The Perfect Murder by Kat Martin

TWENTY-FIVE

Mel’s Diner looked like an old railroad car, chrome with bright red trim. It sat beneath a cluster of live oaks next to a little stream. As Reese pushed through the door, he spotted Chase’s dark gold hair at a booth at the back. Reese made his way down the aisle and slid onto the red vinyl seat across from him.

“How’s she doing?” Chase turned over the china mug on Reese’s side of the table and motioned for a dark-skinned waitress with corkscrew curls to fill it up.

“Those bastards beat the hell out of her,” Reese said as the woman finished pouring and walked away. “She fought them, sliced one of them up pretty good with her house keys. Still wound up with bruised ribs, a split lip, and a black eye. Doc says she’s got a slight concussion but it could have been a lot worse.”

Just saying it had his hand tightening around the handle of the mug.

“What about mentally? She ready for what’s coming?”

“Kenzie’s strong. But she’s scared, Chase. She loves her son with everything inside her, and she’s terrified what might be happening to him.”

“She give you a description?”

“It’s pretty basic. One my height only heavier. The other short and homely, with curly black hair. She may remember more once the shock wears off.”

Chase grabbed a black canvas bag off the seat beside him and set it on top of the Formica table.

Reese took a sip of his coffee, needing it, glad it was black and strong.

“There’s a fingerprint kit in here,” Chase said. “Bags for any trace evidence you find. If Kenzie cut one of them, see if you can get a blood smear for DNA.”

Reese nodded. “Apparently, they were wearing gloves, but there’s definitely blood in the room that isn’t hers.”

“I brought you a couple of throwaway phones. I’ve already programmed my cell number into each of them. We can stay in touch and not have to worry about them tracking us.”

“Good idea.” He should have thought of that. At least he had disabled his cell. His worry for Kenzie and Griff had left his mind a little fuzzy, but his focus was returning. Soon he’d be able to proceed with his usual unshakable control.

“There’s no way to know where this is headed,” Chase said. “I assume you’ve got your own weapon, but there’s an S&W .380 in the bag you might want for backup.”

Reese pulled back the navy blue windbreaker he was wearing with jeans and a dark blue T-shirt, flashing the Nighthawk .45 holstered on his belt. “I’m armed, but a spare piece might come in handy.”

He was an extremely good shot. This wasn’t the first time he was glad he had taken the classes for a concealed-carry permit.

Chase took a drink of his coffee. “I’m going to say this right up front. Even if you give the kidnappers what they want, there’s still a chance they’ll kill the boy.”

His stomach clenched. He knew it. Didn’t want to believe it, but he knew it was true. “We have to find them, go in, and get Griff out ourselves.”

“That’s right. Once they call, you need to draw out the negotiations as long as possible, give us time to find out where they’ve got him stashed. Make sure you ask for proof of life and make sure they understand the boy can’t be harmed in any way or they don’t get the money.”

Reese nodded. His brother had to know the money would be coming from him. Chase didn’t mention it. A child’s life was at stake.

“You need to call Tabby,” Chase said, taking a drink of his coffee. “Have her set Kenzie’s phone up to track the ransom call when it comes in. Once you’re back at her house, enable your phone and do the same in case they contact you directly.”

He nodded, anxious to get back to the town house. He didn’t like leaving Kenzie alone. “Anything else?”

“I’ll put the word out. Hawk’s back in town. I’ll talk to him, see what he can find out. Lissa’s in Denver, but I’ll bring Jax and Wolfe up to speed, make sure they keep their eyes and ears open.” Detectives who worked at The Max. “If there’s word on the street of anything going down, we’ll know about it.”

Reese rose from the booth, tossed money on the table to pay for their coffee and a generous tip. “I’ll see what I can find in Griff’s bedroom.” It would take some time to get the results from the lab Chase used, but the information could be crucial.

“Keep in touch,” Chase said, also rising.

Worried about Kenzie, Reese grabbed the canvas satchel and headed out the door.

Kenzie sat at the breakfast table, holding a plastic bag of frozen peas against the side of her face. Her cell phone rested on the table in front of her. She had no idea when the men would call. She just prayed that they would. Prayed that wherever Griff was, he was okay and the men hadn’t hurt him.

The thought sent a shaft of pain straight into her heart. Griff was just a little boy. By now he was probably awake and terrified. Maybe afraid something horrible had happened to her and Gran. He had no way of knowing.

Silently, she willed him not to fight the men. Just hold on until she could bring him home. A sob caught in her throat but she forced it away. She couldn’t afford to break down. She had to be strong for Griff.

