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Bennett needed a stiff drink. Lifting the girl from the car and propping her in the rolling office chair had just about done him in. His heart raced. Perspiration soaked into his shirt. Bennett made himself a vodka and tonic, and settled into a comfortable love seat.
The girl tried to kick her legs again, and Bennett was pleased to see the ropes holding nicely. As a sailor, hed always prided himself on his knots. Never once, however, did he suspect hed use his yachting prowess to tie a girl to anything, let alone an office chair on wheels.
She tried to scream, but her mouth was muffled by the balled-up washcloth held in place with a kitchen towel. Hed used a colorful pink scarf he found in the closet as a blindfold. The overall effect looked less menacing than a hostage scene from a movie, but it would have to do.
It would be to your benefit if youd relax, Bennett said in his most soothing voice. If you are calm and quiet, you will be allowed to move freely in the guest suite. You can have something to eat or watch movies. Youll be quite comfortable. I just finished preparing everything for you.
The girl kept wiggling.
However, if you continue to struggle, Ill have to leave you bound and gagged for the several days I plan to keep you here. Is that what youd prefer?
The girl screamed and thrashed violently. Bennett got up and made himself another drink. His hand shook when he added two jiggers of Ciroc.
He was aware that from here on out, things would be unpleasant. There was no avoiding it.
Within minutes of Josies disappearance, Teeny had the security teams emergency plan in place, everyone aware that Josie Sheehans safe return was the only objective. Teeny spoke to several of his associates in Rhode Island, demanding that they come up with somethinganythingthat would provide new information on Bennett Cummingss whereabouts.
Two FBI agents and two San Francisco Police Department detectives talked quietly in Ricks kitchen. Josies apartment was now a crime scene. The FBI had already issued an APB for Josie and Cummings, along with a vague description of a late-model, dark sedan. Rick had provided police a detailed statement about the nature of his relationship with Bennett Cummings, the threat hed received, and his suspicions that Josie had become his target. Bea had already arranged for the /Herald/ to run a front-page story on Josies disappearance in the morning edition. Police had put out a bulletin to be aired on the late news that very same night.
In the midst of all the activity, a detective had taken Rick aside and asked, If you were so concerned something would happen to her, why did you leave her alone?
There was no satisfactory answer to that question. There never would be.
Rick had asked himself a hundred times in the last three hours how he could have let this happen, and with each passing minute the black tentacles of self-hate got tighter around his throat. Certainly, Josies family over there on the sofa wasnt comforted by the fact that Rick had only intended to take the dog out for a few minutes. They didnt care that Rick had assumed he himself was the target, not Josie. The truth was, he had left her aloneand took the bodyguard with him!and now she was gone. He had failed to keep her safe.
Rick now understood that the uneasy feeling from earlier in the week had been his intuition talking. When hed raced back to Josies apartment to find her asleep in the tub, that was his warning. Yet he didnt listen. /He didnt fucking listen!/ Come here a minute, man. Teeny wrapped his arm around Ricks shoulders and guided him past the dozens of people gathered in his living room and into the study, shutting the door behind them. Dont go there on me, Rousseau, Teeny said. Dont you dare go there.
Rick stayed silent.
If you want to get Josie back, then you stay right here, you stay alive and aware, do you hear me? Teeny got down in his face. You keep your mind sharp and your thoughts positive. That evil self-destructive shit has no place in your world anymore. It doesnt belong here. Josie deserves better from you.
Like she did earlier tonight, when I left her.
Teeny put both his hands on Ricks shoulders, shaking him. I dont want to have to kick your ass, but I will. Stop it. /Now/.
Rick took a deep breath. I hear you, he whispered.
Good. Teeny straightened and smiled. Now, heres the good news, man. One of my sources came through for me, found out that Cummings drove at least part of the way in his gardeners car. We got a plate and a description.
Good, Rick said.
Were going to find her, Teeny said.
Rick nodded. I know we will.
Thats what Im talking about.
There was a knock on the study door. It was Bea. Excuse me, Teeny, but you just got a call on your cell. She says its important.
Rick and Teeny hurried back to the dining room, where Teeny had set up a kind of command center. He grabbed the phone from the glass tabletop.
Worrell, he said. A second later, frowning, he handed the phone to Rick.
Its Gwen Anders, he whispered. Shes hysterical.
Rick took the phone. He didnt have a spare second for her. I cant talk right now, he barked.
Rick! Its my fault! I did it! I just saw the news report about Josie Sheehan being abducted! Gwen began to sob.
What? Rick stopped breathing. You have Josie?
No! No! Cummings came to my house and put a gun to my head! I told him about Josie! I told him she was your girlfriend! Its my fault!
Rick handed the phone back to Teeny as Gwen sobbed. Send somebody over there to get her, Rick said. She has a statement to make.
