LUCY: The Complete Lucy Kendall Series with Bonus Content (The Lucy Kendall Series Book 5)

by Stacy Green

  Agent disagreement, ADA trumped by boss.

  DA taking orders from the FBI now?

  Why had Kelly been researching the Jake Meyer prosecution? I knew she’d been following the case through her contacts at the department, but this was taking it a lot further. If the task force and the investigating agent had butted heads over it, that news would have spread. Kelly could have easily heard about it. Cops liked to talk, especially when it came to complaining about other agencies. But this…why had she kept this from me? To protect me?

  Even more, why had she dug in so much further?

  The next entry offered a possible answer.

  Found address. Lives in Daddy’s guesthouse in Chestnut Hill.

  16 Marstan Drive. Big freaking spread.

  Justin and I followed the guy today.

  Why is it always the pretty boys who get away with everything?

  She’d told Justin she was researching this case. Or had he encouraged it? Had he been the one to suggest she follow Tesla? What if that had been the final trigger for this bastard’s action? If he was part of the investigation, he would have easily heard my name. For all I knew, Kelly and Justin could have made contact with Tesla. Neither one of them were experienced in this side of the work.

  Why the hell would Justin let her do something so stupid?

  I couldn’t worry about that right now. I had a lead and very little time.

  My cell rang. The super.

  Please let him have something for me to see.

  “Nothing,” he said. “Only three people came in during that time, and they were all residents. One was a guest, but it was a female and I’ve seen her around. They live on the first floor. You know anyone down there?”

  “No.” Kelly didn’t know any of her neighbors. She had no desire for anyone to poke into her business. “You’re sure?”

  “Positive. Maybe you were just hearing things. Or one of the other residents on three came knocking. Either way, I don’t see how I can help you.”

  “Thanks for trying.” Kelly’s captor hadn’t come into the building through the front door. The back entrance required a special key–one that only the super had. I knew the man was over seventy, so I didn’t think he’d be a candidate for Kelly’s abduction. But he might be easy enough to dupe and steal from. “Listen, your keys haven’t gone missing lately? Just for a few hours?”

  “What are you saying?” His indignant voice hurt my ears. “I’m not too old for this job. This building is one of the safest around, and I keep it that way. Nothing happened.”

  My heart dropped. The super would have no clue who took his keys, and I didn’t have the time to jog his memory. Tesla was the best lead. “Of course. Thanks for your time. If you think of anything else–like maybe someone hanging around who shouldn’t have been–please call me.”

  He grumbled something and hung up. I got to my feet and headed for my bag. I’d have to change my shoes if I was going to be out in this weather.

  9

  After disposing of all the cyanide and other drugs before moving south, the only weapon I had left was the Glock. Thankfully, I’d brought it with me from Alexandria. I secured it in my handbag and changed my wet flip flops into sneakers. I had an umbrella in the car, along with a flashlight if I needed it.

  As soon as I stepped outside of Kelly’s building, the skies seemed to recognize me. A fresh deluge of rain came down, and I was immediately soaked. Rain had slowed the traffic. Half of Rittenhouse’s residents were walking yuppies. I turned in the direction of my car, resigned to being wet the rest of the day.

  “Lucy!”

  The jubilant voice sparked fresh panic. Rooted in place, rain still bombarding me, I watched Justin run across the street, umbrella in hand and a silly grin on his face. Was he supposed to meet Kelly today?

  Holding the umbrella over us, he grabbed me in a warm, one-armed hug. My face jammed into his neck. “What are you doing standing here in the rain?” Still lanky and his hair once again too long, he smiled down at me with the exuberance of someone newly in love. “Kelly didn’t tell me you were coming.”

  My brain caught up to the situation. Justin hadn’t talked to Kelly after I had. She’d probably gone to bed.

  I needed to get rid of him.

  No cops. If I told Justin, he’d freak out and call his brother. I’d never be able to convince him not to. I couldn’t risk Kelly’s life like that.

  And you’re still jealous.

