When I reached Tremont, I turned toward my car, but stopped when a phone in my purse rang. I quickly realized it wasn’t my burner, but the one for instructions. My breath caught. This was real. And happening now.
I gripped the phone and looked at the screen. They’d texted me.
My heart pounded and a million questions rushed through my head. Why a text? Why not a call?
I tapped the message link.
An image appeared.
My eyes burned with hot tears.
The photo was of Lily. She was holding today’s paper.
Three words captioned her picture.
Proof of life.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Skip
WITH DIRECTIONS TO the Angry Dog in hand, Skip made his way along the Coast Highway sidewalk and debated whether he should have brought his Sig Sauer with him. On the one hand, it would protect him from a random attacker, but guys like Jackie Fontanal had much more firepower. If force became necessary, it meant he would have failed both Roxy and Lily.
Skip stuffed his hands in his pockets in his attempt to exude an air of casual indifference, but he kept his senses alert. The streets of Oceanside were nothing like what they’d once been. With Camp Pendleton a few miles to the north, the town had been home to bars and services catering to young men looking for a diversion—typically girls and trouble. These days, restaurants and boutique stores had replaced the bars as what had once been a troubled town undertook the slow process of transforming itself into a respectable and safe tourist destination. Skip snickered at the reality—the process was working unless you dealt with the wrong people.
He was passing a Thai restaurant when a group of four rowdy young men exited. They were laughing loudly and had obviously had a few drinks. Skip moved to one side to let them pass, feeling the press of the Sig against his back and the weight of memories of a night he’d nearly died in one of these alleys. Flashing lights. Sirens. Intense cold followed by darkness. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Then, as quickly as they’d come, the sounds of passing traffic, laughter, and an animated discussion about a movie the friends had seen earlier replaced the memories.
“Maybe Baldorf was right,” Skip muttered. “It could be time for a change of careers.”
“Heard that, bro.”
“I hate having you in my ear, Baldorf. You probably even know what I’m thinking.”
Baldorf chuckled. “Working on it.”
Across the street, two dark figures, one large, the other, small, lurked in the shadows. They moved with the swagger of angry young men used to taking what they wanted.
“Looks like I’ve picked up a tail. They look like gang members. I don’t think I’ll go ask them if they’re friend or foe.”
“Good idea, bro. Skip the intros.”
Skip turned down the next side street toward the Angry Dog, his two shadows following at a distance. A bouncer who stood well over six-feet tall and had the look of a man used to surviving against any odds stood guard at the door to Skip’s destination. The man’s shaved head moved constantly as he scanned the street and sidewalk. When he looked in Skip’s direction a second time, he shifted his position ever so slightly. While almost imperceptible, the move screamed ‘high alert.’
When Skip was within a few feet of the bouncer, he gave the man an upward tilt of his chin. “How’s it going?”
“It’s going, man. You looking for someone in particular?”
Skip smiled. “Am I that obvious?”
“You got purpose, man. Most people walk slower, but you, not so much. You a cop?”
“No, I’m not. But I understand Jackie Fontanal might be here.”
The bouncer leaned forward and shifted position to stand directly in front of Skip. He had a tattoo of a dagger running down the side of his neck. “Office hours are over.”
Skip held up both hands. “Whoa. I don’t want any trouble. A friend of mine might have been here earlier to see Jackie. It’s about a girl who’s been kidnapped.”
“Kidnapped? What’s this girl’s name?”
“Lily Jamison. I’m looking for Roxy Tanner.”
The bouncer stretched his neck from side-to-side and huffed. “I’m sorry about Lil, man. I heard about it from your friend.”
“She’s been here?”
“You ain’t no cop? No kinda law enforcement?”
“No. All I am is a friend. Roxy’s my fiancé…I hope.”
“Your name Cosgrove?”
“That’s me. Skip Cosgrove.”
“You’re the guy who gave Lil that purple backpack she was so proud of last time she stopped by.”
