Mission--Colton Justice

by Jennifer Morey

  “You’ve spoken with Holly?” Oscar continued to sound offensive as he turned to Jeremy. “You’ve caused me enough trouble with my wife, don’t you think? Why are you interfering in my personal affairs? I had nothing to do with Tess’s accident.”

  Was he also lying about that?

  “Did she know you were seeing Holly?” Adeline asked.

  “I didn’t start seeing Holly until after Tess broke things off with me.”

  He corroborated what Holly had told them. Jeremy didn’t need to know more. Oscar might be innocent...except for his taste in prostitutes and friendship with a man who sexually harassed women. He might not have had anything to do with Tess’s accident, but his ethics left Jeremy with much uncertainty.

  “I find it difficult to believe you’re friends with Evan after I fired him,” Jeremy said. “And then I discover you use an escort service. I always thought you were a forthright man. Now I’m not sure I can trust you.”

  “I am forthright. If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have come to you and told you about Tess meeting me the day of her accident.”

  “Maybe you did that to make yourself look innocent,” Adeline said. “And forthright.”

  After holding her gaze for several seconds, his defensiveness fading to an unreadable mask, Oscar turned to Jeremy. “Do I still have a job?”

  Jeremy wouldn’t get into those issues now. He had to talk to his HR director first.

  “We’ll talk when you’re back in the office. When will that be?”

  “Tomorrow. I just needed some time to find a place to stay.”

  Jeremy believed everything Oscar told them so far. “We saw Evan meet with a Rusty Nicholson and give him money. Do you know why he’d pay a deputy?”

  “Rusty?” Oscar asked.

  “Yes. He’s the same man who responded to Tess’s accident and questioned witnesses. He didn’t seem very willing to look very hard into any possibilities of foul play.”

  “He lives on the same street as Evan. He does woodworking on the side and did a built-in entertainment center for him. He mentioned he met him and paid him.”

  “He does have a nice house. How can he afford that?” Adeline asked.

  “His wife can.”

  That seemed reasonable enough. Still, odd for someone to meet at a café and pay cash.

  “Evan seemed angry with him.”

  “I’m telling you what Evan told me.”

  Had Evan lied? Maybe Nicholson hadn’t built an entertainment center. And the amount of money Evan had given him seemed like a lot more than that job would cost. Could Evan have killed Tess in retaliation for Jeremy firing him? It seemed unlikely. Again, Jeremy came back to Livia. She was the only person capable of doing something like that.

  Jeremy and Adeline left the apartment, Oscar staying in the open doorway to watch them a bit before they got on the elevator and rode it to the main floor.

  “He’s missing a compelling motive,” Adeline said.

  Jeremy didn’t comment. Oscar might not have a reason to want Tess dead, but he very well could know more than he’d let on so far.

  Chapter 10

  After Jeremy went to work the next day, Adeline dropped Jamie off at her mother’s and went to Evan Sigurdsson’s office. That morning, she and Jamie had still been in their pj’s and had just finished cereal, all three of them at the table. They’d talked about horseback riding at Bluewood Ranch and possibly making plans to go again. Jamie wanted a pony of his own and Jeremy said he’d look into boarding one at the ranch.

  Adeline had never felt so much a part of a unit before. She and her mother made a loving family together, but it was just the two of them. Adeline wanted children of her own and a father who’d contribute his share and stick around. She felt so good getting a taste of it with Jeremy. But after he left, she felt as though she played a role, spending the morning with him and Jamie and then seeing him off to work. Now, upon reflection, it didn’t seem real.

  Adeline entered Evan’s office, a small space in a well-maintained and relatively new earth-toned brick strip mall. A reception area with a small, mahogany desk opened to a cozy, dimly lit seating area in soft oranges and greens. Well-lit paintings depicted couples in various, scantily clad embraces.

  A tall, thin, dark-haired woman in a sleeveless black dress appeared from a doorway. “Can I help you?”

