Mistaken Identity (A Lucinda Pierce Mystery)

by Fanning, Diane

  Freddy nodded. Jason untied the knots on Freddy’s wrists and shoved the boy into the desk chair. “I want you to be my research assistant. You’ve heard of extradition treaties?”

  Freddy’s brow furrowed and then he nodded.

  “Okay, little man, this is what you need to do. I want to know which countries don’t have one with the good, old U S of A.”

  Freddy put his hands on the keyboard. He struggled to make his numb fingers work. After two clumsy attempts, he managed to bring up locations on the Google search page. The first link he clicked led to a long list of countries with the extradition status detailed beside each one.

  Jason clunked the back of Freddy’s head with the butt of his palm. “You can do better than that. I just want to see the ones without a treaty – not a list of countries, all mixed up.”

  Freddy clicked back to the search results and connected with another link.

  “Now, that’s what I’m talking about, little man.”

  Jason read through the list of countries that maintained diplomatic relations with the United States but had no extradition treaty. Then he saw the list of those nations that had neither treaty nor relations. He tapped on the screen. “This is it,” he said and read out loud, ‘Andorra, Angola, Bantu Homelands, Bhutan, Bosnia, Cambodia, Ciskei, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Libya, Maldives, Serbia, Somalia, Taiwan, Transkei, Vanuatu and Vietnam. Never heard of at least half of them. I know North Korea is a hellhole – and it’s too far away. So are Vietnam, the Maldives, Taiwan and Cambodia. Shit! Cuba? That’s it? Nothing else? Cuba? Why not Venezuela? I’d rather go there. It’s a big place – lots of pretty country to get lost in. What do you think is wrong with that Chavez, little man? You’d think he would have cancelled all the treaties with the big white devil, wouldn’t you?”

  Freddy shrugged his shoulders.

  “Wish I could take off that duct tape and let you talk. You’re smart enough; you could do me some good if you wanted to. But I know I can’t trust what you’d say. And I don’t trust those teeth of yours – kids bite and I bet you’d try. Well, little man, Cuba it is. Let’s go join the party downstairs.” He entwined his fingers in a hank of Freddy’s hair, forcing him to his feet and down to the first floor.

  Tied back into his chair, Freddy mulled over the experience at the computer. Cuba? I’m just a kid and I know that Cuba is a stupid idea. What does he think, they’ll rush out in the surf to greet the boat and give him a ticker tape parade through Havana? He’s dumber than I thought. I can use that. I know I can use that. I just have to figure out how.

  Thirty-Nine

  At the end of the call, Lucinda turned to Jake. The glazed appearance of his eyes and the soft smile on his lips made Lucinda roll her eyes. She snapped her fingers in front of his face. “Hello, Jake. Please wipe the bliss off of your face and focus your attention in the here and now.”

  “Wow! He’s got excellent taste in automobiles.”

  “Oh, good grief.”

  “I wonder if I could convince him to let me ride with him down to Norfolk.”

  “Hello, Jake. We don’t really want him getting to that boat. And we’ve got a real problem here. Where the hell are we going to find a car like that at this time of night?”

  “Piece of cake.”

  “Oh, Jake, be serious.”

  “Oh, I am. I know just who to call.”

  “Really?” Ted interjected.

  “Oh, sure, driving my dad’s old ’66 Impala Super Sport has put me in touch with a lot of interesting people.”

  “A Super Sport? I am impressed. Convertible?” Ted asked.

  “Of course! She’s got a 396 under the hood with 325 horses …”

  Lucinda interrupted, “Yeah, yeah, yeah. And the ride is as smooth as glass. Much as I’m enjoying this male bonding moment, Jake, don’t you need to make a call?”

  Jake turned back to Ted. “No appreciation for the finer things in life.”

  “None whatsoever,” Ted agreed.

  “Jake!”

  “Hey, it’s cool,” Jake said, sliding his cell out of his pocket. “Hey, Grease Monkey, this is Jake. How’s it shakin’?” Jake nodded his head a couple of times and said, “Same ol’ same ol’. I gotta problem that I thought you might be able to help me with – I need to find a car and have it delivered here before daybreak.” Jake ran through the car’s specs and said that he didn’t want to buy a car, just borrow it for a day or two. He nodded a few times while he listened and said, “All right, man, I’ll be waiting.”

