Ivana choked back tears, removing her hand from the purse. Earlier, she’d turned the phone off, not wishing to talk to anyone. Certainly not Trey, who had turned his back on her when confronted with something he couldn’t handle. But she had turned the phone back on while at the tavern.
Now he won’t allow me to answer it. Could Trey be trying to reach me? Had he somehow been tipped off that I’d been taken against my will by this monster?
Or was that only wishful thinking when she and Trey were currently so at odds?
Ivana glanced at her captor, who kept the gun aimed at her while driving. Would he actually shoot her if she tried to jump out of the moving car? Did she dare try, risking serious injury if he didn’t kill her first?
She speculated about where he might be taking her. Maybe out in the woods to rape and brutalize her in other ways. The thought gave her the chills.
I can’t let that happen. But how can I prevent it?
“If you just let me call my husband, he’ll give you—” she started to say out of desperation.
“Your husband,” Willie snickered. “He’s owes me plenty—just like Clyde. They’re both gonna pay for gettin’ in my way. But not ’til you and me get to know each other better . . .”
Ivana gulped as he ran the cold steel of the gun across her cheek and then chest. He was confirming her worst fears, leaving her helpless and starting to feel hopeless.
Willie drove toward his apartment complex and spotted a police cruiser parked not far from his door, lights flashing. It gave him a bit of a start, even though being high had made it easier to digest.
Were they looking for him? Or her?
Looks like I ain’t gonna have some fun with Clyde’s sister-in-law after all. Not here, anyway.
Peering at his imagined sex slave, Willie saw that she too noticed the police car. “Don’t get any ideas,” he told her, pointing the gun at her side. “They can’t help you.”
“Please don’t hurt me,” she whined.
“How about pretty please, sweet lady?” He chucked wickedly and drove away, hoping not to attract any attention.
Chapter Forty-one
Clyde turned into the apartment complex. He thought about his imminent confrontation with Willie. It was inevitable that they would have to settle this one way or the other. Clyde didn’t want Trey and Ivana dragged into it. But that was exactly what had happened, and now he had to deal with it and hope they all came out of this thing in one piece.
“You ready?” Clyde looked across the seat at Trey.
“Yes.” Trey took a breath. “Let’s go see if the son of a bitch brought my wife here.”
They left the car and looked across the lot for any sign of the vehicle Willie drove. Detective Cordell had provided the make. There was no evidence that it was there.
“Maybe he took her somewhere else,” Trey speculated. “Or he’s driving another car.”
“Or maybe he parked in back.” Clyde scanned the surroundings. “I say we check his place out.”
“Yeah, let’s.”
At the door where Clyde once confronted Willie, there was no indication that anyone was home. Clyde rang the bell and knocked hard on the door. There was no response.
“Damn,” he cursed under his breath, wondering if they were inside, with Willie forcing Ivana to remain silent.
Trey banged on the door, then kicked it. “Where the hell are they?”
“Maybe we should take a look inside,” Clyde said, aware of the implications.
Trey’s mouth hung open. “What are you suggesting?”
Clyde met his eyes. “I think you know.”
“Breaking and entering wasn’t part of the bargain.”
“Neither was kidnapping, and who knows what the hell else your wife is being put through. For all we know, Ivana’s in there, bound and gagged, maybe even drugged. There’s only one way to find out for sure . . .”
“You’re right,” Trey relented. “Whatever it takes.” He held Clyde’s gaze. “So how do we do this?”
“I’ve got it covered.” Clyde studied the door lock, which was cheap by most standards. He’d learned a bit about picking locks back in the day, and more while incarcerated, never expecting to be put to the test again. He removed a pen top from his pocket and put it in the lock, jimmying it.
After a moment or two, the door opened.
Clyde and Trey went inside, their guard up. The pungent scent of marijuana filled the air like poison. The place was dark and gloomy. Drug paraphernalia and remnants of meth and marijuana were spread out on a living-room table.