Teeny looked incredulous. What the hell does Gwen Anders know about Josies disappearance?
She told Cummings all about her.
Teenys eyes flashed. /Fuck!/ Rick kept his voice down so Josies family couldnt hear him. Just get Gwen over here so she can talk to the cops.
Rick turned away. There was so much blistering rage in him right then that he wanted to throw something across the room just to see it explode. He needed something to crush, to smash, to rip apart with his hands. He wished it could be Gwen.
Shed cried so much in the last few hours that the blindfold was soggy.
Her mouth was dry and her jaw hurt from being forced open with the gag.
Her wrists were rubbed raw from whatever kind of rough rope hed used to restrain her. Josie had to pee so badly she didnt think she could hold it another second. And whatever drug hed given her had made her terribly nauseous.
She heard nothing. No sounds of a TV or water running or someone walking around. Nobody breathing. Wherever she was, it smelled clean, like a hotel. But it had none of the background noise of a hotel, just a faint sound of cars in the distance.
Have you decided to cooperate?
Josie would have hit the ceiling if she hadnt been tied down. He must have been next to her the whole time, staring at her! She nodded her head as much as she could, given the restraints.
Here is our agreement. The man came very close, and Josie could smell his alcohol-saturated breath. You will do what youre told. You will not scream or try to escape. I have a gun and I plan to shoot you at some point, but the better behaved you are, the longer Ill delay the inevitable. Do you agree?
Josie didnt care much for that arrangement, but she nodded.
She felt the man move behind her and his hands touch the back of her head. The blindfold fell away and the light hurt her eyes. The gag went next. Then the man started cutting the ropes. As soon as she was able, Josie jumped to her feet and tried to run. She slammed straight down into the carpet. The office chair was still tied to her ankles.
So impatient.
Josie twisted her body to look at him. He certainly looked the partin his sixties, distinguished, arrogant, filled with hate, a handgun in his belt. You must be Bennett Cummings, she said He smiled as he cut the ropes from her feet. You know about me.
Yeah, Josie said, wiping the drool off her chin and rubbing her jaw.
Youre the psycho whos after Rick.
Charming way to phrase it, the man said, gathering the cut ropes off the floor. Of course, youve left out a few pertinent details.
I know about Margot. It was an accident. Rick is a good man.
When Cummings straightened up, his eyes were filled with loathing. You poor, gullible, naпve, stupid thing. He shook his head, then placed the pile of rope on a nearby side chair. He yanked the office chair away and put it up against the wall. He pulled the gun from his belt, cocked it, and pointed it at her. Get up. Ill show you your accommodations.
Josie scrambled to her feet, but her legs felt like Jell-O. She almost fell, but he caught her.
Miss Sheehan, my back cannot withstand dragging you around any more than I already have, so please try to stay on your feet. He turned her body around and shoved the gun into her right kidney. The bathroom is this way.
Josie relieved her bladder, noting the sore and bruised spot on the back of her thigh where Cummings had jabbed her with a needlethe last thing she remembered before waking up bound and gagged. She splashed cold water on her face and swished out her mouth. She also ran water over her scraped and bloody wrists and patted them dry with a fluffy white towel.
There were no windows in the bathroom, just a small linen closet and truckloads of the finest marble and granite money could buy. Wherever she was being held captive, it was top-of-the-line all the way.
Josie took a moment to steady herself before she opened the door. She breathed deep. The reality was that Cummings had a gun. She didntand even if she did, she wouldnt know how to use it. So she would have to find another way to deal with him. Josie figured the longer she stayed missing the more intense the search for her would become. So she had to stay alive as long as possible, doing whatever was necessary, until Rick found her.
That was her plan.
A wave of sorrow hit her. She knew Rick would be insane with worry. He was probably blaming himself. She wished there was a way to reassure him.
Hurry up in there.
Josie opened the bathroom door to find Cummings waiting, gun still drawn. There is no way out of here, of course, he said. Ill give you a complete tour. That way, you wont waste the precious remaining hours of your life looking for a way to outsmart me.
Sounds fun. Josie noticed how Cummings eyed her injured wrists and looked away quickly, as if the sight disturbed him.
Josie decided to keep him talking. So, you were expecting me?
I was expecting your boyfriend, actually. But I decided youd be more fun.
What did you shoot me up with? Josie pointed to the back of her leg.
Just a generic animal tranquilizer I purchased off the Internet. You shouldnt have any long-term side effectsnot that youll need to worry about that. He smiled and used his gun to herd her into the other room.
You must be famished. I know I am.
Rick rubbed Genghis behind the ears, comforted by the warm weight of the dogs body up against his legs. Taking advantage of the moment of privacy, Rick bent down and buried his nose in the dogs fur, inhaling the mellow sweetness of Josies scent. He wondered how long her essence would cling to the dogs woolly coat.
