Pieces of the Past (Witness Security Book 1) (14 page)

Doug rolled his eyes. “The last guy who ‘spelled me’ took off with Ethan and Lillian.”

Ben crossed his arms. “You know that won’t happen again. I’ve got your back, and there’s an unmarked police car on the street. The rest of the family is as safe as they can be for now.”

He exhaled a sigh of relief. It felt good to share the burden. He just wished the help hadn’t come hours too late. “I’m not tired, but thanks.”

“You sure? I’m serious. We’re under surveillance here. Besides, I’ve got five levels of candy to be crushed, and an intense game of Words with Friends going with Jordan.”

Doug smiled. “
She cheats.”

Ben chuckled
. “I know. I’m putting up with it since she’s on bed rest and going stir crazy. Truth be told, it makes me feel superior when I win
without
using the dictionary app.”

Doug
leaned against the counter. “I hear you. I’d feel that way, too.” Thinking about how he felt right then, he groaned. “This whole mess sucks, Ben. I’ve never lost a family member before, let alone two.”

His coworker finished
his soda and tossed the can in the recycle bin. “We haven’t
lost
them. And we’ve probably never had this high profile of a case before. With the trial starting next week, it’s all coming to a boil.”

Sticking his head out the door, Doug
glanced into the front room where the family still slept. He’d been relieved when they’d finally conked out. Each of them had resisted it, but nighttime eventually got the better of them.
Waiting is boring
.

He said a silent prayer that they’d sleep all night
, giving him more time to figure out what to tell them. He wouldn’t lie, but didn’t want to show them the video, either. The pain in Christine’s eyes already was tough enough to bear.

Silently, Doug
paced from one end of the condo to the other, making sure everything was secure. He finally settled in at the table next to Ben.

“I need a ‘Q’ word.” His friend stared at the app on his phone.

“Don’t tell me Jordan’s awake this time of night.”

“No, but it’s my turn.”

“Let me see.” He studied the small game board. “Your letters suck, man.”

“Yeah, but there’s a triple word score open, right there.”

“You could play ‘cat’.”

“I’d earn nine whole points. Gee, you’re helpful.”

Doug smiled and passed the phone back. “Doing what I can.” He glanced up as someone appeared in the doorway.

Peyton’s eyes were red and her hair was tousled. “Anything on Grandma or Ethan?”

“Not yet.” He motioned to his coworker. “This is the marshal I told you about. Ben Markham, meet Peyton Scott.”

She clenched her jaw. “Stewart. My name is Peyton
Stewart
. I’m not lying anymore.”

Ben leaned back in his chair. “Yeah, well, when I was seventeen, I thought I knew everything, too. Your family didn’t enter Witsec to lie, you did it to protect yourselves. There’s a huge difference.”

“And see how good everything worked out! We’re all nice and safe here, aren’t we?”

Doug inhaled, trying to think calmly and rationally before he spoke.
“For over forty years, no Witsec participant following the rules has been harmed or killed while under the active protection of the US Marshals Service.”

“Active protection?
Does that include sitting here playing games on your phone?”

Ben frowned. “While you’re asleep, yes it does.
Chicago police are watching the outside of the house. Doug just made the rounds in here and everything’s secure. What would you like us to do?”

“I’d like you to find my grandma and brother!”

Doug sighed. “Each of us has our job to do, Peyton. If my going out there right now would help find them, I’d be gone in sixty seconds. But I’ve been instructed to stay here and keep an eye on the rest of you.” He couldn’t resist adding, “Unlike some people, I try to follow the rules.”

A heartbroken expression clouded her face. “Oh, God! This is my fault, isn’t it? Grandma and Ethan are in danger because of me!” Bursting into tears, Peyton buried her face in her hands.

He hesitated, torn between letting her absorb some of the guilt and trying to comfort her. She needed to realize what she’d done had been wrong. No one had been able to drill that into her yet. But he couldn’t stand to see her sobbing. She looked so much like her mother. “Peyton, come’ere.” Doug reached out and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

She resisted, struggling to pull away.

