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I JOINED IDA BELLE at Gertie's for breakfast, and I felt better about myself at their rueful expressions after I relayed the idea of asking Billi about Mary. Since it hadn't occurred to them either, I figured my logical thinking hadn't derailed. It had simply taken a detour—probably trying to avoid the spa.
"I don't know if I'll be allowed in there today," Ida Belle said, sounding pleased.
"Why wouldn't you?" I asked. "You haven't been charged with anything."
Gertie bounced in her seat. "That's what I've been telling her!"
"The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get out," I coaxed.
"And the sooner we get paid." Gertie got up and went through a small stack of papers on her counter and returned to the table. "Here's the estimate for a new bumper."
I reached for the paper she offered, but Ida Belle snatched it from her hand. After studying it, she glanced up at Gertie. "A new bumper on your old car? Why?"
"Because an old bumper will only fall off like the last one," Gertie replied. "Didn't you read that part? I wrote it down."
"This isn't even an estimate. It's just a bunch of stuff you scribbled," Ida Belle pointed out.
"Well, I've been too busy to take it to the body shop. Besides, it's illegal to drive in its current condition."
"Then how do you know it will cost this much to get it fixed?" Ida Belle demanded, tossing the paper to Gertie who shrugged.
"My body guy said if I put an old bumper on then the same thing might happen and suggested I get a brand new one. He gave me an estimate over the phone. I didn't pull those numbers out of my hat."
"A new one will fall off too, when you use it as a battering ram," Ida Belle predicted. "Why don't we go back to Harmony and pick up the old bumper? Scooter can weld a crossbar to it and bolt it back onto your car. It will be a lot cheaper."
Gertie appealed to me. "Do I have to? I think my Caddy will look spiffy with a shiny new bumper!"
"We'll discuss it later," I promised. "But I'd like to get back to the spa. Don't forget I left your gun there."
"Oh. That's right. Let me rinse the dishes, and I'll be ready to go," Gertie said.
"I'm certain they won't allow me in," Ida Belle stated as we headed to her house to pick up her Blazer. She reiterated her feelings like a mantra when we pulled into the parking lot at the spa a short time later and I looked at Gertie to see what she thought.
"I won't argue. It means more men for me," Gertie replied, hopping out of the Blazer so she could get in line.
"You might want to put a leash and a bib on her," Ida Belle suggested as I opened my door.
"I hope we won't be here long enough to even bother. If Billi's working, we should be out soon."
"And if she's not, I'll be out here relaxing with the doors open," Ida Belle called after me. I gave her a brief wave and followed the trail of seniors into the building. I wondered if the spa had devised a portal with a direct connection to Florida. If so, I hoped it had size restrictions because if RVs started plugging up Louisiana roads as they did in Florida, I'd have to move.
The line moved faster today, and I was disappointed to see Billi was not tending the counter. Gertie rushed through without engaging the clerk—no surprise, I guess. When I made it to the counter, I told her I was from the temp agency and she looked confused. "I'm here to do laundry and gather towels," I explained.
"Oh. Well, I'm just a last-minute fill-in today. Sorry." She let me through the gate and I inquired about Billi. "I don't know him."
"Never mind." I headed to the women's dressing room to check the machine for the gun I'd left. The front of the machine was hanging by a hinge and the machine was empty.
"It's out of order, honey!" a woman called to me.
"Aren't we all?" another remarked. "I'm afraid you're out of luck in that department. None of us carry those things anymore," she added as she passed me on her way out.
Well, I knew the police didn't rip the face off the machine and leave it hanging. The mangled edge suggested someone else had pried it open and removed the contents. But who and why? I sent Ida Belle a text to report what I'd found and ask for ideas. Then I checked the towel supply before heading to the yard. An older couple, both fully clothed, nodded as they passed me, and I turned to watch them leave. Darn! They had to be from the Downey team, and I shot Ida Belle another text.
I got a reply about ten minutes later and sighed with relief. Ida Belle had used the amplifier and listened to their conversation when they left the building. Mary Vanderford wasn't at the spa, so they were going to interview her neighbors. Gertie was nowhere in sight, so I ran out to have a short conference with Ida Belle.
We agreed that talking with the Vanderfords’ neighbors wouldn't help us, even if they were willing to speak. Plus, the Downey team already had a head start, so we needed another plan. "We should find Billi," I suggested. "I'm sure the office has her phone number and maybe even her address."
