Deception (4 page)

7

After Patti pulled herself together, she went to her own purse for the number the policeman had given her. What was his name? She found the note.

Carter Caldwell, Sergeant.

She would not wait until Monday morning to file a missing person report. She didn’t care about the rules. It was crucial Jamie be treated as a missing person now. Every minute her sister was gone, made it less likely...

She shook the thoughts away.

No, I refuse to think like that. Not going to do it. Only positive thoughts.

She pulled out her cell phone out and hit the numbers, hoping he’d be reasonable.

“Caldwell here.”

“Sergeant Caldwell, this is Patti Jakowski, Sabrina’s au—”

“Did your sister come back, or have you heard from her?”

“No, she didn’t come back. I was calling because I found her purse.”

“And?”

Patti felt foolish.
Why had she ever thought a man would understand?
“Women never leave the house without their purse. They just don’t do that. S…s…something must have happened. It just doesn’t make sense.”

There was silence on the other end. “I see what you’re getting at, but I hardly think finding her purse indicates foul play.”

“If Jamie was on some business trip somewhere, she would need her ID. I...I don’t think she planned on leaving.”

There was a long silence. Finally he spoke. “I’m on my way, I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

The detective hung up before Patti could tell him he needed to file a missing person report.

She rummaged through Jamie’s closet and picked out a simple sundress to wear.

Patti went to the guest room and looked in the mirror. Her eyes were red and swollen and her hair was a mess. She felt dirty and grimy from the airplane ride. She peeled off her clothes and jumped in the shower.

Anna knocked on the door. “The policeman is here. He said you called him.”

“Thanks, Anna.”

Patti picked up her own purse, as well as Jamie’s.

Anna waited for Patti outside the door. “Sabrina is ready for bed. Would you like to say goodnight before she falls asleep?”

Patti nodded.

Anna smiled at her. “I will be in my own room if you need me.”

“OK. Can you tell Detective Caldwell I’ll be down after I tuck Sabrina in?”

Anna nodded and walked away.

Patti couldn’t decide if the woman was upset at her for calling the detective. Probably not. It was an awkward situation for both of them.

Patti walked into Sabrina’s room. It was a room fit for a princess. It was all pink and lacy with a canopy bed. The walls had a continuous mural that extended to all four of them, with castles, a pretty garden, and princesses. A little girl’s dream of what a bedroom should be.

Jamie had made sure Sabrina had the luxuries their parents hadn’t been able to give them.

Sabrina was propped up on the bed amid a mountain of pillows with her thumb in her mouth.

“Hi, sweetie. Are you ready to go to bed?”

The little girl nodded but said nothing. Her dark brown gaze followed Patti’s movements.

“It’s been a long day, huh.”

Sabrina removed her thumb. “Where’s mommy? Her didn’t say goodbye.”

Out of the mouth of babes.

“I don’t know where she is, but you’re not to worry about it, OK? Your mommy loves you.”

Another tiny nod, but tears pooled in Sabrina’s chocolate brown eyes.

Patti leaned down and hugged her niece. Her own worry moved up another notch. “Now are you ready for a story?”

A little smile.

After Patti read two stories, Sabrina’s little eyes fluttered closed and she slept.

Patti removed the little girl’s thumb from her mouth and left the room.

She walked down the winding staircase.

In the snowy-white living room, a man stood in front of the Picasso staring intently at it. He looked over at her. “Is it real?”

Patti examined the stylized picture of a woman looking in the mirror at a reflection. It was eerie the way it reminded her of Jamie and her. They looked the same on the outside, but not the inside.

“I don’t know a thing about art.” She turned away. The painting disturbed her for some reason. “I’m Patti Jakowski, by the way.”

He turned towards her with a smile as sunny as a Florida afternoon pasted on his handsome face.

Carter Caldwell looked more like an actor playing a cop than a cop, handsome and rugged. And it was hard to miss his muscles in his tight-fitting blue polo shirt.

