When the Heart Lies Read online

  “Want something to drink?” he asked without turning to look at her and feeling slightly guilty, considering tonight was her first time there.

  “Something I said?”

  “I’m not in the mood Olivia.” He had gotten nowhere today, and with every passing minute his testiness worsened. He snapped his beer cap into the wastebasket and took a long drink. “Do you want something or not?” He slid the kitchen chair back from the table, slouched down into the seat, and threw his feet, boots and all, onto the table from the side as he told himself to relax and focus. “Let’s get started. Who will be in on the call?”

  “Xavier, Nick, and the lead detective for missing persons. You’ll be working with him.”

  He glared at her as he swung his feet back to the floor. Turning back to the table, he let his fist drop with a thump as he turned from her view.

  “This is an official case now! You’re taking your anger out on the wrong person. I need to bring him in,” Olivia said.

  “When we find her, I’m the first to make contact.”

  “Sure Jackson, I’ll arrange everything, so you can be the hero. It won’t be hard, considering the entire brass bends over backwards for you. Look how fast they reinstated you. Did you consider the fact she only knows you from Lakeside? Your presence may confused her, and she might hesitate when she should be moving her ass toward you. You should step back, and let Detective Mills handle the first contact.”

  “Like hell! She trusts me. Get the call started. I’ve got things to do tonight if I’m going to find her.”

  “Take a few minutes to pull yourself together before the call.”

  “Get on with it, Olivia. You’re wasting time.”

  Her eyes flashed, conveying her annoyance. “This is what we’ve done so far,” she said. “All the technical is in place to intercept calls at Xavier’s and at Nick’s. Wayde’s house is being watched along with Remy Davis’s. Also, we’re monitoring all calls at both houses and on Savannah’s cell. We’ll get hits on any credit or debit card purchases. But we have no leads as to where or why they took her. Until we get a call, we’ll assume its money or murder.”

  Perking up, he put aside the beer bottle. The label was almost completely peeled off. “I just remembered, you said Angela had some family in South Carolina. You said she was there when you vacationed with Xavier? Wayde’s discharge papers show a South Carolina address as his enlistment address. Let’s see if Angela could’ve been there around the same time. If they know each other …maybe, he has a beef with Angela and is using Kinsley. ”

  Her brows raised, and she nodded in agreement. “Or she has a beef with Kinsley and is using him?”

  He relaxed, sinking back into his chair. Relieve they may have found some connection that would explain why she was taken. “Make the call.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Both Xavier and Nick leapt from the sofa when the phone rang. Xavier took a breath before picking up. “Xavier Wentworth.”

  Olivia spoke through the phone. “I have you on speaker with Jackson and Detective Mills. Is Nick with you?”

  “Yes, he’s here. I asked Jonathan in, too. He may need to be aware of what’s going on in case he intercepts a call.” Xavier put the phone on speaker and sat on the side of his desk.

  Olivia’s voice filled the room. “Okay, unfortunately we’re not going to have a lot of information that’s new. We pulled Remy Davis’s record. There’s a long list of petty crimes but, more importantly, an assault. He spent at least ten years of his life behind bars. Wayde’s record is clean. We got the plates on the black 1979 Cadillac. We put an APB out for both men, and all units are looking for the car. We’ll set up roadblocks, but not until we have some indication of where they’re headed. With their head start, we may never get that far. I’ll let Jackson update you on what he found out today.”

  Jackson leaned in toward the receiver; he spoke with a weighty, stern tone. “I met with Remy Davis’s wife today. She hasn’t seen him and said she wouldn’t be surprised by anything he did. She gave me a list of taverns he frequents. I’ve been able to get to three of them tonight. Davis doesn’t have many friends, and those who know him haven’t seen him around in a few days. I gave my card to the people who were willing to take it and asked them to call if they have any information or have seen him anywhere.”

  “That doesn’t sound good,” Xavier said. “Anything else?”

