When the Heart Lies - By Christina North Page 0,80

name is Kinsley. She’s somewhere around twenty-eight, dark hair, pretty. Comes in here in the afternoon about five times a week.” He pointed toward a table. “She sits over by that window, every visit.”

Jim rocked his head back and forth and gave an apologetic look. “I try to stay out of my customers’ business. Orangevale’s a small town. You understand.”

“I do understand.” Jackson pulled out his badge. “I’m working on a possible kidnapping. The woman’s life might be in danger. If you know anything about her or her alleged kidnappers, Wayde Mather and Remy Davis, we could use your assistance. No, let me rephrase that. If you can’t help us, we’re at a standstill.” In uniform, he would have never admitted the lack of direction. But this was personal.

Jim held his hand out toward the chair and motioned for Jackson to sit. His mouth hung open to speak, but he just shook his head. “Kidnapping? She was a nice woman.”

A pang of dread crept through him when Jim spoke about Kinsley in the past tense. “Was? Do you know something?” His own voice sounded shaky and weak.

Jim leaned his arm onto the table and buried his forehead in his hand. “No, no, I don’t, but I should’ve known something was wrong. Wayde, he seems like trouble. I’ve always tried to appease him.” He finally looked up. “And Remy, well, he’s been a bully since we were kids. I don’t like to admit this, but he’s my cousin.”

“Can you tell me anything about either of them that might be related to Kinsley? Do they have any ties to other states or towns, places they might take her?”

Jim waggled his finger, beginning to smile. He had a light in his eye now as if something big had just crossed his mind. “You know what? I just might know where they could be.”

Finally, having a lead, Jackson lifted himself off the chair and circled around, moving closer to Jim. “Where, where is it?”

“My uncle kept a cabin for hunting, fishing, and stuff about four hours north of here in Shallow Water. I ain’t heard of anyone using the place in a while, but we went up north a lot when we were kids.” Jim tipped his head toward him and beamed like he’d just answered the million dollar question.

“Can you tell me how to find the place?”

Jim’s beaming smile changed to a more apprehensive expression, and he scratched his head. The more he scratched, the more his face scrunched and wrinkled.

Jackson tensed. “What’s wrong?”

“Well, that might be difficult. After you get off the interstate, the roads aren’t marked good. I’m not sure I’d even remember their names. I can take you, though.”

Olivia would truss his balls for letting a civilian get involved. Giving information was one thing, riding along another. He rolled his head toward the door anyway. “Let’s go.”

Jim hung the ‘Closed’ sign and locked the door.

~ ~ ~

Wayde appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Other than his shallow breaths, Kinsley could almost imagine him dead. She lay on the bed pretending to sleep until he awoke and left the room. She was determined to follow through with her plot to drug them, and hungry to watch the light in their eyes die away when they realized their inept plan had gone awry. She smiled blithely within and gave them some time to drink the tainted coffee and bask in their presumed achievement. After a few minutes, she hurried out of bed and from the room. Before the door closed behind her, Wayde started in with his taunting.

“Don’t you look like a million dollars this morning. Oh wait, make that two million. Xavier’s handling things now. I wonder when he’ll figure out Nick is my son, and Max is my grandson? I bet you’re surprised. What a fool he’s been. Well, keeping him in the dark was profitable. As long as he didn’t find out about Nick, Angela kept the hush money rolling in. In a few hours, the ransom will be in the account Angela set up for me thirty years ago. Every dime’s still in the bank, plenty of money. She can’t deny me now. Once we get far enough away, we’ll tell them where you are. If we bother to keep you alive, that is.” He gave her a belligerent, half-cocked grin.

“You and Angela? I find that hard to believe, but then again, I find it impossible to believe I’m standing here.” Did he really think some hush money would