Bait, p.25
Bait, page 25
“Your dad really did all this?” There was no judgment in Jake’s eyes, only question.
Nic sucked in a breath and nodded. “I don’t know about your girlfriend—I’m so sorry about that. But if I had to guess, I’d say yes. My dad probably did this.”
“That’s why you weren’t around?”
Nic nodded. “I didn’t want this for your mom.”
“Why did you come back now?”
Tears welled up in his eyes. “You could say that Caisey knocked some sense into me.” Nic smiled. “Or the change was a long time coming, or Gabe coming back made me realize how important family is. But it was mostly your mom. I was nervous as all get-up. But after I saw her I just couldn’t walk away.”
Jake shifted and looked at his mom. When he looked back at Nic, a small smile played at the corners of his mouth.
The door opened and a doctor came in, his tired face about a decade younger than Nic’s. “Whoa, Grand Central Station much?”
Caisey shifted. “Piccadilly Circus.”
Jenna grinned.
The doctor paused, one eyebrow raised. “Piccadilly Circus?”
Caisey nodded. “My Grandmother raised me on British cultural references. Guess some things get lost in translation.”
The doctor pointed at Caisey with his pen. “That’s funny, because my girlfriend works upstairs and she had an old lady she was taking care of earlier who was British. She passed away, though. Though, if you’re gonna go, go in a hospital. Am I right?”
Nic saw it wash over their faces.
Caisey hit the door at a run, Gabe right behind her.
**
Caisey passed the elevators and made for the stairs, thanking God she’d been here so many times with suspects and victims she knew the hospital layout. She hadn’t known that jerk of an intern though, he must be new.
But not for much longer.
She ran up the stairs, two at a time.
Before she was done, that intern was going to know her real well.
The fourth floor door snapped back on its hinges and she heard Gabe grunt, but didn’t slow down. Nothing would have made her stop. Not until she knew for sure that idiot wannabe doctor didn’t know what he was talking about.
Someone yelled for her to slow down, but she didn’t.
Caisey ran to the door to four-sixteen and hit the handle at full speed. The heavy door opened and she saw the empty bed.
“Case.” Gabe’s voice was behind her.
“Is she Mrs. Lyons’ next of kin?” A pause. Then someone in a white coat was beside her. “I’m sorry. It happened fast and we did everything we could to get Elenor back, but there was nothing we could do.”
People crowded in behind her. She heard Jake’s voice. Jenna started crying. Gabe’s hands touched her shoulder, her arms, but she didn’t move.
“Breathe.”
She couldn’t. She didn’t know how.
Chapter 36
THE BLANKET WAS scratchy against her cheek, but she wasn’t ever going to move. It smelled like Grams.
“Is she okay?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen her like this. I’m really worried.” “Maybe we should call her doctor.”
“She doesn’t have a doctor.”
Chapter 37
“I’M SO SORRY for your loss.”
A hand grabbed Caisey’s and tugged until she was sitting. The wooden bench was so cold it crept into her and froze her spine. Someone sang an old hymn in the clipped way British people pronounce words. Grams had sung those words many times, kneeling in the dirt in their back garden. Pulling weeds and praising God, singing about sin being removed.
A tear snaked down Caisey’s cheek, tickling her dry skin. Tissue touched her cheek and she turned her face toward the comfort.
“The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Chapter 38
CAISEY RAN AND RAN. Down sidewalks, through alleyways and across parking lots she followed a path that snaked beside a river, the relentless pursuit that followed her mile after mile. She had to get away, but it was everywhere around her.
It was inside her.
Tears streamed down her face. Her hair flew behind her in a stream, sweat dampening the back of her neck. Why hadn’t she tied it up?
Her foot clipped the asphalt and her knees slammed the ground.
She heard a groan and a body surrounded hers, gathering her up and in until she felt cocooned in his warmth. But it wasn’t Liam, it was Gabe. His face was red and his t-shirt was damp with sweat. How far had they run?
He touched her face. “Hey.”
His face washed away in a blur of tears. Caisey dipped her head and squeezed him tighter.
Chapter 39
FIRST SHE WAS in a car and then she was carried inside to sit cuddled up on Grams’ couch.
“I can’t be in here.” She pushed and struggled against Gabe’s arms. He let her go, but didn’t let her get off the couch.
“Just sit, Case. You’re pushing the grief away and it’s tearing you up. You can’t run from this, you have to face it. It’s hard because you see the hole where she was, but you have to feel it or it won’t ever progress to where you can embrace the memories.”
She shook her head. He didn’t know what he was talking about. He’d never lost anyone like this. He walked away from his family and she could see he missed them, but he didn’t know that it felt like her foundation had been ripped out from under her. First her father. Now Grams.
“Still, Case.”
But she was struggling and she didn’t think she could stop.
Gabe pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around hers, holding her. “Still.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and sucked in slow, deep breaths until the shakes went to jerks and finally the jerking stopped altogether.
“I don’t…I can’t…”
“I know.” His voice rumbled through his chest, under her cheek. “That’s why I’m here.”