  Jackson paused choosing his words carefully. “One lead looks promising. Wayde’s military records reflect he enlisted in South Carolina, about thirty-two years ago. This is a sensitive area, Xavier, but I must ask. Is there any possibility that your wife might know Wayde? Olivia said Angela’s parents lived in South Carolina. South Carolina is the only common location he’s shared with anyone in your family. He was discharged about ten years ago, he was obviously lying when he told Kinsley he was her brother’s Sergeant.”

  Nick cut in before Xavier could respond. “You can’t think my mother had anything to do with this. If this is your one lead, I think you’ve got a whole lot more work to do.”

  Xavier addressed Nick with a harsh tone. “Nick, please. We need to look at every possibility. I’m sorry, Jackson. Until Angela’s father died ten years ago, she’d visit at least twice a year. I don’t know if she was there around the time he enlisted. If I was away on business, Angela’s visits to her parents could be quite long. She didn’t like being home alone and would take those times to visit.”

  Jonathan leaned in and whispered to Xavier.

  Xavier nodded thanks to Jonathan and spoke again to Jackson. “Just a minute, we might have a way to check this out. Jonathan has been keeping my yearly itineraries for business. Jonathan, do you think you can find records from thirty-two years ago?”

  Jonathan tipped his head and proceeded to the basement where he kept the old files.

  Nick began pacing in front of his father’s desk. “This is absurd. I can’t believe you’re even regarding this as a feasible direction.”

  Xavier pointed at Nick. His eyes delivered a silent threat along with harsh words. “Zip it, Nick. Continue, Jackson. Are there any other leads you’re going to pursue?”

  Nick threw up his hands and dropped himself heavily into the chair across from his father.

  Jackson began speaking again. “Even if Angela knew Wayde, that doesn’t mean she was involved, Nick, but it’s something we need to check out. I’m going to head down to the café Kinsley frequents tomorrow morning. My niece told me she met the owner, Jim. Said he’s a nice guy. I’m hoping he can give me some information. I’m also going out tonight to the other two taverns.”

  Jonathan shuffled in and leaned over Xavier’s desk with a leather bound planner, pointing to an entry.

  “Let me take a minute and see what Jonathan’s got for us.” Xavier leaned in and mulled over the entry he’d been shown. He’d taken a two-month trip to Amsterdam. Angela and Carolyn spent that summer with her parents in South Carolina. “I remember that trip.” He seemed lost in thought, making for a long pause.

  Olivia’s voice filled the room. “Xavier?”

  Xavier gave his head a brisk shake and loosened his tie. “Yes, I’m here. Angela was in South Carolina thirty-two years ago, during the summer. She went with Carolyn Ericson, a friend of hers, the woman she was talking to on the phone when she had the stroke. I’m not sure how they would know Wayde. It’s worth questioning Carolyn, though. Is there a way we can get her in on this call? I think we should all hear what she has to say first hand just in case there’s any new information.”

  Nick jumped up, slamming his fist on his father’s desk. With a loud grunt, he grimaced in pain from his earlier run-in with the angry, walnut-paneled wall. “I can’t believe you’re pursuing this nonsense when Kinsley’s out there somewhere. Mother would never have anything to do with her disappearance, nor would she have anything to do with a man like Wayde.”

  Xavier no longer casually sat against his desk, but stood and took a step towar
d Nick. He stopped himself, took a breath, and gave Nick a hard glare. “You have no idea what your mother is capable of. If you can’t handle what we’re talking about then you need to leave the room.” The line remained silent until Xavier spoke again. “Detective Mills, can you get Angela’s friend, Carolyn Erickson, on the line? I’m not sure of the number.”

  Nick gave his father a look of reproach and went to pour himself another drink.

  After a couple minutes, Detective Mill’s voice filled the room. “I have Mrs. Ericson on the line. Mrs. Ericson, this is detective Mills from the Le Grand Police Department. I need to ask you some questions regarding Angela Wentworth and a visit you took with her to her parents’ house thirty-two years ago. It was a long time ago, but we’re hoping you can give us some information. Xavier and Nick are on the line, along with a couple of others that are working on the case.”

  “Well, I’ll do whatever I can to help. Thirty-two years is a long time.”

  “Do you remember meeting a man named Wayde Mather?”

