Eli shook his head. “No.”
“I did. Briefly,” Ashley replied. “She looked exactly as Janice described.”
“Any idea who she was?”
“None. But what sort of monster kidnaps a child?”
Janice caught her breath and turned aside. Her shoulders shook.
“Give us a moment,” Ashley said, putting an arm around her.
“I’m fine,” Janice said, regaining her composure.
“You were asking what sort of person would kidnap a child,” Dan continued. “That’s the most important question we need to answer right now. Why would someone target you?”
“Definitely not for the money.” Janice rubbed away a tear. “I mean, do we look rich? I work in an art gallery on commission. Eli’s a designer. Ashley isn’t working at the moment. We barely scrape by.”
“Apart from the money. Is there anyone who would be likely to do such a thing? Someone who might bear a grudge against any one of you?”
“What about Sarah?” Ashley prompted.
“Jeremy’s a surrogate child,” Janice said. “Sarah was his birth mother.”
“And you suspect the birth mother? Why?”
Eli snorted. “She was bad news from the beginning.”
“We couldn’t know that,” Janice said, her voice icy.
“It was obvious,” Eli said. “I warned you right at the start.”
“All right, let’s not go down that road again.” She turned to Dan. “Sarah and Ashley went to school together as kids. That’s why we chose her. She was from a good family, but she was a bit wild. She lied to the agency that arranged things for us. They terminated her contract after we ran into problems with her.”
“What sort of problems?”
“Not diseases or infertility. She passed all those tests. She’d done a surrogacy once before. We chose her because we knew she was capable of carrying a pregnancy to term. Her problem was drugs, though not while she was carrying Jeremy, thank god.” Here, she looked at Eli. “But later — after Jeremy was born — she showed up at our door asking for money. She said Jeremy’s birth was so difficult she’d turned to painkillers and got addicted. She said she lost her contract with the agency because of us. None of it was true, as it turned out. She was on meth. I gave her fifty bucks to go away. It was a mistake.”
“She still comes by every few months to ask for a handout,” Eli said. “Like we’re made of money.”
“Okay,” Dan said. “An angry surrogate with a drug problem would be a big red flag in this case. Who else might hold a grudge, for any reason, however small?”
“We let a nanny go,” Ashley said. “Marietta Valverde.”
“When was this?”
“April. Her boyfriend was trouble.”
“We thought we were doing her a favour by letting him stay on weekends,” Janice added. “But then we discovered money missing on two occasions and some of my jewellery another time. I told Marietta if her boyfriend confessed to what he’d done we wouldn’t press charges, but he kept denying it. I had the feeling she knew it was true, but she was loyal to him.”
“Did you mention it to the police?”
“Yes. They talked to them, but nothing came of it. It was impossible to prove, so we took what was for us a very drastic step and let her go. It was hard. I hated doing it, but I couldn’t feel safe with a thief in the house.”
“Is there a current nanny?” Dan asked.
“No,” Janice said. “We advertised for one and we interviewed a few people, but we didn’t find anyone suitable. Ashley looks after Jeremy when Eli and I are at work. She’s been a positive saint.” She smiled and took Ashley’s hand.
“Okay,” Dan said. “So that’s at least three people with a potential grudge. What about locks? Did you change them after she left?”
“Yes. Immediately.”
“Smart. Who else is there?”
Janice looked to Eli. “Do you want to tell him about Elroy?”
Eli looked embarrassed. “I lost on an investment. My former business partner, Elroy, is after me for the money. A lot of money.”
“How much?” Dan asked.
“A couple hundred thousand.”
Janice turned to Dan. “Elroy made death threats to Eli.”
“Any witnesses?”
Eli shook his head. “No. He threatened me one day when we were alone. That was a few months ago.”
Dan eyed him. “Did you believe he would try to harm you?”
Eli hesitated. “Not really. But you never know, do you?”
