The Ex Who Glowed in the Dark (Charley's Ghost)

by Berneathy, Sally

  Dawson tried to tug free of Jake’s grasp. “But he knows where Grant is!”

  “Probably. But if you confront him now, we’ll lose any chance we have of following him and finding your brother.”

  Dawson ceased struggling and looked at Jake. “If he doesn’t have Grant with him, how do you know for sure he’s involved?”

  “Turns out your neighbor with a penchant for aluminum foil actually saw the kidnappers and identified Farner.”

  “What? Then why didn’t he tell us before?”

  “Sit down.” Jake spoke firmly.

  Dawson sank back into his chair.

  “Your neighbor is a little confused. He thinks aliens took Grant. But with what he told us, we’ve got a description of the other two kidnappers. We already have a description of their vehicle from Amanda and the lady downstairs, so all we have to do is keep track of Farner to see if he’ll lead us to your brother.”

  Dawson nodded slowly, reluctantly.

  “Ross will be here this afternoon. He’s in the lab right now analyzing what he got from Grant’s room. Between the two of us—”

  “Three,” Amanda corrected.

  Jake ignored her and fixed his gaze on Dawson. “We can watch Nick, and I can get a warrant to eavesdrop on him. However, getting that warrant will take time.”

  Charley settled in the empty chair, put his feet on the table and smiled. “That’s where I come in. I can eavesdrop on anybody I want to without being seen. What’s the law going to do to me anyway? Put me in jail?” He laughed at his own joke.

  “We don’t have time,” Dawson said quietly. “I can use technology to eavesdrop on him.”

  Poor Charley. Trumped by a computer.

  “You know I can’t condone your doing that,” Jake said, his voice just as quiet.

  “You can’t stop me.”

  One corner of Jake’s mouth actually tilted upward in half a grin. “No, I can’t. I’m going to the station to see what Ross has found and I’ll try to contact Mrs. Lowell’s grandson and see what he knows about Nick.”

  A horrible thought occurred to Amanda. “So if this guy isn’t her grandson, what’s he doing in her apartment?”

  “We don’t know the answer to that question at this point.”

  He might not know, but she’d be willing to bet he had some thoughts on the subject that he just wasn’t willing to share. “What about Mrs. Lowell? Where is she? Is she really on a cruise?”

  “We don’t know,” he repeated. “I haven’t been able to find her on any passenger lists, but we can’t jump to conclusions. Not finding her yet doesn’t mean she’s not on a cruise somewhere.”

  “Doesn’t mean she is. Maybe they kidnapped her too. Or killed her so they could plant this guy in her apartment to keep an eye on Dawson and make sure he doesn’t call the cops.” Amanda shivered at the thought of the elderly lady’s body still being somewhere in her home, right across the hall from where they stood.

  “I didn’t see her body in the apartment,” Charley said. “But I didn’t check for blood stains.”

  Amanda did not feel reassured.

  “We have no reason to believe anything’s happened to Mrs. Lowell.” Jake used his reassuring cop voice, so Amanda thought maybe he did have reason to believe that very thing. “I’ll let you all know what I find. Dawson, you let me know if you learn anything about Farner. I agree that they probably planted him here to keep an eye on you, so I don’t think he’ll leave just yet, but if he does, let me know immediately.”

  “If he leaves, I’ll follow him,” Amanda said.

  “After you call me and tell me which direction he’s going.”

  “Of course.” She tried to look sincere.

  Jake studied her a moment, then shook his head as if he wasn’t buying the sincerity. “Do you have the GPS activated on your cell phone?”

  “I don’t know.” Amanda took the phone from her purse.

  Dawson held out his hand. “Let me see.”

  She handed it to him.

  He frowned as he looked at the display. “Your mother’s called you five times.”

  “Yeah, I know. She wants to talk about a baby shower I’m giving for my sister that I have no part in except lending my name. I’ll call her back later. This is more important.” Watching the weeds grow along the highway was more important than that silly party.