He held firm. “It’s not your fault.”

The energy went out of her and she collapsed against him. “I’m sorry!”

“I know.” He smoothed her hair back. “I feel the same way. I’d give anything if this hadn’t happened.”

Ben cleared his throat. “Both of you need to realize this situation was
way
out of our control. There were too many unknown factors, still are. All we can do now is hang in there, and try our best to see this through to a good outcome.”

Sniffling, she glanced up. “Is that possible? Or are Grandma and Ethan already dead?”

Doug squeezed her shoulder. “Of course they’re not. They’re just fine. The kidnappers aren’t going to hurt them, because they don’t have what they want, yet.”

“What do they want? My father?”

He shrugged. “Not sure. Proof that he’s not going to testify, maybe? I really don’t know.” He released her and moved back into his own seat.

Ben stood. “Would you like some hot chocolate? There might even be some whipped cream for the top.”

She nodded, reaching across the table for a napkin to dry her eyes. “Thanks.”

Doug grinned up at him. Ben was no more pleased with the teenager’s antics than he was, but she’d evidently gotten to him, too.

“What? Can’t offer the kid caffeinated soda in the middle of the night.” He proceeded to pull out a carton of milk and some mugs.

Peyton wadded up the napkin into a balled fist and pounded the table. “I still can’t believe my dad did this. Things weren’t great at home, but they weren’t bad, especially money-wise. Like
Mom said, we didn’t have bucket loads, but we had enough. Ethan and I usually got what we wanted.”

No doubt.
Doug didn’t voice his thought, trying to be kind instead. “Maybe it was the stress of losing your other brother. Grief does strange things to people.”

She nodded. “That was rough. Mom and Daddy just couldn’t seem to get past losing Rusty. She became overprotective of me and E, and started nagging Daddy all the time. I guess he couldn’t stand it, because he spent more and more time at work.”

Ben said, “Sounds like some couples therapy might have been in order.”

“Mom tried, but he never seemed to have time. Honestly, they were headed for a divorce before this other mess came to light.”

Doug wasn’t sure why that made him happy, but it did. If anything were to develop between him and Christine, he wanted to make damn sure she was over Larry. Reality set in and he realized if this case didn’t have a good outcome, there’d be no chance of a future with her. He had no doubts about it.
She’ll never forgive me if anything happens to Ethan or her mother.

On second thought, he wasn’t sure he could forgive himself.

* * * *

Christine woke with a stiff neck from sleeping upright on the sofa. She glanced at her father who’d slumped over and still snoozed
against the armrest. Peyton had been on her other side earlier, but now was nowhere in sight. A tingle of fear jolted through her.

She rose and stretched, then followed the light and soft voices into the kitchen. Relief set in when she spotted her daughter seated at the table, talking with Doug and another man. “Hey.”

Doug’s brown eyes were warm. “Hi. I hoped you’d sleep longer. There’s still no news.”

She glanced in their mugs. “What’s going on in here?”

Peyton offered a small smile. “Ben made some really gross hot chocolate. He put
way
too much whipped cream on the top. E would have loved it.”

Christine’s heart lurched. “Don’t talk about him in the past tense!”

“Mom, chill. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

The dark-haired stranger
made a face at her daughter before rising and extending his hand. “It may have been gross, but she drank three cups of it. Ben Markham, ma’am. I work with the cowboy here.”

She tried to compose herself as she
shook his hand. “Thanks for coming.” She sat next to Peyton but glanced at Doug. “You never did tell me why they call you ‘cowboy’.”

He waved a hand. “You wear a cowboy hat to one office party and the name sticks forever.
”

Ben shook his head. “More than one, and you should see where he lives. It’s a veritable ranch. He could have a whole herd of horses if he wanted them.”

It occurred to her that she would like to see where he lived, but the prospect seemed highly unlikely now. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be in Kansas again.

“How about some cocoa?” Ben offered. “I’ll try not to make it gross.”

She smiled. “No thanks. I might try to lie down on the bed. That sofa was really uncomfortable.” She touched her daughter’s hand. “Why don’t you come with me? We need to sleep when we can.”

