How could he be Lauren’s uncle? He didn’t have any brothers or sisters. Why would the woman lie about her identity? Was it just to create a phony familial bond in order to ensure his involvement? If so, it wasn’t necessary. He’d already committed to protecting Lauren. Even if Jin believed she was his sister, that didn’t make it true. People can believe anything they want. But if it were true, the repercussions were monumental, especially for his father. He tried to imagine the chairman of the Senate committee on domestic terrorism possessing a long-lost, illegitimate daughter…. Had Senator Stone McBride fathered a child during the Korean War? Lauren said her mom was from Korea. It wasn’t a stretch to believe it could’ve happened. Did his dad know about Jin — and maybe Lauren too? And could he have intentionally buried it all these years? The press would have a field day if it leaked.
Under a streetlight he took a knee and looked at her, searching for the truth. The cab driver’s words returned: Your daughter’s very beautiful. She has your eyes. There was no denying it. He’d seen Lauren’s eyes inside Nordstrom, and they were a perfect match with his own — deep cobalt toward the pupil, surrounded by an even darker hue of blue.
“That was your mom.”
“What did she say?”
“She said I’m your uncle.”
“No way! Seriously?”
“That’s what she said, but let’s not jump to any conclusions. We have the same eyes, but that doesn’t prove anything. If ever you needed to be totally honest with me, now’s the time. Did your mom ever mention she had a half-brother?”
“No, I’d remember that.”
Nathan thought she was being honest. Further speculation seemed pointless, at least right now. He needed to avoid distraction and keep his head in the game. Hopefully they’d bought a little time by destroying the tracking bug. Maybe now Lauren’s kidnapper would focus on getting medical attention — and he’d have to do it outside the normal EMS structure.
He looked over his shoulder. No one from the parking lot seemed to be watching them, but the 911 operators would be informed that a man and a girl had fled the scene on foot. Once the police arrived and found the Fashion Valley guard’s utility belt in the backseat of the cab, they’d piece things together quickly. He was tempted to backtrack and watch from a safe distance to see if Lauren’s abductor returned for his unconscious man, but exiting the area was clearly the best course of action.
“Come on,” he told Lauren. Together they crossed a road and ran at a decent clip for a solid minute.
This neighborhood was laid out in a grid, with older single-family residences lining the streets. Nathan didn’t see anyone out for a stroll, so he slowed their pace.
“Let’s walk for a bit while I call my friend back.”
Lauren took a long look behind them. He’d need to talk to her later about being more discreet.
Nathan entered the international code and tapped out Harvey’s number.
“What’s your situation?” Harv immediately asked.
Nathan relayed the chain of events from the beginning, including a description of Lauren’s kidnapper and his Spanish-speaking friends. He also told Harv about Lauren’s alexandrite ring and gave him Jin’s full name — Jin Elizabeth Marchand. He didn’t mention the big news yet.
“Got it,” Harv said.
“There’s someone else to look at,” Nathan said. “Lauren’s stepdad. He wasn’t murdered by coincidence. The timing is highly suspect.”
“What’s his name?”
“Hang on. Lauren, what’s your stepdad’s first name?”
“Malcolm.”
“Malcolm Marchand? Does he have a middle name?”
“I don’t know what it is.”
“What’s his company’s name?”
“I think it’s Marchand Patio something. I’m not sure.”
“Do you know the address?”
Lauren shook her head. “I know how to get there, though. It’s in Otay Mesa.”
“Did you catch that, Harv?”
“Yes. I’ll relay all of this to Holly and follow through with what she can dig up.”
“Lauren, what’s your La Jolla Shores address?” Nathan held the phone out while she rattled it off. “Did you get that?”
“Got it,” Harv said. “Quite a night you’ve had.”
“It gets better,” Nathan said. “Jin called a few minutes ago and said I’m Lauren’s uncle.”
Silence on the other end.
“You still there?”
“You don’t have any brothers or sisters.”
“Apparently I do.”
“And you believe this woman?”
“I can’t explain it, but yeah, I do.”
“The complexity of your situation has just increased by a factor of ten.”
“Tell me about it. We’re heading over to the Clairemont house, ETA five minutes.”
“Can you question Lauren deeper about her mom?”
“Yeah,” said Nathan, with a glance at Lauren, “but it’s a little delicate.”
“You picked one hell of time to get in the shit.”
“It picked me.”
“Do I need to say it?”
“I guess I’ve been a little out of sorts.” He looked at Lauren again. “Cut me some slack. I’m not used to being around kids.”
“You have a gift for understatement. You should’ve suspected a tracking bug at the hotel. There’s no sense beating yourself up over it now.”
“No need — you’re doing a fine job.”
“I’m taking the first available flight to Los Angeles.”
“Harv, you’re in Istanbul. Assuming you find a nonstop, that’s what…a fourteen-hour hop?”
“Thirteen and change. Depending on my departure, I can probably be in San Diego in eighteen hours, plus or minus.”