  “It was a last minute decision.” I kept my voice steady and cold. Intimidating people and getting them to do what I wanted fit me like a second skin. I knew Justin well enough to push his buttons and easily dispatch him. “Kelly’s not here right now.”

  His smile faded. “Really? We were supposed to go to lunch.” He scratched behind his ear. “You’re mad at me, right?”

  Justin sounded like such a little boy I felt even worse for what I was about to do. “It’s not me you need to worry about.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  I gritted my teeth for resolve, knowing I looked angry. Justin’s fears dangled from him like a talisman. So easy to twist things to my side.

  “You pushed her too hard, Justin. She’s not ready for this.”

  Now the real worry flickered in his eyes. “I don’t understand.”

  “Clearly not. She’s a mess. Not ready for everything a relationship entails.”

  “Did she tell you that?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Why do you think I’m here? She called me last night crying. You’ve pushed her too far.” I’d fix all of this later when I had Kelly back. Justin would understand.

  “No,” Justin said. “That can’t be. I’m not interested in sex.” A blush tore over his face. “No, I don’t mean that. Of course I am. But I’m letting her make that decision. She’s got the lead, always.”

  “I know,” I said. “You’ve done nothing wrong. Not intentionally, at least. Kelly’s just … for all the terrible things your mother inflicted on you, what she went through is even worse.”

  He seemed to draw himself up straighter. “She told me.”

  I hadn’t fully anticipated that. “Everything?”

  “She told me about how her stepfather kept her chained in the basement so he and his friends could rape her, that he kept her hungry and thirsty so she’d be weak. She told me about how it all made her feel. Emotionally.”

  They had bonded. I saw it in his eyes, felt it in the way he spoke of her. Until now, she’d told only me the details of her captivity. Pettiness drove me forward. Clock was ticking.

  “She’s had a setback, then,” I said. “It happens with people with PTSD like hers.”

  Justin looked up at the building. “Let me talk to her. I need to see her.”

  “She’s at her therapist. When she called me last night, I made her an appointment and got into the car.”

  “What time last night?” Justin asked the words I needed him to. “She was fine when I left at ten.”

  I’d spoken with her after that. She’d been taken after midnight.

  “About half an hour after that.” I fixed my hardest glare on his sad face. “And were you guys researching someone named Tesla? She mentioned the name.”

  Justin blinked. “We followed him one day. She thought he might have been connected to the trafficking ring you helped bust, but nothing came out of it.” He glanced down at the ground, scrubbing his eyes.

  I pretended not to notice his tears. “Look, I’m sorry. She needs space from you. Give her a few days, and let the therapist and me handle it.”

  He stared at me, his chin sagging and his eyes hurt. “Are you sure? I’ll do whatever Kelly needs, I promise. I just want you to be sure.”

  Justin trusted me. I’d helped end his nightmare, put my neck out on the line for him.

  “I’m absolutely sure.” I kissed him on the cheek and walked back into the rain, hoping it masked the tears starting to roll down my face.

  16 Marstan Drive in Chestnut
Hill lived up to its reputation. One of the oldest areas in the city, Chestnut Hill boasted million dollar homes from nearly every generation. Some were brand new, some were mid-century modern, and even more were nineteenth century restored. Past Germantown Avenue and historical downtown, I wound up the gracefully sloping hill toward Marstan Drive. It reeked of newer money. Lined with established trees that dipped into sweeping yards and impressive flowerbeds, the street’s homes were nearly all newer construction. No matter how big the lot or how intricate the landscaping, the newer homes were easy to spot. No amount of windows and soffits could replicate the character of Philadelphia’s historical homes.

  The official Penn State title of Robert Tesla’s father was Chair of Development and Alumni Operations. Meaning he was in charge of bringing in millions of dollars a year for the prestigious school. No wonder the task force had been divided on him, especially if the evidence had truly been circumstantial. The Tesla home reminded me of every single newer-construction luxury home I’d seen: gray siding, a couple of dormers, a grand entryway with white pillars, and lots of windows. That much I envied. Natural light was my only form of therapy.

