In the living room, Knox turned, blue eyes bright. “The call came from the same general location as the first ransom demand.”
“He’s got to have Jamie somewhere in that vicinity,” Adeline said.
“Not if he’s going to a certain location just to make the calls,” Jeremy said.
“That’s right,” Knox said. “I don’t think we’re dealing with anyone unfamiliar with technology. He’s planned as much as he could.”
“Or she,” Adeline said. “The caller uses voice alteration. Emily could be the one calling.”
“Yes,” Knox agreed. “I suppose I have a difficult time wrapping my head around a woman kidnapping an innocent kid.”
Unless it was Livia. “So do I,” Jeremy said. “I have a hard time with someone being capable of kidnapping anyone else, especially my son.”
“We’ll follow the same protocol as last time. We’ll—”
Jeremy’s cell rang and Knox stopped talking.
He recognized the kidnapper’s number. It was different than the one used for the first ransom demand, which indicated the use of a disposable phone. He answered, giving Knox and Adeline a single nod.
“Daddy?”
Jeremy breathed his relief out in one hard breath when he heard his son’s voice. “Jamie. Are you all right?”
Adeline put her hand to her mouth and tears moistened her eyes, although she didn’t outright cry.
“I want to go home,” Jamie said. “Where are you? Why haven’t you come to get me yet?”
“I’ll come and get you as soon as I know where you are, okay?”
“Why don’t you know? That man brought me here after Adda fell down.”
Jamie didn’t realize Adeline had been shot. “Have they hurt you?” Jeremy had precious little time to gather as much information as possible. But first he had to know Jamie was all right.
“No.”
“You’re okay? You’re eating well?”
“They let me eat pizza and hot dogs and watch TV. Daddy, come get me. I miss you.”
“I miss you, too. I’ll come and get you as soon as possible. Do you know who you’re staying with? Do you know their names?”
“She said she was—”
Jeremy heard the phone being taken from Jamie.
“I’d say that was more than generous of me,” the kidnapper said, voice once again disguised. “Nine tomorrow night.” Then the line went dead.
He hung up. “First Jamie said a man brought him wherever he is and then he said she when I asked who he was staying with,” he said to Adeline, whose eyes had grown big with adrenaline.
“Emily is working with someone. A man,” Adeline said. “Jeremy, I really don’t think this is related to Tess’s accident.”
“I don’t, either.” Not anymore. He looked at Knox. “The kidnapper used his phone to let Jamie talk. He or she must be using a device, like maybe a voice altering megaphone or something.”
Knox nodded.
“Emily?” Adeline said. “Working with whoever shot me.”
“Maybe whoever shot you is the one behind all of this.” Jeremy rubbed his chin. Two people had it out for him. Who could they be?
* * *
The next day, Claudia Colton had called and asked to meet Adeline and Jeremy at a pizzeria at five. Adeline sat with Jeremy at a booth in the small, quaint restaurant. In this older brick building, the wood floors had been renovated and historic photos of Shadow Creek covered the walls. White linen tablecloths with lit candles and centerpieces brightened the dim but romantic space. The smell of pizza warmed the cozy space.
Nervous for nine o’clock to come, Adeline couldn’t appreciate the ambiance. She hadn’t said much and sat with Jeremy, with only the bustle of waitstaff and other diners with less tension than they currently faced to distract her. The couple at the table nearest theirs smiled and ogled each other and the man took the woman’s hand. A group of three men laughed boisterously. The lightness and joy felt surreal with the second ransom demand looming.
They didn’t have to wait long before Claudia appeared in the front entry of the restaurant. Her long, blond hair floated in a slight breeze as she approached with a smile of greeting.
“Hi,” she said, taking a seat next to Adeline, bringing wafts of fresh, cool evening air in with her. “Knox sent me here. He’s still back at the park.”
Adeline shared a perplexed look with Jeremy and then turned to Claudia for further explanation.
“I like to take walks and sometimes I go to the park,” Claudia said. “I went for one earlier today and saw Emily Stanton on foot at the park. Knox showed me pictures of her when I stopped by to see him one day. When I saw Emily, she seemed to turn from a minivan that was in the parking lot. I couldn’t tell if she had just turned from talking with the driver of the minivan or if she was just heading across the parking lot. The minivan drove away.” Claudia signaled for the waitress.
“Wait,” Jeremy said. “You saw Emily?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I saw her. What kind of pizza do you like?”
The waitress had started toward them.
Jeremy shrugged as though not caring. “Anything.”
When the waitress arrived, Claudia ordered two different kinds of pizza.
“Why would Emily be at the park?” Adeline asked. “Going for a stroll before a ransom drop?” That seemed unlikely and too strange to be a coincidence. Had she returned to the original drop site? Maybe she went looking for her necklace.
“I think she met someone there,” Claudia said. “The driver I saw seemed to have just left a parking space and headed for the exit. I followed Emily and tried to catch up with her. She kept looking around, though, and saw me. As soon as she did, she bolted. I chased her through the parking lot, but she was too far away. She got into her car and sped off. Knox confirmed the plates coincided with her vehicle. He put a team on her right away. So far no one has located her. Wherever she’s hiding, she’s out of sight.”
