by S Cinders
The housekeeping nodded, grabbing the phone and punching in 911.
As the operator came on, she locked the door behind Scott and raced back to Alyssa.
“Someone broke into our home. A woman has been shot. Please hurry; they’re still out there.”
“Just stay on the line, ma’am. Help is on the way. Can you answer a couple of questions for me?”
Just as she was about to respond, more gun shots sounded from behind the locked door.
“Help! Please, someone is still shooting…”
That’s when the phone line went dead.
27
“Who is the smartest baby in the world? You are, that’s who!” Kim cooed as baby Auggie stared back at her. His big blue eyes, so very much like his mother’s, held wonder as he gazed about his new world.
“The smartest and the bravest,” Nate agreed, leaning over to quickly kiss his wife before taking Auggie from her arms.
He tried to avoid brushing against her cracked and swollen nipples. Breastfeeding had ended up being the roller coaster of a lifetime. They now had a lactation specialist coming in every day to help out.
Kim reluctantly gave him up as she put a top back on. She was thankful that she did, because just a split-second later, Mandy and Elliot walked into their apartment. It wasn’t that Kim was embarrassed about her body or that she wasn’t for breastfeeding mothers everywhere. It was only that she didn’t want her brother-in-law to see her boobs. Her feminist sensibilities did have some limits.
“Have you heard anything from Alyssa or Scott?” Mandy asked, quickly removing Charlotte’s jacket, and handing her to Elliot. Then she was across the room and gently hugging Kim.
“You look good. Do you feel good? Are you okay? Did your nipples truly rip off?”
Nate choked on a laugh and Elliot looked horrified as he asked, “Is that a possibility?”
“No,” Kim said, the color high in her cheeks.
“No to which question?” Mandy demanded.
Kim sighed. “No, we haven’t heard from Alyssa or Scott. We are definitely starting to get worried. Nate’s talked to Scott’s superior, Jackson, but it seems that the FBI don’t have any leads on their disappearance. No, my nipples haven’t ripped off, thank you for asking, they only feel like they have.”
The guys winced.
“Are you feeling any better?” Mandy asked sympathetically.
“I am feeling more and more human,” Kim admitted. “You were right about getting some help. I don’t know how people do this over and over again. I feel like a zombie.”
“But the postpartum is better?” Mandy pressed.
Kim had called Mandy the day she’d gotten home from the hospital. Mandy could hear Auggie screaming in the background, as well as Kim’s tear-roughened voice. Having dealt with postpartum depression herself, Mandy called Tina to make Kim an appointment to discuss things.
It had been a week ago now, not really enough time for any meds to kick in. But just knowing that she wasn’t crazy, combined with some assistance from a lactation specialist, Kim was doing better.
“You truly are a lifesaver,” Kim said, snuggling against her sister. “I felt like everything was out of control.”
“Little sister to the rescue,” Mandy replied with a smile.
Elliot picked up the remote and unmuted the TV. It was at that moment that another special news break concerning Alyssa’s disappearance was airing.
“It’s been nearly a week since the disappearance of billionaire heiress Alyssa Vauban from her sprawling estate in Great Neck, New York. Reportedly, the last person to speak with Ms. Vauban was her housekeeper, Mrs. Walters. However, Mrs. Walters hasn’t been available for comment.”
Elliot clicked the TV off. Turning to Nate he said, “Can’t comment or won’t comment?”
“Can’t,” Nate confirmed. “She was shot at as well as knocked out. The woman is in her sixties. Truly, she’s lucky to be alive. However, she’s still very fragile and seems very confused about what happened. She kept saying something about Jackson working with Vauban, and that Alyssa was locked in the house somewhere. Police have been over the home with a fine-tooth comb.”
“Elliot,” Mandy cut in. “Jackson could still be working with Vauban. Maybe we should go talk to Mrs. Walters.”
Kim slumped back against the couch. “I am not in any position to chase down bad guys.”
