The light changed, and the car accelerated. Mac took Caitlin’s hand, threading her fingers through his and then giving it a gentle squeeze.
“Come to Atlanta. I’ll teach you to drive.”
Caitlin turned. “Are you serious?”
He nodded. “When I leave, come home with me.”
“For a visit?”
He hesitated, then smiled. “For starters.”
She lowered her voice. “Connor McKee, what are you asking me?”
“We’re here, missy,” John said.
“Don’t get out,” Mac said. “You’re on the traffic side of the street. I’ll help Caitlin out, and thank you for a wonderful drive.”
John Steiner turned, giving the pair in the back seat a nod and a smile.
“Yes, sir, thank you,” he said, then gave Caitlin a calm, studied stare. “You take care of yourself, missy, and if I were you, I’d be thinking hard about that visit to Atlanta.”
Caitlin blushed as Mac helped her out of the car, then waved the old chauffeur on his way.
“Why do I feel like I just got caught necking?”
Mac grinned. “Wishful thinking, maybe?”
She punched him lightly on the arm and grinned.
“Inside with you. We need to check on Aaron.”
“And I want to get on the Internet and see what we can find out about Georgia Calhoun.”
An hour later, Caitlin was throwing together a snack and Mac was on the phone with Aaron.
“Yeah,” he said. “We’re doing all right. How about you, little brother?”
“I’m probably going to gain fifty pounds,” Aaron said. “David is a lot like Mom. Remember how she always wanted to feed us, no matter whether we were hurt, sick or sad?”
Mac laughed. “Boy, do I ever. I could go for some of those coconut cookies she used to make.”
“Caitlin makes some that are pretty close,” Aaron said.
Mac didn’t bother to hide his shock. “Caitlin cooks?”
Aaron laughed aloud, then winced. “Oh, that hurt,” he moaned. “Don’t make me laugh again, please.”
“Sorry,” Mac said. “But I’ve yet to see Caitlin cook anything. She opens cans, reheats and eats peanut butter and pickle sandwiches, but I don’t see her cook.”
“Oh, that’s because she’s into a book. In between times, she’s great.”
“Well, something to look forward to.”
“Sticking around that long, are you?” Aaron teased.
“Stuff it, little brother. It was a figure of speech.”
“By the way,” Aaron said, “thanks for calling David for me.”
“Hey, no problem. He’s pretty sharp. You’d do well to take some of his investment advice.”
Aaron chuckled. “Always thinking ahead, aren’t you, Mac? When are you going to let yourself go and enjoy life before it’s too late?”
“Enough about me,” Mac said. “I’ve got some computer work ahead of me.
“Better you than me,” Aaron said. “Besides, who knows? I may have to learn to use Braille.”
Mac heard the fear in Aaron’s voice and frowned.
“That’s not going to happen,” he said. “You heard the doctor. You’re going to be fine, but it’s going to take patience.”
“Of which I have little,” Aaron said. “Oh, I’ve got to go. David is telling me that lunch is ready. Lucky me. We’re having smothered steak, baked potatoes and Caesar salad.”
“Just be glad you’re still here to eat it,” Mac said. “Take care, and remember what I told you. Stay out of sight until this mess is over.”
“I don’t have to be told twice. I’ll talk to you later.”
Mac hung up, then immediately turned to Caitlin’s computer. During his stint on the force, he’d gotten pretty good at locating missing persons. He’d even found a couple of perps with outstanding warrants with no more information than old work records. This time he had a name, a city and a state. If only he hadn’t lost his touch. They needed a break in this case in the worst way.
Sal Amato was on the way out of the precinct when a FedEx truck pulled away from the entrance. He noticed it with half a thought, then headed toward his car, his mind on lunch and wondering where the hell Paulie had gone. He’d said he would be right behind him.
He started the car, letting the engine warm up as he waited. A minute later he saw Paulie waving at him from the door. He rolled down the window.
“What?” he yelled.
“Lieutenant wants you. He said the tape is back from Quantico.”
Sal killed the engine and got out on the run, slipping and sliding through the snow-packed lot as he hurried toward the door.
“Are you kidding me?” he asked, as he ran inside.
“No,” Paulie said. “And hurry. The lieutenant says there’s something we need to see.”
