by Al Boudreau
“Uh-huh,” Sarah said with a smirk and a nod as we made our way toward the car. “I know what you’re really thinking. You want to find out if you and James were right about her being some sort of deviate. Come on, admit it.”
“Honestly, what you said before struck a chord with me. Her interest in the boy could be completely innocent. Doesn’t make me any less curious, though,” I said as we got in the car.
“Yeah, me too. I love these opportunities. The intrigue. The speculation. I just wish the circumstances around our desire to figure it out were different.”
“Yep. I’m with you. But remember, if we weren’t looking for Ryan Iacona right now, it would just be someone else. We’re always going to be linked to another’s pain. That’s why it’s so important we never lose sight of what we do for a living. You know, keep it all in perspective”
“And by we, you mean me,” Sarah said.
“You don’t appreciate it when I put words in your mouth, so please give me the same courtesy,” I said.
“You’re right. Sorry.”
I let Sarah’s apology be enough, deciding not to press her for an explanation as to why she seemed a little sensitive right now. “The file for the Iacona case is on the back seat. There are a couple photos of Ryan inside. Maybe you should grab one to keep in your purse. Could come in handy at the casino.”
Sarah unbuckled her seatbelt then pivoted toward the back seat when she let go a few choice words.
“Shoulder?”
“What else?” she shot back. “I’m really tired of these sudden bouts with sharp pain. They flare up when I’m not thinking about my movement.”
I thought carefully about how to respond, knowing the wrong words would only make matters worse. “Sorry. I should have waited until we got there before I suggested going for that file.”
“That’s the point, Carter. That’s exactly the root of my frustration. I don’t want us to have to change the way we operate. I just want to be one hundred percent again.”
I grabbed Sarah’s hand. “We’re gonna get through this, together.” As usual she was a trooper and shook it off.
“Do you think we should finish our review of the surveillance videos with Jay this morning?” Sarah asked.
“I think we should, but I’m not sure if Mrs. Iacona has seen them. Guess it depends on where we’re going to meet, and whether or not she’ll be joining us.”
“Hand me your cell,” Sarah said. “I’ll give Nelda Iacona a call.”
The call connected, and we heard Nelda’s voice over the car speakers.
“Hello?”
“Nelda, this is Sarah Woods. How is Jay this morning?”
“Oh, Sarah, hi. He’s fine, right here beside me. We’re just fixin’ to leave the hospital. They decided to keep him overnight for observation. His doctor gave him a clean bill of health just a moment ago.”
“Glad to hear it. I was discussing your case with Carter this morning. He suggested we try to finish our conversation as soon as Jay feels up to it.”
“By all means, Sarah,” Nelda replied. “Hold on while I put my phone on speaker mode, would you please? Then I’ll ask Jay what works for him.”
“Sure,” Sarah said.
We could hear their voices murmuring in the background before Nelda’s voice became loud and clear once again. “How soon would you folks be available?” she asked.
“Uh, actually, we’re in the car right now,” Sarah replied. “We can meet with you right away, if that works. Anywhere you’d like.”
“Well, fine. Why don’t you come to our home? We’re in Bellingham. 2245 Stratford Ave. I only ask that you take your time on your way over. We have a stop to make. Jay wants to swing by his office and fetch his computer.”
I looked at Sarah. “Better tell her,” I whispered.
“Nelda, we have Jay’s computer. I didn’t feel comfortable leaving it behind when we left the bank last night. We’d be happy to bring it with us to the meeting.”
I gave Sarah a wink and a nod. An uncomfortable period of time went by before the disconnect indicator bleeped on Sarah’s phone.
“Whoops. What do you suppose that’s all about?” Sarah asked.
“I don’t know. Could be the call got dropped,” I said.
“The timing would be ultra-coincidental, don’t you think? What if Jay panicked when he heard we had his computer?” Sarah asked. “Could be he made Nelda hang up.”
