Conrad didn’t answer. Instead, he swung the door wide open.
Sam’s eyes got huge. She try to stifle a giggle but it was no use. She burst out laughing at the sight of Conrad.
Jensen and Andrea rushed into the hallway to find out what was so funny.
Instead of just waiting behind the door for his pants to get fixed, Conrad had found one of Sam’s bathrobes and slipped it on. Well, maybe yanked would be a better word. It was a pretty pastel pink robe with little embroidered roses lining the collar and pockets.
Jensen slinked past Sam, his phone in hand. “Man, I gotta have a picture of this! The guys down at the station are going to love it!”
Andrea reached around and snatched the phone from Jensen’s hand. “As much as I know you would love to do this to Conrad, I can’t let you.”
She turned to the nicely-robed officer and demanded, “Do you have any idea how ridiculous you look in that robe?”
She glanced over at Sam who was standing nearby and still giggling. “Not to say that it isn’t a really nice robe…” She turned back to Conrad as she pointed, “It just doesn’t look good on you!”
Jensen snickered. “You look like an overstuffed burrito, busting at the seams! Oh yeah, covered in Petunias!!” he added.
“Roses,” Sam corrected.
“Go! Now! Take that ridiculous….uh, lovely robe off!!” Andrea looked over at Sam before continuing. “Before I change my mind and give Jensen his camera back!”
Conrad hung his head, turned around and shuffled back into the bedroom. The door quietly shut and they could hear him lock it – just in case.
Luckily, the tear in the pants was down the middle seam and a few minutes later Sam had them looking like new.
When Conrad came back out of the bedroom, he had his pants on and was looking sheepishly at Sam.
“I’m sorry for all the trouble, Mrs. Rite.”
Sam waved a hand. “Please - call me Sam and it was no problem. Thank you for giving me a good laugh. It’s been a trying day and I needed that!”
Jensen piped up. “Me, too.” He looked at the ceiling, as if visualizing Conrad. “Man, that picture of you in that pretty pink bathrobe will be forever etched in my mind!”
Now that the pants crisis was over, Sam rustled up some sandwiches, chips and tea. They all sat on her back patio as they munched on their lunch. The three of them entertained Sam with stories of dumb criminals, kids’ pranks gone wrong and other interesting stories of a cop’s life. After listening to all that, she was glad that wasn’t what she did for a living.
Half an hour later, they finished eating and made their way back inside. The living room was the last room to tackle – and it was the worst. Sam’s heart sank. She’d been dreading this all day.
Michel managed to destroy all of her furniture except for a couple glass end tables. The front of the TV was ripped off, exposing the inside wires and the screen had a large crack that extended from one corner to the other. There was no chance of salvaging it.
Officer Barcheski shook her head in disgust. “I’m sorry to have to tell you it will probably take a couple weeks to process the damage report before you’ll get reimbursed.”
To Sam that wasn’t important, even though it was going to be a big pain. She was just glad the most valuable items – the irreplaceable ones - were left unscathed.
Soon, the last room was in order, at least as much as it could be, and the three officers were gone.
Sam made a cup of hot tea and headed out to her back deck for a much-needed break. Just as she sat down, Lee called. “I got everything wrapped up here. I just talked to Lieutenant Barcheski. From what she told me, almost everything that was destroyed can be replaced.” Lee sounded relieved.
“Mmm, hmm, yeah. I got lucky. They were a huge help today and I must admit - pretty entertaining.”
Lee seemed distracted. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to stop by. We were able to get quite a bit of information from Michel.”
He arrived a short time later and as Sam opened the door to let him in, she could tell from the look on his face, something was wrong.
A shiver went down her spine. She wanted to get right to it so she quickly led him out onto the back patio.
As they sat down, Lee turned to Sam. “Before I go into too much detail, I have to ask a question. It’s pretty important…”
He paused and Sam could tell he was searching for the right words.
