The Ex Who Glowed In The Dark Part 11

"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 a.n.a.lyzing 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 pa.s.senger 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 rea.s.sured.

"We have no reason to believe anything's happened to Mrs. Lowell." Jake used his rea.s.suring 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!"

d.a.m.n! 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 circ.u.mstances.

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 s.p.a.ces 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."