Hostage to Fortune

by J A Whiting

  Claire turned towards Ian. “Was anything revealing or helpful?”

  “Cheryl made a note about Jason’s interest in her and how awkward it made her feel. She wanted to talk about how to handle him with one of her friends. She also made a couple of entries about Lisa Richardson and her flirtation with Jackson. Cheryl toyed with the idea of firing Lisa.”

  “I don’t think Cheryl could fire the woman because she flirted with her husband. It would have to be related to Lisa’s job performance.”

  “Maybe that’s why Cheryl never went forward with the idea.” Ian turned the SUV into the lot of a café and pulled into a parking spot. “Cheryl also made some entries about Jackson.”

  “What did she write?” Claire asked.

  “She was unhappy with the relationship. She was pretty sure Jackson and Lisa were having an affair. Cheryl made some cryptic remarks in the journal about Jackson. She seemed to think he was dealing in some illegal activities. She worried he was going to end up taking the company down. Unfortunately, she didn’t give any details about what he was involved in, but she wrote that she would have to confront him about it.”

  Claire’s eyes narrowed. “I wonder if Jackson is still involved in illegal dealings. Maybe what he’s doing is financially lucrative. Maybe he even used money from his dealings to expand Journey.”

  “I have the same thoughts about him and his financial empire.”

  Claire and Ian went inside the café to meet with Mitch Baxter, and when the man noticed them enter, he waved them over to his booth.

  “Thanks for meeting me.” Mitch was in his late fifties or early sixties and he had light brown hair and a medium build. “The civil case that’s been in the news about John Wilby winning against his father triggered some old memories and ideas that I’d pushed to the back of my mind. I’ve been thinking a lot about my time working at Journey all those years ago and about Cheryl and Jackson Wilby.”

  “You left the company about a year after Cheryl disappeared?” Ian asked.

  “I did. I left for a better opportunity. I work in finance and I’ve been with the same firm for about twenty years,” Mitch said.

  “What are your thoughts about your time at Journey?” Ian asked.

  Mitch leaned back against the booth and sighed. “Maybe there’s nothing to my worries and I’m wasting your time.”

  “Don’t be concerned about that,” Claire told the man. “Everything we learn from former employees and associates can be important.”

  “I didn’t like working at Journey. I didn’t like the atmosphere. Jackson was a womanizer as far as I could tell. I thought he was disrespectful towards the women working there. He made off-color remarks and covered what he said by telling people he was only joking. He touched some of the women in ways I thought were inappropriate. I wouldn’t have wanted my wife or my sisters working in a place like that. Jackson could also be demeaning to the men working there. He’d call someone out and shame them in front of other workers. It was uncalled for and it wasn’t the way to build loyalty. A lot of people were very unhappy working there.”

  “How did Cheryl interact with the employees?” Claire asked.

  Mitch said, “Cheryl was the perfect boss. She was respectful of the employees. She asked their opinions. She was kind and generous. If an employee wasn’t doing a good job, Cheryl would give them some help so they could improve. Sometimes, she transferred an employee to another role that would be a better fit. It was never a demotion. The transferred people ended up thriving in the new spots. She was a smart cookie and an effective leader.”

  “Do you have any thoughts about Cheryl’s disappearance?” Ian asked. “Do you have any suspicions about what happened to her?”

  Mitch sadly shook his head. “I don’t know what happened to Cheryl. I wish I knew. None of us could believe it. It was completely shocking.”

  Claire wondered why Mitch wanted to talk to them if he didn’t really have anything to say about the missing woman.

  Mitch put his elbows on the table and leaned forward. “I have suspicions about who might have hurt Cheryl.”

  Claire and Ian looked closely at the man.

  “I have three people in mind, actually. Jackson for one because he was disrespectful of Cheryl and he had a temper. If he didn’t get his way, he’d call people names and go red in the face.”

  “Did you ever see him lose his temper with Cheryl?” Ian questioned.