They took the stairs two at a time, both puffing by the time they reached the third floor.
“Has anyone called Neil and Kowalski?” Sal asked.
“I don’t know. Franconi just told me to find you.”
Caitlin was washing cream cheese off her fingers when the telephone rang. She grabbed a towel, drying her hands as she ran to answer.
“Bennett residence.”
“Miss Bennett, it’s Detective Neil.”
She tossed the towel on the counter and leaned back against the wall, picturing the man’s face as she spoke.
“Hello, Detective. Has there been news?”
“Well, we’re not sure,” he said. “My partner and I have been viewing security tapes from your building that were taken on the day that package was delivered to you.”
“Package? I assume you mean the one containing the Rat Tartar.”
There was a moment of silence, and then he almost chuckled.
“That would be the one,” he said. “The reason I’m calling is, there are several individuals on the tape who we can’t identify and we would like you to take a look at them. Do you mind?”
“No. I’d be glad to,” Caitlin said. “I’ll just tell Mac and then call a cab.”
“There’s no need for you to take a cab. I’m in the neighborhood. Why don’t I drop by and pick you both up?”
“Why, that would be fine,” Caitlin said. “When can we expect you?”
“I’m only a few minutes away. I’ll come up for you. That way you won’t have to wait in the lobby, where you would be…That way you won’t have to wait.”
“Thank you for being so thoughtful,” she said, knowing what he’d been about to say—that in the lobby she would be exposed, to some degree, a target.
“Great. I’ll see you in about five minutes.”
Caitlin hung up, then looked at their lunch with a sigh. It would just have to wait. Having settled that in her mind, she began searching for the plastic wrap.
“Who was on the phone?” Mac said as he came into the kitchen. Then he frowned. “Why are you putting that up? We haven’t eaten yet.”
She handed him a piece of bagel that she’d smeared with cream cheese and then laid a piece of bacon on the top.
“That was Detective Neil. He wants me to come down to the precinct and look at the security tapes.”
“What tapes?”
“From this building, the day the rat was delivered.”
“Good idea,” he said. “I just started a search for Georgia Calhoun, but I’ll go turn off the computer.” He took a bite of the bagel as he started to leave. “Hey,” he said. “This is good.”
Caitlin smiled. “You don’t have to sound so surprised.”
Before Mac could defend himself, the doorbell rang.
“Wow, that was fast,” she said, then looked down at her feet. She was wearing her puppy slippers. “I can’t wear these,” she gasped.
“I’ll get it,” Mac said as Caitlin raced to the bedroom to put on shoes.
“Come in, Detective. Have a seat. Caitlin is almost ready. I’ve just got to go turn off the computer.”
“Wait,” Caitlin said as she hurried into the room. “Why don’t you just stay here and finish what you started? Everything will go a lot faster if we’re working at this from both ends.”
“No way,” Mac said. “You don’t get out of my sight.”
Caitlin laughed and pointed at Neil.
“But, Mac, I’ll have police protection. Detective Neil has offered to take me to the station, and I have every expectation that if I asked him real nice, he’d also bring me back to the door.”
Neil smiled. “You have my word on that,” he said, then looked at Mac. “I promise, Mr. McKee, that I will take good care of her.”
Caitlin turned to Mac, silently pleading her case.
Mac sighed. This wasn’t good. He didn’t like the way Neil looked at her, but already he couldn’t tell her no. What in hell would it be like to be married to a woman you couldn’t refuse?
“Yeah, I see what you mean,” Mac said giving Neil a hard stare. “I suppose it will be all right. When you’ve finished with the tapes, you’ll personally see to her return?”
Neil nodded and extended his hand.
“You have my word that I will not let her out of my sight.”
Reluctantly Mac shook the man’s hand, then helped Caitlin into her coat.
“Button up,” he said gently as he fastened the top buttons she always left undone. “You don’t want to get cold.”
It wasn’t what he said but the way that he said it that told Caitlin how much he cared.
“It’s not this cold in Atlanta, is it?” she asked.
His eyes widened. This was the first time she’d hinted she might accept his invitation. A slow smile spread over his face.
“No,” he said softly. “It’s not nearly this cold.”
“I’ll be looking forward to that,” she said, then kissed him soundly, oblivious to the detective at her back.
