Lottery (37 page)

“Calm down, ma’am, what’s the address?”

“I …” Jenee stammered. “I can’t think. It’s Caleb O’Toole’s house. Pacific Heights.” Frantic, she turned the knob on the front door of the carriage house and found it locked. “Mei,” she cried, banging fiercely on the door.

“Pacific Heights? We don’t have a suburb in Topeka by that …”

“What?” she screamed and then remembered she was calling from a Kansas area code. “Oh, God … my phone … I’m from Topeka … I’m in San Francisco,” she rasped, banging on Mei’s front door. “Mei … open up … Mei … please!”

“You’ll have to contact the San Francisco police if you’re in—”

“Just get me the right God damn police station!” She ran to the front window and tried to peek in, but the curtains were closed. Banging on the windowpane, she blurted to the operator, “Hurry up!” Racing to the back of the cottage where the greenhouse was, she turned the doorknob and found it unlocked.

“What’s your emergency?” another voice asked in monotone.

Jenee put her hand on her forehead, trying to think. “I am at Caleb O’Toole’s house in Pacific Heights. The address is 272 …
damn it
…I can’t think … wait … 2724 Pacific … Pacific Avenue.”

“And what is the nature—”

“Someone needs to find Caleb O’Toole. He’s kidnapped his wife. I think he’s going to kill her.” Jenee stumbled into the dark kitchen, running her hand along the wall until she found the light switch. Heart pounding, she called out, “Mei?”

Hurrying into the living room, she spotted Mei sprawled out on the couch, her right arm draped over the edge. “Oh God, Mei.” Mei was still wearing the same dress she’d had on at dinner. Jenee knelt down next to her. Mei couldn’t be dead, please God, not Mei. God, Jenee couldn’t catch her breath. “Just get someone here right away,” she shouted hysterically and tossed the phone on the floor.

“Mei?” She put a hand on Mei’s shoulder and shook her. “Oh God, please be okay … ” Jenee placed her trembling fingers on the side of Mei’s neck, but couldn’t find a pulse. She grasped Mei’s shoulders with both hands and rolled her over on her back. Oh, God, did she remember how to do resuscitation? It had been so long ago when Jenee had taken the class. “Mei … ” Jenee sobbed, tears falling on Mei’s dress, “please …”

“
Ohhhhh
.” Mei put her hand on the top her head. “Head hurt.” Jenee could barely understand her.

“Oh, God, you’re okay,” Jenee said, half-crying, half-laughing. “You’re okay.” Jenee helped Mei sit up.

“My throat dry.” Mei put her hand on her neck. “Things going round and round.”

Jenee dashed to the kitchen, found a glass, and filled it with tap water. Rushing back to Mei, she remembered that Caleb had filled the wine glasses at dinner. He must have drugged Mei.

Jenee hurriedly set the glass of water on the coffee table. “I have to get back to the kids.” Her eyes scoured the floor and, when she spotted her phone, Jenee scooped it up. “Stay here for a while until you aren’t dizzy. I don’t want you to fall.”

“What going on?” Mei asked.

Jenee turned the lock and threw open the door. She didn’t want to alarm the elderly woman. “Just know everything’s going to be okay.” The high shrill of a police siren drowned out the pounding of Jenee’s sandals against the sidewalk as she ran back to the house. Out of breath, she ran up the steps, through the
foyer, and up the stairs. That crazy son-of-a-bitch Caleb. Jenee knew he was going to do something, and yet, she hadn’t told Ling about the murders that might be connected to Caleb. God, she should have gotten Ling out of here.

Trying to mask her labored breathing, Jenee opened Ahna’s door, peeked in, and saw the toddler was still asleep. Closing the door quietly, Jenee tore down the hallway to the master bedroom and found Sammy was still sleeping, too. She grabbed the baby monitor Ling had left on the end table and closed the door quietly.

“Hello?” Jenee heard someone call out before she reached the stairs. “Anyone home?”

“Officer?” Jenee blurted, darting down the curved staircase. She stopped when she saw the two SFPD policemen.

A tall, lanky man nodded at the door. “The front door was open and …”

“You have to help Ling.” Jenee’s eyes welled with tears. “I think he’s going to kill her.”

“Calm down and tell me what’s going on?” the cop asked.

Jenee relayed how Caleb had taken Ling by gunpoint and had threatened Jenee that if she called the police, someone would kill Justin and the kids. She started to cry. “He said he’d kill my family if I didn’t do what I was told and … oh, my dear Jesus … please … you have to find out if my family is okay. “Can I call him?” Jenee pleaded and wiped her eyes. “My husband?”

“Yes, but first I need your address.”

“1520 Hillcrest, Topeka, Kansas,” Jenee said as one word.

“I’m on it,” the other cop replied, and relayed the information into the police transmitter attached to his shoulder.

Shaking uncontrollably, Jenee dialed the number.

“Hello?” Justin answered in a sleepy voice.

Her knees buckled when she heard his voice, and Jenee put her hand down on the kitchen table to steady herself. “Oh, God, honey, you okay?”

“Shouldn’t I be?” Justin asked in a croaky morning voice. “Do you know what time it is?”

“Have him check the children,” the policeman told her.

“Go check the kids.”

“What are you—”

“Just do it!” she shouted, hysterical.

Jenee heard the rustle of covers and his footsteps hurrying down the hallway. A few seconds later he whispered, “They’re fine. What’s this all about?”

She looked at the policeman “The police are going to my house, right?” The cop nodded. “Justin,” Jenee said, “When the police get there, they’ll fill you in.”

“But …” Justin stammered.

