It’s been my experience that after things are slow, like watching a boy decide whether or not to kill himself, things get really really fast. The Polizei were all over us. Yelling and blankets. Traffic and high winds. It was all a rush, blurred beyond belief. Later, I would remember what happened in a fuzzy unreal way, like I dreamt it instead of living through it.
Thank goodness for Moe. I never thought I’d say that, but the old mobster might not call the cops, but he sure knew how to handle them when they showed up. There was talk of arrests and hospitals, but Moe masterfully delayed until Koch showed up on the scene, then he began explaining, saying I was known to the Sindelfingen department. He made it sound like I was authorized to do something and Moe was, too. This was a suicide and we don’t arrest people for stopping suicides. The bosses that came onto the scene weren’t convinced, but somehow Jake and I got moved into a squad car to watch the conversation in the relative warmth.
I kept my arms around him and I thought he would protest at some point, but he didn’t.
“I don’t want to go to the hospital,” he said.
“You won’t,” I said.
“You can stop it?”
“I think something will, not necessarily me.”
“Was all that stuff you said true?” Jake asked.
“Absolutely.” I told him what we’d uncovered and then asked, “Did you meet Nadelbaum?”
Jake shook his head. “I saw him pick her up after she met Mr. Thooft in the café.”
“Did that make you suspicious?” I asked. “That you never met him.”
“Kinda. Madison said he was a secret because he was older, but he’s an asshole. I knew that pretty quick. Madison loved him though.”
“When was the last time she saw him?”
“I don’t know. Weeks ago. He stopped answering her texts and phone calls. He just disappeared.” Jake wiped his tears away and his voice got stronger. “I knew he was a dick. Do you really think he took the money?”
“I’m certain of it,” I said. “Tell me what happened.”
Jake and I watched the Polizei talk to Moe and Koch and then start to clear the traffic as Jake spilled his version of what happened. He was a typical boy and not paying close attention to what was going on around him until it was too late. He was aware that Madison had gotten a boyfriend, but only because his mom was making a big deal out of not meeting him. Madison started lying about the trips to Paris and Prague, saying she was going with friends but then confiding to Jake that it was really the boyfriend who was taking her and paying for everything. She was very impressed with the money and talked about that a lot.
At some point during the summer, Madison started talking about bitcoin and how they could make a ton of money in the market. Mr. Big as she called him was teaching her all about how to invest and she told Jake they should take their college money and put it into bitcoin. Jake said he hadn’t really been listening to her up until that point. She liked to talk and he let her, usually while he was gaming or whatever, but when she started talking about taking the college savings out he perked up quick.
“What did you tell her?” I asked.
“I said no freaking way was she doing that,” said Jake. “That was all I had for college and I’m not going to risk it like some moron.”
“What did she say?”
Jake pursed his lips and said, “She got kinda funny about it. I don’t know. It made me nervous, so I told her that if she didn’t give it up, I’d tell Mom.”
“And that worked?” I asked.
“I thought so. I told her I had the passwords to our accounts and she better not do anything. She just laughed and told me I was right. We couldn’t risk the college money.” Jake’s eyes filled again and said, “I never thought she’d take Mom’s money. I mean, Jesus, who does that?”
“I’m sure it was Nadelbaum’s idea,” I said. “When did you find out?”
“Not until it was all over. I mean, all over all over. Mr. Thooft died and she was hysterical. I couldn’t believe it. I freaked. I didn’t know what she was doing.”
“How did you end up at the café when she was there with Anton?”
Jake took a breath. “I’m so stupid. Madison said she’d get me a computer for SCPs. She knew I wanted to check them out, but Mom blocked the sites on our router, using a firewall. Somebody at work told her they were a bad influence or something.”
“So you had to go to the café?”
“Yeah. First, it was at home in Weil der Stadt, but then Madison said that people might see me, so I had to go to Sindelfingen. I didn’t really care. I just wanted to work on my stories.”
“You never saw Anton there?”
“I wasn’t paying attention at first, but then I did see the two of them at a table. I asked her what was going on, but she just said he was helping with her college classes. He did stuff like that.” Jake got choked up and said, “He was really nice. I believed her.”
