Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Ian hated being defied, and Courtney had definitely and deliberately done just that. The nerve.
He’d done everything in his power to stop them from leaving, actually running down the driveway, screaming after them and slamming his fist on the back of Brayden’s car. He clearly saw her glance back, but did she stop? No. If anything they went even faster, and then they were gone.
Unbelievable.
He didn’t blame his son. This was all Courtney’s doing. What was her obsession with tracking Dana down, anyway? Did she not remember the Valentine’s Day party where Dana had taken off with one of the guests and driven across the country on a whim? Or the time Dana woke up in the middle of the night, decided she just had to see Jeff Daniels in To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway, bought tickets, booked a six thirty flight, called an Uber, and was gone before the rest of them had even gotten out of bed? They’d only known where she was because of the photos on social media.
If Ian searched his brain, he could come up with dozens of other examples. Dana was a bird that couldn’t be caged. There was no point in worrying about her.
What he didn’t understand was why Courtney was sticking her neck out. She had the sweetest deal in the entire world. A six-figure income, use of a car, and a rent-free apartment in River Point. And her job basically entailed taking dictation from Dana. He knew they were friends from way back, but there were any number of people who could do the job as well or better and would know enough to respect his authority. Her behavior had been appalling.
When Dana returned home, he was going to talk to her about cutting Courtney loose. The woman clearly didn’t know her place.
He’d hire someone else and save the company a ton of money too.
Ian was still stewing in his office when Brayden and Courtney threw open the door without even knocking. “We’re having a household meeting in the living room,” Courtney announced. “Two minutes. Everyone has to be there.” Then she turned and walked away without even giving him a chance to respond.
Ian sat for a moment, mouth open, wondering how Courtney had transformed from a meek little woman to an obnoxious ballbuster in twenty-four hours. As far as he was concerned, she’d sealed the deal. Her time as an employee for Dana Broderick LLC was coming to an end.
Still, he was curious enough about the household meeting to get up and join the others. No doubt she wanted to tell them what had happened when she spoke to the police. If she said they wanted to wait until Dana had been gone for forty-eight hours, he’d have the last laugh.
In the living room, sitting around the enormous three-sided sectional sofa, he found his wife, Kristy, along with Brayden, Martha, Ronald, and Antonio. Courtney stood facing them. The sectional was a fairly modern piece, all white with navy piping and large enough to seat twenty people. Dana owned a jumpsuit in the opposite colors, navy with white trim, and she’d worn it in that very room when being photographed for Architectural Digest . Other than photo ops, the space was rarely used since the furniture, while gorgeous, was extremely uncomfortable. The cushions felt like they were filled with sawdust. The designer had called it “al dente seating.”
“What’s this all about?” Kristy asked him as he sat next to her.
“Haven’t a clue,” he said bitterly. “Apparently, the inmates are now running the asylum.”
Courtney cleared her throat. “As you know, Dana’s been gone since eleven thirty yesterday. I’ve been worried from the start but became even more concerned after Brayden and I stopped at the bookstore, where we discovered they’d found this lying on the ground near the dumpster.” She held up Dana’s phone. “While we were at the store, someone called asking for my phone number, and since I happened to be there, I took the call. It was a man who wouldn’t identify himself. He said Dana was fine but that she’d been kidnapped. He wanted my cell number and said the kidnappers would be calling with instructions.”
Kristy took hold of Ian’s hand and gave it a squeeze. Ian asked, “Did this guy let you speak to Dana?”
“No.”
“Then it could be a prank.” He folded his arms.
Brayden leaned over and said, “Dad, we don’t think it’s a prank. This guy knew all kinds of things he could have only known from Aunt Dana.”
“Like what?” Kristy asked.
Brayden said, “She said to tell me she missed me, and she had some chores for Courtney to do. Like make an appointment at the salon and get the clasp on one of her necklaces fixed. And he said that Dana said to do it pronto , and you know that’s her word.”
Antonio said, “Did he say when they’d be calling with the ransom request?”
“Who said anything about a ransom request?” Ian asked.
“If it’s a kidnapping, there’s got to be a ransom request,” Ronald pointed out. He so rarely spoke that it was jarring to hear his voice.
“Yeah, that’s sort of the point, Dad.” Brayden rolled his eyes. “Kidnappers do it for the money.”
“We did ask about a ransom,” Courtney said, “but he wouldn’t say. He said we’ll hear the details when we get the call.”
Brayden got up and stood next to Courtney. “It was a weird call. The guy was kind of talkative. At first we thought he was a friend of Aunt Dana’s. He didn’t say it was a kidnapping until Courtney tried to end the call.”
Ian looked around the room at all the serious faces, and his mouth twitched into a smile. Clearly, he was the only one who saw this for what it was. He stood and said, “Guys, the reason you thought he was a friend of Dana’s is because he is a friend of Dana’s. Don’t you see? This is one of Dana’s fictions. A little prank to make us all stop and pay attention to her.”
