Answers For Julie (Book Nine In the Bodyguards of L.A. County Series)

by Cate Beauman

  Everything okay?

  Within moments, his cell phone vibrated.

  Just parked. Walking in with Elaine now.

  He relaxed his shoulders. She was okay, and Reed was right behind them. His office line rang. “Hello?”

  “Chase, this is Agent Tillis.”

  He sat farther back in his chair. “Hey, thanks for getting things set up last night.”

  “No problem. We’ve been following up on the information Dorman gave you.”

  “Getting anywhere?”

  “Not yet, but I thought I would tell you Neve Porter’s toxicology reports are back. Found out a couple hours ago.”

  He frowned. “That’s a little early, isn’t it?”

  “Noah had them expedited.”

  He sat up again. Tillis wouldn’t have called if there hadn’t been something worth mentioning. “And? What did they find?”

  “Lethal dose of Xanax and champagne.”

  “What?” He stood now, walking to the window.

  “I was surprised myself.”

  “How much champagne was in her system?”

  “Stomach contents measured about a glass.

  “What about the pills?”

  “Two. Add a tub full of hot water to the mix, which accelerated the effects of the deadly cocktail, not to mention her size—petite, slightly underweight. She wasn’t getting out of that hot tub alive.”

  “Murder.” He paced to his desk, then back to the huge windows.

  “There’s record of Neve periodically using low doses of the anti-anxiety med, but she didn’t refill her prescriptions often. One of the detectives went over to talk to Thomas this morning. He said Neve was always careful when she drank. She didn’t do it often and usually sipped to be social.”

  He frowned, shaking his head. “I don’t remember seeing any alcohol on scene when I pulled her from the water—no glass, no bottle, only a towel.”

  “Thomas says he didn’t pour her any that night, but he didn’t see her get in the tub either. He couldn’t say for sure whether Ferra did or didn’t. They watched a movie in the study. When the flick ended, they both went to their rooms and turned in for the night. We’re trying to get ahold of Ferra to corroborate his story, but neither of their original statements to the police mentioned Neve and alcohol.”

  He narrowed his eyes, thinking back to the security door on the brick wall and the footprints leading to the garden shed. “Did BosGuard ever check for gate or perimeter door activation that night? I was—”

  “Someone named Helen Porter opened a storage unit in Bronx, New York—October twenty-eighth, nineteen ninety,” Austin said, hurrying into Chase’s office.

  Chase’s e-mail dinged as he digested Austin’s lead and clicked open the attachment from Ethan. His heart stopped as he stared into eyes he knew well. She’d lost weight and toned up. The mousy brown hair had been dyed blond, and the large nose reshaped. “Fuck. Get a BOLO out on my SUV,” he said to Austin. “Black Acura MDX. Plate number one-seven-five M-B-B. Elaine Wilcox has Julie,” he informed Agent Tillis, then hung up, dialing Reed, praying he and Julie had met up.

  “I’m pulling into a parking spot right now.”

  “It’s Elaine. Elaine has Julie.”

  “Wait, what?”

  “Elaine’s the one who wants Julie dead,” he spat into the receiver.

  “Goddamn. Let me get inside. I’ll call you back.”

  Chase hung up, trying Julie’s number as he ran down the hall to Tucker’s office. Her phone continued to ring.

  “This is Jules. Leave a message.”

  “Son of a bitch,” he grit out as his terror compounded. “It’s Elaine. It’s Elaine, Jules. Get the hell away from her and find a security guard or TSA Agent. Stay in the airport, get help, and call me as soon as you get this.” He hung up, bursting into Tucker’s office. “Elaine is Helen.” He shook his head, trying to tuck the fear away and focus on his job. Julie needed him calm. “She’s with Julie right now. You did a profile on the kidnapper. What would she do twenty-five years later when Alyson’s fucking stupid-ass boyfriend more or less handed her over to the person who wants her dead?”

  Tucker hit Ethan’s office line. “We’ve got a problem. Get in here.”

  “Fuck. Fuck, man.” He shoved his hand through his hair, pacing on watery legs. “What would she do?”