“Don’t do that. Seriously. I can handle this. Stay with your family and enjoy your vacation.” As he said it, Nathan realized how absurd it sounded. If the situation were reversed, Nathan would drop everything and help his friend. “Can you forget I just said that?”
“Apology accepted. Is there any way I can convince you to lie low until I get there?”
“I’m dealing with a first-class turd. He needs to be neutralized.”
Nathan heard Harv sigh. “Will you at least try to avoid more firefights?”
“Try being the operative word.”
“Ask Holly about the reported kidnapping. It’s within the FBI’s jurisdiction. Maybe she’ll have some additional info on it.”
“Nate, from everything you’ve told me, Lauren’s abduction smells like organized crime. And organized crime can have sources inside law enforcement. Stay mobile and off the grid. Put your cell on vibrate, and wait for me to get back to you. Text me if you need anything. I think it’s safe to use your cell, but try to limit it. I want you alert and focused.”
His friend was right, of course. “Sounds good. Thanks, Harv.”
“You got it. I’ll call Holly right after we hang up and relay everything you just told me. Depending on what she finds and how quickly, I’ll get back to you.”
“In case anything happens, my next stop’s going to be the warehouse where Lauren took the list of numbers from Marchand’s office.”
“All right. Let me know when you have that address.”
“I will, if the situation allows.” Nathan paused. “Harv, don’t tell Holly about Lauren.”
“I won’t, but you need to call your dad at some point.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m just hoping he’ll be as surprised as we are.”
“May I suggest a certain amount of…discretion on your part.”
“You can suggest…”
“Think about your mom. I’ll call you soon.”
He tucked his cell into a special hip pocket for phones. Still heading west, they crossed a busier street. Several new sirens wailed in the night. SDPD certainly had its hands full.
“Nathan?” Lauren had stopped.
> “What?”
“Can I put my shoes on?”
Nathan gave her a nod.
While Lauren laced up, she asked, “Who’s Harv?”
“He’s my business partner. We own a private security company.”
“Is that how you know about handcuffs and stuff?”
“I worked for the government after the Marines.”
“You were a spy, weren’t you.” It was a statement, not a question.
Nathan didn’t respond.
“But you can’t talk about it. How many languages do you speak?”
“Six, including English. But only four fluently.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes. Does your stepdad’s warehouse have skylights?”
“Uh-huh. There are solar panels too.”
“Are there motion sensors inside?”
“I don’t know. Probably not. The cats would set them off.”
“Cats?”
“They catch mice. Only one lets you pet him, though.”
“What kind of lock is on the door you normally use to get in?”
“You have to press buttons, like at airports.”
“And you know the code?”
“Uh-huh. It’s one-four-seven-eight-five-two. You have to use the same number on the inside to disarm the security system.”
“We’ll try that first.”
“The man you shot in the parking lot didn’t die. He wasn’t even bleeding.”
“Ballistic vest.”
“Why are they trying to kill us?”
“We’re loose ends. When we get to your stepdad’s warehouse, you’ll need to show me exactly where you found the piece of paper with the numbers.”
A minute or two later, they arrived at Nathan’s house. He glanced at his watch — 2103 hours — and lowered his voice. “Stay behind me.”
Lauren moved closer. He drew his SIG and led her to a side-yard gate. With his back to her, he held up a fist, but then realized she wouldn’t know what it meant. He bent low, his face inches from her ear. “Don’t make a sound. I’m going to clear the rear yard. I’ll be back in fifteen seconds.”
“But you promised…”
“It’s okay,” he whispered. “Just sit tight.”
He set the grocery bag down and reached over the top of the gate to unlatch it. It swung silently. He inched forward to the corner of the house and peered around the corner. All quiet. His rear yard was small, defined by a seven-foot privacy fence. Mature jacaranda trees provided additional screening from his neighbors. The keypad next to the rear door showed a solid red light. No one had tripped the infrared beams crisscrossing the yard. Following a narrow trail of concrete pavers toward the sliding glass door, he approached the keypad, which was now blinking — he’d walked through a beam. He placed his forefinger on the small glass window of the security keypad. The capacitance scanner correctly identified the valleys and ridges of his fingerprint, and the LED turned green. He diverted over to the trunk of a Jacaranda, retrieved his hidden key, and went back for Lauren.
“We’re good to go.”
“Don’t forget our sandwich.” Lauren followed him through the yard into his house. “I can’t see anything. It’s too dark.”
“We’re going to keep the lights off. Your eyes will adjust.”
“I need to use the bathroom.”
“Me too. Ladies first.”
“Where is it?”
Nathan pressed a dimmer switch near the door, activating half a dozen nightlights plugged into outlets around the room. He turned the knob to its lowest setting. “Better?”
“That’s way cool.”
“The bathroom’s down the hall, first door on the right. Leave the light off.” He smiled. “And you don’t need to lock the door.”
Lauren rolled her eyes.
“I’ll get us a couple of plates. We aren’t going to stay long.”
Nathan watched her disappear down the hall. Lauren was a good kid, but he suspected she carried some kind of baggage that he couldn’t quite pinpoint — like an elusive fish in an aquarium. He’d test her soon, but the timing had to be right. The trick would be not pushing too hard. He supposed all kids had issues of one kind or another. But Lauren’s could be severe. She’d said she didn’t trust people, and that tended to have its roots in betrayal.