  “I’m here to talk with Evan. Is he in?”

  “May I tell him who’s wishing to meet him?” She spoke and held herself like a woman far above everyone around her. She had elegance and loads of self-esteem, not the kind of woman Evan likely hired for his escort service...unless the woman acted her part and hid a weighty insecurity.

  “Adeline Winters. I’m a private investigator. I need to ask him a few questions.”

  “Oh. One moment.” The refined woman went back through the door and a few minutes later, Evan appeared.

  “What are you doing here?” He didn’t seem happy to see her. He must know why she’d come.

  She stepped closer and stopped before his scowling face. “We saw you at the café with Rusty Nicholson.”

  “I saw you with Jeremy Kincaid. So what?”

  “You gave the officer some money?”

  “For an entertainment center he built for me,” Evan shot back, appearing insulted.

  Was he truly insulted or had he become defensive? “It seemed like a lot of money.”

  “It was a big piece.” Evan sneered. “What did you think I gave him money for? A bribe? Like I’d meet a deputy in public and pay him off. You think I’m stupid?”

  Either that or exceedingly clever. Paying a deputy in public covered his story that he’d paid for carpentry work.

  “What were you arguing about?” she asked.

  “Were you there spying on me?”

  “No, we were watching Deputy Nicholson. We think he might be working for Livia Colton.” She put that out for him to see how he’d react, and if he’d reveal anything useful.

  His defensiveness eased and he said with force, “Livia is dead.”

  “No body. She might have survived the accident and the river.”

  Evan grunted derisively. “You’re just like Jeremy, always reaching. He actually thinks his wife was murdered?”

  “How well do you know Deputy Nicholson?” She’d stick to the reason she’d come there today. Best she didn’t follow his lead and end up agreeing with him.

  “He’s my neighbor. He can be annoying at times but he’s a good woodworker. He isn’t dirty, so you’re wasting your time fishing around for leads. He never worked with Livia.” He turned to go back to the doorway. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I’m busy today.”

  Adeline didn’t question him about his escort service. He wouldn’t admit to anything anyway, and nothing he did in his line of business would help her solve Tess’s case. She’d go pick up Jamie and later they’d meet Jeremy at his office as they’d planned. They were going out for dinner tonight. She couldn’t wait. Although she’d keep it to herself, she looked forward to an evening with her son and Jeremy, like a family.

  * * *

  Jamie squealed when he saw Adeline enter her mother’s house. No longer having to work two jobs, her mother lived in a comfortable, newly constructed ranch house. Adeline had helped her get into it and fill it with furniture. She’d also bought her a new car. She loved taking care of her mother. Evangeline Winters had worked enough in her life.

  Her mother hugged her upon entry. “Hi, sweetie. Jamie has been a darling. He sure is a chatterbox. Told me all about the movie he watched last night and the breakfast he made with you yesterday. He wanted pancakes but you made him eat cereal. He sure is getting attached.”

  She wasn’t so sure that was a good thing. “He is a special kid.”

 
Her mother dyed her hair blond now that she’d turned gray and had the same blue eyes as Adeline. She’d kept her figure, too. Good skin gave Adeline promise that she’d age as well approaching fifty. Her mother smelled the way she always did, a subtle scent that wasn’t too perfumed.

  “Adda!” Jamie came running into the entry and Adeline crouched to receive his hug.

  “Hi, honey. Did you have fun with Evangeline?”

  “Yeah. We baked cookies.”

  “Oh. There goes the healthy breakfast.”

  Jamie laughed.

  “Can you stay a bit?” her mother asked.

  “Yes. We have a little time. Why?”

  “I went shopping for new bathroom decor.”

  Her mother wanted to show off her latest hobby—decorating. Now that she had some extra cash she could do that sort of thing.

  After admiring the new, brighter main bathroom, Adeline stayed for about thirty minutes talking with her mother before she checked the time. “Come on. We have some errands to run before we go meet your dad. We’re going out for dinner.”

