DANGEROUS, Collection #1

by Patricia Rosemoor

  She spent a frustrating fifteen minutes before managing to find the few file names and open the first on the list. She worked by trial and error. Nothing of value.

  Terminal was equally unhelpful.

  Cardfile was next. She was getting a handle on this process. Files were labeled Friend, Relative, Business and Other. She opened Relative and found a number for Tyler's mother in Florida and his sister in Kentucky. She tried Other. Only a single entry: Helen.

  Keelin recognized the telephone number as being the same as that in the note. Cheryl knew, then. Furthermore, she must have used the number, or why would she have entered it into her computer.

  But Helen hadn't said anything about her daughter contacting her...

  Thoughtfully, Keelin stared at the entry, wishing it could give her some answers.

  Then she carefully backtracked, closing the file, then the program, then the operations.

  "Good beast," she said, patting the computer before shutting off the power.

  Her next stop was the room Helen had been using. She had no qualms about entering. The bed was unmade. Towels were strewn across the bathroom floor. So Cheryl had inherited her mother's untidiness. But not one item that she could identify as belonging to Helen remained anywhere to be found. Not even a tube of toothpaste.

  Helen was gone. For good, Keelin suspected.

  That cinched it. She rang L&O Realty.

  "Sorry, Miss McKenna," Pamela told her. "But Mr. Leighton stepped out."

  Did his assistant sound nervous, or was it her imagination? Keelin wondered.

  "What time will Tyler return?" Keelin asked.

  "Uh, I'm not sure...but he said not to expect him until I see him." Pamela added, "He'll probably be in and out all day."

  Making Keelin wonder if Tyler's assistant knew why. More important, was Pamela aware of Brock's involvement with Nathan Feldman?

  Every time she considered the situation, the resolution seemed more and more complicated, as if they were dealing with a large conspiracy of which Cheryl was only a small part.

  Grand.

  And she could not even speak to Tyler. He was out collecting the ransom. For all she knew, he could so avoid her calls the entire day.

  Frustrated beyond belief, she dialed Skelly's number at the station, but his taping was already in progress. She left a message for her cousin, asking that he ring her at her hotel later.

  And then she searched Tyler's bedroom, hoping he'd been foolish enough to leave the ransom note for her to find. Some clue as to where he was to make the exchange.

  No luck there or in his study, however.

  After completing her search, Keelin leaned back in Tyler's office chair and gazed at the framed photograph of Cheryl on his desk. So young to be hostage to some revenge scheme. Part of the girl's innocence – her faith in her fellow man -- would be shattered. Noting Tyler had set the charm they'd found at the bandshell near the picture of his daughter, she snatched it up. Staring at the perfectly crafted tiny fairy, she only wished the charm bracelet had the power to protect its owner...

  About to replace the charm, something made Keelin hesitate. She rolled the tiny bit of silver between her fingers and couldn't quite force herself to let it go. She slipped the charm into her pocket. Perhaps the fairy would bring her good luck.

  For the fates seemed suddenly to have turned against her, Keelin mourned.

  Not that fate would stop her from being part of the night's dramatic events. If she had to, she would lie in wait for Tyler at L&O Realty. As Pamela had suggested, he would be in and out all day. Undoubtedly, he would be depositing each large amount of cash he collected in his safe. No doubt he would proceed to the exchange point directly from his offices.

  And Keelin hoped to have the perfect opportunity to follow him.

  "TOO BAD YOU CAN'T DREAM through the kid's eyes while you're awake," Skelly said after she'd explained her dilemma later that afternoon. "Then you could see where the bastards who are holding Cheryl take her."

  Keelin was curled on the sofa in the sitting room of her suite, while her cousin paced the room's length, as if the outcome of the night's events were as important to him as they were to her.

  "Being able to do so would simplify things. Too bad Gran never taught me how."

  "Whoa!" Skelly skidded to a halt. "You mean Moira indicated it's possible?"

  "She spoke of having lucid visions," Keelin agreed, once again wishing she knew more about the process. Maybe then things would never have gotten to this point.

