Deep Into The Night (Hartz Island Series) (21 page)

Chapter Thirty-Three

"Y
eah, guys are pretty visual. Don’t you have nice leather boots, too?”

From her reaction to his question, Jack had embarrassed Cassie. Her face had flushed. Why was that? He put the truck in gear and headed out of the parking lot. Back on the interstate, he glanced at her. Whatever she was thinking about had her smiling—probably not for long with his questions.

“I want to go over last night. Tell me everything you know about Butkovsky and his relationship with Koslov.” He listened while she detailed everything she knew, which wasn’t a lot.

“What about the artwork and the artist?” A touchy subject, he knew, by the arms folded across her chest and the stern expression on her face. He listened and sorted through the emotional reactions to get to the facts.

“When did the first piece of artwork show up at the house?” Jack was trying to put together a timeline.

“About a year ago. It was a painting. Then a statue and another painting.”

“When?”

“The Wednesday before Thanksgiving. I finished up late, shooting an extra two days. When I got back to the house, Sergei had been drinking heavily. I made some stupid comment like, ‘I wouldn’t waste my money on that stuff.’ He got in my face, spitting out Russian. I could tell by the sneer on his face he was calling me some pretty awful things. I tried to blow it off as the vodka, but it wasn’t.”

“Then what happened?”

“The paintings and the statues came in and went out. Almost like a revolving door. None of it made sense to me.”

“When did the violence start?”

“About a month or so after the New Year’s Eve party that Sergei insisted we host. Butkovsky and Sashay were there.”

He phrased his next question carefully. “So when was it you realized Koslov had another girlfriend?”

“That’s the worst part, Jack,” she said softly, “I didn’t. I honestly didn’t.”

He sucked in his breath and concentrated on remaining calm.

“He said I repulsed him with my body, claiming I was so ugly and nothing but a cold piece of meat, he couldn’t get a hard-on. He said there wasn’t enough Viagra in the world to do the job.” Her voice choked.

Now he was beyond pissed. “Fuckin’ asshole.”

“What did you just say?”

“You heard me.” Jack tried not to use the F-word in front of women, but occasionally it slipped out. “I hope he never comes near me.” He was glad she didn’t ask why. They drove along in silence for a bit. Christ, that shithead had really pulled a number on her. “And for the record,” he paused to make sure he had her attention, “you make me hard all the time.”

Cassie laughed. “Seriously?”

“Yep. Seriously.”

“I think you’re horny.”

“That too.”

Smiling big, she reached over and patted his thigh. He grinned and held her hand. “So what are you thinking about the artwork? Because I know you are.”

“Sergei regarded that stuff like if it were gold, so maybe they were in his world. What if the paintings and statues were used for smuggling stuff in? Statues would be easy, but I don’t know how you could do it with paintings.”

“I don’t either.”

Just north of Everett, the light rain turned to mist and stayed that way. Often, the sun could be shining up in the islands but it would be raining in Seattle. He’d hoped this would be the case today. Somewhere in the conversation, Cassie had closed her eyes and fallen asleep. Jack plugged in his phone and got caught up with messages. He called Kip and then Ray. One of them would get back to him on where to meet up. Jack had suggested Eagle’s Nest Lodge because of its privacy.

Jack exited off I-5 at Mt. Vernon, taking the back roads to Route 20, which took them into Anacortes. Cassie stirred when he stopped at the store.

“Where are we?” she mumbled, keeping her eyes closed.

“The Safeway in Anacortes.”

“Already?” She sat up and looked around. “At least it quit raining.” The sun poked through a thin layer of clouds.

“You’ve been asleep for over an hour.” Jack handed her the ferry schedule. “Double check me. We can take a ferry to Friday Harbor and wait there and then to Hartz, or wait here for a couple of hours.”

Cassie studied the schedule.

“What do you want to do?” he asked.

“Friday Harbor and then Hartz.”

“We have enough time to run in and get basic supplies.”

When they entered the store, Jack went one way with a basket and Cassie went the other. They met up at the cash register. Cassie frowned at Jack’s choices. He scowled at hers. Between the two of them, they had a nice mix.

“The only thing good in your basket is wine,” he remarked, walking back to the truck with her.

“No offense, but one of these days, you will have a heart attack.”

“Good. Then you can give me CPR and mouth-to-mouth.”

