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“Look, you’ve got this all wrong. Nothing was supposed to happen to Chelsea. I wouldn’t have been a part of anything like that.”

“Then you need to cooperate.” David walked back toward the others. “Tell us what you know.”

“I don’t know anything about Chelsea’s kidnapping. I swear. I’m shocked that she’s missing and didn’t know it had happened until now.”

David pressed harder. “So you’re saying you harassed her and broke into her home, but you didn’t kidnap her.”

Quincy tried to move past them to where Mr. Petrie waited. “Mr. Petrie, this is something you and I need to talk over with Bob Strickland.” Quincy’s smooth voice was now shaky and frail.

“This is my firm. I want to know what’s going on, and I don’t want Strickland to tell me.

A woman has been kidnapped after a list of improprieties I can’t imagine a member of this firm committing. Tell me what’s has happened. I’ll represent you, but I will not become a part of any wrongdoings.”

“You will tell us, Mr. Beckham,” David said. “Do it here, or we’ll take a slow ride down to the station.”

Skip moved close to Isaac. “Chelsea Constantine is my sister, but you know that, too. She introduced us. I saw you trying to get with her. Remember? She said you were unethically coming on to her. We also figured out who you are. My whole family remembers the crap you stirred up when you and Chelsea were kids. If something has happened to my sister, or if she’s harmed while we’re standing around listening to you lie, you won’t be able to find a hiding place deep enough to keep you alive.”

Isaac pressed his forearm against Quincy’s neck. “Spit it out before something happens to her, or I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure yours is a living hell. I’ll hurt you the way you’re hurting me—by going after someone you care about.”

The room had filled, but the crowd scattered quickly when Quincy started squirming against Isaac’s grip. He was not a small man, but was no match for the muscles or the mindset before him.

“Hold on!” Petrie, alone, stepped forward. “Both of you. Stop this minute!”

He tried to pry them apart, but Isaac had a death grip on Quincy’s neck. Quincy gasped and Petrie screamed.

“Let him go! If he did what you say, if he knows anything about this woman’s

disappearance, I’ll make sure he’s prosecuted and disbarred.”

“Okay, I’ll give you the same three-count I gave him. Chelsea’s safety is all I want. If you can make him talk, do it quickly.”

“This was not supposed to happen,” Quincy said, coughing and straightening his

clothing. “I don’t know anything about a kidnapping, and I wasn’t the one in her apartment. I’m not crazy. I would never commit a crime to win a case. It’s not that important to me, but it is to Strickland.”

“Tell me how Strickland figures into this.” Mr. Petrie demanded. “A woman’s life is on the line. I will have no part of whatever you’ve done. I want this firm taken out of this immediately. Tell them what they need to know.”

“I applied for a position at Strickland’s firm about the same time I applied here. He didn’t hire me. You did. Strickland called me after Curtis Hamilton was arrested, and asked me to first chair the case. He said he would be in the courtroom every minute, giving me pointers.

He never said he would be giving the pointers from the back of the courtroom.” He looked at Mr.

Petrie. “He just said he would make it well worth my time to help get the boy acquitted. He offered me a position making twice what I’m making here…and a fifty thousand dollar bonus.”

“Why didn’t he just hire you?” Petrie asked. “Why were you harassing this woman?”

“He didn’t want to bring the trial into his firm, and I didn’t harass her.”

Isaac had not moved. “Don’t lie. I was with Chelsea on Sunday night. I saw you. I should have kicked your ass right them and there.”

“What’s he talking about?” Petrie asked.

Quincy dropped his head.

“Your boy here was a little weepy jerk when he was a kid, just like he’s now an

overgrown jerk, who goes around leaning on women. Lean on me, why don’t you.”

“It’s nothing, Mr. Petrie. What they’re talking about happened back when Chelsea and I were kids. She stood me up for a school dance.” He looked at Isaac. “Yes, I’ll admit, I came on to her this past week. She’s my opponent. I wanted to rile her. Maybe there were some personal feelings mixed in. I leaned on her, but I never would have broken the law.”

“So you took part in this for a high salary and to get back at her for something that happened when you were a kid?” Isaac spat the words in his face. “Man, you’re sick!”