“Ivana,” Trey called out. “Are you in here, baby?”
There was no response. He tried again and got the same result.
They went from one untidy room to the next, but saw neither Ivana nor Willie.
“Maybe they were here and left,” Clyde suggested, though doubting it. He strongly suspected that Willie had anticipated this and was one step ahead of them.
“The bastard took her somewhere else,” Trey said dolefully. “But where?”
They were standing in a bedroom. The bed was unmade and clothes were strewn about. Clyde thought about Willie’s partner in crime in the dealership break-in. He wouldn’t put it past Willie to have recruited him for his latest act of crime, if in fact Ivana wasn’t with Willie voluntarily, which didn’t seem too likely at this point.
Clyde spotted an answering machine on the dresser that blinked with messages. He pushed the button.
“Hi, Willie. I’ve been trying to reach you. I’m disappointed that we can’t go out tonight. But that’s just how I am. If you change you mind, I’ll be home.”
Clyde looked at the caller ID. It showed the message was from a Roselyn Pesquera. He recalled seeing her name on a piece of mail on the kitchen table.
“Let me check something,” he told Trey, and went to look at the envelope. It had Roselyn’s return address on it. Willie was apparently involved with this woman. She obviously had no idea what she was getting herself into. Or did she know exactly who she was dealing with, even to the point of helping him commit a crime?
Trey followed Clyde into the kitchen. “What’s up?”
Clyde explained his thoughts. “It may be a long shot, but Willie could have taken Ivana to his girlfriend’s place. Or, if not, she might know something . . .”
Trey sighed. “Right now, I’m willing to try anything that could help us find Ivana.”
Clyde concurred, understanding that Willie might hold the key to any chance he had to make things right with Trey and Ivana.
“I keep trying Ivana’s cell phone, but there’s no answer,” Stefani told Clyde over the phone as she drove, feeling frustrated.
“Well, keep trying,” he said. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and she’ll pick up and tell us where she is.”
“Where are you now?”
“We’re on our way to see a woman named Roselyn Pesquera. She may be able to help.”
Stefani didn’t ask how. She knew that he and Trey were pulling out all the stops to try and find Ivana. But they weren’t detectives, and Stefani did not want to see either hurt.
“Please be careful, Clyde. If anything were to happen—”
“I’ll be fine,” he promised. “Right now, we need to worry more about Ivana. Willie knows we’re onto his ass, and he’s probably running scared, which makes him even more threatening.”
“What are the police doing?”
“Not enough,” Clyde grumbled. “We heard they stopped by Willie’s apartment and found nothing suspicious, so they left. Guess they’re waiting for Willie to confess or a body to show up before doing what they should be. By then it could be too late, so we’re taking matters into our own hands.”
Stefani gazed out over the steering wheel. She knew the police were usually more reactive than proactive, but the fact that they were on the case at all suggested it would be resolved sooner than later.
Would Ivana be able to escape her ordeal by then, relat
ively unscathed?
“I’m on my way to the club,” Stefani spoke into the speakerphone, not particularly in the mood to perform. “If you want, I can go home and—”
“That’s not necessary,” Clyde broke in. “There’s nothing you can do there. Trey and I want it to be business as usual, at least ’til this is settled. I’ll get there when I can. Meanwhile Albert and Raymond will handle things.”
“All right.”
“Gotta go, baby.”
“Love you,” she reaffirmed.
“Love you too,” he said, warming her heart.
Stefani neared the club. She was proud of Clyde that he’d apparently been able to bury the hatchet with Trey while they went after a common enemy. In the end, they seemed to remember that they were brothers first and foremost. And on a mission that neither could afford to see fail.
It didn’t go unnoticed by Trey that he’d heard Clyde say the word love to Stefani. He had assumed they were getting pretty close, but now it was clear that they were developing a deeply emotional commitment as well as an intimate one.
It was what Trey used to have with Ivana. He prayed they could get a second chance to rediscover the early part of their marriage and what it meant to be a husband and wife who loved each other more than life itself.
