Chapter 49
Two days later, Ben felt like it had been years since he’d had a good night’s sleep. He’d been following the progress of Evangeline Moffit tangentially and trying to find Dallas Vine directly. Moffit was recovering quickly, walking and talking. Vine was still MIA.
Ben had gone so far as to drive up to Big Bear Lake and check out Vine’s summer home. The place was locked up tight. It didn’t seem like anyone had been at the house in quite a while.
Ben could see the SUV three cars back as he started back down the hill. The road leading in and out of Big Bear was a narrow two-lane road. When Ben saw the opportunity, he made a sharp U-turn, causing the vehicle behind him to break and honk.
As he passed the black vehicle, he stared at the driver, who ducked away. But the vehicle did not follow him.
He’d not been able to get a license plate, and it would have been nearly impossible with all the traffic to try and turn the tables on the guy, so he continued on his way.
Was it Vine? Was he that desperate? All federal agencies were on the lookout for him.
He’d be caught eventually, especially if he was stupid enough to try and tail a federal agent.
Now, Ben was back in the office going over his notes—again. While everyone was happy with Evangeline Moffit’s progress, she didn’t remember being kidnapped, and she had no idea where she had been for nearly a week.
Ben reviewed what he’d written on the day he’d talked to her before her abduction. She’d seen Efren the Friday he was supposed to check in. In the morning, he’d washed and detailed her car. That night Efren should have checked in with his progress, but all methods they had for contact were silent.
Frustrated, Ben paced. He was missing too many pieces, but how to find them?
He kept returning to that Friday. There was no way to know what else happened that day or who else Efren interacted with.
Ben wanted to talk to Stan, but he was not sure if that would fly.
The guy had lawyered up. Ben had no choice but to review everything he’d reviewed several times already.
A stray thought hit his head like a bullet: What kind of car did Evangeline have? None of the files or paperwork mentioned her vehicle. No one knew exactly when or how she was taken. Was she taken from home or while she was out running errands?
Ben felt energized by this new avenue to explore. He’d hoped to find some kind of message in Efren’s car and came up empty. What if he just had the wrong car?
Ben tried to put himself in Efren’s shoes. If he had found something, like say a ledger, and he wanted to hide it, where would be the safest place? He couldn’t hide it in his car or on his person, nor could he hide it in the car wash.
Then in came Evangeline for a routine detail.
The boss’s wife. Perhaps Efren thought that her car was the last place anyone would look.
Since it was likely that she regularly got her car washed there, he could either plan to retrieve it another day, or if he was going to blow his cover and pull himself out of the car wash, get it later, with the full force of a warrant.
It made sense to Ben. Now he was on a mission to find that car.
“Your progress is astounding.” Dr. Hardin beamed as he watched Evie walk without the help of a walker.
Lainie leaned against the wall and smiled. Evie had always been a hard worker and very determined.
“I feel so much better than when I first opened my eyes,” Evie told the doctor. “Except for my memory, everything is working. The bruises are fading, and honestly, I’m tired of hospital food.”
“Fine. One more CAT scan and then I’ll sign your discharge papers. Right now, I don’t foresee any issues, so you’ll likely be on your way home later this afternoon.”
Evie was coming home.
“I’m happy for you, Evie. Mom and Dad will be glad to bring you home. Now I have to go back to Long Beach and get my apartment set up.” She gave Evie a hug and then left. Life was finally settling down.
Home for Lainie now was a rented apartment.
The insurance company had sent an adjuster to evaluate the ruins of her house.
They would settle soon, and hopefully one day she’d be able to rebuild.
While she knew that her parents would always welcome her into their home, it was just a little too crowded now with the boys.
Since Evie would also move in, Lainie decided to rent temporarily.
As far as the investigation went, Lainie had to step away.
She’d been involved in a shooting. It was being handled as an on-duty shooting because of the circumstances.
Her handgun had been examined and returned, but she was still required to talk to the department psychologist, who would eventually have to approve her return to work.
The problem was, Lainie didn’t really want to talk to the psychologist. Years ago, after the lawsuit, she’d been required to talk to him.
“They just want to be certain that you’re right in the head,” Beck had said back then.
Even though Beck had said it, Lainie didn’t like the idea of psychological probing, the requirement that she do some self-examination. At that time, she hadn’t even shot anyone.
On the way home, Lainie got a call from her lieutenant, asking for a meeting. She diverted to the station. Setting up her apartment would have to wait.
“How are you doing?” LT asked.
“I’m still standing. Evie is improving. She’s coming home so that is great.”
“Glad to hear it. Have you spoken to Dr. Reynolds?”
Lainie sighed. She should have known the LT would want to know about that. There was no way she could get out of it; she just wanted to put it off as long as possible. If the shooting had happened on a regular shift, she would have automatically had three days off. She figured she had time to wait.
“I have not. I will call him. I’ve just been a little busy. I’m kind of bummed because I’m ready to return to work.”
“I understand. But it’s your first shooting, and it’s possible you hit the guy, though it does not appear as if he was hurt badly. Stuff like that can play with your head, so let’s take it slowly. How is everything else going? You found a place to live?”
“I have. I rented an apartment up by the circle. I guess it’s a good thing that I’m off work. I’ll need some time to finish clothes shopping. Everything burned. I also have furniture being delivered to my new apartment. I feel like a slug making Mike handle our caseload.”