She glanced at his left hand. No ring. When she looked up he was watching her with intense green eyes. Her face grew warm as he grinned at her.

“So, this is quite the place, isn’t it?” He ran a hand over the marble mantle.

“Not exactly what I pictured for Jamie’s house when you called.”

“So, she didn’t buy it with old family money?”

The last time Patti saw Jamie, she’d been trying to break into the acting business. Being a waitress at a bar on Broadway didn’t pay for these kinds of houses.

“Hardly. Our parents died when we were teenagers and any money they left us was long gone before I graduated from college.”

Jamie had gone to college, but quit. One more thing she hadn’t seen through to the end.

“According to the nanny, she’s not married, so she didn’t get rich that way. Any ideas how she can afford this lifestyle?”

Patti stared at the man. Could she trust him? Should she tell him what she’d found in Jamie’s room? She made her decision. “I was looking around Jamie’s room, and I found a checkbook and some other financial accounts. If those accounts are any indication, it could be an original.” She pointed at the Picasso.

She paused, not wanting to ask the next question. “Are you thinking she might have made her money illegally?”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions, yet. We really don’t know anything at this point.”

She sat on the white leather sofa.

He sat in a chair opposite her.

Patti held up Jamie’s purse. “Something’s wrong. I know you believe it’s silly, but women don’t leave their purses behind willingly. And how can she be on a business trip without money, or ID, or credit cards. It doesn’t make sense. As far as I’m conc—”

“The police need a little more to file a missing person report than a purse that was left behind. After all, she’s an adult and—”

“The nanny insists Jamie would never leave Sabrina without saying goodbye. The security guards have no record of her leaving.” Patti took a breath and groped for her next words. “Someone must…must have made her leave. It’s the only explanation.”

“I can think of others.” He shrugged.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Your sister pays Anna’s wages. What else would you expect her to say? Of course, she’s going to defend her employer.”

She felt warm anger creeping up her neck. She opened her mouth. “You can’t just ignore the fact she seems to have disappeared into thin air.”

“I’m not ignoring it, really, I’m not. I know this is a tough situation, but waiting is always the hardest part. She’ll probably show up sometime tonight with a logical explanation of where she was.”

“So, you aren’t going to do anything about it?” Her eyes challenged him.

“I didn’t say that.” His green gaze was serious. “I’ll go back to the station and do some checking.”

****

Carter went into his office at the police station, and tripped over two books he’d forgotten to pick up earlier. He retrieved them and walked towards the bookshelf, but stopped. No room there. He had to get this place more organized, if he could only find the time.

He stacked the books on a pile of reports that also needed filing. The books slid off the pile, taking several reports with them. He shook his head. What a slob he’d become. He was sure a psychologist could explain this new behavior.

Not that it took a genius to figure it out.

With a sigh, Carter opened the computer file. Enough time may not have elapsed for a missing person report, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t do a little preliminary research.

Something felt wrong about the way Jamie Jakowski disappeared in the middle of the night—without her purse or cell phone.

Of course, there could be any number of explanations, but his mind kept thinking of the worst ones.

An old boyfriend, even Sabrina’s father, could have come back with revenge on his mind and kidnapped her.

Drugs or alcohol could be another reason.

Jamie might be an addict. She wouldn’t be the first addict to abandon a child.

Maybe, she’d been on the wagon, but as he knew too well from his days in the vice squad, once an addict always an addict.

Perhaps, the pressure of being a single mother was too much for Jamie Jakowski, and she’d succumbed to an old demon.

As Carter finished filling the name and address into the missing person report, he wondered what the story was between the sisters. Twins were supposed to be close. Patti Jakowski hadn’t even known her niece existed.

He thought of Patti and her turquoise-blue eyes. He was attracted to her, but he wasn’t looking for a relationship. He didn’t need the aggravation or the pain. Besides, any woman would have to be crazy to get involved with a cop.

