But what caught his eye was the detailed description, and he whispered it to himself. “Parents report student is all As, honor roll, winner of several science fairs. Intends to go to college for …” Jack stopped dead and read it twice. Chemistry. She wanted a chemistry degree. Was it possible? Surely not. He looked at the report. It had been taken by a deputy sheriff in Pike County, someone named K. Patrick. Jack picked up his phone and made the call.
It turned out Deputy Patrick was off with a back injury, so he asked to speak with someone else, but they couldn’t really give him details about the report, since they hadn’t taken it. When he hung up, Jack decided to do the next best thing.
Call the parents.
Here goes nothing, he told himself as he dialed. A woman’s voice answered with a boisterous, “Hello?”
“Yes. Are Mr. or Mrs. Stone available?”
“This is Mrs. Stone.”
“Ma’am, this is Kentucky State Police Trooper John Henry Fletcher, badge twelve eight-five. I wanted to talk to you about your daughter, Kennedie Stone. She was reported missing several weeks ago.”
“Yes, sir. Have you found her?”
“No, ma’am. I haven’t. But could you tell me why she might’ve run away?”
“I have no idea. I just know she’s got her heart set on going to college, but me and her daddy don’t see no sense to it. It’s just a piece of paper. She could get a job around here, but no. She wants to go see the world. I figure she ran off trying to find a job to make money so she could save up for college, which she won’t be able to because she’ll have to make herself a living. Kids these days―they never think about how things work. They just do them and hope for the best.”
Wow. Jack had expected her to be upset about her daughter’s disappearance. Instead, she seemed pissed off. “Ma’am, do you know a Frankie McIntosh?”
“No. Should I?”
“I wasn’t sure if he was someone your daughter knew.”
“Not that I know of. Why?”
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I’m not at liberty to say.”
“Oh, you can call me up and ask me all kinds of questions, but I’m not allowed to ask you any?” the woman spat back.
“Ma’am, you can ask all the questions you want, but some of them I won’t be able to answer. I’m sorry about that,” Jack replied, knowing that would probably just piss her off even more.
“Well, lah-tee-dah. When are we gettin’ our computer back?”
That made Jack sit up and take notice. “Somebody took your computer?”
“Yeah, some sheriff’s detective guy.”
“Do you happen to know his name?”
“Are you going to try to get it back for me?”
“I’ll sure ask them when they’ll be finished with it, ma’am.”
“Then yeah, I know his name. Randy Gardner. He lives down the road here. Snob if ever there was one.”
“I’ll call them and put a bug in their ear about getting that computer back to you,” Jack lied. He didn’t give a damn if that cantankerous woman ever got her computer back.
“I’d appreciate that. Let me know if you find anything?”
“Yes, ma’am. We sure will. Thank you.” He hung up and sighed deeply. Wow. Some of the people he met on a daily basis shouldn’t be allowed to have kids.
So he called the Pike County Sheriff’s Department again. This time he asked for Randy Gardner and was put on hold. When he came on, Jack told the detective who he was. After giving the man only the information that was necessary, Jack asked, “Did you find anything on the home computer?”
“Oh, yeah. Lots of things. But the most interesting one was a conversation we couldn’t figure out. I’ll shoot it to you.”
“Thanks. Anything else?”
“If you figure it out, will you call me back?” Detective Gardner asked.
“I most certainly will. You can count on it.”
“Thanks” After reciting his email address, he hung up.
Ten minutes later, he got the emails and looked at them. He couldn’t make heads or tails out of them either, so he forwarded them to the lab. His phone rang in less than five minutes and he answered it, “Fletcher.”
“Yates. So I got your email. Try this. Everywhere it says hamburger, fries, milkshake, chicken tenders, or anything else about food, insert chemicals used in meth-making. And where it talks about a kid’s meal, that’s the finished product. It’s the new slang. It’ll change eventually but for the last few months, it’s how they’re communicating.”
“How often does it change?” Jack asked.
