Eyeshot

by Lynn Hightower

  The closet door was open, a dress on the floor like a blasphemy in the otherwise immaculate room. Sonora pressed the message button on the answering machine.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Caplan, this is Wilfred Boggs, calling from Boggs Auto. Please call me at the following number, about your 1996 Nissan Pathfinder, regarding repairs.” Sonora wrote the number down on the scratch pad by the phone. Saw that someone else had written the same number down earlier.

  “Should we call them?” Sonora asked.

  Sam shrugged. “No stone unturned. Something made her cry. Want me to do it?”

  “Yeah, I’m going to see if I can track down that computer.”

  She found Mia sitting cross-legged on the top bunk of her bed. Sonora stood in the doorway.

  “May I come in?”

  Mia’s arms were folded and she was staring into the jumble of sheets, bedspread, and blankets.

  “Yes.” Voice barely audible.

  “Nice room.”

  Mia nodded. Words were too much effort. Sonora looked around the room with a smile, thinking that whoever had put this one together was an opposite to whoever decorated the rest of the house.

  The bed was fire engine red metal, and there was a desk and dresser, simple blunt cut wood, maple. A big bear rug sat in the center of the room and it was evident that the bear head was groomed from time to time. Ribbons adorned the dead fur ears, and someone had colored his teeth with crayons, and stuck the head of a Barbie doll in his mouth. There were posters all over the wall—Patrick Swayze with a horse, a mama cat curled up with her kittens, and a hippopotamus with its mouth open wide.

  The bookshelf was a jumble of Fear Street, Sweet Valley Twins, and some ancient Nancy Drew books. Sonora went to the shelf and picked up a yellow hardback copy of The Secret of the Old Clock. She opened the flap, saw Collie’s name written inside in purple cartridge pen.

  “Collie gave me those,” Mia said. “She liked to read my Sweet Valley Twins and Fear Street books, but made me promise not to tell, so people wouldn’t tease her about reading kid books. She’d get Daddy to buy them for me, then we’d sit in the den and eat sandwiches and read. Daddy fusses at us when we do that because he says we don’t have enough light. So we try to do it when he isn’t home.”

  Mia swung her legs over the bed, turned so that her belly was against the mattress, and jumped down.

  Sonora assumed the ladder was only for the fainthearted.

  “Do you think Collie will come back?” Mia asked.

  Sonora hedged. “I don’t think Collie will leave you. Remember, she had you pack a bag. She took you along.”

  “Just because she has another baby, doesn’t mean she doesn’t want me. She already told me that. I’m not going to have sibling stuff. I want a sister.”

  “What does Collie want?”

  “A baby. A boy or girl will do.”

  “Where’s her computer, Mia?”

  “In the den. But it’s got a password. Collie told it to me so I can put on the dinosaur CD and do the kid thing for America Online. The password is Mia. She named it after me. The computer is downstairs in the den.”

  “Here’s what I think. I think you should get something to drink, and eat if you’re hungry. Then you should curl up in front of the TV and zone out for a while, try not to worry. And while you do that, I’m going to try and figure out where Collie went.”

  “How come Daddy’s not at work?”

  “Maybe he had an appointment.”

  “I have Nintendo in my room. Can I stay in here?”

  Sonora nodded. Headed downstairs for the den.

  The computer was tucked into a corner, away from the little horseshoe of couch, TV, books, and toys. It sat on a small oak pressboard computer table—streamlined, and no frills—right by a rowing machine and a Nordic-Track that were both layered with dust.

  The computer was not dusty. Sonora sat down in a black rolling chair, which was much like the one she had at work, without the armrests.

  She was not good with computers. She only knew the system she used at work, and the old Apple 2E that she and the kids had had for years. She wished her son was with her.

  She turned on the desk lamp that curved over the work area, and smiled.

  A multicolored apple was inset at the bottom of the monitor. Collie had a Macintosh, a Performa 637CD.

  Computers for normals. There was hope.

  Sonora studied the keyboard. Probably the key in the top right-hand corner with an arrow on it. Nothing else looked likely, and this one would be the obvious choice. Sonora pushed the button.