“Reese should be back soon,” Gran said, pulling Kenzie’s mind out of the dark place it had wandered.

She set the bag of frozen peas on the table. “Maybe Reese decided he doesn’t want to get any more deeply involved. Maybe he figured we’ve brought him enough trouble already.”

One of her grandmother’s silver eyebrows arched up. “You think he’d abandon you?”

Her throat tightened. She couldn’t believe she had said the words out loud. “No. Reese wouldn’t do that.”

“I know he wouldn’t. The man has real feelings for you, honey. It’s in his eyes every time he looks at you.”

Kenzie leaned back in her chair, her body aching, every muscle moving as if she were wrapped in chains. “Even if he cares for me, he’s not interested in a long-term relationship. A couple of months, then he’ll be looking for someone new and he’ll want us to just go back to being colleagues.”

Which his other women seemed able to do, but not Kenzie. She was in too deep. Her days as his assistant were limited. But she trusted him to help her get settled somewhere else. The thought sent fresh pain into her already battered heart.

“You don’t know that’s what’s going to happen,” her grandmother said.

“I’m his assistant, Gran. I know how he thinks. For heaven’s sake, I arranged his dates for him.”

Her mind flashed back to Arial Kaplan and the list of beautiful women Reese had dated. None of them had lasted long. At the moment, thoughts of losing Reese where wildly overshadowed by worry for her son. What was happening to Griff? Where had they taken him?

An insistent knock came at the door, and nerves shot up her spine. Would the men come back? Would they be bold enough to knock on her front door?

“It’s probably Reese,” Gran said, reading her fear. “I’ll be sure and check before I let him in.”

He appeared in the kitchen a few seconds later, tall and imposing, like a man who could conquer the world. He was carrying a black canvas satchel, which he set on the counter, then he bent down and gently kissed her lips.

“How are you holding up?”

Her throat constricted. “I feel like my world has collapsed around me.”

“He’s going to be okay. You have to believe that.”

She nodded. “I know.”

“No phone calls?”

“Not yet.”

He unzipped the bag and set a disposable cell phone on the table in front of her. “From now on, any calls you make, use this phone. Yours has been set up to track incoming calls. With any luck we can figure out where they’re coming from. Mine’s set up the same way.”

“Your friend Tabby?”

“That’s right. She’ll help us any way she can.”

“You think they want money?”

“Most likely.”

“I don’t have the kind of money they’re going to want.” She glanced up. “Maybe they know about the life insurance policy. The three million dollars coming to Griff.”

“It’s possible.”

“Oh, God, if that’s what they’re after, it won’t work. I went to see Lee’s attorney on my lunch hour yesterday. The money belongs to Griff, but not until he turns eighteen. In the meantime, I have to submit a monthly budget. There’s no way I can get the full amount even in an emergency.”

“Griff’s grandfather owns half of Black Sand Oil and Gas. Maybe they figure you can get the money from him.”

She pressed her lips together. “I don’t know if Arthur would be willing to pay. It would probably depend on how much they want.” She looked up at him. “Should I call him? Maybe I should call him.”

“You aren’t calling Arthur. He’ll want to take control and you can’t let that happen.”

Kenzie raked back her hair. Her hands were shaking. She clamped them between her knees under the table. “I wish they’d call. Why don’t they call?”

Reese caught her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “Listen to me, honey. Getting the ransom money isn’t a problem. I can take care of it. The problem is that even if we pay them, they might not let Griff go.”

She straightened. “What do you mean?”

“We need to find Griff ourselves. That’s the only way we can be sure he’ll get home safely.”

She started shaking her head. “No. No, no, no, no, no. We have to give the kidnappers what they want. Then they’ll let Griff go.”

Reese just stared at her, those piercing blue eyes willing her to understand. She wanted to put her head down on the table and weep. She wanted to scream out her terror. Instead she steeled herself. “You really believe they might...they might kill him?”

“If he sees their faces, he’ll be able to identify them. Even if he doesn’t, letting him go poses all sorts of problems.”

“What...what are we going to do?”

“Do you trust me?”

With everything but her heart. “You know I do.”

“Then we’ll work together to bring him home, figure things out as we go. In the meantime, I’m going upstairs, see what kind of evidence those two scumbags left behind.”

She stood up from the chair. “I need to do something. Let me help.”

Reese reached out and took her hand, wrapped his warm fingers around it. “All right. It’s going to take both of us to make this work. Let’s go.”