Jack pulled into the holding area for Friday Harbor. From the looks of the waiting vehicles, the ferry would be pretty full. With time to spare, Cassie hopped out of the truck and wandered down by the loading ramp while Jack listened to his messages. She loved watching the sea gulls. Her father always made a point of stopping to get fries so he could toss them to the gulls. The gulls would circle around, dive in for a fry, and head out. It reminded her of planes coming in for a landing.

The ferry had emptied and now started to load for Friday Harbor. Cassie headed back. Since they were in the last lane to the rear, she walked between the vehicles. When she crossed over in front of a white van, the driver started its engine. She glanced up and smiled. The driver and the passenger glared down at her, their eyes dark and insolent. Somehow, her frozen smile stayed on her face.

She yanked open the Tahoe door and nearly threw herself in, gasping.

“What?”

Unable to speak, she kept pointing.

“Calm down and breathe.”

Finally, she said, “Follow that van.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

J
ack started the Tahoe and followed the line on to the ferry. “What did you see?”

“A white van with two men inside that looked like the guys from the other night.”

“Did they have a tattoo?”

“I didn’t stick around to see that part.”

Jack parked the truck. “Any chance you got the license plate?”

She coughed.

“I take that as a no.” He opened his door and stood on the running board, looking around. “I see more than one white van.” Closing his door, he surveyed her. “I think it’s time for a disguise.”

It only took a few minutes for Cassie to get ready. Jack adjusted his ball cap and pulled his collar up around his neck.

“This is what we’re going to do. We’re going to walk up the lanes, and I’m going to snap photos of the license plate with my phone. You’ll be ahead of me, blocking me in case anyone is watching. Try and keep your head down. Just go to the very end and look out at the water.”

Now a blond, Cassie moved along slowly and gestured with her hands, relating some story to Jack. About every ten steps, she turned around for emphasis. When they reached the front, he joined her looking out. The day started to clear with the clouds breaking up; the sun cast its sheen across the bay.

“In a few minutes, we’ll head up to the passenger deck, but go up on the other side. Just do what you were doing. I’m still not sure what you were doing, but it worked well.”
Somehow, Hollywood missed her talent
, he thought.

“I was explaining nothing of importance.”

In a few minutes, she pointed upward and Jack followed. They found seats up against a wall for privacy. Jack sent the photos to Ray Carlson so he could run the plates through the state’s database.

“Are you ever going to tell me exactly what’s going on up here?”

“I thought I did,” he replied.

“No, you didn’t.”

“We think there is a sex trafficking ring going on, starting over in Victoria. Women are being smuggled in here via the islands. I’m pretty certain those young women at the massage parlor are part of it.”

“And so are Rob Armstrong and the minister’s wife.” She looked at Jack, who nodded. “They make me sick.” Her jaw clenched and she stared out the window.

“Hey.” Jack rubbed her hand. “I’m going to get them.” He put his arm around her and pulled her in tight. Casually, they’d glance at the people walking by, but mostly they watched the scenery. “Either we missed them or they stayed in their van. Let’s go check the other side.”

They came down the steps to the car deck. Spotting only one white cargo van parked on the outside lane, Cassie turned to Jack and said, “Just follow my lead.”

He grinned, thinking of her antics. He could be her wingman. Cassie walked down the middle lane of parked cars with Jack following.

“Honey,” she said loudly, stopping and looking back at Jack, “I know it’s parked on this side. You are wrong. Wrong.”

She flipped her hair with her hands, moved over to the next lane of parked cars, and started walking toward the back of the ferry, turning around when she neared the van to give Jack grief again. This continued until they reached the end of the line where Cassie ducked up the stairs that connected to the other side. Jack joined her, and they made their way to the Tahoe. Once inside the truck, Jack checked the photo on the phone and sent it off to Ray.

The ferry docked at Friday Harbor, and all the vehicles disembarked. Jack swung around to the holding area and was now first in line for Hartz Island. With time to kill, they walked the short distance to historic Friday Harbor. They passed a sandwich shop. Cassie grabbed Jack’s hand and pulled him in.

“I’m starved, I’m buying. What do you want?”

He told her, and she rolled her eyes.

“Fine, then make it whole wheat and not white. Add some lettuce.”

