Bones of a Feather - Carolyn Haines [91]
“Coleman has no jurisdiction in Adams County.” It was curious she’d ask for him.
“I can surrender to any law officer. The Sunflower County sheriff will do as good as the local authorities. Just not Randall. What if he’s involved in the kidnapping? He could kill Monica and dispose of her body and never be found out.”
Despite myself, I felt a pang of pity. “I doubt the kidnapper will kill Monica now. He’s kept her alive this long. He wants the ransom.” I observed Eleanor’s face carefully. “When you make the drop, be certain to see Monica before you leave the money.”
“See her? I mean to have her beside me.”
Once again I realized how little Eleanor knew of the type of person who would commit a kidnapping. For all her financial crimes, she was unprepared to cope with kidnappers. “You have to be smart, Eleanor. And tough. Or you and Monica both can be hurt. Or killed.”
“I know, Sarah Booth. I’m terrified. My sister’s life hangs in the balance. I will do whatever needs to be done. I want to be prepared. I can be as tough as I need to be to save Monica. But I need your help. Will you coach me?”
Sure, I was aggravated at the sisters, but I still had a heart. And I had the time. I just wasn’t certain I had the skill to truly help her. But I was going to try.
20
I splashed straight bourbon over ice cubes in a Waterford glass. Eleanor accepted the drink with a trembling hand. “This is so much more difficult than I imagined.” The regal wingback chair in the front parlor seemed to swallow her. Outside, the sun beat down on the front lawn, and the cloudless August sky promised a lazy summer day. Inside was a different story—emotions zagged around the room like lightning in a tornado.
I was gratified to see Eleanor was finally taking the idea of dropping the ransom seriously. At last she’d come to accept the exchange of the money for her sister entailed danger—and a lot of it. Her pallor worried me. With each passing day, her health declined.
“If everything goes well, this should work.” I didn’t want to soft-pedal the risk, but if she went into the ransom drop with no hope and only fear, it could easily be a disaster. “Remember, getting Monica away safely is the goal. If the money can be recovered after that, even better, but Monica’s safety, and yours, is the top priority.” A thought gave me pause. “Tinkie can talk to Oscar about getting some dye packs to put in with the cash.”
“No!” Eleanor sat up so quickly the ice in her bourbon rattled. “What if the kidnapper opens the bag before Monica is free? It might provoke him to kill her.”
I couldn’t argue that point. “Once we know the location of the drop, Tinkie and I can find a place to observe from. We won’t interfere, and we won’t be seen, but maybe we can get details that will allow the police to find the kidnappers, once Monica is safe.”
“She will come through this, won’t she?” Eleanor asked.
“That’s the goal.” I gave her a big, fake smile, then changed the subject. “We must reimburse the insurance company.” I had an idea, and I decided to float it by her. “Assuming this goes as planned and we get your sister and the money back, Monica could pretend she found the necklace with the kidnappers.”
Eleanor’s eyes filled with tears. “That’s a wonderful plan, Sarah Booth. We’ll return the money and not be charged with fraud. This whole scheme was ill conceived. It sounded simple, like no one would be hurt.” She sat forward. “Insurance companies. They screw everyone, so why not screw them back.” She smoothed her slacks. “I just want this to end.”
“Tinkie has to agree,” I reminded her. “Remember, you put her husband on the line with the lie about the stolen necklace. Tinkie may not be willing to let it go so easily.”
“She has every right to be furious. I would never have jeopardized her husband or his bank. I wouldn’t have. But I can understand you’d have difficulty believing anything I say.”
“I do. Embezzlers tend