“You don’t, so don’t discount it,” Dan said. “Okay, so there’s a surrogate mother with a drug habit, an unknown woman seen outside your place twice, an ex-nanny who was fired because of her boyfriend, and an ex–business partner with a financial grudge. Anyone else?”
The three people watching him were silent.
“Chances are something else will come to mind. It could be someone you saw hanging around the post office every time you went there or a person at the daycare centre who seemed a little too curious about Jeremy. For now, let’s deal with what we’ve got.” He looked at Janice. “I want to know immediately if this strange woman you mentioned shows up again. I’ll also need names and addresses for everyone we just discussed. Is there anything else you can think of that might be relevant?”
“I suppose we should tell you about our complicated history,” Janice said, looking to both Eli and Ashley. “Jeremy’s parentage, I mean.”
Dan nodded. “That might help.”
“I used to be married to a guy named Dennis Braithwaite. Dennis and I were trying to have a child, but no luck. We spent a lot of money on a fertility clinic’s recommendation and, lo and behold, I got pregnant.” She smiled ruefully. “But after eight weeks, I miscarried. On further testing, the clinic told us I was unlikely ever to carry a pregnancy to full term, so I decided to hire a surrogate.”
“And that was when you hired Sarah?” Dan suggested.
“No.” Her expression changed. “That was when I met Ashley. When I mentioned I was looking for a surrogate, she suggested Sarah. As we got closer, it became clear to me that I’d been hiding from myself. I knew I wanted to be with a woman, not a man.”
She searched Dan’s face for judgment and, finding none, went on.
“What happened inside me was instantaneous, but changing my outer life took a bit longer. By then Sarah had been successfully implanted with an embryo. Nine months later, Jeremy was born. That’s when I left Dennis.”
“How did Dennis take it?”
“Not well at first, but later he seemed to accept it. He said we weren’t suited for each other.”
“Did he resent all the money you’d spent on the fertility clinic?”
“I thought so at first, but when I offered to pay him back his share of it he refused. He’s rich. He’s an investment banker.”
“How much did you spend in total?”
“Loads. Nearly a quarter of a million overall.”
“That’s a lot of money,” Dan said. “I think we should add Dennis to the list of people with grudges against you. Is he in your life now?”
“We stay in touch, but I keep him at arm’s length. He feels uncomfortable with Ashley around.”
“He treats Janice badly. He hit her once,” Ashley said. “I won’t stand for it. That’s why he’s uncomfortable.”
“Understandably,” Dan said. “What about Jeremy? Do they have any connection?”
“No — none.” Janice shook her head. “Jeremy is autistic. Non-verbal. It’s quite severe. Since Dennis and I are still legally married, I asked him to insure Jeremy through his company policy when we got the diagnosis. But he turned me down.”
“He refused to put his own son on his insurance?” Dan asked.
Janice shook her head. “No —”
“I’m Jeremy’s father,” Eli interjected.
Dan nodded as the final piece of the puzzle clicked into place.
; Janice leaned forward. “I knew Dennis and I weren’t going to be staying together, so I asked Eli to be a donor. He agreed on the condition that he could take an active part in Jeremy’s life.”
“Janice and I have known each other since we were kids,” Eli added. “When she asked, I jumped at the chance. I’d always wanted to be a father.”
“How does Jeremy deal with his ‘complicated history,’ as you call it? Is he aware of it?” Dan thought of his own son’s easy acceptance of both biological parents, despite the fact they’d never been married. As far as Kedrick was concerned — at least while growing up — it had always been a case of the more the merrier.
“Jeremy seems to take it all in stride,” Janice said. “He’s a happy boy for the most part, so we don’t really worry about whether he fully understands the situation or not.”
“All right,” Dan said. “I’m beginning to see the complications. Nevertheless, I’ll do everything I can to help.” He waited a beat. “Tell me again about the phone call. Was it a man or a woman?”
“I couldn’t tell. The voice sounded a little weird.”