  I parked the Prius a few blocks down from the Tesla estate and started up the hill. The property had to be well over an acre, with the guesthouse having its own small quadrant, complete with private entrance and garage. An expensive, red car was parked outside, as if to remind the neighbors of the family’s deep pockets. When I finally made it up the looping drive, I recognized the Mercedes emblem. The vehicle was pristine outside and in.

  Focusing on getting to the house had kept the adrenaline at bay. Now it roared through my ears and veins, reminding me of exactly what was at stake here: Kelly’s life, and my own, if I were being completely honest.

  I quickly surveyed the guesthouse: two stories, curtains drawn on all the windows, quiet. Almost as if the place were in mourning. The edge of a cement patio peeked around from the side of the house, so Tesla had a back exit. No sign of a basement, and I assumed that would be unlikely in a guesthouse anyway. With the storm finally passed, humidity had settled in, bringing a different kind of wetness, like a soaked towel had been thrown over my face. Still, thick air added to the unnerved feeling creeping over me.

  I’m rusty, that’s all this is.

  I could handle Robert Tesla. Just like any of the other greasy, sweating scum I’d killed. They were all cut from the same rotten piece of life. And nothing stood in my way when I wanted something.

  I smoothed my hair, taking comfort in the heavy feel of the weapon in my bag. What if Kelly were trapped somewhere inside, and she heard me talking to Tesla? Would she be able to give me some kind of warning? Would I hear it?

  A few feet away from Tesla’s door, and my phone vibrated in my pocket; Todd’s name flashed on the screen. My blood froze. I’d left him a message about coming to town, and he was supposed to talk with my mother this morning. He probably had an update and wanted to meet up. I couldn’t deal with lying to him right now and decided to let the voicemail pick up.

  No more delays. I knocked on the door, a familiar calm settling over me. I excelled at this part. Tesla would be eating out of my hand in minutes.

  He answered the door half naked. Purple board shorts hung on a slim physique, brown hair that looked as if it hadn’t been brushed in a couple of days, and dark eyes so clouded over he might have been blind. The butt end of a joint stuck in the corner of his mouth. Altogether a pretty picture had he been sober.

  “Yeah?”

  “Are you Robert Tesla?”

  He took the joint out of his mouth in a languid motion and snuffed it out on the doorframe. “If you’re a cop, you need a warrant.”

  “You answered the door with the marijuana in plain sight,” I said. “No warrant necessary. But I’m not cop.”

  “Then who are you?”

  “Lucy Kendall.”

  The haze in his eyes cleared. Recognition swept over him, every muscle tightening. His anger made him even better looking, making his jaw more pronounced and his lips thinner. His biceps flexed, his stomach pulled in, shoulders taut. “I know you. You bitch.”

  I smiled. “You recognize me.”

  He raised his fist, but I held my ground. “I know how to defend myself. That’s your only warning.”

  “You think I’m afraid of you?”

  “I think you should be.”

  Tesla Jr. ran his tongue over his mouth, too high to stay angry for long. “Feisty. I like that.”

  “That’s not what I heard. Don’t you prefer little girls?”

  Tesla’s lips drew into a sneer, exposing expensively white teeth. “That’s a lie. Your investigation ruined my life.”

  “Asking a sex trafficker to hook you up with twelve-year-old brunettes ruined your life.”

  “I never said that.” He spread his arms wide, his shorts dropping far enough to expose the trail of hair on his abdomen. “You’ll notice I’m not in jail.”

  “Because the police couldn’t get a strong enough case. Penn State evidently disagreed. Even with daddy’s money.”

  His jaw twitched. “School’s freaked out over everything now. I’m a victim.”

  My turn to sneer. “Right. It’s always someone else’s fault.”

  “What do you want?” He backed up, reaching for the doorknob. “I’m busy.”

  “Shannon Minor was a friend of mine.”

  Tesla cocked his head. “The girl who got dumped in D.C.? Too bad for her.”

  Admitting he’d heard about her was a bold move, but he was high enough to make a stupid mistake. Still, had this guy orchestrated Kelly’s kidnapping? Stolen the super’s keys and made a copy and then got inside without anyone knowing? Killed Shannon and taken the time to stage her body? I couldn’t judge his intelligence, but if he were more than a recreational marijuana user, it was hard to believe he’d be alert and organized enough to pull this off.

