Missing in Cherry Hills

by Paige Sleuth

Cameron was still on the phone. His conversation with the reporter or whoever else he was talking to seemed to have invigorated him. Or maybe it was the caffeine. Kat wondered how many cups of coffee he’d downed before she’d arrived.

  She thought about the afternoon news report she had watched with Lucy, wondering if the same blond reporter was on the other end of the line now. After Cameron had refused to give her microphone back, Kat wouldn’t be surprised if the blonde wanted nothing more to do with him. Then again, a story was a story, and after Cameron’s on-screen plea—

  Electricity zipped down Kat’s spine as she seized upon something Cameron had said during his television interview. She had missed the implication before, but now it hit her full force, her doubts about Cameron’s guilt fading away as rapidly as they’d appeared.

  . . . left her handbag on her coffee table . . .

  Cameron knew about Janice’s purse being left on her coffee table. But how? When Kat had run into him that morning she hadn’t mentioned the exact location of Janice’s purse, only that it was still in the apartment.

  So how would Cameron have known where it was unless he’d been inside Janice’s apartment last night and seen it with his own eyes?

  “Well, that’s settled.” Cameron set his phone on the table. “Now, where were we?”

  Kat couldn’t speak. Her mouth had gone dry. Her eyes locked with Cameron’s, and she watched as the self-satisfied smile on his face slowly slipped away.

  She licked her lips, mustering up some much-needed saliva. After a moment she was finally able to force three words out of her mouth.

  “It was you.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “You took Janice,” Kat said, staring at the man sitting across the booth from her.

  Cameron laughed a little too hard. “That’s ridiculous. You said it yourself just a minute ago. Somebody else must have known about Janice and Dorothy Fairchild.”

  “Maybe, but you knew about her purse being left on her coffee table. And the only way you could have known that is if you had been inside her apartment last night.”

  “Aren’t you forgetting that you were the one who told me where it was?”

  Kat shook her head. “I told you Janice’s purse had been left in her apartment. I never said anything about the coffee table.”

  Cameron picked up his coffee mug. He brought it up to his face but didn’t take a sip, almost as if he were hiding behind it. “Well, then, somebody else must have told me that part.”

  “Besides the kidnapper, the only three people who saw the purse on the coffee table are me, my friend Lucy, and the police detective in charge. I didn’t tell you where the purse was, Lucy’s never met you, and I happen to know the detective in charge is very tight-lipped about his investigations.”

  “How do you know somebody else didn’t see it?”

  Kat looked him in the eye. “Because I was the first person on the scene, and I accidentally knocked the purse onto the floor.”

  The color drained from Cameron’s face. Pretty soon his skin was as white as the coffee mug he was hiding behind.

  “So what exactly happened last night?” Kat asked. “Did you call up Janice saying you had news from the movie studio that you had to tell her in person? Or maybe you just showed up on her doorstep. She would have let you in. You’re her agent. She trusted you. She would have figured you were on her side.”

  “I am on her side,” Cameron said.

  “You kidnapped her!”

  “Shh!” Cameron’s eyes darted around as though to make sure nobody had heard her exclamation before he set down the coffee mug and gestured toward the door. “Can we talk about this somewhere else?”

  “No.” Kat folded her arms across her chest. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  Cameron pushed his coffee mug aside and hunched over the table. Dropping his voice, he said, “I’m not going to talk about this here.”

  Before Kat could protest he stood up, threw a few bills on the table, grabbed his cell phone, and stalked toward the door.

  Kat watched him, too stunned to move or yell for someone to stop him. By the time her paralysis faded he was already out the door.

  She scrambled out of the booth and raced after him.

  She stopped outside the restaurant, her eyes darting from left to right. A sigh of relief escaped from her lungs when she saw him sitting in the driver’s seat of his red sports car. She had feared he might have already sped off to do who knew what to Janice before the police closed in on him.

  After all, he had to know Kat would report him.

