“I’d rather sit here with you.”
Heat rose up Lela’s neck. His sincere words touched her heart. At this moment, there was no place she’d rather be either. She wore his cap, which gave her a sense of belonging, and relaxed against the cushion. Yes, she liked being close to him, enjoying family activities. For once, everything seemed normal.
Taking a cue from their idyllic surroundings, she turned to him. Now was the perfect time. “Remember when we were outside Lewis’s house?”
“Uh-huh. You were about to tell me something.”
“Right. I want you to be the first to know. After studying the Bible and recalling all that you and Bowen and Sadie taught me, I accepted the Lord as my Savior. I want to be baptized—”
“Praise God.” Jay turned and encircled her in a tight hug, almost lifting her out of the chair. “I’ve been praying for this moment. You don’t know how often I asked the Lord to open your heart.”
“Well, He did. Thank you.” Tears stung her eyes.
Following another squeeze, Jay released her, beaming. “I can’t believe it.”
“Now, don’t make me doubt you, Mr. Vashon. If this is what you prayed for, why can’t you accept it?”
He held her hand and laughed. “You’re right. Answers to prayers are often so quick, we’re shocked.”
She allowed him to keep her hand in his. If only the ugly world and all its problems weren’t engulfing her. For all the peace and joy in this setting, Chuck was still missing.
As if Jay read her mind, he said, “Although we didn’t find Chuck today, I believe we’re getting close. But life must go on, especially for his children. We’ll be attending our regular church service tomorrow. Would you like to come with us? With me?”
At that moment, a hummingbird hovered at a flowering shrub to Lela’s left. The tiny creature siphoned nectar for a few seconds and then darted away. Lela switched her attention to Jay. “Yes, I’d love to go with you.”
He grinned like a kid on a carnival ride. “Great. Now, do me a favor. Take off your boots.” He pulled off his boots and socks as he spoke. “Remove your phone, your watch, and take off your vest.”
Cautious, curious, but complying, she tried to analyze his jovial expression. What was he up to?
He removed his sunglasses and indicated she do the same.
“No swimsuits needed.” He clasped her hand.
Next thing Lela knew, she’d jumped into the pool with Jay at her side.
50
Sunday breakfast in the Davenport house was a big deal. Each child took turns choosing the menu, and Chuck supervised the cooking. But without him, Mother had filled the gap.
Jay paid special attention to Beth as she helped Mother and Danielle prepare the meal.
Since this was the first Sunday without Chuck, Jay was conscious of how the morning might take its toll on his sister and the children. The girls gave the impression they were in a time warp. They seldom talked about their dad, but Jay often caught the older girls, Danielle and Erin, looking at him with questions in their eyes.
His mother’s presence had propped everyone up, including him. She knew just what to say or when to keep quiet and offer a hug or a kiss.
The previous evening’s conversation with Lela revealed that IRO had received information from the authorities. Nothing of significance was found in Lewis’s house. No clues as to Chuck’s whereabouts, but after questioning Lewis and Javier, the cops were convinced that Walter removed Chuck without his cohorts’ knowledge.
Back to square one. They had no idea where Chuck might be.
“Good morning.” Lela’s voice, shy and quiet, drew his gaze to the door.
He swallowed. Hard. “Wow,” was all he could say.
No jeans or T-shirt. No boots or khaki vest. Lela wore a pink dress, fitted at the waist, with a skirt flowing around her calves.
She blushed, turned aside to the counter and poured a cup of coffee.
Jay could not take his eyes off her. Her hair hung loose and shone like lacquered ebony. Her captivating face appeared different. Ah, she was wearing makeup. He gave her the once over. Black, heeled sandals covered her slim feet. Today, she did not look like an agent.
Before he could say another word, Lela asked Beth, “May I help?”
“Yes, please.” Beth pointed to the refrigerator. “Get the bowl of fruit and set it on the table, please.”
Lela glided across the kitchen, the skirt swirling around her well-shaped legs. Jay quickly glanced away. Control yourself, Vashon. You’re about to drool.
