Jack of Diamonds Read online

  Alice let her head sag forward until her forehead touched the wall. She could picture Aunt Haddie on the other side. She’d be sitting on the floor, one hand against the wall, the other lifted to the heavens.

  “We’re going to get out of this, Alice,” Aunt Haddie whispered.

  “How do you know?”

  “Because this man messed with the wrong family.”

  Alice’s faint smile faded as she heard a door open and footsteps drawing closer.

  52

  An officer parted the crowd to let Jack pull the Charger into Shawna’s parking lot. Three police cruisers were already there, along with Morrison’s car. Jack jumped out of the car and ran over to Bobbie.

  “What happened?”

  Bobbie was pale and shaking. He pointed up at Shawna’s apartment. “Alice went to the bathroom, and the next thing we knew she was gone. Out that window.”

  Jack’s gaze traveled up the fire escape to the open window on the second floor. “Did she say anything to you?”

  “Nothing. I spoke to her in the bedroom just before. We were all celebrating about you catching Philip. But she said you didn’t think Philip was the guy. Next thing I knew she came out of the bedroom, went straight to the bathroom, and closed the door. After a few minutes, Kendra got up and knocked. When Alice didn’t answer, she kicked in the door. We saw the window was open and Alice was gone.”

  Jack wanted to grab Bobbie and shake him, tell him to calm down, but Bobbie was already so upset, Jack figured smacking him around would only make him worse. He lowered his voice, softening it, coaxing him to remember.

  “Bobbie, close your eyes and think. When Alice walked out of the bedroom, did she say anything? Did she do anything?”

  Bobbie clamped his eyes closed, his big hands clenching and opening. After a moment he shook his head violently like a dog with a toy. “Nothing. She just . . . wanted you to call.” He glared down at the ground.

  “Picture Alice walking out of the bedroom,” Jack said.

  “She opened the door and . . . looked at us. Waved.” Bobbie’s face scrunched up. “She had her phone—” His eyes snapped open. He looked at Jack hopefully. “Her phone was on. I’m sure of it. The screen was lit.”

  Did someone call her?

  Jack looked over at Kendra, who was speaking with Morrison and Thomas. When Jack caught her eye, she hurried right over, with the sheriff and special agent following right after. It was clear she had been crying. “I’m so sorry, Jack. I never let her out of my sight except when she’d go to the bathroom. The window was locked. There’s no way someone got in from outside.”

  Thomas looked up at the building. “Unless they climbed the fire escape, held a gun on Alice, and forced her to open the window.”

  Kendra gasped, but Jack shook his head. “Not Alice. If someone did that, she’d make sure Kendra heard her going outside.”

  Thomas raised an eyebrow. “Why didn’t she tip them off that she was in trouble? Why would she sneak out?”

  “We need to pull Alice’s phone records. Bobbie said Alice was in the bedroom with the phone. Somehow the killer made her sneak out.”

  “You’re saying she willingly went with the guy?” Thomas asked.

  “Not willingly, Frank!” Jack snapped. “The guy tricked her or forced her, but somehow he convinced Alice to quietly open the window and climb down the fire escape without alerting anyone. It’s the only thing that makes sense. Kendra would have heard Alice otherwise.”

  Morrison stepped between them. “We have several officers canvassing the apartments. So far, no one heard or saw anything.”

  “If you’re correct,” Thomas said, “is there a chance that this has nothing to do with our killer? Maybe it’s a bride that got cold feet?”

  “You stupid—”

  Bobbie and Morrison grabbed Jack before he could swing. Jack was screaming now. The pressure cooker had completely lost its lid and Jack’s pent-up rage rushed out.

  Kendra led Thomas away as Jack struggled to pull free of Bobbie and Morrison.

  “Cool it, Jack! Now!” Morrison shouted directly in Jack’s face.

  Jack was seething, but he pulled himself together. “I’m sorry, sir, but—”

  “Don’t apologize.” Morrison’s face was twisted into a scowl. “That man is a moron.”

  Bobbie let go of Jack. “Anybody who knows Alice knows she didn’t cut out on you.”

