Tin God (19 page)

“I didn’t do anything to him, Mom.”

Sonia eyes filled with tears. She cast a frightened eye at her husband before running her free hand through Jaymee’s hair. “I believe you.”

“Sonia.” Ballard’s voice reeked with the threat of punishment. “Don’t.”

Sonia started to shake, but she didn’t move. With a sickened heart, Jaymee knew her mother would pay the price later.

“I told the truth about Holden.”

Sonia closed her eyes, pressing her lips together. Paul started shouting again. “Why isn’t she being arrested? The girl pulled a knife on him last night, and now he’s missing. Take her in.”

“Ain’t that simple,” Charles said. “First off, Wilcher’s an adult. We can’t just declare him missing after a few hours. Second, Jaymee’s got an alibi. Third, I have other suspects. In fact, I was just coming to talk to you, Mr. Ballard.”

“Me? You’re not seriously considering I had something to do with this, are you?”

“Need to rule everyone out. Why don’t you and I talk over here? Your wife can wait with Jaymee and Nick.”

Paul threw Jaymee a rage-filled glance. She knew the last thing he wanted to do was leave Sonia alone with them, but Charles didn’t give him any choice. The blowhard was a lot less blustery without his backup.

Sonia looked around furtively, twisting around to glance over her shoulder and then into the shadows. “Listen to me,” she hissed. “Your father won’t give me much time. I’m so sorry, Jaymee. I always suspected Holden was too close to you, and when you got pregnant, I just knew. I tried to tell your father, but he did what he always does.”

“He beat you. Like he did today.” Jaymee saw the red welt peeking out from her mother’s high collar. Cruel bastard.

“That I could handle. He threatened you. Held you against me. I was afraid of what he’d do.”

“Why? What did I do to him that was so awful?”

“Nothing. You never did anything. It was all me. All me.” She checked to make sure Paul was still occupied by Detective Charles. “Last night, after you left, your father was so angry. He drank until he passed out. That’s when I confronted Holden.”

“He kept denying it, but I wouldn’t give in. I know you, Jaymee. I may have been a ghost when you were growing up, but I was always there.”

Jaymee’s lungs swelled; her throat constricted. She wanted to throw her arms around her mother and never let go–to protect her from Paul as Sonia had done for her. “Mom–”

Sonia shook her head, putting a finger over Jaymee’s lips. “Shh. I know.” Her gazed darted to Paul once more. “No time. I demanded Holden tell me the truth, promised I’d be quiet.”

“Did he admit it?”

“No. But he didn’t see the sleeping pills I dropped in his glass. When he passed out, I dug through his things. His cell phone, wallet, briefcase. I found something.”

Paul started shouting at Detective Charles. Sonia jumped. She jammed a hand into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out a rumpled business card. “I don’t know if this will help you or not, but take it. And do whatever you can to find your daughter and prove what an awful person Holden Wilcher is.”

Jaymee took the card. “He’s coming.”

“I’m so sorry for not being there,” Sonia said. “Sorry for not stopping any of this.”

“I know,” Jaymee said. “Please, come home with me. Don’t go back with him. You know what’s going to happen.”

“I’ll be fine. You do whatever you need to, and let me handle Paul.”

Her father grabbed Sonia’s upper arm. “We’re leaving.” He looked down at Jaymee with a rage that turned her blood to ice. “And you. You’ll pay for what you’ve caused.”

“Ballard, listen hard. I’m going send an officer to check on Sonia later tonight, and in the morning. She has one bruise on her–one that isn’t yellowed from your earlier beating, that is–and I’ll haul you in on domestic.” Charles hard tone amplified his threat. “I’m done hearing about this woman’s suffering.”

Paul sneered, dropping Sonia’s arm. She dutifully followed him to the truck.

Jaymee shook, and Nick pulled her close. “It’s all right. He’s gone.”

“It’s not that.”

“Your mother stood up for you,” Nick said. “God, she’s going to get a beating tonight.”

“Not if I can help it,” Charles said. “I’m sending a patrol to circle every half hour. Maybe between the talk we just had and the uniforms, he’ll keep his hands to himself.”

Nick touched Jaymee’s fisted hand. “What’s on the card?”

Slowly, Jaymee unfurled her fist. “Our last chance.”

Debra R. Davies, Attorney at Law.

“Attorney at law.” Sitting in Nick’s car, Jaymee read the words aloud for the third time. “She told me she was a social worker. Her card said social worker. I remember that.”

“She’s pulling double duty,” Nick said. “You never met the attorney, right? You just let her handle it?”

Jaymee nodded. “And Holden. He said he’d met the attorney, along with Paul.” Jaymee wanted to slam her head against Nick’s dashboard. “I just let them tell me what to do.”

“You trusted them.”

“I should have known better.”

“We could all say that about a hundred things in life. Kicking yourself in the ass about the past isn’t going to change it.”

