Thread of Innocence (Joe Tyler Mystery #4) (8 page)

FIFTEEN

“She said she'd go,” Lauren said. “With me.”

The girls returned home later in the afternoon and we'd barbecued chicken for dinner. I didn't mention Blundell's visit because I didn't think there was any point. They'd seemed to have had a good time shopping and for the first time since she'd been home, Elizabeth was smiling and talking easily with Lauren. Lauren was trying not to make a big deal over it, but I knew she was pleased.

Now we were in the bedroom, Elizabeth having gone upstairs to hers and I was starting to understand why they were getting along better.

“
Yeah?” I asked, stretching out on the bed on my side, my head resting on my hand, my elbow on the pillow.

Lauren nodded and slid onto the bed on her back. “Yeah. I asked her about it. She said if that was only way she could go, she'd go. But she didn't say it all crappy like that.”

“That's good.”

“
I suppose.”

“
So then it's up to you,” I said.

She frowned at me. “No pressure.”

“Is what it is.”

She folded her hands together and rested them on her stomach. “So you told me how you felt about the baby. Now I'm curious how you feel about us.”

I rolled over on my back. “What the hell is it about this room that brings on these questions?”

“
It is what it is.”

“
Touche.”

“
Thank you.”

I stared at the ceiling. “I don't know, Lauren. Do we have to solve everything in one week?”

“No, that's impossible,” she answered. “But we have to figure these things out.”

“
We have time.”

She shrugged. “Maybe.”

I folded my hands behind my head. “I don't know. I know that being back in the house has felt pretty normal. Having Elizabeth here feels normal. Talking to you like this feels normal.”

“
Agreed.”

“
But I don't want to force anything,” I said. “We got divorced for a reason.”

“
We got divorced because Elizabeth was taken from us,” she said.

“
That was part of it,” I said. “But we both know there were other things.”

“
So you think we would've gotten divorced even if she hadn't been taken?”

“
No. But a lot of things happened. Things that we can't take back. We're different people because of what happened.” I paused. “We got divorced because we became those different people. Just because we have her back doesn't mean we go back to being those people. We can't.”

She leaned her head back against the headboard and sighed. “I know. I wish we could, though.”

“Me, too. Be a hell of a lot simpler.”

“
It just...complicates things.”

“
I know.”

We laid there in silence for awhile. I knew that I loved Lauren, but I wasn't sure that was enough. It hadn't been enough to keep us together when Elizabeth disappeared. If anything, I'd leaned on that too long, until it had nearly broken us. I didn't want to jump back into things just because it was convenient. That wasn't going to be good for anyone.

“I'll take her to Minnesota,” Lauren said.

I turned to look at her. “Yeah?”

She nodded. “Yeah. She wants to go. I'll go.” She looked at me. “It'll give me and you some time, too. To figure out what's best.” She paused. “It's hard to think about things reasonably when we're all here in the house together.”

“
I can leave,” I offered.

She shook her head. “Not what I mean and I don't want you to right now.” She turned and looked at me. “If I haven't said it, I'm sorry. But I want you in this house right now. I don't want you confused over that. I want you here. I just mean it's hard to get perspective on everything when we're all here. So if I go to Minnesota with her, maybe it'll help clarify things. For both of us.”

“Okay,” I said.

She reached out and took my hand, folded it into hers. “I love you, Joe. I hope you know that.”

“I love you.”

“
And thank you,” she said.

“
For what?”

She scooted down on the bed and laid her head on my chest. “For not giving up. On Elizabeth.”

SIXTEEN

We talked a bit more before she drifted off and agreed that they would go the following day. We didn't see the need to wait. Lauren had already cleared her schedule for the remainder of the week, I had airline miles for them to redeem and it didn't allow for anyone to have second thoughts. Lauren said she'd contact the Corzines once they got to Minnesota.

She fell asleep and I extricated myself out from under her. I found my laptop, made the plane reservations for the next morning and booked a hotel for them, too. I paged through more unanswered emails, but felt no enthusiasm for responding to them. More people who were missing loved ones and it hurt to read through some of the words. They were no longer a distraction from being unable to find Elizabeth. Instead, they were a reminder of how hard it was to not be able to find someone you wanted to find.

And I found the same email from my friend Mr. Smith again. Same email address. Same words. Nothing different. But I didn't like being fucked with. On the off-chance that there was anything to the threats, I was glad the girls were going to head out of town.

I read the email one more time, then closed the computer and went to bed.

I slept in the room next to Elizabeth's and I tossed and turned more than I slept, a combination of the anxiety over their trip and the knowledge that I'd have some time to myself to continue looking into what happened to Elizabeth. I hadn't mentioned to Lauren that that was how I intended to spend my time, but I was certain she probably already knew.

When Elizabeth shuffled down the stairs in the morning, I was already at the kitchen table, sipping coffee and wondering if I could make it through the day without a nap.