Beth set the sizzling casserole on the table. “Come on, children. Breakfast is ready.” When everyone was seated, she said, “We’re carrying on our tradition. Today’s meal is Danielle’s choice. Are you ready to say grace, honey?”
“Yes, Mama. Let’s all hold hands.”
Opening the wallet of pictures for Sean, Olivia pointed. “Hold hands, Sean. Time to pray.”
When everyone had complied, Danielle said, “Thank You, Father, for our blessings, and for this food. Thank You that Grandmother arrived safely and is here to help us while we are sad. Be with our Daddy and bring him back safely to us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Jay swiped his hand across his forehead as Mother and Beth dabbed at their eyes. From the other end of the table, Lela gave him a tender smile.
The atmosphere around the table assured Jay that the family was holding together. Nothing diminished Chuck’s absence, but they seemed to be united in their efforts to remain positive.
After the meal, Beth went upstairs to supervise the girls as they dressed for the service.
Since the housekeeper traditionally had weekends off, Jay and Lela cleaned the kitchen.
He caught himself studying Lela frequently. Did she know how beautiful she was? Probably not. She had no conceit or guile.
“Hey, quit gawking. I have a question.” Lela squeezed one more plate in the bottom rack of the dishwasher.
“Ask away.”
“Does Olivia sit with Sean at church? Can he, um, be quiet? I don’t mean to be critical, but I’m curious.”
A lump filled Jay’s throat. At every turn he was reminded of his brother-in-law’s absence. “Chuck has a special touch with Sean. The little tyke can be relatively quiet for a while. But without Chuck, Olivia will keep Sean at home today.”
“I see.”
He dried his hands and tilted his head toward the door. “I’m taking my truck. Care to ride with me?”
She nodded and smiled. “I’d love to.”
They left ahead of the others, but Jay's attempt to keep the conversation light was interrupted by Lela’s phone buzzing.
“It’s my mom. Better take it. Hi, Mama. How’s Papi?” She nodded a couple of times and then said, “Mama, if you hear from Margie, please contact me right away. It’s very important.” She ended the call.
“Everything all right?”
“Yes. My dad’s home and recuperating.”
Since she volunteered no additional information, Jay drove in silence.
When they arrived at the strip mall, Lela pointed to the half dozen cars in the parking lot. “Where’s the church?”
“We’re waiting for it.”
“What do you mean?” Her confused expression made him grin.
“Here come four, no five bricks.” He indicated a group of people heading toward the glass doors of a store.
“I have no idea what game you’re playing. Aren’t we going to church?”
“We are. A church doesn’t need a steeple or fancy windows. A church is the people. We can worship anywhere. If we choose a big building, that’s fine, but we don’t have to.”
“Huh?”
“Let me explain. Jesus said in Matthew chapter eighteen, verse twenty that where two or more are gathered, He will be with them. This is our church.”
“I’m beginning to understand. As you said, we can pray as if we’re talking to our father. We can worship wherever we are, as long as ou
r hearts are right.”
“You’ve captured the essence of church,” Jay said. “Let’s go inside.”
While they’d talked, several vehicles had arrived.
He helped her out of the truck and did not let go of her hand. “You can be a stained-glass window.”
~*~
Later that afternoon while Mother and Olivia supervised the children in the pool, Jay chatted with Beth in the sunroom on the lookout for Lela. He couldn’t help but glance at the open door every time he heard the slightest sound.
At last she entered, back in Agent Ortiz mode. Boots, jeans, and an aqua T-shirt covered by a khaki vest. Although the swirly dress had been replaced, her face glowed.
“Beth wants to take a nap. Do you want to chat here or go outside?” He tempered his enthusiasm. Didn’t want to scare her away.
“Here’s fine.” Lela joined him on the wicker couch.
Good sign.
On the way to the door, Beth’s phone chirped and she froze. “Not again.” Pivoting, she stared at Jay. Horror etched her face with worry. “I changed my ring tones. That’s an alert for another video.”
