Tourist Trapped (25 page)

She held him tight. “Thank you, Chad. Thank you so much for all of your help.” She released him and kissed his cheek. “Now go and get your children back. The next time I see you, I expect to meet them.”

Chad turned and headed into the airport with a heavy heart. Was he helping Amanda, or sending both Sloane women to their deaths?

THIRTY

Wednesday December 16, Late Afternoon

Although Casa del
Mar’s traditional Mexican decor aligned more closely with Amanda’s style than “Fiasco Royale’s,” she felt out of place in the modest hotel, adrift without Cooper sleuthing next to her. Her dad might be cheating her, and her father and brother-in-law together could be scamming the entire family, but missing Cooper affected her most.

Amanda had checked in with Yesenia and the officer had helped her reserve a boat, suggesting a friend Yesenia found trustworthy. The detective gave Amanda a list of phone numbers and assured her the police force would provide assistance, but Yesenia wouldn’t involve others until required. With this approach, any corrupt cops wouldn’t have enough time to react to the situation before the “good guys” rode to the rescue. Amanda felt a little better, but wished she had the nerdinator by her side.

Thanks to Miguel they had ditched the tail; the familiar sensation of being watched had vanished. Miguel had been so willing to help when she phoned him. Over the years, she had forgotten why she fell in love with him, focusing all of her mental energy on the betrayal of his marriage.

She sat down on one of the lobby’s sofas, debating what to do for a meal. Although the typical daughter would fall to pieces and lose her appetite after discovering her father had attempted to rob her blind, not Amanda. It proved her right; it validated the anger she had harbored for the last thirty years. Her mother had been wrong and Amanda didn’t have to forgive him. Not for a thing.

She shook back the tears threatening to expose her anguish; they would need to wait for another day. She checked her phone, nothing from Cooper. She had texted back the details he had requested earlier in the afternoon, but hadn’t been able to reach him directly. She tried calling him a few times, but it went to voice mail. Either he was on the plane or completely disgusted with her.

For a woman who relished independence, she had never felt so alone.

Darth Vader panted in her hand.
You’ve got to be shitting me. He’s got the cojones to call?
Amanda knew she should let it go to voice mail, but her hurt and anger prompted her to strike out and “rip him a new one.”

“I’d say ‘Hello Father,’ but that would imply I had a parent who acted as if he cared for me. You have a helluva lot of nerve to call.”

“Mandy, I got together two hundred and fifty of the ransom. I need you to come up with the rest.”

“I’ve accused you of being an asshole for decades, but even I never imagined you’d have the unabashed audacity to go this far. You want me to give you seven hundred and fifty thousand?”

“Yes.”

“Why bother asking? Why don’t you fly to Chicago, break into my condo and drain my accounts yourself?”

The prolonged silence made her wonder if he’d hung up. Finally he said, “Amanda, you’re my daughter and I love you, but you’ve refused to help my other child. If the tables were turned, I’d have done the same thing to Rebecca if it meant saving you.”

“So, you’re telling me you’re an ‘equal opportunity’ father? Willing to screw over both daughters if the need arises?”

“Stop twisting my words, Mandy. If you had children, you’d understand. But you don’t. You spend your life wrapped up in a job where you can stick it to every man you come across, all because you refuse to grow up and accept the fact that I fell in love with a woman other than Lizzie.”

“Keep the insults coming, that most certainly will motivate me to dig deep enough to fork over three-quarters of a million dollars. Nice try, divert the discussion from your attempt to rob me blind, to what’s inherently wrong with me as a person. But the fact of the matter is, if I were so inclined, I could file charges and haul your ass into jail. So keep maligning me and we’ll see what you look like in an orange jumpsuit.”
Prick
.

“That’s all you’ve got left? Siccing the authorities on me? Amanda Sloane can’t fight her own battles?”

“I’m tired of your shit and I’m tired of this conversation.”

“Mandy, are you going to give us the money?”

“Go to hell.” Her hands trembled as she ended the call. Could her father have some sort of psychological disorder that prevented him from loving others? Did he truly care for anyone, or were they all pawns in his chess match of life? Had Miriam been an easier piece to push around the board and that’s why he chose her?

