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April was totally spooked at the knowledge that James Denton hadn’t died after all, and had murdered a woman, possibly two. The thought that he might have killed her father and was after her mother destroyed her appetite and she barely picked at her food. Did he plan on killing her mother too? If so, why hadn’t he done it already?
Her mind raced swiftly a she nibbled her pancake. How best to get a DNA sample of Simon without alerting him? If he really was Denton, then he would be watching them like a hawk.
It would also explain why all the weird things kept happening. If he was after the old DNA evidence, he might think it was in the safe and that’s why he kept trying to get it. He should have the safe now though, and would find it empty. What would he do next? Finally she pushed her plate away.
“Not hungry after all?” Nat asked.
She shook her head. “I was just thinking that even if we do find out that Trask is Denton, we still don’t have any actual proof that Denton did anything other than change his identity and fake his death.”
“But it is enough to get a search warrant and reopen that cold case that registered his DNA. The woman was rich. As her husband, he inherited everything she had. That’s motive for murder, especially when his ex-wife died in the same circumstances,” Nat said with relish. “Plus, his DNA won’t match the real Simon Trask’s if he stole his identity. That right there is proof of wrong doing. Even without a body, he would have a hard time explaining why he took Simon’s identity and where the real Simon is. We’re getting him, honey, piece by piece.”
“Simon is wealthy, my mother isn’t. Why would he want to marry her?” Her brow creased in confusion. “It’s been two years since my dad died. He has his revenge, what else does he want?”
“It could be that he actually fell in love with your mother,” Nat replied cautiously. “You’ve seen the way he acts toward her.”
“Or maybe it’s the ultimate sick and twisted revenge.” She shivered with revulsion.
Nat placed his hand over her cold fingers. “Try to finish at least half of your pancakes,” he urged. “You need the energy. We have a lot to do today.”
“Before we head out of town, I want to stop by home and get my laptop,” she said, picking up her fork. “I don’t trust that Simon might not search my room and take it, especially if he thinks we’re getting close to him.”
***
WHEN NAT PULLED UP beneath the brick bridge, Miller was nowhere to be seen. “That’s a first,” he said with a chuckle. “I don’t think I’ve ever not seen Miller around.”
“Maybe he’s in the shed or something,” April murmured, opening her door and sliding out of the suburban.
Nat followed her into the house. Simon’s car was sitting on the driveway so that meant he was still here. He wondered what the chances were of getting into Simon’s house while he was with Rebecca? He would probably have to wait until tonight. The man had people on staff there, so getting inside and remaining unseen would be difficult during the day.
As they entered the hallway, Rebecca called out to them. “Is that you, darlings?” She peeked her head around the living room doorway. “That was quick, we didn’t expect you back so soon. Did you find out anything at the police department?”
“I’m just here to get my laptop, Mom,” April replied, her foot on the bottom step of the stairway. “And no, neither of us recognized the man on the video. It would be impossible to ID him with the way he was dressed.”
“Oh, that’s a shame,” Rebecca replied with a sigh.
Nat followed April up a few steps and when Rebecca turned back to the living room, he silently stepped back down and made his way into the kitchen. He’d seen the mudroom off the back door a few times, but it occurred to him that there were a few men’s caps hanging on the hooks. Golf caps. Perhaps Simon had left one there at one time. He’d seen the putting tee in Rebecca’s back acreage when he crossed to Simon’s property last night. Maybe he practiced over here since he spent so much time with her.
Bingo!
The white golf cap had a few curly hairs and some sweat in the headband. Quickly he stuffed it under his shirt and made his way back to the stairway as April was just coming out of her room. He waited at the bottom on pins and needles, expecting Simon to come out and accuse him of theft, but the murmur of voices from the living room never broke.
Quickly he urged April out the door and rushed her back to the suburban.
“Why are you pushing me,” April finally snapped as he practically shoved her into the seat.
“Sorry,” he apologized with a boyish grin. “I just got a little bit carried away, being in such a hurry and all.”
When he got into the front seat she faced him. “What’s going on? You’re acting weird.”
He took the cap from beneath his shirt. “I think I got Simon’s DNA,” he crowed as he pointed to the dark hairs under the brim. “This has to be his golf cap, its newer.”
“It would have to be because Mom got rid of all of Dad’s clothes,” she corrected. “That was brilliant.”
“Don’t look now, but guess who’s watching us again?” Nat said as they neared the end of the drive and he glanced in his rearview mirror.
“Miller,” she supplied with a twist of her nose. “By the way, someone was in my room.”
“How do you know?”
