Lexington Connection

by M. E. Logan

  “You’re watching her,” Jessie realized in surprise.

  Diana shrugged as if it were no consequence. “Figured Waldo wouldn’t get through both your police and my people. What’s her cell number?”

  “Why are you doing this? Is this some form of torture?” Jessie demanded in a shaking voice. “Are you trying to make me believe that you’re concerned?”

  Diana looked insulted as she eyed Jessie. “I told you: I think waiting to hear about whether someone is dead or alive is hell. I can’t see leaving Nicki hanging just wondering about you. But if you don’t want to, that’s fine with me.” Diana started to turn off the phone.

  “No, don’t.” Jessie reached out for the phone. “I—I was hasty. Yes, I want to talk to her.” She couldn’t apologize, that would be too much. She met Diana’s chilly gaze and wondered if Diana would demand an apology. She waited and finally Diana turned the phone back on. Jessie supplied the number and Diana punched it in.

  “You talk about you and Julie, nothing else. No matter what she asks,” Diana instructed. She pulled a miniature hourglass out of her pocket. “You’ve got this long.” She set it on the railing as the phone rang. She handed the phone to Jessie.

  “This is Nicki.”

  Jessie felt like weeping at the sound of her sister’s voice. There were so many times in the past three days she had thought she would never hear it again. “Oh, God.”

  “Hello?” Nicki repeated.

  “Nicki, it’s me.”

  “OMG! You’re alive!”

  Jessie sagged against the house, not seeing Diana step back, giving her room. “I’m alive. No, I’m not back. Julie’s with me.”

  “Are you all right? What’s going on?”

  “We’re okay now, just—we can’t come back yet.”

  “Why not? Where are you?”

  “I don’t know, not exactly. We’re safe, at least for the time being. Nicki, I’m sorry. I need to tell you I love you. I want you to know that. You’ve been the best sister anyone could have ever had.”

  “God, where are you? What happened? They said you were kidnapped. Pete was shot. Jessie, are you really all right? I’ve got to do something.”

  “No, no, Nicki. Don’t do anything. Just—just stay put. You may be in danger. Just please, cooperate with them. They’ll take care of you.”

  “Like they took care of you?” Nicki exploded.

  “Nicki, please.” She drew a ragged breath as she watched the sand flow. “I’ve got to go, Nicki. Please. Be careful. I love you.”

  She abruptly broke the connection and stood there. She closed her eyes, feeling Diana gently take the phone from her hand. She felt totally undone, uncertain. She had no idea why Diana had allowed the call, maybe there was still some sympathy in her. She didn’t want to cry, no matter how much she felt like it, not standing here in front of Diana.

  “You okay?” Diana laid her hand on Jessie’s shoulder, concern in her voice. Jessie could almost pretend it was old times.

  Jessie took a deep breath and tried to pull herself together. “Yes,” she nodded.

  “You didn’t need to make it sound like a last call,” Diana said quietly. “It’s not.”

  “Why’d you let me call her?” she asked numbly.

  Before Diana could say anything, the phone in her hand rang. She answered it immediately. “Yo!” She half turned away from Jessie. “Damn, she must have bolted out the door. Let me see what I can do. I’ll call you back. No, keep on her tail. Treat her as one of ours. I’ll get back.”

  She broke the connection, hit redial. She looked up at Jessie with a look of exasperation. “Your little sister is definitely a chip off the same block.” Jessie reached for the phone as it rang but Diana caught her hand. “Not this time.” She didn’t let go of Jessie’s hand. “Not a word,” she warned and she put the phone on speaker.

  “Jessie!” Nicki answered.

  “Not this time, kid.” Diana came on strong. “Now you turn that little green Honda around and get right back to where you belong.”

  “Have you got my sister?”

  Diana held Jessie back. “Yes, I’ve got your sister, and you’re not helping matters any. Just where the hell do you think you’re going anyway? Think she’s going to be waiting at the corner for you to pick her up?”

  “Please, don’t hurt her!” Nicki pleaded. “She’s the only family I’ve got!” Nicki started crying and to Jessie’s surprise, Diana looked touched.

