The Wedding Gift Read online

  Preston threaded his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Tell me this isn’t happening. Along with Cindi, he kidnapped two elderly women? What the hell was she thinking taking them along? This isn’t a scavenger hunt.”

  “Muriel and Sadie probably ganged up on her and pleaded to Cindi’s sense of—” Jessie stopped when Preston and Lincoln completed her statement” “Do a good deed for a friend in need.”

  “See how well we know her, but when I get her home—and I will get Cindi home—I’m going to sit her down and lecture her about thinking things through before going full steam ahead on some cockamamie idea or scheme.”

  “Listen to yourself. Not even married and you want to change her,” Jessie said. “She thinks with her heart. That is the charm of Cindi Pearl! If it wasn’t for your future wife embarrassing you at my promotion party, you’d still be a wallflower with your thumb up your ass thinking you can’t dance.”

  “Well, this time her heart and charm might get her killed.” The thought gripped his throat so hard that breathing became difficult, and a lance of pain stabbed his heart.

  Lincoln had heard enough, and braved the verbal fracas. “Stop! You keep forgetting she’s my friend too, so I understand what you are feeling. Defending Cindi’s honor isn’t getting us any place, and we’re also wasting time.” He gave his wife a short, stiff bow. “As we now have official police presence, what’s our next move?”

  “It’s a good thing I love your smart-ass attitude.” Jessie winked. “While we wait for the wrecker, you two can sit in the back of my radio car. You’ll find a thermos of coffee and cups. I’m going to call Marla and fill her in on what is going on and try to get some information on where they took Bertie.”

  They walked back to Jessie’s vehicle, and Lincoln pursed his lips. “Why are you still driving this eight-year-old Ford Explorer? The department just got six new fully equipped radio cars and will be getting four more after the first of the year. Officer Lynch was driving one.”

  “I prefer the guys on the road use the new cars. Besides, I love my car with all her little personality dents and rust spots. If you are done complaining, drink your coffee while I make a phone call.”

  The nursing supervisor was extremely upset when Jessie explained about the missing women. Marla would email background information on Muriel and Sadie to Jessie, along with the exit notification on Bertie Abbott-Leland. The efficient nurse didn’t waste any time forwarding the data. The wrecker had just hooked up Preston’s vehicle when Jessie’s phone signaled incoming emails.

  “Let’s see what she sent. I’ll review the personal background data later. Marla mentioned the other women didn’t have any family to make notification of the kidnapping.”

  “I can’t believe you are reading that on your phone,” Lincoln said. “If you were driving one of the new radio cars, you could review it on a larger screen and we could read it at the same time.”

  Jessie’s eyes slowly lifted from the screen of her smart phone, and she gave her husband a kiss-my-ass glower before speaking directly to Preston. “You are getting this? That’s my darling husband’s way of saying, ‘I told you so.’”

  “I’d be crazy to get into the middle of this. What information did she send about Bertie’s transfer to the new facility?”

  “She was picked up by Inter-County Medical Transport Services and they were to bring her to Summer Glen Rest Home in West Virginia.”

  Lincoln immediately reached for his cell phone. “I’ll Google the numbers for both companies and we’ll call to make sure Bertie was delivered. Since the rest home is in West Virginia, they crossed state lines and technically we should notify the FBI.”

  “What names did you say?” Preston hoped to God he hadn’t heard her right.

  Jessie shifted in her seat to face Preston directly, and repeated the names. The overhead light reflected Preston’s ashen complexion.

  “I unearthed those names during my investigation. Summer Glen closed their doors six months ago, and Inter-County Medical Transport Services is one of Leland’s shell companies.”

  “God damn, he is one slick bastard,” Lincoln said. “I’ve got a multimillion-dollar company with electronic equipment that can literally find a needle in a haystack. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but I don’t even know where to start to look for Cindi and three women.”

  “So technically, neither company exists. It’s just a bump in the road.” Jessie refused to accept defeat, and held a one-sided conversation. “There has to be a way. Think outside the box.”