  Ethan rushed in.

  Austin walked in close behind. “I called in the BOLO.”

  “Start searching storage units within quick driving distance of LAX,” Tucker said, pointing to Austin. “She’s smart, but she’s cool, calculated—a planner. She won’t deviate from her original plan too much. But this time, she won’t involve anyone else since others failed her last time. Elaine wants Alyson dead. It will be cold, maybe a little drawn out. She’ll want Julie—or Alyson—to understand why she’s going to die.”

  “Fuck!” Chase scrubbed at his face with unsteady hands.

  “I’ll call LAPD with the updates,” Ethan left.

  Austin walked back in. “There are about a hundred storage units within a five- to six-mile circumference of LAX, but the dozen I’ve printed out are the closest.”

  “Give the addresses to LAPD,” Chase said as he yanked one of the papers from Austin’s hands and took Tucker’s keys off his desk, scanning the list as he sprinted to the elevator. Julie had to be at one of these. She had to be.

  Chapter Forty-seven

  Julie tapped her brakes, shaking her head when another vehicle cut her off. Muttering a curse, she tossed a quick glance over her shoulder and moved to the left hand lane, jockeying closer to the airport. “This is unbelievable.”

  Elaine chuckled. “It’s certainly an experience, sugar plum.”

  Gripping the wheel, she rolled her head from side-to-side, stretching her tight neck muscles. “I think Chase is going to have to give me a shoulder rub tonight. It’s going to take me awhile to get used to all of this traffic.” Her phone alerted to another text. “Shoot. I can’t get that.”

  “I can answer for you.”

  “Would you?” She tossed Elaine a grateful smile. “I don’t want Chase to worry.”

  “No problem.” Elaine took Julie’s phone from her purse. “Let’s see. Chase wants to know if everything’s okay.”

  Julie grinned. “Not much has changed in the last fifteen minutes.”

  “He adores you.”

  Her smile widened. “Yes, he does.”

  “I’ll let him know that we’re just about there.”

  “Sounds great.”

  Elaine typed away. “There.”

  “Thank you.” Julie followed the traffic toward short-term parking.

  “How about we park in lot two?” Elaine suggested, pointing to the sign. “We’ll be next to the airport entrance, and you and your friend can come right back out as soon as you find him.”

  “Sure.” Julie entered the garage, rolled down her window, and took a ticket from the machine.

  “First floor if we could.”

  “Whatever works for you,” Julie assured as she found a spot five rows deep and pulled in. She took the keys from the ignition, smiling at Elaine as she unbuckled. “Let’s get you to your plane.”

  Elaine nodded. “I’m ready for vacation.”

  They got out, and Julie bundled her coat around her in the chilly air. “I think I’m turning into a bit of a wimp. It’s forty-eight degrees and I’m shivering.”

  Elaine smiled, grabbing her carry-on from the trunk. “It’s pretty mild.”

  “When you get back from Hawaii, you’ll probably think differently.”

  Elaine hooked her arm through Julie’s as they started toward the front of the lot. “I imagine you’re right.”

  “Thank you again for lunch.” She leaned her head against Elaine, treasuring her new friend’s kindness. “I can’t wait to see you again in a couple of weeks.”

  “Mmm,” Elaine agreed, stopping abruptly.

  Julie stopped next to her. �
��Is everything okay?”

  “Perfectly. Why don’t you go ahead and get on in.”

  Frowning her confusion, Julie looked at the navy blue vehicle Elaine gestured to. A BMW. She tried to laugh, but she couldn’t. “Elaine, that’s not funny.”

  Her eyes chilled as she smiled and pulled a small pistol from her purse. “I’m not joking.”

  Julie’s gaze darted from Elaine’s to the cold metal pointed at her, shaking her head in disbelief.

  “Don’t scream or try to run.” She settled her index finger against the trigger. “I’m a very good shot. And give me that.” She yanked Julie’s purse off her shoulder. “You won’t be needing this.”