“Call her back,” I said.
“What? No. No way. What if he bites my head off about us being in possession of his computer?”
“Fine. Hand me your phone. I’ll make the call,” I said.
Sarah passed the phone to me as if it were a glowing hot piece of charcoal, her facial expression giving away her thoughts. She was really concerned.
I placed the call to Nelda’s phone.
One ring. Two rings.
Six rings. Hi, there. You’ve reached the cell phone of Nelda—
I ended the call. Sarah’s gaze was fixed straight ahead, and she wasn’t saying a word. I scrolled down and dialed Jay’s cell.
Same drill. Six rings, then voice mail.
I hit the brakes, checked my mirrors, and pulled a quick U-turn. Which broke Sarah’s silence.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Heading back.”
“Back where?” Sarah asked. “To our house?”
“Yep.”
“To get the computer?”
“Not exactly,” I said as I called Nelda’s phone. I waited for the call to cycle through its voice mail nonsense, then heard the requisite beep. “Nelda, Carter Peterson here. I think we had some bad reception during your call with Sarah a few minutes ago. Afraid we didn’t hear your entire address. Please give me a call back so we know where to find you folks.”
“I don’t get it,” Sarah said. “What’s your plan?”
“Ball’s in their court,” I replied. “In the meantime, we’re going to see what’s on that laptop.”
“Ugh. I’m really confused right now. Thought you were entirely against doing that.”
“I was, but the game has changed. You took Iacona’s computer out of the bank. And now he knows we have it. Common sense tells me he’s under the assumption we’ve seen what’s on the thing. Problem is, we haven’t. Which puts us in a very precarious position.”
Sarah nodded. “If there’s damning information on there, and we don’t find out what it is, we’re driving blind, so to speak.”
“Bingo.”
Sarah reached out and touched my shoulder. “When we were leaving the bank you asked if I was sure it was a good idea to take Iacona’s computer with us. Be honest. Did you foresee something like this happening?”
“If you’re asking whether or not I calculated the risk, the answer is yes.”
“OK. So … would you have taken the computer if I hadn’t?” Sarah asked.
“Moot point,” I said.
“Please, Carter, just answer my question. Would you have taken the computer?”
“Nope.”
“You think I made a mistake?” she asked.
I looked at Sarah as I pulled the car into our driveway. “Something tells me we’re about to find out.”
Chapter 8
I rarely found myself at odds with Sarah, our differences usually talked over then put to rest. And on the rare occasion a dispute between us dragged on, I could usually figure out where I stood by the way she went about her routine. Slammed cupboards, stomping around, words mumbled under her breath … tells that all was not well.
This was different. She was first to enter the house, only to head to the living room and plop herself into the armchair next to the front window. No aggression. No words.
No nothing.
I looked in on her every few minutes, only to find her in the same position, staring straight out the window. I decided to give her some time and space.
I went to make some coffee.
I paced t
he kitchen as the coffee maker coughed, sputtered, and gurgled out its piping-hot goodness, wishing it were just a little faster. I decided to open my email account and download Detective James’s suspect list to my office printer.
Nothing in the old inbox except a free offer for Viagra.
Seemed as though every aspect of my day was in stall mode. Sarah with her silent treatment. The Iaconas and their curious reaction to finding out we were in possession of Jay’s computer. James and his missing list of names.
Screw it. I marched through the house to my office, grabbed Iacona’s laptop, and brought it back to the kitchen with me. The coffee pot only half full, I swapped it out with my mug and held it under the slow, dark stream until it was full.
I was done waiting. And wondering.
I took my usual spot at the kitchen table, took a long pull from my mug, and flipped the device open.
“Did you tell Jay Iacona where we live?” I heard Sarah inquire from the living room.
“Don’t remember telling him, but I might have. Why do you ask?”
“Because he’s here.”