Jay hurried to her. “Let me have your phone.”
Beth pried it out of her slacks pocket and gave it to him with trembling hands.
Struggling to be calm, Jay touched the appropriate icon on the screen and held the phone in a position where Lela and Beth, standing on either side, could watch.
Gaunt and pale, Chuck appeared against the ugly, floral wallpaper.
“That’s Lewis’s house.” Lela patted Jay's arm. “When was the video made?”
He hit the pause symbol. “Friday. Before we searched the place.”
“Can you forget the investigation for one minute? Let’s listen to Chuck.” Beth crossed her arms and chewed her bottom lip.
Jay tapped the arrow.
On the video, Chuck licked his lips, his gaze flicked from the camera to the side, obviously to the person taking the video. “Change in plans. Hi, Beth and—” His voice sounded weak and tremulous. “Sean is no longer in danger. Collect two million dollars in unmarked bills and have the money ready to deliver.”
Unintelligible words muttered close to the camera and a pointed finger prompted him to continue.
“If you want to see me again, don’t contact the police.”
The lens zoomed onto Chuck’s bruised face.
A muffled voice uttered, “I’ll send you time and place for the exchange soon.”
Beth’s body sagged. Jay caught her before she fell and led her to a chair. “It’s OK, Bethy. Believe it or not, this is good news.”
51
The flurry of activity following receipt of the video kept Lela and Jay busy for the rest of the day.
Jay helped organize the liquidation of assets and accumulation of cash.
Lela coordinated with IRO in their main conference room as they analyzed the footage received from Walter. She tapped her pen to her lips as she listened to Bowen.
“Walter used another burner phone. No luck tracing its location.” Bowen swiped the screen on his tablet. “The San Diego PD forensics team focused on Lewis’s house. Lela, I want you and Jay to revisit the area, examine the surroundings, and question the neighbors in depth. Seems Walter is going off script, and he may be unstable. I want to find him before he sets up the ransom exchange.”
“Of course. Do you want us to go now?”
“No. People will be more cooperative in daylight.”
“All right. Jay and I will head out first thing tomorrow.” She closed her notebook.
“Good.” Bowen handed a manila folder to Cooper. “Since Walter’s compadres are in custody, and we have no other leads on Chuck’s whereabouts, I need you to concentrate on this new contract for a runaway teen. Read the details and set up your interviews as soon as possible.” He deliberately caught Lela’s eye. “And Cooper, take Hank with you.”
“Sure thing, boss.” Cooper tapped his colleague on the shoulder. “Let’s review the info in my office.”
Hank followed Cooper to the back of the complex. This was the first time Lela had seen the rookie agent since he’d almost botched their rescue of Chrissy. The fact Bowen assigned him to Cooper validated her initial assessment of him. He needed further training.
Out of the blue, her criticism of the young agent smacked her in the heart. She swallowed. Move on, girl. You’re not perfect.
“And Smitty,” Bowen continued, “I have a special project for you. Wait in my office, please.”
The blond agent sauntered out of the conference room.
Lela’s gaze briefly followed Smitty’s departing figure. Why did I ever think he could be the man for me? She stood. “Is that all, Bowen?”
“One more thing. Sadie’s been unable to trace Margie’s movements. There’s no activity on her credit cards. No sightings of her anywhere. Sorry.”
“Thanks. It’s time to pass my misgivings and suspicions on to the cops.” Lela turned toward the door but stopped. “Um, Bowen. I have good news. Please share it with Sadie.” Her neck heated with a combination of joy and guilt. How long had Sadie and Bowen shared their faith with her, only to have her ignore their efforts?
“Well, out with it, kid.”
“Um, I’ve been studying the Bible and accepted Jesus as my Savior.”
Arms wide, he said, “Come here.” He enveloped her in a hug. “Praise be to God. I’m overjoyed, and I know Sadie will be, too.” Holding her at arms’ length, he looked into her eyes. “Did Jay have anything to do with this decision?”
