Hawaii Can Wait (The Girls Series)

by Sheila Horgan

  “Sounds dangerous.”

  “I’m sure it could be, but we have never had an issue. Not until Barry. Once a guy showed up, I was happy to have a little meeting with him, he didn’t come around here no more. I used to be a Marine. You don’t want me to take out my earrings.”

  Anna chuckled. “I’m sure I don’t. What can you tell us about Barry?”

  “He liked Debbie.”

  “Can we talk to Debbie?”

  “No, I’m sorry, I’m not gonna do that. That wouldn’t help you and it would be hard on Debbie. She’s just trying to supplement her social security check. When the bubble burst, she was left with nothing but those little checks. She couldn’t make ends meet. She found us. The men really don’t have any idea who they are talking to. Debbie and her husband are very popular. They are also high ranking members of their church and their anonymity is very important to them.”

  “I can respect that.” Anna was taking the lead and Carolyn and Adeline were happy to let her do it. “Can you tell us anything you think will help us find Barry?”

  “I’m just curious. What the hell did he do?”

  “He is a domestic abuser. Took it one step too far. His wife’s best friend is in the hospital. She’s gonna make it, but it’s ugly. It’s just by the grace of God that he didn’t kill her. Yet. We need to find him.”

  “I can’t help you there. He came around here several times, but I scared him off.”

  “I’m not trying to discount what you have told us, but I must tell you that I read the texts between your people and Barry and that is exactly how we found this place. Your people texted enough information for Barry to have found it, so I question the veracity of your statement that you don’t want your clients in contact with your employees.”

  “They are independent contractors. I will tell you this. Just like you found this place, Barry found this place, but obviously this is not the place that the girls work. We have a rather secure system in place so that if anyone tries to track down my girls, they end up here.”

  “That can’t be good for Flo.” Carolyn sounded concerned.

  “Oh, Flo can take care of herself. No worries. She’s safe.”

  Anna looked toward the kitchen in time to see Flo adjust what may have been an ear bud. Perhaps the place was bugged.

  “Okay, so this is a dead end for us, but I have to ask, aren’t you worried that your little fantasies feed the freak and that you are creating a situation where, when they can’t find your girls, they go out and do harm to someone else, because they are frustrated or all juiced up or whatever you want to call it?”

  “No. I’m not concerned about that at all. Have you ladies taken a look online? You can find anything your twisted little heart can imagine. I’m not creating the beast. Our society did that for me. I’m just cashing in on its eccentric tastes. Barry’s lust for violence is not our fault, nor is it the norm with our clients. And ladies, although I would never admit it in public and would deny it completely, if I were aware that things were out of control, I would take steps to see to it that the woman, any woman, was protected.”

  Molly stood up. Her meal untouched. Her leopard print leggings straining at the seams. “Ladies, no woman would experience any type of pain on my watch. Not without her permission, anyway. Semper Fi.”

  Before Molly could walk away, Anna was sure to give her the email address that Roland had created for the girls. He’d assured Adeline that if it were traced, it would be traced to his offices, not the loft or Anna’s den.

  Molly took the paper and promised the girls she would be in touch if she thought of anything.

  Anna shook her head. “Where in the hell did she find those shoes? In that size?”

  The ladies, now aware their comments might be captured, motioned for their check.

  Adeline left a four hundred percent tip.

  “Thank you, Flo.” Anna took her hand and held it. “You may have saved a life today. I appreciate you.”

  Flo was still smiling when Anna started her car.

  NINE

  “Maybe we have gone as far down this path as we can go. Maybe it is just time to turn everything over to Roland and his people and let them run with it. Cara gets out of the hospital today or tomorrow. It is important that we find Barry. Now. And we really don’t seem to be making all that much progress.”

  “Firstly, I think we have done quite well. We located Molly and we know that Barry was more of a warped individual than we had known.”

  “True, but that doesn’t help us catch him or protect Cara and her family.”

  “While that is true, I am confident that we are onto something here. Sometimes we need to be a little bit patient and let things develop.”

  Anna was wiping down her kitchen counters as the girls sat at the table. “I agree. I got a feeling that this is about to break wide open. I’ve got no proof, no real reason, it’s just a feeling.”

  “As Cara so often says, from your mouth to God’s ears.”

  Adeline’s phone rang. She stayed at the table and mouthed to the girls that it was Kimberly, Roland’s computer specialist.

  Anna put a tablet of paper and a pen within reach, should Adeline need to take notes.

  Once she had hung up, she filled the girls in on the call. “Kimberly offered to provide us with a live feed from Cara’s neighborhood. It would seem that Roland has the entire neighborhood under surveillance. Evidently, one or more of the O’Flynn’s neighbors have generously committed to not revealing the group of watchers to the O’Flynns or anyone else. They understand that they are helping to protect Cara and her family.”

  “Well, that’s certainly comforting.”

  “Cara will be staying with her parents for the next few days. The hospital would not release her without a caregiver.”

  “Good.”

