The Game Changer

by Iona Morrison

  “Jeremy is going to be in town, and I’m not going to be there. Man, do I like that guy. He’s scrumptious. I could think of a lot of things that a girl could do with a guy like that.” Katie fanned herself with the magazine.

  “You’re funny, do you know that?” Jessie chuckled. “Anytime I’m with you, it’s a good time. You’ll see! We’ll have a great time.” Jessie put down her tray and placed her book on it. “The other stuff isn’t going anywhere. It will be waiting for me when I get back. Unless, of course, Matt solves the mystery before I return. Technically, it isn’t his case.” She frowned, deep in thought. “I’m not sure, but I think the threatening note brings him in on it since it happened in Blue Cove.”

  “Who cares? He won’t let anything happen to you even if he has to go after the guy single-handedly.”

  “This isn’t the Old West, Katie. There are laws that even cops have to obey.”

  “You know what I mean.” She winked. “He loves you, Jessie. He’ll do everything he can to keep you safe.” She put her hands to her face. “Oh, no, I just thought of it; he’s not going to be around to keep you safe. I sure hope this guy doesn’t know where we’re going.”

  “How could he? We don’t even know where we’re going.” Jessie smiled at her.

  “That’s true! Okay then, I can relax now.” Katie giggled.

  ****

  “Flight attendants, prepare the cabin for landing.” The Captain’s voice came over the intercom. “Ladies and gentlemen, we will be making our descent into O’Hare shortly. There are a few planes ahead of us. Please remain seated for the remainder of the flight until the aircraft comes to a full stop. Thank you for flying with us this morning.”

  Jessie was relieved for the interruption since it shut Katie up for a minute. She had talked the entire flight. Jessie needed a break. Katie was great, but when she got on a subject, she was tenacious and wouldn’t let go. She had come up with every worst-case scenario possible, going over them repeatedly for most of the flight, Jessie was about ready to turn around and fly back to Blue Cove. Almost. She might enjoy sending Katie back on the next flight, though. The man would have to be superhuman to do all the things Katie had suggested he might try. She sighed and closed her eyes. She needed a few minutes alone to clear her head. She had to get rid of all the awful stuff Katie had suggested. Some of it hit too close to home.

  The plane touched down safely after circling several times around the city. One more dip of the plane up or down and Jessie thought she would scream. She was more than ready to see Sadie and let her deal with Katie on the next flight. She couldn’t help it. Katie had one vivid imagination.

  Sadie was waiting for them by the baggage carousel, right where she’d told them she’d be. She took one look at Jessie’s face and put her arms around her. “Is everything, okay? You didn’t have a rough flight, did you?”

  Jessie waited until Katie stepped away to search for her luggage. “Let’s just say Katie was extremely talkative, and my head is still spinning.”

  Sadie laughed. “That girl can talk, that’s for sure. How about I sit between the two of you and let her chat with me?”

  “I was hoping you’d volunteer.” Jessie turned, spotted her bags, and went to get them. She showed the attendant her luggage tickets and returned to stand by Sadie.

  “Sadie, I can’t take the suspense another minute. Where are we headed?” Katie dumped her suitcase by her feet as she joined them.

  “We’re on our way to Palm Springs for a few days and then on to San Diego so you girls can see the Pacific. How does that sound? It’s been a mild winter there, and I’m looking forward to the warmth.”

  Katie grabbed Sadie and let out a squeal, turning several heads.

  “Wow, it sounds perfect.” Jessie smiled. “You were good at keeping it secret.”

  “I wanted to surprise you.”

  “You did.”

  Sadie grabbed her hand. “I’m so happy to spend some time with you, girls. I think it will be great fun. Wait until you see the resort in Palm Springs. It’s a five-star beauty. Each suite has a hot tub and private courtyard. I think you’re going to enjoy it, and your dad, bless his heart, will probably explode when he sees the bill—even though it’s my money.”

  “I think you might enjoy that the most.” Jessie laughed and pulled her bags behind her.

  After they had checked their luggage, they made their way through security and finally arrived at their departure gate. Sadie pulled out the brochures so they could look at all the amenities the resort had.