“It was a birthday present. I remembered she said purple was her favorite color.”
“I’m Maxie. She said you been real good to her. She likes you a lot.”
“I’m sorry, she never talked much about her past. She never gave names, either.”
“That’s Lil, all right. It’s one reason she’s got so many friends on the street. Everybody knows they can trust her. Tell you what, Skip Cosgrove. Because you been so good to Lil, I’m going to help you out. I think she needs all the help she can get right now. Your friend was here about half an hour ago. She was being followed by those same two clowns from the Cardoza gang. The ones who been following you.” His head didn’t move, but his eyes cut across the street.
Skip nodded. “They’ve been watching me for a couple of blocks now.”
“Yeah, man. Like I said, you got purpose. You want to disappear? You got to blend in. Slow down a little.”
“Thanks, Maxie. Good tips. Guess I’m a little rusty. So you said Roxy was here? She’s gone?”
“She left out the back. Jackie’s got everyone working on this thing. He ain’t happy. I ain’t seen him so worked up in a long time. I think it’s cause he likes that kid. We all do. Whoever pulled this ain’t walking away alive.”
The intensity in Maxie’s eyes and the menace in his voice made it clear he was serious. Skip hunkered down into his jacket to shrug off the chill in the night air.
“Depending on who’s behind the kidnapping, that could become a bloody undertaking. Let’s just get Lily back.”
“You need to talk to Jackie about that, man.”
Skip peered into the dark interior of the bar. It reminded him of every other dive he’d been in. Loud voices being drowned out by blaring music, lonely men chasing their sorrows away with alcohol while girls worked the tables in a desperate attempt to scratch out a living. He cocked his head toward the noise. “How about if I just go back there and see him?”
Maxie’s tone turned curt. “He stepped out.”
Skip nodded and grimaced. How obvious could it get? Here he was, at ground zero for a resource who had known Lily during her days on the streets, and he was being shut out because he was an outsider. It didn’t matter that he was trying to help; he was not from here, and therefore, not to be trusted.
He had few options—he could try to bribe his way in, but it probably wouldn’t work; the gun was at his back—but he’d be dead before he ever found Jackie; or he could leave and try a different path. The truth was, he didn’t like any of his choices.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Roxy
I STOOD STOCK still, unable to take my gaze off the image of Lily holding today’s newspaper. Until this moment, and despite the incontrovertible evidence, I hadn’t accepted the brutal truth. This photo left no doubt. They really did have her. My breathing quickened. And they would do anything to make me pay.
At least Lily was alive. For now. My crimes had always been white collar. Even Jack Welton hadn’t died at my hands. But whoever had Lily would care little about human life. How stupid I’d been wasting time trying to find her. What had I thought? That I was a superhero who could charge in and whisk her away? I should have been working on finding another two million dollars.
I moved one leaden foot in front of the other while holding my phone before me, Lily’s frightened image filling the
screen. My vision blurred. No matter how tough Lily claimed to be, she was still just a young girl caught in the crossfire of my life.
Across the street and to my left the entrance to the pier loomed. A pair of lovers stopped to kiss under the glow of a streetlamp. They continued on, arm-in-arm. A family with two kids approached. The mother held onto her daughter’s hand while the father nestled a sleeping toddler against his chest. I wondered if Lily had slept since she’d been kidnapped.
It seemed doubly cruel that one who had broken through every defense and barrier I’d ever thrown up to insulate myself from others had become the victim of my life’s mistakes. It wasn’t right, fair, or any of those other platitudes.
The worst part was there was nothing I could do to fix this. At least, not on my own. I’d lost my professional perspective and become the one thing Lily didn’t need, a liability. For a reason I couldn’t understand, I pulled out the second burner cell phone and dialed my mom’s number. She picked up almost immediately, but her voice sounded tentative.
“Hello?”
“It’s me, Mom.”
“Roxy? Skip was here earlier. He told us about Lily. Where are you, honey?”