“The papers on my bed were not the way I left them. Granted, it’s a mess, but I knew where every paper was. Someone has shuffled through them.”
“Looking for what was in the safe most likely,” Nat murmured.
“So where are we going exactly?”
“To Simon Trask’s parents’ home,” he replied. “Then we are taking this hat straight to Jason at the FBI office in Boston. They should be able to process it pretty quickly.”
“Where is this home located?” April asked.
“It’s in the southern suburbs of Lynn, in Essex County,” he replied. “About 30 minutes away. Jason sent me the address and I’m putting it into my GPS.”
The interview with Simon’s mother was enlightening. It was obvious his parents were wealthy from the looks of the sprawling Cape Cod home on the outskirts of Lynn. His mother, Camilla Trask, was a sad looking matron with big dark eyes like her son, and a silver cap of carefully coifed hair. His father had passed on a few years ago. She complained that when Simon’s wife Analise had cheated on Simon, it had changed him. He’d become an embittered recluse, barely coming out to speak to anyone. The divorce had not been civil and Analise had denied it to the bitter end, but he'd still divorced her. Then he’d sold the home they’d had together and moved to Gloucester area, leaving her the tiniest settlement he was forced to give up.
He rarely contacted any of the family, completely ignoring the brother he used to be close to and lived on the trust funds his father had left him. His passion had always been golfing but he wasn’t good enough to go pro.
When Mrs. Trask why they were asking about Simon, Nat told her it was about a possible business deal. She’d agreed not to say anything.
“It looks like Jason was right,” April said when they climbed back into the suburban. “Simon has estranged himself from his family. That’s not a good sign.” She bit her lip and stared at Nat, a worried frown marring her pretty face.
Their next stop was Analise Trask, a pretty, middle-aged blond who hadn’t remarried after Simon had divorced her. She was very bitter. She waved her jeweled hands around in the air and complained that the argument Simon had with his brother David over one of their construction sites had turned heated. David had wanted to put in a concrete pad to build on and Simon had wanted to leave a natural wood foundation for the new home being built.
The argument, which Simon had won, had been bitter enough that he had withdrawn as a confiding partner in David’s business and accused her of sleeping with one of the contractors. She vehemently denied it, so had the contractor, but it hadn’t changed anything.
Simon had become withdrawn and cold. They’d already been having some marital issues, but that was the last straw.
Vindictive and hateful, he’d divorced her and left her with virtually nothing, which didn’t matter in the long run because she’d had her family to support her. She’d never forgiven him, and hadn’t spoken to him since the divorce was final.
“How weird is that?” April asked as they got back into the car. “I’m really starting to get worried, Nat.”
Nat was too, but he tried not to let it show. April might be a kickass tornado detective, but when it came to her mother, she was still a worried young girl.
She had a right to be worried.
He pulled into a gas station to get them a cup of coffee and fill up his car. His eyes were wary as the black Prius pulled into the station across the street from them. He could swear that same car was outside Fananys this morning when they’d finished eating breakfast. He made a mental note of the license plate this time. He didn’t recognize the male figure that got out of the car to fill up with gas, but he was a tall man. He wore jeans and a light jacket even though it was the middle of July on a humid day.
When April came back and handed him a cup of coffee she noted his gaze across the street. “Checking out that black Prius?”
Impressed, he nodded. “Yeah, I think it might be following us.”
“Well don’t look at him,” she added fiercely, turning his chin towards her. “I saw it pull in behind us when we got back on the freeway after we left Mrs. Trask’s house. But I didn’t see it again until now.”
“You sure it’s the same car?”
“Are the first three letters on the plate Boy Charlie 6?”
“Correct. Boy Charlie 6 Mary ocean 2.” He leaned down and gave her a kiss, taking his time until the pump signaled his tank was full. “I don’t like this,” he said uneasily, putting the gas handle back into the pump.
April was breathless. “What? You don’t like kissing me?”
His eyes softened. “I love kissing you, I could kiss you all day long. I don’t like that we are being followed. Now get your sassy butt in the car.” He turned her around and gave her a light smack on her butt.
After getting her settled in the car, he took his cup of coffee off the top and went around to his side, noting the other driver was getting into his car as well. He waited for a minute, pretending to fiddle with his wallet before he finally put the receipt inside it, and then got in. The other car was still sitting there. Until he pulled away, the car didn’t move. Once he did though, it slipped into traffic several cars back, and he noticed it got on the freeway with him and the two vehicles behind him. Yep, it was following them all right.