They sat at the window, ate their sandwiches, and watched the people walking by. Jack’s phone started dinging with text messages. “From Ray,” he said. “One of those vans from the first group is registered to a Korean mission church.” His eyes squinted, staring through her. “The coincidences are mounting up. I don’t believe in coincidence.”

They finished their sandwiches and headed back out on the street. Even though they were strolling arm-in-arm, it didn’t take much for Cassie to figure out he wasn’t interested in window shopping. She stopped, and he nearly tripped over her.

“Jack, you’re miserable. Please go back to the truck, and do whatever it is you want to do.”

His face split into a big smile. “Thank you.”

He kissed her and was out of there. She’d guessed correctly, even though he’d tried to hide it.

Cassie wandered around Friday Harbor, looking in the shop windows, thinking of Jack. A feeling she hadn’t felt in a long time washed over her: happiness. Then the “what ifs” clouded her brain. Her mother always said “actions speak louder than words.” If she didn’t matter, Jack wouldn’t be doing all the little things that showed he cared. He wouldn’t have put his phone on silent, and he wouldn’t have bought her that beautiful coat and the gloves. Jack cared, and she mattered. Simple.

At the end of the main street, she crossed to the other side. A small bakery had a display of mouth-watering cupcakes. The perfect treat for Jack. She did feel a little bad about giving him grief over his sandwich. Cassie stepped inside and waited behind a petite blond woman, who stood at the display counter pointing to this cupcake and that one, filling a large box. Finally, the woman finished. She turned to leave, almost bumping into Cassie. Their eyes met, and Cassie felt like someone had zapped her. The woman sniffed and exited. Twice in one day, Cassie had been surprised.

“I think I knew the woman who just left, but I can’t place her. Do you know her?”

“That was Mrs. Black.”

“As in Margery Anne?”

“Yes.”

Cassie thanked her and left the bakery. She moved swiftly down the street. Jack was on the phone, writing something on a yellow pad of paper when she climbed into the Tahoe.

“Hang on a minute,” he said. “Cass, what’s up?”

“I just saw Margery Anne, the Minister’s Wife, in the bakery. She bought an enormous amount of cupcakes.”

He nodded, and then relayed the information. Cassie held open the box for Jack. Not surprisingly, he picked out a chocolate cupcake. She chose red velvet. He finished his call and pointed at the box.

“Are you saving those?” he asked.

With her mouth full, she shook her head. He took another one.

“Tell me everything.”

Cassie related the brief encounter and Jack listened. When she finished, he added notes to the yellow pad and studied what he’d written.

“You know we could park on one of the side streets and watch who’s getting on the ferry. No one will pay attention to us. You can use the zoom lens and get all the photos you want.”

His eyes lit up. “That’s a great idea.”

Before she could reply, Jack had the truck in gear, heading out of the parking area. He made a couple of circles around the old historic area until he found the perfect spot with a clear view of the ferry traffic.

So far, they’d seen nothing out of the ordinary for a San Juan Island; plenty of bicyclists, kayaks, and canoes were being transported. Other than a couple of white cargo vans, Jack hadn’t found anything to photograph. It was time to get back in line for Hartz Island.

Once again, they were parked last in line. After Jack shut off the engine, the attendant braced the rear tires with blocks.

“What do you want to do?” she asked him.

“What I want to do?” His eyes narrowed and he frowned. “What I want to do is rip open the back of every white van, see what’s inside, and hopefully find the bastards.” He continued grousing, slapping his steering wheel.

Cassie tensed and sucked in her breath, watching him.

He stopped his ranting. “That was just letting go of hot air and frustration.” Jack looked at her and nodded. “I scared you, didn’t I?”

“We all get frustrated.” He had scared her, but she didn’t want him to know. Discreetly, she let out her breath and smiled at him. “What we can do is go look for white vans and head up to the upper deck.” She pulled off her wig and shook her hair out. “I’m switching my look just in case we run into MAMW, as you all call her.” Cassie checked her appearance in the visor mirror. “I just keep wondering why she bought all those cupcakes.”

“You’re concerned about cupcakes?”

“Yes. There’s more to those cupcakes than you realize. They weren’t all for her.” Cassie turned around in search of her overnight bag. She pulled out one of Jack’s hoodies and switched her leather coat. “I’m ready.” She flashed him a smile in hopes of lightening his mood. His serious expression relaxed into an easy smile.

