The Ex Who Glowed in the Dark (Charley's Ghost) (13 page)

Chapter Eleven

Amanda gulped. She’d just been staring at a kidnapper-murderer, thinking he had a hot bod.
So much for her survival instinct. But Brendan had said there were three aliens, two men and one woman. “The short man, was he bald?” Her voice came out barely above a whisper.

“Of course.
Alpha Centaurians don’t have any hair. That one you just saw in that apartment over there was wearing a wig.”

“What about the woman who took the boy? Was she wearing a wig too?” Jake’s voice was firm and strong. Well, he was accustomed to talking to murderers and nut cases. With the exception of Charley’s ghost, she usually talked to normal people.

“Of course,” Brendan said. “They know earth women are never bald. She was wearing a short blondish wig. It was ugly. But I guess if you’re not used to having any hair at all, you don’t know what looks good and what doesn’t.”

“That makes sense,” Charley said.

Amanda didn’t think any of it made sense but Jake showed no surprise at Brendan’s strange description.

“Besides the bad wigs, what else can you tell me about the short man and woman?
Any distinctive features?”

Brendan frowned and shook his head. “It was dark. Besides, what difference does it make? They change shape at will.”

“Good point. Can you tell me what time this occurred?”

“Twelve minutes nine seconds after three o’clock this morning.”

Jake didn’t question the precise time. “Thank you,” he said. “You’ve been a big help.”

“Do you think the others are still on earth like that guy across the hall? Maybe they’re waiting until they have a bunch of boys to take back with them. Do you want me to go to Dawson’s apartment and help him set up a protective field? If they took his brother, they’ll try to modify his brain so he doesn’t remember he ever had a brother.”

Jake cleared his throat. “Thanks. We’ll get back to you on that. Things are a little hectic right now.”

With a nod, Jake turned toward Dawson’s door. Amanda knew she should follow, but she felt glued to the spot, unable to stop staring at the strange little man. He had actually witnessed the kidnapping, but his brain was so scrambled, he saw them as creatures from another star system. Still, it was the best information they had so far.

Jake took her arm and guided her firmly away.

Brendan’s door closed softly.

They found Dawson still focused on one of the laptops, a fresh can of Red Bull on the table beside him. “Did you find any shoe prints?” he asked without looking up.

“Shoe prints?” With the startling new development that Nick was involved in the kidnapping, Amanda had forgotten all about the silly story she’d given as an excuse to get Daggett out of the apartment. “No, no shoe prints.”

“But I have some news.” Jake sat down at the table.

Dawson paused with his fingers still on the keyboard.
“News?”

“About Nick
Farner. He isn’t Mrs. Lowell’s grandson, and he just got out of prison three weeks ago. Mrs. Lowell’s real grandson was in the same prison. They knew each other, so the grandson probably told Farner about his grandmother.”

“What was he in for?” Amanda asked quietly. “Kidnapping?
Murder?”

“Drugs.”

“Drugs?” She thought of the body she’d been ogling before she knew he was an alien kidnapper. “That man uses drugs?” Maybe she could get hold of some of whatever he was taking.

“He’s supposedly reformed.
Got a job as a personal trainer at a local health club.” He paused and looked from Dawson to Amanda. “At the Fitness 4 You Club.”

Dawson’s fingers ceased moving over the keyboard. His eyes widened and he shot up from his chair. “That’s the place where they want me to take the program! He’s got Grant! That wasn’t his cat who screamed yesterday. It was my brother!”

Jake was on his feet just as quickly, placing a restraining hand on Dawson’s arm. “Sit back down. He wouldn’t be keeping your brother in his apartment. It’s too close. Besides, that picture was definitely not taken in his apartment.”

Dawson tried to tug free of Jake’s grasp. “But he knows where Grant is!”

“Probably. But if you confront him now, we’ll lose any chance we have of following him and finding your brother.”

Dawson ceased struggling and looked at Jake. “If he doesn’t have Grant with him, how do you know for sure he’s involved?”

“Turns out your neighbor with a penchant for aluminum foil actually saw the kidnappers and identified Farner.”

“What? Then why didn’t he tell us before?”

“Sit down.” Jake spoke firmly.

Dawson sank back into his chair. 

“Your neighbor is a little confused. He thinks aliens took Grant. But with what he told us, we’ve got a description of the other two kidnappers. We already have a description of their vehicle from Amanda and the lady downstairs, so all we have to do is keep track of Farner to see if he’ll lead us to your brother.”

Dawson nodded slowly, reluctantly.

“Ross will be here this afternoon. He’s in the lab right now analyzing what he got from Grant’s room. Between the two of us—”

“Three,” Amanda corrected.

Jake ignored her and fixed his gaze on Dawson. “We can watch Nick, and I can get a warrant to eavesdrop on him. However, getting that warrant will take time.”

Charley settled in the empty chair, put his feet on the table and smiled. “That’s where I come in. I can eavesdrop on anybody I want to without being seen. What’s the law going to do to me anyway? Put me in jail?” He laughed at his own joke.