“Dad, I don’t think that’s it. If you heard this guy, you would understand why we’re worried. Aunt Dana is gone, and this guy knew things that only she could have told him. So yeah, I believe she was kidnapped.”
He was so earnest that Ian almost felt bad for him. Brayden actually believed his aunt was in danger. Teenagers were always so sure of everything because they hadn’t yet acquired the experience that came with age. Didn’t he realize that any number of people knew these kinds of details about Dana? This guy could have been a good friend just playing along. Ian shook his head. “I don’t need to hear some random guy’s voice to know what’s up. I grew up with Dana. The number one rule for getting along with my sister is that all eyes have to be on her at all times. She craves attention, and if she’s not getting it, she’ll create some drama. Trust me, we ignore this situation and she’ll be home soon enough. She’ll be mad and hurt. Then she’ll stomp around for a bit and ten minutes later she’ll be on to the next thing.”
Brayden said, “The guy sounded nervous, but I still think Aunt Dana was abducted. He knew things about her. He said she was drinking a cinnamon dolce latte, which you know is what she always orders.”
Antonio shook his head. “So much sugar in that drink. I keep telling her that, but she seems to think it’s equivalent to coffee.”
Kristy got up to stand next to her husband. “I agree with Ian. My advice is that we just take advantage of some Dana-free time. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I feel more relaxed when she’s not home.”
Ian chuckled. “I think this meeting is over. Martha and Ronald, I’m sure you have a lot to do today. I know I do.”
The couple stood. As they left the room, Martha paused to give Courtney’s arm a squeeze. “I know you miss her, but she’ll be home soon.”
“It’s not just that I miss her. It’s that—” Courtney said, but Ronald and Martha kept going and the sentence never got completed.
Ian focused his gaze on Antonio, the last one sitting on the couch. “Thank you for attending this meeting. Feel free to go work out or do whatever it is you enjoy doing.” If Antonio had asked him for advice, Ian would have told him to enjoy the free ride while it lasted because it would be coming to an end very soon.
Antonio nodded and rose slowly to his feet. “I’m supposed to be meeting with a private client at their home in an hour.”
“Well then, you have somewhere to be,” Ian said.
“Not so fast,” Courtney interjected, holding up her phone. “They’re going to be calling with their demands.”
“Maybe, maybe not.” Ian shrugged. “And why would they call Courtney when I’m Dana’s emergency contact? The whole thing sounds fishy to me.”
“They’re going to call,” Brayden said. “And then what do we say?”
“Personally, I would ignore the call,” Ian said.
“Ignore it?”
“Don’t answer it. Then she’ll come home.”
Antonio was almost out of the room when Courtney’s phone went off, the ringer being Dolly Parton singing “9 to 5.” He halted in his tracks and rejoined the group.
Brayden gestured for Courtney to go ahead with a tilt of his head. When did the two of them get into sync? Ian had always been under the impression that his son didn’t like his aunt’s assistant, and now it appeared that in a short span of time they’d developed some sort of unspoken code.
Courtney tapped on her phone and the music stopped. “Yes?” she said.
It was on speakerphone, and a man’s voice came through loud and clear. “Is this Courtney Hart?”
“Yes. There are other family members here too.” She gestured to everyone in the room, indicating that this was the call.
“Listen and take notes. This is very important.”
Antonio edged closer, while Brayden nodded and tapped away at his phone.
Courtney asked, “How is Dana? I need to talk to her!”
There was silence on the other end and then the muffled sounds of another voice. Had Courtney’s demand rattled the caller? Ian couldn’t make out the words, but they sounded less like criminals and more like kids making a prank call. When the first man returned to the phone, he didn’t address Courtney’s demand, but said, “Listen and take notes. This is very important.”
Good grief, it sounded as if he was working off a script, like a telemarketer. Ian exchanged an aggravated look with Kristy. The others in the room obviously didn’t see it the same way. Antonio, Brayden, and Courtney all appeared concerned. Brayden tapped in notes on his phone like he was taking dictation, while Courtney’s lower lip quivered like she was on the verge of losing it.
The man continued. “Do not contact the police. If you do, Dana will die.”
“Please don’t hurt her,” Courtney said. “We’re begging you.”
“No police, no matter what. We’re watching and listening. We’ll know if you call them.”
“Got it,” Brayden said. “No cops.”
The voice continued. “If you want to see Dana alive, you must pay a ransom of a hundred thousand dollars in one-hundred-dollar bills. Put the money in a bag with a handle and hang it over the raised hand of the statue in the middle of the garden. Leave it there just after the sun goes down this evening. Once it’s been retrieved, we’ll release her.”
“How do we know you’ll keep your word?” Antonio asked.
“Yeah, and how do we know that Aunt Dana is still alive?” Brayden asked.
The voice filled the room. “Have some trust. She’s still alive and just fine.”
Brayden moved closer to the phone. “We need a picture of her holding today’s newspaper.”
“Right.”
It didn’t escape Ian that the one-word answer was meaningless.