  Lincoln raised a questioning brow. “Are you talking to us?”

  “Shush, it’s my box.” She was never one to rely totally on modern police equipment. When she was a patrolman in New York City, her first training officer had spent twenty years on the job, and taught her to use her brain and police instinct. She took her cap off and massaged her temples with the pads of her fingers, trying to clear the cobwebs from her brain. “Something there.” She grabbed Leland’s letter, and her eyes zeroed in on the words high-tech and electronics. The cobwebs crumbled.

  “That’s what’s wrong with people these days, rely on computers for everything,” Jessie announced, seeing a light at the end of the dark tunnel. “We have a wrinkle in the kidnapping that’s pulled the plug on your fancy electronics. Before there was such a thing as Big Brother sniffing into people’s lives, track what they purchase at the grocery store, or how much time they spend talking on the phone or flushing toilets, there were people.”

  “What are you talking about?” Preston asked. Every second he sat not knowing Cindi’s location was pure torture.

  “Ask your best man how the entire town knew we were in love before we did.”

  Lincoln’s eyes brightened from a happy memory. “The town is unique because there is a dedicated group of people who thrive on gossip, hence the Nose Patrol. They watched my every move and reported my actions to Jessie shortly after I returned to the Laurel Heights.”

  Frustration was eating away at Preston’s nerves. “I know I’m missing something, so one of you better start explaining.”

  “My gut is telling me he didn’t take them too far. He specifically said electronics won’t work. He’s so damn smug, he’s just made his first mistake and gave us our first clue!” Jessie’s voice was filled with excitement, but the men stared at her with blank faces.

  “Jessie my love, I really don’t see where you are going with this,” Lincoln said.

  “Forget about your electronics for a moment.” She grabbed the letter and read: ‘No form of electronic tracking will work where I’ve hidden Cindi Pearl.’ That means the city is out. It has to be someplace remote.”

  “I agree, my love, but we are surrounded by thousands of acres of forest and state game lands.”

  “Jessie, your idea is brilliant,” Preston said, feeling a spark of hope. “I’ll start reviewing real estate holdings in Leland’s name, and those under the law firm.”

  “While you’re doing that, I’m taking our problem to the streets, word of mouth. By tomorrow, everyone in the county will be on the lookout for Cindi.”

  “Why don’t we just call the local news station and put out a missing persons alert on social media?” Preston asked. “We can post all their photos, including his.”

  “Preston, my wife is right,” Lincoln said. “We need to let the bastard think he’s beaten us and tied our hands by wiping out all electronic tracking.”

  “We’re a lot smarter, going old-school style,” Jessie said, feeling confident her plan would work. “The reason I’m against using social media and blasting the kidnapping all over the internet is that he might panic and move the women, or worse. We will also be opening ourselves to sick perverts who are looking for a reward for information.”

  “You’re both right, and I just pulled a Cindi Pearl, not thinking ahead or the consequences. I’ll pay anything to get her back.” When Lincoln and Jessie’s mouths opened to voice objection to his statement, Pr
eston held up a hand. “There will be no reward. I’ve worked in this business long enough to know, you don’t cater to sickos who are out to bilk the system. I understand this is to start word of mouth, but we should establish a phone number for people to call.”

  “I’ve already thought of that,” Lincoln said. “Rather than bombard police headquarters, and if Jessie has no objections, we can establish a tip line using one of Adams Security’s numbers. We can monitor it right from my office.”

  “No objection, just give me the number.”

  “I’m sending it to your phone now.” Lincoln paused to gather his thoughts, and directed his next statement to Preston. “Before we do anything, I suggest you call Kevin and Joyce Sullivan to let them know what’s going on. They’ll want to help.”

  “My brain is so messed up, I hadn’t thought of them. Great son-in-law I am. Leland grew up in Stevensville, and they would be able to spread the word in that area.”