  “Nicki, calm down, stop crying. I’m not going to lie to you. Yes, Jessie was hurt but nothing that won’t heal and nowhere close to the last time.” Jessie jerked at that reference and Diana gripped her hand hard. “She’s just got to be kept in a safe spot for a time.”

  “Please,” Nicki begged, “don’t hurt her! Let her go!”

  “Nicki,” Diana said sharply. “Go back. You’ve got to be safe. Otherwise, Jessie’s only going to worry about you and that’s going to make it worse on her. I’m not going to hurt her.”

  “Please,” Nicki begged.

  “Nicki.” Diana drew a deep breath and turned away from Jessie. “You’re not helping. Now stop crying,” she said sternly. They heard Nicki get control, sniffle. “Now go back to your safe house and stay there.”

  “You know about that.”

  “Yes. I know a lot, and I know Jessie and Julie will be safe as long as they behave. And you know Jessie won’t behave if she thinks you’re in danger. So you have to do this to help her.”

  “Promise me you won’t hurt her.”

  Diana sighed in exasperation. “I promise: as long as Jessie behaves herself, she’ll be safe. Now you promise me you’ll go back and you’ll behave. Because I’ll know if you don’t.”

  “You’re watching me.”

  “You’ve got a guardian angel, kiddo. Now go back.”

  “Can Jessie call me again and let me know she’s all right?”

  “Yes,” Diana hissed. “Now go. Goodbye.”

  Diana broke the connection, bowed her head, looked at the phone for a few minutes. As if she just realized she was still holding Jessie’s hand, she released her as she looked up. “She sounds all grown up,” she said slowly. “I can still remember her running around the park.”

  “She’s going to UK, wants to go to law school.”

  Diana shook her head. “Where does the time go?” When the phone rang again she was slower to answer. “Yo. Good. Maybe she’ll stay put. Keep up the rotation. Be safe.” She broke the connection.

  “Why are you watching her?”

  “She made too good a target,” Diana said absently. “Didn’t want to take a chance.”

  “How long—”

  Diana shook her head. She lifted the phone. “One more call.”

  “Who?” Jessie couldn’t imagine anyone else to notify.

  Diana made a connection, asked for a relay, and Jessie sagged in shock when she realized Diana was calling Jessie’s place of work. “Relay to the police department. Insist on Captain Conrad.” She looked up at Jessie. “You need to confirm you’re alive, Julie’s alive,” she instructed. “No message, keep it brief. You can’t talk.” Her expression changed, colder, harder. “You behave. Don’t make me regret this.”

  “Conrad.” Diana handed Jessie the phone.

  “Captain, this is Galbreath.”

  “Galbreath! Are you all right? Where are you?”

  “I’ve been allowed to call you to let you know I’m alive. Julie Carlton’s alive. I can’t tell you where we’re at because I don’t know.” She watched Diana, wondering what she could say, would be able to say. “I’ve already talked to my sister.” Maybe they could get something from those phone calls.

  “Are you all right?”

  “It was rough for a couple of days,” Jessie said carefully, watching Diana. “Then things changed.”

  “Is there someone there with you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are they listening?”

  “Yes.”

>   “Have you been hurt?”

  “Yes, but I think that part’s over.”

  “Has Dr. Carlton been hurt?”

  “No.”

  Diana made the cutting motion across her throat.

  “I’ve got to go,” Jessie said.

  “Can you call again?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Have you been threatened?”

  “Not exactly. I’ve got to go. Goodbye.” She closed the phone, hoping the connection wouldn’t break as she handed it back to Diana.

  Diana opened it to clear the connection, dialed a number. “Turn it off, shut it down. Log it out,” she instructed. Then she turned it off.

  Jessie tried to keep any disappointment from showing in her face.

  “Very good,” Diana commented. “You okay?” She picked up the timer and stuffed it in her pocket.

  “I guess so.” Jessie pulled herself together. “I guess I have to be.” She looked directly at Diana. “So what are we? Bargaining chips?”

  “No. I don’t need that. Let’s go back inside now.”

  They started around the deck, Diana walking slowly to keep pace with Jessie.

