by Kahlen Aymes
“I can go with you, and we can pick up some food, too,” Becca said. “Angel, can you give Jillian a bath and get her into some clean pajamas in the meantime?”
Cole looked uneasy. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea to leave Angel here alone.”
“The door will be locked, Cole, and you have a key. I won’t open it for anyone.”
Her response settled him, and he finally agreed. After putting on his worn white sneakers and grabbing his coat, he pulled his keys out of his pocket.
“Need any money?” Angel asked, secretly pleased that Becca was going with Cole. The last guy she dated was a loser, and nothing would please her more than a spark igniting between those two. She’d already seen interest on both sides. This was good.
“Nah, I got it. Ready?” Cole asked Becca. She was already putting on her jacket and shoes.
Angel scooted Jillian off toward the bathroom.
“Hey, Becs?” Angel called and motioned for her to follow.
“Yeah?”
“Can you bring my bag in? I need panties.”
“Yeah, no problem.” She turned and followed Cole out. “Do the safety thing. Whatever the hell you call it.”
“Anga!” Jillian bellowed. Angel was amazed how resilient children were. After crying her eyes out mere minutes ago, the little one was laughing and happy at the prospect of her bath. “C’mon!”
“Coming!” Angel called. “See you two in a bit.”
By the time Angel had the bath water adjusted and running, Jillian had her clothes off and in a pile on the floor in front of the tub. The hotel provided toiletries, and thankfully, there was one more bottle of the shampoo and conditioner on the counter next to the sink. Angel grabbed two of them and picked up Jillian to put her into the tub.
“Bubbles! Bubbles!” Jillian demanded, and Angel proceeded to dump half of the shampoo under the water streaming into the tub. She swooshed it around in the water to make it bubble more. and Jillian squealed. “More!”
“We have to save a little to wash your hair, Bean.”
The phone in the other room started playing the Nickleback song that signaled a call from Alex. Angel hopped up anxiously to get it. Her purse was thrown on the bed, only a few feet away. The water had only filled a couple of inches, and Angel had returned to the bathroom to keep an eye on Jillian before she answered.
“Hello?”
“Hey, babe. It’s good to hear your voice.” His voice was weary.
“Yeah, I’ve been going crazy.” She sat down next to the tub so she could keep a close eye on Jillian. “You sound tired.”
“I’m okay. Did I catch you in the bathtub?” His voice held a teasing lilt despite his exhaustion.
Angel smiled and reached her free hand into the tub to hand Jillian a washcloth. “Nope, but Jillybean is!”
“Aw, you’re on baby duty.”
“Mmm. Bean is being a very big girl about rescheduling her party. I told her you wanted to be there.” Angel said it so that Jillian could understand it was Alex on the phone.
“Iz dat Zander?” she asked, her little voice, though echoing in the small ceramic-clad room, was muted due to the rushing water. Angel decided it was full enough and shut it off.
“Yes, honey.” She nodded. There were a couple of plastic cups on the counter near the mirror, and Angel took one and unwrapped it so Jillian could play with it in the bathtub. The little girl busied herself filling it and dumping it over herself then the sides of the tub.
“Sorry about that,” Angel said, settling in so she could keep an eye on Jillian and still speak to Alex. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m holed up at the James’ with the cops and Sid’s team. I’m suspicious of everyone and trying to figure out which of them informs that prick what we’re doing.”
Angel leaned one shoulder on the tub. “I know. I bet you wish you’d never made that call into the radio station. Everything is so fu—um, messed up.” She caught her word choice given the child within hearing.
“Yes, but no. This is a pain in my ass, and I am not happy about any of it, but I am glad I made that call.”
“I really miss you.”
“That’s cuz I’m so lovable.” The smile in his voice radiated through the phone.
She laughed. “Yeah, okay. You’re a lot of things, but lovable? Are you Fozzie Bear, now?” At the name of the Sesame Street character, Jillian looked up at Angel, dropping the cup then picking it up again to resume the endless cycle of filling and dumping it out.