Peyton nodded. “I’ll try.”

They both stood
just as Doug’s phone rang. He answered it quickly. “Yes, Chief. Really?” He gave a low whistle. “Nobody knew anything about it? I’ll be damned. Yeah, I got it. Thanks for calling. Talk soon.” He ended the call and looked at Christine. “Well, we found out what the kidnappers want.”

The words knifed through her. “We know for sure they were kidnapped?”

He nodded. “We were notified a couple hours ago. They said Larry would know what to do.” He glanced at Ben. “We figured they were talking about his testimony.”

The other marshal raised his eyebrows. “They weren’t?”

Doug shook his head. “It’s something more tangible than that.”

“What?” Christine’s heart raced and her voice cracked. “What does Larry need to do to get my son back?”

“Tell them where he stashed ten million dollars.”

Chapter Eight

Gold Coast Historic District

Chicago, Illinois

“They’ve disappeared.”

Sal Russo glared at his hired hit man. “What the fuck do you mean, ‘they’ve disappeared’?”

Berto Blevins scratched his bald head and shrugged. “It took months to track them down in Kansas. The family is on the run with the feds. I’m not sure there’s enough time to find them before the trial starts next week.”

Russo slammed his palm on his desk. “Sloppy work, Berto. To say I’m displeased would be an understatement.”

“I’m sorry. I tracked them as far as Chicago, but I’m not sure where they went once they got here. No one’s home at the grandparents’ house, and there’ve been cops coming and going from there all damn day.”

“Cops, feds…the gang’s all here. I think it’s time for you to lay low.”

Berto breathed a sigh of relief. He inched his way to the door. “Thanks, boss. I don’t need full pay for this one, maybe just enough to cover my expenses. Since I didn’t finish the job and all.”

Russo smiled. “
Yes. Well, we’ll see about that.” He raised his voice. “Moyers?”

His assistant appeared in the doorway.

“Show our friend out, please.”

“Thanks boss.” Berto ducked into the hall.

Russo made a slashing motion across his neck.

Moyers nodded, and closed the door.

Spinning his chair toward the window, Russo sighed. He’d need to break in another hired gun, but with his connections that shouldn’t be much of a problem. Berto had screwed up, and in doing so, had become a liability. Russo had no place in his organization for screw ups or liabilities.

* * * *

Chicago, Illinois

Christine blinked. “Ten million dollars? Whatever are you talking about?”

Doug folded his arms across his chest. “Word on the inside has it that Larry was skimming from the money he was supposed to be laundering. Estimates have the amount as low as ten million, and as high as twenty.”

Peyton gulped. “Twenty million dollars? No way!”

Christine rose and paced around the kitchen. “I can’t begin to fathom how much money that is. I don’t see how he could do that and not get caught.”

Ben waved one finger. “He did get caught.”

“Not for that!” Her head reeled. Had she known her husband at all, or was the man she married someone totally different than who she thought? She shook her head. “I don’t believe it.”

Doug frowned. “How can you stick up for him, knowing what he’s done? The
money laundering was bad enough—he put your family in jeopardy from the get go. But this is something totally different. Stealing from a Columbian Cartel is like playing Russian roulette. Sooner or later, somebody’s going to get hurt.”

She shook her head. “I’m not sticking up for him
. I’m just saying I can’t understand how he did this without my knowing about it. We had joint bank accounts.”

Ben added, “Except for the ones you didn’t know about. Th
at kind of money calls for offshore accounts. You don’t walk into your neighborhood bank and hand over huge wads of bills without drawing attention. He was Valcor’s accountant, he’d know how to arrange the overseas stuff.”

“Oh my God.” She rubbed her temples. A thought struck her, and her eyes sprang open. “If they want their money, and Larry knows where it’s at, he just needs to tell them.”

Doug gazed at her skeptically. “He hasn’t so far.”

“They’ve never held our son captive before. When Larry finds out, he’ll tell them. I know he will.” She glanced at her daughter. “He loves his kids.”

