Since You've Been Gone (23 page)

“Has she been giving you a hard time like with Jonnie?”

“No, not like with Jonnie. She's not at me all the time, begging for answers, recriminating when I don't have them. But she's as disillusioned with me now as she was eight years ago.”

“You know a lot of this has to do with our mother. Suzanne can't accept that you have the same talents. She was frightened of our mother. She's frightened of you.”

“Well, that's just too bad,” Rebecca snapped. “Besides, Mother isn't the point here. Neither is Molly. I want to know what's going on with this bracelet, Bill.”

“I don't know what's going on.”

“Yes, you do. Someone is trying to scare me. Do you know who I saw today at the volunteer center? Alvin Tanner, whose mother is in the penitentiary because of me.”

Bill looked at her with interest. “You think Alvin put the bracelet in your car? Rebecca, how could he have known you'd be at the volunteer center? Or do you think he carried around the bracelet just in case he saw you?” She glared at him. “And where would Alvin have gotten Jonnie's bracelet? When Jonnie was kidnapped, Alvin was fifteen.”

“I'm not saying he kidnapped Jonnie, but he hates me!”

“You don't know that.”

“How could he not? His mother killed his father to protect him. Because of me she's been locked away for years.”

“Rebecca, she wouldn't have gotten such a harsh sentence if there wasn't some doubt about why she killed Earl. Let's think about that big life insurance policy she had him take out four months before she killed him. She waited to ambush him outside that bar and she was willing to let another person get the death penalty for her crime.” Rebecca
didn't answer. “And this bracelet… I'm telling you, it smells new to me. I don't see any sweat stains. We don't know that it's Jonnie's.”

Rebecca drew a deep breath. “All right, let's say it's a copy. Who put it in my car?”

“Someone who wants to scare you away,” Bill said flatly. “I don't want to sound cruel, but I'm not telling you anything you don't know. A lot of people in this town are afraid of you, people who don't understand ESP. A lot of people don't like you because they think you're a charlatan. Do you know Sheriff Lutz was in here not an hour ago raving about how you'd come to town and purposely had a wreck and caused a scene at Dormaine's simply because you're trying to cash in on Todd's disappearance to promote your book?”

Rebecca felt as if she'd been slapped. “I've always known Martin Lutz didn't like me, but I didn't believe he thought me so low as to take advantage of a little boy's abduction!”

“I gave him a piece of my mind. I nearly had him thrown out. He made a lot of threats, but there's nothing he can do except spout his theories to that obnoxious journalist Kelly Keene. Together the two of them could cause real trouble for you, Rebecca, not to mention for this investigation. So I want you to keep quiet about this bracelet.”

“I understand the need for discretion, Bill, but keeping quiet is another matter.” Her voice rose. “This bracelet is important, don't you see that? Aren't you going to do
anything!
”

Deputy G. C. Curry passed by and glanced in the chief's office. Bill said quietly, “Rebecca, would you tone it down a little?”

“Why? Am I causing a scene? That's all I seem to be good for these days.”

Bill looked at the ceiling. “I can see I'm rubbing you the wrong way. Leave the bracelet with me and I'll get a couple of people working on it. You go home and take a nap.”

“Take a
nap?
” Rebecca was suddenly so angry she couldn't think. Bill was treating her like a willful child. She stood. “Thank you for the coffee. And for the extreme interest and support. I'll get out of your way now before I embarrass you further.”

“Rebecca—”

But she flung out of his office, steaming past deputies and a wide-eyed secretary who looked as if she Were stifling laughter. Well, let them look and let them laugh. At 26, Rebecca was accustomed to it.

Once on the sidewalk, though, she felt as if the steam had drained from her. Her whole body ached from strain and fear and her hands trembled. Even her legs felt weak. She had to sit down before she fell down.

Slightly panicked that she might faint in the street, she ducked into the nearest store. Cool air washed over her and she glanced around, quickly locating a dainty chair upholstered in blue brocade. She sat down, closed her eyes, and drew deep breaths.

“Ma'am, are you all right?”

