Take the Money: Romantic Suspense in Costa Rica (24 page)

“What? What did you hear?” 

“I’d rather not say.  If you know for sure that Maggie’s all right, then it probably didn’t mean anything.”

“Jed’s voice cracked. “Maggie isn’t all right.”

“What happened?” Mike was beginning to think that what Kenny had overheard had some credibility.

“She’s been kidnapped.”

Mike asked the most important question first.  “Have you called the police?”

“Of course.  What do you think I am? An idiot?”

So, it was definitely true. Cody had her.  But how could he convince Jed that the police weren’t going to help?  If he told the man what he knew, and he was fool enough to pass it on to the police, Cody might take Maggie somewhere else--or worse.

“What is it that you heard?” Jed said.  “How did you know something was wrong?”

“I heard a rumor that a woman had been kidnapped.”

“That’s all?  You didn’t hear any names?  Any mention of who abducted her and where she was?  You need to get out here right away.  If you talk to the police, they can maybe figure out something.”

Mike chose his words carefully. “Mr. Carrithers, I think you’d be making a mistake to call the police.  There’s no use wasting their time on some rumor that may or may not be true.”

“Mistake to call the police?  Why? Who are you protecting? What kind of trick are you pulling?  If you know something, you have an obligation to tell the authorities.”

“But that’s just the point.  I don’t know anything,” Mike said.  “Rumors fly, and what I heard may not have anything to do with Maggie.  If the police start running around town asking stupid questions, it will get back to whoever kidnapped her and put her in more danger.”

“What do you suggest I do?”

“Let me do some more checking tonight.  See if I can find out more.”

“Do you realize that even as we speak Maggie is being held hostage?  Maybe suffering?”

“Of course,” Mike said.  “I wasn’t planning to sleep on this thing.  I’ll get to work the minute I hang up the phone.”

“I’ll pay whatever you want.”  Desperation crept into Jed’s voice.  “Just bring her home.”

FOURTEEN

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we are approaching the Indianapolis airport,” the captain drawled.

An unnatural silence pervaded the cabin--that incongruous blend of relief and apprehension that fills the air in the split second after an airplane loses altitude and circles a city.  Julie had observed landing jitters in others, but hadn’t experienced them herself, until now.  What would happen to Mom if the plane crashed? She closed her eyes as the landing gear crunched into place. 

When she looked out again, she was struck by the plain orderliness of the Indianapolis skyline.  Hoosier values and common sense were reflected in its low gray buildings radiating out from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ monument at the center of the city. Along icy highways, prudent Midwestern drivers moved cautiously in respect for the hazardous road conditions--a model of sanity compared to the manic San Jose traffic.

Julie took the shuttle to long term parking, amazed she’d had the presence of mind to save her ticket and mark her parking place.  It was easy to spot: the only vehicle that looked like an igloo, covered with a thick sheath of ice, slick and glistening in the rain.

The door was frozen shut. Jittery with nervous exhaustion, Julie blew on the lock, managing only to freeze-burn her tongue. The key wouldn’t budge.  This could take hours, and even if she did get in the car, the battery would probably be dead.  No use wasting any more time.  She boarded the shuttle again, feeling disoriented and estranged from the young businessmen aboard exchanging easy banter about basketball scores and stock market swings.

She approached a rental car agent inside the terminal, but he seemed hesitant.  “You may want to wait until morning,” he said.  “Driving’s treacherous, rain over solid ice.”

Julie supposed he was worried she’d wreck the car.  “Don’t worry,” she told him with a confidence she didn’t feel. “I’m used to driving in bad weather, I’ve never had an accident.”  That part was true.

All of her instincts told her to forget the speed limit.  Every minute might count as far as her mother’s life was concerned.  But when the car fish tailed each time she hit the brakes, she knew the drive had to be agonizingly slow.  Monster trucks roared by, rocking her small car in their tailwind, throwing curtains of snow across the windshield.  It was close to two hours before she turned off the Interstate and inched her way along the narrow street leading to Jed’s house.  Why did she call it that?  Because it wasn’t her home, never would be.  She had been angry with Mom for selling their old house, resentful that she hadn’t preserved the illusion of a childhood that could be reclaimed at any time.  But she wasn’t a child, she was twenty-seven.  Time to make her own life and let Mom enjoy hers.

