by M. Z. Kelly
“I understand your wife had a boyfriend when she was in college who battered her.”
He put a hand on his chin. “Darren Larsen, but he’s been out of the picture for years. I can’t imagine him coming around.” He looked at Wade. “And your people cleared him.”
Wade confirmed what he’d said.
“And your marriage? I’m assuming everything was good.”
“It was great.” His eyes narrowed on me. “If you’re thinking Faith might have been having an affair and ran off with someone, you’re way off base.”
“I wasn’t think that, but I appreciate you clearing up that possibility.” I looked at Wade, raising my brows, a signal that it was his turn to ask any follow-up questions.
“I just need to cover your family situation again,” Wade said to Winslow. “Can you send me their names, relationship, and contact information for all your relatives.”
“Why?”
“It’s just routine. Sometimes a vic...I mean a person, confides something to a family member.”
He sighed. “You’ll have everything this afternoon, but, just so you know, I’ve already talked to all of them. They weren’t any help.”
Winslow started to leave when our lunch arrived. He turned around and came back over to the table. “There’s a reporter for that TV show who’s been coming by here,” he said to Wade. “Is there anything you can do to keep him away from me and my kids. He’s had a crew parked outside our house for a couple days. It’s annoying as hell. The guy’s name is Jordan Knight.”
Wade made a note of the name on a notepad. “I’ll have a talk with him, see what I can do.”
After Winslow was gone, we ate in silence for a couple minutes. When he saw there was no one nearby, Wade said, “What do you think?”
I kept my voice low. “I think Faith Winslow was taken and someone she or her husband has been in contact with is responsible.”
“You think she was kidnapped by someone who wants money from her husband? From what I know, the guy’s loaded.”
I sipped my drink, then said, “Not unless Winslow’s been threatened not to say anything, but I don’t get the vibe that he’s someone easily intimidated. And, if this was a kidnap for ransom case, we would have heard something by now.”
Wade held on my eyes. “That means, whoever took her wants something else.”
I knew he was suggesting there was a sexual motive, but I wasn’t sure that was the case. “Yes, and our job is to find out what that something is.”
TWENTY-NINE
After leaving Jack Winslow, Wade and I drove to the Napa Fitness Center since it was the last place Faith had been seen before she went missing. The gym was located in a trendy building with lots of steel and glass in the city’s business district.
As we walked through the parking lot of the club, I asked Wade, “Did your department review security video from the gym?”
“Yeah, there’s cameras in the reception area and here in the parking lot. Didn’t show much, other than Faith leaving around one in the afternoon.”
“Maybe I can take a look at the footage when we get back to the station.”
“Of course.”
After checking in with the receptionist, we met with the club’s owner, Melody Evans, in her office. Wade introduced me, explaining, “Kate’s on temporary assignment, helping out the department, so I thought we could go over Faith’s duties here.”
Evans was about thirty, slender and attractive, with auburn hair and green eyes. She was toned and fit, something that I soon learned she attributed to her workout routine and yoga.
“Faith and I taught fitness classes, and both beginner and intermediate yoga sessions,” Evans told me. “We even held a class for seniors to help with balance and general fitness goals.”
I smiled. “It sounds wonderful. I took a few yoga classes a while back but didn’t stay with it.”
“It’s never too late to begin again. I could work you into one of our classes if you’re interested.”
“I’ll keep it in mind. Can you tell me if Faith ever confided in you that she was having any problems in her personal life?”
Evans brushed her dark hair back. “She did mention her son was having a few problems in school. I got the impression she thought he had some learning delays.”
I made a note of what she’d said, at the same time finding it interesting the Faith’s husband never mentioned it. “What about problems with her husband or anyone else?”
She shook her head. “Not really.” Evans steepled her fingers. “But, I got the impression she wasn’t happy.”
“Why is that?” Wade asked.
“It was just a feeling I picked up on. While, Faith and I taught classes together, we weren’t close.” She looked at Wade. “Faith was an attractive woman, maybe a bit on the flirtatious side. It’s just a thought, but did you ever consider that she might have met someone and left her husband?”
“We’re not ruling anything out at this point,” Wade said. “Was there anyone here at the club that she showed an interest in?”
She shook her head. “Like I said, we weren’t that close, but I can ask the other instructors if they picked up on anything.”
I gave her a card with my personal cell number. “Please do that. You can call me directly if you hear anything.”
Evans was walking us to the door when she said, “It could also be that Faith just needed some time away.” She chuckled. “I know that I feel that way sometimes.”
We stopped and I said, “Did she ever mention that she went anywhere in particular for that purpose?”
“I just remember her saying once that she liked to walk on the beach, but she didn’t give me any details.”
Wade and I spent the rest of the afternoon in a cramped back office, pouring through all the reports and records on our case, and reviewing the security video at Napa Fitness Center. The video did show Faith coming and leaving the gym, but there was nothing remarkable about it. By the end of the day, after reviewing all the reports, I thought I had a clearer picture of the case, including the prominent role Faith and Jack Winslow played in their community, but that didn’t mean I was any closer to finding our victim.
