The Perfect Murder--A Novel

by Kat Martin

  Unfortunately, it was going to take time.

  The messenger left with the package but still no word from the kidnappers. Gran was keeping herself busy working in the kitchen. She was diligently making soup and sandwiches, though it was unlikely anyone was in the mood to eat. When the plates sat untouched on the table, she went into her room and closed the door. Reese had a feeling she was crying and didn’t want anyone to see.

  Kenzie sat stiffly at the kitchen table, Reese across from her, both of them edgy, neither of them good at waiting.

  “Why won’t they call?” Kenzie asked, pushing up from her chair, pacing over to the window to stare outside at nothing in particular. Her face was pale beneath the darkening bruises, her hair, pulled into a messy ponytail, was still damp from the shower. She looked younger, fragile, and more vulnerable than he had ever seen her. Her heartbreak touched feelings inside him that Reese had believed long dead.

  “They haven’t called because they’re letting us know who’s in control,” he said. “It’s a negotiating tactic.” One he had used himself, though the stakes had never been life and death.

  He saw Kenzie’s lips moving, knew she was saying a prayer for Griff’s safety.

  “These guys had this well planned,” he said when she returned to the table, trembling as she sat back down. He wished there was something he could do, something besides just sit and wait.

  “They knew which room was his,” he continued. “They brought their own ladder, probably used chloroform or something similar to subdue him. They’ve thought this through, which means they probably know we’re going to want proof of life. They aren’t going to do anything to harm Griff until they get what they want. He should be okay until then.”

  She made a sound in her throat. “Until then? Until we pay them? And then what? Then they kill him?”

  The tears glistening in her eyes drove him up from his chair. He pulled her into his arms. “That’s not going to happen. We’re going to find him and bring him home.” He caught her chin, tipped her head up, and softly kissed her. “Do you believe me?”

  A resigned sigh whispered out. “I have to believe you. I can’t allow myself to imagine the alternative.”

  The ringing of a cell phone ended the moment and Reese let her go. Kenzie’s worried eyes flashed to his. He nodded and she picked up the phone, held it so he could hear.

  “This is Kenzie.”

  “I believe I have something you want.” The voice was unrecognizable, completely distorted by some kind of device. It sounded like a steel guitar string turned into words.

  “Let me talk to my son,” Kenzie said. “I need to know he’s all right.”

  “All in due course,” the eerie metallic voice answered. “Is your boyfriend there? I imagine you called him first thing.”

  He caught a flash of fear in her face, then it was gone. “You didn’t tell me not to. You said not to call the police.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m glad he’s there. You see, it’s going to be up to Reese whether your son lives or dies.”

  Kenzie swayed. Reese reached out to steady her as he battled the fury sweeping through him. He took the phone from Kenzie’s trembling hand, set it down on the table, and hit the speaker button. “How much do you want? Whatever it is, you won’t get a dime until we know Griff’s all right.”

  “You don’t understand,” the metallic voice said. “It isn’t your money I want. Money won’t buy the return of the boy.”

  He flicked a glance at Kenzie, read the shock on her face. “What, then? What do you want?”

  “I want you to give up the Poseidon. I want you to pull out of the deal.”

  Icy calm replaced his fury. “That’s what this is about? You kidnapped an innocent child to force my company to give up a business venture?”

  “It isn’t quite as simple as you make it sound. There are ramifications you wouldn’t understand, but yes. That’s what it will take for the boy to be returned to his mother.”

  Reese’s mind was spinning, going back to what his brother had said. Give them what they want and they might kill the boy, anyway. He thought of everything that had happened. The accidents. The helicopter crash leaving two men dead. The mechanic responsible found murdered.

  It was a ruthless pattern he couldn’t ignore.

  “Reese...?” Kenzie’s terrified voice snapped him back to the moment.