  “I want fries.”

  “How many cookies did you eat?” Adeline looked at her mother, who looked guilty and mouthed three.

  That explained the energy.

  “Go get your stuff, Jamie.”

  At Adeline’s request, Jamie bounded off to do as told.

  “When do I get to meet your mystery man?” The twinkle in her mother’s eyes said she wanted her daughter to find love and be happy. She wanted her daughter to find a man not like her father. She must think Jeremy held promise.

  “He’s not a mystery man. You know of him.”

  “Yes, but I don’t know him.” Her mother eyed her expectantly.

  She’d never been shy about letting her daughter know when she felt slighted, even in a nonserious way. But she only knew that Adeline had given him and Tess a son.

  “I’m investigating Tess’s accident. We’ve been over this. He’s not my boyfriend.”

  “Yes, but he asked you to live with him. That suggests he’s interested in more than an investigation.”

  Adeline would have liked to think so, too, but doing so would be foolish, at least this soon. “He’s still grieving, Mom. I don’t want anything to do with him if he’s not ready to move on.” And he wasn’t.

  Her mother sobered and reached over to touch Adeline’s cheek. “How many times do I have to tell you not to let that man who sponged off you ruin your chance at happiness?”

  “You don’t have to tell me at all, Mom. I just have to be sure the next time I let a man get that close to me. I’m not sure about Jeremy.” Secretly, she wished she was, though. Secretly, she wanted nothing more than to be a part of her son’s life. “I can’t make him want me.”

  “That’s just it. He does want you. Maybe he can’t admit it to himself, but he does. He wouldn’t have asked you to live with him otherwise.”

  That all rang true, but her mother didn’t understand why she had to keep her distance. Well, maybe she did, and that’s what she tried to tell Adeline. She should let go. Take a chance on Jeremy.

  The idea tantalized her for a few seconds.

  “Jeremy has his own money, Adeline. It won’t be the same with him. He’s like you that way. Successful. A doer. He doesn’t need anyone to take care of him.”

  “I wouldn’t have minded taking care of my boyfriend if he contributed in some way, if he didn’t purposefully take from me. It’s not about money. It’s about respect and trust.”

  “And you don’t trust Jeremy, but you also don’t know him well enough.”

  She knew him pretty well on a friendly basis, just not intimately. Big difference.

  Jamie came back into the entry with his tiny backpack.

  “I’m rescued,” Adeline said, smiling and leaning in to hug her mother again. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too. Give Jeremy a chance.”

  “I’ll think about it.” She moved back and reached for Jamie’s hand. “Come on, little man.”

  “’Kay!”

  Outside, she walked with Jamie to the car. Just a few steps from the porch, a shot rang out and she felt sharp, powerful pressure pierce her chest. She registered falling, her head hitting the concrete sidewalk and losing Jamie’s hand. Then all went black.

  * * *

  Overwhelmed with worry, Jeremy rushed into the emergency waiting room and spotted Knox with a woman that had to be Adeline’s mother. Knox had called him on his way to the hospital. Evangeline Winters had phoned 9-1-1 to report her daughter had been shot. Knox arrived on the scene within minutes along with paramedics and police and had called Jeremy. Adeline had been taken by ambulance there. Jeremy had raced here as fast as he could.

  Knox turned as Jeremy neared, Evangeline doing the same. She was an older version of Adeline and so far had retained a rather youthful look.

  “How is she?” Jeremy asked, not recalling ever feeling so frantic before.

  “She’s in surgery,” Knox said.

  “Is she going to be all right?” She had to be. What if she died?

  Evangeline’s blue eyes were red and puffy from crying, intensifying his anxiety. The wispy cut fell to the top of her shoulders and chest; her blond hair was a little messy. She must be going through torment, with her only daughter clinging to life.

  “We don’t know yet,” Evangeline said on a fresh wave of tears.