"The office is right behind the front desk. How are we going to get in there without attracting attention?" she asked.
I pointed to the back of her Blazer. "Grab a bag and tell the woman at the counter you're from IT and here to upgrade the office computer."
"Right, because I look like a computer whiz. Not to mention, I'm appropriately dressed," she mocked.
"After yesterday's security issue, I think you can make a case for needing to beef up all the security. And as far as being appropriately dressed? Seriously? It's a clothing-optional environment," I reminded her with a laugh. "I'm positive she won't bat an eye at your casual clothes. Besides, I told her I'm here for the laundry, so I can't do it."
"Fine, but if MPD shows up, I'm pointing the finger at you," she declared.
"Be assertive, and don't back down. You must know some of the Wizard's technobabble from playing online games with him, so use that if necessary. Give me a five-minute head start," I said. "Once you're in, I'll watch your back."
I waited for her to talk her way past the reception desk, which she did with surprising ease. I rolled my eyes and made a mental note to tell Gertie any information she gave the spa wasn't secure. The woman working the desk looked over her shoulder a couple times, and I wondered what was taking Ida Belle so long. I was getting ready to run interference when she stepped out of the office and closed the door.
"All set," she told the woman behind the desk and headed outside. I waited a few minutes and followed her to the Blazer.
"What took you so long?" I asked.
She glared. "If she looks into the office, we're screwed because there's no computer! Everything was handwritten and randomly shoved into folders. But I found the information we were after. Are you ready for this? Billi is Mary Elizabeth Vanderford."
Somehow that didn't surprise me. "Great," I sighed. "How are we going to get past the dragon guarding the Vanderford home? She probably has pressure plates and tripwires in the yard to activate security cameras."
"You didn't let me finish." Ida Belle took a scrap of paper from her pocket and handed it to me. "That's the address the spa has on file for Billi."
My brows lifted. "Post Road? That's a rural address. Should we run and check it out?"
"And leave Gertie without adult supervision?" Ida Belle snorted. "How does that not end in disaster?"
"I'll go get her," I replied, grinning as I trotted into the spa. The woman at the counter looked perplexed when I waved and kept going. For the benefit of the grumbling guests waiting in line, I yelled, "I have to keep those towels clean." Hopefully, no one was paying attention when I left fifteen minutes later, with Gertie's arm in my firm grip.
"I don't see why you had to interrupt my spa time," Gertie remarked as Ida Belle left the parking lot. "It was very relaxing without the goons. I hope they learned their lesson."
"Hey, turn around," I told Ida Belle. "Go back to the parking lot. I want to check on something." She pulled a U-turn, and when we were in the lot she paused near the fence while I jumped out. "There's blood on the ground where the Money guy fell," I reported when I got back in and Ida Belle resumed our course.
"Enough to lay him up for a few days?" Gertie asked.
"I don't know, but he's gonna be in pain either way. Here's something interesting." I held up a personal feminine item. "It was on the ground. I believe the inside guy smashed the machine and dumped everything into a bag, then ran out to help his friend. The pads would work to slow the blood flowing from the gunshot wound."
"Wouldn't it have been easier to use a towel?" Gertie wondered.
"The only towels in the locker rooms were dirty," I explained. "I didn't put out clean ones until the end of the day. He probably went into the women's locker room but then decided to take what was in the machine."
"So they have Gertie's gun," Ida Belle said. "Fortune, I hope you're right and everything from the machine went into a bag. The gun would have settled at the bottom, so maybe there's a chance they haven't discovered it yet."
"If they already found it, I could be in a lot of trouble. Should I call Carter and report it stolen?" Gertie looked worried, and I didn't blame her.
"How are you going to explain it?" Ida Belle asked. "There are too many potential pitfalls even if you come up with a plausible story."
"Yeah, but there's even bigger pitfalls if those guys use my gun."
"Then we'll add them to our list of people to find," I stated. "Since we have a lead on Mary, let's see where that takes us. She might even know something about the guys from yesterday that will help us track them down. If not, we know Money in the Bank employs them and can go at it from that angle if necessary." I sounded more confident than I felt, and I doubted that a company with a reputation like theirs would be concerned about the ethics of a stolen weapon. But maybe Ida Belle was right and the guys hadn't discovered it.