“I could say the same to you.”

Nick raised his eyebrows, mouth set in a wan smile. “You going to call her, or am I?”

Shaking with anticipation and shock, Jaymee tapped the numbers into Nick’s cell phone. Four rings, all loud in her ear. What would she say if Debra Davies answered? That she knew her scheme and planned on bringing her down?

Voicemail. She recognized the sweet, lilting voice immediately. Debra R. Davies identified herself as an attorney who specialized in private adoptions. Jaymee didn’t leave a message. “Now what?”

“Plan B. We’ve always known Davies had an unlisted number. So the one you just called is listed to someone else or is her public number,” Nick said. “It’s a stupid mistake, but she’s gotten away with this scheme for a long time. She may just be cocky enough to list this number to her real identity.”

“That’s a pretty stupid mistake.”

“Like I said, let’s hope she’s cocky enough to screw up,” Nick said. “I know a guy in Jackson, works for the phone company. I’ll call him tonight.”

He rubbed Jaymee’s knee, spreading warmth over her skin. “I’m going back into the city tomorrow. I’ll find Elaine, confront her with this card. Maybe it’ll be enough to get her to talk.”

“How are you going to find her?” Jaymee wanted to curl up in his arms and hide. If Holden hadn’t turned up by tomorrow morning, she’d have to face the accusations of Paul, not to mention the judgment of the rest of the town.

“She’s a government employee. I can track her down,” Nick said. “You shouldn’t leave town right now.”

“I know,” she said. “I can’t miss work again, anyway.” She didn’t want Nick to leave. Her life was in a perpetual state of turmoil, and his presence was the only thing keeping Jaymee anchored.

“We should get you back.”

“It’s time to tell Oren and Lorelai everything.”

“You sure?” Nick reached for her hand. His strong fingers closed around hers.

“No. But I’ve got to,” Jaymee said. “I just hope they don’t hate me.”

By the time they arrived at the Foster’s home, doubt weakened Jaymee’s resolve. Oren and Lorelai had been so good to her over the years–a type of surrogate family. And she’d kept a dreadful secret, one that had probably gotten their daughter killed. She couldn’t blame them if they hated her forever.

She walked up the sidewalk, her stomach heavy as though she’d swallowed a bag of rocks. Nick stayed behind her. He was close enough for her to feel his presence, and she wanted to lean against him for support.

Cage arrived at the same time they pulled up. He got out of his car, took one look at Nick and Jaymee huddled closely, and stalked into the house.

“Give him some time,” Nick said as they walked to the front door.

“I know. But I don’t even know what’s happening between us.” Jaymee yearned to take his hand, but Lana’s childhood home seemed to cast a reproachful eye over her, accusations streaming from its brightly lit windows.

“Do you want it to stop?”

“No.”

“Good.”

Inside, Lorelai bustled around the kitchen making iced tea as if the traditional southern beverage could solve life’s current problems. “I’ve heard terrible things today, Jaymee. Our neighbor called and told me…” Lorelai dropped her dishtowel. She didn’t move to pick it up and just stared at Jaymee, as if waiting to hear it was all some sort of twisted joke.

When Jaymee didn’t deny it, Lorelai sank into the chair. “You could have told me about Wilcher. About your…pregnancy.”

“I didn’t know how.”

Oren chewed on a piece of black licorice, quietly waiting. Jaymee sat down across from him, well aware of the man’s sharp eyes studying her face.

Jaymee swallowed hard, caught in the old man’s gaze. Oren raised an eyebrow in challenge, but his eyes were benign. No, not benign. Curious. Impatient.

“You knew,” Jaymee choked. The words dangled between them. Everyone else in the small kitchen fell silent. Jaymee’s foot jerked beneath the table, her leg unable to remain still.

“I did.”

“For how long?”

“Since after you told off your daddy in church and ran off to Lana in Jackson. She called me asking what she should do.”

“Oren.” Lorelai stared at her husband. “You never told me any of this.”

“Lana didn’t want me to.”

Jaymee’s hand dropped to the table. The smack echoed throughout the kitchen. “She what? She promised she wouldn’t tell.”

“She didn’t want to. But she didn’t know what else to do,” Oren said. “I told her to follow her gut. Use her connections in the system. Then I said I’d take care of Wilcher myself, but she made me swear I’d keep silent. You know how hard it’s been for me, ‘specially when you decided to come back? Why the hell didn’t you stay in Jackson?”

The words bottlenecked in her throat. Jaymee took a drink of iced tea. “My father came to visit. Told me I was hurting Lana by staying, interfering with her last months of school and plans for her wedding.”

“Did you tell him about Wilcher?” Oren asked.

“I didn’t have the courage to bring it up, but I told him I wanted to find Sarah–that I never wanted to give her up in the first place. I told him Lana thought the adoption might be illegal.”

