Jack Stratton: Jacks Are Wild Part 24

"Why would...why would Marisa date a-?"

Someone knocked on the door. Replacement hopped up, but Jack was already moving and held up his hand to stop her. She froze. As he looked through the keyhole, he could see a shadow from someone standing next to the door. He took a step back and to the right.

"Who is it?"

"h.e.l.lo, Officer," Kiku answered.

He opened the door, and she walked in carrying a brown shopping bag.

"I did not expect you both to wait up for me." She smiled as she glided over to the kitchen counter to set the bag down.

Jack locked the door. "What did you find out?"

Kiku turned to saunter back over to him. "I know you are an American, and I do not want to be rude, but you really need to work on your etiquette." She took off her short winter jacket and handed it to him.

"You know what?" Replacement stepped forward. "Our friend is missing, so save the Miss Manners speech and tell us if the sc.u.mbag had anything to do with it."

A small smile spread across Kiku's lips.

"Well said." She turned to casually walk back to the bag on the counter. "I had to wait until Arber fell asleep. He was quite animated after you left, and made several phone calls. I don't know who he spoke with."

She took a bottle of vodka, a bottle of triple sec, and two limes out of the bag.

"Kamikazes?" Jack noted.

"You know your drinks." Kiku opened the vodka.

"Did you get anything else?" Replacement huffed.

"He had a guest. Veronica Martin. She is married, but I a.s.sume the husband is away. She lives here in Darrington. I did not find anything suspicious."

Replacement bit her bottom lip. "Did you just walk around the house?"

"They were asleep. It was nothing." Kiku opened a cabinet and took out three gla.s.ses.

Jack picked one up. "For someone who remembers what cabinet my gla.s.ses are in from seeing it only once, I'd think you'd have noticed." He nodded his head toward Replacement. "She's a minor."

Kiku laughed, which caught Jack off guard. It wasn't a reserved laugh; it felt real.

Replacement frowned.

"You will be joining me, will you not?"

Jack nodded.

"That's not fair." Replacement pouted.

Kiku pressed her lips together as she poured the drinks. "We need to talk." She handed Jack a drink and then walked over to the recliner to sit down. "My employer has heard nothing. Do you know if the Mancinis have heard anything?"

Jack resisted the urge to check his phone and shook his head.

Kiku frowned. "The Mancinis will be coming to town. It will not be good when they start looking for her, too. They will not be as subtle." She said the words with precision.

"Do you know for certain they're coming here?" Replacement asked.

Kiku swirled her drink before she took a large sip. "What I know is irrelevant. What I do not know, however, is important. Time is running out, Jack. What would you suggest?"

Jack took a swig of the Kamikaze as he walked over to the window.

"I don't want to shock anyone, but I'm winging it here. If I had something, anything, I could go to Prescott and get the FBI involved."

"What do they have that we don't?" Replacement crossed her arms.

Kiku took a huge gulp of her drink and then settled back in her chair. "You have an inflated sense of self."

"Screw you," Replacement snapped as she stomped over to Jack. "I'm guessing, too, but...you took cla.s.ses in this right? What would they do?"

"I took one seminar. That doesn't make me capable of handling this."

Kiku chuckled. "Think of it like landing a burning plane in a horror movie. You've had a look at the cabin so you're our best shot for a pilot."

I wish I had a parachute.

"Okay, the first thing they would do is tap the phone."

"Whose?" Replacement asked.

"Severino's. That way, when someone calls, you can trace it."

"Can we?" Replacement asked.

Kiku shrugged.

Jack shook his head. "It already is. The FBI has them all tapped. Prescott may hate me, but I think he'd let me know."

"That is something in our favor." Kiku smiled.

"But, I figure if someone did kidnap her, they would use a different method to contact Severino. They would have to know the phones are tapped and he's under surveillance."

"Even I would know that." Replacement paced.

"Besides, I'll know if they get contacted." Jack took a sip of the Kamikaze and had to work at not making a face. It wasn't a drink he'd expect a woman to like.

"You have an inside man?" Kiku ran her finger around the rim of the gla.s.s and didn't look up.

Way to slip, stupid.

"Next they'd pull all-"

"Can I ask you a question, Officer?" Kiku finished her drink.