“Pretty often, but they catch on fast. Anyway, it looks like your chemist was looking to make money for something. He didn’t say what, just said ‘college,’ whatever that means.” Jack didn’t have the heart to tell Dexter that it wasn’t a “he” and it actually meant college. “Good luck and let me know if you get anything else like that, but after this, you could probably figure it out.”
“Thanks, Dex.”
“You’re welcome. I’m already in trouble for missing that slug. I figure I’d better be nice to you.” When he said it, he chuckled, and Jack was glad the chief lab tech wasn’t mad at him.
“You’re a good guy, Dex. See you soon.” He hung up and looked at the emails again, knowing the key to their meaning.
I’m looking to make some kids’ meals. I could use the money for college. Do you have the hamburgers, French fries, and chicken tenders?
Our shift manager does. He’s got the grills and fryers too. Do you know what you’re doing?
Yeah. I’ve been doing it for two years now. They say my kids’ meals are the tastiest in town. He had to hand it to the girl, she knew how to sell her skills.
You’d have to come to franchise headquarters to work. Can that be done? Uh-huh. That was the trip to Texas. Jack was sure he knew what was coming next.
Sure. Just tell me where and when, but I don’t have a car.
That’s okay. I can get one from the shift manager. I’ll let you know. The rental.
A couple of days later, there was another email. Arrangements have been made to pick you up for your trip to franchise headquarters. We’ve been asking around. Apparently your kids’ meals are a hot commodity. Shoot me your cell number and we’ll have our delivery driver make arrangements to pick you up. There was a return email with the cell number and then nothing else.
Jack dropped back in his chair and put his hands over his face. He had a man and an infant killed when a hit man hired by a drug kingpin-wannabe shot the car of a drug runner who was transporting a chemist, and then took the chemist, a seventeen-year-old girl. He had to wonder if they’d killed the girl immediately when she’d walked in and they’d figured out how old she was. And that wasn’t taking into account that Aleta could be in serious danger. “Boy, how fucked up is this?” Jack mumbled to himself.
“You say something?” another trooper asked.
“No. Just talking to myself.” Jack sighed and thought about all the information. The whole thing was so bizarre that it had to be true. Nobody could make that shit up.
Nobody.
Chapter 4
Jack grabbed a fast-food meal―definitely not a kid’s meal―on his way home, then tried to relax, but he couldn’t. Everything in his being wanted to run to Aleta, snatch her up, and keep her safe. When he couldn’t stand it anymore, he called. “Hey!” she chirped.
“Hi. You doin’ okay?”
“Yeah. Hey, guess what? They let me make some fried eggs today! One of the grill cooks was out sick, so they needed help. That was better than dishes, I have to say.”
“Well, look at you! Moving up in the company, huh?” Jack said and chuckled.
“I could show that bunch a thing or two about cooking! Have a good day?”
“Yes and no. Yes, I got info I needed. No, I didn’t like the info I got.”
“Oh, well, yay and boo,” she said and laughed.
“Exactly.” Just the so
und of her voice cheered him. “Are you looking forward to our date?”
“I sure am! I’m going to buy something new to wear tomorrow.”
“Aleta, you don’t have to do that. I’m sure your clothes are just fine.”
She snorted. “First off, I do have the money. Second, I want something new, and this is a good excuse to get it!”
“Oh, now I’m an excuse?” he said, choking back laughter.
“No! That’s not what I meant at all. Because third, I want to look nice for you.”
Jack wished she could see his smile. “Well, that makes me very happy.”
She giggled just before she said, “I figured you’d say, ‘I’d be happiest if you weren’t wearing anything at all!’”
Jack couldn’t believe her. “Seriously? Wow. You’ve got a dirty mind, little girl!”
“I know, right? I can’t help myself. You’re so gorgeous and all.”
Gorgeous? “Uh, nobody’s ever called me that before.”
“Are all the women around you blind? You’re beautiful, Jack. I mean, really, look at you.”
“I do. Every morning. In the mirror,” he said, laughing so hard he was having trouble breathing.