  “Jack!” Marisa called from the sidewalk on the other side of the street. An officer there was blocking her way.

  “Let her through,” Morrison said. As Marisa hurried over to them, Morrison turned back to Jack. “Trust me, Jack. We’re going to do everything we can to find her.”

  Bobbie and Morrison walked away as Marisa ran up and hugged Jack. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I came as soon as Shawna told me. What happened?”

  Jack’s rage was still burning white-hot as he began telling Marisa all he knew through clenched teeth. She held his hand and listened patiently. When he was done, their eyes met. What he wanted to see there was a speck of hope, but all he saw was pity. Marisa’s truthfulness was one of the things he valued most about their friendship, but right now he wished she would lie to him and tell him everything was going to be fine.

  Jack glared down at the pavement. Alice was missing, likely in the grasp of a killer. And he had no clue where she was or what to do next.

  A gust of wind blew a discarded candy wrapper across the parking lot. Dozens of little scraps of paper joined the wrapper as it danced across the asphalt. Jack ran over and stamped his foot down, trapping two of the little scraps.

  Puzzled, Marisa stepped up beside him. “What is it?”

  Jack triumphantly held up the two brightly colored pieces of paper. “Someone fired a Taser. This is Taser confetti. It’s for identification.”

  “You mean you can find out who owns the Taser that fired it?”

  “Yes.” Jack scanned the parking lot. Morrison was nowhere in sight, but he saw Kendra and raced over to her, holding up the confetti like a prize. “Kendra! It’s AFID! There’s more of it in the corner. We need to run a trace on it. Where’s the sheriff?”

  “He went upstairs to set Thomas straight about what he said to you. That fed is an idiot. I get it—he doesn’t know you or Alice. But even so, what runaway bride would leave without her purse? Just slip out a window with nothing but the clothes on her back? It’s ridic—”

  “Her phone!” Jack said suddenly. “She has her phone!” He tried to reach into his pocket with his bandaged hand, and winced. Using his left hand instead, he took out his phone and unlocked it. “Alice put that Friend Find app on our phones so we can always locate each other.”

  Jack said a quick prayer as the app opened and a “trying to locate” message appeared next to Alice’s picture. Kendra and Marisa looked over his shoulder at the screen. All three of them were holding their breath.

  The app beeped, and a little red pin appeared on the on-screen map, only two blocks away. A beacon of hope. Jack slapped the Taser confetti into Kendra’s hand and ran for the Charger. Marisa ran after him.

  “Where are you going?” Kendra shouted. “The sheriff—”

  “You tell him,” Jack called back. “And give him the confetti!”

  As Jack slid behind the wheel, Marisa grabbed for the passenger door handle, but Jack quickly locked the doors. “I’m sorry, Marisa. This is too dangerous.”

  Marisa bristled. “Alice risked her life for me. Open the door or I’ll shoot the window out.”

  Jack unlocked the door. He believed her—and he had no time to waste arguing.

  A cop moved the crowd aside so that Jack could exit. As soon as he was clear, he floored it. Rocketing through traffic, he covered the distance in under a minute. But when he skidded to a stop, his heart sank. The area was a deserted lot. Weeds and clumps of grass had grown up in the foundation of where a building once stood.

  He and Marisa climbed out of the car.

 
; “The ping says her phone is here.” Jack started toward the chain-link fence that surrounded the lot. He was about to climb over it when Marisa shouted, “I found it.”

  “Don’t touch it!” Jack rushed over.

  Lying in the grass was Alice’s phone. The screen was smashed, splintered and strewn about the ground.

  Jack’s own phone began to ring. He started to automatically decline it, then saw it was Aunt Haddie’s nursing home.

  “This is Jack.”

  “Hey, Jack, this is Susan. We’re just wondering when Alice is going to bring Haddie back?”

  Jack’s heart started pounding in his chest. “Who picked Aunt Haddie up? Was it Alice?”

  “No, it was a man. Alice texted and said she was sending someone over.”

  “What time did she text?”

  “Over two hours ago.”

