Chapter Sixteen #2
“Thank you. Any particular reason you were following us today?” Ben asked.
Brenda leaned a hip against the front fender. She would like to know the answer to that one as well. This whole thing was like a bad movie. Why hadn’t Scott come forward? If he really wanted to protect her and Janey, why not work with the police to stop this whole thing?
Because, she understood, he was only really concerned about protecting himself.
She and Janey were afterthoughts. She glanced at Ben.
Not that the Colby Agency could ever be considered anything but an amazing option.
Still, it was the idea that Scott had waited until he was eyeball deep in trouble to consider his child and her mother.
“He gave me a message for you.” She turned to Brenda as she said this.
“I came to your house Tuesday night to bring it to you, but someone was watching the house and I freaked. Then I came by Wednesday morning and there were cops everywhere. So I just went home and hid. But then I got to thinking about how Scott made me promise that I would see that you got the message, so I came to your house again today, but you were driving away. This time I followed you. When I saw you turn into the police department, I just waited. I knew you’d come out eventually. ”
“What’s the message?” Brenda was ready to get this over with. Clearly this woman knew no more than they did about the cartel.
“Oh yeah.” Ginger poked her head back into the car and drew back with an envelope.
She handed it to Brenda. “Scott sort of freaked out when he saw you at the airport. He was worried he was being watched, and, if he was, he thought they might think you were meeting him there. That’s why we gave you the slip.
It wasn’t because he didn’t want to see you. ”
Maybe she shouldn’t, but the explanation made Brenda feel a little better about that awful moment. “Thank you.”
Ginger surveyed the street. “I should get out of here.” She looked to Brenda again. “Good luck. I hope you guys figure all this out and no one else gets hurt.”
With that, she climbed into her car and drove away.
Brenda stared at the envelope where her name was written in bold strokes. It was Scott’s handwriting for sure.
“Let’s get in the car and get to your house,” Ben suggested.
She waited until she was in the car and Ben had pulled out onto the street, then she opened the envelope. It was a handwritten note.
No matter that she and Scott had not been together for so long, a sadness swelled inside her. Dirk Lanier had told her Scott was dead…for real this time. But Ginger didn’t seem to know it. Who knew?
Brenda,
I know this is all crazy right now, but I swear to you I tried to handle it. I wanted to protect you and Janey from this. Unfortunately, that proved impossible. When I was in real trouble and there was no way out, I called the Colby Agency.
Someone from the agency should be there with you by now.
You can trust them implicitly. But do not trust anyone else.
No one. Please trust no one. Take Janey and go hide somewhere safe.
The Colby Agency can help with that. I will get this straightened out, you have my word.
I know my word doesn’t mean much to you anymore, but I swear to you I will fix this.
Right now, I just need the two of you to stay safe. I will always love you both.
Scott
Brenda squeezed her eyes shut to stop the damned tears. She had thought she was out of tears for Scott. For that matter she couldn’t be sure that man—Dirk Lanier—was telling her the truth. Scott could still be alive for all she knew. This whole thing could be a trick.
Either way, she had to protect Janey, and to do that she had to protect herself. She was all Janey had left.
She called Mallory. Brenda tried to slow her respiration as she waited through ring after ring. The call went to voicemail. She waited a whole minute and called again. Same ring, ring, ring and then voicemail.
“I can’t get Mallory to answer,” she said, the pitch of her voice rising with each word. “I left her a message this morning, but she hasn’t called me back.”
Ben braked for a red traffic light. “Take a breath and tell me what the letter said.”
She closed her eyes and struggled with the mounting panic.
“He told me how sorry he was and how he’d called your agency.
But the really important part is that he said I should not trust anyone but you and your agency.
No one else. Now I’m worried that I shouldn’t have trusted Mallory.
I’ve always been able to trust her, but with all that’s happened… ”
Her heart raced harder. She couldn’t catch a full breath.
“Okay.” The light changed, and he accelerated away from the intersection. “Does Mallory have any family here?”
“Yes, her mother and father.”
“Call whichever one you can reach and see if they’ve heard from her.”
“Okay. Good idea.” She should have thought of that. A quick scroll through her contacts and she found Mrs. Lawrence’s number. She placed the call, then waited through first one, then two, then a third ring. The call went to voicemail. The panic surged once more. “No answer.”
“What’s her address?” he asked. “Some people don’t keep their cell phones handy all the time.”
Brenda recited the address, then tried the number again. Still no answer.
“Does she have a house phone?”
Brenda shook her head. “I don’t know.” Her heart ached with each rapid thud against her breastbone.
Thankfully Mrs. Lawrence lived on the Oakwood side of Five Points, so it didn’t take long to reach her house. A car in the driveway gave Brenda hope there was someone home. Ben was likely right. Mrs. Lawrence might not keep her phone attached to her the way Brenda did.
