Part 20 (1/2)
”With trepidation. I don't want either of them to freak out, so I've downplayed this whole stalker thing a bit, but I'm not leaving them alone much. Hans and his wife Ellie are willing to hang out at the house whenever I need them.”
”The Dvoraks? They're ancient.”
”You're as bad as the kids. Hans is in his early seventies, not exactly ancient, and Ellie's even younger. They're both sharp as tacks and in good physical shape. Wait a minute-why am I defending them to you?”
”Sorry I asked.”
”You should be, and besides Hans and Ellie, I've got Estella coming over to clean a couple of times a week.”
”Weather permitting.”
”And Ron stopping by for the personal training sessions. For the record, he's twenty-six-young enough for you?”
”I said I was sorry. For G.o.d's sake, Jenna, you're touchy,” Rinda said, then smiled. ”Okay, I guess you've got a good reason.”
Scott, climbing down from the rafters where he'd been adjusting the lights, had obviously been eavesdropping. ”You know, I could help with the alarm system,” he offered, not meeting Jenna's eyes. He was a gawky kid, with spiky red hair and eyes that seemed a little too round, ostensibly because of the fact that he never had gotten quite comfortable in his contacts. ”Just give me a chance, Mama.”
”What? Oh!” Jenna's flesh crawled as she recognized the line from her first movie, Innocence Lost. As Katrina, a thirteen-year-old prost.i.tute, she had uttered the very same line when begging her reticent madam of a mother for a chance to earn her own money by giving up her virginity.
”Scott!” Rinda hadn't missed the reference, either. ”Enough with the quoting of dialogue, okay? Jenna gets it. You're a fan. Geez.”
Scott blinked rapidly and blushed. ”Sorry.”
”You should be. Cut it out.” It wasn't the first time Scott had come up with a line and inserted it into the conversation, but Rinda had never said anything before, and Jenna had let them pa.s.s. But it was strange, and she was glad Rinda put the clamps on her son.
”I, uh, just thought that I could make sure that Jenna's got a security system that has all the new stuff like infrared sensors and motion detectors. State-of-the art equipment.” Scott turned to Jenna. ”Didn't you say you wanted a new system?”
”Yeah, I'm considering it,” she said cautiously, sensing what was to come.
”I could install it for you!” he said with a smile that seemed genuine enough, yet she couldn't shake the sensation that something wasn't right with the kid. ”Piece o' cake!”
”I don't know,” Jenna hedged.
”Sounds like a good idea to me.” Rinda was peering through her computer gla.s.ses, frowning at the screen. ”Why not?”
Jenna said, ”I think I should probably have a security company install it, one with guards and connections to the police department if, G.o.d forbid, there ever was an intruder and the alarm went off.”
”Isn't that what you have now?” Rinda asked.
”Well, kind of. But the system doesn't work, and the company that installed it years ago is now defunct.”
”So it's pretty much useless as is. If I were you, I'd have Scott get the old one up and running as best as he can until you get the new one installed. With this weather, that could be weeks. Maybe months.” Rinda pressed a key, then swore under her breath as the screen flickered and then died. ”Oh, c.r.a.p,” she growled, slapping her desk and jostling her coffee cup.
Startled, Oliver scrambled off the desk, scattering mail and disappearing down a stairway to the dressing rooms.
”Perfect,” Rinda said as she and Jenna scooped up the letters and envelopes. Rinda said to her son, ”While you're so gung ho to fix electronic things, maybe you should look at this stupid computer.”
”It needs a new motherboard and a bigger hard drive and about a dozen other things. It would be cheaper to replace it.”
”Wonderful.” Rinda stacked the mail on the corner of her desk again. ”I'm a complete moron when it comes to anything technical.”
”Okay, okay,” Scott said, lifting his hands in mock surrender. ”Let me take a look at it. Move over.” He knelt beside his mother's desk, his fingers typing frantically on the keyboard. All the while, his frown increased and his mouth became razor-thin as he studied the screen. ”The program's too big,” he finally muttered.
”That much I do know,” Rinda admitted.
”Maybe I could try something different...” His fingers flew over the keys again, and he stared as if transfixed at the odd a.s.sortment of symbols that scrolled across the screen.
The front doors banged open, then shut with a loud click. The piano music stopped abruptly. A few seconds later, Wes, in jeans and a thick jacket, sauntered into the small room.
”Problems?” he asked, eyeing Scott kneeling before the computer. ”Don't tell me-the hard drive.”
”That would be it, yes.” Rinda folded her arms under her chest. ”It's making me crazy.”
”Just a second.” Scott was still staring at the monitor that was blinking to life. ”Okay...it's fixed now. But probably just temporarily. You really need some new equipment.”
Wes yanked off his gloves. ”Let's see.”
Scott's jaw tightened a fraction. ”I said, it's running now.”
”Yeah, but I'd like a look.” Moving in on the younger man, Wes rubbed his hands together, then motioned for Rinda to vacate her chair, which she did, albeit begrudgingly. He sat down, started to type, then swore and started again. ”d.a.m.ned fingers are nearly frozen solid.” He slid a glance up at Jenna. ”I spent the last two hours with the search party looking for Sonja Hatch.e.l.l.”
”Any luck?” Rinda asked as she leaned against a post, but from the expression on Wes's face it was obvious the missing woman hadn't turned up.
”Nah. It's nearly impossible in this weather, but the police are still trying.”
Rinda rubbed her arms. ”I wonder what happened to her?”
Nothing good, Jenna thought, but didn't state the obvious.
”I heard that she and her old man weren't getting along.” Scott lifted an indifferent shoulder. ”I bet she just took off.”
”Why would you say anything like that?” Rinda demanded.
”Because I saw her at the diner sometimes. She was always complaining about the cold weather. Came from somewhere in Southern California and wanted to go back. I bet she had a fight with Lester and thought 'what the h.e.l.l' and just started driving south.”
”Leaving her children behind?”
”Some parents do,” Scott said, his tone sarcastic just as Blanche Johnson, wearing a hand-knit beret, poked her head into the office. ”I'm taking off now. If you need anything, just call,” she said, then seemed to take note of the somber faces. ”Is something wrong?”
Rinda said, ”We were just talking about Sonja Hatch.e.l.l.”
Blanche frowned. Deeper lines etched across her forehead. ”I keep thinking she'll show up. You know, call from somewhere. Or...something.”
”That's what I think,” Scott said.
”Sonja would never be so irresponsible.” Rinda shook her head. ”I know her. Even if she was p.i.s.sed at Lester, she would have called her kids.”
”Maybe.” Scott wasn't convinced.
”Anyway, her taking off would be the best-case scenario,” Rinda whispered and touched her throat. ”You know, it's creepy. First that woman they found up at Catwalk Point, and now Sonja missing. It makes you wonder if they're related.”