“They would have used a voice modulator. When did they call?”
“This morning around ten. The number was blocked. At first I thought it was a telemarketer. They said they wanted me to donate a million dollars. Then I knew. I said I didn’t have that much money and that I’d need time. They said they’d call back and hung up.”
“Is there some reason a kidnapper might think you have money? You said Dennis is rich. Could it be someone who thinks he will pay?”
Janice shook her head. “I doubt it. Even if they did think it, they’d be wasting their time. In the meantime, I’m going to talk to the bank about a second mortgage.”
“And if that doesn’t come through?”
She winced. “There is a chance we might be able to raise the money. Through my mother. But it’s slim. So far she hasn’t even accepted Jeremy as her own grandchild. Because of the circumstances of his birth. She doesn’t approve.”
“She’s a tight-fisted witch,” Eli broke in. “Can you believe she won’t accept Jeremy as her own flesh and blood?”
Dan paused, thinking what to tell them. In fact, he could easily believe it. Family feuds were his area of expertise. Walls built instead of bridges, tough talk instead of healing words. Until the moment of truth turned everything around.
“You might be surprised how people react when a crisis arises. Something like this can bring out the true feelings of a parent or even a grandparent.”
“That’s certainly what we’re hoping,” Janice said. “But I’m not holding my breath.”
Dan looked at the faces watching him. “I take it you haven’t asked her yet?”
“Not yet,” Eli said. “We’ve only just heard from this supposed kidnapper. You’re the first person we’ve shared this with. To be honest, we haven’t really had time to digest it, let alone discuss it properly, but Janice’s mother seemed the obvious choice. None of us has that kind of money. She does.”
“My mother owns Clarice Magna. It’s a cosmetics company,” Janice said.
Dan nodded. The name sounded familiar. “And you think you can talk her into paying the ransom?”
“My mother is a rich woman. More importantly, the money is mine. My father left his estate in her trust until she dies. Then it reverts to me. For now, she’s got it all tied up in her company.”
“She could help if she wanted to.” It was Ashley who spoke. “She wants Janice to suffer.”
Janice nodded. “Screw her. She could release the estate early. I’m hoping I can convince her to do that. Because really, it’s mine.”
Dan’s mental image of Janice shifted suddenly. From a tough-talking young woman with a rebellious attitude, she had just become an entitled rich kid.
“Okay, that makes sense. I urge you to discuss it thoroughly and fast, before the kidnapper calls again.” He stopped to think. “Is it possible the kidnapper is someone with a grudge against your mother, since she’s an obvious source of money?”
“It’s possible,” Janice said, nodding. “I don’t know much about my mother’s business affairs, but she’s not an easy woman to like.”
“Just one last question. How did you hear about me?” Dan asked.
“I don’t think anyone in particular recommended you, but you’ve got a good reputation in the community,” Eli said. “We’d all heard your name.”
“That’s good to know.”
Dan saw them to the door.
Eli paused in the hallway. He waited till the women were headed down the stairs then turned to Dan.
“In case you’re wondering, I love my son very much,” he said. “We all raise him together.”
“I don’t doubt that for a moment,” Dan said. “The fact that you came to me before going to the police tells me a lot.”
“Good. I’m glad you see that.” He hesitated then said, “My son is everything to me. I would do anything for Jeremy. Anything. Please remember that.”
Dan nodded. “I will.”
TWO
Serious
DAN WAS LATE and that bothered him. Because it was never good to keep a cop waiting. Even when you had what sounded like a reasonable excuse, such as lack of parking. Everyone knew good valet service was hard to come by. But then again, Sergeant Nick Trposki wasn’t just any cop. That fact was very much on Dan’s mind as he scouted for available curb space.