  But people surprised me every day. “I think she might have been killed out of revenge against me.”

  “Enjoy your guilt then. I hope it eats your heart away.”

  “Trust me, I’ve got more demons than you can possibly imagine. My heart’s spoken for.” I stepped forward, allowing my hand to drift over the bag that held the gun. “Which makes me dangerous. Or hadn’t you heard?”

  A flicker of fear in his eyes, followed by an exaggerated smirk. “Nope.” He took a long, arrogant look at my legs and then let his eyes drift over me. “You look like a nice piece. Maybe you want to make up for all the trouble you’ve caused me.”

  “Too old for you. Tell me about Shannon.”

  He snapped his mouth shut. “I already told the police I didn’t have nothing to do with her. I didn’t even know her.”

  So the police had beaten me to Tesla. He must have been one of the suspects Todd had mentioned last night. “I don’t believe you. You might not be in prison, but you still lost everything because of me. You threatened people, said you’d make everyone pay for ruining your life. Instead of being a big shot, you’re sitting around getting high in daddy’s guesthouse. Not exactly the life you dreamed of.”

  He sneered. “You don’t know a fucking thing about me.”

  I pushed close enough to smell the sweet stench of pot and body odor rolling off him. “I know your type. You think the world owes you something. That you should be able to do whatever you want without any consequences. You can’t deal with anything less. You’re burning inside, aren’t you? I bet if I agreed to take you up on your offer of making things even, you’d beat the hell out of me as soon as the door closed.”

  He said nothing, but the straining cords in his neck spoke more than enough. “I know your kind, Robert. One black heart can spot another.”

  “You’re crazy.”

  “Most likely. What about Kelly?”

  “Who?”

  “I followed the clues you left. Now tell me where she is.” I hated playing the card, but I didn’t have time to keep up the waltz,
as much as I enjoyed the verbal sparring.

  “I don’t know a Kelly. And I didn’t leave you any clues. Crazy bitch.”

  “Sure you do. She’s my family. And she helped me bring Jake Meyer down. So you came into her apartment and took her. Now I’m here to get her back.”

  A sickening smile spread over his face. “Now that’s interesting. Maybe I’ve got something you want. Why don’t you come in, and we’ll see who wins?”

  The challenge dripped from his tone, his breathing heightening the way a predator’s does when its dinner is close. The haze had never returned to his eyes. Instead they were flat brown, cold and measuring. He had the physical advantage. I’d have to get the gun out of my purse, and I had no clue what waited for me in the guesthouse. If he had Kelly, he probably didn’t have her inside. I just couldn’t see him keeping her on the property, not when anyone could come calling.

  He had to have her somewhere else.

  If he had her at all.

  Tesla Jr. was angry, for sure. Desperate and wanting vengeance. Most likely a pedophile. Or at least fantasizing about being one. But was he really capable of something so violent? My desperation to find Kelly might have blinded me. Her having information on Tesla could have been a coincidence. He was a natural suspect in Shannon’s murder. But most pedophiles lived in the cracks of society. Anyone who survived the task force’s investigation of Jake’s contacts most likely would have gone further underground.

  Had I made a terrible mistake?

  My scalp felt sticky with sweat, my eyes suddenly blurry, as if an unseen force had literally sucked the confidence right out of me. If I was wrong about Tesla Jr., Kelly had lost two more hours.

  “Where’d you go?” Tesla Jr. waved his hand in front of my face. “You thinking about all the things you want to do to me?” He leaned against the door, hip cocked, arms around his chest. That fake smile again. A rich, good looking college boy so used to getting everything he wanted he couldn’t deal with being held accountable.

  I smacked his face before I registered the thought. “You’re a liar. You want little girls, but you don’t have the guts to seek one out–yet. Not after Jake failed to come through. So you stand here posturing for me, pretending to be interested when the truth is, you wouldn’t know what to do with me. I bet you couldn’t even get it up.”