See Me in Your Dreams (17 page)

Even Jeremy
Bryant was being elusive. He'd called the private investigator's office three
times, so far, but the man seemed to be unavailable.

So it was up
to him, Tyler figured, rereading the missive that had been waiting on his desk
when he'd returned to the office.

Get your act together – and your money – fast. The kid's one
in a "million". I'll be in touch.

A million
dollars!

Not that he
wouldn't pay any amount for Cheryl's safe return, Tyler thought. And not that
his net worth wasn't far more than a million.

The problem
was his getting his hands on that kind of cash. He could probably scrape together
a few hundred thousand in a day or two. He'd already called his broker and,
against the woman's advice, had told her to sell what she could. A second
mortgage on the North Bluff estate would get him what he needed – as would a
sale of his Barrington land – but either would take time. Still, he had his top
agent checking on both possibilities for him.

All of his
assets were tied up in stocks and property.

Or in the
company.

The company.
Tyler was reminded of Brock's determination to dissolve their partnership
immediately. Would he be willing to come up with several hundred thousand cold
cash to make it happen?

Though Tyler
still wanted to work things out, he knew this was something to consider.

In the
meantime, Tyler planned on going door-to-door in Wicker Park himself. He didn't
count on Keelin showing up unannounced.

"What are
you doing here?" he asked. "Did you –"

"No
dream," Keelin said, deflating the small hope he'd nurtured that she'd
have a clearer idea of where his daughter was being held. "But I learned
something else that may be important. It has to do with George
Smialek
."

Tyler started.
"How did you find out about
Smialek
?"

"My
cousin Skelly."

Of course. The
mudraker
. "What
did he tell you?"

"He
showed me the news clip about the boy falling to his death on the L&O
renovation site in Wicker Park," she said, her expression sympathetic.
"How well do you know the father? Is it possible that he wants
revenge?"

"I'm sure
he'll get it, big time." Though no settlement, no matter how much money,
could bring back a lost child. "You did know he's suing us?"

"Did
you
know he's been keeping a close eye
on you personally?" Keelin countered, the claim amazing him.

"What
makes you think so?"

"Monday
when you left me waiting while you fetched the Jaguar, a man stood in the
shadow of another doorway," she said. "He crossed after you into the
car park. I had the oddest feeling, but then you drove out and I put it to
coincidence...until I saw Skelly's footage. The man was definitely George
Smialek
. What could he have been up to?"

Figuring out how to plant a ransom note?

Tyler swore
under his breath. After telling her about the second note, he said, "Maybe
we should ask
Smialek
about it in person."

He called
Pamela and asked her to check the legal documents for
Smialek's
address. When she didn't get back to him immediately, he grew fidgety.

Five minutes
later, he said, "Wait here and I'll see what's taking so long."

Tyler found
his assistant in a close huddle with his partner at the end of the hall. He
stopped and stared at Brock's intense expression. His partner seemed to be
angry with Pamela about something. What in the world was going on? Denise was
Brock's assistant, while Pamela worked exclusively for
him
.

Then Brock
spotted him and broke up the secretive huddle. With a curt nod to Pamela, Brock
strode into his own office and slammed the door.

Leaving Tyler
wondering.

Brock had been
acting so strangely the past few days.
Desperate
perfectly described the man's emotional balance.

Takes one to know one
, Tyler thought, running a hand
through his hair.

Desperate enough to kidnap his partner's child?
a small voice
asked.

Tyler shook
the unconscionable thought away and approached his assistant. "So what the
hell is Brock giving you a hard time over now?"

Pamela
flushed. "Nothing important. Brock and I get along fine. He's just not in
the best of moods today. Not for you to worry, okay?"

When had Brock
last been in a good mood? Tyler wondered. No doubt the man was merely taking
his dissatisfaction out on the people who worked for them. And Pamela was
correct. Getting involved in employee relations was too much for him to handle
at the moment.

"Did you
find the papers?" he asked.

"Right
here."

She handed him
the legal documents apprising him of the lawsuit against L&O Realty. He
quickly took note of George
Smialek's
Wicker Park
address.

"Thanks."
He handed the document back to her.

"That's
it?" Pamela asked, eyebrows raised.

"All I
need. Keep trying to get hold of Bryant for me."

With Keelin at
his side, he left the building, tension mounting fast.

After pulling
from the garage a few minutes later, Tyler drove down the city streets like a
madman, praying no cop would interfere. George
Smialek
.
A grieving father wanting to give the source of his anguish some of the same.
It made sense. If
Smialek
were the guilty one, he
wasn't really after the ransom money – he'd undoubtedly get plenty through the
lawsuit – he was after revenge.

Torturing him
with Cheryl's disappearance might only be the beginning, he realized with a
sick feeling.

Tyler hoped
talking would keep his blood pressure down.

"The
building on Milwaukee was an old department store that we're renovating into a
retail shop and loft apartments," he said. "Harry
Smialek's
death was a tragedy, but it was a terrible accident."

One over which
he'd had a few sleepless nights himself.

"The boy
was looking for his dog, was he not?" Keelin asked.

Tyler nodded.
"He must have thought he heard the mutt in the building. He climbed the
construction fence in back and went up the rear porch. The second floor
landing's side rail was in place but apparently not fully secured. Harry must
have leaned on it. He fell through. The dog found him and stood guard over his
broken body until the next morning."

"How
horrible."

Tyler couldn't
agree more. He'd arrived on the scene himself before the boy had been
body-bagged. Even now, the vision haunted him.

"My crew
chief swore that railing had been properly attached."

"Perhaps
he was covering for his men's carelessness. Or his own."

"Someone
was sure careless," Tyler agreed. "City inspectors went over the
place, found several other things wrong, as well, including an electrical
circuit to the retail area that wasn't grounded. I don't understand. I only
hire the best and these men have all worked for me before. It's like I'm cursed
or something."

"Or
perhaps some
one
..."

Keelin didn't
have to finish the thought. When he'd gotten the bad news, he had wondered
himself if someone hadn't been out to sabotage the project and give L&O
Realty a bad name.

Or him?
he suddenly considered.

The renovation
side of the business was his baby, after all, as Brock had reminded him.

Brock
.

Surely not.
Surely a dissatisfied partner wouldn't chance damaging the reputation of his
own company, not when he wanted to split everything, taking both assets and
current clients with him.

Arriving in
the Wicker Park area, Tyler gathered his scattered thoughts and set his mind
back on their present mission. Rather than wander about looking for the address
that was not familiar to him, he stopped to ask directions. And before they
even arrived at George's apartment house, he figured they were on a wild goose
chase.

"Wrong
side of
Damen
," he muttered, catching the
steering wheel in a death grip. "The newsstand guy said Cheryl came from
the opposite direction."

"Perhaps
she crossed
Damen
and circled around," Keelin
said, though she didn't sound convinced. "That part of the vision is so
shadowy, anything is possible."

Tyler pulled
up before a six flat with a front stoop and wondered if Keelin could be right.