  “This place is amazing,” Katie squealed. “I’ve never been anywhere so beautiful before.”

  “What do you mean; you live in a place with a five-star rating.” Jessie couldn’t help herself. It was Katie’s turn to be bothered.

  “It’s not the same. You know what I mean.” Katie scowled at her.

  “Sure, but the Blue Iris Inn is beautiful, you have to admit.”

  “Of course, but I don’t have to work at this place. They are going to serve me, and boy, oh boy, am I going to enjoy it.” Katie bounced from one foot to the other. “What should we do first?”

  “Get there.” Jessie winced as Katie pinched her arm again.

  “What’s up with you?” Katie got in her face. “Are you going to be this disagreeable the whole way?”

  “I’ll try not to be if you promise not to dredge up any more of your scary scenarios. Fair enough?” Jessie glared right back at Katie.

  Katie nodded. “Okay, I can see how that might have bothered you. I promise. Now, can we plan some of the things we want to do during our stay?”

  Jessie listened half-heartedly to Katie and Sadie as they made plans. Some of the things Katie had brought up were troubling her. The possibility that he could follow them or know where they were going had never crossed her mind until Katie carried on about it. She began the text.

  —Hi, Matt, I was wondering if you found out anything yet.—

  His response was immediate.

  —Gary’s checking your store now, and I’ll call you later after I know more. Were you surprised?—

  —Yes, how did you know?—

  —I talked to Sadie a few nights ago, and she told me about where she was taking you. I like the idea of taking you by surprise.—

  —Don’t get any bright ideas. The resort looks amazing. Katie and Sadie are planning things now.—

  —Why aren’t you involved in the planning?—

  —I have to admit my mind is a little preoccupied.—

  —If you need me, you know I’ll come.—

  —I’m sure it’ll be okay, but Katie filled my head with scary scenarios that I need to get rid of somehow. I’ll wait to hear from you. They’re starting to board the plane.—

  —Talk to you later.—

  ****

  Matt didn’t want to worry her. He paced a little, and frowned a lot, then paced some more. Maybe he should put Dylan in charge and take the first flight out to Palm Springs. He would wait. It wasn’t what he wanted to do, but he would hold on, at least until he heard from Gary, and Jeremy had arrived. After that, all bets were off. He tapped his pencil on the desk. When it came to Jessie, he didn’t know whether it was his instinct as a cop or whether he was overprotective. Possibly both! He would wait. No, he was a damn good cop, and his gut told him to be concerned—so he would go with his instinct. He made a quick call to the Palm Springs Police.

  He turned his chair to look out the window. He had pored over her reports. He could see where someone might object to some of the conclusions, especially those doctors who sometimes dispensed meds without the proper follow-up. Could it be a doctor or a patient who was behind this? He scowled. Who knew? Her premise that the nation didn’t know how to deal with mental health issues was spot on, and it could upset a few folks. He knew all too well that many people who needed help ended up in the prison system. They didn’t belong there, but no one, including himself, knew what to do about it. He scanned another
page for something, anything at all that might be helpful. Matt knew firsthand how the criminal system found itself burnt too, by an unwarranted insanity plea. No trust or cooperation makes for a broken system. All good stuff but nothing earth shattering, and he still couldn’t see any connection. Something had to be there. He turned his chair back around and kept reading.

  It could be any one of the many people she had interviewed. How was he supposed to narrow it down? He stretched his arms over his head. Damn but he wished he could find a little clue.

  “Matt,” Dylan popped his head in the door. “Joe told me to tell you there’s a call for you on line two.”

  “Thanks. Come back in a few minutes, will you? I want to talk to you.”

  “Will do.” Dylan walked toward his office.

  “Hey, Matt, this is Gary. I think you need to get over here quick. I want you to see this for yourself. I think we may need a search warrant for Java Joe’s.”

  “I’ll be right there.” Matt grabbed his coat and headed out of his office. He turned around in the middle of the hall and walked toward Dylan’s office. “Dylan, I think you need to come along on this. I’ll fill you in on the way.”

