”
“Mom, I’m not a spy.” Ellie laughed.
“Well, with all the secrecy, you’d think you were working for the CIA.”
Ellie was quiet for a moment.
“Honey?”
“Yes, Mom, you’d think that, wouldn’t you?” It occurred to her that a CIA gig wouldn’t be such a bad cover. She’d use that if things ever got out of hand.
“So, when is this secret mission of yours going to be over? We miss you.”
“I miss you, too. I wish I had enough information to give you, but I honestly don’t know. Once I’m finished here, they’re going to send me somewhere else.” She was running out of countries in her head.
“Well, I hope they’re not sending you to some ungodly places with terrorists and all.”
“Now, Mom, we discussed this before. I am not in any physical danger,” she lied.
“I should hope not. But I’ve heard some of these government contract jobs are in remote areas of the world. In uncivilized areas.”
Ellie moved a few pair of shoes to get more comfortable. This was going to be a long make-Mom-feel-OK conversation.
“I can assure you I am not in an uncivilized area.” She picked up one of her sneakers, gave it a disgusted look, and tossed it aside. “It is remote, but not in a bad way.”
“Can you explain further, or would that be a breach of your contract?” her mother prodded.
“I’m not in Antarctica. That much I can tell you.” At least that much was true.
“That’s reassuring.” Her mother laughed quietly. “Do you have any idea how much longer this is going to be?” Ellie’s mother asked the same question week after week, hoping Ellie’s answer would change.
“Maybe a couple more months,” Ellie lied. She had no idea how long it would be, but that was better than telling her mother it was yet to be determined. It would also make her mother relax if she thought it would be over soon.
“So what else is happening?” Ellie took a sip of her brunch beverage. “Any local gossip?” She wondered if her mother knew that Rick had been in touch with Christian.
“The library is putting the summer reading programs together. They want to have more than one a week, but I told them it’s not worth the effort. Kids want to play outside, go swimming, camp, and all that.”
“You’re probably right, Mom.”
“And Kara agrees with me. She got into it the other day with Mrs. Wilson.”
“Uptight Willie?” Ellie remembered the sourpuss from the local library. It was people like her who gave librarians a bad rap. And most librarians were a lot hipper and cooler than people gave them credit for. Ellie had dealt with many of them before the incident and found them to be fun and often wild. Who knew?
“Yes. Apparently, she doesn’t think fresh air is important.”
“Well, one could argue she suffers from a lack of oxygen.”
“More like too much hot air!” Both laughed.
“Anything else to report?” Ellie didn’t want to mention Rick.
“Nothing else, dear.”
“OK, Mom. I’ll give you a buzz next week. You take care of yourself. Love you!”
“And you take care of yourself, too, honey. Love you, too.”
They ended the call. Ellie took another sip and dialed Kara’s number. She was anxious to hear if there was any more news about Rick. She cared, but not in the way an ex-girlfriend would care. This was different.
“Hey, girl!” Kara’s bright voice said over the phone.
“How did you know it was me?”
“That weird area code. I know it’s one of those disposable phones, my friend.”
“Correct. But it’s not as if I haven’t been using one for the past two years.”
“True, but you asked!” Kara giggled.
“What’s the latest?” Ellie held her breath. “Any more news from Mr. Wonderful?”
“Yeah. He called last night. Christian asked him what he needed the money for. He said it was a project he was working on and he needed funding for it.”
“What kind of project?”
“Well, that’s just it. He told Christian it was some kind of proprietary thing and he had to sign a nondisclosure agreement.”
Ellie was dubious. “Interesting. What did Christian tell him?”
“Like I told you the other day. If he gives him one penny, I will send him to the moon without a rocket ship.”
“You gave up on the idea of kicking his ass down the stairs?” Ellie teased.
“Whichever one provides the better opportunity!” They burst into laughter.
“I really miss you, Kara.”
“Miss you, too, my friend. Anyway, Christian told him that he really needed more information before he could float it past me.”
“Christian ain’t no dummy!” Ellie smiled.
“Seriously. I think Christian wasn’t buying his story. Since when was Rick an entrepreneur?”
“Beats me. He was able to go a long way with his good looks and charm.” Ellie remembered what it was like when she had first met him.
&nbs
p; “And let’s not forget that bankroll he blew.”
“Boy, was his father pissed. I guess when they set up that trust, there were few or no stipulations. A hundred grand when he turned twenty-five. And another when he turned thirty.”
“Yeah. That’s just crazy. Imagine what most people could do with that kind of money?”