“I’m betting its Simon’s accomplice,” April offered into the silence. “I bet it’s the man in the video, the one with the gnarly mole on his neck.”
“I’m betting you’re right. It would be difficult for Simon to be at the house all the time so he can have an alibi and still get done some of the things he’s accomplished so far.”
April went silent, staring out the window.
“Hey? You okay?” Nat asked gently, reaching over and touching her hand on the console.
“Yeah,” she croaked. “J-just trying to get used to the idea that right now my mom may be in the hands of a serial killer and there’s nothing I can do about it.” She turned to him, her eyes luminous. “If he has someone following us, then it means he knows we are onto him, Nat. I think we should turn around and go get her.” Her voice rose in panic.
“Hey, hey, honey, try to relax,” Nat soothed. “We’ll be at the FBI in a few more minutes and we can have Jason put a tail on the house for your mom’s protection, if he hasn’t already.” He handed her his phone. “Here, call ahead and tell him to have the private garage open so I can park inside it. I don’t want whoever that is getting near us when we get out of the car.”
With shaking hands, April looked up Nat’s number for Jason Ambones in his cell contacts and punched the number.
“Put it on speaker,” Nat instructed, keeping a wary eye on the rearview mirror. The car was staying back, but it was still there.
“Nat, what’s up?” came Jason’s voice across the line.
“We’re coming in hot, Jason, be there in 8 minutes. Can you have someone at the garage open the security gate for us?” Nat spoke aloud.
“You got a plate?”
“Boy Charlie 6 Mary ocean 2 on a black Prius,” April replied, her voice shaky. “Whoever it is has been following us all morning.”
“Jason, can you put a detail on Rebecca?” Nat asked tersely. “We’re kind of worried about her after all we’ve found out.”
“I already have,” Jason replied fiercely. “I’ll tell him things are heating up and to be extra vigilant though.”
“I got a golf cap with some hairs and sweat that I think is Simon’s. It was in Rebecca’s mud room, along with some golf clubs sitting there. Plus an eyepatch that looks used that I took from the gardeners shed on Trask’s property. I’ll explain more when we get there, but I think someone is setting Miller up.”
“See you in 4 minutes,” Jason barked and hung up.
“Oh...that...that man,” April let her breath out with an indignant whoosh. “Does he always have to have the last word?”
Nat chuckled. “I guess he doesn’t like to say goodbye.”
Jason met them at the elevator after they parked. “That plate came back to a man who works at Trask’s estates,” he told them. “A thug, basically, with a criminal background. They are probably still looking for the DNA since there was nothing in the safe.”
“Did you read Dad’s diary?” April asked on the elevator.
“Yes, you can have it back. There’s nothing in it that makes it a security risk,” Jason replied, eyeing her flushed face. “You feeling all right?”
April’s eyes flashed. “Of course I’m not feeling all right,” she exclaimed. “My mother is in love with a killer and doesn’t know it, and we have to prove it before she’s his next victim! And it feels like you’re using her for bait. Maybe you can continue on like some damned robot, but I can’t.” Her voice ended on a hoarse sob and Nat caught her in his arms.
Her entire body was trembling in his hold and he caught Jason’s eye above her head, his own eyes gleaming a warning. His hands rubbed up and down her back, trying to comfort her. He noted the longing glance Jason shot April before his face closed over and then the Falcon was back. Learning to separate your emotion from the job was something April had yet to learn. To be fair, having to learn it when your own mother was at risk was doubly difficult.
By the time the elevator had whisked them to Jason’s floor, April had herself under control. The break had been small and she was still shaky, but she was bracing herself for what came next. He was very proud of his hot little mess.
They sat down on the black leather lounger in Jason’s office and Nat handed him the plastic bag with the eyepatch and the golf cap. He left the room with the two items.
April looked up at Nat. “You do realize that if that he knows we are checking out his family, telling his mother not to say anything was pointless, right? He already knows.” She stood up abruptly. “Nat, I want to go home—now!” She headed for the door.
Nat grabbed her arm. “Wait, April. We need to wait for the results from the DNA tests on the cap and the eyepatch, then we can head back.”
April was jerking away from Nat when her cell phone rang in her purse. She grabbed it out to look at the number. It was a text from Rebecca.
Darling, I’m so excited to tell you my news! Simon and I have decided to elope. That’s right, we are going to sail to Paris in his gorgeous, oversized yacht and get married there. Isn’t that wonderful? We couldn’t agree on how big or small to make the wedding and who to invite, so we just decided to not make those decisions at all. Be happy for me darling, I’ve always wanted to do something impetuous and crazy, so here I go! Love you and talk to you as soon as I can!