* * *

In the light of a three-quarter moon, tree branches waved in the wind like buggy whips, and skiffs of snow blew across the porch.  Jed stood in the front hall, watching the road as he finished up his brief phone conversation with Mike Basinki.  The mysterious call had increased his anxiety. And what was this craziness about not calling the police? Had Maggie made a mistake, putting her faith in this washed-up politician turned detective? 

A small vehicle came to a stop and turned into the driveway, its bright headlights suffusing the lawn and pine-trees. Jed stopped speaking, afraid to get up his hopes.  People often used the driveway to turn around and back up.  But the car swished through the snow past the window.  He heard the metallic slam of a car door, then heavy footfalls on the side porch.  The door burst open and there she stood.

“What is it?  Something wrong?”  Mike asked Jed.  “Are you still there?”

Jed leaned against the desk, his body tingling with relief.  “Julie’s come home.”

“Julie?  Home?  Has she seen Cody?  What’s happened?”  Mike’s questions came rapid fire.  For a moment, Jed wasn’t sure how to respond.  The suntanned woman before him was different from the girl who’d left.  Her hair had lightened to a chestnut brown, and there was a toughness about the way she stood looking him straight in the eye.

“Just a minute,” Jed said. “I’ll let you ask her yourself.”  He held out the phone and she dropped her backpack to pick it up.

  She listened for a moment, then said.  “Yes.  Cody was in San Jose.  Yes.  He found me, but I got away.  He left me a message that I was to come back home if I wanted my mother to live.”  She whirled around and looked up the stairs. “ Is she here?” she asked ,  but Jed shook his head.  He saw the color drain from her face as she listened to what Mike was saying.

“You’re sure she’s been kidnapped?   Of course, he’s holding her until I get here with the money.  But it’s all right, I have what he wants.”  She looked at Jed.  “Did he give you a way to contact him?”

“He said he’d call back in half an hour,” Jed said.  “I don’t know where he is, and the caller ID was blocked out.”

Julie turned back to talk with Mike.  “Jed’s waiting for his call,” she said.  “As soon as we hear from him, I’m going to meet him wherever he says.”  She paced back and forth, running her fingers through her hair. “Don’t try to talk me out of it, it doesn’t matter what happens to me.  Don’t worry, I’ll meet him in a safe place.”  She held out the phone to Jed. “Want to talk to him again?”

Jed said “No, just get off the phone so the line is clear.”

“Sorry,” Julie replaced the receiver and stood with her back against the front door. 

“You’re wet and shivering,” Jed said.  “Take off your coat and I’ll heat up some coffee.”

Jet lag pulled at Julie’s body and plane engines still droned in her head.  She had to snap out of it. “I can’t sit down, I have to be ready to go.”  She looked at her soggy boots. “I need some clean socks and another pair of boots.”

She raced upstairs two steps at a time and turned on the light in what used to be her room.  Nothing had been straightened up, not even the bed, still rumpled from where she’d parked her backpack and counted the money.  Nose dripping from the dust, she rooted through the jumble of shoes on the closet floor. What a mess she’d been.  How could Mom and Jed ever have put up with her?  She tried to fight back the tears that spilled down her cheeks.

But regrets would have to come later.  She wiped her eyes, fished a sweatshirt out of the drawer, put on a quilted winter jacket, and found her old boots. Next, she checked her backpack. She had put the money in cotton socks, then bundled the socks together tightly with string. The socks were still there, buried under a T shirt.

The phone rang. She heard Jed talking. It had to be Cody at the other end.   She’d never heard Jed’s voice quavering like that.

“Let me talk to him!” she yelled, half-falling down the steps.

Jed handed her the phone.  “This is Julie,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

“Well, well, well.  If it ain’t the little lady in the bikini.” Cody snickered. “Thought you was pretty smart, didn’t ya?” 

“Look,” she said.  “Let’s not waste time, I have your money and I want you to let my Mom go.”

“Hmm.  That will depend on what happens.”

“You won’t see that money until I know she’s safe.  I’m willing to meet you in a public place, but I expect to see her alive and well and free before you get a cent.”

Cody said: “Meet me at the McDonald’s across from the courthouse.  And don’t tell no one where you’re going.”

“All right, then.  When my mother gets out of the car, I’ll give you the money. All you have to do is roll down your window.”

“Says you,” Cody said.  “Your mother stays with me until I see the cash and if I see that you’re not alone, the deal is off.  Before I let her go, I’ll call to make sure her husband stayed at home.  Don’t tell him where you’re going.  Any surprises, the whole thing’s off.”