  “Yes, sure. Cheryl handled Jackson well. She was always able to subdue his moods. It was clear that she was embarrassed by his outbursts. I also walked in on a fight going on between them. Not a physical fight, but a verbal altercation. Jackson was going on about some mistake that had happened with inventory. Cheryl looked furious about his rant.”

  “Who else do you have suspicions about?”

  “Cheryl’s friend, Jason Spencer. He’s a car dealer. He was in love with Cheryl. I met Jason at some cookouts at the Wilbys’s house. I caught him a few times staring at Cheryl with a menacing look. He was always drunk when he did it, but I wouldn’t trust the guy. It seemed like something dark was lurking just under the surface.”

  “Who is the third person you have concerns about?” Claire asked.

  “Lisa Richardson. She was always trying to get in good with Cheryl. The whole reason was so she could have more time with Jackson. I’d catch her winking and smiling at Jackson at work and at those cookouts. Lisa was not subtle. The woman had a hard edge to her. I think she’d push her own mother in front of a bus to get what she wanted.”

  “Did you ever hear Lisa make a threat against Cheryl?” Ian asked.

  “No, nothing like that. Lisa was smart, too. I don’t think she’d make a threatening statement. She was careful and calculating. She left the company right after Cheryl disappeared. I think she quit because she thought she could have Jackson all to herself since Cheryl was out of the picture. I think Lisa didn’t need to be at Journey any longer. Jackson was free and Lisa must have planned to move in on him. For some reason, it didn’t work out.” Mitch rubbed the side of his face. “There’s something else.”

  Ian asked, “What is it?”

  “While I was working at Journey, I got the impression that Jackson was into some illegal things. I think he was running some side businesses. When I caught him and Cheryl fighting that time, I swear I heard him say something about running drugs. It seemed like he was defending what he was doing.” Mitch took a long swallow of his coffee. “That’s one of the reasons I didn’t want to stay with the company. I thought if Jackson’s illegal side businesses were discovered, it would ruin Journey. There were two times when I saw Jackson and Jason Spencer discussing something. I heard Jackson say something threatening to Jason. I always wondered if Jackson had coerced Jason into doing some dirty work for him.”

  “Was this before or after Cheryl went missing?” Ian asked with a serious tone.

  “It was after. I’m sure of it. It made me think Jason had something to do with Cheryl’s disappearance. It made me think Jackson knew something and was punishing Jason in his own sick way forcing him to engage in the illegal activities.”

  Goosebumps skittered along Claire’s arms and she could sense something sinister on the air.

  “Did you mention these things to the police at the time Cheryl went missing?” Ian asked.

  “I told them I didn’t trust Lisa, Jackson, or Jason. I didn’t tell the police that I suspected Jackson was blackmailing Jason. I noticed their interactions a couple of months after Cheryl was gone. I didn’t know if it was relevant or not.” Mitch sighed heavily. “There’s another reason I kept that stuff to myself. I don’t like to admit it, but I’m afraid of Jackson Wilby. I’m a coward. I get the impression Jackson wouldn’t hesitate to silence anyone who talked badly about him. I have a wife and kids, two sisters. I don’t trust Jackson and I didn’t want him anywhere near my family.”

  Hearing what Mitch said about Jackson sent ice running through Claire’s veins. The more sh
e learned about the man, the more she was sure he was a monster.

  But that didn’t mean he was responsible for Cheryl’s disappearance.

  Back in the SUV, Ian asked his girlfriend what she thought of the interview.

  “There are three people who had motivation to hurt Cheryl. The question is … which one acted on their motivation?”

  Ian and Claire just stared at one another. Neither one had the answer.

  22

  Claire, Ian, and the Corgis were sitting in Tessa’s living room in Cambridge when the bell rang and John Wilby and his girlfriend, Ashley Porter, were welcomed into the house.

  John looked nervous until he spotted the dogs trotting over to greet them. He and Ashley patted Bear and Lady and chuckled at the way they wiggled and seemed to smile.