  “You never asked if Julie had family to notify,” Jessie commented.

  “There’s only a cousin she doesn’t see much,” Diana replied.

  Jessie whirled around, her jaw dropping. How the hell did she know that? Diana caught Jessie before she lost her balance and Jessie pulled away immediately. “How do you know that?”

  “I do my homework, I still don’t like surprises.” She turned Jessie around. “Don’t give me any.”

  What about you giving me surprises? When they reentered the house, Julie immediately came over to Jessie, slid her arm around Jessie’s waist. “You okay? What—”

  “She let me call Nicki,” she explained as she rubbed her forehead. She was still confused over that. She didn’t miss Margaret’s curious look as Diana came through the kitchen.

  “Good,” Julie agreed. “Now Nicki won’t be on pins and needles. At least she knows you’re alive.”

  “Margaret, why don’t you take Julie upstairs to the storage room. She can pick out some clothes. We can’t have her spending the entire time here wearing the same things.”

  “Yes, Diana.”

  Diana turned to Jessie. “Think you can take the stairs? The storage room is in the attic.”

  “I’ll manage,” Jessie replied. She wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to examine the rafters of this house.

  Jessie followed Julie who followed Margaret up the narrow, steep stairs built against the outside wall. She wasn’t sure what she would find, but she was surprised at the built-in cabinets down the length of the cabin. The center aisle under the peak of the roof was the only area they could stand up in without difficulty. Drawers were neatly labeled with item and size. Margaret eyed Jessie and started pulling out drawers. Underwear was still in new packages. Jeans, worn but clean and neatly folded, folded shirts, tank tops, sweatshirts, there was a reasonable variety in sizes and colors. Within minutes, Jessie had a few changes of clothing.

  Curious, Jessie thought. Like they were accustomed to supplying clothing. All women’s, various sizes, but not a wide range.

  “Try this,” Margaret pulled out an outfit for Julie.

  Jessie walked up and down the length of the cabin, eyeing the drawers. Probably wouldn’t be a good idea to start going through them. She glanced back at Margaret and Julie, who were pulling out clothing. “I’m going downstairs to change,” she announced and was relieved when Margaret merely nodded, still talking to Julie.

  Security, clothing, isolated. Must really be a safe house, Jessie decided as she went down the stairs. Safe from what? The stairs took her down through the kitchen, across the room and back up the stairs to the bedrooms. She kept looking around, wondering where Diana had disappeared to.

  Nice cabin, not exactly rustic though. Cathedral ceiling in the living room, bedrooms overlooking the living room, library, glass, and what beautiful views. Got to be a power source somewhere. Can’t believe there’s no outside contact unless she shut it up.

  She changed clothes, getting into blue jeans and white shirt, feeling more comfortable but still sore. Moving felt better than being still so she took the opportunity to wander around. She casually went through all the rooms, apparently just wandering if she ran into either of her hosts, her hands in her hip pockets, just looking and wondering where Diana had gone to, feeling her presence, still puzzling about her. With Julie and Margaret in the attic, she felt alone, and yet…she examined corners, looking for wiring. Would there be security cameras? She kept looking behind her as she cautiously went back upstairs, glancing all around as she paused at the bedroom door, waiting to be stopped. Did guests snoop in a place like this? Maybe curious ones.

  She and Julie had the corner bedroom, the master with its own bath. Jessie cautiously opened the door to the next room, listening for any sound as she glanced down into the living room. This would be easier if she knew exactly where Diana was. A bedroom, queen bed, furniture, not as luxurious as the one she and Julie had. It appeared empty so she stepped inside. She caught the faint fragrance, this was Diana’s room. She quickly searched, not even sure what she was looking for. Clothes in the drawers, in the closet, science fiction book on the bedside table. Very impersonal. She checked the hallway before she slipped out.

  The next room was a bathroom. At least she had an excuse for being there. Cabinet held the standard types of things, aspirin, lotions, aloe cream, first aid cream. Nothing you wouldn’t expect in a vacation house.