“Then you’re blind! You’re amazing. Do you have a tattoo? I bet you do. All really good-looking guys have tattoos.”
He was still laughing. “I do. It’s right above my cock. It says, “Dine in or eat out?”
“Oh my goodness, Jack!” That made him laugh even harder. “I can’t believe you just said that!” He kept laughing, but she was silent until she finally said, “That’s just a joke, right?”
He was trying to stop the laughter, but it was really hard to do. “Yes, sugar. I’m just joking. I don’t have a tattoo. I’ve thought about getting one, but I didn’t know what it should be.”
“Uh-huh. Okay then. Well, anyway, I know you think I’m silly, but I just … I think about you all day. I’m not kidding. I burned my wrist today on the grill because I was thinking about you instead of what I was doing.”
“Aleta!” That wasn’t funny at all. “You didn’t. Tell me you didn’t.”
“Okay. I didn’t. I was joking, but―”
“Hurting yourself is not a joking matter,” Jack announced.
“Okay, okay! Gah. Get a sense of humor,” she snapped back, then giggled again. “But I wasn’t kidding about thinking about you. And our date.”
“So where are we going?”
“Somewhere good. I keep hearing people talk about it, so it must be. Just wait. I think you’ll be pleased.”
“Aleta?”
“Yeah?”
Time for his own confession. “I think about you all day too.” He wanted to say, Because I’m wondering if a crazy man has come to kill you, but he didn’t. “I’m looking forward to Friday.”
“Me too.”
“I guess I should get off here. I’ve got a call to make. But I’ll talk to you tomorrow night, okay?”
“Yeah. Night, Jack.”
“Night, sugar.” He hit END on his phone and sat back in the sofa. There was no indication that Moss knew Aleta had seen him, but he couldn’t just assume that.
But he couldn’t think about that anymore. He had a call to make. Punching it in once again, he waited until a male voice said, “Chambers.”
“Dax, it’s Jack from Kentucky. I promised I’d let you know if I got any info.”
“Hey, Jack! Yeah, got something?”
“Something you’re not going to believe. Something I’m not happy about. I found your chemist, or at least who she is.”
Silence held for a few seconds before Dax said, “She? It’s a woman?”
“No. It’s not a woman. It’s a seventeen-year-old girl.”
Jack almost dropped the phone when Dax yelled, “What? You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“No. I found her through a missing persons report the Pike County Sheriff’s Department took and connected the dots. They’d found email correspondence between her and somebody. Our techs translated it to something that indicates she agreed to cook for them for college money, and them making arrangements to pick her up.”
“So you think the emails were somebody from the Menendez crew?”
“I’d stake my life on it,” Jack answered.
“Holy shit. So she agreed to come and work for them. Where do her parents think she is?”
“They don’t know and I don’t think they really care. At least that’s the impression I got,” Jack answered.
“Wow. That’s just … wow.”
“Yeah. I sat back today and thought about all the components of this case. I have to admit, it sounds crazy, but it seems to me we’ve come to this conclusion with a lot of thought and consideration, so I’m inclined to believe we’re right.” He waited for a few seconds and then asked, “Any ideas how to proceed?”
“Yeah. I’m going to talk to my undercover guys, get them to press Menendez and see if he’ll give them information on her under the guises of looking for her. Maybe spying on Ortiz to see if she’s there. They need to bait the hook and see if Menendez bites.” Dax didn’t speak for a few seconds, but when he did, he asked, “You got a picture of her?”
“Yeah, just the one from the MP, but I’ll email it to you. Give me your addy.” Email address noted, Jack couldn’t think of anything else. “So let me know if you have any movement on your end.”
“Will do. Same. Thanks for calling me, Jack. I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome. Thanks to you too. Bye.” He ended the call and sat there, then got on his laptop, took a screenshot of the girl’s report, and emailed it to Dax.
There was nothing else he could do from that end. He hoped Dax’s guys could get Menendez to move toward Ortiz. It sounded horrible, but getting Menendez to eliminate Moss was his only hope.