  “I’m happy the dogs are here,” John said. “They make me feel more relaxed.”

  “I was going to take them outside when your session started,” Claire told him.

  “Oh, no, please don’t. Can they stay while we do this?”

  Tessa smiled. “Of course, they can stay. They’re both very well-behaved. I love these two dogs.”

  “I’d like Claire and Ian to be here, too,” John said.

  “Whatever makes you more comfortable,” Tessa said, and then smiled. “I’m Tessa Wilcox. It’s very nice to meet you both.”

  Everyone took seats and the Corgis sat down next to John’s feet.

  “I’ll explain the procedure and how it will work,” Tessa said. “All hypnosis is really self-hypnosis. If a person does not want to be hypnotized, he or she won’t be. I act only as a guide to help you relax and experience a waking sleep, a focused attention, a higher level of alertness, a higher level of concentration. You’ll feel calm and relaxed. When you’re under hypnosis, no one can make you do something you don’t want to do. Hypnosis can help someone with things like post-traumatic stress, pain, anxiety. To begin, I will speak to you in a gentle tone and I’ll describe soothing images to you that will bring about calm, serenity, security, and well-being. I will help you visualize mental images from your memory and I will prompt you with some questions. If you are uncomfortable at any point, please tell me and we will end the session.”

  John nodded, took hold of his girlfriend’s hand, and reached down to pat the Corgis. “Okay. I’m ready to try.”

  Tessa spoke to the man in a soothing voice describing places of serenity that John had previously told her would be helpful and calming to him.

  John closed his eyes and leaned against the sofa back, taking slow, deep breaths.

  After several minutes of putting John into a comfortable state, Tessa began to ask simple questions.

  “When you were little, you lived with your mother and father and baby sister in Arlington, is that right?”

  “Yes, that’s right.”

  “Do you remember the house?”

  John didn’t answer right away. “I remember it. My bedroom had lots of stuffed animals in it. My room was right next to my mother and dad’s room. My sister slept in a crib in my parent’s room. We had a grassy backyard. There was a sandbox in the yard. I played with my trucks and dinosaurs in the sand.”

  “Did you go to daycare?”

  “Yes, I did. I liked it there. There were nice kids to play with. The teacher read books to us.”

  “Did your sister go to daycare with you?”

  “She did. She was very little.”

  “What was your mother like, John? Do you remember her?”

  “She was always nice to me. She read to me. She played with me. She hugged me and made me feel better when I was sad or hurt. I remember her smile and her blue eyes. I can see her face in my mind.”

  Claire’s heart warmed at John’s description of his mother.

  “One night, at dinner time, there was a fight,” Tessa said.

  “Yes.”

  “Can you picture your parents in the kitchen?”

  “I can see them.”

  “What happens?”

  A frown formed on John’s face. “I’m eating at the small table in the corner. My mother and father are talking. Their voices get louder. They’re angry at each other.”

  “Can you hear some of the words they’re saying?”

  “My mother … she says the name Lisa. She says my father is doing something wrong. She says he will ruin something. He’ll ruin the company. The police will find out.”

  John winced. “My father is yelling. My mother is yelling. I don’t like it. They scare me.”

  “What happens next?” Tessa asked.

  “My father kicks the cat.”

  Tessa looked over to Claire and Ian. “What cat?” she asked John. “You don’t have a cat.”

  “It’s my toy cat. He’s on the floor. My father kicked him. He was mean to my cat.”

  John’s hands balled into fists. “My father hits my mother. She falls. He kneels next to her. He has his hands on her neck.”

  Tessa could see the tension in John’s face and she started to speak to him in a calm tone reminding him that he was only remembering the past. “The things you see are not happening now. You’re safe.”

  Several minutes passed and John spoke again. “My father picks me up. He takes me to the living room. He tells me everything is okay. He tells me to stay on the couch until he comes back to get me. He hands me my stuffed toys and then he goes back in the kitchen.”

  “What happened after that? Did you fall asleep?” Tessa asked.

