Lela placed a hand on Jay’s forearm and veered back to Lewis’s house. “False alarm.”
“I guess we’re done here.”
“Yeah. Nothing new.” She tugged her keys from her pocket. “Too bad. I was hoping we’d find a clue to lead us to Chuck.”
“Instinct tells me we’re close.” One last scan of the field, and he followed her to her vehicle.
On the way toward the interstate, Jay rubbed his stomach. “Don’t know about you, but that toast and coffee are a distant memory. Do you mind if we stop for lunch before heading back to La Jolla? I’d also like to talk to you without the family around.”
For once, that suggestion filled her with pleasant vibes. “Only if Bowen has no other assignments. Although Walter said Sean was no longer a target, I don’t want to be gone too long. Please call Bowen for me.”
Jay used her phone and confirmed they were free for a couple of hours.
“I’m a little uneasy about this.” She nibbled her bottom lip. “Oh, all right. Let’s enjoy a meal together. Any suggestions?”
“There’s a quiet little bistro in Old Town. Turn right on Taylor Street.”
In ten minutes, they were seated at a corner table on the shaded patio, stirring up unpleasant memories. Lela grabbed the front of her shirt. “I hope we don’t have a visit from a woman who thinks you’re a long-lost boyfriend.”
“I’ll keep my eyes open, and I’ll hide the knives.” His dimpled grin erased her unease.
The waiter took their orders, and then Jay folded his arms. “We haven’t had an opportunity to discuss your impression of the church service yesterday.”
Although she’d relived the experience repeatedly in her mind, she had a hard time giving voice to her opinions. One glance at Jay's accepting expression alleviated her worries. “I’ve never encountered such calmness and peace as I did in that place. My Abuelita often took me to church when I was a kid, but most of my memories are fuzzy. I remembered I prayed to God, but He seemed far away and unreal. I…I’m not doing a good job communicating my ideas.”
“Your answers are perfect. Fellowship and sincere expressions of praise are what worship is all about.”
She nodded. “Simple, but personal and honest. And,” she traced the rose shape on the lace tablecloth, “I want to be baptized.”
Jay gave her hand a squeeze. “That can be arranged. Today, in fact.”
“I have but one regret.” She sighed and lowered her head.
His hold on her hand tightened. “What’s that?”
“I wish my Abuelita was alive. She passed away a year ago, and I miss her counsel. Every day. It was her fervent prayer that I accept the Savior.”
The waiter delivered frosty glasses of iced tea, but Jay didn’t release her hand, and she was OK with that. The warmth from his grasp radiated to her core. She met his tender gaze.
“I picture your grandmother looking down on you and smiling.” Jay’s thumb caressed her fingers. “Lela, I have another important question.”
The smile hovering around his lips mesmerized her. She all but floated toward him. What was happening? Her heart fluttered in her chest like a fragile bird. “What’s your question? I’m waiting.” All of a sudden, she felt extremely unfeminine in her agent gear.
“I admire you, and…and want to get to know—oh, forget all the clichéd words. Lela, I really like you and want to know if you’ll, um, go out with me. You know, like on a date, or something.” He pinched his chin, accentuating the cleft. “I’m no good at this.” A flush rose up his neck and reddened his cheeks.
Lela had seldom seen a man blush. His confusion and embarrassment touched her soul. She tilted her head. “Jay. How sweet. What is the something you have in mind?”
His blush deepened.
Should she let him off the hook? No way. She enjoyed his apparent discomfort. “You could give me your class ring. No, it would be too big for my finger and I’d have to wear it on a chain around my neck. Do you have a high school letterman’s jacket?”
At first, he frowned. Then, when it registered that she’d accepted his offer, his grin spread wide. “You’ll go out with me? On a serious date?”
She laughed at his lingering confusion. “Yes, Mr. Vashon. We will be very serious when we date. I like you, too.”
The waiter set their plates of shrimp scampi on the table.
Nevertheless, Jay kept her hand in his and drew her gently forward. His eyes on her lips, she leaned closer.
