The Game Changer

by Iona Morrison

  “What are we doing tomorrow?” Katie grabbed Sadie’s other arm.

  “We are scheduled for a massage and a facial to be followed by manicures and pedicures.” Sadie looked from one face to the other. She smiled as Katie cried with delight. “Here we are, girls. Be sure to shut that gate so it locks. You have to have one of these to open it.” She held up the card in her hand. “Get your suits on; the hot tub is calling to us.”

  ****

  Jessie grabbed her towel and was on her way to the courtyard when her phone rang. “Grams, I’ll be there in a few. I need to take this call.” She thumbed her phone. “Hi, Matt, what’s up?”

  “Are you enjoying yourself so far?”

  Jessie told him all about the resort—every little detail. She followed that with what they had for dinner and their conversation. She ended with how Katie now had the recipe from the chef and how she had obtained it.

  “Is everything okay?” He sounded concerned. “I’ve never heard you talk so much or so fast.”

  “I think I’m trying to put off the inevitable.” She groaned. “What’s the news?”

  “He’s been watching you, both in your store and your house.”

  “When you say watching me, what exactly are we talking about?” She sighed.

  “In every way you can imagine but don’t. You’ll be better off if you don’t think about it.”

  She sat down on the chair clutching the towel to her chest. Her stomach turned, she suddenly felt sick. “How am I supposed to not think about it? Are we talking about the bedroom or what?”

  “I’ll be honest with you, he’s probably seen you in all states of dress and undress if our perp was monitoring you.”

  Jessie’s hand clutched the towel tighter.

  “How?” She sucked in a shallow breath. “Why? Who is this creep? Just knowing he was watching me freaks me out.”

  “It’ll be okay, Jess. We’ll get him. Gary has taken all of the equipment out of your house.”

  “I don’t know what I’m going to do. How did he get in?” Tears filled her eyes.

  “We’re working on that right now. It looks like some of the wires in the store come in from the coffee shop. He could have been someone who came to wire your lights or hook up your phone. It had to be someone who had to go up into your attic to do some of the work. You need to think. You do have a surveillance video, so we’ll check out the tape, but he seems to be aware of things like that. I doubt he’ll be on it. Can you think of anybody who fits that description?”

  “Not really, I wasn’t paying attention.”

  “If you think of anyone, let me know.”

  “Sure, you know I will, but there were several people who had to go up there. No one stands out to me. No wonder I felt like he was watching me.” She shuddered. “He was.”

  “It’ll be okay, Jess. You’re safe now, and he doesn’t know where you are.”

  “Of course, you’re right. He can’t know, could he? I mean we didn’t even know so how could he. Right?” Her hand clutched the towel, closing it tighter around her.

  “Jess, Gary mentioned that you should put a piece of duct tape over the camera lens on your computer. He said it would be easy to hack into and watch you from there,”

  “Matt, could you ask Gary something for me?”

  “Sure, what do you want me to ask him?”

  She frowned, pursing her lips. “Ask him how easy it would be to trace my cell phone to know where I am?” She could hear his intake of breath and his muttered curse.

  “Hell, Jess, I didn’t think about that. He knows where you are, doesn’t he?”

  “I’m pretty sure that’s an affirmative, but I doubt he’ll try anything with the others around.” She closed her eyes and shivered.

  “You’re probably right, but just as soon as Jeremy gets here tomorrow, we’ll be on a plane headed west. We’ll be close if you need us, but try to let you have a vacation without interference.”

  “I don’t think it’s necessary. I can’t imagine anything happening when I’m with the others and in this well-patrolled resort,” Her voice softened. “I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to come, though.”

  “I’m coming. Stay close to them! Do you hear me? Don’t go running by yourself, don’t go anywhere by yourself. As soon as I have the details, I’ll let you know when I’ll be there.”

  “Okay.” She felt relieved.