I closed the laptop, pushed my chair back, and headed for the living room. Sure enough, there was Jay Iacona bounding up our entry sidewalk, looking none too happy. I turned and stared at Sarah as the banging on our front door commenced. “Well … this ought to be interesting.”
Sarah began to get up from the armchair. “I’ll go. This is, after all, on me.”
I shook my head and held my hand out at arm’s length, then went to face the music.
Iacona began his rant before I’d even swung the front door wide enough to see his face. “What’s your intent? Are you going to say something?”
“I don’t—”
“You had no business taking that computer out of my office,” Iacona shouted, his unblinking glare locked onto my own. “Who have you told?”
I stepped back without looking away. “Mr. Iacona, come inside … where we can have a discussion instead of a shouting match.”
He obliged but didn’t let up. “You know, I ought to fire you, then sue you.”
“Go right ahead,” I said, giving him no chance to continue. “Meanwhile, the clock is ticking away. Time isn’t on our side, as it relates to your missing son. But if you want to stand here and waste more of it by engaging in a pissing contest with the two people who really want to help you, well … I guess that’s your choice to make.”
Iacona opened his mouth as if he were about to speak, but his words must have staged an unscheduled retreat.
“Please,” I said, motioning for him to continue into the living room. “Sarah is here with me. Let’s sit down. I’m sure we can resolve whatever concerns you seem to have.”
“Concerns? Is that what you’d consider the mess you’re about to create? A concern?”
“Take a seat, Mr. Iacona.” I stood there and stared until he did what I asked. “Now, I’m not sure what you’re so up in arms about, but neither Sarah, nor I, have looked at your files. Other than plugging it in to keep the battery charged, we haven’t paid any attention to your computer at all.”
I left the living room, bound for the kitchen, and returned with Iacona’s laptop in hand. “Here,” I said as I handed it to him. “Check for yourself.”
Iacona snatched the laptop from my grasp and held it tight to his chest like a grade school kid taking back a toy on the playground, never once taking his eyes off me. “If you weren’t going to rummage around my computer, then why did you bother taking it at all?”
“I was the one who took the computer out of the bank,” Sarah said, fire in her voice.
I watched Iacona’s jaw drop slightly. He turned away from Sarah’s glare and looked back at me.
“I made a quick judgment call during extenuating circumstances.” Sarah paused for a beat then turned her head, looked directly at me, and continued. “I realize now that I made a mistake. Please accept my apologies,” she said, keeping her eyes locked with mine for an extra second before turning back toward Iacona.
“Just so we’re clear, neither of you opened any files, whatsoever? I can take you both at your word?”
“Absolutely,” Sarah replied while I nodded. “It’s easy enough to check if you don’t believe we’re telling you the truth.”
“It’s fine. Everything is fine. I believe you,” he said.
“What does that mean, exactly? Is it still your intent to retain our services?” I asked, not quite convinced he was ready to let it go.
“Yes. Yes, of course. I’m sorry. I really am. It’s just … well, I feel overwhelmed. And at my wits’ end. My wife, Nelda. She’s inconsolable. She puts on a measured façade for everyone, but once we’re home alone, all she does is wallow in sorrow. She’s literally lost without Ryan. I need to make this right. I feel like I’ll never get him back without your help.”
“Apology accepted,” I said.
“Can I ask you both a question concerning what you two do for a living?”
“Shoot,” I said.
Jay pursed his lips. “Well, I certainly don’t want to disparage the police department by what I’m about to ask, but do a large percentage of your clients retain your services because the police prove to be ineffective?”
Sarah turned and looked toward me with a tight smile. “Boy, that’s kind of a loaded question, Jay. Were you aware Carter was a cop for many years?”
The look on Iacona’s face was priceless. I spoke up, figuring the guy had it hard enough already. “It’s a fair question, and a good one. In all honesty, yes. A good many folks feel their situations need an extra push. Speaking from my experience as a cop and a PI, I can tell you that most police departments’ investigative divisions are understaffed and overworked. That being said, there are some fine police detectives out there on the job. We’re lucky to have a good police investigator who we work closely with on Bridgeport’s force. Name’s Detective James. Guess you haven’t met him yet, but you will. He’s been assigned to your case.”
