The Cotten Stone Omnibus: It started with The Grail Conspiracy... (The Cotten Stone Mysteries)

by Lynn Sholes

  the motive

  Alan stared at Lindsay, his expression packed with shock. He seemed to be calculating if he should let her into his confidence. She could tell he was considering what she said about the motive for Devin’s kidnapping.

  “Your daughter has come up with an interesting theory,” Alan said. He continued to stare at her, and she knew there was a debate raging in his head.

  Finally, he said, “Yes, there is another possibility. Your daughter is correct—Devin may have been kidnapped to obtain information. The numbers in his head.”

  “What kind of numbers?” Lindsay asked.

  He rubbed his hands together. “My company, CyberSys, is on the verge of completing the world’s first working quantum computer. It will revolutionize the speed of data processing and the power of encryption—the ramifications to global security and safety are enormous. But we’re not the only ones trying to develop a quantum computer. There are a few others. As you can imagine, the race to be first to market is highly competitive. Obtaining confidential computer codes and information that might help someone beat us to the punch would be worth millions, perhaps billions of dollars.”

  “So Devin could have been kidnapped to extort that from you?”

  Alan nodded. “That’s what made your daughter’s observation startle me—that they want to steal something from Devin’s memory. They wouldn’t need me for that. Because of his extraordinary ability to memorize and recall copious amounts of information, Devin has everything they want right inside his head. I’ve tried to press Devin for details of what happened, but he’s shut the door on the whole episode. The police think it was all about money—some white-collar criminal faked his own death, then snatched Devin for ransom. The information that Devin carries around in his brain is worth more than any ransom.

  “The police didn’t have any luck getting my son to reveal what happened, either. I was hoping it would come out little by little once Devin felt he was safely at home. But all he has told me is that while he was being held, he spent the time playing games. And yet, the authorities didn’t find a computer at the kidnapper’s cabin—not even a PlayStation or Nintendo.”

  “That doesn’t make sense,” Lindsay said.

  Alan nodded. “No, the more I think about it, the more it isn’t logical.”

  “Listen, I don’t know much about computers or industrial espionage, but I do know that Tera and Devin are somehow tied together with what’s going on here. Mr. Olsen, Tera and I have been on the run. Someone is after my daughter. I think the reason Tera was so distressed and adamant about coming to see Devin is that she realizes they have the same enemy—what she calls the red people, the Rubies. I think there is more to this than we can figure out by ourselves. But I have a suggestion.”

  Leaning forward, his forearms resting on his legs, he said, “I’m listening.”

  “If in your gut you think there’s more to it than just ransom money, then we need to do something. I have a friend who might be able to help. She’s an investigative correspondent with years of experience. You have nothing to lose if I ask her to help. You might know her from television. Cotten Stone?”

  “Sure,” Alan said. “SNN. The Grail thing—I’ve followed her adventures with interest—gutsy lady.”

  “Right. If we can get her involved, maybe even ask her to come to Miami, I believe she can help unravel all this.”

  “I don’t quite see her connection with Devin and Tera.”

  “She’s an expert on solving mysteries that are out of the ordinary.” She studied Alan’s face as she waited for a response. “It would cost you nothing to at least talk to her.”

  He stretched back in deep thought. Finally, he rose, walked to his desk, and pressed a button on his phone.

  “Yes, Mr. Olsen,” a woman’s voice came through the speaker.

  “Call the Satellite News Network’s offices in New York and see if you can get in touch with one of their correspondents. Her name is Cotten Stone. When you get her on the line, put her through.”

  “Will do,” the woman said.

  Alan sat in the desk chair and swiveled so he looked out the window. “It seems like a long shot to me, but I would do just about anything to find the son-of-a-bitch who’s really responsible for taking my son.”

  “I don’t blame you,” Lindsay said. “There are many questions I need answered about Tera and the people who have been tracking us down. I truly believe Cotten can help us both.”

  Kai came back into the room. “The kids are getting along fine. I made them sandwiches and cut up some strawberries. That okay with you, Ms. Jordan?”