“Why do you think she wanted you there?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I saw her point at me one time and Mr. Thooft looked upset, but when I asked her, she blew it off.”
Outside the squad car, the scene had calmed down. Our cars had been moved to a side street and traffic resumed. The tense discussions had died down, too, but in a way that made me nervous. Jake and I looked out and saw what looked like a very senior cop turn red in the face, stick a finger in Koch’s chest, and then do an aboutface to march back to a black Mercedes.
“What do you think is happening?” Jake asked with a quaver in his voice.
“I wish I knew,” I said.
“I’m going to get arrested. They should arrest me. I totally freaked out.”
“You did, but I think the only harm done was to some cars.”
“I hope so. I didn’t want to hurt anyone. I just…I saw you and I thought that Mom’s going to find out about everything. Madison’s a freaking thief and a kind of murderer and what am I going to do. I should’ve stopped her.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” I said. “Hold on. Here we go.”
Koch left Moe haggling with another Polizei, trying to get his license and passport back, and came over to our squad car with an expression that was a mixture of confusion and relief. He opened the door and said, “Come on. Let’s get you out of here.”
“Where are we going?” Jake asked, his voice tremulous.
“Back to the Army post.”
We got out and I asked, “What’s going on? That was a lot of arguing.”
“Yes, it was,” said Koch.
“But you’re not arresting me or Jake or Moe?”
“We’re not. You’re free to go.”
Jake and I looked at each other. Now I know you shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth and all that, but sometimes the begged question just has to be answered. “Why not? I don’t know how many laws we broke, but it has to be a lot.”
“It was, but it came from up high,” said Koch. “You’re free to go. I’m going to escort you back to the US military and they get to decide what to do with you three. It’s out of our hands.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Who do you know?”
My mind was a blank and I know it showed because the certain stiffness in Koch’s face relaxed. “Somebody put in a word and you get to leave without charges or any problems of any kind. With us anyway.”
“Well,” I said. “I don’t get it, but alright.”
“I wish I knew how you pulled it off,” said Koch.
“Me, too.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “You are trouble and you don’t even know what’s going on.”
“I have some clue but not a lot. Did Moe tell you what we found out?” I asked.
“He did, and I’m not sure what to do with the information since you didn’t get it from any legal channel.”
“Ah, there’s the rub,” I said, folding up our blankets and putting them in the squad car.
Moe hurried over and said, “Let’s hit the bricks before they change their minds.”
“They won’t,” said Koch, “because they can’t.”
“Let’s not push it.” Moe shook Koch’s hand. “You’re a good man, and I hope this doesn’t reflect badly on you.”
“You know, I don’t think it will. It might actually help me.”
“Why? I mean, they know that you know me and I’m not looking so good,” I said.
“You are looking connected,” said Koch. “And so am I. That doesn’t hurt.”
We said goodbye and walked down a couple of side streets to get in the Mercedes.
“What about my mom’s car?” Jake asked.
“You banged it up pretty good and it was leaking fluids. They’re towing it.” Moe gave him a card for the towing company.
“I wish I hadn’t driven today. Nothing would’ve happened if I didn’t drive.”
“The world turns on the small choices,” I said, twisting in my seat to look at Jake sitting in the backseat. His eyes were big and scared. “I will explain it to her. She will understand.”
“She won’t understand about Madison,” he said. “I don’t.”
“What happened to Anton is beyond me, too, but we’ll figure it out.”
Moe waited for Koch to get to us in his car and I smiled to see who was in the passenger seat. Claudia waved at me. Something good had come out of all this and I held onto that.
We got turned around and entered A81 going the other direction. Traffic, of course, was now backed up on both sides of the road. It couldn’t have been that way when we needed it. Oh, no. Of course not.
I turned on my seat heater and got comfortable as we snailed it toward Böblingen.
“Don’t forget to send those photos to the Pizza Hut kid,” said Moe. “He did you a solid.”
I’d totally forgotten about the very helpful Gareth and quickly sent him a thank you with the selfies we took. He was surprised that I meant what I said and was very happy. At least someone was.