Rebecca opened her eyes. A beautiful girl with long black hair and violet eyes stood over, frowning. “I hate to trouble you,” Rebecca said, her face growing even hotter with her embarrassment, “but could I have a cup of water? I don't feel so well. Just the heat, I guess—”

“Be right back.” The girl immediately turned away. Rebecca took another breath, then looked around the store to see how many people were staring at her.

But the place was empty. Thank goodness, she thought, as her heartbeat began to slow a bit. She wasn't making
too
big a fool of herself this time.

The store had been decorated with an eye toward understated elegance. The carpet was dark blue and thick, the wallpaper cream with delicate swirls of gold. Strains of Vivaldi filled the cool interior and Rebecca detected the delicate scent of jasmine. She realized she'd entered The Jewelry Box.

The girl returned quickly with a glass of ice water.
“Drink it slowly or you'll get a wicked pain above your eyes,” she advised.

Rebecca drank slowly, then smiled. “Thanks. I feel better.”

“Are you sure? I can call for an ambulance—”

“No!” Rebecca cringed at the thought of an ambulance screaming down the street for her. “Really, I'm fine.” She smiled. “I used to come here a long time ago. The place has been redecorated. It's beautiful.”

“I think so, too. I love working here. It's such a pretty place and all this gorgeous jewelry. I'll almost be sorry when my job ends in the fall and I go to college full-time.”

Rebecca rose just to prove to herself that she could and walked over to a display case. Rings sparkled up at her, their beauty enhanced by artful lighting, but one caught Rebecca's eye. “I like that emerald ring. The princess-cut stone.”

“Oh, isn't it exquisite? It's my very favorite!” Rebecca could tell the girl was sincere. “Would you like to try it on?”

Rebecca hadn't the slightest need for a ring, but the store was cool and comfortable, the girl friendly, and the ring lovely. “Sure. Why not?”

The girl withdrew the ring in its small green velvet box lined with white satin from the display case. “Now this is a size five. That's rather small, but it can be enlarged—” She broke off as the ring slipped with ease onto Rebecca's right ring finger. “Well, how about that! Perfect fit. And it's gorgeous with your coloring.”

Rebecca wiggled her finger beneath the lights carefully set to display gems at their best. “I don't suppose you know the carat weight.”

“The center emerald is one and a half carats. The emeralds on each side are eight points and ten points. And the gold is eighteen karat.” The girl smiled. “I told you I've admired that one. I'd buy it for myself, but one summer of work here and two years of baby-sitting just haven't put enough money in the bank for college
and
the ring. And
I'm not baby-sitting anymore. I don't think I ever will again.”

Rebecca looked up. The girl's violet eyes were somber, her smile gone. Good heavens, Rebecca thought. Hadn't Molly said Todd's baby-sitter worked at The Jewelry Box? “Excuse me for asking, but is your name Sonia Ellis?”

The girl immediately looked wary. “Why? Are you a reporter?”

“No.”

“But you came here looking for me.”

“I didn't. Honestly, I came in because I wasn't feeling well. I just guessed you were Sonia Ellis. It was something about the way you looked so sad when you mentioned baby-sitting.”

“I don't want to talk about Todd Ryan,” Sonia said firmly. “I don't mean to be rude, especially if you're not a reporter like that awful Keene woman who keeps following me around, but Chief Garrett doesn't want me talking about the kidnapping.”

“Chief Garrett is my uncle, Sonia. I'm Rebecca Ryan—Todd's second cousin.”

Sonia's eyes widened. “Rebecca Ryan? The one who's supposed to have ESP?”

The stigma of ESP seemed to follow her around like a dark cloud. “Yes,” she replied with forced ease, “but right now I'm trying to help find Todd through traditional methods. Would you mind talking to me?
I am a
relative and I know Bill Garrett wouldn't mind.”

Sonia lowered her gaze. “The store owner wouldn't like me standing around blabbing.”

“I could meet you after work.”

“I have to go to the library. I'm taking a college class this summer and I have a paper due. No talking there, either. Besides, I'll be very busy.”

“Sonia, I only need a few minutes. Perhaps I could speak to the owner.”

Sonia sighed. “You're not going to give up, are you?
Okay. He's not even here right now so I'll give you ten minutes. That's all.”

“Thank you. It means a lot to me.”