“Amanda.”

A woman strode over in Cooper’s new baseball cap and stood in front of Amanda, effectively eliminating any escape route. “I need to help get Becky back. What can I do?”

“Miriam? Is that you?”

She removed the sunglasses. “Yes.”

Miriam, showing up out of nowhere. Were all of them in this together, a colony of parasites, ready to suck her dry? She searched the faces in the lobby, but none of them looked familiar. She didn’t see her dad or Rodriguez.

“Are you tailing me so you can tell Dad what I’m up to? Are you part of the scam, too? How in the hell did you find me?”

The woman’s brows knitted together. “What are you talking about—nobody sent me. I’m here to help.”

“Are you crazy? This is dangerous enough without you tagging along. If you really want to help, get your skinny ass back to Cancun and stay out of my way.” Hadn’t she been through enough crap for the day? First Cooper, then her father, and now Miriam.

“I’m not going anywhere. Chad told me you were here and alone.”

“Cooper never would have said anything to you.”

“He’s worried about you and didn’t want you to do this by yourself. I was the one who texted you from his phone while he drove to the airport.”

Damn Cooper to hell!
What was he thinking, pulling Miriam in deeper? This woman who excelled in worrying and hovering. Amanda had enough problems without dealing with the shrew’s hourly meltdowns.

“Go home and keep an eye on my father when he gets back. That’s the best use of your time.”

Miriam crossed her arms and her pink-tinged eyes turned steely. “I’m not stepping off this island until I have my daughter back and you are not leaving my sight until Becky is safe. From now on, we’re in this together.” Her eyes softened. “Besides, someone has to make sure that Elizabeth’s daughter makes it back home in one piece, too. You’re as precious as Becky.”

Amanda gazed up at the hag who had destroyed her life. The woman Amanda had tormented and ignored over the last thirty years. Miriam’s sunken cheeks and sallow complexion gave her a deathly pallor, but the eyes that peered out from the mask of suffering shone with determination. The mother bear had awakened.

Her father’s comment ran through her mind.
If you had children, you’d understand.
Miriam had been pushed aside, made to wait for the return of Rebecca without much input into the effort. But the wallflower had tired of waiting. Amanda breathed in, held it, then let it all out. “Okay. I’d say we should get you settled in my room, but it looks like there’s nothing to drop off. No luggage?”

“Nothing but a spare lipstick.” Miriam patted her beige canvas bag.

“I have to handle some arrangements and we need to pick up a few items—such as toothbrushes and clothes for tomorrow—so let’s hit the streets.” Amanda plopped the straw hat on her head and slipped on the gift shop sunglasses. “Once we’re back at the hotel we can order room service and I’ll fill you in on what’s on the docket for Thursday.”

“This is it, isn’t it. Tomorrow we find her or it’s over.”

Amanda nodded. “All roads lead to Cozumel and tomorrow holds our fate.”

* * *

Miraculously, the check-in
line had been short. Chad had made it with five minutes to spare. He now stood in the mass of humanity that inched along, funneling through the airport security checkpoint. People ahead of Chad took off their shoes, pulled out laptops and stuffed everything but their screaming children into the inspection bins.

What in hell had he done? How could he talk to Amanda that way? Was he so far gone that he had mutated into a passive-aggressive nitwit? The hurt expression on Amanda’s face had usurped the haunting vision of Matt in her bed. The words had kept tumbling out; he couldn’t dam the flow. Even as they had rolled off of his tongue, he cringed.

Her heart didn’t belong to Chad and never would. If she knew of his mess, she’d want nothing to do with him. He had allowed his wife to wander closer and closer to the deep end until she fell in. Where had he been? Why hadn’t he committed her? God knows how his kids survived the last five years, living like hermits in dinky hotel rooms.

No doubt Amanda’s family had some serious problems, but at least they were out in the open and she faced them head on. Grass didn’t grow under her feet. Every day they had moved whatever mountains necessary to get to the bottom of Rebecca’s disappearance. It wouldn’t take five weeks, much less five years.