  “Now, we watch and wait. I’m telling you girls, I know deep in my bones, that Barry is going to show up at that house. I know it like I know my own name.”

  “If he enters the area, I’m certain Roland will intercept him before he can do any harm, but as we’ve discussed, I hope Barry is actually caught by someone other than the security team.”

  “I’m not sure I agree. I’d hate to see someone in the neighborhood try to catch him and get hurt.”

  “We won’t allow that to happen.”

  Before they could finish the conversation, Anna’s phone burped. “That’s our email. I set it up last night so that I would be notified whenever a new email comes in. I just have a feeling things are going to start moving today.” She hurried off to the den. The girls followed.

  Anna was already seated at the computer tapping keys when Adeline and Carolyn came through the door.

  “It’s from Molly. Look.” Anna transferred the image to the big screen so they could all read it at the same time.

  Ladies,

  I have spoken to my girls at length. It is not necessary to try to contact me or to contact the police to have them contact me, such attempts would be futile, however, we would like to help. Should you find Barry – he has not been seen around here – and want the motivation you will need to convince him to cooperate, simply tell him you know about his mother and Pickles.

  No further communication is necessary or welcome.

  EOM

  Molly

  “I don’t even know where to start with that.” Anna stood up and started pacing the small room. “EOM is end of message, right?”

  “That sounds right. What it the world does that cryptic message mean? His mother and Pickles.”

  “Barry is strange. Maybe he has a particular fondness for pickles. I don’t want to think about that.”

  “It has a capital ‘P’. I would assume that Pickles is a person.”

  “Maybe it is, or maybe it’s something like S and M. There could be some practice that is referred to as pickles. I’m sure because of the shape of the vegetable it is used as a term for something or other. Perhaps it sheds light on his pr
actices or his preferences. Who knows, maybe he likes to be blindfolded and stuck in a big pot of brine.”

  The look on the faces of both Carolyn and Adeline was priceless.

  “You know an awful lot about this type of thing Miss Anna. Is there something you would like to share with the class?”

  Anna laughed. “No ma’am.”

  “Shall we agree that we send a copy of this to Roland and see if he can track down what Pickles means or at the very least come up with a strategy to use the information without more details?”

  “We could always go back to the diner and ask Molly what she meant.”

  “I think that would be fruitless and further, may actually turn them against us. They were very clear that they did not want further contact. If we go running over there now, we have immediately gone against their wishes. If, after we find Barry and use the phrase that pays and we need something else, that would be the time to find Molly and the girls.”

  “But what if they’ve moved their operation by then?”

  “They seem to be very well established. As Molly said, they do nothing illegal. There would be no reason to move. If Molly has a little band of moneymakers, it would be a lot of work to relocate. I think that part of it will go unchallenged.”

  “Makes sense.”

  “So we are agreed that we will continue down this path and see where it leads us?”

  “Agreed.”

  “Yes.”

  “On another issue, I’ve spoken to my daughter, Genevieve. She will be home in a few weeks. She has decided to process out.”

  “Process out?”

  “Leave the military.”

  “That’s good, right?”

  “Yes, because I hadn’t spoken to her yet about all the things we need to discuss. She decided to leave the military on her own terms, not at my request, which I think is the most desirable. I was going to write to her and explain what happened in Las Vegas and the ramifications of all of that, and the ongoing concerns but then I became distracted and decided to wait.”

  “I’m so sorry I’ve put you both in the middle of my family problems.”

  Anna spoke firmly. “Cara is my family too. Remember that she is my Morgan’s sister-in-law and has never been anything but wonderful to me and mine. I couldn’t be more pleased that I may have a small part in helping find the man that did this to her.”

  Adeline was just as firm. “Carolyn, Cara saved my life. I would be a part of this had we never become friends, but let me be more direct. There is a part of me that has used this situation to avoid my personal situation. I do not want to face the reality that my own children, children I gave birth to, would sit back and allow me to wither and do nothing, all for the sake of a dollar. Be assured that once Barry is in custody, that will be my next priority and that I know your comfort and support will be immeasurable.”

  Anna smiled. “I feel like we three old girls can take on the world. I haven’t felt this strong since I don’t know when.”

  The girls were sitting at the table eating lunch when the doorbell rang. Anna hurried off to answer and in moments was followed back into the kitchen by a beautiful woman and a stormy man who Carolyn and Adeline recognized as Morgan’s parents. They had been introduced at Morgan’s wedding to Cara’s brother Liam.

  “It is so nice to see you again. Please, sit. Can I get you anything?” The man looked at Adeline like she had grown another head.

  “We are just going to go out back and have a little talk.”

  He didn’t see Anna roll her eyes behind him.

  “We can go in the other room and leave you to it here,” Carolyn suggested.

  Anna’s response was firm. “You don’t need to do that. This isn’t going to take long.”

  Anna dutifully followed the two of them out the back door.

  The girls couldn’t hear the conversation, but Morgan’s father was animated and at one point he was near buzzing with anger.

  Adeline and Carolyn decided to return to the den and give Anna her privacy.

