Sophia stowed the folders back where she had found them and then turned to face Noah, who was sitting at a nearby desk. “Was there any connection between Prensky and Maggie before the murder?”
“None that we found. Prensky had been involved in some studies that were being conducted at the Atlanta State medical school, so it’s possible that they bumped into each other on campus, but that’s the only connection we found. There’s no record of Maggie and Prensky ever meeting or being involved with the same project at any time.”
“What kind of studies?” Sophia asked.
“Some sort of medical research. Prensky was basically a lab rat, and he received some cash for participating. It had something to do with medication side effects, or something like that. I think they were testing a new medication for diabetes, but I couldn’t get many details because of the health privacy laws. Maggie hadn’t been involved with the tests in any way, though, so we didn’t pursue it. We didn’t find a single link between the perpetrator and the victim.”
Sophia stood and started pacing again. She was going to go crazy if she didn’t figure something out soon. All she could think about was her poor sister, scared and at the mercy of some criminal. The image from the picture the kidnapper had sent kept flitting through her mind. She was afraid that vision would be burned into her brain forever. She had to do something, anything, to get out of this room.
She pulled out her cell phone and walked around the entire room, checking to see if the signal improved as she moved. Nothing. Not even one bar showed on her screen. Once again, panic began to tighten in her chest. Her sister would be dead soon, and there wasn’t a single thing she could do about it.
Sophia started to pray.
An idea suddenly hit her and she started checking the outlets in the room to see exactly what was drawing power in the office. There was a power strip behind each desk where the computer, monitor and printers were plugged in. A couple of the grad students had desk lamps that were also plugged into the power bars, as well as other devices. She knelt by the wad of cords and then, one by one, followed each cord with her hand to determine what was connected to what.
“What are you looking for?” Noah asked.
“I did a story a while back about a prison near Albany, Georgia, that was using cell jammers to keep prisoners from using illegal phones. Evidently, someone was smuggling the phones in and it became a huge problem that the prison couldn’t control. Of course, cell jammers are illegal in the US, so that was also a problem, and the prison warden got in a lot of trouble for using them.”
Noah raised an eyebrow. “You think someone is jamming our signal?”
Sophia shrugged and twirled the ring on her finger in a nervous gesture. “It’s a possibility. Somebody locked us in here for a reason. It makes sense that if they’d go to the trouble of hammering wedges around the door, they would have a plan in place to keep us from calling for help, as well.”
She brushed some dust off her navy pants. “Installing one down here really isn’t as crazy as it sounds. According to my research, a couple of universities were toying with the idea of using jammers during exams. Apparently, because some students use cell phones to cheat, the problem became so pervasive that the schools in question considered drastic measures. I don’t think the idea was ever approved anywhere, though. Cell phone signals are all regulated by the feds, and they rarely allow anyone to block the signals because, in times of emergency, important calls still need to get through. The universities would have had to get special permission to use one.”
“Was Atlanta State one of those universities that tried to get permission?” Noah asked.
“I really don’t remember. It’s been a while since I did the research.”
“So, you think someone knew we were coming today and purposefully put a cell jammer in this room?”
Sophia shrugged. “It’s possible. It’s also possible that if we find a jammer, it has absolutely nothing to do with us. Maybe one of the professors put one down here to keep the graduate students off their phones and focused on their studies. Or one of the students could have set one up to harass a graduate assistant. The possibilities are endless.”
Noah put his hands on his hips. “I’ve heard of cell phone jammers, but I’ve never seen one. Do you know what they look like?”
“They’re about the size of a deck of cards—” Sophia made a square with her hands “—and have a few antennae sticking out, kind of like your average modem. They can be battery-powered, but I imagine if there is one in this room, it’s plugged into the wall somewhere. Otherwise, the owner would have to keep coming down here to check the batteries, and that might be suspicious.” She moved to the next desk and repeated the process of checking all the outlets.
* * *
Noah nodded, intrigued by the information. If they could get a signal, they could call for help and be rescued even sooner. “I’ll help you look.”
While Sophia checked all the power strips around the desks, he moved to the outside walls of the room, searching for outlets. He started near the door and moved a filing cabinet to check behind it, glad to have something to do. He was a man of action; sitting around waiting for something to happen had always been difficult for him. Especially now, when a young girl’s life was being held in the balance.
He glanced back at Sophia, who had moved on to the next power bar. She was one smart cookie. He had always admired her for that.
His thoughts moved to Prensky and the case before them. He had been so sure they had arrested the right man for Maggie Spencer’s murder, but their current predicament had started a niggling pain in his gut. Someone didn’t like the fact that they were reopening the investigation. It was the only reason that someone would try to sideline them. But why? Why lock them in the basement at the university if not to slow them down and hinder their progress?
Thankfully, if they couldn’t escape, his disappearance would be noted at the trial tomorrow, if not sooner, and the police would start searching for him. His partner, Charlie, could testify in court just as easily. Though Noah’s name was on the report as the primary arresting officer, the event had been a joint effort. There were other officers who could testify, if needed. The trial would continue with or without him.