He gathered all the strength left inside him, and willed himself not to break down.
Teeny quietly entered the study. Gwen wants to talk to you.
I cant stand to look at her, Rick said, his face still buried in Genghiss curls. Get her out of here as soon as possible.
Shes giving the FBI some decent information, Teeny continued.
Apparently, Cummings came to her place wearing a mustache, wig, and ball cap. She described his clothes in detail. And based on what Gwens said, it sounds like hes carrying a 45.-caliber semiautomatic.
Rick looked up. Does Gwen know where he is?
No, Teeny said.
Then shes useless. Rick straightened up in the leather chair.
Teeny had the saddest look on his face. She wants to apologize.
Not necessary.
The door opened. Gwen stepped in. /Who does she think she is?/ Rick averted his eyes.
I am truly sorry, she whispered. What I did was selfish, conceited, and petty. I have no excuse.
Forget this, Gwen, Teeny said. I think you should go.
Wait. Rick stood up, noticing for the first time that Gwen looked like hell. Her head was bowed in shame. Hed never seen her with a single hair out of place, let alone a disheveled mess. She seemed more human to him this way.
Rick sighed, closing his eyes from the weight of the truth. Thats all any of them werehuman. And to be human was to be a fuckup just waiting to happen. All of them. Without exception.
Damn you, Gwen, he said.
She nodded, the tears coming. I dont expect you to forgive me. Ill never forgive myself. She turned to go.
Rick cursed under his breath. He must be crazy. Come here, he said. She turned to him and he opened his arms to her. He patted her on the back as she sobbed.
I didnt want anyone to get hurt! Gwen wailed. Oh, my God! I am so sorry!
Teenys eyes were huge as he looked down on the unlikely drama. Rick managed a weak smile, then pushed Gwen away. Hed suddenly thought of something so obvious it was ridiculous.
Hey, Gwen, how did Cummings know he could come to you?
Gwen blinked. He wrote me before Margot died. He said he was interested in a mutually beneficial business arrangement. Gwens eyes flashed to Teeny. I decided not to tell you.
Jesus, Teeny whispered.
Here. Gwen dug into the front pocket of her sweatpants and handed Rick a business card. After you told me you were in love with Josie, I left a message at this number. I wanted to make you pay.
With his eyes locked on Gwens, Ricks hand shot up into the air, the card trapped between two of his fingers. Teeny snatched it and ran out the room.
He stared at her, shaking his head slowly.
You probably hate me, she said.
I dont, Rick said, suddenly exhausted down to the marrow of his bones.
Nothing good ever comes of it.
By the time the sun came up, Josie had quite a few things figured out.
First, she knew she was stuck like a bug in a glass jar. All doors were locked solid with numeric keypads and pass codes. All the windows had been welded shut and coated on the outside with an opaque film that kept her from getting a sense of her location. She couldnt even tell if she was on a ground floor or twenty stories up. Shed seen Cummings carrying a small flip phone in his pocket, but otherwise there were no telephones, no computers, no way to reach the outside world. Even the TV in her suite had no live signaljust a DVD player and a stack of movies.
Also, it was obvious to Josie that Bennett Cummings wasnt a hardened criminal, and certainly not a natural-born kidnapper. Bennett couldnt bear to look at the red marks on her wrists. With each mention of how he planned to shoot her, he sounded more and more like a bad actor in a low-budget movie, like he had to impress himself with his diabolical plan as much as he needed to impress Josie. Cummings was nervous. Hed had about six drinks the night before, and he paced for hours. Josie watched him from a crack in her bedroom door.
But there was one other thing she sensedBennett Cummings was stuck, never allowing himself to grieve the loss of his daughter. Josie had spent the last eight years looking into the face of grief, so she knew what she was talking about. He was still so angry he couldnt see straight, and he thought revenge against Rick would make his loss easier to bear. It didnt work like that, of course, but you couldnt tell that to someone when they were caught up in their hate the way Cummings was.
Josie couldnt help but wonder if this whole mess might have been avoided if Bennett Cummings had found a way to grieve. Thats when it hit hermaybe conversation would be the only weapon shed need.
I hope youre not planning a doomed escape attempt. Cummings said that as he walked from the kitchen and dining areas of the house to where Josie sat in the fancy living room. He handed her a to-go cup of convenience-store coffee.
Josie looked around her. The place was something out of /Architectural Digest/. Josie figured that if she had to be kidnapped, this was a swanky way to be imprisonedmodern, sleek furniture, bamboo floors, geometric art, a slate waterfall built right smack in the middle of the room. It would probably be stunning if the sun were allowed to shine through the huge windows.
Josie studied Cummings as he walked toward her and took a seat in a matching leather and chrome chair. He seemed tired.