Nate, with a sleeping Auggie in his arms, turned to his frazzled wife. “You and I will leave the sleuthing to these two. Heaven knows we have enough work to do with this little guy.”
Auggie’s little face was tucked up against his neck. Mandy moved away from Kim so that Nate could sit beside her. Taking Charlotte from Elliot, she settled the toddler on the floor with some toys.
Then she turned back to the subject at hand. “I think the police are missing something. We need to speak with Mrs. Walters, and we need to get into that house.”
“I don’t want you anywhere near this danger,” Elliot said with authority.
Mandy raised a brow. “I am man, hear me roar?”
Nate snorted, and Elliot scowled at him. “No,” he snapped. “It’s nothing like that. I just don’t want you near that lunatic. He’s killed people, for fuck’s sake.”
“I know that,” Mandy interjected. “I’m worried he’s already killed them. We have to try, please!”
“We will watch Charlotte,” Kim offered.
Nate looked at her with wide eyes.
“We’ll call the nanny in to watch Charlotte,” Kim amended with a laugh.
Nate breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing he wanted was Kim to get run down again. Motherhood was turning out to be one of the most difficult endeavors Nate had ever navigated. And he was only watching from the sidelines.
“All right,” Elliot said at last. “But I am going to ask Jackson to accompany us. He is Scott’s boss and a highly decorated agent. There’s no possible way he’s been working with Vauban—that’s too unbelievable.”
Kim shrugged. “They say that the truth is stranger than fiction. I would watch your back at least.”
It didn’t take long to call the nanny in. Once they’d brought in a few things from the car, Charlotte was happily playing.
“Be very careful,” Kim whispered to Mandy as she hugged her goodbye. “This man has killed before and won’t hesitate to kill again.”
Mandy nodded. “I promise. First, we’re going to see Mrs. Walters at the hospital. Jackson is supposed to meet us there. I have to say, I was a little surprised that he dropped everything he was doing to take Elliot and I to the Vauban mansion. Maybe I judged him too harshly. You just never know about people.”
“Isn’t that the truth,” Kim replied. “I couldn’t see through my ex-husband’s lies and betrayal enough to know that he was using again and sleeping with a former best friend.”
Mandy winced. “I am really sorry about that.”
“What happened to Shay after the trail?” Kim asked, eyes cast down.
It wasn’t very often that she even wanted to talk about her ex-husband and the horror that surrounded their parents’ deaths.
Mandy took a deep breath. “They have given her three to five years, but chances are she’ll leave sooner. Because she didn’t have any involvement with Andrew killing Mom and Dad, she was obviously judged far less harshly. I’ve heard that she’s in detox and working on getting clean.”
“Do you think she’ll ever get there?”
Mandy shook her head. “I don’t know. There is so much anger and hurt there, especially what she did to you. I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive her.”
Kim placed a hand on Mandy’s knee. “Don’t hate her for my sake.”
“She was sleeping with your husband while you were trying to have a baby.”
Kim shrugged. “She was sleeping with my deadbeat ex who treated me badly, had a drug addiction, and killed my parents. If anything, I feel sorry for her. I have an amazing husband, the sweetest
little man in the world and the best sister a girl could ask for. If you want to be mad at her, be mad. But I’m not.”
Mandy had confusion and hurt in her eyes, but she nodded at her sister. “You’re right. I need to think it all through, but you are right—as always. Now, you guys sit tight, and we will call you as soon as we know something.”
28
Alyssa awakened to the sharp stinging pain coming from her shoulder. It took just a few moments to remember that the pain was caused by a bullet wound.
“Scott?” she called out, trying to clear her fuzzy head.
Her head and shoulder pounded in rhythm with her heartbeat. Her body felt weak and sluggish. As the room came into focus, Alyssa realized that she was in Uncle Frank’s home. This was where the nightmare had started for Alyssa.
“You’re awake,” a man’s voice noted.
Startled, Alyssa turned her head to see a man in his fifties, wearing a white lab coat, coming toward her. He appeared to be a doctor, but Alyssa knew things were never what they appeared to be.