The couple ahead of him—clearly honeymooners—stopped fondling each other long enough to deposit their items into bins and slide them down, vacating a space on the rollers for Chad’s stuff. Thankfully no jackknife, he must have left it the room. Hopefully Amanda would pack it with the rest of his gear. It belonged to Jason.

He set his backpack in one bin and tossed his shoes, watch, belt, wallet, keys, and the bottle of sand into another.

No cell phone. He plunged his hands into his pockets. Empty.

Chad Cooper was off the grid.

“Due to mechanical problems,” a heavy accent boomed over the PA system, “Flight 6038 to San Francisco is delayed.”

Great. No way to communicate and a broken plane.

And a broken heart.

* * *

“Where the hell
is he?” Vince checked his cell phone. “Chad should have called hours ago. We have to move, whether or not he shows up.” He paced the one tiny area in the hotel room free of furniture and equipment. He craved a drink, but denied the urge. “Kate, have you heard from him?”

She stopped fussing over a plate of Alma and Moonstruck chocolates. “I’ve tried to call him numerous times, but he doesn’t answer. He won’t respond to texts or emails, either.”

“Why do you think Kate spent most of the evening buying out the local confectionaries?” Peter said, perched on a corner of the dresser. “Last time I saw her stock up on chocolate was the first month Danny and the kids went missing.”

“He’ll be okay, Peter. His phone probably died and he packed his charger in his suitcase,” Kate said. “Chad won’t miss the chance to rescue his family.”

“I’ve checked the various options for flights and nothing’s crashed,” Fozzy said, looking up from a monitor on the desk.

A squeak escaped from Kate and Peter hugged her.

“Foz, quit scaring everyone,” Sally said as she poured grounds into the Mr. Coffee sitting next to the sink. “Give us some good news.”

“I’ve found a number of delays and cancellations. Coop could be stuck in an airport, but that doesn’t explain why he hasn’t contacted us,” Fozzy said.

“He’ll be here,” Kate said. “I know my brother—even if every flight is canceled between here and Cancun, Chad will make it in time.”

“We know their routine and the volunteers are set. We can’t cancel,” Vince said. “Kate, will the kids come to you? I’m certain they’ll avoid Sally, Foz and me—and they sure as hell won’t go near strangers. If Chad doesn’t show up, you’re our only hope.”

* * *

“What’s the status,
Jonathan?” Gordon Harding set down his book,
Barons of Finance
, on the Allan Copley chrome end table and watched the flames waltz around the fireplace. Cleo napped on his lap.

“Ms. Sloane’s assistant has taken the bait. We’ll be back in the office by the weekend.”

“And Mexico?”

“We succeeded in extricating Mr. Baird from Ms. Sloane’s company. He landed back in Chicago this afternoon. No information passed to her.”

“You are certain?”

“We are, sir.”

“Has the Adams woman been extinguished?”

“No sir, we haven’t handled Becca. Something else has arisen that’s diverted our attention. We’ve lost track of the others.”

“Of whom?”

“Mr. Sloane departed for Florida, but never arrived in Orlando. We’re pulling credit card and airline data. Mrs. Sloane left the hotel this afternoon, the first time she’s gone anywhere without Mr. Sloane, and has not returned.”

“Weren’t you having her followed?”

“We stopped tracking her, sir, because she rarely left the hotel’s grounds.”

“I’m not pleased, but at least those two are harmless.”

Jonathan cleared his throat. “Um, there’s more. Ms. Sloane and Mr. Cooper went for a walk on the beach this morning and didn’t return.”

“Are you telling me, Jonathan, that they’ve all disappeared?”

“Yes, sir. They’re all missing.”

THIRTY-ONE

Thursday December 17, Early Morning

Chad barreled out
of the airport shop, stuffing his wallet into his pocket and dialing his brand-new, prepaid cell phone.

“Vince here.”

“Hey, it’s me.”

“Where in the hell are you?”

“San Francisco airport. They delayed our flight out of Cancun, then stranded us on the tarmac most of the night.”

“Why didn’t you call?”

“In the rush I lost my cell phone.”

“Then you should’ve emailed.”

“Now, why didn’t I think of that? Great idea…if I had my laptop with me.”