“I’ll meet you there in a few minutes, but you won’t see me unless I’m sure my mom is with you.” The phone went dead.  Julie turned to Jed who was putting on his coat and said, “You can’t go with me.”

“What do you mean? This is my wife you’re talking about; I’m not letting you go alone.”

“It’s part of the deal, he says you have to stay here.  He’s going to call on your land line and make sure you do.”

“Bullshit!”

“Listen to me, I ‘ve seen this guy face to face.  He means business.  He’s invested a lot in trying to find me, and he’s desperate.  We have to do it his way if we want to save Mom.”

“But I have to see her, to know that she’s all right. Tell me where you’re meeting him.”

Julie remembered Kevin’s last words that fateful night.  “
No police, they’re in it
.”  If she told Jed she was going to McDonald’s, he would tell the police, and that might make things much worse for Mom.

Julie picked up her backpack and started for the side door, thinking about the money and wondering if it would be enough to satisfy Cody.  It occurred to her that he might want to count it.  She opened the kitchen drawer and picked up a paring knife in case she needed to cut through the knotted string around the pack of socks. 

Jed followed her out the door. “You have to tell me where you’re going,” he said. “How do we know what Cody will do when he gets the money?  I’m going to call the police officer I talked to earlier and tell him what’s going on.”

“Let me have your cell phone,” Julie said. “I’ll call you the minute Mom’s safe.” 

FIFTEEN

Maggie tensed and relaxed her muscles in an attempt to relieve the numbness in her right arm, wondering how long she’d been tied to the chair.  Cody punched the remote control and brought a re-run of a
Law and Order
to the television screen, but the serial cans of beer he’d been consuming finally took their toll.  His head rolled to one side, his deep snores resonating through the trailer. 

She tried to distract herself by focusing on the bizarre murder story with at least ten far-fetched and improbable twists and turns deftly navigated by the unflappable Jerry Orbach and savvy Benjamin Bratt.  She needed them right now to come to her rescue.

After twenty minutes, the perfectly plotted crime came to a satisfactory conclusion.   The perpetrator was apprehended, Ben Bratt was happy and the show ended.  The volume went up several decibels during the commercial break while a white-haired lady extolled the virtues of the latest remedy for flatulence. Cody sat up and looked around the room, dazed for a moment until his bloodshot eyes lit on her.

“What the hell?” he mumbled.  “What’s going on?”

Maggie adopted the soothing tone she used with patients coming out of anesthetic.  “You’ve been asleep,” she said softly.

“Uh.” Cody felt for his gun, and punched off the sound.  In the ominous silence, he sat for a moment, shaking his head as if there were water in his ears.  Snowflakes splatted against the window, and they heard the slow, steady hum of an engine.  He ran to the window, holding his body stiff as a car stopped, backed around, and went past the trailer again.  He reached for the light switch, plunging the trailer into darkness.

“Somethin' funny out there,” he mumbled, lights and shadows playing across his face.  He kept vigil at the window for several minutes but the car didn’t return.

“I’m gonna make another phone call,” he said. “Make sure your husband ain’t pulling no shit on me.”

“What could he do?” Maggie asked bitterly.  “Your police friends will cover for you.”

“Just want to make sure he don’t have no big ideas about busting in here.”

“He has no idea where you live,” Maggie said.  “It can’t possibly be him.”

“Just the same, I’m calling him.”

Cody went into the bathroom and shut the door to make the call.  When he came out, he was rubbing his hands.

“We’re in luck,” he said.  “Little Miss Julie is back in town with the money.”

Julie back in town?  Maggie felt like she had been punched in the stomach.  She’d thought Julie was safely out of the country.  Why had she come back now?

“We’re gonna meet her, at McDonald’s” he said.  “And you’d better just pray she’s got what I want.”

Maggie was grateful when he untied her from the chair, allowing her to flex her fingers and get her circulation going.  But the alcohol had made him rougher--he yanked her by the arm and opened the door.

“Please,” she begged.  “Let me at least put on a coat.”

“No,” he said.  “I’ve got heat in the truck.  It’s too hard to tie you up with a coat on.”

“Why do you have to tie me up again?” she asked.

“Because, you might jump out or try to pull something.”

Cody wrapped the rope around her stomach and chest, and retied her hands. But he was clumsy and agitated, working in the dark, not getting it as tight as before. “You’ll have to hold on so I don’t slip and fall,” she told him. “I’m off balance with my hands behind my back.”