So, if someone wasn’t trying to stop the trial and keep him from testifying, then what was going on? The only thing that made sense was that someone didn’t want them asking questions and exonerating Arlo Prensky. But why? Noah was convinced the man was guilty. They could investigate until the cows came home and it wouldn’t change the outcome. What did it hurt to retrace the facts to confirm the results?
And how had anyone even found out? Only a handful of people knew what he and Sophia were doing, and Prensky was days away from a lengthy prison sentence.
Noah paused a moment, thinking through the possibilities as the questions ate at him.
“Found it!” Sophia declared triumphantly, breaking into his train of thought.
She turned to Noah and held up a small device with four black-rubber-coated antennae sticking out of the top. A power cord extended from the back of the device to the power strip, the small green light on the front showing that the power was on.
Noah came over to get a closer look. “Good grief! This does look like a modem. Even if I had seen it sitting on a desk, I would have never guessed it was anything else. And what’s even more interesting is that it’s kind of dusty. Someone didn’t just pull this out of the box recently and set it up in here. It’s been here awhile.”
Sophia met his eyes. Hers were filled with questions.
“I don’t know what it means,” he said quickly, before she could ask the question forming in both of their minds. “But someone wanted to make sure that once we were locked in, we weren’t able to call for help.”
FIVE
Sophia pulled the plug out of the power bar and the green l
ight on the front of the jammer disappeared. “Now check your phone.”
Noah did just that and couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across his face. “Two bars. Looks like we’re back in business.” He immediately dialed his office. “Charlie, we need help.” He explained what had happened and where they were located, then hung up and stored his phone. “They’re on the way. It shouldn’t be long now.”
Sophia breathed a noticeable sigh of relief, pulled up one of the office chairs and sat. “I just can’t figure this out. Whoever put that cell phone jammer down here could get arrested, or at a minimum, get fined and thrown out of the university. Why would anyone want to take that chance? It’s not like the grad students are privy to secret information that’s going to change the world.”
“That’s an excellent question, but I have a feeling that if we ask Keenan and the other professors who have assistants down here, they’ll all act surprised and won’t tell us the truth. Like you said, nobody is going to admit to breaking the law.”
Sophia nodded. “I agree. We need to talk to one or more of the other grad students who shared this office with Maggie. It might have nothing to do with Maggie’s murder, but then again, it would be good to get the insight, just in case. And,” she added with a thoughtful look, “if we can figure out who put the jammer in here, it might lead us to whoever locked us in here.” She leaned back in her chair. “Tell me more about the night Maggie died.”
Noah pulled up his own chair. “Well, like I said, she met with Keenan, then came to her office and presumably packed up what she was planning to take home, including her laptop. She left the building and went on a walk in the park across the street. She was probably on the sidewalk that led to the fountain on the eastern side when she was attacked.
“Prensky came up behind her and hit her head with a rock. She was stunned, but she fought back and was able to scratch him pretty deeply on the arms and face. The medical examiner said the initial head wound would have made Maggie dizzy, and it was probably hard for her to struggle, but she gave it her best shot. We found Prensky’s DNA at the crime scene and under Maggie’s fingernails.
“Apparently, he hit her twice more on the head before she fell forward and didn’t get up again. She died from the blunt force trauma. Prensky tried to hide her body behind some bushes and dragged it about twenty feet from where the incident occurred. Her computer and phone were never recovered.”
Noah noticed Sophia shiver. “Sorry. It’s such a horrible story. Maggie Spencer was in the prime of her life. We don’t think it was premeditated, and thankfully, she wasn’t sexually assaulted. She just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Prensky saw the opportunity and took advantage of it.”
Sophia looked up and her eyes were filled with tears. Noah wanted to comfort her, but knew instinctively that she would not welcome his touch. “How horrible,” she said softly. She reached for a tissue from a box on the nearby desk and wiped her eyes. “Tell me about Arlo Prensky. Did anyone see him kill Maggie Spencer?”
“No, there weren’t any witnesses. But, like I said, his DNA was all over the crime scene. Plus, he didn’t have an alibi.”
“No alibi at all?”
“Nothing that we could prove. He claimed he went out drinking, then went home and passed out. A few people said he had been at the bar, and they stated he left around 9:00 p.m. That gave him plenty of time to kill Maggie and go home. No one saw him for the rest of the evening.”
Sophia twisted the ring on her finger again. Noah realized she probably didn’t even know she was doing it. “I’m guessing he was pretty scratched up?”
“Yes, he had scratches on his face and arms, and of course he couldn’t remember how he had gotten them. He was still pretty out of it when we arrested him the next morning.”
“Was he having financial trouble?”
