Chicken Caccia-Killer (A Jordan McAllister Mystery) (27 page)

“They wouldn’t dare fire you over this, but if they try, let me know. We’ll go after them with a vengeance, and if nothing else, you’ll walk away with one helluva severance package.”

Kate stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to thank you enough, Jeff. You gave me my life back.”

“Glad I could help,” he said. “Are you sure you won’t stick around and have lunch with me? The hotel makes a mean open-faced steak sandwich.”

She shook her head. “All I want to do is go home and wrap my head around my newfound freedom.” She turned to Jordan. “Would you mind if my mother rides back to Ranchero with me? It seems like forever since I’ve had a chance to really talk to her.”

“Of course not.” Jordan waved them on. “I want to run over to the Dream Weaver Motel anyway to see if Carlita Bruno has heard anything from her sister.”

“Is Ginny still missing?” Kate asked.

“Yes. I was over there the other day and talked to a hotel maintenance worker. He remembered seeing Ginny walk out of the lower-level into an alley with a man she apparently knew. I’m going to try to locate him again and see if he or one of his coworkers remembered anything else about the mysterious man he saw with Ginny.”

“Like what?” Natalie asked.

“For starters, maybe someone noticed what was on back of the man’s hoodie.”

“You talked to someone at the hotel about the tape?” Jeff’s brows were scrunched in question. “That’s police business. Why would you do that?”

She sighed. “Because I feel responsible for her disappearance. If I hadn’t told the police that she might have information about who was upstairs when Marco was killed that night, she might not be missing. Now that Kate’s been cleared of the murder, I’m going to concentrate all my energy on helping Carlita find her sister.”

“Hopefully, you’ll find something that can help the police locate her,” Kate said before turning to her mother. “Ready?” When Natalie nodded, she picked up her purse and then slipped her arm through her mother’s. “Come on. Let’s go climb into bed and catch up on our sleep until Alex gets home.”

“He wants us all to go to dinner tonight to celebrate,” Jordan said. “Let me grab my purse, and I’ll walk out with you.”

Before Jordan could do that, Jeff said, “Could you stay a few more minutes, Jordan? I’d like to hear about Ginny. Maybe I can help with your search for her.”

She swiveled around to face him. “I’m not sure what we can do, but I’d love your help.” Turning back to Natalie and Kate, she said, “Go get that much needed nap, and I’ll see you two at dinner tonight.”

After waving goodbye to them, she sat back down on the couch, once again declining an offer for a drink. “Here’s what I know. Ginny disappeared shortly after I told the police about her sitting by the spiral staircase at the party the night Marco was killed. The maintenance man said it looked like she went willingly with the man in the t-shirt hoodie, which tells me she probably knew him.”

He eyed her suspiciously. “Good point. What else?”

“The hotel worker also mentioned he saw the word ON written across the man’s back. Like I said, I’m hoping one of the laundry workers might be able to shed a little light on the rest of the words on his shirt. If we’re lucky, it will be a company logo or something that might narrow down the search considerably.”

“Sounds like you’ve been doing a little undercover work in your spare time.”

“I have, but don’t tell Alex. I know I’m close. I just can’t put my finger on some things that have been bothering me. So, how do you think you can help?”

“I’m not sure. Let me call her sister and find out if she’s heard from Ginny.” He picked up his phone and punched in a number. “Room 782 please.” He tapped his fingers on the side of the phone while he waited. “Miss Bruno? This is Jeff Hamilton. I’m the legal counsel for Emilio Calabrese, and I’m standing here with Jordan McAllister.” He paused and winked at Jordan. “Yes, she is a sweetheart and says the same thing about you. Anyway, we’re both curious to find out if you’ve heard from your sister.”

Jordan focused on the one-sided conversation, praying that the answer would be yes.

