by Roy Johansen
“Yes. No. Maybe,” Kelland said curtly. “I’ve just received a call and they say they’re ready to deal. But they won’t talk to me or Lynch. They want to give proof of life info only to you, Jessie.”
“What?” She stiffened in shock. “Why?”
“How the hell do I know? Maybe because you were the one who was furnishing Dee with the question to answer before.”
“Or it could be that she’s already dead and they just want to twist the knife.” Her teeth bit into her lower lip. “The bastards would realize the shock value would be that much more terrible if they told one of her best friends that they’d killed her.”
Kelland was silent. “I won’t deny that’s a possibility. But you’re not going to refuse to come up here to my office and listen to what they have to say.”
“No, I can’t do that,” she said hoarsely. “You know I have to hear it. I’ll be right there.” She cut the connection. “You heard him,” she said to Lynch and Kendra as she turned toward the door. “I seem to be in demand. I’ll let you know as soon as I find out why.”
“I’m going with you.” Kendra was following her. “I won’t let you face this alone.”
“I wasn’t going to argue,” Jessie said. “I’m feeling a bit shaky at the moment.” She glanced at Lynch. “You’re getting your marching orders a bit sooner than you thought. Stay here and get those results for me on Caseman. I might want them very badly after I’m finished with this call.”
“You’ll have them,” Lynch said grimly. “But I’m betting that they weren’t stupid enough to kill Dee. Now get out of here and get that proof of life.”
CHAPTER
10
The hall outside Kelland’s office was just as crowded as when Kendra had left it a short time ago, but Jessie ignored them. She held open the door and whisked Kendra inside the room.
“I’m here, Kelland.” She slammed the door and came toward his desk. “I brought Kendra because I didn’t know whether or not you’d invited me to a private party. Have you?”
“No.” He gestured to a chair. “Sit down, Kendra. Glad to have you here. I don’t know what to expect from these jokers. They keep changing the rule book.”
Kendra nodded. “This is the first time they haven’t contacted us through my cell phone.”
“Who am I supposed to talk to?” Jessie asked. “Some message on the mausoleum wall or a real person?”
“It’s not the mausoleum.” He pulled her down in the chair in front of his computer. “And since the audio bears a strong resemblance to the one we had to suffer through at the drop site, I don’t know how real he is.” He grimaced. “Or she is. I don’t think we’d better indicate we believe her to be a woman. The less they know about the investigation, the better. We’ll refer to her as masculine.”
“Whatever.” Jessie looked at Kendra. “Audio strikes again?”
“Not entirely,” Kelland said. “The goon who called me appears to be the same guy, but when I went back on the line after contacting you to tell him you’d be here to talk to him, he said you wouldn’t be talking to him.” He met her eyes. “He said you’d be talking to Delilah Winter.”
“Thank God.” Jessie closed her eyes for an instant. “Not a trick? That would be so cruel.”
“Yes, it would. But you’ll be able to tell for yourself in the next couple minutes. I don’t know what they’re doing. They refused us flat when we asked to talk to her before and now, they’re practically pushing Dee at us on Skype.”
“Then talk to her.” Kendra leaned forward and took Jessie’s hand. “It’s Dee. Stop this idiotic questioning. You can see if she’s well and maybe she can tell us something.”
“I seem to have my orders.” Jessie turned to Kelland. “Turn on the Skype.”
He flicked on the monitor. “Special Agent Kelland. I have Jessie Mercado. You wished to speak to her regarding the new arrangements for the ransom?”
“I have my instructions.” The voice was sour. “I obey instructions, unlike some other people. You want proof of life? I’ll show you Delilah. She has her instructions, too. Don’t make us kill her because you want to trick us again.”
“I’d never do that. Just let me see her.”
The screen suddenly blacked out and then came back on.
Dee!
The lights in the room were dim, and the walls and the chair on which Dee was sitting were equally blurred and indistinct. For a moment Jessie couldn’t be certain it was really her. Then there was a sudden close-up and Jessie could see that she was manacled to a chair.
