Chapter Nine
“You’re in a surprisingly good mood today,” Maya said as she shut the back door to her van.
Jade shrugged and smothered a grin. “Why shouldn’t I be?”
For now, she wanted to keep the subject of David and herself private. As soon as it was out in the open, she knew her family would bombard her with questions. Since she didn’t have answers for those annoying little inquiries about the future, silence was the best option.
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because yesterday you were ready to claw David’s eyes out and now you’re practically glowing. What happened in the last few hours? Did you talk to him?” Maya put a hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes.
Jade nodded toward the car window. “I think you might want to get them out of here. It looks like they’re ready to tear the vehicle apart.”
Both boys were jumping up and down, hitting the ceiling with their heads, even though her sister had strapped them in moments before. Jade didn’t bother to hide her grin now.
Maya growled under her breath and turned back around. “Fine, but you’re not getting off the hook that easy. I know you’re hiding something.”
Jade hugged her sister and headed to work. The walk was fuzzy. Trees, cars and people passed in a blur. Her thoughts were so focused on the previous night she was surprised she hadn’t been hit by a car. She couldn’t even remember crossing any streets. It was close to noon by the time she made it, just in time to give Pam a break for lunch. Pam was helping a customer, so she secured her purse in the back room and pulled out a few of the new boxes. The bell in the front jingled so she stuck her head out to see if Pam needed help but it was just the woman Pam had been helping leaving.
“Hey, Jade,” Pam said in a very strange singsong voice.
She frowned. “Hey,” she said hesitantly. Pam had a mischievous sparkle in her brown eyes that made Jade uneasy.
Pam’s megawatt grin widened. “You have a special delivery.” She pointed behind the cash register.
A huge arrangement of what appeared to be at least two dozen multicolored tulips stood proudly, blooming in the bright sunlight. She’d seen them on her way in and assumed they were an apology from Pam’s ex-boyfriend. “Those aren’t for you?”
“Nope. They are most definitely for you. Why don’t you read the card?” Pam wiggled her eyebrows.
Jade walked over and pulled out the card.
I don’t know what the future holds for us, but I meant everything I said last night. See you tonight. David.
Despite the shortness of the note, her heart stuttered. Flowers were something she hadn’t received in years, and something she missed terribly. She occasionally bought them for herself, to brighten up her house. It was touching that he’d sent them, even more so that he remembered tulips were her favorite. The heat from Pam’s gaze scorched her face, but she resisted the urge to look up.
“Oh, come on, I already read the card.” Pam’s statement forced her to make eye contact.
Jade rolled her eyes even though she’d expected Pam to snoop. “Is nothing private around here?”
“Are those from the same David I’m thinking of?”
She tucked the note back in the envelope. “Depends. Who exactly is it you’re thinking of?”
“Oh, come on. You know exactly who I’m talking about. That dark, brooding, sexy man who comes to visit you every couple weeks. Every time he leaves I have to wipe the drool from my face.” Pam leaned on the counter and put her face in her hands.
“You think he’s attractive?” Pam was more or less a serial flirter, if that was even a word, and she’d never made a pass at David.
“Oh yeah, but he only has eyes for you, so I’ve never bothered turning on the charm. Why waste my time?” Pam shrugged.
“How am I the only one who didn’t see this?” Jade muttered under her breath.
“Because you weren’t ready to see it. You’ve had blinders on for years. And not just with him.”
“Please spare me. You sound like Maya.” Jade turned around and started straightening a pile of gauzy blouses.
“Don’t ignore me. I want details. What exactly happened last night?” Pam moved to the other side of the display table, right in front of Jade.
“That would be none of your business.” Last night had been unexpected, and it’s not as if she would tell anyone the intimate details, including her sister.
“I just might have to inform Maya that you received flowers from a certain gentleman then.” Pam pivoted on her heel and disappeared into the break room.
“You’re a monster. Do you know that?”
A few minutes later Pam was back with a cup of coffee for both of them. She handed one to Jade and pulled out a chair behind the register. “I should tell you that your sister called this morning, and I know she was fishing for information. Not that I can blame her. You’re practically glowing. It’s so obvious something happened. Lucky for you I’m discreet. You can thank me by buying me lunch since I didn’t tell her about the flowers.”
“Okay, I take it back. You’re not a monster, you’re an angel. I’m not ready to tell her or my mother anything just yet.” She couldn’t handle any questions from the family.
“Oh.” Pam’s face instantly reddened.
“Oh, what? I don’t like that look.” Her bubble of elation popped with a single word.
“Your mom stopped by this morning.” She held up her hands in defeat.
“Please tell me she didn’t see the card.”
“Do you want the truth, or do you want me to tell you she didn’t see the card?” Pam expelled a tiny laugh, laced with guilt. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t stop her. I tried to be sneaky and she grabbed it right out of my hands. You know how she is.”
She did know, more than she cared to admit. “Fine, let’s have it. What did she say?” She inwardly cringed as she waited for the bomb to drop. She could only imagine her mother’s reaction.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?” She was nearly thirty and her mom still gave her advice on what types of bras she should be wearing.