  After an audible, deeply drawn breath, Carolyn was oddly silent.

  Detective Mills spoke over the phone. “Mrs. Ericson?”

  “Yes, I’m here. I do remember him. Wayde was her parents’ chauffeur. Angela had known him a couple years by the time I met him. He wasn’t a nice man. Well, she said he seemed very charming at first. As time went on, his behavior became calculated and obsessive. She never told her parents about us spending time with him. Angela felt they would be upset that she’d gotten to know him at all, considering he was the chauffeur. Angela’s always confided in me about the pain she’s suffered over Wayde’s obsession with her.”

  “Do you know if he and Angela maintained contact? Was there any mention of him when you spoke to her this morning?” Mills asked.

  “I don’t know if they did. But I haven’t talked to Angela in days. She told me he tried to reach her a few times. That was years ago. She also told me that she tried to discourage him from doing that. I’m not sure if she ever spoke to him again. I just know he liked her. She always tried to discourage him,” she reiterated. As she finished speaking, a phone rang in the background.

  Xavier turned in the direction of the ringing phone and spoke up quickly. “It’s Angela’s cell.”

  Nick had already left in a foul mood after hearing what Carolyn had to say.

  “Okay, Xavier. This may be the call. Put the phone on speaker, and put your headset on. I’m going to prompt you,” Mills said.

  Xavier picked up the phone with a confused expression. He examined the cell before putting it on speaker. He answered confidently. “Xavier Wentworth.” The line remained silent. “This is Xavier Wentworth. Who is this please? What can I help you with?” The caller hung up. “Damn it!” Xavier shouted uncharacteristically. “And this isn’t Angela’s cell, but it’s the one she was talking on this morning; I’m positive. Is there any way we can get information from this phone? It looks like it’s a cheap disposable.”

  Mills let out a disappointed grumble. “It’d be difficult if the cell’s disposable, and the call was short. Okay, I think we’ve done all we can do tonight. Mrs. Ericson, thanks for your time,” Mills said. “Call if you remember anything. We’ll get back to you with any questions.” Mrs. Ericson hung up, and Mills spoke to Xavier. “Xavier, I’d liked to go to the hospital with you tomorrow. Maybe we can get some information from your wife. I’m aware she can’t talk, but she may be able to give us answers to yes or no questions. Or by some miracle, explain to us why she needed a second cell phone. Since Jackson is familiar with the case, he’s already been reinstated. He’ll be working with Olivia, and I’ll be overseeing. Jackson, you continue with what you’ve planned,” Mills said and cut the line.

  Xavier disconnected the call and stood with his hand on the phone, looking disappointed.

  Chapter 17

  Kinsley was alone in the cabin for the first time. Wayde had gone out to make a call for the ransom. He locked her inside and left Remy to stand guard on the porch. She wasn’t sure why, but was grateful she wasn’t going to have to be alone with him. She scrambled, searching for anything to help her escape. There was nothing sharp, nothing deadly. She checked the bedrooms, bathroom, and living and kitchen areas. Nothing. Then, she saw the coffee pot on the counter. So simple, but it had escaped her. Until now. She grabbed the coffee, placed a filter into the basket, and dropped three scoops into it. Without regret, she reached into the front of her shorts and removed the pills with trembling hands. In haste, she opened the bottle and spread them across the top of the grounds. Then she put two more scoops in to cover them. While unlikely to kill them, the effects of the brew would give her time to get away. But if it did kill them, so be it. She wasn’t going to sit and do nothing. She heard the car pull up and Wayde come onto the porch. He and Remy started talking. After about five minutes, their voices escalated. The conversation sounded heated. Their voices died down, but she still heard them talking. When the screen door squeaked, she scurried to the couch and slunk down into the ratty cushions.

  Wayde entered first. Like a wild man, he dashed toward her, his rank hostility permeating the room. Apparently, the call for the ransom hadn’t gone well. He jerked her by the arm, hauling her from the sofa onto the floor. Before she realized what happened, he bent over and yanked her by her ponytail. Using the ponytail like a rope, he swung her around several times. Her hands clawed his, and her screams mingled with his ranting as she struggled trying to separate herself from him.