  She reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out her cell phone, prepared to do exactly that. But Cameron opened his car door before she could dial Andrew’s number.

  “You drop that and get in, and I’ll talk,” he said. “You so much as breathe into that phone, I’ll be outta here so fast I’ll be halfway to Mexico before the cops even know I’m gone. And then it could be days—weeks, even—before anyone figures out where Janice is.”

  Kat didn’t have to think twice. She couldn’t risk Janice being abandoned somewhere with no hope of rescue.

  She extended her arm over a grassy patch and let the phone slip from her hand. As soon as it hit the ground she marched over to the sports car, yanked the passenger door open, and dropped into the seat.

  “Where are you keeping Janice?” she demanded.

  “Close that door, and I’ll tell you,” Cameron replied.

  Kat didn’t budge. “I’m not falling for that.”

  Cameron shut his own door and twisted sideways to face her. “Look, I’m not going to hurt you. And I’m not going to hurt Janice. I don’t want to hurt anyone! I did all this for her.”

  Kat’s hands balled into fists. “Janice didn’t ask you to kidnap her and hold her for ransom.”

  “I’m not holding her for ransom.”

  “You are. I saw the note myself.”

  “You don’t get it. I only sent that for the media attention it would garner. It was a ploy. I never intended to actually follow through with scheduling a ransom drop or collecting the money.”

  Kat thought about how panicked Lady Fairchild had been when she’d discovered that note. What would she think when she found out she was merely a pawn in this man’s scheme?

  “I needed something to maintain public interest in her plight,” Cameron continued. “Stories like Janice’s, they die fast unless they’re constantly infused with new life. And what better way is there to make sure she doesn’t fade into one of yesterday’s headlines than to add money to the mix? I thought the ransom demand might even get the public to engage on a more personal level.”

  “What do you mean?” Kat asked.

  “I’m talking about crowdfunding. It’s all the rage now. Every time tragedy strikes a new fundraiser crops up. And that ransom letter gives me an excuse to set up a campaign in Janice’s honor. Get the public involved by giving them a chance to throw ten or twenty bucks at the cause. Because what better way is there for the public to feel invested in the safe return of a bona fide, up-and-coming Hollywood star than to have their own money tied up in her rescue? It will help to ensure her disappearance doesn’t become old news.”

  “But you sent that note to Lady Fairchild,” Kat said. “Why would you do that if you wanted to collect money from the public?”

  “I only incorporated Ms. Fairchild into the plan after you revealed her name. I was originally going to deliver that note to Janice’s sister, but learning who her backer was saved me a trip out of town.”

  “Except Lady Fairchild is working to get the money,” Kat replied. “So your little plan to get the public involved backfired.”

  “Huh.” He glanced down at Janice’s picture on his T-shirt. “I didn’t expect some rich old benefactor to pony up a million bucks for an unknown.”

  “Then you know nothing about Lady Fairchild. She cares about Janice. And she’s one of the kindest people I know.”

  Cameron grinned.
“Well, in that case this might work out even better than I imagined. The media loves to give rich people airtime. And the more publicity Janice’s kidnapping gets, the higher the demand for her will be when I release her.”

  “You’re justifying kidnapping a woman by claiming it’s good for her career?” Kat shook her head. “You are really deranged, you know that?”

  Cameron wagged one finger in her face. “Sweetheart, you don’t understand how Hollywood works. It’s a world that thrives on drama. And what could be more dramatic than an aspiring actress falling victim to a real-life crime?”

  “What you’re doing is illegal. Everyone is worried sick about her.”

  “Of course they are. That’s why my plan is so brilliant. The public, they want the horror. They thrive on danger—as long as they’re not the ones in peril. But when a beautiful, talented, young woman is at the center of it, they soak it up. People love to see the privileged suffer. It reaffirms their belief that it can’t happen to them while allowing them to experience all the excitement vicariously.”