Dee’s red hair was tousled, and she was a little pale, but no one could mistake those delicate features or blazing eyes. Particularly when she looked directly at the camera and made a face. “Jessie? They said I was going to talk to you. But the lighting values here aren’t what I’m accustomed to. If you’re going to ransom me, you should really insist that I be given my due.”
“I’ll take that under consideration.” Jessie was trying to keep her voice steady. “How are you? Did they hurt you?”
“No, though that sedative they kept giving me was no fun. Of course, neither were the people here.” Her voice lowered to a mock whisper. “Which I can’t discuss on pain of dire consequences. They have no sense of humor.”
“I can imagine. And sometimes your humor is a bit off the wall, so could I ask you not to demonstrate any practical jokes that might offend them?”
“I suppose I could hold my tongue. I hear they screwed up my ransom. They want me to tell you not to do that again.” She looked directly at the camera. “I miss you. They’re not the nicest kidnappers. If I’d had my choice, I wouldn’t have picked them.” Then suddenly she lifted her chin and was smiling. “You can tell I don’t like this place. They need lessons on how to treat a star. Remember when you took me on that picnic to show me where you did those stunt jumps? You gave me caviar and champagne and I got a little drunk.”
Jessie tensed. What the hell? Then she smiled back at Dee. “More than a little. You were just a teenager. I almost lost my job.”
“Yeah. But I would have saved it.”
“I know you would. But now we have to concentrate on saving you. I promise we won’t screw up that ransom again.”
“Hey, I know I can count on you. And I always remember everything you taught me.” A pause. “They’re telling me I have to go now. Goodbye, Jessie. Be very careful.” She cut the connection.
The next moment the first voice came back on the line. “So touching.” The words dripped sarcasm. “You can see she’s healthy as a horse and we’ve been treating her better than she deserves. I’ll contact you tomorrow with complete instructions, and this time there won’t be any slipups. No media coverage, no leaks, and you’ll be ready to move the minute we give you the word.”
“Which one of my men do you want to handle the drop?”
“Men? I thought I’d made that clear. Jessie Mercado is handling the drop. She’s a private investigator and capable of doing what needs to be done. Besides, all that touching bullshit shouldn’t be wasted. She obviously cares about our Delilah and would never risk getting her killed.”
“I don’t think that—” Kelland stopped. “He hung up. I guess you’re the chosen one, Jessie. Sorry.”
“I’m not.” She drew a deep breath. “I’m not sorry about any of it. It went terrifically.” She turned to Kendra. “She looked a little pale but otherwise okay. Don’t you think?”
Kendra nodded. “And the same Dee. Lord, it was good to see her.” She gazed quizzically at her. “But I can’t believe you let Dee get drunk when she was under your care. She was only sixteen when you were first hired to protect her.”
“You know I wouldn’t let her drink even if Dee had tried to get me to do it. Which she’d never do in a million years. Dee doesn’t drink at all. She saw her mother stagger home too many times after she’d dragged Dee to publicity parties when she was just a kid. She doesn’t make a big thing of it, but it’s always s
omething nonalcoholic in those glasses.”
Kendra nodded. “I thought I remembered you telling me that.” Her eyes narrowed on Jessie’s face. “So what was going on between the two of you?”
“Just what you thought would go on when you told me to quit being scared and dive in.” She was smiling. “I found out she was alive and well…” She paused. “And maybe a few other things that were even more interesting.”
“What?” Kelland asked. “You two might know what’s going on, but I don’t.”
“Jessie?” Kendra asked. “Caviar and champagne?”
“Dee was trying to tell me something. She coded it with those two gourmet foods she knew I’d recognize as a signal. Then she went on to mention that picnic I took her on right after I started to work for her. I still had a last commitment to fulfill to do a stunt in a film about World War One, and I took her along as a treat.” She was frowning thoughtfully. “That had to be the purpose of the message.”
“What message?” Kelland asked.