“You lose that, too? Not good, man.”

“Look, I’m on my way. I’m booked on a ten o’clock flight so I should be waiting by the curb at noon.”

“Sally’ll be there.”

“Have you contacted Kate?”

“They’re here. Your sis has been dialing you every hour on the hour. You wanna talk to her?”

“No, I don’t have time to explain the gory details. Tell her I’m on my way.”

Chad slipped the phone into his backpack and stopped at Starbuck’s for the biggest, strongest coffee they made, along with a raspberry scone, chocolate croissant, and morning glory muffin. Drink and food in hand, he hopped on the AirTrain and headed for Terminal One.

Thoughts could no longer penetrate the white noise whirling through his mind. All night, while waiting in the airport and then the plane, he obsessed over all of them: Jason, Skye, Danielle, Miriam, and of course Amanda. As if possessing echoes, each worry ricocheted around his head, kicking off another and then another. By the time the plane took off, he couldn’t sleep or think.

He got off the shuttle and checked the departures.
On time. Amen.

Chad found a quiet spot at his gate and assuaged his growling stomach, inhaling the scone and washing it down with the coffee. Sated momentarily, he pulled out his phone and logged into email. Nothing from Amanda. Had they rescued Trent and Rebecca? The new phone slowed him down, but he searched Cancun and Cozumel publications for any story on the kidnapping. Unfortunately most of the articles were in Spanish, so he scanned for last names. Nothing. Hopefully no news meant good news.

He wondered if Miriam found his cell phone, or if it sat in Lucia’s car, possibly hidden in a crevice or beneath the passenger seat. He tried to call it. Voice mail.

Chad started in on the muffin. His kids had hated them, detesting anything with a fruit or a vegetable in it—except fries. Jason had lived on hamburgers and enormous bowls of Cheerios. Skye’s staple for almost every meal had been a peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich.

His kitchen cabinets were empty—he’d have to pick up a few things as soon as they made it home. His heart fluttered.
Is this it? Am I getting them back? Is it real this time?

He recalled the disappointments in St. Louis, Denver, and Salt Lake City. On all three occasions Vince had gotten close enough to execute rescues, but each time they busted into a bleak, deserted hotel room.

Not in Portland. He’d do everything in his power to make sure Jason and Skye were on their way back to Chicago with him Friday night.

Everything.

* * *

Miriam pushed a
grocery cart containing enough supplies for an Admiral Byrd expedition. Amanda laid a rock-hard bag of ice over the case of water on the bottom rack. A Styrofoam cooler sat atop a pile of snacks in the cart, next to a fresh loaf of bread and a chunk of asadero cheese the size of a bowling ball.

A trickle of sweat wandered down the back of Amanda’s head, beneath her disguise. They had purchased different hats, sunglasses and a couple of wigs the previous afternoon. Miriam had transformed into a curly redhead wearing a visor, enormous sunglasses and a bright, multicolored sundress. Amanda had gone long, dark brunette with a cowboy hat, cat-eye sunglasses, a firehouse red cotton skirt and an aqua tank top. They figured the best way to hide was to do so in plain sight, but Amanda’s scalp steamed beneath the synthetic hair.

Before returning to the hotel, they had stopped at a dive shop to reserve scuba gear.

Mothering definitely fit Miriam’s DNA. She had helped Amanda select her outfit and in the morning, with time to spare before meeting their boat, Miriam had suggested they pick up a few items—in case it was a long day. And, in case they found Trent and Rebecca.

“I think we should get some fruit,” Miriam said. They wandered down Chedraui’s aisles, searching for the produce section, passing the baking supplies.

The vanilla.
The bottle she’d purchased for Jaz languished somewhere in the depths of Amanda’s tote bag, long forgotten after the shooting in the park. Hopefully it hadn’t leaked. She’d have to wait to check on it; she didn’t want to get accused of shoplifting—besides, in the search for the bottle, she might have to pull out the 9mm Kel-Tec semi-automatic. Probably not a smart move in the middle of a grocery store in another country.

They entered the produce section and Miriam made a beeline to the melons.