She squeezed her eyes shut. “Gabe.”
“You need to get it together. Your family needs you. So take your time, right here with me, and get through it. Because they’re seeing you fall apart and it’s tearing them up.”
Caisey nodded against his shoulder. She could do that. Jake and Jenna were the most important things in the world and she couldn’t hurt them, not now.
**
Jenna put her hands on the edge of the kitchen counter and bowed her head. It was like a hole had opened up in her chest and nothing would get rid of it. She didn’t want to be strong anymore. This was too hard. Caisey was a mess. Jake had retreated into himself. And she was barely holding it together.
She stared at the coffee maker, trying to dredge up the gumption to make a fresh pot. The whole house was freezing, like Grams took all the warmth and light and happiness with her. Now all that was left was black and way too quiet and empty.
Nic rinsed out the pot and set the coffee to brew. He leaned against the counter next to her, not saying anything. Just being there and making her feel stronger with his presence.
Part of her wished she didn’t need him there. She should be able to stand on her own. That was what she wanted. It was better that way, wasn’t it? Being independent. Strong. But then, Caisey was the strongest person she knew and her best friend had been a wreck the last few days.
They never had called the doctor, despite Gabe’s insistence that it might be necessary. Jenna just couldn’t bring herself to do that to her friend, who would’ve hated it when she found out. Caisey always came off as so tough, like nothing bothered her. Or if it did, she wasn’t the kind who talked about it.
God, she’s broken. What hope is there if this storm has toppled even Caisey?
Nic grabbed a paper towel and handed it to her. Jenna wiped her cheeks, but more tears kept coming. He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. Jenna sighed into his embrace. Leaning on someone wasn’t so bad.
She didn’t want to, but she pulled back. “I should check on Jake, make sure he eats something.”
“How about you?” Nic squeezed her waist. “Did you eat something?”
“Toast. I’m okay, I just need to make sure he is.”
Nic nodded. “I’ll go with you.”
He followed her up the stairs, holding her hand like he needed the comfort of touch just as much as she did. For years Jenna had missed his presence, and the small ways he let her know he was there for her. Now after almost two decades of famine, she was soaking it up like spring rain in the desert.
Jenna knocked on her son’s door and eased it open. “You okay, honey?”
But the bed was empty. And he wasn’t at the desk. She turned to Nic, who was frowning. “Did he go downstairs?”
“I’ll check.”
Nic left and she sat at the computer, waking it out of sleep mode. At her request, he kept her informed of what his password was. When she entered it, a web page came on screen.
“Oh, no.”
“He’s not downstairs and your car is gone.” Nic was out of breath, like he ran back up. “What’s wrong?”
Then she knew something bad had happened. Jake wouldn’t have taken her car without a fantastically good reason. Did he even know how to drive? What on earth was he doing? She couldn’t help thinking the answer was in what he’d been looking at on his computer.
Jenna waved him over. “Check this out.”
He came to stand behind her and she scrolled down the page where Jake had searched for Holden Arturo. The articles that came up were from newspapers or blogs and Jake had opened multiple tabs. The police had suspected Holden as being involved in the disappearance of a businessman from New York. It was never proven, but the blogger knew he was involved. The next tab was an article about Gabe’s testimony against his dad and the dropped case against Holden, and rumors surrounding Gabe’s disappearance immediately following his appearance in court. The third was the obituary for Natalia Silver.
“You don’t think he would…” Nic’s voice trailed off.
“I don’t know what to think. He was doing okay, you know. As well as could be expected, anyway. I didn’t know he was up here doing this. I thought he was reading.”
“Jenna, you can’t control his actions. He has to make decisions for himself.”
She shook her head. “But why was he looking at this? What is he going to do? Where did he go?”
Nic thought for a minute. Jenna wanted to scream at him to hurry up, but she waited him out.
“Is he the type of kid to retaliate?”
Jenna bit her lip. “I didn’t think so, but I don’t know where his head is at right now.” “We need to figure out where he went. Then we can sort out his head.”
Jenna typed in the web address for her cell service and pulled up the GPS for Jake’s phone. The dot flashed along a street in Greenwood Village and stopped halfway down. At a house Jenna had been to before, years ago. Where she’d had the door slammed in her face and been chased to her car by Rottweiler’s.
“He went to confront my dad.”
Jenna was already halfway to the door. “We have to get to him before something happens.”
She ran by Caisey’s open door and nearly tripped. The door to her closet was open, and so was the gun safe.
“What?”
“Caisey would never have left that open.”
“So Jake…”
Jenna looked at him. “Jake took a gun.”
They ran down the stairs together just as Caisey and Gabe came in from Grams’ side of the house. Caisey frowned and focused on Jenna’s face. Jenna didn’t have time to be relieved that her friend was out of the funk she’d been in and back to some semblance of normal.
“Jake went to Nic’s dad’s house. Your gun safe is open. We think he’s going to do something stupid.”