Peyton smiled and nodded. “He does. He won’t let anything happen to Ethan. Now Grandma, I’m not so sure about.”

Christine chuckled. “
Yeah, we can’t rely on his love for my mother to motivate him. They didn’t have the best relationship. But surely he wouldn’t allow her to be hurt.” Excitement buzzed through her. For the first time all day, she saw a light at the end of the tunnel they’d found themselves in. “They need to talk to Larry, and tell him what’s happened. This will all be over as soon as they do.”

“Maybe so.” Doug raised a hand. “But nothing’s going to happen until morning. I suggest you two
try
and get some sleep.  It’s been a long few days, and my gut tells me we have more to come.”

She smiled. “But at least we have hope.
That’s something.”

He gazed into her eyes. “Yeah, it is. So go, sleep. We’ll know more in the morning.”

She placed one hand over his. “Everything’s going to be okay. I just know it is.” Pulling her hand away, she smiled at Ben. “Good night. See you both tomorrow. Come on, Peyton. Let’s find a blanket for Grandpa, then we’ll go get some rest.”

“You really think this will be over soon?” Her daughter walked with her.

“I do. Your father holds the power to putting an end to it. He owes us this one. Admitting where the money is will go a long ways toward making things right.”

“Daddy’ll come through,” Peyton agreed. “For Ethan. For us.”

Christine kissed her temple. “I think so too.”

* * * *

Doug watched the women walk out, then turned to Ben. “There’s no way in hell Larry Stewart’s going to come clean.”

“No way in hell,” Ben repeated. “Right now he’s looking at twenty years maximum. He probably won’t serve that much. He’ll still be
in the prime of his life when he gets out, and he’s going to want that cash.”

“He’
ll need something, because his family’s not going to be there for him.”

Ben glanced down the hallway. “You sure about that? They seem pretty convinced he’ll be there for them in the end.”

Doug shrugged. “It might be hard for his kids to admit, but Christine knows the truth. You heard Peyton, they were headed for divorce before the scandal ever broke.”

“So why does she seem so starry-eyed convinced that Larry’s going to ride in and save the day?”

“Damned if I know.” He yawned, and checked his watch. Three a.m. “I might try to catch a couple hours if the offer’s still open.”

“Course it is. I’m wide awake. Go ahead, and I’ll see you later.”

“Thanks.” A twinge of guilt needled Doug. The last time he’d caught a nap bad things happened.
Not this time.
He knew Ben,
trusted
Ben. He needed to sleep when he could.

He saw that Christine had placed a blanket over her father,
who was still snoring softly on the sofa. Doug entered the room they’d designated for Ethan and found Christine sitting on the bed, in the dark. “Hey,” he said softly.

She glanced up at him. “Oh, sorry.” She held one of
the boy’s T-shirts in her hands. “Peyton fell asleep before her head hit the pillow. I just can’t stop wondering where Ethan’s sleeping tonight.”

“He’s with your mother.
He’s not alone.”

“It helps knowing that.”

“I’m sure they’re fine.”

She gazed at him skeptically.

“Seriously. E and Lillian are bargaining chips to whoever has them. It makes no sense to harm anyone before they get what they want.”

“And after they get it? Do you believe they’ll release him and
Mom?”

“They said they would.”

She smiled sadly. “And drug lords always do what they promise, right?”

He moved in front of her and held out his hands.

She took them, and he pulled her to her feet.

“We have to remain positive. Sinking into the ‘what if’ mentality does no good
. You’ve done great. Can you hold on a little bit longer?”

“It’s hard, Doug. I’m scared, so scared. And if I start thinking how scared Ethan might be—”

“Don’t.” He drew her close and they hugged. Their bodies melded together as if they were made for one another. His mind wandered for just a moment, imagining this scenario in another time, another place.

Don’t.
He couldn’t lose focus for even an instant. He spoke into her ear because he couldn’t bear to look in her eyes, or see the quiver of her lips. “Ethan is with your mother. They’re both fine. We have to believe that. And right now, we need to rest. Morning will be here soon.”