“Don’t worry,” he snarled, grabbing hold of her hair so tight that it sent spasms of searing pain through her skull.  A blast of sharp cold air hit her face as he opened the door, but it felt good after the hot damp atmosphere inside. She hoped it would numb the ache in her head.

After he’d shoved her into the truck, Maggie was shaking all over, not sure whether or not it was from the cold. Maggie fought the tears welling in her eyes.  And yet, the normalcy of driving into McDonald’s parking lot lulled her nerves.  With bright lights, traffic, and scores of people lined up for hamburgers, they might have a chance.  Cody couldn’t possibly kill anyone here.  It seemed safe and sane to be out of the dismal trailer and into the mainstream of everyday life once again. 

Within minutes, a gray car pulled into the parking lot.

“There’s our girl,” Cody crowed, jumping out of the car.   He approached Julie, and the two of them seemed to be exchanging angry words.  Julie looked at Maggie, motioning furiously toward the door.  Cody shook his head, but Julie didn’t move.

Cody walked back to the truck. “Listen to me,” he said.  “Julie is demanding that I let you go before she gives me the money.  So, when she gets here, I’m going to untie you and let you go in there. But I’m warning you, if you don’t come back, she’s dead. This here gun has a silencer, and with all this traffic, no one will hear.”

“Why do you want me to come back?”

“I may have to keep you around a little longer if Julie don’t give me all the money that’s coming to me.” Cody said. “Anyways, I don’t want you calling your husband.”

“Julie is actually going to give you money?”  Maggie was stunned.  She hadn’t ever believed that Julie had thousands of dollars belonging to Cody. 

“Julie ain’t
giving
me money, lady.  She’s
returning
money that she stole from me.”

“Julie isn’t a thief.”

“I don’t have time to argue.” he said. “Now listen to me, I’ll be watching every move you make in there.  Go inside and stand next to the door, don’t talk to anyone, don’t even
look
at anyone.  As soon as you see Julie is in the truck, I expect you to come back out.”

Maggie stumbled out, her legs so weak she fell against the side of the truck.  Julie ran to catch her. “Mom, oh Mom” she crooned softly. “I’m so glad you’re safe.  Now run inside and call Jed and get yourself home.”

Cody nudged Maggie with his elbow as a warning. She smiled at Julie. “Yes,” she said. “Sure. I’ll do that.”

She hated to turn her back even for an instant, because she knew Cody would push Julie back into the truck.  She went inside for a moment and followed Cody’s instructions to return, even though Julie vigorously shook her head in protest.

Cody drove into the dark alley behind McDonalds’, parked next to the garbage dumpster, and wasted no time in tying Julie’s arms behind her back. But he had forgotten to bring more rope, so he shoved Maggie in the middle and told her not to try anything or he would shoot.

“We’ll count the money back at the trailer,” he said. “And don’t try anything stupid.  See that police car across the street?  Your mom can tell you them guys are my buddies. If I was to shoot you right now, they’d cover for me.”

“Cover for you?  With all these witnesses?  I can’t believe that.” Julie said.

As if in answer, the siren on the car went on and off for a few seconds.  “See,” Cody smirked.  “That’s their signal.”             

“It’s true,” Maggie said.  “They won’t help us.” She knew, too, that once Cody got his money, he was planning to kill both of them.

Julie and Maggie didn’t speak as they drove over the bridge and turned down the narrow road leading to Cody’s trailer. Frantic thoughts of escape whirled through Maggie’s head like a tornado. There were two of them and only one drunk and over-wrought Cody.  There had to be a way. Her stomach lurched as Cody turned off the motor and opened the door to the strong smell of ether.

“Whew,” Julie said, wrinkling her nose. “Don’t the neighbors complain?”

“The neighbors don’t give a shit.” Cody laughed, slamming the door before walking around to let them out on the other side.

“I’ve got a knife in my pocket,” Julie whispered.

Before Maggie could respond, Cody was there.  “My money better be in this here backpack,” he said. “All of it.” 

“You’ll see,” Julie said. They walked single file: Julie first, Maggie next, Cody trailing, holding the gun to Maggie’s back. In the moonlight, Maggie saw Julie struggling to get an arm free of the rope.  Cody moved ahead to the door and faced them with a gun while turning the doorknob and fumbling for the light.  There were a few moments of darkness before he located the switch, giving Maggie a chance to pull loose the rope around Julie’s wrists.