  “You’ll be waiting? He has a car? Already?” Lucinda asked in amazement.

  “No, not yet. But he will. He’ll call back as soon as he finds out which one is available,” Jake said.

  “Which one? You mean there’s more than one around here?”

  “He knows of several, right here in Virginia. A few more just over the line in North Carolina.”

  “You’re kidding?”

  “It’s kind of a bummer. You have a sweet machine like that and you like to think you’re the only one but that’s rarely true – there were four other cars just like my dad’s at the last rally I attended.”

  “You go to car rallies?”

  “Yeah, they’re a lot of fun. You oughta come with me sometime.”

  Lucinda rolled her eyes, walked over to Officer Colter and whispered in her ear. Robin spoke to Victoria, who protested at first, but then allowed the officer to lead her upstairs to lie down in her bed. “I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep,” Victoria said as she walked up the stairs.

  “Don’t you worry about that, Ms. Whitehead. You just stretch out for a bit and rest.”

  Lucinda passed through the family room where all of the officers leaned back in recliners and snored quietly in the blue light of the television set. She paused to pick up the remote and power off the TV. She slipped out the French door into the back yard for a breath of fresh air. As she stared up at a hazy moon, she heard the back door open and shut.

  “Pretty damn humid out here tonight, isn’t it?” Jake said.

  “Ah, summer in Virginia – should call it mildew season. Sometimes I worry if I stand still too long, it’ll start creeping over my toes.”

  “Are you doing okay?”

  Lucinda snorted. “Yeah, sure.”

  “It’s a lot harder when you know the abducted kid.”

  “Can’t say I really know him. I’ve been trying to figure him out but …” her voice trailed away, tinged with unspoken regret.

  “But you have interacted with him and that makes it harder to hold your center and maintain your balance.”

  Lucinda made an ambiguous noise, halfway between a grunt and a growl.

  “And then there was that crap with your sister tonight,” Jake added.

  “Oh, please, don’t remind me.”

  “What’s with that? Why is she so hostile toward you?”

  “I don’t know. She’s been that way since Mom was killed. I’ve tried to get through to her but it didn’t seem to make a difference so I finally gave up. She snaps at me when I see her; she judges me and always finds me wanting. You saw her tonight – she has no problem criticizing me anywhere, at any time, to anyone.”

  “Why is all this anger directed at you?”

  Lucinda shrugged. “Maybe she’s this way with everybody.”

  “You think?”

  “I don’t know, Jake. Let’s drop it, okay?”

  “Sure,” he said, stepping to her side and sliding an arm across her back, cupping his palm around her shoulder.

  At his touch, a small electric charge coursed through Lucinda’s body. For a few seconds she felt as if she never wanted the moment to end. She nearly turned to fall into his arms but a tight ball formed in her core and an ugly voiced hissed in her head: Push him away. Push him away!

  She tried to squash her internal nay-sayer and nearly succeeded when they were interrupted by the opening bars of Born to be Wild, boogying from Jake’s cell. She looked at him and lau
ghed at his ringtone.

  He grinned and shrugged as he answered the call. “That you, Grease Monkey? Got good news for me?” Jake’s browed furrowed, then he shot his arm up in the air and shook a fist at the sky. “Thanks, buddy, I owe you, big time.” He disconnected, raised both arms and shouted, “Yes!”

  “What? What? Tell me! He found the car, right?”

  “Yesssss! Yes, he found the car. It will be pulling up out front between five and five thirty tomorrow morning.”

  Lucinda looked down at her watch. “Correction, Jake – five to five thirty this morning.”

  “Oh, man, we need to get some sleep.”

  They walked inside, taking care not to disturb the sleeping patrol officers. When they reached the living room, they saw that they’d lost the audio guy. He sprawled in his chair, mouth wide open, a pair of headphones balanced precariously on one knee.

  Lucinda kicked off her shoes and slid into a chaise next to a narrow floor-to-ceiling shelf of books. Jake tossed her an afghan from the back of the sofa and grabbed the other one for his own use as he stretched out to rest.

