[Indigo Brothers 01.0] Indigo Fire

by Vickie McKeehan

  Helen nodded. “Got that news conference soon. Mitch phoned me about it last night. Been super busy because of it. Reporters and camera crews got here early. Don’t worry. I’ll get your order out in record time. That’s a promise. I’ll see to it you won’t be late. What’ll it be?”

  “A blueberry short stack for me,” Tessa said without a glance at the menu. Eager to get back to the conversation, she gave him a look that said hurry up and order.

  Jackson took the hint. “Sounds like a winner. Make it two, but I want mine with two eggs over easy and a slab of bacon. And coffee. I could use a gallon of it. And orange juice.”

  Helen gave him a wink. “You got it. I’ll get Merle working on it right away.”

  After Helen had dashed off to the kitchen, Jackson offered up his report. “Since Ryan had cash in hand the morning he planned to leave, if he wanted to get on the road, what’s the next logical thing he would do?”

  Tessa thought for a moment and sat up straighter. “He’d have to fuel up his car at the gas station. Maybe someone robbed him there.”

  “That was my gut reaction, too. But…”

  “Wait a minute. I found something out last night,” Tessa said and began digging deep inside her handbag. “I wrote it down so I wouldn’t get it wrong.”

  While she searched, Helen returned with a carafe of coffee, filled two cups, and set down two tall glasses of juice. “This’ll get you started. Your order will be up in a jiff.”

  Tessa pulled out a piece of paper, held it up. “I got into Ryan’s online bank account, stayed up until two o’clock last night doing that instead of sleeping. But it paid off. I found out Ryan hung around town after he checked out of the hotel. I’m not sure why.”

  “Now we know he cashed that check,” Jackson added.

  “But I didn’t know that last night because that amount never showed up in his bank account back home. Ryan never made it out of this state, Jackson, maybe not even out of this town. I’m sure of it. Granted there’s no branch here in Indigo Key where he could have deposited the money, or for that matter, Florida. And now that I know he definitely got his money from Walker, maybe he paid cash at the pump to gas up his car. I discovered his last debit transaction occurred at 3:45 when he used his card at a hamburger place called Charlie’s. Which means he hung around town from eleven-thirty in the morning to at least four o’clock. Why? Why would he not get on the road and head for home immediately after getting his five-grand and gassing up? It’s bugged me all night.”

  “Maybe he had to meet up with Walker one more time?” Jackson prompted.

  “Then we’re on the same page there. Since Walker’s basically the key person Ryan interacted with during the time he spent here, it makes sense that if he didn’t leave right away there had to be a good reason. Meeting with the client who brought him down here in the first place is the most logical answer.”

  About that time Helen delivered their order, two plates each stacked with still steaming hotcakes, Jackson’s eggs and bacon.

  “Anything else I can get ya?” Helen asked as she refilled their coffee mugs.

  “Nope. I think we’re good,” Jackson said, not waiting before cutting up his eggs and digging in. After Helen trekked off to the kitchen leaving them alone again, he tore into a litany of suggestions. “Getting our hands on cell phone records needs to be a priority because I’m beginning to realize we desperately need to look at either Walker’s or Livvy’s carrier to nail down what progressed over the past three weeks. That accomplishes two things. We get a picture of Walker’s interaction with Ryan and the time leading up to Walker and Livvy’s disappearance. It’s the best way to focus on their activity. The problem is law enforcement has already gained that information. It cuts us out of the picture entirely before we ever get started.”

  Tessa frowned. “That might be the case with Livvy but not likely with Ryan’s info. I doubt Jessup even bothered to go to that kind of trouble for Ryan.”

  Jackson stopped eating long enough to reach across the table to put his hand over hers. “I’m sorry your brother’s disappearance has gone neglected in all this.”

  “That’s why I’m working on it myself. But it’s not as easy to access phone records as it sounds. Ryan must’ve changed the password recently because I haven’t been able to access his billing statement online. I’m sure you’ll find out how difficult it is when you try for Livvy’s without knowing her user ID and password.”