“We don’t have time,” Dawson said quietly. “I can use technology to eavesdrop on him.”

Poor Charley.
Trumped by a computer.

“You know I can’t condone
your doing that,” Jake said, his voice just as quiet.

“You can’t stop me.”

One corner of Jake’s mouth actually tilted upward in half a grin. “No, I can’t. I’m going to the station to see what Ross has found and I’ll try to contact Mrs. Lowell’s grandson and see what he knows about Nick.”

A horrible thought occurred to Amanda. “So if this guy isn’t her grandson, what’s he doing in her apartment?”

“We don’t know the answer to that question at this point.”

He might not know, but she’d be willing to bet he had some thoughts on the subject that he just wasn’t willing to share. “What about Mrs. Lowell? Where is she? Is she really on a cruise?”

“We don’t know,” he repeated. “I haven’t been able to find her on any passenger lists, but we can’t jump to conclusions. Not finding her yet doesn’t mean she’s not on a cruise somewhere.”

“Doesn’t mean she is.
Maybe they kidnapped her too. Or killed her so they could plant this guy in her apartment to keep an eye on Dawson and make sure he doesn’t call the cops.” Amanda shivered at the thought of the elderly lady’s body still being somewhere in her home, right across the hall from where they stood.

“I didn’t see her body in the apartment,” Charley said. “But I didn’t check for blood stains.”

Amanda did not feel reassured.

“We have no reason to believe anything’s happened to Mrs. Lowell.” Jake used his reassuring cop voice, so Amanda thought maybe he did have reason to believe that very thing. “I’ll let you all know what I find. Dawson, you let me know if you learn anything about
Farner. I agree that they probably planted him here to keep an eye on you, so I don’t think he’ll leave just yet, but if he does, let me know immediately.”

“If he leaves, I’ll follow him,” Amanda said.

“After you call me and tell me which direction he’s going.”

“Of course.”
She tried to look sincere.

Jake studied her a moment, then shook his head as if he wasn’t buying the sincerity. “Do you have the GPS activated on your cell phone?”

“I don’t know.” Amanda took the phone from her purse.

Dawson held out his hand. “Let me see.”

She handed it to him.

He frowned as he looked at the display. “Your mother’s called you five times.”

“Yeah, I know. She wants to talk about a baby shower I’m giving for my sister that I have no part in except lending my name. I’ll call her back later. This is more important.” Watching the weeds grow along the highway was more important than that silly party.

Dawson tapped through some screens that Amanda hadn’t known existed on her phone. “Now your GPS is activated.” He handed it back to her.

She looked at the small rectangular object and then at Jake. “So you can find me through this?”

“If I have to.”
Jake started out the front door then paused and looked back at her. “Don’t make me have to.”

“If I get lost, I’ll find my own way home by tracking the North Star even if it’s high noon.” She returned her attention to Dawson. “What can I do to help you with whatever it is you’re doing on these computers?”

The door closed behind Jake.

“Forget the computers right now. I need to borrow your bike,” Dawson said. “Mine’s still at your shop.”

Amanda studied her young friend. He didn’t look so young at that moment nor did he look capable of riding a motorcycle. “Why? Where do you want to go?”

“If I’m to adequately monitor Nick
Farner’s activities, I need some electronics and I don’t have time to order them from the Internet. I’ll have to go to a brick and mortar store.”

Amanda shook her head. “Go take a shower, shave, change clothes, and I’ll consider letting you ride on the back of my bike.”

Dawson looked startled. “I forgot about showering. Do I smell bad?”

“Bad enough you can’t ride on my motorcycle until you’re clean.”

He nodded and headed obediently for the bathroom.

Amanda sat down at the table and looked at the three laptops. What if none of them held the program the kidnappers wanted? What would happen to Grant?
What would happen to Dawson? He was on the verge of losing it. One more Red Bull and he was likely to go flying around the room alongside Charley.

She turned the nearest computer to face her and ran a finger over the touch pad to wake the screen display. Judging from the number of game icons, this was probably Grant’s, maybe the one he’d been playing games on the night his parents were murdered. Sadness wrapped around her heart as she pictured the small boy from the photograph tapping on these very keys, laughing, having a good time, playing with friends. Then he lost that world and now he might lose his life.

She clicked on a musical symbol icon. They could use some soothing music. A new screen appeared and some really awful, really loud noise burst into the room. Grant must have different taste in music than she did. This was definitely not soothing. She clicked on “New Selection,” but nothing happened.

“Be careful,” Charley shouted, trying to make himself heard over the music. “You don’t know anything about computers. You’re going to mess something up.”

“I know how to do one thing.” She hit the “X” in the upper right corner and closed out the program. The silence was abrupt, blissful and intense. In that silence she heard footsteps going down the stairs.

She charged across the room and flung open the door.

Nick Farner was disappearing around the next landing.

“He’s getting away!” Charley exclaimed. “I’ll follow him as far as I can, but you need to hurry!”