“I didn’t break the law.” With everyone looking on, Quincy defensively responded. “I asked her out.” He smirked. “I gave her a hard time about that, but I sure as hell didn’t break into her home, and I don’t know anything about her disappearance.”

“I’m nearly eighty years old,” Mr. Petrie said, looking at Isaac. “But if this man is in any way responsible for Ms. Constantine’s disappearance, his reprimand will be mine as well as yours. You have my word on that, and I don’t lie.”

“No disrespect intended, but I’m sure you’ll say anything to keep this from coming back on your firm.” Isaac was not convinced. “It’s part of your job.”

David, Isaac, and Skip surrounded Quincy.

“I don’t think you got the message, man,” David said. “Let’s just work it out at the station. I’ll pass the word along to the cops I know. They’ll pass it on to their—”

“I’m not lying when I say I know nothing about Chelsea’s disappearance,” Quincy

protested loudly. “I saw a chance to make a pile of money and join the hottest firm in town. I knew Chelsea was with the DA’s office, but I didn’t even know she was the prosecuting attorney on this case. I’ve never seen Chelsea in court, but…”

He dropped his head and then looked at Isaac. “When I realized she was, I knew

Hamilton’s defense would be difficult. Chelsea was always good at everything. I asked her out and saw it made her uncomfortable, so I…turned up the heat, I guess you could say.”

He moved closer to Isaac and raised his hand. “I swear I didn’t participate in, and I know nothing about her kidnapping. I can’t speak for Strickland, but I would never do anything like this. I’ll swear under oath. I’ll take a lie detector test. Anything you want.”

“Why would Strickland dirty his hands for this boy?”

Quincy didn’t answer Mr. Petrie right away, but started to speak when Isaac moved

toward him.

“He never told me this, so I’m not betraying a confidence.” He looked at the floor. “I overheard a conversation in the hallway. The boy’s mother and father were arguing about Strickland participation in the boy’s defense. A woman I can’t identify said it was only natural for Strickland to want to defend his own son.”

David and Skip moved to the door when three uniforms entered. Isaac was still standing toe-to-toe with Quincy, but moved away when David called.

“Let’s go,” David said. “We just got lucky. The cops know where her car was last

night.” He looked at Quincy. “If you’re involved at all, we’ll find out. Chelsea Constantine has many friends in high places, but it’s the ones on the pavement you need to worry about if she’s harmed.”

“If you do know something, and my sister is harmed, I’ll make your life a living hell.”

Skip promised. “No matter where you go.”

Isaac looked at Petrie. “I apologize for disrupting your workplace. I’m not a violent man, but the woman I love is missing. Her safety is all I care about right now.” He fanned the back of his hand close to Quincy’s face. “Even if you’re telling the truth, I’m still kicking your ass for messing with her.”

David moved closer and whispered to Quincy. “I’m an officer of the law. We have our own ways of retaliation.”

* * * *

They rushed into the hallway with David leading. He did not speak until they were in the elevator.

“The owner of a dry clearing service called about a car blocking his driveway up on Dryades Street. The description and license plate is a match. He knocked on doors until someone remembered seeing this boy who lived upstairs, and a woman getting out of the car yesterday.”

David looked from Skip to Isaac. “He said he knocked on the boy’s door and asked him to move the car. The boy didn’t respond immediately and he called the police. We haven’t found anyone who saw them leaving, but the car was gone when the police arrived.”

“Did they check this boy’s place?” Isaac asked, quite fearful of the answer.

“They did. Found an old necktie that he might have used to tie her up. It was cut in half.

There was blood…not a lot, maybe where she struggled to get free. We’ll know more when we get the lab results.”

Skip answered his phone and Isaac pulled David aside.

“Was there anything else?”

David shook his head. “I’m telling you everything.”

“That was Dee,” Skip told them. “The mayor just spoke to the chief of police. Everyone is in on this search. The whole quarter is filled with cops. The rest are uptown sweeping the area where her car was found, and questioning this boy’s mother. Dee said my folks are coming unglued. I need to go back to Mama Rose’s.”

“Go on back,” David told them. “I’m going uptown. I’ll call you the second something breaks.”

