by Keene, Susan
Ryan turned away from the console. “Could be. I just don’t know why.”
“It would explain why we can’t find her,” Amy said. “She’s captive somewhere and can only go out with her captor. How she gets a hold of her cell phone once in a while is something I can’t explain.”
“I don’t know what to think,” I said.
“While you’re thinking, I need to take Digger out. Do you think it’s safe?”
“I doubt it. Let me light this place up.” Ryan walked toward the door and flipped a switch. The outside lit up like daylight. Amy headed for the door. “We’ll all go,” he said.
I stood to join them. Maybe some fresh air would clear my muddled brain.
We were out for about ten minutes. Digger was happy and running around as far as the lead would allow. I thought again, I would get a dog. If we took Digger everywhere, we could take my dog too.
I sat on a bench near the back door and tried to make sense of it all. Ryan stayed close to Amy and Digger. His eyes were roaming around the grounds the entire time.
When Digger finished his business, we all went inside.
“I wonder how many blue Mercedes there are in the area,” I said.
“They’re popular, now that more young people drive them. There was a time not many people could buy a car whose starting price is fifty thousand dollars. Now I see them everywhere.” Ryan walked back over to the desk and the surveillance tape. A frame of Lizzy was on the screen.
Amy walked over to join Ryan. “So I wonder if a blue Mercedes is registered to Jasmine or Stanley Wu. Can you pull some strings at Central and find out?”
“Sure, I’ll do it now.” I reached for my phone. “I can call dispatch.”
It wasn’t ten minutes until my friend called back, saying neither of the persons of interest drove a blue car, much less a Mercedes. Stanley Wu drove a 2012 Cadillac Escalade. There was a 2014 conversion van registered to Jasmine, but the tags hadn’t been renewed for three years. I guessed the van was equipped with hand controls so Jasmine could drive. I shared my new information with Ryan and Amy and wondered what happened to my detective skills. Not finding out about Jasmine’s ride was a rookie mistake.
“Lizzy’s vehicle, over in the lot, is a Lexus SUV.”
“I wonder if we should look at it ourselves. We would be looking for different things than the police.” Ryan replayed the tape. “Look, there’s some sort of sticker on the car. I can make out the shape, but not the writing.”
We were both hovering now, trying to get a better look at the picture. “It’s a figure eight,” I said.
Ryan turned his chair around to face us. “What do we know about that shape?”
Amy shook her head. “I don’t think it’s an eight.”
“Why don’t you think it’s an eight?” I asked.
“It’s too fluffy,” Amy said.
“I’m not sure what fluffy is, but I see what you mean.” I got up to take a closer look at the picture. “Can you enhance that picture like Rodney did?”
“I can try.” In a few seconds, the decal was prominent on the screen. It was black, about six inches tall and had a tiny Wiccan symbol in the center of one of the open spaces.
“Did you ever play with a Ouija Board?” Amy grinned. “If the planchette begins to move in a figure eight, it means an evil spirit has control of the board. Considering it has a Wiccan symbol in the center, I would say it has something to do with the Ouija.”
I could only stare at her. I didn’t go in for such nonsense, yet it made sense because of the evil mentioned in the notes with the murders. Jeez, I hated voodoo, horror movies, Ouija Boards, and anything else that caused me to be afraid.
Ryan didn’t say a word. He seemed to be in deep thought. He turned back toward the computer screen and began to move the cursor over the picture of the car as if he was looking for something. “There is it.” He put his finger on the picture of the front bumper of the car. He made the picture as large as he could.
“Is that the sign of the devil?” Amy asked.
“No it’s a pentacle. It’s the most important symbol of a Wiccan. The sign of the devil is close, but not the same. It’s from the Wiccan Rede, a poem, handed down for centuries. They honor both God and the Goddess of Wiccan. They record their spiritual journey in the Book of Shadows. They don’t use black magic. They are actually a religion of fertility.”
Amy and I shook our heads. “How do you know that?” I asked. “Are you a Warlock?”