  Kat’s blood boiled. Apparently Cameron was willing to abandon any shred of morality he might have in order to put his clients in the spotlight. Kat supposed he hadn’t been lying when he had told her showbiz was a cutthroat business. She had merely expected honest competition, not criminal behavior, to separate the best from the rest.

  She took a deep breath, reminding herself that making Cameron see reason wasn’t the most important matter at hand. Right now, she had to focus on ensuring that Janice was returned home safely.

  She captured Cameron’s gaze, hoping her fear wasn’t reflected in her eyes. “Where is she?”

  “She’s at the house I’m renting here through the end of the month. I figured I would need a private place if I hoped to successfully pull off this media campaign.”

  “Is she hurt?”

  “No. I told you, I don’t want to hurt anyone.” He actually looked affronted that she would question his sincerity.

  “How did you get her out of her apartment?”

  “I added a little something to her water bottle after she invited me in.”

  “You drugged her.”

  Cameron shrugged. “It wasn’t anything that would do permanent damage. It just knocked her out enough to prevent a protest when I carried her out to my car.”

  Kat must have looked as queasy as she felt, because Cameron rushed on.

  “Don’t worry,” he said. “She’s fine. I’ve been treating her very well.”

  “You’ve been holding her against her will.”

  “You wouldn’t know it from the digs I set up for her. She has food and water, a bed, even a bathroom. She has everything she needs for her comfort and more.”

  Kat glared at him. “She doesn’t have her freedom.”

  “No, but she will. My intention isn’t to hold her forever, just long enough to take this story national.” He wagged that infuriating finger again. “I don’t mess around when it comes to my clients’ careers. I go big or go home.”

  Kat clenched her teeth. She wanted to rip that finger right off of his opportunistic little hand.

  “I want you to take me to her and then let her go,” she said.

  “I will. But give me a few more days. It won’t be long now before her abduction is picked up by CNN and the other major networks. Good thing too, because she needs to be set free before her audition next week, news coverage or no. But if I can get the big players to give her airtime, it will work out best for everyone. Then we’ll get maximum coverage when I announce her mysterious appearance on my doorstep and make a big fuss about her death-defying escape from danger.”

  Kat crossed her arms. “I refuse to be a part of this. You release her now. You let her go and I’ll keep what you told me to myself. We can just pretend her kidnapper had a change of heart. We don’t need to reveal your identity.”

  Cameron fingered the inside edge of the steering wheel. “How can I be sure you won’t go to the police?”

  “You can’t. But I won’t. I promise you.”

  Cameron studied her as if he were trying to determine whether she could be trusted.

  “Okay, let me ask you this,” Kat said. “How can you be sure Janice won’t go to the police if you release her on your own timeline? I can’t believe she’s a willing participant in this charade.”

  “She’s not.” Cameron sighed. “And to be perfectly honest, right now she’s pretty upset. I’m sure she would go to the police. But I’m hopeful she’ll come around after this thing goes national and she sees how good all this attention is for her career.”

  “Well, I can’t guarantee what Janice will do, but if you release her now you have my word that the police will not find out about what you did from me.”

  Cameron’s face softened. “You really care about her, don’t you?”

  “She’s my friend,” Kat said, choking on the words. After this weekend, she didn’t think she could consider Janice to be anything less than that ever again.

  “Are you sure you won’t reconsider letting this play out for a few more days?” Cameron asked.

  “I’m positive.”

  Cameron stared out the windshield. “Then I suppose you leave me with no choice.”

  “You’ll let her go?”

  “Do I have another option? At least this way there’s a chance nobody will find out what I’ve done.” He paused. “Or if Janice does choose to report me, perhaps the police will show me some leniency for releasing her voluntarily.”

  “Thank you,” Kat whispered, too overcome with relief to manage more than those two words.

  He reached for his seat belt. “I suppose I should be grateful Janice’s case received the attention it did in such a short amount of time.”

  Kat gestured toward his T-shirt. “I’ll give you credit for knowing how to create buzz. You must be a pretty good agent.”

