LIES OF THE PHOENIX (A Lieutenant Cassidy Mystery Book 1)

by Jeanne Tosti

  “Uh, sorry, I’m just mad at myself. I knew that Jordan was stressed about work, but just brushed it off. Has he met with any of his, uh, business clients lately? Anyone stop by the house?”

  “No, not here at the house. Unless it was when I was at work. He may have met with them at his office, though. Do you think it has something to do with work?”

  “Any phone calls from people you don’t know, or any strangers stopping by the house looking for Jordan?”

  “No, nothing like that. Why would you ask that?’

  “Oh, I just meant that you probably aren’t familiar with all of his business contacts. If someone stopped by or was calling, it might tell us what he was working on and where he is now. He’s a workaholic. He would never be able to just walk away from all of his business dealings.”

  Yes, it was apparent to Sarah that Kyle knew Jordan very well. Kyle also wasn’t as crude and uncouth as Jordan made him out to be. Maybe he could be of help after all.

  “Did Jordan ever have a USB data drive or external hard drive where he kept client information? If he did, I could look at it and see if we could figure out what he was working on lately. I am familiar with a lot of his clients. Remember, we used to work together. Finance and investments are right up my alley.”

  Sarah never paid much attention to Jordan’s fascination with numbers and computer accessories. “I’ve seen him using flash drives, but I can’t recall seeing them stored anywhere in the house. He probably just kept them in his computer bag—he took that with him.”

  “Maybe we should do a search and see if we can find something,” Kyle suggested. “It might give us a lead as to where he is right now.”

  “Do you really think he left because of something related to work? I was so worried that it had something to do with us, I mean our marriage.”

  Kyle looked at her and gave her a reassuring smile. “Oh, I’m sure it is something work related. I’ll have the best chance of figuring that out if we can find his account files.”

  Kyle convinced her to undertake a search and the quest began. They rifled through the desk drawers, searched the book shelf, looked through a file cabinet, and Jordan’s car in the garage. They found nothing. Kyle went back into the house and began turning over the seat cushions of the couch.

  “What are you doing?” Sarah said with a note of irritation.

  “I’m searching, like we agreed.” Kyle said.

  “Jordan wouldn’t have put anything under a couch cushion. I think you should stop.”

  “O.K., no problem. But, maybe later when you’re feeling better, you should keep looking. Let me know if you find something. It could tell us where Jordan is.”

  “I think you should go now. I just want to lie down for a while.

  “Sure. Whatever you want. I’ll check in with you later. Jordan was my best friend. I’m worried about him too, but I can understand how difficult this is for you. Who knows, maybe he’ll just pick up the phone and call you, and this will be all over.”

  Sarah felt bad after chastising Kyle, but she really had had enough. She just wanted to be by herself so she could think.

  “I’m sorry, Kyle. I just can’t do any more of this right now, but thank you. I will let you know if I hear from him.”

  “O.K., take a rest and I will touch base with you later.”

  Kyle left and Sarah curled up on the couch. Her thoughts were whirling. She couldn’t file a missing person’s report with the police. Jordan hadn’t yet been gone 24 hours and what would they think if she told them he packed a bag before he left? It was Sunday; she couldn’t even call his office to see if they knew where he was. Why would he do something like this? Why hasn’t he called me?

  Her mind kept going round and round and never finding an answer. She drifted off to sleep and awoke a couple of hours later. She checked her cell phone and the answering machine, but still no message from Jordan. She was barely holding things together and she needed some help. She picked up the phone and called her best friend. Ruth answered on the first ring.

  “Ruth, something is very wrong. I came home last night and Jordan was gone.”

  Ruth and Sarah spoke for a few minutes and then Ruth instructed Sarah to pack a bag because she was coming to pick her up.

  “But I can’t stay at your house; you already have Ben staying there. You don’t need to be tripping over two house guests.” In reality, Sarah wanted to accept Ruth’s invitation, but she was afraid that Jordan might come home and she should be there.