“Who are you?” she demanded, shrinking away from him.
The doctor raised a brow. “I am Dr. Carmichael, your uncle’s private physician. You’ve had quite the time of it. How are you feeling?”
How was she feeling?
Scared, trapped, angry, frustrated, groggy, and a whole host of other emotions.
Alyssa glared at the man, ignoring the pain. “Where is Scott?”
“Let’s worry about you for now,” he said, pushing her concerns aside.
“Oh, I am plenty worried about me. If you haven’t been updated on the past few weeks, my home has been ransacked twice and I was put into protective custody only to be mowed down in an automobile accident. Most recently, I was locked into a room that required me to escape through the ductwork. In the process, your lovely employer shot me. Please excuse me for not giving a flying fuck about manners at the moment. Where is Scott? How long have I been here? Where is Mrs. Walters?”
“It’s been barely a week since your uncle brought you home. That’s all I can say. However, I do have a piece of advice for you,” Dr. Carmichael quipped as he began to take her vitals.
“Enlighten me,” she replied through clenched teeth.
“If you can’t beat them, join them.”
“Never,” Alyssa spat. “Maybe you can do the devil’s bidding, but I can’t. Where is Agent Scott Tabor?”
The doctor seemed unperturbed at her outburst. He just finished his work before winding his stethoscope back around his neck.
“You are healing nicely. Thankfully it was merely a flesh wound. I haven’t had the chance to run a CT for your head; however, you don’t seem to be having any repercussions from the previous injury. I believe you’ll make a full recovery.”
“I am going to freak the fuck out on you if you don’t tell me if Scott is okay.”
The doctor glanced around and then leaned closer to whisper. “Your young man is impatient to see you as well. He’s not been harmed. Your uncle—he is a dangerous man.”
That was putting things mildly, Alyssa thought. She hadn’t realized how much fear she’d been holding in until she felt it recede with the knowledge that Scott was okay. He was a highly trained FBI agent. He would know what to do.
“Please,” she said quietly. “I would like to see him.”
The doctor gave her a slight nod. Then, in a louder voice, he said, “I will report your condition to your uncle. Your pain meds are set to drop in the next half-hour or so. They are delivered through the IV. Should you need anything else, press the red button and I will return.”
Alyssa nodded, and then watched him walk away from her.
A week of her life had slipped away. Normally, she wouldn’t think anyone would notice if she were gone, but Alyssa knew Mandy and Kim would be worried she hadn’t checked in. Not to mention Nate, who just happened to be her lawyer.
Had Frank considered people might be looking for her? Alyssa didn’t feel as isolated and alone as she had when her parents had first passed away.
The question was, why was Frank stringing her along? Why didn’t he just kill her and be done with it? Alyssa knew Frank wouldn’t hesitate to kill her if she didn’t serve some kind of purpose.
Also, Frank had said that Jackson, one of Scott’s bosses, was dirty. Did Tyrone know? Was he in on it as well?
The door opened and a few thugs dragged a body into the room.
Alyssa’s heart nearly stopped.
He was so bloody, beaten, and bruised, Alyssa could barely make out the features of the man’s face.
Her world crashed down around her. “Scott?” she whispered brokenly.
He lifted his head toward her bed, but his eyes were so swollen that Alyssa wasn’t sure if he could see her. Anger roiled inside of her. Bile threatened to come back up her throat.
“Alyssa?” His gruff voice was barely a whispered growl.
“What have they done to you?” she cried out.
He shrugged, but the movement was slow and took some effort. “It doesn’t matter.”
Doesn’t matter?
There were few things in life that mattered more. At that moment, Alyssa knew how close she had come to losing him. She loved Scott, and Frank had almost taken that from her. He’d taken everything else. She would not allow him to take the last person on earth she loved.
Glancing down at her IV, Alyssa ripped the tape off and removed the needle.