That and protective custody. He didn’t want to do that to Aleta. She was working too hard to rebuild her life. Jack wanted to be part of the rebuilding, not drag something to her doorstep that would tear her down, but he hadn’t done it. He was just the bearer of bad tidings.
And that knowledge didn’t make him feel one bit better about the whole mess.
He’d folded a load of towels and then one of clothes, and it was finally time to hit the hay. Jack thought about it for a couple of minutes before he finally decided, What the hell. Might as well. He picked up his phone and shot out a quick text: Hey, beautiful! Get some sleep.
In seconds, he got a return text. You too, handsome!
Can’t wait to see you Friday night.
She zinged one back. I can’t wait either. It’ll be so much fun!
What are you wearing?
It was a full minute before he got the next one back: Is this the beginning of sexting? Because I’ve never done that before.
Jack was horrified. God, no! I meant on Friday night! LOL
There were two emoticons with tears of laughter rolling down their faces prior to the next one. Good, because you use words that I can’t bring myself to type. It ended with the same two emoticons.
He retorted with, I hope you can bring yourself to say them eventually.
Oh, I can talk dirty. You just wait, she replied.
He laughed aloud there in his bedroom. Ooooo, can’t wait!
Haha, very funny. Goodnight, Jack. You need your beauty sleep.
Night, sugar. He put an emoticon heart at the end and sent it back, but she didn’t reply. Had he gone too far? He closed the email app and laid his phone on the nightstand.
In a couple of minutes, the phone pinged. He picked it up, opened the app, and damn near fell out. There was a picture she’d taken standing in front of a mirror. The way she was holding the phone, he couldn’t see her face, but he could sure see the rest of her.
Two beautiful, round breasts bubbled out the top of a lacy bra, its cups cut dangerously low. Below that, a pair of matching lace panties covered the apex of her thighs, and amazing thighs they were too. She was turned sligh
tly sideways and he could see her ass, its gentle slope beckoning his hands to cup its cheeks. He was about to respond when she sent another text: You asked what I’m wearing Friday night. No matter what you can see, this is what will be under it.
Jack couldn’t believe his eyes, and yet his dick was pretty damn interested. It was trying its best to peek out the top of his boxer briefs, and it was almost succeeding. He sent back his own text: No matter what you wear on top of them, THAT’S what I want to see Friday night! Then he waited.
Short and sweet. Goodnight, Jack. Sweet dreams. The emoticon was a smiley face blowing a kiss, and Jack smiled. He didn’t reply but he knew what he wanted to say.
They will be. I’ll be thinking of you.
“Menendez is on the warpath. He wants to know who the hit man was, and he wants to know right now.” Dax Chambers’ voice filled the kitchen on Thursday night as Jack listened on speaker. “He has no idea who Moss is.”
“How did he find out what happened?” Jack asked, making notes.
“The guy who rented the car got a call from the rental company. They told him what happened and that McIntosh was dead. He asked about the passenger and they told him they didn’t know anything about a passenger. So now he knows somebody took his chemist. We’re in the process of planting the seeds for Ortiz and, eventually, Moss. But that opens up another problem for you.”
Jack’s heart pounded. “Moss is going to eliminate anybody who might be able to identify him or describe him. And if he’s got a single brain cell, he’s going to look at the news accounts of the story and see that Aleta is alive.”
“Bingo,” Dax said. “So I’m sending you a pic of Moss to show to your witness and make sure that’s who she saw. I’m also sending you pics of Menendez and Ortiz, plus my two undercovers so if you find anybody down there, you’ll know who they are. They’re FBI, but they won’t be able to identify themselves.”
“Good. I’ll see to it that all the pics get where they need to be. Thanks, Dax.”
The ranger hesitated and Jack wondered what he was about to say when he finally asked, “Can I ask something? Are you personally invested in this investigation? I mean, on more than just in a professional level?”
Justice for Aleta Page 6