  “Ben left to go out of town,” Ruth said. “But even if he didn’t, I have plenty of room. Pack a few things. You are staying with me. No more arguments.” Ruth could still sense hesitation on Sarah’s part and added, “And don’t worry about Jordan coming home and you not being there. The first place he would look for you would be at my house! Go pack a bag and I will be there before you know it.”

  Chapter 11

  RUTH ARRIVED AT the townhouse and allowed Sarah to delay only long enough to scribble a note to Jordan—just in case he came home. She ushered Sarah out to her SUV and threw Sarah’s bag into the cargo area. As Ruth pulled away from the curb, Sarah immediately had misgivings about leaving—what if he comes home and I’m not there? What if he was in an accident and he couldn’t call? Someone may be trying to contact me to let me know!

  Ruth could read the doubt on Sarah’s face. “Look, he packed a bag when he left and he had every opportunity to leave you a note or call you to say where he was going, but he didn’t. If he wants to get in touch with you, he knows how to do it. He could call you, or me, or even that Kyle guy.”

  Sarah nodded her head in resignation. She knew what Ruth was saying was true. Just then her cell phone rang. She tore through her purse to find her phone. She glanced at the screen, but didn’t recognize the number. Maybe it’s Jordan! she thought.

  Excitement and panic overwhelmed her as she answered the call. A moment later disappointment washed over her face. It was Kyle Mason.

  “Hi, Sarah. Just checking on you and wondering if you’ve heard anything from our lost boy, Jordan?” Kyle said.

  “No, nothing yet. I’m hoping he will call today.”

  “Thought I would drop by to see you this afternoon. Maybe if we put our heads together we can figure what crazy thing he’s done this time.”

  “No, that’s not a good idea. I’m on my way to a friend’s house. I’ll be staying there tonight.”

  “Oh, O.K.” Kyle seemed surprised. “Who’s the friend? I mean, just in case Jordan calls me, I can tell him where you are.”

  “If he calls you, tell him I am at Ruth’s. He’ll know who that is.”

  “How long are you staying there?”

  “I haven’t decided. Look, Kyle, I have to go now. Thank you for calling. If Jordan contacts you let me know. I’ll have him call you when I hear from him.”

  She said when and not if because she was still confident that this whole thing was just some misunderstanding. She was sure that Jordan would call soon and explain everything.

  “Alright, but I will keep checking on you. Jordan would have my head if I didn’t at least do that. Try to get some rest at your friend’s. We can get together when you—”

  Sarah cut him off, “Thanks. Have to go. Bye.” She hung up the phone and threw it back into her purse.

  Ruth waited for Sarah to say something about the call, but Sarah just sat there in silence. “That was kind of abrupt. What’s the problem?” Ruth asked.

  “I’ve barely talked to this guy since he first came to see Jordan a few weeks ago,” Sarah answered. “Jordan always talked to him on the phone or met him at a bar or pool hall. When I found Jordan gone last night last night, I called Kyle to see if he was with Jordan. Next thing I know, Kyle shows up at the house this morning with doughnuts. Now he’s calling me. He wanted to come over to the house again. I know he’s Jordan’s best friend, but he makes me uncomfortable. I can’t deal with him right now.”

  “So what happene
d between you and Jordan last night?” She knew that Jordan had been gone when Sarah arrived home last night, but Sarah hadn’t said anything about what happened at dinner before the play.

  “That’s the thing. Nothing happened. We had a wonderful dinner and everything was fine. Jordan said he was going home to monitor some big on-line business transaction. Then when I came home, he wasn’t there.” Sarah told Ruth every detail of the evening, hoping Ruth would see something she didn’t. She finished with, “I hope it isn’t something that I’ve done.”

  Ruth listened intently and then was quiet for a few moments. She started to speak, hesitated for a second, and then said, “Don’t blame yourself for this. There may be things that he has kept from you.” She wanted to say more, but she didn’t want to hurt Sarah’s feelings.

  She always felt that Jordan gave the appearance of a smooth operator and that he never revealed his true self. She had given Sarah gentle warnings and hints early in their relationship, but then Sarah announced suddenly she and Jordan had married. Ruth had no choice but to bite her tongue and hope that things would work out for her best friend, despite her serious misgivings. She couldn’t rule out that Jordan may have decided to just pick up and leave Sarah. He had slipped into her life suddenly and maybe he was slithering away just as easily.