Closer, closer. She blinked and sighed as his lips met hers in a soft, gentle kiss. Drawing apart, she gazed into his blue eyes. Talk about tingles. Her toes curled in her boots, and her heartbeat accelerated as hot blood sizzled all the way to her fingertips
Jay's phone rang. And rang. He released her hand and yanked the offending object from his pocket. “It’s Beth. I’d better answer.” He held the phone to his ear. “Hi, Bethy.” Jay’s tight jaw and fisted hand could only mean bad news. He jammed the phone back in his pocket. Pulling out his wallet, he threw cash on the table and rose in one movement. “We have to go. Sean’s disappeared.”
53
Jay stormed into Beth’s living room.
Chaos. A bloodied towel lay at Olivia’s feet. She rested on one sofa while EMTs treated her.
On the other sofa, Danielle and Erin crowded next to their grandmother, who cuddled little Alyssa in her lap.
“What happened?” He scanned the room. “Where’s Beth?”
“She’s with a detective in Chuck’s office.” Mother’s voice cracked.
“What? Why’d she call the police?”
Lela entered right behind him. She tapped his arm. “Natural response. If she called IRO, they would have contacted the authorities anyway. Since a child is missing, I expect FBI agents will arrive, too.”
“Of course.” Jay slapped his palm to his forehead.
“Jarius, help me take the girls to the kitchen.” Mother raised pain-filled eyes to his. “They won’t let me move, poor dears.”
“Sure. Come, Lyssie. Let me carry you.” He scooped up the little girl who threw her arms around his neck.
Lela smiled at Erin and held out her hand. “Do you want a piggyback ride?”
“No, I can walk,” the child said, but she clasped Lela’s hand.
Mother, with Danielle in tow, followed them to the kitchen. “I’ll fix us all chocolate milk and fruit. How’s that?”
“You girls need to sit quietly and have your snack while I talk to Grandma. OK?” Jay looked at each little face. The girls nodded, and then he moved to the doorway where Lela waited.
Mother poured glasses of milk and set out a bowl of sliced fruit. With a heavy sigh, she joined Jay and Lela.
He’d never seen her rattled like this, and automatically placed his arm around her shoulders.
“What happened, Ruth?” Lela asked.
“Oh, dear.” She swiped a quivering hand across her brow. “The kids were hungry, but the new housekeeper wasn’t in the kitchen. I searched for her and that’s when I found Olivia, bloody and unconscious, by the front door, and no sign of Sean. Naturally, I called Beth, who dialed 911. And…and then the sirens, and the ambulance and police.”
“I’m sure it was scary for the girls. Mother, please keep them away from the living room.”
“I will. They were with Beth when she discovered Sean was missing. She screamed, and they didn’t—”
“I completely understand and appreciate your help.” He kissed her forehead. “Will you be all right while we see Beth?”
She nodded and a sighed.
Jay and Lela hastened down the hall. She had already called Bowen who guaranteed IRO resources were employed to the fullest.
“This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have suggested we stop for lunch.” Jay flung his hands in the air. “See, it’s happened again. I wanted to have a private moment with you, and my actions backfired.”
“Well, maybe, but I caved.”
For once, Jay had to a
gree—if he’d listened to her, Sean might be safe.
Jay barged into the office and held his arms open to Beth. “How could this happen? I don’t understand.”
She burst into tears and collapsed on his chest, forcing him backward onto the sofa.
The detective pointed to Jay then Lela. “Are you Jay Vashon? And you must be Agent Ortiz.”
“Yes, sir. Jay is Beth’s brother, and I represent IRO working on Chuck Davenport’s kidnapping. How can we help?”
“I’m Detective Rudy Cadena with the San Diego Police Department.” He slipped a piece of gum into his mouth. In no time, minty vapors accompanied his words. “FBI agents are on their way, but until then, I’m in charge. Mrs. Davenport has provided details of her husband’s kidnapping and IRO’s involvement. Is this business with Sean related to your case?”
“I don’t know.” Lela shrugged. “After the ransom demand, the kidnappers assured us Sean was no longer in danger. I guess—”
“With the high level of security Chuck installed on this place, who could have entered the house undetected, assaulted Olivia, and taken Sean?” Jay tried to keep the panic from his voice as he soothed Beth.