That done, I took a breath and said, “Since we have time, Jake…”
“Yeah?” The boy sounded like I was about to hit him on the nose with a newspaper and I smiled over my shoulder at him quickly for reassurance.
“How did you know Anton’s secret?” I asked.
“Oh, that,” he said with a bit of pride and plenty of regret. “I’m a science guy.”
“You lost me, kid,” said Moe as we exited A81 toward Waldenbuch and Böblingen. We didn’t have long before we reached the post and once we were there, I’d have lost my chance to interview Jake. The Army and his mother would take over.
I twisted around and said, “We’ll be there soon. Tell me quick.”
Jake pushed back in the seat and clasped his hands in his lap.
“You’re not in trouble, but I probably won’t get to interview you again before I go to get that douchebag Nadelbaum.”
He gave me a hint of a smile and Moe slowed way down. Like his niece, he knew what to do without being asked.
“I want to be a bioengineer or geneticist,” said Jake. “I take all the science classes and I always get As.”
“I know,” I said.
His hands relaxed. “You do?”
“Everyone knows how smart you are.”
“Not that smart,” his voice filled with pain again.
“Some things aren’t about smart. They’re about betrayal. Don’t get lost in the sauce,” I said and that got a smile. “So science showed you his secret?”
Science had and I marveled at how easily Jake Purcell had uncovered a secret that Anton’s own family and those around them had missed, but love is like that, I guess. It blinds you to the obvious. Jake didn’t love Kimberly or know her at all, so he could see her, but he couldn’t see his sister and what she was doing.
It was all about the face Jake told me. Anton had pictures of his family on his desk, the ones I’d found under the blotter. Jake had found them when he was cleaning the room. Anton gave extra credit for cleaning up and Jake always did all the extra credit in case he didn’t get his A the regular way. He was very thorough, he assured me. Nobody else really was. He Lysoled the desk and there they were. Jake recognized at once that it was odd that the pictures weren’t framed or pinned to a board like the other teachers’ family photos. In science, you look for patterns or things that are missing that shouldn’t be missing.
“Like a detective,” I said, and his smile grew. Science. He was comfortable again.
Jake came back to those pictures over and over again, looking for the reason they were there. He and Anton were close. They talked every day and Jake considered him a friend, so he’d heard all about Kimberly and her wonderful voice. He knew about the love in the family that was supposed to be so close so why were they under the blotter?
After closer examination, Kimberly’s face told him that she didn’t match. Jake knew about genetics. There should’ve been some commonality between the siblings but there just wasn’t any. He took pictures of the pictures and studied them at home on his computer, analyzing the bone structure, height, and coloring. He knew Kimberly wasn’t a blonde right away. Her skin tone wasn’t right for it and so the boy concluded that Kimberly was either adopted or Anton’s mom had had an affair. Jake wasn’t bothered by either conclusion. He just wanted to know if he was right and he worked on Anton until he figured it out or at least he thought he had. He concluded that adoption wasn’t shameful and an affair was, so it was an affair. Through many conversations Anton got the picture that his favorite student knew the secret, even though Jake never came out and said it.
We stopped at the last light before the post and Moe asked, “He wasn’t mad?”
“He was kinda freaked at first, but then he was okay. He told me once that it was nice to be known when you’ve never been known before,” said Jake. “But I never knew the real truth that his mom had traded his brother for Kimberly. That’s crazy.”
“How long ago did you figure it out?” I asked.
“About a year ago.” Jake’s voice got quieter. “I told Madison about it. I thought I was so smart. I didn’t know she’d hurt him with it.”
“Do you think that’s what she did?” I asked. “She threatened to tell people about Kimberly?”
Jake didn’t answer and we arrived at the gate with Koch right behind us. I got out my pass, expecting to be turned away, troublemaker that I was, but the guard didn’t say anything. He checked the IDs and my pass and waved us through.
I turned around to wave at Koch. Claudia waved back happily and kissed Koch’s cheek before they did a U-turn and went back the way they came. On the other side of the gate was a military police car. An MP stood beside it and signaled for us to follow him. We did and drove slowly through the post that was exactly the way it was before. I don’t know why I expected it to be different, but I did.