Skip talked on the phone and Isaac listened to Skip’s end of the conversation as he assured his mother. “Everyone in New Orleans is looking for her. We have to believe she’s okay.

I’ll be there with you in a few minutes, Mom. Put Dee back on the phone.

Isaac watched him blush while telling Dee how much he appreciated having her in his life. He felt the knife twist in his heart. Why had he not said those things to Chelsea?

“The mayor was on the phone with the police,” Skip told Isaac after the call ended. “Dee is going to let him know what we just learned and call me back.”

Isaac drove cautiously through the morning traffic. He knew he and Skip were once in the same place when it came to relationships. He could see the change. “I was a little surprised that you and Dee got together.” Isaac commented. “You know how much Chelsea loves her.”

“I’m not planning to piss her off, if that’s what you mean. I’ve made my rounds out there, man. There’s nothing I need to prove, and nothing I want to do that would keep me single. I’m getting a place of my own, and when the time is right, I plan to ask Dee to marry me. You must be tired, man. Drop me at the restaurant and get some sleep. At least, get some rest.”

Isaac nodded, feeling emptier than before. “I’m happy for you and Dee, man.” He said as Skip was getting out of the vehicle. “I think I’ll go uptown for a while. Put my friend Frankie’s number in your phone in case you don’t get me on the cell.”

He spent the drive time in deep thought, first of his earlier relationship with Frankie and how much he still cared for her. He thought of the sincerity on Skip’s face when he spoke of his relationship with Dee. He had wanted to ask if Skip knew how Chelsea really felt about him, but didn’t want to add awkwardness to the already painful situation. His eyes stung from worry and fatigue, but the tears that filled them were for the woman he knew he loved more than he could find words to express.

He started across Canal Street, quickly turned and drove toward the river, parked and hurried to Boudreaux’ Jewelers. The stop did little to soothe his fear, but helped him prepare for Chelsea’s return. Driving the short distance to Frankie’s house, his heart warmed each time he touched his pocket.

Frankie opened the door wearing a knit dress that showed every curve of her body. Isaac noticed, but without desire.

“Hey. I was hoping you would stop by. I just made fresh coffee. Any news?”

He told her about their visit with Quincy.

“He was harassing her because of something that happened in eighth grade. Can you

believe that? How the hell did I let a lame bastard like him make me doubt my woman?”

“Sounds like a real creep. I pray she’s okay.”

“I refuse to think otherwise. I have to see her again, Frankie. I can’t go through life knowing I had two chances to have a dynamic woman at my side and blew it both times.”

“You’ll get your chance. You’re a hell of a sweet man, and Chelsea knows it. Tell her how you feel, ask her to marry you if that’s what you want to do. She loves you, too.”

“I hope you’re right, but I’m not certain?”

“I am.”

“I know women are supposed to be more intuitive than men, but how you be certain?”

“Because she told me.” She placed a coffee mug on the bar in front of him, leaned down and kissed her forehead.

“She told you when? You said you didn’t call Chelsea.”

She shook her head. “I didn’t.”

“Come on, Frankie. Don’t play with me. Not now.”

“You asked if I had called Chelsea and I told you no, which was the truth. You

didn’t ask if I had gone to see her.” She smiled.

“You went to see her? To talk about me? I can’t believe you did that. Why?

When?”

“Because I love you. Because I didn’t want to see you suffer. I want you to be

happy. Chelsea makes you happy. I went to her office yesterday.”

He shrugged. “That doesn’t sound like something a woman would do.”

“You mean a woman who also wants you? I taught you a lot about women’s

needs, but we do have feelings outside of the bedroom. My whole world has collapsed, and right now, having you back in my life would be the best thing I could hope for, but you’re in love with someone else. That would never work.”

“I’ll always love you. You know that.”

“I do. That’s why I want you to be happy. I asked Chelsea how she felt about you.

If she had said she didn’t love you, there would have been no need for me to tell her anything.

She’s been having the same feelings you have, but was afraid you wouldn’t want a serious relationship. I guess she would rather have part of you than none at all, so she just hoped that someday the two of you would end up on the same page.”

“She told you all of this?”

“She had to leave for court so we cut the conversation short, but yes, she did. She said she’s in love with you and would have accepted your proposal.”