  “Speaking of parents, why don’t I call your sister first?” Jessie volunteered. “Jennie can tell them about the kidnapping and our plans to get Cindi back.”

  Preston leaned forward on the uncomfortable seat and rested his arms on his knees. His ass hurt from sitting on what felt like a spring under the thin leather covering. “Again, I owe you.”

  Jessie was glad she never had a cage in her car, and reached directly into the back to cup Preston’s chin. “No you don’t. We love her too. Let’s make our phone calls, and then I have to go into headquarters to write a report. I’ll contact the chief to let him know what’s going on and meet Detective Donnelly when he goes over your car.”

  “If you don’t need me, Lincoln can drop me off at the farm and I can get my car. I’ll also talk to Samantha. Knowing Sam, she’ll be the first one to man the hotline. Then I’m heading into work to start dissecting Leland’s real estate holdings.”

  “I’ll meet you in the office,” Lincoln said. “Give me a half-hour to set things up in my office, and then I’ll make the first phone call to start the ball rolling. Since we never got dinner, I’ll have the cafeteria bring us food and lots of coffee. It’s going to be a long night.”

  The men got out of the back of Jessie’s radio car and were headed back to the Linc Mobile, when Preston suddenly realized he was alone. He turned around and his heart cried silent tears for the loss of his love. Lincoln’s head was in the open driver-side window, giving his wife a very long kiss.

  When they were finally on their way, Preston asked, “Who gets the first call?”

  “Who else? The gossip queen.”

  Chapter 13

  At first Cindi thought the pounding was just in her head, but the sound was also in the room, wherever that was. She was lying on a bed, covered with a thin, musty-smelling quilt, but wasn’t the least bit cold. Was she hurt? She ran her hands up and down her torso, shifted her legs slightly. She felt a little stiff, but everything moved without discomfort. Only this blasted headache. Was it her imagination or had someone had put cool compresses on her forehead? Questions raced through her mind. Where was she? How long had she been here? The last thing she remembered seeing was the steering wheel of Preston’s SUV. Preston! her mind screamed. He must be out of his mind with worry, and was probably angry she’d done it again. Went ahead without thinking.

  “Open this goddamn door! I have to use the shitter!”

  Her eyes flew open at the sound of a very familiar voice, and she saw Bertie banging on a door with a piece of firewood.

  “Bang a little harder,” another female voice ordered. Cindi turned her head on the pillow to see Muriel shuffling a deck of cards. Sadie was sitting next to her, knitting.

  A male voice filled with impatience yelled through the solid wood door, “You went a half-hour ago.”

  “There are four women in here. How do you know it isn’t one of the others?”

  “Because you are the biggest pain in the ass!”

  “What the hell am I supposed to tell my bladder?”

  “Suck it up!”

  “You are a real slime bag treating an old lady this way.”

  “You ain’t no lady, but a crazy old bitch!”

  Satisfied, Bertie turned from the door with a big smile of accomplishment and used the maple footboards at the end of the row of beds for support when she walked. They’d taken her cane when she tried to whack them over the heads. She got to Cindi’s bed and smiled. “You’re finally awake. We were getting worried, since you slept so long.”

  Tears of relief filled Cindi’s eyes when she sat up, making the quilt fall away. The room was toasty warm from the wood stove in the corner. “I am so happy to see all of you. Were either of you hurt in the accident?”

  “No, we’re fine, but those two buffoons drugged us,” Muriel said. “Come on over and have a seat at the table. We’ll get back to our card game later on. Have to do something to pass the time till we can bust out of here.”

  Cindi flipped the cover aside and swung her feet to the floor to stand up. The room started to spin, and she closed her eyes until she felt steady. “That must have been one clunk on the head when I hit the steering wheel.” She brushed the surface of her forehead to feel for a bump.

  “Nothing there now. We’ve been putting cold compresses on your head.”

  “Thank you for taking care of me.”