“Something happened with Caleb. I’m okay, but I have to go,” Jenee blurted quickly. “I promise I’ll call you later.” She closed the phone, glanced up, and saw Mei in the doorway looking ten years older than she had just a few hours ago. Jenee hurried to the older woman, put an arm around her waist, and walked her to the table. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

“What is going on? Where’s Ling?” Mei asked confused.

“It’s Caleb,” Jenee said. “He’s taken Ling.” Mei had lost her husband a few months ago, and now this.

“Taken?” Mei sat down in a chair, her dark eyes searching Jenee’s face for answers.

“It appears your son-in-law has kidnapped your daughter, Ma’am,” a policeman responded. “We’ll find them.” The cop turned his focus to Jenee. “Did you hear anything that might put them in a place we could find? Like heavy traffic or any other sounds?”

The rookie was young—maybe twenty-five. It worried Jenee that he hadn’t been on the force long enough to work a case this complicated. “Ling tried to run away. After I heard her scream for help, I didn’t hear her say anything more.” She sat down across from Mei at the table. “I remember looking at the clock. It was 12:15. Caleb sounded out of breath and … wait.” She paused, trying to remember. “The car must have been stopped because I heard a car door open, and then another door open and slam shut, and then it sounded like they were running. That’s when Ling screamed.”

“Okay … good … anything else?” the policeman prodded.

Jenee heard Sammy start to fuss and she glanced down at the monitor.

“No, no,” Mei said and stood. “I take care. You talk to police. You find my girl.”

Mei stumbled when she started out of the kitchen and Jenee hurried to her side. “I think Caleb drugged her.” Jenee nodded at Mei. “He didn’t want his mother-in-law to hear anything.”

The cop waved his hand at the young policeman. “Can you help this lady up the stairs?” He glanced at Mei. “Stay with her for a while to make sure she’s okay.”

The young policeman held out his arm for Mei, and she put her arm through his.

“I heard an engine start,” Jenee continued. “Like a motor. And wind. A lot of wind in the background. It was so loud I could hardly hear Caleb.”

The policeman was quiet for a few seconds, staring into space. “Does he own a boat?”

“Yes,” Jenee said quickly. “The name Ahna is painted on the back.”

The cop brought out his notepad and pen. “Can you spell that?”

“A. … h … n … a. Ling and Caleb’s daughter’s name.”

“You don’t happen to know what marina the boat is in, do you?”

She closed her eyes, trying to envision the sign on the marina that Ling had showed her where their boat was. “Yacht Club.”

The policeman spoke into the transmitter. “Check the Yacht Club at wharf 43 for a …” he glanced at Jenee. “What kind of a car?” he asked, walking to the door that led to the foyer.

“BMW. Black.”

“Black BMW. Registered to a Caleb O’Toole. Check it out ASAP,” the cop said authoritatively.

“Don’t use your phone and keep it charged,” the younger cop told Jenee when he came back from escorting Mei up the stairs.

“You think Caleb might call?”

“I don’t know. Someone will be coming out soon to tap your cell and the land lines.” The policeman took at a card from his shirt pocket and handed it to Jenee. “I’m also going to have someone watch the house.” He paused. “You have any idea why he’d kidnap his own wife?”

“Yes.” Jenee sniveled, wrapping her arms around herself. “He’s fucking nuts.”

The cop glanced down at his watch. “It’s after three. O’Toole has had over an hour head start.”

“Brady.” A scratchy transmission came over his transmitter.

“Yep. I’m here.”

“Found the car at the marina.” Jenee made out the words.

“Anything else?”

“Not too far away from the car, there’s quite a bit of blood in the parking lot. Looks like someone was either pushed or fell.”

Jenee gasped. “Oh God … Ling!

ing blinked open her eyes. Oh, God, her head hurt. She squinted through the darkness. She was still alive, but where was she? She tried to move her hands, but couldn’t. Something scratchy dug into her wrists. Rope?

She tried to wiggle her legs, but her ankles were bound in place. Her heart sped up. The aroma of roses was so thick, she could almost taste it.

Every muscle throbbed. She tried to think. Where would Caleb have taken her? She felt the gentle rocking. She was on the boat … in the bedroom. Caleb had tied her to the bed. Was he going to kill her? Did he want her awake so she could feel the pain? She yanked her right wrist, but there was no wiggle room. Kicking to free her ankles, the rope sliced into her skin. She arched her neck. “Damn you, Caleb!” she screamed. Why hadn’t she seen this coming? He was totally insane.

She rolled her head to the side and saw the light coming through the cracks in the door.

“Caleb?” she called out, her voice hoarse. She cleared her throat and strained her neck to lift her head up off the mattress. “Caleb?” she tried again, her voice a little stronger.

Footsteps
… he was coming. Ling drew in a deep breath. This was not the time for anger. Somehow, she had to convince him she wanted to be here with him.

“Coming,” he sang out giddily.

Stay calm, she told herself.

The door opened, and the sudden burst of light stung her eyes.

“You’re awake,” he said cheerfully.

He switched on the light and Ling saw he was carrying a tray. She glanced around the room slowly, noticing the dozens of red roses.

“Welcome back.” Caleb set the tray on the bedside table.

“We have orange juice and blueberry muffins.” He sat down on the edge of the bed next to her and gazed lovingly down on her. “How are you feeling?” He was upbeat—energetic. His pupils were dilated. Was he on drugs
and
alcohol?

“What are you doing?” Ling said, trying to sound calm.

“I’m simply taking my beautiful wife on a trip.” He patted her thigh.

His hand had touched bare skin. Was she naked? She lifted her head off the pillow as far as she could, and saw she was wearing a white silk negligee.

“Pretty, isn’t it?” He started to gently stroke her hair. “You always looked like an angel in white.”

Silent tears slipped down her cheeks. “Help me understand what’s going on.”

“First,” he said, reaching down and picking up the glass of orange juice, “why don’t we get something in your tummy?”