Still no feeling of being watched; maybe their evasion efforts were succeeding. Amanda felt calm, even without Cooper next to her. While Miriam had showered, Amanda contacted Rich, setting in motion the transfer of funds to Cancun. Her accountant set up the transaction with a local attorney, who would hold the money until receiving instructions. As the two women roamed the store, financiers converted Amanda’s years of hard work into piles of cash.

If they failed in their search, she’d make the call to drop off the money. No matter what happened, she’d give everything she could to save her sister.

The cell phone rang in Amanda’s bag. She pulled it out of the side pocket. “Hey, Jaz. Have you heard from Cooper?”

“Not a peep.”

“I hope it’s going well,” Amanda said.

“Why did he leave so quickly?”

“Some family problem, that’s all I know. Anyway, what’s up?”

“I wanted to let you know that Liam Evans has been dismissed, and I wondered if I could take tomorrow off. Kyle wants to whisk me away for a long weekend,” Jaz said.

“Wow, sounds serious with the new guy.”

“Well, let’s just say that he’s pretty much perfect.”

“Have fun,” Amanda said.

“Is there anything you want me to do about your condo break-in yesterday? Fill out a police report?”

“No, I’ve identified the culprit. I’ll deal with him in my own way.”

She finished the call and watched Miriam examine the cantaloupes as if making a lifetime commitment. Amanda dreaded discussing the condo escapade with her, but something needed to be said. “Um, that trip Dad made to the States? He didn’t go to Florida.”

Her stepmother stopped thumping a melon. “What do you mean?”

“My accountant and housekeeper called yesterday. Someone searched my condo for my financial records and then tried to drain my accounts.”

“How terrible! And you think it’s Donny? That can’t be. He’d never harm you, Amanda. Never.” She replaced the cantaloupe on the pile. “When he called yesterday he told me he was working on a second mortgage for the house and cashing in our life insurance policies. He also mentioned a lead on somebody who wanted to buy the video store locations for another business.”

No fruit today. A distracted Miriam pushed the cart toward the checkout lines.

“They described the culprit as an older man wearing a Hawaiian shirt and designer glasses—and no one broke in. You two have the spare access card to my room. I think Dad took my apartment keys and headed to Chicago to pull a million dollars out of my accounts. Ironically, in the last couple of months I’ve moved my money around and accidentally brought the new records with me. So it wasn’t worth the cost of the trip—or the annihilation of what little relationship we had left.”

“After all of these years, I thought I knew him so well. I can’t believe Donny would even think of doing something so terrible—I don’t care how desperate we are.”

Amanda piled the supplies onto the checkout counter. “I didn’t think Dad could do anything at this point that would hurt or surprise me. I was wrong.”

“I haven’t called Donny since he told me he wouldn’t be back until today and I haven’t answered any of his calls—I’m so mad he isn’t here with us. What if his plane’s delayed and we have to face the deadline without him? I think we’ve both been forsaken by your father.” She opened her pocketbook.

“I’ll cover this.” Amanda said.

“No you won’t.”

Amanda took Miriam’s clutch, closed it and put it back into the woman’s tote bag. “Yes, Miriam, I’ll pay for the supplies, and if we don’t find Rebecca by this afternoon, I’ll pay the other tab, as well.” She pulled out her pesos and handed them to the clerk. “I wish Dad had trusted me to do the right thing.”

Miriam’s icy fingers squeezed Amanda’s arm. “Me too, Amanda.”

They loaded their purchases into a cab and headed for the boat.

There was no turning back.

* * *

Emotions surfaced and
submerged in Amanda like a playful pod of dolphins. A solid lead in their grasp, she anticipated finding the boat, but then what? The kidnappers wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone who defied their plan. She missed Cooper, and yet she thanked the heavens that he was out of harm’s way. She’d never forgive herself if he died in the pursuit of reuniting the Sloane family.

Amanda had booked a small dive boat. They’d stay close to Cozumel, so it would suffice. The two women had agreed to start with a quick circle of the island to survey the shores for anything that looked strange. If nothing caught their eye and they didn’t come across the Ocean Fox, they’d cruise the harbors.