  She didn’t think she could sleep. Too many dire warnings raced through her head. She had no idea what the new day would bring but she knew it wouldn’t be easy and it wouldn’t be pretty. She stretched the covering over her long legs and closed her eyes.

  She awoke with a start and looked at her watch. Four fifteen. But what woke me? She listened but heard no sound except for the relaxed light snore coming from the audio guy. She walked in her stockinged feet over to the sofa and looked down at Jake. He looks even younger when he’s asleep. Doesn’t look old enough to carry a gun. She sighed and padded into the kitchen to prepare a pot of coffee. Once she got the coffee-maker going, she pulled out the spare carafe – they were going to need more than one pot this morning to get the whole crew up and at ’em.

  When the first batch was ready, she poured two mugs, and then paused. How does Jake like his coffee? She cast her mind back. Black – unless there’s half and half available. She rummaged through the containers on the refrigerator door, emerged victorious and poured a big dollop into one of the mugs. She carried them both into the living room, set them down on the coffee table and crouched down by Jake’s face. “Jake,” she whispered.

  He stirred but did not open his eyes.

  She spoke a little louder. “Jake!”

  His eyes fluttered and a hand reached out to rest on the damaged side of her face.

  A tiny gasp escaped her throat. She held her breath, waiting for the recoil of revulsion. It didn’t come. Instead, he caressed her scars and moved his fingers into her hair. She trembled and fought back tears. “Jake,” she whispered.

  His eyes opened halfway. “Lucinda.”

  The sound of her name on his lips brought a flush to her skin.

  He reached out with his other hand and placed it on the opposite side of her face.

  She almost relaxed – almost moved to him. She was stopped by an insistent warning in her head. Not the right place. Not the right time. In a sharper, more urgent tone of voice, she said, “Jake!”

  His eyes flew all the way open. Puzzlement splashed across his face and then was gone. “What time is it?”

  “Four thirty. Here, I fixed you a cup of coffee,” she said, handing him the mug.

  He took a sip, then pulled back the mug and looked inside. “Mmm, you remembered the half and half.”

  “Sure. I like it myself from time to time,” she said with a smile. “Let’s let the rest of them sleep as long as they can.”

  They rose to their feet and went out on to the front porch, leaving the door open a crack to hear the phone in case it rang. They sat in quiet harmony, rocking in the wicker chairs, sipping from their cups and enjoying the early morning quiet. Birdsong heralded the rising sun as light made its stealthy spread across the sky. “I’d better go get Ms. Whitehead up. Don’t know when he’ll call but it could be soon,” Lucinda said.

  “I’ll wait out here and watch for the car.”

  “When it gets here, Jake, please don’t embarrass us all by drooling on your shirt.”

  Jake laughed. “Just wait till you see her. She’s a beauty.”

  Smiling, Lucinda eased into the house and went upstairs. In Victoria’s bedroom, she was surprised to see Officer Colter stretched out on top of the bedspread, in full uniform, with her hand resting on top of the other woman’s. She walked over to that side of the bed and whispered, “Officer Colter.”

  Robin woke instantly. “Sorry. Sorry, Lieutenant. I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I …”

  “It’s okay. I’m glad you got some rest. Did she sleep okay?”

  “Not at first. But she asked me just to lie down next to her until she drifted off. When I did, she slipped her hand in mine and, minutes later, she was out.”

  “Thanks, Colter. That was a kind thing to do. Now, unfortunately, we need to wake her and get her downstairs. The sun is starting to rise and the bastard could call any minute.”

  Lucinda walked into the guest bedroom and woke up the liaison officer from the state police. In Freddy’s room, she found Ted curled up in a tight ball. She brushed the hair out of his face and whispered his name. He jumped. “It’s okay, Ted. Sun’s up and there’s coffee in the kitchen.”

  He mumbled, “Thanks” as he threw his legs out of the bed.

  Lucinda went downstairs, waking the three uniformed officers in front of the TV and moving on to the audio tech. His first words were: “I didn’t miss anything, did I?”

