The Game Changer

by Iona Morrison

  The Waterfront Grill was a nice quiet place for them to talk. The host took them to their table. Matt pulled her chair out for her.

  “So what did the sheriff say?”

  Matt sat back in his chair and was careful how he answered. “I can tell you right now, no one has a clue what’s going on. It’s a mess. They passed me from one person to another and shuffled me from department to department. There was no new information and no leads at all. What did you find out?” The server handed them each a menu and left them to look it over.

  “Adriana grew up in Rocky Pointe but went to college at NYU. I found out that while she was in college, several times she had called the campus police about someone stalking her. There was no name given. She had also turned over a couple of bizarre, rambling love letters he had mailed to her. The campus police had no suspect and never made an arrest.”

  “That’s interesting,” Matt replied. “I wonder why Adriana didn’t know who he was. Usually, a victim has some idea of who the stalker is or least a description.”

  “If she did, it wasn’t in any of the reports I saw.” Jessie took a sip of her water. “I thought it might be a good idea to visit the Rocky Pointe Bank and see if someone might have seen a strange person hanging around. What do you think?”

  “Sounds like a good place to start.” Matt cupped her hand in his. “I can’t believe you found that all out today and the sheriff’s office didn’t have any of that information.” Matt frowned. He decided to let her run with it and to not say anything for now. He would find a way to keep a watchful eye and be close if she needed him. “I can help you all weekend at the store. I have this one off. How’s that sound?”

  “Perfect,” she said as she examined the menu. “Sadie called and asked me to go with her next week on vacation. I mean, all expenses paid, who could turn that down?” She gave the waitress her order.

  Speaking of perfect, at least for the next week he wouldn’t have to worry about her. He could look into a few things while she was gone. When the server left, he reached across the table and took her hand again. “So where is this vacation going to happen?”

  “It’s a surprise. Did I mention Katie is going, too?” He shook his head. “All Sadie would say is that it will be warmer than Blue Cove. At this point, I’m just happy to get away.”

  “I’m sure you’ll have a great time.”

  “Anywhere will be delightful. It’s always a great time with Katie and Grams.” She took another sip of water. “Will you miss me, maybe just a little?” she asked with a flirtatious smile.

  “What do you think? Who is the one that can’t go a day without calling you or dropping in to see you? The question is, will you miss me?”

  “I’ll have to think about it. Since I’ve added all your points back for the apology, yeah, I’ll miss you.” She patted his hand. “I think you should know I don’t really have a point system.” She grinned at him.

  The server set their food in front of them and then left. “What do you think about Adriana?” Matt asked, his tone serious. “I know you well enough to know you’re already starting to formulate something in your mind.”

  “I learned a few things. I know what Evan told us, and I believe him. I also know she had a stalker in college who disappeared. I talked to her friend Kathy who had no new information, and she’s struggling with Adriana’s disappearance. She feels guilty for not reading between the lines when Adriana talked to her.”

  “Did you ask her about the Foster’s relationship?”

  “Of course I did.” She rolled her eyes at him. “I learned all the right questions to ask in Investigative Reporting 101!”

  Matt grinned at her. “Sorry, sweetheart.”

  “Kathy told me Adriana loved Evan. They seemed to have a healthy marriage. Adriana was excited about the baby and was already planning the nursery.” Jessie grabbed her notes from her purse, giving them a quick glance. “She also told me that Adriana was coming here to talk to her about a problem she was having with another man, but she had no idea who he was. Adriana wouldn’t talk over the phone about him. She was afraid someone might be listening. Kathy didn’t press her and now she wishes she had.”

  “No other details, I take it.”

  “No, but Adriana had a stalker once.” She pursed her lips, her fingers tapping on her cheek. “What’s to say that he hasn’t come back? Adriana’s missing, but so far, there’s no ransom note, which leads me to lean toward a stalker, someone infatuated with her. She’s alive. I can feel it. She’s scared, but I don’t think he plans on hurting her, at least not yet.”