“Did she tell you that she threatened Anton with the truth?” Moe asked.
“Yeah, but I didn’t really believe her,” said Jake. “I mean, I think she did that, but it was like she knew something else, too.”
“Any idea what?” I asked.
“She wouldn’t tell me.” Jake came up between the front seats. “She thought she was going to get a bunch of money for kidnapping you. Did you know that?”
“I figured,” I said. “What did she say when I got away and Anton died?”
“She was totally freaking out. I don’t think she thought anything bad would happen.”
“She had Mercy thrown in a trunk so she could be sold,” hissed Moe.
“I know. I don’t understand it. She was crying about Mr. Thooft and she was crying about the money and just crying all the time. That’s when she told me and I knew it was my fault for telling her Mr. Thooft’s secret. She couldn’t have done it without me.” Jake touched my hand. “I’m so sorry.”
“I forgive you,” I said. “I really do.”
“Do you think he would forgive me?”
“From what Kimberly has told me, Anton would.”
He squeezed my hand. “Why do you call him Anton and not asshole or something? He hurt you pretty bad.”
“When I started investigating he became a real person and a victim, too,” I said.
“Do you forgive him?”
“I’m working on it.”
We walked into the MP station and the first person we saw was Hobbes. The big marine was pacing back and forth in front of the front desk, looking like a grenade with a pin about to be pulled.
“Hey,” I said.
He looked up, saw Jake, and ran over to grab the boy up, smothering him in that great big chest. “Thank God. Thank God.”
“You really care?” Jake asked.
“My man, I care so much I’m about to go crazy,” said Hobbes and he looked over Jake as if he expected to find an arrow sticking out of his back or something. “You’re okay? I mean physically.”
“Yeah,” said Jake shyly.
“Were you really going to do it?” Hobbes asked bluntly.
The boy didn’t hesitate. “I think so. I was planning it before I saw her and then it all exploded.”
I admired the honesty, naked and right out there as much as it hurt to see a kid say that.
Hobbes hugged him again and asked, “Is that why you had the car? You don’t usually drive.”
“I was going to Obi for rope.”
“Jesus, you can talk to me. I’m here for you.”
“The last teacher I talked to got killed,” Jake said simply.
“That’s not your fault,” said Hobbes.
“It kinda is, but I didn’t mean it to happen. Is my mom here?”
Lisa Purcell was there. The MPs and Hobbes had told her what they knew, which wasn’t much. Jake was safe and that was the most important thing.
An MP interrupted and said that they were working on the accidents that Jake caused and he had to surrender his license. He did and kind of seemed relieved about it. Less ability to get rope, I guess.
“He needs serious counseling,” I said.
“I’m a licensed therapist,” said Hobbes, turning to Jake. “You can tell me anything and I won’t say a word.”
“I already told her everything,” said Jake.
“Do you feel better?”
“I think so. What did Madison say?”
Madison had said nothing. She was in the wind as my dad would say. Gone and not responding to calls or texts. The Polizei were looking for her in case she was looking for an overpass herself, but I didn’t think that was her goal. She was probably looking for Sebastian Nadelbaum, the cause of everything and the only port in the storm she helped to create.
“Are you ready to see your mom?” Hobbes asked.
Jake moved closer to me and said, “Yeah. How mad is she?”
“Scared more than mad.”
“Did you tell her what you know?” I asked.
“I gave her the broad strokes, but she didn’t believe me,” said Hobbes.
“Of course, she didn’t,” said Jake. “Madison’s her favorite. She’ll think it’s my fault.”
I took his arm. “She won’t when she knows the truth.”
Jake got glum and then said, “Okay. Let’s go.”
The MP held up his hand. “CID are here.”
Jake’s eyes went wide. “Why are they here? I thought I was just losing my license?”
“What’s CID?” I asked.
“Criminal Investigation Division,” said Hobbes. “Don’t worry. They had to come. There were crimes committed.”
“Not by me,” said Jake and his voice got tight.
I put my arm around him. “No, not by you. I will handle it.”
“Yeah?”
“Promise.”
