Swept Away (28 page)

“You do know everything, don't you?”

“Let's go get 'em now—then you can have a real fresh start. Come on.” He pressed a button on the dash and lowered the window that separated him from the driver. “Go up the street to 2902. Little brick number on the right.”

The limo began to move immediately, slowly crawling down the street, past the park. She looked out the rear window and saw that Buzz and Gloria were standing on the sidewalk, watching. She wanted to yell to them not to worry—she'd be back in time to give the check to the couple in the back booth.

The limo stopped in front of Louise's brick house. “Make it quick, will you?” he said. “I'm not crazy about this dumpy little town. Gives me the creeps. Reminds me of my poor days in Philly.”

“It'll only take a second,” she said, getting out of the car.

This, she decided, was going to feel kind of good. To have this part of her old life over. She didn't delude herself that she'd done anything to deserve the jewelry, and she'd be happy to give him back what was left of the money, as well. Then she would ask Alex to go with her to Florida to collect the old mail and pack up her personal effects.

She gave Alice a cursory pat on the head. “Don't get excited,” she told her. “I'm just stopping by.”

The little Kate Spade bag was still in the backpack, still on the floor of the closet. She looked inside, assured herself that the bracelet and both rings were still there. She'd only dipped into a couple of hundred dollars and there must be three thousand or so left. She didn't count it, and didn't bother to remove any.

She gave Alice another pat on the way out, got into the limo and sat beside Nick, leaving the door open. She opened the purse to begin giving him the items he asked for, but he reached past her, pulled the door closed and the car immediately pulled away from the curb.

“I think this is where we left it,” he said. “You're coming with me.”

“You're going to get into big trouble for this. You can't think you can make me go with you. I'll tell—”

“You're not telling anyone anything,” he said sternly. “We're getting the hell out of here. You put up a fuss, I'll make trouble for your new friends. What's her name—Rose? The kid with the funky hair? The old guy with the diner?”

“Are you threatening to hurt them?” she demanded.

“Aw, I'll just screw with 'em a little. I wouldn't want to hurt anyone. But if I get pushed far enough...”

“Why would you do that?” she asked, sincerely perplexed. “It's not like you can hold me captive.”

“Don't plan to. What we're going to do is take a little vacation. A week. Maybe two. And if you still want to call it quits, you go ahead. But I have this idea that once we have a little time together, you'll want to go back to your condo and all your nice stuff. You'll forget about that dump you just walked out of. Huh? That's what I think.”

Tears came to her eyes. “You don't know anything.”

“Good, you prove me wrong, then. But all I want is you back with me.
No one
walks out on me like that.”

“I
can't.
The dog—she's old and it'll upset her.”

“We're talking about a freaking
dog!
”

“I have to at least make a phone call—”

“I'll make the call. Who you want? Rose or the kid?”

She shook her head in confusion. “How do you know these things?”

“Don't worry about it, sweetheart. Rose it is,” he said. He pulled his cell phone out of his shirt pocket and clicked off a couple of numbers. “Not a sound,” he said to her. “Believe me, you don't want to cross me now.”

“Nick, wait,” she said. “You better let me. She'll never believe you. She'll call the police.”

He seemed to think about that for a moment, then passed the phone to Jennifer. Rose answered and she said, “Rose? Hi, it's Doris. Listen, I need a favor—I need you to take care of Alice and watch out for Hedda. I'm leaving town.” She listened as Rose responded in total disbelief. “I know it's sudden, but my ex showed up and surprised me. Yes, in the limo. I'm going to have to go with him.” She pinched her eyes closed and fought tears. “I'm not planning to stay long—but if I don't go back where I came from and pack up some of my things, he's going to give everything away. Throw it away, maybe. Now, don't worry, I'll be fine. I'll explain when I get back.... I don't know how long...a couple of days, a week. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about all of this before, but, Rose, I have this whole life back in Florida and I have business to clear up.” She listened again. “No, there's nothing to worry about. Tell Buzz and Adolfo for me, will you, Rose? Tell them I'll be back. And I'll give you a call when I get where I'm going.”

She clicked off and handed him the phone.

“Nicely done,” he said. He had a rather sinister smile on his face as he pocketed the cell.

How is it he can so easily fool me? she asked herself.

He made another quick call, asked that the plane be ready when he got to the executive airport and informed the agent there would be another passenger. One Jennifer Chaise.
Please, Rose, call Alex,
she thought with desperation.

“Here's what we're going to do, Jennifer. We're going to board the plane like it's been planned for months, and like you couldn't be happier about it. You behave yourself and don't make any kind of fuss—because if you do it'll just be one big headache. No one's ever going to believe I forced you to come along because, see, I don't have a gun or anything. And I'm just a nice rich guy who gets taken advantage of by bimbos all the time.”

“And then what?”

“Then you think about things. If you still want to wait tables in a crappy little diner and sleep with a cop—”

She jumped in surprise, her eyes round as silver dollars. But why should she be surprised? He knew about Rose and Hedda, why wouldn't he know about Alex?

“But Jesus, Jennifer. A
cop?
”

She was all done talking. She was getting pretty nervous.
Rose, call Alex,
she prayed.
Before the plane can leave, please call Alex.

“So when we get home you either shake off this cop or you don't, and if you don't, I guess you go back to that little dump and... What? Have a bunch of sweaty little kids, live in the desert, pinch pennies?” He laughed and shook his head, like the idea was very amusing. “Well. Whatever,” he said.

He was lying, of course. She knew he had absolutely no intention of letting her leave him again. But she wasn't sure what he meant to do with her. Either keep her under lock and key or maybe he'd just use her for fish bait.

The important thing to remember is that if she didn't balk or make trouble, he had no reason on earth to bother or hurt Hedda, Rose or Buzz. It would make no sense for him to do so.