“
Hey,” I said.

She slid into the chair across from me, her hair tangled up, her shoulders slouched and grunted something in response.

“No run today,” I said.

She looked at me, disappointment on her face. “Can I go then? By myself? I don't like to miss days.”

I shook my head. “You actually don't have time. You're going to Minnesota.”

“
What?”

I explained to her what Lauren and I had decided the night before and on cue, Lauren emerged from the bedroom, already showered and dressed.

Elizabeth looked at her. “So we're going this morning?”

She nodded, then looked at me. “If your dad got the flights booked.”

“I did,” I said. “Need to leave here in about an hour for the airport.”

Elizabeth looked down at the table and shuffled her bare feet against the floor.

“Is that alright?” Lauren asked, glancing first at her, then me. “Or do you not want to go now?”

“
No, I do,” she said. “I just...I just wasn't expecting to go today. So fast. But it's fine.”

“
Are you sure?” I asked. “We can delay it. We were just thinking that sooner rather than later was better and your mom is free to travel right now.”

“
No, it's fine,” Elizabeth said. “I'm just surprised.” She looked at each of us. “I guess I need to go pack then.” She hesitated. “And thank you.”

We both watched her go up the stairs.

“
She didn't seem thrilled,” Lauren said, taking Elizabeth's seat.

I shrugged. “We surprised her. Probably wasn't ready.”

“I'm not sure I am,” Lauren said.

“
Not sure anyone is,” I said. “But if we wait around we might be waiting forever. This is her chance for her to close things up there and come back and get life started again. Here. With us.” I waved a hand over the table. “Close the door on Minnesota and moved forward.”

Lauren nodded. “I know. It's just going to be weird.”

“You don't have to let her do anything you aren't comfortable with,” I said. “If she gets pissed, she gets pissed. We have to remember that we're still her parents.”

“
Do I let her meet with them?” Lauren said, lowering her voice. “Without me?”

“
I'd say a neutral spot at first,” I said. “With you there. Restaurant, coffee shop, whatever. Let them know you aren't totally comfortable being there, but we're doing it for Elizabeth. I think that'll help set the tone. After that, I'm sure she's going to want to go to their house.” I paused, thinking. “She probably does need some time alone with them. So maybe you take her and you stay in the living room or something. They can talk in her room. I know that most likely they didn't have anything to really do with her disappearance and they bought a bullshit story to adopt her. They were desperate for a child. They treated her well, as far as we know and that's good. But we don't want them getting comfortable with her or with us. Do what your gut tells you.” I paused again. “The one place I wouldn't let her go alone is to a friend's.”

“
Why not?”

“
Too many bad ideas could pop up,” I explained. “Running, hiding, whatever. So if she wants to see a friend or something, maybe you meet again at a restaurant or wherever. You can sit a table over or whatever. But I wouldn't leave her alone for that.”

She nodded slowly, thinking over my words. “Okay.” She pursed her lips. “Maybe you should go, Joe.”

“Why?”

She ran a hand through her damp hair. “Because you know how to do all of this. I have no clue. But you seem to know what's best. I don't wanna screw it up.”

I reached across the table for her hand. Her skin was still warm from the shower. “It'll be fine. There's no right or wrong. Err on the side of caution. And like I said. I think you two need the time together.” I squeezed her hand. “If it's bad or you don't like it or whatever, then tell me and I'll come. I'll jump on a plane right then when you call. But I think it should be you first.”

She nodded again, but it didn't seem very confident. “Alright. I need to put a few more things in a bag then.”

Half an hour later, we were all in the car on the way to the airport. The fog was heavy again, droplets of water riding on the windshield as we drove. No one spoke and even the radio couldn't diminish the weight of the silence. I wondered what each of them was thinking about.

I pulled into the short term parking lot and walked them into the terminal. It was late morning and the early morning travelers had already come and gone, leaving the airport quiet and uncrowded. I found the airline kiosk and printed off their boarding passes for them and walked them to the security line.

Lauren hugged me first. “We'll call you when we get there.”

“
Sure.”

She kissed my cheek and stepped back, adjusting the bag on her arm.

Elizabeth stood there for a moment, neither of us knowing what to do. Finally, I took a step toward her and put my arms around her so she wouldn't have to make the decision as to whether or not to hug me. I was relieved when she hugged me back.

“
Listen to your mom, okay?” I said, rubbing her back. “She's going with you to help, not hurt. Okay?”

She nodded against my chest. “Okay.”

She let go of me and I smiled at both of them as they turned and got in the security line. They did the serpentine thing, following the back and forth pattern provided by the ropes. Halfway through, Lauren said something over her shoulder and Elizabeth laughed. They handed their paperwork to the TSA agent who scanned it quickly, made a few marks and handed it back. They set their stuff on the conveyor belts and stepped through the x-ray machines. They reclaimed their belongings on the other side, slipped their shoes on and both waved at me before disappearing around the corner, headed toward their gate.