“I’m in Oceanside. How did you do it, Mom?”
“Do what, honey?”
“Put up with me. All my lies. You had to know.”
“Roxy, your father and I always knew you were troubled. There were times when you drove us crazy, but we could never say anything for fear of driving you away. We loved you, unconditionally, and hoped eventually you’d find your way out of the darkness.”
I shivered against a gust of wind blowing in off the ocean. “Love won’t get me out of this one.”
“Of course it will, honey. It will give you strength. Do you know why Lily ran away?”
Closing my eyes, I took a breath to steady myself. Skip had lied to protect my parents. I mouthed a silent thank you. “Yes. I’m looking for her now.” And, I thought, trying to figure out how I can raise two million dollars in the next twelve hours. It was an impossible task, but one I’d gladly perform if it would save her life. There was always the Jackie option.
“I have to go, Mom. I love you.”
I disconnected the call and looked around. I was standing at the pier entrance, looking down the concrete ramp and out toward the wooden section. Light standards lined both sides of the pier, the bulbs atop appearing to stretch forever. Had Lily come here when she was on the streets? She’d told me how she’d panhandled for food money, but we’d never discussed exactly where she’d gone to do that. Suddenly, I had an urge to know that and many more things about how she’d survived.
I walked in a daze as I looked again at the photo of her. She was wearing the same T-shirt she’d worn to school—purple with a pop art stenciled dog’s paw print. I sniffled. She wanted a dog, but I’d said no. Another regret.
They’d positioned her against a plain white wall. I couldn’t even tell what kind of chair she sat in. It was a smart photo because it gave away nothing. Smarter than my phone call—Mom would have already called Skip and given him the number of this phone. He would have Baldorf tracking my location. If I didn’t ditch the burner, they’d find me within minutes. If I ditched it, Jackie couldn’t contact me.
I continued walking, the pier’s wooden planks assimilating the force of the tides. The structure’s resilience brought me solace—a sense of peace. When I was far out near the end, I called Baldorf. “It’s me.”
“Where you been, dude?”
“Working on my own.”
“Skip is going crazy, you gotta come in.”
“I can’t. Not yet. I’m the one who caused this, and I have to fix it. Lily’s kidnapping is a way for somebody to get back at me. I thought it was Bruno Panaman, but now I’m not so sure.”
“We’ve been doing research. Sonny Boy got an early release.”
I desperately wanted to shut out the world as I muttered, “Of course he did.” I sighed. “Look, there’s a piece of artwork called The Last Warhol. Bruno had to sell it to pay for Sonny’s legal defense. That painting was Bruno’s prized possession, and he sold it at a loss of almost two million dollars. He wouldn’t do that unless he had nothing left. If the Panamans are behind this, it’s either revenge or a way to get enough money to restore the family business.”
“Totally on point, dude. We overheard Sonny Boy give instructions to one of his lackeys. They’re holding the kid somewhere in Oceanside.”
“Then it has to be Sonny.” I bit my lip. All I had to do was drop this phone into the ocean and I’d be off the grid again. I could always return to the bar and give Jackie the number of the third burner. It was the devil option, but it might be the most effective.
“Did you get a location?” I asked.
“All we got was the general area.”
“So you don’t know exactly where they’re holding her?”
“No. Skip tried to tail Sonny Boy but lost him before they got to the final destination.”
“Then you’ve got nothing.”
“We’re working on it.”
I leaned against the railing and gazed out over the black water. Working on it. Translation, even Baldorf, with all his technology and hacking skills, had nothing. “Goodbye, Baldorf. I’ll be destroying this phone after this call.”
He objected, but I disconnected anyway and stood watching the waves gently roll in. How many times in my life had I been forced to switch to Plan B? It was part of the game—marks flip-flopped on a decision, an accomplice double-crossed you, or circumstances changed. Just like Jack Welton. His circumstances changed permanently.
I needed a Plan B.