  With no choice, Julie walked to the passenger’s side door, debating whether or not she should attempt to escape. She slid a glance to her side as she reached for the door handle, and Elaine smiled again, following her every move.

  “Get in, Julie.”

  She did as she was told, staring at the gun pointed at her through the windshield as Elaine circled around the front of the vehicle, still trying to believe that this was happening.

  “Well, here we are,” Elaine said, tossing her bag in the back and settling in.

  “You’re Helen.”

  “Elaine. My mother called me Helen, and I hated it—boring, stuffy name. Helen would never be so brazen as to take what she wants from the world, but Elaine certainly is.”

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “I like to finish what I start.”

  The shock of betrayal started to fade and fear quickly took its place. Elaine spoke so matter-of-factly, as if she regularly held people at gunpoint. “What are you going to do to me?” she shuddered out.

  She reversed from her parking spot. “What I’ve wanted to do for twenty-five years, except this time I’ll do it myself.” They started forward, around the large loop and through the exit that would bring them back the way they came. “Thank God for express pay. No need to stop so you can alert the attendant.”

  She’d planned out the whole thing. “Elaine—”

  “Don’t talk,” she snapped. “I can’t stand your voice or anything else about you. This is no longer the Alyson Porter Show. No one here loves you. No one here even likes you. It’s just you and me, sugar plum. Your good luck has finally run out.”

  Julie stared at the gorgeous blond—the stranger driving them away from LAX, trying to equate the funny, friendly woman she’d gotten to know over the last few weeks with the woman who’d plotted her kidnapping and demise. She came to attention, her gaze flying to the windshield as police cars rushed by in the opposite direction, then to her purse in the center console, when her cell phone started ringing. She gripped her fingers in her lap, darting glances at the designer leather handbag Abby Quinn had gifted her, just able to see her phone peaking from the edge by the zipper. Did Chase know she needed him? More than likely he didn’t, but if she could get to—

  “Not gonna happen, sweetie, so don’t even think about it.”

  Swallowing, she looked at Elaine.

  “No one’s ruining this for me. I’ve been following you around for days—since I figured out you weren’t in Washington where you belonged—waiting for the perfect opportunity to get you alone.” She turned into a huge storage center mere blocks from The Beach House where they’d had lunch, braking at the entrance, typing in a number at the gate. The fence opened, and she accelerated through, stopping at one of the last lots at the back of the property—429. “Isn’t that ironic? Four twenty-nine. Your birthday. I see it as fate, really. Neve was so excited that day. The obstetrician told her he thought she was having a girl. Neve was in horrible pain, but all she could talk about was meeting her daughter. And then you were there, scrawny and ugly with your matted black hair, but Neve thought you were beautiful, and nothing was the same again.” Elaine pointed the gun at her as she unbuckled her belt. “Get out and unlock the padlock,” she demanded, handing her a small key.

  Julie hesitated, glancing around at the desolate lane, listening to the traffic zooming by two hundred feet away. She and Elaine were alone. No one was coming to help.

  “Now!”

  Flinching, she got out with Elaine quickly following behind and twisted the key in the lock.

  “Open the door.”

  Julie bent down and sent the orange garage-style door up, pausing with a new wave of horror when she saw the bold blue drum barrel and folding chair in the middle of the otherwise empty space.

  “Let’s go. Get inside.”

  “No.”

  “You can die right here.” Elaine stepped closer, jamming the gun into her side.

  Gasping from the quick bite of pain, she walked into the chilly, dank room.

  Elaine closed them in the dark, turning on a small battery-operated light in the pitch black.

  Julie blinked in the harsh glow of the LED bulb. “I don’t understand this. I was a child. A three-year-old little girl.”

  “And the apple of Neve’s eye. Nothing else seemed to matter but you. Noah was born and she still had time—made time for others. But then you came along, and her world revolved around her sweet, beautiful Alyson.”

  Julie backed closer to the corner, favoring the spider webs over the wretched barrel. “We were her children.”

  “I said you. Sure, she loved Noah and doted on her little boy, but not the way she did you. Spa appointments went by the wayside. Lunch was out—she couldn’t be bothered, because her princess was sleeping or teething. Charity functions didn’t happen either unless they worked for her Ally.”