  “Remember, Jess, he could be anyone, the guy bringing room service, a waiter, or someone who tends the gardens. Be careful who you talk to and keep your eyes open.”

  “Now you sound like Katie.”

  “Who sounds like me?” Katie walked in the room. “What are you doing in here talking when you could be in the hot tub? Sadie sent me to get you.”

  “I need to go, Matt. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Jess, promise me you’ll be careful. You’re smart, and you need to use your head.”

  “I will.” She hung up.

  ****

  The warm water felt good on her body but did nothing to soothe her mind. What had made her think of asking about the cell phone? Matt would come. If someone was watching her, he would know when Matt arrived. Was it possible they could lose their chance to help Adriana? She let the water swirl around her, closing her eyes as Sadie and Katie talked. She was afraid and knew what she felt each time she sensed him. She was the one who could help find Adriana. Without her, Adriana didn’t stand a chance. Still she was happy he was coming.

  “Are you sleeping?” Katie nudged her foot.

  “No, just relaxing.” Jessie opened her eyes.

  “I think we should turn in early. We have an action-packed day tomorrow starting at eight a.m.” Sadie stood up and grabbed a towel.

  Jessie helped her grandmother out of the hot tub. “I think you’re right, Grams. Are you coming, Katie?”

  “Yes, you don’t think I want to stay out here by myself, do you?”

  Sadie went to bed. After talking with Katie for a while, Jessie double-checked the locks and went to call Matt. He had made it clear that he would come sooner rather than later because that’s what partners do. She was happy he would be nearby. Jessie shut off the light and climbed into bed. She listened in the darkness, straining to hear any noise, but there was only silence. The sheets wrapped and bunched around her in knots before she finally went to sleep.

  Chapter 9

  Matt looked at the clock. He got Tom’s answering service and left him a message. He arranged for airline tickets for Palm Springs and talked to Dylan. Matt arranged to meet Jeremy at the airport instead of him driving to the Cove. Tom’s return call came a little after midnight.

  “What’s up, Matt?” A tired voice asked him. “You sounded like it was an emergency.”

  “I think it is,” Matt explained it all in detail.

  “Someone in our office is handling the Foster kidnapping case. I’ll fill him in on what you’ve told me about the note. Can you email me a copy of it?”

  “I’ll do it when we hang up.” Matt made a mental note.

  “You think the guy has Adriana in California. Why?”

  “Jessie feels he’s there and you know how that works. It’s possible he’s listening in on conversations, but this guy seems to be one-step ahead of us. He must have another source.”

  “I’ll call the West Coast office and get you set up to work with them. Since we worked together on the last case, I think they’ll be willing to bring you in especially with the note and surveillance equipment involved. If he gives her any more clues or approaches her, let me know.”

  “I will and thanks, Tom.”

  “Did you call Palm Springs PD to introduce yourself?”

  “I did.”

  “You’ll need to stop in when you first get there and meet them up close and personal. I’ll call and give the chief a heads up about it,” Tom told him.

  “Thanks, Tom.”

  “And, Matt, keep your eyes and ears open. I know this much, some weird
stuff has happened to the investigating deputy and even in our department. There’s more here than meets the eye.”

  “Would you ask them if they’d be open to us bringing the tracking dog? If we find that our man is in the area, it may be Adriana’s best chance of being found.”

  “Okay, I can personally vouch for the dog. I’ll call you back as soon as I have it set up.”

  ****

  Matt met Jeremy at the departure gate. As soon as they took their seats on the plane, Jeremy opened his backpack and handed Matt several sheets of paper.

  “What do you have for me?” Matt grabbed them.

  “Look these over and we can talk once we’re up in the air.” Jeremy handed him a yellow highlighter too. “Mark the things that stand out to you. I have another set that I’ve marked in red. We’ll talk once you’ve had a chance to read them.” He put his laptop in the seat back so he could grab it when needed.

