The Game Changer

by Iona Morrison

  “Have you found out something?” She turned finally, her expression worried.

  “From the DNA collected from Maria’s nails, it is our guy, William Mallory. He was in prison for assault. He beat some guy bad, damn near killed him. He has a long rap sheet starting in his teens. Jeremy’s trying to find out more now.” He frowned. “We do know he was under the care of a Dr. Hearst for psychotic behavior. As long as he took his meds he was somewhat under control, but more often than not, he didn’t take them. That’s when the trouble escalated.” Matt started to back out of the parking space but stopped halfway.

  “So why are you so upset and snapping at me?” She scowled at him. “Is it Henderson?”

  He shook his head. “Henderson’s a pain, but he’s good at what he does. He’ll irritate the hell out of me, but he’ll get the job done. There’s another cog in the wheel, though. Henderson’s sources tell him they spotted a known hit man in the area.”

  “Why don’t they arrest him?”

  “His sources are snitches, not agents. They have no clue where the man is, and I have to admit that I’m a little concerned about that. You do remember that you shot a hit man. Now there’s a hit man in the same area where you are.” He adjusted the mirror. “Word is there might be a contract out on you. It may be nothing, but I’m not willing to risk it.

  She took a deep breath. “Here’s the deal.” She turned to face him. “We’ll put this aside for now. I want to find Adriana, and personally, I want to survive. But when this is all finished, we are going to have a talk about your constant need to lecture me.” Her stubborn chin lifted, and his jaw clenched. “For now, we have a truce.”

  “Fair enough.” He nodded. “But you also need to understand it’s my job to give orders when I’m on a case. That’s what I do. The niceties don’t apply. As much as I would love for this to be a vacation right now, it’s not, sweetheart. We’re in the middle off a case that I’m working hard to wrap my head around. If making you mad keeps you safe, if pulling rank keeps you safe, then that’s what I’m going to do.” He tapped the steering wheel.

  “I understand orders when it comes to the job, but I won’t let you snap at me because you’re having a bad day.”

  “Look, Jess, I can’t promise you I’ll never lecture you or tell you what to do. I’m a man. I don’t even realize, half the time, I’m doing it.” He frowned. “And, I’m not like your dad, so don’t compare us.” He knew once the words left his mouth that he’d blown it.

  “I’ve never compared you to my dad.” Her eyes narrowed. “I only got mad when you sided with him. You don’t know enough about our relationship to make a call on it either way.”

  “You may be right about that.” He sighed. “But you can’t run every time a guy frustrates you—you’d be running for the rest of your life.”

  “Who’s running? So far I’ve taken everything you’ve thrown at me.”

  He softened his voice and turned to look at her. “I know, Jess, I can be a real bear to deal with when I’m on a case. You’ll never find anyone who loves you more than I do.” He finished backing out of the parking space. From the corner of his eye, he could see her glancing his way with a perplexed look on her face. “Let’s just leave it as it is—we’re both tired and angry right now. Maybe this isn’t the best time to talk about it. I’ve already said more than I wanted to. This time, I wasn’t pulling rank on you, sweetheart. I was a jerk.” He could see the corner of her mouth turn up.

  “My description, exactly. A simple call to let me know Frank was here could have avoided all this. I can’t read your mind. You have to tell me if you want me to be ready to go somewhere with you.” She frowned at him.

  “I can live with that.” He changed lanes.

  “Stress from the job doesn’t give you license to jump on me over tight quarters, or my swimming attire. You’re the one who suggested you stay there.” She turned her face away from him but then turned back around. “And just so you know, I love my dad. The argument I’ve had with him over the years is not over telling me from time to time what to do—he had the right to do that as my parent. But, he didn’t have the right to control my life. There’s a vast difference. Enough said.” She turned her head from him and looked at the window once more.

  He watched her for a few minutes. The silence in the car was deafening. He reached across the space between them and touched her arm. “Truce, Jess, I’m sorry.”

  She flinched. “Sure, why not.”

