Page 83 of Justice Denied

Tapping her phone against her leg, she pivoted until she spotted the potted tree. She would check over there first, then decide whether to comply with the note’s instruction. Once at the tree, she studied the carpet around it. Nothing. Using the wall for leverage, she crouched to peer into the pot. Dead leaves littered the soil. Someone really needed to take better care of the live plants.

Jetta plunged her hand into the leaves, feeling her way around the trunk. She brushed against a hard object with her fingers. After tugging it out, she stared at the phone covered in dirt. Sinking onto her knees, she blew the debris away and flipped the phone over to access the card holder. As she’d expected, the credit card she pulled out had the name Seth Whitman on the front.

Someone had taken Seth.

She struggled to her feet and stumbled against the wall.

“Are you okay?”

Jetta met the worried gaze of an older man, his graying hair and glasses giving him a fatherly appearance. “A little off balance, that’s all.” Then she added, “I need to find someone in the auditorium, but still feel a bit unsteady. Would you mind walking with me there?”

“Happy to help.” He held out his elbow in a courtly gesture, and she gratefully took his arm. Together, they made their way back to the auditorium.

Once inside, she scanned the room and spotted the police near the front. “I need to speak with one of the officers.”

The man nodded and walked her to the small cluster of uniformed officers standing a little behind the detective, who stood talking with the Topher siblings.

Jetta didn’t bother trying to get Harwell’s attention but instead thanked her escort before tapping the arm of the closest officer. “Hi. I’m Jetta Ainsley.”

“Emily Ainsley’s daughter, right?” The young Hispanic officer whose nameplate read P. Rodriguez shifted his focus to her. “How can I help you?”

“I think Seth Whitman’s been kidnapped.” Jetta explained about the note and finding Seth’s phone in the potted tree. He listened intently.

“Give me a minute.” Officer Rodriguez stepped over to the detective and whispered in his ear. Detective Harwell looked at Jetta, then at the three Topher siblings. He said something to the officer, who returned to Jetta.

“If you’ll come with me, please?” The officer took her elbow in his hand.

Jetta walked with Officer Rodriguez out of the auditorium, but the cop didn’t stop there. He continued to the outside door, his fingers biting into her arm.

“Hey, you’re hurting me.” She tugged, but he only gripped her tighter.

He shoved her through the door and into the darkness. Too late, Jetta realized this was the direction the note told her to go. At the curb, a black SUV idled.

She spun, her movement breaking Officer Rodriguez’s hold, and dashed for the door, but the cop caught her in two strides. “Let’s not do anything foolish, Ms. Ainsley.” His punishing grip on her upper arm made her swallow a cry of pain as he forced her toward the waiting vehicle.

Jetta opened her mouth, intending to yell for help, but Rodriguez hissed in her ear, “If you scream, your boyfriend will die.”

She shut her mouth as another cramp hit her midsection, making her stumble. Rodriguez heaved her upright, cursing as he bore more of her weight. She shot a prayer heavenward for her safety and for Seth’s—and that whoever was behind this would be caught.

The cop yanked open the back door and manhandled her into the vehicle and onto someone lying across the seat. The door slammed shut and the car sped away before she could get her bearings, sending her sprawling across the other person.

She somehow managed to push to a seated position. The light from passing street lamps illuminated her backseat companion’s still form. It was a man with muscular arms and torso. She touched the side of his head, and her fingers came away sticky. The man groaned, relief pouring over her Seth wasn’t dead.

ChapterThirty

Ryan pinched the bridge of his nose in a vain attempt to ward off the ache building in his head. He couldn’t believe he’d lost control of the company his father had built from scratch, especially with Vie mere months away from being operational. Even his telling the shareholders about the wearable AI device’s release date hadn’t swayed the more vocal ones adamant to get their big payout with Maxwell Technology’s takeover.

“Mr. Topher?” A young woman, whose name he’d forgotten, stood in front of him. “Will you be needing anything else from me tonight?”

“No, you can type up your notes and email them to Mae and myself in the morning.” No point in making the employee work longer than necessary. He would definitely not be putting in the overtime he had been. Mae’s cryptic text apologizing for not making the meeting because of an emergency bothered him. She had been his executive assistant since he’d ascended to the presidency, and her absence at such a crucial meeting was out of character.

He moved from the wings, where he’d disappeared for a few private moments after the results had been certified, and down the stage steps. Then he clocked the uniform police officers close to his siblings. This didn’t look good. He hustled over. “What’s going on?”

Yasmine, her eyes bright with unshed tears, nodded to Gene. “They’re saying he was behind the kidnapping of Emily Ainsley.”

“That’s absurd.” He turned to his brother. “I’d heard she was making a fuss again about her husband’s embezzlement, but to accuse you of kidnapping her is bizarre. Perhaps she’s developed a mental disorder and is going to accuse me of something heinous next.”

“As I was informing Mr. Topher, we have enough evidence to arrest him for the crime.” A tall detective nodded to one of the uniformed officers, who stepped forward and took Gene’s arm.

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