  “What phone number did the text come from?”

  “Is everything okay?” Susan asked.

  Jack’s throat tightened. “Susan, what number did the text come from?”

  “Hang on a sec.” After a pause, Susan read off the number, and Jack wrote it down. He didn’t recognize it.

  “Isn’t that the wedding planner’s phone?” Susan asked.

  “No. Did you see the driver?”

  “Not really. It was a man in a suit. I didn’t get a look at his face. Is everything okay?” she asked again, her voice starting to pick up speed and volume.

  Jack froze.

  It all clicked into place.

  The killer had taken Haddie, then used her to get Alice to go outside. If someone held a gun to Alice, she’d fight back, but if they held a gun to Aunt Haddie . . .

  “Jack?” Marisa laid a gentle hand on his arm. “Are you all right?”

  He shook his head. “He has them both. The killer has Alice and Aunt Haddie.”

  53

  Alice heard soft footsteps rapidly approaching. Running up the stairs. A door opened. The footsteps grew steadily louder, then stopped just outside Alice’s door. She closed her eyes in anticipation, her muscles knots.

  Alice stepped back and got into the fighting stance Jack had shown her, preparing to pounce on her attacker the moment he opened the door. She’d gouge his eyes out for hurting Aunt Haddie.

  But the door didn’t open. The panel in the center slid to one side, and light streamed through a narrow slot. A bottle of water and two protein bars fell through. “Take these.”

  Alice recognized the soft voice. It was Lenora Soriano, the seamstress for her wedding. Alice lunged forward, her skin scraping against the slot in the door as she jammed her arm through, frantically grabbing for Lenora.

  Lenora fell back. Her eyes were wide. She was terrified. “It’s not me. I don’t want to hurt you. I . . . I . . .”

  “Shh . . . child.” It was Aunt Haddie’s voice. “Now open the doors so we can talk to you.”

  “I can’t,” Lenora sobbed. “Here.” Alice heard her open the slot in Aunt Haddie’s door and drop something in. Likely the same water and food.

  “Lenora,” Alice pleaded, “if someone is making you do this, help us! Open the doors, please.”

  “I can’t. They’re locked.”

  “Do you know where the key is?” Alice asked.

  “I know where she keeps it.”

  “Go get it for us,” Aunt Haddie said. “And then we can all get out of here.”

  Lenora shook her head. Her whole body was trembling. “He’ll find out. He’ll stop me.”

  “Who will?” Alice asked. “Who’s behind all this?”

  “Oh, no.” Lenora’s eyes darted around like a frightened bird. “They’re coming back. I have to go!”

  “Wait!” Alice called out.

  Lenora whispered, “I’ll try.” Then her footsteps slowly faded into the distance.

  Alice resisted the urge to bang on the door in frustration. Tears ran down her cheeks. Whoever was behind this had trapped Lenora, too.

  “That poor girl,” Aunt Haddie said softly. “Let’s pray for her and say grace.”

  “You’re not going to drink the water, are you?” Alice asked.

  “We need to keep our strength up,” Aunt Haddie said. “Besides, if they wanted to kill us, we’d be dead already.”

  “Good point.” Alice opened her bottle and took a sip. “You picked up on the fact that it’s two people? A man and a woman?”

  “I didn’t,” Aunt Haddie said. “But you and Jack are two peas in a pod. You’re right, there are two of them, and they have Lenora scared out of her mind. Do you want me to pray, or would you rather?”

  “I’m all out of prayers, Aunt Haddie.”

  “When that happens, that’s the time to pray by listening.” After a pause, Aunt Haddie said. “Dear Lord, thank you for this food. Please let it not be poisoned or drugged. Watch over Lenora and give her the strength to get the key and get us out of here. In Jesus’s name, Amen.”

  “I thought you said the water was safe. I already took a sip.” Alice leaned her head against the wall.

  “That teaches you to wait until we’re done praying. My mouth is so dry that I think this bottle of water is a little miracle in and of itself. So, don’t you even think about not thanking the Lord for it.”

  “Good point.” Alice took another sip.