Just then a pair of men wearing blue windbreakers with badges printed on them came through the doors. Every federal law enforcement branch seemed to have those jackets. The government must’ve got a hell of a discount. The men inside the jackets were government issue, too. Clean-shaven, boring hair, and stern expressions. All so familiar. They could’ve been the FBI and the thought made me inwardly groan. I was never going to get free of their sort.
They flashed badges and introduced themselves. I wasn’t really listening. It all just got more complicated and would take forever as all government-run things did.
“We will be interviewing you separately,” said the lead. “Miss Watts, this way.”
Jake leaned into me and I held him tighter. Hobbes got on the other side of Jake to make a united front.
“That’s a hard pass,” I said.
“Are you declining to be interviewed?”
“Nailed it.”
“Why?”
“Because she promised to stay with me,” said Jake, sounding stronger than I expected.
“We could skip the interviews and go straight to arrests,” the CID agent said.
“Me or him?” I asked.
“Both.”
“He’s seventeen and a witness.”
“To what?”
“Conspiracy, for starters,” I said.
“He can tell us all about it in his interview,” said the agent.
“No. I have to talk to my mom,” said Jake. “And Mercy’s staying with me or I won’t tell you anything.”
Look at you kicking ass.
“I’d listen to him,” I said. “He’s a fount of information.”
“How are you involved in all this?”
“I’m the victim.”
Both agents crossed their arms and the second one said, “We were told you were here investigating.”
“The two aren’t mutually exclusive,” I said.
“I wouldn’t be so snotty if I were you,” said the lead. “You used illegal means to investigate.”
“Says who? I came to investigate my own crime because nobody else was. I asked questions. I got a lead. That took me to a café where Anton Thooft was extorted and blackmailed into kidnapping me. That led me to Jake here and the truth. You could’ve done that, but you didn’t. Don’t cry about it now.”
Both agents swallowed hard, probably to keep from yelling at me. My mother would’ve been appalled at my impolite behavior and Dad wouldn’t be thrilled, either. He was always more charming than me. He’d have made friends. I wanted to kick them in the junk and get the hell out of there.
“We need to interview you separately,” said the lead.
“Jake needs to tell his mother what happened,” I said. “We have no objection to you hearing it.”
“The FBI international unit is on its way.”
“The more the merrier.”
That took them back for about three seconds, but they came back swinging.
“You have compromised this investigation with illegal tactics and you will be charged.”
I laughed. “What investigation?”
“Our chances of a conviction of our suspect are materially damaged.”
“You don’t have a suspect,” I said. “Go ahead. Tell me who got Madison Purcell to do everything. Who is it? Enlighten me.”
Oh, they hated me so hard and I did enjoy it. Not a good angel moment, but I was tired, and yet another headache was blooming in my brain.
“What you got can’t be used against those parties.”
“How come?” Jake asked. “She knows stuff. You don’t.”
The agents gritted their teeth and then the lead said, “As an agent of law enforcement, Miss Watts can’t use illegal means to get information.”
“I’m not an agent of anything, except myself and my client, who is Kimberly Thooft Stackhouse by the way.”
“As a consultant for the FBI—”
“Hold the phone,” I said. “I’m not a consultant for those douchebags. That’s my dad.”
They frowned and checked their phones. “We were told you are on the FBI payroll and that’s how you got out of the Polizei’s grip.”
“Nope. My dad’s been angling for a consultant’s fee, but I dipped on it and came here instead.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Because they wanted me to have a bunch of chats with serial killers. The last time I played that card, I got bit on the face.” I indicated my scar.
“Dude, you are badass,” said Jake.
“If I was badass, I wouldn’t have been bit on the face, but let’s not quibble,” I said. “Take us to his mom. I’ve got a headache and I need coffee in a huge way.”
“We want everything,” said the lead.
“He’ll give you everything.” I won’t.
The lead took a breath, and I could see him thinking about how this was against the rules or regulations or whatever. That fought against getting the job done. A pretty good tug of war or so I’ve been told. Rules have never been my thing.
“Alright,” he said at long last and turned to the MP, who was fascinated by the exchange. “Where is the mother?”
