Chapter 7

Emily sighed for the twentieth time that hour. My fingers dug into the decorative couch pillow, ready to launch it across the room at her silver-blonde annoying head. She was doing it on purpose. Those dramatic sighs and the forlorn cast of her eyes out the window were an act. Who did she think she was fooling?

“What’s wrong, Emily?” Lil asked, patting Emily’s shoulder.

“I’m just worried about Brett,” she said, her voice sickly sweet.

Lil’s lips turned down. The worry on her face was evident. But she still patted Emily’s shoulder as if Emily had more right to worry than anyone.

“Brett knows how to take care of himself,” Lil said. “He’ll be just fine.”

“But what about the trial?” Emily insisted. “Will he be back for that? I can’t go to the courtroom with that evil woman if Brett’s not there.”

The daggered look Emily shot me when she referred to the “evil woman” made me wonder if she had been talking about me and not Annie. The killer.

“Annie will be in restraints,” Lil said. “And Brett promised to be back before the trial begins. You know he never breaks his promises.”

She nodded. “But where is he going?”

Lil glanced questioningly at me.

Shrugging, I let the pillow fall free from my death grip. “If I had to guess, T found information about the boxes. Maybe their origin or maybe about the victim. Brett was in cop mode when he dumped me on your doorstep.”

“He never dumped me,” Emily muttered snidely under her breath.

“No, you ran off with his uncle,” I clipped.

I shouldn’t have allowed her to get under my skin, but everything she did annoyed me, provoked me. If I didn’t get away from her soon, I’d be the one standing trial for murder.

Lil cleared her throat. “I think I’ll make some lemonade. It’ll be nice with this afternoon’s heat.”

As soon as Lil left for the kitchen, Emily turned to me, a mysterious smile brewing on her face, putting me immediately on edge. Quickly standing, I exited the room, leaving her behind. Whatever that smile meant, I wanted it to remain a mystery.

Jogging up the stairs, I darted into Brett’s room to hide. I had been hoping to get some fresh air on the patio but was too afraid I’d run into Rand. Scary, but I’d rather speak with him than his ex-wife. Still, Brett’s room was by far safer.

Or was it? The second text from the five-digit number had shaken me far more than I’d admit. Was it some sort of sick game?

I took out my phone, rereading the messages.

Did you read the contract? Tick tock, your time is running out. Brett’s going to kill you.

Resisting the urge to tap the link, I pocked the phone.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I looked around the room again, the objects now familiar to me. Surrounded by Brett’s things, in his old room, it was impossible not to think of him and wonder what he was up to. I hated it.

Every time he went into cop mode, he thought only of the case and the criminal. And, yes, he did think of protecting those who needed it, whether they wanted his help or not.

I didn’t want his protection, not when it meant having to be kept in the dark. And especially not if it meant I had to keep company with Emily.

No, I wasn’t going to be kept in the dark any longer. If he wanted an insipid woman to hang on him, he was welcome to Emily.

Mind made up, I placed my first call to Mrs. Janowski. If there was anyone dogged enough who could find out information, it would be her. As the phone rang, I realized that it was a bad idea to involve her. In fact, I had Kym trying to stop any plans in progress. But this was just an investigatory call. She did receive one of the boxes, after all.

“Mars, did you put Kym up to spying on me?” Mrs. Janowski accused before I could say hello.

“Did she call you?”

“No, she’s parked in front of my house.”

“What’s she doing out there?”

“Spying.”

“I only told her to check on you. I wanted to see what had happened with the box.”

“The police took it.”

“Did they open it?”

“I assume so, but I wasn’t allowed in until they were done and the tape was cleared.”

“Don’t tell me you let them drive off without getting information out of them. I know you better than that.”

“I’ve been sworn to secrecy,” she said stoically.

“By who?”

“T.”

“Brett left to meet up with T. I want to know what’s happened and what they’re up to. What did T tell you?”

“He said I had to keep my trap shut until the police investigated, otherwise the criminal would get away.”