Ignoring the trail of blood, she swept her legs across the bed and then sat for a moment waiting for the world to stop spinning.
“What are you doing?” Scott asked, his voice taking on a worried tone. “Alyssa, you need to get better. He promised me you would get better.”
“He’s a liar, murderer, abuser, and so much more.”
A click of a lock coming undone was followed by the opening of the door. Frank stood there with a smug smile on his face.
“Well, it’s good to see you awake, Alyssa.”
“What do you want, Frank?” she demanded coldly.
His eyes narrowed. “Do you intend to play hardball?”
“I intend to cut you out of my life by any means possible. I know you hold no family loyalty.”
“You wound me,” he quipped playfully.
Alyssa ignored him. “So, I will ask again, what do you want? If it’s possible I will give it to you.”
“Free and clear?” Frank’s tone sobered up.
“I want you out of my life,” she said again. “What’s the price?”
“Where is the Winged Horse statue of Johari? I have been through every property your parents owned. I have emptied every safety deposit box. The only one that could possibly know its whereabouts is you.”
Alyssa immediately knew which statue Frank was talking about. The 14th century Javanese wayang-style horse-and-rider figure was recovered from one of her father’s archaeological excavations.
Valued at a cool $7.8 million , the statue was supposedly the earliest-known depiction of a horse to be found in Singapore. While one would think it would be worth killing for, Alyssa herself was worth far more.
“You want the statue, and you will go away?” she reiterated.
Frank nodded. “We can never see one another again if that’s your wish.”
“It is my wish and most fervent prayer,” she retorted. “Why didn’t you just ask for it?”
Frank snarled at her. “And you would just happily hand it over? We both know that isn’t true. Don’t try to be cute, Alyssa. I’ve kept your lover alive out of familial courtesy alone. You know I won’t hesitate to dispatch him if you prove to disappoint me again.”
Alyssa’s lips tightened. “I need a day to get the statue.”
Frank shook his head. “No, we get it now—together. And if you try to betray me, I will kill him. I am sick of these games.”
“Don’t do it, Alyssa,” Scott warned, but his voice was scratchy, and he swayed in his position on the floor.
> “Call your doctor in here to heal him,” Alyssa demanded. “I will take you to the horse, but you must care for Agent Tabor. If you hurt him again, I’ll make sure you never find the location of the winged horse. Do we have a deal?”
Alyssa shoved out her hand, half expecting Frank to push it aside, but to her surprise, he took hers and shook it.
“It’s done,” he said firmly. “Now take me to the horse.”
29
Nate and Elliot walked into The Grind just as Freddy was closing.
“Hey, I’ve got a fresh pot back there. Would you like some?” he asked.
“That’d be great,” Nate replied. “I am so damn tired, I don’t know what's up from down anymore.”
Freddy finished locking up and then went to the counter to pour three cups of black coffee. He brought Elliot and Nate theirs before going back and picking up his own.
His brow was knit with concern as he asked, “Still no sign of them?”
Elliot shook his head. “Not a trace. Mandy and Kim have gone back to the penthouse. I really hoped to at least get a lead on where they could be, but it’s as if they’ve vanished into thin air.”
Freddy took a sip of his coffee before adding, “Agent Jackson has been here every day this week. I don’t know what he thinks I’m hiding. He even asked to search the apartment.”
Behind the coffee shop was the one-bedroom apartment where Kim had lived in after separating from her first husband, the one where Nate crashed when he and Kim were first falling in love. These days Freddy was living there while he was going back to school and managing The Grind.
“That’s strange,” Nate replied, casting a knowing glance at Elliot.
“And another thing,” Freddy added. “That kid, Alex, who Kim dropped the charges against. He’s been in the neighborhood again.”
“Have you talked to him?” Nate asked.
Freddy shook his head. “Nah, I tried once, but the kid just ran off. However, he walked by the storefront just before you arrived. Do you want to see if we can catch up to him?”
Nate stood, setting his teacup down. “Hell yes we do. Let’s go.”