  He offered her a rueful grin before starting the engine. Kat closed her door and buckled her seat belt.

  As he drove, Kat kept a close eye on the route he took. She didn’t trust Cameron not to be planning to hold her against her will too. After all, she didn’t even have a phone to call for help. She was glad Lucy knew about their meeting. She would have to trust that her friend would sound the alarm if she didn’t return at a reasonable hour.

  Cameron pulled into the driveway of a modest, two-story house in a quiet neighborhood. He used a clicker to open the garage, then eased the sports car inside. Waiting for Cameron to bring the car to a complete stop taxed the limits of Kat’s self-control. All she wanted to do was storm into the house shouting Janice’s name.

  With the garage door closing behind them, Cameron got out of the car. “She’s in the spare bedroom,” he said.

  Kat threw her seat belt off and followed him inside. Her heart was pounding so loudly she was sure Cameron could hear it.

  The bedroom was upstairs. Cameron used one of his keys to unlock the deadbolt installed in the door.

  Kat could scarcely breathe as the door swung open and she received her first look inside Janice’s prison. It was nicer than she’d expected. Except for the boarded-up window—presumably so Janice couldn’t attract the attention of passersby—the room looked like an ordinary guest room with all of the typical bedroom furnishings. Cameron hadn’t been lying about making Janice comfortable.

  And then there was Janice herself. She was sitting in an armchair in the corner of the room, a magazine in her lap. When she saw Kat she jumped to her feet with a gasp.

  “Kat?”

  Kat wasn’t a physical person, but the situation seemed to merit an exception. Without thinking twice, she rushed across the room and threw her arms around her friend as they both burst into tears.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Kat couldn’t stop smiling at the vision of Janice sitting on her couch, Bubbles draped across her lap. After the uncertainty and dread of the past twenty-four hours, this was the reward and it was well worth it.

 
; Lucy looked equally thrilled by their neighbor’s safe return. She kept bouncing on the couch next to Kat and flexing her fingers as if she wanted to rush across the living room and envelop Janice in yet another hug. Kat figured the only thing stopping her was Tom. The big cat was curled up in Lucy’s lap, and every time Lucy shifted positions Tom hooked his paw over her knee as though to keep her in place.

  Matty was the only one present who seemed troubled by Janice’s reappearance. Although, in truth, Kat figured Matty’s sour expression and retreat to the top of the cat tree had more to do with Bubbles than Janice. Despite how Bubbles hadn’t given the tortoiseshell a second glance since he’d bounded out of Kat’s bedroom to be joyfully reunited with his human, his presence alone was enough to disrupt Matty’s peace.

  Bubbles barked, and Matty’s tail puffed up. Kat would have thought the tortoiseshell would be used to the dog’s exclamations by now. Since Janice had arrived, Kat didn’t think Bubbles had gone two minutes without voicing his pleasure at having her back. It was as though he needed to remind himself that he was awake and his human’s return wasn’t part of a dream.

  Janice fingered the dog’s ears. “I missed you too, Baby Bubs. You’re Mommy’s whole world.”

  Matty climbed down from the cat tree and started toward the bedroom, evidently unable to stand another minute of this disgustingly happy reunion.

  Janice’s grin stretched from ear to ear as she looked across the room at Kat. “I can’t thank you enough for watching over Bubbles while I was away. I was so worried about him.”

  “He was no trouble at all,” Kat assured her.

  Matty paused on her way to the bedroom to glower at Kat. Clearly the feline had a different opinion.

  Kat reached over the side of the couch to give Matty a pat before the tortoiseshell resumed her retreat. “Bubbles was the perfect houseguest. I thought with all the stress he was under he might have an accident or be inclined to tear up stuff, but he never misbehaved once.”

  “He’s my rock.” Janice ruffled the dog’s fur. “All I could think about during my interview with Andrew was how anxious I was to see him again.”