Cody instructed Maggie to open the backpack. “Don’t see no money,” he said.

“It’s mixed in with my clothes, wrapped in those bundles of socks tied with strings.”  Julie inched backward, leaning against the stove where a beaker stood ready to cook the next batch of meth.

“What the hell?” he said.  “This don’t look like much.”

“You haven’t even counted it,” Julie said.

Cody yanked at the strings around the sock bundles, but they wouldn’t break.

Shit,” Cody turned his back to rummage in a drawer for something to cut them with.

Julie moved forward.  Maggie saw a flash of silver as she raised her arm and plunged her knife in his neck. 

Cody dropped his gun, clutched his throat, and held out his hand for a horrified look at his bloody fingers. When he charged forward, Maggie rammed the nail file into his gut before Julie kicked him against the wall.

“Run!” Julie picked up the backpack and pushed Maggie toward the door.

“Drop that money!” Cody yelled.

“Keep going,” Julie urged. Maggie looked back to see Cody slumped against the doorframe, his face slack with shock, blood spurting from his neck.

Maggie headed for the road, thinking they could make better time along the tire tracks than in the slippery snow.

“Not that way.”  Julie pulled her arm. “Let’s follow the river.”

Maggie followed her daughter’s lead through a tangle of ice-covered bushes.  Julie was right; there were places to hide here.  On the road, they’d be sitting ducks.  Thank God, Julie was wearing a coat and boots.  Maggie wasn’t sure how long she could keep going with nothing on but a sweater and thin nurses’ uniform.  But at least Julie would make it.

* * *

A dog howled when Mike stopped and turned off his lights.  The pathetic creature was tied to a pole outside the trailer across the road.  Inside, a television flickered and a couple of kids bobbed up and down.

Mike had driven through Frog’s Hop a few times, trying to determine where Cody’s meth lab might be located.  There were several trailers here, all with signs of life, except for one at the far end that was quiet and still as an abandoned shipwreck.   If Kenny had heard right--that Cody had Maggie tied up in his trailer--both of them could be inside with the lights doused.

The dog’s yelps settled down to a low mournful wail.  Mike would do something about that, as soon as this was over.  Call the Humane Society, and if they’d do nothing, he’d set the dog free, himself.  But a miserable dog was a good watchdog.  If he started walking outside, it would bark its head off.  The thing to do was move several feet up the road and wait. 

Nature had worked its magic tonight, cloaking this dismal rubbish pile with a mantle of silver and white, wrapping the barren trees in glittery splendor. But the icy beauty was fraught with danger; Mike’s fingers tingled within minutes as the temperature dropped inside the car.  He was glad he’d worn tall leather boots, jeans, and a warm shirt beneath his quilted winter jacket .

The sky brightened to the south and the whine of an engine grew louder as a sweep of light washed across the snow, signaling the arrival of a red pickup.   A moment later, it skidded to a stop.  Someone stepped out and walked around to the other side of the truck.

Mike’s view was blocked for a few moments. He could see the interior light up briefly as the door opened and shut.  A man--presumably Cody--emerged from the shadows accompanied by two shorter figures hobbling along, huddled together. A cone of light spilled out over the doorway, and he recognized Maggie’s coppery hair.  Good Lord, she was only wearing a white nurse’s uniform.  She must be freezing.  The taller woman with the long hair must be her daughter, Julie.  Cody pushed the two of them inside and shut the door.

Mike took a .38 caliber pistol from its holster and watched the scene taking place near the window.  Cody stood facing Maggie and her daughter, pointing a gun with one hand, gesturing impatiently with the other. The two women clung together, listening to what appeared to be angry words. 

Somehow, Mike had to get to closer without arousing the dog.  He got out and dropped to his knees, letting the snow settle around his legs as he crawled forward, keeping his head close to the ground.  Then he heard shouting and a commotion; his head snapped up as the door flew open. He saw the two women jump off the steps and head toward the river.  Cody was staggering, waving a gun and shouting as he stood in the doorway.   Within seconds, the crack of a bullet came to a sharp stop as it whacked a tree near Mike’s head.

Cody yelled, “stop you bitches, I’ll kill you.”

Maggie and Julie were fast on their feet, but Cody wasn’t.  He slipped in the snow and fell face forward, giving the women a head start and time to disappear.  Cody fired a second shot, then a third, running and shooting in the dark.  Mike prayed no one had been hit.

              * * *