Anniston let those last disturbing words hang in the air before she took inventory. Lenore had leaned her head on Tanner’s shoulder and softly sobbed. He put his arms around his wife, unable to find any words of comfort.
Raine had tears streaming down her face. It warmed Anniston to see Mitch reach over and take Raine’s hand in his.
She searched out Garret’s eyes, eyes that were cold and distant. Anniston could almost see the guy plotting revenge. She finally cleared her throat to get everyone on the same page with what had to be done. “After we’ve thoroughly vetted this thing and spent hours discussing the way this asshole formed his thoughts, we’ll need to tag and bag the letter and envelope as evidence and send it off to the lab for analysis.”
It was the athlete who was forced to put on his game face. Garret needed to explore every avenue. “The thing is, how do we determine if we’re dealing with someone who’s simply yanking our chain or making a genuine confession?”
Raine gently removed her hand from Mitch’s grasp to wipe away tears. “But who would make something like this up if it wasn’t true?”
Mitch sipped his coffee. “There are plenty of crazies out there who get their rocks off doing exactly that. Look at the poor mother back in Chicago in 1957 whose two daughters disappeared. For weeks afterward before the bodies were discovered the mother received a host of crank calls and ransom demands even though later it was determined her girls died within five hours of going missing. During times like this, a few rotten apples rise to the occasion with all the malicious intent of predators.”
“But who knew there would be so many rotten apples in the place where we grew up?” Garret pondered, pushing his remaining pastry to the side. Either the rush of sugar made him queasy or it was the idea that his sister and her kids might’ve suffered a horrible fate. His stomach felt tied in knots. “Mom and Dad have already received a few disturbing phone calls in the middle of the night, heavy breathing to boot. I’m surprised the phony ransom demands haven’t kicked in yet.”
Raine absorbed the sickness in that. “So you don’t think this note is for real? I’m not sure I agree. It sounds real enough to me.”
While Jackson listened to the discussion ramp up, unlike the others, he could see it in his head, could see Livvy’s fear, could almost touch her suffering for himself, and knew the terror she must have felt at knowing she was about to die.
There was something raw and primal that simmered inside him. His hands clenched in fists at his sides. He’d never been a violent man, but now, he wanted to get his hands on the person who’d brought such devastation to his family.
After washing her face, Tessa had joined the others and felt a little better. But she took one look at Jackson’s face and realized there was something wrong. The note had hit him hard. He seemed to be in his own world. She crouched in front of him, talking to him softly, reassuring him that everything would be okay. He seemed so troubled that she did her best to get through to him by touching his face, squeezing his leg, until he came back to himself.
Her heart went out to him because she could tell the depth of his fury went deep. “It’s okay to be furious, Jackson, pissed off.”
He framed her face with his hands, stroked her cheeks with his long fingers. He lowered his voice so no one else could hear. “From anyone else that might be nothing more than a platitude. But you know what I feel inside. I’ve never felt closer to anyone than I do you right this moment.”
Tessa pressed her lips into both his palms. “I’m here for you.”
Jackson flung an arm around Tessa’s shoulders for support and looked around the room. “I think the note is the real deal. This sick bastard wanted to beat his chest and he thought the best way to do that was in writing. Doesn’t mean he stuck to the facts. But we have to treat this the same way we would if we happened upon any other lead on our own. We parse every cruel word this bastard used. Hope like hell he was making most of it up.”
“But you don’t think so?” Garret asked.
“No. I also saw something odd. It might be nothing more than a coincidence but about the same time the packet showed up on the doorstep, the Patagonia Pike left port. I think we should find out where it’s headed.”
“I did some research on that,” Mitch told him. “Turns out the owner Werner Dietrich has an interesting past. During World War II, his father was a ranking officer in the SS.”
Jackson rubbed his forehead, a headache beginning to thud. “He was a Nazi?”