“That’s terrific news.” He turned to Jordan and gave her a thumbs up. “Of course. Let me write down that address.” A search in the desk on the opposite side of the room produced a pen and notepad. “I’m ready when you are.” After scribbling an address, he said, “Stay close to the phone, and I’ll call the minute I’m there.”

Jordan’s hopes soared as she waited patiently until he disconnected. “Ginny’s okay?”

“Seems she and another vendor went for a drive in the country. Ginny told her sister that the man had been drinking and was looking for more than a nice quiet drive. When she wouldn’t comply, he dumped her off in the middle of nowhere and drove off with her purse still on the front seat.” He stopped to take a swig of the Scotch. “Probably got home and after sleeping it off, either he didn’t realize he hadn’t gone back to get her or couldn’t remember where he’d left her. If the latter was the case, my guess is that he was too afraid of the consequences if the police knew he’d been with her.”

“But I got the impression from your conversation with Carlita that Ginny was okay? Right?” She prayed she’d heard him correctly.

“Apparently only hungry and badly sunburned but otherwise fine. Ginny’s sister got a phone call from some farmer who found her wandering around in his pasture.”

“Thank God. That’s wonderful news. Are the police on their way out there now to get her?”

He nodded. “Carlita said she was just about to contact me.”

Jordan tilted her head, confused. “Why?”

“She’s a little worried about the police questioning her sister. Asked if I could go out to make sure Ginny has someone by her side who knows how the police operate when they question someone.” He walked to the dresser and grabbed his car keys.

“I want to go with you,” Jordan said, excited that Ginny was okay. When he hesitated, she added, “Ginny doesn’t know you. I think she might appreciate a friendly face.”

He thought about that for a second before agreeing. “I’m sure Carlita would like that as well.”

“Where exactly is she?” Jordan asked.

“About ten miles outside of Plainville. Come on. I’ll drive. You can leave your car here, and I’ll bring you back afterwards.” He reached for his glass and drained the rest of the Scotch. “It looks like we have yet another reason to celebrate today.”

When she walked over to get her purse, she noticed Kate’s phone lying on the coffee table right where she’d laid it after talking to Alex. In the excitement, Kate must not have seen it there when she’d left. Jordan picked it up and slipped it into the back pocket of her jeans, thinking she’d give it to her at dinner.

She walked out of the room and waited as Jeff followed and made sure the door was closed. Together, they made their way to the elevator, each lost in their own private thoughts. Her mind was on Carlita and how excited she must be that her sister was safe. She hoped Ginny hadn’t been too traumatized by it all.

When they reached Jeff’s car, he opened the passenger door for her. Smiling up at him, she slid in and waited for him to walk around the car and do the same. She debated whether to call Alex and tell him about Ginny, then remembered that he was in the middle of a drug bust.

For the next fifteen minutes, neither she nor Jeff said anything, both deep into their own thoughts. When he turned onto a dirt road several miles outside the city limits, Jordan was already planning what she’d say to Ginny and hoped the woman wasn’t still holding a grudge because of Victor’s mustache comment. She turned to him to ask how much longer when she noticed a crumpled shirt sticking out from between the seats.

After reaching down and pulling it out, she realized it was one of his running shirts and held it up to him. “You worked way too hard for this to have it end up in a ball,” she said with a grin when she saw BOSTON MARATHON across the back. “Although I doubt you’ll get a chance to wear long sleeves in this heat, you might want to make sure this doesn’t get left behind in the rental car when you turn it in at the airport.”

Her grin faded when she realized the navy blue shirt was a hoodie. As if a light bulb went off in her head, the image of Ginny Bruno walking out a basement door into the alley behind her hotel with the man in a dark hoodie flashed across her brain. Although the back of the shirt had been partially obstructed from view, the janitor clearly remembered seeing the letters ON when the mystery man and Ginny had exited the building. A sudden chill ran up her spine as she realized that the word marathon ended in those letters.

