When the Heart Lies (17 page)

He drove over to Wayde’s and listened to the portable feed in his inconspicuous old Ram pick-up, parking in a part of the grove that was unseen from the house. If trouble started, he wanted to be close, or even better, on the doorstep. After a couple hours, he slammed the steering wheel. The goddamn music they always had on was getting to him. Anything could be going on inside. He returned to the motel, spent. Days went by with more of the same routine. Wayde would be an ass, and Kinsley would ignore him, especially if Max was around. Some days, he wanted to bust through the door and carry her out of there. But he didn’t want to be her knight in shining armor. He wanted her to stand up for herself and get the hell out of there on her own two feet. And until he was sure she was unable to do that, he had to sit tight. He didn’t need to listen every minute, but often he couldn’t pull himself away. He listened for the one bit of information that would give him a clue to why Kinsley remained with Wayde.

~ ~ ~

This morning, weeks after returning from Lakeside, Kinsley stood in the kitchen doorway watching Wayde as he sat hunched over in his chair, smoking and eating his daily waffles with peanut butter.

When she’d first returned, Wayde had put locks on the doors that opened with a key from both sides and started taking the phone cord, so she couldn’t make calls. He told her not to bother making a fuss about it to anyone if she wanted Max safe. So, she kept her mouth shut. In the morning, she’d play with Max, and later, she’d fix lunch. It’d be a big one. That’s how he told her they did it in the country, and they called it dinner. After dinner, she and Max would nap for a couple of hours to keep away from him. When they got up from their nap, she and Wayde would drop Max off at Veda’s, and Wayde would take her to the café. She was thankful for every day she’d make it to the café. She’d go crazy if it weren’t for the writing. The writing
helped. Everything from her mind would empty onto the page instead coming out of her mouth. If it didn’t stay on the page, who knows what would happen. It was no longer about getting enough money to get them home. It was just about getting out, but she was losing hope she’d get an opportunity to call Nick. Wayde watched her so closely. Savannah was right. Before Kinsley had gone to Lakeside, he’d been coddling her. Savannah had told her so when she complained about his behavior in the beginning. 

Things at Wayde’s were ten times worse than before, and she was ten times more intimidated. For the most part, he’d been leaving her alone at night. She cried when he touched her. He’d get pissed off and turn away. She didn’t want him to see her weakness, but the crying worked, and he left her alone. So, that’s what she’d do. Every night. Her only reason for getting up anymore was Max. Every morning, they would wait for Wayde to get on the tractor and go into the grove until lunchtime.

Without Wayde ever realizing she’d been standing there, she turned and went back to the bathroom to shower before waking Max and heading back to the kitchen to make him breakfast.

When she and Max entered the kitchen, Wayde grumbled and said, “It’s about time you got up. I’ve been up two hours already.”

“I get up when Max gets up, and I don’t get what you’re worried about. It’s only seven o’clock. Come on Max, sit up here, and I’ll get you some breakfast.”

Max wobbled on the chair as he climbed into it, nearly falling. She instinctively reached out to stabilize him scooted the chair under the table and then gave him a pat on the head. “Be more careful, or you’ll get hurt.”

“The kid’s gonna become a mama’s boy if you don’t stop babying him like you do.”

You don’t have to worry about what he becomes.
“I need you to take me down to the café after we get up from our nap this afternoon.” She figured she’d have to listen to him complain. Every day he’d complain. Thank God he usually took her, anyway. If the owner, Jim, wasn’t working, she didn’t go. Those days she couldn’t go to the café were difficult, because she could think and write there, knowing Max was safe with Veda. She attempted to reach out to Nick once, but Jim didn’t want to get between a man and his woman, and he shyly told her so when she’d asked to make a phone call. Wayde was always sure to remind her. If Jim called him, he’d get to Max before she could packed up her stuff and walk out the front door of the café. She couldn’t send e-mail. The café had no Internet, and Wayde didn’t have any either. He had the service cut the day after she arrived, saying computers were a distraction and they needed to get to know each other.  She never knew what he might resort to if she didn’t go along with him, and she was in no hurry to find out.