She nodded and slowly pulled away. “Thank you.”

“Good night.” He released her and turned his back. Watching her go seemed too difficult at the moment.

He heard the soft click of his door closing. With a sigh, he dropped to the bed and closed his eyes.

Shards of sun poked through the blinds when Doug opened his eyes again. Lifting his hand to read his watch, he was surprised to see it was eight a.m. He’d tossed and turned for a while and almost got up, but must have finally fallen asleep.

In the bathroom he scrubbed his face with cold water and brushed his teeth. He could use a shower but it’d have to wait. Low voices wafted from the other room and he wanted to see who was up, and what was going on. Following the aroma of coffee, Doug entered the kitchen.

Ben scrambled eggs while Stan buttered toast. “Morning,” Christine’s father glanced at him.

“Hey. Coffee smells good.”

“Here’s a cup.” Ben set a mug on the table. “Eggs and toast?”

“Sure, if you’re offering.”

“I am, and then I’m going to lie down. You can cook for the next shift of diners.”

Doug smiled. “I can probably manage that. No word from the chief or anyone?”

“Nothing yet. It’s early.” Ben set a plate in front of him.

“Yeah. Thanks, this looks great.”

“No guarantees, I’m one of the
walking dead right now.”

“Get some shuteye. I’ll holler if anything happens.”

He waved as he exited the room.

“Thanks Ben.” Stan sipped his coffee. “I can’t believe I slept. That sofa is not comfortable, but
somehow I managed. I’m sick about Lil and Ethan. I feel horrible that I could sleep without knowing where they are, and if they’re safe.”

Doug paused between bites of fluffy eggs. “It won’t help for you to get rundown and make yourself sick. We have to keep it together for Christine and Peyton. It could be a long few days here.”

“I know that, I really do. It’s just—Lil and I have been married for thirty-five years, and there hasn’t been
one night
when I didn’t know where she was. It’s a horrible, heart-wrenching feeling.”

“I’m sorry.” Doug didn’t know what else to say.

“No,
I’m
sorry. I knew the situation was serious when Chrissy and the kids changed their names and moved away. I guess I just didn’t realize
how
serious. Lil and I were wrong to communicate with Peyton on the computer. It all seemed like child’s play, ‘look what we’re getting away with’. We had no idea what we were getting into. Getting our family into. Oh, lord almighty!” His shoulders shook and he covered his face with his hands.

Doug groaned inwardly. Stan and Lillian had been instructed not to have any contact with their family. Yet they sat in their fancy house with the alarm system and pretended they were above the law, or reproach of any kind. It was a tough lesson. He prayed they didn’t have to learn it the hard way. “Stan, look. I told Christine and I’ll tell you. We can’t sink into despair right now. We’ve got to remain positive and hopeful. It’s the only way any of us can keep going.”

The older man composed himself and screwed up his face. “That damn Larry!”

Finishing off the last of his breakfast, Doug shoved the plate away and smiled. “I take it you don’t buy the theory that he didn’t know what he was doing.”

“Oh, hell no! He knew very well. He was either greedy or naïve, to think he’d never get caught. Probably both.”

Doug refilled his coffee cup and offered Stan some, but he shook his head. “So tell me, was Larry always a pain in the ass, or was he a good guy to begin with?”

Stan pondered the question before answering. “Lil would tell you he was a bad egg from the beginning, but I didn’t think so. The man worked his way through college, and he treated our daughter well. I thought he was okay, myself.”

“The girls seem to think Rusty’s death may have pushed him over the edge.”

“Rusty?” Stan’s face softened. “Now he was good kid. You think Ethan is baseball crazy? You should have seen Russ. Lived and breathed the Cubbies. When he passed, we put some baseball cards in the casket with him.”

“I’m sure that was awful for all of you.”

“It was. Did the illness cause Larry to do what he did? I don’t know. That’s an awful lot of pressure to put on one little boy. I think Larry was depressed, and spending too much time at work. He was probably vulnerable to suggestion. I’m sure Martin Newsome used Larry to his advantage, until he got in so deep he couldn’t get out.”