Ida Belle slowed the Blazer outside a massive house with beautifully landscaped grounds and a water fountain in the center of the circular paved drive.
"Are you sure this is the right place?" Gertie asked.
Ida Belle passed Gertie her phone and told her to look at her pictures. Sure enough—the photo she had snapped of Billi/Mary's contact information showed the same address as the house we were looking at. Ida Belle pulled into the drive and parked in front of the door. "Who's going?"
"I will," Gertie offered.
"I'll go too," I said.
We both got out and headed to the front door, which was flanked by two large pillars that supported a second-floor balcony. Gertie rang the bell, and we heard a dog barking inside, but no one answered. Then she knocked, but this time it was totally quiet in the house.
I stepped away from the door to check out the driveway. A car was parked outside the closed overhead garage door, so I walked over and felt the hood. It was warmer than the roof, which meant someone had recently driven it. The door wasn't locked, so I quietly checked the glove box and found the car was registered to Mary Vanderford. I put the papers away and met Gertie on her way back to the Blazer. We agreed something didn't feel right.
"I'll park down the road a short distance, behind that stand of trees," Ida Belle said. "It will give us a good vantage point for watching the driveway."
After she parked I grabbed the binoculars and got out, moving to a position where I could observe the house from a front angle. I saw the drapes move in a first-floor room and slid on my stomach through the weeds, hoping for a better view. It was quiet, and I was getting ready to go back to the Blazer when the overhead garage door lifted and a dark SUV with tinted windows backed out.
Crap! I abandoned my stealth mode and streaked back to the Blazer. Ida Belle was already in running mode, and as soon as I was inside, she gunned the gas pedal and took off after the SUV.
"Did you get a look at the driver?" I asked.
Gertie looked over her shoulder with a grim nod. "It's the guy from the Money team."
"By himself?"
"I couldn't tell," Gertie replied. "But I doubt it. Otherwise, why is he driving so fast?"
I agreed, and Ida Belle followed the vehicle when it turned down a gravel road. It kicked up dust and small pebbles that covered us in a thick cloud, and I wondered how Ida Belle managed to stay on the road. It was impossible to see more than twenty feet in front of the Blazer, but I was grateful Ida Belle was behind the wheel and not Gertie with her Cadillac.
Suddenly, Ida Belle swerved before slamming on the brakes and executing a neat turnaround. At the intersection we had just crossed, she turned to follow the dark SUV. It was farther ahead of us but as long as it stayed on the dirt roads we could follow the trail it left. Then the cloud dissipated, and we found ourselves at an intersection with a paved road. Ida Belle slowed down and cranked the steering wheel, and we were headed back to Post Road.
"I don't think he knows where he's going," Gertie said.
The dark vehicle was still ahead of us, but once again the distance had increased. Soon I became aware of movement out the side window, about a quarter-mile from us and running parallel. It was a train. I knew Ida Belle had spotted it too because she floored the Blazer, and Gertie grabbed the dash.
"Are you trying to kill us?" Gertie shouted.
I met Ida Belle's amused eyes in the rearview mirror. Compared to Gertie's wild ride adventures, this seemed like a leisurely Sunday afternoon drive. At the corner, Ida Belle turned right, and I held my breath—it was going to be close. Straight ahead, the dark SUV crossed the tracks and the train blasted its horn in a warning. I could feel the rumble of the lumbering beast as we approached the crossing, and I hoped Ida Belle's judgment was as strong as her determination because—
H-O-N-K-K-K! The angry engineer let out a long blast of censure and I felt the back of the Blazer shift slightly from the force of the engine that whizzed by our rear bumper while Gertie screamed, "Jesus, take the wheel!"
The Blazer bounced heavily over the tracks, but Ida Belle kept it on the road. I wondered what the dark SUV driver thought when he looked in his rearview mirror and saw we had cleared the tracks without getting smashed.
WHAM! The Blazer unexpectedly shuddered and hopped sideways, and I feared we'd roll before Ida Belle could gain control and halt our momentum. After an eternity of five seconds, we stared at each other silently and then Gertie's lower lip began to tremble. I reached up to squeeze her shoulder in a gesture of comfort, only to have her throw my hand off as she laid into Ida Belle and gave her a tongue lashing that I was sure Jesus would disapprove of.