“An important one. The Patagonia Pike has a habit of looking for U-boats that reportedly carried Nazi gold from war-torn Germany to South America and sunk on the way. It’s the company’s one specialty.”
“And have they found any?”
“Two, one back in 2005 and again in 2010, which means they’re likely hungry for a hit.”
“Then what are they doing off the Florida Keys?” Mitch’s silence had Jackson’s jaw dropping. “Are you suggesting they’re here looking for Nazi gold?”
“I’m telling you what I found out. Why they’d leave South American waters when as many as eighteen German subs were sunk off the coast there I don’t know. Is it possible a German U-boat went down off the Florida coast? Absolutely. In 2014 divers located U-576 in the waters off North Carolina. It was found near a merchant tanker on its way to Key West in 1942. And in 2012, U-550 was discovered off the waters of Nantucket. All told, some twenty U-boats sank in coastal waters off the U.S. Were they all laden down with gold? Of course not, just a lot of fantastic history. But for the record, there’s still about fifty U-boats out there somewhere unaccounted for, some that were rumored to carry gold bullion hidden in the ship’s supply hold.”
Jackson angled his chin. “It’s either way too early in the morning to have this discussion or I’m just not seeing the connection. What would the Patagonia Pike have to do with Walker and Livvy, literally a guy who was deep into running a supplement business, and a typical soccer-mom wife?”
Mitch chewed his lip. “That’s what we need to find out. Did they get pulled into some treasure-hunting scheme they thought would solve their money woes?” His eyes sought out Tessa’s. “Did Ryan get suckered into the same deal for the same reason?”
Tessa exchanged looks with Jackson. “That’s a distinct possibility. As I said before Ryan had a childhood dream. He didn’t talk about becoming a superhero, but he did mention that someday he’d go looking for treasure. I’m afraid it might’ve been his undoing.”
“Maybe all their undoing,” Jackson determined, considering that grim realization.
Chapter Twenty-Seven - Fire
Jackson spent his days on the water, his nights wrapped around Tessa at the cottage. They took turns doing the cooking, whether breakfast or dinner. Or they’d go out to one of the island’s restaurants, sample the local cuisine. They often took walks around the harbor or they might veer off along the strand to explore the shops.
They’d gotten into a routine where they spent the evening bouncing theories off each other. Or simply nurturing the growing bond happening between them. They tried to make each other laugh during the bad times when all thoughts turned to Ryan, or to Livvy and her family.
They both felt pressure that their days together were numbered. While Tessa waited for a call that would send her back to Nags Head, Jackson went out each morning with his brothers wondering when and how it would all change.
Anguish and worry had brought them together. But something deeper had to be what made it all stick.
That’s one reason Jackson pushed himself.
After a long day on the water, running on too little sleep, Jackson was bone tired and starving when Tessa sent word that Anniston had summoned them all to the Mainsail Lodge. The PI had booked a conference room that came with a generous spread. The deal included appetizers, sandwiches, chips, drinks, and a dessert tray piled high with butter tarts and gooey muffins.
The guys packed around the buffet, filling their plates like they ha
dn’t seen food in two days.
“Beer’s over there,” Anniston said, directing them to another serving station.
Lenore looked at all the food. “I’m glad I didn’t have to throw all this together.”
Tessa handed her a plate. “Lenore, you’ve been cooking for the lot of us every time we get together. Let someone else serve you for a change.”
“I like the sound of that. I’ll take one of those lobster rolls for starters. They look exactly like the ones from Raine’s place.”
Raine patted her arm. “That’s because they are. Those are filled with fresh lobster, caught this morning.”
Mitch helped himself to one off the serving tray. “I love the way you make these with your special blend of mayo, sprinkling the meat mixture with a little paprika on top.”
Raine’s cynical heart cracked a little. “It’s my mom’s recipe and you know it.”
Mitch bobbed his head. “I do. But she’s no longer running the place. You are.”
Lenore glanced at Raine’s plate. “I see you’re turning up your nose at the fish.”