If I can get you back, baby, I swear I’ll never let you down again.
“You all right?” Clyde asked.
“Ask me that when we find Ivana.” Trey took a breath. “I think this whole ordeal has made me appreciate everything I had and nearly threw away.”
“I know what you mean,” he muttered.
“Once I have Ivana back and she’s sober again, if she’ll have me, I think I’d like to renew our wedding vows.”
Clyde gave a thoughtful smile. “That’s a great idea. I hope it works out.”
“Thanks.” Trey believed he meant it, even after what happened between him and Ivana. “Looks like you and Stefani have found something special.”
“Yeah, we have,” Clyde admitted. “She makes me whole, and I feel like I deserve someone who’s got my back, along with the right combo of brains, beauty, and talent.”
“You do deserve it, Clyde,” Trey said sincerely, forgetting for the moment that it was his own mistakes that often stood in the way before now. Maybe that would all change for good.
Clyde blinked. “I think we both do, big brother.”
Clyde and Trey stood outside the ranch-style house. There was no visible sign of Willie’s car. Instead, there was a Honda Accord parked in the driveway.
Clyde rang the bell. A pretty woman opened the door.
“Are you Roselyn?”
Her eyes darted suspiciously. “No, I’m not. Who’s asking?”
“I’m Clyde and this is my brother, Trey.”
“So you’re friends of Roselyn?”
“Yes, something like that,” he said smoothly. “Who are you?”
“Gail. I’m Roselyn’s housemate.”
“Is Willie here?” Trey asked straightforwardly.
“No, he isn’t.” She tensed. “What’s this all about?”
“It’s about life and death and wasting too much damned time trying to explain it!” Trey blared.
Gail’s face contorted with confusion, and she looked at Clyde.
He sighed, realizing he needed to keep his cool. After all, it was his idea that Willie might have come here with Ivana. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea.
“We believe that Willie Munroe kidnapped Trey’s wife,” he told her candidly.
“What?” Gail’s eyes widened.
Clyde gave her an abbreviated version of the story. “Willie was seen leaving a tavern with her, and Ivana’s car was still in the lot. They weren’t at his place, so we thought maybe Willie had brought Ivana here against her will. She won’t answer her cell phone.”
Gail’s nose crumpled. “That no-good bastard. I knew he was trouble from the moment I laid eyes on him. I told Roselyn to stay away from him, but she wouldn’t listen.” She clasped her hands. “Willie wouldn’t dare show his ass here with another woman, voluntarily or otherwise. If Roselyn wouldn’t kill him, I would.”
“I take it Roselyn isn’t home, then?” Trey asked evenly.
Gail shook her head. “She was supposed to go to see a movie with Willie tonight. When he canceled abruptly, she decided to go to that new jazz club alone. And I’m going to join her later.”
Clyde flashed a faint smile that business was still booming in spite of everything else, before getting back to the seriousness of the matter at hand. “If you hear from Willie, could you let us know?”
“I’d be glad to.” She took Trey’s card. “Hope you find your wife before that Willie does something crazy.”
Clyde had an uneasy feeling in his stomach, knowing firsthand just how unstable Willie was, and what that meant for Ivana’s chances to come away from this unharmed.
Chapter Forty-two
“I’ve got your sister-in-law,” Willie said over the phone. He looked at Ivana and made sure she understood the gun pointing in her direction would be used if she did anything stupid.
“If you do anything to hurt her—” Clyde warned.
Willie grunted. “You’ll what, bitch? You already took your best shot.”
“You only think I did,” Clyde said tartly. “Believe me, it can get much worse for you. Let her go, Willie, and we can forget this ever happened.”
Yeah, right, Willie thought. The minute I release her, he’ll come after me. Probably joined by his brother. And even the cops to haul my ass off to jail. Or shoot to kill and call it justified.
“I don’t think so, homie. You ain’t gonna forget this any more than I can forget what you done to my eye.”