“I hear ya. I guess his father thought he would invest the first chunk and have backup for further investments. I suppose it made sense at the time, considering his father was a very successful real-estate investor. He probably thought good business sense ran in the family,” Ellie observed.
“When you met him he was what, thirty?”
“Yes. He had just gotten the second pile of cash. Remember, he wooed me by taking me to the Bahamas for a romantic weekend?” Ellie thought back to the time when she had dated Rick.
“He surely won you over with the gifts, dinners, trips.”
“It wasn’t about the stuff. It was about his damn charm. And his wit and intellect. He was a smooth operator, that’s for sure.”
“You know I’ve always felt a little guilty introducing you to him and pushing for you to date him,” Kara confessed for the zillionth time.
“Well, don’t. I made my own choices. It was fun and romantic. How could one resist?” Ellie sighed.
“True. But when his father cut him off after he spent all the money, he was no longer so charming,” Kara noted.
“No kidding. Boy, did he turn into a total ass.” Ellie remembered that much.
“And then leaving town while you were in the hospital? That was the worst.” Kara opened the wound again.
“Good thing I don’t remember much, or I’d really be pissed,” Ellie said soberly.
“Let’s change the subject. We don’t need to be wasting our time talking about that jerk.”
“I don’t suppose he mentioned where he was?” Ellie had to ask.
“Nope. Just that it was all ‘under wraps.’ He’s as mysterious as you are, girl. But I know you’re not lying.”
Little did she know, Ellie thought.
“So, I hear Willie Wilson is giving you guys a hard time about the summer library program?” Ellie changed the subject, but she couldn’t erase from her mind her concern about Rick and his whereabouts.
“I wanted to offer summer reading at camps, but Willie said she did not want to be responsible for bringing books to places with dirt,” Kara said.
“If she only knew what kids did when they got their library books home.” Ellie laughed, remembering using them to sit on when there was nothing else between her butt and the ground.
They both cackled at that remark. Kara added, “I offered to pay for any damages out of my own pocket, but she said that was against the rules. Something about violating government funding.”
“That’s ridiculous. You mean to tell me that people can’t make donations?” Ellie asked.
“You just gave me an idea. I am going to buy a dozen books and donate them with the stipulation they be used for summer-camp reading programs. That ought to put her panties in a wad.”
They were hysterical at this point. “That’s a sight I’d rather skip,” Ellie said.
“You mean the look on her face?”
“No, the tighty whities!” Ellie was snorting with laughter, and Kara echoed her glee.
“Whew. That was funny,” Kara added. “It’s so good to hear you laugh.”
“It feels good to laugh.” Ellie had to admit to herself that it really did feel good.
“OK, girlfriend. I’d better get going. I don’t want to burn up all my minutes,” Ellie said. “Next week?”
“Same bat time? Same bat channel?” Kara snickered.
“You got it! Take care of yourself and keep laughing. Love you, my friend.”
“Love you, too,” Ellie said, and disconnected the call.
She couldn’t stop thinking about Rick. The money. His location. Where can he be? And what is he doing? Why does he need $5,000?
Ellie got up and took the sneakers with her. She opened the bedroom door, where Buddy had been waiting for almost an hour. He knew the routine, but he didn’t like it. Buddy would get anxious if he didn’t have access to her. “Hey, pal. All done. My mom is good, so is Kara.” He looked at her as if he knew exactly what she was saying. He woofed in approval. He nudged her leg. “What?” She patted him on the head. She knew he could feel her anxiety, too. Why did she have to bring him up? She knew the answer to that question. She wanted to know where he was. She needed to know where he was.
She took out a garbage bag and tossed her sneakers in it. She was horrified that she still had those old things. Why hadn’t she thrown them out already? Then it dawned on her. They were the sneakers she was wearing the night she was taken to the hospital. At least, that’s what they put in the bag with her personal belongings when she was discharged. They were her size and looked familiar when the nurse handed the bag to her. But the situation that put her there was still submerged somewhere in her subconscious. Perhaps she thought the shoes would help her remember. On the other hand, maybe it was better if she couldn’t.
She rinsed her glass and put it in the dishwasher. Percy was in his usual spot on the counter, expecting something. “You are too much!” Ellie laughed and gave him a treat. She knew that if she gave him a treat every time he got up on the counter, he would never stop. But it was too late. She had done it over a hundred times. Plus, Percy liked to be close to her eye level instead of always being on the floor. The floor was good for getting oneself from one part of the house to the other, but when it came to sitting, Percy wanted to be able to look you in the eye. He was quite a character.