He took a deep breath and continued. “This may sound like an odd question, but where’s the luggage you brought back from the cruise?”
Something was very, very wrong. Sam searched Lee’s face. Her eyes grew wide and her heart started pounding. The pieces were slowly starting to fall into place.
Michel had been searching for Sam’s luggage! There was something in her luggage – maybe something he put there and now he wanted it back. He and more than likely others.
Sam stared at Lee intently. His expression was unreadable. She opened her mouth to speak but all that came out was a small squeak.
She shook her head as she tried again. “It’s not here. Brianna borrowed it. She took it to Florida with her!”
Lee could hear the panic rising in her voice as she continued. “Tell me she’s not in danger, Lee! Oh Dear God in Heaven!” Sam mind was reeling and she felt like she was going to pass out.
Sheer terror began to set in. It was the same kind of feeling she had when Brianna was little and got lost in the mall. It was the panic she felt when the school called to tell her Brianna had been in an accident.
And it was a feeling of utter helplessness. Brianna was approximately 1200 miles away and Sam had given her something that had somehow put her in imminent danger.
Sam stood up, grabbed her cell phone and dialed Brianna’s number. Busy signal. She tried again. Still a busy signal.
She suddenly remembered Jasmine and quickly dialed her number. Same thing!
Sam was shaking from head to toe. She had to know that her baby was OK!
Immediately, Lee was beside her. “Sam, sit down before you fall down. Please.”
She obeyed instantly and dropped into her chair.
He gently squeezed her shoulder. “Stay here. I’ll be back in five minutes.”
He didn’t have to worry about her going anywhere. She tried both girls’ numbers again. Both lines were busy. She couldn’t move, even if she wanted to. She was in shock, her mind completely empty.
As a last resort, she called the hotel. The operator put her call through to the girls’ room but no one answered.
Sam barely noticed when Lee returned a short time later. He leaned forward and looked directly into her terror-filled eyes. “I have us on a direct flight to Orlando. It’s leaving in two hours. Pack enough clothes to last a few days,” he instructed her.
With that, he pulled her to her feet and started pushing her to the door as he continued talking, “Donovan is meeting us at the airport with my stuff. As soon as you’re ready, we’ll head over there.”
The last part finally registered. She was on her way to Brianna! She didn’t need to be told twice.
Within a few minutes, she managed to cram an overnight bag full of whatever her numb brain could think of. It didn’t matter if she forgot something. She needed to get to her daughter – and fast!
In between packing, she kept trying to call Brianna and Jasmine but got the dreaded busy signal every time she tried.
They drove to the airport in silence. Lee kept glancing over at Sam. He could see she was still in shock. He reached over and grabbed her hand. “It will be OK. I know you can’t focus right now but when we get on the plane and you can concentrate, I’ll fill you in on the rest.”
He tried to reassure her. “Don’t worry. We’ll find her safe and sound. I promise.” The promise sounded hollow, even to him. He only wished he was as confident of that as he was trying to sound.
Sam turned to look over at Lee. Unshed tears filled her eyes and then slowly
started to trickle down her cheeks. She opened her mouth to talk but only a gurgle came out so she closed it.
Lee couldn’t see it but Sam had been praying the entire time. Really, she had been pleading with God, begging Him, bargaining with Him. Not her daughter. Not Brianna. If anything happened to Bri, Sam would never forgive herself. Her life would be over. There would be no reason to live.
The next hour was an absolute blur. Lee took control as Sam was in such a bad state-of-mind, she couldn’t function. Her movements were almost robotic. By now, Lee began to worry that she wouldn’t snap out of it.
What he didn’t realize is that she was praying – and repeating the same scripture over and over in her head.
Psalm 91: 14-15. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore I will deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name (15) He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him, and honour him. KJV
Brianna was in God’s hands. She needed to grab hold of His promise of protection for her and her family.
As Sam meditated on the Word over and over, a look of peace and calm finally settled on her face.