  "But you've never tried it?"

  "I regret not. I have no experience in the area of self-hypnosis."

  "I got into self-hypnosis for a story." Sounding excited, Skelly perched on the sofa next to her. "That's how I quit smoking."

  "Not quite the same task," Keelin pointed out.

  "No, but the principle's got to be similar. You relax, first your body, one part at a time, then your mind. You give yourself a suggestion to do whatever it is you want, but you package it in fancy wrappings."

  Keelin frowned at him. "I'm not certain that I understand."

  "Like I had to think of something that would make me feel good if I wasn't smoking. Imagining a beautiful spot where I could swim for miles. Or climb mountains. Or run through fields. Things that took a lot of deep breathing. Things I couldn't do with nicotine-corroded lungs. See what I mean?"

  "I...think so." Though the same methods might not help her unlock someone else's mind. "Perhaps we should keep to the original plan."

  "Following Tyler?" Though he appeared a bit disappointed, he said, "Your call, cous."

  Keelin gave Skelly a big hug. "I don't know how I'll ever be able to thank you properly."

  "Hey, no big deal." While Skelly seemed somewhat embarrassed, he returned the hug and patted her on the back. "Hopefully we'll get good news all around." To her questioning look, he said, "Dad's flying in tonight, remember."

  Dear Lord, the reunion. She'd been so preoccupied that she'd forgotten the reason for coming to the United States in the first place.

  "Aileen will meet him?" she asked.

  "That's the plan."

  "I hope your sister has as much influence with your father as you imagine."

  Something had to go right, Keelin thought, trying to be positive. And surely Raymond McKenna couldn't be as stubborn as Tyler Leighton.

  NERVES ON EDGE, KEELIN started when Tyler finally left L&O Realty, loaded backpack in hand, shortly after nine p.m. She grabbed Skelly's arm. "There he is." Having lucked out, they'd been able to get a parking spot just down the street from the realty office more than an hour ago. "Wait. He's not crossing to the car park.

  Skelly started the engine. "He's hailing a taxi."

  Keelin didn't take her eyes off Tyler who was barely a hundred yards away. She only wished she could see him better to judge his frame of mind.

  She only wished she was with him.

  "Follow that cab," she told Skelly with a grimace.

  As the taxi pulled away, so did they, only two vehicles in between. Keelin's sense of urgency pressed in on her, increasingly so as they continued in the same direction. Rather than turning west toward Wicker Park as she'd suspected they'd be doing, the taxi was continuing south on Clark.

  "Where could he be headed?"

  "Your guess is as good as mine," Skelly said. "All kinds of places loaded with people between here and the Loop."

  "I was imagining an area a bit more deserted," Keelin admitted.

  They'd gotten within blocks of her hotel before the problem of keeping up with Tyler began. Heedless of traffic, two couples raced across the street in the middle of the block. Skelly threw on his brakes. Several more vehicles inched in between them and Tyler's taxi, including a van.

  "I can't even see him now," Keelin complained as they came to an intersection where a group of burly young men who could be rugby players crossed against the light. "Try to catch up, could you?"

  But by the time the crossing wa
s clear of pedestrians, the light had turned red.

  "Damn!" Skelly's hand crashed into the steering wheel. "We've lost him."

  Dismay filling her, Keelin said, "Perhaps you can find him again."

  Skelly did his best. The light changed. He raced through the intersection and around several vehicles with the same expertise as had her taxi driver the day before. Ahead, she spotted several yellow cabs, any one of which could be Tyler's. The problem was compounded when two of the taxis turned off Clark, one in either direction. Skelly stayed with those that continued south, but when they drew closer, Keelin could see a couple in each back seat.

  "We really did lose him," she cried. "Now what?"

  "Now it's time for you to develop a new skill," Skelly said, making a turn and racing down a darker side street. He pulled into the curb at a fireplug and cut the engine. "Think you can convince yourself to relax?"

