Held for Ransom

by Kathleen Tailer

  Noah didn’t trust him and kept his weapon trained on the driver, regardless of his claims. He cautiously came up to the driver’s-side door and noticed that the man was still held in place by the car’s seat belt, even though the automobile was resting on its roof. “Put your hands out the window where I can see them.”

  The driver groaned but complied. Blood trickled down his hands, which were shaking as he held them out the window, his fingers held wide apart. Noah still approached cautiously, but was able to handcuff the driver without incident. He smelled gasoline and saw a river of the noxious liquid flowing under the car. He needed to get them both far away from the overturned sedan as soon as possible.

  “Keep your hands where I can see them,” Noah ordered. He looked through the windows and noticed a gun on the roof near the back seat. He opened the rear door, secured the attacker’s gun and his own, then opened the driver’s door and helped the man out and away from the damaged vehicle.

  Once he was seated on the curb, Noah pulled off the attacker’s hood and glasses, and looked him over from head to toe. He had green eyes, dark hair, and was probably in his early thirties. Noah racked his brain, but didn’t recognize him.

  “What’s your name?” he asked as he quickly checked him for other weapons. He found none.

  The man shrugged and looked away, obviously uncooperative. Nathan pulled out his phone and snapped his picture, then tried again. “You want to tell me why you tried to kill me and my passenger?” He moved to stand in the man’s line of vision, but once again, the attacker turned his head, not willing to engage.

  Another police car arrived, and two officers approached, guns drawn.

  “I’m Detective Bradley from the two-nine. The perp is disarmed but injured,” Noah announced to the new arrivals. “Can you call a bus?” he asked the closest officer, using the police vernacular for an ambulance. The woman nodded and made the call while the other officer kept his gun trained on the perpetrator.

  Noah ordered both officers to keep an eye on him as he quickly went back to the blue sedan and searched it. He didn’t know how long he had before that leaking gasoline caused a problem. He found some paperwork in the glove box that showed the car as registered to a female. He shuffled through some other items, but found nothing to give him any insight into the man’s identity or what was going on.

  The car, he realized, had likely been stolen. But why was the driver trying to kill them? Had someone sent him or had he been working on his own? How was this guy involved, if at all, in the Arlo Prensky case?

  Noah had been on the job as a detective for a few years now, and he had racked up his fair share of enemies, but his instincts told him this guy was somehow connected to Prensky, especially since he’d been tailing them once they’d left the courthouse. However, if the guy wouldn’t talk, finding answers to these questions was going to slow their investigation even further, and they had precious little time already to save Kylie Archer.

  He pulled out his phone and called Charlie. He brought his partner up to speed about what had happened, then asked, “Any news about Kylie?”

  “None,” Charlie confirmed. “And we’re getting static from Kittinger in Flint Rock. I think we’re going to have to go down there ourselves to figure out what is going on. I’m heading out in about fifteen minutes.”

  The news surprised him. “Static? The sergeant seemed on board before, although I did have a feeling in my gut that something was off.”

  “Well, your gut was right,” Charlie said, his tone acerbic. “We’ve called the local PD and had better success there. I’m not even convinced Kittinger was honest about his work on the case. Hopefully, the local boys have some connections to the campus police and can help us make some headway. Either way, it’s slow going.”

  “What about John Prensky?”

  “Nothing pops in his background. He’s clean. He’s a well-respected businessman with interests in a few different types of companies. It looks like he makes most of his money in real estate, but he also runs a couple of import businesses. No red flags or shady dealings.”

  Noah digested the information. Instead of advancing past square one, he felt like they were moving backward, and the entire time, Prensky’s trial was proceeding on schedule, leaving them very little time to figure out where Kylie was being held.

  “Okay, Charlie, I’m going to need some help. This perp isn’t cooperating, and I need someone to process him and interview him while Sophia and I continue the investigation. We have to do whatever we can in the short time we have left.” He paused and looked over at his vehicle, where Sophia was still ensconced in the front seat. “I’m also going to need a new car. Mine has pretty much been destroyed.”

  “Understood. I’ll get Roman to do the interview, and I’ll clear it with the boss so we can pull Matthews in. He just finished a drug case and can help us out. I’ll also send some new wheels your way. You need to stay with Sophia and keep her safe. It’s obvious she’s a target.”

  Noah nodded, his muscles tense. “Thanks, Charlie. Tell Matthews I owe him one. And call me if anything breaks.”

  “You got it.”

  Noah hung up and ran his hands through his hair, his frustration causing a knot to form in his stomach. He always wanted to do his best and solve his cases, but this one was special. This one involved Sophia, and he wanted so badly to help her and to save her sister that it was tearing him up inside. He reached in his pocket and popped an antacid into his mouth instead of the gum he usually chose, then went back over to his damaged car and approached the passenger side.

  Sophia opened the door and quickly got out, but she stayed by the side of the car. She motioned to the driver, who was still sitting on the curb where Noah had left him, guarded by the officer.

  “Is he okay?”

  “He’s a bit banged up, but he’ll live. How are you doing?”

  She brushed aside the question. “I’m okay. Did he tell you who he was or why he was trying to kill us?”