“You been at the café every day this week. You don’t need to be
goin’ every day,” Wayde said.

She scoffed. “You want the rent paid, don’t you?”

“Don’t be a wise ass, and don’t go thinking you’re going to try to get outta here and run down to Veda’s when I’m down in the grove. I’ve got my people watching ya. You wouldn’t want anything to happen to that little boy of yours. Why don’t you turn that God damn music of yours down, too. I get sick listening to it.”

“I need the music to drown you and Savannah out.”

His head nodded slightly, coupled with a threatening stare. How much longer could she endure this?

Chapter 10

The walls of the motel room were closing in on Jackson. Weeks had gone by since Kinsley’s return from Lakeside, and he still wasn’t getting enough information. If Wayde had something he was hiding, he wasn’t talking to anyone about it from inside the house. The conversations he picked up were every day goings-on with a few cross words mixed in. Otherwise, the damn music played.

He called Scar, hoping to put into motion the only idea he had now. “Hey, what are you up to today, around two? Good. I need you to do something for me. Can you come over then? I’ll tell you when you get here.” He hung up and dialed Xavier. “Xavier Wentworth, please.”

“He’s not available right now.”

His head rolled back in frustration. “When he is, would you tell him Jackson called?” He disconnected, and his phone rang back right away. Without thinking, he said, “Xavier?”

“No. It’s Olivia.”

He squeezed his eyes shut and grimaced. He’d told her he’d call her with an update, but every day blended into the next lately. “Hey, I’m sorry I didn’t call you. I’ve been busy trying to figure out what the hell’s going on over at Wayde’s. She doesn’t seem to say much unless she’s talking to Max. I want to find out if Xavier wants to put video in.”

“Pretty invasive. Do you think video is necessary?”

“I think video’s the only way were going to find out what’s going on. Something’s not right there. I’m concerned. She’s still going to the café, but I haven’t seen her go down to her friend’s house. I wish I could simply walk in and ask her if everything’s okay. I’ve been doing everything I can to find out something on this guy—he’s paper clean.”

“Jackson, I understand you’re worried, but you’ve been working without any breaks. Xavier can get relief to help. You need to sleep. You need to live. Why don’t you come over tonight, and I’ll cook you dinner. We need to discuss the case anyway.”

“You don’t cook.”

She sighed. “No, I guess I don’t cook. We can get take out.”

“I’ll tell you what, let me determine how things go today. If things stay quiet, I’ll come by. Sound okay?”

“Sounds a lot better than what I expected you to say. I miss you, Jackson.”

He kneaded his forehead, staying silent for a minute. “I’ll talk to you later.”

~ ~ ~

Xavier rounded the corner of his office door into the hallway, briefcase in one hand while buttoning his suit coat with the other as he walked. His secretary stopped him.

“Mr. Wentworth, a man named Jackson called for you.”

“Thanks, I’ll give him a call. I’m going home for lunch; I’m not sure if I’ll be back today. Forward my calls to my cell.” He headed straight home.

Angela’s car was in the driveway when he arrived. He went into the house through the side entrance, glanced up as he entered, and saw her. To find her in the kitchen was unusual, but today she looked at home there.

She noticed him immediately and went to him, taking his briefcase. She smiled. “Xavier.  I wasn’t expecting you home for lunch. What a nice coincidence. Nick’s coming over.”

Surprised, his head lifted, so his eyes met hers. “Perhaps now’s a good time to talk to him about things.”

“Hmm…” she said.

They studied each other.

He broke the connection by turning and hanging up his jacket. He took some extra time fixing it on the hanger. When Angela remained quiet, he nodded toward the stairs. “I need a break. I’ve had a lot on my mind. I’m going to go to my room and make a few calls. I’ll be down later for lunch.” He headed to his room, closed the door, and called Jackson.