  “Perfect. Tera loves strawberries. And please, call me Lindsay.”

  Kai stood behind Alan’s chair and massaged his shoulders. “Want to fill me in on what I missed?”

  Alan stilled her hands with his before turning around. “Remember I told you that I had this fear that Devin could have been kidnapped for the Destiny code?”

  “Right, but—”

  “Maybe he was.”

  Kai shook her head as if feeling pity for Alan. “Oh, babe, don’t torture yourself anymore than you already have. There’s no evidence that was the motive at all. We know who kidnapped Devin. Benjamin Ray. He was desperate for money and just didn’t get the ransom note off before he had a heart attack. You shouldn’t let someone stir you up over something that has no basis.” She looked at Lindsay. “No offense, Ms. Jordan, but the police have already told us what happened. And Devin hasn’t said it was anything else.”

  “I’m not sure,” Alan said. “But I don’t think we’ll find out from Devin. I think we have to take some action on our own.”

  “You . . . we have your son back,” Kai said. “That’s all that matters.”

  Alan turned his attention to Lindsay. “I think you and Tera should stay here for now. If the threat to your daughter is as real as you say, the security at CyberSys will keep you safe. There’s a conference room down the hall. It has a couch with a foldout bed and a private bathroom. No four-star accommodation, but—”

  “That would be wonderful,” Lindsay said. “I don’t know how we can ever—”

  “Alan, she’s a total stranger. Are you sure this is wise?”

  Alan glanced toward the playroom. He could see Devin and Tera through the window sitting side-by-side, engrossed in watching cartoons on TV. “Yes,” he said, “I’m sure.”

  The phone on his desk buzzed.

  “Mr. Olsen,” came a voice through the speaker. “I have Cotten Stone on the line.”

  bad news

  Lindsay stood at the CyberSys conference room window overlooking the Port of Miami. She had been up a few hours and tried to be as quiet as possible so Tera could sleep in. Now she heard a stirring and looked around to see her daughter sitting up on the foldout sofa bed. “Good morning, Ladybug,” she said. “Did you sleep well?”

  Tera shook her head, rubbing her eyes. “This bed is so lumpy.”

  “But we’re thankful for Mr. Olsen letting us stay here, safe and sound, aren’t we?”

  “I guess so.”

  Lindsay sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped her arms around her daughter. “I realize this is tough. You miss home. So do I.” She stroked Tera’s arms. “I know we’ll be able to go back to Kentucky soon—I just know it. Mr. Olsen is going to help us. And you heard the great news. My friend Cotten is coming to see you. She’ll help us, too.”

  Tera smiled at her mother. “My sister, Momma.”

  Lindsay studied Tera’s eyes. There was no hint of fantasy, only pure expression of what her daughter thought was fact. “So, things could be worse, right, princess?”

  “I don’t like Kai.”

  “Why not, sweetheart?”

  “She’s not nice to Devin.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Tera shrugged. “I just
don’t like her,” she said, scrunching up her face and shaking her head.

  “Let’s just keep our feelings about Kai to ourselves. Okay?” She tickled Tera’s ribs. “Are you ready for some breakfast?”

  A wide grin bloomed on Tera’s face. “Pancakes,” she said, clapping her hands.

  “Well, I don’t know about that, but Mr. Olsen said there’s a fully stocked kitchen down the hall. Let’s get you dressed and go check it out.”

  Tera hopped from the bed and scampered to her bag on the floor. She pulled out a pair of jeans and a bright orange T-shirt, then darted off for the bathroom.

  Lindsay watched her daughter disappear behind the door before returning to the window. How had all this happened? She and Tera were just Kentucky farm folks. Nothing special, and yet, somehow they were submerged in an ocean of madness. People with ruby red glowing bodies that only Tera could see were trying to harm them. Yet she had absolutely no proof any of it was true. Some things were best left unsaid. Indigos and Rubies were enough. Alan Olsen never would have believed that her daughter was able to pick her parents before she was born or that she knew Devin in Heaven. And this whole thing about Cotten being her twin sister. In her heart, Lindsay believed it all. But in her mind, in her intellect, she struggled. And so would Alan.