  Heard the splay of music that meant she’d hit pay dirt, closed her eyes and smiled.

  “Sonora?”

  Sam’s footsteps on the staircase. He was walking lightly.

  “Down here, Sam.”

  “Is Mia with you?”

  “She’s in her room playing Nintendo.”

  “Good. I know why Collie bolted.”

  Sonora swiveled in her chair, watched him come down the stairs. “Over here,” she said. She pulled a beanbag chair close to the computer. Sam looked at it, sat, and sank almost to the floor.

  “Comfy.” He stuck his legs out and wiggled sideways. “Talked to Mr. Boggs. Sounds like a good mechanic, by the way. Anyway, Collie dropped the car off yesterday because it was vibrating like crazy, some kind of problem with the U-joint. Boggs said he’d talked to Gage about it a few weeks ago, but that Caplan said money was tight and he was busy with the Drury prosecution, and was going to wait a while on the repair.

  “Evidently Collie got fed up waiting and took the car in herself yesterday. Boggs called to tell her that he couldn’t get to the U-joint till he got authorization to fix the exhaust.”

  Sonora narrowed her eyes. “What kind of problem with the exhaust?”

  “Well, it seems that Mr. Boggs and his employees had the Nissan running in the garage, and it ran them out. Filled the place with carbon monoxide. They had to air the place out before they could go back to work. When they did, Boggs took a look and found a big hole way up in the exhaust system. He said it struck him as odd. They don’t usually break through there, and that you could look the whole system over and not find it unless you were really looking. The upshot is that carbon monoxide has been pouring into the cab of the car, and he thinks it’s been going on for a while.”

  “I’ll be damned.” Sonora twisted from side to side in the chair.

  “That’s why she bolted. Because if Caplan did make that hole in the exhaust, she passes out behind the wheel, drives the car into a light pole, or head-on across the highway. Remember what she said when we talked to her? She couldn’t drive around the block without feeling bad? Put it down to heat and being pregnant?”

  Sonora nodded. “The only thing holding her back was Mia. And if he rigs the Nissan, then Mia likely gets killed or hurt along with Collie and the baby. So now Collie cuts her losses, because now she’s got nothing to lose. Why didn’t she come to us?”

  “Mia, Sonora. She comes to us, she gives up the kid. She’s a stepmother, she’s got no legal claim. What’d you come up with?”

  “I got the computer turned on.”

  “Veeeery good.” He leaned forward, came up on his knees, and pushed a square button on the monitor. “Now you’ve got a screen too.”

  “My hero.” The password barrier came up and Sonora typed in MIA. “I got the password too,” Sonora said.

  “Your two to my one.”

  Sonora pulled the EDIT screen down and hit FINDER, then searched for America Online. The file came up immediately, again demanding a password. Sonora tried MIA again, and it worked.

  “This is too easy,” Sam said.

  “It’s a Mac, Sam. It’s supposed to be easy. Tell the truth. Your Pentium is back in the box because it’s such a pain in the ass.”

  “The kid uses it.”

  YOU HAVE MAIL! the computer told them.

  Sonora hit the picture of the mailbox. The screen changed. S
howed a communication called ELUIS TO COLLIE. She clicked it and pulled it up on screen.

  Collie, I got your note, and I think you are absolutely right.

  It’s not safe for you, or the baby, or Mia. Of course I want you to bring her! We’ve talked around this before, and if I didn’t make myself clear, I mill now. I WANT TO PROTECT YOU AND THE BABY AND MIA. I don’t want anything to happen to you. Please just do me one favor.

  When you come to the meeting place, come by yourself, just for a minute.

  Please understand. I want our first real life meeting to be private. You’ve never seen me. I am somewhat attractive, but not great. I want you to see me and look at me and not feel pressured. I want you to be able to say, look sorry, I’m calling this off. And I don’t want to do that with Mia watching.

  And remember whatever happens between us, we are friends. There is no pressure on you to be anything but a friend. I will give you safe haven, while you need it.

  Be careful, and hurry.

  Sonora shook her head. “Too good to be true. He’s telling her exactly what she needs to hear. I never met a man who did that, and it wasn’t some kind of con.”