“That’s right,” Sarah said. “Detective James is one of the good guys, and we have a great working relationship with him. So, in effect, you’re getting the best of both worlds.”
Iacona sighed. “OK. Glad to hear that.”
I looked at Sarah before saying to Jay, “Now, I have a question for you.”
Iacona reacted with a blank stare and said nothing. It was hard to tell if he had any idea what was coming.
But if he didn’t, the smirk on Sarah’s face told me she probably did.
“The files on your computer you were so concerned about. Do they have anything to do with your son’s abduction?”
Iacona’s reaction wasn’t at all what I expected.
He took his time putting the laptop down on our coffee table, then took a spot on the couch. He sat hunched forward, one arm resting on his knees while he ran his fingers through his slicked-back salt-and-pepper hair with the other. After a beat he leaned back and looked at Sarah, then turned toward me. “No. Well … no.”
“Are you sure?” Sarah asked, “Your answer didn’t sound very convincing—”
“There’s another woman,” he blurted out, taking me by surprise. “I … I’ve been seeing someone on the sly.”
“Shauna Eastman?” Sarah inquired.
I’m not sure whose head whipped around more quickly to look at Sarah: mine or Iacona’s. “You lied to me!” he screamed, slamming his fist down on our coffee table so hard that every single object on its surface jumped. “You looked right at me and said you didn’t access any of my computer files.”
Sarah must have anticipated such a reaction from Iacona. She never even flinched. “As I said before, we didn’t look at any of your computer files. Not one.”
“Then how the he—”
“I’m only going to ask once, then you’ll be told to leave,” Sarah interjected, just as I was about to get more involved. “Please try to refrain from raising your voice to me in my home … or anywhere else, for th
at matter.”
He shot each of us a quick glance and took several deep breaths. “OK … ok. But … there’s no other way you could have known that information.”
I smiled at Sarah, impressed with how she’d handled Iacona. “Ms. Eastman is one of a dozen individuals whose names appear on a list given to us by the assistant manager at Cooper’s Beach Club Casino,” I told him. “Each one is a known associate of your son, and they’re all slated for questioning. Sarah just made an educated guess who the woman you were seeing on the sly actually was. And you just confirmed it as being true.”
“A known associate of my son? Shauna doesn’t work at the casino,” he said while shaking his head, looking confused. “And I’ve never mentioned the fact I have a son to her. Not once.”
“The fact that you’ve been played has no bearing on Sarah’s ability to deduce that Ms. Eastman was your ‘other woman,’” I said.
Iacona brought his fist up to his mouth and cleared his throat, looking shocked and confused. “Uh … wow. That’s, um, unsettling. I … I apologize. Again. But—”
“It’s what we do,” Sarah interjected. “Let’s get beyond this episode and work on locating your son.”
Chapter 9
“Jay, would you excuse us for a moment?” I motioned for Sarah to follow me into the kitchen. “Maybe you could get the surveillance video cued up on your laptop so we can finish what we started before you had your panic attack.”
“By all means,” he replied.
Sarah grabbed my arm and pulled me close once we were out of Iacona’s view. “Sorry,” she said, keeping her voice low. “I hope you’re not upset that I dropped that bomb on him without clueing you in first, but he really made me mad in there.”
“If anything, I’m proud that you made the Eastman connection. You beat me to the punch,” I replied. “Only problem I see is him contacting her before we can get to her. If she knows what we’re up to, she’ll definitely make sure she’s ready for us. Or worse, completely disappear.”
“Oh, crap. That didn’t occur to me when I said it. Guess I was more interested in putting him in his place. We’d better get back in there.” Sarah turned on her heel and headed back to the living room.