The problem was, I didn’t have one.
Maybe that was for the best. I held the phone out over the railing and wondered if I would hear the splash.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Skip
SKIP TURNED AWAY from the bouncer. He was half an hour behind Roxy. So close. But the ice in Maxie’s tone conveyed the real message—Jackie was looking out for himself. Skip spun around to face Maxie.
“Please, help me save Lily. I’m a friend of hers. You know that. Let me in to see your boss.”
“I got instructions, man. You gotta do your thing, and we’re gonna do ours.”
Skip was liking the ‘Jackie option’ less with each word Maxie spoke. He suspected ‘their thing’ involved lots of artillery, a gruesome scenario for everyone involved. “None of us want Lily to get hurt. The people who have her are amateurs. They could panic and kill her before you can stop them. I’ve been trained to deal with extractions…”
Maxie leaned forward and glared down at Skip. “You think we ain’t got resources? Man, you’re the one who’s out of his league. Jackie protects his own. Now you better get going before I lose my patience.”
Skip stared at the man glaring back at him. Jackie protects his own. What did that mean?
“I been nice to you because you been good to Lil. But I’m telling you, man. Don’t…test…my…patience.” Maxie ground out the words between gritted teeth.
Skip’s phone rang, and he looked at the display. It was Baldorf. “I need to take this.”
The bouncer grunted and Skip wondered why he’d bothered with the excuse. He tapped the button to answer, turned, and walked away. “What’s up, Baldorf?”
“Got a fix on our girl, bro. Go to the pier.”
“Good work. That’s about five blocks from here.”
“I know. Tracking you both. Girl’s headed toward shore. Better hurry.”
Midway down the block, Skip slipped between a pair of parked cars and checked for traffic before darting across. There were no cars coming. No one following, not even the two he’d picked up earlier.
“You’re a spymaster genius, Baldorf. How in the world did you locate a burner phone? What did you do? Sort through every database of newly activated phones or something?”
Skip crossed through the intersection at Mission, ignoring the blaring ho
rn from a driver who wasn’t happy about a pedestrian rushing in front of him.
“No, dude, her mom called and gave me the number, then she called a few minutes later.”
Skip laughed. “Okay, old school wins again. I can’t believe Roxy called both Evelyn and you and didn’t destroy the phone. She knows better. It’s a one-and-done deal when you don’t want to be found, which must mean she’s reaching out.”
“Don’t count your chickens yet. Take a left.”
Skip made the turn onto Pier View Way. “I can see the entrance from here. Where is she?”
“Two blocks. Looks like she’s at The Strand.”
As he walked, Skip again scanned the street on both sides. There were couples, what looked like a family, and one solitary man standing under a streetlight smoking a cigarette. The hairs on the back of his neck raised as he considered who the man might be. He had no choice.
If he lost Roxy now…Skip quickened his pace.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Roxy
I PULLED THE phone back and shoved it in my pocket, a deep-seated fear growing inside me. I hated to admit it, but to help Lily, I also needed help. Maybe Mom was right—love brought with it strength. The emotion had always been a foreign one in my life. Skip had tried to love me, but there were always conditions in a relationship and a chance to opt out. Whether or not I wanted to accept it, Lily had stolen my heart, and I’d do anything to save her—including disappearing after I got her back. Assuming, of course, that was even possible.
Uncertain as to my next move, I started toward shore. Just call Skip and tell him the truth? Hey, I’m sorry I ran away. I need help. It was an option, but not one I relished. Another was to simply wait. He would be here soon—I knew he would. He had always been there for me and deep down I knew this time was no different. I pulled out the kidnapper’s cell phone again and stared at the screen as I walked.
Seeking help just wasn’t in my DNA. It wasn’t in Lily’s either. It’s what had drawn me to her from the moment we’d met. My vision blurred. Lily. If anything made me believe in fate, it was our first meeting. Hot tears streamed down my cheeks.
Shadows from the Past Page 7
