by Pat Warren
“Got your Irish up, did he?” Michael dared ask.
“Yes, he did, damn him.” Jumping up from Michael’s desk chair, she began to pace the room, needing to walk off her anger. “Who in hell does he think he is, hiring people behind my back, then ordering me to get myself back home? The nerve of him. The colossal nerve!”
Michael had overheard her end and guessed the other. “You still think Roy’s not trying to cover up something?”
“Actually, I’m beginning to think you’re right. But I don’t think it’s because he came on to her.” She stopped pacing, sat back down. “Maybe Laurie’s got something on him and she threatened to tell Mom. Maybe the whole thing’s a setup and Roy gave Laurie money to run away. I wouldn’t put it past him.”
“Something on him like an affair she learned about, you mean?”
Fallon shuddered visibly. “Personally, I can’t imagine another woman wanting him, but I guess anything’s possible.”
“Or embezzlement?”
“Doubtful. He works for the IRS. He wouldn’t risk a federal prison term. Besides, how would Laurie ever discover such a thing, at her age?”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Back to sex.”
“No, that’s not it. If I just knew what it was.”
“How about Danny? Maybe he overheard something. Why don’t you call him at the academy?”
Fallon thought that over. “I could, I suppose. Only Danny’s very smart and he damn well knows what side his bread is buttered on. He wouldn’t say a word against his father, not even if Roy murdered someone in front of his face.”
“Dead end then, I guess.” He saw she’d calmed considerably and become thoughtful. “I take it you’re not giving up just because Roy suggested it.” He didn’t want her to leave. He acknowledged that fact to himself, although he didn’t want to question why, exactly, he felt that way. Not at the moment.
“Suggested? He didn’t suggest, he demanded. No, I’m certainly not going back to please him. I hadn’t intended to, anyway, but this call really did it. I’m not quitting until I find my sister, period. I rarely do things in half measure.”
He had rather guessed that about her. “All right, then. How would you like to take a drive up to Newport Beach? We could check out this house where kids hang out with someone named Alex. The Rodeo Bar’s closed on Sunday so we can try that tomorrow, if this doesn’t pan out. I think I’ll call Rollie and tell him we’ll be by and why. It can’t hurt to alert him in case we get delayed.”
Fallon nodded. “Sounds like a plan. How far is it to Newport?”
“Forty, fifty miles. Won’t take that long. It’s straight north on Interstate 5.” He rose and dug his keys from his pocket.
She put Roy’s obnoxious demands out of her mind, walked around the desk and smiled at Michael, pleased he was able to help her. They were making some small progress. “Are you sure I’m not dragging you away from something you have to do?”
“All’s quiet on the western front, according to Opal and Donovan. Listen, did you pack a bathing suit? We could duck into the surf for a swim, maybe.”
She sobered quickly. “Michael, I didn’t come here to have fun. I have to find Laurie.”
“I know and we will. All I suggested was a possible dip in the ocean.” He touched the ends of her hair, then pulled back because he wanted to touch much more. “Don’t you ever do anything spontaneous or impulsive?”
With a groan, Fallon leaned against the desk. “I’m not in the least impulsive. Actually, ‘impulsive’ scares me.”
“Really? Why?”
“Let me tell you a story about impulsive. I have a friend at the store, Tanya Williams. She told me she met a man in a hotel elevator one evening, and their eyes connected, just like in the movies. Silent communication, you know. They rode to the top floor together, got out and all he said to her was, ‘Your room or mine?’ She went with him and had the most incredible night of her life. Her words, not mine. Now, that’s impulsive, and dangerous.”
“And you’d never do that, would you?”
“No, I wouldn’t. He could turn out to be some deviate or a serial killer or have some disease. I’m much too practical.” She sighed. “Tanya says I miss out on a lot of fun, but I like to think I avoid a lot of trouble.”
Michael slipped his arm around her slender shoulders. “Come with me, lady. I think your malady’s curable.”
