Lottery (39 page)

The house in Pacific Heights buzzed with police. In both uniforms and plain clothes, the SFPD police and detectives looked for evidence that might give them a clue as to where
Caleb had taken or was taking Ling. Whispers echoed through the mansion as everyone compared notes.

“So, why would a man who has all of this kidnap his wife?” Alvaraz asked Jenee.

“Money can’t buy sanity.” Jenee swiped underneath her nose with a tissue. “He thought he was losing her … and …”

“And?” Alvaraz paused. “Is there something more?”

“Ma’am,” Jenee’s thoughts were interrupted by the deep voice. She looked up, and saw a middle-aged balding man in plain clothes. “Your phone is tapped now. If Mr. O’Toole has a newer phone, and we assume he does, the GPS will locate him if you keep him on long enough. Don’t answer until the third ring and try to keep him on as long as possible.”

“How long?” Jenee asked.

“It takes three minutes to trace a call, but that’s when a fugitive is on land. Since O’Toole is presumed to be on the water, try to keep him on longer so we can locate them through the satellite.”

Jenee didn’t understand any of what she’d just been told except that if Caleb called, she needed to try to keep him on the phone as long as she could. She stood, walked to counter, and snatched a tissue out of the box.

“Mrs. Rager?”Alvaraz asked. “Is there something else we need to know?”

Jenee didn’t know if she should divulge what she’d found on the net. Even though McKenzie Price had been strangled, and had been on the boat the night the night Jack Weber died, it could have been a coincidence.

“Jenee?”

“Caleb talks to himself,” Jenee said as she walked back to the chair and sat down.

“Anything else?” Alvaraz’s dark eyes pierced through Jenee.

“I didn’t tell Ling my suspicions about Caleb … I was going to … but hadn’t found the right time to do it before Caleb took her.” Jenee swiped the tissue underneath her eyes again, feeling guilty that she hadn’t told Ling what she’d found on the net.

Alvaraz folded her hands together, set them on the table and leaned forward, waiting for Jenee to continue.

“I don’t have evidence or anything, so—”

“Just tell me what you suspect, so we know what we’re dealing with here,” Alvarez said.

Jenee met Alvaraz’s gaze. “I … think Caleb has murdered people,” Jenee stammered.

The lieutenant sat up straight. “Murdered?”

“I can’t prove it, but there are a couple of deaths that happened after his friend Jack Weber died and around the time Caleb claimed the lottery ticket.”

“And O’Toole knew these people?”

“Come on.” Jenee pushed back her chair and stood. “I can show you what I found on the net. I printed the pages out and brought them with me, but I think Caleb stole them from my suitcase before I could show them Ling.”

In Ling’s office, Jenee turned on the computer and went through all the articles about Weber, McKenzie, and Ron Price that she’d found online. “I also think Caleb had something to do with Ling’s father’s drowning,” Jenee said, eyeing Alvaraz who sat next to her at Ling’s desk.

Alvaraz blew out a breath. “Wow.” She leaned back. “There’s a lot going on here.”

“According to Ling,” Jenee went on, “Caleb has changed since they got married. To the point where she doesn’t even know who he is anymore.”

Alvaraz stood. “I need to get hold of the place where the winning lottery ticket was purchased. See if they have a video of Caleb buying the ticket.” She walked to the door of Ling’s office
and turned back around. “The only thing I can think of is that perhaps it was Jack Weber’s ticket and Caleb stole it the night Weber died. Maybe McKenzie Price saw what happened and then tried to blackmail O’Toole.” She scratched her head.

The shrill tone of Jenee’s cell phone made the hair on Jenee’s arms stand up. She jumped up from the chair, her eyes meeting Alvaraz’s. “Oh, God, what if it’s Caleb?

“Hurry. But take in a deep breath before you answer,” Alvaraz coached.

Jenee raced through the foyer and the kitchen, and snatched up her cell, her eyes quickly glancing at the caller ID. “It’s my husband.”

“Damn it, tell him not to call you on your phone again, and make it quick,” Alvaraz ordered.

“Justin?” Jenee answered.