As she nodded, her cheeks heated.
“I know from my association with Chuck that Jay’s a good guy. Aren’t you glad I made you work with him?”
Lela backed out the door. “Quit gloating and let me get to work.”
In a sing-song voice, Bowen said, “Lela and Jay. Lela and Jay,” as he trailed behind her. He pressed the buzzer and the door lock clicked open. His chuckles followed her out of the facility.
~*~
Later that evening, Lela sat next to Jay on the wicker couch in the sunroom while Beth and her mother played checkers. The children were already upstairs which made for a quiet setting. Sticking to routine helped ease the tension.
Lela drew her legs up underneath her. “It’s been an interesting day.”
“Sure has. From going to church with you, to receiving a ransom demand for my brother-in-law. Yeah, I’d call that interesting.”
“I believe Walter will set the drop or exchange for tomorrow or the next day. He’s in a hurry now.” Lela traced the seam of her jeans.
“And when Chuck is safe home with his family, then you and I can—”
Beth’s phone chirped.
Tension roiled in Lela’s stomach.
Jay vaulted off the couch and seized Beth’s phone from the game table. “It’s another video. I’ll play it. All right, Beth?”
She nodded. “Fine, but I don’t want to see it.”
Standing behind Beth, Jay beckoned to Lela as he activated the video.
A bleary-eyed Chuck, propped against a wall mumbled, “I hope you’ve collected all the money by now.” He lowered his head, made a feeble gesture with his hands, and sucked in a breath. “Put it in a red gym bag. No tracking devices.” He paused, glanced to the side as if checking for instructions. “I can’t say that.”
A gruff voice sounded in the background.
Chuck blinked and then looked into the lens. “Danielle must deliver the money. Date and location will be given later.” His image faded to black.
“That’s it?” Lela parked her hands on her hips. “He’s playing games with us. Giving us scraps of information.”
“But that’s all right.” Jay massaged Beth’s shoulder. “With each message, we’re closer to having Chuck home safe.” He was trying to stay calm for his sister’s sake.
Lela swallowed. “Send the video to IRO for analysis. Who knows, maybe this time they’ll be successful in tracking the ph
one.”
Pale and grim-faced, Beth stood. “How can he expect my Danielle to deliver the money? That’s awful. I won’t allow it.”
Ruth clicked her tongue. “Now, don’t you worry about that, my dear. Come. Let’s go upstairs. A nice hot bath will do you the world of good.”
When they departed, Jay sank onto the sofa. “Chuck looked exhausted.”
“Or drugged.” Lela sat sideways next to him.
“You’re right. Not the same room as before. The place was dingy and dirty.”
“I get the impression it’s not a house. No furniture or source of light.” She closed her eyes, recalling details. “And Chuck made a strange movement with his fingers. Did you notice that?”
“No. I focused on his face. What did he do? More finger spelling?”
“No. More like he was trying to brush something off his shirt.” Her eyes popped open. “The wall behind him. Do you have Beth’s phone? I want to view the video again.”
Jay patted his pockets. Yes. He tugged the phone out, tapped the icon, and held the device between them.
“Concentrate on the wall above Chuck’s head. Slow motion.”
The bizarre movements of Chuck’s facial muscles crawled across the small screen.
“Stop.” Lela indicated a space to his left. “Does that look like a faded price list?”
52
Standing in the driveway of Lewis’s house the next morning, Lela eyed the overgrown field across the street. She and Jay had questioned the neighbors for hours and scoured the yard and alley behind the house, all to no avail.
While waiting for Jay to join her, she kept her eye on a gray pickup parked under a grove of trees. She wished she had Jay’s cap to shield her face from the sunlight.
“What are you studying with such intensity?” He adjusted his sunglasses.
“That truck has been there since we arrived. Let’s check it out.”
As Lela and Jay crossed the street, a woman with two young children exited a house in the next block. Lela had seen them inside when she’d questioned the owner. They waved to a man on the porch. The kids ran to the truck, the woman close behind.
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