They’d been dating for just over a year. Lately it seemed it might be good to make a decision one way or another. Otherwise, further time invested without a commitment was time wasted. He’d recently assessed the situation and realized to his surprise that he was happy with the relationship. And he was pretty certain Nick felt the same. He didn’t know how his son, Ked, felt about Nick, however. On the other hand, his best friend Donny had dismissed him with a curt, “Let me know if he’s still around by Christmas.” As far as Donny was concerned, Dan was dating the enemy. Private investigators did not date cops.
Only Ked’s mother, Kendra, had taken whole-heartedly to Nick. That, at least, was as good as saying she trusted Nick to be a trustworthy companion to the father of her only child.
“He’s nice. He’s respectful. And he’s got such beautiful eyes,” she’d confided. “Those lashes are wasted on a man. It’s like free mascara!”
Dan pulled up in front of the restaurant. For once, luck was with him. He snagged a spot right out front then dashed inside only to find the place half empty.
He and Nick liked Café Frederic because it was quiet on weeknights. Soft music, low lights, red-and-white-checked tablecloths, with a handful of regulars always sitting at the bar talking to Ted, the beautiful bartender who should have been at one of the high-power downtown restaurants where the tips would have put him in a top-tier tax bracket. In fact, he would have been there but for a drug habit that tended to go a little haywire whenever he had cash to burn, as he confided one evening on learning both Dan and Nick watched their alcohol intake for much the same reason.
As Dan entered, Ted paused mid-conversation, nodding him to his regular table one down from the window where he could see the street without easily being seen. Something in Dan’s nature always made him want to step back into the shadows. Or so he would have said if anyone asked, though no one ever did.
A minute later, Ted was on his way over with a glass of San Pellegrino, a crisp wedge of lime snapped onto the side. He set it on the table and looked at the empty chair.
“Where’s that sexy boyfriend of yours?” he asked.
“I’m not sure,” Dan replied. “I thought I was the late one.”
It always floored Dan when young men like Ted — for all intents and purposes straight — joked casually about his relationship with another man. When had the world got turned on its head?
“Tell him he better not keep you waiting around. I’ve seen more than a few heads turn when you enter this place.”
“You mean
they actually stop looking at you for a few seconds?”
“I do my best to fade into the woodwork and let my customers shine.” Ted smiled. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“Will do.”
A few minutes later the door opened and an unsmiling Nick entered. He spotted Dan and came right over.
“Sorry I’m late,” he said.
“Late is fine, but no smile is never a good thing with you. What’s up?”
“You know me too well.” Nick crossed his arms over his chest as he sat. “I think I’m getting a new boss.”
“Is that like getting a cold?”
“Kind of.”
“Bad news?”
“Don’t know yet, but rumours are Lydia’s being replaced by an out-of-town guy named Bruce McDormand. An old-school homophobe, from what I’ve heard.”
“Time to think of looking for a new job?”
“Yeah — as if. I’m a career cop. Don’t forget that.”
“Then keep your head down and pray for the best.”
“I was getting a little too comfortable with Lydia, that’s for sure. She was the only boss who ever joked about my sexuality. With me, that is, as opposed to behind my back.”
The door opened and four boisterous men entered, heading for the far side of the room. A miniature storm of rowdy good cheer. A moment later, Ted showed up and eyed Nick.
“Hey, buddy. You better not leave that boyfriend of yours alone for too long. I can’t be held responsible if he goes missing on you.”
Nick reached across the table and grabbed Dan’s arm. “I’m not worried. I’ve got a handle on this one.”
“This a non-drinking night?” Ted asked.
Nick’s eyes flitted over to Dan. Dan shrugged.
“I’ll have a Mad Tom,” Nick said. “I’m losing my boss and I need some consolation.”
“Atta boy! One Mad Tom coming up,” Ted said and headed back to the bar.
“Does he still remind you of your son?” Dan asked.
Nick made a defensive gesture with his hands. “Weird, isn’t it? He’d be a little younger, but that’s what I always thought Jakob would look like when he got older.”
Lion's Head Revisited Page 2