  “Let’s see if he contacts you tonight,” Ruth said. She was begrudgingly trying to give Jordan the benefit of the doubt. “Regardless, you are going to call off work tomorrow. You wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything anyway.”

  “Maybe he’s traveling and his cell phone is dead, or he can’t contact me for some reason. He could have been in an accident.”

  Ruth doubted it. There were only two reasons she could think of that would cause Jordan to pack a bag and to leave without so much as a call or note. He was either abandoning Sarah, or he had to get out of town because his past was catching up with him.

  “Tomorrow is Monday,” Ruth said. “If he doesn’t call tonight, you’re going to call his office to see if they know where he is. If that doesn’t turn something up, we’ll go to the police and file a missing person’s report.”

  Missing person? Would it really be necessary to go to the police? Surely, Jordan would contact her tonight. Sarah’s brain felt too confused to think straight. She leaned her head against the window and just stared out at the highway rushing by. At least Ruth was trying to help, she thought. Her eyes closed and she fell asleep.

  Ruth nudged her gently when they arrived at the house. Sarah awoke and climbed out of the car. She collected her bag from the rear of the SUV and, still groggy with sleep, mechanically followed Ruth into the house.

  “You get the guest room,” Ruth said. “Ben is gone for a few days, so no problem. His apartment should be ready soon anyway.’’ She went immediately to the guest room and started changing the sheets on the bed. “Put your stuff on the chair and give me a hand,” she was hoping that doing a few mundane tasks would take Sarah’s mind off Jordan. They finished the bed and Ruth led the way to the kitchen to get an early start preparing Sunday dinner.

  Ruth motioned to Sarah to sit at the island counter. “Sit yourself down. I have a job for you and you can keep me company while I cook.” She handed Sarah a peeler and assembled a pile of vegetables in front of her. Ruth then went into her chef’s mode and began preparing one of Sarah’s favorites, pot roast with carrots and potatoes.

  Dinner was a boisterous family affair with kids laughing and food disappearing almost as fast as it was served. Sarah enjoyed the company and the distraction. After dinner, however, she excused herself and went to the guest room where she would be sleeping. She checked her cell phone for messages. There were none. She called the townhouse, again hoping that Jordan had returned home, but there was no answer.

  She listened to Jordan’s voice on their voicemail greeting and all the emotions of the day and self-recriminations came flooding back. She had not allowed herself to even consider this before, but doubts were beginning to creep in. What if he never comes back? Her fears were getting the best of her. She pushed the thoughts out of her mind as ridiculous.

  She tried Jordan’s cell phone once more, but was again disappointed. Depressed, she walked back to the dining room. Ruth did not ask if there was any news of Jordan. She knew by the look on Sarah’s face that there was nothing new.

  The rest of the evening was quiet. Sarah didn’t feel like talking and Ruth and Eric had exhausted all the helpful advice they had on hand. They just sat and watched TV. By 11:00 p.m. everyone was ready to go to bed.

  Sarah climbed into bed and tried to go to sleep, but her brain would not stop conjuring a ceaseless parade of what if scenarios. The image of their pleasant dinner before the play popped into her consciousness and she locked on to it. She replayed the scenes of that dinner in her mind over and over eventually drifting into a restless sleep.

  The door to the dark bedroom creaked opened. Sarah awoke halfway and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It was 2:15 a.m. Her mind was fogged with sleep, but she remembered she was at Ruth’s house. She sat up in the bed and said, “Ruth, is that you?”

  A startled male voice answered in the dark, “What?—Oh, my gosh! Sorry! Sorry, I didn’t know anyone was here. I’ll get out.”

  The door creaked closed and Sarah was left sitting in the bed, wide awake, trying to figure out what had just happened. Was that Eric? Did he want something? She grabbed her robe and climbed out of bed. She saw a light on in the kitchen and headed in that direction. As she entered the kitchen she saw a male figure standing at the kitchen island drinking a glass of milk. It was Ben Taggert.