“That’s not enough time,” Courtney interjected. “How are we supposed to come up with that kind of money by tonight?”
“You already have the money on the premises.”
Courtney’s hand shook. “On the premises? What does that even mean?”
Ian had heard enough. “This is ridiculous.” He grabbed the phone out of Courtney’s hand, causing her to flinch as if he’d struck her. He walked away and spoke into the phone. “Now you listen to me. This is Ian Broderick, Dana’s agent and manager. I don’t have time for this nonsense. Tell Dana she needs to stop playing around and come home immediately. The whole house is in an uproar, and I will not have it.”
The man on the phone said, “A hundred thousand dollars in hundred-dollar bills—”
“You’re not getting a penny!” Ian roared. “Stop bothering us!” Courtney tried to take the phone away from him, so he lifted it over his head and yelled, “We are done here.”
Courtney pushed against him and pulled at his arm, yelling, “Give me back my phone!”
Overhead, Ian heard the guy on the other end of the phone stammer something about being serious, but he was done listening. Twisting away from Courtney, he lowered the phone and ended the call. Handing the phone over, he said, “Problem solved.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “You shouldn’t have done that. If they kill her, it’s on you.”
“No one’s going to get killed,” he said dismissively. “This is all theatrics. It’s just Dana being Dana. A cry for attention. If you seem like you’re giving in to what she wants, she’ll take you on a trip that never ends. Better to just cut it off right away.”
Courtney sank to the couch and stared at the silent phone. “You didn’t even hear him out. He might have put her on the line.” She rested her elbows on her knees and dropped her head. “I have a really bad feeling about this. A really bad feeling.”
Taking a seat beside her, Brayden put his arm around her shoulders. “He’ll probably call back. They’ll want their money, right?”
Antonio nodded in agreement and took a step closer to Ian. “You didn’t think this through. What if it’s a real kidnapping? You didn’t even listen to their terms.”
“It’s not a real kidnapping.” Ian folded his arms. “I’d stake my life on it.”
Brayden said, “This is Aunt Dana’s life we’re talking about.”
Kristy slipped her hand around the crook of Ian’s elbow as a show of solidarity. “Please. All of you need to be sensible. The phone call sounded like amateur hour. Why did they have to call the bookstore to get Courtney’s number? It doesn’t make sense. Real criminals would have a plan.”
“He had a plan,” Brayden said bitterly. “Dad just didn’t listen to it.”
“A better plan,” Kristy said. “What the hell is up with hanging a bag on a statue on Dana’s own property? Why would they ask us to do that? I’ll tell you why. Dana is behind this, and she’s going to come and secretly claim the money and then pop in and be like: Hello! I have gone through such a trauma .” Dramatically, Kristy put the back of her hand to her forehead. “And then all of us will have to listen to her go on about it and pretend to be sympathetic and tell her how brave she is.”
“No doubt she’ll want a press conference,” Ian said, nodding. “And then there will be interviews and appearances on talk shows. All eyes on Dana! Just the way she likes it.” He was getting tired thinking about it
“No,” Brayden said. “They specifically said not to call the police. If she wanted attention, don’t you think she’d want us to call them? In your scenario, the police would be involved and there’d be a big manhunt and her photo would be on the news.”
Kristy rested a hand on her son’s shoulder. “Not necessarily. The police would track her movements and look at security cameras. They’d expose her ruse in no time. Believe me, she knows what she’s doing.”
Ian brought his hands together and addressed the room. “So we’re all in agreement—we ignore the calls and wait for her to come home.”
“I can’t agree to that,” Courtney said with a shake of her head. “Why not just put the cash in a bag and hang it on the damn statue? If Dana is behind it, she’ll get her money back. And if this is an actual kidnapping, it’s worth doing. There’s really no downside to it.”
“No,” Ian said. “I stand by my earlier statement. We do nothing.”
“We wait,” Kristy added solemnly.
Antonio spoke up. “I know this is a family matter, but I want to say that I care deeply about Dana and I’m with Courtney. I don’t agree with how you’re handling this.”
“Oh, please!” Kristy blew out a puff of air. “Don’t even pretend the two of you are a love match. We all know you’re just using Dana for a place to live and free trips.”
“I’m offended that you’d think that,” he said, frowning.
“Be offended all you want, but I’ve seen the receipts. Who spends eight hundred dollars on a dinner for two?”
Antonio stiffened. “Dana chose the restaurant and the wine.”
“But you were right there enjoying it, weren’t you?” Kristy’s grin was smug. “Just sucking her dry and not contributing a dime.”
“I hardly think this is any of your business,” Antonio said. “It’s Dana’s money, and she can spend it how she wants. I think if she were here, she’d expect you to pay the ransom.”
“What you think is inconsequential.” Ian took off his glasses, held them up to the light, then polished the lenses with a handkerchief he pulled out of his vest pocket. “As you said yourself, this is a family matter.”
The front doorbell chimed, halting the conversation. Courtney straightened up. “That would be the police,” she said.