by Alton Gansky
“And because your stepmother is so well known.”
He bristled. “It might seem like that to someone unfamiliar with large business operations like this one, but her figurehead status is just that. We’re the leader because we provide the best product.”
The time had come to spring the question he had been holding like an ace up his sleeve. “What can you tell me about the explosion in Fresno?”
“I don’t know how the phone … What?”
“The house in Fresno. The one that exploded and your stepmother was seen entering.”
The color drained from Find’s face. “You mean … ?”
“No. I’m sorry.” He wasn’t. Wilson wanted to gauge the reaction. “No bodies found. Just a burned-out house Ms. Find was seen entering.”
“In Fresno? How did she … ? Oh.” He snapped up the phone and punched a button. His assistant answered. “I want you to find out where the jet is. Immediately. Call me right back.” He crammed the receiver back in the cradle.
“I take it this is all news to you.”
“Take it any way you want.” He shot to his feet and paced behind his desk. “Fresno? What’s in Fresno? She said nothing to me.”
“The police in Fresno want to talk to her.”
“What is going on here? First the cell phone thing, then Terri’s mishap, now you’re telling me the offices have been bugged — ”
“Just Ms. Find’s offices on this floor.”
“That’s enough.” He began to swear.
“What about the cell phones?”
“None of them are working. Apparently our illustrious leader hasn’t been paying the bills.”
“Is that like her?”
For a moment, Wilson thought Find was going to say yes, but he didn’t. “No. She’s pretty good about such things.”
“She pays the bills herself, does she?”
Find shook his head. “No, we have accountants and a CFO who take care of such details, but I spoke to them. He doesn’t understand what the problem is. Nonetheless, the ultimate responsibility rests with her.”
The phone rang and Find seized it like a cat attacking a mouse. “What? When? Where is it now? Well find out.” Again the receiver hit the cradle. “That was my assistant. She determined the corporate jet left early this afternoon for a destination unknown. Well, I guess we know.”
“Is there a way to find out where the jet is right now?”
“Who knows?”
“I wonder if they filed a flight plan.”
“Probably.” Find returned to his seat. He seemed calmer — maybe too calm. Wilson saw a glint in his eye.
Wilson stood. “I’d appreciate it if you’d keep me informed if she contacts you. I’ll let you know if we learn anything else about the electronic surveillance.”
“Thank you, Detective.”
Before Wilson could reach the door, Marlin said, “I’m sure this is all just a misunderstanding.” He could smell the lie. “I need to be prepared. What kind of trouble could my stepmother be in for this explosion thing?”
“That depends on involvement. If she is involved, then I can think of half a dozen felonies the D.A. would toss at her. Of course, she might be the victim. Someone has bugged her office. Whoever did that could be behind the explosion.”
“Of course, of course, I’m sure that’s what it is.”
“Then again …” Wilson let the words hang.
“What?”
“The homeowner has gone missing. We might be looking at kidnapping. My advice is this: if she contacts you, you had better tell her to get to her lawyer and contact the police.”
“If this gets out …”
“Kinda makes that janitor job look good, doesn’t it?”
Oddly, Find seemed to find humor in that.
Two steps outside the door, Detective Ben Wilson began to make phone calls.
The obnoxious detective had finally left his office. Marlin rose, crossed his office, closed the door, then returned to his desk.
He picked up the phone and buzzed his assistant. “I’m going to call for an emergency meeting of the board. Start making calls. Tell them it is a ‘must’ meeting and that I expect everyone to be there — or at least to be available for a teleconference. I want as many faces as possible. The meeting will start at … make it four tomorrow afternoon.” He listened for a moment. “Yes, something is wrong. Just make the calls.”
Marlin leaned back in his chair and for the first time in a frustrating day sensed a cool flow of pleasure.
Maybe, just maybe.
twenty-two
Okay, okay, everyone stay calm.” Luke scanned the restaurant.
Judith looked at Ida then back to Luke. “We are calm, Luke. I don’t see anyone panicking.”
“Sorry. It just seemed the right thing to say.”
Judging by the response of the restaurant’s patrons, the news story went unnoticed. What few diners watched the overhead televisions had eyes fixed to the ones with sports programming.
“What do we do now?” Ida asked.
Before anyone could answer, the waitress, still inspired by the twenty Luke slipped her, arrived with a broad smile. “Is everything delicious?” She looked at Ida’s untouched food. “Is there something wrong with the salad?”
Ida blanched. “No, I just wasn’t as hungry as I thought.”
“You want me to get you something else?”
We want you to leave us alone. Judith kept the words locked in her mind.
Ida said, “No.”
“I know what you mean, honey. I don’t like to eat before I fly either.”
For a moment, Judith thought Ida was going to correct the waitress but the woman caught herself and offered a simple smile.
The moment the waitress left, Judith relaxed, unaware that she had tensed as much as she had. Was the waitress looking at them differently? Had she seen the newscast or had she been too busy keeping track of customers?