  Dawson tapped through some screens that Amanda hadn’t known existed on her phone. “Now your GPS is activated.” He handed it back to her.

  She looked at the small rectangular object and then at Jake. “So you can find me through this?”

  “If I have to.” Jake started out the front door then paused and looked back at her. “Don’t make me have to.”

  “If I get lost, I’ll find my own way home by tracking the North Star even if it’s high noon.” She returned her attention to Dawson. “What can I do to help you with whatever it is you’re doing on these computers?”

  The door closed behind Jake.

  “Forget the computers right now. I need to borrow your bike,” Dawson said. “Mine’s still at your shop.”

  Amanda studied her young friend. He didn’t look so young at that moment nor did he look capable of riding a motorcycle. “Why? Where do you want to go?”

  “If I’m to adequately monitor Nick Farner’s activities, I need some electronics and I don’t have time to order them from the Internet. I’ll have to go to a brick and mortar store.”

  Amanda shook her head. “Go take a shower, shave, change clothes, and I’ll consider letting you ride on the back of my bike.”

  Dawson looked startled. “I forgot about showering. Do I smell bad?”

  “Bad enough you can’t ride on my motorcycle until you’re clean.”

  He nodded and headed obediently for the bathroom.

  Amanda sat down at the table and looked at the three laptops. What if none of them held the program the kidnappers wanted? What would happen to Grant? What would happen to Dawson? He was on the verge of losing it. One more Red Bull and he was likely to go flying around the room alongside Charley.

  She turned the nearest computer to face her and ran a finger over the touch pad to wake the screen display. Judging from the number of game icons, this was probably Grant’s, maybe the one he’d been playing games on the night his parents were murdered. Sadness wrapped around her heart as she pictured the small boy from the photograph tapping on these very keys, laughing, having a good time, playing with friends. Then he lost that world and now he might lose his life.

  She clicked on a musical symbol icon. They could use some soothing music. A new screen appeared and some really awful, really loud noise burst into the room. Grant must have different taste in music than she did. This was definitely not soothing. She clicked on “New Selection,” but nothing happened.

  “Be careful,” Charley shouted, trying to make himself heard over the music. “You don’t know anything about computers. You’re going to mess something up.”

  “I know how to do one thing.” She hit the “X” in the upper right corner and closed out the program. The silence was abrupt, blissful and intense. In that silence she heard footsteps going down the stairs.

  She charged across the room and flung open the door.

  Nick Farner was disappearing around the next landing.

  “He’s getting away!” Charley exclaimed. “I’ll follow him as far as I can, but you need to hurry!”

  Damn! The music had hidden the sound of his door closing.

  Amanda spun back into the room and down the hall to the bathroom. “Dawson!” she shouted, trying to make herself heard over the sound of the shower. “I’ve got to go! Nick’s leaving!”

  Dawson didn’t respond.

  Nick was getting farther away every second and Charley was restrained by the length of that invisible leash so he could only follow the man so far.

  She grabbed her jacket, helmet and keys and ran out the door. She’d call Dawson when she got a chance. And
Jake. Okay, she’d sort of agreed to call him before she left to follow Nick, but she didn’t have time. Exigent circumstances.

  Chapter Twelve

  “There he goes.” Charley pointed to a beige Honda pulling out of the parking lot.

  “Keep him in sight. I’ll be right behind you.” Amanda shoved on her helmet, revved the engine on her bike and pulled out, heart pounding wildly. This could be it. Nick could be heading straight for the place where Grant was being held. Too bad she’d left her .38 at home, but when they got to the kidnap site, she could call Jake. He and Ross would rush over with their guns and rescue Dawson’s brother.

  Following Nick across town proved surprisingly easy with Charley flying between them, signaling turns. Of course she could have done it just fine without him.

  Nick seemed to be oblivious to them. He drove in a totally normal manner, making no effort to evade potential followers. Apparently he thought his ruse was working, that they were too dense to catch on. What incredible arrogance. She couldn’t wait to take him down.