  As Carolyn and Adeline worked on the timeline, adding the various persons identified in text messages and making note of the outrageous numbers of calls and texts, they heard the back door slam. Presumably it was Morgan’s father who stomped through the house and the front door slammed soon after.

  Anna came into the den. “I’m sorry about that.”

  Carolyn leaned forward. “Is everything okay?”

  “They were unhappy that Joey knew I was in town and they did not.”

  “That is probably my fault for wanting to keep all of this under wraps.”

  “Not at all. If you remember, we have our challenges. Have since Morgan was attacked. When that lunatic showed up again trying to take our Jordan, it opened all those old wounds. I really didn’t realize I was holding so much resentment in. I may have voiced a bit too much of it.”

  “I can understand that.”

  “I know that has all settled for the moment, that the man that hurt my Morgan claims he won’t be back, but I have a bad feeling about that. It all seemed a little too easy. He showed up and claimed he wanted his parental rights and within just a few days, or was it a week or more, anyway, he decides he doesn’t really want anything to do with Jordan and he walks away. Morgan seemed satisfied, but I’m not convinced. I think we will be hearing more from him.”

  “Let us hope that does not come to pass, but if it does, we will do what we can.”

  “Thank you. Morgan is like a daughter to me. On to other subjects. Did you find anything new while my nephew was reading me the riot act?”

  Carolyn sounded excited. “I think we might have. Look at this timeline. Notice anything?”

  It took Anna only a moment. “Holes.”

  “Exactly. There is a flurry of calls and texts. All the time. Doesn’t matter if Barry is at home or work. Sometimes it goes on all night long. The only time there is complete radio silence is Wednesday evenings for approximately ninety minutes. Virtually every Wednesday evening.”

  Adeline asked the obvious question. “What could he be doing on Wednesday evenings?”

  Anna couldn’t help it. “Pickles?”

  The girls laughed. It was more a release of nervous energy than an amusement. Just what were they going to find and how were they going to do it? With Cara at her parents’ house, at least in Anna’s opinion – and Carolyn and Adeline tended to agree – it was only a matter of time before Barry showed up. The trick was to get him before he got anyone else.

  The girls set to work organizing the data again. This time, they were not only looking for what was there, but for what was not there as well. Holes.

  It was Adeline who noticed it.

  “Wait a minute. In all of this information, and we have amassed quite a bit, there is something missing.”

  “What is that?”

  “Barry’s mother. Where is she? I don’t see calls to her. No visits if she is out of town or out of state. Was she at the wedding, Carolyn?”

  “No. Or if she was, I was not introduced. I was introduced to other members of his family. I don’t recall meeting his mother. I must admit, that I was being treated with kid gloves back then. I was quite depressed after losing my husband. I was depressed. Beyond measure. I think Suzi and A.J. had resigned themselves to me following my husband on like so many older couples do. But now that I think about it, I’m quite sure that I was under the impression that Barry’s mother had passed away. Maybe not long before the wedding. I’ll check with Suzi. Is it important that we know now? I can call her this minute.”

  “I think it would be useful information. Help to put things in perspective.”

  “I’ll make the call.”

  Carolyn joined the girls in the kitchen. Anna was putting the finishing touches on an early dinner and Adeline was setting the table.

  “Suzi said that his mother was in an assisted living facility when they got married. She said that not long after they came back from their honeymoon he had
her moved locally. He moved her from wherever she was to a facility here. Which means that if he was doing something local every Wednesday before they were married, it wasn’t with his mother.”

  “That seems odd.”

  “In what way.”

  “Don’t I remember hearing something about Suzi moving away as soon as they were married? Why would Barry move his mother here, if they were moving away?”

  “I must have misheard her. I’ll call her back.”

  “Please do.”

  Carolyn was back before Anna had dinner on the table. “No, I didn’t hear her wrong. She thought it strange too. She said that Barry moved his mother here because it was the best place for her and that he assumed they would be coming back regularly to see our side of the family, so he could visit her then.”

  “That doesn’t ring very true.”

  “No, it doesn’t.”

  Adeline stood. “You girls start without me. I’ll be just a minute or two.”

  Good to her word, Adeline was back before her food could get cold. “Roland’s people are tracking it down for us. We will know where it is that she is residing by the time we are done eating. At least that was their claim. We shall see.”

  The girls ate while talking about other things. They’d made a pact when this had all started that meals would not be blighted by talk of anything unpleasant. Meals were to be enjoyed.

  Once the leftovers were packed away, the girls headed for the den to continue their search.

  Each of them was aware of the unspoken pressure. With Cara at her mother’s house, the search for information was more and more pressing. They needed to figure out the whole mess so that when Roland and his group actually found Barry and he was in police custody, he wouldn’t be out of jail again within hours, such a common practice these days. That was why they’d put off their trip to Hawaii. That is why they came rushing back and kept themselves locked up in the house day after day.

  When the computer chimed and Anna opened the document, the email Roland’s people sent did nothing to make them feel better. “Barry’s mother is dead.”