Luke sat in silence, his eyes shut, and his head moving slightly from side to side. She made eye contact with Ida then shrugged. Judith hadn’t known Luke long enough to know what the motions meant. She suspected that Luke had fallen deep into thought.
A second later, his eyes snapped open. “This is a problem.”
In a less stressful situation Judith might have laughed at the understatement. “Think so? I kinda thought we had problems when someone tried to blow us up.”
Luke’s mouth dipped. “What I mean is, this has become much more complicated. If the news media has the story, then we can be certain that police agencies everywhere have been notified. We have to assume that since a witness identified you, local police in Ontario are searching for you.”
“But we’re in San Diego.” The fact gave Judith no comfort. The Puppeteer made clear they could not go to the police. They hadn’t but now the police were involved, at least in trying to find them.
“That’s our only advantage. We need to get the most out of it.”
“Oh.” Judith had a thought that removed what little appetite she had. Luke tilted his head in an unspoken question. “The jet. If they’re looking for me, then what would they do? If they assume that it was really me the witness saw in Fresno, then they’ll know I had to get there somehow. My car is at the office. Remember, I had Terri pick it up from Hutch’s.”
“I remember,” Luke said. “And the cops can determine when you were last seen at the office and compare that with when you were seen in Fresno.”
“And know that I flew. It won’t take them long to figure out the corporation has a business jet.”
Luke raised his hands to his face. “Please tell me the pilots didn’t file flight plans.”
“I’m sure they did. It only takes a few moments. It can even be done verbally.”
“What’s that mean?” Ida wondered.
Judith answered. “It means that it’s only a matter of time before someone figures out that the jet traveled from Ontario to Fresno to San Diego
.”
“We can’t stay here much longer,” Luke said.
Judith agreed although a large part of her wanted to walk up to the closest airport security person and lay out the whole story, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Her future was at stake, then — and it shamed her that the thought came second — there was Abel’s safety to consider.
“This changes everything.” Luke shifted his weight like a man perched on a pebble-filled cushion. “We had some advantage when we began, but now that the police and others are looking for us, we have to be even more careful about what we do.”
“They’re not looking for you, Luke. They’re looking for me. I’m a publicly recognizable figure. That must be why the witness knew who I was. You’re not.”
“Granted, but it makes no difference. The Puppeteer has handcuffed us together.”
“Maybe we should go on separately.”
“How? How do we do that? He didn’t say it specifically, but I think part of the deal is that we stick together.”
“And what about me?” Ida asked.
And what about you, indeed. Judith had no ideas. They couldn’t cart an unwilling woman along. They had no idea what lay ahead and based on the narrow escape they just faced, the future might be dangerous. Of course, the demolished house provided proof enough that the woman was in danger. She couldn’t go home. What was left?
No one spoke, the question too sticky to dismiss easily.
“I’m going with you.” Ida made the pronouncement in solid I’ve-made-up-my-mind tone.
Luke shook his head. “I don’t think that’s wise, Ida. We’re not sure where we’re going or what we’ll find. There is too much uncertainty.”
“What certainty do I have now? My house is charred rubble, my husband is dead, and my son is missing.”
“Still, Ida, it’s unwise.”
Judith spoke up. “I think she should come with us.”
“Are you daft? You know how difficult this is.”
“No, I’m not daft.” Judith leaned over the table to keep her voice from carrying to the other patrons. “You’re not thinking this through. We can’t stay here much longer and we haven’t learned all that Ida has to say. She may have more information.” Judith nudged the woman with her foot. She jerked.
“That’s right. I’m not telling you any more unless you let me come along.”
Luke started to speak, but Judith cut him off. “Not only that, she can identify you. You introduced yourself to her at her home. If the police get hold of her, they’ll have names and descriptions for both of us. If she claims we kidnapped her, then we have bigger problems. If she implicates us in the kidnapping of her son, then the FBI gets involved. Right? The FBI has jurisdiction over child abduction. It’s bad enough having local cops from two cities — ”
“Three cities,” Luke said. “If your pilots filed a flight plan, then they know the jet is here and the locals will be notified by a phone call.”
“Okay, three cities.”
“But it’s hard enough for two people to stay invisible, especially when one has had her face on television for years. Three people might be impossible.”
“Think, Luke. If we find Abel, do you think he’s going to run into our arms because we look like a nice couple? He’s been abducted from his home. He wants to see his mother.”
Ida’s face set like stone. Judith couldn’t tell if she was acting or if a strength and intelligence previously masked by sorrow was now coming to the surface. Either way, she was playing the part well. Judith just hoped she had chosen the right side.
“I know when I’m being worked.” Luke’s frown turned into a scowl.
Judith answered the scowl with a grin. “You are, but you know that taking Ida is the right decision.”
“I don’t think she’d turn on us, but you make a good point about Abel responding to his mother better than to us, and about our need to hear the rest of Ida’s story.” He leaned back and his shoulders rounded. “You win.”
Once again, Ida seemed on the verge of tears, but Judith saw something new in the woman: resolve.