"Get a grip," Ida Belle responded tartly. "It's called offensive driving!" She shook her head and got out to examine the blown tire. I followed, and together we changed it for the spare.
"I guess we should go back to the house and see if we can find something useful," Ida Belle suggested. "Unless someone has a better idea. Gertie, the spa is NOT a better idea!"
"Humph. Well, you asked, so don't yell because I don't agree with you," Gertie retorted. "After the scare you just put into us, I believe we're entitled to some relaxation."
"You're way off base again. The only time that place is relaxing is when it's closed." Ida Belle snorted and turned back toward the house. "Besides, we need to find out what happened." She turned into the driveway and parked in the same spot as before.
As soon as I opened my door, I heard the dog barking. Since he didn't come racing to meet us, I assumed he was inside and wondered what had him worked up. I ran back to the Blazer and grabbed my gun, taking a moment to fetch Ida Belle's from the glovebox. I handed it to her and indicated with a motion that I would go around back while she and Gertie checked the front.
The first door I encountered was locked, so I eased along the side of the house, pausing at the sliding glass doors under the covered patio. I checked my gun and popped my head around for a fast peek inside. Nothing seemed out of place, so I waited a minute before taking another look, this one a bit longer. Then I pulled the sliding door handle. It moved easily on its track and I stepped into the house, wondering if the dog would barrel around the corner and attack.
I scanned the room, noting the vaulted ceiling and overhead fans with large paddles shaped like leaves that circulated the air. To the right, I saw an open kitchen with long counters and stools. To my left, a wall with an eclectic collection of artwork. Straight ahead was the front door and a stairway leading to the second floor. The dog was suspiciously quiet as I made my way through the ground floor level, and I suspected he was upstairs. After clearing the main floor, I opened the front door to let Ida Belle and Gertie in.
"Dog?" Ida Belle mouthed, and I shrugged, pointing the tip of my gun upstairs. She nodded, and I took the lead, stealthily creeping up the wide staircase while Gertie waited downstairs. At the landing, we split up, and I took the rooms to the left.
The first door was cracked, and I nudged it to check inside. Empty. Same with the next room. I was reaching for another doorknob when I heard shouts from Ida Belle. The dog was raising a fit, so I ran down the hall toward the commotion. I saw Gertie on her way up as I passed the stairway.
When I reached the open door, I skidded to a stop on the hardwood floor and watched Ida Belle trying to ward off the friendly attention of a Golden Retriever the size of a small moose. Beyond them, a thin old man tied to an armchair hollered for the dog to stop. Gertie bumped into me and pushed me into the room. I almost tripped over Ida Belle but managed to stay on my feet long enough for the dog to notice me. He jumped up, and I went down. I pushed my gun out of the way and used my hands as a buffer to keep him from drowning me with slobber. Then he heard Gertie make a comment and turned to beat me with his tail.
I rolled out of the way and staggered to my feet while the old guy continued calling the dog. He seemed familiar, but I couldn't place him until he looked at me and my jaw went slack.
"Happy Harry? What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I live here. Bounce needs to go out. Will you please cut me loose?" he requested.
I worked on the ropes. "So I guess your dog is happy too."
"I wish I could say he was obedient, but he got kicked out of the class for disrupting the other dogs. The instructor implied he was a bad influence," Harry said as he rubbed his wrists and I cut his ankles loose. "Bounce, you're being rude!" The retriever dropped to his butt and thumped his tail, then ran to Harry and shoved his nose into his face. "I'll put you out in a minute." I guess Bounce understood that well enough because he raced to the door and back.
"I'll put him out," Ida Belle said. She grabbed a fistful of neck fur and Bounce trotted next to her as she led him down the stairs to put him outside.
"Harry!" Gertie exclaimed. "What happened?"
His eyes filled with tears. "Two guys kidnapped Mary! When I heard you pull in, I was afraid they were coming back to kill me."
"We're here to help. Can you make it downstairs?" Gertie asked, and he nodded. Once we had him settled in a chair with a glass of lemon water, Ida Belle joined us and he told us what happened.
"Mary answered the doorbell when it rang a little while ago. A big guy forced her back and another came in behind him and closed the door. Then they told Mary they wanted her to sign a paper, and she refused."
"You're talking about Mary Vanderford, right?" I asked. After our recent mix-ups, it seemed wise to check the facts.