Ellie headed up to the loft and promised herself she would not do any cyber-sleuthing about Rick. But as soon as she sat down, she logged into her access point to the dark web. You could find anything there if you knew how to navigate and access the sites. People in the tech world referred to it as going for a deep dive when someone wanted to get the nitty-gritty details on someone. That’s how so many hackers succeeded. They went through the back door, so to speak. No system was foolproof or hack proof. She should know that. Very often, she tested systems for possible security breaches.
Ellie usually avoided going to certain sites for her own purposes, but occasionally she would have to do it for a client. It was often part of the testing process. While she didn’t have access to bank records, getting public records was a snap. Most people would go to one of those “people info” websites and have to spend money to get background checks, often turning up nothing.
Ellie could get all the details with one or two clicks.
She started with the area where she had last seen Rick. At least, where she remembered seeing him last. In an instant, a sharp, searing pain passed through her head. She began to get dizzy.
She stumbled over to the sofa and lay down. This was the second time it had happened in just a few days. Both times, it had happened when she tried to find Rick. Maybe she should take it as a big hint from the universe—leave it alone. But she could not. She decided to rest a bit until the buzzing in her head subsided. The migraines had been frequent when she was in the hospital and had continued for a few months afterward. Since moving to Hibbing, the migraines were few and far between. She tried to recall the last one she had had. Except for the other day, she realized that it had been almost a year. Hibbing had been good for her in a very unconventional way.
Chapter Nineteen
Rick Barnes had led a charmed life for a long time. He had good looks, charisma, and a wad of money, money he didn’t mind spending on whatever he wanted. But, at the moment, he was broke and a thousand miles from home. He hated the idea of calling one of his old buddies and asking for money, but he certainly couldn’t ask his old man. His father had, for all intents and purposes, disowned him. Rick knew he was a fool to have blown through all that dough, $200,000, but he couldn’t help it. The parties, the cocaine, the women. Yeah, the women love
d to drink Dom Perignon, and he loved to be able to order it just by snapping his fingers.
Fortunately for him, after blowing the first hundred grand, he had been on a winning streak at various casinos. Hotel suites, single-malt scotch, champagne, and megastar shows were at his disposal. As long as he kept winning, the casinos were happy to pick up his tab, hoping they would eventually get their money back. It had worked for him for a few years. He would win an average of $50,000 over a weekend and was smart enough to take it home. With his winnings, and the casinos comping him, he was having the time of his life.
When he turned thirty, the second $100,000 was released to him, much to his father’s dismay. His father had never expected his son to blow the first $100,000. Richard J. Barnes Sr. thought his son was smarter than that. He was correct to believe that his son was smart; unfortunately, his son had not an ounce of common sense. Richard J. Barnes Sr. knew that his son was ambitious. What he did not realize was that his son had no work ethic, as in zero. Only when Rick had graduated from college, with a grade-point average that reflected his partying rather than his studying, did that realization take hold.
His father gave him a job working as a project manager for his real-estate development company. But all Rick managed to do was come in late, miss meetings, and totally lose track of the timeline for the job.
Rick thought his father was being too hard on him. What was the big deal anyway? he thought. There were so many projects in the works, and his father was loaded. What was the problem with one job being a week late? Except one week turned into two, then a month. The client was aggravated and frustrated and asked that Rick be removed from the project. Having no choice, and at risk of losing a valued client, his father put someone more competent on the job and gave Rick something easier to handle.
Unfortunately, Rick also proved unable to manage anything simple. Finally, his father relegated him to managing the office. His only job was to keep track of supplies. But he didn’t do that very well either. The copy machine was out of paper. The postage-stamp machine had expired. The cleaning people hadn’t been paid in weeks and threatened to stop working. But Rick always had an excuse. Lost paperwork. No one told him they needed certain things. The list went on and on. Rick had an excuse for every failure on his part. He could write a book on it; he was that good at shifting blame. Rick’s dad was starting to feel the eyes of his employees burning holes in his back when he walked into his corner office. He knew deep down that hiring Rick had not been the best idea he had ever had, but Rick’s mother insisted that he be part of the family business. Why he listened to that woman when it came to business was a mystery. Maybe it was because her father had started the business? But even if that was how Richard Barnes began, he had earned his way to the top, tripling his father-in-law’s revenues in less than four years. No, Richard J. Barnes Sr. had earned every penny. It was sad that he couldn’t say the same for his son.
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