“He died, I think.” Alex joked. “I think I heard Miss Piggy fucked him to death.”
“What a way to die.”
“Yes. You can try to kill me when you see me next.” They both laughed softly, and Angel’s heart leapt.
“Surprised you’re still breathing, as it is,” Angel shot back dryly, followed by another giggle.
“We spend so much time on the phone, we may have to resort to phone sex,” Alex teased. “Or Skype. That would be even better.”
“Mmmmm.” Her eyes widened and she smiled. “That would be great, except I’m far from alone here.”
“I know, but it’s a nice thought.” He huffed out a small laugh.
“I wish.” As much as Angel wanted to joke and tease with him, the seriousness of the situation intruded. “Can you tell me the plan? Cole told me only bits and pieces.”
“I’ll stay here and hope something happens. There hasn’t been any contact at all, so we’re expecting something to happen soon. It goes without saying that the money doesn’t move.” It was hard trying to explain what was going on so Angel would know what was happening but not give details that might foil the plan.
“Alex, I have some money saved…” she began.
“You don’t have ten million.” His voice took on an impatient tone that she would even suggest it. “Even if you did, I wouldn’t let you give him ten cents, Angel. I’m not paying that fucker for hurting people. I’m done dicking around with this.”
“What does that mean?”
“If we pay him off once it will never end, and we’re not going to live like that.” His voice was low and determined. “I have an idea where to take this so it stops now.”
“Did they track the tower the call came from?”
“Yeah. Ken requested that, but the call originated in Chicago, so it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. But don’t worry; I’ve got this, babe. You have to trust me.”
“Then how do you know anything? What’s next?”
“It’s a trade secret.”
“Ugh! Really?” She groaned and soaped up the cloth to begin washing Jillian’s arms and hands, then her legs, feet, and back. Alex could hear the water sloshing over the phone. He laughed at her predicament.
“How do you like it? Hmm?” Amusement laced his voice. “It’s a bitch, isn’t it?”
“Fine.” Angel was exasperated, but his point hit home. “Then tell the police what you know and meet us.”
“The police stood around for a full week with their dicks in their hands waiting for shit to fall in their laps. It’s pathetic. I’ve spent all day on this, and I’m certain the only reason it’s in play at all is because I’m bankrolling it. That said, they’re here now, and everything is set up. Now we wait.”
“I can’t stand the waiting.”
“I agree. So, I have other plans. I’d tell you more, but the phones aren’t secure.”
“Is it okay if I call anyone? Elle called and I haven’t called her back. Also, I haven’t told anyone we’re coming.” At Cole’s instruction, Angel was careful to keep names and locations out of conversations, so she emphasized the words so Alex would understand. She wondered if calling in general was a bad idea.
“Not unless absolutely necessary. We probably shouldn’t even be talking now.”
“I’m glad you called, though.”
“I needed to hear your voice, but I probably won’t call again. We can be in touch on Skype or chat, but no more ph
ones, okay? Email Ellie if you need to, but be conscious of what you say. Can you just show up at your destination without calling ahead of time?” Alex was careful not to give any specifics over the phone in case the call was being monitored.
“Yes.”
“Just get where you’re going, babe.”
The water was getting tepid and Angel needed to warm it up before she finished the little one’s bath. “Jillian’s getting cold, and I need to shampoo her hair and get her out of the tub.”
“Okay. I’ll be in touch somehow. Be careful. Is Cole around?”
“Um…” Her hesitation gave her away. Given the worry about the vulnerability of the phone, she didn’t want to say Cole and Becca weren’t there.
“Angel. Is he around?” Alex demanded.
Shit. Angel cringed inwardly, knowing Alex wasn’t going to tolerate the fact she was alone in the hotel room with the baby.
“He’s making dinner.” She hoped that would be sufficient to tell Alex he was out getting food.