  It was a miracle that he had given them the time of day, much less a safe place to stay. He must want to do whatever it takes to find who had kidnapped Devin.

  Besides them being Indigos, what was the big link between Tera and Devin? Lindsay prayed they would find the answer so she and Tera could go home and have a normal life. That’s all she wanted.

  That’s all she ever wanted.

  She heard a soft knock at the door and went to open it.

  “Good morning,” Alan said. “I hope you guys are hungry.” He held a large takeout food bag in each hand.

  “Mr. Olsen, you really didn’t have to do that. We’d have found something in the office kitchen.”

  “God only knows what’s in there.” Alan smiled, holding up the bags. “I’ve brought fresh fruit, bacon, eggs, bagels, even waffles and pancakes.”

  “Pancakes!” Tera squealed as she ran across the room and wrapped her arms around him.

  “I take it that’s what she wants,” he said.

  “Her favorite,” Lindsay said, trying to ease her daughter’s bear hug on Alan.

  “Then she’ll love these,” Alan said. “They’re from Devin’s favorite restaurant a few blocks away.” He cocked his thumb toward the hall. “Let’s head for the kitchen and start eating before they get cold.”

  “Is Devin here?” Tera asked.

  “He’s waiting for you.”

  Tera sprinted off ahead of them.

  “I can’t thank you enough, Mr. Olsen,” Lindsay said.

  As they followed in Tera’s wake, Alan said, “First of all, it’s Alan, not Mr. Olsen. And second, you already have thanked me. You know, Tera is all Devin has talked about since we left you guys last night. He is the calmest, most coherent, most . . . normal I’ve ever seen him. I don’t know what it is about your daughter, but she has a profound effect on my son. And for that, I’m eternally grateful.”

  Lindsay took one of the bags from Alan. “Tera thinks the world of him, too.”

  “Okay then,” Alan said as they entered the kitchen. “Who wants pancakes?”

  _____

  Kai stood with her arms crossed, staring out Alan’s office window. Lindsay sat on the couch in front of his desk and leafed through a copy of Newsweek. Her daughter and Devin were in the playroom watching TV.

  It was almost noon, and Alan had passed the last thirty minutes in silence reviewing a stack of financial statements. His phone rang. When he pushed the button, a woman’s voice came through the speaker. “Mr. Olsen, Cotten Stone and Cardinal Tyler are here.”

  “Show them in,” Alan said. He glanced at Lindsay. “This should make you feel better.”

  Lindsay closed her eyes, relieved. “I just know Cotten can help us. I’m sure of it.”

  Alan peered into the playroom. The television was on, but Tera and Devin ignored it, choosing instead to draw on sheets of chart paper that Alan had taken off the easel in the conference room. “It’s so amazing to see how the two of them connect.”

  “Tera desperately needed a friend,” Lindsay said. “They are good for each other.”

  “I agree.”

  Kai turned from the window as the office door opened. Lindsay thought she noted harshness in the woman’s expression. Perhaps it was just the glare from the window that caused Kai to narrow her eyes and tighten her face.

  Lindsay stood as Cotten came into the office. She smiled at the sight of her old friend. Moving to her, she opened her arms. “Cotten, thank you so much for coming.”

  “Lindsay,” Cotten said, hugging her. “It’s been too long.” She pulled back at arm’s length. “I’m so sorry about Neil. I know it’s been hard on you both. And now with all this craziness. I just wish I could have gotten to you sooner.”

  “But you’re here now,” Lindsay said, hugging her again. “That’s all that matters.”

  Finally, they broke their embrace and Lindsay said, “Cotten, I’d like you to meet Alan Olsen, president of CyberSys.”

  Alan was already moving toward them. He shook Cotten’s hand. “It’s a pleasure, Ms. Stone. I’m a big fan.”

  “Thank you for taking care of my friend and her daughter.”

  “Of course,” he said.

  Lindsay said, “And this is Kai Chiang, Mr. Olsen’s . . . personal assistant.”