  He turned toward her when she entered the kitchen. A look of surprise and then a broad smile crept across his face when he saw her. “Hi! Didn’t know that was you. Sorry I disturbed you,” he said in an embarrassed tone. “Ruth and Eric didn’t mention they were having any other guests this week. They gave me a key so I could come and go as I pleased. Guess I should have checked with them before coming back early.” He then took another gulp of milk.

  “That’s O.K. It was kind of a last minute thing. Sorry that I have put you out of your bed. I can go sleep on the couch.”

  “No, no. You’re already squared away in the guest room. The couch is good for me. Beside, Ruth told me the couch in the family room is a sofa bed. I just have to be up by the time the kids are awake or they will be sitting on me watching their cartoon shows. I always get up early, so that’s no problem.”

  Sarah had stayed with Ruth before and knew he was in for an early morning. “Early is one thing, these kids are up at the crack of dawn. Are you sure?”

  “Yep. No more discussion. So, how come you are here?”

  Sarah did not answer immediately and Ben noted her hesitation. After an uncomfortable period of silence, Sarah answered, “It’s something personal and I’d rather not talk about it.” She yawned and ran her hand through her tangled long hair. She was still feeling the stress of the day and was tired. “I think I am going to go back to bed.” She started out of the kitchen and then turned and said, “The bedding for the sofa bed should be in the hall closet. Do you want some help putting it together?”

  He could see that something was wrong. “No, I can manage. You go to bed.” He watched her walk out and wondered what was going on. She had been in good spirits just Saturday evening. She obviously did not want to talk about it. He would have to find out from Ruth.

  He finished his glass of milk and searched out the bedding to make up the sofa bed. Within ten minutes he was in bed and asleep.

  All too soon he felt the bed rocking and heard high pitched squeals of laughter. He opened one eye and saw four year old Brandon jumping up and down like a trampoline on the end of the sofa bed. Two year old Kaye was desperately trying to join her brother, but she wasn’t tall enough to negotiate the distance from the floor to the bed surface.

  Ben looked at his watch, 7:15 a.m. There was no chance of anymore sleep. He reached down and sc
ooped Kaye onto the bed. He held her hand as she jumped up and down next to her brother. The squealing reached a fevered pitch as they bounced higher and higher and Ben pretended to be a crocodile nibbling at their feet. Then Ruth came in and put a stop to it all.

  “Ben, you’re as bad as they are! One broken arm is enough,” Ruth scolded. She helped Brandon and Kaye off the bed and then said in her I am the boss mother’s tone, “You two—in the kitchen—now!” She looked at Ben and softened her tone. “You can try to sleep a little longer while I feed these two hooligans, or you can join us. There’s fresh coffee and I can whip up some eggs for you if you like?”

  “I think I’m going to go for the eggs and coffee. Can I help with anything?”

  “No. The kitchen is my domain. You’ll just get in my way and aggravate me.”

  They all headed for the kitchen. Ruth had the children’s breakfast neatly set out on the table. She placed Kaye on her booster seat and pushed her into her place at the table. Brandon climbed into his chair and the two children were suddenly quiet as they dug into their food. She handed Ben a mug of freshly brewed coffee and he found a seat at the kitchen island where he could talk to Ruth while she cooked his eggs.

  “Sorry to barge in last night. My meeting out of town was canceled and I drove back. I didn’t know you were going to have Sarah here,” Ben said.

  “Oh, don’t worry about it. It was a last minute thing and a least Sarah knew who you were. She just didn’t want to stay by herself last night.”

  “What’s going on with her? I could tell something was wrong. I mean, I don’t want to say or do something that may upset her.”

  “Uh—I guess it’s alright to tell you. You were with her the night we all went to the theater when this started.” She looked at Ben still hesitant, but continued, “She’s pretty upset. After you dropped her off Saturday night, she went into the house and Jordan was gone. He didn’t leave a note or a message or anything. She hasn’t heard from him and he is not answering his cell phone. His best friend doesn’t know where he is either. And worse—it seems he packed a bag and took some of his clothes when he left.”