Maybe Claudia only thought Emily had met someone in the parking lot when she’d seen the vehicle drive away. Maybe whoever drove the minivan was the person she worked with in kidnapping Jamie.
Jeremy rubbed his hand over his mouth as though agitated. “Wherever she’s hiding is where Jamie is.”
Adeline fingered the napkin roll. If only they had a crystal ball to show them where.
“Emily could have gone to the park to look for her necklace,” she said. “She may have rehearsed her ransom drop instructions, gone to the bench, then taken the bus to the construction site.”
Jeremy nodded. “That makes sense.”
Claudia sipped from a glass of water the waitress delivered.
Adeline felt too nauseated to put anything in her mouth. She wished Claudia hadn’t ordered the pizza.
“Why did Knox send you here?” Jeremy asked.
“He didn’t want you to worry about anything else other than the drop later. He’s got it covered. They’re looking for anyone who might have seen Emily and the minivan.”
“There aren’t any cameras in or around the park,” Adeline said. “I checked.”
“Did you see who was driving the minivan?” Jeremy asked Claudia.
Claudia nodded. “Not clearly, but as soon as I saw her I thought she resembled Livia. She had on a beanie and big-collared jacket.”
“Livia.” Jeremy’s tone sounded deadpan.
“I can’t be sure. It was dark. Her face was illuminated by the dash lights. She had the same shape of face.”
Despite Claudia’s conservative hedging, Adeline could see Jeremy take the sighting to heart. He was convinced Claudia had seen Livia driving that minivan. But why would she meet with Emily? How likely would it be for Livi
a to cause Tess’s accident and be involved in Jamie’s kidnapping? Not likely at all.
The pizza arrived. Adeline sat back.
Claudia put a slice onto her plate. “What’s the plan for later? Are you ready?”
“Jeremy and I will go to the drop location. We anticipate more instructions like last time. I’m sure the kidnappers won’t risk police waiting for them there.”
Lifting her finger as though a thought had come, Claudia said, “Knox asked me to tell you detectives found a cuff link in the Suburban and it had the initials ES. They tracked the owners of the stolen vehicle. They said the cuff link didn’t belong to them. The initials didn’t match the owner’s name, either. So it must belong to the thief.”
“A cuff link?” Adeline queried. “The person at the last drop was a woman.” She knew that for a fact.
“We always thought there were two at work here,” Jeremy said.
“Why a necklace and cuff link with the same initials?” Claudia asked.
Emily Stanton. Evan Sigurdsson. Could Evan be involved? His character certainly fit the profile. And he hated Jeremy. Still, would he go to such lengths? Adeline lifted her glass of water and sipped, thinking. She eyed the pizza, which smelled good. “It’s like they were planted. Emily lost her necklace and then we find a cuff link with the same initials. Too coincidental.” More thoughts came to her as she pictured Emily discovering her necklace might have been left somewhere along the ransom route. “Maybe that’s why Emily went back to the park. When she realized she lost her necklace, did she retrace her steps to look for it?”
“And when she couldn’t find it, she planted the cuff link,” Jeremy said.
“To throw detectives off,” Claudia finished.
“The Suburban was in the sheriff’s custody,” Adeline pointed out.
“Where she or whoever she is working with could have paid someone off to get them in the SUV,” Jeremy said.
Adeline nodded. “Okay. Where did she get a cuff link with her initials?”
“She could have had it made,” Jeremy said.
“I’ll get Knox to check local jewelers that do engravings,” Claudia offered. She’d become a big help in the investigation.
Adeline checked the time on her cell. Still three hours to go.
“We should eat something.”
Looking up, she saw Jeremy had noticed her inability to dive into the pizza. He must be suffering the same lack of hunger. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and that had consisted of a glass of juice with half an English muffin.
He reached for one of the pizzas, put a slice onto her plate and then put one onto his. “Root beer is also good.”
Claudia paused in her chewing to observe them.
The waitress came to check on them and he ordered two root beers. Claudia already had her soda.
The sodas arrived and Adeline lifted hers when Jeremy lifted his. They each sipped theirs; she enjoyed how he held her gaze with his, his dark eyes messaging inspirational strength. They had each other during this terrible time. She felt her eyes smile and her insides tickled when his answered.
She wasn’t sure whether the root beer could be accredited for her returned appetite or not, but she picked up the slice of pizza and took a delicious bite. Claudia still hadn’t resumed her feasting.
Adeline saw her still watching them.
“Are you two dating?” Claudia asked.
“No,” Adeline answered quickly.
Claudia wasn’t fooled. Her sly look gave her away. “Then you should.”
* * *
Outside, Jeremy stood with Adeline, watching Claudia get into a cab. Going back home seemed too tortuous of a prospect. As the cab drove off, he looked across the street at the ice cream parlor he and Jamie frequented.
“Let’s go have dessert.” He started to cross the street and then waited for Adeline to catch up to him.
“Ice cream?”
“We’ll have Jamie’s favorite kind.”