Jackson’s cell rang once. This time, he checked the caller ID. “Xavier, glad you were able to get back to me. Things aren’t getting any better here. I’m not getting much on audio, usually day-to-day talk. He talks to her as if she’s dirt under his feet. She doesn’t respond much. That doesn’t jive with the Kinsley I met at Lakeside. Anyway, I decided to give you a call, tell you what’s going on, and ask you about getting video in the house. I thought they might’ve found the feed, because there’s a lot of music playing all the time, but the radio plays a lot when she’s alone, too.”

Xavier laughed. “She plays loud music a lot, that isn’t unusual. Max likes to dance until Kinsley falls to the floor, then he follows her down, with sidesplitting laughter
.
You said she isn’t going down to her friend’s anymore?”

“Only to drop Max off when she goes to the café. Wayde takes her. Doesn’t look like she ever leaves him alone with the guy.”

“I get some relief from the fact she’s thinking clearly enough to protect Max, but I’m still not convinced either one of them are safe. I’d like to go down there and shake some sense into her. But after these last five months, I’m not sure how she’d react.”

“How do you feel about the video? I’m aware video sounds excessive, but with what we’re getting, audio is as good as not having anything.”

“I’m inclined to agree about the video. We should only put it in the main rooms.”

All of a sudden, the thought of what he might see crossed Jackson’s mind. He pushed away the bombarding images. “Isn’t going be easy getting the video in. There’s almost always someone home. There has to be a way to make contact with her without her realizing I’m watching her.
Until I do, I thought my niece could accidentally run into her at the café. They met at Lakeside, and they got along well. She may be able to get some information for us. I talked to her today; she’s not busy. I’m going to ask her when she comes by this afternoon. I think she might be able to get her to open up. Any information we can get will help until the video’s in; it’s all we got.”

“Great idea. Get back to me as soon as you hear anything. I’ll call Olivia about getting video in. We’ll talk later.”

When the call ended, Xavier searched Jonathan out and found him in the garden. “Jonathan, I need to talk to you for a few minutes.”

“Yes sir, what can I help you with?”

“Jonathan, please, I’ve asked you to call me Xavier.

“A habit from the old days. Hard to break at my age.”

Xavier shook his head and smiled. Jonathan had been his chief confidant since he was a boy. He was dear to him.

They sat on the garden bench. Xavier leaned over, his forearms bracing his weight against his knees. He clasped his hands together before turning to Jonathan. “You’re the only one who knows everything, Jonathan. I’m not sure what to do anymore. I’m worried. Jackson’s getting nowhere with the audio, and there’s almost nothing on this guy’s background. Don’t you think she’d call Nick if she were in danger? If not Nick, me?”

“Yes, I’d assume she’d call you, if she were able. She might wonder, after the separation, if Nick would be there. Nevertheless, she would always believe you would be there for her. In time, you will find something on Wayde. There’s always something hidden in everyone’s past.”

“Unfortunately, I’m well aware of the secrets people keep.”

“I can’t tell you what to do, Xavier. If she thinks you’re trying to contact her and she isn’t aware of the reason, she may think the worst.”

“You mean she’ll think we’re trying to contact her about Max? That Nick wants custody? You’re right. You and I know I’d never let that happen, but she doesn’t, and the last thing I want to do is frighten her. I thought about telling Nick, not everything, just let him in on the fact I’ve been watching her. I can tell him I was worried for the three of them … explain how when she first left, he was angered to blindness, and I felt I needed to step in until he was able to do what he needed to do for their family. I wish I could get a message to her. What if something’s wrong?
What if she thinks we don’t care anymore and disappears with this guy?” He looked at Jonathan. “What should I do?”

“Nick’s letters were returned, but possibly she would read yours. With an overnight delivery, the letter would get there promptly. Maybe you would get a response.”

“A letter would be okay. I’d need to be careful how I worded it, in case he reads it. Jackson said he treats her terribly. Should everything come out now?”