She and Ben got out together and walked to the door. While Ben knocked—there was no doorbell—Brenda peeked through a front window. Couldn’t help herself. She was worried sick.
Charlene Lawrence sat in her recliner, mouth open, eyes closed. Fear shot through Brenda like a spear. “Oh my God, she looks dead.”
Ben leaned over and had a look through the window. “I think I see—”
The older woman’s eyes suddenly opened, and her mouth closed. Brenda almost fainted with relief. Ben reached over and rapped on the door again.
When it opened, Mrs. Lawrence looked from Brenda to Ben and back. “Hello.” She drew the door open wider. “Come in. Sorry if you’ve been knocking awhile. I was taking a little nap.”
“I don’t want to disturb you, Mrs. Lawrence,” Brenda said. “I was wondering if you had heard from Mallory.”
The woman made a face of severe concentration. “No, I don’t think so. You know she’s always busy working. For you.” She smiled big and bright. “I just love when she brings Janey by for a visit. Such a sweet child.”
Brenda managed a stiff nod. “Have you heard from her since she and Janey went up to the cabin?”
Mrs. Lawrence made a new face then, this one confused or uncertain. “I think there must be some miscommunication, hon. None of us ever seemed to have the time to go anymore, so we sold the cabin last spring. She couldn’t be there.”
Something different rushed through Brenda then.
Bigger than plain old fear…colder, thicker.
Sheer terror. “She told me she was taking Janey to the cabin.” Brenda forced her tone to remain calm despite the hysteria attempting to take hold deep inside her.
“Is there someplace else she might have meant?”
“No.” Mrs. Lawrence shook her head. “I can’t think of any place offhand. She would have told me if she was going out of town. Did you try Peter? Maybe she’s at his house.” Her smile returned. “He’ll know where she is. I’m sure of it.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Lawrence,” Brenda managed to say without falling apart. “If you hear from Mallory please ask her to call me.”
“I sure will, hon. I hope you’re holding up okay,” she offered. “Mallory said your husband’s death has been just awful for you.”
Brenda thanked her and then she and Ben rushed away. The idea that her child was missing started to arrow its way into her chest. No, please no.
She told herself Mrs. Lawrence was right. Peter would know…but he was supposed to be with them.
When they were in the car after the usual check that took forever it felt like to Brenda, Ben said, “Where does this Peter live?”
“He has an apartment downtown, but he should be with Mallory.” Hands shaking, she dug out her cell once more. “I have his number.” Please, please let him answer.
Peter picked up on the first ring. “Hey, Brenda.”
Thank God. “Hey, Peter. I need to speak with Mallory. It’s really important.” Brenda held tightly to the phone, her mind whirling with worry and fear and hope and other things she didn’t want to name.
“Ah, sorry, Brenda, but she’s not with me. Maybe Mallory didn’t tell you, but she and I broke up.”
Oh God. No. “Really?” Brenda glanced at Ben, desperately clinging to the ability to hold herself together. “I’m so sorry. When did this happen?”
“Not quite a month ago. She just up and told me one day that we were done. It was a shock, let me tell you. I’d already bought an engagement ring to give her at Christmas. I’m still trying to figure it out.”
“I’m so sorry, Peter.” Hang on… Don’t lose it.
“I asked her to take Janey out of town for a couple of days since all this business with Scott has started up again. I thought she said she was going to the cabin. But her mom says they sold the cabin. Do you have any idea where she might have gone instead? She’s not answering today, and I’m a little nervous. ”
“I don’t know, Brenda. I mean, gosh, that’s kind of crazy.
Maybe she was going through something. I will say that back when we were together—near the end—I got this whole thing in my head that she and Scott were having an affair.
Anyway, I don’t know. Whatever is going on, I’m sorry I can’t help you. ”
“I… Thank you, Peter. Please tell her to call me if you hear from her.”
“’Course I will, but I’m not expecting to hear from her.”
“Right. Okay. Thanks, Peter.”
Brenda ended the call. “They broke up.” She turned to Ben.
“He thought she was having an affair with Scott, but I don’t think so.
” She drew in a big breath. “Honestly, at this point I don’t know anything.
Except…” She swallowed at the tightening in her throat.
“My daughter is missing and I’m terrified. ”
“We’re going back to Shelton’s office to file a missing person report,” he assured her. “We may or may not be able to trust him, but we need people on the lookout. There are steps that need to be taken that only the police can take. Now. Right now.”
He was right. Brenda sank back into her seat. Here she’d thought this nightmare couldn’t get any worse. But she had been so very wrong.
Her child was missing.