“We’re assembling a timeline.” Cadena hiked a hip onto a corner of the desk. “My officers are combing the grounds, the perimeter, but they’ve reported no breaches in the wall or any other evidence of an intruder.”
“What about the girls? Did they see anything?” Jay tightened his hold on Beth as she trembled.
“In the short time I’ve been here, this is the data I’ve collected.” Cadena squared his shoulders. “The new housekeeper, Patricia Jenkins, arrived at eight thirty.”
“That was after Lela and I left,” Jay said.
The detective opened his mouth to speak, but Beth interrupted.
“Wait, let me tell them.” Beth dabbed at her eyes. “I showed Mrs. Jenkins to her room and then introduced her to the children. She said she was eager to get started. I gave her a job description and had Rachel show her around the house.”
Cadena smacked his gum, and when no one else spoke, he resumed his report. “Apparently, the teacher’s aide supervised the children outside while Mrs. Davenport consulted with her accountant. At lunchtime when there was no activity in the kitchen, Mrs. Vashon searched for the housekeeper. That’s when she found Olivia Ramos in the living room, but Sean was nowhere in sight.”
“You’ve searched the house?” Lela asked.
“Of course.” Beth plucked another tissue from the box in her lap. “That’s the first thing we did after calling 911. Sean doesn’t like the dark, so he won’t be hiding anywhere. He doesn’t like to be alone. He…oh, Jay, we have to find him.”
He drew Beth close again, and looked at Lela perched on the armrest as if she could produce an instant solution.
“Are you assuming the housekeeper has also been harmed or that she’s taken Sean?” Lela rubbed her abdomen, a gesture he knew all too well.
“Mrs. Jenkins is nowhere on the property. We checked her room and found nothing to help us. In fact, there were no personal items anywhere.”
“That’s odd,” Lela said. “Almost as if she didn’t plan on staying.”
“Let’s not get ahead of the investigation.” Cadena’s bushy brows scrunched together. “I’ll view the security tapes.”
Jay stood. “I can help with that. I installed the system.” He opened the doors of the armoire behind the desk and revealed four monitors. “There are cameras aimed at each door, front, back, side, and at the gate.”
“Good. Let’s view the gate first.” Cadena faced the screens.
“Beth, what time did Olivia bring Sean inside?” Settling in the desk chair, Jay rolled it toward the monitor controls.
“About ten o’clock.” Beth positioned herself behind Jay with Lela at her side.
“We know Patricia arrived close to eight thirty. Let’s start at that point.” Jay punched the appropriate keys and a video of the front gate displayed on the screen. A dark sedan entered at eight thirty-five. Nothing until noon, when the same vehicle approached the gate to exit. Jay slowed the video as the gate opened and the car departed.
“That’s Patricia Jenkins’s car.” Beth pointed to the screen.
Cadena tapped Jay's shoulder. “Hold it there. That’s a late model sedan. Dark gray. Too bad the license plate is obscured. I’ll send out an APB on the vehicle anyway.”
Hand over her mouth, Beth’s voice was barely audible. “Is Sean in there with her?”
“I don’t know, Bethy. We need to see if anyone else leaves.” Jay tapped the play key, but no other vehicles came near the gate until the detective’s arrival, followed by two squad cars and an ambulance. “Let’s check the camera on the front door. I’ll take it back to ten o’clock.” Jay hit another key. “Here goes.” A minute crawled by and then movement. “The door’s opening.”
A heavyset woman exited wheeling a suitcase.
“That’s Patricia. But why is she taking her luggage outside?” Beth stuck her hands on her hips. “She said she brought the one case for now, and had arranged to have the rest of her belongings shipped.”
“Hold up a sec.” Lela leaned closer to the screen. “Play that section again. When she first comes out.”
Jay obliged. “Why? What do you see?”
“Something odd about her gait.” She studied the screen. “No. Sorry. I must have been mistaken.”
Cadena’s phone rang. He withdrew to answer it and returned a few seconds later. “The Feds will be here shortly. Let’s watch the rest of the footage.”