“The police might be investigating, but it’s T and Brett who are on the move. T didn’t swear you to secrecy because of the killer; they just didn’t want you to tell me.”

“That would make more sense. It’s not like I’ll run into the criminal and have a chat over coffee with him. Or her. Do you think it’s Annie?”

“I have a bad feeling Annie’s behind it. I just don’t know how. Tell me everything you know.”

“Well, I watched as the police removed the box from the house. It was in a big, clear bag. I did see a red stain on the side.”

“Was T still there?”

“Yes, he was standing with a cop off to the side. Biggest nose I ever saw. Sylvia was quite taken with him. You know, big nose, big—”

“Sylvia was there?”

“Oh, yes, all the girls stopped by to get in on the action.”

I wanted to groan, but really, there was no use. I should be used to their shenanigans by now. “Go back to T. Tell me what he said.”

“Just to keep my lips zipped.”

“About what?”

“That I saw him pass money to the cop he was standing with.”

“He paid him for information?”

“It was the smoothest handoff I ever saw. Do you think T was a drug dealer once? A handoff like that could only come from practice. I barely caught it.”

“I don’t know what landed T in prison before, but it’s possible.”

“Well, at least he’s clean now,” Mrs. Janowski said.

“So, all we know is that T paid an officer for information, possibly. But what information could he have gained before the boxes were hauled away?”

“Whatever it was, the cop sent it by phone. I’m guessing pictures.”

“By phone?”

“As soon as he shoved the money into his pocket, he took out his phone. T took out his phone a moment later, nodded, and walked away.”

I bit my lip in thought. “Are you going to see T anytime soon?”

“No, haven’t seen him since then.”

“I bet he’s at the airport waiting for Brett. I need to get those pictures.”

“We’ll hack his phone.”

“How?” I should have said no.

“Aaron, of course. Good thing his mom is sitting outside my door. I’ll be in touch.”

“Wait!” It was too late. Mrs. Janowski had already hung up.

Oh, Kym was going to be livid. She had been working hard with Aaron, trying to curb some of his earlier-obtained talents. I wouldn’t even be able to warn Kym in time now that Mrs. Janowski was bearing down on her. Thankfully, I was out of Kym’s reach at the moment.

There was a soft knock on the open door. Lil stood with a glass of lemonade in her hand.

“I thought you could use this,” she said, stepping inside to offer the glass.

“Thank you,” I said, taking it from her.

“You’ll have to excuse Emily. She’s . . .”

I waited for Lil to find the words she seemed to be searching for.

“Well, she’s Emily,” she finally said.

I eyed Lil. That was like saying “a piranha was a piranha.”

“I just mean . . .” Lil flustered.

“You don’t have to make excuses for her,” I said.

“But I feel like I do.”

“Why?”

“She’s been almost like a daughter to me. Her family wasn’t the greatest, to put it mildly, and so she was here nearly every day. I just feel as though you are unfairly seeing a side of her that has a tendency to rub people the wrong way. It’s just her way of coping.”

“We all have our way of coping,” I said. But just because I agreed didn’t mean Emily was going to become my bosom buddy. This was no coping mechanism that she was using. Her silky smile when Lil had left the room told me exactly the type of person she was.

“And I think I’ve figured out your way of coping,” Lil said, a small smile tilting her lips. At my confused expression, she continued, “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I heard a little of your conversation. You’re planning something, aren’t you?”

“I wouldn’t say ‘planning.’ At this point, I’m just trying to find out what Brett is up to.”

“I heard something about pictures.”

I nodded, wondering how much I should tell Lil. It’s not like I knew too much to begin with, but knowing Mrs. Janowski was “helping,” any plans would eventually spiral out of control. Brett would be furious if Lil was involved in anything that might cause her harm. And I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if something happened to her.

“I want to know,” she insisted. “If only to think about something else for a while.”

Understanding her feelings, I said, “We think T bribed an officer for crime-scene photos. Brett and T must have found a clue in those pictures.”