Inside the bright shop with small round tables and a glass-encased freezer full of colorful bins of ice cream, Jeremy stepped up to the counter and ordered two spaghetti ice cream plates. The server thought nothing of the choice but Adeline eyed him in question.
He watched with her as the young man, barely out of high school with his hair in a ponytail and a nose piercing, used a potato ricer to squeeze vanilla ice cream onto two small plates. When he finished, he topped them with strawberry sauce, then sprinkled them with white chocolate shavings.
Jeremy handed Adeline her plate, seeing her smile in delight.
“Jamie’s favorite, huh?”
“It tastes great, too.” He took her to a two-seater by the front window.
She used a spoon to scoop a bite. After swallowing, she said, “Not bad. Reminds me of when I was a kid. Strawberry and chocolate sundaes were my favorite.”
“Jamie loves strawberries.”
Her soft smile faded and she averted her head, looking away from him, as though some thought had dampened her mood. What could that be? Jamie’s kidnapping? Or did she regret not being there the first time Jamie had ordered the spaghetti ice cream?
At last she faced him again. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said before—about seeing Jamie after the investigation is over and Jamie is found.”
“All you have to do is let me know when you want to see him. No matter where we are or who is in our lives, there’s no reason for you not to spend time with him.”
* * *
“I don’t want him to know I’m his biological mother, Jeremy.”
“You’d have me let him believe Tess is?”
Wasn’t that what he’d have done if Tess had lived? Perhaps he and Tess would have decided to tell Jamie the truth at some point. That didn’t matter to Adeline. She not only intended to protect her own heart; she’d protect Jamie’s, as well.
“I’d be your friend and nothing more,” she said. “If an occasion presents itself that I might see Jamie, then so be it.”
“I just want you to know I wouldn’t prevent you from seeing him.”
She contemplated him. Did he think seeing her would be good for Jamie? Jamie had taken a liking to her. She could be a positive influence, especially since she had such an intimate link to him. But Jeremy hadn’t considered the consequences for her...and probably not even for himself. He might claim to have no desire for serious relationships, but he had to have feelings for her. Their sexual chemistry generated too much heat. She’d started to think he blocked himself off to the feelings.
“Why?” she finally asked.
He stared at her, lowering a now empty spoon. “Because I can see what he means to you.”
When she didn’t respond, he said, “After Tess died, he cried a lot. I tried everything I could to get him past his grief. He was so young, he didn’t fully grasp what happened, but he knew she wasn’t there anymore. It took a long time but he finally stopped crying so much. Seeing him with you...he’s even better now than ever. That makes my bond with him stronger. I’m afraid I’ll lose that if you disappear. Why would I not support you being part of his life?”
His version did not include being in a relationship with him, though. He was off-limits to any woman as long as he wasn’t over Tess.
“Just because the investigation ends doesn’t mean we have to stop seeing each other,” he added. “I mean...as friends.”
“Yes, it does, Jeremy. And you know why.”
His head cocked as though he didn’t follow her. “No, I don’t. What’s wrong with seeing Jamie? We wouldn’t mislead him. He likes you.”
Since he did such a good job deluding himself, she’d speak frankly. “I can’t invest in a man who won’t commit. That’s why I don’t trust you, Jeremy. All I want to do is have sex with yo
u and fantasize about being with you more permanently. While you may not have the same fantasies, I’m pretty sure you’d like more sex. How do you think visiting Jamie will go with that between us?”
“I’m only thinking of Jamie.”
That couldn’t be truer. He only thought of his son. “You’re part of that equation. You’re Jamie’s father and I’m his biological mother. We’re physically attracted to each other but you aren’t in a place to commit. Being with you would be a gamble. I’ve already gambled and lost. I won’t lose again.” She stood, leaving her ice cream unfinished. “And I think of Jamie, too. If things between us end badly, that could harm him.”
He caught up to her outside. “Hey, wait.” He took a hold of her arm and tugged her around to face him. “What are you saying? Do you want to be with me as more than my PI?”
What did she want? Did she want more from him as a man or did she only want Jamie? She might want more if he didn’t have such baggage.
“No.” If she could distance herself enough, she’d love nothing more than to spend time with Jamie—even after Jeremy stopped needing her professional services.
“If we can be friends, I would like to see Jamie.”
If they could be friends...just friends.
* * *
Nine o’clock finally came. Adeline and Jeremy arrived at the construction site, and as expected, no one was there. They waited until ten, after which Jeremy received a call.
“Go to the campsite where you found the Suburban,” the caller said.
“Will my son be there?” He saw Adeline standing with her hands clenched before her.
“Leave the money and then wait for further instructions.”
“How long will that be?”
“As long as it takes.”
“I’m not leaving any money unless you give me my son.” As last time, Adeline’s face tightened with tension.
“You’ll leave the money, or your son dies.”
The kidnapper had threatened that many times, but would they go through with it? “I gave you money last time and you didn’t give me my son.”
“I have no intention of killing Jamie, but I will if you don’t follow my instructions.”
Mission--Colton Justice Page 18