Caisey grabbed her keys, turned back around and headed for the door. “Let’s go.”
Gabe drove and Caisey made a call. Jenna huddled in the back with Nic, holding on for dear life at the thought that they might get there too late.
God, help him.
“Get over to Holden’s. Jake went there and we think he took one of my guns.” She paused. “I know that.” She paused again. “Oh, crap.”
Caisey hung up and pulled a gun from the glove box.
“What is it?”
Caisey glanced back at her. “Toben came through on the evidence. He gave his testimony and they’re ready to move forward on the arrest.
“So cops are on their way there?”
“They might be there already, they might not move in until tomorrow. It’s bureaucracy. Bottom line is, this could all get a lot worse before it gets better. If the FBI strike team shows up and Jake is waving a gun, things could go south. Fast.”
Jenna knew that’s what she did for a living and Caisey was trained, but this was Jake.
“You’re not going to shoot him, are you? Even if he tries to kill Holden?”
“You really want me to answer that question? You think I’d do anything to hurt Jake?” She shook her head. “I know I haven’t been much help lately, and I’m sorry for that. You guys needed me.”
“You weren’t being selfish, you were grieving.”
“Even still, I should’ve been there. But I’m here now and I’m not going to let Jake do anything that will mess up his future or hurt him in any way. Okay? You can trust me. This is what I do. Liam is getting word to the agents on the case to find out when they’re going to take Holden down and let them know there might be a minor involved. You guys need to wait outside and I’ll go in. When Liam gets there he’ll come in too, but you all need to wait for the police.”
“I should come with—”
Caisey cut off Nic with a short head shake. “You all stay outside.”
They pulled onto a street Jenna usually purposely avoided. Who wanted to be reminded that they weren’t good enough? She wasn’t itching to relive the day her world came crashing down and she realized that she and her baby would have to rely on Samuel, Grams and Caisey. She had a blessed life, but there had always been something missing. And that something now sat beside her, squeezing her hand and worrying about his son just as much as she was.
But if anything happened to Jake…she wasn’t strong enough to even think about that.
Chapter 40
JAKE LIFTED THE gun and saw the old man’s eyes flash. Good. He should be scared. Jake wanted to kill him for what he’d done to Natalia, and his mom and dad. Jake’s whole life went the way it did because of this guy’s selfishness. Standing there in a shirt and slacks and his socks, Holden Arturo didn’t look like much. Certainly not the killer everyone said he was.
“You’re a monster.”
“You don’t know me, kid. You can’t show up at my door like this and barge in and insult me. Put the gun down before you hurt someone.”
“You’re wrong. I do know you. Grandpa.”
The old man’s eyes widened. “No.” Then something dawned on him. “Jenna Cartwright. I knew that little—”
“Don’t call my mom that!”
“Hmm…you do look a little Cartwright. Though I can see a measure of my son in you. Blood does tell.”
“I’m nothing like you! You might be my grandfather, but you’re a monster!”
“And that’s reason enough to want to end me?” He chuckled, a low dark sound. “Perhaps you do know me after all. Perhaps a little closer than you’d like, eh?”
“This isn’t a joke! You killed Natalia Silver. You burned down my dad’s car garage and nearly killed him and my mom. Aunty Elenor might have been in the hospital, but you probably had someone kill her too. An old lady who only had a stomach bug, and now she’s dead.” Jake sucked in a breath. “What did we ever do to you? Well I’m not going to let you do it anymore. Not to us and not to anyone else.”
He adjusted his grip on the gun. He knew enough of the basics he’d managed to load it and everyone knew you just pulled back the slide and then you could fire. He was going to do it. He was going to put a bullet in this murderer, just like Caisey would if she could. Take down the bad guy. Protect the family, even if it costs you everything. Jake didn’t have anything left, not now that Natalia was gone. The future was black. His mom would be sad, maybe even disappointed or mad at him, but in the end she would see he’d done the right thing.
“So you’re going to shoot me in my living room.” The old man’s eyes were hard. “What will you do with the body?”
“What do you care? You’ll be dead.”
“True.” He sniffed. “And you’ll be in jail for the next twenty years, if you don’t get the death penalty.”
Jake’s stomach clenched. He shook his head. “I have no future without Natalia. What do I care what happens to me?”
“You think I destroyed your family? I don’t know this Natalie person.”
“Her name was Natalia. She was Lazlo Silver’s granddaughter and your men shot up his restaurant last week and killed her.”
“Ah. You have to know, with men like that it’s almost inevitable that an innocent will get caught in the crossfire.”
“And Nic’s garage?”
“I heard it was vandals who started the fire.”
“They could have been killed! They were in there that night. You just don’t like the fact that Nic wants to have a life. Just because he won’t jump when you tell him to isn’t reason to kill him.”
Arturo motioned to a cabinet topped with a silver tray, glasses and multiple glass bottles filled with colored liquid. “Do you mind if I pour a drink? Your rambling is making me dizzy.”
Jake clenched his teeth together. “Don’t move!”
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