“So, they’re following up on a lead?”

I shrugged. “It’s my best guess at the moment.”

Lil sat heavily beside me. “Why can’t he ever leave it to the professionals?”

“He might argue that he is a professional.”

“But he’s no longer in the force.”

“True, but he and T have started a business together.”

She straightened. “They did? When?”

“I’m not sure. But not too long ago, I think.”

“What kind of business?”

“I think security of some sort.” I sighed. It was painfully obvious I didn’t know anything about Brett’s life. Those damn bobbleheads staring at me probably knew more than I did. From Lil’s stunned reaction, she didn’t know much more about Brett’s activities than the bobbleheads either. It made me feel a little better, but only slightly.

“So, what do we do?” she asked.

We?

“Um, wait for Mrs. J. to call back. She’s going to try to hack into T’s phone.”

“She can do that?”

“We know someone who can.”

“What about Brett’s phone?”

I eyed her. “A mother’s curiosity?”

She shook her head but then paused. “Well, maybe a little, but I want to know what he knows.”

“Welcome to the club.”

A sudden smile brightened her face, erasing worry lines. “I think I’m going to like this club. When will Mrs. J. call? I have a feeling I’m going to like her.”

I had a bad feeling that she was right.

 

* * *

 

Over an hour later, Mrs. Janowski called. She must have twisted Kym’s arm to allow Aaron to help. I could hear his voice in the background and knew I wasn’t out of the woods with Kym quite yet. She had a tendency to spring on me when I least expected it. But for now, I was just grateful.

“We’re all set,” Mrs. Janowski said. “I’ll put you on speaker so you can hear us. Aaron, how do I do that?”

After a moment of mumblings, Aaron’s face popped up on my screen.

“Hi, Mars,” he greeted with a smile, the corner of his mouth dusted with powdered sugar. “This is better than just speaker. Then you can see what’s going on.”

“Hi, Aaron. I can see Mrs. J. bribed you with powdered-sugar doughnuts.”

He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “Actually, Kym bribed me so I wouldn’t tell Jim what we’re doing.”

“Aaron!” Kym scolded.

Lil chuckled.

“Who is over there?” I asked.

“Everyone,” he said, panning the room so could I see.

Yep, all four of the ladies, plus Kym and Aaron. All were assembled. Turning my phone to face Lil, I introduced her to the band of mischief makers. All were enthusiastic to meet her, and I could tell she already felt like part of the group.

“Aaron, will T know his phone has been hacked?” I asked.

Aaron flipped open his laptop and settled in. “Not if I don’t want him to.”

“How do you get into his phone?” Lil asked.

“Well, I’m going to see if he has any apps on his phone that have Trojan backdoors. I’ll sneak in that way. There are a few common apps that people use and have no idea what they’re really for. Otherwise . . .” he paused.

“Otherwise, what?” I asked.

“Let’s just try this way first,” he said.

The unknown second option left me a little concerned. Hopefully I’d never find out what that second option was.

“Are you sure we should do this?” Although I couldn’t see who asked the question, I recognized Edna’s nervous titter.

“Of course we should,” Mrs. Janowski stated. Her voice as strong as a drill sergeant’s compared to Edna’s. “We vowed to keep the city of Madison safe. There’s a dismembered victim, and we are going to find out who the killer is.”

“No, we’re going to find out what Brett and T are up to and help them, if possible, and only if safe to do so,” I insisted.

“Same difference,” Mrs. Janowski said. “We’re catching a killer.”

I wanted to argue the point, but it wouldn’t really matter. Involving Mrs. Janowski had been my fault, and I was too far away to tether her to a leash.

“I’ll need T’s phone number,” Aaron said. “And does anyone know what kind of device he uses?”

“I have his number,” Mrs. Janowski said. “But I don’t know what device he has. I don’t even know what I have.”

“Let me see.” Aaron took Mrs. J.’s phone, shifting the camera angle. “Has he called or texted you?”