“Right this way,” he said, and I turned to call for Moe, but my bodyguard was yakking it up with a couple of younger MPs. He’d pulled his VFW hat out of somewhere and popped it on. They were discussing a sniper’s life in-country and I decided to leave him to it. The old guy was having a ball.
Jake, Hobbes, and I followed the MP through a warren of hallways to a plain door with a placard that said occupied. He knocked and opened the door. Before I could blink, Lisa Purcell was slobbering all over her son and momming it up real good. It was work to get them back in the interview room, but the CID did a good job of it.
Lisa tried to pull Jake to the other side of the narrow table in the center of the room where a cup of coffee was sitting with her purse, but the boy pushed her off and got back to me.
“What is she doing here?” Lisa demanded with a red face and swollen eyes. “It’s her fault we’re here. My son could’ve been killed.”
I pulled out a chair and resisted the urge to Bogart her coffee, germs be damned. “Your son has been suicidal for weeks. Please, sit down and we’ll tell you everything.”
“You chased him.” She pointed at Hobbes. “He said…he said…”
Hobbes went around the table to take Lisa’s shaking hand. “I said that Jake was suicidal and running. She went after him. The news said she talked him down.” The counselor looked at Jake, who was pale as paper, and asked, “Is that true?”
“Yeah. I was totally going to jump.”
“Why?” Lisa wailed. “I don’t understand what’s happening.”
The CID agents moved in and got her calmed down with the help of Hobbes, but she still said, “It’s her fault you almost died. If she hadn’t come here…”
“I was going to do it anyway,” said Jake softly. “Because of what happened to Mr. Thooft.”
“That’s got nothing to do with you.”
Jake looked at me and I said, “Madison blackmailed him into coming after me. Your son figured it out and it’s been tearing him apart.” I told her the timeline and the CID took notes and recorded me. I think they expected me to object, but I couldn’t have cared less.
“It’s not true,” said Lisa. “Madison wouldn’t do any of that. She only had that boyfriend for a little while. A month at most.”
“It was a lot longer than that, Mom,” said Jake.
“She would not do those things. She’s just a kid.”
“I don’t think it was her idea, but she did do it,” I said.
Lisa scoffed. “You really think my daughter stole her father’s SGLI money? You must be nuts.”
“She did,” said Jake.
His mother pointed at him and yelled, “Do not lie!”
Jake shuddered and I grabbed his hand under the table. “Check your account. It’s empty.”
“How do you know?” the CID lead asked.
“A little bird told me,” I said.
“Illegal—”
“I told her,” said Jake.
“Jake,” said Lisa. “Don’t protect her. Don’t lie.”
“I’m not lying.”
He was lying his face off and I loved him for it. The pleasure of seeing the sucking lemon expressions on the agents’ faces was enough to make my headache better. No coffee required.
“Seriously,” I said. “Check your account.”
“It’s utterly ridiculous,” said Lisa.
“Madison stole the money, Mom,” said Jake. “She was going to steal our college funds, but I told her that I knew the codes for our accounts and I’d tell you if she did.”
“Oh, my God,” said Lisa. “So she took Dad’s money.”
“I didn’t think of that. I would’ve stopped her if I had.” The boy got teared up. “You can’t retire now. I’m so sorry, but Mercy’s going to try to get it back.”
“Are you now?” asked the CID lead.
“Somebody has to,” I said. “What are you going to do?”
“We will follow the law.”
“Awesome. I’ll follow the criminal and we’ll see who gets there first.”
He muttered something unintelligible under his breath and Hobbes suppressed a smile before saying, “You should check your account, Lisa. To confirm.”
Lisa got her phone out and in a matter of minutes did just that. Then through sobs, she called her daughter, who still wasn’t answering. The CID started asking questions and although Jake was upset he answered everything, but he didn’t let out the name. Sebastian Nadelbaum was mine and he knew it on instinct or maybe he just didn’t like the CID. That was also possible.
It took quite a while to go through everything twice, which the agents insisted on. I did get some coffee. It was terrible, but I was desperate.
“What was the point of all this?” asked the lead. “What do you think Anton was going to do with you?”
“I don’t really know, but it has something to do with The Klinefeld Group,” I said.
“Who?”