“What’s going on?” Justin asked. “I’ve been worried sick … you called hours ago and said you’d call back, and then the police show up, and I don’t have a fucking clue what’s going on, and then—”

“Justin, listen.” Jenee laid a hand over the small of her back.“You can’t call me on this phone.”

“What in the hell is—”

“Just
listen
.” Her nerves were raw. “The police have my phone tapped in case Caleb calls. He’s kidnapped Ling.”

“I want you on the first damn plane out of there. Do you understand?” Justin said sternly.

“I’m safe. I promise,” Jenee said. “Please don’t get angry. I’ll call you from a different phone as soon as I can.”

“I don’t like this. I want my wife home.”

“I know,” Jenee comforted. “I want to come home, too, but not until I know Ling is okay. I’ll call you later, I promise.”

Just as Jenee closed her phone, Alvaraz’s cell rang.

“Alvaraz,” the detective stated when she answered. Jenee watched for any sign of emotion on Alvaraz’s face.

“Okay,” Alvaraz said bluntly. “Just keep me informed.”

“Anything?” Jenee asked and slouched back down in the chair across from her.

Alvaraz shook her head. “Not yet, Coast Guard is still looking. Guy who works at the marina said he noticed O’Toole has been bringing packages to his yacht for days now.”

“Packages?”

“Said he thought he was carrying bags from a department store and the market.”

“What does that mean?”

“Means he’s been planning this for some time.” Alvaraz sat down at the table. “Stocked up on food, clothing; everything he’d need for a long trip.”

Jenee felt a glimmer of hope. “That means he’s going to keep Ling alive then, right?”

“Not necessarily.” Alvaraz raised a dark eyebrow, which was the first expression Jenee had seen. “
Caleb
needs food and clothing, too. If what you say about him is true, you never know when he’ll go off the deep end.”

Each long second that passed without hearing from Caleb made Jenee start to lose hope they’d find Ling. She stood and paced to the large picture window in the sitting area of the kitchen. Should she have called Caleb’s bluff? Hung up on him when he’d ordered her to keep talking and called the police? Jumped on his back and at least tried to get the gun away from him?

She remembered the demented look in his eyes and recalled the times she’d caught him talking to himself. Jenee hadn’t had a choice. He would have killed her and Ling both, and maybe even Ahna and Sammy if she’d tried to fight him.

When Jenee’s phone rang, she gasped. Hurrying to the counter, she looked down. “Oh, God … it’s him.”

“Just stay calm.” Alvaraz stood and sprinted to the doorway that went into the great room. “Quiet,” she shushed everyone in the house. “This is it.”

On the third ring, Jenee opened her phone and brought it to her ear. “Hello?” she asked as a question.

“Jenee,” Ling whispered, her voice strained.

“Ling?” Jenee glanced at Alvaraz, who quickly snatched the cell phone out of Jenee’s hand.

“Ling, this is detective Alvaraz, San Francisco Police Department. Are you safe?”

“No,” Ling whispered.

“Where are you?”

“I don’t know.” Ling answered. “I need help.”

“Are you by the cockpit?”

“Yes. But, I have to hurry, I don’t have—”

“Look at the GPS on the dashboard. Tell me your coordinates.”

“Oh, God … he’s coming.”

“Ling!” Alvaraz shouted, but Ling was already gone. The detective grabbed her phone off the counter and pushed a button. “Anything?” the detective asked, as she paced. “Okay,” Alvaraz said a few second later and put the phone down.

Jenee held her breath. “Did they get a trace?”

Alvaraz shook her head.

Jenee felt like she was going to faint. “What else can we do?”

“Hope that Ling calls again or that the Coast Guard finds them.”

As the hours went by in slow motion, Jenee found herself staring at her phone, willing it to ring, praying Ling would call again. “I need to call my husband,” Jenee told the detective, who sat at the table quietly filling out paperwork.

“Wait.” Alvaraz stood. “I’ll get another cell phone for you to use.” Her long legs glided across the cherrywood floor. “Anyone have a personal cell we can use?”