“What now?” Ida asked.
“We leave but once outside the restaurant, we split up.”
“Split up?”
Luke raised a hand. “Not completely. They’re going to be looking for three people, one man and two women. We stick out like coal on snow. You two walk together, I’ll stay a few steps behind. We are never to lose sight of one another. And speaking of sticking out, Judith, you need to buy a hat, or scarf or something, and some shades. Disguise yourself the best you can. Don’t — I’m serious about this — do not use any credit card or debit card. Got it? They’re looking for you and any transaction other than cash can be traced. Do you have any money?”
“Enough.”
“Okay. I’m going to get more cash from an ATM machine. No one has identified me yet so I think I can get away with it. Once they do, all my plastic gets tossed.”
“Understood.” Judith took a deep breath. “Let’s go.”
Luke threw two twenties on the table and the three walked into the concourse of the airport.
Sam Pennington taxied the Piper Arrow 180 aircraft to the runway and waited the final clearance to take off from the Fresno Chandler Downtown Airport. He had wanted to be in the air sooner, but the local cops and fire investigators had an endless stream of “just one last question.” Finally satisfied, they gave him his leave and he returned his rental car and rented the single engine aircraft. At 120 bucks an hour most people would have choked at the expense, but Pennington didn’t care. It wasn’t his money he was spending.
The tower radioed his clearance and Pennington put the craft into motion. An experienced private pilot, he felt the thrill of acceleration and lift and soon exchanged the view of the ground for the blue of the central California sky. Soon he’d be at altitude and traveling at 130 knots.
His destination had been easy to determine. People like Judith Find didn’t travel in commercial airliners. A couple of phone calls and two or three lies got him the information he needed. What he didn’t know was why Judith Find had been at his target’s house in the first place and who the man with her might be. Pennington liked things clear and in the proper order, but life — especially his life — seldom cooperated.
“In due time,” he said to himself and banked the airplane in the direction of San Diego.
It bothered him that they had flown to San Diego. How had they known? How could they know that his employers set up camp in the city? Something was missing. No, not something — someone. Could there be another player? If so, who?
He had a few hours to consider such things and to plan his next step.
Pennington wasn’t sure how things would progress but he was certain it wasn’t going to be pretty.
twenty-three
Fifteen minutes after they left the restaurant the threesome stood at the curb of the terminal, melded into the mass of humanity moving in and out of the building. Judith and Ida stood twenty feet away from Luke. Judith had taken his advice and purchased a powder blue cap with the words Sea World stitched over the brim and a pair of sunglasses. One look in the mirror had told her she personified a Southern California tourist.
Judith raised a hand and a green-and-white cab pulled to the curb and a tired-looking man exited the driver’s seat and moved to the trunk.
“No luggage. We’re not in town for long.” Judith opened the backseat and Ida slipped in. The driver, a dark-skinned man with a scruffy swath of stubble across his face looked puzzled. “Oh, and there are three of us.”
Luke stepped to the open door and waited for Judith to seat herself in the back. He joined her. The driver returned to his spot and closed the door.
“Where to?”
“Can you recommend a good hotel?” Luke asked.
“Sure, there’s lots of them around here — ”
“In the north county.”
“You want me to drive you all the w
ay to the north county? Inland or oceanside?”
“How about someplace in between.”
The cabbie thought. “Lot’s of people like the Marriott chain. There’s also Holiday Inn …”
“Marriott is good. One of the larger ones.”
The cabbie nodded with assurance. “You might want to call ahead and see if they have rooms available. Those places can fill up quick.”
Judith cut her eyes to Luke. Neither of their cell phones worked any longer. “I think we’re good, but thanks for the suggestion.”
“It’s your fare, mister.” The cab pulled away.
Terri felt as if she had put in a fourteen-hour day and it was only 5:30. Since receiving a call on her private cell phone from Judith, she had worked at a feverish rate to correlate information never meant to be correlated. She had made calls, spoken to shippers, installers, billing, and more. Once she had gathered all the information she could begin to sort through it. Fortunately, she was a whiz with computers. She didn’t know how they worked, nor did she care, but she did know how to make them obey.
Most of the employees had left for the day, and the forensics crew had finished their work in her office and Judith’s. Terri, however, felt more comfortable in the third-floor conference room, one of the smaller meeting rooms used by midlevel managers. Here she had access to a laptop, the Internet, and thanks to Judith’s unflagging trust in her, accounting documents protected by passwords.
At first, the task of finding what homes had purchased both the Persian rug and the Blocked Maple design of laminate flooring seemed impossible but she got a break. The flooring never made it out of the testing phase. Only a few outlets stocked the material. Since it was being tested, the outlets kept close records. There weren’t many to keep. Very few people wanted it.
The area rug was a different matter. More of them sold but there was good news on that front as well. Retailers kept close tabs on their stock. With laser scanners and sophisticated database software, most could keep track of buying trends not only of the neighborhood the store served but of the individual buyer. By comparing addresses, Terri found what she was looking for.