  “I’ll abandon our position in the deal if that’s what you want, but it’s going to take some time. There are papers to file, lawyers on both sides. They’ll have to negotiate the terms of the cancellation. Nothing happens quickly when that kind of money is involved. Before I do anything, I need to know the boy is okay. Put him on the phone.”

  Kenzie moved closer to the table. There was a shuffling sound and Griff’s voice came over the line.

  “Mom? Is that you?”

  “Griff.” Tears sprang into her eyes. “Oh, baby, are you okay? They haven’t hurt you?”

  “I’m locked in a room someplace but I don’t know where it is. They wear ski masks whenever they come in. I’m scared, Mom.”

  “We’re going to bring you home, Griff,” Reese said firmly. “Just do what they tell you until we can make that happen.”

  Kenzie leaned toward the phone as if she wanted to get closer to her son. “I love you, sweetheart.”

  “I love—”

  The phone jerked away and the metallic voice resumed. “As you heard, the boy is fine. He’ll stay that way as long as you keep your end of the bargain.”

  “We’ll expect to talk to him again before I sign the papers.”

  “Fine. You’ve got three days. Get it done by close of business on Thursday or the kid dies.”

  As soon as the call came to an end, Reese grabbed the disposable and hit Tabby’s contact number. “The kidnappers just called. You able to get a trace?”

  “I’m on it, but so far it’s pinging all over the country. I’ll keep after it. It might take a while.”

  “Keep me posted.” The line went dead.

  * * *

  Kenzie collapsed into a chair, tears streaking down her cheeks. She wiped them away and looked up at Reese. “I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t believe they kidnapped Griff to force you to back out of a business deal.”

  Reese’s eyes, a hard, icy blue, lashed into hers. His jaw was set, his features grim. She had never seen such controlled fury in his face.

  “They’re going to wish they hadn’t touched him,” Reese said. “They’re going to wish they had never set their sights on that oil rig.”

  “That’s what’s been going on all along,” Kenzie said. “The accidents, the crash. More accidents. Then they killed the mechanic who sabotaged the helicopter.”

  Reese seemed to force his fury back inside. “Probably to keep him quiet. They’ve been escalating, growing more and more determined to get what they want.”

  He looked down at her and she read the guilt he was feeling. “I’m sorry this happened to you,” he said. “To Griff. I feel responsible. Derek Stiles tried to convince me to back out of the purchase, but I wouldn’t do it. Now these men have your son.”

  “It’s not your fault, Reese. You had no way of knowing this would happen.”

  “Maybe not, but I’m going to fix it.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the disposable phone, hit a number in the contacts.

  “Who are you calling?” she asked.

  “My brother.”

  Renewed fear hit her. The men had warned her not to involve Reese’s brothers. But the truth was they couldn’t do this alone. They had to trust someone and Reese trusted Chase.

  Kenzie grabbed his arm, her fingers digging into his biceps. “I want to hear what he says.”

  Reese pushed the speaker button, set the phone on the table. “They called,” he said when Chase answe
red. “They want me to back out of the Poseidon deal.”

  “For Chrissake, that’s what this is about? The accidents? The chopper crash? They want the rig that badly?”

  “It’s more than that, apparently. Whatever’s going on, it’s linked to something bigger.”

  For a moment, Chase fell silent. “Lee Haines’s murder. It has to be part of this. Linked in some way. Too much going on for his death to just be coincidence.”

  “I didn’t kill him,” Kenzie said. “I swear I didn’t.”

  She could hear Chase shifting the phone from one ear to the other. “Reese believed you from the start. Now your innocence is becoming more and more apparent. They’ve got your boy. Murder and kidnapping? Whatever’s going on, it’s big. You just need to believe that no matter what happens, we’re going to figure it out.”

  “We’re going to get your son back,” Reese promised.

  “For that to happen,” Chase said, “we need to make plans.”

  Kenzie didn’t argue. She trusted the men to help her. But she refused to stand idle. She would do whatever was necessary to help her son.