“It might be his last meal.”
“Oh, Jeesh.” Angel rolled her eyes. “I’m fine, Alex. I can fight better than him anyway.” She laughed, but Alex was far from amused.
Being so far away, he felt helpless to protect her, and although Swanson was most likely still in Chicago, he didn’t want her unprotected. She could fight well, but still, where the fuck was Cole? If anything happened to Angel or Jillian, there would be more than hell to pay. Brother or no.
* * *
Alex sat in the living room of Mr. and Mrs. James’ home. The police had relocated them to his own parents’ estate, and Wayne was there with them, the rest of the team was surrounding the house and ground, save Sid and two others, who were with Alex. His stomach ached and his head throbbed. He felt strange and out-of-body; his hands were tingling, and he was all hopped up. It had to be a combination of lack of sleep and the many cups of coffee he’d been downing which had him feeling so fucked up.
Most of his security team was positioned at his parents’ property, and the bulk of what was here at the James’ home, were police and the two detectives assigned to Bancroft’s missing person’s case. There were police vans outside disguised as catering trucks and a children’s entertainment company, but the bounce house that was scheduled to be set up was cancelled because it would have blocked the view of the backyard. The illusion was in place, but there was no guarantee Mark Swanson had plans to hit the party, despite the hints he’d dropped to Angel. It was all they had, though, and at least they were prepared. The time spent at police headquarters after his meeting with Marvin Standish only had Alex more pissed and convinced that if he wanted something done, he’d have to do it himself. The police didn’t have a single new lead on Jason’s disappearance and, from what Alex could see, were doing little to dig for any.
He was also agonizing because he’d forgotten to ask Marvin Standish who might be helping Swanson. Alex was certain someone on his security team was a plant. Anger tightened his gut. They had run background checks on all of them. They’d been sent to Alex via email so he could look them over again, but he hadn’t had the time.
Ken Gant had been at the station earlier that day, and he was also worried about Angel. Jealousy wheedled underneath Alex’s skin, but he had to ignore it and concentrate on the task at hand. Ken had wanted to be on location tonight also, but it was a conflict of interest for the prosecuting attorney to be on scene. And, it was dangerous. Alex was allowed only because his own security team was present and consisted of licensed PIs. He had paid for the illusion and made a hellish scene when they tried to dissuade him from being there. Leaning his head back on the sofa, he closed his burning eyes as his exhaustion finally caught up with him.
The blinds were drawn so no one could see the party inside was an illusion, but there was audio of children’s voices, along with Barney the dinosaur and Disney songs playing for illusion. He lifted his head to glance around. Sid was talking to someone by the closed front door, and others were stationed at the windows, in the garage, and both of the other entrances to the house. It was a modest, middle-class home, but it was clean and the furnishings were well taken care of. Alex regretted that this family was involved. But, the obvious threat on Swanson’s call to Angel had predisposed everything that was happening now.
How long had they been here? He glanced at his watch. It was 7 PM, and the party should be ending soon and nothing. Fucking nothing!
Alex motioned Sid over, and he excused himself from the detective he was speaking to and came over. “Yes, Alex?”
“In half an hour, the party is supposed to end. What happens with the trucks?”
“We were just discussing that. I suggest that the trucks leave at the allotted time and our team hang out here for a while afterward. The other ‘guest’s’ cars will have to go, too.”
Alex ran a hand through his hair and nodded. It made sense, but there was no use wasting more time here. “I think I’ll get out of here, then.”
“We suggest you stay. Swanson thinks you’re out of town, but if I and the others have to stay here, you won’t be protected at your home.”
“Sid, this asshole has to go down, and maybe we can catch him if we give him a little bait.”
“You sound like Dr. Hemming, and she was a huge pain in my ass. If you don’t mind my honesty, it just makes things more difficult for us.”
