by JP Ratto
“I’m done. Is everything okay? When’s Mom coming home?”
“Everything’s fine and your mother’s working. I don’t know when she’ll be home.”
Lana didn’t need to be told to leave them; his harsh tone said it all. When Lana disappeared from the room, Turner twisted back to Maddie.
“Mr. Turner, I said my name is Mad—”
“I heard your name. I want to know what you want. Besides, Jane’s not here. Is she in some kind of trouble? Are you from the school?”
“No—”
“Then I have nothing to say.” Hugh Turner stepped back, slammed the door shut, and turned off the light above her.
That went well. Daylight was fading fast, and she stood in semi-darkness contemplating what to do. Her name is Jane. Although not stunned by the man’s rudeness, Maddie worried that the unsuccessful exchange might thwart the reunion Lucas looked forward to.
She turned to go back to her car when a white sedan pulled into the driveway. Maddie could see the driver was female and walked down the unlit path toward the car. Jane? The car door opened, the auto light illuminating the woman inside. Not a teenager, she appeared to be in her forties and wore her light, medium-length hair straight to her shoulders.
“Loretta Turner?” Maddie asked as the woman exited the car.
She started at Maddie’s words. As if using it as a shield, she straightened to stand on one side of the opened car door. “Yes?” Her tone was cautious and questioning.
Tall and wiry, with a thin face, and small features, Maddie thought she must have been beautiful once. She could see where Lana got her good looks.
“I didn’t mean to startle you. My name is Madeline Grange. I’d like to talk to you about Jane.
Loretta’s face immediately registered alarm and Maddie quickly dispelled it. “Mrs. Turner, nothing is wrong.”
“Thank goodness.”
Nothing, except her biological father is on her way to see her. Maddie didn’t want to deceive Loretta Turner; she needed to pave a conciliatory path for Lucas. “Do you know where Jane is?”
Loretta’s caution heightened again. “I do. But why do you want to know? Is she in some kind of danger?”
Maddie wondered why Loretta would come to that conclusion. A mother’s intuition? She glanced around the quiet street. Going inside would be impossible with the woman’s irate husband sure to kick Maddie out. There was only one option. Honesty.
Taking out her ID, Maddie explained the reason for her visit. “I know your daughter Jane is adopted, and her biological father is on his way here to see her.”
Loretta Turner’s eyes widened in surprise before moisture glazed them. “I always felt there was something off about that adoption. But Hugh wouldn’t hear anything about it.” She slowly closed the car door and turned away from her house. “Let’s take a walk.”
It took all of five minutes to relate the general details. Maddie showed Loretta the digital photo of his daughter that Lucas received. Loretta began to ask questions Maddie thought Lucas should answer. The more immediate concern was whether Marnie—Jane—was in any danger.
“I know this is a lot to ask, Mrs. Turner, but you need to trust me. Where is Jane?”
Loretta hesitated a moment and then pointed to the only car on the street. “I assume that’s yours.”
Maddie nodded.
“We’ll drive there. It’s less than a ten-minute walk, but I don’t want Hugh to wonder where I am,” she said and returned to her car. Maddie crossed the street to the rental, slid inside, and prepared to follow.
***
Jane finished hanging the oak tag poster and glanced around for something else to do. She saw the head of the decorating committee on the other side of the gym and headed toward her.
“Joanne, what else can I do?”
Scanning the gym and then checking a clipboard list, she said, “There’s a box of streamers out in the lobby. Can you get it? It’s not heavy.”
“Sure.” Jane exited one of the three gym doors and strode down a short hall to the building’s lobby. The main office was closed and no one was at the desk used for security during the day. The only adults in the school were the custodial staff doing their nightly cleanup.
Jane spotted several stacked boxes. She moved them until she located the one marked, “streamers.” She opened it to make sure of its contents, and, as she closed it, someone called her name. She turned to see Dylan’s friend Connor running toward her.
She shuddered with alarm, sensing something was wrong. “What happened, Connor?”