  Cindi held Bertie’s hand as they walked to the octagon-shaped poker table. In the center was a pile of red, black, green, and blue chips. She sat in a well-seasoned captain’s chair between Bertie and Muriel and sipped at the cup of water Sadie set on the table in front of her.

  The room was set up dormitory style, four beds on either side, with a center aisle. A couple of the mattresses were covered in unrolled sleeping bags, and others with mismatched blankets and quilts. The wood-paneled walls had dulled over time, and rust-colored stains defaced the ceiling tiles, a victim of a leaky roof. Spidery crack lines ran the length of the old green linoleum floor.

  “My first question is: where are we?”

  “My hunting cabin, a gift from Mr. Abbott. He was so sweet. We’d come here on weekends during hunting season, but he never left the cabin. He said I was the only dear he wanted to hunt. We made up a game, catch the deer. There was only one bed back then. I’d run around the room, pretending to be a deer, but of course he’d catch me.” Bertie plucked at the lace collar around the neck of her black and blue paisley dress. “There’s no heat, other than a couple of wood stoves, no running water, or indoor plumbing, but I could never sell the property because of all the happiness I shared with Mr. Abbott. My misfit nephews come here to escape their wives, play cards, and get drunk during hunting season. Once the snow hits, the road to the cabin is inaccessible, because we are near state game lands and the roads aren’t plowed.”

  Cindi looked at Muriel and Sadie. “Can you fill me in on what happened?”

  “After we got hit in the back the second time, the car swerved off the road,” Muriel said. “The front of the car hit a tree, not really hard, but enough to make you slam the steering wheel with your head. We got tossed around, but weren’t hurt. Those same goons who took Bertie opened the doors, and weren’t happy to find us in the back seat. The uglier one with the bald head—I call him Blockhead—used his cell phone. The next thing I know, we were moved to the back of a van. The other one—I call him Dufus, because he looks just plain stupid—carried you. There weren’t any seats, so we had to sit on the cold floor.”

  Sadie let out a cackling laugh. “We gave those clowns a lot of grief and used our pocketbooks like weapons, telling them to call an ambulance because you needed to go to a hospital. Those barbarians told us to shut up and gave us a shot of something to make us groggy. They must have given you a lot more, because we woke up before we got here. They brought us lunch a little while ago, so it’s sometime Thursday afternoon.”

  “Thursday! Oh my God! Preston and my parents must be frantic.” Tears started running down Cindi’s cheeks. “Tomorrow is our rehear
sal dinner, and our wedding is on Saturday.”

  “This is my fault.” Bertie withdrew a lace-edged handkerchief from her pocket and wiped the wetness from Cindi’s cheeks. “If you hadn’t tried to save me, you would be home with your handsome young man.” She put a hand to the collar of her dress. “They removed my tracking pin. It really doesn’t matter, because it wouldn’t work here in the woods. I overheard the guys complaining there wasn’t a cell signal.”

  “It’s not your fault. The blame goes to your nephew. He didn’t like that you and I have become very dear friends.” She patted Bertie’s hand. “I couldn’t let anything happen to my adoptive grandmother.”

  It had been hours since Cindi used the bathroom, and she really had to go. “Have they really been giving you grief about using the facilities?”

  “No worries about relieving your bladder. It’s called an outhouse. Look out the window on the other side of the wood stove. You can’t miss it. The door has a half-moon,” Muriel added.

  “We take turns banging on the door just to annoy the men.” Sadie’s eighty-year-old fingers continued to work the knitting needles at lightning speed. “They think were old and stupid and don’t know jack shit. That white-painted door on the other side of the room is hiding a secret. The boobs tested the knob to make sure it was locked when they brought us in here.”

  “I never told the misfits what’s behind the door,” Bertie said. “Mr. Abbott was quite a lover, and sometimes we spent the entire weekend snuggled up. He had a water closet built so we didn’t have to go outside if the weather was bad. The water tank is refilled with rainwater through a pipe in the roof. Beyond is a door to the outside. I’m the only one who knows the location of the key.”