Lee reached over and put his hand on her shoulder. “Whew! For awhile there, you had me worried.”
Sam turned to Lee and simply said, “I’ve been praying and meditating on Psalm 91 and I’m finally feeling God’s peace about the entire situation.”
“Brianna will be just fine.” To her it was a statement of fact.
Lee didn’t answer. He believed in God. Well, he had believed in God – before He took his Annie away from him.
For a long time after her death he was mad. How could a loving God take away someone he loved so much? Annie never hurt anyone. She didn’t deserve to die and she certainly didn’t deserve to die the agonizing death she had.
Lee’s pain was eventually replaced with an emptiness and he consciously shoved God into the dark, deep recesses of his mind.
As he looked at Sam, her empty expression was replaced by one of complete serenity. He hoped for all their sakes that she was right.
After they boarded the plane and settled into their seats, Lee took a deep breath and started to speak. “We believe Michel may have one or more accomplices…“
Chapter 10
Bri and Jasmine were up bright and early. They jumped out of bed and ran over to the window, pulling the thick, heavy curtains wide open. The palm trees were gently swaying in the breeze and the sun was shining brightly. Today was going to be a beautiful day!
The girls quickly got ready as they slipped into their swimsuits and beach covers and loaded up their beach bags before heading down to the lobby.
Travis and Luke were right on time and waiting for them. As they walked through the lobby, the girls quickly looked around. They never heard back from Jimmy and Vivian the night before and were relieved they were nowhere in sight this morning. There was just something about them that made them a bit uncomfortable …
It was a short drive to Cocoa Beach. The girls pulled into the parking lot, right next to Luke’s truck. They all got out and went around to the back. It was loaded with beach chairs, an umbrella, cooler, radio and blankets.
Bri and Jasmine looked at each other with blank stares. “Guess we weren’t nearly as prepared…”
A sturdy beach cart hauled the gear through the hot sand until they all declared they had found the perfect spot to spread out. Half an hour later all the stuff was set up, sunscreen applied and the girls were dreamily gazing out at the deep, blue ocean.
Jasmine was the first to notice the huge waves crashing on shore. “Wow, are the waves always this big?”
Luke shook his head as he pointed to the red flags nearby. “No, we’ll have to be careful today. Those huge waves can cause dangerous rip currents.” He turned to the girls, his eyebrows raised, “Have you been watching the local news?”
When the girls admitted they hadn’t, he explained there was a tropical depression brewing out in the Atlantic. The hurricane planes had been keeping a close eye on it and there was a good chance it would strengthen into a major storm. They still didn’t know which direction it was going to take just yet but there would be another update on the evening news.
Brianna’s eyebrows furrowed as a look of worry crossed her face. “Jaz, we need to keep an eye on this!”
Travis agreed, “I would if I were you. They’re saying it could be a big one.”
By now, they were all starving so the guys unpacked the cooler they had brought with them. There were chicken tortilla wraps, wedges of watermelon and cantaloupe, small bags of chips, oatmeal raisin cookies and lots of Diet Coke and bottled water.
When they finished eating, and under the cautious eye of the nearby lifeguard, the girls tried their hand at catching some waves on the boogie boards. Everyone got a good laugh as they watched them try to balance on the small boards.
The sun was high in the sky by the time the afternoon thunderstorms rolled in off the water. The storms were moving fast so they quickly packed up the stuff and headed to their vehicles. It had been a perfect day and the girls were sorry to see it end.
Travis opened his truck door and paused just before jumping in. “Do you have any plans for tomorrow night?”
When the girls quickly shook their heads, he continued. “How about heading down to a few of the local clubs?’
The girls jumped at the offer! There was no need to even consult as they both nodded in unison.
It started to sprinkle and rumbles of thunder could be heard nearby. Luke turned a wary eye skyward before hurriedly adding, “Do you think it will be alright if we just pick you up at the hotel this time?”