“I swear. She gave me this strange, secretive smile and left. It was really bizarre.”
“You’re sure? No smart comment?”
Pam shook her head. “Yeah, I was just as surprised.”
“You? I’m surprised she hasn’t called me yet. I wonder what…”
The front door jingled and they both stopped.
A relatively short man wearing a plain blue suit and even plainer blue tie walked in. Everything about him was nondescript. And he could definitely do with some sun. Intelligent, icy blue eyes were the only thing that would make him memorable.
“Hi, do you need help finding anything today?” Jade asked.
He shook his head in an abrupt manner. “No, but I do have a few questions for you.”
“Concerning what?”
His blue eyes narrowed into slits. “Concerning an ongoing investigation.”
She was under the impression he was being intentionally difficult. Probably to intimidate them for whatever reason. She didn’t have time to play twenty questions. After the morning she’d had, she wasn’t letting anything ruin her good mood. Especially not some weirdo. “Do you feel like expanding on that?”
He pulled out a photograph and stepped toward her. Pam, who’d been by the cash register, walked up behind Jade and peered over her shoulder.
“Have you seen this woman recently?” He held the picture out and waved it under their noses.
Pam nodded then looked at Jade questioningly. “Wasn’t she that woman who was in here a few days ago? Didn’t she trade a ring or something for a scarf?”
She wanted to tell Pam to be quiet but couldn’t. “Maybe.” The word came out more abruptly than she’d intended. “I’m sorry. You didn’t say who you worked for or what this is even about. I’d like to see some identification please.”
He wasn’t with the police department, of that she was certain. For one thing, because o
f her brother-in-law, she was familiar with most members of the local law enforcement. And for another, his dress wasn’t right. She couldn’t figure out exactly what it was, but everything about him looked wrong. His shoes were Gucci, she was almost sure of it, but his cheap cotton suit couldn’t have cost more than fifty dollars.
The man nodded but retained the same vague expression. He pulled out a badge and shoved it in her general direction. “I’m special agent Keith Celan. I’m with the Drug Enforcement Administration.”
“What kind of investigation is this, sir?” Jade kept her tone polite and professional even though her skin crawled being so near him. She stared at his badge, as if it could tell her some secret, then glanced back down at the picture, mainly so she wouldn’t have to look into those cold, blue eyes. A pregnant pause followed, and at first she wasn’t sure he would answer.
After a few moments he sighed. “An agent has gone missing, and we’re trying to locate her.”
“And this is the agent?” Pam asked.
He nodded and looked directly at Pam. “When was it you said you saw her?”
Pam cleared her throat and shrugged. “I’m not really sure. Jade helped her, so you’d have to ask her. I’m going to put on a pot of coffee. Let me know if you need anything else.”
The man might be on an investigation, but he had enough time to leer at Pam as she walked away. Jade clenched her hands into balls at her sides, resisting the urge to smack the look right off his face.
“Your friend said something about a ring?” He refocused his attention on her.
She nodded. “Yes. She wanted to trade a ring for some merchandise.”
His eyes narrowed just a fraction. “Do you still have the ring?”
Jade shook her head and tried to appear apologetic. Something in her gut told her not to tell this man anything. He was a snake. “No, I’m sorry. Someone else bought it.”
“I’m going to need to see records from both of those sales,” he demanded.
“Don’t you need a warrant for something like that?” She had no idea what protocol was necessary, but she doubted he could just come into her store and start demanding things.
His blue eyes darkened to storm clouds. “Are you telling me that you are unwilling to assist in a federal investigation?”
She clasped her sweaty palms together. “Don’t try to twist my words. I’m simply telling you that I’m not allowing some strange man to dig through my records. For all I know, you’re not even with the DEA. That could be a fake badge.”
He reached into the inner pocket of his suit, yanked out a business card and handed it to her. “Look, ma’am. I’m sorry for my attitude. This woman, Evelyn, has been missing for a couple weeks and we’re desperately trying to find her. She’s a good agent.”
He practically bared his teeth at her in what she assumed was his sad attempt at a smile. Now he wanted to be nice?
“Then why haven’t I seen anything on the news about this?” That woman had been scared of someone, and for all she knew this was the man she was running from. He could be some crazy ex-husband or an investigator sent by the woman’s ex.
“We’re trying to keep this under wraps. I can’t go into further details about the case, but she’s undercover and we can’t have her picture splashed all over the news.”
She still didn’t think he was telling the truth, but she also didn’t want people traipsing through her store later. So, she decided to give the appearance of relenting. “I can pull out the receipts, but I don’t think it will do you any good. The woman who bought the ring paid in cash.”
“Are you absolutely sure?”
Jade nodded in affirmation. “Positive. I own this store and I’m here practically every day. If you still want to see the receipts you can come back later after I have a chance to go through them.” She said a silent prayer he wouldn’t call her bluff.
“No, but thank you for your cooperation. I assume you’ll be available if I have any more questions.”
“Of course, although I don’t think I’ll be able to help you.”
He started to leave but turned back midway to the front of the store. “Did she say anything about where she was staying or make small talk?”