“The men aren’t warlocks. They’re called Wiccan. They believe it’s best to keep the genders equal.”
“Again, how do you know all of this?” I asked again.
“Because about six years ago, Lizzy decided she wanted to be a Wiccan. She wanted to have a baby and couldn’t get pregnant.”
Amy sat down. “Was Lizzy seeing someone?”
Ryan didn’t look at either of us. “No, she wanted a baby, though. She asked me to sleep with her and be the sperm donor.”
“Did you?” The thought bothered me.
He stared deep into my eyes and, without blinking, he said, “No. I told her I was saving myself. When I have children, it’ll be because I love their mother. Lizzy also made it clear; she didn’t want an emotional attachment between me and the baby. She only wanted my sperm.”
I sighed. “I’m beginning to think I didn’t know Lizzy at all. She and I lived in the same room in college, and she was private then. We laughed, talked, cried together, but we never had a serious discussion about anything.”
“I don’t think I knew her either. But I bet Lizzy owns that Mercedes and the eight with the Wiccan sign is a Wiccan tribe or whatever you call them.”
“A coven, you call them a coven,” Amy said.
Ryan nodded. “Well, it’s getting late. In the morning, we need to track down the group represented by that decal.”
“We agree,” I said for Amy and myself.
“I’m a little spooked now. Do you mind if I come back to the apartment with you?”
“No,” I smiled at him. I don’t think he was nearly as upset as I was. The hair stood up on the back of my neck. If it were only Amy and me home, I didn’t think I would be able to sleep.
Amy seemed to perk up some when she found out we would not be alone.
All the way home, up the elevator, and while we checked the apartment for intruders, I held my breath, waiting for the other shoe to fall.
CHAPTER 27
A my came out of her bedroom. “I would like to go home.”
“Now?” Ryan looked at his watch. “It’s only nine. If you want to go, I’ll have two of the men go with you and one stand guard outside your house.”
“I hate to be so much trouble, but I haven’t been there for days, and I’m homesick.”
“Really, Amy, it isn’t a problem. Get your things together, and I’ll call Nathan and Bobby. I don’t want you to go alone, and I want to make sure no one has been there and it’s safe.”
“Thanks, Ryan.”
She walked back into her room.
I followed and plopped myself on the bed. “Are you uncomfortable because he’s here?” I asked, nodding my head toward the door.
“No, you know what a homebody I am. I’d like to soak in the bathtub for a while and let Digger go out in his own yard without a lead. You understand the simple things you miss about home.”
“I do understand. You’ve been super since this all started. You never mention your injuries. Are they healing?”
“I don’t mention them because they don’t hurt. I can shower and move just fine. I think we were lucky there. Actually, we’ve been lucky throughout the entire ordeal. Except for Doug. That was horrible. Do you think Lizzy’s involved in the killings?”
“No. No, I don’t. Someone’s controlling her. I feel it. Lizzy has always been a pacifist. I think the key to this entire nightmare is Stanley Wu and his daughter Jasmine. I wonder if Ryan’s idea is spot on. I’m determined to find out.”
All the time we were talking, she was packing. “Should I strip the bed?”
“No, Mrs. Riley comes once a week. I haven’t had her here for her own safety. She’s due here tomorrow. Ryan’ll probably want to search her.”
We both chuckled.
Amy had two bags and I helped her carry them to the elevator. Nathan was there when the door opened and, in less than five minutes, they were gone. I felt a twinge of anxiety when Amy left. I took a deep breath and told myself to let go of stress and worry. It felt so good, I did it several more times.
“I’m starving,” Ryan said.
“Me too. Let’s see what we have.” We raided the refrigerator and fashioned a makeshift meal of pasta, with red sauce, a small salad and a glass of wine. “Tell me some more about Lizzy. I didn’t realize you too were so close.”
“We were for a while about six years ago. You, Roomy, and Andy all got married within a year and a half of each other. Lizzy and I were both in all the weddings so we went together. It was nothing romantic.”