The back door camera caught all the children returning to the house with Olivia at fifteen minutes after ten.
“Too bad we don’t have cameras inside.” Beth sighed.
“Last one, the side door.” Jay selected the next camera.
Nothing but an occasional leaf blowing along the sidewalk, then at eleven forty, a man dragging a large black garbage bag. Jay hit the pause key.
“That’s Tony Jackson, our gardener.” Beth patted her foot. “Today’s Monday, right? He only works Tuesdays and Thursdays. Why is he here today?”
“Good question. I’ll have officers search for him.” Cadena made a quick phone call expressing his order.
“That was the only appearance of Tony. How did he get onto the property? We didn’t see him arrive through the gate.” Jay swiveled the chair. “The front gate is the only way in. Detective, your officers must find him.”
“If he’s here, they will.”
Shoulders drooping, Beth pressed against the wall. “This is all confusing. Patricia, Tony. What’s going on, Jay?”
He rose and held her hand. “I don’t know, sis. Why don’t you go check on Mother and the girls?”
“I will. Thanks, Jay-Jay. You know I couldn’t make it through this mess without your support.” At the door she paused and looked at him.
Jay gave her a smile he hoped was reassuring, but his gut churned. Had Walter changed his mind and taken the boy anyway? Was this his fault, or should IRO have kept an agent here?
As if reading his thoughts, Lela touched his arm. “If Pam or Manny were here, this wouldn’t have happened. Why did we believe Walter?”
“We can’t deal in what-ifs. The child is missing, and we follow the evidence.” Cadena pointed to the door. “I’ll go out front to meet the Feds. Stay put. I know they’ll have questions for you two.”
“How were we to know Walter would renege on his word?” Jay returned to the chair and faced Lela, but she seemed a mile away. “Lela, what’s wrong?”
She didn’t respond. Instead, her brow furrowed as she bit her lower lip.
“What’s going through your beautiful head?”
Tapping her chin, she pivoted and then pointed to the monitors. “I’ve seen that woman before. Does Beth have any contact information on Patricia?”
“Let’s go ask her.”
They entered the living room to find Cadena conversing with two people in t
he foyer while Beth wandered into the room from the direction of the kitchen. Jay's heart ached. His sister looked like a lost child herself. Thank the Lord, Mother was here.
“Are the girls all right?” When Beth nodded, Jay paused, and then asked, “Where is the application information on Patricia?”
“There’s a folder in the middle drawer of Chuck’s desk.”
Jay and Lela hurried back to the office.
Although on a mission, his mind drifted to the sight of the luggage Patricia carried. An idea slammed into his brain. “What if she had Sean in the suitcase? It’s big enough for his small body.”
“You’re right. He could—” Lela latched onto his arm with a vise grip. “No. He can’t be…”
“Before we jump to conclusions, let’s read her information.”
“Right.” Lela opened the drawer and extracted a thin file.
Inside they found two reference letters, a handwritten sheet containing name, age, social security number, and previous addresses, and a copy of a driver’s license.
Lela studied the DMV photo while Jay peeked over her shoulder. According to the data, Patricia Jenkins was forty-nine years old, had brown hair, and brown eyes.
“This woman is familiar.” Lela covered the hair with her index finger. “But her name’s not Patricia Jenkins.”
“Who is she?” The muscles in Jay's gut tightened. “Come on, Lela. Tell me.”
“Margie Knox.”
54
Why would Mama’s friend don a disguise to become the Davenports’ housekeeper? Did she know Walter and his crew?
Lela collapsed into the chair. “Oh, no. What have I done?” An unsavory idea began to curdle in her mind.
Stepping backward, Jay thumped the desk. “Who in tarnation is Margie Knox?”
She snatched up the driver’s license copy and prodded the photo. “This is a fake. It’s not Patricia Jenkins. I’ve seen Margie Knox in person, and this is Margie.”
“But who is she?”
“Come.” Waving the evidence, she stood. “Cadena will need this information.”
With Jay following, she raced out of the office, only to run into the detective and two strangers in dark suits.
Day of Reckoning Page 24