A few seconds later, the detective handed Jenee a phone. “Gotta stay close so if your mobile rings, you can pick it up,” Alvaraz instructed.

“Can you have someone check on Mei and the kids?” Jenee had almost forgotten about them. Mei had to be going through hell.

“I have a couple of people with them now.”

Jenee bit her thumbnail as she walked to the windows in the kitchen, which overlooked the side yard. She dialed the phone and waited.

“Hello?” Justin answered.

Just the sound of his voice, combined with total exhaustion, made tears rush into her eyes. “Justin,” she said wearily, “it’s me.”

“God, I’m sick to my stomach I’m so worried.”

“I’m sorry.” She sniveled and slumped down in one of the overstuffed chairs that faced the fireplace. “I can’t use my phone. Ling called, but—”

“So they found her?”

“No.” She leaned forward and drew in a breath, not wanting Justin to know how upset she was. “The call only lasted for a few seconds. They weren’t able to trace the call.”

“Why would Caleb kidnap Ling? I don’t get it.”

“He’s crazy.” Tears rolled down Jenee’s face and she blotted them away with a crumpled up tissue. “He told me he was going to kill you and the kids if I didn’t do what he asked.”

“I’m gonna kill that son-of-a-bitch with my bare hands,” Justin said, incensed.

It took a lot to make Justin angry. “Just stay calm and …”

“And?”

“And pray that Ling comes home safe.” Her voice broke and she could no longer hold back the tears.

“Honey,” Justin said over Jenee’s sobs, “just let me come out there and—”

She jumped when her phone rang. “I have to go.” Jenee shot up from her chair. “I’ll call you later.” She closed the cell the detective had given her and ran to the counter.

“Stay calm,” Alvaraz reminded her.

Time seemed to stand still until the third ring. Hello?” Jenee answered.

“Yes,” Ling whispered, the fear in her voice apparent. “Get the detective.”

Jenee anxiously handed the phone to Alvaraz, who was standing next to her. “It’s Ling,” Jenee said to the detective, her voice wavering.

“Ling, the coordinates? Do you have them?”

“N thirty-two. W one-twenty … oh, God, stop it!” Ling screamed so loud Jenee could hear her even though the call wasn’t on speaker. “You’re hurting me. Please …” she cried out.

“Ling!” Alvaraz shouted. “Ling!”

Wide-eyed, Alvaraz covered the mouthpiece. “It’s Caleb,” she whispered and handed the phone to Jenee. “He can’t know I’m here.”

Jenee closed her eyes briefly and took the phone apprehensively. “Caleb?”

“What’d she tell you?” Caleb asked, and Jenee could hear Ling sobbing in the background.

“Nothing.” Petrified, Jenee looked at Alvaraz questioningly.

The detective waved her hand, instructing Jenee to try and keep Caleb on the line.

“Should have known I couldn’t trust the bitch,” Caleb said. “Weber warned me.”

“Weber? Is someone else on the boat with you?” Jenee asked.

“I keep telling you that this is none of your fucking business, bitch, but you’re just too stupid to get it.”

Jenee closed her eyes. “Just bring Ling home,” Jenee begged. “Nothing will happen to you if you bring her back safe.”

“Safe?” Caleb shouted and then repeated even louder, “
Safe
? My loving wife blew that when she picked up this God damned phone.”

She heard Ling scream again. “Caleb?!” Jenee wailed. “Please don’t hurt her.” Jenee’s face soaked with a flood of tears and mucus, she screamed again, “
Caaalebbbb
?”

Silence.
He’d already hung up.

“He’s gone?” Alvaraz asked.

Jenee nodded. “I hate him,” she said, and tilted her head back. “He’s so damn evil.”

“Did I hear you ask if
Weber
was there?” Alvaraz asked.

Jenee nodded once.

“Did you ever hear of O’Toole talk about another Weber besides Jack Weber?”

Jenee shook her head, knowing what Alvaraz was thinking. “No.”

Alvaraz slumped down in a chair. “
Jesus
.”

rasping a clump of Ling’s hair on the back of her head, Caleb twisted it tight.