Jan Coffey Suspense Box Set: Volume Two: Three Complete Novels: Road Kill, Puppet Master, Cross Wired

by Jan Coffey

  “So is there anything out there that works?”

  Jay shrugged. He thought about his answer. He glanced at Diarte. He’d stopped taking notes and was waiting for an answer, too.

  “Things are changing every day. I mentioned before about puzzles. It’s in our nature to want to climb the highest wall, the highest mountain. To go faster than anyone else…or even just the guy sitting next to us at the stoplight. New security methods only introduce new challenges. Everything can be hacked, though.”

  After making his little speech, Jay realized that he’d made no reference to the law and its dim view of hackers. That had been the problem when he was seventeen. He was too consumed with breaking codes to pay attention to the legality of what he was doing. He wondered if he was still too much like that. Too consumed with the mystery of the labyrinth…too little concerned with the monster at the center of it.

  “And you, Mr. Alexei,” Lyons said, clearly reading his mind. “I believe you are a man who likes a good puzzle.”

  CHAPTER 11

  LOSS

  Meet me, Ali. Don’t tell anyone. My life depends on it.

  Alanna couldn’t remember what excuse she’d used for leaving work in such a rush. She couldn’t remember a thing about her afternoon’s schedule. It didn’t matter. Her people had to be getting accustomed to her mental instability these days.

  Ray’s words, though, she had no trouble remembering.

  Don’t tell anyone. My life depends on it.

  He was alive, she told herself as she drove like a maniac back to Mountain View. He was meeting her at her apartment.

  Alanna didn’t bother to pull around to her assigned parking spot. Instead, she pulled into the visitor’s lot of her building. The eight-story Avalon Towers on the Peninsula, with views all the way from the mountains to the bay, was one of the prime neighborhoods to live for young workaholics on the move. Alanna had the distinction of being one of the first people to buy a unit…and about the only one of the original owners who was still living there eight years later.

  The security guard inside looked surprised to see Alanna this early in the afternoon. “Is everything okay, Dr. Mendes?”

  Alanna tried to look calm. She forced herself not to ask if he’d seen Ray. She’d introduced her fiancée to everyone who worked at the desk. He had his own key. They all knew that he was dead.

  Supposedly dead, she told herself again and again. NOT dead. Alive.

  “Everything is fine, thanks. Any visitors?” she asked, deciding that Ray must have taken the access door from the back parking lot upstairs. Her apartment key also unlocked that door.

  “The mail is in. Would you like me to get it for you?”

  “Sure,” she said vacantly as she continued toward the elevator.

  “Dr. Mendes…you want your mail?”

  She glanced back, realizing her actions were contradicting her answer.

  “Oh! Never mind,” she called back to him as the elevator doors opened. “I’ll get it later. Thanks.”

  In her rush, Alana blocked a couple trying to get out. Backing up with a quick apology, she let them exit first.

  This was crazy. She didn’t want to think of the disappointment she’d felt in not finding him in the security videos. She was certain she would see Ray in them. But she’d made up her mind that she had simply been mistaken…until the phone call. But what if she’d imagined that, too. Maybe she was crazy.

  Alanna was glad she was the only one in the elevator. She didn’t need anyone watching her right now. For the first time since Ray’s phone call, she saw herself reflected in the doors of the elevator. She’d lost weight since Ray had been gone. The gray suit hung loosely on her shoulders. Her hair was pulled back in the severe knot on the top of her head, just as she used to wear it before she’d met him. There were strands of gray visible in the front. But her cheeks were flushed. Her dark eyes could barely hide her excitement.

  She looked alive.

  Alanna pressed the seventh floor button again and again. The elevator seemed to be crawling upward more slowly than she could ever remember.

  On her floor, no one was waiting. Alanna stumbled leaving the elevator. She found herself smiling, actually talking to herself and making fun of her clumsiness.

  It wasn’t until she reached the door to her apartment that Alanna realized what she’d done. Her keys were still in the ignition of the car.

  Acting on impulse, wanting to believe in her dreams, she pressed the doorbell to her apartment and waited. There was silence.

  She pressed her cheek against the door and wrapped softly. She waited. There was nothing. No noise. No one looking through the peephole. No footsteps. Her heart sank. The pendulum that had swung her to such a high detached from its locus and dropped her into hell. She didn’t have to wait for the tears to begin. They were already falling.

  Leaning back against the wall beside her door, she slid down until she was sitting on her heals. Lost in her misery, she almost didn’t hear the lock on the door when it turned.

  She was on her feet in an instant, her hand against the door. He reached out and took hold of her wrist and pulled her inside.

  Ray.

  She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She felt herself beginning to shake. Her tears were now tears of joy. It was Ray. The same handsome face. His eyes caressed her, just as they always did. He made her feel beautiful. No one made her feel this way, but him.

  Finally, the words emerged. “Is this real? Ray, please tell me this is real.”

  He closed the door and pressed her against it. “I’m real. We’re real. I’m here with you, Ali.”