“She asked you to father her baby?”
“There was nothing romantic about that. We had a long talk about marriage. Most everyone, but you, knew how I felt about you and when you got married, I got lots of ‘I’m sorry.’”
I picked up my wine glass. “I had no idea back then.”
He stayed close. “I know. I’m over having my feelings hurt.” He stood, walked around the table, and kissed me lightly. “I was surprised you fell for anyone back then. You were always intense. You wanted to save the world. I figured you would go into politics or the CIA. I was shocked when you picked the police academy.”
“I loved being a cop, but I couldn’t do it anymore after Michael.” I looked down and moved my fork mindlessly around my plate. I was incredibly sad and guilty. I looked at him again. “Homicide is no place for a woman with a murdered husband. I spent all my time worrying about how the loved ones were holding up. I couldn’t focus on the job anymore.”
He took a step back. “You were devastated, with reason. I swore to myself I would stand by you, no matter what. My feelings for you came rushing back, but I have kept them in check until now.”
“I would think you would hate me for using you to ease my pain, on the two occasions I did.” I felt like I was selfish about everything in my life.
“It was hard not to let go and smother you but I knew what you were doing, and there’s no need to apologize. We got through it.” We finished our wine in silence. Ryan helped me clean the dishes up and wipe down the counters. He poured us another glass of wine. “I need to tell you something.” He adjusted himself so he was looking at me. “I was happy for you and Michael.”
I smiled at him. “I never thought anything else.”
“I feel guilty for my feelings, even though I know it’s silly. I waited nearly three years to ask you out and you only went because you didn’t know about my feelings.”
After sitting my glass on the coffee table, I leaned over and put my fingers on his chest. “I have no idea what’s going to happen between us. Right now, I feel safe, warm, and loved. We need to get through this Lizzy Smith thing and see how we function in the real world.”
“I’m in no hurry. My feelings for you only grow stronger. Being pushy isn’t my style.”
I moved closer to him with my hand still between us. He hugged me and made a contented sigh.
Quietly, I said, “Was Lizzy seeing someone and she couldn’t get pregnant by him?”
He begrudgingly pushed me away. “Back to the case, huh?”
“Yes, I need resolution.”
“Amen to that. I hadn’t seen her in a while. I was in Germany on company business for several months. It was during your and Michael’s first year of marriage, so I don’t think you would have missed me. We went to Tony’s and half way through dinner, she said she had a proposition for me.
“The proposal was that we sleep together so she could have a baby. She was interested in my sperm and only my sperm. As I told you before, the idea was not appealing to me. I have never been one to sow my seed for only pleasure. It was difficult to turn her down. She’s my friend, and a beautiful woman.
“She wasn’t sure why I declined, so she offered me the option of leaving my sperm at her doctor’s office and he would impregnate her. I explained how I felt. It was tense between us for some months and then she never mentioned it again. Often times, when I saw her, I looked closely to see if she was pregnant, but there was never any sign.”
I stood and walked over to look out at the sky. “The way Lizzy jet-sets around the world with her paintings, having showings in several countries a year, it surprises me.”
“Me too. I can tell you one thing. I don’t think Lizzy is involved in the murders. She’s caught up in this somehow, but I don’t know for sure why. I still believe it involves money, Jasmine Wu, and Stanley. I turned the everyday running of my companies over to Jason Davidson, my VP. I intend to spend every minute getting to the bottom of this. Now, it’s more important than ever.” He smiled at me, took my hand, and ushered me into the bedroom.
I went to take a shower. Ryan opened the balcony door and stepped out. When I returned, he was in bed, asleep. The blanket came to his waist, exposing his bare torso. I watched the rise and fall of his chest and slipped in beside him. I lay close, but not close enough to wake him. Before I fell asleep, he rolled over toward me. He was completely naked.
Far into the night, I worried and fretted about Lizzy, Michael, Roomy, and Andy. I knew I was to blame for them not being here. I fell asleep with the certainly that Jasmine and her father held the key to everything.