"Yes." Bashfully, he added, "She's my sweetheart." My brows hiked and he said, "I know what you're thinking, but that's just an act for the spa so that no one will suspect us. Mary uses the name Billi because she doesn't want her son to find out that she works there."
"Do you know what was on the paper the men wanted her to sign?" Ida Belle asked.
"They kept saying she was gonna get all this money and she was rich, but Mary didn't believe them. Her daughter-in-law already warned her about someone trying to scam her again, so she wouldn't sign," Harry explained. "Then the big guy said they'd hurt me if she didn't and I stood up to throw them out, and he pulled out a gun. Mary started screaming, so he handed the gun to the other guy and tied her up and gagged her. Then they took me upstairs and left me tied to the chair. After that, I heard three car doors slam, and I knew they took her."
"Well, if it's any comfort I don't believe they will harm her," Gertie told Harry.
"How do you know?" he asked. His eyes shifted from one of us to the next. "What's going on?"
"The truth is that a woman named Mary Smith stands to inherit a lot of money," I replied. "Those guys work for a company that tracks down people like Mary for a finder's fee. We're doing the same thing, but we don't resort to threats and kidnapping."
"What should I do? Call the police?" Harry looked to us for help but I didn't want to give him my opinion of the Molten police department. Besides, I highly suspected the Money team had used Gertie's gun to intimidate the older couple, and I wanted a chance to get it back before anything bad happened.
Gertie wasn't so reserved. "There's no need to call the police because we'll find Mary," she assured him.
Ida Belle rolled her eyes, and I rubbed my forehead at Gertie's rash promise. But the damage was done, and Harry was ecstatic as Bounce. "I'll pay you to find her," he promised. "Whatever it costs!"
Gertie eyed the room and remarked, "You must have a lot of money."
Harry nodded and waved his arm. "My last name is Hart, and I own a whole chain of day spas for seniors. This house is paid for and I have a bigger one in New York for when we want a break from the heat."
"We?" I asked.
"Me and Mary," he replied with a sweet smile that made him look ten years younger. "We're getting married soon. Her son doesn't take good care of her and his wife is so mean. And we're in love. Plus, Bounce likes her."
"Well, if you're going on Bounce's recommendation, you might want to rethink it," Ida Belle advised. "Since he didn't attack the guys who forced their way into your house, I assume he likes everyone."
"Yeah. He's not very discriminating."
I cleared my throat and smiled at Harry. "I believe that Mary will be home before long, unharmed. It might be a good idea to just wait it out."
"And what if she isn't?" he replied, shaking his head. "I'm not willing to take a chance, so if you can't find her, I'll have to call the police."
"We'll look for her if that's what you really want," I said. He really didn't leave us any choice in the matter. "Do you remember anything from the encounter that might help us figure out where they took her?"
"Not really," he admitted.
I knew we might have to contact the owner of Money in the Bank and do some arm-twisting to find out where his guys took Mary. But the fact that they had Gertie's gun weakened our position, so I preferred not to take that route if we had another option. I mulled it over while Gertie talked to Harry about his spa and Mary.
"I met Mary when she applied for a job so she could save money and move out of her son's house. She told me she didn't want him knowing she was working or he'd try to take control of her paycheck because a few years ago she lost all her savings and had to move in with him. They treat her like she's stupid because she fell victim to a swindler. But she's smart enough to fool them so I say: Who's the stupid one? I even bought her another phone so she can call me without them knowing." He suddenly smiled. "Mary keeps misplacing her phone so I installed an app that lets us track it. Hang on." After he signed in on a laptop he turned it so we could look. "They appear to be heading to Chalk Lake."
"Can you do that on my phone?" I asked and handed it to him when he nodded. When the information showed up, I waved it at the ladies. "Shall we go?"
"I'm coming too," Harry said. He insisted he would change the account information to access the location app and lock us out if we left him behind. "I'll just go after her myself if you won't take me."
"Come on," Ida Belle muttered, and we headed out to the Blazer. I chuckled under my breath when Harry jumped into the front passenger seat, but Gertie didn't seem to mind.
"I don't think I can sit up front and watch her anymore today," she whispered. Ida Belle turned the rearview mirror so she could glare at Gertie, who sniffed and patted my arm. When Ida Belle pulled onto the road, Gertie leaned closer to me. "We need to have an intervention before she kills us."