Cold Comfort (37 page)

"Claire's name got his attention. He says he'll see us." He drew the Glock and slipped out of the car, closing the door softly. "He has to be involved."

Will, holding the Sig Sauer he preferred, stepped off the walk and ran silently to the shrubs beside the door.

Riley gave the doorknocker a sharp rap, then moved to one side. "He wouldn't have agreed to see us if her name hadn't meant something to him. He'd better know where to find her."

Will stood on the other side, waiting.

"Who's there?" a muffled voice called. Jennings.

"Ben Riley."

The door swung back, revealing a pale, silver-haired man in pajamas and a robe. "You say this is about Claire Spencer? Come in, come in. Where is she?" He peered around the two men. The dazed man took in the dark houses on either side of him and looked up at the night sky. "What time is it?"

"Late." Riley forced himself to be calm.

After brief introductions, Jennings led Riley and Will into the living room.

Riley looked into the senator's cerulean eyes. Claire's eyes. "Are you expecting her here?"

Jennings focused on Riley. "I don't know. Where did you find her? Are you the detectives?" He sat down heavily. "I thought it would be so easy, after I saw her picture. But then you said she'd sold that shop and moved."

"Claire hasn't moved anywhere. Why were you trying to find her?" What was the man talking about?

"I don't understand
—
the detective said
—
" Jennings shook his head and frowned. "Where's Tony?"

"That's what we want to know," Riley said.

Jennings, a puzzled expression on his face, gestured for Riley and Will to sit. "Never mind him. What's important is that you're here. What have you found about Claire Spencer?"

Something was very wrong. "Let's start at the beginning, sir. Why did you have detectives looking for Claire?"

"To find Caroline Lindsey." He gazed at them as if they should have known and drew his brows together. "What, exactly, did my nephew tell you when he hired you?"

"Tony Trapp didn't hire me. I'm working for Claire." To find Caroline? Riley thought he had to give the man, still groggy from sleep and maybe medication, time to understand, or he'd never learn what he needed to find Claire. "Why are you looking for her?"

"There's been some misunderstanding." Jennings shook his head. "I was in the hospital the night before my surgery, and a volunteer came around with some magazines. I didn't really want one, but I picked up an old
Southern Living—
"

"I should have guessed
—
the article on Mistletoe
—
it didn't have to be timely, just because it was in a magazine. It's because she looks so much like her mother, isn't it?"

"Yes, but most of the page had been cut out. Some recipes on the back. It didn't tell me anything, but I recognized her
—
actually, for a minute I thought she was Caroline. But then I knew the woman in the picture had to be her daughter. I told Tony to hire a detective to find her right away, that I had to find her mother." He cleared his throat. "You see, many years ago, I was in love with her, and she with me. Tell me, how is she?"

Jennings obviously knew nothing of recent events. "Caroline Lindsey died in 1976." Riley wouldn't mention murder yet.

"She died?" Jennings turned to Will, as if for confirmation. "In 'seventy-six?"

"Yes, sir, I'm afraid so."

"That's the summer she disappeared." Acute pain, then sorrow registered on his face. Suddenly he jerked his head up. "If she died in 'seventy-six, and Claire is her daughter, then Claire must be...." A mixture of wonder and hope lighted his face.

"Yes, sir. I believe Claire Spencer is your daughter."
He wants her.
A fleeting instant of happiness for Claire shot through Riley. If they could find her in time.

"Excuse me," Jennings mumbled. His face flushed. He turned away from them, wiping his eyes, and took a crumbled tissue from his pocket, blew his nose with shaking hands. "I should have guessed. Claire was my mother's name."

Riley gave him a minute to recover, praying the man was strong enough to deal with everything. "Sir, I don't have time to explain it all now, but I believe your nephew, Tony Trapp, is behind some recent problems, possibly with help from Carmine Bellante. Tony has kidnapped Claire. We've got to find her. Can you help?"

"Tony? Kidnapped Claire? What's going on?" Bewildered, he looked from Riley to Will. "What's Carmine got to do with this?"

Riley explained, skipping the details. "My guess is it's about your money and Tony's gambling. Do you have any idea where he'd have taken her? Would it be to Carmine?"

Jennings recovered and drew himself upright. His gaze sharpened behind the glasses. "I have no idea where he would have taken her, but Carmine might. He's capable of anything, and I'm afraid Tony's just like him." He thought for a moment. "Get me a phone." There was no hesitation in his voice now.

Riley handed him his cell phone, hoping Jennings knew what he was doing.

The man punched in a number. "I hope it's still the same. I haven't spoken to him in years."

In the silence, Riley could hear it ringing.

Finally Jennings said, "Carmine? This is Nolan." He listened, then snapped out the words. "Yes, Nolan Jennings. Pay attention. Tony has taken Claire Lindsey
—
Claire Spencer. I'm sure you know all about her
—
he couldn't have done all this without your help."

Riley and Will remained silent as Jennings talked.

"Don't bother to deny it.
Where would Tony have taken her?
It will be somewhere in this area." He listened again. "Carmine, I mean it. I will use all the influence I have, call in every favor
—
I'll wake the President if I have to. But I will have you arrested within the hour if you don't tell me where to find that girl. And you'd better pray nothing's happened to her
—
I know who she is."

After a minute, the senator cut in. "Carmine! Where is she?"

The old gangster had been arrested too many times—he didn't buy it. Riley snatched the phone from the senator's hand, praying Will was right about Carmine's feelings for his family. Gritting his teeth, he ground out the words. "This is Ben Riley. If you want your nephew to see tomorrow, tell me where to find Claire. I promise you, you'll never see Tony Trapp again if anything's happened to her."

The senator whispered, "He'd do anything to protect Tony."

"The farm?" Riley turned to Jennings, who nodded.

