Page 31 of Cougar Point

Jack sputters a mouthful of coffee back into his cup. “You don’t pull your punches, do you, Megan?” He dabs at his mouth with a table napkin. “I respect that. I’ll admit things haven’t been good for a while now. We sort of—grew apart. We married rightout of college. She became involved with charities. First a little. Later it was all-consuming. I didn’t think it was appropriate and it was sometimes dangerous being around those types of people. But it’s what she had always wanted to do and I finally had no say in that matter.”

Boy, this is sounding so familiar. I wonder if he sees the parallels to what he’s been doing to Ronnie?

“That’s the long answer to your question. Has she left me? The answer is no. Through it all, we still have an active sex life.”

Eww! TMI. My fault. People my age don’t like to hear about people his agedoing it, but I told him not to hold anything back.

“Are either of you having…seeing other people?”

“I’m not and I’m sure Vicki’s not.”

“Does anyone hold a grudge against you or your wife?”

“I’m a lawyer. So yes, take your pick. But Vicki. No. She’s kind to everyone.”

“Anyone in particular have something against you?”

“I’ve thought about it. I’ve made enemies. But no one comes to mind that would do anything to her or my family just to get at me. I don’t deal with those types.” He looks uncomfortable. “But I think I know who the note is from.”

And you didn’t think that was important enough to tell me?

“I should have told you up front. But the person who wrote it isn’t likely to harm her. She’s had nothing to do with him for years.”

“Maybe you should tell me and let me determine if he’s a problem.”

Jack never loses eye contact. The man is a professional. “Her brother, Vinnie. VinnieLombardi. The note is signed Dinky, and Vinnie used to call her Dinky when they were kids. He’s an alcoholic, drug addict and has a gambling addiction.”

I guess this is what he meant by Victoria having baggage. “Why would Vinnie leave the note? What did she promise?”

“He’s most likely in over his head gambling, or he owes his dope dealer. Any of a dozen other things. Take your pick. In the past I bailed him out but I decided to be done with him. If he was going to ruin his life it wasn’t going to be at the expense of this family’s reputation. He knows I won’t agree to any more handouts. Vicki knows I won’t agree. Even if that’s what the note is about, I can’t see him doing anything like this. He’s an idiot but this would be a new low, even for him. I’m guessing I’ll hear from her soon asking for money for Vinnie.”

“That’s why you don’t think she could have been taken?”

He doesn’t hesitate. “No. Absolutely not. There hasn’t been a ransom demand. I have money. It’s been two days. Why wouldn’t they contact me if she’d been…taken?”

I could tell him about our last case where the abduction wasn’t for money. There are a lot of motives for taking someone against their will. Love, rejection, shame, vengeance, sometimes murder. The cases Ronnie and I worked shared all of these. The obvious suspect is not always the right one. Even now I have to look at what Jack is telling me with a jaundiced eye. Jack could be my guy. He’s admitted they were having problems. In most missing person cases that end in murder, the spouse or significant other is always the first suspect.

“Could your wife have her own money to give her brother?”

“I give her an allowance and house money. I’ve set up an account for her charity work. I give her everything she needs. She has no large amount of money to give anyone.”

“Has she given her brother money in the past and hid it from you?”

“She did a few years ago. Like I said, I put a stop to it.”

“I need a list of her family members. Names, addresses, phone numbers, where they work, children, anything you know about them. Ronnie and I will find Vinnie. It may be nothing but at least we can talk to him.”

“It will be a short list,” Jack says.

“Okay. So it should be easy putting it together.”

Ronnie sticks her head in the door. “Megan, we need to talk. In private.”

TWENTY-THREE

Ronnie motions for me to follow her toward the back of the residence. She says in a quiet voice, “We’re being warned off. Rebecca just got a call. The voice sounded disguised and they told her to stop what she’s doing or something will happen to Mom. They know she called us and that we’re detectives. Let’s go outside.”

Ronnie leads me through the back and onto a stone deck where stairs hewn out of solid rock lead down to a larger landing. “I hoped Dad was right and she wasn’t in any danger. But now we know. And the threat to harm her means there will be a ransom demand.”

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