“Yes, but not recently.”

“Oh, I found it,” Aaron said, laughing. “Why did he threaten to lock you up in a funny farm?”

“Is that in there?” she tsked, leaning over Aaron to look at the phone. “I asked him for one favor and he wouldn’t do it.”

Aaron giggled, scrolling through the phone. “You asked him to shoot you.”

“Mrs. Janowski!” Kym scolded. “What were you thinking?”

She waved off Kym. “I had just purchased a bullet-proof vest, and I wanted to test it out.”

“You don’t test out vests,” Slyvia said. “You pray to God you never to have to use one.”

“What’s the point of the vest if you don’t use it?” Mrs. Janowski countered.

I cautiously peeked at Lil, wondering if we had frightened her off already. It’d probably be better if she wiped her hands clean of us before we proceeded. If history had taught me anything, it was that we’d only slide downhill from here. To my amazement, however, Lil seemed to be soaking in the conversation as if it was the most intriguing topic she’d ever heard. Her slippery slope down the path to the dark side had been carved.

Brett was going to kill me.

“Aaron, let’s get back to T’s phone,” I said. “We have to hurry.”

Aaron nodded. “I’ll access his phone in a few seconds.”

We watched as Aaron’s fingers flew over his keyboard, his lips twisting as though he was concentrating on an epic battle in a video game. He was in his element, and that was a bit unnerving. Aaron was too young to have as much knowledge as he did. Unguided, I had a feeling he could bring nations to their knees. Thankfully, he was normally guided by Kym and not Mrs. Janowski.

“Bummer,” Aaron mumbled. “This might not work. T’s got none of the apps. It looks like he even installed safeguards. He definitely doesn’t want anyone snooping on his phone. There is another way, but it’ll take time.”

“What about Brett’s phone?” I asked. “Try his. Mrs. J. has his information on her phone.”

Aaron took her phone again, scrolling through and nodded. “This might work unless he installed the same things as T.” After a few moments of typing, Aaron said. “I’m in. Oh, wait.” Aaron looked up, slamming the laptop closed.

“What’s wrong?” Mrs. Janowski asked.

“Um, nothing,” he said, though I could sense his panic, even from a thousand miles away.

“What do you mean, nothing?” Mrs. Janowski asked. “Did you get in?”

“I . . . It won’t work. We’ll need to get T’s phone,” he said.

“Steal T’s phone?” Edna asked. “We can’t do that.”

“Yes, we can,” Mrs. Janowski stated. “If he’s going to pick up Brett at the airport, then we can intercept them.”

“He’ll know we’re up to something if we show up at the airport,” Ida said.

“He might not even be at the airport,” Kym said. “We don’t know for sure he’s picking up Brett or what flight Brett is on or what airport he’d arrive at.”

“T’s at his office,” Aaron interrupted. When all eyes turned to him, he explained, “I wasn’t able to hack into his phone, but I was able to track it.”

Mrs. Janowski ruffled Aaron’s moppy hair. “Kid, you’re a genius. Load up, ladies! We’re heading out.”

“We need a plan first,” Ida stated.

“First, you’ll stow that flask of yours, and then we’ll head over there,” Mrs. Janowski said. “I’ll distract T while Sylvia manhandles him and gets the phone.”

“I prefer the term seduce,” Sylvia corrected.

“She’ll pass it off to Edna, who will give it to Aaron.” Mrs. Janowski peered into the phone, her nose large and distorted from the angle. “Mars, we’ll call you back as soon as we land the eagle. Over and out.” She poked at the screen. “How do you turn this damned thing off?”

Aaron reached over and the video call ended.

With a long exhale, I tossed the phone to the bed and rubbed my temples. It’s begun, and I was the one who started it.

Crap.

“You look worried,” Lil said. “It sounds like Mrs. J. has everything under control.”