  Noah shook his head, his lips drawing into a thin line. “Not a word. I’ve got him set up to be interrogated when they clear him medically, but all of that is going to take time.”

  Sophia’s eyes rounded. “But we don’t have time...”

  Noah put up his hands in mock surrender. “I know. Believe me. One of the other guys from my unit will do the interrogation to see if they can figure out his motive and whether or not he’s connected. In the meantime, we need to head on over to Maggie’s roommate’s house. She was expecting us a while ago, so I’ll call her in a minute to make sure she is still available.”

  He pulled out his phone again and showed Sophia a closer picture of the man who had tried to run them off the road. “Recognize him?”

  She studied the photo carefully but finally shook her head. “No, but he might not have anything to do with the Prensky case, right?”

  “It’s possible,” Noah allowed. “But I’m not ruling out anything until we know more.”

  Sophia handed him back his phone just as another officer approached. “Detective, I understand you need some new wheels. You can take my car if you promise not to get it shot up.” He gave a crooked smile and held up some keys. “It’s the black one over there behind the tape.” He pointed, and Noah followed the officer’s motion to a newer-model sedan parked outside of the crime scene ribbon.

  Noah gave him a smile and took the keys. “Thanks. I promise to try to keep it on the pavement and not fill it with too many new holes before I return it.”

  The officer laughed. “Yeah, we’ll see how good you are at keeping your promises. I hear you drive in the demolition derby on the weekends. Good thing that car is insured.” His voice turned serious. “I understand this is the second attempt on your life in twenty-four hours. You’d better watch your back.”

  “That’s the plan. Thanks for the loaner.” Noah motioned to Sophia. �
�Are you ready to go?”

  “Ready,” she answered, and the two of them started walking toward the new car.

  EIGHT

  It didn’t take them too long to get to Maggie’s old apartment. When they arrived, Joanna Crawley met them at the door and invited them inside. She was a rather short, rotund woman in her early thirties, and she had a wistful, innocent look in her eyes that made her seem approachable and friendly. She was average-looking and wore little makeup, with clear, smooth skin and dark brown eyes. But what stood out the most was her poise and bearing. Joanna was a woman clearly confident in her abilities and happy with her life, despite her humble surroundings. Sophia seemed to like her immediately, so Noah took a step back and let her take the lead.

  “Thanks for waiting,” Sophia said as she noticed Joanna’s gym bag by the door. “Sorry to hold you back.”

  “It’s not a problem. I just joined that gym down the street. I wanted to take advantage of the membership, but I can go later.” Joanna motioned them into the living room, where there was a couch and two chairs.

  Noah noticed that the room was clean but decorated with inexpensive and mismatched furniture. The apartment smelled spicy, as if Joanna had been cooking Mexican food, and his stomach rumbled as he remembered he hadn’t eaten much today. Maybe later he and Sophia could grab something at a fast-food restaurant.

  Their hostess sat in one of the chairs and waited for them both to take a seat before voicing her questions. “I’m not sure why you’re here. I mean, I want to help because I cared about Maggie, but I’ve already been over everything with the police several times. I thought the man who did this was already on trial. Did I miss something?”

  Noah gave her a disarming smile. “You’ve been very helpful, Ms. Crawley, but we just want to review a few things.” He crossed his legs. “We talked to Professor Keenan yesterday, and he mentioned that Maggie was having financial troubles. I was wondering if you could tell me more about those.”

  Joanna brushed a piece of dark brown hair from her face and pushed it behind her ear. “Sure, but I’m not sure why that matters now. I mean, Maggie was killed by a mugger in the park. Right? It didn’t have anything to do with her work at the university.”

  “Everything matters,” Sophia urged, leaning forward. “Even the smallest detail. Anything you can tell us about Maggie and the weeks before her death might be useful to us.”

  Joanna frowned, clearly unsure, but continued anyway. “Well, okay. It’s not like I’m telling state secrets here.” She bit her bottom lip. “About a week before Maggie died, her professor told her he wasn’t going to renew her assistantship in the chemistry department. Maggie went ballistic. I mean, Keenan was her adviser, and he was basically holding her back so she wouldn’t get her doctorate from Atlanta State for another year at least. Maybe longer. Maggie already had a boatload of student loans. She spent most of her days and evenings in the ASU chemistry lab or in that little room she called an office in the basement. Have you seen it?”

  Sophia and Noah exchanged looks. “Yes, we’ve seen it,” Noah confirmed. “But if their relationship was that bad, couldn’t she just switch advisers?”

  “If she switched advisers, she would have had to move to another discipline outside of the chemistry department.” Joanna’s eyes narrowed. “From what she said, Keenan would have prevented her from working with any of the other chemistry professors at Atlanta State. He’s a pretty influential guy. Apparently, it’s either his way or the highway. And going to another school wasn’t an option. Maggie would have needed Keenan’s recommendation to move, and they’d had some sort of disagreement, so I doubt Keenan would have given her a very good one. She also would have had to repeat a lot of the coursework that she had already completed.”