  “What are you thinking about?” Aunt Haddie asked.

  “Jack.”

  “Me too.” Aunt Haddie chuckled.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Whoever those people are, they have no idea the fury they’ve unleashed on themselves. When that boy finds out we’ve both been taken, he’ll make the demons tremble.”

  54

  Jack and Marisa beat the police to the nursing home. As the Charger skidded to a stop out front, Susan came running out. She was bawling.

  “I never should have let her get into the car without checking the driver’s identification. I’m so sorry. Aunt Haddie really wanted to help with the wedding, and so many different people were giving her rides.”

  “It’s not your fault.” Jack held the woman by both shoulders. Aunt Haddie was beloved at the nursing home, and he knew Susan really cared for her. “I need you to tell me everything you remember. Start with where you were standing.”

  “I was still inside. Just inside the door. Aunt Haddie was outside, and the car pulled right up under the awning just about where you’re parked. I watched to make sure she got into the car alright.”

  Jack walked over to the door and looked back at his car. The whole driver’s side was covered in shadow.

  “Can you tell me anything about the man?”

  “He was in a suit and he had a hat on. The kind old men wear.”

  “Like a fedora?” Jack asked.

  “Yes, more or less.”

  “What about the car? What kind was it?”

  “It was red. Four doors. A sedan.”

  “Do you know the make?”

  Susan shook her head. “I’m not good with cars. It wasn’t brand new, but it wasn’t really old either. I’m so sorry, I know this isn’t very helpful.”

  One of the nursing home staff stepped outside while Susan was talking. Jack recognized the man as Dario. He had an eagle tattoo on his upper arm. “Hey, Jack. Are you guys talking about the car that picked up Haddie?”

  “Did you see it?” Jack asked.

  “Yep. I was having a smoke.” He pointed to a fenced area a good distance away. “I saw Haddie get into a Ford Focus. I remember ’cause my girlfriend’s brother is selling one and I was going to ask Haddie how it rode.”

  “Did you see the driver?”

  “Sorry, man. I was pretty far away.”

  “Are there any cameras out here?”

  Susan answered, “Yes. We run a licensed memory care unit, so we have cameras all over, for the safety of our patients. But they’re all pointed at the building. There isn’t one pointed out here.” She wrung her hands as she spoke, eyes darting from cameras to Jack and back again.


  Jack pulled out his phone and relayed all the information to Morrison so he could put out an APB on the red Ford Focus.

  Jack hung up and stared down at his hands. They were shaking. It wasn’t fear causing his tremors, it was rage. He choked down his fury and remembered to thank Susan and Dario before marching back to the Charger. Marisa jogged up beside him.

  “What are you going to do now?” she asked.

  “I’m going to look for that car.”

  “Then let me drive.” Marisa held out her hand.

  “Not a chance.”

  Jack slid behind the wheel and Marisa got in the passenger seat. As they sped out of the nursing home lot, Jack took out his phone.

  “Who are you calling?”

  “I’m calling in every favor I have.”

  55

  Alice’s fingernails were bloody, but she’d managed to pry a large splinter of wood out of the floor. It was thin, but it was around seven inches long, and if she aimed it at a fleshy target, it would do the job.

  “Alice?” Aunt Haddie whispered. “I want you to promise me something, angel.”

  “Anything.”

  “When we get out of these rooms, you need to run.”

  “I’m not leaving you.”

  “My old legs will slow you down. You run like the wind and get help, but no matter what, you get out.”

  Tears ran down Alice’s cheeks as she remembered Aunt Haddie’s fire drill instructions to her as a child. Get out of the house and wait at the telephone pole meeting spot. Do not go back inside no matter what. That’s the firefighters’ job. Haddie knew that the best chance of survival for her many foster kids was to have them concentrate on getting themselves out of her old house and not die going back in after something or someone. Alice pictured the now-elderly Aunt Haddie sitting on the floor in the next cell, alone in the dark. The same volunteer mom who’d stepped in to love and care for Alice as an abused little orphan was still guiding her through troubled waters.