  She looked into the blue eyes and wanted to believe. But her tears wouldn’t stop. She didn’t know if her dreams were making a fool of her again. She touched his face. She ran her fingers through his hair, felt the contours of the muscles of his shoulders and back. She hugged him hard and pressed her wet cheeks against his chest. She could hear the beating of his heart.

  “You’re dead,” she choked out. “You died when the boat blew up. You were gone. You are gone. I saw you…but I didn’t see you at Moffett Field this week. You didn’t call me today. You’re not here. I’m not holding you.”

  He bent his head and silenced her argument with a kiss. Alanna lost herself to him as she remembered what being alive felt like.

  She had a million questions, but she didn’t ask them. He told her there was so much explaining he needed to do, but she wanted him, not explanations. Starved for what they’d had, for what they’d missed, she pulled him toward her bedroom.

  Some time later, she was lying in his arms, finally sure that he was real, when the phone rang.

  “Don’t answer it,” he told her.

  Her call went to the answering machine. It was her office, one of her group technicians. He mentioned that he’d try her cell phone again.

  “Don’t answer that one, either. Throw it out of the window,” Ray told her, nuzzling her neck.

  “I can’t. It’s in the car…with my keys and my briefcase.” Alanna rolled toward him, running her fingers through his hair. She forced his face up until his eyes met hers. “I still can’t believe it.”

  A smile creased his handsome face. “Do you want a repeat performance?”

  It would have been so easy to forget everything else and let him take her to oblivion again. He knew her body so well. He knew her weaknesses, what made her soar. He knew how to make her forget everything…to become one in mind and body with him alone.

  “I thought I was losing my mind.” Her emotions were beginning to overwhelm her again.

  “This week?”

  “Earlier than that. For the entire time you were gone. I died inside when I thought you were dead,” she whispered. “What happened? Where did you go? Why did you say on the phone that no one can know? What do you mean, your life depends on it? If you’re in danger, I need to know. What do we need to do? You aren’t going away?”

  He placed a finger on
her lips. “My beautiful inquisitor, my precious Ali. You worry too much.”

  Nobody had ever called her beautiful except Ray.

  “Please,” she begged. “Tell me what happened. Make me not worry.”

  This had been the way their relationship had been when he was around. By nature, she was tense, focused, organized. She didn’t make a decision without doing a risk analysis and figuring out the safety factor. He was the opposite. Carefree, happy, relaxed. At age thirty-six and with an engineering degree, he had yet to work for a company more than a couple of years at a time. He was proud of being a contractor, finding jobs through technical temp agencies and word of mouth. He only worked when he needed money. They were opposites in so many ways, and yet they were so perfect for each other. She lectured him on responsibility. He listened cheerfully and then did what he wanted. He made her happy.

  His eyes did not reflect any carefree attitude now, though.

  “They staged my death,” he finally said.

  “Who staged your death?” she asked, raising herself on an elbow.

  “I can’t tell you too much, for your own safety and mine.”

  “You haven’t said anything, yet.”

  He rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling. She took hold of his chin and forced him to look at her again.

  “Ray, tell me what’s going on. Please.”

  He hesitated a few moments longer. His gaze searched her face. He reached up and combed his fingers through her hair. The elastic and the pins holding her hair had fallen away at the same time as her clothes.

  “I’ve been in a witness protection program.”

  She couldn’t remember any trials he’d been involved with—none that he’d told her about. He’d never acted nervous. He’d never seemed afraid. “Why? How?”

  “It had to do with a job I had some time ago, before I ever met you. I was a witness to…to some irregular business dealings.”

  She opened her mouth to ask questions. He shook his head. “Don’t, Ali. I can’t say anything about it. I had no choice. If I were to survive, I had to change my identity and disappear, or they would have dragged you into it, too. The people I was testifying against aren’t good people. They would have come after you to get to me.”

  Alanna tried to remember what she knew of the jobs Ray had held before they’d met. Not much. She only knew what he was doing as a contractor at Moffett Field.

  “Where did they send you?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “I can’t tell you that.”

  “But you’re back. Isn’t it still dangerous?”

  “It is, but no more dangerous than where I was. My identification and location got out.”

  “Got out to whom? To the people who were after you?” she asked. “What kind of protection is that? What happened? What are you going to do now?”

  He pulled himself up and sat back against the headboard. “There are plans being made as we speak. I should have some answers soon.”

  “Who’s making the plans? The Justice Department?”

  “Please, Ali.”

  Alanna was frustrated. She didn’t want to go through losing him again. Not if she could do something. Seeing him today had made her remember everything that she’d forgotten about what was good in life.

  “Do these new plans include me?” she asked quietly.

  Affection filled his eyes. He leaned over and caressed her cheek. “That’s why I’m here. This time I have to make it work for the two of us. I have to find a way where the life they give us can make you happy.”

  “I am happy when I’m with you. Nothing else matters. Tell me what you can.”

  CHAPTER 12

  FEAR

  Steven Galvin was tired of not getting answers. And being six thousand miles away put a person at one helluva disadvantage.

  The distance, the time difference, the language difficulties were only some of the obstacles. Although he tried to retain a calm demeanor, his inner frustration now matched Kei’s.