  “What do you mean by not yet?” His voice sounded gruff.

  “You know better than anyone obsessive people are often irrational. It won’t take much to send him out of control if she doesn’t cooperate with his plans.”

  “That puts it in another light doesn’t it?” He frowned, his body tensing. “Jess, I can’t tell you what to do. I’ve learned that the hard way, but I wish you would stay out of this. If you’re right, this man is obsessed with her and, therefore, dangerous. I know you’re a strong woman. You were doing this kind of reporting before I met you, so I’ll leave this up to you. As much as I want to protect you from everything, I know you can take care of yourself. Promise me that you’ll be careful.”

  “I will. I know when I get involved in a case I can be stubborn and I’m not good at taking orders. Who knows, there might not be anything for me to do. I can’t go anywhere if I don’t know where I’m going, now can I? Besides, we’re in this together.” She held the warm cup of coffee in her hands before she took a sip.

  The rest of the evening was pleasant. They parked at the Yacht Club and Marina. Repairs and renovations on the Marina had moved ahead in the weeks since the bombing, and Matt wanted to show it to her. He spent a little extra time kissing her after he took her home. His excuse was he wouldn’t see her for a week. He kissed her once for each day she would be gone and for anything clever he could think of in the heat of the moment. Her response told him what he needed to know. She was into him and the sexy little groan she had made almost tipped him over the edge. It was getting harder to walk out the door and leave her. The truth was he couldn’t seem to get enough of her. Reality and the cold air hit him when he stepped outside. Damn, he was going to miss her.

  ****

  Jessie watched him walk away, slowly closing the door. The air outside was cold, but she felt downright hot. His lips did magical things to her. There was no one who came close to making her feel the way Matt did. He had better be a patient man. She sighed. It was probably a good thing to go away for a week. Otherwise she could forget her dreams. All rational thought disappeared when he kissed her.

  Jessie took off her coat, hung it in the closet, and sat on the couch. There was something strange about this case. She found herself pulled into the vortex of it even though she hardly knew any details. The fact that Adriana was taken was only a small part of it, not to her husband, of course, but to the dark figure that Jessie had seen grab Adriana. Someone involved was very powerful, but not in a normal way. An elusive dark shadow crossed her mind whenever she thought about Adriana. He wanted to erase her and create someone new in her place. Jessie shivered at the thought. They had to find Adriana before he accomplished his goals and she was lost to Evan forever.

  How long she sat there thinking, she didn’t know. Finally, she shook her head and stood up. She got a glass of water and headed for bed. The first shiver hit. The temperature in the room said 68. She got in bed with her clothes on, pulling her blankets tight around her. The blanket couldn’t warm her from the chill that reached deep in her, running along her spine until she shivered out of control. It was not a healthy feeling of cold. Jessie saw Adriana, deathly quiet and still. She went from cold to hot, in a moment, a smothering heat that stunned her. Panic seized her, pushing her not too gently toward the edge. Her heart raced at a frantic pace. Jessie knew Adriana was in the trunk of a car. She remembered all too well the
fear she had felt. Please, oh please. I need to see something. Jessie took deep breaths trying to calm the panic she was feeling. Adriana’s eyes flew open, and Jessie’s body relaxed. As quickly as she had come, Adriana was gone, replaced by a dark shadow bending over the trunk. In her heart, Jessie knew it was more than a man. Something else was involved, but she couldn’t begin to explain what it was.

  Chapter 3

  Jessie rolled over and turned on the lamp. She was wide-awake as her eyes adjusted to the light flooding the dark room. Sleep? No way. Not tonight. Jessie threw the covers off and slipped out of bed going over some of the cases she could remember. Nothing stood out.

  Wow, did she ever need this vacation and the sooner, the better. She pushed her hair out of her eyes, sat down at the computer, and searched the web through her article archives hoping something would jog her memory. Her free hand tapped on the desk. She clicked back and forth between articles. She stared at the words on the screen, but her mind was blank. As far as she could see, Matt didn’t need to worry. She couldn’t get involved in a case when she didn’t have any clues to go on. She checked her email, and there was one from Sadie.