  Jackson shook his head. “Not me. That’s Garret’s job. Last night we agreed to split up the list of things to do. And keep detailed logs on everything we get. And now I know that we’re also facing an additional problem because the state investigators have already subpoenaed bank records. Nathan let that slip out this morning. That means the cell phone information will likely be off limits as well.”

  “How do you intend to get around that?”

  “Jessup is our in with law enforcement. We’re hoping at some point the investigators will share what they know with him and it’ll trickle down to us.”

  She sent Jackson an incredulous stare. “That’s your plan?”

  “Feel free to enlighten me. I’m open to other options.”

  “I’m thinking of hiring a private investigator. Obviously in order to cover the expense, I’d have to get my dad on board and my stepmother—”

  Jackson cut her off. “A PI’s been on the table since we got here. We’re all willing to chip in to get the best. Don’t worry. We’ll include Ryan in that as well. It wouldn’t be right to leave him out.”

  Tessa let out a huge sigh. “Thanks for that.”

  He got the sense there was more she wanted to talk about. But when he looked at his watch, he knew they were running out of time. “We need to get out of here. If I’m late to this presser my brothers will string me up.” He slapped money down on the table, snatched Tessa’s hand in his and led her out the door and into the street.

  They walked along the sidewalk toward the Vitamin Hut. Even from this distance Tessa spotted a crowd, which included most of the Indigo clan, already standing in front of the strip shopping mall. A rush of envy overwhelmed her. Livvy and her children, even the questionable Walker, had plenty of support, support Ryan lacked.

  Tessa shifted toward Jackson and wanted to know, “Are you nervous?”

  He was, but what was the point of admitting to it. Instead, he dismissed the notion with bravado that was far from convincing. “My sister and her kids are missing. I don’t have the luxury of being nervous.”

  She let the show of arrogance slide, glad it was him stepping in front of all the cameras and microphones instead of her. She wasn’t sure how he’d ended up tagged as the spokesperson but she had every confidence he’d do the job with a composure she didn’t feel.

  Suddenly, he tugged her between two buildings and dragged her up against him. Their lips were a breath apart. “What would you do right this minute if I kissed you?”

  “I’d…I’d…”

  Before she could complete that thought, he covered her mouth. She tasted like cinnamon and warm maple syrup.

  There on the streets, a stone’s throw from the marina, they used eager mouths to tease each other to the brink of something greater. For him, it broke the tension that had been building all morning. He rested his forehead on hers. “I needed to do that. Let’s hope it gives me the oomph I need to deal with the reporters.”

  She patted his chest and chortled with laughter. “Sure. Any time. Whatever I can do to help. Is there anything special about my lips or will anyone’s do?”

  He grinned. “I think you already know the answer to that.” He snagged her hand and raced around the corner and back to the location Mitch had chosen for facing the media.

  The spot seemed significant because it was in front of the Vitamin Hut. Maybe the surrounding area on camera would trigger a witness coming forward. After all, this was an orchestrated effort required to jog the public’s memory. Maybe someone had seen something that
would help in bringing the family back home.

  Jackson looked out over the sizeable crowd realizing that Mitch had done a good job organizing all the volunteers. “I’m surprised so many people showed up.” It seemed to him half the town had blown off their Sunday activities to be here. It was almost a rally of sorts.

  Mitch took his place next to Jackson, his chest puffed with pride at the turnout. “And to think the Dolphins are playing the Jets on the road. Every man here could be watching the game on TV.”

  Jackson spotted Jessup and jabbed Mitch in the ribs. “How’d you get the old man here?”

  “I appealed to his pride. The guy might have been replaced as top investigator on the case, but it doesn’t mean he isn’t itching to chip in his two cents at the first opportunity.”

  Tanner slapped his middle son on the back. “Good job. Having a member of law enforcement standing behind us during the press conference signifies we won’t be ignored.”