Damn! The music had hidden the sound of his door closing.

Amanda spun back into the room and down the hall to the bathroom. “Dawson!” she shouted, trying to make herself heard over the sound of the shower. “I’ve got to go! Nick’s leaving!”

Dawson didn’t respond.

Nick was getting farther away every second and Charley was restrained by the length of that invisible leash so he could only follow the man so far.

She grabbed her jacket, helmet and keys and ran out the door. She’d call Dawson when she got a chance. And Jake. Okay, she’d sort of agreed to call him
before
she left to follow Nick, but she didn’t have time. Exigent circumstances.

Chapter Twelve

“There he goes.” Charley pointed to a beige Honda pulling out of the parking lot.

“Keep him in sight. I’ll be right behind you.” Amanda shoved on her helmet, revved the engine on her bike and pulled out, heart pounding wildly. This could be it. Nick could be heading straight for the place where Grant was being held. Too bad she’d left her .38 at home, but when they got to the kidnap site, she could call Jake. He and Ross would rush over with their guns and rescue Dawson’s brother.

Following Nick across town proved surprisingly easy with Charley flying between them, signaling turns. Of course she could have done it just fine without him.

Nick seemed to be oblivious to them. He drove in a totally normal manner, making no effort to evade potential followers. Apparently he thought his ruse was working, that they were too dense to catch on. What incredible arrogance. She couldn’t wait to take him down.

He drove straight to Fitness 4 You and pulled into the lot behind the spa.

Amanda parked her bike several spaces away and watched him walk into the employee entrance. She pulled off her helmet and looked at Charley. “Maybe he’s just going to work.”

“No! He probably doesn’t even really work here.”

“Jake said he does.”

“What does Jake know? It’s all a cover. The kid’s probably inside that place and Nick’s going in to torture him. Cut off a finger like they threatened.”

Amanda shivered. “Stop that! We have until 6:00 before they start sharpening the knife. Maybe he’s going to work as usual so he can keep an eye on the locker and tell the others when Dawson brings the program. We may be wasting our time watching him watch the locker. He may not be going anywhere near Grant.”

“You just sit here and relax, read a book or something while I go inside and see what he’s up to.”

“You think I’m going to relax? I am not going to relax until this is over. But go ahead. If I go in, he’ll spot me. At least he won’t recognize you.” Amanda unstrapped her purse from the sissy bar and took out her cell phone. “I’ll call Dawson and tell him why I ran out on him.”

He answered on the first ring and she explained what had happened. “I don’t think they’d be keeping Grant here, but maybe
Farner will do something or call somebody. I’ll let you know as soon as I find out what he’s up to.”

“Thanks, Amanda. I feel better just knowing we’re doing something.”

Dawson’s gratitude and trust intensified Amanda’s need to do something productive, and sitting in the parking lot waiting for Charley didn’t seem very productive.

Nevertheless she pulled off her leather jacket, draped it over the handlebars and waited.

Thirty minutes later Charley had not returned and the day wasn’t getting any younger or cooler. Even in her cotton shirt, Amanda was starting to sweat. She had a couple of choices. She could go into the fitness club and search for a ghost or she could ride away. If she did the latter, Charley would have to follow once she’d gone a certain distance and then she could ask him what he’d seen.

But what if Nick left while she was dragging Charley away?

She sighed and climbed off the bike. She had to go inside and find out what Nick and Charley were doing. Surely Nick hadn’t figured out a way to hold Charley captive. If he had, she could only hope he’d keep him for a few decades.

However, if Nick saw her and recognized her, he’d know they were on to him. She could wear her helmet and avoid recognition but she’d most certainly be noticed. Leave the helmet strapped on the bike, throw the jacket over her shoulder and keep her head down. A search through her motorcycle bag yielded a scarf she hadn’t
worn since winter. She wrapped it around her head, hiding her red hair. Not the best of disguises but it would have to do.

She walked up the front steps and through the entrance then stopped to look around.

Charley was easy to spot. He hovered a few inches from a young, gorgeous blonde who was being guided through a workout by Nick. Charley’s journey to the other side might have stopped him from lying but apparently it hadn’t stopped him from lusting.

Amanda stood for a few moments watching the three. She hadn’t needed the disguise after all. Nick didn’t
so much as glance in her direction. He was completely involved in his work. However, so was Charley. She could think of no way to get his attention without getting Nick’s at the same time.

She’d have to fall back on Plan B, ride away, eventually yanking him from the building and the vicinity of the blonde. It was probably safe to leave Nick alone for a while since he seemed as enthralled with his job as Charley was.

She turned and went back outside.

Her cell phone rang as she reached her bike.
Her mother again. As if she didn’t have enough on her plate what with trying to find Dawson’s brother and deal with a horny, psychotic ghost. The freaking shower invitations would have to wait. She shoved the phone back into her bag and couldn’t stop herself from making a comparison. Sunny would never obsess over something as silly as a baby shower. Sunny had her priorities straight.