For a moment she listened. She could hear someone talking, but she could not understand what was being said. Praying she would not make a lot of noise, she pushed herself up and over the windowsill, stopping halfway in.
The room was a mess: It had been torn apart. Her mother was a neat freak. She’d have a heart attack when she saw this. Even her sewing machine was on the floor and every drawer was open, with fabric strewn about. The only good thing about the mess was that there was no impediment to her climbing through the window. Nothing was in her way. And the door to the room was closed.
She had plenty of room to set herself down onto the carpeted floor.
After another minute, holding her breath, praying that no one had heard her, she removed her gun, stood, and tiptoed to the door.
CHAPTER 43
Ben was nearly to his freeway exit when his phone rang. It was Mark.
“Where are you?”
“On the freeway, almost home, why?”
“Something’s happening in Long Beach. I just got a call from Detective Collins at LBPD. Two house fires just erupted in the city. One house belongs to Stan Moffit, the other to Elaine Jensen.”
Ben nearly stomped on the brake. “What?”
“According to LBPD, the fires were called in roughly five minutes apart. Neighbors to both houses reported hearing an explosion and then a vehicle speeding away.”
“Where’s Lai—ah, Detective Jensen?”
“At her parents’ house. She called in an unknown trouble, then went off-air. They can’t raise her.”
“Can you give me that address?”
A short while later, Ben saw two black-and-white police vehicles on the street when he turned the corner a block from Lainie’s parents’ home. He also saw Lainie’s car parked in front of the next-door neighbors’. As he drove past her car, he noted the black SUV. He continued past the police cars, then parked. He got out and identified himself.
“Who is in charge?” He held up his ID.
A sergeant stepped toward him. “I am. Why are you here?”
“I’m working with Detective Jensen. This incident might be related to our mutual case.”
“Do you know what is going on in that house? We can’t raise her. All she told dispatch was that it was unknown trouble. Something to do with that black SUV.”
“I’m not certain what’s happening in that house, but Jensen’s own house is on fire—”
“Fire?” the sergeant said. “Does that have something to do with this situation?”
“I don’t know every detail, but I’m afraid that if Lainie went into the house, she may be a hostage. My guess is that whoever torched her house is here now. It’s just my gut. The black SUV is suspect.”
The sergeant nodded. “Yeah, Lainie told dispatch that. We ran the plate. It’s registered to Quartz Enterprises. Do you know anything about that?”
“I do. It’s a front for Dallas Vine.”
The sergeant frowned. “The guy who sued Lainie?”
“Yes.”
The officer considered this for a minute. “If this is a hostage situation, we need to notify SWAT and hostage negotiators.”
“Do that. In the meantime, do you mind if I get eyes on the situation?”
“How do you plan to do that?”
“I’ll go around into the backyard and see what I can see.”