  “You were Neve’s best friend. She trusted you.”

  “She was like my mother—the amazing mother I never had. And you ruined it. Then and now.”

  “So you thought you would take me out of the picture.”

  “You were supposed to be taken care of. Then Dawn Summerman vanished with you. It worked out well enough. I searched for the two of you for a few years, kept my ears open, but she was smart enough to keep you away. Then you came back, and Neve behaved exactly as she had twenty-five years ago. She forgot about me—left me out.” A tear trailed down her cheek. “Good old expendable Elaine.”

  Julie stopped, bumping into the cold, dingy wall. There was nowhere else to go. “I could never replace you—”

  Elaine cut her off with a sharp laugh. “When you’re around, no one else matters.”

  She shook her head. “That’s not true.”

  “You’ve had the perfect life.”

  She gaped. “I was stolen from my family and lied to. The woman who raised me along with my grandfather died in a horrible car accident when I was seventeen.”

  Elaine shrugged. “You were raised with love. And you’re beautiful. You have a perfect body. You’re nice when you should be horrible like Noah. And let’s not forget your knight in shining armor. He’s as beautiful as you are, and he loves you madly.”

  “I don’t—”

  “Do you know how long I’ve been in love with your brother?” Tears strained her voice again. “How many times I’ve slept with that cold son of a bitch, waiting for him to love me back?”

  The disturbing surprises just kept coming. “You and Noah?”

  “Since Jay died. I seduced him after the funeral, and never once has he shown me even an ounce of the affection Chase shows you. Crumbs. I’ve settled for the Porter crumbs while you get everything. Why do some people get it all?”

  “Elaine, you’re beautiful and funny. If Noah—”

  “My beauty’s fake. I hardly eat anything or I gain weight. My nose is man-made. So are my boobs. And my trainer’s a sadistic bastard I pay hundreds of dollars to every month to keep me in shape. For twenty-eight years, I’ve lived in your shadow.”

  “You didn’t have to.”

  “You don’t know what it’s like!” she yelled as her breath heaved in and out.

  She didn’t know—couldn’t understand Elaine’s mindset, her bitterness.

  “I loved her mo
re than you. It’s your fault she’s dead. It’s your fault she wouldn’t stop ignoring me.”

  “What?” She sagged against the wall as her legs turned to jelly.

  “I came over after your stupid DNA test—snuck in the side entrance to avoid the press and saw you two all cozied up in her bed eating chocolates and watching movies, talking and bonding.” She rolled her eyes. “After you left to go screw your boyfriend, I walked in with a bottle of champagne I grabbed from the cellar. Neve said she wasn’t up for a drink. She was tired and stuffed from the meal Ferra made you. All she wanted was a quick soak in the hot tub, but she assured me she would call me after you left in the morning. Then she walked off, dismissing me, like I didn’t matter.”

  Wide-eyed, Julie’s breath shuddered out as she stared at Elaine. “You drowned my mother because she didn’t want to drink champagne with you?”

  “I didn’t drown her—or I didn’t mean to. I wanted to teach her a lesson, make her a little sick and hurt her the way she was hurting me. I crushed up one of her pills, put it in her glass, and poured us a drink. Then I joined her in the tub. All she did was talk about you and the DNA test and how she was going to book her flight to come out and sleep on your couch. She got a real kick out of that.” Narrowing her eyes, she shook her head. “I couldn’t bear to listen for another second, so I closed my eyes and leaned my head back. When I opened them again, she was facedown in the water.”

  Julie wrapped her arms around her heaving stomach as she sobbed softly. “How could you do such a thing? How could you hurt her like that?”

  “I tried to get her out, but she wouldn’t wake up. After a few minutes, I realized she was dead, so I left her. If I’d called for help, they would know, so I got dressed and cleaned up the mess. You and Chase were moaning and groaning behind your door, and Ferra and Thomas were watching some stupid snoozer of a movie in the study, so I left without anyone knowing I was ever there.”

  “You killed her.”