  Matt read and marked places on the page. “She doesn’t have any fear when it comes to writing does she? She’d take them all on.”

  “Jessie was a great reporter and was on her way up. I think that’s why her dad got so upset with her.” Jeremy rearranged the pages. “People were surprised when she left.”

  “Sometimes people just need a change. I’m glad she did.” He was proud of her and the more he read, the more those feelings grew.

  The plane gave a small lurch as it moved away from the gate. The flight attendant came down the aisle, checking to see if the seatbacks were in the upright position. She took a few pillows from the overhead bins, handed them out to passengers, and smiled at him as she passed. Matt had the old familiar knot in his stomach. He was what he liked to call a white-knuckle flyer. He hated the take-offs, landings, and everything in between that wasn’t smooth. He had done enough of it over the years. If he was ever going to get used to flying, it should have happened by now. He tried not to let anyone see it, but he was always happy when the plane had reached its destination and he was once again safely on the ground. Jeremy started talking about the same time the plane started down the runway. Maybe he was nervous, too.

  “Did you get a chance to mark those first two articles?”

  Matt nodded. “I saw a few things of interest.”

  “Some of what the professor was saying sounded a little flaky to me. I think he has his own issues.” Jeremy had circled it in red. “And, on page three, look how Jessie questions him and her conclusions make the guy look like the jerk that he was being.” Jeremy pointed to the paragraph he had marked. “Irwin was a Professor of Religious Studies and Native Cultures at the University when Jessie interviewed him. He had just given a lecture on the role that narcissism plays in fanatical fundamentalism.”

  “I marked many of those same areas.” Matt looked at Jeremy’s red marks.

  Jeremy handed Matt a few other papers and a tape recorder. “Listen to this and then read the article. I told you about him the other day when we talked. I think you’ll hear that this guy mirrors what you read in the note.” He handed him some earphones.

  Matt listened, put his glasses on, and began to read. He had a sick feeling by the time he was done. Jessie wrote the piece after her interview with Professor Irwin. A man in the crowd asked several questions during a question and answer session for students following the professor’s lecture. He kept asking about the stalker at the school and became more belligerent and furious with each of Irwin’s answers. His constant interruptions caused the professor to call him out in anger. The professor took it one step too far, to Matt’s way of thinking, when he ridiculed the man in front of the crowd. Matt could hear the irritation in the tone of his voice.

  Jeremy interrupted Matt’s reading. “The guy grabbed Jessie at the end of the interview while the tape was still on and the camera was rolling. He told her his name was Brett Peters. His language was intimidating, threatening to the professor, and hateful. It was after this interview the man lost his job, as several co-workers came forward to say he had bullied them on the job. I thought you should know. At the time, Brett was the head of maintenance at NYU.”

  “So what happened after this article appeared and he lost his job?”

  “It wasn’t just an article—it was aired live on TV. The cameraman with her caught him in action. You can imagine how that went over. Jessie got a threatening note. When the police checked it out, they found that the University had determined that Brett wasn’t his real name. He left, and no one knew where he had gone or who he was.”

  “Hell, that’s not good. He was trying to impress her then, just like he is now in his sick way.” Matt scowled. “Why didn’t she tell me about this?”

  “To tell you the truth, I think the way Jessie survived in that atmosphere was to forget. There’s a lot of ugly stuff that goes on in the city and she was threatened more than once, believe me.”

  “We could get a look at the guy if they still have the footage.”

  “They do, and I did.” Jeremy pulled out his computer and turned it on. “Here he is in living color.”

  Matt watched the clip run. “He’s a big man. Jess is tall, but she looks little next to him.”

  “I also found several aliases he’s used since Brett Peters, but who knows what it is now. His last known address was a dead-end, but the town is familiar.”

  Matt was impressed Jeremy had done his research. “Where?” Matt turned in his seat to ask Jeremy.