Alex’s mouth quirked slightly on one side. He understood the frustration. He’d shared it even, but he was exhausted, and the sooner he got going, the sooner he could start his search. If this stakeout didn’t yield an arrest, then he’d wasted the whole goddamned day when he could have been getting ready to start tracking Swanson. He understood, but he was itching to get started. He was so tired, but the dark of night would be the best time to poke around the addresses that Standish provided.
He considered telling Sid about his meeting earlier that morning, and he wished he could take him along, but doing so could leave Wayne a sitting duck. Alex’s phone vibrated from the clip on his belt and he pulled it out. “Restricted number” flashed on the screen, and his breath stopped. It had taken longer than Alex suspected for Swanson to call, considering the money hadn’t been transferred and the deadline had passed an hour earlier.
There was a set-up for a wireless phone trace that had been connected to Alex’s phone then through a piece of equipment being monitored in one of the bedrooms. “This is it. I’m sure this is the call.”
Two of the detectives scrambled, one alerting the man with the tracing equipment and another coming closer and sitting down next to Alex so he could listen in.
He nodded, indicating they were ready and Alex could answer.
“Alex Avery,” he said into the phone, trying to remain calm. Every nerve in his body was at attention.
“Where is the money?”
Alex considered his words carefully. “That’s too much to get together that fast. Most of it is tied up and has to be liquidated.”
“I’m not fucking around, Avery. Sorry, I wasn’t in the mood for birthday cake. You people are stupid as fuck. You think I’d tell that bitch I knew about it and then show up? I’m not anywhere near where you think I am, and you’d better start cooperating.”
Alex’s hand tightened around the phone until his knuckles turned white, his heart and mind began to race, and a hot flush rushed underneath his skin. If he wasn’t here; then where? If he knew about the stakeout, what else did he know? “I told you before; I don’t negotiate with sick fuckers like you, Swanson.”
“Yeah, you did. But, I think you’re gonna change your mind.” Swanson sounded amused, and it made Alex’s blood boil. “The package you’re after has been returned to the place of procurement. My advice is to hurry, or you might be too late.” His laugh was obnoxious and eerie. Alex had a slight moment’s pause that maybe he was completely mad.
One of the detectives jumped up and went into the other room to get on his com and order officers to the radio
station. They would find Bancroft there. Alex felt like the floor had just dropped from underneath him.
“We knew he was dead already. If you think killing one of my guys will motivate me to pay you off, you are fucking delusional or completely insane.” His voice was low and deadly calm. “Either way, fuck off.”
Mark Swanson’s breath sucked in with a hiss. “Careful. You don’t want to piss me off more than you already have. You’ll understand I’m serious. If you don’t want something similar to befall the lovely doctor, or maybe worse, I’d suggest you reconsider. I think I’d enjoy making her beg.”
“You cowardly fuck. Why don’t you be a man and come out in the open? Come and get me, you sorry bastard!”
Swanson laughed at Alex’s obvious fury, his hideousness making Alex all the more livid.
“That’s an interesting thought, but I like my plan better. I’m gonna take your little girl, and do all kinds of unspeakable things to her if you don’t pay up.” Swanson’s tone became insidious. “Do you hear me? You have one more day.”
The phone went dead in his hand, and Alex wanted to fling it against the wall with all of his might. “Motherfucker!” he yelled.
“Mr. Avery, why didn’t you just tell him you’d meet him with the money? At least give us a chance to set him up?”
Alex stood up angrily and got in the man’s space, his face mottled with rage. “He’s not going to meet me for the money! He wants it wired to that account I’ve already given you people. Are you brain dead?” Alex was incensed with rage. “With Bancroft dead, he has nothing to bargain with. We just have to find him before he gets to Angel. Do your fucking job, for Christ’s sake! Stop waiting for me to land this bastard in your lap!”
“First, we should get a detail over to protect Dr. Hemming.”
“You’re too late; behind the fucking eight ball again.” Alex moved away and grabbed his jacket. “Sid, you’re with me.”