  He noticed she still hadn’t looked his way. He had made a mess of this day. Was he trying to control her? He needed to figure out how to set this right. He put on the turn signal and turned into the motel where Frank was staying. As soon as he parked the car, she was out and had closed the door.

  “Jessie.” Frank hugged her when he opened the door. “You’ve got yourself in the thick of it again I hear.”

  “It found me and then followed me on vacation.” She smiled at him.

  “Some vacation, huh?”

  “Is Radar in the room?” She pushed past him when he nodded. “Hi, big fella.” She petted the dog.

  “How are we going to do this?” Frank followed Matt into the room.

  “I don’t know where to begin. We know she is in the area somewhere but have no clue exactly where.”

  “I know that Adriana was in the trunk of the guy’s car. There must be times when that car has been near the resort because he’s gotten into our suite a few times.” Jessie looked at the two men.

  “Let’s start with that. Even if we don’t get him, we might be able to find her by following her scent from the resort and the direction the car traveled.”

  “He can do that?” Matt looked over at Radar.

  Frank nodded. “In one of my cases, Radar followed the scent from a coat found in a neighborhood in another area, tracing the same route the perp took. It was over nine miles away. They discovered the body eventually, not far from where we finally stopped the track. Radar re-traced the direction they had traveled.”

  “That’s fascinating.”

  “I think it is.” Frank handed Matt some papers from his briefcase. “This is a list of the cases I’ve worked and the agencies which you can contact in case the FBI wants my credentials. There is also a list of the convictions made, based on Radar’s tracks.”

  “Impressive. What a way to win over any doubters.”

  “It should.”

  “How about we start at the resort tomorrow?” Matt bent down to pat the dog. “I’ll need to take you over to meet the agent in charge, and the Chief of Police to clear it with them; which should be a mere formality. They know you’re coming.” He waved the papers. “After they get a look at these, they shouldn’t have any doubts. Let’s say I pick you up at seven-thirty tomorrow so we can start working him no later than nine o’clock. We’ll pick you up here later for dinner. I’ll call you with the time.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Frank shook Matt’s hand. “If she’s out there, we’ll do our best to find her.”

  “Oh, she’s out there all right.” Jessie finally spoke up. “I’ve seen her.” She hugged Frank on her way out the door. “Be sure to tell your wife hi from me.”

  Chapter 17

  It had been a strange day for Jessie. Dinner was okay because everyone was there. Her conversation with Matt was strained and almost non-existent. She decided to sleep in Sadie’s room. She needed to be near her grandmother. Her earlier fight with Matt and his concerns were weighing heavy on her mind. A hit man? She didn’t even want to go there. Then there was William Mallory, unstable and out to get her. She had read some of her old news archives and had seen his picture. Once she saw him, she remembered the incident. He was scary. She must have buried it deep, trying to forget it.

  She could hear Sadie’s nice steady breathing. Sound asleep. The earplugs tucked in her ears kept the sounds of the night out, including Jessie’s restlessness. What a trouper she was, always so dependable, caring, and selfless. Jessie didn’t lik
e to think about the fact that because of her, both Sadie and Katie could be in danger. She would have to do everything she could to keep them safe. Matt would help her. She frowned. She hadn’t treated him well, either.

  Grams and Gramps had had their share of rough times in the beginning, too. Overall, theirs was an incredible life together. No more pouting. Grams wouldn’t let her get away with it, not even for a moment. She wouldn’t care if she stood her ground and stood up to Matt, but she wouldn’t like the fact that she’d given him the silent treatment. So what are you going to do about it, Jessie? She got out of bed, pulled on her robe, and went out into the living room. He wasn’t there. She finally found him sitting in a chair in the courtyard.

  “Why are you awake?” He watched her walk toward him.

  “I wanted to talk to you.” She bit her bottom lip, moved a chair closer to him, and sat. He looked tired.

  “Before you say anything, let me.” He reached over and grabbed her hand. “I’ve been thinking, and I’m sorry for jumping on you earlier. You had no way to know I was coming back to get you. I was a pain.”