  Joanna shifted uncomfortably and motioned around her apartment. “This place is cheap, but without the assistantship, I don’t think she could have afforded to stay here. Like I said, she was already struggling, and I don’t think she could have gotten another job on the side. Keenan kept her pretty busy.”

  Sophia put up her hands. “So do you have any idea what happened between her and Keenan?”

  Joanna shrugged and let her shoulders droop. “She never told me the details, and I am working on my master’s in education. It’s a totally different department, so I’m not privy to the inner workings of the chemistry department—not that I would want to be. I know Professor Keenan drove her crazy, but she enjoyed the work and laughed off his criticisms, at least up until right before she died. She was furious with him then, but she never explained why she felt that way. I just figured they’d had some major disagreement about one of their projects.”

  Noah uncrossed his legs. “Is her stuff still in her room?”

  Joanna shook her head. “No, sorry. I boxed it all up and put it in storage in the basement. I didn’t know where to send it, and I needed to share expenses, so I have a new roommate living in Maggie’s old room. She’s not here right now or I’d introduce you.”

  Sophia took a few more notes, then looked back up and stowed her phone. “That’s fine, but I would like to see what’s in those boxes. Can you show us?”

  Joanna stood. “Sure. I’ll take you down there right now.”

  * * *

  Sophia rose, a myriad of thoughts bouncing around in her head as she considered everything they had just learned. She was anxious to search through the containers and hoped they would find something, anything, that would help her finish this investigation, prove Prensky was innocent and bring Kylie safely back home. Time was running out, and her sister’s life seemed to be slipping right through her fingers.

  Sophia and Noah followed Joanna down her apartment stairs. Sophia wasn’t anxious to go into another basement quite so soon, but she quelled the fear and pushed it down deep within her. Focus. She had to focus on saving Kylie. That was all that mattered.

  She glanced over at Noah, who remained quiet throughout the questioning and was letting her take the lead. She knew they hadn’t discovered much that was different from his original investigation, and so far, the new things they had learned hadn’t pointed to a different perpetrator. Nonetheless, she had to keep searching, no matter what. She pushed away the discouragement that seemed to be choking her and resolved to just be as thorough as humanly possible. Hopefully, even if they didn’t prove that Arlo was innocent, the kidnapper would realize that she had made a good-faith effort to comply with his demands and would release her sister unharmed, even if the jury came back with a guilty verdict.

  Joanna led them to a small area in the basement that was divided into sections by chain-link fencing. Each section had a number on the gate that presumably corresponded to the apartment number of the owner. Joanna and Maggie’s section held a few boxes and little else besides a bicycle, helmet and some Christmas decorations. Joanna pointed to a trunk and two small boxes in the back. “Those are hers. I donated her linens and clothing to charity, but what’s left of her personal items is in those boxes.” She opened the lock and hung it on a part of the fence. “Help yourself.”

  Noah pulled out his phone. “One more question. Do you recognize this man?” He showed her the picture of the hooded man who had tried to run them off the road.

  Joanna glanced at the picture, then did a double take before forcing her features to take on a more neutral response. “He may be familiar...” she hedged.

  Sophia took a step forward. “Please, tell us the truth. I can tell you recognize him. Like I said before, every little detail matters.”

  Joanna seemed to consider her words, then finally shrugged. “Okay. I guess it doesn’t matter much now anyway. That’s Mark Ellis. He and Maggie were dating, but no one was supposed to know. I think they might have even gotten engaged before she died, but Maggie played the whole thing close to the vest.”

  Once again, Noah looked surprised. “Engaged? According to Professor Keenan, Magg
ie didn’t have time to date anyone. Her entire life was supposed to revolve around chemistry. Are you sure?”

  Joanna picked at her nails, obviously uncomfortable. “As sure as I can be. Look, Maggie and I were roommates, but we weren’t best friends, and we didn’t share a lot of confidences. To be honest, I didn’t see her all that much. She slept here a lot, but our paths didn’t cross very often. She would usually come home late, after I was already in bed, and I would leave early, when she was still sleeping. Our schedules didn’t mesh.”

  While Joanna was speaking to Noah, Sophia pulled the top off the first box and started looking through the contents. There were a few books, some office supplies and photos. In the bottom, there was a thick folder with several paper-clipped papers inside. Sophia pulled out the folder and started sorting through it. Near the top, she discovered a printed draft of an article, along with a letter from the publisher, tentatively accepting the piece for publication in a national chemistry journal.

  Sophia’s brow furrowed. “Here’s an article that has Maggie’s name on it, and it looks like it was about to be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Do you know anything about it?”

  Joanna took a step forward and took a look at what Sophia was showing her. “Sure. She was really excited about that about a month or so before she died, but then she quit mentioning it. I just figured something had happened and it didn’t work out. Whenever she was home, she seemed to be working on it. She said it was her ‘magnum opus.’ You know, her ‘great work.’”

  “Do you know if it was ever published?”

  “I have no idea. Chemistry isn’t really my thing. She asked me to read it once, but I can’t even understand what she’s talking about in there.”

  Sophia flipped to another page. She didn’t understand much of what she was reading, either, but it must have been important work if a national journal had considered publishing the document. “Do you think it’s okay if I keep this copy? It might be relevant to our investigation.”