  “Rocky Pointe. Don’t get your hopes up. He disappeared from there a few weeks ago. I find the timing interesting, though, and he’s still paying his rent.”

  “It can’t be that simple. Next thing you’ll tell me he knew the two clowns from the bank.”

  “Not yet, but I’m working on it. Remember what the conclusion in the article said? If you apply it to Brett, we’ll call him that for now, he wouldn’t be hiding. He would want to throw it in our faces. He’s been in plain sight all along; right under our noses so to speak, even if he has to stage it.”

  “I get you!” Matt raked his hand through his hair. He wondered if Jessie could remember what Brett looked like. Tired, he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.

  The next thing he heard was the Captain’s voice. “We have been cleared to land. Thank you for flying with us today.”

  ****

  Jessie kicked her shoes off as she came in the door after their spa appointment. “Grams, what a glorious day, I feel like a new woman.” She gave Sadie a hug. “How can I ever thank you? This day alone would be worth the whole trip. I haven’t felt this relaxed in months.”

  “My skin hasn’t felt this good since who knows when.” Katie stroked her arms and then her face. “I think I could get used to this lifestyle.”

  “I believe you girls enjoyed being pampered.” Sadie smiled at them. “I asked the lady who did my nails for a good local restaurant. I know where we’re going tonight. It’s casual so dress accordingly. I’m relaxed. All I want now is a little nap, and then I’ll be ready to go.”

  Katie headed to the small kitchen to get a drink. “Can I get you anything?” she asked Jessie.

  “Not right now, I’m fine.”

  Katie came back carrying a bottle of tea and a glass filled with ice. I’m going to watch TV. Do you want to join me?” She sat on the couch, grabbing the remote.

  “No, I think I’ll work on my article for Max.”

  “Do you ever stop working?” Katie sighed. “I feel too good to work or even think about it.” She stretched out on the couch. “You should try and relax. It would do you good.”

  Jessie noticed an envelope on the lamp table as she stood. “I stop sometimes, but I want to get the information about Adriana out there. The sooner I do it the better. I’ll rest as soon as I’m finished.”

  “Are you sure you’re all right? You look pale to me.”

  “I’m fine.” She grabbed the envelope before anyone else found it. Funny, she didn’t remember seeing it there this morning. When she turned it over, there was h
er name written in dark black letters across the front. A wave of nausea swept over her… she was clammy and then hot. She wanted to read it, but then again she didn’t want to. He must have been in their room, but how did he get in? She looked around for some sign, any sign. Jessie ripped the envelope open on her way to her room, where she closed the door. She sat on the edge of the bed, paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and began to read.

  Jessie,

  I hope you don’t think that I’ve been neglecting you. Surely not! I’ve come to give you your first clue. I’m anxious to see how well you’ll do. (Don’t fret how I left this little treat for you. I have my ways you know.)

  I’ve tucked my queen in nice and tight. You’ll never take her without a fight. Just a few days are all you’ll have to find the place where she now lays. She may be hot, but the place is not. It’s neither close nor far away. Another clue will come to you soon under the shadow of the moon. Ta-ta for now.

  Jessie’s mind went to work. She needed Jeremy’s brain to help her with this. She could understand a little bit of it already or least she thought she could.

  She called Jeremy.

  “Hey, Jessie, what’s up?”

  “Can you talk for a minute? Is Matt with you, and are you in town yet? You can tell him if you think you should. I don’t want him to feel he needs to run over here. I know he has enough to do.”

  “Slow down, Jessie, we’re here. What’s up? After I hear what you have to say, I’ll decide what to do. If I think it’s necessary, I’ll drive him over there myself.”

  “Fair enough.” She sighed at his sober tone. “I’m typing a note that I found in our suite when we got back. I’ll send it to your email. I figure two heads are better than one. It’s my first clue on how to find Adriana. I think I can see a few things in it but not everything. Get back with me as soon as you have a chance to mull it over.”

  “I will.”

  ****