  “I hear my father. He says something about the church. He says something about a car.”

  Claire and Ian exchange looks, both thinking that the reason John told the police Cheryl’s car was at the church when he was three was because he heard his father say something about the church.

  “Does your mother answer your father?” Tessa questions.

  “No.” John’s brow furrowed. “I hear someone else’s voice, but I don’t know who it is.”

  “Is it a woman’s voice or a man’s voice?”

  “I don’t know. I can’t hear it now.”

  “Does your father say anything else?”

  It took a few moments for John to reply. “No, I don’t hear him anymore.”

  “What about your mother? Can you hear her talking?”

  “No. She’s quiet.”

  “Is anyone else saying something?” Tessa asks.

  “I don’t hear anyone.”

  “Okay,” Tessa told him. “That’s fine. What do you remember next?”

  “I woke up. I was crying. When I open my eyes, I see my Aunt Cara. I want my mother. She picks me up and pats my back. She takes me into the kitchen and picks up my toy cat. She hands him to me. I remember being in a car. I think I fell asleep again. When I wake up, I’m with Cara and my uncle in their house. They give me something to eat and then they put me in a bed with a soft blanket. I feel cozy.”

  Tessa looked to Ian and whispered, “Is there anything you’d like me to ask him?”

  Ian shook his head.

  Tessa spoke in a soothing voice to John. “Everything is all right now. You’re safe. Your girlfriend is here with you. If you want to remember what you told me, you will. If you prefer not to remember, you won’t recall what you said or saw. It is all up to you. It’s your choice. You are free to come out of the hypnotic state whenever you wish. You feel rested and at peace.”

  Three minutes passed and then John’s eyelids fluttered and opened. He looked at his girlfriend and smiled. He noticed the dogs sitting quietly at his feet, and he reached down and stroked their soft fur.

  “Is everything okay?” John asked. “I don’t remember much. Did I tell you anything helpful?”

  Claire brought the young man a glass of water and he drank half the water down.

  “You did well. You were able to access some of your memories,” Tessa told him.

  “Will they be of any help?” John asked Ian.

  “I think so. I’ll need to read my notes over. It all w
ent by fast. I’ll need some time to analyze what you said,” Ian told him.

  “Good.” John nodded.

  His girlfriend asked him how he felt.

  “I feel pretty good. Like I’ve had a really great sleep.” John looked over at Tessa. “Am I supposed to remember the session?”

  “That’s completely up to you,” Tessa said. “If your mind prefers to let it go, it will. If you want to recall what your memory brought forth, you will. Some people don’t feel the need for remembrance. Others want to know everything. It’s a personal choice and either way is perfectly normal and natural.”

  John drained the rest of the water from his glass. “I was so worried and nervous when I was coming here. I really didn’t need to be. It was painless. I feel … rested … peaceful.”

  Tessa smiled warmly. “I’m glad the experience was a good one.”

  The five of them chatted for fifteen more minutes, and then John and his girlfriend left the house, but not before saying goodbye to Bear and Lady.

  The dogs wiggled and danced around the couple making them laugh, and when they were gone, the Corgis went out to play with a ball in Tessa’s backyard.

  “So,” Tessa said with a raised eyebrow.

  “There was someone else in the house when Cheryl was on the floor,” Claire said.

  Ian nodded. “It seems so.”

  “John said he heard a voice and it wasn’t his mother or father,” Claire pointed out.

  Ian rubbed the back of his neck. “How can we be sure that what John told us is actually true? He was three-years-old. He’s heard a lot about that night from many different sources. Did he really hear a voice? I don’t know if I can believe his memories.”

  Claire said, “John also heard Cheryl saying things about Jackson doing something wrong. She said Jackson was going to ruin everything. She said Jackson was going to get caught.”

  “Does John know his father might be involved in illegal activities?” Tessa asked.

  “I don’t know,” Ian said. “He hasn’t mentioned it.”

  Claire said, “John said his father’s hands were on Cheryl’s neck.”