Chapter 23
Joanne awoke from a deep sleep feeling more rested than she had in weeks. She opened her eyes. Making love to Sloan came back to her in a rush of heated memory, along with what they needed to do today. In an instant, her anxiety was back.
Where was Sloan?
She sat up, making her way to the heavy drapes and opening them to a dark and rainy day.
That didn’t bode well. The door to the adjoining room was open, and she crossed to it.
“Sloan?” The bathroom door was closed and she could hear the shower running.
The bed had clearly been slept in, and she frowned, not knowing what to make of that.
The files from the plumbing supply company were spread out on the desk. He must have come in here to work, or else he was having second thoughts about last night and wanted to put as much distance between them as possible. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know which.
She needed to find her Rolaids. Returning to her room, she dialed Evelyn’s cell phone. Fiona answered. “Hi, Mom. We made rainbow pancakes with sprinkles!”
“Wow, it sounds like you’re having fun.”
“Mmm-hmm. Miss Evelyn’s going to draw with me next. She’s playing poker with Lucas.”
“Poker, huh?”
“Yeah. We did Crazy Eights first. I won thirty-eight cents.”
Of course they were betting for money. “That’s awesome, sweetie. Can I talk to Evelyn for a minute?”
She got on the phone. “How’s it going down there?”
“So far, so good. We found some records I hope will point us in the right direction. How are the kids?”
“Lucas and Fiona are good. April spent last night moping around the house. Something about a boy you won’t let her talk to.”
Jo pinched the skin between her eyes. “Can I talk to her?”
“She isn’t awake yet. Nothing surer to drive two lovebirds together than to forbid them from seeing each other.”
“Ev, she doesn’t even know this boy! She met him online. What if he’s a stalker, or a predator of some kind? She invited him to our campsite in Chicago without asking me and Sloan nearly shot the poor guy.”
“Good lord.”
It occurred to her April might have reinstalled the same app. She hated to be so suspicious of her own daughter, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t. “Can you do me a favor?” She walked Evelyn through how to search for Instagram on April’s phone.
“Nope, no Instagram.”
Jo exhaled and dropped her shoulders. “Thank God. Let’s hope it stays that way.”
“Should I wake her up or just let her sleep?”
She looked at the clock, surprised to see it was already almost ten. “Let her sleep another thirty minutes or so, then you can wake her up. Thanks, Ev.”
She hung up just as Sloan walked into the room with only a towel slung around his waist, the smell of soap surrounding him. His prosthetic was once again in place.
“You ever take that thing off around women?”
“All the time.”
She really didn’t like that answer, especially coupled with her insecurities over him sleeping in the next room. “I’m going in the shower.”
She washed her body with hotter-than-hot water, wishing she’d been blessed with mind-reading abilities so she knew what that man was thinking. The men of HERO Force would be arriving soon, precluding further private conversation, and she wanted to know where she stood.
“I’m not sorry,” she whispered under her breath. “I will never be sorry.” No matter what happened from here on out, she’d followed her heart and opened herself up to Sloan. That was an accomplishment, not something to be ashamed of or worried about.
When she dried off, she removed her bandages and winced.
That didn’t look good at all, and she cleaned it carefully before putting on a new bandage.
She dressed quickly in the hot, steamy bathroom, wishing she could go in the cooler bedroom but too confused about her standing with Sloan to walk in there nearly naked, as he had done.
The thought further frustrated her already frazzled nerves, and she was thoroughly hot and cranky by the time she emerged.
Once again, Sloan wasn’t there, which irritated her that much more. She tied her hair back in a ponytail and went in search of him, finding him at the desk in the adjoining room, on the phone. He held up a finger.
“I really appreciate you doing this so quickly, Moto. I’ll be in touch.” He hung up. “You’re not going to believe this. All of these accounts have been emptied in the past eight days.”
“All of them?”
“Every last one, all two-point-two million dollars and change.”
“Our missing money. Where did it go?”
“An account in the Cayman Islands.” His phone vibrated, and he looked at the screen. “Mac and Champion are on their way up. You ready to find McKenzie?”