"You'd better be right, and if you hope to see him again, tell him not to touch her." He handed the phone back to Jennings. "Hurry."

"I'll see you later, Carmine. Count on it." Jennings closed the phone and handed it back to Riley. "Carmine had a farm in Virginia Tony used to go to. That's the only place he could think of. I know the way. Let me get my coat
—
there's no time to dress." From a hall closet, he grabbed an overcoat, pulling it on as they left the house.

The three men hurried through the snow to the car. Riley kept his hand under Jennings's arm, steadying him. "Tell Will where to go. He'll drive. He knows the area better than I do."

Jennings told him where to find the farm. "I don't know why Tony's taken Claire, but I do know he needs money. Hurry."

"Yes, sir. Please fasten your seat belt." Will, pulling away from the curb, cursed the snow. "The main roads will be clear."

Jennings sat in the front by Will. "Now tell me all you know about this. I want to know how Caroline died, about Claire."

"Riley, get the blanket out of the trunk," Will said.

Riley lowered the seat back, reached into the trunk, and fished out a wool blanket. He handed it to Jennings, then leaned forward between the two men in front. He told Jennings everything that happened and all he could remember of Caroline's letters.

"Carmine," Jennings said when Riley mentioned the man who'd confronted Caroline and her "friend" at the hearing. "He blamed me for the accident, said I'd destroyed his daughter even though a drunk driver crossed the median to hit us." He pointed to the right, and Will turned. "After he saw me with Caroline, he must have had us watched, threatened her or done something to make her run away like that."

Riley brought up his own suspicions. "When Blanche described the last night in December, she mentioned two men in a car that followed, then ran them off the road. A witness described hearing a crash before the car hit a tree. I'm sure it was deliberate. Would Carmine have had Caroline killed?"

"If he thought I might leave Marianna, he would." Tears slid down Jennings's cheeks. After a minute, he continued. "Certainly if he knew Caroline was pregnant, he'd have had her killed, because there'd always be a chance she'd come back to me. He wanted to punish me." He blew his nose again. "I wish I could prove some of this."

"There might be someone who could tell you more." Riley told the senator about Sandra Krakowski. "Caroline might have told her, or she might have seen something."

"Let me deal with Carmine first. Then I'll find Sandra. May I use your phone again?"

Riley handed him the phone and listened, amazed at the senator's presence of mind. He could see why the man was a force on Capitol Hill. With few words and two calls, he arranged for Carmine Bellante's immediate arrest.

"If you run for President, you've got my vote," Riley said.

Will echoed him.

"I won't. This surgery just bought me some time. I'm not well enough to handle a campaign, much less the job, and I want to spend the time I have left getting to know my daughter
—
if she'll have me."

"She will." Riley told him about Claire, the kind of person she was.

Will gave him a speculative glance and smiled briefly. Riley didn't care. He just wanted to find her. "She's even a big supporter of your wetlands bill. The cliché is true
—
the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, sir. And you know, she has your eyes."

"Let's pray we get there in time." The senator fumbled in his pocket for a minute, then wiped his eyes with the collar of his pajamas. He sat quietly for a few minutes, then said, "My relapse
—
you may have heard it on the news
—
I wonder if that was Tony's doing. A drug mix-up. It happened shortly after he got here."

"What's Trapp like? Would he...hurt her?" Riley tried to keep his imagination at bay, but he needed to know. He'd rip the man apart, limb by limb, if he laid a finger on her.

"His grandfather raised him after Tony's father was killed. He's spoiled in many ways, and—I wish I didn't have to say this—cruel. Carmine's demanding, a hard man. I began to have suspicions when Tony showed up, uninvited, and moved in with me. I had him checked out. A sociopath at best. Takes after his father. I don't know what his interest in Claire is."

"If he expected to inherit your estate, nothing he did would surprise me." Riley gritted his teeth, checking the speedometer over Will's shoulder, mentally urging him to greater speed. Had he failed again? The specter of Nadia's battered body hovered in the corner of his mind. "I'd like to know where Stahl is."

"So would I," Will said.

Chapter 26

Claire gradually became aware of the car's bumping along an icy road. Pain shot through her head with each jolt. She tried to open her eyes. The left one stayed closed. She rubbed at it, wiped away something sticky. Blood, she saw through her right eye. She turned her throbbing head enough to see Tony Trapp at the wheel. "Jesse," she whispered, "what did you do to him?"

"Shut
up!
He's dead." His voice shook with anger. "You've caused me nothing but trouble—you should never have been born."

Poor Jesse. Tears filled her eyes. This monster hurt so many people. She wiped her face with her sleeve. Riley's sleeve. She stared at the blood-smeared leather.
I have to concentrate, get the gun.
Gritting her teeth, she drew herself up, squinted through her good eye.
Distract him, get him to talk.

"Why did you want to find me? How did you know who I was?" She reached for the dashboard as if to steady herself, blocking his view, and felt for the gun with her foot, slid it to the right. The falling snow kept his attention on the road, but if she reached down for the gun, he'd see.

"My uncle saw your picture in some magazine in the hospital, thought it was your mother. He told me about her, how he wanted to find her."

He'd wanted to find Caroline? "Not me? Didn't he know who I was?"

"Not then, but since he got home from the hospital, he's been asking if we've found you." The snow fell harder now. He concentrated on the road in front of them, answered automatically. "He guessed you were her daughter, but he didn't know you were his."

That confused her. She forced back the panic and kept her voice soft, hoping he'd keep talking. Wiping her nose on Riley's sleeve again, she noticed something beyond the metallic scent of her own blood. Aftershave and tobacco. Tony Trapp had been in her house, in her storeroom. He'd dismembered the doll. She shuddered.
Keep him talking. Think.
"Did he send you to find me?"