Chapter 7
Fallon sat back in the passenger seat of the van as they drove north, passing through San Clemente on Highway 1. “You mentioned that you’ve met this Alex, so you know where he lives?”
“Sort of. I know the area. There’s a group of rentals right on the beach, all owned by the same guy. They’re popular with the Zonies, residents of Arizona who want to escape their sizzling summer weather by staying on the water. College kids hang out there on their breaks. Alex rents one.”
“But T.J. and Laurie don’t fall into either group.”
“No, but Alex’s place is popular with all kinds of kids.” Michael slipped his sunglasses on against the afternoon rays that poured through even his tinted windshield. “He’s a veteran, about forty, walks with a limp and gets a disability check each month. He attracts all sorts.”
“You mean runaways that he tries to help, like you do?”
He passed a slow-moving Chrysler filled to the brim with tourists before answering. “I doubt that. Alex just sort of drifts through life—no job, no ambition. He had a few rough breaks after his discharge and decided not to fight the system so he became a beach bum instead. How could he help anyone if he can’t help himself?”
Wonderful. And this was where Laurie was staying, with someone like that? Fallon felt more uneasy than when they’d set out. “I don’t get it. What’s the appeal for these kids, hanging around guys like Alex?”
Michael shrugged. “He leaves them alone, lets them crash at his pad, doesn’t criticize. That might sound appealing to kids running from parents with a heavy list of rules. Alex isn’t a bad guy and he’s generous. He shares what little he has until the money runs out.”
“How’d you come to know him?”
“I don’t really know him, but we’ve talked. I traced another runaway up here a while back.”
“And did you find the person?”
“Yeah, but he refused to come back with me. The kid’s father was with me. The guy cried all the way back to San Diego. The boy was nineteen and legally couldn’t be forced to return.”
“I’m having a hard time believing Laurie would want to be with people like Alex — drifters and misfits. She’s always been wholesome and ambitious. She told me she wants to be a CPA. She’s terrific with numbers, always has been. But now, if we don’t find her soon, she’ll get behind in school.” Fallon ran a hand across her face. “What a mess.” Something else was bothering her. “I wonder just how attached she is to this kid, T.J., and just who he is.”
“I called Sergeant Damien before we left. He wasn’t in, but I left word to have him check out the kid.”
“With just those initials, no last name?”
“Sam’s worked Juvenile a long time. He’s got a lot of sources. If T.J.’s been around awhile, Sam’ll have something on him. And I described both of them to Rollie on the Rodeo Bar’s answering machine and asked him to call me at the house if either one comes in. I’ve done a few good turns for Rollie so he’ll keep a lookout. We’ll drop in tomorrow and take him a couple of flyers, see if he knows anything.”
Fallon was quiet and thoughtful for several miles, then turned to him. “Tell me the truth, Michael. You work with runaways, so you must know. Is there a lot of, you know, sleeping around? Drinking? Drugs?”
He’d been wondering when she would get around to asking. “I’m sure not going to tell you that none of that happens. I can guarantee it doesn’t at my house. As I’ve already told you, we have rules and those who stay have to follow them. It’s been my experience that most of the kids I run across are too trou
bled for involvements. And the real drinkers and druggies stay away from my place. Still, on the street, anything’s possible. That’s the best answer I can give you.”
Which was barely an answer at all. She had a feeling he was protecting her from a more harsh truth. She sent up a silent prayer that they would find Laurie before she got involved with someone or tried drugs.
Michael glanced at her, noticing that she’d changed into white shorts and a loose yellow top. He thought she looked terrific. “You have great legs. You shouldn’t cover them up all the time.”
She sent him a look of dismay. “Will you keep your mind on the reason for our trip and leave my legs out of this?”
He gave her a sassy grin. “That’s a pretty tall order. I’m not sure I can handle it.”
“Well, try.” Fallon spotted a roadside sign and sighed. “Laguna Beach. I’ve wanted to come here for ages. I hear it’s really lovely.”
“We can stop, if you like. It’s past noon and we haven’t had lunch.”