  “Look at the screen. Now we’ve read the mail, it’s got a little red check. So evidently Collie didn’t get this.”

  “She must have. Why else did she leave Mia on the swing set, and tell her she’d be right back?”

  Sam pushed a button that said KEEP AS NEW. The check mark disappeared. YOU HAVE MAIL! the computer told him.

  “That was easy,” Sam said.

  Sonora looked at him. “But stupid. Why would she do that? So someone could find it?”

  “Let’s go back into the folder and see if she kept any correspondence.”

  “Surely she wouldn’t.”

  “Why do people do anything, Sonora? Because they’re people.”

  “This isn’t hanging right, Sam. She wouldn’t want Gage to find it.”

  He ignored her and took over the keyboard.

  And hit pay dirt.

  A saved file, full of correspondence with her on-line lover. Elvis.

  They had started talking on-line three months ago. Just friendly chatting. Two people who needed a friend. Collie was trusting and confiding, and ripe. She opened up to Elvis immediately, commented often on how he always seemed to know when she’d had a bad day, or was upset. Elvis hinted that perhaps he’d found a soulmate.

  “Soulmate,” Sonora decided, was a term that had gotten women in almost as much trouble as “just this once.” She had seen women, and men, endure years of agony, because they were afraid their sweetie was a soulmate, and irreplaceable. Sonora had not believed in soulmates for years. Her soul was on its own.

  “At least we know why she calls him Elvis,” Sam said.

  Sonora looked up. “Why?”

  “Didn’t you read this one?” Sam scrolled back. “See? He gives her this sound thing to put on her program that says Elvis has left the building instead of beeping. Haven’t you ever heard that one? We had it on our computer a while, but it starts to drive you crazy.”

  Sonora looked over Sam’s shoulder.

  Elvis,

  Mia and I got such a kick out of the Elvis thing you gave me for the computer. Believe it or not, Gage hated it. I had to take it right back off because it gave him a headache. I think he’s just tense from this Drury thing. I bet when it’s all over he’ll think it’s funny.

  Sonora checked the date, saw the correspondence was early in the relationship.

  “Sam, Caplan has that Elvis thing on the PowerBook in his office. How come he tells her to take it off her computer?”

  “How come she keeps a file of mail that Caplan can get to with no problem at all?”

  “And how come the mail said it hadn’t been read, when we know it had?”

  “To get the attention of whoever brought the program up.”

  “Somebody looking for Collie. Like a homicide detective investigating her death or disappearance. Like a homicide investigator who has already talked to Dorrie Ainsley and been told that Caplan suspected her of having an on-line affair.”

  “What are you saying, Sonora?”

  “Try this theory, Sam. Caplan’s first wife is murdered. Suspicious enough. The second one gets killed, he’s going to be suspect number one. Unless another good possibility comes up. Like some on-line lover who turns out to be a nutcase.”

  “Caplan’s the on-line lover,” Sam said flatly. “Whole thing has been a setup from day one.”

  “He’s in a perfect position. He knows she needs a friend. He knows when she’s upset. He knows exactly what makes her tick, so he can be the on-line lover of her dreams. He knows that when Gage the husband comes home grumpy and difficult, Gage the on-line lover can leave a little E-mail note to brighten her day.

  “Look at the messages. All ego-boosts. You make me laugh. There’s no one in the world like you. You’re a quick wit, lady. Tell me what you use for bait when you’re fishing. But not a lot about old Elvis himself, is there?”

  Sam rubbed his chin. “There’s no message about where they met. I looked. Can’t find the actual setup.”

  “That’s no mistake,” Sonora said.

  “So where is she?”

  “She may not even be alive.”

  Sam frowned. “Look for the railroad tracks, that’s what Terry said.”

  A loud thumping made them both sit up.

  “Someone at the door?” Sonora asked.

  Sam put a hand on his gun. “Let’s go see.”

  66

  The door to Mia’s room burst open as they made it to the top of the stairs.

  “Collie?” Her face was bright, eyes big, and she ran down the hallway toward the front door.

  “Hang on,” Sonora said.

  Sam moved into the living room.