I explained about the Bleds’ issues with the not-for-profit group, but they weren’t convinced until I brought up Lester’s murder. That got them on their phones to check it out and were quickly shocked to find I was telling the truth.
“The group was never charged,” said the second agent.
“Nope. They’re good. I’ll give them that.”
“If they could pull that off, why use a high school teacher to do this?”
“This wasn’t their idea,” I said.
Lisa stood up. “I have to go home. She won’t answer. Maybe she left a note.”
“We’re not done, ma’am,” said the lead.
Hobbes stood up and put a big hand on Lisa’s shoulder. “You have enough for now, don’t you? They’re not going anywhere.”
I am.
“Yes, time to go,” I said. “Jake needs to talk to his counselor, I’m sure.”
“Definitely,” said Hobbes. “I’ve got the rest of the day and we’re going to work through everything you’re ready to discuss.”
Jake nodded and stood up.
“Hold on,” said the lead and his partner showed him his phone. Neither was happy and they both glared at me.
“You haven’t given us a name,” said the lead.
“What name?” I asked with batting eyelashes.
“Don’t give me that,” he said. “You know who the boyfriend is.” He turned on Jake. “Or he does.”
Lisa came around the table and grabbed her son. “Don’t you talk to him like that. It’s not his fault.”
“She called him Mr. Big,” said Jake.
“Like Sex in the City?” Lisa asked. “Gross.”
I had to agree, but that wasn’t going to be enough. The agents were looking pretty shifty and I had to tell them something to get out of there. Novak’s train would be arriving in Gare de l’Est any minute.
“I suggest you talk to The Klinefeld Group,” I said. “Unless I miss my guess, he’s an employee or contractor for them.”
I described Nadelbaum, but they weren’t soothed.
“That could be anybody and if they did what you claim they’re not going to tell us anything,” said the lead.
“You know…” said Jake.
Don’t do it. Don’t do it.
“How about we go and get you home,” I said, and the agents lit up, smelling a withheld clue.
“It’s cool, Mercy,” said Jake. “They’re going to find out.”
He squeezed my arm and I had to trust him. “Go ahead then.”
“Madison did call him something else one time. It might be his name. I don’t know.”
The agents leaned forward and I have to admit, I did too. Where in the heck was Jake going?
“What was it?” asked the lead.
“Evergreen,” said Jake with satisfaction.
Holy crap! Good call.
“Evergreen?” I said, faking bewilderment. “I guess that could be a name.”
“Or a code,” said the second agent. “Anything else?”
Jake shrugged. “Nope. It was just the one time and I didn’t ask her about it.”
The agents conferred about the name and we went for the door. I expected protests at the very least, but they just let us leave, hustling out as fast as we could.
Moe was still in the same spot with a bigger audience, holding them enthralled with a description of the Mekong Delta. He had a way with words and I wanted to hear what happened. We all did, but then he saw me, and said, “Oh, Mercy. All done?”
“For the moment,” I said. “Go ahead.”
Moe finished his story and I’m not going to lie, it was gruesome. I wished I hadn’t heard it. His words made me think of Grandad’s scarred back and I tried never to think about that.
“You have to write it all down,” said one of the MPs.
“I might just do that,” said Moe. “Thanks for listening.”
They all shook his hand. Brothers in arms. Different generations but still the same in a way. We walked out and Moe chuffed Jake on the shoulder. “So you did alright and your mom hasn’t lost her marbles.”
“I don’t know about that,” said Lisa. “What do we do now?”
“Ask Mercy,” said Moe. “She’s the girl with a plan.”
“Actually, I don’t pl—”
“Mercy can find her,” said Jake. “You find her and then find that dirtbag. Or find the dirtbag and find Madison. They’ll be together, won’t they?”
“But all you have is Evergreen,” said Lisa.
“Get a grip, Mom.” Jake rolled his eyes.
“You lied to CID?” She put her head in her hands. “I don’t know what they’ll do to you.”
“Nothing,” I said. “He didn’t lie. The name is Evergreen.”
“Is it?” Moe asked.
“If you translate it.”
Jake grinned at me. “Pretty good, huh?”
“Excellent,” I said. “Your son has serious smarts.”