Miriam organized their bags and the supplies while Amanda helped the boat owner, Fernando, free the lines from the pier. He backed the boat out of the slip and then gunned it. Amanda grabbed the railing to keep upright. He laughed. “Lo siento, señorita. My bad.”

Miriam and Amanda pulled off their disguises and peeled down to one-piece swimsuits and sarongs. They had rented enough scuba equipment to look the part of tourists searching for the best reefs. Bags of groceries and a cooler containing beverages filled one corner of the deck and their scuba gear another. A hunk of bread and a slab of cheese hung from Fernando’s calloused hand, courtesy of Señora Sloane.

At dinner Amanda had filled in Miriam on all of the details she could, without implicating her father. She even trusted the woman enough to tell her about Rodriguez’s involvement. When Amanda ventured down the path that Trent possibly provoked the abductors into action, Miriam responded, “I knew that man would cause Becky pain someday.”

Miriam had admitted she tossed and turned all night, as did Amanda. No sleep came to those who knew Rebecca would meet her fate in less than twenty-four hours.

The breeze Fernando generated with the boat skimming over the water kept them cool while they scanned the coast. The shops disappeared, replaced by vast expanses of rough shoreline edging private homes and hotels. Eventually the resorts became sparser, and then nothing but jungle.

“Miriam, last night you mentioned that Trent wasn’t the right man for Rebecca. How did you know?”

“She’s not like you, Amanda, she doesn’t have your streak of independence. My baby always stayed close to me—she even lived with us when she attended college. Every night she came home and studied in her room. Your dad would tell her to go out and have some fun, but she was a homebody.”

“Rebecca’s a beautiful woman. I’d assumed she had been very popular in school.”

Miriam played with the fringe on her sarong. “My daughter is a bright, funny woman, but incredibly shy. The neighbor boy, Johnny, adored Becky and coaxed her to go out on a few dates—he even took her to the junior prom. Then one afternoon Donny caught Johnny and some of his buddies smoking pot. He forbade Becky from seeing the boy again. After Johnny, she spent all of her free time with Donny and me, until Trent.”

“How did Rebecca and Trent meet?”

“Donny and Becky were taking inventory at one of the stores and Trent walked up to the counter with a handful of videos. He struck up a conversation with them. Trent asked her out and her dad cajoled her into accepting.”

“They must have gotten along well.”

“At first I didn’t trust him—too slick, you know, a schmoozer. I was positive he’d date Becky for awhile and then drop her for someone more exciting, but he kept coming back—and he acted so respectful. Our little Becky blossomed. It was such a thrill to watch.”

Miriam pulled bottles of water out of the cooler and handed them to Amanda and Fernando.

“Thanks.” The cold water tasted sweet on Amanda’s tongue.

“The wedding.” Tears streaked down over Miriam’s smile. “Beautiful. It’s so rewarding to see your daughter happy, with a wonderful life ahead of her.” The mask of suffering returned. “If only…but after a couple of years Becky admitted she thought Trent cheated on her and she confessed he rarely spent time at home. She stayed in and he catted around. Just like in Cancun.”

They motored around the lighthouse at the northern point of the island. Nothing but sand, water, and jungle.

“And now, to think he might have caused all of this anguish. I swear, when I see him again, I’ll chop off his balls.”

“Miriam! That kind of talk comes out of me, not you!”

Both women burst out laughing, slicing through the tension of the search.

They hadn’t seen a boat in at least fifteen minutes. “How much of the island is left?” Amanda yelled over the whine of the engine.

“Three-fourths. Mucho.”

At least this part of the shore is easy to cover.
The size of the island surprised Amanda. In her visits she never journeyed outside the city of San Miguel, not realizing the vast amount of jungle that surrounded the town. The popular reefs bordered the western edge of the island; there had been no reason to venture to the uninhabited side.

“If we don’t find the boat, what’s next?” Miriam asked.

Without Cooper, Amanda felt like a fool who had painted herself into a corner. No boat, no more leads. “I’ll be paying the ransom.”

They motored into a cove and Amanda caught sight of a fishing boat anchored close to shore. The boat lacked a name. Both women jumped up.