  “Let’s have Sam go to the door and you and me wait right here.”

  Mia stopped in the hall. Her face was tight and thin, and she cocked her head listening. She took a breath.

  “That’s Granddaddy.”

  “You sure?”

  She nodded, straining forward.

  “Go,” Sonora said.

  As if she could have held her back.

  “Where’s my little granddaughter?” Grey’s voice sounded cheerful, bombastic. Sonora rounded the corner in time to see the face did not match the voice, until Mia ran into the room. He swooped her up into his arms, and the lines of fatigue and worry eased back. He hugged her tight.

  “Granddaddy.” She was crying.

  “Wassa matter, chicklet? Granddaddy fix it, whatever it is.”

  She lifted her head up off his shoulder. “We can’t find Collie. She left and didn’t come back, and she’s not like that. Something’s really wrong, you’ve got to believe me.”

  “Well, heck, yeah, something’s wrong. We know Collie wouldn’t go off and leave you, chicklet. Unless she got lost trying to get back.”

  Mia looked up. “You think she’s lost?”

  “Honey, I’ve got no earthly idea, and believe me, I’m worried. But it’s not like we’re going to sit around on our butts, little girl. We’ve got a plan. We’ve got two police detectives going to find her—these people are trained professionals and they know just what to do. And you and me are going down to Gramma’s to wait. Because when Collie comes looking for you, that’s the first place she’ll check. Isn’t it?”

  Mia nodded.

  “We got trouble, hon, but we’re going to handle it. Now get your bag packed up, while we do some grown-up talk.”

  “I already got a bag.” She pointed to the backpack that was still in the hallway.

  “That little piddly thing? Honey, your gramma’s down in London cooking like there’s no tomorrow, you going to have to stay a while just to eat it all up. Now go get some more clothes and those scary things you like to read. Bring all your favorite stuff. Be a female and don’t pack light, ’cause I got that big Chrysler and room is the one thing we do have.”
He set her down. “Go on, baby doll. The sooner you get packed, the sooner we can hit the road.”

  Mia seemed lighter, somehow, when she ran down the hall, and Sonora looked at Grey, thinking that she wouldn’t mind having him for a grandfather herself.

  Grey waited till she was out of earshot. Took a breath. “What you know?” he said, voice going tight and flat.

  Sam gave him a half-smile, and rubbed his chin. “I think the question, Mr. Ainsley, is what do you know?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean that your wife called us forty-five minutes ago, and here you are. It’s a three-hour drive at seventy. Even that Chrysler didn’t get you up here in forty-five minutes.”

  “You got me there. If you don’t mind, I’m going to sit down on my son-in-law’s damn off-limits couch.” He sat, groaned. “There. Okay, here’s what I know.

  “Collie called Dorrie a couple days after that canoe thing. She was all worked up. You hear what happened?”

  Sonora sat in the leather wing chair, and Sam sat next to her on the footstool. “We know,” Sonora said.

  “Scared her. Scared her a lot. Dorrie and I don’t know exactly what Collie is up to, but we trust that girl, and we love her like our own. Here’s what she told Dorrie. That if things got really worrisome, and if she got scared enough, she might take Mia someplace where they could be safe. And she said did she have our permission to do that? She said she wouldn’t do something like that unless she really had to, but if she did, and we agreed, she promised that she’d keep us in touch so we wouldn’t worry. And she said it would be very temporary and very desperate. She said we better not know any details, because we needed to stay neutral. She said Gage might well get Mia back, if only for a while, and he shouldn’t suspect we were all in it together. Otherwise he’d keep Mia away from us, like he did that time before.”

  Sam tapped his ankle. “When did Gage call?”

  “You mean when he cried on the phone and said Collie was cheating on him with some kind of computer boyfriend?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Last night. Put me and Dorrie on edge. We talked about it, decided I would come down here, get a hotel room, and just stay close. I’d been on the road an hour when Mia called London. I called Dorrie from a rest stop, and she told me what was up. And I want to say right here and now, me and Dorrie didn’t believe a word Gage said about Collie cheating on him. And what’s more, if it is true, then more power to her. I know that boy, he’s just trying to turn us against her.”