I knew people would wonder why we were letting Elizabeth go back. But like I'd said to Lauren, more than anything, my gut told me the Corzines were guilty of buying a bullshit story. They'd taken care of Elizabeth. They'd given her a good life. This wasn't something where she'd been abused and held against her will. They'd treated her well. While I didn't care what their feelings were now, I did care about Elizabeth's and in my heart, I truly thought that letting her and Lauren go to close things up was the right thing to do.

I stood their for a moment, unable to get my feet to move. I didn't like seeing them go, even if I thought it was the right thing to do. It was harder than I'd expected. When they were with me, I felt like I could protect them and soothe the tension between them. But now that they were gone, my hands were tied and I was more of a bystander than anything else.

I crossed my fingers and hoped it would go smoothly for them.

SEVENTEEN

I walked out to my car and the fog was gone, replaced by a hazy sun. The harbor sparkled across the road, boats sailing in the breeze, heading out toward Point Loma and the Pacific. I leaned against the door for a moment, letting the sun warm my face, appreciating a view I hadn't taken the time to appreciate in quite some time. I thought about popping the trunk and getting what I needed, but decided to make a phone call I'd been contemplating making for awhile instead. I pulled the phone from my pocket, scrolled through the contacts and touched the number I wanted, squinting into the late morning sunshine as I put the phone to my ear.

John Anchor answered on the second ring. “Mr. Tyler. This is an unexpected surprise.”

“
Am I catching you at a bad time?”

“
Never a bad time,” Anchor answered.

John Anchor worked for a man named Peter Codaselli in Minneapolis. When I'd gone to Minnesota tracking Elizabeth, I'd ended up helping Codaselli find his son. He, in turn, had made Anchor available to me if I needed his assistance in any way. He'd proven indispensable in helping me find Elizabeth back in San Diego and was the kind of guy you wanted on your side rather than a guy you wanted showing up at your door unannounced. He seemed to run Codaselli's operation and he did so smoothly, professionally and ruthlessly. He'd helped me, but I wasn't fooled in any way.

John Anchor wasn't one of the good guys.

“
How are things with your daughter?” he asked.

“
Okay,” I answered. “We're getting along as best as possible.”

“
She's adjusting?”

“
She's trying, which is all we're asking.”

“
That's good to hear,” he said. “Any further information on what happened to her?”

I paused. “That's sort of why I'm calling.”

He didn't say anything and the line buzzed.

“
I'm wondering if you might be able to find anything about a woman trafficking kids out of Phoenix,” I said. “I've run into a wall here.”

“
You think she was involved in your daughter's disappearance?”

“
I think she played a role,” I said. “I'm just not sure to what extent.”

“
What information do you have?”

“
Just what the family that Elizabeth ended up with in Minnesota told me,” I said. “That she was supposedly in Phoenix. That her fee was exorbitant. That's about it. I don't even think the federal agent here working Elizabeth's case has been able to dig anything up. So that's why I called you.”

“
Right,” Anchor said. “That's not much to go on.”

“
I know.”

“
But I can certainly see what I can find,” he said.

“
I'd appreciate it.”

“
Of course,” he said.

It was quiet for a moment.

“Mr. Tyler, I want to tread lightly here,” Anchor said. “You know how grateful Mr. Codaselli was in your assistance with finding his son. And we were more than happy to return the favor in helping to locate your daughter.”

“
I know what you're saying, John,” I said, squinting again into the sun.

“
Do you?”

“
I understand that I used up Mr. Codaselli's favor,” I said. “Which I appreciated. But I understand that any further assistance would place me on the other side of the ledger. I would be in Mr. Codaselli's debt.”

“
So you do understand,” Anchor said.

“
I do,” I answered.

And I did. I knew that nothing was free with men like Codaselli and Anchor. They had repaid their debt to me by helping me locate and rescue Elizabeth. We were square. If I wanted their help in any way now, it was a new transaction, one that I'd be held accountable for. I knew that before I'd made the phone call.

“And you understand that when and if we asked for your assistance, we would expect it as soon as reasonably possible? Without objection to the task?”

The sails on the boats in the harbor billowed in the breeze.

“I understand fully, John,” I said. “You have my word.”

The line buzzed again for a moment.

“Excellent,” Anchor said. “Give me a few hours and I'll see what I can come up with. I assume you'll be reachable?”

I pushed myself off the car, popped the trunk and grabbed the backpack I'd stowed in there under a blanket before Elizabeth and Lauren had gotten up. I closed the trunk and watched the sailboats float across the water.

“Getting on a plane to Phoenix in just a bit,” I said. “You can leave me a voicemail if you have anything before I land.”