As we stacked files in a box, finishing up for the day, Wade asked me where I was staying.
“The Napa River Inn. Nice place, pretty comfortable.”
As I’d answered, my thoughts drifted to my friends. I hadn’t heard from them, and prayed they wouldn’t be waiting at the hotel for me when I got there.
“Would you be interested in larger quarters?”
“What do you have in mind?”
“I have a friend who owns a vineyard. There’s a cottage on the property, away from the main house. I mentioned that you would be coming into town and he offered up the place.”
“You’re kidding.”
He shook his head. “He said it’s his way of giving back. I could take you by there if you’re interested.”
I smiled. “Does a vineyard have grapes. Let’s go.”
***
“I gave Dave Turner a call,” Wade said as he drove us to Sierra Vineyards, his friend’s winery. “He’s going to meet us at the cottage, show us around.”
“Has he owned the place for a long time?”
“A couple years. When his dad passed away, he inherited everything. I think you’ll find that he’s an interesting guy, but likes his privacy.”
“Why is that?”
He cut his eyes to me. “Somethings happened during the war that I’m not sure he ever got over.”
“Iraq?”
He nodded, but didn’t go on. As we turned off the highway onto a dirt road that was flanked with miles of vineyards, I commented on the beautiful surroundings, including the stone house on a hill in the distance. “It looks like something out of a postcard.”
“Yeah, it’s beautiful. Reminds me of pictures I’ve seen of a Tuscany.”
He wasn’t kidding. There was a wooden bridge leading o
nto the property, with the stone house perched at the highest point of the winery like it must have been there a hundred years. I imagined that it offered a magnificent view of the rolling hills and vineyards that seemed to go on forever.
We found the guest house about a mile from the main house, sitting next to a stream that meandered through the property. It was much smaller than the main residence, but was also built of stone and had exposed weathered logs.
After parking, Wade and I met up with his friend who was pulling up to the guest house in an old pickup truck as we arrived.
“You must be Kate,” Dave turner said, coming over and offering a hand. His dog, a Golden came over with him, wagging his tail. Wade’s friend was about six feet tall, with sandy hair and green eyes, about the color of mine. I had the impression he was older than Wade, maybe around forty, with a solid build probably the result of working around his ranch.
After exchanging pleasantries and Wade said hello to his friend, I bent down and gave his dog some attention. “He’s beautiful,” I said, laughing as my licked my hands, then my face. “Friendly, too.”
“Cruz is good, as long as he gets his share of attention,” Dave said. “He doesn’t let me out of his sight much.”
I rose and mentioned Bernie, telling them that he was staying with my brother. “He’s part German shepherd, with something else mixed in. I miss him already.”
“I understand.” He motioned toward the house. “Let me give you the grand tour.”
The house consisted of three bedrooms and two baths, with a kitchen that was like something out of one of those home improvement magazines. It had lots of white marble, stainless steel appliances, and a farmhouse sink with a window that overlooked the stream.”
“It’s fabulous,” I said, “but I can’t stay here for free. My department pays a modest...”
“Not necessary,” he said. “Think of it as my way of saying thanks for your service.”
“I appreciate that, but there’s one thing I need to ask.”
“‘Course.”
“I have some roommates who are on vacation in San Francisco. I think there’s a chance they might want to visit for a few days. Do you think that would be okay?”
“Not a problem. They’re more than welcome.”
We all went back outside where Dave handed me a key. “Move in whenever it suits you.” He looked at his dog who was sitting beside him panting. “You probably won’t see much of me and Cruz, but you’re welcome to explore the vineyards, come and go as you like.”
“Thank-you. It’s so beautiful here.”
He regarded the seemingly endless vine-covered hills. “Can’t disagree. Winter will set in before long, so I’ve got a lot of upkeep and pruning on my hands.”
After Dave was gone and Wade and I drove out of the vineyard, I mentioned that I liked his friend. “He must be really busy with the winery since he said he would be around much.”
Wade looked over at me. “Just between you and me, Kate, that’s not the reason you won’t see much of him.”
“What are you trying to tell me?”
“Dave and I met after he was arrested in a bar fight a few years back. He’d been homeless, living on the streets after returning from Iraq. He inherited the vineyards and moved out here a couple months later. We developed a friendship, of a sorts, since we both served in the military. He’s invited me out here every now and then, but, other than me and now you, I don’t think he’s seen another person in over a year.”
“Because of what happened during the war?”
He nodded. “You ask me, something’s broken in Dave that nobody can ever fix.”
THIRTY
Wade dropped me back at the station and I got to my hotel a little after seven. I told him that I planned to spend the night at the hotel and move into Dave Turner’s cottage after work tomorrow. I was heading through the lobby to my room when I heard an all too familiar voice.
“Bout time you got here, Kate,” Natalie said. “How come you didn’t answer me texts?”
I’d purposely turned my phone off, afraid that my friends would find me. I went over to her and Mo, seeing they were with Natalie’s aunt—at least I think it was her aunt. Mattie was wearing a black rubber-like mask that covered half her face. There were tubes running from a backpack to the mask, her nose, and mouth. She looked like something out of a science fiction movie. Ancient Aliens?