The outgoing ferry to Hartz Island had a light Saturday load. Only one white van caught their interest. The rest appeared legitimate. Once they reached the upper deck, Jack had Cassie casually walk around on one side, looking for anyone of interest, while he did the same on the other, meeting up at the front. Along his way, he stopped and bought them coffee.

“Do you mind?” She pointed to the outer bow deck. Standing at the rail, they sipped their coffee and viewed the scenery. “I love watching the water, looking for seals, always hoping to see an orca. All very serene.” She sighed. “I never understood when my mom would remark how the islands gave her strength and renewed her spirit, but I do now.”

He shook his head. “I see mysteries.” He pointed to an inlet on a passing island where a large group of kayakers had stopped on a rocky beach. “And at the moment, one big headache.” Jack looped his arm around her. “But I do know what you’re saying. When I get home to Colorado and head to the mountains, same thing.”

The breeze permeated her sweatshirt; she shivered. “Let’s go in.” Cassie took the lead and headed toward the back. A blond woman sitting alone looking out the window caught her eye. Stopping two rows behind her, Cassie said, “These seats are perfect.” She sat down and slid over to the window, indicating for Jack to join her.

He kept looking around, so Cassie cleared her throat and motioned with her hand. Cassie pointed to the woman and traced the letters MAMW on his leg. Now he got it.

Jack pulled out his phone and went into the notes application. “
R U
sure?”
He handed her his phone. She keyed in, “
Not 100%. Didn’t see full face.”
Cassie then added, “
Do U C a large box of cupcakes?”
Jack rolled his eyes, and then added, “
I’ll look.”

“Hey, honey, do you want something more to drink?” he asked Cassie. He slid across the bench seat and stood in the aisle.

“Sure.”

Jack started walking away, and Cassie called after him, “Sugar Bear, wait.”

Jack halted directly across from the woman. He turned around and gave Cassie an indulged look.

“Can you see if they have anything good to eat, like…cupcakes?”

He took his time answering. “Why not?”

The woman continued to stare out the window. She hadn’t even flinched at the word cupcake. Even though she had only seen Margery Anne twice in person and once in the photos, Cassie felt certain it was her—a porcelain china doll with a blond chignon.

Jack returned and scooted in next to her, handing Cassie her cup. He shook his head no. The engines of the ferry slowed, and the woman still hadn’t budged. Jack nudged Cassie and motioned for them to get going. Neither spoke until they reached the privacy of the Tahoe.

He started to say something, but Cassie cut him off. “I know that was her.” Within seconds, she’d stripped off the hoodie and fluffed her hair. “I’m going to be a walk-off.” She kicked off her shoes and pulled on her leather boots and her new coat. “I’m also going to figure out what happened to those cupcakes if it kills me.”

“I hope it doesn’t.” He regarded her with amusement. “I wouldn’t want to miss out on all your leather.”

“Thank you for reminding me,” she said softly, lowering her eyes. She made a show of pulling on her leather gloves.”

“Don’t leave until I get hold of Ray Carlson.”

Cassie outlined her eyes with charcoal eyeliner and applied siren red lipstick while Jack talked to Ray. When he finished, he said to Cassie, “FYI, Ray’s going to be in the parking lot in a black hard top Jeep Wrangler watching. If you feel like hopping in, go for it. Otherwise, I can pick you up.”

From the sounds of the engines, the ferry was coming into port. Cassie headed down to the car deck. A small group of walk-ons, not unlike the size a few days earlier, stood ready to disembark. The very expensive purse that Cassie had recognized from before hung from the blond chignon woman’s shoulder. Cassie maneuvered up next to her and deliberately bumped gently into her. She apologized, but sure enough, Margery Anne frowned. No bakery box, no shopping bag, but now her purse.

Cassie stepped behind Margery Anne and followed her off the ferry. A late model tan Taurus swung around and tapped its horn. Margery Anne got inside and the driver circled out ahead of the other ferry traffic. A Jeep Wrangler was parked off to the right. Cassie walked over to it and opened the passenger door but didn’t get inside.

“Hi, Ray. Did you see MAMW get off the ferry?”

“I did.”

“Who picked her up?”

“That was her husband, the minister.”

Her mouth dropped slightly open in surprise, and she stared down the road.

“Are you riding with me?” Ray put the Jeep in gear.

“No, I’ll wait for Jack.”