  “I’m sorry, too. I was pouting and giving you the silent treatment.” She bit her lip again. “But, I’m not sorry for calling you out on how you treated me.” She smiled at him.

  “I need to learn a few things about being in a relationship, I guess.” He grinned at her. “The truth is, I’ve never known a more beautiful woman inside and out. You’re kindhearted, Jess, and I hope you’ll always stay that way. This business has a way of making one jaded.”

  “I need to learn a few things, myself.” She tried to free her hand as she stood up. She found herself on his lap instead.

  “Let me just hold you a minute.” He gently pushed her head down on his shoulder. “I don’t like it when you’re mad at me.” His hand stroked up and down her back. “You’re my girl, and I’m happiest when I’m with you. I don’t like it when we aren’t talking.” He paused as she lifted her head to watch his face. “I love how you’re kind to everybody.” He looked into her eyes. “How come you’re so sweet?’

  “I don’t know if I’m that sweet. I got mad enough at you.” She chuckled. “From my earliest memories, Sadie drummed into me that life was a gift, and I should be grateful for it. She taught me that love is stronger than hate, so strong that it can stop the hate. I guess I believed it. At least, now and then I try to live it. I’m learning it’s not all so black and white, though. Life is tough and even when you try to be nice people might not be nice back. “ She traced his brows with her finger. “You look worried. What is it?”

  “We’re in an awful fix, and we are going to have work together to get through this safely. Jeremy found transferred funds in Mallory’s account—in a rather large tidy sum. We also discovered that Mallory has a connection to a couple of the perps from our past. He developed it while in prison. How that influences this situation, I don’t know. It adds one more piece to the puzzle.”

  “How do you think Adriana fits into all of this? Why was she kidnapped?”

  “I don’t know, but Mallory is a talker. I’m sure he’ll let us know. It’s a surprise to me that we haven’t heard from him since you saw her escape. I think he doesn’t know yet that she’s gone. So where has he been?” Matt frowned in concentration.

  “Good question.”

  “Dr. Hearst said he could disappear for days when he was in a manic state. I can’t imagine what’s going to happen when he does find her gone. I think he’ll come after you. He’ll probably make a mistake in the process because he won’t be in control. His anger will get in the way. So you and I, we’re going to stick together like glue.” He grinned at her. “A nice little twist, don’t you think.”

  “I don’t mind. We’ve done it before.” She gazed into his eyes. “But, won’t that make us an easy target for a hit man, if there is one?”

  “I’ve thought about that, and we’ll have to take our chances but keep our eyes open.” He caressed her cheek, then lifted her chin, and kissed her lips. “You need to get some rest. We have another long day ahead of us tomorrow.” They walked inside together. As soon as he closed and locked the door, he backed her up against it. With his hands on each side of her head, he kissed her passionately, robbing her of most of her senses. She felt him shudder as he pulled away. Her heart raced, and she wanted him to kiss her again.

  His finger stroked her cheek, tracing her lips. “You fascinate me and scare me at the same time.”

  “How do I scare you?” She exhaled slowly, her eyes meeting his.

  “I can’t get enough of you and I can’t imagine my life without you in it, Jess.” He grinned at her as she made a face and gave her a playful push. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

  She grinned as she strutted past him her hips swaying saucily. In one quick move, he swung her around. Grabbing the front of her robe, he pulled in close and kissed her one more time. She sighed, and he smiled.

  ****

  Jessie lay awake, tossing and turning. His question kept interrupting her memories of his incredible kiss. Why hadn’t Mallory responded to Adriana’s escape? It was all a mystery to her. Unless, of course, she hadn’t seen it at all. Maybe she had wanted Adriana to get free so badly that her mind made it up. It sure had seemed real enough. She relaxed, stretching out on her side, closing her eyes, her arm cradling her head. It was heavenly just to relax for a moment. She was tired.

