Rocking back, he glanced around the kitchen and spotted the sack of groceries they’d purchased, still sitting on the counter. Latisha had put away the perishable items, but there were a few things in the sack-one of which was a bottle of rum.
“How’s the movie?” he called out.
“Good,” she replied. “You done? You coming?”
Letting his computer hibernate, he poured them each a glass of rum and Coke. He wished he’d thought to drop by the Red Room Motel off Stockton Boulevard on their way home. He’d met a dealer there who’d give him a good price on some speed. That’d be quicker to use, more fun. But he was all out.
The alcohol would have to do.
“Want a drink?” He carried the glasses into the living room, then went back for the bottles.
Latisha watched him. “What’s all this?”
“Rum and Coke.”
“I’ve never had rum and Coke. Gloria doesn’t let us drink.”
“It doesn’t hurt if you only do it once in a while.” He handed her a glass. “Come on, I’m in the mood to celebrate.”
“What are we celebrating?” she asked.
“You,” he said. Then he toasted their upcoming marriage, his love for her, their odd meeting, her willingness to trust him, her forgiveness, her beauty. Before long, she was so drunk she could hardly stand up.
“Latisha’s alive!” Gloria screeched.
It was late afternoon, but Jane had just arrived at the office. Dropping her purse and her briefcase on the floor in the reception area, she gripped the phone tighter. She’d expected a far different greeting when she’d answered this call. “How do you know?”
“I just got an e-mail from her.”
“You’re sure it’s her?”
“It came from her account. She’s the only one who’d know the password. It has to be her.”
Jane didn’t see how it could be anyone else. Not unless Latisha had shared her password. “I guess so.” She hoped so. “What did she say?”
“She say she fine. She don’t want me to worry ’bout her. She say she comin’ home in two weeks.”
The oddity of the message pierced through Jane’s elation. “Two weeks? Did she mention how or why?”
“No.”
What was going on? Malcolm couldn’t afford to let Latisha go. If they ever caught him-and they would-she’d be a witness for the prosecution. “Did she give you any clue about her location or surroundings?”
“No,” Gloria said, but the lack of answers didn’t seem to dampen her relief and excitement. She wanted to believe what she’d read, wanted to believe it so badly she wouldn’t look any deeper. “Hallelujah! She alive! She’ll be comin’ home soon.”
Only if they found her before Malcolm killed her. He couldn’t have let Latisha go or there’d be no two-week delay. And if she’d managed to get free on her own, why would she send an e-mail? Why wouldn’t she just come home?
Something was up. “Have you called Detective Willis?”
“Not yet. I wanted to tell you first. I’m starin’ at her message right now. I can’t hardly believe it.”
“Gloria, I…” She’d been about to explain why this message might not be a good thing. It wasn’t fair to get Gloria’s hopes up and then have them dashed in the cruelest possible way, which to Jane’s mind was a greater possibility than Malcolm releasing Latisha on a specific day. But she couldn’t bring herself to spoil Gloria’s happiness. Besides, she didn’t know everything. Maybe she was wrong.
“What?” Gloria said when she didn’t continue.
“I want you to know that we do care.”
“I know you do,” she said. “That’s why I called you.”
“We’ll find her before those two weeks are up,” Jane said. “Detective Willis and several other officers are canvassing my neighborhood. Surely, someone saw something.” Sebastian had been at the complex all morning, too, talking to anyone he could, but she figured there wasn’t any reason to explain who Sebastian was. “I’m going back in a few minutes to help. I had to open the office for the volunteers who do telephone soliciting around dinnertime.”
“Will you let me know what the police find?” Gloria asked.
“I will.”
Jane had just hung up and was picking up her purse and briefcase when Jonathan let himself in. “Good, you’re here.”
“You’ve been looking for me?”
“That security guard over at Cache Creek called this morning to say he’s found several images of your man.”
They’d already established that Malcolm frequented the casino, but Jane wanted to see him in action. “Can we view those images?”
“He burned us a DVD of the segments that contain Malcolm.”
“Great! I’ll head over there right away.”
“I already got it for you.” He took it from his coat pocket and held it up for her to see.
“How nice!” she said.
“I figured you were pretty busy, what with your guest and all.”
She narrowed her eyes. “How’d you know I have a guest?”
“After I got the message, I tried to call you and Kate answered. She said you were in the Quick Stop, picking up a snack for her lunch.”
“I’m assuming that wasn’t all she said.”
He grinned. “No. She was pretty excited to report that you’d had a man stay the night. She seemed quite taken with him.”
They must’ve been on their way to school. “She didn’t tell me you called,” Jane said.
“I told her not to worry about it, that I’d contact you later. Then I went to get the DVD myself.”
Jane wondered how long it would be before Kate mentioned Sebastian to the Burkes-or Wendy. “Have you seen it?”
“Not yet. I just got back and now I have to run off again.”
“I appreciate the help.” She tried to take the DVD, but he held it out of reach.
“Jane, I hope you know what you’re doing with this Sebastian guy. I really don’t want to see you get hurt.” He looked-and sounded-more serious than he usually did.
Grabbing his arm, she finally got her hands on the DVD, which she promptly put in her purse. “I won’t get hurt,” she said, scoffing as if it was ridiculous to worry. But she knew there were no guarantees. Especially now. Whether she wanted to acknowledge it or not, she was falling in love with Sebastian.