Sure that the guys would now get the mom seal-of-approval, they both nodded again.
Kaboom! A bolt of lightning struck the water nearby. “OK, we’ll see you at 6 then,” Travis quickly added as he jumped in his truck and yanked the door shut.
Back on the main road, they were able to outrun the storm and pulled up in front of the hotel a short time later.
The girls struggled to carry all their beach gear and wet, sandy towels to the entrance. They made it safely inside just before the rain started pelting the pavement.
As the two of them dragged their stuff across the hotel lobby, they ran smack-dab into Jimmy and Vivian. The two were sitting on a sofa by the large front window, as if waiting for someone.
Bri and Jasmine looked at each other in disbelief. Could it really be that much of a coincidence they kept seeing them everywhere?
Jimmy jumped up as he spied Brianna first. “Hey you two. Sorry we missed you earlier. We were just sitting here wondering what we should do.”
Vivian had joined him by then. “The desk clerk was telling us about a nearby Italian restaurant that has really good food – and it’s cheap.”
Jasmine set the heavy beach bag on the floor and shrugged her shoulders. There was no way out of it. They were cornered. “Uh, sounds good to me. What do you think Bri?”
Not knowing what to say, Bri replied, “Um, yeah. We hadn’t really thought about dinner yet - but that sounds good.”
After agreeing to meet downstairs in an hour, the girls hurried back to their room to shower and change. When they got inside, they noticed some of their stuff looked like it had been moved around.
Brianna walked to the door and pulled it open as she gazed at the sign still stuck in the top. “The do not disturb sign is still there. You don’t suppose the cleaning lady came in here anyways…” her voice trailed off.
Just then, Jasmine noticed the balcony slider was open a crack. “Did you leave this open?”
Bri emphatically shook her head. “I’m sure it was locked when we left. I even double-checked.”
Brianna shivered. “This is starting to creep me out. First we are being stalked by Jimmy and Vivian and now this.”
The strange incidents were weighing heavy on them as they got ready for dinner and things seemed to get even mo
re disturbing when they stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby.
The desk clerk spied the girls and quickly motioned for them to come over. When they got there, she began talking in a low voice. “I just thought I should let you know that someone called this morning. They asked if Brianna Rite was staying at this hotel.” She paused before continuing. “I told them we aren’t allowed to release guest information and they hung up on me.”
Brianna’s eyes grew wide as she looked over at Jasmine. They quickly thanked the clerk and walked away.
When they were out of earshot of the clerk, Jasmine spoke first. “Maybe we should call our parents and let them know weird things are happening.”
Brianna shook her head. “But if we do that, they’ll make us cut our trip short and come home,” she reasoned. Neither girl was ready to leave, especially now that they had met Luke and Travis.
Just then an idea popped into her head. “My mom gave me the number for her friend Beth. She lives here in Orlando. Maybe we can call her later, tell her we’re a little freaked out but don’t want to tell my mom since she’ll insist we come home. We can ask her to recommend a safe hotel in the area.”
Jasmine looked relieved. “That’s a great idea. We’ll do it after we get back from dinner.”
She frowned as a thought occurred to her. “But we’ve already paid for our room through tomorrow night. Why don’t we just stay until then and move to another hotel after that?”
Before she could answer, Jimmy and Vivian stepped out of the elevator.
It was a short walk to the restaurant and the evening air was warm and inviting. They weren’t the only ones enjoying the gorgeous weather. The sidewalks were full of people – mother’s pushing strollers, couples holding hands, kids on skateboards, weaving in and out of foot traffic. It took a lot of people-maneuvering to avoid several near-collisions.
Vivian casually asked the girls what their plans were for the next day.
Oh no – not again!! Brianna quickly replied, “We’re thinking about going to visit my mom’s friend. She lives in the area.”
Winds of Deception (Samantha Rite Series Book 2) Page 5