“No, I really want to keep going. I want to talk with this Alex person.”
Michael had suspected she would say that. He also suspected she wasn’t going to be thrilled when she spoke to the man.
Alex’s thinning hair was bleached almost white by his constant exposure to the sun, and his skin was deeply tanned and wrinkled, making him look older than his forty-odd years. His blue eyes were deep-set and he had a six-inch scar along one cheek that looked as if it had been made by a jagged knife and left to heal without much medical assistance. He was shirtless, wearing faded cutoffs, and his left leg was badly scarred.
On the weathered wood porch with the bright blue sea as a backdrop, Fallon stood several steps behind Michael, not because she was afraid of Alex but because the man smelled as if he hadn’t bathed in at least a week. His body odor mingled with heavy cigarette smoke wafting through the screen door that led into a dim room where she could make out several people lounging around. k. d. lang was strumming on the stereo.
Squinting at the picture Michael held out, Alex gripped the wooden porch railing, a bit wobbly in his bare feet. Finally, he nodded. “Yeah, she was here. Coupla’ days ago, I think.” He grinned and showed a missing front tooth. “You kind of lose track of time out here, you know.”
“Uh-huh.” Michael took his measure and decided the man was sober enough today to answer more questions. He knew that Alex drank fairly heavily around the first of the month when his check came in, but he’d decided not to tell Fallon. “Was she with anyone?”
Alex rubbed his stubbly chin. “A skinny kid with red hair. Let’s see, what was his name? Oh, yeah. Called himself T.J. He’s got shifty eyes. I didn’t much like him.”
Oh, swell. This beach bum didn’t like the other one. Fallon felt like weeping. “Did they stay here with you?” she asked, not bothering to hide how much even the thought of that upset her.
“Naw. They slept on the beach.”
Her brows shot up. “Together?”
Alex winked and grinned again.. “Probably. She’s a cute kid. Why not?”
Fallon angrily took a step forward, but Michael’s outstretched arm held her back. “The girl’s her sister.”
“Oh,” Alex muttered, as if that really made a big difference. “Sorry.”
“How long did they stay?” Michael asked.
Scratching his bare chest, Alex shrugged. “Day or two. I don’t remember.”
The man was too vague to be of much help. Michael decided to try one more question. “Do you have any idea where they were headed when they left here?”
Alex’s small eyes narrowed shrewdly. “Yeah, I do. What’s it worth to you?”
“He doesn’t know anything,” Fallon told Michael disgustedly. “Let’s just go.”
But Michael didn’t want to miss a chance. He passed a folded bill to Alex.
The money was swallowed by a grubby hand. “Thanks, man. T.J. made a call and they left real quick to hitch a ride to San Diego. He was real happy. They were meeting some guy at the Rodeo Bar who owed them money.”
“This man owed money to T.J.?” Michael asked.
“Naw. The girl. She had some money comin’ from this dude, or so T.J. told us. See, he owes me fifty bucks and he said he’d have it in a week or so and he’d drop it off on his way.”
“On his way where?”
“He didn’t say.” Alex turned aside and opened the screen door. “That’s all I know.”
Frowning, Fallon watched him go inside, then shook her head. “That’s ridiculous. Who would be giving Laurie money? She doesn’t know anyone in California.”
Michael ushered her down the stairs and along the sand, his mind searching for possibilities. “She could have worked for somebody for a few days and the guy hadn’t been able to pay her right away. As I said before, I did a lot of odd jobs when I lived on my own. No one ever paid ahead. And a couple of times, they didn’t pay at all, leaving me no recourse. Everyone knows that street kids won’t call the cops on them.”
“A job! What’s Laurie qualified to do? She’s worked a couple of months behind the counter at a drugstore. She’s just a kid.” Fallon’s sandals kicked up sand as she walked.
“She could always wait tables.”