I woke early and went into the living room at five a.m.
When Ryan came into the living room at seven-thirty, I had news for him. “Hi, want some coffee?”
“I’ll get it. You look busy. What are you working on?”
“The Figure Eight Wiccan Coven--it’s in Belleville, Illinois. I’ve been on their website. Wiccan’s aren’t anything like I thought they were. Did you know it’s a spiritual journey and they probably don’t use Ouija Boards?”
“Lizzy filled me in. She joined because a test showed she was infertile. They are all about fertility.”
“Their next meeting’s tonight at six. I’d like to go and see what information we can get from them.”
He came back with coffee in his hand. “Sounds like a good idea.”
“By the way, this was in my jacket pocket. It’s the coat I had on the night I was impaled with the stick.” I handed it to him.
We all have people who make us happy. The love of my life is gone, and you will pay. Evil begets evil.
“It’s not a fortune-cookie fortune like the rest of the notes were. It’s hand written and poorly at that. We should take it to Roger.”
“I agree. This is my to-do list for today.” I handed it to him.
“Very ambitious. If we are going to get through this list, I had better shower and put on some clean clothes.” He had on a pair of wrinkled jeans and I supposed nothing else.
***
He took the list again when we got in his car. Two new men were there. “How many security men do you have?”
“One hundred-forty-three. I bought a security company from St. Charles the other day.”
“Must be nice!”
“It is. Especially now. I have them everywhere. I don’t intend to lose anyone else.”
I put my hand in his. “Thanks.”
“Oh, I believe they will be valuable long after we have Stanley Wu in jail.” He squeezed my hand. “Okay, first item. Starbucks for latte and bagels then we head to your office.”
I looked out the window, lost in my own thoughts, until we got to the coffee shop.
We walked into the office, expecting Amy to be at the front desk. Instead, a monster of a man in a sport coat and tie greeted us. “Hi, boss.”
“Hi, Derrick. Where’s Miss Perkin?”
“I put her in the inner
office. I figured if anyone came through the door who wanted to do her harm, I could better protect her if they didn’t see her when they came in.”
“Sounds like a good plan to me.” Derrick had stood when we came in. He had to be six-six. Ryan winked at me. “Kate, this young man is Derrick Johnstone. Derrick, this is Kate Nash.”
The man extended his huge hand for me to shake. After we exchanged pleasantries, we opened the door to the office and joined Amy.
“I guess you met Derrick,” she said to me. “No need to be nervous with him around. He treats me like a Ming vase he’s been told not to chip.”
Ryan chuckled. “Good to know. Maybe he needs a raise. I’m going to leave you two in Derrick’s capable hands. I have some errands to run. Enjoy your breakfast, and I’ll be back in time to get to the next thing on the list. Say, two hours?”
“Wonderful,” I said, and he was gone.
Amy and I went over business. We didn’t have anyone wanting us to do anything until a week from Wednesday.
She put Stanley Wu and Jack Stockman’s checks in the bank, paid all of our bills, and wrote us each a hefty paycheck for ourselves.
“Jake’s flying in tomorrow and staying until Saturday afternoon. I thought since the bills were paid, and you’re working with Ryan on Lizzy’s case, I would take a couple of days off.”
“That would be fine, but I don’t think Ryan will want you to go anywhere without a bodyguard. What do you think Jake will say?” I asked.
“I haven’t told him anything about all of this. He worries enough, not being here, I didn’t want to try to explain over the phone. When he finds out I might be in danger, he won’t be okay with it. Besides, I have felt ultra-protected since Derrick showed up at five this morning.”
We discussed more business and a multitude of other subjects while we munched on our bagels and sipped our lattes. Things felt almost normal. I should have known it wouldn’t last.
CHAPTER 28
N ext on my list, Stanley Wu. The drive took thirty minutes. The same secretary ushered us in, offered drinks, and left us to wait.