“Jane, you gotta come. It’s Dylan. He’s passed out, and we can’t get him up.”
Jane rushed out of the building after Connor, who led her to the far end of the sports field. In the distance, she could see a group of teenage boys. When she reached the cluster of Dylan’s friends, she pushed through two of them. Lying at their feet was her brother.
“Dylan!” She dropped to her knees beside him. She leaned over him and touched his face and hands; they were cold and his breathing was shallow. Frantic, she looked up at Connor. “He needs to go to the hospital. Why didn’t you call 911?”
Jane pulled out her phone. Before she could punch in the numbers, a hand grabbed her wrist and wrenched the phone away. Her stomach lurched.
“Logan, what are you doing?” Jane yelled. “My brother needs help.”
“Calm down, Jane,” Logan said in a patronizing tone. “He’s going to be fine.” He turned to glare at Connor. “Some of us overreacted.”
“He’s unconscious, Logan!” Jane struggled to free the wrist Logan held. “Let me go.”
“I will, but you have to listen to me. If you call the EMTs, they’ll notify the police and we’ll all be in trouble.”
“Logan, what’s wrong with Dylan? Is it an overdose?”
“No. He’s not used to the stuff. It’s happened to me too. Gotta know how much you can handle.”
Jane yanked her arm free, but Logan still had her phone. “My brother could die, and you’re worried about your own neck. Bastard, give me my phone or I’ll start screaming.”
She watched Logan’s face tighten. He twisted to look at the others in the group, who appeared to wait for Logan’s orders. Dylan stirred and Jane was at his side again. “Dylan, it’s me. Are you all right?”
Dylan moaned and his eyes fluttered open and then shut. When she couldn’t rouse him, she panicked. “Someone call 911!” Jane shouted to the group hovered over her and her brother. They all looked at Logan, whose slight shake of his head relayed a command. No one moved.
Jane sprung to her feet and threw herself at Logan. He lost his balance and the grip on her phone; both dropped to the ground. As Jane lunged for the phone, Logan rolled toward it, grabbing it first. Jane stood and ran. Logan pushed off the ground and followed. She was a track runner and made it halfway back to the school in seconds. Breathing heavy, she glanced back and gasped. Logan raced close behind her. She picked up her pace, but it was no match for Logan’s size and speed. In seconds, he was at her back, grabbing her at the waist with one strong arm and bringing her to a stop. They both fought to stay on their feet. Logan’s hand clamped over Jane’s mouth when she began to scream. She bit his hand and kicked his legs. Able to release herself from his hold, she darted away.
“Help!” she screamed and felt the full weight of Logan’s body as he tackled her to the ground. On her back, she grabbed his shoulders and pushed him off her. Before she could rise, she felt a hard blow to the side of her face.
Chapter 29
Tom Keeler turned onto Roberts Street. He watched two cars at the end of the road roll to a stop before turning left, leaving his the lone car on the street. The Turners’ house stood midway from each corner. Keeler parked under one of two large maples, exited, and stood in the dark against the rough bark. A squirrel perched on one of the low branches scurried higher up the tree. He shrugged the hood of his heavy sweatshirt over his head. Reaching into the pocket, he pu
lled out a cigarette and, not lighting it, rolled it between his lips.
What the fuck am I doing here?
He didn’t want to be there; he didn’t want this job. The more he thought about it, the less he cared about confronting the former member of Delta Force. He wanted Cain to pay him blackmail so he could leave town. Keeler considered the fact that the police and Lucas Holt knew his identity. All the more reason to disappear.
Why did I let that hypocrite lawyer off the hook? He’s got more to lose than me.
As he’d been planning to leave the Bronx for a while, what he wanted was in his car: a packed suitcase and one small box of mementos—the rest could burn for all he cared. He kept his collection of weapons in a storage unit in New Jersey and only carried what he needed for a job. He never used the same gun twice. Keeler had a couple of fake IDs and credit cards. Once he ditched the Buick, he would rent a car using another name.