“Oh my god, we have to stop her,” April squealed, her face turning white.
“Why would she send you a text instead of calling you?”
“Duh...look at how many texts my mother has sent me. Zip, zilch, nada!” She shook the phone at him. “She doesn’t initiate texts. This isn’t from her. He’s taking off with her Nat, and I have to get to her.” She turned to run out the door and ran right into Jason’s broad chest.
“Whoa, what’s going on,” he asked, his gaze bouncing off her to Nat and back.
“Read it for yourself,” April screeched in his face.
Jason took the phone, scanned the message and then punched the call button. “She’s not answering the phone.” Jason took out his phone and dialed a number then barked into it. “Smitty...where is Rebecca right now?”
“She and Simon left a few minutes ago,” Smitty replied over the speaker.
“Did she look distressed?”
“No, nothing to indicate she was stressed, sir. She looked really happy, they were laughing together.”
“What car did they take?”
“Simon’s silver Lincoln Continental.”
“Head for the Good Harbor marina and stop them,” Jason ordered. “Get help from local law enforcement in the area to sit on that yacht. It’s called the Bella Lou in slip 10.” He hung up in his usual style and thundered down the hallway to his right. “Seeker, I need you and your laptop immediately!”
“Follow me,” he said as he turned to April and Nat. “We need to get to the roof.”
Seeker came running and fell into step behind them as they hurried to the helicopter pad on the roof. Nat nodded to the slender hacker who he’d met before, but April ignored him.
Jason was on the phone again, his long strides eating up the floor as he made arrangements to take the helicopter out and to tell the lab to call him immediately with the DNA results, it was critical.
Jason on the move was a force to be reckoned with and Nat couldn’t help but admire him. He glanced sideways at April. Her lips were set in a thin line of fear and the fire of determination burned in her gorgeous eyes. They were all running on adrenalin at the moment.
Inside the helicopter, Jason took the controls with Seeker beside him. “Open that laptop and find a silver Lincoln Continental that would have just left 400 Cottonwood Lane in Gloucester, headed west towards the Good Harbor Marina. Pick it up on street cams, we need it now. It will be registered to Simon Trask.”
“On it, boss.”
When Nat’s cell phone rang in his hand it startled him. He didn’t recognize the number but instinct told him to answer it. “Nat Murphy,” he barked into it.
“It’s me, Miller,” panted a husky voice. Nat immediately snapped it to speaker. “Trask has Rebecca...you need to...stop him,” he panted, his words ringing through the confined space.
“We know,” Nat stated flatly.
“No, you don’t...h-he circled around...past your man...came back here...took his black pickup...went northeast towards the...Canadian border. I-I saw the route in his study...last night,” Miller gasped. “Saw inside...the covered bed...it was loaded...with supplies...camping equipment...”
“How can you be sure of this?”
“I-I been watching...he...he shot me...left me for dead...when I tried...tried to stop him...” There were no more words and the silence was deafening.
“Miller? Miller!” Nat shouted into the phone. “Miller, are you there?” he asked frantically. He turned to Seeker. “Find a black pickup registered to Simon Trask in Clearwater, somewhere near the same address Jason gave you, he lives next door. He’s not taking the yacht, he’s headed north to Canada.” After whipping out his orders, Nat immediately called for an ambulance and the police for Miller, then tried to call him back. Still no answer.
“And Mom is with him,” April whispered, her teeth rattling as her body shook.
In front of her, Seeker swore under his breath. “Clearwater is short on traffic cams,” he muttered.
“Let me help you,” April replied instantly, leaning over his shoulder and grabbing the laptop from him.
“Hey!”
He turned to glare at her but April’s fingers were already flying. Seeker left his seat and kneeled beside her chair watching her closely. She already had four different screens open, all side by side, one focusing on each direction. “Port Street has one,” she muttered to herself.
“There, the north one,” Seeker pointed, then used his fingers to enlarge the picture. “I’m zooming in. There is a woman and a man in the truck.”
“I need to make sure it’s my mother,” April whispered fiercely, moving his fingers aside and manipulating the zoom function and toggling the truck herself. “It’s her,” she breathed, looking at Nat.
“Location,” barked Jason in the headphones they had all put on.
Seeker gave him the information and he immediately called it into his team at the FBI and they began making contact with local law enforcement agencies to have the vehicle stopped. It won’t be long now, April. We’ll have him soon,” he stated tensely, glancing back at her with a worried look on his face.
Nat hoped Jason was right. Did Simon care enough about Rebecca not to harm her once he was cornered though?