“He hasn’t complained. And everyone understands your life is crazy right now. Don’t hesitate to tell someone if you’re having any issues at all.”
“I won’t. And I appreciate your concern.”
After the meeting, Lainie stopped in the violent crimes office to see how Mike was holding up. He wasn’t in; he was in court.
“Lainie.” She turned to see Detective Shea coming her way.
“I was just going to text you,” he said. “Come into my office for a sec?”
“Sure.” She followed him to the homicide office.
Surprise struck—there sat Ben Isaacs. Lainie had thought of him often over the last few days.
Mostly she was ashamed of herself. For how she had treated him.
When she faced up to all the hate and unforgiveness she felt toward Stan, she realized she’d directed some vitriol at Ben as well.
She’d withheld forgiveness from Ben, and for that she was truly sorry.
“We’ve been reviewing all that we have on this case. Ben here came up with a good question. Go ahead, Ben.”
He nodded toward Lainie. “Good to see you, Lainie. How are you doing?”
“Like I told the lieutenant, I’m still standing. Thanks for asking.” She hoped that her tone would telegraph that she was over her snit. “What do you have?”
“It’s what we don’t have. Do you know where your sister’s car is?”
“What? Her car?”
“Yeah, we know that there is a Toyota Corolla registered to her, but we haven’t been able to locate it.”
Flabbergasted, Lainie sat. “I hadn’t thought about it. It wasn’t in the garage at her house?”
“No, I checked. I checked the car wash as well. Stan’s car is in impound because he was arrested in it, but I don’t think anyone is even concerned about Evie’s vehicle. Has she been able to tell you anything about when and how she was taken?”
Lainie shook her head. “She still doesn’t remember what happened. The last thing she remembers was packing for Hawaii. Then waking up in the hospital. Why is the car important?”
“I’m not certain it is, but we’ve exhausted everything to this point. She told me when I spoke to her that she’d had her car washed on Friday and had spoken to Efren there, at Sudsy Place.”
“The Friday before she went missing?”
“Yes. And it was that Friday that Efren missed his scheduled check-in.”
Lainie rubbed her hands together, thinking. “Her memory is so spotty. She remembers that she called me, but she doesn’t know why. Doc says maybe with time more memories will return.”
“This is the last loose end. Vine has disappeared, and I’m afraid Crystal Benton might have left the country.”
“Might have? You’re not sure?” she asked.
“Not positive. However, her alias Martha White flew to Barbados from LAX a week ago, before we could flag her. If that was her, right now she’s out of our grasp.”
“But we have that passport. How could she have used it?”
“Like I say, we’re not sure, but she has disappeared as completely as Vine.”
“Do you think Vine left the country?”
He arched an eyebrow and held one hand out, palm up.
“Nowadays the most convenient way to track people is their digital footprint. Vine does not have one. Notoriously old-school, he doesn’t even use credit cards.
To leave the country he’d need a passport.
Vine has mastered the art of being off-grid. ”
Lainie considered this information for a moment, trying not to descend into depression because of it. God is in control came to mind, and it gave her some confidence and maybe even some optimism.
“He can’t stay holed up forever. Everyone gets caught eventually. Evie comes home later today; I’ll talk to her again. One more thing, she wants to talk to Stan.” Lainie looked at Shea.
“Ah, he’s been arraigned and sent to County. She’ll need to talk to his public defender, but it shouldn’t be a problem. She is his wife.”
“Do you think Stan will tell her anything?” Ben asked.
“About the case? I’m not sure. Evie’s concern with Stan is more personal.”
“Ah, I understand.”
“I don’t really. I don’t think she should put herself through it. Evie is a forgiving person. I think her mission is to confront him with everything she knows and see what he has to say for himself.”
“Makes sense. I hope Stan sees the error of his ways and comes clean for his wife. She can’t be compelled to testify against him, but maybe he will tell her something that could help us find Vine. Please keep me up-to-date on her meeting.” Ben stood to leave.
“Are you going back to your office?” she asked.
“Nope. Lunch.”
Lainie checked her watch. “I didn’t realize it was that time. Do you mind if I join you?”
Surprise flashed across his face and then disappeared. “Sure. Do you have a place you’d like to go?”
“Someplace down in The Pike?”
“I’ll follow you.”
They said goodbye to Shea and left the office for the elevator. Once the doors closed, Lainie turned to Ben. Standing here with him, knowing what she had to do, only positive feelings flooded her. Ben was a good guy, a good agent. She liked him. Forgiveness erased all the negativity she’d felt.
“I need to get something off my chest.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m sorry I was so hard on you about Evie—”
He held up a hand to stop her. “You were right; I was wrong.” His expression was open and friendly, sincere.
“Yeah, maybe you were wrong, but so was I. You made a judgment call, a call I might have made myself if our roles were reversed. There is no reason for me to be angry or for you to feel guilty. Stan is responsible for what happened to Evie, not you. Can you forgive me?”
He smiled. “Hey, if you can forgive me, it’s a no-brainer to forgive you a few harsh words.”
“Great.” Lainie held her hand out. “Friends? Shake on it?”
He gripped her outstretched hand, and Lainie felt great peace settle over her. And something else. Ben’s blue eyes were so warm, his grip strong and comforting. This could be dangerous, Lainie thought, but not in a bad way.