“I’m staying away from the stuff I brought,” Raine said as she chose a vegetarian hoagie piled high with greens and avocado and cheese. “You work around the same foods long enough and before you know it you’re sick of smelling fish and tacos, let alone eating that same thing twice a day.”
“I can vouch for that,” Tessa added. “Just the few days I’ve been working there I’m sick of smelling the fish frying and rolled tacos.”
“Totally understand,” Raine said as she snatched a bag of chips from the tabletop.
“I want you to know I hate leaving my job,” Tessa admitted.
Raine sent her a wide smile. “You don’t have to say that on my account. It takes a brutal schedule to keep the restaurant running. I’m used to it. You don’t have to be. Besides, it’s time for you to head back home with your brother and put him to rest.”
Tessa wiped back tears that spilled down her cheeks. “I know. But I will miss being here. I’ve come to think of y’all as family.”
“And us you,” Lenore assured her. “Tanner and I were thinking about going with you and Jackson back to Nags Head for the funeral.”
Tessa’s face brightened. “Oh, I wish you would. I hated to ask, but I was hoping you might come.”
“Honey, all you had to do was let us know you wanted us there.”
“But with the search for Livvy—”
“Don’t you worry, we’ll make plans to be there. It might be good for us to get out of here for a few days. We won’t stay that long, a couple days at the most. Mitch and Garret will hold down the fort while we’re gone.”
“That’s wonderful.” Tessa turned to Jackson. “Did you hear that? Your parents are coming to Nags Head for the funeral.”
“I heard.” Jackson slapped his dad on the back. “Nice gesture. What brought that on?”
“Tessa’s been through a lot. It’s the least your mother and I can do for all the work she’s done to help find Livvy. If not for her we wouldn’t know about Jessup’s little meeting with Royce.”
Jackson bobbed his head in agreement. “It’s a good thing to do. It means a lot to her.”
Anniston cleared her throat. “Once you all get your food and get settled, I have a long list of things we need to go over.”
“The gang’s all here. Might as well throw it at us now,” Jackson stated wearily as he took a seat at one of the tables.
“First of all, the lab found the note and envelope had been wiped completely clean, no fingerprints whatsoever, no touch DNA, nothing.”
Jackson suddenly lost his appetite and pushed his plate away. “We pretty much already knew the person who left it wouldn’t make it that easy.”
“That’s the bad news,” Anniston said. “Now for the good. The lab was able to ID the printer used, an HP Laser Jet 9500.”
“They can do that?” Garret dug into one of the lobster rolls and took a swig of beer, sat back in his chair.
“Oh yeah. But the HP 9500 is a fairly common model widely used in commercial offices, which makes the printer one we might be able to track.” Anniston turned her attention to Jackson. “Try to think back when you found the note. Did you hear a car in the area?”
“No. I heard a thump like someone stepped up on the porch and hit the swing up against the house. Maybe that means they looked in the window first before dropping the envelope and then took off on foot. If that’s the case, it doesn’t make sense that it was anyone associated with the Patagonia Pike. The boat was already motoring out of the bay by the time I opened the door.” He ran a hand through his hair. “If only we had just one thing in this mess that made sense.”
Mitch pushed his plate away as well. “Especially since whoever did this got away with making an entire family disappear. In my book, we have two options. We check out every printer in town or narrow it down right away to the five people Tessa saw at Royce’s house.”
“I vote for confronting the men who tried to misdirect the search,” Lenore said before sending her hubby a stern look. “Only this time we go as a group or in pairs to talk to Dandridge and the others.”
Tanner snorted. “Why? Boone will simply deny it. Just because he’s a pastor doesn’t mean he’s above lying. You think he’ll admit to being the author of that note? Think again. I’d rather spend my time digging deeper into what Walker and Royce are involved in.”