  The brothers talked, laid out some sort of strategy, but Kenzie’s mind was on Griff and the terror she had heard in his voice. She imagined him locked in a dark room, men in ski masks standing guard over him.

  Her throat closed up. Everything inside her felt icy cold.

  When Gran appeared in the kitchen, Kenzie walked over and hugged her. Gran hugged her back, both of them holding on longer than they usually did. With a shaky breath, she explained the phone call, told her grandmother that she had spoken to Griff and that he was all right. Gran nodded dully. She looked haggard and pale, as brittle as a fallen leaf.

  “We’re going to get him back,” Kenzie told her. “Reese and his brother are working on it. He’s going to be okay.”

  Gran said nothing. Kenzie closed her eyes and tried to convince herself to believe it.

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  Reese phoned the Garrett Resources contract lawyers and set the wheels in motion to cancel the deal. But he wasn’t ready to contact Sea Titan yet. Giving the kidnappers what they wanted could be a death sentence for Griff.

  It was afternoon when Tabby called on Reese’s disposable phone. They were back at the kitchen table, Gran holed up in her room.

  “I’m with Kenzie,” Reese said. “I’m putting you on speaker.” Whatever happened, Kenzie deserved to be kept in the loop. Plus, he was sure there was no way in hell she was letting him do this alone. He set the phone on the table.

  “A couple of things,” Tabby said. “First, I’m still working on that trace. These guys are good. I haven’t got anything yet, but I’ll keep at it.”

  “Thanks, Tab.”

  “Also, I’ve been looking into Black Sand Oil and Gas.”

  “And?”

  “The company has definitely been slipping in and out of the red. They need a way to infuse money into their coffers or they’re going to be in serious trouble.”

  So his suspicions were confirmed. Black Sand needed the Poseidon. The question was, what lengths would they go to in order to get it? Murder? Kidnapping? Griff was Arthur’s grandson, his own flesh and blood. Was he willing to put the boy in danger to save his failing business?

  “Anything else?” Reese asked.

  “Hawk talked to one of his informants, picked up some info on Arthur Haines. Turns out Lee Haines wasn’t a gambler, but his father is. According to Hawk, Arthur keeps it strictly on the down-low, only sits in on the most exclusive card games, but word is he fancies himself a highly skilled player and he isn’t interested in anything but very high stakes.”

  Reese cast a glance at Kenzie, caught a spark of anger in her eyes. She was making the same connection he was. It was looking more and more like Arthur was involved.

  “Where does Arthur gamble?” Kenzie asked.

  “With a company to run in Dallas,” Reese added, “it may not be Vegas. Good chance it’s somewhere closer to home.”

  “I took a look at his credit card receipts,” Tabby said. “As a high-dollar player, his hotel stays, food, and alcohol would be comped. They’d give him pretty much anything he wanted. But I found gas receipts along the route to Louisiana.”

  “Louisiana,” Reese repeated. “That connection keeps cropping up.”

  “It looks like Shreveport was his destination. There are half a dozen casinos along the river.”

  “Can you tell which club he plays in?” Kenzie asked.

  “There are a few miscellaneous charges in the area around the Pot-of-Gold Resort Casino. A Mexican restaurant and a little bakery, both within walking distance. But Sam’s Town isn’t much farther away. For now that’s all I’ve got.”

  “Thank you so much, Tabby,” Kenzie said.

  “Stay safe, you two.”

  Reese shoved the phone into his pocket. “Hawk thinks Lee was killed by a shooter connected to the Louisiana mob. They run the casinos. Now we find a link between Arthur and the Shreveport clubs.”

  “I can’t believe Arthur would harm his own grandson,” Kenzie said.

  “If he’s gambling in high-stakes games, he might owe the casino more money than he can pay. Those guys don’t mess around. A couple of broken legs would be less than nothing to them. Big losses? Could be a whole lot worse.”

  Kenzie picked up her mug, the coffee long grown cold. Instead of taking a sip, her hands shook as she set the mug back down on the table. Reese wished he could convince her to eat something, but so far she hadn’t had a bit of food all day.