  Realizing what he expected of her, Keelin opened her mouth to protest. But what choice did she have?

  "Ready?" he asked.

  She fumbled with her dress pocket. "I shall have to be."

  "I'll talk you through it. Start by taking some deep breaths...in through your nose...out through your mouth. That's it, only slower."

  Following Skelly's voice, Keelin stared down at her palm. The ghostly illumination of a nearby streetlight allowed her to see Cheryl's fairy charm. She concentrated on it.

  "Close your eyes...let your body relax. Start with your feet...feel a little tingly sensation...then your ankles...your calves."

  Eyes closed, charm pressed into her closed hand, Keelin felt her body grow lighter and lighter as Skelly helped her find the path she so desperately needed.

  "You're drifting. Now clear your mind of all thoughts but Cheryl. Concentrate on her...on her smiling face. She's happy, Keelin..."

  For a moment, she envisioned a pretty young girl with light brown hair being twirled around and around. Cheryl threw her arms around Tyler's neck, the motion setting the bracelet on her wrist to tinkling.

  "I see her," Keelin whispered. "With Tyler...the fair last summer."

  "Good. You're on the right track. Look for Cheryl wherever she is now," Skelly was saying. "She's somewhere close-by. Concentrate on her thoughts...her emotions...what she's seeing..."

  Keelin's hand flexed around the charm and in her mind, she raced through the darkness.

  She stared out into blackness as her sore fingers played over her bracelet for comfort. At least her wrists weren't tied anymore. They didn't have to be. She knew what would happen if she tried anything.

  She'd seen the gun.

  "Dear God," Keelin whispered, the image dissolving instantly. "I believe they've threatened to shoot her if she doesn't cooperate."

  "You did it?" came Skelly's voice from somewhere beyond her new consciousness. "Don't let it go, Keelin. Don't lose her. We can deal with the gun. Stay with Cheryl. See through her eyes one last time. We've got to know where they're headed!"

  Heart pounding, Keelin did as Skelly urged. Desperately, she clung to the charm in her hand and let her mind re-enter the cosmos.

  She was scared. More scared than she'd been in the apartment or the abandoned building. More scared than she'd been on the streets. She squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip so she wouldn't cry like some baby.

  Her dad was giving them lots of money for her, but what if he tried something brave to save her and they shot him anyway?

  Then she'd have no one.

  "Don't be scared, Cheryl," Keelin whispered. "You're not alone, I promise. I won't let anything bad happen to you or your dad."

  Her heart skipped a beat and her eyes flashed open as she thought she heard something weird...something inside her head.

  Not the first time, either.

  "We're almost there," came a voice from behind her, raised to be heard over the loud drone of the motor.

  Their direction changed and they hit some rough bumps. Cold water sprayed her. Shivering, she glanced over her shoulder, past the city's skyline, her eyes drawn to the bright, moving lights that were coming closer...

  "What are you seeing, Keelin?" came the voice outside her head.

  "A Ferris wheel." The lit circle and spokes clear in her mind's eye, she said, "They're drawing closer...coming in from the lake. I think...they are in a motorboat!"

  "Keelin, let the image go for now. Let Cheryl go," Skelly urged, his voice excited. "You're back in the car with me. You can feel your body again. Your hands, feet and everything in between."

  The unnatural darkness receded and Keelin blinked her eyes open. Felt the weight of the tiny charm in her palm. She uncurled her fingers and stared at it.

  "I found her," she whispered, even as Skelly started the car. "I saw through her eyes...a giant Ferris wheel."

  He nodded. "It's got to be the one at Navy Pier! You did good. And we're only a few minutes away."

  The longest few minutes that Keelin had ever experienced even though Skelly drove like a madman, careening through the night, somehow managing to avoid several traffic-engulfed intersections for quieter ones.

  Finally, the crowds couldn't be avoided and their progress slowed. Keelin glanced at the car clock – almost ten – and then straight ahead at a long pier swarming with people where several tourist boats were docked.

  The Ferris wheel seemed to grow larger as they approached.