  Garret had done his part as well by contacting media outlets throughout the state. News vans and reporters lined the streets waiting to send the live feed back to their viewers.

  Jackson put an arm around Tessa as they pushed their way through the throng of people, his hand clutching hers in solidarity. Noticeably missing was his mother.

  “How’s Mom?” Jackson asked Tanner.

  “She’s resting. Wanted to be here, but Vernon nixed that idea.”

  “It’s just as well,” Jackson agreed, blowing out an anxious breath. He looked around at his brothers. “Are you guys ready to deal with the onslaught? Are we ready to create this monster for real?”

  Garret nodded. “Might as well get it done.”

  At eight a.m. on the dot, Jackson stepped to the bank of microphones he’d so dreaded the day before. Surrounded by his family, he cleared his throat and began his pitch.

  “Today, after more than seventy-two hours have passed without any word from them, we face the stark reality of looking for our missing sister and her family. We’re asking the public’s help to find them. If you’ve seen any of these people…”

  Jackson paused long enough to hold up the last family photograph taken back in the summer. It showed four people in the frame—two adults, two kids—looking tanned and fit and happy as the boy and girl hammed it up for the camera.

  While the reporters digested that information, Jackson held up a second photo, this one of Ryan taken with Tessa. “And we have another missing person, a man who’s been gone three weeks without a trace.” He went into Ryan’s physical description and the pertinent facts Tessa wanted everyone to know about her brother.

  “The bottom line here, folks, five people went missing and they’ve left behind loved ones who care about them and are worried for their safety. That’s why we're beginning a search today and we’ll be here tomorrow and the day after that until we find Olivia, Walker, Blake and Ally Buchanan and Ryan Connelly. We’ll keep trying every single day and won’t rest until we bring them back home. If anyone has any knowledge, if anyone knows anything at all, even if you don’t think it’s significant, please come forward. Contact the local authorities or the state police. Or contact us directly. My brother Mitch set up a special phone number for tips. There’s no doubt we need the public’s help. That’s why we’re counting on our neighbors to come through for us.”

  “Do you plan to offer a reward?” one of the reporters shouted.

  “We’re working on that, still coming up with an amount,” Jackson answered. “But the quick response is yes.”

  Another yelled out, “So you think the case of the missing web designer is also related to the Buchanan family disappearing?”

  “I’ll leave that determination up to law enforcement,” Jackson stated diplomatically without giving anything else away. “But even if the two events aren’t connected, the bottom line is we need help in finding Ryan Connelly and getting him back to his family.”

  Immediately after the session with reporters ended, Mitch led the way next door and into the clubroom at the marina, adjacent to the Vitamin Hut. This made for a short walk so the volunteers could get their assignments and begin the difficult task of covering every square inch of town.

  Mitch had designated this place their command center for a reason. It could hold more than two hundred people, including four professional search and rescue teams Mitch had persuaded to participate. The teams came from different parts of the Sunshine State and each one specialized in tracking human scent.

  To help the dogs—a border collie, a Lab, and two golden retrievers—Mitch had commandeered a couple of items belonging to Ally and Livvy they’d left behind at his mother’s house. One item was Ally’s Barbie doll, the other, a pair of shorts Livvy had worn the weekend before she went missing. Of course, the starting point for the canines had to be the house on Blue Fin where the family was last seen.

  The sea of faces included several sets of parents with children. Many were Ally’s and Blake’s classmates from school.

  As Jackson spoke with each one he discovered how the kids had spent an anxious and fearful couple of days. No doubt they’d picked up on the tension emanating from the adults. The offers of help touched his heart. He ruffled the head of one freckle-faced boy about eight years old and made sure he felt like a part of the process. “Thank you for helping us out. Don’t worry. We’ll find a job where everyone gets to pitch in and do their part.”

  Everyone else crammed into the meeting room and gathered around the grid map Mitch had put up. He began assigning target areas to the first group, given the simple task of saturating the town with more flyers.