  “It’s okay, Lindsay,” Kai said. “Alan is my significant other,” she announced, but didn’t bother to leave her spot by the window.

  Cotten nodded to Kai, then turned. “This is my friend, Cardinal John Tyler.”

  “Cardinal Tyler.” Alan said. “It’s indeed an honor to meet you. I still remember following the amazing Grail conspiracy story in the news. That must have been such an adventure.”

  “Kept us on our toes,” John said. He acknowledged Kai with a nod. “Nice to meet you both as well.”

  “Why don’t we all make ourselves comfortable,” Alan said, gesturing toward the couches.

  Cotten and John sat with Lindsay while Alan waited for Kai to join him on the opposite couch.

  As she sat, Kai said, “So, Ms. Stone, your friend insisted that you come here to help her solve the mystery of the connection with her daughter and Alan’s son. Alan and Devin have been through a hard time recently with the kidnapping and all, and we—”

  Alan patted Kai’s leg. “We’re all under quite a bit of stress right now, so please forgive Kai. She just wants us to get through this as quickly as possible and move on with our lives.”

  “Alan, you don’t have to apologize for me,” Kai said, placing her hand on his.

  “I understand your concerns,” Cotten said. “And I thank you both for helping Lindsay and Tera. Unfortunately, I don’t believe we will get to the root of what is going on too quickly.” Cotten took in a deep breath. “Lindsay and Tera are definitely in danger. It’s not imagined. Not only are they being hunted, but those who are doing the hunting are extremely dangerous . . . people.”

  Kai leaned back into the couch with a huff.

  Cotten turned to Lindsay. “I went to Loretto to find you, but you were already gone. I visited your farm and it revived a lot of fond memories. I took some time wandering around. I saw Tera’s paintings, drawings, read her poems. It’s clear that your daughter has special gifts, not just talent.” Cotten swallowed, then said, “Lindsay . . . I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I hate to tell you. It’s so awful. Everything is gone. Someone set fire to your home and burned it to the ground. The house, the barn, the big oak, all of Tera’s beautiful work, destroyed.”

  “Oh, no,” Lindsay said, the co
lor in her cheeks bleaching. She hid her face in her hands, shaking her head, whispering, “No, no, no.” Finally, she looked up. “That’s all we had.” Her voice was pinched from holding back tears.

  “Who would have done that?” Alan asked.

  “While I was in Kentucky,” Cotten said, “My cell phone was stolen. That’s the reason I was not getting your messages, Lindsay. The person who stole it used my cell to call Cardinal Tyler and threaten my life. I was told to back off trying to find Lindsay and Tera. They also said that burning down Lindsay’s farm was a warning of worse things to come.”

  “Sounds like a teenage prank,” Kai said.

  “It wasn’t a prank,” John said. “Cotten’s phone has a GPS auto tracking system built in, and we were able to track the phone to Washington, D.C.”

  “Alan, this is just plain nuts,” Kai said. “I don’t see what this has to do with Devin or the kidnapping.”

  Cotten looked at Kai and then Alan. She was fighting a losing battle with Kai. It would be better to direct everything to Alan. “The phone was tracked to someone in the White House.”

  Alan sat up straight. “Are you serious? That’s unbelievable. Do you know who?”

  “Yes,” John said.

  “Yesterday evening,” Cotten said, “I met with Dr. Philip Miller, the National Security Advisor. He was about to give me a tape recording of phone conversations that would prove beyond a doubt who stole my phone, who ordered Lindsay’s farm destroyed, who threatened my life, and who is trying to find and kill Lindsay and Tera.”

  “You have the tape?” Kai said, her voice rising in pitch.

  “No,” John said. “Dr. Miller was killed in a freak accident just as he was about to hand over the evidence to Cotten. The tape was destroyed.”

  Kai exhaled. “There you are, Alan. Just another bit of conjecture, guesswork, rumors. I think we’ve heard enough.”

  “Dr. Miller had already disclosed to me the identity of the person on the tape,” Cotten said.

  “Who is it, Ms. Stone?” Alan asked.

  “The Secretary of Homeland Security, Rizben Mace.”