“That’s between you and me,” Clyde told him.
“It was never between you and me!” barked Willie. “It was between me and that high-and-mighty brother of yours. You stuck your nose where you shouldn’ta. Now you’re gonna be sorry you ever did.”
“Let Ivana go and I’ll take her place,” Clyde offered.
Willie sniffled, feeling the meth residue in his nasal cavity. “Yeah, you’d like that, wouldn’t you? To be a hero in your brother’s eyes. Well, it ain’t gonna happen—not this time.”
“I’m no hero,” Clyde told him. “Certainly not to Trey. I just want the lady released so you and me can settle this any way you like.”
“What I want is to see you and your brother dead,” Willie hissed bluntly. “And maybe his pretty and drunk wife too.”
“You son of a bitch,” Trey blasted into the speaker. “If you hurt her in any way, I swear I’ll kill you.”
“Yeah, you really got me shakin’ in my shoes,” Willie scoffed. “I figured Clyde was there with his big brother to hold his hand. Or is it the other way around?”
“The police know about this,” Clyde said. “No matter how you slice it, Willie, you’re screwed. If you let Ivana go now, we can call it a big misunderstanding and you won’t have to spend the next twenty years in prison. Trust me when I say it’s not a place you want to be.”
Willie considered his words. He wasn’t interested in doing hard time. He had seen what it had done to others, even though Clyde seemed to have survived well enough.
Even with two good eyes it would be hard to watch my back in the pen. And with only one, it would be damned near impossible.
He fixed his good eye on Ivana’s frightened face. Maybe he should cut his losses and set her free. No, it was too late for that. It had gone too far, but not nearly far enough.
Whatever happened, happened.
If he went down, Willie wanted to make damned sure Clyde and company went down with him. He ran the gun barrel slowly across Ivana’s cheek and saw her flinch, making him grin.
“No deal,” he said into the phone. “But I’ve got one for you.”
Clyde sucked in a ragged breath. “I’m listening.”
I’ll bet you are. Willie collected his thoughts
, fuzzy as they were, deciding upon the perfect way to settle the scores built up over the years.
“If you wanna see the bitch alive again, you and your brother come alone where I tell you.”
“How do we know she’s alive right now—and not hurt?” Clyde asked.
Willie peered at the nice-looking wife. “You don’t, asshole.”
“We’ll meet you anywhere, anytime, Willie—after we know Ivana’s alive and well. Put her on the phone!”
Willie wanted them to suffer a bit longer, not knowing for sure if he had taken her out, as he had suffered for so many years. But the end would be just as sweet either way.
He cast a menacing stare at Ivana. “Looks like someone has somethin’ to say to you. Watch what you say, bitch, otherwise it might be the last words to come out of your mouth.”
Ivana sat next to Willie in the car, parked on a dark street just a short distance from Clyde’s Jazz Club. It might as well have been on the other side of the world, for there were no other people in sight she could scream to help her. And if there had been, it would only have given him an excuse to shoot her in the face, ending whatever life she had left to look forward to.
She watched Willie press the speaker button on his cell phone and then point it at her. He’d already warned Ivana that if she tried anything like cutting him down or getting out of the car, he wouldn’t hesitate to gun her down.
“She can hear you,” he grunted.
“Ivana?” It was Trey.
“Trey—” Ivana never thought she would be so happy to hear his voice, even under trying circumstances.
“Has he hurt you?”
Ivana looked at Willie. He glared back. In fact, aside from pushing her into the car and poking her once or twice with the gun to get his kicks, she had not been hurt physically. But how long would that last, considering that she was being held against her will by a madman who also seemed desperate enough in his desire for revenge against Trey and Clyde?
“No, I’m fine,” she said after taking a calming breath. “Just scared to death.”
“Don’t be, baby,” Trey said. “We’ll get through this together.”
“Do you really mean that?” Her voice rang with doubt.
The Secrets of Paradise Bay Page 26