Suddenly, other things that had seemed strange earlier now started to make sense. Like how Jeff had known where Carlita Bruno and her sister were staying, and how he just happened to have the hotel’s number in his phone.

She stared out the front window as warning bells blared in her head. She was trying to make sense of it all when she heard him chuckle to himself.

“I knew you’d figure it out sooner or later.”

C
HAPTER
T
WENTY-
O
NE

She decided to play dumb. “Figure what out?”

She glanced up at the passing landscape, trying to decide if she should jump from the car, but they were already going too fast. The fall would probably kill her, and even if it didn’t, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t turn the car around and finish her off.

This time he laughed out loud. “You can’t tell me in one breath how you’re closing in on finding out who left the motel with Ginny Bruno and then pretend you have no clue. I’m a lawyer, remember? I’m trained to read faces.”

“Where are you taking me?”

He met her intense stare momentarily, and for the first time, she saw evil radiating from his eyes. An involuntary shudder ran through her body. How could she and the others have been so totally taken in by this man?

“We’re going exactly where I said we were.”

So far, she’d only seen one other car on the road and figured her chances of catching someone’s attention weren’t good. She had to think fast and find another way to help herself.

She decided to play the dumb card once more. “Will Ginny be there like you said?”

“Oh yeah,” he responded with a snort. “Unfortunately, she won’t be much company for you.”

“You killed her?”

“Not exactly. Let’s just say Mother Nature and the Texas sun did the job for me, with the help of an old black friend.”

Oh God!
Even though Jordan hadn’t held out much hope of finding Ginny alive, hearing Jeff Hamilton confirm the woman’s demise filled her with sadness.

“So it was you in the security footage?” When he nodded, she continued, “Why did you have to kill her?”

“You have only yourself to blame for that woman’s death. If it hadn’t been for you, I would never have known about her sitting by the spiral staircase with a perfect view of everybody who went upstairs that night.”

Jordan shifted uncomfortably in the seat as guilt produced a hard lump in her throat. “Either you went up to Marco’s bedroom yourself, or you’re protecting someone else who did. You wouldn’t be worried about it, otherwise.” She turned to face him, thinking if she could keep him talking, it would give her a chance to figure out how to get away from him. “So which was it, Jeff?”

“I knew you were on to me and only pretending not to know.” He grinned. “I saw it in your face when you handed me the shirt, which was my mistake leaving it in the car in the first place. I should’ve tossed it that day, but I just couldn’t make myself do that.”

“Why were you in Marco’s bedroom?”

The question caught him by surprise, and he nodded, before turning his head to glare at her for a few seconds. “I couldn’t chance Ginny suddenly remembering and telling the police.”

Jordan narrowed her eyes, feeling even more confused. If Marco and Kate were in one bedroom and Tina and Bernardo in the other, where had Jeff been?

“Didn’t that make you a fifth wheel? Or did you have something kinky going on with Marco and Kate?” She knew that was reaching, but she was worried they were already too close to wherever Jeff was taking her. He’d mentioned before leaving the hotel that Carlita had said Ginny was ten miles outside of Plainville. Since they’d already driven at least that far, she racked her brain for a way to buy more time.

“Not with Kate. There was something going on between Marco and me, but it’s not what you’re implying.” He slowed down when they came to a pasture enclosed by a four-foot wire fence, and Jordan reached for the door, only to find it locked. “You don’t think I’d be that stupid now, do you” He reached under his seat and produced a large automatic weapon. “It’s amazing what you can buy on any street corner these days.”

Jordan decided if she could keep him talking, maybe somehow, she could escape. “Then why were you upstairs that night?”

He cut the ignition and pointed the gun at her head. “I’ve been Emilio’s trusted friend and counsel ever since I graduated from Harvard, and my daddy held the position before that. Marco only came into Emilio’s life last year, and all of a sudden, he’s the Golden Boy.” Jeff’s voice crackled with resentment. “Emilio even changed his will last month to give Marco total control of his company when he dies.”