  The second and third groups would become part of the actual ground search. They would spread out, shoulder to shoulder, and walk through the marshland, from shoreline to shoreline and repeat the same tactical maneuver over higher ground. They would scour alongside roadways and target drainage ditches. All this, while another team went door-to-door, walking up and down each residential street combing trash bins or behind hedges and shrubbery.

  Mitch had contacted a variety of seasoned pros who generously guided him through this particular process. He was meticulous when he recounted those instructions to the volunteers. “Each of you will be given a set of bright orange plastic ribbons to use for tagging along with an orange whistle. Remember, as you’re going through an area, don’t touch or pick up any items you come across that look suspicious. If you find something that might be pertinent to the case, tag the area with the ribbon and let someone know you’ve located something that might need a second look by blowing the whistle. That also goes for any articles of clothing, any personal items like cell phones you locate, or any jewelry that might be of particular interest to law enforcement. If you find any of these types of things, be sure to let your team leader know. They’ll be the ones who’ll contact authorities so law enforcement will actually bag the items for evidence. Are we all clear on that?”

  Tessa listened, impressed with how the organization had come together in such a short amount of time. She knew Mitch and Garret had gotten the owner of the hardware store to open up at six-thirty that morning so they could stock up on every package of tagging ribbon and whistles the retailer had on hand. It was a testament to what three people could accomplish as a unit versus one lone outsider.

  She was about to join the others for her assignment when an elderly man in his eighties approached her, tapping his cane on the floor to get her attention.

  “I recognized that picture of your brother Jackson held up.”

  “Really? Where?”

  “Saw him eating a burger over at Charlie’s.”

  A wave of optimism rose in her chest. “Do you remember when that was?”

  “Two days after Labor Day. I remember because it was my wife Josie’s birthday. Took her in there around four-thirty to get us one of those chiliburgers for supper. Had a coupon for buy one, get one free. Can’t beat that deal. On social security we don’t eat out much. So when Charlie’s runs those co
upons in the Indigo Dispatch every Wednesday we go without fail. So yeah, it had to be the Wednesday after Labor Day.”

  Tessa chewed her lip, disappointed with that little nugget. She already knew Ryan’s bank records showed he’d eaten there. In fact, it indicated he’d ordered his meal as if he intended to hit the road right afterward.

  Which again had her wondering why Ryan had decided to stay so long after he’d cashed the check. Why had he gotten such a late start in the day when he could easily have left around noon? Those were questions that kept nagging at her. There was one more detail the man might be able to provide, though. “Was Ryan eating by himself? Was he sitting alone?”

  “At first. But then Walker came in and ordered himself a Coke, joined your brother about midway through his meal.”

  “Interesting.” But it didn’t explain the hours Ryan had spent from the time he left the bank at 11:30 to meeting up with Walker at 4:30. None of it answered what happened to him after he left the restaurant.

  After thanking the man for coming forward with the information, something occurred to Tessa. If Ryan met with Walker late in the day, could Walker have done something to Ryan after that? She decided to run it by Jackson first chance she got.

  That proved to be sooner rather than later. She found him handing out ribbons and whistles to those who’d volunteered to cover ground riding their ATVs.

  “Where are they going?” Tessa asked Jackson.

  “Greenbelts, fields, parks, along pathways, anywhere and everywhere,” Jackson said, frustration laced in his tone.

  She told him about the old man’s sighting at the hamburger place. “I have to assume Walker might’ve been the last person Ryan talked to that day.”

  Jackson tightened his jaw and stared down at the redhead. “You’re suggesting he was the last person to see Ryan? You’re thinking Walker did something to Ryan to make him disappear?”

  Tessa puffed out a sigh. “I guess I am. There’s no doubt Ryan had a fair amount of cash on him at the time. What if Walker wanted it back? Is that a problem, seeing that I suspect the guy who happens to be a member of your family?”