Jack looked out the window as he waited.

"Are you sure she's been kidnapped?"

"He is," Replacement answered.

"I can answer for myself, kid." He turned to face Kiku. "Yeah. All I have are two things to go on. Marisa was scared and felt like someone was watching her. The second is a homeless, crazy guy. If I'm wrong, I've shattered her life. If I'm right and I don't do something..."

"He's right. I know he is." Replacement nodded. "He's got, like, a sixth sense."

Kiku's lips pressed together as she put the drink on the table.

Jack stretched. "The next thing I'd do is pull her credit card and phone records."

"What're we waiting for?" Replacement thrust her hands out.

"We need the FBI to get those. I mean...you can't hack her bank account, right?" Jack made a face.

Replacement shook her head. "I bet I don't have to. Does she have a computer at home?"

Jack nodded.

"Odds are that she caches her pa.s.swords or writes them down nearby. Most people do even though it's stupid. I just need to get on her computer."

Jack swallowed the rest of the drink and then headed for his jacket. "Let's go."

"I'll have to drive now." Replacement frowned.

"Your a.s.sistant is smart," Kiku said as she rose from the chair.

"I'm not his a.s.sistant," Replacement shot back.

Kiku slowly raised one eyebrow.

"What?" Replacement snapped.

"Excuse me?" Kiku's canines flashed.

"You made a face." Replacement stood toe-to-toe with Kiku.

Kiku shook her head. "I was just thinking about the relations.h.i.+p you and Jack have. I do not wish to be mean, but clearly you're an accessory."

"What?" Replacement's hands clenched into fists and her upper body leaned forward.

Kiku continued. "Replacement is a childhood nickname, is it not? And he doesn't allow you to drink? Now he debates with himself about taking you. He still considers you a child in need of his protection."

Jack swallowed as Replacement glared at him.

"Hey, I never said you couldn't-" He began to defend himself, but a ringing phone cut him off.

Jack hurried to the counter, where he picked up the burner phone.

"h.e.l.lo?"

"They're coming," Ilario whispered. "I can't talk. They're on their way to Darrington. I'll try to find you when we get there."

"Who's coming?"

There was a long pause. "Everyone."

Bromance Jack, Replacement, and Kiku silently slipped into Marisa's apartment and shut the door behind them. Jack held his hand up as he motioned for Replacement to wait. He and Kiku fanned out to sweep through the rooms, making sure nothing new was missing.

"Besides the broken broom, everything's the same." Jack nodded toward Marisa's art studio. "The computer is in there."

As they walked back, Kiku picked up the broom and set it against the wall. "You're a fast man who can take a good punch."

"Me?" Jack tilted his head. "I didn't think you'd be walking after I hit you with that s.h.i.+pping pallet."

Replacement sat down in the swivel chair and then spun around. "Can you two continue your bromance and who-can-get-hurt-more-and-not-cry conversation someplace else?"

She spun back around and wiggled the mouse. The computer was already on. Jack and Kiku exchanged a grin as they leaned over her chair.

Replacement's hand hovered over the mouse as her eyes scanned the screen. "Most stuff is Web-based now and...bingo. She keeps her history. I'll check her mail first."

The screen flashed and then opened directly to a listing of her emails.

"Sweet." Replacement's smile quickly vanished as she checked the addresses of people who sent Marisa email. "Her spam filter blows, but it looks like she doesn't get many messages."

"She didn't get any messages?" Jack leaned in. "I don't get much email, either, and I'd imagine she gets less, but I figured she'd have something."

Replacement frowned. "She got a few. Here. Subject is WHERE R U???"

"Read it."

"MARISA. WHERE R U??? THE COP KEEPS COMIN AROUND LOOKING 4 U. U R WORRYING US. SHAWN."

Jack shook his head. "Must be Shawn Miller."

"Who?" Replacement asked.

Kiku answered, "He's the tall guy at the tattoo parlor."

Jack and Replacement both looked at her quizzically.

"It was the second place I looked."

"He sent a few messages. Read them. Look for any from Arber de Lorme, too." Jack turned to Kiku as he fanned his arm out. "Let's go through the apartment. Be respectful."