  “Collins, we’ll be out for a while. You can reach us on my phone,” Matt told him as they passed his desk.”

  “All right.” He nodded. “I’ll hold down the fort.”

  Matt brought Dylan up to speed with all the details and handed him a copy of the note to read. “Gary has been combing over Jessie’s store to see if he could find a bug or a video camera, without letting the guy know we’re on to him. He just called and sounded like he’d found what he was looking for.”

  “Bizarre. I don’t know how she deals with this crap.” Dylan frowned. “I sure as hell couldn’t. And now this.” He held up the note. “This guy is just toying with her and sounds like an arrogant SOB if you ask me.”

  “I hope we can keep his delusion intact. People tend to make mistakes when they think they are outsmarting everyone. I don’t know if our suspect is in town or if he’s from her days in New York. Jeremy will be here in the morning, and he’s going to work on this alongside us. He knows about her research in New York. He worked with her often.” Matt pulled the car into the parking space in front of Jessie’s store.

  Dylan got out and knocked on the shop door. The door swung open. “What’d you find?” Dylan walked in first.

  Gary led the way up the stairs to the attic space. “I turned the sound off for now so that we could talk. Look at this.” He pointed to some wires and several small devices along the ceiling looking directly into Jessie’s store below. If you track all the wires, they’re coming from Java Joe’s next door. Her phone has no service as of yet, but I found a bug in it. I also found a couple of other listening devices among these.”

  Dylan squatted down to look at the equipment. “Whoever it is knows his tech stuff. There’re some sophisticated items here. He could be miles away or sitting in front of the store, and he’d hear what was going on.” Dylan picked up what resembled a small lens. “The serial numbers have been filed off.” He frowned. Matt squatted down beside him to look. “Do you think Jessie is the target, or is it Adriana?” Dylan asked.

  “It’s possible it’s Jessie, or it could be both, with more than one person involved.” Matt stood up. “Either way Jessie is in the center of it somehow. I hope to know more when Jeremy gets here in the morning.” Matt followed one of the wires to where it came through the wall. “Let’s leave it all for now. I’ll talk to the judge and see about a search warrant. We’ll have to locate the owner of Joe’s to talk to him. He’s a possible suspect. The realtor who sold Jessie the place should know how to get a hold of him.” Matt raked his hand through his hair. “Damn, I don’t like the looks of this.”

  “If I could offer another piece to the puzzle…” Gary followed them down the stairs. “Somewhere, somebody with some pretty sophisticated monitoring equipment has been watching our girl. I’m heading over to check on her house. He might have come in disguised as a contractor putting in a phone line or the electrician who hung her pendant lights. In other words, he’s been around her up close and personal.”

  “I don’t like the sound of that.” Dylan looked at Gary.

  Matt clenched his fist. “Let me know what you find at her house.”

  “I will. I’ll check for prints or any identifying numbers. I think there won’t be any.

  Matt frowned. “He may be careful, but it doesn’t mean he’s invincible.”

  Gary locked the door and walked out with them. “I’m headed to her place now and I’ll call you just as soon as I check it all out.” Gary started to walk away and then came back. “You might want to tell her to put a piece of duct tape over the camera lens on her computer to be safe. It’s fairly simple to hack into a computer and watch someone.”

  “No wonder you’re feeling edgy.” Dylan opened the car door. “It’s never anything simple with her.”

  “You’re telling me. It’s changing how I think. These guys are getting more sophisticated all the time, and I guess we’d better get there too, or we won’t be catching them.”

  Chapter 8

  The sweetest words Jessie heard in a while were that of the captain of the plane telling them that Palm Springs was having a warmer than usual winter with temperatures reaching into the high seventies and low eighties. They could shed their coats and do a little sunbathing. She smiled in anticipation.

  The car from the resort turned into the grounds. Everywhere Jessie looked she saw landscaped gardens full of palm trees, colorful bougainvillea flowers, flowering cactus, and passionflower vines. The grounds were lovely, and so was the resort; their luxury home away from home for a few days, complete with staff working overtime to provide for their comfort. Sadie arranged for their rental car through the resort. A new red convertible was waiting for them in front of their suite.

