Jericho ~ Present
BY THE TIME HE’D ARRIVED at Prime Beef, the customer had left.
“That’s so weird,” Renee said. “She was standing right there when I called, so she knew you were on the way.”
“Okay, I’m going to go back to my office for a few minutes, just in case she’s in the bathroom or something. Let me know if she shows back up.”
I’d spent a good thirty minutes in my office, then checking reports in the POS. Once we were closed for the night, and it was obvious the lady was gone, I said goodbye to Renee and headed back home.
I figured Natasha had fallen asleep by now, but was thinking of all the fun ways I could wake her up when I pulled up to the house and noticed the lights were on and the front door was wide open.
Fear had my heart pounding in my ears as I jumped out of the still running car and ran for the house.
“Natasha!” I began yelling her name over and over as soon as my feet hit the steps.
I ran inside, looking around, but not seeing anything out of order, so I kept going up the stairs to the bedroom.
The covers on the bed were flipped over, like Natasha had been inside and but had gotten out for one reason or another. The table lamp was on and her book was on the table. I crossed to the bathroom, and although the scent of her bath bomb still filled the air, the lights were off and the room was empty.
I went back into the room and walked closer to the bed, that’s when I noticed her phone on the table behind her book. I picked it up and looked at it, but the most recent call had been when I’d called earlier to see if she was ready to be picked up.
I kept calling her name as I ran back down the stairs.
Her purse was on the counter where she’d put it when we’d gotten home.
Her shoes were by the door.
I ran back outside, jumping off the porch rather than bothering with the stairs, and started running around the back of the house.
I checked the back porch, the backyard, side of the house, even started running farther out on the property, even though I knew there was no reason for her to be back there. Although, there was no logical explanation for what was happening either.
Going on autopilot, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and pushed Hector’s number.
“Hey, Jericho, sorry I missed you earlier, I had a dessert emergency,” Hector said as way of greeting, but I cut him off.
“She’s gone,” I managed, my tone full of the desperation and panic that I was feeling.
“What do you mean, gone?” Hector asked, his voice filled with anger, and I knew what he was thinking.
“No, not like that,” I said, standing back in front of my house, my gaze searching the dark perimeter. “Like, missing. The bed was half made, her phone is on the dresser, her purse in the kitchen. When I got home, the front door was wide open. Hector . . .” I choked his name as fire burned in my throat.
“Just stay put, I’m on my way,” Hector ordered, his voice commanding and firm.
It helped some of the panic subside, and I said, “I’m going to hang up and call Mick.”
“Don’t leave until I get there. Five minutes.”
I nodded my affirmation, then hung up and dialed Mick.
“Smythe,” Mick said grumpily, and I could tell I woke him up.
“Sorry to wake you, but Natasha is gone. Missing. Have you found my mother?” I asked, but heard a beep in my ear and looked at the phone to see it was Hector.
I clicked over.
“I talked to Renee,” he said when he heard me answer. “I asked her to describe the woman, and I hate to say it, Jericho, but it sounds like your mother was the one who had you called out to the restaurant.”
“Then came to my house after I said I was on my way? Why?” I asked as I paced my driveway.
“So she could ambush you at your place, catch you off-guard? I don’t know.”
“Shit, I’m on the other line with Mick, let me tell him.”
“Okay, I’m two minutes out.”
“Mick,” I called as I clicked over. “It sounds like my mom was here and I’m guessing either her, or one of her associates, has Natasha.”
“I talked to her parole officer this evening and he said he has a meeting with her tomorrow, so if she was there, and had Natasha, at least we know where she’ll be at ten tomorrow.”
“I’m getting in the car now.”
“No,” Mick said sharply.
“What? What do you mean no? I’m coming to Philly, Mick.”
“Dammit, Jericho, you hired me to do a job, so let me do it. If your unstable mother who’s after money has Natasha, she’s probably planning to hit you up for ransom. Rather than riding up here guns blazing, how about you let me get with her parole officer and get this all sorted out. If she catches sight of you in town, she may do something more dangerous than she already has. Let us handle it.”
“Fuck!” I yelled, as Hector’s truck pulled up and he jumped out much like I had.
“What?” Hector asked as he ran to my side.
“Mick says they’re headed that way, but he wants me to stay put.”
Hector took my phone out of my hand and put it to his ear. “Mick,” he said, then listened. “Yeah, I’ll be with him. No, we won’t head that way, but we can’t keep this from her sisters, that wouldn’t be right. Yeah, I understand that, but if I were in their shoes, I’d want to know. Be careful, that woman shouldn’t be underestimated. Yeah, here you go.”
He handed the phone back to me.
“Yeah,” I said to Mick.
“I’ll bring her home, Jericho, yeah?” Mick said, his voice full of conviction. “Tell Dru, too.”
“Yeah, okay,” I replied, feeling utterly helpless.
“I’ll call you first thing,” he assured me, then hung up.
“Come on, let’s get you inside and get some coffee on. It’s gonna be a long night,” Hector said, and I followed him as I searched Jackson’s number.