  "I believe we don't have much time," she told her cousin, her eyes glued to the lights.

  "I'll let you off and park the car. Don't worry, I'll find you," he promised.

  Keelin nodded and drew herself together. She was prepared for whatever was to come. This was it. Her chance to redeem herself. She only hoped that she could look forward to more. A future, for one. And, God willing, a future with Tyler. Heaven only knew what hand fate had dealt her, for uppermost in Keelin's mind was her solemn promise to Cheryl Leighton.

  She would see that the girl and her father were both safe if it was the last thing she ever did.

  BACKPACK SLUNG OVER HIS SHOULDER as casually as if he were carrying a change of clothing rather than a million dollars in cash, Tyler entered the Family Pavilion. Trying not to let his worry about Cheryl dull his senses, he dodged a passel of running kids while keeping out an eye for anyone too interested in his progress. If he were being watched, he couldn't tell. Finally, rounding a half-hazardly parked baby stroller, he reached his objective – the escalator that would take him to the upper level Crystal Gardens.

  Weaver should already be in the big, flashy building whose main feature was a mini-forest of Arizona palm trees. Meant to be an oasis for winter fun-seekers, the space was a greenhouse with a view in every direction – transparent wall and ceiling panels supported by towering grids.

  The moment he entered, Tyler searched the busy area for the private investigator. Black wrought iron tables and chairs were mostly occupied as were seats around the palm trees. But no Jack Weaver.

  Tyler checked his watch. Nearly ten. The fireworks display was set for ten-fifteen. Even now, couples and whole families were drifting to the outside upper level deck to find a spot from which to watch.

  Unsure of how things would go with the exchange, he wanted back-up. Someone other than Keelin. He couldn't be put in a situation where his attention was split. He knew he'd hurt Keelin earlier by excluding her, but he would make it up to her. She had to forgive him. He'd never known such a woman existed before.

  A woman who was a true innocent.

  No one waited any more, he thought, dazed by the unspoken revelation he'd come to while making love to her. At least not that long. Why had Keelin?

  The answer was all too clear. Undoubtedly, she'd been waiting for the right man. Tyler could hardly believe it, but there it was. Keelin had waited to share herself with someone special.

  Special sure as hell didn't describe him.

  He took a deep breath. His romantic desires would have to wait. First things first. Cheryl.

  Not liking firearms
himself, especially not around so many innocent people, he suspected Feldman or Brock or whoever would deliver his daughter for the trade would be armed. The private investigator's having a handgun was supposed to be insurance, just in case something went wrong. Tyler wasn't going home without his daughter.

  So where the hell was Weaver?

  The knot in Tyler's gut loosened a moment later when he saw the investigator stroll into the Crystal Gardens through a southeast door. Wearing a glow-in-the-dark plastic necklace and carrying a cotton candy like a tourist, Weaver barely looked his way before finding himself a seat. Relieved, Tyler strolled through the oasis toward the north end to wait as he'd been instructed.

  He checked his watch.

  Ten o'clock.

  The next fifteen minutes would be the longest of his life.

  Chapter Twelve

  KEELIN JOGGED A THIRD OF THE LENGTH of Dock Street, pushing her way through gathering crowds, avoiding a couple on bicycles and several younger people on in-line skates. Further down the south side of the pier, a mime was entertaining a group of teenagers and a clown was twisting balloons into animal shapes for some small children. Families were swarming onto one of the tourist boats, while two other vessels were just pulling away from the docks. People were taking seats and watching out to the water as if expectant.

  She knew they were gathering for the fireworks the sign at the west entrance of Navy Pier announced in flashing lights. Pounded by loud rock music from above, she stopped, breathless, and glanced upward at what looked like a weird-shaped white parachute, but what was, in fact, the roof of an open-air concert arena. She'd already passed beneath the lit Ferris wheel and Merry-go-round. Hordes of people on the upper level gathered at the railing to stare out over the water.

  She hadn't realized how big Navy Pier was. Cheryl could be anywhere.