When the limo arrived at the airport, she could run screaming from the vehicle. There were always lots of security people around airports, even small executive airports. But she did not trust that her friends would remain safe—today or sometime down the road Jennifer knew Nick would make good on his threats.

She watched out the window as they drove through the desert, back to Las Vegas. She wished it could be a longer drive so that there would be time for Rose to call Alex. She watched the rough landscape slide past and could not help the tears that rose to her eyes and coursed down her cheeks. Poor Alice, she would be so distraught to think Jennifer would leave her. And how would Hedda cope? Rose was tough, Buzz was resilient, Alex was proud and strong, but what about poor Hedda?

“I don't know what you're crying about,” Nick said. “It's not like life with me was hard or anything.”

She turned back to him. “What would you know about it?”

“Hey! Watch it. You don't want to piss me off.”

“Or what?” she challenged.

He pressed his face close to hers and the meanness she had always really known existed glittered in his eyes. “You wanna try me out, baby?”

She lifted her chin. “Stop it, Nick.”

“I don't know what your problem is. Just suck it up. Be a big girl. I'm not such a bad guy.”

“Sure Nick. What's not to love,” she said, backing away from his face. “You're irresistible. Such a sexy little guy.”

She looked back out the window. She was going to go along with this for now. There was simply no other choice.

He grabbed her arm and jerked her around to face him again. “Straighten up! And don't you ever...
ever
call me a sexy little guy!”

* * *

Rose was a little confused. Doris had never indicated that the ex she was fleeing was wealthy. And even so, Doris didn't seem the type to do this. She was so sincere in her care of Alice, her closeness to Hedda. And if she wasn't mistaken, she was falling in love with Alex.

And Rose had begun to think of her as the daughter she had never had.

She didn't call Alex to alert him, but to ask him. If anyone knew the details of Jennifer's life, she thought he might.

His phone was turned off. He might be in the middle of some big important police business. “Alex, it's Rose calling,” she said to the voice mail. “I'm a little confused. Doris just called me to say she's leaving town. A limousine picked her up and took her away. She asked me to take care of Alice, look out for Hedda, and tell Buzz and Adolfo she had to leave. She said she'd call later. But I'm a little confused....” And then Rose hung up the phone.

It was forty-five minutes before he called her back, and he was clearly distraught. “Did she say who she was with? Where she was going? How she was getting there?”

“She said her ex came for her and that she had to go back to where she came from and take care of things. I think she said she had a life in Florida and she'd call when she got there, and that she would be back. But she gave absolutely no warning.”

“Rose, listen—did she say how she would be traveling?”

“No. She just said she'd come back in a few days or a week, when she could. What was so strange, Alex, is she never mentioned you. Everyone else, but not you. Was I completely mistaken? I thought I saw the two of you falling for each other.”

“You were not mistaken,” he said. “And you need to know—she would not do this. She did not want to leave us.”

“What should I do?” Rose asked, fear creeping into her voice.

“Do exactly as she asked. Take care of the dog and look out for Hedda. I'll be in touch.”

* * *

It didn't take Alex long to learn that Nick Noble had boarded the MGM's Gulfstream with his party, bound for Fort Lauderdale. He alerted the FBI immediately that he didn't believe Jennifer Chaise had gone with him willingly. He was pacing back and forth in front of Sergeant Monroe's desk. “He snatched her. At the very least he tricked her. She would not have left.”

“Because of you, Nichols? Is that what you believe?”

“Not just me, but I do believe that. She was completely hooked into this old, old dog that she's caring for and a kid, a teenager, who has a rough life at home. Not to mention the little old retired stripper next door. I'm telling you, she would not do this!”

“I agree with him,” Paula said. “I met her, I've seen her with these people.”

“Turn the plane around,” Alex suggested.

“Can't do it,” the sergeant said. “You can go over to the airport yourself, but the word is that she was perfectly calm, polite, friendly—and left completely of her free will. Lots of witnesses.”

“I don't believe it! She was totally committed to staying here! He scared her!”

“It appears she is no longer scared. But—we'll give this to the feds, make sure they're aware of the situation....”

“I need a leave. A few days. Family emergency,” he said.

“You can't get involved.”

“I won't go as a police officer. That's my
girlfriend,
” he said desperately. “Regardless of what anyone else thinks, I think she's been abducted.”

“Don't, Alex. Let the feds take care of this.”

“I can't, boss. You don't get many chances like this and I can't let it go. Especially knowing what I know.”

“I can give you four days. Maybe five, but it'll be tough.”

“Thanks,” he said, turning around and practically running out of the office.

“Boss,” Paula said. “I'm going to need a leave. A few days. I have a ton of vacation and comp time.”

“Aw, Jesus criminole, don't do this to me,” he said, resting his forehead in his hand.

“Family emergency.”

“My hairy ass!”

“Someone's gotta watch him. He's wacko for this girl. Who, by the way, I think wouldn't leave him—or her other friends. She happens to be a real nice person.”

“Who thought it was cool to hook up with an underworld slimeball like Noble.”

“Hey,” she said, leaning forward, “they haven't been able to get him in all these years. If the feds can't nail him, how's Jennifer supposed to know?”

“They always know.”

“Boss. Come on. I'll be useless here. You know he needs me. I have a clear head.”

“All right, all right. But this is not official police business, this is clearly personal, and you are not licensed to carry in Florida.”

“Right,” she said. “Thanks, boss.”

She left the sergeant's office and found Alex on the computer, his fingers racing along the keys as he tried to book a flight to Fort Lauderdale. She looked over his shoulder and saw an airline timetable on the screen.

“Book two. I'm going with you.”

He looked back at her in surprise. “No,” he said, going back to the computer.

“Sarge gave me the time to go with you.”