  He drove straight to Fitness 4 You and pulled into the lot behind the spa.

  Amanda parked her bike several spaces away and watched him walk into the employee entrance. She pulled off her helmet and looked at Charley. “Maybe he’s just going to work.”

  “No! He probably doesn’t even really work here.”

  “Jake said he does.”

  “What does Jake know? It’s all a cover. The kid’s probably inside that place and Nick’s going in to torture him. Cut off a finger like they threatened.”

  Amanda shivered. “Stop that! We have until 6:00 before they start sharpening the knife. Maybe he’s going to work as usual so he can keep an eye on the locker and tell the others when Dawson brings the program. We may be wasting our time watching him watch the locker. He may not be going anywhere near Grant.”

  “You just sit here and relax, read a book or something while I go inside and see what he’s up to.”

  “You think I’m going to relax? I am not going to relax until this is over. But go ahead. If I go in, he’ll spot me. At least he won’t recognize you.” Amanda unstrapped her purse from the sissy bar and took out her cell phone. “I’ll call Dawson and tell him why I ran out on him.”

  He answered on the first ring and she explained what had happened. “I don’t think they’d be keeping Grant here, but maybe Farner will do something or call somebody. I’ll let you know as soon as I find out what he’s up to.”

  “Thanks, Amanda. I feel better just knowing we’re doing something.”

  Dawson’s gratitude and trust intensified Amanda’s need to do something productive, and sitting in the parking lot waiting for Charley didn’t seem very productive.

  Nevertheless she pulled off her leather jacket, draped it over the handlebars and waited.

  Thirty minutes later Charley had not returned and the day wasn’t getting any younger or cooler. Even in her cotton shirt, Amanda was starting to sweat. She had a couple of choices. She could go into the fitness club and search for a ghost or she could ride away. If she did the latter, Charley would have to follow once she’d gone a certain distance and then she could ask him what he’d seen.

  But what if Nick left while she was dragging Charley away?

  She sighed and climbed off the bike. She had to go inside and find out what Nick and Charley were doing. Surely Nick hadn’t figured out a way to hold Charley captive. If he had, she could only hope he’d keep him for a few decades.

  However, if Nick saw her and recognized her, he’d know they were on to him. She could wear her helmet and avoid recognition but she’d most certainly be noticed. Leave the helmet strapped on the bike, throw the jacket over her shoulder and keep her head down. A search through her motorcycle bag yielded a scarf she hadn’t worn since winter. She wrapped it around her head, hiding her red hair. Not the best of disguises but it would have to do.

  She walked up the front steps and through the entrance then stopped to look around.

  Charley was easy to spot. He hovered a few inches from a young, gorgeous blonde who was being guided through a workout by Nick. Charley’s journey to the other side might have stopped him from lying but apparently it hadn’t stopped him from lusting.

  Amanda stood for a few moments watching the three. She hadn’t needed the disguise after all. Nick didn’t so much as glance in her direction. He was completely involved in his work. However, so was Charley. She could think of no way to get his attention without getting Nick’s at the same time.

  She’d have to fall back on Plan B, ride away, eventually yanking him from the building and the vicinity of the blonde. It was probably safe to leave Nick alone for a while since he seemed as enthralled with his job as Charley was.

  She turned and went back outside.

  Her cell phone rang as she reached her bike. Her mother again. As if she didn’t have enough on her plate what with trying to find Dawson’s brother and deal with a horny, psychotic ghost. The freaking shower invitations would have to wait. She shoved the phone back into her bag and couldn’t stop herself from making a comparison. Sunny would never obsess over something as silly as a baby shower. Sunny had her priorities straight.

  She jumped on her bike and peeled out of the lot.

  Charley appeared in front of her about three blocks away, waving his arms and trying to get her to stop. When she finally pulled up to a red light, he confronted her. “What are you doing? I thought we were supposed to be watching that guy.”