Cain better not screw with me.
With blackmail money, he could start a new life. The world would move on without giving him a second thought.
The front door of the Turner house opened. A man stepped out and lit a cigarette. That must be the girl’s adoptive father. Keeler watched the dark silhouette raise his arm to his face and drop it several times. The slight evening breeze carried the faint odor of tobacco toward Keeler. He bit down on his own filterless cigarette and breathed deeply. The man finished his smoke and went back inside.
Keeler assessed his surroundings. The deserted street was wide open with few places to take cover. He wanted to avoid a direct confrontation if possible.
For the first time, Keeler realized he didn’t have a plan for killing Lucas Holt. The best thing he could do was take him down before he got to the front door and get the hell out of there.
Keeler looked back at the house and another thought flashed through his mind. What if Cain was shitting me? How do I know he isn’t setting me up?
Keeler shook his head to clear all the doubt.
At the moment, he just wanted to light the goddamned cigarette.
***
Maddie followed Loretta Turner for the short drive to John J. Stapleton High School. Pulling into a parking lot on the school premises, Maddie waited for Loretta to exit her car. She noticed a missed call from Lucas, but before she could listen to the message, Loretta opened the passenger side door and slipped inside.
“Jane called earlier to tell me she would be here decorating the gym. There’s a sports competition in a couple of days.” Loretta glanced at Maddie. “You spoke to my husband before I came home?”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell him why you were there?”
“No.” Maddie shifted to face Loretta. “I thought it wasn’t my place, and he wasn’t in a talking, or listening, frame of mind. My purpose was to ascertain if Marnie—I mean Jane lived there.”
After a moment’s pause Loretta said, “I want you to know Jane lives in a good home.” She turned her head to stare out the front windshield; her voice was soft and steady. “I want her father…what’s his name?”
“Lucas Holt.”
Loretta tilted her head in contemplation. “I like the name; it has a noble ring to it. Can you tell me about him?”
Maddie nodded and gave her a brief biography of Lucas as she’d come to know him. When Loretta Turner raised a brow and smiled, Maddie knew she hadn’t been able to hide her affection for him.
“He sounds like the type of man every girl would want for a father.” Loretta’s smile faded and her eyes welled with tears. “And what about her mother?”
Maddie could hear Loretta’s apprehension and fear of competition in the question. How would she compare to her daughter’s biological mother?
“Lucas and his wife, Susan, were divorced. I’m sorry to say that she has recently passed away.”
“Oh.” Maddie caught the thinly veiled sigh of relief. “That’s so sad that she never got to see Jane. She would have been proud of her.”
Maddie nodded. “Yes, but Lucas was able to show her the recent photo of Mar—Jane.” It’s going to be tough for Lucas to get used to calling her Jane.
“Where did he get a photo of her?” Loretta asked.
“It’s a long story. I’ll let Lucas tell you.”
Ms. Grange—”
“Please call me Maddie.”
“Okay. Maddie, I want Mr. Holt to know that we love Jane and gave her the best home we could.”
“I’m sure you did and—”
“You mustn’t judge us because of my husband. Hugh has become a different man the last few years. He lost his job as factory manager when the plant closed. There’s little work in his field, and it’s been difficult for him.”
“I understand.”
“Do you?”
“Yes, I do,” Maddie said. “My mother died when I was young. The loss was hard on my father, and after he lost his job, he changed too.”
“It’s also been difficult for my son, Dylan. Since Hugh has been out of work, their relationship has become strained. I think Dylan is ashamed of his father. He’s hanging around with a new group of friends. I pray he doesn’t get into trouble.
“Lana—she’s my youngest—adores her older brother and sister. She favors me in looks and personality; she’s easily offended and wants to please everyone. Jane, on the other hand, is strong and confident; she grounds us all. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
Loretta sniffed and rummaged through her purse until she found a tissue. She dabbed her nose and eyes. “Jane knows she’s adopted, but this will be a shock. She’s never expressed any desire to know her birth parents.”