  If Jeremy hadn’t been so backlogged at work, he’d have gone with her. He hadn’t wanted her to go alone but she did know how to use her gun and she was a professional detective. He had to make himself be less overly protective. Besides, Adeline seeing Evan at his office was too public. He wouldn’t have shot her there. If Evan was dangerous. He harassed women and had an arrogant personality lurking beneath all his false charm. Although the charm Jeremy had seen while he worked for him didn’t seem to be present anymore. Evan likely reserved it for the women he preyed upon and the friends he had.

  “What happened?” Jeremy asked.

  “Adeline picked Jamie up and on her way out, Evangeline heard a gunshot.” Knox took over for the distraught Evangeline. “She went outside and found Adeline lying on the ground.” Knox paused, which gave Jeremy a sinking feeling.

  “Jamie...?” In the midst of the emergency, Knox had only told him Adeline had been shot and to meet him at the hospital. A fresh wave of fear coursed through him.

  “Evangeline saw a man put him into a black Suburban and drive away. She didn’t get a complete plate number, only the first three characters.”

  Jeremy stumbled backward a step, reeling. Someone took his boy? Who? He’d kill the man!

  “Jamie was kidnapped?” Someone had shot Adeline to take him.

  “I have every available law enforcement officer out looking for him right now,” Knox said. “My son was kidnapped, too. I know what you’re feeling right now.”

  While that came as some comfort, Jeremy couldn’t stand by and do nothing. Where was his son? Was he all right? How was he being treated? He stopped himself from imagining the worst.

  “There’s nothing you can do that isn’t already being done,” Knox said as though he’d heard his thoughts. “Adeline needs you. You should be here with her. I’ll keep you informed on any changes in progress in the search. You have your cell phone?”

  Jeremy nodded.

  “I’ll make sure calls to your home phone are forwarded in case the kidnapper tries to contact you. I’ll also set up tracking and recording. Give me a key and the code to your security system.”

  Jeremy gave him his house key and told him the code.

  The urge to leave and chase across every inch of the town looking for Jamie eased, leaving only sickening apprehension and a sense of extreme helplessness. Not knowing where
his son was or how he was doing would be tortuous.

  Adeline.

  She’d been shot and was in surgery. “Where was she shot?” What if she didn’t make it?

  “Right side, just below the rib cage.”

  Jeremy’s breath whooshed out of him and he backed up to sit down. Rubbing his hand down his face, he feared Adeline wouldn’t survive a shot like that. This was all his fault. If he hadn’t asked her to help him investigate Tess’s death, she wouldn’t be in the hospital right now. Part of the reason he’d asked her was selfish. He’d wanted to see her again, but he hadn’t thought things through enough.

  Evangeline sat on the chair beside him, wiping her tears and regaining her composure. “Adeline told me about you. I said I wanted to meet her mystery man. I didn’t count on it being in the emergency waiting room.”

  “Mystery man?”

  “That’s what I called you. Adeline isn’t very talkative about the men in her life. Ever since she had to get that restraining order on her ex-boyfriend, she’s kept to herself. She dated here and there but never brought any of them home to meet me. She wasn’t serious enough with them. They didn’t last. I have a feeling it will take quite a while for her to trust a man enough to let him meet me.”

  “Yeah, I’ve picked up on that with her.” Jeremy smiled, bittersweet.

  “She probably will never tell you this, but she loves Jamie. She’s loved him since the day he was born. That happens with mothers. The moment they see and hold their newborn, a special bond forms.”

  Adeline had indicated as much.

  “I’m afraid she’ll end up like me, loving a man she can never have and doesn’t want anyway because they could never grow up enough.”

  Who was she talking about? Adeline’s feelings for her ex-boyfriend?

  “She might tell people she didn’t love that man, but she did. She loved the man he could have become. I loved her father that way.” Evangeline sighed. “No one came along after him who captured my heart the same way. I’d rather be alone than with someone I don’t truly love.”