The moment was slipping right out of reach, and she needed to get it back. She’d go crazy if they didn’t talk about the elephant in the room before leaving here. “Actually, I was hoping we could talk for a minute.”
“Shoot.” His phone rang. “Hang on, it’s my mom again. Hello?”
He shot panicky eyes to hers as he listened to the phone. “What do you mean?”
Joanne could hear Evelyn’s voice rising and falling with emotion. “What happened?” she whispered.
“April’s not in her room.”
“What? Put her on speaker.”
He hit a button. “…woods around the cabin, but I don’t see her. Should I call the police?”
Jo was light-headed with fear. “Did she leave on her own? Was anyone there?”
“As far as I knew, everything was fine. I went upstairs to wake her like you asked me to, and it doesn’t even look like her bed was slept in last night.”
“Did she run away?” Jo clutched at his shirt. “Was she that mad at me? We have to find her. We have to find her, Sloan!”
“I should have had guys stationed at the cabin,” he barked. “Damn it, I thought she’d be safe. Call the police. I’ll get HERO Force out there as soon as I can. I’ll call you back.” He hung up.
“He couldn’t have found the kids. He couldn’t have!” She was losing it, the panic attack appearing out of nowhere and instantly on overdrive.
He held her by her upper arms. “Listen to me. She’s a smart kid. She wouldn’t have run away in the middle of winter in a place she doesn’t know.”
She swallowed against the knot in her throat, knowing he was right but unable to comprehend the consequences of the truth. “Then she was taken. But how? This doesn’t make any sense! We checked every device, everything. We were careful.”
“It’s like they had inside information. Someone telling them where we were.”
“But who would do that? The kids know we’re in danger. They wouldn’t be so foolish as to tell someone where they are.” An image of April in tears at the campground appeared in her mind. “No…”
“What is it?”
“It’s not possible.” She ran to the other room and picked up her phone, searching for Instagram and downloading the app, Sloan entering the room behind her. “The guy on Instagram who had me so concerned. I just assumed he was a kid, but what if he’s not?”
“What do you mean?”
“What if he’s Bannon, or one of his guys? All you need to fake an identity on Instagram is a profile picture.” The possibilities were horrible and endless. “But your mom checked for me last night. April hadn’t reinstalled the app.”
“I saw her on Fiona’s iPad.” He headed for the other room. “I’m calling my mother back.”
The app finished downloading and Jo opened it. She knew April’s email address but not her password. She tried the one she used for everything, knowing the kids often did the same. “Please, God, let this work…” The screen changed to April’s feed. “I’m in!”
A knock sounded on the bedroom door. “I got it. That’s Mac,” called Sloan. “Mom, I need you to check Fiona’s iPad. See if she has Instagram.”
Jo found her way to April’s messages as Sloan greeted the men. The messages came one after another from Justin971—the most recent posting at eleven o’clock last night.
I’ll meet you by the main road.
“No, no, no…” she whispered, scrolling to read their earlier conversation.
Sloan swore loudly. “She had Instagram on the iPad.”
“I know. I’m in her account. She was talking to him.”
This stupid log cabin. I have to share a room with my sister…
That sucks. Where are you?
The thriving metropolis of Esopus, New York.
I’m visiting my aunt in New York City. That’s not too far away. With your mom gone, we could see each other. I’ll take an Uber like last time.
Isn’t that expensive?
It would be worth it to see you.
Okay, that would be great! I’m at 818 Creek Road.
“Jesus Christ, she gave him the address.” She stood and raised her voice to be heard over the men, who’d grown louder as Sloan filled them in. “She gave him her address!” The phone vibrated in her hand. She had a new text from a number she didn’t recognize, and she opened it.
TIME’S UP.
I’VE GOT THE GIRL, NOW I WANT MY MONEY.
LEAVE IT ON THE BENCH BY THE STATUE AT JEFFERSON PARK AT 10:00 P.M. COME ALONE.
I’LL CONTACT YOU AFTER.