“I'll put the ring back first.”

“No, don't,” Rebecca said quickly. “I really am interested in it. Let me wear it while we're talking. Maybe I can make up my mind about whether or not to buy it.”

Sonia looked at her doubtfully, clearly thinking she was only using the ring as a ploy. Nevertheless, she didn't object and Rebecca left the ring on her finger. “I know the police have asked you this over and over, but please answer one more time. The neighbors on either side of Molly's house were gone, right?”

“Wrong.” Rebecca looked blank. “I keep saying this but no one believes me. That nurse, Ms. Wright, was home.”

Rebecca's eyebrows rose in surprise. “She says she was doing private duty nursing from seven P.M. until morning.”

Sonia's face took on a stubborn look. “I don't care what she says. And I don't care that her patient says she was with her all that time. My mother knows her patient. She's senile and on a lot of medication. Ms. Wright could have gotten there at seven or midnight and she probably wouldn't have known the difference. And I
saw
her, Ms. Ryan. A little before nine I heard a cat meowing. It was loud, like a Siamese. I know Ms. Wright has a Siamese and I went out into Molly's backyard to see if something was wrong with it. Just as I stepped out, I saw Ms. Wright's back door open and the cat ran in.”

“Couldn't someone else have opened the door?”

“Someone who called the cat ‘Sabu' in
her
voice? It was starting to get dark and I couldn't see very well, but I could tell that the person had short dark hair and those awful white nurse's shoes she wears with
everything
. Doesn't that woman have a clue about fashion?”

Rebecca almost smiled at Sonia's distress over Jean Wright's clothes. Dowdiness was almost a sin in the eyes of many pretty teenage girls. “You didn't see her face?”

“No, but the voice, the hair, the
shoes
. I think the police
call that stuff circumstantial, but I'm sure it was her.”

“You're sure you didn't get the time wrong.”

“It was right before
Basic Instinct
started on cable. I was looking forward to it because my mother never lets me see it. It came on at nine. I'd just made it to the couch from the back door when it began.”

“Weren't there any lights on at Jean's?”

“No, which is something else kinda weird. Who hangs around in a dark house?”

“What about her car?”

“The garage door was down. It could have been in there way after seven o'clock.” Sonia looked at her closely. “You don't believe me either. I'm just a teenager and she's Florence Nightingale.”

Rebecca looked into Sonia's beautiful, earnest violet eyes. She felt something about this girl—a certainty about the goodness of her character, an inability to lie about anything serious. And for some odd reason, she felt a link with her. She knew what it was like to tell a truth and be doubted by everyone who counted. “I
do
believe you, Sonia,” she said intensely. “And I intend to tell my Uncle Bill I believe you.”

“You do?” Sonia brightened. “Because a lot of people think my boyfriend Randy Messer had something to do with the kidnapping. They act like we were in on it together. That's nuts. What would Randy do with a seven-year-old kid all this time? Besides, he likes kids. And I love Todd. I'd
never
let anything happen to him if I could help it. But the grief I'm getting from my mom!” Sonia rolled her eyes. “I sure would appreciate any help you could give me, Ms. Ryan.”

“It's Rebecca,” she said absently. “And I can't guarantee Bill will believe me, but I can certainly put in my two cents' worth.”

The door opened and Sonia stiffened, then relaxed. “I thought it was the owner,” she hissed. Rebecca turned to see Clay. She felt an abrupt surge of embarrassment over
the fact that she'd spent the night in his bed and hid it behind banter.

“Why Dr. Bellamy as I live and breathe! Are you following me?”

“Yes. Doing a sly job of it, too, aren't I?” He smiled at Rebecca in a way that made her embarrassment vanish.

Rebecca was aware of Sonia watching them avidly, sensing a hint of romantic tension. Clay smiled at the girl. She smiled back with a slightly starry expression, clearly dazzled by golden hair and gray-blue eyes and the title of “Doctor.” “I'm really here looking for a gift for Gypsy. She's partial to rubies.”

Sonia appeared slightly disappointed that he hadn't come in to see Rebecca, but she said helpfully, “We have some pretty ruby earrings. And four ruby tennis bracelets, two with diamonds.”