“What did your old man say to that?” Oren pulled out another strand of licorice, ripped it in half, and then stuck a piece into his mouth.

“He laughed. Said it didn’t matter. She was gone, and there was nothing I could do to get her back. He threatened me, said I’d ruin the family name. Said I’d ruin Lana’s name by dragging her into it. That I’d shoot down her career before it even started.”

“You believed him?” Lorelai asked.

“I was ten weeks postpartum. Young, scared, and feeling completely manipulated. I didn’t know what to do. Nick and Lana were arguing, and I wouldn’t let her tell him. I didn’t want to screw things up for her. And maybe it was better for Sarah. Paul…” She balled her hands into fists tight enough for her short nails to dig into her sweating palms. “He reminded me that if Sarah were around to shame him, he’d make her life as miserable as he made mine. I couldn’t do that to her.”

A teardrop splashed onto the table. Jaymee wiped it away. “I really thought I was doing the right thing.”

“I know. And Lana was a bulldog,” Oren said. “She wasn’t going to give up.”

“You knew she was still searching?” Nick stepped to the table. His eyes were bloodshot with either sadness or anger–Jaymee couldn’t tell which. “And you never mentioned it? Even when she was killed?”

“I knew it was a project,” Oren said. “But I never thought about her being killed over it.”

“She was,” Nick said. “So were Rebecca Newton and Crystal Harns. Each one of them knew enough to bring Holden and his partners down.”

Oren finished his licorice. “You’re going to have to catch me up here, now.”

“Me, too,” Lorelai’s voice rang with anger. “If you thought our daughter was killed because she was helping you, why didn’t you speak up years ago?”

“I didn’t know,” Jaymee said. “Not until Rebecca was murdered and I heard about the social worker’s card. That’s when I realized.”

Lorelai splayed her hands over the table, and when she spoke, her emotions were barely controlled. She looked at Jaymee, then Nick, and then Cage. “I want you three to tell us exactly why you think a fake adoption got our daughter and two other women killed.”

After she heard their theory, Lorelai refused to speak to any of them. She simply got up from the table and left the room. Seconds later, her feet thudded on the stairs.

“She hates me, and I don’t blame her,” Jaymee said.

“Nah,” Oren said. “It’s me she’s really angry at. I knew something about Lana she didn’t. I chose to keep it from her.” He sighed. “I’ll have an ass-chewing later, but she’ll be fine. Give her time.”

“We don’t have any,” Nick said. “Not to prove Holden was the father. We’ve got to get enough proof to warrant a DNA test.”

“That’s tough when he’s missing.” Cage said. “Piece of shit is probably hiding out somewhere. Bet he staged all this, knowing the heat would be on Jaymee.”

“You’re probably right,” Jaymee said. “First thing in the morning, I’m going to my parents’ house. I’ll break in if I have to, search through the rest of Holden’s stuff. There might be something my mother missed.”

“You won’t,” Nick and Cage both said. They glared at each other.

Finally, Cage relented. “You go. She might actually listen.”

“Your father is the prime suspect right now,” Nick said. “You aren’t going over there at all. I have to leave early tomorrow, but Cage or Oren will take you to work and pick you up. You don’t set foot outside the diner unless one of them is with you. Got it?”

Jaymee’s hackles instinctively rose. She sat back in the kitchen chair, arms crossed, and sneered at Nick. He stared back without a trace of combativeness or anger. Instead, genuine concern clouded his eyes. Her shoulders slumped. “All right. But how am I supposed to just sit around and wait while you’re in Jackson?”

“You’ll manage,” Nick said. His phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. His eyes widened, flashing with excitement.

“Is it Debra Davies?” Jaymee asked. “Let me talk to her.”

Nick waved her off. “Better. Elaine Andrews.” He put a finger to his lips and then answered the phone. “Hello?”

Jaymee strained to hear, but she didn’t have to wait long. Nick held the phone out. “She wants to speak with you.”

All three men watched in silence while Jaymee took the phone with an unsteady hand. She closed her eyes. Their scrutiny was paralyzing. “Hi, Elaine. This is Jaymee.”

Silence.

Jaymee waited for a beat and then desperation won out. “I confronted Holden. He told me my daughter was leaving the country with her adoptive parents this weekend. Now he’s missing, and I think he’s gone into hiding. If I don’t get enough evidence for a warrant for his DNA, I’ll never have a chance at getting her back.”

“What if she’s happy?” Elaine asked. “Did you ever think of that? That maybe the people who adopted her are victims too? And that you’ll be stealing away the child they’ve always thought of as their own?”

She hadn’t, and she didn’t want to start right now. “But don’t they deserve the truth? Don’t we all?”

Elaine didn’t respond. Jaymee heard her breathing and matched her own nervous gasps to the woman’s. This was their best shot.

“All right, I’ll talk. But only in Jackson. You’ve got to come to me.”