  Jessie’s pulse quickened. It was faint, but she could see it just the same. Suddenly the picture in her mind was clear. It was dark, and Adriana was making her way across a broad open expanse. Jessie could see the fear in her eyes. She was looking at something in the distance. Jessie tried to make it out. What are you looking at, Adriana? Help me out, please.

  “If I can just get there and take shelter, maybe I can rest. I’m tired. How are you little one? Nighttime is the only time I can travel. I don’t want him to see us.” Adriana patted her stomach. “I hope there are no snakes out.” She shivered. “I hate snakes. I know your daddy won’t give up looking for us. We can’t give up either. Just a little ways more and then we can rest.” Jessie saw the landscape ahead—maybe rocks of some kind. As fast as the scene had appeared, the vision was gone.

  Jessie sat on the edge of the bed and then lay back down. One more time she sat up, sighing. Why fight it? She threw off the covers and headed for the chair in the corner. Why had they abducted Adriana? She sat down, turned on her laptop, and combed over the articles on mental illness, one by one. She found herself feeling a bit sad for Mallory and others who suffered from mental illness. Mallory had his problems to be sure, but so did the doctors treating him. Treatment was often a case of trial and error. His doctor struggled to find the best combination of drugs for him. To be fair, there were some success cases. People who stayed on their meds and whose doctors monitored them closely did the best over time.

  So where was he now? He apparently had left Adriana alone long enough for her to wake up and to be able to escape. If what this report said was true, he could be sleeping off an extreme excitable or manic event. How was she to know? If he weren’t on his meds, his behavior could be unpredictable. Jessie knew what he was capable of when he was angry. They needed to find Mallory before he hurt someone else, including himself. No wonder Adriana was afraid. Had he beaten her too? She followed her train of thought and continued to search for something. Her excitement began to build. She crept to the door carefully, opening it on a whim. She could hear Matt’s even breathing and started to close the door again.

  “Are you coming or going?” He sat up and pulled on his T-shirt.

  “I was checking to see if you were awake.”

  “I wasn’t, but I am now. Why aren’t you asleep?”

  “I saw Adriana again.” She leaned against the doorframe. “I couldn’t sleep so I got up, searched through some old files, and I found something. I should have waited until morning, but I got too excited.”

  Light filtered into the room as Jeremy opened
his door. “Is this a private party or is anyone invited?”

  “You may as well come join in. Jessie saw Adriana again and has some new information she was about to tell me.”

  “Now isn’t that a coincidence. I have some information, too.” Jeremy walked into the room.

  Jessie realized she hadn’t slipped on her robe and darted back into the room to put it on. She brought her laptop out with her, placed it on the coffee table, and sat down on the couch between Jeremy and Matt. She pulled up the page she had been on so they could see it on the screen. Matt nodded at her.

  “I was watching this unedited video of my interview with Professor Irwin. Do you see Mallory standing there?” Jessie pointed him out. Both men nodded their acknowledgment. “This is after everything was over. Brian, my cameraman, continued to roll the camera.” She froze a frame and enlarged it. “You can’t see this when the video is running. It was happening too fast. The professor slipped Mallory an envelope. Money maybe? Was the interview staged or the professor being blackmailed? Their argument could have been for show.” She stopped the video and went back a few frames letting it play at regular speed. “See, it only looks like they’re shaking hands.”

  “What I found makes a little more sense now.” Jeremy looked at her. “Mallory must have had something to hold over Irwin. The college was hush-hush about the stalker. The case remained unsolved according to them. I couldn’t find out any information. They terminated Irwin’s tenure, which I find strange. It doesn’t happen very often. His records were sealed, and they wouldn’t say why. A few weeks before his tenure termination, Irwin resigned. This is even stranger. Adriana never filed any charges against anyone. The good prof dropped off the radar after that. The other thing I learned is Irwin spent a good deal of time in Haiti and overseas during his vacations and sabbaticals. I found that interesting. Could Irwin or someone from the bank be the stalker? No one is talking.”