  His disposable rang again. It was Hawk. Reese hit the speaker button.

  “You talk to Tabby?” Hawk asked.

  “She called, brought us to speed.”

  “According to Tab, Black Sand Oil and Gas is in financial trouble. Maybe Arthur owes the casino boys money he can’t repay.”

  “Same thought we had,” Reese said. “Could be, getting the company back on track is the only way to generate the capital he needs to repay his debt. Black Sand Oil and Gas never made an offer on the Poseidon, but owning it would be a real game changer.”

  “Makes sense—which is why I’m on my way to Shreveport. I’ve got connections there. Might be able to find out if Haines owes money to the mob. If he does, good chance he’s involved in everything that’s been going on. I’ll let you know what I come up with.”

  “We really appreciate your help,” Kenzie said, tears creeping back into her voice.

  Hawk’s deep voice softened. “Try to stay positive till I get back to you, okay, Kenzie?”

  She swallowed. “Okay.” The line went dead and she wiped tears from her cheeks. Pushing wearily up from her chair, she paced restlessly around the kitchen. “We need to talk to Arthur. Force him to tell us what’s going on.”

  “It’s risky,” Reese said. Though he could imagine putting his hands around Arthur’s neck and squeezing the information out of him. “If Arthur’s involved in the kidnapping, it could put Griff’s life in danger.”

  Kenzie turned, looked him straight in the face. “You’re right. We can’t trust Arthur. But Lee’s dead and now Griff’s been kidnapped. Arthur has to be the key. We have to talk to him. We don’t have any choice.”

  Reese scrubbed a hand over his face, feeling the rough growth along his unshaven jaw. He was tired, yet worry kept his adrenaline pumping. Kenzie was right. Griff’s time was running out. Arthur could have the answers they so desperately needed. There was no other choice.

  “All right,” he said. “We’ll see what Arthur has to say.”

  * * *

  Griff curled up on the king-size bed. He was lying on a fancy spread, silky and kind of smooth, but the curtains were drawn, so he couldn’t tell the color. He could move around a little, but one of his wrists was handcuffed to the headboard so he couldn’t get far.

&nb
sp; He didn’t remember how he got there. He didn’t remember anything about last night. Just going to bed, then waking up in this room. His eyes burned but he had already cried too much when the men weren’t around.

  He checked the digital clock on the nightstand. Every hour, one of them came in to check on him. They brought him food or took him to the bathroom, which was also fancy, with lots of mirrors and one of those big Jacuzzi tubs.

  The men wore black ski masks so he couldn’t see their faces, but one of them turned on the TV and set it to the Disney channel, which was better than just staring at the walls. He had a feeling he was in some fancy hotel. He didn’t know where, but he hoped it was in Dallas so it wouldn’t take long for him to get home.

  His throat tightened as fear slithered through him. So far the men were treating him okay, but the short one was constantly bitching about having to babysit a kid. The bigger one was nicer, but he could tell the man didn’t really want to be there.

  Neither did he. Even school was better than being locked up in some weird place with no idea when they would let him go.

  His throat ached. What if they killed him instead of letting him go? It seemed like it would be a lot easier and they wouldn’t have to worry about getting caught.

  He reminded himself that Reese was with his mom. Reese had said they were going to bring him home. It was like a promise. Reese was rich and smart, and Griff could tell Reese liked his mom a lot. If the men wanted money, he was sure Reese would give it to them.

  He hung on to the thought as he waited for another hour to pass. Reese and his mom would give the men what they wanted and they would let him go.

  In the meantime, he wasn’t a baby. He wasn’t going to cry in front of them. No way was he letting them see how scared he really was.

  As he glanced at the clock, he thought of his mom and Gran and how much he wanted to go home. One of the men would be coming in soon. He wondered what Reese would do if he’d been kidnapped. It was the first time the thought had actually formed in his head.