  It wasn’t like Nathan to just disappear without sending them word.

  Galvin wanted his wife to stay in Connecticut as he flew to Istanbul, but she wouldn’t have anything to do with that. He would have had to lock her in a closet to keep her from coming.

  Nathan had his own accounts and credit cards. Privacy policies blocked Steven from checking those accounts. He only wanted to know the last charge date, or the last time Nathan had withdrawn any money.

  He had to file a missing person report with the local police department in Connecticut as well as with the U.S. Consulate in Ankara before the bank would consider releasing the information. But after a full day of total madness on the phone, he had enough documentation for the bank and the credit card companies to release the information to him. Nathan hadn’t charged anything or withdrawn any money since they’d heard from him. In fact, there was no record of any activity for the three days prior to when they’d last heard his voice. And even the last withdrawal that showed up had been minuscule.

  Their son seemed to live very frugally. A quality, Steven thought, that he’d developed only since graduating from college. Unfortunately, that actually complicated things since there wasn’t any credit charge trail to follow. Also, Nathan had never bothered to register with the U.S. Consulate when he’d arrived in Turkey. Most tourists didn’t. But that had just added to the red tape in dealing with the consulate.

  Steven and Kei took a direct flight from JFK to Istanbul. Money hadn’t been an issue with them for years. Through his old connections, Galvin hired a Turkish translator and a driver ready at the airport for their arrival. He had been told by his old associates in Turkey not to file a police report with the Istanbul police until he and Kei arrived in the country. The process was not the same as it was in the U.S. Dealing with the police face-to-face provided a much greater opportunity for “priority treatment.” Galvin understood that to mean that American dollars provided the best incentive for action.

  Well, he was prepared to pay off whomever it took and with whatever amount was required…with interest.

  “Can I get you tea or coffee, sir?” a flight attendant asked softly.

  Steven glanced at his wife. Thanks to the mega-strength sleeping pills their doctor had prescribed a couple of days ago, Kei had been knocked out about five minutes after they’d boarded.

  He ordered another Scotch. The book he’d brought along on the flight sat on the tray untouched. He couldn’t concentrate on anything but Nathan. He couldn’t eat, but the thought of one more drink sounded good. He’d be drinking plenty of tea and coffee once they arrived in Turkey.

  In his mind, he’d rehearsed over and over again the reprimand he was going to give Nathan when they found him. After selling his company, Steven had more money than Midas. Nathan wouldn’t actually have to work a day in his life. So, when their son had told them that that he was going to travel around for a year after graduating from college, the parents had thought it a brilliant idea. But they were wrong. They wouldn’t be in this situation today if they talked Nathan out of it.

  “Something else, sir?”

  He hadn’t even realized that the flight attendant was back with his drink. He shook his head.

  Little kids present little problems, big kids present big ones. Steven remembered one of his first partners telling him that years ago. Those were the days when he was upset about missing Nathan’s childhood because of the hours he had to spend at work. His friend had reminded him that by the time those big problems rolled around, he’d have enough money to retire. He downed half of his stiff drink and glanced at his watch.

  “How much longer?”

  He was surprised to see Kei watching him. “I thought you were sleeping.”

  “You’ve been talking to yourself.”

  “I’m sorry I woke you up,” he said, pulling the blanket higher on Kei’s shoulders.

  She shook her head. “How much time is left before we land?”

  “We get in at 10:15 a
m…so we still have a couple of hours,” he replied. “I’m glad you got some sleep. You needed it.”

  She still looked groggy. “Nathan was in my dream.”

  “Please tell me he was on some beach with a group of gorgeous girls around him.”

  She didn’t answer. She didn’t smile. Kei turned her face to the window and opened the shade to bright morning light. He took another sip of his drink.

  “A little early to be drinking, don’t you think?” she said, glancing back over her shoulder.

  “I’m still on New York time, which makes it a little after midnight.”

  Kei nodded and looked back at the window.

  Steven was worried about Nathan, but he also was worried about his wife. From the day that the first seeds of worry were planted in her mind, Kei had been on a steady decline. Her sleep, her eating habits, her behavior. He’d insisted on her seeing their doctor. He’d taken her to the office himself.

  She refused anti-anxiety pills. She didn’t want to be numb. She wasn’t fighting clinical depression. She’d agreed to a prescription to help her sleep, though. That was something, at least.

  He saw her trace Nathan’s name on the window. “What did you dream?”

  She turned to him and Steven saw tears in her beautiful brown eyes. “He was a little boy again.”

  He reached up and wiped a tear off her silky skin. “And?”

  “Do you remember when he was four, and we took a trip to Morocco?”

  Steven remembered. Nathan had had too much energy and was too young to be interested in any sightseeing. He nodded.

  “In my dream we were back in that beautiful mosque in Casablanca. Do you remember it?”

  “The Hassan II Mosque. The one right on the ocean’s edge. I remember. It was huge.”

  Steven recalled their tour guide telling them that, after Mecca, the building was the largest religious monument in the world. Inside, there was room for twenty-five thousand pilgrims, and the grounds surrounding the mosque could hold another eighty thousand people or so.