“It’s not working out for me,” said Lisa. “They’re both smart and look where we are.”
Jake took his mom’s hand and said, “We’re going to get that guy and Madison, too.”
“She’s not going to go to him. He ruined her life.”
“But she doesn’t know he set her up,” I said. “She thinks the loss was a trick of the market. She’ll go to him if she can.” My phone buzzed and I glanced at the screen. Novak. “Pulling up to the station.”
“We don’t know where she is,” said Lisa. “I’ve been calling and calling. The Polizei said her car is gone.”
“We know where she is,” said Moe.
“She could be going to Paris,” I said. “That’s where he is.”
“You know that?” Lisa asked.
“We do. Madison might know as well.”
“Let’s see, shall we?” Moe took out his phone, pressed a few buttons and said, “Would you look at that. Heading for Paris.” He held up his phone to show a map with a red dot moving along a highway.
“What in the world is that?” I asked.
“I put a tracker on her car.”
“When?”
“After we tailed her to Pizza Hut. You were talking to the co-worker and I snapped a device on. I figured she’d book it at some point. Why make things difficult?”
Lisa grabbed the phone. “She’s not that far. What are all the points?”
Moe took back the phone. “Looks like she was looking for him in Stuttgart. She drove to two apartment buildings and a couple of bars. Now she’s on the A8.”
“You are a genius,” I said.
“I learned from the best,” said Moe with a grin that made me think of a pirate. He only lacked the eyepatch. “Let’s have the Polizei grab her up.”
“Yes.” Lisa looked frantically around for a car, but hers had been towed.
“No,” said Jake. “She’s going to that guy. We should follow her.”
“We’re going to Paris one way or the other,” I said to Lisa. “As for Madison, it’s your call. The Polizei could get her in a matter of minutes.”
Lisa thought for a moment. “She’s going to him and he’s in Paris…”
“He is,” I said. “But we’ve got people on him already, so—”
“No, you don’t,” said Moe.
“What?”
“Call Novak.”
I checked my phone and saw a text. “He got past us.”
“What the—” I called Novak and my exhausted hacker answered with an apology. “Sorry. The bastard jumped off the train.”
“Well, then he’s dead,” I said. “It was high speed.”
Novak sighed. “No, unfortunately. He pulled an emergency door when we were coming into the station and jumped out. Low risk. A man matching his description was seen running on the tracks. It’s my fault. I fell asleep. I texted you and looked for him when I woke up, but he was gone.”
“He’s got a few skills,” I said.
“We will get him. Where are you?”
I told him about Jake and our interview.
“You’ve got the mother?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Why?”
“Does she like you?”
I looked at Lisa. “Do you like me?”
“I haven’t decided,” said Lisa with total honesty.
“Mom!” exclaimed Jake. “She’s helping.”
“I’m okay in her book,” I told Novak.
“Get her to search the house for that burner.”
“Now you’re cookin’ with gas,” I said.
“You’ve spent too much time with old people,” said Novak.
“You are not wrong, but that’s been my whole life.” I hung up and said, “We lost him in Paris. What’s your decision?”
Lisa took a breath and held tight onto her son. “I want that bastard. Follow her.”
“Can you do me a huge favor?”
“Anything.”
“Madison had a burner phone to talk to him with,” I said. “I need you two to search the house for it while we go to Paris.”
I could tell that was a struggle. She wanted to go and be there to see Madison and possibly to strangle Nadelbaum, but Jake convinced her to go home.
“Alright,” she said and turned to Hobbes. “Can you give us a ride?”
“Absolutely and for the record, it’s what I would do,” said Hobbes.
“What do we do if we find the phone?” Jake asked.
“Plug it in, turn it on, and have it use your Wi-Fi,” I said.
“That’s it?” Lisa asked.
“We’ll do the rest.”
“You really are doing the stuff the CID thinks,” said Lisa. “I wasn’t sure. It seemed so high tech.”
“I don’t have to be high tech to know high-tech people,” I said. “Now we’ve got a plan.”
I looked at Moe and he said, “Execute.”
So we executed as fast as we could and in a Mercedes, that’s pretty damn fast.