  Here are your printable tickets for the first part of your trip. You will fly out of JFK and meet me here at the airport. We’ll then go on together to our final destination. I think you’ll both be pleasantly surprised. Love you, sweetheart.

  ****

  Matt gave up. Wide-awake he sat up in bed. He leaned his head back on his folded arms. Another mess. Jessie seemed to be at the heart of it again. His conversation with Johnson earlier still bothered him. Not that he believed black magic was real, most likely they staged it. He frowned. Of course, he hadn’t thought much about ghosts either until Jessie came along, and Gina with her. Maybe he’d have to rethink this. He didn’t like it, but he would stand by her decision. “Give her breathing room,” Sadie once told him. At least for the next week she would be safe and out of the area. Why then did he have such a bad feeling about all of it? Matt looked at the clock, eleven-thirty. She was probably sleeping, or maybe she wasn’t and was restless, too. He was willing to chance it. Letting the phone ring a couple of times, he was about to hang up when he heard her voice.

  “It’s a little late. Can’t you sleep or something?”

  “You could say that. Did I wake you?” He grinned, imagining the expression on her face.

  “Nope, I had a visit from someone earlier which woke me up for the rest of the night.”

  He heard her sigh through the line. “Who came, and what kind of visit are we talking about?” His free hand clenched behind his head.

  Jessie described what had happened to her earlier. “I relived in one moment all the panic I had felt in the trunk of Anderson’s car.”

  “Damn!” He swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat on the edge. “Sorry, sweetheart. Hearing what you went through, I’m going to have to tell you about my conversation with the investigating officer. I didn’t want you to know, but it seems it’s on a need-to-know basis.”

  “I thought you said they had no new information, and the whole thing was a mess.”

  “I did and it is. But I left out a few details.”

  “I don’t like the sound of that. We aren’t talking about minor details are we?’

  “Let’s say I don’t know what to make of them.” Matt’s hand rubbed his forehead as he talked.

  “Start talking and please don’t leave out any details. You know me.” He heard her smile behind her words. “I need to know so I can have a plan.”

  Matt told her about the missing records, computer files, and interviews on Adriana. He also told her about what was happening at the station with the dead chickens, blood, and strange occurrences. “I think some of that might be staged. But, Johnson was scared. I could hear it in his voice when he told me about it.”

  “That’s it.”

  “What’s it?” He could hear the excitement in her voice.

  “Computer files can easily be hacked and records missing. That could be an internal problem, but animal sacrifice, staged or otherwise, means someone from the outside. I’ve had a strange feeling every time I think of this case. I haven’t been able to understand some of its twists. I mean the disappearance was strange in itself, but I kept thinking there was more. I wasn’t getting the full picture. There is a powerful dark figure that shows up each time I see Adriana. The occult is a real possibility or maybe it’s more about leading everyone off the real trail than the voodoo. I have lots of questions.”

  “Like what?” He reached over and turned on the lamp.

  “I want to know how I ended up in Evan’s dream. I mean, don’t you think it’s a little creepy that he came into my store and stared at me as if he saw a ghost? I have to admit that has me a little puzzled. The probability and odds of it happening are staggering.”

  He smiled. Her enthusiasm colored every word. He knew she was in it whether he liked it or not. “I can’t answer that. You know me—when it comes to this part of your life, I’m just along for the ride. And damn, what a wild ride it’s been. What other questions do you have?” He sat forward on the edge of the bed.

  “Where’s Adriana? I know she’s in the trunk of a car but not the location. Has someone masterminded all of this? I mean, did he put me in Evan’s dream to trap me. Or, am I supposed to be the one to find her? My mind keeps going around in circles. No matter what, I’m going to have to do a little investigating of my own. Do you want to go to Rocky Pointe to do a little leg work with me?”