“I’m thinking about it.” She was going over the words in her mind, trying to isolate and clarify. “It was a picnic? It has something to do with me being a stuntwoman. Champagne…celebration?” Then it all came together. “The photo. I only took her to watch me do a stunt the one time. She insisted on taking a photo of it. She loved that photo. She had it framed and kept it on her nightstand. I saw it when I was at her place today. For some reason she wanted me to look at that photo.”
Kelland got to his feet. “Then let’s go get it.”
“I don’t have to go anywhere,” Jessie said. “That day meant something to me, too. Do you think I wouldn’t keep a copy of it for myself?” She reached in her pocket and pulled out her wallet. “Mine is much smaller than the one she had framed, but all the detail is there.” She pulled out the photo and threw it on the desk. “It’s a kind of silly picture but it was a happy day and Dee kept giggling and saying she was going to use it to blackmail me with the rest of the team.” She made a face. “I admit it would have destroyed my reputation if they ever saw me in that World War One pilot’s getup. The movie was all about aerial combat, and I had a couple parachute jumps.” The photo was of Dee and Jessie leaning against the propeller of an ancient single-seater plane. Both were convulsed in laughter. Jessie felt her throat tighten as she gazed at Dee’s luminous expression. “Yeah, it was a great day.”
“And what she was trying to tell you?” Kelland asked. “Where was it taken?”
“At a farm near Bakersfield. The movie company rented the entire farm so we could get low enough on the aerial battle scenes.” She wrinkled her nose. “And of course my wonderful parachute jump, which was as melodramatic as it was ridiculously grandiose. I won’t tell you how many times they made me do it over. No wonder Dee was practically in hysterics.” She tapped the photo with her index finger. “You’re thinking she might have been trying to tell me she’s somewhere near Bakersfield or this movie set?” She shook her head. “The Ventura wildfires destroyed the farm and surrounding acreage two years ago. I remember because Dee went down and gave a benefit for the survivors that summer.”
“Then what was it?” Kendra murmured. “Dee’s smart. She wouldn’t have wasted her time if she hadn’t believed she could help us.”
Jessie shrugged. “It’s just the two of us…laughing and having a great time. The only thing that stands out is how utterly ridiculous I look in that leather jacket, huge goggles, and jodhpur pants.”
“Then let’s look at it,” Kendra said. “You were supposed to be a World War One pilot standing next to that vintage plane?”
Jessie nodded. “That’s right.”
“Then it has to be the plane,” Kendra said slowly. “She’s trying to tell us that where she’s being held has something to do with a plane, or perhaps an airport.”
“Shit. That’s a bit vague, Kendra,” Jessie said. “How many airports are there in the California, Arizona, Nevada area? As for planes, that goes up into the stratosphere.”
“I’m just the interpreter here. I’m sure Dee did the best she could to give us a clue we could use. It might not even be a plane. I only thought it was the most logical.” She paused. “And I believe we shouldn’t publicize any deductions we make from anything Dee told you today. Where there’s this much media coverage, there’s bound to be leaks. Leaks could be very dangerous for Dee. You were warned about that, Kelland.”
“Since there’s no evidence on which to base this pure guesswork, I’m not about to hand out any leaks to the media,” he said sarcastically. “If I can find something more concrete, then we’ll discuss it.” His gaze shifted to Jessie. “You’re still determined to go along with the ransom delivery?”
She nodded. “I couldn’t do anything else. That asshole was right about me. Another thing that I learned from that conversation with Dee is that she knows what she’s facing and it’s scaring her. But she also said that she remembered everything I’ve taught her.” She took a deep breath. “I’m an overachiever and I taught her a lot. I know she’s going to try to use it. That’s her nature.” She moistened her lips. “It could get her killed. You’re damn right I’ll be there for her.”
* * *
Charlotte received a telephone call at 1:40 P.M. that lasted only a few minutes. “Of course I understand. Do you think I’m a fool?” She listened for a moment more. “No, I’ll have no problem taking care of the girl. I did just fine without him. You’re the one who sent him.” She pressed to disconnect and turned to Dee. “It appears I’m going to be stuck with you again. Won’t that be fun?”