“That’s proof she’s happy and that you’ve provided her with all the love she needs.”
Loretta’s smile rose to her eyes, brightening her whole face. “Thank you so much for that.”
Maddie’s own emotions stirred. She empathized with Loretta. Lucas reuniting with Marnie would deeply affect her and her family. Finding Marnie will affect my relationship with Lucas too.
Before becoming emotional herself, Maddie suggested Loretta take her to see Jane. “Lucas should be in Elmira soon. I think it’s best if we were at your house when he arrives.”
The two women exited the car and walked toward the school’s open entrance.
***
Maddie had the car I’d rented the day before, so I took a cab to the Turner address. I asked the driver to circle the block before dropping me off.
It had taken less time to fly the two hundred twenty nautical miles to Corning Elmira Regional Airport than it took to drive to Westchester. I’d parked my Range Rover in a designated area for charter customers and boarded the Learjet waiting on the tarmac. With emotions surging through me at the prospect of meeting my daughter for the first time in nearly sixteen years, I barely noticed the jet’s luxury. I sunk back in one of the leather seats and closed my eyes. I opened them, too agitated to relax, and glanced around the cabin. A bottle of Pappy Van Winkle stood in a small glass-faced cabinet. I chuckled. Commander Gates had remembered that I passed on a drink at his house, not realizing the fine whiskey he was offering. I poured two fingers into a glass and sipped the woody caramel-laden bourbon. I’d finished my drink as the plane made its descent into Elmira.
The rental wasn’t parked anywhere on the Turners’ street. After asking the cab driver to make one more pass around, I called Maddie. I listened to her recorded voice tell me to leave a message. Where is she?
On the second pass, I noticed the early-model Buick that Ray had described. Tom Keeler managed to get there before I did. Was he there when Maddie arrived? The car appeared empty. We passed the Buick, and I told the cab driver to pull over three houses away from the Turners’ home. I paid the driver, sending him off with a friendly wave.
The neighbor’s house was ablaze with light and there were several cars on the long cement driveway. Looking through a side window, I spotted several people around a dining room table having dessert. The
house next to it was dark and I strode casually between the two houses. The crickets chirping in the distance quieted as I approached the backyard. The silence and darkness told me no one was using their yard. I turned right and, keeping as far away from the houses as I could, made my way toward the Turners’ home.
Since Keeler’s car was empty, I had to stay alert to the possibility he was near. From any vantage point on this street, he would’ve seen me arrive. I hoped he accepted the ruse that I was a guest at the well-lit house.
Of course, there was another possibility why I didn’t see Keeler.
I arrived at the edge of the Turners’ backyard. I’d noticed the room at the front of the house was lit as I passed by in the cab. There was one light on at the back of the house. A window shade pulled down three quarters of the way exposed four inches of sheer pink curtains. I’d guessed this was a girl’s bedroom, perhaps Marnie’s. I sidled up to the house and worked my way toward the window.
My real concern for the use of stealth was that Keeler might be inside—with my daughter.
Through the filmy fabric, I could see the blurred figure of a girl sitting on the bed. My breath quickened, and I made a concerted effort to relax. She rose and turned, which gave me a better view of her height and coloring. It wasn’t Marnie.
Skirting around the side of the house, I peeked through the slits of partially closed blinds. A middle-aged man, who I presumed was Marnie’s adoptive father, lay on the couch. I felt a rush of envy at the thought that my daughter called this man Daddy. He watched television and, as far as I could tell, he was alone. The other rooms, dark except for the glow from a hall light, appeared empty.
I looked around for, perhaps, the tenth time. Besides worrying about Keeler coming from behind, I had to be concerned with diligent neighbors. I stood stock-still and let the crickets confirm no one else was near.
Where the hell was Keeler? More important, where was Maddie; where was Marnie?
I began to think Douglas Cain had set me up.