Anniston prompted them to move on. “Let’s finish the agenda completely before we decide on a strategy. We have a lot still to cover. For starters, my source inside the Tampa Bay PD tells me when the crime scene techs went over the minivan they reported it smelled like the interior had been gone over with bleach. As for the Luminol test, it came back with a hit. They found trace blood in the cargo hold. Not a lot—and it might be explainable if it belonged there from a nosebleed or something equally innocent.”
“But they smelled bleach,” Jackson pointed out.
“Exactly. Put the two together—bleach and a dab of blood and it’s never a good sign, my friends.”
Lenore tried to keep from crying. Once again, she reiterated her resolve. “We should start by talking to the four who didn’t want us searching for Livvy. They might know something. We should find out where they were that Wednesday night.”
“An excellent idea,” Anniston echoed. “Now to the other matter. My tech guy discovered that phone call Ryan received from the 305 area code came from what’s known as a throw away phone, or sometimes called a burner phone.”
“So there’s no way to trace it?” Tessa questioned.
“The feds have a better chance at it if the person buys fifty or more at a time because retailers are supposed to report that kind of purchase. But let’s face it. If a person buys one or two and stays under the radar, pays cash at the register, uses it for under two weeks, and then tosses it in the trash, the activity is gone. Since I already know it’s a nonworking number, I’m sure it’s been disposed of by this time, probably discarded in the bay or some dumpster around town.”
Tessa let out a sigh. “And that was more than three weeks ago. We’d never locate it. We keep striking out at every turn.”
“Not exactly.” Anniston decided it was time to remind the clients that patience could be a virtue. “That day at the preserve I made a pact with Hawkins about sharing information. This morning I was able to prod Hawkins into telling me what the forensic team found in Ryan’s Civic. He wouldn’t give me the entire list, but one of the things they came across was the five grand, minus about forty bucks.”
Tessa scrubbed her hands over her face. “So if Ryan wasn’t killed for the cash then why?”
Jackson pulled his chair next to Tessa’s, took her hand. “I’d like to point out that no one uses a burner phone unless they’re involved in criminal activity. And Ryan did end up deceased. We just have to keep digging.”
“Kidnapping and murder tend to be the ultimate in illegal activity,” G
arret stated, polishing off his sandwich.
“Aside from that, the other night Tessa asked me to run a background check on her stepmother.” Anniston dug out a thick packet from her satchel. “This is what I found. Suzanne Connelly is an interesting woman. She’s been married four times. Your father is number four. Two of her husbands died, number two and number three. One died as a result of a still-unsolved mugging in downtown Charlotte, the other in what was listed on the death certificate as cardiac arrest. Both men were heavily insured. Suzanne was the beneficiary to the tune of two million dollars.”
Tessa’s jaw dropped. “That’s downright scary. It doesn’t exactly make me feel one bit warmer or fuzzier about the woman.”
“I’m sure it doesn’t. When you go back to North Carolina for the funeral you might want to sit down with your dad and have a heart to heart with him.”
“If only it were that easy. When Ryan was alive we couldn’t talk any sense into our dad before the wedding. I doubt knowing about her past will make a difference. I think in some weird way my dad actually loves Suzanne.”
“It won’t hurt to try,” Jackson advised. “I’ll be there with you.”
Lenore traded looks with Tanner. “When do you two leave?”
“As soon as the coroner releases the body we’re off to Nags Head,” Jackson said.
Anniston went over to Tessa. “If you think it would help, I’m happy to talk to your dad myself.”
“I may take you up on that.”
“Your call.” Anniston kept to the business at hand. “Hawkins also agreed to share the Buchanans’ phone activity with me, landline and cell records. Do you remember when we discussed that this all started at the house with someone ringing the doorbell in the middle of the night and Livvy getting Walker to answer the door?” Anniston paused long enough to make sure they were all on the same page. “Well, it seems that’s more likely than a mysterious phone call luring them outside their house and to the Vitamin Hut. That night only two calls came in, one on Walker’s cell phone from Harlow Ellerbee.”
The Indigo Brothers Trilogy Boxed Set Page 31