  “Not yet,” Lucinda said. “But you’d better hurry to the kitchen before all the coffee is gone.” She was walking towards the porch when a whoop rang out She opened the door and spotted Jake doing a crazy jig down the sidewalk toward the screaming red car at the curb.

  “Isn’t she a beauty?” he squealed.

  “Jake, you’re drooling!”

  He placed both hands over his heart and said, “How could I not?”

  Lucinda laughed. “I’m going to get everyone together so we can run over what we might expect and see if we can work out a scenario for each possibility.”

  “I’ll be right there.”

  Lucinda herded the still sleepy team into the family room, grabbed a fresh cup of coffee and returned just as Jake entered the room from the other doorway and gave her the thumbs-up sign.

  “Okay. The car is here,” she said.

  The men in the room stirred as if ready to jump up and check it out.

  “Wait. You can go see it in a minute. Let’s just hash things out first.” She heard a couple of sighs as they all settled back down. She entertained theories, answered questions and expressed the confidence that they all could handle whatever situation arose – and hoped what she said was true.

  When she finished, the men surged like one big beast outside to ogle the Camaro. She watched from the doorway as they took turns sliding behind the wheel, ran loving hands across the hood and just stood back and stared.

  A harsh ring jarred Lucinda from her relaxation. “Telephone,” she shouted and the men scrambled away from the car and up the walk. She raced across the living room, donned her headphones and flipped on the recorder as the audio tech skidded to a halt, muttering, “Thanks.”

  Lucinda gave him a sharp nod and a smile and then looked over to Victoria, repeating the gestures. . Victoria cleared her throat, reached for the receiver and said, “Hello?”

  Forty

  “Listen up, Victoria, and listen good,” Jason said.

  To everyone’s surprise, Victoria bounded to her feet and shouted in a shrill voice, “No, you listen, Jason, or whoever you are. I want to speak to my grandson and I want to speak to him now.”

  Lucinda and Jake frantically shook their heads but Victoria would not look in their direction.

  “Shut up. You will do what I say if you ever want to see him again!”

  “You’ve killed him, haven’t you?”

  Lucinda waved her arms violently but st
ill could not get Victoria’s attention. Robin stepped up, put an arm around the woman’s shoulder and whispered in her ear. Victoria shrugged her off, her eyes wide, her breath fast and furious.

  “He’s fine, woman. You want to see him, you listen to me.”

  “No. I don’t believe you. I don’t believe anything you say. You let me speak to Frederick right now or I’m hanging up.”

  “Have it your way,” he said and slammed down the receiver.

  The echo of the disconnected call wiped the color from the faces of all the listeners in the room except for Victoria’s – her face blossomed in a bright red. “Don’t you hang up on me! You have to talk to me. Get back on the phone!”

  Robin eased the receiver out of Victoria’s clenched fingers and threw an arm around her again. Victoria burst into gut-wrenching sobs as Robin eased her back down on to the sofa.

  Lucinda and Jake looked at each other, removed their headphones and walked out to the front porch. “So, what now?”

  “We sit and hope he calls back and hope he doesn’t take it out on Freddy.”

  Jason boiled with rage. He stretched out his arms and ran them across the nearest counter, sending canisters, salt and pepper shakers and cookbooks crashing to the floor. When the container of flour hit the vinyl, its lid popped off, sending a white cloud into the air, enraging Jason even further.

  He walked to the wood stove, grabbed an iron skillet and flung it in the general direction of his bound hostages. They all ducked even though it flew through the air far from their heads, crashing into a window in the wall behind them, shattering glass and thudding to the ground outdoors.

  Stunned by his fury, the wide-eyed trio could only watch as he pulled objects off counters and utensils out of drawers and threw them across the room. Frank cringed as a spatula bounced off his head. Martha’s muffled cry escaped through the duct tape as she saw Jason pick up her prized blown-glass rooster and send it soaring through the air. Freddy tried to move his head out of the way but he wasn’t quick enough. The fragile figurine smacked into his forehead and exploded into pieces. A sliver sliced his eyebrow, sending a narrow, persistent streamlet of blood across his cheek and around the duct tape and down to his chin where it dripped on to his shirt.