“No. The only time she really said anything was to ask if we accepted trades.”
His flushed face turned a brighter shade of red. “Is that normal?”
“Uh, is what normal?”
“Trades?”
It felt like he was testing her so she shrugged. “No, but I made an exception. The ring was very unique, and I knew it would be easy to sell.”
He nodded in acceptance of her reply. “Okay. Please contact me if you see or hear from her again.”
“Of course.” She gritted her teeth and put on what she hoped was a gracious smile.
Without commenting further, he turned and walked out the front door.
As soon as he had gone, Pam popped her head out from the back room and gave an exaggerated shudder. “Ick.”
Jade mirrored her sentiments. “I know. What a creep. That’s enough excitement for the day. Let’s start opening those new boxes.”
* * * * *
Keith Celan pulled out a cell phone the instant the door to My Sister’s Closet shut behind him. This wasn’t his work cell, but a cheap throwaway he’d purchased after arriving in St. Augustine. Something that couldn’t be traced back to him. He dialed one of his contacts at the DEA division in Washington DC.
The man on the other end picked up after only one ring. “Chapman here.”
Without bothering to identify himself, he started barking orders. “I need you to pull up everything we have on Jadyn Hadley, also known as Jade.” Keith looked around quickly to make sure he wasn’t being followed, then ducked down a small, semi-hidden, cobblestone alley. Green and yellow awnings gave him cover from the sun, and above him, a bar blaring Jamaican music from two huge speakers was in full swing. In case he was being tailed, it would be difficult to hear his conversation, even with parabolic microphones.
“That’s the owner of that store My Sister’s Closet right?”
“Yes.” He had a dossier on all the store owners in downtown St. Augustine. Rumors had been flying around that Evelyn had been spotted alive a few days ago. She’d been seen in a few of the shops so he’d done his homework on the different owners and their employees. He needed to get to Evelyn before anyone else did.
“Okay. She goes by the name Jade. Her maiden name is Bancroft. She’s a widow. Her husband was a US Marshal. He was killed in the line of duty. She has one sister who’s married to a local cop. They’ve got two kids. Her parents are retired. Mom was a teacher and father owned his own construction company after retiring from professional surfing. He comes from old family money. Jade doesn’t have kids. No pets. No boyfriend to date. As far as we know, she doesn’t date very often.”
That meant she lived alone. Perfect. “Is that all you have on her?” Keith was positive she was hiding something from him and he intended to find out what.
“Just about. She pays her taxes on time. She’s runs in a couple half marathons every year for breast cancer. No traffic tickets on file. She’s a model citizen. And by the looks of her pictures, she’s smoking hot. Why are you so interested in her?”
“I questioned her today about seeing Evelyn and she lied to me.”
“How can you be so sure? What reason could she possibly have to lie?”
Keith tried to keep the exasperation out of his voice. “Because I’ve been in this business for twenty-three years and I know when someone is lying to me. See if you can find some connection between them. I doubt there is, but she still knows something more than she’s letting on.”
“All right. I’m on it.”
“One more thing. You worked with Evelyn right?”
“Uh, yeah. Before she moved down to Miami we worked a few cases together.”
“Did she ever wear any jewelry? A ring maybe?”
“Yeah. Actual
ly, she never wore any jewelry except a ring. She once told me that her father gave it to her before he died. Why do you ask?”
Keith wasn’t about to tell Mark Chapman anything. “It might be important. I’ll let you know if it is. Keep me updated if you find out anything else on the Hadley woman.”
As soon as they disconnected, Keith made his way to the rental car he’d parked a few blocks away. Once inside he pulled out another throwaway phone and placed a call.
“Yes?” a quiet, heavily accented voice asked.
“I might have a lead on the missing woman. Can you spare one of your men?”
“What kind of job?”
“Intimidation only.”
“Send me the relevant information.”
“You’ll have it within the hour.” Keith disconnected and headed back to the bed and breakfast he was staying at. Jade Hadley would tell him what she was hiding. He hoped she wouldn’t come to any harm, but if that’s what it took then so be it. He was ready to retire and no one would get in his way.
Chapter Ten
“See you tomorrow, Pam.” Jade waved as she stepped out onto the nearly deserted cobblestone street. The light breeze ruffled her dress and hair as she headed home. A few streetlights flipped on and Jade picked up her pace.
David would be at her place to pick her up soon and she still needed to shower and figure out what she was going to wear. Normally, she didn’t put much thought into her clothing when she and David got together.
Now things were different. Very different.
After looking both ways on King Street, Jade hitched her purse higher on her shoulder and stepped onto the pavement. The sound of screeching tires brought her head up so fast she tripped and snapped a chunk off one of her high heels.
A blue truck barreled down on her. Her heart jumped in her throat. Move! Her brain screamed at her but she was frozen. Before she could react, a sudden tug from behind pulled her back to the safety of the sidewalk. She tumbled back with such intensity her leg caught on the curb and her head slammed into the pavement. A slow, burning wildfire of pain spread across her skull. The fading blue sky blurred above her.
Tempting Target Page 10