“Delightful.”
“I thought you’d feel that way.” She got to her feet and went to throw open the exterior door. “Dorset!”
“You don’t have to bellow,” Dorset growled. “What does she need now?”
“Nothing that I can’t get for her. You were just a convenience. Go get your stuff and get out of here. You’re supposed to meet someone called Paul at the warehouse. They want to make sure to have enough men when this drop goes down.”
“Yes,” Dorset said eagerly. “I thought they’d be calling me back. I was too valuable to be pushed out of the deal like that. They were only waiting until they decided what move to make.”
“Yeah, that’s it.” Charlotte’s tone was ironic. “After the last mess you all made, more likely he thought you could hardly do any worse.”
“I’m done listening to you.” He turned to Dee. “I’d feel sorry for you having to put up with this ugly dragon bitch, but you’ve had it so good all your life that it’s your turn to have it rough. Hell, who knows, you can never tell what’s going to happen. You might even get out of this alive.” He grabbed his duffel. “But don’t count on it.” He slammed the door behind him.
“At least we agree on one thing.” Charlotte shrugged as she turned away. “By all means, pay no attention to anything that fool tells you.” Her voice was mockingly caustic. “From now on I’m the one in control, the only one of importance in your life. He doesn’t matter at all any longer…”
* * *
AV Lab
Los Angeles Regional FBI Office
Kendra got the call Jessie had told her to expect from Metcalf late on the afternoon of that same day. She checked the ID. “It’s him,” she told Lynch as she punched the access. “Where the hell have you been, Metcalf?”
“Missed me?”
“Okay, let’s not get carried away.”
“Of course not. I just wanted to give you an update on the lead Jessie gave me. Is she around?”
“I think she’s somewhere in the building, picking out her protective gear for the money drop. After what happened to Lynch, we’ve got to hope she’ll have head-to-toe body armor.”
Silence. “Money drop? Shit. Jessie didn’t mention anything about her doing the money drop when I talked to her.”
“She probably didn’t know it at the time. Things have been moving very fast since yesterday. We’ve been told we’ll b
e getting exact instructions any time now. But you can give the update to me. In case you haven’t heard, there’s a rumor going around that we’re on the same team. I could use some awesome news right now.”
“Awesome is my middle name, Kendra.”
“You’re getting carried away again.”
“No, I’m not. I followed up on the lead Jessie gave me about that guy who briefly worked in Delilah’s house. I talked to her employees and came up with zilch. Then I started canvassing her neighbors on the same street and got security camera footage from most of them.”
She gave a low whistle. “Great idea.”
“You bet. I got footage from two neighbors’ cameras of the guy when he left that afternoon. He parked two blocks away, but I have a shot of him climbing into his pickup truck.”
“Tell me we have a license plate.”
“We have his license plate. Razor-sharp, too.”
Kendra sighed with relief. “Awesome is truly your middle name.”
“We also have a name and address from the auto registration. Has the name James Dorset come up in the investigation yet?”
She glanced at Lynch and then shook her head. “No, I think we’d have been told if it had.”
“I didn’t think so. I called around, and Dee’s friends and household staff didn’t know the name, either.”
“You’ve been busy. Should we pay him a visit?”
“Funny you should say that. I’m at his address now. It’s an apartment in Burbank. It’s empty. The handyman says he cleared out three weeks ago. No forwarding address.”
“Damn. What do we know about him?”
“He’s twenty-eight years old, but he looks younger on the photo in his driver’s license I got from the DMV. He grew up in Gilroy and has a bit of a record. Petty theft, assault and battery, nothing major. No known associates.”
“Is that all?” Kendra asked. “Anything else?”
“You don’t want much,” Metcalf said. “Jessie asked me to do my best to find this son of a bitch and I not only found him, I wrapped him up and put a bow on him.”