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My phone rang again, and it was a different voice. “You’ll find her in the cemetery on Third Street. She’ll be at the gate.”
“What about the coin?”
The connection was broken. They didn’t want the coin. They’d gotten the number off the photo.
I grabbed my messenger bag. “Let’s go. She’s at the cemetery gate on Third.”
My phone buzzed with a text message from Ranger.Got your back.
The cemetery was ten minutes away. After three minutes on the road, I got another text from Ranger.We have her sighted. Holding back for you to pick up. We can move in if necessary.
Tears were rolling down my face and my nose was running.
“Are you okay to drive?” Lula asked.
I wiped my nose on the sleeve of my sweatshirt. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just relieved.” I checked my rearview mirror. I was beingfollowed by a shiny black SUV. “Is that a Rangeman car behind us?” I asked Lula. “Or is it the bad guys?”
Lula turned and looked. “It’s Rangeman. Tank’s driving.”
I made an effort to relax my grip on the wheel. I took a couple deep breaths. I turned onto Third and I saw Connie at the cemetery gate. She was holding on, leaning into it. She was disheveled and looked disoriented. I stopped at the gate, bolted out of the car, and ran to her with my heart beating in my throat. Lula was right behind me.
I wrapped an arm around Connie and hugged her close to me. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I can’t think.”
My emotions ranged from knee-buckling relief that I had my arm around Connie to blind rage that someone had done this to her.
I moved her forward, toward the car. “We need to get out of here.”
I didn’t know if the kidnappers were still in the area, and I didn’t know how much time I had before they accessed their crypto account and realized their money was gone. Ranger was running security for us, and I had total confidence in him. Still, I didn’t want to waste time putting distance between us and the pickup point. And I wanted to get Connie medical help.
I maneuvered her into the backseat, and Lula slid in next to her.
I got behind the wheel and headed for St. Francis Medical Center. I was driving fast and sneaking through red lights when possible. Lula was pressed against Connie like a big mama hen with a chick, talking to her, telling her it was okay now, she was safe.
I was monitoring Connie’s response to Lula, and I couldhear that she was coming around. By the time I pulled into the emergency room driveway, Connie was fully coherent. I got out and ran around to help her out of the car.
Connie waved me away. “The drug’s wearing off,” she said. “I don’t need the hospital. I need coffee.”
“Are you sure?” I asked her. “It wouldn’t hurt to get checked out.”
“No. I’m feeling much better. I don’t want to get poked and prodded in the ER. I want a shower and some clean clothes and a decent cup of coffee with real half-and-half. Just take me home.”
“Taking her home might not be a good idea,” Lula said. “Her mother’s gonna freak out when she sees her like this.”
I was thinking the same thing. Plus, I wanted to talk to her. I could take her to my apartment, but I didn’t have real half-and-half. I could take her to Rangeman, but it might be an uncomfortable environment after being held captive. That left my parents’ house.
I parked in their driveway, and our Rangeman escort parked down the street. Lula and I walked Connie across the small front yard and into the house. The living room was empty because my father spent Saturday morning playing bocci ball with his lodge buddies. Grandma was at the dining room table with her computer. She looked up when we entered the room and instantly stood with her hand over her heart.
“Omigod,” Grandma said. “Omigod, omigod!”
My mother came in from the kitchen and had the same reaction.
“Omigod,” my mother said, and she instantly took over. “Come sit in the kitchen,” she said to Connie, taking her by thehand, leading her to the little table. “What can I get you?” she asked Connie. “Tea?”
“Coffee,” Connie said.
“Have you eaten? It’s almost lunchtime. Would you like a sandwich? Some soup? Entenmann’s coffee cake?”