“I don’t know why we’d believe that smelly creep back there. Did he honestly recognize Laurie’s picture, or did he make all that up to get some money from you? Even if they were here, he was probably drunk or stoned, whatever. For that matter, why’d we listen to Sherlock? He’s nothing but a middle-aged hippie living in a park under a pretentiously false name, making believe he’s some sort of guru to those poor lost kids. He left his home and family to be free and I find that pretty pitiful. And he takes money for information when he could be out earning a salary.”
Michael could feel her disappointment, yet not agree with her logic. “Don’t look now, but you’re being a little judgmental, here. How do you know what sent Sherlock and Alex away from their families? I told you Sherlock just couldn’t handle his former life. And do we know what kind of action Alex saw in the service that made him give up? Not everyone who doesn’t live as you do is a derelict or mentally deficient or just plain lazy, you know. Ever hear the one about not judging a man until you’ve walked in his moccasins?”
Fallon heard his defensive tone and felt chagrined. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. You were on the street and you’re certainly none of those things. But Michael, I feel so damn frustrated and at the mercy of these two men who won’t tell you anything unless you give them money. How trustworthy is that?”
He shrugged. “Maybe not at all. You come up with a better way and we’ll try it.”
“That’s just it, I can’t.” She slipped off her shoes and walked toward the sea where the frothy waves were gliding in. “I don’t know what to do next—whether to follow that clown’s suggestion and visit the Rodeo Bar, or slap Laurie’s picture on a dozen billboards along the interstate.” She turned to watch him remove his shoes and follow her into the cooling water. “Do you honestly ever get anywhere following these haphazard methods, going from one slim lead to another?”
Michael heard the impatience and the anger behind it and understood. Telling her to be patient wasn’t going to magically make her feel better. “I think you’ve got a case of nerves, here.”
Fallon swung back to face him, giving in to her temper. It felt much better than giving in to despair. “You’re right, I do. I’ve got a mother back in Colorado who’s undoubtedly crying her eyes out every night over this, a stepfather who’s furious at me for daring to defy him, a sister who is wandering around God-only-knows-where with losers like Sherlock and T.J. and Alex, and a job that is quite likely in jeopardy the longer I’m away. Don’t you think all that qualifies me for just a small case of nerves now and again?”
Her speech, delivered with both fists planted on her slim hips and her green eyes fiery, had him fighting a smile. “Did anyone ever tell you you’re beautiful when you’re angr
y?”
“Oh! Did anyone ever tell you that you’re an infuriating pinhead?”
He gave her a guileless look. “No, not in those exact words.” He stepped closer to her. “Come on, Fallon. Lighten up. This isn’t helping anything. We’ll find her, by taking one step at a time.” He reached to put his arms around her, but she turned from him.
“Leave me alone. Just let me be.” She took off, marching away in the wet sand, her bare feet sinking and sliding in her rush to be free of him.
She needed cooling off, Michael decided. And he was just the man to do it. It took him only half a dozen long strides and he was beside her. With no warning, he scooped her into his arms, changed direction and headed out to deeper water.
“Hey! What are you doing?” Fallon began to pummel him, to kick her legs, trying to get free of his hold. But his arms were like steel belts and his big hands only tightened on her. “Put me down this instant.”
The water was swirling around his waist. He stopped abruptly. “Your every wish is my command.” He dropped her unceremoniously into the next rushing wave. “I hope you can swim.”
Fallon jackknifed, sinking to the sandy bottom, then came up sputtering mad as her body was hurled toward shore with the force of the tide. Moments later, she was sucked under, whirling back in Michael’s direction before she could regain her footing. She broke the surface out a ways and kept herself afloat with her arms as she looked into his grinning face.
“You want to play dirty, do you?” she asked. Quickly, she dove under and went with the wave, her arms locking around his knees and pulling him down to join her. Abruptly letting go, she kicked upward and came up, tossing her wet hair out of her eyes before looking around for him.
Michael was nowhere in sight.
Swiveling, she scanned the shoreline, then looked out to sea. She knew he could swim because he’d told her he’d rescued Jonathan’s grandson. Where was he?