He set plates on the coffee table and grabbed two bottled waters, plus the sandwich, from the bag. A moment later, he sensed her presence, watching from the corner of the hall.
Without looking over, he said, “Did everything come out okay?”
“You aren’t supposed to ask that.”
“Sorry. Couldn’t resist. Let’s eat.”
“You have the coolest bathroom I’ve ever seen. It’s so clean.”
“Soap and water are cheap.”
“Do you watch TV from the bathtub?”
“Hockey and football, mainly.”
“That’s so male.”
“Well, last I looked….”
“I saw a Blu-ray player.”
“I like movies. Sometimes I listen to music.”
“What’s your favorite song?”
“‘Adagio for Strings,’ by Samuel Barber. It’s pure genius.”
“I’ve never heard of that.”
“Classical.”
She sat a comfortable distance away on the couch. “You just prayed.”
Again, Lauren amazed him with her level of awareness. She’d make a good operations officer someday.
He nodded. “I’m thankful for the things in my life.”
“I’ve been to church a few times. Everyone’s really nice.”
“Goes with the territory.”
They ate in silence for a moment.
“What was it like, you know…being tortured?”
He stopped midbite and looked at her. Be careful, there’s a demon down there. “I can’t speak for anyone else, but for me, the worst part isn’t the pain. It’s being powerless to stop it. It’s an extremely infuriating experience. You just have to disconnect from it.”
“What do you mean, ‘disconnect’?”
“You pretend it’s happening to someone else.” He took another bite, hoping Lauren wouldn’t pursue the subject further.
“People can be really cruel to each other. Kids are the worst.”
“How’s that?”
“I mean like bullies. They make other kids cry for no reason.”
“Bullies are insecure, that’s why they do it. If they had spiritual balance, they wouldn’t feel the need to hurt anyone.”
“You’re pretty smart, I can tell.”
“I’m just an ordinary guy.”
“Ordinary guys don’t know stuff like you do.”
He took a swig of water. “Tell me about your mom. What’s she like?”
“I don’t know…she gets mad really easily. She cries a lot too. Like over small stuff. She accidentally broke a plate in the sink once, and then she broke every plate in the cabinet by throwing them on the floor. She sat on the floor crying for like an hour.”
Nathan knew it well, built-up rage followed by depression.
“Has she ever been physical with you?”
“You mean like spankings? No, never. She gives me time-outs. Sometimes they’re pretty long. I had to spend the entire weekend in my room once.”
“Bread and water?”
“Huh?”
“You seem like a pretty good kid. She’s done well raising you.”
“I think she’s a good mom, but sometimes she goes away for days without telling me where she went. She doesn’t call, either. My stepdad got really mad whenever she did it.”
“Maybe she just needs time alone. I do the same thing, but I always tell Harv where I’m going. He’d kill me otherwise. We need to stop at my security company to pick up some equipment. Have you ever been on a motorcycle?”
“No.”
“He nodded toward the garage door. “It’s in there.”
“Can
I see it?”
“Lauren, you haven’t been completely honest with me.”
“What do you mean?”
“When you first saw me on the freeway, you recognized me.”
Her tone became defensive, on the verge of panic. “My mom made me promise not to tell!”
“Tell what?”
“That I knew it would be you who helped me.”
Nathan wanted to lash out but held back. “How did you know it would be me?”
“I’ve seen you before.”
“When and where have you seen me?”
“Last year, in the grocery store at La Jolla Shores. My mom wanted me to know what you looked like. Please don’t be mad at me.”
“Mad isn’t the word. I’m disappointed.”
“That’s so much worse.”
“I’m giving you a onetime ‘get out of jail free’ card. Remember when I said you couldn’t hold anything back?”
“Uh-huh.”
“I meant it. Is there anything else I should know?”
“The ring isn’t mine. My stepdad gave it to my mom, but she never wears it.”
“Why’s that?”
“I think she’s embarrassed. She doesn’t want people to think she’s rich.”
“And?”
Lauren didn’t respond right away. He hoped she’d be honest.
“Okay. I knew it was an alexandrite and that it’s like really expensive.”
“How expensive?”
“A hundred and ninety thousand dollars.”
“Are you telling me you’re wearing a ring worth nearly two hundred grand?”
“Uh-huh.”
“And you aren’t worried about losing it?”
“Not really. I never take it off when I’m not at home.”
“Does your mom know you wear it?”
“She said it’s okay. Since I’m just a kid, no one thinks it’s real. It was too big for me, so she made it smaller.”
“She took it to a jeweler and had it resized?”
“I guess.”
“How long was she married to your stepdad?”
“Only about a year.”
“How did they meet?”
“I think at a school meeting.”
“Does your stepdad have children from a previous marriage?”
“Two boys, but they’re total brats. They’re mean to me.”
“They just lost their father. It’s going to be hard on them. Do they live with their mother?”
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