Noah shifted. “Yes. In fact, his finances were so bad that he was about to be evicted. He hadn’t paid his rent in three months. That’s why he was helping with the ASU medical study, too. All the participants were paid a fee for their services, but it wasn’t very much. Prensky needed money, and he needed it fast. We’re fairly certain money was the motive. Prensky had already served five years in prison for drug dealing and theft. He was no stranger to crime, and since he had a prior theft charge, we figured he knew who to contact to fence the stolen property. He lived about two miles from the university in a seedier part of Atlanta. We found cocaine in his apartment, although he claimed it wasn’t his. He had a part-time job as a clerk at a convenience store and...” He stood suddenly. “Do you smell that?”
Sophia sniffed the air. “Smell what?”
“I think I smell gas.”
Sophia’s face showed her alarm. “Gas? Are you sure?”
Noah sniffed again and looked hurriedly around the room. His eyes zeroed in on the pipes bolted to the ceiling from one end of the room to the other. He couldn’t see any visible damage, but the smell was rapidly increasing. “I think one of those pipes might be leaking, unless the gas is entering through one of the air vents.” He quickly dialed 9-1-1 to report the leak, and then he called Charlie to tell him what to expect when his team arrived.
Sophia put her hand over her mouth and nose, then pulled up her shirt to cover her face. “I smell it now. What do we do? There’s no way out of this room!”
Noah dropped to the floor and motioned for her to join him. “Stay as low as possible. Let’s get nearer to the door so that the second help arrives, we’ll be able to get some fresh air.”
They crawled toward the door, but about ten feet from their destination, Sophia collapsed, overcome by the fumes.
Noah pulled off his jacket and covered Sophia’s face with it. He then put his arm solicitously around her, hoping to protect her until the experts arrived. He heard shouting from the other side of the door, but was unable to call out. His last conscious thought was that someone didn’t just want them out of the way during Prensky’s trial.
Someone wanted them dead.
* * *
The pounding in her head wouldn’t stop.
Sophia pulled the pillow closer, hoping for some relief.
“Sophia?”
She moved the pillow and listened. She knew she had a headache, but she quickly realized that the pounding sounds weren’t coming from her dreams. They were coming from Noah, who was knocking on her bedroom door.
Noah was in her apartment?
Oh, yeah. Yesterday. Kylie. Gas leak. Reality came crashing in and she sat up, a bit too fast, and then moaned as the pain in her head intensified. Normally, she would feel strange about having a man in her apartment, and even stranger about having him see her before she’d had a chance to shower and get her act together in the morning.
But this was Noah, who’d known her most of her life. This was Noah, who knew what she looked like without makeup and without her hair combed. The situation she found herself in also changed her focus. She would let just about anyone see her morning face and hair if it would help her discover Kylie’s whereabouts. This was no time for vanity. And Noah was here to help. He was here as a friend, and he had changed. She had to remember that.
“Noah? Come on in.”
The doorknob turned and he stuck his head around the door, a tentative smile on his face. “You okay? You said you wanted to get an early start, but it’s already eight thirty.”
Sophia glanced at the clock by her bed and groaned. “Yeah, sorry. I’ve got a horrible headache.”
Noah frowned. “Sorry about that. I made some breakfast. Will that help?”
“It might.” She rubbed her forehead. “Give me five minutes.”
“Done.” Noah softly closed the door, and Sophia leaned back against her pillow and massaged her temples. The doctor had told her that a headache was one of the symptoms she would feel as a result of the inhalation injury she had sustai
ned in the university basement. According to the team in the ER, she was experiencing an inflammatory reaction to the gas she had breathed, which was also causing a tightness in her chest. Thankfully, the doctor had said the symptoms would only last a week or so, and he’d claimed that over-the-counter pain meds would take away the bulk of the symptoms. Then she should be back to normal. She grimaced. The doctor had also told her to drink plenty of fluids and get lots of rest, but “lots of rest” wasn’t going to happen.
She had to free her sister.
Sophia pushed the covers aside and made her way to the bathroom and the medicine cabinet. A few minutes later, she headed for the kitchen, where she could hear Noah rustling around. As she passed it, she glanced at the sofa where he had spent the night, noting he’d already folded the blankets and stacked them neatly with the pillow on top.
Noah Bradley was in her apartment.
If someone had told her even a few days ago that this was a possibility, she would have laughed herself silly. But now everything had changed.
After the attempt on their lives at the university, Noah had insisted on staying with her to make sure she was safe. He had tried to talk her into going to a hotel and getting adjoining rooms, but she had refused outright. She wanted to be in her own apartment. He’d only backed off when she had finally agreed to let him sleep on her couch so he could make sure she’d be safe. She hadn’t wanted to inconvenience him either way, but he had been very persistent after they’d been discharged from the hospital. In the end, she just hadn’t been up for an argument.
“You made waffles?” she asked when she saw the breakfast spread. She couldn’t keep the surprise from her voice. Somehow, he’d managed to put a gourmet meal together on her kitchen counter. He’d made a fruit salad, juiced her oranges, baked three waffles and sautéed some ham slices with fresh pineapple. Coffee simmered in the pot behind him, adding to the wonderful smells that were filling up her nostrils.
Held for Ransom Page 4