His thoughts went to the two sisters. Families shouldn’t stay angry at each other. Life was too short for such nonsense. One never knew when something bad would happen, and then it would be too late to repair the relationship.

He clicked the mouse on his computer. He typed in Jamie Jakowski’s name and hit the enter button. In seconds, the database came up.

Carter’s heart sank.

Jamie had been arrested a number of times, but only on misdemeanors. The charges showed a definite drug connection. No felony charges, but it didn’t mean this woman wasn’t involved in the drug business in a big way. That could explain a lot, including her million-dollar house and why she happened to be missing.

Carter sighed. Time to ask Patti some hard questions.

****

Patti paced around Jamie’s kitchen. It was hard not to compare the ultra-modern, ultra-expensive kitchen to her tiny one back in Ohio.

Her nerves jangled, there was no way she’d be able to sleep. She picked up Jamie’s keys.

Anna told her she’d need the key card to get back in the gate leading out to the beach.

She opened the door, surprised at the warmth.

Turn left on the road in front of the house and it would lead to the beach. Those were Anna’s instructions when she’d asked.

Her footsteps slowed when she heard a car behind her.

Sgt. Caldwell, with his charming smile and twinkling green eyes, stepped out of the SUV. He waved and jogged towards her. He gave her another charming smile, but his tone was serious. “We need to talk.”

Patti’s stomach clenched
. “I was taking a walk to calm my nerves.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

The beach was less than ten minutes from Jamie’s house.

They didn’t speak during the walk. As they reached the entrance to the beach, the gate stood open allowing anyone to walk in.

Patti looked at Carter. “So much for security.”

Carter looked grim. “Looks like anyone can come and go as they please.”

After they walked through, Patti closed the gate making sure the lock snapped in place. Patti turned to Carter. “Okay, tell me what you need to tell me about Jamie. Let’s just get it over.”

His cell phone rang. “Hold on a minute. I need to answer this.” He walked several steps away. Within minutes, h
e snapped the phone shut. “Sorry about that.”

“Not a problem. Tell me—”

“I need a few minutes to check on something.” He pointed to some wooden beach chairs lined up against the brick wall. “I’ll be back in a minute. Sit down and enjoy the view.”

Before Patti could protest, Carter hiked up the beach and away from her.

She couldn’t relax. She paced in front of the row of chairs, and then sat down.

The moon was a full ball of light. It glimmered on the ripples of the ocean’s waves.

She slipped off her sandals and dug her toes into the sand, still warm from the heat of the day.

The gentle rolling of the ocean waves gradually mesmerized her and tension oozed out. She closed her eyes and listened to the whooshing sounds. When she opened them, she watched the never-ending waves, and knew God was in control. He was more than able to handle whatever problems life handed her.

“Nice view, huh?”

She jumped, and then smiled to cover her embarrassment.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, taking a seat beside her.

“I was watching the waves...and...and thinking.” She ducked her head to hide the tears.

“Why don’t you and your sister keep in contact?” he asked, pinning her with a look. “I always imagined twins to be super close.”

Patti squirmed. “I guess most twins are, but we haven’t been close since we graduated from high school. We sort of went our own separate ways.”

“Why are you mad at her?”

“What makes you think I’m mad at her?”

“Are you kidding? You were so mad on the phone I thought I was going to have to fly to Ohio to calm you down.”

She reached down and picked up a handful of sand, and then watched as it slipped through her fingers. She glanced up at Carter. “That’s not true. I was a little shocked. I hadn’t heard from Jamie in years, and besides, I was upset over Sabrina being left alone.”

He shook his head. “No way. I’m not buying it. It was much more than that. I know when someone is mad.”

I don’t see what that ha—”

“I need to understand Jamie better before I know what direction to take with this investigation. Whatever you and Anna can tell me about her will help.”

She took a deep breath and felt the old familiar pain. “She came home for my wedding, but thanks to her, the wedding never happened.”

“Why not?”

She attempted a lighter tone. “You ask tough questions, Officer Caldwell.”