Neil stared at the pair, then unobtrusively turned his back, pretending to look at a painting by the door.
Caitlin tapped him on the shoulder. “I’m ready.”
He turned, nodded at Mac and then offered her his elbow.
“Ever ride in a police car?” he asked.
“Yes, actually I have,” she said as they went out the door. “It was for research on my third…no, my fourth book. Only it wasn’t in New York. It was in L.A.”
“Interesting,” Neil said.
It was the last thing Mac heard them say. Anxious to get back to his research, he headed toward the office, sensing time was of the essence. He didn’t want Georgia Calhoun to turn up like the Delarosa woman had.
Sal Amato was still staring at the enhanced still shots lifted from the video he had been looking at for the last few minutes. In all his years on the force, he’d never known this much fear, but if he said what he was thinking aloud, it could cause shock waves that might never end. Finally he looked up.
“Lieutenant, does that guy look familiar to you?”
Del Franconi shrugged. “You tell me?”
“Paulie, what’s your take?”
Paulie Hahn was sweating. He kept looking at the picture and wanting to throw up.
“It can’t be,” he muttered.
“Looks too damned much like him to ignore,” Franconi said. “I want you two to do some digging. Find out if what we know about him jibes with the facts, and do it fast.”
Sal turned, his eyes wide with disbelief.
“Man, Lieutenant, if that’s who I think it is, we’re in a world of hurt.”
“No, if it’s who we think it is, he’s going to be the one in pain.”
Eighteen
M
ac’s fingers flew across the keyboard as he stared at the screen. It was all about accessing phone books and social security records. Granted, he was hacking into a couple of places he wasn’t supposed to be, but the way he figured it, the ends justified the means.
According to the facts on the screen, there were three Georgia Calhouns in the state of Ohio, two in Toledo, one in a small town on the other side of the state. He printed the information off the screen and then exited quickly, his heart racing as he reached for the phone. Wouldn’t it be something if he had the woman located before Caitlin got back from the precinct?
The first number he called was no longer in service. His hopes slipped a little as he dialed the next number, but he reminded himself that this was just the first step. The phone rang once, then twice, then three times. Expecting to get an answering machine, he was elated when a young woman answered.
“Hello?”
“I’d like to speak to Georgia Calhoun,” he said.
There was a pause on the other end of the line, and then the woman spoke. “I’m Georgia Calhoun. Who’s calling, please?”
“Miss Calhoun, I’m with a lost and found organization, and I’m working for a family who’s trying to locate a woman named Georgia Calhoun.”
“Oh my! Like on those talk shows where long lost relatives are reunited?”
“Something like that,” he said. “But I need to ask you some questions to make sure I have the right person. Will you help me?”
“Why, yes!” she said. “What do you need to know?”
“First, how old are you?” Mac asked.
“Twenty-three.”
His hopes fell. This couldn’t be the woman Devlin Bennett had been paying. According to Charles Abernathy, he’d been sending money to her for nearly thirty years. This woman wasn’t old enough.
“Well, that doesn’t fit our parameters. I was thinking that the woman would be in her fifties, at least, maybe even older.”
“I was named for my aunt Georgia. Maybe it’s her you’re looking for?”
Mac’s hope rose once more.
“Maybe,” he said. “Is it possible for me to talk to her?”
“Oh, no. I’m sorry, but Aunt Georgia died a few years ago.”
Damn. Another roadblock.
“I see. Have you by any chance ever heard the name Devlin Bennett?”
“No, I don’t think so. Is that the man who’s looking for Georgia Calhoun?”
“In a way, yes,” Mac said. “Is there anything else you can tell me about her, like where she was born? Does she have any living siblings who might know something more?”
“Mother would. If you’ll wait a moment, I’ll get her.”
“Thanks,” Mac said. “I appreciate your help.”
A few moments later, he heard footsteps returning. He hoped this woman was as willing to help as her daughter had been.
“This is Grace Calhoun. My daughter says you were looking for Georgia?”
“Well, ma’am, I’m looking for
a
Georgia. I don’t know if it’s the woman to whom you’re related.”
“I see. What do you need to know? She’s been dead some years now, you know.”
“Yes, ma’am. Your daughter told me. I’ll ask you the same question I asked her. Have you ever heard the name Devlin Bennett?”