“What the hell happened to her?” I asked.
Mo answered. “We was so desperate to get some sleep that we had Tex fly up here. He hooked her up to that contraption. It’s called a SNAP. It’s completely cured her snoring.”
“Are you sure she’s still alive?” I asked, not seeing her move.
“She’s just dead asleep,” Natalie explained. “She started talkin’ ‘bout ghosts, then had one of her narcolepsy spells.”
“Ghosts?”
“I forgot to mention, me aunt’s a ghost hunter.”
“Swell.” I regarded Mattie for a moment, shaking my head. I then asked Natalie, “So, are you and Tex back together?”
“Nah. I’m officially on the rebound, lookin’ for love in case you see somebody that might be a fit for me.”
“We been meaning to ask how things went with you and Grant?” Mo said.
“It was nice. He’s a little on the nerdy side, but we had a lovely evening. I think we’re going to have dinner when I get back to Hollywood.”
She and Natalie did a high-five. “Betcha Kate’s gonna get her vagina waxed and lubed before long,” Natalie said.
“I’m afraid you’re going to have to remove your friend from the lobby,” a desk clerk said, coming over to us. The woman looked at Mattie. “Does she need medical assistance?”
Mo fixed her dark eyes on the clerk, obviously annoyed with her. “Not unless you wanna give her mouth to mouth.”
The woman shook her head. “Please take her to her room so that the other guests aren’t...disturbed.” She walked away in a huff.
“Maybe you can help Mo and me get Mattie to her room,” Natalie said.
I agreed, realizing I had no choice but to help out. Natalie took her aunt’s head, while Mo and I each took a leg. It took us several minutes, but together the three of us managed to steer the alien creature through the lobby, into an elevator, and up to her room where we put her to bed.
As we closed the door, Mo said, “I just hope she doesn’t wake up, take off her SNAP, and start snoring. If she does, we’ll be kicked out of here and have to sleep in our cars.”
Despite wanting to get a bite to eat and go to bed, my friends insisted on joining me in my room for drinks and room service. As we ate and shared a bottle of wine on my balcony, I asked how they found out where I was staying.
“We called Robin,” Mo said.
“How is my dog?”
“Never better. Robin also told us he’s been out looking for Daniel. He said he thinks he found another flop house where he was staying.”
“Did he give you any details?”
Mo looked at Natalie. “We might was well tell her,” Natalie said. “She’ll find out sooner or later anyway.”
“Tell me what?”
“We think Harlee tracked Daniel to a hotel in Glendale,” Mo said. “A woman matching her description was asking about him the night before he left.”
“Damn. That means she’s definitely in the area. I’d better call Joe tonight and let him know.”
After we ate, we shared the rest of our wine. My friends then told me that they planned to stay in Napa for the remainder of the week. It was against my better judgement, but they were my best friends and I saw no alternative but to invite them to stay at the cottage with me. I took a couple minutes, telling them about the vineyards and the generous offer Dave Turner had made.
“And, he’s even gonna let Mattie stay at the winery?” Natalie asked.
“He didn’t know I’d be bringing someone who looked like an alien with me, but he said you’re all w
elcome.”
What I said resulted in Natalie ordering another bottle of wine so that we could all toast to our good fortune. It was almost ten when the phone in my room rang and I heard the frantic voice of the hotel clerk.
“That woman, the one that’s wearing a mask and all those hoses...she’s...she’s down her in the lobby. She’s nude, wearing that crazy gas mask, and saying something about ghosts.”
I sighed and did an eye roll. “I’ll be right there. In the meantime, if she acts up put your phaser on stun and just shoot her.”
THIRTY-ONE
Seven days. Faith Winslow had been counting the days since she’d been taken. She still had no idea where she was being held. All she knew was that she was somewhere underground, in a room with heavy ancient wood beams supporting the structure.
At first, she’d thought this place might be an abandoned mine, but it was just one room, with a bed, a table, and a chemical toilet. Water and food had been left here for her, but it was running out. There was a trap door above her, the dim light from outside seeping into the cracks around it. She’d spent hours calling out and trying to pry the door open, but it was useless. Maybe she was in the forest, somewhere near where she’d been taken.
The day it happened, she’d left the fitness center after teaching a class. She thought the drive out of the city would help clear her head. She’d also wanted to prepare herself for the meeting that she and Jack had with Owen’s teacher. Their son had been struggling since school started. They’d received a note that he needed an evaluation. His teacher had said he needed extra help with his studies.
Tears had filled her eyes when she thought about Owen’s struggles. She and Jack had known there was something different about their son. A doctor had even suggested that he was on the autism spectrum and needed therapy. They’d discounted that, Jack insisting that his son just needed to grow up and work harder on his studies.
Faith had pulled to the side of the road that day, dialing Jack’s number to talk to him about Owen. That’s when the figure had appeared out of nowhere. It had happened so quickly that she hadn’t even seen the man’s face when he roughly pulled her from the car and hit her, knocking her unconscious. When she woke up, she was here, wherever here was.