Im not planning my escape, Mr. Cummings, she said. I was just thinking of Margot.
His eyes flew wide. She saw his pulse beat against the thinning skin of his throat. Shes not yours to think about, he snapped. You do not have permission to do so.
Josie shrugged. Its just that the only things I know about her is what Rick told me. I was just wondering what kind of person she was.
Cummings glared at her. He was a very smart man. Josie suddenly questioned her approach.
She was beautiful. Intelligent. Funny. And then, after your boyfriend got through with her, she was sad, limp, gray, and brain-dead. He produced a sneer. Any more questions?
Josie swallowed. Do you have any pictures of her with you?
He didnt move. He didnt answer.
I was just curious.
Cummings remained stone-still.
Im sorry. Youll have to forgive me, Josie said, making her voice as kind as she could. You probably dont know this, but I write obituary feature articles for the /Herald,/ and Ive learned that talking about a late loved one can be cathartic for the family. Im embarrassedits just a reflex, I suppose, and I do apologize.
Without comment, Cummings got up from the chair and left the room. Josie was about to groan out loud at her own stupidity when he came back, a copy of the morning /Herald/ in his hand. He threw it down on the coffee table.
Of course I know about you, Miss Sheehan. He laughed. Everyone in San Francisco knows about you this morning.
Josies lips parted in shock. She reached for the paper. Top left, above the fold, the headline read:
HERALD REPORTER MISSING, POLICE FIND SIGNS OF ABDUCTION
As much as she hated to admit it, the article tickled her. The headline was relatively snappy. The piece was well written yet did not clue in Cummings about the methods the police were using to investigate the crime. Editors had chosen a photo of Josie and Genghis in Dolores Park, one that Bea had probably given them, and Josies hair looked great.
Friends and family offered a $500,000 reward for anyone with information that led to an arrest. There were quotes from her mom and dad, Beth, Rick, and Bea. The article described her as a woman who was cherished, missed, and fretted over.
Josie looked up, her eyes locking on Cummings. She would get out of there alive. She had no doubt. Because that was Josies beautiful life they were talking about in the paper, and she wanted to live it.
Josie began to sob. At first it was legitimateshe was humbled by how rich her life was, how fortunate she was to be loved the way she was.
But after a few minutes, Josie noticed how her crying affected Bennett Cummingshe looked terribly uncomfortable. So Josie cranked it up a notch, wailing about her family and her dog and how all she wanted was a chance to have a happy life. She cried until Bennett Cummings couldnt stand it anymore.
At the twenty-four-hour mark, investigators had made progress on some fronts but were stymied on others. An airport bureau cop spotted the 1998 Buick Skylark with Rhode Island plates in the short-term lot. The vehicle had already been towed to SFPDs forensics services division, but so far, there was no evidence linking the car to Josies abduction.
Police were viewing hours of security-camera footage that might have captured someone walking either to or from the car. But nothing yet.
The cell phone number Gwen Anders had provided was a prepaid phone from a Minneapolis wholesaler, paid for in cash about a year earlier. There was no way to determine who had purchased it or was using it. However, the FBI had begun pulling cell tower records to see if the number had connected with any of the areas sixty-plus towers within the last week, which could, at the very least, narrow down a search area.
Rick knew investigators were moving as fast as they could. He had no complaints. The San Francisco police detectives and the FBI agents were doing their jobs well. It just wasnt fast enough for him. It wasnt good enoughbecause they still hadnt found Josie.
Her parents were holding up remarkably well. Though Josies dad reassured him they didnt blame Rick for their daughters disappearance, her mothers eyes told him the real storyhed better get Josie back to them in one piece. Genghis moped around Ricks Pacific Heights home, obviously missing his owner. Once Josie was home safe, Rick would be happy to tell her that her dog was a devoted companion, after all.
He worried about her. He pictured her tied up and gagged and left without food or water. He worried that Cummings might hit her. Rick feared Josie would give up on him, decide he wasnt coming for her. The idea of that took him to the very edge of insanity.
He had to get out of the house. He grabbed Teeny and Genghis and they walked from one end of Pacific Heights to the next, mostly in silence, up hills and back down, for more than two hours. They were about three blocks from home when Teenys phone rang.
Rick watched him nod and say, Youre kidding. Teenys eyes shot to Rick.
Absolutely. Thank you.
They have a two-block radius for us, Teeny said, his smile out of sync with the shock on his face. A call was placed from the phone two days ago, about an hour before Cummings showed up at Gwens condo. Theyve pinpointed the call as coming from the Presidio District.
Ricks heart began to pound.
Whatever youre thinking, dont think it, Teeny said. Theyre putting together a hostage-recovery team, part FBI and part SWAT Rick was already halfway down the block.
Rick!