  The last room was Margaret’s and even if she wasn’t there, Jessie could feel the atmosphere. Efficient, plain, impersonal. She was more wary of being caught here and she made a quick search but found nothing. She slipped out, not even sure what she had been looking for.

  Something to tell her how Diana fit into all this, with Waldo, who her papa was. Margaret had mentioned she had promised her papa. What had she promised? Had she and Diana ever talked about her father? Did they ever talk about her? Jessie couldn’t remember. She had certainly talked about herself, her sister, her father, Julie. She couldn’t ever remember talking about Diana. Did she have a family? What kind of work did she do? But even when she had finally gotten suspicious, there had been nothing on Diana DeVilbiss.

  She went downstairs, looked in the kitchen for Julie and Margaret but they must still be upstairs. Taking a lot of time to pick out clothes, she thought. I sure hope Julie’s charming her. If she can work on her, maybe I can work on Diana.

  She found the small bar in the living room between the massive windows across from the fireplace. She went out the front door cautiously and no alarm sounded. Maybe there were silent ones. She didn’t even try the steps as she walked all around the deck, looking for wiring, for trip wires, motion detectors.

  She came back into the house, entered through the living room, casually walked into the library and found Diana there. She stopped in slight surprise. She wasn’t there when I stepped out, she thought in confusion. For a moment she stood there, able to look at Diana draped sideways in the wingback chair, one leg thrown up and over the arm as she was lost in a mystery. For a moment, a brief moment, the clock turned back and Jessie wanted—wanted what? She shook her head. She reached out and knocked on the door.

  Diana looked up, eyebrows raised, but Jessie didn’t think she had been unaware of her standing there. “Yes, Jessie?”

  “Can we talk?”

  “Sure.” Diana closed her book but didn’t put it down as Jessie came in. “You got more clothes. Back to blue jeans and white shirt uniform, I see.”

  “Yeah.” Jessie looked down at her outfit belatedly remembering how Diana always found it a turn on. “Just picked out what was comfortable.” She came over and sat on the edge of the library table across from Diana. “Bother you?” Diana shook her head but Jessie wasn’t so sure. She didn’t want to have to go that route. “No dark
glasses though,” she commented, trying to lighten the mood.

  “Wouldn’t want that much nostalgia,” Diana said dryly. “What did you want to talk about?”

  Keep it calm, Jessie counseled herself. Two equals just talking about things going on. Don’t be adversarial. “You really going to get Waldo out of the country?”

  “That’s the plan.”

  “You know what a scumbag he is, don’t you? All the things he’s part of?”

  “Probably better than you do.”

  Oh, that’s encouraging. “Why are you helping him?”

  “As a favor.” Diana rested her head against the curve of the chair, looking directly at Jessie. As much as Jessie tried, she couldn’t quite see Diana there. “And having him out of the country seemed to solve a problem.”

  “What problem was that?”

  “He threatened you.”

  “I’m flattered, but that was hardly necessary.” Jessie passed it off as she leaned against the table, hands holding onto the edge. “I’ve been threatened before. Occupational hazard.”

  Diana’s expression didn’t change. “Been ambushed before?”

  Jessie paused before she shook her head. That had been unexpected.

  “Seems like Waldo was getting closer than just threatening.”

  “If he was so close, then why didn’t he kill me when he had the opportunity?” Even though she had seen Diana come in like gangbusters, she had a hard time visualizing Diana on the gory side of crime. Okay, maybe the white-collar kind, but blood and guts, no, she couldn’t visualize that.

  “He never intended to kill you, Jessie.”

  “Then what?” Diana shook her head. “Oh, don’t stop now. You’ve been carrying on like the big tough broad up until now. Don’t be getting all squeamish at this point.”

  “I was never told, it was just hearsay.”

  “But you believed it enough to move him.”

  “Yeah. I thought it was quick enough to prevent him doing anything.” She laid the book on the floor beside the chair. “I never liked dealing with Waldo, so it was a fluke I even discovered he had you.”

  “So what was he going to do?” Jessie repeated, getting the feeling Diana was avoiding the question. “I mean, I’m glad you stepped in. Don’t get me wrong, but if he wasn’t going to kill me…”