  “You were supposed to report back to me as soon as you saw what he was up to.”

  Charley rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. “I was waiting for him to finish the workout with that woman. I mean, it’s not like he was going to stop in the middle and go do something else.”

  “And it’s not like I’m going to sit in the hot sun all day and wait for you to report back to me when we’re on a tight deadline to find Grant.” A car horn sounded behind her, and Amanda realized the light had turned green. She twisted the handlebar grip and rode away.

  *~*~*

  “We need to go back,” Charley insisted as he followed Amanda up the stairs to Dawson’s apartment. “We need to keep an eye on that guy.”

  “Ha! You just want to keep an eye on his female clients.”

  He grinned. “Are you jealous, Amanda?”

  “Oh, Charley, it’s been a very long time since I’ve been jealous of your bimbos.” She rounded the second floor landing and smiled. “Besides, now all you can do is look. You can’t touch.”

  “You can be a cruel woman, Amanda.”

  She probably ought to stop talking to him. Anybody seeing her would think she was having a conversation with herself. Not that there was anybody on the third floor to see her except Dawson or the aluminum foil guy. She took the last flight of stairs as quietly as possible so Brendan wouldn’t hear her and come out again to zap aliens with his laser gun.

  That effort proved unnecessary. When she entered Dawson’s apartment she saw aluminum foil covering the windows and Brendan sitting at the table with Dawson. The tinfoil guy looked up when she came in. “I want to help protect him from the aliens.”

  She gave Dawson a lifted eyebrow, What the hell? look. He shrugged as if the man’s presence there was inconsequential.

  Had Dawson become so desperate he would accept help no matter how off-the-wall that help was?

  Apparently.

  “Thanks, Brendan,” she said, “but we can handle it. My friend, the one you met this morning, he and his partner—I mean, his co-worker—are experts in dealing with aliens, and they’ll be here soon.”

  “They don’t have my shield program.”

  He indicated a laptop sitting on the table, and Amanda realized there were now four of them. They were multiplying.

  “I wrote the program,” he continued, “and I’m the only one who has it, but I’ll share with Dawson because I know he’s not one of them since they took his brother too.”

 
; “Too?”

  Brendan nodded so vehemently his thick glasses slid partway down his nose. He pushed them back up. “They took my brother and me, but I escaped. That’s how I know so much about them. I can put up cyber shields as well as physical shields to protect Dawson.”

  She looked at Dawson who again gave a slight shrug. Brendan was probably a harmless nut. But at this point, they didn’t need any distractions or outside influences, even harmless ones. “Dawson, I need to see you in Grant’s room for a minute. I have a question about one of his posters.”

  “His posters?”

  “Yes.” She headed toward Grant’s room.

  “I’ll keep an eye on metal man,” Charley called.

  Amanda continued down the hall to the second bedroom. She was dealing with a ghost, a guy who saw aliens and wore tin foil, and a stressed-out kid who was so desperate he was willing to consider alien protection provided by a nut job. She was the sanest one of the group, and that was a scary thought.

  Dawson entered Grant’s room behind her, and she closed the door. “Aliens did not take your brother, that guy is not going to be able to help, and we don’t need him here in the middle of things right now.”

  Dawson shook his head. “I know he’s a little different, but he did see the kidnappers. Maybe he and his brother really were kidnapped, not by aliens, but by the same people, and maybe he did escape, and maybe he knows something about them that will help us.”

  Amanda looked at her friend, at the lines on his young face, lines that hadn’t been there two days ago. “I know you’re under a lot of stress right now. I can’t even begin to imagine how upset you must be.”

  Dawson moved over to Grant’s bed and sank down, picking up the stuffed dog and holding it to his chest. “My brother’s the only family I’ve got. I moved to a city where I didn’t know anybody, and I’ve been afraid to make friends because I was afraid to trust anybody. It’s just been Grant and me for two years and now he’s in trouble and I don’t know how to help him.”