I laughed. “Control is the one thing she never has. But I’m not worried about them. Yet. I’m more worried about Brett and T’s reaction when they find out what they’re up to. And I’m even more worried that they won’t find out.”

“Why?”

“Because I’ve just unleashed Mrs. Janowski on the hunt for a murderer.”

Lil reached over and patted my shoulder the way she had done with Emily. It pricked my pride a bid that I’d be soothed by the same coddling as Emily, but her touch was calming.

“Nothing to do but wait for the call, right?” she asked, happy.

“Right.” I took a sip of the lemonade she had brought, the sugar melting into my taste buds.

“I wonder what happened to Brett’s phone?” she asked.

“What do you mean?”

“When Aaron said he had gotten in but then closed his laptop. It was odd. He had the most peculiar expression.”

“I thought it was a little odd too, but Aaron knows what he’s doing.”

She nodded, and we both fell silent.

It was odd, though, him closing his laptop so suddenly. What had he seen on Brett’s phone? Maybe he ran into a security block and was afraid of being caught.

“You don’t think Brett is mad at me, do you?” Lil asked, breaking the few moments of silence.

“For what?”

“Oh, you know. I do give him a hard time. He’s a grown man, and I still treat him as if . . .” She shrugged. “I guess I’ll always think of him as my baby boy. I forget that it’s not my job to look after him anymore.”

“You’re his mom. If you don’t look after him, who will?”

“You, of course.”

“I don’t seem to be doing that great of a job.”

She smiled. “You’re doing a great job. I’ll apologize to him when he gets back tomorrow.”

I shook my head. “I don’t think that’s necessary. He was more irritated by—”

“Lil,” Emily called up the stairs.

Speak of the devil. I didn’t even have to speak her name and she materialized.

“I have a headache,” she whined.

Lil stood and walked to the door. “Yell for me as soon as Mrs. J. calls.”

I nodded. “It’ll take them a while just to figure out who’s driving.”

She smiled. “I want to meet these ladies in person one day.”

“You’re welcome to visit me in Wisconsin any time you want.”

“I’ll take you up—”

“Lil, I think it’s turning into a migraine. Hurry!”

“Coming,” Lil said, and with the barest shake of her head, she was gone.

It wasn’t but a minute later that I heard footsteps on the staircase. When they fell close to the door, I said, “That was fast. I thought for sure Emily would keep you longer.”

“She kept me long enough,” Rand said and leaned against the doorframe. His cold eyes scanned the room before settling on me.

“What do you want?”

He shrugged. “Nothing from you.”

I’m sure I should have been offended, but I was too relieved.

“Then why are you here?”

“Where’s Brett?” he asked instead, ignoring my question.

“I think he flew to Wisconsin.”

“Why?”

“How should I know? Why do you care, anyway?”

“I don’t. I don’t give a damn about him.”

“Why are you here, then?”

“Just curious to know why Brett would drop you off here and leave.”

A sliver of understanding dawned. “Emily put you up to this. She lured Lil away so you could question me.”

He smiled, jagged and harsh. “Only half right. But I haven’t agreed to help her yet. I’m not sure if you’re worth it.”

“What do you mean?” I didn’t like the tone in his voice or the slow perusal of his eyes.

“Nothing much. Just a means to an end.” He pushed off against the doorframe. “Watch yourself around Emily. She will bite,” he warned.

What in the world was that about? I wondered, listening intently to his retreating footsteps. Before I could dissect his words for meaning, a text came in from a five-digit number.

The gatekeeper is angry. The contract must be fulfilled. Brett must kill you.

“Who is this?” I replied, knowing full well I’d get a bounced-back response.

Damn it!

I had to talk to Brett now. This couldn’t wait any longer. It was creepy. There was no way Brett would kill me. And what contract?

Dialing Brett, I waited, fingers curled into the bedspread. No answer. Of course there was no answer. He was off playing with T. I left a message saying I had received a creepy text and that he should call me back. The reply text I received a few minutes later was anything but helpful.

Can’t talk. Stay put.