  “You’re getting to be more trouble than you’re worth. You bitch!” He kicked her feet. “Get up, make yourself useful, and get me a beer.”

  She scrambled to her feet and grabbed him a beer from the ice chest. Wayde picked up the chair that had fallen over in the uproar and sat down at the table, focusing on some invisible target. Remy swiped his glass from the table, poured himself a whiskey, and then stood perched against the door eerily silent. He had never been so subdued. She handed Wayde his beer, even popped the tab for him, as she slid into her chair at the table.

  “That woman is going to get you killed,” Wayde said with vacant affect.

  She studied his face for a hint of frivolousness in his tone, but didn’t detect it. With Remy uncharacteristically quiet, she was inclined to believe Wayde’s remark. “What woman? What are you talking about?”

  Wayde smiled disturbingly. “You still don’t get it, do you?” He shook his head with a grunt and lit a cigarette. Do you honestly think we met by chance?”

  Her brow creased. “I’ve never thought otherwise.”

  “Angela’s our cupid. She wanted you out of the way. Something about you really eats at her. She spotted your weaknesses, and I fine-tuned them. Fooling you was easy, easier than I thought it’d be.”

  “Angela?” Her heart beat in her throat. Theories rattled through her brain, and her open mouth hung in disbelief. What had Angela found out? And who else knew? She must’ve had a reason to go to such extremes. But even if Angela had reason, Kinsley found believing she would put her and Max in danger next to impossible. She’d never known Angela to do more than spread a nasty rumor or spill a strategically placed glass of red wine on a drooling bimbo when she wanted revenge. Wayde was right. It had been easy to dupe her.

  “Don’t look so stunned, you would’ve figured out what was going on if you had wanted to.”

  “Where is Max, and when do we go home?” It didn’t matter anymore why she was with Wayde or who instigated their meeting. Remy laughed, hauntingly. She saw triumph in his eyes. Fear raked through her.

  ~ ~ ~

  Slack eyed and devoid of sleep, Xavier entered the kitchen of his home. Jonathan was already sitting at the table, amidst the aroma of fresh coffee and the comforting sound of the clock ticking away the time. A silent expression of unequivocal understanding passed between them.

  “I'm going to visit Angela today, with Mills.” Xavier said. “I can hardly see the point though. Seems unlikely she’d tell
us anything even if she had the ability to talk after the stroke. When Jackson mentioned Wayde enlisted thirty-two years ago in south Carolina, it hit me that Angela might have known him and may have wanted Kinsley gone. I didn’t say anything last night, I wanted to check the video surveillance of my study first. I checked and it’s clear Wayde meeting Kinsley wasn’t coincidental. Angela had gone snooping and found her reasons for setting Kinsley up.”

  “That’s an understatement,” Jonathan said.

  Xavier’s eyes flashed upward briefly, acknowledging Jonathan’s conclusion. “She must’ve laid the groundwork for the manipulation of Kinsley and Nick’s marriage and fed Wayde the stories Kinsley shared about Drew over the years. It appears Wayde was more than willing to comply, for a price, and fabricated his relationship with Drew. Why didn’t I see it? My God, we both know why Angela did it—to hurt Kinsley, punish her for the things she’d found out. But why the kidnapping? That’s what isn’t clear to me.”

  “People are capable of all sorts of things, Xavier. We don’t always understand the reasons people turn to desperate measures. I do know you can’t blame yourself for what Angela’s done. No good will come of it.” Jonathan stared down into his coffee, stroking the rim of the cup repeatedly with his thumb. “What’s important now is to get Kinsley home safely.”

  “Yes, you’re right, when she’s home everyone will be relieved. Maybe things can finally be set straight in this family.”

  Xavier placed his hands on the table’s edge and leaned back. “Well, where’s Nick, maybe I should start with him?”

  Jonathan gave him an empathetic look. “He’s passed out on the sofa in your study.”

  “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. He was half tanked when I went to bed. I’ll talk to him. The last thing Kinsley needs is for him to slip back into the drunken stupor he was in when she left.”