  Jessie opened the door to a beautifully appointed suite of rooms. The interior was an outstanding mix of new and traditional furnishings with beautiful fabrics and rich textures in soft yellows and blues. A vibrant red and dark blue in the vases and pillows added a pop of color. It was a feast for the eyes, from the paintings on the walls, to the fresh flowers that filled the vases. A bottle of California wine with cheese and crackers placed artfully on the table gave them a delicious welcome. It would be a few glorious days and a small taste of the high life.

  “Oh look, there’s even a small kitchen, with a well-stocked mini-fridge.” Katie held up a water bottle and showed them.

  Jessie smiled as Katie gushed on about their accommodations. She had to admit they were wonderful. A private entrance from the outdoors and a secluded courtyard with a hot tub made it the perfect place to relax. She could get used to this.

  “Well, girls, what do you think?” Sadie grinned, looking around her.

  “I think I can handle it.” Jessie hugged Sadie and then stretched out on the couch. “I mean it’s only for a few days.” She laughed. “Grams, it’s perfect.”

  “I second that.” Katie plopped down in the floral chair. “What do you say we dress for dinner and then later have a nice soak in the hot tub before we turn in?”

  “It sounds like the perfect end to a day of traveling to me. I’m going to shower.” She closed the door to her room.

  ****

  Showered and dressed, they entered the resort’s famous five-star restaurant. They were ready for the great food they had read about in all the brochures. Looking over the menu, they made their choices. Sadie wanted the filet medallions; Katie ordered the lobster, and Jessie ordered a Blackened Grilled Salmon on a bed of greens. A Riesling rounded out their meal followed by an incredible chocolate mousse and coffee.

  “The lobster was wonderful and the mousse was unbelievable.” Katie licked her spoon one more time. “I would love the mousse recipe for the Inn. My guests would enjoy it. I wonder if I talked to the chef and told him I would put his name on it if he’d share it with me.
I’m going to give it a try.” Katie got up and went to talk to the maître d’. Jessie watched her friend charm her way back into the kitchen for a conversation with the head pastry chef.

  “I believe that girl could talk her way into almost anything.” Sadie smiled at Jessie. “Or out of it, depending on the circumstances. She’s something. I can see why you two have been friends so long. You complement one another.” Sadie shook her head at the waiter when he offered her more coffee. “I believe I’ve had enough.”

  “I’m good, too.” Jessie placed her hand over her cup.

  Jessie watched Katie coming out of the kitchen with a big smile on her face and a paper in her hand. She gave them a thumbs up.

  “He gave it to me.” She was slightly breathless. “He said since I had a five star inn, and it was in the East, he would let me have it. Of course, I had to butter him up more than a little and stroke his male ego. But it’s in my hot little hands now, with only minimal groveling on my part, and soon my guests will be enjoying it.” Katie sat down and showed them the recipe with the chef’s signature on it.

  “I, for one, am impressed, Katie.” Sadie smiled at her. “I doubt just anyone could have gotten it.”

  “Katie could talk a man out of his last dollar and convince him it was his idea to give it to her.” Jessie watched Sadie sign the receipt, charging the dinner to their room. “Shall we head back?” Jessie opened the door for Sadie. They walked out into a beautiful starry night. The temperature was still mild, and they opted to take a leisurely stroll around the grounds. Jessie inhaled the fragrance of the evening air. She didn’t miss the cold of Blue Cove.

  “The vegetation around this place is beautiful, especially the passion flower vines.” Sadie pointed out certain plants they passed along the lighted walkway. “Look over there. I think that’s a butterfly bush.”

  Jessie let her eyes follow Sadie’s finger. She shivered, a sense of panic growing in her. He was watching her. She could feel his eyes on her. How? Where? Her eyes darted back and forth, searching all the places where he could hide. Jessie grabbed Sadie’s arm linking hers through it. Stop it, she told herself. It was just Katie’s constant chatter on the plane affecting her. Shaking her head, she mocked herself for letting Katie’s words affect her so. She shivered. He was nearby.