  “First of all, I don’t like the whole trap idea. I hadn’t thought of that.” He raked a hand through his hair. “Hell, I don’t like anything about this case, and I would like you to stay out of the whole damn thing.” He groaned, wishing he had kept his mouth shut. He could almost hear her bristling over the phone.

  “It’s not like I went looking for it, now is it? So you can keep your opinion of what I should or shouldn’t do to yourself.”

  “I didn’t mean it the way it came out.”

  “Yes, you did. The least you can do is to be honest about it.” He imagined her chin edging up with every word.

  “You’re right, I did mean it. I don’t like where this case is heading. But, I do like you. And when it comes to legwork, I’ll work with yours any day.”

  “Ha, ha…” The bristling turned into a chuckle. “Smooth recovery, but I think you overreached a little.”

  “Probably, but I do like your legs.” He stood up and walked toward the kitchen. “Jess, I know you didn’t purposely get involved in this mess. I’m concerned about its strangeness, so be careful, sweetheart. A person willing to steal the records from the police in their backyard is liable to be bold enough to do anything.”

  “Part of me is involved, but I can’t do anything to find her if I have no clue what the next step is. All I can do is some investigative work for now.”

  He was relieved, but he wouldn’t tell her. “I should let you get some sleep. Remember I’m yours for the weekend. I’ll look into my schedule, and we’ll go to Rocky Pointe one day this week.”

  “I’ll keep you in the loop. I won’t be reckless.”

  “That’s good to know. I’ve waited a lifetime for you, and I’m hanging on.”

  “Don’t let go,” she said softly.

  “Who me? I hold tight to the ones I love.” He smiled. “Now get some sleep, and I’ll see you tomorrow.

  ****

  On Wednesday, Jessie was up early and waiting for Matt. A drive to Rocky Pointe to interview Adriana’s co-workers was on for today. Jessie had already started to compile information on her. An article for Max at the local paper might trigger someone’s memory. Evan’s interview had put the human face on his wife. There were clues out there, and all they had to do was find people who saw them.

  She straightened the magazines on the end table, moving the lamp slightly and went to look out the window for the umpteenth time. Before she left on her mini vacation, she would hav
e a good portion of the work at the store finished. A few pieces of artwork would need hanging when they finally arrived. A myriad of little details awaited her final touch the week of the opening. They would present themselves at that time and not a moment before.

  Katie was catering the event, and Jessie knew it would be excellent. They had gone over the menu ideas for the appetizers and drinks last week. Katie had put together a great presentation. Jessie’s excitement was building, especially with Corrine Clarke’s appearance. It didn’t get much better.

  Jessie looked at her watch, then looked out the window again. Finally! She glanced at her watch as she closed the door behind her, thinking she could tell him he was late. He was on time.

  “As I’ve told you before I’ll come to get you at your door,” Matt said, as she slid into the passenger’s seat.

  “I’m excited to get going,” she said as she fastened her seatbelt. “I’m looking forward to finding out anything we can about Adriana.” She waited until Matt backed out of the parking space and drove past the Inn. “I have to admit that spending a few hours with you might not be so bad either.” His expression was priceless. She liked taking him by surprise.

  “Sweetheart, you don’t play fair. One of these days you’re going to do that while I don’t have my hands full with driving or something else, and the only one who will be in my hands will be you.”

  “Are you threatening me?” She flirted with him. The flush on his neck gave her a small sense of power. She was getting to him, too.

  “No, it’s a promise. Do it again and I’ll stop the car and show you.” He grinned, glancing at her.

  “Well, maybe someday I’ll take up the challenge. It might be interesting to see how you’d react if I did.”

  “I know what I’d do. I’m just not sure what you’d do.” He glanced at her. “Something tells me your dad had his hands full with you. Maybe that’s why he’s so protective.”

  “I think not.” She feigned an innocent look. “I rarely flirted with guys. To tell you the truth, I think you’re one of the first for me other than Katie’s brother.” She placed her hand over her heart giving him a coy look. “Most of the other guys I hung out with were more like brothers, or at least that’s how I felt about them.”